《Reborn ghost seeing lady is pampered by her ex husband》


 Chapter 1 Its always good in the beginning.

    "Ladies and gentlemen let us give a big round of applause for the vice president of the Saxon group, David Saxon." Announced the master of ceremonies who clapped continuously.


    These were the words which Phoebe Gabriel a simple red haired beauty had been waiting for five years to hear and to her it was the equivalent of an eternity.


    She was David Saxon''s wife and the mother of his two sons. Her husband''s rise to glory in the Saxon group automatically meant her own rise and that of her sons so her heart was swelling with joy.


    "Woo, go David." She cheered loudly as she fought back tears of joy that still made their way down her cheeks, quickly she wiped her wet cheeks with the back of her hand, a smile never leaving her lips.


    Standing next to Phoebe was her best friend Ruth, looking completely glamorous as always. She was wearing a tight long golden dress that showed off her cleavage a little too generously.


    Although, compared to Phoebe who was wearing a plain brown dress long dress with no shiny jewelry to accompany it, one could easily mistake Ruth for David''s wife because she was the extravagantly beautiful one.


    Ruth tugged on Phoebe''s arm, leaned down and whispered, "Phoebe, don''t cheer so loudly in public, it''s really embarrassing and most of all it''s not proper behavior for the wife of a Saxon."


    "You are not a Saxon Ruthie, relax." A tiny chuckle escaped Phoebe''s pink lips as she resumed on cheering for her husband who had just achieved one the greatest milestones in his career.


    Ruth''s stiff face turned ugly and angry for a second. A cold look passed through her eyes but it disappeared before Phoebe could notice.


    She was still caught up in the excitement of David''s latest victory.


    "This win is mine as well, you know how hard I have worked behind closed doors to make this happen. Besides, if I don''t cheer my darling husband on, then who will?" she went on to ask.


    Ruth did not respond. She lowered her hands that had been clapping repeatedly and clenched them tightly in a fist. She wished she could launch a punch at her friend''s smiling face.


    Phoebe put a hand over her mouth and called out ecstatically, "You are the best David, you deserve it!" Came her comments of praise that forced Ruth to roll her eyes towards the ceiling.


    She didn''t care if it wasn''t proper Saxon behavior especially at a lavish event of this kind. All she cared about was that their hard work and sacrifices had paid off.


    She, the mediocre Phoebe Gabriel from a third class university with no prospects had married David Saxon of the Saxon group and secretly played the largest role in his success propelling him to the top of the company.


    David had promised her a surprise after the ceremony and she couldn''t wait. He had probably planned something romantic, her mind was running wild with imaginations of what the surprise could be.


    It had been a very long time since they did anything romantic, even something simple like going on a date. And when it came to sex, he had barely touched her in the last three years, not since the birth of their sons.


    Each time she tried to initiate sex, her husband''s manhood failed to salute because he was always exhausted.


    She had been worried about the unexplained distance that had taken a hold of their marriage but now, but not anymore.


    He had kissed her passionately in the morning and told her everything would change and all she had to do was to wait a little more.


    After his inauguration ceremony, David led her into his new office. It had already been prepared, completely set up inside and the door already had his name on it.


    It had large windows through which one could see the biggest park in Citrus city. It was a view that many in the company were envious of, especially those who worked in closed offices with a full view of plain walls.


    "What is this surprise baby? Am I taking the office next to yours?" she joked as she giggled like an excited little girl waiting to receive a large gift.


    She took a small leap and wrapped her arms around his waist. Her head leaned against his sturdy back and she drew in the familiar sandalwood scent of his cologne.


    David laughed softly but he didn''t answer. Forcefully he tore her hands away from his waist and pushed her away with a little too much force that she stumbled backwards.


    "Ouch" Phoebe winced as she rubbed her hip that had come into contact with the sharp edge of the table.


    Puzzled by his sudden change of attitude, she frowned and asked him if something was bothering him.


    To her surprise, David walked to his work table and searched through the middle drawer. He pulled out a medium sized envelope and handed it to her.


    "Sign it." he said to her, so coldly. "That''s your surprise, I advise that you do it for your sake and that we do not prolong this issue. This is the last act of mercy i am showing you as your husband." David stormed out and made sure to slam the door behind him leaving his wife more confused that ever before.


    Hastily, she opened the envelope and pulled out the set of papers that were inside. Holding her breath as she read the details, a shaky sigh escaped her lips when she read the word ''DIVORCE''.


    Phoebe sank into the chair behind her as she perused through the divorce letter over and over again wondering what had gotten into her husband.


    The man had given her no explanation whatsoever but rather he had handed her divorce papers and left. What baffled her even more was the fact that he spoke about this being his last act of mercy towards her. Did it mean he planned to be ruthless from now on?


    The hot tears that were brimming at the back of her eyes came forward and rolled down her cheeks as she continued to mull things over.


    Today was supposed to be one of the happiest days of her life because finally her husband was now the Vice president of Saxon group, meaning that everything was supposed to fall into place. From there, it would be an easy ride to president and finally chairman.


    Holding her breath for a second she questioned herself whether this was truly the surprise David had prepared for her. Her hand made its way to her chest which was becoming tighter.


    "What about the steamy kiss they had shared that morning? What could have occurred for him to be this way? This cannot be the end, I need answers." Phoebe got up from the chair and made a beeline for the door.


    Before she could open it, someone else beat her to it, opening it from the other side. Ruthie stood there with a frown on her face, her face was enveloped with concern.


    "Is everything alright? I saw David march out and he seemed very furious. What''s going on?" She lowered her face as she covered her sly smile.


    Because this was her best friend, Phoebe didn''t hold back but upon explaining all that had transpired between her and her husband, her best friend let out a guffaw. The blonde haired woman laughed so hard that she dabbed the tear at the corner of her eyes with a tissue.


    "Well, well how does it feel not to be a Saxon anymore Phoebe?" Came her mocking comment that caused blood to drain from Phoebe''s face. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 2 The new lady Saxon.

    The glint of malice in her best friend''s eyes sent shudders down her spine. It almost felt like she meant her venomous words.


    However because it had become the norm for the two women to throw jabs at one another, Phoebe brushed it off thinking it was a joke.


    "Now is not the time to mess with me, this is serious. I think i am loosing my marriage Ruthie!" Phoebe''s voice was so loud that it reverberated in the vast office.


    Tearing the papers in her hands, Phoebe vowed not to divorce her husband.


    "There so many reasons as to why I cannot divorce David. First he is the father to my babies, second he is the love of my life and lastly I made a promise to the late grandmother Saxon never to leave his side. Besides, that man wouldn''t be where he is right now if not for my dedication and now he wants a divorce!


    The least he can do is tell me why." Phoebe continued to lament to her friend who was chewing on her bottom lip and trying so hard not to laugh.


    The ingenuine concern she wore couldn''t show the happiness she had on the inside. The blonde woman couldn''t remember how much Phoebe who was a pauper had mocked her for not being a Saxon despite her coming from a wealthy background


    Phoebe began to walk away in a bid to find her husband whom she said owed her an explanation over what she considered to be madness.


    But before she could take another step, Ruthie grabbed her hand. "Hold your horses Phoebe, you do not need to ask that heart broken man why he''s divorcing you because I know exactly why." S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The words that came out of Ruthie''s mouth caused the desperate red haired woman to walk a few steps back until the two women were facing each other.


    Phoebe''s face was covered in both confusion and curiosity. "What in God''s name are you talking about? Did David tell you something?" A frown came to form on her face.


    The frown became deeper when Ruthie laughed maniacally. "Ohh it''s not about what he told me but rather it''s about what I told him." She reached inside her bag and pulled out two white papers that were stapled together.


    Without hesitation, Phoebe accepted the papers and read through them, however she barely understood any of the information that was written on it.


    "DNA.....what has this got to do with me and my husband. Whose DNA results are these?" Phoebe carelessly held the papers in her hands.


    A triumphant smile came to form on Ruthie''s lips. "Well my dear friend those are the results of a DNA test that was done between David and your bastard kids." The smile only grew wider as her friend became even more confused.


    "What rubbish is spewing out of your mouth, that is not possible. David is the father of my children, I was a virgin when we married, I have never slept with any other man except my husband. And don''t you ever call my children bastards..ever!" The anger in Phoebe''s blood dripped off her tongue.


    Unapologetic about what she had said, Ruthie continued to point out that Phoebe''s twins were bastards that she conceived after sleeping with another man.


    "David knows everything, this is not the first test he did, poor guy couldn''t believe it at first. After a few more tests, he finally accepted. And lucky for me he drunk like a fish and we ended up sleeping together and now am carrying a bun in the oven. A real Saxon baby, his heir." Ruth''s hand moved to her belly and she massaged it lightly.


    "I...I. Don''t understand. What are you saying exactly? This is all a lie. I need to find David, I have to explain myself....you cannot be pregnant for him....David doesn''t fancy you, he never has....I...I..." Phoebe began talking gibberish as she walked out the door.


    With her eyes on the floor, she bumped into a beefy man whom she knew quite well because he was Ruthie''s driver. On his boss'' orders the man carried her to the rooftop against her will.


    Like a sack of potatoes, he dropped her on the wet floor. Snowflakes fell on her body which caused her to shiver for the coldness entered her bones.


    "Ruthie what the hell? Why did you order your minion to bring me here? Wait a minute, did you come up with these lies such that you can take my position as David''s wife? Because you want to become a Saxon?" Phoebe''s condescending look only made her friend furious.


    "Yes." Ruthie answered curtly without delay, a victorious smile still playing on her lips.


    "I am going to make that man to marry me after all am carrying his true heir, the news is already out there and you have been branded as a cheater, your reputation is ruined, now sign the divorce papers, I warn that if you tear them like you did earlier, there will be serious repercussions." She handed her the papers and a pen.


    She had prepared more copies because she knew just how stubborn Phoebe could be.


    To Ruthie''s disappointment, Phoebe folded her arms and sneered. Her actions compelled Ruthie to pull out her phone, she made a video call and showed her friend the video of her kids bound by ropes in a filthy tiny room with a big gas pipe.


    A loud groan escaped Phoebe''s lips as she covered her lips. She couldn''t believe what she was seeing. "Please Ruthie for the sake of our friendship please don''t harm my kids." She pleaded as she reached for the phone unsuccessfully.


    "Friend? Ha-ha that''s hilarious. You are wasting precious time, that room is being filled with carbon monoxide, those kids are dying as we speak, so sign the damn papers." Ruthie spoke in an unbothered tone.


    To her surprise Phoebe asked for proof of life to which Ruth ordered the kidnapper to increase the gas.


    In fear of her children dying, Phoebe quickly picked up the papers and signed them.


    "Now please where are my babies, please release them." She pleaded to the merciless woman she once considered a friend.


    Ruth ordered the man to release the kids but unfortunately the man informed her that the kids were dead.


    Oh hearing the terrible news, Phoebe went into a state shock as she wailed and made a move to attack Ruthie only for Viper the driver to hold her back.


    "I cannot let you go now because if you open your mouth about what I have done, David and his soft weak heart would never marry me, Viper, carry her close to the edge of the building." Ruthie ordered.


    Once again, Ruthie flashed the phone screen at Phoebe, her mother''s bound body was dropped near her dead children.


    "Now jump or I kill your mother too." She ordered without batting an eye.


    "Everything is over. You know the rigid ways of the Saxons. If you don''t kill yourself, they will do it for you to save their stainless reputation and i can guarantee you that the pain they will put you through will be much worse to this. Think of your suicide as an act of mercy. Isn''t it better to be with your children?" Ruthie smiled slyly.


    Phoebe shook her head, very reluctant to do as Ruth wanted. What she needed to do was find David.


    "David will believe me. I just need..."


    "Aaah! this muddle headed bitch. Why can''t you just do what''s good for everyone? After your mother, it will be your father and then your brother."


    Phoebe whimpered and looked at Ruth with pleading and sorrowful eyes.


    "Please Ruth, i don''t know when things got to be this way but we are friends. We can talk this out. I have signed the divorce papers. I will take my children and my family far away from Citrus city." She begged.


    She still didn''t believe that Ruth had really killed her sons. This was like a dream__, a nightmare and she just needed to open her eyes.


    "You are delusional, those kids are dead, Kill the mother." Ruth ordered through the phone.

 Chapter 3 Death and rebirth.

    There was no time to think anything over, Phoebe had nothing left, she had lost her husband, kids, and her reputation. It was better for her to die than her family. She was a failure as a wife who failed to see trouble brewing in her marriage.


    She had failed as a mother because her children had just died before her eyes. She was a failure as a human for not seeing the mask her best friend had worn for years, plotting against her.


    As a daughter, she couldn''t be a failure too and cause the death of her parents. Her brother was expecting his first child. Wouldn''t she be a sinner if she made that child fatherless?


    "David Saxon." She said the name in a whisper.


    She wet her dry lips and laughed. After all she had done for him, how could he have believed the lies and abandoned her?


    She wondered how often he had looked at her with disgust. How he refused to kiss or touch her, pretending he was exhausted or busy.


    She remembered how he barely spent time with their sons and finally, she pictured him in bed with Ruth, whispering sweet words of love and making promises, the same ones he had once made to her.


    Her heart broke with every image she imagined, shattering into millions of little pieces like broken glass.


    With the speed of a snail she walked to the pavement and lowered her tear filled eyes to the ground where she was about to fall. Her hands moved to the half pendant stone she was wearing around her neck as she closed her eyes right before she jumped off the building.


    "David Saxon." She whispered the name again and laughed softly just before her body hit the ground and her head shattered like a soft watermelon on the cold hard ground.


    _______________________________________________________________________________


    Once upon a time, Cinderella took off her glass slippers and run away from the castle.


    It was the tallest tower in Citrus city, known as the ninth wonder of the world. One hundred floors high, sitting on three and half million square feet.


    With two thousand rooms, two hundred bathrooms and eighty kitchens. It had eight swimming pools, two hundred car garage and a church where prayers were held every morning.


    On the grounds were air conditioned stables big enough to house three hundred horses and ponies.


    Uphill was a horse racing track, a car racing track, a helipad and hunting grounds that were patrolled by one hundred ten dogs. Not to be forgotten were its glamorous gardens that often appeared in ideal home magazines.


    It was a castle, in its own right, a house meant for a king and also known as the house where dreams were fulfilled.


    Two billion dollars was how much had gone into the building this tower that was designed by world renowned famous architect Alonzo Cusco in 1991.


    Many famous people had been inside this house, presidents, foreign dignitaries, even kings and queens from different parts of the world.


    It was indeed the ninth wonder of the world, with its beautiful gold statues owned by the most envied family in Fog country, the golden family, the Saxons.


    Everyone was dying for an opportunity to crawl through the small gaps of the main gates and live on the grounds of Saxon tower, everyone that was except for Phoebe Gabriel.


    She was standing in the midst of the awe filled crowd of tourists from other countries that was here to take pictures and create memories outside of the Saxon tower.


    "Ladies and gentlemen the Saxon tower has one hundred floors. I know some of you are wondering how many cleaners it takes to keep this behemoth mansion clean. I will save you the wondering and give you an answer, one thousand and three maids."


    The tour guide was as clich¨¦ as one of his kind could get. A bright charming smile and an I heart citrus city cap on his head. He was wearing shorts and a shirt that similarly declared his love for Citrus city.


    He had a small earpiece through which he was talking and brochures advertising the tour bus company for which he worked in his hands.


    Without pause, kept handing out the brochures to the tourists while divesting information about one of the world''s greatest cities. For every question that the tourists had, he had an answer.


    "Each of the servants is rumored to earn no less than twenty thousand dollars a month, a lot more than most of us make in three months. Who knew that a fancy degree in art history would pay a lot less than moping some floors for rich folks?"


    Some people chuckled, highly amused by the mix of self-loathing and dry humor of the tour guide. Phoebe didn''t laugh with the others.


    "It''s ten thousand dollars actually." She said loudly.


    "Well, it looks like I have a competitor ladies and gentlemen. How do you know how much they earn gorgeous, do you work inside or do you perhaps know someone that does?" His amused eyes were pinned to her face


    Phoebe looked at Saxon tower with a wistful look in her eyes. She was still struggling with the memories of the life she had lived before. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A sad smile formed on her face and she said.


    "I used to live here, among the cold hearted untrustworthy, prestigious monsters."


    After saying those shocking words, she turned around and started walking away, well aware of the confusion her words had probably created.


    Some people believed her but many did not after all a lot of people came out claiming to be part of the prestigious family which claims eventually turned out to false.


    Every member of the Saxon family was well known to the public. They were not shy about using their name to enjoy the privileges it offered them. Even the reclusive members of the family were known and famous.


    They would have to come out of hiding for birthdays, weddings and other important events during which their pictures would be taken and shared on their socials that had massive following.


    "Wait, as a servant or a Saxon?"


    "She can''t be a Saxon, her hair is red." A woman said.


    It was settled then, that she was the child of a servant that grew up on Saxon grounds perhaps.


    The Saxons were not just famous for their insurmountable wealth, they were also famously known for their snow white hair.


    Rumor had it that one of their ancestors was a witch that made a deal with the devil to keep the Saxons in wealth forever and so the devil took all color out of their hair as a price.


    It was often said that you couldn''t see a Saxon if they were hiding in the snow because they were snow monsters.


    As stupid and ridiculous as the rumors were, people seemed to enjoy them, spreading and whispering about it as if it was the concrete truth.


    The white hair of course was another thing the Saxons took pride in and they never dyed it. In fact, it was forbidden to dye hair as a Saxon. Every string on their heads had to be as white as the clouds.


    Phoebe wanted to remind the tourists that Saxons married people with all other kinds of hair colors but she figured, why bother. It wasn''t as if she had any intention of sharing the story of her life with them.


    Her story was even more ridiculous than the white hair and witch rumors, for she had died once, and been reborn.

 Chapter 4 A narrow escape.

    What kind of odd luck was this? Phoebe''s intention was never to set foot near the Saxon castle. She had boarded a tourist bus just to pass time after doing some shopping and somehow she ended up there.


    But in all honesty she was curious whether the place was still the same. It was now a full year since she had been reborn and not once did she ever set foot at that house, if anything she was actually hiding from the Saxons especially her husband.


    In this life, it was not her intention to become entangled with him. She felt like she had done enough for him in her last one. Still, thinking of David Saxon caused a dull ache in her chest.


    She had been reborn with the love and anger and grief he caused her. Even now, entering into his world to save her own life was not a thing she could avoid due to the rules of her rebirth. Had her rebirth been a gift or a curse?


    A black Porsche that she clearly remembered drove past her causing her to quickly turn around such that the driver couldn''t see her face.


    Inside the gorgeous car was a handsome white haired man whom she hoped never to see ever again.


    The two hadn''t met yet in this life time but nonetheless Phoebe wanted to leave nothing to chance.


    "Do not remember, do not smile, do not miss him." she whispered to herself.


    Everyday, it was a battle between her mind and her heart to keep the good memories at bay and remember only the grief.


    Phoebe closed her eyes and let out a huge exhalation of pent -up breath when the car continued to driveway because the last thing she wanted was to run into her husband.


    The sound of screeching brakes from the car however compelled her eyes open.


    "Why is he stopping?"


    Phoebe hoped that she wasn''t the reason why.


    Her hope quickly faltered when she heard David''s familiar voice call her name. For a second there it felt like she could hardly breathe.


    How in God''s name did he know her name? If she remembered correctly this wasn''t how they met in her past life. They had first met when she went to Saxon group in search of a job, so how did he know her.


    Without a pause, she began to walk as fast as she could sparing a quick glance behind her, on noticing that he was following her, Phoebe''s pace increased as her walking transitioned into running.


    "God darn it! Why does he keep following me?" Her hands clenched on the straps of her bag.


    Lucky for her was that a tourist was exiting a taxi to which she jumped into and ordered the driver to drive away.


    "No problem, I will do that as soon as the previous passenger pays me in full. This is not the amount we agreed upon." The old man expressed his frustration on the woman who was claiming to have run out of cash.


    Looking at the direction from which David was coming from, it was just a matter of seconds before he caught up to her.


    "Drive I''ll pay whatever she owes you." The patience in her voice had clearly run thin.


    On hearing her declaration, the driver set off just when David and her eyes met. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Phew, that was close." Phoebe let out a sigh of relief, she continued to blame the red hair on her head which she blamed for giving her away.


    "You should have spoken to him, do you think that it''s a coincidence that you guys were there at the same time? I have told you times without number that your destinies are intertwined."


    The words came from the mouth of the spirit that was sitting right next to her. It''s statements caused Phoebe to scream angrily.


    "Shut up! Just....please keep quiet." Phoebe''s words caused the old driver to adjust the rear view mirror so as to look at her.


    "Ma''am, I didn''t say anything." He defended himself, a worried look enveloped his face because the passenger he was driving appeared nuts.


    "Am not talking to you." She leaned back and shut her eyes tightly.


    Her response had the old man swallowing excessively as he searched the vicinity before asking whom she was talking to.


    "Focus on the road." She ordered curtly


    Since Phoebe was reborn, she was yet to live a day without hearing about the Saxon pendant and how it had saved her life.


    The ghost of the Saxon ancestral spirit was the first thing she saw when she was reborn and according to the nagging spirit it was because of the magic of the Saxon pendant that she got to get a second chance at life although she was taken back ten years in time.


    However according to ancestor Saxon, all magic comes at a price and in this case Phoebe had to live the rest of her life seeing ghosts. And she had to help the ghosts so as to give the pendant energy which would then keep her alive.


    Ancestor Saxon had also been insisting that Phoebe reconnects with David, however after everything that he had done to her it was going to take something more than just their destinies being fated to get them together.


    "Don''t do that again ancestor, I know that you pulled some strings to get us to meet. If this happens again I will stop helping those ghosts that you care for so much." Phoebe issued a warning that caused the fat spirit with white hair to laugh.


    "Young lady, I think that of the two of us you benefit more by helping the ghosts." Ancestor Saxon lied blatantly.


    Although Phoebe didn''t know it just yet, her being alive was more beneficial to the Saxon spirit. In fact to the Saxon empire as a whole.


    The taxi came to a stop in front of the Cerene Apartments. The terrified taxi driver asked the young woman at the back to step out of his vehicle.


    He was visibly horrified because the young woman had been talking to herself since she entered the car. Without waiting for her to pay for the ride, the man sped off like he had seen a ghost.


    A tiny chuckle escaped her lips because she was used to getting that kind of reaction from people, most times they called her weird especially because she was the owner of The black ghost Cafe and she never made it a secret that she could see ghosts or that her business was to deal with the dead.


    Majestically she moved to the tiny Cafe that was located on the ground floor of the Cerene luxurious apartments.


    As usual the Cafe was almost full of customers but these were not the usual customers who went to a Cafe to enjoy a cup of coffee.


    Most were people that desired to talk to their family and friends who were on the other side, others wanted solutions because they believed that they were haunted and some were actually ghosts that needed to make contact with humans.


    Phoebe had made quite the name for herself with some some people calling her a Shaman and others a witch. None of that bothered her after all with each ghost she helped more energy was funneled into the pendant and above all she had made quite a fortune for herself.


    It was not so bad being the ghost seeing lady, as the little kids around often called her.

 Chapter 5 You have no wife.

    Back at the Saxon mansion, David was being held back by bodyguards of the family who had to herd him into the house since he had evacuated the car and caused quite the ruckus.


    The tourists, reporters and other by standers had been so excited to be up and close with a real life Saxon.


    One of them had even yelled, "Get a picture of me with the white haired freak."


    Out of excitement, they had practically attacked him with their cameras, forcing him to take pictures with them or just trying to grab his hair.


    A genuine strand of Saxon hair could be sold for as much as one thousand dollars online or a genetics lab. Sometimes, it was even higher.


    One time, Nile Saxon, a member of the fifth clan of the family and a professional nutritionist and life style influencer had put up his hair for auction. It sold for three hundred fifty thousand dollars.


    From then on, some people lost their minds occasionally and tried to rip hair from the heads of the Saxons. Since then, grooming services had been moved in house.


    That was why the bodyguards had to act quickly like a trained swat team, move in and take David inside quickly.


    He was put inside a golf cart and driven up to the main house then sent to the first floor of the tower where members of the first Saxon family lived.


    The entire time, David was struggling against their hold and insisting that they let go of him.


    "I have to follow my wife. Do you hear me, i have seen my wife."


    Those were the words he was yelling when he was shoved into the living room in his grandparents place.


    Grandma Saxon was reading a hardcopy of a newspaper when David was brought in. It was not the first time that her favorite grandson had been dragged home like a run away teenager infatuated with a girl thanks to hormones and stupidity.


    It was also not the first time that he had yelled out this nonsense about his fictional wife, Phoebe and how he needed to find her.


    A year ago, David had come down with a serious fever which could not be explained. He even went into a coma and had to be in the hospital for a good four months.


    When he opened his eyes, he had immediately started talking about this mythical woman that he was supposedly married to.


    "David, i hate to remind you of this again for the hundredth time but you are not married child. You have no wife." She spoke to him softly, the way a grandmother would to a five year old.


    She dotted on David a lot because he was the grandchild she raised personally since his parents spent a lot of time away in their independent research labs.


    His two sisters and older brother had been born at a time when his parents were not so busy. He was the unfortunate one to be born late and he didn''t get as much love and attention from them. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    So, in turn, she gave him triple the love and attention to make up for that gap.


    "Should i arrange another blind date for you?" she asked him.


    David glared at the beefy bodyguards who were blocking the door before slowly moving towards his grandmother and sitting down.


    Even though he longed to escape and find Phoebe, they would not move unless his grandmother ordered them to.


    "I don''t need another blind date with another doe eyed daughter of a wealthy family looking to become a Saxon. I just need my Phoebe."


    Grandma Saxon sighed. The way David talked about this Phoebe, you would think she was more important than oxygen.


    She had looked high and low among David''s circles and the women belonging to the elite first generation families of Citrus city and there was no Phoebe Gabriel.


    Even in Fog country, she couldn''t find this woman.


    A close friend had suggested that David had encountered one of those dirty ghosts from his long stay in the hospital which had charmed him.


    She had even suggested that she visit a shaman to find a way to break the spell on David.


    That friend had even gone so far to suggest that he had been enchanted by a nine tailed fox or a siren.


    There was no absence of rumors about creatures like those in Citrus city, not that any had ever been seen publicly. They were just rumors just like the witch of the Saxon family.


    Grandma Saxon sighed again. What had started out as silly talk with an old friend was now quickly becoming a thing to consider seriously.


    David had been to church and the priest said he was okay. In fact, they had been to different priests of various religions and nothing helped.


    They had gone to a temple and nothing came out of the ghost chasing talismans. Now, she was seriously considering the shaman. She would do anything to save her grandson.


    The rumors of his assumed lunacy were already travelling fast among the elite circles. If something was not done quickly, David''s reputation would be ruined and he would have to take retreat from the real world.


    A forced break according to the rules of the family in order to avoid staining it''s good Saxon name.


    "Did you see anybody Edgar? Any woman with flaming locks of red hair like red wine." she turned to his bodyguards.


    She used the words that David had used personally to describe Phoebe''s hair. She left out the extravagant parts about it being similar to silk that had been woven by the gods themselves. Of which Gods David had spoken of, she had no idea.


    Edgar, the beefiest of the bodyguards who looked like he ate iron for a living judging from his behemoth size alone shook his head.


    "There were so many people outside the gates matriarch. I am not sure if i saw anything. Perhaps we can look at the security footage from the cameras monitoring the front gates for certainty." he responded in a raspy deep voice.


    "I saw her." David sat up and emphasized. "She was there and she turned around when i called her name. She is here, in the city somewhere and i am going to find her with or without help."


    Grandma Saxon sighed and nodded at the bodyguards.


    They stepped aside for David to leave. He kissed his grandmother on the cheek and left immediately.


    "What about you Polly, did you see any red haired woman?"


    The bodyguard that was standing next to Edgar with his arms crossed across his chest got this look of unsureness across his face. He had seen a flash of red hair when a woman jumped into a taxi.


    But, that was around the time when the crowd went crazy and he had to go into guard dog mode for his young master David.


    "Maybe, but i am not sure." he answered.


    Grandma Saxon sighed again and opened the diamond studded black purse which had been sitting next to her the entire time. From the bag, she retrieved a white business card and looked down at it skeptically.


    It was the business card of the so called extraordinary shaman her friend had recommended. There was no name on the card, just a name and an address.


    "The Black Ghost Cafe,"

 Chapter 6 The black cloud in the building.

    The black ghost Cafe had a warm and inviting ambiance, with wooden furniture, dim lights and relaxing music. On one side was a section where antiques and relics that Phoebe had collected over time with the help of the Saxon ancestor spirit were displayed.


    From time to time, the Saxon spirit had directed her to areas that were rich in antiques which had increased the number of guests at the Cafe. This was because antique collectors would come over, authenticate and acquire the antiques.


    Recently, she had even sold a small old porcelain vase from the sixteenth century for two million.


    Some of the relics were personally made by her like charm bracelets that she gave to the customers which were believed to be good luck charms because people often said that their luck changed when they wore them.


    It was not random good luck of course, it was part of the energy she got from helping ghosts. It is why she had a glass box of unused charms at her desk.


    They had also contributed quite nicely to the rise in her financial status. The charms she sold had different prices. Some went for as much as Twenty thousand dollars.


    It wasn''t all roses for Phoebe however as there were people that were still uncomfortable with the existence of that type of business at such a prominent place.


    Many wondered how Phoebe had been able to secure a space at the Cerene Apartments. First because the monthly rent alone was $15,000 and two, because it was a place that only the rich frequented. She was like a black cloud hovering over the building.


    "I am back." she announced loudly.


    This was meant for the only human employee in her store.


    Phoebe had employed Rosset a girl she had known for a few months, having met her only after her rebirth. She was the only human in this town that associated with her where others avoided her like a plague.


    Once Phoebe announced her presence in the Cafe, the brown eyed girl raised her head and smiled at her. "Hey Phoebe, we have a full house. Most of them are here for those bracelets and healing herbal tonic, in fact that liquid is running out of stock." Rosset pointed at the ten remaining bottles that were placed high on the shelf.


    The herbal tonic had gained popularity for its unexplained healing ability for minor illnesses, body aches and some unknown conditions. Phoebe had gifted hands with making healing herbs, that''s how she had managed to head the research department at the Saxon group in her past life.


    The tonic was not all her work however. Ancestor Saxon had contributed a great deal to making her herbal tonic better and more effective because she was very generous with sharing recipes to medicine herbs and tonics that had been long forgotten for thousands of years.


    Nodding and smiling with delight, Phoebe assured her friend and Cafe manager that she had more stock of the herbal tonic in her apartment which was situated on the fifth floor.


    "Tomorrow, I''ll bring more tomorrow. I have also created new herbal mixtures and tonics. I have one for cleansing the kidney."


    That being said Phoebe made way to her office which was by the corner of the Cafe. It was a medium sized glass cubicle with black curtains which were put there intentionally to create privacy.


    Since she had more ghost clients than humans, the last thing she wanted was for people witnessing her talking to her self. It was already hard enough making friends with her neighbors.


    On the day she moved into the Cafe, she had come up with a kind gesture of offering rice cakes to her neighbors. Out of the twenty delicious rice cakes, the poor girl was only able to give out three, the balance was rejected.


    Till date many of the the owners of the neighboring stores avoided Phoebe as much as possible to the point of not using the elevator if Phoebe was already in it.


    Letting out a loud sigh as she sank into one of the couches that was placed in the open area of the office, Phoebe shut her eyes when the Saxon spirit appeared. It pointed to the corner and Phoebe sighed. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Can''t I have some privacy?" Phoebe''s quizzical gaze was directed at the teenage female ghost that was chewing gum loudly over there.


    "Am hungry, am craving candy, give me candy. I want orange flavored tofee." Came it''s words that caused Phoebe''s eyes to open hastily.


    From the moment she had moved into the Cerene Apartments, the ghost had made it a routine to bother requesting for sweet treats, mostly lollipops, gum and chocolates.


    What infuriated her was that at times it requested for rare sweets which required her to drive all the way to the other side of town.


    It wasn''t entirely pointless because pleasing the ghost meant that she was rewarded with a little energy which increased her life line but still it was exhausting at times.


    Phoebe''s eyes met those of the Saxon spirit which was blaming her for putting up with the teenage ghost''s behavior.


    "Give her whatever is available, candy is candy You should put in mind that teenagers can be bullies whether human or ghost, they are all the same."


    Shaking her head in disbelief, Phoebe pointed her index finger at the teenage ghost. "Is it normal for a ghost to have cravings? I mean I fed you strawberry yoghurt this morning. Going forward you young lady are going to eat whatever is available."


    Without pause Phoebe tossed the sandwich Rosset had placed on her desk earlier into the fire. That''s how she fed it and it was for that same reason that the fire place never run out of fire because she had to feed the ever hungry ghost.


    Although it was unhappy with what it was given, the hungry ghost quickly consumed the sandwich and as soon as it was done it began to complain that it wasn''t pleased.


    "A sandwich is not candy. Aren''t you supposed to do everything I ask? The white haired witch says you are rewarded for helping us ghosts." The teenage ghost was so entitled in the way it reminded Phoebe of this fact.


    However Phoebe was unfazed, she stretched her hand and stared at the small black diamond shaped tattoo that had implanted itself on the back of her hand.


    Slowly it became darker than it was and the number written at its center increased which only meant that the energy of the pendant around her neck had increased.


    The mark had appeared after her rebirth and she had quickly come to understand it''s meaning thanks to ancestor Saxon. The number in the center stood for how many days she had left to live.


    Currently, it was at seventy one days. Phoebe should have been panicking more than keeping calm because this meant she would die once those days elapsed.


    However, she chose to remain calm because there was a more permanent solution to her problem. A solution in the name of Saxon. As long as she helped the Saxon''s face whatever imminent peril was heading their way as ancestor Saxon said, the days would increase much more rapidly.


    Still, she was reluctant to meet David or any of the Saxons again. The memories of the past were still fresh like a raw wound that refused to heal.


    "It''s rude not to talk back when someone is talking to you." The female teenage ghost complained, drawing Phoebe out of her thoughts.


    In line with it''s rudeness, it blew a loud bubble from the gum, popping it next to Phoebe''s ear, agitating her incredibly.

 Chapter 7 Ghost seeing lady doesnt want attachments.

    A slow sly smile formed on her lips as her attention was drawn back to the ghost.


    "If you don''t like the new rules then by all means find some else to feed you."


    She didn''t plan to comment on the poor manners of the female ghost because she was not her mother or sister. The teenager simply stuck around because she couldn''t remember why she was stuck and she was lonely.


    The teenage ghost quickly humbled itself for it was aware that without Phoebe it would not be able to feed. It had taken it years before meeting a medium that could actually see it.


    "Fine."


    It curtly spoke before it vanished.


    The Saxon spirit that had been watching was amused by how far Phoebe had come. From being a timid girl that was petrified of ghosts to someone that was now setting terms and conditions that they had to follow.


    A broad smile came to form on its wrinkled face, Phoebe who had noticed the wide grin asked what was so amusing.


    "Well, am just very proud of you my dear, very soon you will become a master at this. But you know, you should learn the girl''s name since it looks like she might be here for a long while. You can''t just keep calling her you, her, or it."


    "Knowing names forms attachments. I don''t want unnecessary attachments in this life." Phoebe answered.


    At the end of the day, the girl was a ghost and she would leave. Of what use was it to attach herself to someone who would leave?


    She opened a cabinet and took out six envelopes. These were clients looking for the best days on which to hold weddings or funerals.


    "Let''s get to work." she told ancestor Saxon.


    The Saxon spirit''s smile became wider. "Now, should we discuss real business?"


    Phoebe frowned at the white haired spirit.


    Despite it''s youthful face and drop dead gorgeous looks, it was a being that had existed for thousands of years.


    That was the information Phoebe knew about it. Everything else, it promised to share after she returned to the Saxon family.


    "You have a sly look on your face. Whatever you are going to say, don''t." she told it.


    "You can''t avoid him forever." Ancestor Saxon laughed, a loud shrill escaping her mouth.


    It was as if she was deeply amused and entertained by Phoebe''s life.


    Phoebe snorted and opened the envelopes.


    Of course, she couldn''t avoid him forever. He had even shouted her name so loudly and called for her desperately.


    When had David ever called out for her so desperately like that during their marriage? He used to be cold and unreceptive often. Why had he called for her?


    She sighed and stuffed those memories into a compartment in her mind.


    Then, she locked it and threw the keys away. She couldn''t afford to think about him because it was causing her turmoil again.


    She took a calming breath and settled on her work. With it, she could forget everything.


    In the evening, when Phoebe was done with her work at the Cafe, she bid Rosset goodbye and headed for her apartment.


    Phoebe had a lot on her mind because the Saxon spirit had just given her a herbal tonic recipe which helped in bringing back someone''s lost beauty.


    Of course, it was not for free. She had agreed to help one of the Saxons in turn, but she had also proposed that it be one of her choosing.


    There had been so many misfortunes during the years she lived with them. Now, she knew that they were not coincidences. The Saxons had an enemy whose invisible hand had crawled into their family and started breaking them, one by one.


    Little things that went unnoticed, like someone falling off a horse and then becoming paralyzed. Or being caught in a scandal that ruined their reputation. Then there were the accidents, car, motorcycle, bikes, yacht and even simply walking.


    Even the deformities in the new born Saxon children. Phoebe remembered how grateful she had been that she didn''t give birth to deformed children like other women in the family.


    A random thought crept into her mind. They were not David''s children in the first place. Maybe that''s why they were born normal.


    She groaned when she recalled that mystery. If not David, then who was the father of those twins?


    She groaned as the frustrating question passed through her mind again. Everyday, she wondered about it.


    "Forget it, think about how to make money for now." she convinced herself.


    Soon enough, as long as she kept an eye on Ruth, the truth would come to light.


    As she walked through the corridor that led to the elevator, she came up with the idea of starting up a small farm to grow the herbs for herbal tonics on a large scale.


    Lately the customer base for her products had increased which also meant that demand was high. The products were running out on a daily and she needed to keep up with the demand.


    The Saxons were the biggest land owners in Citrus city. Was it inevitable that she would have to go them if she wanted the most fertile land near a water source? She couldn''t help thinking that this was a trap ancestor Saxon had laid out for her.


    Inside the pendant around her neck, ancestor Saxon was resting with a comfortable smile on her face. Of course it was part of her plan.


    Two fates that were meant to be couldn''t be broken so simply.


    Absentmindedly, she reached a finger out to push a button but another finger beat her to it.


    "Excuse me, a smooth voice said."


    Phoebe looked up, attracted by the smooth voice which was rich and deep.


    She looked up and gasped. Staring at her was a tall handsome man with dark chocolate eyes. He had thick golden brown curly hair which looked like the fur of a golden retriever.


    He smiled and Phoebe blinked twice, unsure if she had seen the sun rising or an ordinary smile.


    [Wow, so handsome. So so handsome. Is he human or ghost?]


    "What?" he asked. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe shook her head and she smiled back at him before looking away from him. He was human, definitely not a ghost but no matter how good looking he was, it was no use talking to him.


    He wasn''t the first handsome man she had met after her rebirth but, all of them turned and run after finding out what she did.


    Shaman abilities or seeing ghosts was not at the top of the list of qualities most men had when looking for girlfriends.


    If golden hair lived in the building, he would soon come to know who she was and what she did and he too would fly away like a bird.


    Phoebe and the man entered the elevator at the same time, not saying a word to each other.


    Soon the elevator stopped and they got off at the same floor. As she walked to the right, so he followed, almost like he was stalking her.


    The slight clicking of his shoes against the floor freaked her out a little bit in the empty apartment hallway. She had learned that humans were worse than ghosts after all.


    When she increased her walking speed, his footsteps increased as well, making it obvious that he was after her.


    [Pervert, he is probably a handsome pervert. Oh, why do i have to be the one to run into him?]


    With her heart beating fast, she quickly jumped to a conclusion and hastened her speed even more.

 Chapter 8 Davids abrupt decision.

    Gold hair as Phoebe referred to him or Collin Baltimore couldn''t believe what he was seeing, for some unknown reason he could see the thoughts of the pretty woman rushing to get away from him as fast as she could.


    They were right there above her head, in a text like box, clear as day. He had never encountered anything like this in his life.


    He shook it off and tried to convince himself that he had seen wrong. It was exhaustion that was bothering him perhaps. But the thought of being called a pervert stayed with him, nagging at him like an itch between the buttocks.


    "Pervert? Did she just....Pervert?" He mumbled as he rushed to meet her because she had dropped her wallet in the elevator.


    For all the years that he had lived on this earth, this was the first time someone was calling him a pervert. Usually he was referred to as Mr. Dreamy or Mr. handsome because he actually was most women''s dream man going by looks alone.


    Before he could get the chance to hand over the pink leather wallet that had floral drawings on it, the pretty woman quickly opened the door of an apartment and quickly jumped inside with a little squeal.


    A muffled chuckle slipped through his lips as he wondered why she would think of him to be a pervert.


    And what was even more puzzling was the fact that he could see her thoughts. It was still stuck with him.


    "Was I mistaken?" He asked himself.


    "Her mouth was definitely closed, am not delusional or anything like that."


    The poor guy kept doubting himself something that he rarely did. Was he loosing his mind?


    Quickly he walked to his apartment and once inside Collin looked at his teenage sister who was sitting on a couch by the window scrolling through her phone.


    "Do i look like a pervert?"


    His question caused her to look up and let out a chortle. It was quite funny to see her normally well put together brother looking a little frazzled.


    "Yes, did you not know that? Why?" She spoke with nonchalance which compelled him to ask her to get serious about the issue.


    "This is important Cassie, am not joking around here." His sober tone was enough to let her know that he was indeed serious.


    The Baltimore siblings were fond of joking and pranking one another hence the initial response. Some people found their pranks to be extreme because they sometimes went out of control. A perfect example was their mother who absolutely loathed their jokes after that one time when Cassie shaved off Collins eye brows in his sleep.


    Cassie sat up straight and stared at her brother. "Who called you a pervert and what did you do to warrant someone to call you that?"


    She asked a question to which he had no answer.


    Shaking his head silently because he still couldn''t fathom what had just transpired between him and the pretty woman, Collin dismissed her question and retired to bed.


    "This early? What about dinner?" Cassie''s questions fell on deaf ears for her brother continued to walk away silently.


    ****


    Back at the Saxon mansion, David who was still convinced that the woman he had seen was the same woman that he had been looking for had all the security team on their toes.


    "What''s taking so long Polly? I need to review that footage myself...in fact forget it, let''s go the surveillance room." He stood up from the chair from which he had been nervously sitting waiting for Edgar the head of security to bring the surveillance footage.


    The two men briskly walked to the surveillance room which was situated at the basement floor of the castle. Although Polly was in very good shape, he had a hard time keeping up with his boss who appeared to be running instead of walking.


    Without announcing his arrival, David asked Edgar who was looking through the footage with squinted eyes to move over.


    "Mr. Saxon,,,," He said and paused. He wanted to advise David to slow down in case it wasn''t this mystery woman.


    "Have you seen her? Have you seen my Phoebe?" David asked impatiently.


    Edgar sighed and shook his head. There was a lot of footage to go through since thousands of people visited the Saxon tower every day.


    Just to be fair, it had only been a minute since the man had come down to the surveillance room before his boss barged in.


    "Move over." David ordered as he shoved the man aside unintentionally. If not for Polly who supported Edgar''s back when he stumbled, he would have fallen to the floor.


    Slowly and meticulously, David began to scroll through the footage. Since he knew the person he was searching for it was way easier for him to identify the woman. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    His finger pressed the pause button hastily when he saw the red head, then he went on on to play the video until Phoebe''s face came into view.


    "Yes! That''s her, that''s Phoebe Gabriel. The woman that I have been searching for all this time." He raised his hands to his head and let out a triumphant laugh.


    The two security guards stared at the flat computer screen in disbelief. David had been right all along however the question was, if that was Phoebe Gabriel how come she didn''t exist anywhere? She had no phone contact, social page on the internet, even the connections in the government couldn''t find her.


    "Find out everything about that woman, I want to know where she stays, where she works, where her family moved to. Bring me everything you can get on her, today." David''s tongue pressed on the word today.


    He even pushed his right hand pointing finger on one of the keyboard buttons continually as if he was pressing a demolition button to blow up something in a game.


    They excused themselves and got to work because whatever a Saxon wants a Saxon gets especially those that come from the first branch of the family like David.


    It was just a matter of time before Edgar came back with the answers that David had been searching for. This was possible because the 200 security personnel at the castle had to pause their tasks and focus on finding Phoebe Gabriel.


    David was briefed immediately about the new findings.


    "Mr. Saxon, the woman that you have been desperately searching for changed her identity from Phoebe Gabriel to Phoebe Hopkins, she lives and works at the Cerene luxurious apartments in this same city." Came Edgar''s words that compelled David to rush out without waiting for the remaining information they had found out on Phoebe.


    He met his grandmother in the foyer, the old woman was coming out of the dinning area and she was about to retire to bed.


    "Why the rush dear?" She blocked his path using her foldable walking stick.


    It was a chilly but perspiration ran down his forehead and his crystal blue eyes held excitement as he replied.


    "I am moving out."


    His response elicited a strong ''WHAT'' from his grandmother because none of the Saxons were allowed to live outside their family homes.


    All members of the Saxon family remained together and David knew that so why in God''s name was he moving out.


    Before she could ask her excited grandson follow up questions, he dashed out. He jumped into an elevator, went all the way to the garage, jumped into his car and drove off leaving the old woman puzzled.

 Chapter 9 Restless night.

    Phoebe was flushed and out of breath from being kissed as she fell back on the mattress. Her body was trembling as those big familiar hands trailed from her thighs to her stomach and then pulled her down abruptly.


    She opened her eyes suddenly and gasped. It was the same dream that she had every other night. She struggled to keep her breathing under control and forget all about the hot passionate kisses which occupied her lust filled dreams.


    "Sleep, just sleep." she told herself.


    But it was all the same when she closed her eyes, David''s sultry voice called her, enticed her and seduced her.


    The following morning, Phoebe woke up exhausted because she had barely slept through the night. Her mind for some reason had been drifting back to the handsome pervert that had been following her.


    Between him and the spicy dreams about David that had been conjured up by the Saxon ancestor, she was exhausted.


    "Are you still thinking about the one you called pervert?" Ancestor Saxon asked her. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I am beginning to think that this place isn''t safe at all." She answered. "I need to talk to the landlord about this after all his apartment is just opposite mine." Phoebe stretched like a cat and rubbed her eyes.


    The ever present Saxon spirit laughed softly. "I think you should spend more time around more humans and less time watching those murder shows and.....


    Without letting the spirit complete its submission, Phoebe emphasized that she knew what she had seen.


    "Having been around ghosts for the past year, I know that when a human makes the hair at the back of my neck stand then it''s definitely an evil human. Anyway let''s get to work."


    Phoebe walked to the vanity table a picked off the green book. She and the Saxon spirit had a morning routine of writing recipes, techniques and other things into the book.


    Shaking it''s head with displeasure, it pointed it''s slender long index finger at the book.


    "Child, I have told you times without number to protect the book. It''s not for everyone''s eyes, humans have greedy hearts they may use the knowledge in there to do evil."


    Rolling her eyes to the ceiling, Phoebe highlighted on the fact that she lived alone.


    "Don''t worry i am going to get a better hiding place for it just for your peace of mind."


    She went on to note down a spell on how to expel out evil and another on how to get external wealth.


    The last spell intrigued Phoebe who asked the Saxon spirit whether she could just cast it and become rich.


    "You keep forgetting the most important thing, all magic comes at a price. What if the price is for you to lose your life such that your family can enjoy eternal wealth and to top it off you would become a wandering spirit forever." Came the spirits words, underneath the statements Phoebe detected some sort of sadness.


    She wondered whether that''s what had happened to the Saxon spirit. There was very little she knew about it except the fact that it was one of the first Saxons.


    Without bothering to ask because she knew that she wouldn''t get an answer to the question, Phoebe moved from the writing table and stowed the book in the safe that was hidden behind an art painting of nature.


    After washing up, she picked up a box of herbal tonics and headed for the Black Ghost Cafe.


    The box she was lifting was somewhat heavy but she was determined to take it with her, as she got off the elevator that had arrived at the first floor where her place of work was, Phoebe heard a voice of a teenage girl lamenting to someone to return a wallet to her.


    Her eyes drifted to the direction from which the sound came from. The moment Phoebe''s eyes saw the pervert, she gently but hurriedly placed the box down and began to walk towards the man that seemed to be harassing the young girl.


    What irked her even more was the fact that he seemed to be getting pleasure and satisfaction from toying with her. Phoebe marched majestically, jumped and slapped the man on the back of his head.


    "Ouch" He winced and turned around immediately only to spot the red haired woman whose name he had come to learn was Phoebe Hopkins.


    Last night when he entered his room, Collin had searched through the wallet he had picked up in the elevator because he was curious about the woman whose thoughts he could maybe read and above that she had labeled him a pervert.


    From the information he had gathered, the woman was named Phoebe Hopkins aged twenty three years, blood group O.


    Without checking the rest of the contents in the wallet, he placed the identity card back to where it was before.


    He had vowed to meet her the next day because he had to correct the misunderstanding she had on him. Collin''s plan was to make a better impression on her than the first however here they were.


    "Why the hell did you hit him lady? What right do you have to do that?" Cassie''s questions to Phoebe pulled Collin out of his reverie.


    Because he was startled, he hadn''t noticed that people had began to gather around them.


    "I am trying to help you here, wasn''t this pervert harassing you?" Phoebe was puzzled by the rudeness of the girl, if anything she was expecting a thank you.


    Collin knew that his sister was lacking in the good manners department so he pulled her to his side because she was visibly furious, it was just a matter of time before she slapped Phoebe in retaliation.


    "Help me? Lady you are crazy. This is my brother!" Came Cassie''s shocking words that kept ringing at the back of Phoebe''s mind.


    "See, I tried to tell you he isn''t necessarily a bad guy." Bragged the Saxon spirit.


    Phoebe who wasn''t in the mood to listen to it gloat asked it to shut up.


    Her voice was so loud it left those that were watching in shock, they were expecting her to apologize but instead she had told the Baltimore siblings to shut up.


    Forgetting to carry the box that she had placed on the ground earlier, Phoebe hurriedly walked away from the clamoring crowd.


    By the time she entered her cafe, Phoebe was clearly distressed, she couldn''t believe how wrong she was but still the man had followed her last night just like a pervert would.


    "Uhm, boss, tonics."


    She only remembered the tonics when Rosset asked her about it.


    "Shit" Phoebe cursed out loudly before moving towards the door. Suddenly it burst open and the golden haired man and his sister stood there.


    The man who was lifting the box that she had forgotten behind placed it on one of the round coffee tables. A closed smile never leaving his handsome face.


    "Miss, you forgot this box and you dropped this in the elevator last night." Collin stretched his hand and handed Phoebe the wallet.


    Shutting her eyes tightly because she felt embarrassed, Phoebe sighed softly and apologized immediately. Everything made perfect sense now, the man wasn''t a pervert but a good Samaritan.


    "Am Collin by the way and this is Cassie." He tapped his furious sister on the shoulder before she brushed his hand away as she blamed Phoebe for traumatizing her brother by calling him a pervert.


    "I am sorry once again, I was clearly mistaken. Please tell me how can I make it up to you?" Phoebe asked the duo.


    She was smiling politely but her thoughts were very different.


    [Or you could just go away and let me wallow in my shame alone. Aaah, this is embarrassing. I made a fool out of myself in front of the golden haired pervert.]

 Chapter 10 Frenemies.

    It was truly unbelievable, Collin couldn''t believe that it was happening again and he could see Phoebe''s thoughts. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Since he had walked in, he hadn''t taken his eyes off her, not just because she was one of the most beautiful woman he had ever seen after his mother but also because he wanted to confirm that he wasn''t running crazy and he had seen something on her last night.


    But why was this happening? Where they connected in some way? He didn''t know her until recently. Unintentionally he gasped and spoke out his thoughts.


    "Unbelievable!" His hand moved to cover his open mouth.


    Others didn''t understand what he found so unbelievable so his sister frowned and so did Phoebe.


    While Phoebe who was praying that the two siblings disappear stared back at the man. She wondered innocently why he was gazing at her but then again she was used to men hawking at her since she made a few changes after her rebirth.


    [Please don''t pick interest in me Goldie, I already have enough chaos in my life besides am sure that you will run away the moment you find out that i see ghosts.]


    A soft chuckle escaped through Collins lips on reading her thoughts. At least he had been elevated from pervert to just Goldie. He lifted his head and began studying the Cafe. It was the first time he was visiting the place since buying the building.


    "This is a unique place, I love the set up. It''s amazing that you are using your unique talents to help people spiritually." His eyes moved to study her surprised face.


    He didn''t believe in ghosts and shamans, psychics, or supernatural things but seeing her thoughts was sure to turn him into a believer.


    Phoebe''s eyebrows shot up at his reference to her unique talents.


    Very few people appreciated her business in fact if anything they called her weird. Still, a tiny smile formed on her lips after all she was getting a compliment from a good looking man.


    "Thank you." she replied flatly.


    "Take me to school, I don''t want to be late besides I think that I have watched enough of you flirting with this lady." Cassie began to walk away.


    The teenage girl''s words caused Phoebe and Rosset to raise their eyebrows as they couldn''t believe how discourteous the girl was.


    On seeing the two women''s reaction Collins apologized and ran out after his sister, his attention kept going back and forth causing him to hit his head on the door.


    "God darn it!" He cursed because he felt embarrassed for the most part.


    Rosset couldn''t help but laugh at the man who was clearly smitten by her boss.


    "Well at least this admirer doesn''t find your job scary." She continued to chuckle repeatedly.


    "They all run away eventually wait till he finds out I talk to ghosts." Phoebe who was standing on a short ladder began to place the herbal tonic bottles in the shelves in an orderly manner.


    Rosset who was leaning over the counter staring out of the window suddenly wore an unpleasant face. "What the hell is she doing here? It''s been a while since she came here." She went ahead to roll her eyes.


    Following her employee''s cold gaze to the window, Phoebe coldly watched Ruth Mayfair walk towards the entrance of the Cafe.


    Until recently, Phoebe had learned to control her emotions around the the malicious woman.


    Initially being around Ruth was hard, all Phoebe wanted to do was to wrap her hands around her throat and strangle her.


    She could remember vividly how Ruth had killed her twin sons, taken her husband, destroyed her reputation and forced her to her untimely death.


    If it wasn''t for the help of the Saxon spirit which had played a major role in training her to put a leash on her fury, Ruth would have been a dead woman.


    There was a lot Phoebe needed to find out before destroying Ruth''s life like why the woman hated her so much. There had to be a reason other than just wanting to become a Saxon.


    The door bell rattle chimed and in walked the blond haired tall woman dressed to the nines. She loved to flaunt her wealth because she knew that Phoebe came from a poor family.


    "That bitch again, its been a while since she showed her face here." The Saxon spirit sneered, it was well aware that Ruth was an evil human because it knew what the cunning woman had done to Phoebe in her past life.


    "I have missed you my friend, how is this tiny place doing. You know if you like, my offer still stands. You can move this thing you call a business to one of my father''s buildings in Magic city and you don''t have to worry about the rent." Ruth gagged the Cafe, her condescending look had become normal to the two women.


    For some reason unknown to Phoebe, Ruth was determined to get Phoebe out of Citrus city. First she had offered her a job overseas which Phoebe turned down, then came this offer of transferring her cafe to another city with so many privileges.


    Knowing Ruth, she wasn''t doing this because of the goodness of her heart. There had to be a reason behind it.


    "I don''t need your help with anything Ruth, Am not poor like you like to believe. In fact Evelyn our friend is back in town and am hosting her at my parents house. You know the house I recently bought for them. If you want to help someone, go feed the homeless." Phoebe spoke in a cold sharp tone which left Ruth shocked.


    The blond woman could still not understand her friend''s sudden change in attitude and character in the past one year.


    Before then Phoebe was someone that always answered ''how high'' when Ruth said jump but now her best friend answered her rudely and barely hung out with her. Even her way of dressing had changed.


    Old Phoebe used to dress conservatively and frumpily, like an older woman. Make-up was practically a foreign concept to her. But now, she dressed beautifully, applied some make-up.


    Ruth had always loved hanging out with Phoebe because she considered her to be inferior. With her, she didn''t have to compete for men''s attention because she believed that she was prettier and wealthier.


    Besides that Ruth was convinced that she was a good friend after all once in a while she threw Phoebe pieces of meat now and then like a dog and she had always picked them up willingly but not anymore.


    Letting out a pronounced sigh, Ruth wrinkled her nose and looked at Phoebe.


    "Who is the wealthy man you are sleeping with because there is no way you are making all that money from just selling this old junk and useless tonics."


    She made her voice light and coquettish, as if she was making a joke. To sell it further, she even chuckled as if this was an old way of teasing her friend.


    Phoebe knew it was all pretend and she chose to ignore Ruth''s demeaning question.


    "Okay answer this, have you been around the Saxon tower of late? I need you to answer that quick." Came Ruth''s demanding question but before Phoebe could say anything the door bell rattle chimed.

 Chapter 11 Grandma Saxon meets Phoebe

    The chime always signified that a visitor had arrived and it drew the attention of Phoebe and Rosette to the door. Business came before pretentious fake friends like Ruth.


    In walked an elderly woman, dressed in a nice black suit and short black pointy heels. She had a yellow floral scarf tied around her head and a pair of black sunglasses.


    She was walking with the help of a fancy walking cane but she was steady and didn''t seem to need it so much given that she was not leaning on it heavily.


    As she walked in deeper, two men in black suits followed her at a respectful distance, not too close to make her uncomfortable but also not too far so as to be delayed in case she was in trouble.


    Instantly, Phoebe recognized her. This was none other than grandma Saxon in the flesh and blood. It was quite weird to see her alive given that by the time Phoebe died, the old lady had already passed away.


    The question however for her now was what the elderly woman was doing in her cafe.


    Grandma Saxon''s focus was almost entirely on the red headed Phoebe. This was because for an entire year, she had paid a lot of interest to all women with red hair since that was the color of the hair David''s mysterious wife had.


    However, her focus broke momentarily because she saw another familiar face, that of Ruth Mayfair.


    "Ruth..." she called the other woman uncertainly. "What are you doing here?"


    Ruth was unnerved and worried. She looked from grandma Saxon to Phoebe, worried about what the old woman was doing here.


    Could it be that it was true what she had heard from one of her little spies in the Saxon tower about David finding his mystery woman? Could that woman actually be Phoebe?


    Her very own friend, stupid easily led by the nose Phoebe!. Anger boiled inside of her at the thought that Phoebe could yet take away another thing that she desired.


    No, never, Ruth thought. Even if Phoebe was the mystery red head, she would never allow her to be with David. There was only one woman in Fog country worthy of David and it was her.


    Ruth clenched her fists, sinking her well filed pink nails into the flesh of her hands. The pain served as a means to ground her and make her clear headed. She drew in a long breath and smiled at the elderly woman.


    Her lips moved upwards, curving into a smile and she suddenly grabbed the arm of the elderly woman.


    In a coquettish voice she spoke to the elder. "Grandma Saxon, it has been so long since i last saw you. I believe that it was my own grandmother''s birthday last month when we last met."


    Grandma Saxon nodded. The timing was indeed correct. Old lady Mayfair and her were good friends that had been close for over fifty years. They met when they were both newly married and become members of a cooking club for the wealthy wives of Citrus city.


    Over the years, their friendship had deepened so Ruth was always in and out of the Saxon house as she pleased.


    Grandma Saxon smiled at the mention of her old friend. "Mmm, how is your grandmother dear, has she recovered from that cold yet? I want to go to Magic city next week for a holiday and i was hoping to take her with me."


    Ruth shook her head and batted her eyes unnecessarily. "Grandma will be happy to hear that you are thinking about her. She has been complaining about being forced to stay indoors by my first brother while she is recovering. I am sure that she will say yes to your invitation the moment i inform her about this."


    Cleverly, Ruth tried to turn grandma Saxon away from Phoebe and towards the door. She thought that if she could distract the old woman just enough, she could take her out of the cafe and then Phoebe would be forgotten.


    Of course, she underestimated grandma Saxon''s worry for her grandson David. She was not leaving without talking to the shaman about her grandson.


    Putting a hand on one of the tables, she halted her body from moving forward. Ruth was not to be stopped and she applied a little more force.


    "Grandma, why don''t we go to a better cafe, one with a brighter environment. This kind of place is not good for your health."


    Phoebe guffawed when she heard those words.


    "We have passed all health standard checks and as you can see, we don''t have a speck of dust in here. My cafe may be a little old in appearance but that''s the way i like it. It''s called artistic choice Ruth, maybe you should draw some inspiration from it."


    Phoebe rolled her eyes, looking Ruth up and down. Ruth was a perfect magazine cover imitator. She chose her clothing according to what was trendiest, was most expensive and could be styled to match the model on a billboard or the magazine pages. She had no personal sense of style.


    Ruth glared at Phoebe, not even bothering to hide her displeasure this time. In turn, Phoebe smiled and shrugged.


    Grandma Saxon was unaware of the silent unannounced battle between the two women. However, Ruth''s hold on her had loosened up and she got the opportunity to turn around.


    "Phoebe, where do you want me to put this?"


    Rosette was holding up brown envelopes, newly arrived from clients looking for auspicious dates for various reasons. Every morning, the envelopes would come in and every evening or the following morning, responses would be mailed out.


    Without realizing what she had done, Rosette broke open a can of worms for two women. One was Phoebe with the red hair and right age as that of the woman grandma Saxon was looking for and two was Ruth who didn''t want the old woman learning Phoebe''s name.


    "Phoebe!!" grandma Saxon exclaimed.


    She pulled herself away from Ruth completely and walked towards Phoebe with focused eyes.


    "Your name is Phoebe." she said___, more like questioned in fact.


    "Yes." Rosette answered for her boss. "She is Phoebe, Citrus city''s best ghost catcher, exorciser, matchmaker and shaman. If nobody can solve your problem, come to Phoebe."


    Rosette was the type not to miss an opportunity to promote the cafe and it''s business.


    "Red hair, name Phoebe, looks like the right age." Grandma Saxon muttered.


    In her muttering, she came to a realization that brought a frown to her face. All this while, she had been searching for someone like this and almost everyone in their circle was aware.


    How was it possible then, that Ruth knew of a possible Phoebe matching the description of the woman David was searching for but she never said a word? S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Ruth, how...." she pointed from Phoebe to Ruth as her words slowly trailed off without being completed.


    Ruth bit her bottom lip anxiously and her eyes darted around rapidly. She was searching for an explanation which would have her coming out as honest but also helpful and not deceitful at all.


    Ancestor Saxon was standing beside Phoebe, highly amused by the drama. "Look, look, the white lotus has been trapped."

 Chapter 12 The liar and her lies.

    It was for this exact reason that Ruthie wanted to send Phoebe as far away as possible. She knew that although the red haired woman had changed her last name, it was just a matter of time before a Saxon discovered who she was. Her only prayer was that Phoebe insisted that she wasn''t the woman David was obsessed with.


    "Child please am still waiting to get an answer from you and it better be convincing. How long have you known about this Phoebe?" Grandma Saxon was not backing down.


    The old woman''s frown only got deeper with each passing minute. She was beginning to realize that Ruth Mayfair had been lying to her about something important for a while now.


    "Liar, liar pants on fire." The teenage ghost sang repeatedly as it twirled gum around it''s finger.


    Scanning her head for a believable answer, Ruth opted to bury herself deeper.


    "It''s not her grandma. I too thought that she was the woman David was searching for until I found out that her last name is Hopkins and not Gabriel.


    But I come here often to buy herbal tonics for my parents and grandmother who has become more frail recently which is why you have met here." Ruth lied through her teeth.


    Phoebe watched Ruth lie shamelessly with an amused face, she weighed on whether to just tell grandma Saxon the truth that the two of them knew each other or let sleeping dogs lie.


    She was in a semi trance as she wondered why David was searching for her. He didn''t even know her personally in this life so why was he interested in her.


    Now it made more sense that time when he came running after her. What also made perfect sense now was that Ruth knew that David was looking for her and that''s why she wanted to send her to the Magic city so desperately.


    The old woman whose hopes had gone up because she thought that this time she had found the mystery woman stumbled back a little because she began to feel dizzy.


    Fortunately, one of the body guards rushed to her side and helped her sit in one of the wooden chairs that was close by.


    With her hand raised to her head, grandmother Saxon let out a soft painful groan. It was obvious that her head was hurting and causing her great discomfort.


    Phoebe quickly filled a glass with a tonic that helps to alleviate stress and dashed towards the direction of the old woman.


    "Please drink this guest." She acted as she would with another stranger or guest in her cafe.


    Grandma Saxon was hesitant at first because she rarely ate or drunk anything that wasn''t prepared by carefully chosen chefs back at home.


    In fact the old woman had a nutritionist who was in charge of coming up with her meals that''s why even at the age of eighty, the old woman was still as strong as an ox with all parts of her body still functioning properly except for her leg that bothered her some times.


    Phoebe could see that the old woman was questioning the usefulness of the contents in the cup.


    [She must be worried about the contents of the tonic. It would be ridiculous of me to give an obviously wealthy client something bad because my own reputation would be ruined. I charge at least two hundred dollars for a sip of this tonic, grandma but i am giving it to you for free. This is two hundred dollars, the cost of a plate of grade B beef at King''s hotel.]


    Phoebe''s thoughts displayed clearly at her forehead and the old woman read each and every word.


    The old matriarch was more than shocked that she inhaled sharply, her narrowed eyes never leaving Phoebe''s face.


    She had blinked a few times but the words were there for everyone to see. When she looked around at the others however they had normal expressions on their faces.


    Grandma Saxon controlled her excitement because she had met an extraordinary woman and she had to be the one.


    It was in that moment that she came to a conclusion that this Phoebe was not an ordinary girl. No wonder her grandson was having dreams about her and was obsessed with finding her.


    "Thank you dear," she reached her hand out for the cup.


    Ruth who hated seeing grandma Saxon accept something from Phoebe. For all she knew, this small gesture could be the key to Phoebe crossing the threshold of Saxon tower.


    She moved her hand and tried to push the cup away but Phoebe maintained a strong hold on it.


    Dissatisfied, Ruth complained loudly, "Phoebe how can you suggest that grandma drinks that shit, even the cup is old and dirty." She wrinkled her nose in disgust.


    The old woman looked her quizzically. "Didn''t you just claim a few minutes ago that you came here to pick tonics for your parents and grandmother? Or was that a lie?" Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The question forced Ruth to fold her lips and squeeze her eyes shut, she could blame no one but her big mouth. "Well.... what I actually meant was that..." she stammered as words failed her.


    With her hand on the cup, grandma Saxon raised the cup to her lips and swallowed the contents that were in the cup ignoring Ruth''s meaningless warnings.


    The moment she put the cup down, she began to feel relaxed immediately and all discomfort in her body vanished. It was truly mesmerizing, her eyes moved to the cup as she tried to figure out the ingredients that were used to make it.


    Even with all the stress reliving supplements she took on a daily that were manufactured by the Saxon group nothing came close to what this young woman had given her.


    "Thank you. Is it possible for you to tell me what ingredients you used to make this?" She asked innocently, a small smile made its way to her lips.


    "That''s a secret." Phoebe commented as she smiled back at the only Saxon who adored her in her past life.


    Even though Phoebe adored the old woman too, sharing the recipe was out of the question despite the fact that the Saxon ancestor spirit gave her the recipe.


    Her eyes moved to where it was sitting, right next to its relative. Phoebe assumed that it would urge her to share the recipe but it didn''t.


    She turned her attention to grandma Saxon who was looking at her with a glint of curiosity in her eye.


    [I wonder what she''s doing here? Did she come here purposely to see me?]


    "Sit down dear." Grandma Saxon instructed politely with a big smile on her face after reading Phoebe''s thoughts. "Maybe you can help me. I am looking for a red haired woman, twenty four years of age and named Phoebe Gabriel."


    On hearing that, Phoebe swallowed hard but remained composed because she had to maintain the fa?ade.


    [Crap! oh crap! Why?]


    In her mind, Phoebe panicked. With the resources of the Saxons, even if she denied her true identity, the truth would be revealed in no time.


    Grandma Saxon chuckled. She was more than confident that this was the right one and she couldn''t wait for David to bring her home. For now, she decided to act like a fool since Phoebe was not ready to reveal her identity.


    "But unfortunately, you aren''t the person I am looking for but am fortunate to have met you. From today I would like you to deliver tonics of my choosing to the Saxon tower." That said the old woman stood up to leave.


    [What? No, no way.]


    Phoebe''s thoughts puzzled the old woman who wondered why she was so alarmed. What was so scary about the Saxon tower?


    Ruth hurriedly walked to the old woman and intertwined her arm into the old woman''s.


    "Grandma I told you that woman doesn''t exist." She triumphantly stated and she rushed the elderly woman out of the cafe.

 Chapter 13 A love rival on the horizon

    By around midday, the clouds had began to change from snow white to darkish Grey which symbolized that it was about to rain at any given time.


    A camouflaged man that had been spying on the black ghost cafe for a while was wondering why his grandmother and Ruth who was a close friend to the family had visited the cafe.


    He recalled then that Ruth was friends with Phoebe and he clenched his fists. All this time, she had even known where Phoebe was and claimed she didn''t know a Phoebe with red hair.


    Even though Phoebe had changed her name from Gabriel, as her close friend, Ruth knew about this. So, she was keeping them apart deliberately as he had guessed.


    She was so careful not to visit this cafe often because he had his people watching her most of the time. She also worked with the enemy, he just didn''t know who the enemy was and so far, no matter how much he dug, he kept coming up empty.


    As for his grandmother, David suspected that one of the security personnel may have told her about the location of the cafe because he was their too. That or she had come over accidentally. Of course there was also the possibility that she had come looking for a Phoebe with red hair whose family name was Gabriel.


    The reason as to why he hadn''t approached Phoebe just yet was because he was afraid of scaring her with his stories about them being married before and him being reborn. Also, the last time he had seen her, she run away from him like she was running away from a plague and he didn''t know why.


    "I should have approached her more naturally she must think that am some psycho, I hope grandma doesn''t tell her that I have been searching for her." He sighed deeply and pulled his dark glasses closer to his face.


    He had been sitting at the bakery opposite to the black ghost cafe since morning observing whatever was going on in the other store.


    Earlier that same morning, he had almost intervened in the altercation she had with some man and his sister. It took him a lot of effort to hold back, in fact it was he that told the golden haired man that the box belonged to the owner of The black ghost Cafe.


    A wave of jealousy had swept through him when the man''s face lit up as he walked into the store to save the day yet it was he that had found the box.


    Later on he saw Ruth Mayfair walk into the store with a big fake smile on her face, judging by her happy demeanor, she had been here a few times before. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    David couldn''t help but think of Ruth''s behavior as suspicious. "That cunning snake is always up to no good." He muttered.


    He would have to warn Phoebe about her but he didn''t know if she would trust him.


    His grandmother and Ruth came out of the cafe. Phoebe who was carrying a paper bag followed them and handed it to one of the guards. David watched the black Cadillac in which his grandmother arrived leave.


    After a few minutes, Ruth who had remained outside for a while walked back to the store and it wasn''t long before she stormed out, her face was angry like as if she had quarreled with someone inside the store. In fact he had noted that some customers run out of the cafe earlier like it was on fire. It was obvious that Ruth had started some trouble.


    David decided that today wasn''t a good day to approach Phoebe, if he was going to meet her again, then it had to be under circumstances that favored him.


    He spared a last quick glance at the store and left the bakery with a heavy stomach after having eaten four cinnamon rolls and two glasses of passion fruit juice.


    Making his way to the landlord''s office because he wanted to purchase an apartment, David was surprised to find a familiar face. It was the golden haired man who had a confrontation with Phoebe in the morning.


    "Ohhh it''s you! The box guy right?" Collin''s face lit up. Unknown to him was that David was irritated by his dimpled smile. What bothered him most was that it was the same smile he gave Phoebe, if he''s instincts were right, this man had a crush on her.


    Hmm box guy? I wish I could wipe that irking smile off his face. You were clearly trying to flirt with my wife, David thought.


    "I want to see the owner of the building."


    Unfazed by his attitude and unfriendly tone, Collin kept the smile on his face. "You are speaking to him, I am Collin Baltimore. The landlord you are looking for." He stretched his hand for a shake but was puzzled when the man in front of him gave him an angry look instead.


    David couldn''t believe his bad luck, why was this man the landlord of all people. Now that he knew who the landlord was, he developed the intense desire to purchase the entire building.


    With his wild imagination, he assumed that Collin was going to use his position as the land lord to woo his woman.


    "I want to buy it." David''s statement was brief and left Collin confused, if only the man who hadn''t introduced himself yet elaborated on what he meant by it.


    "Pardon me? Do you mean an apartment?" Collin raised his brows in excitement. Since renovating the unoccupied parts of the buildings, tenants had been flowing in like water.


    David removed the black bucket hat from his head revealing his white hair and took off the shades. He expected Collin to be startled by him because he was a Saxon.


    However it was the opposite as the man remained composed and he stared at him like he had no idea about who he was.


    And he was right because Collin and his family had been living overseas, it was only recently after his sister developed a strange illness that they had moved back because she asked them to.


    David sneered and introduced himself like a famous television hero, beloved by all because he saved the day everyday.


    "I am David, David Saxon."


    Under normal circumstances, at the mention of the name Saxon people trembled but not this man.


    "Okay David...." Collin began to speak but was interrupted him and told him to call him by his sur name.


    Collin sighed, a little miffed by David. The last thing he wanted was to become familiar with this man who was a little too arrogant for his liking.


    "Okay Mr. Saxon, these are the apartments available. You can choose one of you liking." Collin spread the layout of the apartments on the vast office table.


    Curling his upper lip upwards, David looked the other way. "The whole thing, not just an apartment. State a figure, I will give you as much as you want, just name a figure."


    His arrogance could be heard in the words that came out of his mouth. Collin who was dumbfounded let out a guffaw, when the laughing ceased, Collin who wasn''t offended told David that he wasn''t selling his investment now or in the near future.


    Displeased by the answer because he was expecting Collin to jump up at the offer, David inhaled and exhaled deeply. It was astonishing because it wasn''t every day that a man rejected a lot money.


    "I''ll buy apartment 303D, I already paid the previous tenant to move out, Send your account details to my email address and the money will be deposited immediately." David stated curtly.


    Without wasting time, the white haired man carelessly dropped his business card on top of the table and walked away leaving the land lord in shock.

 Chapter 14 All roads lead to David.

    It was a somewhat busy day at the black ghost Cafe, from finding auspicious dates for couples to helping ghosts move on Phoebe needed a break.


    [Rosette i am taking a break after this client.]


    She sent a text. While she was putting her phone down, a client walked in. He was a young man who had covered his head with a thick black scarf and eyeglasses.


    "What''s wrong with this one? He looks more like a ghost than an actual ghost." Ancestor Saxon hovered over the man from side to side. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe cleared her throat and smiled. As long as the money was good, it didn''t matter if the client walked in wearing a full mermaid costume or had ten arms.


    "How can i help you sir?" she asked.


    "You are a supposed to be a shaman of some sort, can''t you tell?" he responded rudely.


    "I am not a god, i don''t see all." she replied.


    The man stood up and walked out of her office without an explanation. Phoebe scoffed and she laughed a little bit. He would not be the first to walk out because she didn''t magically discern his mysterious problem.


    "We should really start screening for weirdos." the teenage ghost said.


    "A ghost calling a human weird, how ironic." Phoebe chuckled.


    She looked at the packed herbal tonics for grandma Saxon which she had requested that Phoebe personally drops off the to the Saxon tower herself. There is no way she was ever going to go there willingly, the good thing was that she had given the old woman a few products to use as she prepared her delivery.


    "I am in a crappy mood." she croaked out.


    Letting out a tired sigh, Phoebe stared at the hungry teenage ghost which was scared to ask for a snack since she was in a terrible mood.


    Even the Saxon spirit which was usually bubbly was quiet, it almost seemed like they were all walking on egg shells.


    "There, enjoy till you get high on sugar." Phoebe tossed a full packet of sugar coated candies into the fire causing the flames to flare up.


    "What''s your name?"


    Since the girl helped her run some errands and she would be around for a while, she figured that the Saxon spirit was right, and she should learn her name.


    "Connie, it took you long enough." The teenage spirit answered with it''s usual rudeness as it chewed more candy loudly.


    Phoebe went back to work but she could barely concentrate. She placed the celestial calendar on the table and lowered her head. She could hardly concentrate because her insides were turning with fury.


    Her fury was the reason for the crappy mood she was in which refused to go away like a cloud of rain on a cold day. The words Ruth had told her kept ringing at the back of her mind.


    "How did grandma find me?" she asked the spirit.


    "This was purely coincidental, I don''t know why she came to the store. I wasn''t involved in any way." The Saxon spirit lied through it''s teeth because it had pulled some strings to get the old woman to go to the black ghost Cafe. "I do hope your anger is not directed towards me."


    Even the spirit could see that Phoebe was in need of an outlet for an anger.


    "My anger has nothing to do with you. The nerve of that spiteful demon in human form to ask me to stay away from David. Ha!" Phoebe expressed her anger by banging the table.


    Earlier that day Ruth had left together with grandma Saxon but surprisingly, she had returned to the shop furious.


    Before Phoebe could ask what was wrong, Ruth had unleashed her fury by blaming her for going to the Saxon tower without informing her.


    The woman was obviously crazy, did she think that Phoebe needed permission before going anywhere. It was because of her childish attitude that Phoebe had admitted that she had gone there.


    "I went there because I wanted to know what the fuss was all about. All you have done is to warn me never to go there but you couldn''t tell me why, I was curious. What are you going to do about it Ruthie?" Phoebe lied blatantly, she had mistakenly gone there but she wanted to become a thorn in Ruth''s flesh


    The blunt response made Ruth shudder in fear, she was afraid of what was going to happen now that her little birdie had informed her that David had found the woman he was searching for, in fact he hadn''t slept home last night.


    Her angry wondering eyes moved around among the customers that were alarmed, most knew who she was, the pampered princess of the rich Mayfair family.


    She was known for her impulsive behavior especially when she was angry. There was a time she made headlines in the celebrity news that she had slapped someone just because he was staring rudely at her.


    No charges were pressed on her simply because her decent and kind parents came out publicly to apologize to the public and went as far as to apologize to the victim in person.


    People often wondered how nice people like the Mayfairs had given birth to a beast for her a daughter.


    The waiting clients in Phoebe''s shop had lowered their gazes to the floor as some went as far as to leave the Cafe because none of them wanted to fall victim to her wrath.


    "Where is he?" Ruth had asked after searching the vicinity. She was seriously looking for someone.


    Like a mad woman, she moved to Phoebe''s office and moved inside with Phoebe following right behind her as she asked whom she was searching for so desperately.


    "David Saxon, where is he? Have you been playing innocent all this time yet you were meeting up with him? Is he the man that is financing you?" Came Ruth''s questions that barely made any sense.


    "What? What are you ranting about? Who the hell is David Saxon? What would he be doing here?" Phoebe feigned ignorance because she didn''t want Ruth to know that she knew the man and she wasn''t planning on knowing him.


    If the pendant required that she bonds with a Saxon, then she was going to find one that gave her peace of mind. The last Saxon on the list was David in fact he wasn''t on the list at all.


    The blond haired woman''s venomous eyes glared at Phoebe. "Now listen to me Phoebe, David Saxon is my man, he''s mine and only mine. I don''t want you around him, even if he somehow comes to you chase him away."


    Without waiting for a response she marched out of the office and slammed the door of the Cafe on her way out.


    Till now Phoebe hadn''t yet recovered from the shock. It was clear that Ruth more obsessed with David than she thought. It wasn''t about becoming a Saxon because she could get any if she wanted. In fact David''s cousin Dickson Saxon followed her around like a lost puppy yearning for love but Ruth never gave him the time of day. She wanted David and only him.


    Phoebe began considering the option of using David just to vex Ruth but she was afraid of the past fate, would it be the same this time as well?


    But if she wanted revenge on Ruth, to cause her the most pain, wasn''t David the answer? In the end, was it inevitable to go to him?


    She buried her head in her hands and groaned loudly.


    "Let''s go and do some fieldwork. We have a simple haunted house cleaning out job. That ought to improve your mood." The Saxon spirit made a good suggestion.

 Chapter 15 Proving her abilities.

    Phoebe, the Saxon spirit and Connie arrived at the house which she had been assured was haunted. It was a medium sized mansion in the downtown area of the city.


    It was in a residential neighborhood that was rather quiet. Phoebe had learned to observe her surroundings when it came to haunted house affairs. Often times, one haunted house usually meant an entire haunted area.


    Sometimes it was because the house was built on top of an old cemetery, an old public burial ground, a cursed land where many terrible things had happened and the like. A haunted house was rarely a simple matter.


    That''s why she charged no less than five hundred thousand to take on such a job. It was because the scope often widened as she went along.


    This seemed to be an affluent neighborhood, judging by the sizes of the houses and the mostly expensive cars parked along the road. She couldn''t sense any dark energy in the immediate area, which meant there were no malevolent ghosts around.


    While she was looking around and observing the surroundings, Connie rung the door bell.


    "Who is it?" a voice came from inside, the house.


    "The shaman." Connie answered.


    Phoebe touched the back pocket of her jeans and retrieved a gold coin in the shape of a hexagon. There was a picture of a black raven with red eyes on the coin. She poured some of her energy into the coin and threw it up into the sky.


    The red eye of the black raven blinked, and the bird came to life. It flew out of the coin and the coin fell back into Phoebe''s hand.


    The raven flew down and landed on Phoebe''s shoulder in a comfortable move, one that it had done many times. She moved her right hand and rubbed the head of the bird in an affectionate manner.


    "Go, Yin, find what''s hiding here." she instructed the raven.


    The bird opened its wings and flew away, going over the house directly.


    "Using the bird takes up half of your energy. Do not do things like this if they are not necessary. Look, even the days you have left to live have reduced." The Saxon spirit reminded her in a disapproving tone.


    Phoebe didn''t look at the diamond shaped mark to see how many days she had left. This was the nature of her life and business now, so she couldn''t help it.


    "I can''t sense any ghosts, can you?" she retorted.


    The front door was opened by a maid in a blue dress who looked out curiously. She had never seen a shaman like Phoebe before__, one who was dressed in jeans and a small tight white shirt with white sneakers on her feet.


    She looked no different from a young woman of university going age that was about to go on a date or grab lunch with her friends.


    Figuring that Phoebe couldn''t possibly be the shaman, the maid moved her head from side to side, in search of an older man or woman in long robes with beads, or a staff. She conjured up images of different ghost fighting masters she had seen in movies and none of them looked like Phoebe.


    On seeing nobody else, she looked at Phoebe.


    "Are you the shaman?" she asked uncertainly.


    "Yes." Phoebe answered.


    Connie chuckled and said, "Sister, this is why i told you to dress like a monk or something. People think you are normal when you look like this."


    The maid heard Connie''s voice and she screamed. She turned and run back into the house.


    Phoebe on the other hand was surprised to hear Connie calling her sister. By learning the girl''s name, the girl had become attached and slowly, she too would be the same. What would they do when time to part ways came?


    Sighing internally, she walked into the house, following the path that the maid had taken. She found her way to the living room where a scared maid was explaining to her boss who was at the door.


    When the maid saw Phoebe, she turned and run again.


    Phoebe didn''t dwell on that and she looked instead at the people sitting in the living room. It was a couple, a man and a woman who had gloomy looks on their faces.


    She raised her hand and waved at them. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Hello, you called for a shaman."


    "Or an exterminator." Connie chimed in.


    The woman gasped at the second voice which seemed to be coming out of nowhere as it''s owner was invisible. She scooted over, distancing herself from Phoebe.


    Phoebe glared at Connie meanwhile before turning back to the couple.


    "That''s my assistant who talks too much. But, i don''t know why you would be so frightened of her when you apparently have ghosts in this house and yet you are still living here." she finished off unsurely.


    Even her voice was light at the end because she still hadn''t managed to sense any ghosts.


    "You are the ghost seeing lady." the man spoke up slowly.


    Phoebe nodded.


    The man''s eyes moved over her, trailing from head to toe as he studied Phoebe.


    The wife turned to the husband and said in an outraged voice, "She can''t be a shaman, she is young."


    She had forgotten that only a few seconds ago, she had heard an invisible ghost talking and Phoebe had said that was her assistant.


    "I don''t think you can help us, you don''t look like you have any experience. We thought you were an older experienced...."


    "My physical appearance has nothing to do with my talents." Phoebe cut in and said quickly.


    The couple would not be the first to doubt her abilities basing on age, appearance and other personal prejudices. There were many people like that in society.


    Phoebe''s mother was the type to ask for a middle aged doctor when she visited the hospital because they were not too young to be inexperienced and not too old to have memory problems and shaky hands.


    To further prove her abilities, she looked at the couple with seriousness and her whole demeanor changed. Her red hair suddenly flew up as if a fan was blowing hair through it.


    This was actually almost the case because the Saxon ancestor was the one blowing Phoebe''s hair to lend her and appearance of an otherworldly master.


    "You are Georgina Elroy, forty eight years old, born in Magic city on 9th April I9** at night. You are the third daughter of your parents, your second brother died last year from a drug overdose but your family tells everyone he died in his sleep.


    You are allergic to diary products but this doesn''t stop you from sneaking a bite of ice cream every once in a while, cheesecake flavor is your favorite.


    The ring on your hand is not the wedding ring your husband gave you on the day he married you which is 16th December 20**. You lost the original one on a cruise ship two years ago when you were dancing how low can you go.


    You have a scar on your inner wrist which you tell everyone was a result of your sister scratching you but you lied, you scratched yourself to get back at her for....."


    "Stop, stop!" the woman yelled desperately.

 Chapter 16 No ghosts here.

    "Are you sure that i should stop?" she responded.


    The woman nodded.


    "I believe you, okay, i believe you so you can stop now." she said softly.


    Phoebe''s hair stopped flying around aimlessly and slowly came back down. Ancestor Saxon, was wheezing surprisingly, seeming to be exhausted from the small task of acting like her fan.


    Phoebe wondered how the two humans would react if they could see an immortal spirit hunched over in exhaustion as if it had been engaged actively in a sport. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Turning to the husband, Phoebe spread her arms out and eyed him curiously.


    "Should i do you next?"


    The man shook his head vigorously. He didn''t want his secrets revealed but he wanted his family to be helped.


    "Please, help us." he begged. "Something has gone wrong with our family, especially our son. All sorts of weird things keep happening in the house.


    First, our daughter died suddenly a few months ago, and then our son became weird. He walks around at night, screaming weird things.


    He cuts every part of his body when he gets his hands on something sharp. His hair has fallen out and he makes these weird monster like noises...."


    Phoebe raised her eyebrows at that part, monster like noises.


    The man noticed her frown and he said, "Before you tell me that i should go to a doctor, let me save you some time. We have visited more than ten hospitals and his condition has not changed. We even had him committed for a while in a psychiatric ward and nothing changed. "


    He pointed to a picture high above the fire place. It was a picture of a young teenage boy holding a trophy in his hands. He was a good looking boy, with a wide smile on his face.


    There were more pictures on the wall, all of the family but most of the boy on different occasions. Phoebe studied the pictures, learning what she could from them.


    He seemed to have been popular and smart. He also thrived physically, engaging in sports like basketball. From all indicators, this was a happy family, wealthy and perfect.


    "That was our son, our Michael. But, if you see him now....." the father broke off.


    "Take me to the boy." Phoebe commanded.


    The parents that had solemn looks on their faces stood up and led the way to the bedroom upstairs. The mother was trembling as she opened it, seeming to be afraid to enter.


    The father shoved it wide open and led Phoebe inside. A boy was sleeping in the middle of the bed in the large bedroom. Phoebe could see the difference between the boy in the pictures and the boy on the bed.


    The one on the bed was hairless and skinny, basically skin and bones. His arms and legs were bound and she guessed that this was done to protect him.


    She didn''t need to see ghosts in order to tell that something had gone wrong with the boy. A child didn''t become this malnourished naturally when he came from a wealthy family that pampered him.


    His bedroom had an entire shelf with expensive toys and car models. He had different expensive electronics and designer shoes and clothes.


    "Something is eating this child." the Saxon spirit said.


    "He stinks." Connie added.


    Phoebe didn''t want to roll her eyes but seeing a ghost pinching it''s nose with a look of disgust on its face was quite comical. You are dead, how does the smell affect you?


    "What was the first thing that you noticed which told you that something was wrong?" she asked the father.


    The father turned back to look at the mother as if she had all the answers. From where she was standing close to the doorway the mother opened her mouth and responded.


    "His grades started slipping."


    Phoebe frowned and shook her head. His grades were not exactly the answer she wanted.


    "He lost his appetite." the mother gave another answer. She tried hard not to look disgusted but her face betrayed her. "He stopped eating cooked food and he developed an appetite for insects."


    Connie made gagging sounds and Phoebe glared at the ghost.


    "I want to know about the physical changes, did something on his body change?"


    As she asked, she got gloves from her back pocket and put them on. When she was finished, she tossed another gold coin in the air and caught it.


    This coin had the image of a cat, a black cat. She looked at the coin and saw no change.


    "No ghost." the Saxon spirit declared.


    Phoebe frowned and looked at the boy on the bed. She touched the pendant and communicated with the spirit using her thoughts.


    "Have you ever seen anything like this?"


    "I am not sure, maybe you should first check his body."


    Phoebe was already moving as she intended to check the boys body indeed. If the answer was not with a ghost, then it was with the boy himself, or the parents.


    "Has anything changed in your family situation. anything at all?" she asked them.


    She checked the boys feet and noticed that they were awfully white, as if he lacked blood. They were also unnaturally cold, which was weird.


    She turned him slowly and looked at his back, then his stomach and she opened his mouth. That''s when the boy opened his eyes, and she saw nothing but emptiness in them. It was if he wasn''t there.


    Phoebe looked at the worried parents who were watching her every move and she gestured for them to hurry up.


    "You haven''t answered my question, has anything changed in the family situation other than your son''s physical condition?"


    The father shrugged and he looked at the mother.


    "Nothing that i can think of. My husband and i are both fine and so is our business. The only one that is ill is our son." She answered.


    Phoebe turned to the invisible ghost assistant and gestured her head in the direction of the window. Connie went over and opened it.


    The raven Yin flew in immediately and landed on Phoebe''s shoulder. In it''s mouth were a few strands of brown hair. Phoebe took the hair from the bird and she looked at it.


    She didn''t know whose hair it was so she showed it to the couple. The father had black hair which was short, cut in a military fashion. The mother had brown hair, but it was longer than the one in her hands.


    "Where did you get this Yin?"


    The bird answered. "The energy of someone in this house is on this hair and i found it buried in the backyard of another house."


    Maybe it was because the couple had heard an invisible ghost talking so seeing a bird talk did not shock them to the extremes. In fact, it grew their hope in the young shaman.


    "What else was there?" she asked.


    The bird opened its mouth and made regurgitating noises. Then, it threw up on the pristine floor of the bedroom.

 Chapter 17 Borrowed luck.

    Among the things Yin had spit up were finger nails and a piece of paper wrapped in a cloth. Phoebe opened the white cloth and inside were two pieces of paper with different dates.


    She put all these things down and studied them with apprehensive eyes. Hair, nails and two dates of birth.....wasn''t it some kind of magic spell?


    Spells sometimes involved hair, nails, blood and dates of birth. It was important to have the right date of birth and time.


    The Saxon spirit laughed dryly in a soft voice. "I think this is a luck borrowing ritual, no....not borrowing but stealing and not just luck but it looks like the boys life force is being drained as well. Damn, i didn''t think people who practiced this kind of dark art still existed. This smells like the work of a very bad warlock."


    "Magic city." Phoebe whispered.


    Fog country was not a place without whispers about abnormal things, especially in Magic city. That was why it had been named magic city after all, because of the rumored magical past and creatures that went bump in the night which supposedly thrived there.


    Still, none of things had ever been proven but the city thrived on this reputation. Magicians were common on the corners of every street. They were not real magicians but performers....illusionists. Sooth sayers, psychics, warlocks, witches and more also set up shop in the city.


    Ever since her rebirth, when this magical thing happened to her, Phoebe had been researching these rumors. She had come across a page on the internet of a fortune teller that claimed to change the luck of others.


    As someone that sold trinkets that gave her customers good luck, Phoebe had scoffed at the prospect of changing one''s luck entirely. If it was that easy, everyone in the world would do it. But, if someone could steal the luck of another and transfer it, then it wasn''t impossible to change one''s luck completely.


    "What is it?" the father asked. "What is wrong with my son?"


    Phoebe stood up and took off the gloves. She looked around the room, searching for somewhere to dump them and she saw a waste basket in the corner.


    She walked towards it, and threw the blue gloves inside. Then, she turned back to the parents with a grim look on her face. They too were staring back at her with equally grim looks on their faces. The mother looked like she had aged ten years in only a few minutes.


    "I have bad news and good news, which do you want first?"


    They didn''t respond so she decided to give them the news in the order she wanted.


    "It''s not a ghost."


    A small cry came from the mouth of the mother. If it wasn''t a ghost and it wasn''t a medical issue then what were they to do for their son? Her legs gave up and she collapsed to the floor.


    "The good news is that i know exactly what is wrong with your son." Phoebe told them.


    The father slowly approached the bed and he sat down.


    "What is it?" he asked in a small voice.


    The young shaman had just said she had good news and bad news. If the good news was that she knew what the problem was then the bed news had to be that she didn''t know how to fix the problem.


    "One million is the price i want. I do not work on credit, you should pay me now or after i finish the job. Which will it be?" Phoebe asked.


    "Huh!" the mother exclaimed.


    "Do you...can you fix it?" the father asked.


    The mother scrambled to her feet and she rushed over to Phoebe''s side.


    "Our Michael, can you help him?" she loudly asked.


    Phoebe nodded. She looked at the gold watch on her wrist and then the parents.


    "We are losing auspicious time, hurry up. Will you pay now or after?"


    "After." the man responded in a firm voice.


    He was a businessman and he never signed checks without being sure about where the money was going and if there was value.


    "Very well."


    She put on a new pair of gloves and reached her hand out to touch one of the boy''s hands, the left one. He had a bracelet made out of gold threads with a basketball shaped charm. The energy coming from the bracelet was the same as that from the items the Raven had brought.


    She ripped the bracelet off of the boys hand and tossed it onto the other things. She got a small pocket knife from the side pocket of he jeans and started separating the gold threads. In there were dark threads of hair that she held up for the parents to see.


    "The bad news is that someone close to your son did this to him, whoever gave him this bracelet."


    She looked at the mother as she took a lighter out of her bag. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Whoever it is, they were born on the same day as your son. This person either knowingly or unknowingly involved themselves in a luck stealing ritual. Your son is fated to live a long wealthy happy life and someone saw this and wanted it for themselves."


    Phoebe gathered all the items and put them out on the balcony. Then, she set fire on the items before turning around to face the two frightened looking parents that were following her.


    "Now, whoever did the ritual is a warlock from Magic city i presume because this is the kind of magic they advertise over there. That warlock is the real deal, not like most who are fake and said warlock is stealing the lifeforce of your son. That''s what has been killing him slowly."


    She walked past them and returned to the bed. The boy''s eyes were beginning to clear up. She touched his head and transferred some of the energy she got from helping ghosts to him.


    That was not enough and she opened her bag and removed a tonic.


    "This will help him rebuild his body and strengthen it. The road to recovery is going to be a month long, thirty days to be precise. During this time, keep him away from the public. In fact, you should all disappear for those thirty days because the one who did this is going to face a backlash and they will come looking for your son, to repeat what they had done."


    The father cut her off first. He had a frown on his face as if he didn''t understand what was going on.


    "Wait.. first explain this again. I don''t think i understand what you are talking about. Someone gave my son a bracelet through which they have been stealing his luck and life force."


    On the bed, the boy made a small croaking sound which brought his mother running.


    "Michael" she called his name desperately.


    "Mom." the boy replied.


    His voice was rough and it came out in a whisper. It was the first time however in so long that it had been heard saying something sensible.


    "Baby..." she croaked out and broke down, crying while she grabbed him in a tight hug.


    "Mom.." the boy called again. "What''s wrong?"


    He was becoming more lucid which was proof that whatever Phoebe had done had worked.


    Phoebe put the rest of the tonics on the table before tossing the coin up for the raven to return to it''s resting place.


    "I believe my work here is done." she said.

 Chapter 18 18. Consequences of helping.

    Phoebe handed the man a card with her account number.


    "Bank transfer or hard cash, i am good with both."


    He looked at the card and then at her, surprised with how prepared she was and how cold she seemed. It was all business to her, even though she had just displayed the most amazing and unbelievable things he had ever seen, like the talking bird which had disappeared into a coin.


    Still, he was very confused by all that he had heard and witnessed. If possible, he wanted her to sit down and explain everything slowly once more, very slowly.


    "I need to understand this..."


    The impatient teenager floated next to the man and cut him off. "Mr. are you trying to stiff us? If you don''t give us our money then we will..."


    "Connie, don''t threaten the clients." Phoebe jumped in.


    "I will pay."


    The man cleared his throat and said. He got his own phone and immediately transferred one million.


    "Pay for the tonics too mister." Connie reminded him.


    Phoebe stopped him however.


    "It''s okay, you can consider it goodwill from me. I feel bad for your son. He encountered such misfortune at such a young age because someone was greedy for things that don''t belong to them. I know what it''s like."


    She got one of the good luck bracelets from her bag and she tied it around the right hand of the boy who was staring at her in wonder. He had seen the bird going into the coin.


    "What is that?" his mother was now wary of all bracelets.


    "It''s a charm to help him restore his good luck. I sell charms and talismans that ward off evil too. If you ever need one, visit our Black ghost cafe."


    Phoebe let go go of the boys hand and she picked up her bag. She stood up and started walking in the direction of the door.


    "Don''t forget my instructions, start packing up and leave right now." she shouted to them from the doorway.


    She walked slowly and found her way out of the house, walking into the night. The diamond mark indicated that she had twenty nine days to live.


    "You have used so much energy. You keep forgetting that energy keeps you alive. Getting rid of stolen luck has not given you any energy, helping humans is not the same as helping ghosts."


    The Saxon spirit harped on and on, complaining about the wasted energy and also encouraging her to go see David.


    "One hug from David would give you so much energy." It reminded her.


    Phoebe ate a protein candy bar and she sighed. It wasn''t as if she could refuse to help the boy. She also had no plans of hugging David, not tonight anyway. What she needed was food, a hot shower and some sleep.


    As for the unknown warlock that did the luck stealing ritual, he didn''t even cross her mind. Perhaps he should have because in Magic city, soon after Phoebe broke the spell with her energy and burned all the things used in the spell, a certain warlock had suffered backlash, spitting up blood even.


    Someone that had suffered like that was sure to come looking for the one that had caused them trouble.


    **********************


    It was 8:00 am in the morning but Phoebe felt exhausted right to her bones. A deep groan slipped through her lips as she turned to the other side of the bed.


    "Good morning sunshine, Have you decided on going ahead with what you thought about yesterday?" A raspy voice interrupted Phoebe''s dreams.


    She was now well conversant with the Saxon spirit''s voice. Even in her sleep she could easily identify it, after a whole year of seeing ghosts, she wasn''t horrified by being woken up by ghost voices or weird noises anymore.


    However today she wanted to sleep in because she slept late after helping the boy. If not that she had been paid a hefty sum of one million, she would be even more unhappy.


    The Saxon spirit had been right in warning her not to take on such tasks often because since Phoebe had finished it she felt extremely weak, her face was pale and if she wasn''t mistaken, when she looked at her frame in the mirror last night she had lost some weight in a few hours.


    She let out a weary sigh and pulled the bed cover to her waist. Then she raised her hand and stared at the back of her hand. The numbers in the middle of the diamond shaped tattoo were the same.


    "So does this mean that I lost energy that''s equivalent to two months?" Phoebe asked the spirit which was now lying with her on the bed.


    Nodding it''s head, the Saxon spirit let her know that it was because humans and ghosts were different.


    "Look at the bright side you made a good amount of money. I have told you before that when you gain something, you loose something in return."


    Phoebe sat up straight and complained that she felt like she lost more than she gained.


    "You need to connect me to more ghosts because I need to replenish the energy I lost."


    The Saxon spirit said that it would do that as soon as Phoebe answered its question which she had ignored on purpose. It had been more like a middleman between Phoebe and the ghosts because it had sent a lot of ghost clients to the Cafe.


    Phoebe who was genuinely confused asked the spirit what it was talking about.


    "Yesterday you briefly thought about using David to irritate Ruth. I personally think that it''s a brilliant idea....."


    Before it could lay the idea on the table, Phoebe jumped out of bed and began to walk away from it. Her efforts were all in vain as it hovered over her, there was no running away from it.


    "Not a chance, I don''t want your relative in my life and I don''t care what the consequences are, I will have to change my destiny if I have to."


    The earnestness in her voice made it laugh as it stated that no one has ever avoided their destiny before.


    "There is always a first time for everything." Phoebe stated stubbornly as she pulled out the grimoire from the safe because as usual she was going to write some spells in it, especially luck related spells.


    Next time, she wanted to be better prepared if she run into such a case.


    "Tell me everything you know about luck." she told the spirit.


    She concentrated on that task until her stomach complained, demanding for food.


    After she was done with breakfast, Phoebe prepared to leave for work. As she passed through the corridor, Phoebe stared at the next door and wondered why she hadn''t met the occupant yet. She had been told by the property manager that the new land lord had moved into the apartment that was next to hers. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She shrugged and began to walk away but before she could enter the elevator, Phoebe remembered that she had forgotten herbs that were used in burning sage and a client had asked for a delivery of those particular herbs.


    Since she hadn''t gone far, Phoebe walked back to her apartment. Once inside, she walked to the table where the two medium sized boxes sat.


    The table was close to the doors leading out to the big balcony. A white lace curtain hang from top to bottom.


    Phoebe who had forgotten to open the curtains did so and on opening the balcony to allow fresh air into the house, she noticed movers bringing carrying in furniture into the apartment on the next block directly opposite hers.


    She wondered who it was because only celebrities and extremely wealthy people lived on block D of the Cerene Apartments and judging by the quality of the furniture alone, whoever it was a money bag.

 Chapter 19 Goldie/pervert/landlord.

    All the apartments from A to D were luxurious but block D took things to a whole new level. Everything a human needed from the gym, pool, theater and more were built inside the houses yet tenants from other blocks had to share these privileges.


    "What happened to the previous tenant?" The Saxon spirit smiled slyly, it was already aware who the new tenant of apartment 303D was. Things were unfolding in its favor however it wasn''t about to ruin the surprise.


    "There is a rumor in the group chat that the new tenant of that apartment paid triple the current market price for it, I don''t know him but I already don''t like him. I suspect he''s a braggart." Phoebe carried the boxes and walked out.


    The moment she stepped out, she noticed the rude teenage girl whose name she recalled was Cassie. She wondered why she was coming out of the land lord''s house.


    "Oh its the ghost lady." Cassie commented just as her brother stepped out of the house.


    [Why are they coming out of there? Did this girl do something naughty once again and now her brother has to apologize on her behalf?]


    She gave Collin a sympathetic look. He had told her the last time they met that Cassie had taken money from his drawer that''s why he had taken the wallet from her hence the misunderstanding.


    Collin quickly stepped forward and greeted her, he had read her thoughts therefore he corrected the wrong narrative Phoebe had about his sister.


    "I think that I may have forgotten to inform you that am the land lord of this place." He casually spoke like it was a simple thing.


    The boxes in Phoebe''s hands fell to the floor as her mouth grew wide open. "Land lord? Am sorry did you say land lord?"


    The red haired woman was more than surprised because she was expecting the owner of The Cerene Apartments to be an older man maybe even with a potbelly because there is no way this handsome young man standing before her had that much money unless of course it was inheritance.


    [He must think that am some kind of nut job judging by how I treated him, first I called him a pervert, then I slapped him,,,,,]


    She bit her bottom lip and lowered her head.


    "Landlord?" Phoebe whispered but her question was loud enough for Cassie to hear. The teenage girl''s curt look never once left her shocked face.


    Cassie rolled her eyes and shouted as she began to walk away. "Yes lady, He just told you that he''s the landlord. Don''t tell me that you are our next door neighbor? What kind of terrible luck is this? Collin you need to relocate her, what if one of her pet ghosts escapes and possesses one of us?"


    The girl began to march away with folded arms, her pronounced lips high up in the air.


    "Pets! Did this mannerless child just call ghosts pets? I advise that you keep your distance from this young man otherwise you have to deal with that insolent brat for the rest of your life."


    The ancestor spirit gave its unsolicited advise, it had noticed that Phoebe blushed each time she saw the handsome young man and it would be a huge disadvantage to David if Phoebe caught feelings for him.


    Collin shot Phoebe an apologetic look, the closed smile that had formed on his lips when he read her thoughts was still present.


    "Please don''t mind her, she is always in a grumpy mood. I guess it''s a teenage thing but overall am glad that we are neighbors and I hope that we become friends as well."


    He spoke before racing after his sister whom he was taking to school. He left behind a stunned Phoebe that was thinking about the day she thought her landlord a pervert. Boy had she been wrong about things!


    She was just glad that he couldn''t hear her thoughts or he would have thrown her out of the building.


    Also, this Cassie and Connie, she wondered if the two rude teenage girls were sisters in another life.


    When she got to the Cafe, the smell of English roses was wafting in the air. The smell was so strong that Phoebe began sniffing them right before she entered.


    The dim Cafe had brightened up by the pinkish flowers, the entire room was filled with baskets of them.


    "Woooo" Exclaimed the Saxon spirit, a wide smile showing all it''s teeth formed on its lips. "What is going on here? It''s not even your birthday yet darling." It went on to hover each and every basket while appreciating the sweet smell.


    Phoebe was very nonchalant about the situation because she was certain that Rosset who was bouncing on her feet while smiling from ear to ear was the recipient of the flowers.


    However when the woman saw her, she hurriedly rushed to her side with a basket that was bigger than the others. "This... I mean all this is for you." She handed it to Phoebe who was reluctant to take it from her.


    Blinking continuously because she knew of no one that would send her so many flowers, not even her mom whom she loved so much, Phoebe asked who they were from.


    "They were delivered but you can check the card." Rosset pointed at the tinny paper card that was stuck in between the petals.


    "For the most beautiful woman in the world."


    Her brows pulled together as she read out loud. It had no name therefore she couldn''t tell who it was from.


    Phoebe reached for her phone and called her mother who denied having made the sweet gesture.


    Upon hanging up, Phoebe asked Rosset to call the delivery company that had dropped the flowers to pick them. "This has to be a mistake, no one I know would do this for me."


    "NO!" Shouted the Saxon spirit shocking Phoebe who was staring at the old cut diamond necklace. It looked extremely expensive but she didn''t want it.


    Phoebe''s eyes met those of the spirit that had become speechless all over a sudden.


    "Do you know who sent these? Do you sense something?"


    Shaking it''s head, the spirit denied aggressively. "How would I...I mean no." It lied blatantly and vanished into the pendant.


    *********


    Saxon Tower.


    It wasn''t normal for grandma Saxon to be quiet when having meals. Usually it meant that something was seriously bothering her. The old woman wore a deep frown on her face and she hardly touched her breakfast as the porched eggs and bacon the chef had served her were still the same, untouched.


    The family members that were present had noticed because she was usually the conversation starter during dining hours.


    Sighing for what seemed like the a hundredth time, grandma Saxon laid the cutlery she was holding down on the table.


    Robert Saxon who seemed to have had enough of seeing worry form on his mother''s face asked the old woman what was bothering her.


    "Mom, just tell us what has caused that big frown on your beautiful face." Robert gave his mother a quizzical gaze.


    There was no one on planet earth that Robert adored more than his mother. He loved and paid attention to her so much so that it some times created tension between he and his wife. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Katherine Saxon who was the most blunt and first born child in the family smacked her lips before speaking. "This has David Saxon written all over it. Am certain because grandma only gets this way when her beloved grandson is in some kind of trouble, I wonder what he has done this time round."

 Chapter 20 Strong cautioning.

    She took a big bite of a granny Smith apple and chomped on it only to get a disapproving glance from her mother.


    "Maybe he has dived back into his old reckless ways." Mentioned the second born female of the Saxon children, Rose-bell or Rosie as most people called her. Rose-Bell had long hair unlike Katherine who preferred hers short.


    Her words gave them all something to think about. In the past David was a known casanova who lived an extravagant careless lifestyle. He was a popular customer of most of the high end bars in Citrus city.


    Unlike his siblings, David had refused to join the Saxon group because he claimed that he was born with a golden spoon and there fore there was no need for him to work.


    However his position as the Director of Saxon pharmaceuticals remained open because his grandmother believed that he would come to his senses one day.


    The Saxon family especially his parents condemned his never ending childish behavior especially because it was dangerous hanging out with the wrong crowd but he listened to no one, not even his grandmother whom he adored.


    They never understand why a boy that used to be so docile had suddenly become so wild but his grandmother suspected that it was because David felt that he wasn''t loved enough by his Parents who always compared him to his older brother.


    Like a miracle, one year ago when he woke up from a coma, David turned a new leaf instead he became obsessed with finding his so called wife.


    What was even more alarming was the fact that David joined the company and not only did he excel at work but he had quickly garnered respect among the staff who initially doubted his capabilities.


    No one in the family wanted to believe that David could suddenly spiral out of control like he did in the past but they still had some reservations about him.


    "I heard he spent the night out the other day, am telling you something is up." A smile grew on Katherine''s lips, she prayed and hoped that it was so, that way she could take over Saxon pharmaceuticals.


    "What! Mother is this what''s making you so gloomy? Did you know about this?" Robert asked his mother who rubbed her temples continuously with her lips sealed.


    "Where is he? I told you to keep an eye on him." Robert Saxon threw Edgar a quizzical look. It was his job to keep tabs on the youngest Saxon of the first branch of the family. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "W...well.... sir..." Edgar stammered only for grandma Saxon to ask him to call the head maid.


    As soon as he did, the plump woman came rushing into the dinning area.


    "Yes ma''am" Maria announced her presence politely.


    Grandma Saxon requested Maria to bring her the revitalizing herbal tonic she had come home with the previous day.


    Like as though she was already aware that grandma Saxon would make the request, Maria had placed a tray with the tonic and short glass on a consolation table close to the dinning after all it was the fourth time the old woman was requesting for it.


    Quickly she fetched the tray and placed it in front of the old woman after clearing the dirty plates.


    "Won''t you give me an answer?" Robert asked Edgar who confirmed that David did spend the night out but it was because he had found the woman he was searching for.


    "What?" The females except the grandma answered in unison. The old woman already had the information, in fact she had visited the said woman and found out that she wasn''t the one David was searching for.


    "Poor boy must be disappointed." She mumbled to herself.


    "Explain without leaving anything out." Miranda a beautiful brunette who was also David''s mother ordered.


    Without wasting time, Edgar narrated everything he had discovered. "Further more the woman changed her name from Gabriel to Hopkins that''s why it was so hard to trace her." He cleared his voice and went silent.


    The group of people were left in awe, however grandma Saxon was in complete shock. The young lady that she had met yesterday had completely fooled her.


    A lot was beginning to make sense to her now. "I knew there was something special about the girl, no wonder David is obsessed with her. There is more to this than what meets the eye." She chuckled as she poured the liquid in the glass.


    Rosie a doctor by profession asked her grandma what kind of medication she was taking and where she got it from.


    "Doctor Mayers and Nile said nothing about giving you supplements, where did you get that?"


    She went ahead to read the label on the silver bottle. "Black Ghost cafe?" Her statement was more of a question.


    "Hmmmm." A sly smile formed on grandma Saxon''s face but she remained quiet. It was better that they didn''t know much about the girl. Thank God Edgar didn''t mention anything about the cafe, grandma Saxon was aware that her family was not very receptive.


    The moment they heard about Phoebe''s identity and what she did for a living, they would frown their noses up at her and threaten the poor girl or God forbid run her out of the city.


    "What is this weird stuff?" Rosie sniffed the top of the bottle and looked at the label. "Revitalizing herbal tonic."


    She frowned greatly, and a disdainful look came over her face. "Which crook did you buy this from grandma? This is the kind of stuff they pedal around in Magic city promising longevity and youth. You should not be taking it."


    Rosie looked up and called out. "Maria, Maria, come and take this to the trash right...."


    "Put it down." Grandma Saxon commanded.


    She used her stern tone, the one which normally told everyone to sit up, shut up and pay attention. It was the same tone that she also used when she was reproaching any member of the family that went astray.


    Rosie put the tonic down unwillingly and looked at her parents for help. Surely, they would not approve of her taking this quack medicine that was acquired from this weird place called Black ghost cafe. Who in the world named their place of business Black ghost cafe?


    Was it a cafe were ghosts where served drinks and food? Did they meet their ghost friends over there and have a chat over some ice cream?


    "None of you should interfere in David''s business. Whatever he does and how he chooses to handle his love life is his business. I will not have you lot terrorizing that poor girl with your nosiness and rudeness."


    "Mother!" Robert exclaimed.


    He was all but ready to order his men to bring the girl to the tower for questioning. If she was deemed not worthy to marry into the Saxon family, she would be paid off.


    "I will not repeat myself." Grandma Saxon said calmly.


    This was the most she could do for David and Phoebe now. While she had ordered others to stay away from Phoebe, she had no plans to do the same. The girl was simply too interesting to stay away from.

 Chapter 21 Saving whats meant to die.

    At the cafe, Phoebe was facing another client, a weird one too according to Connie. This was because she had paid the other few human clients in the cafe to leave.


    Then, she had bodyguards stand outside and inside, before asking for the doors to be locked. From her actions, Phoebe could immediately see that she was wealthy.


    She was also the type to use money to get her way. The minute she sat down before Phoebe one of her bodyguards opened a briefcase full of cash, brand new notes straight from the bank which had that new smell money.


    This was the kind of woman that would not be taking no for an answer.


    Phoebe liked money, the more, the better. Each little note in the briefcase was a note that would bring her closer to her goal, buying land from the Saxons. Still, before the woman explained why she was there, Phoebe did not intend to touch the money.


    "How can i help you?" she asked the woman.


    The woman was wearing sunglasses and she took them off. Her face became much more clearer and familiar to Phoebe. She recognized her from her past life. Her name was Lizzie Guzman, wife of Jack Guzman, the president of Guzman oil and petrol.


    The Guzman family was one of the first families of Citrus city, elite like the Saxons. Phoebe was familiar with Lizzie''s face but not her personal business.


    She didn''t know why the woman was there.


    Lizzie Guzman looked around the cafe. She had refused to sit inside Phoebe''s office, preferring to talk out in the open. Her eyes held more curiosity than disdain as she observed the now empty cafe.


    Despite it''s emptiness, Rosette was putting down cups of coffee, tea, juice and other edibles on tables as if they were occupied. Lizzie had heard about the owner of the cafe seeing ghosts and having ghost clients. She just didn''t think that the so called ghosts were also fed and treated as if they were still alive.


    She turned to Phoebe and moved her eyes over her face before sighing and stating why she was there.


    "I have heard that you solved a problem for Georgina Elroy."


    Phoebe''s eyebrows moved upwards and she frowned. News apparently travelled so fast in this city. She had only helped the Elroy''s the previous evening but word was already out. In that case, she had no reason for deny it.


    "I did."


    The Saxon spirit hovered over Phoebe worriedly. "Not another human case, Phoebe dear this is not good for you. Turn her away."


    Phoebe looked up and put a finger over her mouth.


    "Shhh!"


    She turned back to her client and nodded.


    "Go on." she gestured.


    Ignoring the fact that Phoebe had shushed the air or a ghost which she couldn''t see, Lizzie gulped and took a deep breath.


    "I need you to save my child."


    Phoebe''s eyes trailed to the woman''s obviously heavy stomach. Lizzie Guzman was obviously pregnant and about to give birth. Dredging up the memories of her last life, Phoebe realized that she couldn''t remember hearing anything about Lizzie Guzman having a child.


    Of course, the Guzman''s had not been her concern so she didn''t keep up with their lives. What she remembered was that there was a rumor about Jack Guzman having a mistress who had two sons for him. Back then, Phoebe practically lived in the lab working on experiments to further David''s career so she didn''t pay much attention to useless gossip.


    Phoebe stood up and walked towards Lizzie.


    "May i?" she asked.


    She was holding her hand over the woman''s stomach but she had not touched it because some woman didn''t want strangers touching their pregnant bellies. It was even more so when it was someone like Phoebe who associated with ghosts often.


    Some people saw bad luck when they met her and others didn''t want her so called dark energy around them.


    The woman nodded and Phoebe placed her hand on the pregnant belly gently. She injected some energy into her hand and searched for traces of life or abnormalities in the child.


    "It''s a boy." she said.


    Lizzie''s eyes widened a little as she was surprised, pleasantly so. The woman felt like she had made the right choice in coming to see the little shaman. Nobody but her and her doctor knew that she was having a baby boy. Even her husband was not aware.


    Phoebe frowned and took her hand away from Lizzie''s belly.


    She looked at the woman and said directly, "It''s not meant to live. I can see a date of birth for him but it''s also the date of death."


    "There, see, you cannot save what''s meant to die." The Saxon spirit said righteously. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lizzie Guzman didn''t react when Phoebe told her that her child was not meant to live. For a woman that had just received bad news, she was amazingly calm which told Phoebe that she was expecting this news.


    Either she had been to another shaman that told her this same news or the child in her womb was somehow sick which was impossible. The baby was healthy right now, very healthy and fully formed.


    Phoebe couldn''t predict the future accurately so she didn''t know why the baby would die.


    "Do you know this already?" she asked the woman.


    Lizzie nodded. "What you just said doesn''t surprise me because in the last five years, i have lost three babies, all on the day of birth. They are healthy during the pregnancy and i carry them to term successfully but they only live for an hour at most and then they die with out a cause or an explanation.


    You told the Elroy''s that someone was stealing luck from their son which was killing him. Is it the same as my situation?"


    She out her hands on the table and desperately sought for an answer from Phoebe.


    "Is someone stealing luck from my children? They were born into a wealthy family and they would be meant for greatness if they lived. Or maybe it''s me whose luck is being stolen. Please, you have to help me."


    Her voice turned a little hysterical the more that she talked. However, it was firm and she believed strongly that this was the problem which was plaguing her.


    "Calm down." Phoebe told her.


    She gestured to Rosette to bring over a calming tonic which was handed over to the woman.


    "Drink this first and then i can calculate your fate and see if you are truly meant to have children or not. As for borrowing luck, it is not the case, not with you anyway."

 Chapter 22 A bunny out of a hat

    After Lizzie calmed down, Phoebe asked her for her date of birth and that of her husband. Then, she calculated the fate for the two. Things like marriage, death, children and big events were easy to see with the help of the skills the Saxon spirit had taught her.


    When she was finished making her deductions, she looked at the woman and sighed.


    "There are children in your fate, or there should be. I can''t see where the problem is coming from right now so all i can do is guess that it is a human fault, not supernatural."


    "Human..." the woman whispered.


    Her face morphed from despair to confusion at Phoebe''s words. A spark of hope had been lit inside when Phoebe told her that she was destined to have children. But then, quickly, a bucket of cold water had been poured on her, dimming the spark.


    If the fault was human, then did this mean someone was deliberately harming her children immediately after birth? A myriad questions rolled through her mind, each without an answer. Why would someone be killing her children and who was it? What were they gaining from it?


    How could she stop them?


    She latched on to Phoebe''s arm and cried out, "Little shaman, what do i do? You must save my baby, you have to."


    Her grip was so tight that one of her medium length sharp light blue nails scratched Phoebe''s hand.


    "Let go." Phoebe ordered.


    Lizzie was unwilling to do as phoebe commanded. Her desperation had taken control of her entirely and she did not intend to let go of Phoebe unless she agreed to help.


    Ancestor Saxon opened her mouth and blew air out of it. The air travelled straight to Lizzie Guzman and encased her. It was cold, freezing cold wind like that emitted from the inside of a refrigerator.


    Because it was summer, cold like this was unnatural and it became even more unnatural when frost appeared on the cup in front of Lizzie. Between the weird cold and sharp glint Phoebe was giving her, the woman''s heart trembled and she let go of Phoebe.


    The little shaman was actually scary and she had abnormal powers__, supernatural powers.


    Subserviently, Lizzie repeated her request.


    "Please, i need your help. I have searched for answers all these years but the doctors said it was natural causes. What you are saying means that there is more to my plight than meets the eye." She rubbed her hands along her arms because she was still feeling cold but the child in her belly was more important than the cold.


    "There is five million in there." She looked at the briefcase of cash. "I will pay five more if you can save my child. as long as you keep him alive, i will pay five million every other five years until he makes twenty five." She shook her head...."No, i will pay you until my son has his own child. Call it a retainer fee if you want.


    We retain lawyers all the time so i want to retain you as my personal shaman. Every year, i will pay you one million and this is outside of the five million."


    "Oh crap!" Ancestor Saxon muttered.


    The spirit could see that Phoebe was wavering and she was going to say yes. Money was her love language lately when it came to working with humans.


    She was right because Phoebe held her hand out and shook Lizzie Guzman''s right one.


    "It''s a deal."


    Eager to start working, Phoebe turned her head to Rosette. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Bring a talisman that wards off bad luck, a good luck charm bracelet, every supplement we have for pregnant women and the new beauty cream."


    She then turned to Lizzie Guzman with a broad welcoming smile on her face.


    "You can rest and leave everything to me. I will handle it all and make sure that the little master in your stomach dies at a ripe old age. Under my care, you will even have the chance to have another child if you desire, after all, your fate shows that you were meant to have five children.Three might be dead now but we can save two."


    Phoebe who had told Lizzie to let go of her hand voluntarily held the woman''s hand now instead and she even patted it gently.


    "Madam, i will be by your side in the hospital on the day you give birth. In fact, i think it will be better if you give birth at a hospital or venue of my choosing.


    You have been using the same hospital, same doctors and doing the same thing which has also given you the same results, death of your child. It''s time we switch things up.


    How do you feel about a home birth?"


    "She looks like she is going to swindle the poor woman?" Connie whispered to the Saxon spirit.


    Phoebe heard the teenager and she shot the girl a sharp glare. After glaring, she turned back to her big shot of a client who would be filling her pockets with millions for years to come.


    "We should notarize our business madam. There are things i am unwilling to do as a shaman. I will not be killing anyone for you through curses or physically, not unless someone is trying to kill you.


    Also, i am not your personal maid, assistant or anything of the sort so do not expect me to run errands for you. You cannot call on me to do petty magic tricks to entertain your friends at a party. I am not the pull a bunny out of a hat kind of magician."


    Connie leaned down towards Lizzie and said loudly for the woman to hear, "She can totally pull a bunny out of a hat for the right price."


    Lizzie squealed and put a hand over her heart in fear and shock.


    "Connie i swear....." Phoebe groaned.


    The girl had a bad habit of getting on her nerves so often because she liked scaring the human clients.


    The teenager whistled and shrugged before laughing as she backed away.


    "Ignore Connie please, she likes to make jokes."


    Lizzie looked around, searching for the owner of the voice but all she saw was empty space. How was she supposed to ignore something she couldn''t even see?


    "So, as i was saying, we must both have rules before entering this kind of long term transaction. We should also put in place terms for exit. If either one of us violates those terms, we can end the contract without a big fuss.


    Think about what you expect of me when you get home and discuss it with your lawyers and i will do the same and discuss with mine. We can meet up again next week and make things official."


    Phoebe and Lizzie talked for a few more minutes before the woman left with all the items Rosset had prepared.


    As soon as the cafe door was closed, Phoebe opened the briefcase, picked up a bundle of money and sniffed it.


    "I am rich." she squealed.


    "If you call this rich then the whole world must be poor." the Saxon spirit mumbled.


    Of course, in the Saxon empire, this five million did not even cover weekly expenses. She put a damper on Phoebe''s excitement. The spirit waved her hand, collected the money and vanished with it into the pendant.


    "Ho!" Phoebe exclaimed in surprise.

 Chapter 23 Hello magical space.

    The reason for her surprise was because never before had anything physical gone into the pendant. The pendant itself was invisible to others and only she could see it. She always figured that this was because it was a magical pendant.


    The Saxon ancestor spirit slept or lived in the pendant and she was always telling Phoebe to transfer energy to it. Phoebe always did so reluctantly because the spirit had never offered an explanation for this before.


    She took the pendant off her neck and spoke directly to it. "Come out, come and explain where my money has vanished to."


    She walked to her office as she addressed the spirit in the pendant because there were some secrets that even Rosette didn''t need to know. The pendant, her ties to the Saxons, her rebirth and the like were secrets meant for herself.


    In her office, she firmly locked the door and stared intensely at the pendant which was now glowing green.


    "Repeat after me." The voice of the Saxon spirit came from inside the pendant. "Touch the pendant and say the words transfer or just think about that word."


    Phoebe did as the spirit said and she felt herself fading away. Her entire body was transferred somewhere else, an unknown place.


    "All this while, did you think that i was telling you to transfer energy into the pendant for no reason? You are such an untrusting child."


    While the spirit harped on, Phoebe was looking around to see where she was. It was obvious that she was no longer in her cafe. For one, her cafe did not have a mountain.


    "Where am i?"


    "Inside the pendant, it''s obvious. Why are you so slow to understand?" The impatient spirit replied.


    "Oh my God!" Phoebe exclaimed.


    Never in her wildest dreams had she ever dreamed that the pendant was not just useful in bringing her back to life but it had another function.


    The spirit flew over head and laughed loudly. Her laughter was like the ringing of a bell__, a high pitched bell.


    "You are impressed, right? You feel like falling to your knees and calling me master, i know. This is the true inheritance of our Saxon family." It boasted.


    "This place has existed before me so it''s older than you definitely. All the treasures here are things that were collected for millions of years by the ones that were blessed to own the pendant through the years. Of course, just owning the pendant doesn''t mean that it''s power can be activated. You have been the first to activate it in over two hundred years." It explained.


    It pointed to a wooden cabin and sighed.


    "The last owner was not very diligent. He built that small cabin, didn''t collect any treasures and hated his ghost seeing abilities. It''s a relief that you were not so freaked out when we met."


    Phoebe pinched her arm just in case she was imagining what was happening. All the pinch did was cause her pain and give her fair skin a red bruise.


    "Do you see that mountain? It''s filled with layers and layers of aura stones."


    Phoebe turned to the Saxon spirit and she shook her head.


    "I am not a Saxon."


    The spirit had called it an inheritance of the Saxon family and she wasn''t one. If the pendant''s abilities were triggered by blood, it had made a mistake.


    "You are one by marriage." The spirit reminded her.


    "I am not married to a Saxon."


    The Saxon spirit waved her words away as if they were nothing but gibberish. "Technical differences, let''s call it that."


    Phoebe put her hands on her head and she laughed softly. She wondered how many more magical things were in the world that people didn''t know about or simply laughed away as fantasy.


    After her rebirth, she had read many books about rebirth, transmigration, systems, magical space, cultivation, werewolves, vampires and the like. Basically, she drowned herself in as many fantasy novels as often as she could because she was living a fantasy.


    Who knew that the fantasy could become even bigger? S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "A magical space." she whispered in disbelief.


    The Saxon spirit ignored her look of disbelief and continued sharing information about the space.


    "Ghost energy keeps this place alive and functioning. The more energy, the more functions you unveil and the more life like it becomes. Now, you don''t need to keep your ghost pets like Yin, the cat and others which you collect in the coins. They can live in here with me."


    The spirit recalled the teenager and she clapped her hands excitedly.


    "Connie too and any other ghost servant that you acquire along the way. But, if you get any more ghost servants you must control them. This space is a place that many humans and magicians would kill for. It''s a secret that is even bigger than your rebirth."


    Phoebe nodded, agreeing with the spirit about the need for secrecy when it came to the space. She also came to realize that she had been very lackadaisical in collecting ghost energy.


    In order to keep herself alive, power the trinkets she sold, use in her tonics, feed the Saxon spirit and keep the magical space functioning, she needed so much energy, a lot more than she had currently.


    "You can grow herbs here that you use for your tonics, store important things and hide in here in case you are in danger. Also, there are books inside the cabin on cultivation of magic to help you become a real mage.


    With time, even the ghost lake will open up. It''s water can help purify any ghost or human. It can heal and hasten the growth of herbs.


    Most of these functions are still sealed off of course because the energy is not enough. Now you know why i keep telling you to take on more ghost clients than humans."


    There was a trembling in the ground suddenly and the Saxon spirit sighed.


    "Energy is not enough to sustain us all right now. It''s time for you to go."


    She waved her hand and Phoebe left the space. She found herself back in her office.


    "Where have you been?" Connie practically assaulted her with her voice, demanding for answers.


    Phoebe winced and pushed the girl away.


    "Inner voice Connie, you don''t need to scream."


    Besides Connie screaming, her phone too was ringing, loudly. When she looked at it, she noticed that she had five missed calls, all from her father. The thought of answering that call almost gave her a stomach ulcer.


    After her rebirth, she had noticed many strange things about her family which she never saw before, like the way her father talked to her.


    He was stern and cold, always forceful. It wasn''t the same as when he talked to her brother. With him, he was kind and soft. Still, Phoebe didn''t read too much into it.


    She picked up her phone and took a deep breath before calling him back.


    "Dad, hello I..."


    "Did you steal Ruth''s fianc¨¦?" he shouted at her angrily before she could say more.


    Phoebe clenched her jaw and her left hand as well. It looked like Ruth had paid her home a visit and as usual, her parents were already on Ruth''s side, believing her over their own daughter.


    Even in her last life, before rebirth, it was this way. Sometimes, she used to joke around that Ruth was more of their daughter than she was. Every day that passed, it felt more like a truth than a joke.


    "Come home right away." her father ordered and hung up.

 Chapter 24 Always the white lotus.

    There was laughter coming from inside the house, cheerful laughter. The strong smell of turkey meatloaf had escaped through the front door and made it outside. Phoebe smelled it before turning the lock to let herself into the house.


    If she needed further proof that Ruth was there, in the house, this was it. Turkey meatloaf was one of Ruth''s favorite meals, one that her mother had signed up for a cooking class to learn.


    Phoebe swallowed her anger and took a deep breath before going in. Her anger was because of the obvious favoritism her parents displayed for Ruth over her. They always believed Ruth and even cooked her favorite food.


    Meanwhile, she was forbidden from visiting the Mayfair''s because their two families belonged to different classes and her father didn''t want her embarrassing them in front of the rich people.


    She adjusted her thoughts and stepped inside.


    "I am home."


    Loudly, she called out as she changed from her boots to indoor slippers and took off her coat. The first person she saw was her brother, who had earphones in his ears and a plate of food. He smirked at her and continued walking to the living room.


    "What a rude little shit he is." The Saxon spirit complained.


    Phoebe took another deep breath. Over and over, she reminded herself to calm down and not kill anyone or unleash Connie on them. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She followed the sound of the cheerful voices to the living room and there, she found her parents, Evelyn and Ruth. Her parents were both looking at pictures on Ruth''s phone and laughing happily.


    The way the three were hurdled together, one would think that they were a happy family especially considering the fact that her parents both had blonde hair like Ruth.


    Phoebe''s red hair always made it obvious that she didn''t look like her parents. Because of this reason, Phoebe''s mother used to dye her hair in her childhood and it went on for a long time.


    In the past, she returned to her natural red hair after marrying David. In this life, Phoebe stopped dyeing it immediately after her rebirth, something which made her father blow up.


    They had a big fight and didn''t talk for two months. He started talking to her again after she bought the new house for them.


    Phoebe gagged when she heard her mother paying Ruth a compliment.


    "You look really good in orange dear, you should have seriously taken on modeling as a career."


    "Thank you aunt. I have the looks of a model but my father won''t let me get into the entertainment business. He says that others won''t stand a chance if i join because i am too beautiful and too talented." Ruth giggled.


    Phoebe rolled her eyes and cleared her throat.


    "I am home." she announced again.


    The happy people went silent and her parents leaned away from Ruth. They all stopped smiling and these grave looks came over their faces. It was like Phoebe was the grinch and all the christmas lights and cheer had gone out with her appearance.


    Only Evelyn seemed to be happy to see her and the woman gave her a hug.


    "Hey, Pheebs, finally you have come. I thought i would have to come and drag you out of that ghost shop of yours with chains. How are you doing sweetie?"


    Phoebe opened her mouth to reply but hardly had anything come out of her mouth when her father jumped in, shouting at her with so much rage.


    "You are such an embarrassment to the family. How can you seduce your best friends fianc¨¦? Phoebe, is this the way we raised you, to behave like a common street whore?"


    Phoebe gasped and she took a step back in surprise.


    "Honey..."


    A surprised Mrs. Gabriel gasped too and she grabbed her husband'' arm. She shook her head wildly, pleading with her eyes for him to stop.


    Phoebe looked at Ruth and she saw the sly small smile on her face. Clearly, she was enjoying this greatly.


    Rather than address the white lotus of a friend she had, she chose to confront her father. "Wow, i am so glad to know that you think so little of me, your own daughter that you compare me to a street whore."


    Her mother turned her head around and shook her head.


    "No, Phoebe, your father doesn''t mean what he just said. He is just angry with you because you have done something unethical. Stealing Ruth''s fianc¨¦ is a big betrayal, something embarrassing for all of us. How will we explain ourselves to the Mayfairs?"


    "I am your daughter. You could have asked me how i am first, offered me something to eat or drink or asked me to sit down before raising this issue. You haven''t even asked for my side of the story and already you have all declared me guilty."


    Phoebe ignored her mother who was trying to explain away the cruel words her father had just lashed at her. Words that stabbed her like knives and broke her heart.


    Mr. Gabriel sneered at her, and replied arrogantly. "If you want to behave like a slut then i will call you one."


    Ruth, who was always the white lotus made an appearance in her coquettish voice. "Oh, uncle don''t be so harsh on Phoebe, she didn''t mean to seduce David i am sure. Calling her a slut is too strong."


    Phoebe lowered her head and she laughed. As expected of Ruth, she was playing the nice person card.


    "I am going to my room."


    She didn''t want to discuss the matter because they wouldn''t believe her anyway. In this house, whatever Ruth said was gospel truth. In a way, Phoebe compared their relationship to that of step sisters. One was loved and one was tolerated and in her case, she was the tolerated one.


    The Saxon spirit was so vexed on Phoebe''s behalf and she was screaming but the humans couldn''t hear her. "I can''t believe this. What father talks to his daughter like this?


    Are you even sure that this man is your father? No, even the woman, is she your mother?"


    Meanwhile, Phoebe was dodging her mother who was on her heels, begging her to stop, return and discuss the matter. When she reached her bedroom however, she stopped short because there was another surprise waiting for her.


    The entire room had been transformed and her brother was inside, eating and playing games at his desk.


    Phoebe turned around, and looked at her mother with a piercing accusatory gaze.


    "What''s this?"


    Her mother looked around nervously before answering in her commonly used soft apologetic voice.


    "It''s just that you are rarely home and this room is big but stays empty. It also has a beautiful view of Citrus lake and the Salt gardens. We figured that rather than leaving it empty, it was better for your brother to use it. But don''t be angry, i moved all your things to his former bedroom. It might be smaller but at the end of the day, the only use of a bedroom is for one to sleep, right?"

 Chapter 25 The war at home.

    Before she could even process the fact that her bedroom had been given to her brother Ruth was right there, bringing her opinionated self into the conversation.


    "Phoebe, don''t be angry with aunt. It''s not as if you are still living here anyway. Isn''t it better for Nick to have the bedroom?"


    "Oh shut up Ruth, for once in your life shut your big mouth and stay out of my family business." Phoebe exploded.


    She couldn''t hold her anger in anymore. It seemed like she was being taken for granted and used as a punching bag by everyone. At that very moment, her brother stood up, walked in their direction and stopped at the door. Then, he banged it shut as if their noise was interfering with an important task he was doing.


    Phoebe moved her tongue up then to the side as she laughed. It seemed like this was all the thanks she was going to get for buying her family a nice house. Her mother''s harping in defense of Ruth did not make things any better.


    "Did you just tell Ruth to shut up? Phoebe, you can''t be so rude to your friend. She suggested that your brother move into the room because....."


    Phoebe ears started ringing and she missed the rest of the shitty explanation her mother was giving. All she heard was that Ruth was the one that made the suggestion about her room being given to her brother Nicholas.


    In a deep angry voice that carried rage equal to the sound of thunder on a rainy night, Phoebe pointed at Ruth and gave her the most malicious stare she could muster.


    "You.....you did this."


    Ruth bit her bottom lip and made her usual innocent frightened face. She hid herself behind Elizabeth Gabriel, Phoebe''s mother. She started acting like a frightened little chick looking for safety.


    Right on cue, Elizabeth came to her rescue. She even moved her right hand out to stop Phoebe from physically assaulting Ruth in case her anger got the better of her.


    "Phoebe, Ruth was just looking out for Nicky because she is your best friend. Why can''t you be more understanding of the situation?"


    "Understand what?" Aaron Gabriel barked as he came upon them with an angry look on his face. "Do you want to beat up Ruth just because she is looking out for your brother?


    When did you change into such a person Phoebe? You do not appreciate the kindness of your friend. You refused to find a proper job and decided to work as trickster like those freaky people in Magic city. For that reason, Ruth got you a shop in magic city where you can work rent free but you refused it. Instead you paid her back by stealing her fianc¨¦.


    Let me tell you right now, we are all moving to Magic city. Ruth helped me get a job as a manager for one of the Mayfair properties. I will be able to earn three hundred fifty thousand dollars a years. The benefits are great like health insurance, a yearly paid vacation to any country i desire.


    Free university tuition for your brother, an apartment and a company car. How many people at my age can get such a good opportunity?


    You should be on your knees thanking her right now for saving our family."


    Phoebe scoffed and she laughed out loud, just once.


    "Ha!"


    Only a fool would be so blind not to realize that this deal was too good to be true. Indeed, at his age, what had Aaron Gabriel done to deserve that job? Such a job with such benefits was given to someone with many years of experience or an expert in their field.


    All his life, Aaron had worked as a guard at a hospital How could someone go from security guard that earned around fifty thousand dollars a year to manager earning over three hundred thousand dollars?


    Of course, the one to thank for all this was none other than her so called best friend.


    Phoebe looked at Ruth with eyes filled with mockery and she sneered. "You must be so desperate to get me out of the city if you have gone this far."


    "No, Phoebe it''s not like that.." Ruth cried out in a small voice.


    "Don''t bother explaining anything to her. Our whole family is moving to Magic city next week." Aaron assured Ruth, beneath his words was a command.


    "I am not going." Phoebe declared boldly.


    She was looking straight at her father when she said those words firmly and she saw the ugly twisted look he returned to her. It was the opposite of the softness with which he looked at Ruth.


    It had been a while since that joke crossed her mind, the one about Ruth being treated more like a daughter than her. That doubt creeped up on her again but it didn''t make sense because when Ruth killed her children, she had said she would be killing her mother next.


    Even if Ruth was a terrible person, there was no way she would kill her own mother. Besides, the Mayfairs would know for sure if Ruth was not their child. Families like that often did DNA tests on their children.


    Still, the difference in treatment between her and Ruth was so plain to see that the holes continued to be poked in Phoebe''s mind, screaming that something was off. It had started during her teenage years, after Ruth came over for a visit the first time.


    Phoebe, the new scholarship student at Elton private high school had just met the beautiful rich Ruth Mayfair and she was taken in by her kindness and generosity.


    She brought her home to meet her parents. In the beginning the favoritism was subtle, like her mother celebrating Ruth''s achievements in school more than hers. She would often make Ruth''s favorite snacks and Phoebe would act as the delivery woman. Her parents always remembered Ruth''s birthday and they would buy her expensive nice gifts.


    On her own birthday, Phoebe would be given cheaper things.


    On her graduation celebration from college, Ruth took the middle position in-between her parents while she was placed at the extreme end while cutting the cake.


    What hurt even more was the fact that the picture was nicely decorated and placed in the living room event though Phoebe was barely seen, it almost seemed like she had been cropped out of it.


    Her parents would claim that they were doing this to create opportunities for her. Having a rich friend would help her succeed in life.


    While that excuse was perfectly believable, the happiness with which they did these things for Ruth left a lot to doubt.


    "How dare you defy me?" Aaron spat out.


    Out of the blue and unexpectedly, he raised his hand and brought it down. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Saxon spirit roared before the hand could land on Phoebe''s face.

 Chapter 26 A case of tit for tat.

    The lights in the house flickered, and there was some trembling. Pictures fell from the wall and in the kitchen glasses shattered. The Gabriel house alone was experiencing it''s own earthquake.


    Phoebe remained steady and unaffected because she knew what was causing the house to shake but her parents panicked and screamed. In a move that did not even surprise her anymore, both of them rushed to protect Ruth, covering her with their bodies.


    Their actions served to anger the Saxon spirit all the more. In a time of danger, instead of protecting their daughter, they were choosing to protect someone else. What kind of parents were these?


    The spirit was about to increase her power when Phoebe shook her head, stopping her. It was no use scaring them because nothing was going to change. Her broken heart would not be mended this way.


    "What a ridiculous pair you two have become?" she said sadly. "I bought you a house worth so much money, almost half of a million but you cannot even allow me have the bedroom i wanted. I came home but you did not cook any food i like but you cooked for Ruth. I said i didn''t steal Ruth''s man but you called me a slut and a whore.


    You want to force me out of the city and now, in a time of danger you are protecting Ruth while i, your biological daughter stand here, out in the open. Who has changed, you or me?"


    The lights went out as soon as she aired her thoughts. Phoebe took advantage of the darkness to walk away while her parents came back to their senses.


    Her father started shouting in the direction where he thought Phoebe was standing. "The Mayfairs will not be happy if Ruth is injured while she is here. Why can''t you be more understanding of the situation? Ruth is not like you, she lives in a wealthy family and she was raised like a princess. Even one small cut on her body is a big deal."


    Phoebe walked past Evelyn who was hiding behind a couch. Her friend tried to convince her to stay such that the family can iron out their differences but Phoebe continued to walk towards the door, she found her shoes and walked out of the house. She didn''t bother to wear the shoes and she walked out in the slippers.


    Although darkness had fallen as the night had arrived, it was brighter outside than it was inside the house. The reflection of the moon and stars plus the street lights and the lights of the neighboring houses enabled her to see clearly.


    She walked as quickly as she could to her car, opened the doors and sat inside, staying still for a while. The Saxon spirit sat in the passenger seat and it didn''t say a word. It could tell that she was in a terrible mood and it was understandable why. The things that had transpired in her home were unbelievable.


    It wanted to suggest that Phoebe do a blood test but it wasn''t sure if this was the right moment to make the suggestion.


    Phoebe moved after five minutes, she rested her entire body against the steering wheel of her car and started crying, soft little sobs to ease her broken heart.


    "Child..." The spirit called slowly, "Maybe they...."


    It stopped, clammed up and disappeared into the bracelet.


    Phoebe in the meantime screamed and slammed her right hand against the steering wheel over and over, taking her rage out on the poor inanimate object.


    When she started feeling better, she took a deep breath and got her phone. She opened a dashboard and got a business card with a phone number which she had been hesitant to use for a while. It was the number belonging to a detective that she often gave clues which she got from ghosts whose death had not been natural.


    The problem with him was that he was too arrogant and overly eager to climb the ladder. He had started relying on her too much to help him with his cases so she stopped going to him.


    "Hello, this is detective Shark, who am i speaking to?"


    "Its me, Phoebe." she answered coldly.


    "Well, well, well, if it isn''t my favorite ghost seeing partner that abandoned me after accusing me of using her. I knew you would be back one day. You cannot avoid me forever Phoebe, after all, you owe me one."


    "I paid back my debt Shark. You have solved at least thirty murders and received two promotions thanks to me. It''s your turn to do me a solid. I need a favor, a big one." S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You always need big favors, like erasing all your records or a fake identity, surveillance footage, information on others, all things which can result in my demotion or termination if i am found out. That''s why you are still in my debt. You may have stopped helping me but you still owe me Phoebe, big time."


    "Tit for tat Shark, i know how you work. I need you to investigate me."


    "Do you mean investigate something for you?"


    "No, I mean me."


    "Who?"


    "Me, Phoebe Gabriel. I need you to investigate my life right from my birth. Investigate my parents too and Ruth Mayfair, plus her parents."


    "Why?"


    "If i had the answers i would not be coming to you now, would i?" she retorted.


    He snorted. "I have a case that i am working on, a high profile one which is giving me a headache. If you agree to help me then i will take it as the go ahead to begin on your problem."


    "What case?"


    "The death of Susie Isles, the lead singer of Dear girls, that girl group. If you watch the news, i am sure that you have seen it. It''s everywhere and on every tongue. The public has put us all under pressure and my superiors are on my ass to solve it as soon as possible.


    I am burning the candle at both ends but getting nowhere. The thing is, i have about sixteen suspects, many stalkers and many angry anti fans but no conclusive evidence that points to someone specific and i can''t speak to the dead so i am stuck. If you promise to find me some answers, i will do the same for you."


    "Deal."

 Chapter 27 May the best woman win.

    Phoebe figured that she had played the dumb game long enough. If tonight had strengthened anything, it was the doubts in her mind which she had about her family. Before rebirth, she had been the good daughter that always did as her parents asked and the things that were happening now did not happen then.


    She never got to see the extremes to which her parents adored Ruth to the point of dying for her voluntarily in a dangerous situation. Phoebe figured either she wasn''t their biological daughter or Ruth was their real daughter. There was also a possibility that maybe she was their daughter but so was Ruth and somehow she ended up with the Mayfairs.


    It could also be that all three of those things were true. The one possibility she didn''t even consider was that maybe she was a Mayfair. This was because the Mayfairs had black or blonde hair. Her red hair did not fit in with their family''s physical appearance.


    She had never met any of the Mayfairs in person before or after rebirth. Ruth had always made sure not to invite her to the Mayfair house.


    The Saxon spirit appeared next to her with three silver needles and three paper men. Phoebe had seen the paper men before. They were exactly that, little paper men who were infused with energy and sent to do some tasks. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I overheard you telling that detective to investigate your family . I think it''s a smart idea. Those people are too biased, and their love for that Ruth is too abnormal. The paper men will go and get some blood samples. Let''s do a bloodline spell and see if you have blood ties."


    She waved her hand and the car window was lowered. The little paper men jumped out and used the wind to fly all the way to Gabriel house which was still dark.


    "You are pale." Phoebe was looking at the Saxon spirit and she couldn''t miss the fact that it looked drained, more than usual. "It''s the spell to give life to the papermen, isn''t it?"


    "I will be fine...." the spirit had a second thought and shook its head. "I mean, i am nearly drained. Why don''t you....."


    Someone knocked on the window of the car, drawing Phoebe''s attention and she looked away from the spirit. It was Ruth, at Phoebe''s car, knocking on the window with one hand while trying to open the car door with another.


    "Seriously, this pretentious bitch..." the spirit groaned.


    Phoebe raised herself and opened the car door. She stepped out with a cold attitude. Her face was so tight and stoic that even someone living on the moon would be able to see that she was unhappy.


    Ruth grabbed her arm while saying coquettishly, "Pheebs, i am sorry."


    Phoebe raised her hand, preventing Ruth from touching her. Ruth in turn reacted as expected. Her eyes welled up automatically and she lowered her head.


    In a small voice, she explained herself. "I didn''t tell aunt and uncle to give your bedroom away. Aunt sent me pictures of your room and I only said that it was a shame that such a big beautiful room with a great view was unoccupied all the time since you don''t live there.


    She raised her eyes up and batted her eyelashes extravagantly. "As for the stealing my fianc¨¦ thing, uncle also misunderstood. I came over to see Evelyn and aunt noticed that my eyes were swollen from so much crying. When she asked me what was wrong, i told her that we fought over a man. Everything that happened after is not my fault.


    You heard me back there in the house, i tried to stop uncle from calling you those horrible names."


    "He is not your fianc¨¦." Phoebe stated coldly while Ruth was still directing and acting in her own drama.


    Ruth clenched her hands ans smiled stiffly.


    "It''s a joke between our grandmothers, his and mine. But our families are seriously considering..."


    "David Saxon has been on the front page of every newspaper, on social media and different magazines as the face of playboys in Fog country up until last year. If your two families were talking marriage, those pictures of him with different actresses, models, singers and other beautiful women would not have reached the public.


    The Saxons literally have every media house in this country in their pockets."


    Ruth''s face fell because her lies were not being believed. "You speak as if you know the Saxons."


    Phoebe shrugged.


    "You are not throwing yourself at David, are you? Let me warn you right now, his family will never accept you. You seem to be forgetting your place Phoebe. You....''


    A loud and unexpected slap fell on Ruth''s face before she could finish giving her warning. It took both Ruth and the Saxon spirit by surprise.


    "You...you slapped me."


    Piak!!


    Another slap landed on her other cheek before she could finish processing the shock of the first one.


    Ruth''s eyes teared up, bringing forth real tears this time round. She had met an unexpected challenge in Phoebe. Never did she imagine that the little worm she had stepped on would find the guts to squirm.


    Phoebe wasn''t done and she shoved Ruth, pushing her down onto the ground. "It''s you that happens to be forgetting your place. How dare you make suggestions about my life, in my house?"


    She scoffed and sneered at Ruth. "What, I am being funded by a man! You said that to me in public, when my clients could hear and then you laughed it off as a joke. How stupid do you think i am?"


    Phoebe flipped her hair back and she added, "I have been thinking about things for a while and i have decided to make your wishes real. Since you think that i am seducing him, a man i have never met by the way, then i might as well do it. I will seduce David Saxon. You can seduce him too, try your best to win his heart. Ruth, may the best woman win."


    She opened her car door and started it, almost running Ruth over and the woman had to crawl to get away from Phoebe who was suddenly acting crazy.

 Chapter 28 Meeting David, again.

    The first thing Phoebe did when she got home was to feed Connie some white rabbit candy because she needed to charge the pendant with ghost energy, no matter how little it was.


    "Thank you." Connie said.


    It was a rare kind of politeness which surprised Phoebe and the Saxon spirit, stunning them into silence for a little while. Phoebe had no idea what had entered the girl for her to suddenly become nice to her.


    Was Connie still scared because she had disappeared into the pendant for a little while?


    "That''s much better." The Saxon spirit''s color began to return slowly.


    Phoebe was so relieved because this was the first time she was seeing it look too drained and pale. This was a lesson however, for her not to push the limits. If the spirit went back to sleep just as it had been doing before she activated the pendant with her blood, who would help and guide her?


    Connie who was enjoying the treats asked why they both looked like they had fought with mountain lions. "What did I miss? Sister did something happen at home?" Asked the teenage ghost.


    "Mountain lions!" Phoebe exclaimed.


    She didn''t think she looked so bad. Some of her hair was out of place but that was it.


    "Ha! Home? I beg to differ. That place cannot be called a home. Those people are monsters and all of them, especially that man that calls himself Phoebe''s father." The Saxon spirit sank into a cushion chair.


    Phoebe wasn''t in the mood to narrate what had transpired back at home and besides that she was used to her parents being dramatic lately. However today she felt a certain sense of relief that she had finally stood up for herself, the Saxon spirit was beaming with pride.


    "It''s about time you told those people off, all they do is leech off of you, asking for this and that but they never appreciate anything you do for them.


    And that skunk Ruth, she will never be a Saxon, i don''t know what her obsession is with my family but i will not let her have her way. Those slaps you gave her, she had it coming.


    David Saxon is your man and no one else''s. This time be intentional about getting him back, what you think you know in your past life is only your version not his."


    Connie who was still in shock on hearing that Phoebe slapped Ruth finally spoke through a mouth full of candy. "Phoebe slapped Ruth? How did I miss that? I wish I had been there, I would have given her invisible slaps as well."


    The two ghosts continued to discuss the issue and plotted on how they were going to torture Ruth, the woman whom they labeled to be the enemy.


    Phoebe who had been perched in the single chair stood up because her stomach churned for the third time. She was hungry, starving in fact as she had not eaten all day. Besides, that little fight at home had drained some of her own energy.


    Lazily, she walked to the kitchen and made herself a fruit salad and sandwich.


    Connie moved to where she was with a bottle of red wine. "Sister, after the day you''ve had, you need this."


    The Saxon spirit excused itself and informed them that it needed to sermon the paper men. "We need to do that bloodline spell, I cannot shake off the feeling that something is terribly wrong with your family." It vanished into the pendant.


    Phoebe carried the wooden food tray that had the food and glass of wine to the balcony. It was big with the floor covered by a green grass carpet with cute flowers pinned to imitate a garden.


    Flower pots sat at all four corners, a white swing chair at the center and small wooden table in front of it.


    She placed the tray on the table and let out an exhausted sigh before sinking into the fluffy pillows in the swing chair, with her eyes closed, Phoebe inhaled and exhaled deeply with her eyes closed.


    She took a big sip of the wine and opened her eyes which directly moved to the direction of the opposite neighbors house and that''s when she saw him; David Saxon.


    He stood there, watching her unwaveringly. Phoebe who had been sitting outside for about twenty minutes wondered how long he had been standing there.


    Like a statue, Phoebe remained silent, it''s like she froze in the moment. She wished for the ground to open and swallow her but all she could do was stay still and stare right back.


    [Bloody hell! What is he doing there? Is he the new neighbor? How? Why?]


    Phoebe''s head was bombarded with questions she had no answers to.


    David was more than dumbfounded, this wasn''t how he had planned to meet her but when he saw her he just couldn''t resist looking at her.


    What was more astonishing was the fact that he could see her thoughts and according to what he had seen, It''s like Phoebe knew who he was but then again who didn''t in Fog country.


    Having experienced a rebirth, he was not very shocked when he realized that he could somehow read her thoughts. He figured that it was one of the perks of being reborn.


    Phoebe was still panicking.


    [Of all places to move to, he chose this place. Is this what they call fate or a coincidence?]


    This wasn''t how they had met in the past life, Phoebe was an intern researcher at the Saxon labs when she met him. She had developed a massive crush on him the moment he joined the research team. From that moment on, Phoebe had made it her life''s mission to woo him despite knowing that he was a play boy, until one time he agreed to date her casually but fell for her hardworking and kind personality.


    Although she had told Ruth that she was going after David, Phoebe wasn''t ready to face him yet however it seemed like fate had other plans in stock for her.


    "Hi there, am your new neighbor. David Saxon." David introduced himself casually with a smile playing on his lips.


    Connie who was blushing and smiling non stop sighed. "6''5, blue eyes and rich. He''s perfect, if you don''t want him you can just toss him over to me." She continued to admire the man.


    "Phoebe." She spoke with indifference, her ice cold eyes fixed on him. This man had caused her a lot of pain because he easily fell into Ruth''s trap. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She now planned to use him against her, falling for him wasn''t an option.


    [Why is he staring at me like that?]


    Phoebe shifted uncomfortably in her sit, she picked up the tray and began to eat slowly. Stealing a glance once in a while to look at him.


    David read her thoughts again and realized that he was making her uncomfortable and that''s the last thing he wanted. Seeing her beautiful face was enough for the day.


    "Have a good night, I hope to see you often Pheebs." The nickname came out easily from his lips which caused her to spew the wine that she was about to swallow.

 Chapter 29 Blood and ties.

    As David''s frame disappeared further into his house, Phoebe picked up the tray and entered the house. She couldn''t believe how brazen David was to call her by her nickname.


    Only people that were closest to her called her by that name, she wondered what he was playing at because they were practically strangers.


    "Why of all houses did he have to move into the one opposite to mine? And there is that matter of his grandmother looking for me plus Ruth''s wrong assumption that i know him somehow. It''s all driving me insane. If i didn''t know better i would assume that he is here for me." Phoebe told Connie whom she had ordered to do the dishes.


    With a Sassy attitude, Connie agreed with her. "He paid a hefty price for the previous tenant to leave am sure he did it to gain access to you. You are so lucky that you can date." She wrinkled her nose as jealousy sparked in.


    Shaking her head continuously, Phoebe didn''t want to over think things but on second thought this could actually work to her advantage.


    If he was coming after her, then she wouldn''t have to work too hard to get his attention. She would dangle him in front of Ruth like a sweet treat she could only see but not touch or taste.


    "I would love to see the look on Ruth''s face when she finds out that the man she longs for now sleeps a block away from me." She laughed maniacally.


    "She''ll want to kill you for sure." Connie commented.


    Phoebe''s phone began to ring and on checking the caller ID, she picked immediately.


    "Pheebs? Are you alright? I was worried about how you left things here, your father is a raging lion and everyone is walking on egg shells around here." Evelyn informed Phoebe.


    Not that she was interested in what was going on at home but she worried for her mother whose pressure would spike.


    For the most part, her mother treated her nicely from childhood. She was the only person in that house that ever treated her nicely. She was genuinely a nice person. Her brother changed for the worse when he entered his puberty years. Once clingy and sweet to her, he became distant, rude and insensitive.


    "Is mom alright?" Phoebe''s voice was coated with genuine concern.


    "Well....I mean your father was really furious when Ruth run back in crying profusely accusing you of beating and tearing her clothes. But that can''t be right Pheebs, is it?" Asked her friend.


    Phoebe''s head drew back at the mention of torn clothes.


    After a minute of silence, Phoebe admitted to giving Ruth two slaps.


    "I cannot tolerate that pretentious bitch any longer, she''s such a hypocrite, Evelyn you will only believe it when she stabs you in the back."


    "Slaps? Just two?" Evelyn asked to which Phoebe confirmed.


    "Then how come her dress was torn and she had scratches all over her neck. Ruthie also had a big bruise on her forehead the size of a small potato." Her friend continued to wonder.


    Phoebe chortled. "I''ll send you the dash cam footage, she must have done that to herself and lied against me again. What did my father do?"


    Evelyn hesitated but finally told Phoebe that the man broke everything that was breakable. "I don''t think I can stay here any longer, in fact I believe that if I wasn''t around he might have harmed your mother whom he blamed for your poor up bringing.


    He went on and on about how the Mayfairs are going to be mad when they get to know that their daughter was assaulted. And I agree with him, unless Ruth let''s things settle down, the Mayfair boys will be coming for you." Underneath her words was a warning.


    As the only sister they had, the Mayfair brothers dotted on Ruth. She was their baby sister who was fragile. Everything she wanted, they gave and if anyone so much as harmed her, they always avenged her.


    Phoebe wasn''t bothered by the warning. She would not be running like a frightened little lamb. "Let them come, Ruth thinks she''s smart because she hadn''t met her match before me."


    "And David? I cannot believe that you two are fighting over a man, you two are best of friends so give up on him, I mean both of you." Evelyn made an impossible suggestion.


    "Never!" Came Phoebe''s stern voice before she hung up abruptly.


    Now more than ever, she needed David because he was the weapon fashioned against Ruth and she was going to use it.


    The Saxon spirit was back in time and the moment it appeared Connie opened her big mouth to narrate what had happened in its absence.


    "Shut your damn mouth Connie." Phoebe threw the alarmed ghost a warning look.


    The Saxon spirit was even more curious but it wasn''t about to ask. It seemed that whatever it was, Phoebe didn''t want to talk about it.


    She placed the small paper men on the table. "We need a bowl, a piece of paper, a needle and a pen."


    Connie who was in hurry to know what was going on, quickly fetched the items and placed them near the paper men.


    The Saxon Spirit also told them that they need blood crystals which were in the Magic space. "I''ll take Connie along, it''s better to show her the place just incase you need to send her there." The two ghosts vanished into the pendant.


    "Tell me everything." The Saxon spirit ordered Connie and without wasting time, the teenage ghost told the story that David and Phoebe had met.


    "Ha-ha-ha finally." Everything was working in its favor especially the incidents that had occurred at Phoebe''s home.


    Because of Ruth''s stupidity, Phoebe who was hell bent on never getting involved with David was now open to the idea.


    "What took you so long?" Phoebe asked when the two ghosts returned, judging by the big smile the Saxon spirit wore, it was obvious that Connie had spilled the beans.


    "Let''s begin." The spirit ordered Phoebe to kneel before the table. "Now write your family names on pieces of small paper, fold them and place them in the bowl.


    Place the four blood crystals gently inside the bowl. From here on, the paper men are going to vomit the blood of each person and if it mixes together then that''s your family, if it doesn''t then...."


    "They are pieces of shit." Connie interrupted only to get scolded by Phoebe who told it to watch it''s language.


    "Aaron." The paper man carrying his blood spilled it into the bowl and disappeared afterwards.


    "Elizabeth." The second paper man did the same when the Saxon spirit called for it.


    "That brat Nicholas." Same thing, so far all the blood had mixed perfectly.


    She paused and looked at Phoebe who nodded giving her a go ahead.


    "Phoebe, use that needle to prick your finger and put a few drops in there."


    Phoebe did as asked, she barely felt any pain from the prick. She squeezed as much blood as possible into the bowl.


    They all watched as Phoebe''s blood seated itself like oil and water. Connie who was in disbelief stirred the blood with her finger but the results were the same. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Holy shit." Connie covered her mouth with her hand.

 Chapter 30 Who is Phoebe?

    When Phoebe woke up the next morning, she sat up, folded her legs and buried her head in her thighs. She was still puzzled and in shock over the results of the bloodline spell. Over the years she had suspected something like this but it being actually true hurt like hell.


    Her night had been restless, she had twisted and turned. Tears had not stopped pouring from her eyes for majority of the night. For her, it was if the whole world had suddenly turned gray.


    Minutes passed and she remained like that, in a near catatonic state. All she was doing was thinking of everything she had experienced with her family, especially the day Ruth Mayfair stepped into her house. That was the moment when everything changed.


    Had the Gabriel''s always known that she wasn''t their daughter? Was this why her mother used to dye her hair blonde?


    "She has refused to eat anything." Connie told the Saxon spirit as she pointed at the wooden tray which had a cup of coffee,, two slices of toast and two boiled eggs sited on it.


    "No one would have an appetite after finding out that the people you call family are practically strangers. Just take the tray away and give her some space." The Saxon spirit frowned slightly and sighed heavily.


    However it''s last remarks didn''t settle well with the teenage ghost which sneered.


    "Keep that advise for yourself, you have been hovering over Phoebe all this time and am the one that should give her space." Connie smacked her lips and vanished with the tray.


    Unbothered by Connie''s Sassy attitude, the Saxon spirit continued to stare at Phoebe sympathetically. She had barely said a word since last night.


    "You need answers child. Snap out of this pity party and get to work." the spirit told Phoebe.


    She reached for her phone and made an appointment to meet with Detective Shark. The two of them had a deal and if she wanted to know how she had ended up with the Gabriel''s then she had to quickly full fill her end of the bargain.


    When she hung up the call, a thought crossed her mind. What if Ruth was actually a Gabriel? She had suspected it all along what if....just what if she was their real daughter? Their love for her was too real for her not to be.


    "It''s a possibility, I mean the way they protected and shielded her last night. It wouldn''t make sense if she wasn''t." Said the Saxon spirit after reading her thoughts.


    Phoebe''s face lit up. "I can do the bloodline spell, sermon the paper men and send them to bring Ruth''s blood. That''s the easiest way to know."


    Shaking it''s head, the Saxon spirit hated to burst her bubble. "The papermen have a one time use and then they burn away. I used up a lot of energy creating them yesterday. I don''t have enough in me to create more for now. Besides, we also poured out the blood of those horrible people last night. We have to do it another time, when the energy is enough."


    As her shoulders fell because she was disappointed, Phoebe walked to the bathroom because she was to meet detective Shark in about thirty minutes.


    ***


    The mood was gloomy at the Mayfair residence which was one of the most beautiful luxurious mansions in the city. Them being one of the first families of in Citrus city, the Mayfairs had vast properties all around fog country.


    The family comprised of three boys, Collin who was the first son and vice president of Mayfair corporations, Andre who was a famous and successful actor and Luke who was a doctor.


    Ruth was the last born and princess of the family, she was spoilt by her parents and pampered by her brothers who loved her a lot.


    All the Mayfairs sat around the vast oval shaped dining table that was made of marble, waiting for breakfast to be served however none of them seemed to be in the mood to eat anything.


    The reason for the foul mood was because the baby of the house had been assaulted the previous night. When Ruth went home after she left the Gabriel house, her mother who was coming from the elevator had let out a shrill on seeing the condition in which her daughter was in.


    "My baby girl! What the hell happened to you? Who did this to you? Tell me and I''ll kill them this minute, just say the name." Jennie Mayfair cuddled her crying daughter.


    Her voice was so loud that it attracted the rest of the members of her family. They all demanded for Ruth to tell them what had happened.


    After she calmed down, Ruth began narrating a story that she had rehearsed over and over while driving home.


    "My friend Phoebe attacked me because i gave her some advise not to seduce David. Look at my neck mom, see my expensive clothes." She leaned backwards such that they could have a clearer view of her injuries.


    Luke quickly fetched the first aid kit and began to attend to her injuries, the braveness on his face was enough for one to know that he was angry and so were the rest of her brothers.


    "Friend? Did you call her a friend? How can someone you call a friend do this to you when you were simply advising her for her sake? You should get other friends dear, this Phoebe or whatever her name is, isn''t your friend." Anthony Mayfair, her father stated.


    Because she didn''t want them discussing the matter any further, or pry into Phoebe, Ruth had excused her self claiming to be in pain.


    However the family wasn''t done talking about it because today at breakfast, it''s all they could talk about.


    "Who is this Phoebe anyway? It''s odd that you have talked about her for years but none of us has ever set eyes on her?" Andre pointed out.


    "Well that ends today because she has to tell me why she did that to you. No one bullies my sister and goes away scot free." Collin clenched his hands into a fist.


    Ruth who was already nervous, interrupted and told her family to let things be because Phoebe had apologized to her. "We already sorted out our differences, you don''t need to get involved. And about meeting her, you will at the right time."


    Never, she thought.


    "Are you sure dear?" Asked Grandma Mayfair, she loved her grand daughter more than anything. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Nodding her head, Ruth asked them all not to worry.


    Not everyone from the Mayfair household let the issue go, when Collin got to his office, he called for his personal assistant.


    "Yes sir?" She asked respectfully.


    "Have you found anything about the person I told you to search about earlier?" Collin quizzically looked at her.


    "The black ghost Cafe, she''s the owner of the place. You can check it''s socials." The assistant excused herself.


    Collin switched on his computer and searched for the place. He already found the name odd, he snickered when he read about the services offered by the Cafe.


    "How is my sister involved with this little trickster?" Collin mumbled as he wrote down the address.

 Chapter 31 Visiting the dead again.

    CITRUS CITY MEDICAL EXAMINERS OFFICE.


    Phoebe raised her eyes and read the banner as she parked her car, it had been a while since she had been to the place. It was not far from the police station and it was where most corpses that needed investigation ended up.


    The large five storied building was no different from a graveyard to Phoebe because ghosts were always roaming around. Aside from the ghosts, there were the loud and sad family members of the dead who were usually in tears. It was a place that smelled of disinfectant and death.


    "I like it here if anything maybe you will meet some wandering lost ghosts searching for the light, show them the way and gain energy." Connie placed her hands in her crop leather jacket. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The reason why the girl was harping on about energy now was because she wanted to live inside the pendant.


    The Saxon spirit agreed. "If this case has nothing to do with helping a ghost then let it go but am excited that it''s a murder case." Came it''s words that caused Phoebe to pause midway her step.


    "Your excited that someone was murdered? That''s cruel even for you." She continued moving forward.


    The Saxon spirit gasped because it had been misunderstood. "What I mean is that if it''s a big case, then you will get a lot of energy after solving it."


    Phoebe gave it a quick glance. "If you say so." She shrugged and pushed the door that led to the morgue.


    Security didn''t stop her because she was a familiar face because detective Shark had introduced her as his partner. He even gave her a consultants badge in case she run into other police officers that had questions about her presence in the morgue.


    The medical examiner stood up the moment she saw Phoebe, a slow smile formed on her face. The woman who was in her mid twenties expressed her joy as she went in for a hug.


    "My ghost seeing friend, finally you have decided to visit us." Claire beamed. She said us because Phoebe had informed that the place was always filled with ghosts.


    It was surprising that Claire wasn''t afraid of them, not that they were the evil kind. Most of the ghosts at the mortuary were confused souls that didn''t know that they were dead yet.


    "Am a busy woman Claire and as you know I only come here when Shark needs my help. Where is he anyway?" Phoebe''s eyes moved around, she spotted two ghosts one a kid about five years and a woman in her late thirties.


    "He''s not here yet but he must be on his way....." Claire''s eyes followed Phoebe''s. She recognized the look in her eyes because she was familiar with it.


    "It''s a ghost isn''t it?" She continued to ask


    "Two actually." Phoebe shrugged and moved close to the ghosts. They both looked confused, they seemed to have no way where to go.


    Connie smiled at the kid. "You don''t have to be scared, we all must leave this place to go to a better one."


    "So why are you still here?" Asked the woman.


    As a ghost, she could recognize a fellow ghost.


    "Because I have a job, I help ghosts like you to move on. Lady am not an ordinary ghost" Connie spoke with indifference.


    It wasn''t a good idea for confused ghosts to wander around for so long. Usually they became bitter and eventually evil.


    Phoebe directed them on how to see the light. "Place a hand over your heart and think about the happiest place you have ever been to."


    They both did as asked and with a whoosh, they were gone. Phoebe felt the energy get funneled into her body as they left.


    "Easy peasy." Connie flipped her hair causing Phoebe and the Saxon spirit to shake their heads.


    Claire who had been watching Phoebe talk to an empty space sighed. "Fascinating, I''ll never get used to that, so which case is it this time anyway?"


    "Susie Isles." Phoebe spoke casually because who didn''t know the pop star.


    Her girl group had sold out stadiums. They had over thirty songs as number one on the bill board charts through the years and endorsements with the biggest companies.


    "Yeah, it''s terrible, that poor girl''s life was cut short so unexpectedly and its odd that we couldn''t find a cause of death. Is she here?" Claire''s face lit up which confused Phoebe because it''s not like she was about to get an autograph. "Tell her am a big fan."


    Phoebe chortled. "Your insane." She told Claire. The young woman was on a different level of weird even for her.


    Connie moved closer to Claire and whispered "Thank you." Spooking Claire who bobbed her head in search of the owner of the voice.


    She run out screaming when she saw no one.


    "I thought she wasn''t afraid of ghosts." Connie laughed


    "And I thought I warned you about spooking people." Phoebe spoke curtly because she wasn''t amused by Connie''s silly act.


    Detective Shark barged in with two cups of coffee. "Sorry am late but since am a cop, I can get away with it." He handed Phoebe a cup which she took.


    He was a very tall man about 6''7 and slim but powerful. Shark was arrogant but clever and he loved fancy clothes especially flashy watches. He was widely known as a celebrity detective who often took on high profile cases, even going so far as to steal them from other detectives.


    He earned himself the name Shark because like a shark smelling blood in the water and going in for the kill, he could smell big cases and ask the superiors to assign them to him.


    "Is she here? Can she just tell you which of the suspects murdered her?" Shark used his tongue to twist the wooden toothpick that was always present in his mouth.


    Shaking her head, Phoebe asked him to brief her on the suspects he had. Shark reached inside his Jean jacket pocket and pulled out his phone.


    "There are a lot of people that wanted the pop princess dead, so far I have over sixteen suspects starting with the members of the singing group, Dear girls." He showed her picture of the girls together.


    "What impossible! They could never." Connie vouched for the three remaining girls like she knew them personally.


    Detective Shark was familiar with Connie''s voice because it was not his first time working with Phoebe. He was quite well acquainted with the rude teenage girl who had called him a lazy glory hound.


    "You brought the annoying one i see." he said unhappily.


    "Hey, lazy shark, who is annoying?" Connie screeched.


    Claire returned and again, she heard Connie''s voice.


    "Holy crap, i heard it again." she exclaimed.


    She looked around widely, in search of the owner of the voice. "Is it a ghost? Is it her, Susie Isles."


    For someone that had been frightened less than a minute a go, she was looking a little too excited.


    "No, it''s the annoying one." Detective Shark shared with Claire.


    Before Connie could make another fuss, Phoebe waved her hand and sent her into the pendant. She had work to do and she was not going to play referee between these two for the rest of their time together as usual.


    "Tell me about your suspects and Susie''s favorite places."

 Chapter 32 Die Susie, die.

    Aside from the information on his phone, Detective Shark also had pictures of his suspects, physical photographs that he had come with and he showed them to Phoebe, one by one.


    "Pinky, the girl on the right had a motive for murder because Susie seduced her fianc¨¦ last year and slept with him just to prove a point that she could. She has hated Susie since then and this could be why she killed her.


    Lucy, the one in the green dress was originally supposed to be the lead singer of Dear girls but Susie apparently seduced the son of the company CEO who helped her secure the spot. The two have always had animosity for this reason. If Susie is out of the way, she can secure her position as lead singer of the group.


    Jillian, the one on the far left was injured last year, poisoned more like. She secured an endorsement for Yuza beauty brand but on the day she was supposed to sign the contract, her face broke out in a a rash and her throat swelled up. She is allergic to peanuts and someone spiked her drink with peanut oil."


    Phoebe scoffed because more and more, Susie Isles was beginning to sound like a bad character. "Let me guess, Susie ended up signing the contract and becoming the brand ambassador."


    Detective Shark nodded. "It was not the first solo endorsement she stole using shady means. Susie was also planning to leave the group to pursue a solo career which would lead to termination of their the contract. No Susie, no dear girls, basically the group was disbanding and let''s just say the three other girls were not happy about that."


    He put down a picture of a man. "Then there is her personal manager whom she was abandoning because she was switching companies."


    Detective Shark run a hand through his hair, he bent down and put both of his hands against the steel bed and continued to share frustrating details with Phoebe.


    "There is also a video trending on all social media platforms of her calling her fans fools. Although she apologized, she got some anti fans. Add to that the ones who blamed her for being selfish and destrying Dear girls after announcing that she was going solo. Some of them have been threatening to kill her.


    They created pages online which were dedicated to sharing deep fake videos of Susie being killed in different ways.


    We had arrested some of the people that created the pages and those who made suggestions but we were forced to release them.


    Susie had stalkers too, they sent her gifts like flowers and money, one was actually arrested for breaking into her house two weeks ago. He was found sniffing her underwear."


    His face appeared to be disgusted as he mentioned that little tidbit.


    "The company CEO hated her the most because Susie was the money maker of the Dear girls and he had invested a lot in her in order to boost her fame and now that she was famous, she wanted to abandon ship.


    Then lastly, Susie recently cut off her family financially and that wasn''t received well especially by her gambling brother who roughed her up in public a few days ago."


    He looked at Phoebe, hoping that she could see why he was frustrated by the case. Too many people had something to gain from Susie''s death or they just simply wanted her to die. "


    Each of them had a motive and questionable alibi." He placed his phone back in his jacket.


    "As you can see, Susie Isles is probably the most hated woman i have ever come across and i can''t say for sure that she didn''t deserve that hate."


    "Hey..." Claire called out unhappily. "She may not have been nice but she had the voice of an angel and she was generous with her money. She has helped thousands of people financially. She wasn''t perfect but she didn''t deserve to be killed."


    "You don''t have a cause of death Claire so you cannot say for sure that she was killed. We are investigating a mysterious death right now because you haven''t given us anything." He retorted.


    "I am a medical examiner who speaks for the dead no matter how they lived, good or bad. I only speak the truth, with science and facts. I can''t just declare this a homicide without being sure. What i can tell you is that she was too healthy for her heart to give out. It''s not a natural death."


    Detective Shark groaned.


    Phoebe pulled out a pair of gloves from her pocket. "Let me see the..."


    "Body, i know how you work." Claire jumped in.


    She walked over to where the bodies were stored before or after autopsies and with detective Shark''s help, retrieved the dead body of Susie Isles.


    Claire stripped it bare and looked at it sadly.


    "I never thought a day would come when she would be laying on my table, so pale, so lifeless and naked."


    Phoebe didn''t respond to Claire and she started her examination of the body, beginning with the head first. She parted the black hair and observed parts of the scalp she could see.


    The Saxon spirit appeared next to her and sighed. "You are not a doctor or an ME, why are you doing this? Let Yin look at the body."


    Detective Shark meanwhile was looking at the sealed door of the autopsy room and frowning.


    "I heard that someone tried to break in and steal the body."


    Claire who was observing Phoebe nodded. "Rumor has it that someone is offering a great deal of money for the body of Susie Isles, three hundred thousand dollars. We have had three attempted break ins since it arrived. At this rate, i am afraid that another ME might be tempted to let them in directly."


    Phoebe listened to them discussing better security measures casually as she slipped off one glove and removed a gold coin from her pocket.


    Both the detective and the ME were familiar with what she was going to do. It was not the first time Yin would be making an appearance in the morgue.


    As soon as Phoebe tossed the coin up, the bird came to life and flew out of it.


    "Come, tell me if you see anything on this body."


    The bird wasn''t simply good at finding curses, it also had sharp eyes that could catch anything that had been missed and it didn''t necessarily have to be magic related always.


    They watched the bird fall on the body and then walk over it, up and down for a few seconds.


    "I could be fired for this you know." Claire said. "But i don''t care because it''s awesome."


    She moved her fingers stealthily, with a desire to pet the bird but it stopped moving and gave a sharp warning glint. Claire retrieved her fingers and laughed. The darn undead bird had still refused to warm up to her.


    Yin stopped by Susie''s left hand next to the armpit and crowed. Phoebe sent it back into the coin while Claire hurried to have a look at that part of the body. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What did i miss?" she asked loudly in a shocked voice.

 Chapter 33 Hungry but not for food.

    Shark scrambled as well, getting as close to Claire as he could in order to see what she had missed. He was so eager that he accidentally bumped Claire out of the way and the medical examiner glared at him.


    "Are you trying to do my job Shark?"


    He stepped aside and pretentiously played around with the toothpick in his mouth. Phoebe on the other hand decided to save them all some time and share what Yin had told her.


    "It''s an injection or needle mark, so small that it''s easily missed. Yin said that place smells like poison." She raised her hand before any questions could be asked.


    "He doesn''t know what kind of poison it is and neither do i. I am sure you took some blood samples from her so do the tests and see what you find. Check for rare toxins too, nothing can be dismissed easily at this point." Turning to Shark, she said, "She is not here...Susie. Let''s go and start the search beginning from the places she was fond of the most."


    "It''s officially a homicide, right?" Shark asked Claire.


    Claire nodded.


    "Yes!"


    Excited, Shark pumped his fist into the air. The two woman were so familiar with his insensitiveness at such a time that their faces did not register any reaction.


    The detective headed for the door in a rush, jogging away from the table quickly.


    "Let''s go, hurry." he yelled out to Phoebe who was still saying her goodbyes to Claire.


    Shark started making calls as soon as his feet stepped out of the autopsy room.


    "Chief, the medical examiner has just declared Susie Isles death a homicide. It''s a case of murder by poisoning, there is an injection mark under the armpit. I am requesting for your help in acquiring warrants for the homes of all the suspects and....."


    He babbled on into his phone while Phoebe shook her head. Once they found Susie, if she hadn''t moved on yet and her ghost was still around the case would be solved easily. However, Shark was a slimy detective, a trickster and attention hog. In order to blow up the case, he would search all those houses and reporters would get good pictures of him carrying boxes of items from different houses.


    She didn''t need to have special abilities in order to know that he would also handcuff the other members of Dear girls or the company CEO unnecessarily while declaring everyone a suspect.


    He was going to create a mess in the city..., no the country with this one case.


    On stepping out of the building, Phoebe walked smack dab right into David, unexpectedly.


    She was taken aback on seeing him, so much so that her eyes widened in horror.


    [What the heck? Why is he here?]


    Phoebe stared at his face quizzically, the only thing that made sense was that the man was following her.


    "Oh fancy seeing you here Pheebs." There was an element of surprise in David''s voice which was funny because he had followed her to the medical examiners office. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He was on his way to work when he saw her getting into a cab so he followed.


    Detective Shark quickly took the opportunity to introduce himself, he couldn''t miss this opportunity of shaking hands with a Saxon. The man made sure that he took a selfie which he planned to post later on all his socials.


    Unlike Shark, Phoebe considered this to be an unpleasant surprise but either way she managed to let a smile grow on her lips.


    [As expected of Shark, i am surprised he is not asking for an autograph as well. By the way, why does David keep calling me Pheebs like we are close acquaintances.]


    Phoebe''s eyes narrowed before she asked if he was following her.


    "There is no reason for you to be here unless a Saxon died." She spoke with a lot of resentment which confused David. It was clear as day that Phoebe had some kind of grudge against him. What was even more puzzling was the fake smile she wore.


    Before he could respond to her heartless comment, the Chief medical examiner walked up to them and stretched his hand towards David.


    He didn''t walk in fact, he run as if David was escaping after commiting a crime.


    "Mr. Saxon? Thank God you hadn''t left yet. I want to thank you for the generous donation that you have made towards the office of the medical examiners. You do not know how much we needed it, thank you sir. I can promise you right now that it will be put to good use." The chief held onto David''s hand tightly, shaking it continuously.


    On hearing this, Phoebe''s eyes widened again, this time due to a different kind of surprise.


    [Unbelievable! And I just assumed that he was following me. Dang it Phoebe, you and your big mouth will really land in hot soup one of these days.]


    Phoebe shut her eyes tightly, she could feel the shame envelope her entire being.


    David couldn''t help but chuckle on reading her thoughts, he was aware that she was embarrassed so he didn''t rub it in instead he said goodbye and left.


    "This is how you plan to woo the man? Asked the Saxon spirit which was very disappointed, it wanted Phoebe to utilize such moments to bring David closer.


    Shark pulled on her hand as he questioned Phoebe why she never told him that she knew David Saxon personally.


    "I do not know the man." She spoke with indifference


    "Come on, you are talking to a detective and the man called you Pheebs, how do you know him? What is the nature of your relationship? He looked at you with hungry eyes and not hungry for food, if you know what i mean."


    Shark made his eyebrows dance up and down while smiling lewdly.


    Phoebe entered his black G- wagon and gave him a pointed look. "Am sorry detective, am I under interrogation? Keep this up and i won''t be helping you anymore."


    Shark cleared his hoarse throat and began to drive to the Citrus grove water garden.


    "I have a list of all the places Susie liked to hung out from, this was top of the list. She loved spending time at the Citrus grove water garden mostly because it''s a private place and they have an orange orchard which happened to be her favorite fruit." He shared with Phoebe as they pulled up to the place.


    There was no need for Phoebe and Shark to search the area, she ordered the two ghosts and Yin to do it because it was faster.


    After waiting for about six minutes, those that had gone to search for Susie returned with bad news, she wasn''t there.


    "Next is the TK Entertainment, the company she worked for. Susie spent a lot of time there, it''s possible that she went there." Said Shark as he ignited the car.


    "Maybe she moved on?" Connie mentioned and further complained especially about the fact that Susie had moved so far away from her body, searching for her had become a chore.


    "It''s not possible that she did since she died so unfairly, it''s possible that she''s wallowing in self pity. I hope that we find her in time before her sadness turns into vengeance. Besides we have searched only one place so far, it''s too early to complain, you lazy ghost." Phoebe gave Connie a sharp look but the ghost pursed it''s lips in return.


    "Like i said, annoying." Shark commented.

 Chapter 34 Detective Phoebe

    TK Entertainment had one of the grandest buildings in Citrus city. In fact the company in itself was a tourist attraction because it had made many celebrities. Usually tourists and fans camped outside the building hoping to have a chance to see one of their idols but today, the situation was just insane.


    The number of people and press outside was quite larger than usual. It was almost like there was an event they had come to attend.


    "What has happened for these people to be back here? I remember watching on T.V when the police was clearing the area after Susie''s death, something must have happened for her fans to be back here." Phoebe lowered the window of the car as she tried to study the situation.


    After Susie''s death, her die hard fans had camped at the company for days which was at first understandable because they brought flowers and gifts, then held a memorial for their dead idol.


    However the situation had gone out of control when a group of anti fans showed up at the company gloating and expressing happiness that the star had died. This caused friction between them and Susie''s loyal fans which lead to fights and a stampede because people were so many.


    The police was forced to intervene, they ordered everyone to vacate the company premises if they didn''t want to be charged. They all obliged and luckily no one died but some were seriously injured.


    Shark chuckled. Phoebe knew immediately that he had something to do with what was happening.


    "Well I posted on my socials that Susie was murdered. In my defense I was just confirming one of the theories already out there and emphasizing that we are doing everything possible to solve the case." Shark had a glint of excitement in his eye.


    His words made Phoebe shake her head, she always knew that Shark was careless in his actions but at times it was too much. It was no wonder his phone had been ringing off the hook, his superiors were probably very angry. One of them was probably going to address the press on the matter before Shark stole the spotlight. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "For a detective, I have to say that he is very stupid." Connie stated, this time she wasn''t scolded for disrespecting an elder because she had a point.


    She used her inner voice, one that only Phoebe could hear.


    "Shark, did you for one second stop and think about the danger you are putting these people in? Look at how desperate and confused they are? Now they are demanding for answers from the company CEO.


    Am certain that they all suspect that she killed Susie because she was leaving the company. Your superiors need to keep you in check because you are out of control." Phoebe continued to stare at the mass of people, some were holding placards condemning the CEO and the company, others were wailing like they had lost their immediate relatives.


    "I never told any of them to come here and the police is here already so the situation is under control. As for my superiors, they are familiar with my orthodox methods. I close more cases than any other detective in Citrus PD.


    Besides i sent officers to follow all of the suspects before sharing this fact deliberately in order to see what they will do. No one can beat a murder charge if they are caught disposing of the weapon or other evidence." He smirked and got out of the car.


    Phoebe wore Shark''s cap and followed him into the building. Once inside, they flashed their badges at the security that almost denied them access because they were not in official police uniform.


    "We would like to talk to the CEO unless you want me to cuff her and take her to the police station. Am sure that would make national news don''t you think?" Shark told the beefy man, it seemed like he was the head of security.


    Slowly, the man gave up because having the detective speak to his boss here was a lot better that dragging her to the police station.


    "This way." The security man led the way.


    Yin and the ghosts had already vanished because Phoebe had told them to search for Susie. She on the other had went with Shark to talk to the CEO.


    With one brief knock on the glass see through door, they all entered. The moment the woman saw Shark she rolled her eyes with displeasure.


    "After the chaos you have created, you have the balls to show your ugly face here. I have already been to the police station, there is nothing else to talk to you about." She strolled to the big window and stared at the commotion on ground.


    Eliza Grant was a beautiful fifty year old woman, the photos didn''t do her any justice.


    She had sole handedly grown her company from a fledgling one to one worth million. From a single room to a seven storied building she owned.


    She was about to leave the entertainment business when she discovered Susie Isles, forming Dear girls and since then it had been success after success.


    Shark made himself comfortable in a single chair and signaled Phoebe to take a sit as well. "You did come to the station but that was before we made new discoveries. This is now officially a murder case but if you don''t want to talk to us then I''ll just go out there and tell those desperate people that you won''t cooperate with us.


    Am sure you understand what that means for you and this company that you have painstakingly built." He placed the toothpick back in his mouth.


    At the mention of her company, Eliza gave in and Shark told Phoebe to go ahead with the questioning. She cleared her throat and asked boldly.


    "Why did you murder Susie Isles?" Phoebe didn''t bat an eye.


    "What?" Shouted Eliza who was alarmed by the question.


    The toothpick in Shark''s mouth fell to the ground. "So it was her?" He got to his feet ready to cuff her only for Phoebe to ask him to sit back down.


    Eliza chuckled, she was shocked because no one had directly accused her of the murder before. "Listen detective..." Eliza raised her eyebrows inquisitive because she didn''t know the young woman''s name.


    "Phoebe...detective Phoebe." She lied blatantly because it wasn''t the first time to introduce herself that way.


    "Listen detective Phoebe, Susie was more valuable to me alive than dead. Yes I was beyond livid that she had decided to leave this company despite the fact that it was my blood and sweat that made her but I own the rights to all her music. Whether she stayed or left, i would be making money off of it forever.


    Moreover, i put together contingencies in place for this kind of thing.


    She smiled arrogantly and told them, "With all the dirt i had on her and the people who owe me favors, let''s just say that nobody in the entertainment circle of Fog country was going to give her a chance.


    Am not your murderer detectives. I would have preferred for Susie to live because i wanted her to crawl back here on her hands and knees, begging me to take her back."


    She spun around in her chair, so unbothered.

 Chapter 35 The ghost of Susie Isles.

    "Would you have taken her back?" Shark asked.


    The question was not relevant to the investigation and both women had no idea why Shark was asking.


    Eliza stopped spinning and she smiled, "This business is all about money detective and as much as i didn''t like Susie, she was a money maker. I would have taken back but this time round, it would be on my terms and not hers. It''s too bad that i will never get the opportunity to own her arrogant ass."


    "Did she have any friends? A boyfriend perhaps that she had a falling out with? Or maybe it was the the other girls, rumor has it that they were on bad terms?" Phoebe asked.


    "Ha-ha friends? Susie Isles wasn''t a friend to anybody and she had no boyfriend, she didn''t want to loose her male fans by having one. The other girls would not have killed her as much as they loathed her because like i said...money, this business is all about money. Without Susie, Dear girls is not the same and they would earn less.


    I am already receiving cancellations for their endorsements and concerts now that she is dead." Eliza shook her head and wiped a hand over her face. "That bitch! Even in death she''s still fucking me up."


    Yin and the ghosts informed Phoebe that Susie wasn''t at the company either and without wasting time, she told Shark that they should leave.


    But before leaving, she turned around and said to Eliza, "You should come and see me at the Black ghost cafe."


    After saying that, Phoebe looked at the malicious ghost standing behind Eliza before leaving. The woman was in danger and it was probably of her own making.


    Phoebe didn''t enter the car but rather, she watched Shark address the desperate people that wanted answers on the murder of Susie. He went on to boast and send a message to the murderer that his or her days were numbered.


    "You guys know what am capable of, go home and be rest assured that am going to take care of this. Give me just two days, if I fail then the case can be re-assigned." Came Shark''s convincing words.


    The ultimatum that Shark gave himself managed to cool the angry masses because people began to leave the company premises, however he had riled up his fellow detectives. This was a high profile case and anybody would be glad to take it. There was bound to be a promotion or cash reward waiting for the one who successfully saw it through.


    "He''s doing all this such that he can soon be promoted to lieutenant, this was even my case not his." Another detective pointed out.


    There were a few detectives present and some were hurdled together, discussing Shark.


    "We all know he is good at solving cases but this arrogance and time line is extreme, even for him."


    "Well i hope he doesn''t solve it. CPD has other capable detectives. It''s high time others got some publicity too." Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Shark heard them and he scoffed. "When have i ever failed to close a case, they should be thanking me for convincing these people to leave, such an ungrateful bunch of people."


    "That man is insane! What if...just what if we fail to find Susie. That lunatic has given himself just two days!" Connie shuffled her feet because she was frustrated, this meant that they had to work harder.


    Phoebe let out a frustrated sigh. "Of course he''s insane, he believed me right away when I told him that I talk to ghosts, forged my ID and had me solve his mysterious cases, lets bear with him as usual." She entered the car and answered her phone.


    "Hello? Rosset what''s up?"


    "Phoebe, there is a gentleman waiting here to see you, I have told him that you''ll be here later in the day but he said that he''s not leaving without seeing you." Rosset informed her.


    "If it''s a client, then tell them to make an appointment. I don''t know what time I will be back." Phoebe unwrapped a coffee candy and put in her mouth only for Connie to salivate.


    "That''s the thing it''s not a client...."


    Phoebe interrupted and asked who it was, she suspected that it had to be David.


    "Tell David Saxon, that I will not be coming to the Cafe today." Phoebe was about to hang up when Rosset called her.


    "Phoebe, it''s not Mr. Saxon. It''s Mr. Mayfair....Collin Mayfair."


    She knew that one or all the Mayfair boys would come to threaten her. She was anticipating their visit because she had dash cam footage of what transpired between her and Ruth. Whatever the Mayfairs would throw at her, she was ready.


    "Don''t tell him anything, just let him wait. When he is tired, he''ll leave on his own."


    Shark entered the car and they drove to the Sheraton Villas where Susie lived. As usual the ghosts and Yin went on to search for her on the premises while she and Shark went to the dead girl''s apartment.


    The manager of the property opened Susie''s house which had yellow tape marking it as a crime scene.


    It was vast and decorated with all things expensive. Phoebe wondered whether Susie had not felt lonely living on her own. She searched the house but their was no ghost, Shark sank into the sofa, frustrated because he wanted to solve the case as soon as possible.


    "That''s what you get for yapping too much, two days? Maybe you should have said that after we had found the ghost. "Phoebe couldn''t help but laugh mockingly.


    He groaned like an old tired car whose engines were on there last life. "I was relying on the fact that in the past we have solved cold cases in twenty four hours. Come on, hire more ghosts to search for her. Remember that i am also looking into your birth."


    "Have you found anything odd? Especially about my family?" Phoebe folded her lips because she didn''t want to be tempted to say more. She didn''t want to give him any leads, he had to do this solely.


    Shark shook his head. "It''s too soon, I''ll tell you when I do."


    Yin flew in, through the window and told Phoebe that they had found Susie. "She''s on the roof top but you have to hurry because she''s beginning to emit a dark energy."


    "Meaning what?" Asked Shark


    "She''s getting more furious by the minute, if that anger takes over her, she could become an evil spirit." Phoebe run out followed by Shark.


    When they got to the rooftop, Phoebe saw her. Susie stood near a water reservation tank, banging it with a clenched fist and Yin was right because dark energy was beginning to shroud around her.


    "I wish I could see her." Shark stated as his eyes darted around. Phoebe reached in her tote bag and pulled out special black eye glasses that enabled an ordinary human to see ghosts. They functioned using her energy and a spell.


    He stumbled backwards on wearing them because he could suddenly see not just Susie but three other ghosts. "Bloody hell! This is all real?"

 Chapter 36 Who killed Susie?

    Phoebe ignored him and approached Susie, on calling her name the girl turned around. Her angry eyes stared at them, at this point Shark was hiding behind Phoebe which was a funny sight because he was much taller than her. He couldn''t hide, no matter how much he wanted.


    Phoebe should also have known that Connie would not lose out on the opportunity to mock Shark.


    "Tsk, i thought you were the big bad brave loud mouthed detective who solves all cases and is willing to talk to ghosts. When it comes down to it, you are just a frightened little girl."


    Shark finally got a chance to see Connie whose snarky attitude and voice he was familiar with. As expected, she was just a girl, a teenage girl.


    He was not afraid of her ghost so much probably because he was used to her presence. But, he wondered if he had seen her somewhere.


    "Hey, Shark face, i know that i am pretty but love between a ghost and a human is impossible."


    Shark flinched and looked away from the girl with the poisonous tongue.


    "What love between a human and a ghost? He was not crazy to date a girl of her age, human or ghost.


    "Who are you?" Susie''s ghost looked confused for a little bit because there were humans and ghosts in the group. "You can see me."


    Phoebe nodded and confirmed. "Yes we can and we have been looking for you."


    "What do you want from me? Everyone always wants something from me and after using me they dispose me off. It looks like even in death i am still of use to someone." Susie laughed maniacally.


    Connie and the Saxon spirit appeared next to Susie. Connie as usual felt like she had to say something.


    "We are ghost police...."


    "Shut up Connie." Phoebe ordered


    "We know that you were murdered and we are here to help you." Phoebe spoke softly, this was a ghost she had to handle with care so as not to infuriate it the more.


    When Susie heard Phoebe''s words, it began to calm down immediately. The dark energy around it began to disappear.


    "How did you know that i was murdered?"


    "We are detectives, the special kind who help the dead to move on." Phoebe replied.


    "I was about to say that." Connie mumbled.


    The girl was still angry with Phoebe for telling her to shut up in front of her idol Susie. Besides, what was difference between special detectives and ghost police?


    "Ghost police, are you here to catch her?" The Saxon spirit asked the girl.


    What Connie didn''t know was that ghosts that had been around for long enough knew about ghost catchers. They were a section of humans who caught ghosts that refused to leave the human world without a reason. It didn''t matter if it was a wandering ghost that didn''t know why it was stuck or a malicious ghost whose anger had chained them in the human world.


    Whatever kind of ghost you were, a ghost catcher didn''t care.


    Phoebe was different because she didn''t simply trap ghosts and send them out of the human realm forcefully. She helped them fulfill their last wishes and then they would go willingly, happy and at peace.


    If the ghosts thought she was a catcher however, they would run away at the sight of her. Rumors travelled fast among ghosts from city to city. If a ghost catcher was seen somewhere, all the ghosts in the city would know before the day ended.


    Phoebe in the meantime was slowly approaching Susie, giving the same speech she usually gave the ghosts she helped. It was revised of course, always adjusted according to the situation of the ghost she was trying to help.


    "Can you tell us who killed you? We want to see to it that that person is arrested and punished for their crime. You are filled with anger and stuck because you feel it''s unjust. You died so soon before you could fulfil your goals and live your best life. But death is not the end, there is another...."


    "Why should i tell you who killed me?" Susie asked. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She stunned Phoebe into silence. Not just Phoebe but everyone on the rooftop as well. What kind of victim refused to tell you who was responsible for their death?


    Phoebe had never experienced such an obstacle before so she looked at the Saxon spirit.


    The spirit in turn looked at Susie and asked, "Don''t you want justice? Don''t you want your killer to be punished?"


    Susie crossed her arms across her chest and tapped her right foot on the ground with that annoying sly look on her face.


    "How will it benefit me to share that information with you?"


    "What?" a surprised Phoebe blurted, bewildered completely.


    Behind her, detective Shark muttered, "I can see why people hated her."


    "You want me to believe that you have been looking for my ghost ever since i died simply because you want to give me justice. Why, are you my fans?"


    "Yes." Connie agreed eagerly.


    The girl literally had stars in her eyes while staring at Susie.


    "Oh yeah, which one of my songs is your favorite?"


    "When i loved that boy, Mine all mine, Souls on fire, liberty, Bring me Alex, Merry go round, Oh my mother, sunset sweethearts, Boy i love you, The girl from...."


    "Connie, enough." Phoebe commanded.


    The rate at which she was going, she would name every song sung by dear girls and she had a job to do here. Connie could fangirl on her own time.


    She removed the honey and softness from her voice and decided to be tough. "If you do not move on Susie you will become a malicious spirit. Your eyes are slowly turning red already and the energy around you is becoming black. When you become a malicious ghost you are considered to be an evil spirit.


    I do not deal in the business of evil spirits, they have exorcists and ghost catchers for that. If you are caught by them, you will end up going to a bad place, a very dark bad cold place.


    Unlike the people that pampered you in real life, i will not do any such thing by lying to you. Your life is over, no matter what you do. You are dead and that''s final. Your last act on earth should be to screw over the person who killed you.


    Are you going to let them live a good life after ruining yours? This person cut your dreams short, you should be a bitch to them like people have been saying you are.


    We don''t gain anything if you tell us who killed you and we don''t lose anything if you become a malicious spirit. So, decide right now, are you going to tell us who killed you or not?"

 Chapter 37 Farewell Susie.

    To prove how serious she was and how little time she had to waste on the matter, Phoebe looked at the watch on her wrist, sighed and turned, as if to leave.


    It was true that she had other tasks to accomplish, having spent close to four hours tracking down Susie''s ghost. She had not eaten breakfast and she had an appointment waiting at the cafe. It wasn''t Collin Mayfair but a ghost client.


    Without turning back, she gestured at Connie and the Saxon spirit. "Let''s go, we have more ghost business to handle."


    Detective Shark''s heart almost gave out when he realized that Phoebe was dead serious about giving up on pulling the answers out of Susie. Where would he be left if she walked away? If he didn''t solve the case, he would become a national joke.


    He tugged on her jacket and pulled her back.


    "We have a deal." he hissed.


    "The deal was to find the ghost and i found it. If she doesn''t want to talk then what am i supposed to do? I have never personally seen a ghost willingly throw away it''s one chance to reincarnate. Anyway, you know it''s a murder so interrogate the suspects. I am sure that you will find something."


    "I would rather take the shortcut." he whispered.


    "That''s your weakness." she murmured in his ear. "You become lazy when you hear the answers from the mouth of the ghosts directly. Try asking personally and see if she if she will respond accordingly."


    Shark growled, a deep growl that came from his throat. After everything he had learned about Susie, he knew that she was a stubborn individual. She was the type to always take the hard way out. It was possible that she would choose to become a malicious spirit to look for a way of avenging herself.


    Still, he was unwilling to surrender easily and he clutched onto Phoebe''s jacket harder.


    "One more time, try one more time, please." he requested.


    Phoebe was about to shrug his hand away when the plea in his voice made her stop. She turned back, completed surprised because Shark had never once pleaded with her for anything.


    "Did you actually say please?"


    He clamped his mouth and refused to respond. His face however was all red like he was embarrassed. The red was like that of a tomato or hot red coals and all that was missing was smoke coming out of his ears.


    "Oh my gosh, it''s a miracle. If your fellow officers could see you now they would demand for a dna test so that you can prove that you are the real shark and not an impostor."


    While all this had been happening, Connie was begging her favorite star to reconsider and telling her all the horror stories she had heard about the place where malicious spirits were sent to.


    "Sister Susie, maybe in your next life, you will get to be a famous singer as well. You could even be more famous than you were in this life. Isn''t that much better than becoming an evil spirit?"


    "Your killer will not just steal this life but your next one too." The spirit rotated around Susie and threw it''s opinion on to Connie''s. "From everything i have heard about you, you are not the type to allow anyone take advantage of you. Do this and let go of this world. There is nothing left here for you anyway."


    If this was a good cop bad cop tactic, the bad cop was Phoebe while these two were the good cops. The more they talked, the softer Susie seemed to become.


    The black energy around her faded more and more until she started to look like her old self.


    "Blake Don." Susie surprised everyone by responding unexpectedly.


    Her voice was loud enough to be heard by Phoebe and Shark. It was a new name to their ears, one that had not shown up on the list of suspects.


    Shark, on hearing the name of the killer quickly lost interest in Phoebe. He even forgot that Susie was a ghost and he activated his detective mode. Shark grabbed his tools, a pen and a notebook from his front pocket. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Who is that and what is your relationship with him?" he questioned.


    "My lover." Susie replied softly. "He gave me a glass of water and then i became dizzy so he escorted me to bed. The next i knew, i was feeling a sharp pain here."


    She touched her heart to indicate where she had felt pain the most. "That bastard whispered to me that i should not have been too greedy and just continued on singing with dear girls. We had been fighting a lot lately over my decision to strike out as a solo artiste. I couldn''t understand why he was so against it when it wasn''t even his career.


    I already knew that Eliza had reached out to all her contacts in the country to freeze me out of the industry so i was planning to sell everything and try my luck in Eagle country.


    I just didn''t think that he would kill me over a disagreement about my career." She scoffed lightly and shook her head. "I made so many enemies while desperately trying to crawl my way to the top.


    I was always afraid to eat or drink anything i was offered while at work because others were capable of doing to me what i did to them but i never once put my guard up with him because i loved him. How foolish?"


    "How long have the two of you been dating? I checked the security footage and i didn''t see anybody leaving after your time of death so how did he leave after killing you?. Where does he live, is there evidence of your relationship because no pictures of you and your boyfriend were found in your apartment. Why is it that nobody seems to know about your relationship?"


    Detective Shark fired off many questions one after the other without pausing. His reason for doing this was because on two occasions, ghosts had gone into the light without giving him all the necessary answers.


    Unfortunately for Shark, this became one of those occasions. Susie suddenly vanished away, fading into nothingness. He turned quickly to Phoebe and noticed her the movement of her head. Anytime she looked at the sky with a sad expression or a smile during a conversation with a ghost then it meant the ghost was gone.


    Connie looking at the sky, the same as Phoebe and yelling goodbye at the top of her lungs further proved that it was officially farewell for Susie Isles, forever.


    "Fucking shit." he cursed.

 Chapter 38 Phoebe and Collin Mayfair meet.

    Even though he had a name, he was going to have to find the evidence on his own and fill in the missing gaps and that made him frustrated.


    For Phoebe however, this was a happy ending. The energy Susie released went directly to her body and the number of days she had left to live doubled. There was nothing left for her in that place anymore.


    "My glasses." she held a hand out to Shark expectantly.


    The detective handed them over reluctantly. He would have preferred to keep them because they would make it easier for him to see ghosts without calling on Phoebe every time. When he imagined the case load he could clear if he could speak to the victims, his greed grew by leaps and bounds.


    He grabbed on to her arm desperately. "Can''t i hung on to them for a while?"


    Phoebe put them in her pocket. "No, they are more useful to me than you. Our business is done for now Shark, I have fulfilled my end of the deal, it''s your turn."


    "What are you hoping to find anyway?" he asked her curiously.


    Phoebe raised her eyes up briefly before finding the right answer which she thought most suitable.


    "Myself."


    She walked all the way to the road and hailed a taxi because Shark couldn''t drive her back. He had to go to Susie''s apartment and start searching for clues leading him to the murderer.


    After parting ways with Detective Shark, Phoebe went straight to the cafe to resume her work, it was around 2:30 in the afternoon. When she walked in, she was surprised to see that Collin Mayfair was still waiting for her apparently.


    It was obvious that he was agitated judging by how he had furrowed his face. He stood up the moment she walked in because she fit the description of his assistant perfectly.


    He raised his hand and gestured at her to come over and talk to him.


    But to his greater shock, Phoebe walked past him like she hadn''t seen him. It was intentional because she wasn''t planning on giving him an audience.


    Phoebe watched the man get gobsmacked by her behavior as he sat back down. She totally ignored him and moved to the table where her ghost client was waiting.


    There was no need for introduction because she and the ghost had met once before. He was a man in his thirties who had died in a fatal car accident leaving his only sister behind. They were orphans and he had single handedly raised her, doing all it took it to send her to school. Unfortunately misfortune struck and he died before witnessing her graduation from the university.


    His ghost had stayed behind, reluctant to move on because he wanted to watch over her and because he had made a promise to her which he had to fulfil.


    Fortunately, she was graduating and already had a job offer. He didn''t have to worry about her anymore but he wanted to fulfill his promise of celebrating the milestone with her.


    "I have failed to move on because she cries herself to sleep every night calling for me. She is now alone in the world, the least i can do is make sure she gets to celebrate her graduation with me and know that i am proud of her. Please buy her cake, invite her and let me talk to her through you, maybe then I''ll find peace." He had begged Phoebe who agreed to help.


    She had called his sister and the girl had agreed to come to the cafe reluctantly.


    "She''ll soon be here." Phoebe assured the ghost although she wasn''t certain because his sister was late by thirty minutes.


    When the rattle bell chimed, Phoebe and the ghost looked at the door and there she was. She looked alot like her brother only that her face was slimmer.


    "Sandra Tete, am Phoebe Gabriel,we talked over the phone, am shocked that you came here, most people do not believe in ghost stories..."


    Phoebe was cut shot by Sandra who made it clear that she wasn''t there because she believed her. "Am here because if this will let big brother rest in peace, then I''ll try it. I don''t believe in this ghost nonsense and am not paying a dime like I told you earlier. " She sat in the chair opposite to Phoebe''s.


    A loud chuckle slipped through Collin Mayfair''s lips, he had been watching what he had concluded to describe was a freak show. He was glad that the young woman that had walked in didn''t fall for Phoebe''s tricks either.


    His reaction miffed Phoebe so she pulled out the ghost seeing black glasses and handed them to Sandra who wore them hesitantly.


    A loud gasp escaped her lips, she raised her hand and covered her trembling mouth. She couldn''t believe that she was actually seeing her brother. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She did the same thing most humans did, stood up, stumbled backwards, took the glasses off and put them on again. She expressed her disbelief and finally sat down after becoming a believer.


    Phoebe excused herself and left the two siblings to catch up. She watched them cry and laugh for about twenty minutes. She then asked Rosset to bring the rainbow cake which she carried to the table on which the siblings were sited.


    "Your brother asked that we deliver this to you, apparently you like rainbows so we bought you a rainbow cake." Phoebe handed her the knife to cut into the cake.


    After congratulating the her, the three women and the ghost enjoyed a piece of cake each while Connie complained that she hadn''t been given any.


    "Make sure that you save a slice for me sister." She fluttered her eyelashes like those of a doll.


    Rosset handed Phoebe a small black box which Phoebe placed on the table. The two siblings stared quizzically at her because they didn''t know what was in it.


    "Open it." Phoebe softly asked Sandra and winked at the ghost because he hadn''t planned anything else other than the cake for his sister.


    Inside the small box was a car key. "It''s not a celebration without a gift. Your brother asked me to get you a car, it''s your dream car. I hope that you think of him happily each time you drive it. He is going to a better place now so you should stop crying for him and let him find peace." Phoebe told the girl who was crying but only this time it was tears of gratitude and happiness.


    One of the reasons as to why Phoebe needed a lot of money was because helping some ghosts came at a monetary price.


    The ghost was more than grateful for her kind gesture that it couldn''t stop thanking her. After the two siblings said their last goodbyes, the ghost slowly vanished and Sandra left.


    Collin who hadn''t shifted his eyes from Phoebe let out a guffaw.


    He clapped his hands repeatedly and thanked Phoebe for the show.


    "Phoebe is it." He said with a look of unhidden disgust on his face. "You really enjoy playing mind games with people''s emotions and manipulating them. How are you benefiting from all of it? Wait...wait I do not actually care anyway.


    Whatever you do just stay away from my sister Ruth Mayfair because obviously you are a bad character judging by how you are tricking people for a living and chasing after men that don''t want you. As for the matter of you beating her up, i expect an apology from you to her as soon as possible or you will not be able to con anyone in this city ever again."


    Phoebe who was about to answer him closed her mouth when he raised his hand and signaled her to shut up because he was about to answer a call.


    "Yes Father?" Collin answered only for the person on the other end of the line to shout at him.


    "I''ll be there in a few...." he walked out of the cafe after giving Phoebe one last sharp glance.

 Chapter 39 A shrew behaves like a shrew.

    At around 7:45pm, Phoebe left the cafe still bummed that she hadn''t been able to give Collin Mayfair a piece of her mind. She wished she had gotten the opportunity to show him the dash cam footage and she also wondered if he would have said all those cruel things to her on finding out that his sister is a liar.


    She wasn''t the only furious being around, the Saxon spirit and Connie mentioned that they couldn''t stand the man''s arrogance. All day long, the spirit had been bad mouthing the Mayfairs and it had yet to stop.


    "The Mayfairs have clearly failed as parents, I mean look at Ruth and now that poor mannered excuse of a man." The spirit sneered as they stepped out of the elevator.


    "I don''t think they are that bad or failures. If you think about it from a different angle, Collin was defending his sister who went home with bruises in tears and a story about being beaten up. If only Nicky was half the brother t me as Collin is to...."


    She stopped talking because it came to her that Nicholas Gabriel was not her biological brother. It also reminded her that she needed to do an actual scientific dna test which she would slap in the faces of the Gabriels before cutting them out of her life.


    Phoebe wondered if she would have to throw them out of the house, after all she did pay for it with her money.


    "Why are you defending the Mayfairs suddenly?'' The spirit asked her. "You don''t think they are your true parents, do you?"


    Phoebe who didn''t want to discuss the issue at all remained silent with her eyes pinned to the floor. As she moved through the corridor that led to her apartment, she raised her eyes and saw David standing by her door.


    Phoebe paused, she wanted to turn back and walk away. Every bone in her body was urging her to run. For a woman that was supposed to seduce him, she was truly reluctant to associate with him. More than that, right now she was tired and hungry what if he said something that caused her to snap at him.


    "Go to him, remember Ruth is doing whatever she can to have him. This evening she asked him out to dinner, infact as we speak, she is waiting for him outside his apartment. If you push him away, you''ll be giving him to her on a platter of gold." The Saxon spirit blocked her path forgetting that she could walk right through it.


    Connie who agreed, blew Phoebe''s hair which was in an updo. It came flowing down as it cascaded down to her back. "You look much better, now go."


    A smile formed on David''s lips when he saw her looking pretty but also a exhausted. It reminded him of her, before rebirth. Even when she was tired, she would have a smile on her face for him and a plate of hot food waiting when he came home. He was an idiot not to have appreciated her kindness back then. But he would repay it all, he promised himself. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    When Phoebe approached him, she noticed that he was carrying flowers. The same old English roses like the type that had been delivered to the cafe.


    "Is it you that sent me flowers the other day?" She stared at him quizzically.


    He nodded. "Unfortunately, they were rejected but please accept these ones and also I apologize for my presumptuousness but i brought you dinner." David raised his left hand which held a big paper bag.


    [Dinner! why, is it poisoned? Why are you doing things you never did before? Seriously, what is wrong with this man?]


    David chuckled and she frowned.


    [Why is he laughing? Oh God, is there something on my face?]


    "This is a sealed delivery, you don''t have to invite me in or anything. Today am just your delivery man."


    "Oh boy." The Saxon spirit was clearly disappointed. It wanted Phoebe to invite David inside the house, maybe even share a kiss if things go well.


    Before Phoebe could answer him, the landlord''s door opened and Collins head popped out.


    "Phoebe, I thought I heard your voice..." His words trailed off when he saw David standing there with flowers. He knew those English roses, they were rare and only imported from abroad. If the man had gone through the trouble of flying them in for Phoebe, it was because he liked her.


    Phoebe smiled innocently and greeted him. Her eyes moved to David who growled silently because the man had popped out of nowhere to ruin his moment.


    Collin smirked when he noticed that David was unhappy to see him. "David? What are you doing here?"


    "I could ask you the same thing." David wrinkled his nose and narrowed his suspicious eyes at him.


    "I live here, Phoebe and i are next door neighbors." He raised his chin as if to brag.


    This was was precisely why David wanted to buy the building. It would have been easier to get rid of this roach.


    "Oh, I am her neighbour too, apartment 303D. You know the next building, i happen to be in the apartment opposite hers." David smiled slyly.


    Nodding his head continuously, Collin chorted. "Oh I know, it seems like it''s far away am just near here. So did you pay the original occupant to move out so that you could be near Phoebe?"


    "WHAT!" Came a voice from the end of the corridor. David and Phoebe knew who it was, so they all watched Ruth rush to approach them.


    Shaking her head, Phoebe excused herself so as to get away from all the madness but was suddenly stopped by Ruth who roughly pulled on her hand.


    [How did she reach me so fast, did she fly?]


    Only David saw this thought and he chuckled softly.


    "Explain yourself, what is he talking about?" Ruth demanded only for Phoebe to throw her a warning look.


    "Let go of me before I slap you once again, your question is directed to the wrong person. Ask David that''s if he will give you the time of day.


    "What did you say to me you...." Ruth raised her hand to slap Phoebe but the move was intercepted by both men leaving Ruth shocked.


    The door to the landlord''s apartment opened once again and this time a woman in her fifties'' with golden hair came out.


    "Collin dear, I heard voices." Her eyes moved around and paused when she saw Phoebe.


    She recognized her instantly because of her red hair which her daughter Cassie had mentioned more than a few times.


    "You must be our neighbor Phoebe, it''s lovely to finally meet you. We are having a housewarming dinner, please join us. Your friends as well." Lydia Baltimore pointed at Ruth and David.


    There was no time to turn down the invite because Lydia had already moved back inside the house.

 Chapter 40 Me, you and your crazy stalker.

    For a housewarming, there were no other guests present. Cassie stood up immediately when she saw Phoebe, she was clearly unhappy that she was there.


    "Collin! I told you to get rid of her not to invite her into our house. What if one of her ghost pets came along with her." She shuffled her feet the same way Connie did when she was mad.


    Phoebe stole a look at Connie who happened to be in a trance like state. Indeed she had brought ghosts along with her, but nobody knew.


    The Saxon Spirit nudged Connie out of her reverie. "Hey girl, what''s wrong? You look so out of it."


    Connie shook her head but she continued staring at the three Baltimore''s with a frown on her face.


    "See, she is looking at the wall like an idiot to make us think something is there." Cassie accused Phoebe.


    "Come and eat." Their mother called out.


    They all moved to the medium sized dining room, each lost in their own thoughts. Somehow, Phoebe found herself between David and Collin but not even the tension between the two men could stop her from enjoying the delicious home cooked meal.


    She was eating in peace until Collin decided to trample on that peace by talking to her.


    "How do you know David Saxon?" He asked


    "I don''t, I mean I have met him before but i don''t know him personally." She continued to eat the creamy lemon pie slice which she had just been given.


    [I just want to eat in peace Goldie, please, let me eat before i die of hunger.]


    Collin swallowed and turned his head to look at Ruth, the unwanted stranger here. Ruth initially had been clinging onto David who kept chasing her away and avoiding her.


    He didn''t want to annoy Phoebe but he was curious about her relationship with the woman that had tried to slap her.


    "Who is that?"


    "An annoying fly," she responded and stuffed a pie filled fork into her mouth before smiling deliberately at Ruth.


    At the moment Ruth was sitting across her at the dining table, clenching her hands around a glass of wine with her vicious stare focused on Phoebe.


    She thought that Phoebe would eventually cave in, go to her and beg for forgiveness for slapping her but it looked like she regretted nothing.


    David lowered his head to talk to Phoebe as well.


    "Are you full?"


    Phoebe nodded and sighed.


    "Do you want more pie?" Collin asked her.


    Phoebe wanted to groan loudly because the two men were determined not to let her rest. From what she had noticed the men had already met and it seemed like they didn''t get along. If she stayed any longer, they would keep trying to outdo each other and she would be like a bone being dragged between two dogs in their fight.


    Phoebe stood up, thanked Lydia for dinner, bid her a goodnight and left the Baltimore apartment.


    She had just taken two steps out of the apartment when the sound of someone running after her in high heels reached her ears. Phoebe slowly turned because she was certain that it was Ruth.


    Right she was, and the woman also grabbed her arm, just as she had done before.


    "You never learn do you? This time I will make sure that you lose a tooth or two." Phoebe got into combat mode.


    Ruth laughed mockingly. "No problem and this time I''ll make sure that your father disowns you, your family already doesn''t like you after that little lie that I told." She spoke thrusting her jaw forward. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She was expecting Phoebe to fall on her knees in regret after making the threat because usually Phoebe pleaded with Ruth to soothe her father''s anger and it usually worked like magic.


    But instead, Phoebe laughed like she was a mental patient, non stop that Ruth began to get freaked out by her behavior.


    "That''s the funniest thing that I have heard in a while. You have this all twisted, I am the one disowning them because I don''t need them but they need me. I do everything for them and what do I get in in return? Disloyalty and disrespect, next time you see my father especially, tell him that am cutting ties with him."


    Ruth stared at her in shock because she didn''t understand this version of Phoebe. It was like she was possessed, the old Phoebe never had the guts to challenge her, let alone talk of disowning her family.


    Ruth realized that the hard way would not work so she had to take the soft path. She softened her tone and switched to pitiful mode as if she was switching a light on.


    "Pheebs, i just love David so much. Have you ever seen me this crazy about a man before? I know he seems like he is interested in you right now but that''s just his playboy nature. We shouldn''t be fighting over a man, one you don''t even like. You shouldn''t stay here honey or he will use and dump you. Get another place, I will pay you a fortune.


    In fact move back home, you have a room there, please Pheebs." Ruth tried play her adorable act but Phoebe wasn''t buying into it.


    "Please Pheebs." Phoebe mimicked her in a squeaky high pitched voice. "I don''t believe you Ruth. If he is such a big bad playboy then why are you telling me that you love him? If you can see good in him, then why can''t it be the same for me? Oh and by the way, your brother came to my shop."


    Her words caused Ruth to freeze, she couldn''t believe that even after warning her brothers, one of them had gone to see Phoebe.


    ''God damn it!'' Ruth thought before asking which of her brothers she was talking about.


    "Collin, the older one. There is something about him...." Phoebe broke off mysteriously.


    Her face turned venomous as she watched the expression on Ruth''s face change. It was just a test to see how she would react and Phoebe was now certain that she had the answer. All those times that Ruth had refused her to visit the Mayfair house, how she had shoved Phoebe into the bushes one time when they bumped into her brothers.


    Why Ruth claimed that Phoebe was her best friend but never invited her to any of her birthdays or parties at the Mayfair house but their other classmates got to go. This was a duck situation, if it walked like a duck and quacked like a duck, then it was a duck.


    "You need to go." Phoebe told her.


    "I want to sleep over at your place." Ruth said softy.


    Phoebe was not having it and she shoved Ruth away. The only reason for her to sleep over was to ensure that David didn''t spend the night at her place.


    Because Phoebe used a lot of strength, Ruth stumbled and fell right at David''s feet. He had just left the Baltimore''s and he was planning to see Phoebe.


    Ruth began to cry hoping that David would feel pity on her and reprimand Phoebe but it was the opposite. he stepped around her, almost stepping on Ruth''s feet as he rushed to Phoebe''s side.


    "Pheebs are you alright? Did Ruth do something to hurt you?" His voice was coated with great concern.


    "David! Am the one she pushed to the ground, why are you asking her?" Ruth lamented but all her cries were ignored.


    To add salt to the injury, with a coy look on her face, Phoebe opened her mouth and asked David a question that caused all the blood to drain from Ruth''s face.


    "Do you want to come in?"

 Chapter 41 Kiss me, David.

    It seemed like a nightmare but it was all happening to Ruth in real time. She watched Phoebe lead David into her apartment by hand and close the door.


    The sound of that door closing was like a wake up call which pushed her to rise to her feet and scramble after them but it was already too late so she ended up stuck outside and resorted to banging on the door like a crazy person while calling out for Phoebe desperately.


    The loud noise attracted other tenants who came out to see what was happening. Some were annoyed by the nuisance of the noise while others had come to enjoy the drama. Gossiping about each other was one of the favorite pastimes of the residents of the Cerene apartments.


    Some were already on their phones, texting friends and other residents. The ones who had quick fingers were sharing pictures of Ruth already.


    Because she didn''t want embarrassing photos of herself to end up on social media, Ruth stood up, arranged her clothes, smiled weakly and left while cursing the nosy residents in her mind.


    Inside of the apartment the atmosphere was rather awkward. Phoebe had invited David inside just to taunt Ruth but now that he was there and they were alone, face to face, she had no idea what to say.


    [This is what i get for acting on impulse, me and my stupid mouth.]


    She groaned internally while pretentiously looking around.


    [Come on, the banging has stopped and Ruth is gone. Get out, shoo, shoo.]


    David smiled and turned his right leg as if he was about to head for the door.


    [Yes, yes, yes.}


    Phoebe punched her right hand in the air and celebrated. She didn''t even have to vocalize her needs.


    David saw her from the side of his right eye and he laughed softly. He made a beeline for the wall where she had a library of pictures of photographs of herself.


    He concentrated particularly on one in which she was eighteen years old. She was on a picnic with her friends, Ruth inclusive. Those were happier days, before she discovered that her friend was her biggest enemy, the one that was setting her up for failure at every turn.


    In that picture, Phobe in a white and pink sundress with a wide brim hat on her head was wearing a big smile.


    "You look so happy here." David commented.


    [Because is was an ignorant fool], she thought.


    She stood on her tiptoes, reach up for the picture and tried to pull it down. Because she moved hastily, she lost her footing and started to fall backwards.


    [Shit, oh no, shit, shit shit]


    She kept cursing, using the same word over and over, closing her eyes as she prepared herself to fall and be embarrassed in front of him.


    Like the hero that arrives just in time to save the helpless damsel in distress, David caught her. He wrapped his hands around her small waist and pulled her up, trapping her against his own chest. One of his hands slipped up to her upper back as he held on to her firmly.


    Inside, he was excited, deeply. This was his first form of physical contact with her. It was also the perfect setting and position for a kiss.


    Many days and nights, he had imagined what it would be like to embrace her, kiss her and smell her lovely scent again and now, here she was, finally in his arms.


    His heart was beating faster than normal, his body was tingling with excitement. He couldn''t help himself and he lowered his head with a hopeful glint in his eyes that were set on her lovely full lips.


    Phoebe''s heart too was racing and it was not just from the near miss of her fall. While she was quite determined not to fall in love with this man again, her body had other plans and it betrayed her. Just the feeling of his large hands on her waist and back got her heated up.


    Her thoughts started running wild before she could stop them. And when David leaned in for a kiss, she froze. Her brain seized to think like a television experiencing static.


    Her mind filled up with images of the wild dreams she had been having about him night after night. Foolishly, because she was tempted, she closed her eyes and parted her lips slightly.


    [Kiss me, kiss me David.]


    As the warmth of his breath fell on her, she clenched her hands tightly and closed her eyes.


    When David''s lips landed however, it was not on her mouth but her cheek and then he righted her up and let go. Phoebe opened her eyes, surprised that he had not done as she thought.


    She looked at him quizzically and asked the question why with her expressive eyes.


    As if he read her mind, she put a finger on her cheek, trailed it downwards and touched her bottom lip lightly.


    "As tempting as you are Pheebs, I would like to take you on a date first before kissing you."


    He dropped his hand and stepped away from her. "I will see myself out, thank you for inviting me into your home."


    He turned around and walked out, leaving her behind, completely dazed. He also left behind a Saxon spirit that wanted to rip him to shreds.


    After all it had done to create the little accident which led to the perfect romantic moment for a tv worthy kiss, how could he peck her cheek and leave?


    The spirit was not in the mood to tease Phoebe so it groaned and vanished out of the window. It was better to work the anger off like Phoebe often did.


    It did not forget to drag Connie out as well before the girl could say anything. As for Phoebe, after regaining her senses, all she could think was that it was such a shame that Ruth had not witnessed the moment.


    "It''s too bad i didn''t get a picture." she said to herself as she walked to the bathroom.


    Phoebe didn''t need to worry about Ruth however because she was filled with rage. When she got home, she was furious and needed someone on whom to vent her anger. The first person that tasted her fury was the valet who she kicked on the knee and then the maid that welcomed her home who she barked at. The rest of the servants run away because they knew better than to cross her path when she was angry.


    "Where is brother Collin? Where?" She shouted as she searched for him. Her mother and grandmother tried to calm her down but it was all in vain, she was like a charged bull watching a red flag.


    The Mayfair men were watching football in the theater, unaware that the house was on fire. Just when the team they supported was about to score, Ruth whom they hadn''t noticed walk in unplugged the cord. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Fuck! What happened?" Andre''s wide eyes stared at his sister who was unrecognizable. She had cried so much that her face was smudged in make up.


    "What will it take for you to understand me? I told you to let me handle the situation. Why in God''s name did you go see Phoebe?" Ruth shouted and glared at Collin.

 Chapter 42 Phoebes bad character.

    Her parents looked at each other with confused faces. "What is she talking about?"


    Collin confessed immediately, seeing as to how he had nothing to hide.


    "I did go to Phoebe''s cafe but we barely talked. What''s so wrong with it Ruth, i was there to demand that she apologize to you. You came home looking like a mess last night, all bruised with torn clothes. Did you expect me to let that go?"


    "Yes." Ruth shouted angrily.


    Everyone was stunned by her anger and yelling. Grandmother Mayfair expressed her disappointment in Ruth.


    "Even if your brother did see that girl, what is so bad about it? He did it for you after all."


    "Yes! What is the farce about? I don''t see a problem here. Honey I honestly think that you are overreacting." Jennie Mayfair defended her first son.


    Even though they often pampered Ruth, this situation was entirely different because she was disrespecting her elder brother that had gone out of his way to seek justice for a wrong done to her.


    But her statements only angered Ruth the more as she let out a shrill. It was so loud that they had to cover their ears.


    "If any of you meets Phoebe again, i will take it that you don''t love me anymore." She stormed out in tears, leaving them confused.


    Jennie rubbed her temples because her head was pounding so loudly that it hurt. She couldn''t understand why her daughter''s character was just worsening by the day.


    "Ophelia! Ophelia? Where in the world is this woman when you need her." Jennie yelled as loud as she could, agitated.


    Ophelia rushed into the theater fortunately she had been close by because she suspected that she would be summoned.


    She was a short and fat woman in her mid fifties with a short blond pixie cut. When she appeared, Ophelia stood before the Mayfairs like they were of equal status and unless you knew the history of the household, it wasn''t easy to tell that she was a mere servant.


    "Yes madam." she spoke, respectfully.


    "What is going on with my daughter these days? I told you to report to me if something was bothering her so why have you not said anything about this Phoebe? Is she a friend or and enemy? What is it about her that makes Ruth act so unlike herself?" Jennie used her index finger to point at the woman who looked somewhat pale.


    Ophelia worked for the Mayfairs since she was twenty two. Initially she came to work as a personal maid for grandma Mayfair.


    Years down the road after Edward and Jennie were ecstatic to have a baby girl after three boys she was appointed by Jennie to be in charge of Ruth''s welfare afterall, she had meticulously taken care of her and the pregnancy and was considered a trusted friend of the family.


    Ophelia took her responsibility very seriously, caring for Ruth like she would her own child even though Ruth looked down on her.


    "Speak up? No in fact go and check on her first then return and tell us all about this Phoebe." Edward ordered Ophelia who trembled and quickly scurried away.


    Everybody turned their attention to the trouble causer, Collin. His father spoke first.


    "Why did you go see the Phoebe girl knowing truly well that your sister would get to know?" sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Collin shrugged. "I had to warn her to stay away from Ruth and after what i saw personally I am glad that I did."


    His words grabbed Andre''s attention for he sat upright. "Why? What is she like?" He arched an eyebrow.


    Collin chortled sarcastically and shook his head. " She is eccentric, a con woman, in fact a trickster and she''s a pro at it. She has this cafe where she cons people out of their money. I was shocked by what I saw and at the same time I was truly disappointed that Ruthie can have someone like her in her circles."


    In great detail, he went on to describe all that he had seen and heard. The one thing he didn''t mention was the car which Phoebe gave her client.


    When he was done, everyone especially their parents and grandmother were horrified by the character of Ruth''s friend. She was obviously someone who dabbled in the fake supernatural arts common in magic city.


    People like Phoebe were not very common in Citrus because they were not so popular or welcomed there.


    One person however was intrigued by what Collin had narrated. It was Andre whose lips curved to one side.


    "Sounds like a script to me, I have to see this to believe it." Andre leaned back in the chair.


    "Don''t you dare go close to that fraud, first because she''s obviously a bad character and secondly because your sister and her have a bad relationship now." Jennie warned her son sternly.


    "Mom is right, stay away from her because that redhead has a way with words. We don''t need you falling for her or her tricks only to turn around and cause more strife at home." Collin warned Andre.


    Grandma Mayfair who had been listening quietly sighed and shook her head. "What is this world changing into? Instead of working, a strong young girl has decided to dupe people for a living? What about David? How does he know her?"


    Her question was directed at Collin whom they believed now had information on Phoebe but he shook his head and shrugged.


    "I don''t know grandma we didn''t get that far." He yawned to show that he had no interest in the matter.


    "I ask because it''s obvious that our girl is still over heels in love with him. It''s a pity that he hasn''t reciprocated her feelings." Grandma Mayfair exhaled loudly.


    It was like Collin was jolted by electricity because he stood alert quickly. " That playboy is not good enough to be with my sister, it''s better he dates that trickster than Ruthie. I don''t know why she is so intent on being with him when he doesn''t want her.


    Mother, you need to talk sense into Ruth before her obsession results in her doing something stupid which will put us on bad terms with the Saxons." He stormed out of the place after giving his opinion on the matter.


    The adult Mayfairs believed that the two children matched perfectly and they had tried on various occasions to pair the children even the Saxons were on board but David had never showed interest in Ruth.


    "I have to tell my friend Prudence Saxon about this, she has to know what her beloved grandson is up to. It''s obvious he''s hanging out with the wrong crowd again." Grandma Mayfair weakly stood up with the help of her walking cane.


    "Please do mother, I really hoped that since David had changed so much, he would finally give our baby a chance, she adores him but why is he taking so long to see it." Jennie blinked back her tears, she hated to see her daughter hurting.


    She excused herself because she wanted to check on Ruth''s condition before she retired to bed.


    One after the other, the adults left and only two brothers remained in the theatre.


    "So, you are going to see her, right?" Luke inquired.


    Andre turned his head to Luke and he smirked.


    "Of course i am. You can come with me if you are interested." The more Ruth wanted them to stay away, the more he wanted to go and meet Phoebe.


    "Tell me when." Luke confirmed.

 Chapter 43 Ghost ambush.

    Deep in a slumber, Phoebe felt a sudden coldness enveloping her body which caused her sleepy state to fade away slowly. Then she heard unfamiliar voices in her house. Slowly she opened her eyes and let out a loud scream as she jumped from the bed and run to the nearest corner in search of a weapon or anything she could use for self defense.


    "Haha, It''s been a while since we last saw this scene." Connie placed her hands to her waist and laughed at Phoebe.


    Initially when Phoebe had just been reborn, she would scream each time she saw a ghost especially in her house which was supposed to be her private sanctuary. Slowly by slowly and day by day she had grown used to them but not today.


    Her eyes darted around as she rubbed them aggressively because she thought her sight was playing games on her mind. No matter how many times she opened and closed them, the sight remained the same. There were ghosts everywhere in her bedroom, taking up all the space. Under her bed, some hovered above it while others had joined her in bed.


    "What the hell is going on here? Why so many ghosts at once? I know that i have to mingle with them daily but this is a little too extreme."


    The Saxon spirit snickered. "Well, i didn''t know where else to send them. There was an accident on Darwin street, all these people have things holding them back from moving on so I brought them here.


    Phoebe threw her hands up in defeat and then back down. "I understand but bringing them to my house? That''s what the cafe is for so please Connie do your job and take these people there I''ll be there in a few minutes." Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Connie did as asked because she too saw this as an invasion of their privacy, her entitled self believed that she was the only ghost allowed to roam around freely in Phoebe''s apartment.


    "Not cool, Ancestor." She pursed her lips pronouncedly to show her dissatisfaction. Slowly the ghosts vanished and followed Connie.


    The ancestor spirit stared at her, the chest area in particular. Phoebe noticed and frowned. "What are you staring at so intensely?" She followed its eyes to the pendant.


    It was still glowing, after Phoebe and David had body contact, it''s like the pendant had gained more energy. Phoebe had realized last night that David was like a human charger, giving off the same energy she got from ghosts.


    Even the number of days on the diamond tattoo had increased too, she had gained a full two months to live.


    "If you had kissed him maybe you would have gained a year who knows, plus the magic space has had some changes as well."


    Phoebe who couldn''t wait, rushed to enter the pendant.


    Once inside, she noticed that there were ancient books that had magically appeared in the wooden cabin. There were a few books before that had been collected by the former masters of the space over time. Majority of the books were old judging by their appearance.


    She stared with a mixture of amazement and shock, the spirit wasn''t lying about the place changing with an increase in energy.


    "These are grimoires written by the real original witches, they are both useful and very dangerous. The spells in there can be used to even bring someone back to life but like I emphasize all magic comes at a price. A spell like that would easily drain half of your life force.


    Some of these books like the Philosopher''s manuscript contains unlimited knowledge and experiments.


    It shouldn''t land in human hands because too much knowledge in the hands of humans is dangerous. I tell you this from experience so be careful with it. Whatever you desire to know it will tell you as long as the knowledge exists." The spirit blew dust off the book and put it back down and picked another.


    "This one on the other hand is called the ghosts notebook. You can talk to the spirits on the other side by writing questions. The spirits can even appear in front of you if you ask them nicely. Come here anytime you like and read as much as you want." The spirit thrust it''s jaw forward.


    Phoebe moved around touching the top books, she was now very much interested in meeting David again because he was proving to be more useful to her than she thought.


    When she thought about him, she recalled that almost kiss and she was filled with embarrassment. However, looking around the cabin made her greedy.


    [What do I have to lose? Besides I want to see more of what this magical space can bring]


    When she came out of the space, Phoebe dressed up and stepped out of the apartment. In her hands was a dish and inside were baked cookies that she baked the previous evening with the intention of giving them to Lydia Baltimore as a thank you gift for inviting her for dinner.


    When she rang the bell of the Baltimore apartment, Lydia opened almost immediately. Phoebe handed her the dish and thanked her for the meal, Lydia was overjoyed by the gesture.


    "Oh what a wonderful surprise Phoebe, this is really nice of you. I don''t usually like people upfront but I have to say that I like you alot and am not the only one." Her eyes moved to Colin whose smile widened the closer he got.


    "Pheebs? I can call you that right? I think that we are close enough." Collin asked. He had heard David call her by the nickname last night and had vowed to do the same.


    Phoebe chuckled. "It''s fine because I believe that we are friends." Came her words that made him scratch his eyebrow.


    ''Friends?'' Collin didn''t know whether to be happy or sad because of what the woman he liked had just called him, it seemed like she had just friend zoned him.


    He took a cookie from the dish and tasted it, Collin''s eyes flew open immediately as he couldn''t believe it.


    "This is amazing Phoebe! They taste as wonderful as they look."


    Other than her good looks, Phoebe Gabriel was an amazing cook. However she had come to hate it because of the Saxons, especially Miranda who was her mother in law. The woman had made it her mission to frustrate Phoebe through cooking just because she never once considered her a worthy daughter in law.


    She always tasked her with cooking memorial meals, party meals, breakfast and dinner which had to be done meticulously. If it wasn''t because she wanted to be nice and repay Lydia''s kind gesture, she wouldn''t have baked the cookies at all.


    After her rebirth, she had an ongoing enmity with all kitchen utensils.


    "Thank you." Phoebe responded to the compliment, her eyes moved around in search of Cassie. She expected the girl to be around somewhere throwing daggers at her but she was nowhere in sight.


    [Where is goldie''s sister, that rude brat?]

 Chapter 44 Davids cunning pays off.

    Collin almost choked on the cookie when he read her thoughts. He also answered her unvoiced question rather quickly without actually intending to.


    "Cassie isn''t here, you don''t have to worry.


    Phoebe''s fluttered her eyelashes because she hadn''t asked him about his sister. How did he know that she was looking for the young girl? She was about to say something when Lydia spoke.


    "Humph, my poor girl." She sighed worriedly, "She barely slept because of those nightmares that she gets....wait a minute, Phoebe do you have something that could help alleviate some of her stress?"


    Phoebe nodded but didn''t ask alot of questions, she bid Lydia goodbye and left with Collin.


    When they got to the cafe, Phoebe greeted everyone including the ghost clients that Connie had brought in. She didn''t care if Collin could see her talking to empty space. She had made peace with her uniqueness and in her place of work, she would never hide it.


    "Good morning Rosset, please give me that tonic plus that talisman and a dream catcher." Phoebe pointed at two different bottles.


    Rosset was quick in bringing them over and then Phoebe packed and handed them to Collin.


    "This tonic will help calm and soothe her nerves. She lifted the yellow talisman with red drawings and writing which nobody but her could understand. "Hide this under her pillow to chase away the bad dreams.


    She touched the silver dream catcher and held it up. " Hang this up by the window or above her bed. It will capture any bad dreams or energies passing through, leaving her to have sweet dreams from on. No charge for you since we are friends." Phoebe smiled warmly.


    He insisted to pay for the items even though Phoebe had told him that they were on the house.


    "That''s bad for business." He advised before leaving.


    Phoebe turned to her ghost clients. "Okay, everyone get a number from Connie and sit down. We will be taking down your information in an orderly manner. If you have messages to relay, we can start immediately through phone calls."


    Knowing that they had many clients, Rosset made use of the ghost seeing glasses reluctantly and she also joined in. Besides that, she distributed drinks and snacks to those ghosts that were hungry. The activity took almost two hours to be completed.


    After jotting down all the information she needed from the ghosts plus their requests. Phoebe immediately began to fulfill them, some were just written messages that they wanted to give to their loved ones so she left Rosette to handle that task.


    "As usual, don''t forget to leave a logo of our ghost cafe. As for the ones you need to call, if they have questions of any kind let them make appointments to see me, am heading out." Phoebe told Rosset as she left.


    One of the ghosts had a more urgent request than the others. This ghost client was a thief that had stolen money from the CEO of Ruptin chemical industries driving the company to bankruptcy. The poor CEO had been sued and arrested. His family had lost everything and the CEO eventually died, taking his own life after only two weeks in prison.


    The thief on learning of the CEO''s death was unable to enjoy the money he stole. He lived in hiding and shame, carrying the guilt from the knowledge weighing on his shoulders that he had been responsible for the death of another human being.


    At the moment, riddled with guilt, the ghost was pleading for Phoebe to deliver a message in person to the family and also return the money he stole, which was cash, buried somewhere.


    While listening to the story, Phoebe couldn''t help being angry with the ghost whose name was Sylvester. What he had done in a moment of greed had destroyed a family and resulted in death. He should have done the right thing while he was still alive by turning himself in and apologizing to the family.


    Even Connie and the Saxon spirit were glaring in judgement at the ghost.


    Phoebe sighed and opened the trunk of her car. Before going to dig for anything, she had to make sure that all of her tools were there, especially the shovel. This was not her first rodeo in burying or unearthing certain things.


    She then entered the car and started it. The car however made a coughing like sound and died. No matter how many times she pushed the start button, it remained silent.


    "Dang it." she slapped the wheel.


    "You are always slapping that poor wheel, maybe that''s why the car is rebelling." Connie suggested.


    "It''s a machine Connie it has no feelings." She bit back.


    She removed a talisman from her bag and stuck it on the wheel. "If it won''t start manually, perhaps it will move with magic."


    The talisman was suddenly blown by wind and it flew out of the car window, flying through the air. Phoebe groaned unhappily and opened her car door planning to run after the talisman but she had to stop when she saw it falling into someone''s hands.


    It of course just happened to be none other than David. He was leaning against his car like he was just about to go somewhere. Her face lit up as soon as she looked at him as if she was looking at a delicious snack. She even went so far as to lick her lips, expressing her hunger.


    [Energy, energy, hmmm, i just want to throw myself into his arms and suck it all up.]


    In as much as she wanted to jump and hug him because he was her charger, she held back to avoid embarrassing herself. Her thinking was still rational and she wondered why he was standing there.


    [Look at that silly grin on his face. Why is he everywhere lately?] S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    David grinned even more, exposing his perfect teeth. Phoebe scoffed because his smile and perfect white teeth reminded her of those toothpaste tv adverts. All that was missing was a shiny little star glint and a woman or two that had been charmed.


    "Are you having car trouble?" he asked her.


    "No."


    [Yes.]


    Her mouth said one thing and her mind another. David was glad that he could read her thoughts or he wouldn''t know what to do with her most of the time.


    He had been given a cheat in this life, the ability to read her thoughts and he intended to use it to his advantage fully.


    "I am going your way, perhaps i can give you a ride."


    He looked at her face, specifically her forehead with focus while trying to appear nonchalant.


    She frowned, wondering how he knew where she was going. If he was going to work, he would be going in the opposite direction of where she was heading.


    [Does he really know that i am going to the old river town?]


    David''s lips curled upwards. Got you! he thought.

 Chapter 45 All romance, everywhere.

    David stretched his arms as he watched her staring at him with wary eyes like a suspicious and untrusting cat. He chuckled as he walked around to the passenger side of the door and opened it.


    "Get in, i am going towards the old river town for business. If you happen to be going in that direction as well then i am your man."


    She scoffed silently.


    [You are my man!, are you crazy? Do you think i cannot hear that double entendre in your voice? Seriously, this man is confusing me]


    In her mind, Phoebe groaned. She just really couldn''t understand what the man was up to. Was he actually trying to woo her for real? Why?


    "We are losing daylight Phoebe, move." The Saxon spirit shoved her.


    It shoved her using magic, and she forward herself moving against her will and that''s how she found herself in David''s car.


    "This is not my will." she blurted out when she saw that smile of pleasure on his face.


    She couldn''t explain anything about the spirit of his ancestor which was doing some serious matchmaking but she felt the urge to say this to him.


    He didn''t react to her denial and instead, suddenly bent down and invaded the little space she had. He brought his face as close to hers as possible and looked into her eyes. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The unexpected move caused Phoebe''s already unsettled heart to jump up and down. It was just like the previous night, he was looking at her as if he wanted to fill himself up on her lips. It was the look that Shark had described....hunger.


    Just as her thoughts were preparing to run wild because his hands brushed against her stomach, something clicked and she looked down.


    "Seat belt."


    He smiled slyly, pecked her cheek out of the blue and moved back. Phoebe gasped and touched the place he had kissed, shock on her face.


    She maintained that look when David entered the car and started it. He was still smiling, looking pretty proud of himself.


    [This lecher!]


    David chuckled. He didn''t care if she thought of him as a lecher, as long as she let him into her life and world. Phoebe folded her arms across her chest and looked out of the window, refusing to face him.


    In turn, David didn''t attempt to talk to her. He didn''t want to push her too far. He had already accomplished two major things today, the peck and the ride.


    However, the Saxon spirit was not satisfied. If the two were playing hide and seek, she would speed things along by leaving crumbs and clues to ensure that they found each other. She snapped her fingers and the radio suddenly came on, filling the silence.


    "I knew i loved you from the first day i saw you so baby say yes."


    Phoebe gasped loudly, turned her head, frowned at David and scoffed.


    [What is this? Is he trying to confess to me after knowing me for only a day? That''s it, he is crazy.]


    David read her thoughts and thought about defending himself but he was puzzled for a different reason. He had not touched the radio and he had no idea why it had been turned on. He smiled awkwardly and changed the station to the next one which also happened to be playing music.


    "In the middle of the night, in my dreams. You should see the things we do, in my dreams."


    Again, Phoebe scoffed. She turned away while blushing red feeling as if the song was speaking directly to her, after all, she did have spicy dreams about David often at night. If he saw the things they did in her dreams, he would be scandalized.


    David tilted his head, puzzled and he changed to the next station. That one too happened to be playing music, and it was also a romantic song.


    "Kiss me baby, kiss me."


    He tried another radio station and it was the same thing.


    "I just called to say, i love you."


    David continued searching from station to station but somehow, all he was coming across was music, the romantic kind. At the last one, he gave up because even he tried to put the radio off, it didn''t do as he wanted. In fact, one of the most popular songs in the country by no other group but Dear girls started playing.


    "Dearest, darling, my universe."


    In the back of the car, Connie squealed and started singing along loudly. At some point, the girls voice cracked and the Saxon spirit laughed. Somehow, Connie had ruined the romantic environment she had tried to build.


    Phoebe made a small snorting noise, finding the situation very funny. In her mind she told the Saxon spirit that she deserved it for pulling silly tricks.


    The spirit gave up on the tricks as well for the moment so when the song ended, the actual program with radio hosts talking resumed. Of course, they just happened to be discussing dear girls and the tragic death of Susie Isles.


    Listening to them made Phoebe curious about the case and whether or not Shark had solved it. So far, there were no updates anywhere about the progress on the case.


    She got her phone and dialled the detective''s number. It took about seven rings for the detective to answer.


    "Hey." he answered casually. "I was just about to call and tell you i have cracked the case. I have finished interrogating the suspect and i am sending you a video of myself in action."


    "Isn''t that against the rules?"


    "You won''t leak it and steal my thunder will you?"


    She shook her head and sighed. One day, one day Shark would get unlucky and land himself in trouble if he continued throwing the police rule book out of the window.


    "Any updates for me?" she asked.


    "I have a list of all the women that gave birth in the hospital where you were born. This would go faster if i knew what i was looking for."


    She clenched her phone a little more tightly and took a deep hopeful breath.


    "Jenny Mayfair, find out if she gave birth in that same hospital or a nearby one. Also, find out if anybody quit or happened to be fired around that time, like a nurse a doctor or a cleaner, anyone. If anybody moved abroad or received any unexplained cash infusion at that time, find out."


    She said a perfunctory farewell to the detective and hung up.


    Even though she wanted this information, she kept in mind that there was also a possibility that she simply ended up with the Gabriel''s through a simple mistake made by a nurse or doctor. Such stories were commonly seen in dramas or real life on television when a hospital was being sued.


    However if there was a possibility that it wasn''t an accident, she wanted to compile proof and then make the criminals pay.

 Chapter 46 A reason for murder____1

    After making the call, Phoebe was silent for a while which intrigued David. Her silence was not like the previous one where she was guarded because she had assumed that he was hitting on her.


    This silence was tense and dark, like the clouds which covered the sky before a storm hit. David couldn''t maintain his silence fifteen minutes more into the ride. Her unhappiness caused him unhappiness too and aroused the sleeping knight in him.


    Whoever or whatever had made her unhappy, he intended to slay to the very death.


    "Is something bothering you?"


    "No." Phoebe answered without turning.


    He couldn''t read her thoughts from the angle where he was and he sighed. It was obvious that something was bothering her but she didn''t want to admit it. It was something related to the Mayfairs and birth of a child.


    He put the few things he had heard her saying together and filed them away, intending to have Polly look into the matter later. He already a starting point anyway.


    Phoebe meanwhile decided that she needed to do something else to make her forget about the troubles of her birth. Now was a good time as any to watch the video which detective Shar had sent. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She got her phone, searched for it and hit play. It started with footage of detective Shark and another detective, his partner detective Johns questioning the suspect.


    Detective Shark had some pictures which he thrust in front of a stoic young man with medium length black hair which was tied back exposing two small silver rings in his ears.


    Shark took the lead in questioning the young man. "Blake Don, why did you kill Susie Isles?"


    "Who says i killed her?" the young man blurted out.


    Detective Johns banged a bundle of papers on the table. "You are so eager to confess that you haven''t even asked why we think you know Susie."


    He touched the pile of papers and smiled. "These are financial transactions which prove that she has been wiring money to you for the past five years, two million every month."


    Blake opened his mouth and detective Johns held a hand up.


    Shark leaned back in the chair and put his hands behind his head with a confident look on his face. "Let me save you some time. You know me, right? I am celebrity detective Shark who closes every case i take on. I do not go in for the kill unless i have everything necessary to take my suspect down. I have all the evidence and i don''t even need your confession.


    What we are doing here is giving you a chance to tell your side of the story. A judge will be more lenient if you can explain why you did it."


    "Yes, maybe you were in distress." Detective Johns suggested.


    Detective Shark nodded continually, "Heat of the moment. Both of you are a young couple so maybe things just went out of hand."


    The car turned abruptly and the phone fell out of Phoebe''s hand. David had swerved to avoid hitting a dog that suddenly run into the road.


    "Sorry, sorry, are you okay?"


    He parked the car by the curb next to a bus stop and turned to her. Phoebe was already picking up her phone, unharmed since she was wearing her seatbelt.


    "I am okay." she answered slowly. "Are you....." she shook her head. "Let''s keep going."


    [That was a close call, I almost gave myself away.]


    Since he was bending forward, David read that thought and he smiled. She was worried about him but she didn''t want him to know. He restarted the car and decided to ask her about something else.


    "Is that the interrogation of the suspect who murdered that female singer?"


    Phoebe nodded.


    "Mmmm."


    He raised his eyebrows at her confirmation of this fact. Did she know how weird it was that she had a video of the interrogation? This was something which was not revealed to the public. It was for the eyes of the police only and in rare cases, the judge and jury in a courtroom when a prosecutor was trying to make a case.


    "May i ask why you have that?" he asked.


    "I am close with the detective." she answered. She turned her head in his direction and said lazily, "Stop asking questions."


    "Okay." he told her. It didn''t stop him from wondering about the kind of relationship they had for him to be giving such information to her.


    She went back to watching the video, forwarding all the unnecessary back and forth until Blake Don started confessing. At this point, he was angry and shouting.


    "Do you know how i met her?"


    "You were working as a nightclub host at a bar." Shark answered.


    Blake Don laughed maniacally. "I used to make two hundred dollars a day dancing and flirting with patrons of the club. I am not educated, have no parents and no skills. Except for my handsome face and good body, i have nothing else.


    That bitch, she came to the club one night and i was one of the hosts that served her. You should have seen her spending over one million on drinks and other crap as if it was nothing."


    His voice deepened, laced with so much hatred as he continued explaining.


    "I would work hard like a dog day and night and never make that kind of money in my life but there she was, throwing it away so easily. I don''t know if i was lucky or cursed, but i caught her eye and do you know what she made me do?"


    Shark and Johns shook their heads.


    "Strip naked." Blake laughed. "That bitch asked me if i wanted to make one hundred thousand dollars and of course i did and i said yes so she made me take off all of my clothes, right down to my underwear in front of her friends and bandmates.


    As if that was not enough, she made me dance naked, groped me, touching my....."


    Phoebe turned around and yelled, "Cover her ears."


    The Saxon spirit was the one she was shouting at to cover Connie''s ears because she could what Blake was about to say. Her shout stunned David who briefly looked back as well, wondering who she was talking to.


    It was the barest of glimpses before he turned and looked at her phone, more interested in hearing the rest of the confession. Even though he didn''t know the singer personally, he knew of her.


    She was all the news was talking about ever since her death. Millions of her fans around the country had travelled to Citrus city to mourn for her. However, the truth about her character was so much more sinister than they knew.


    She reminded him of Ruth Mayfair, another woman who was pretentious and deceitful. It looked like Phoebe had seen through her fake facade however and that was amazing.


    He shook his head and his thoughts returned to the confession of Blake Don which Phoebe had paused. What had Susie touched?

 Chapter 47 A reason for murder____2

    The Saxon spirit did not even argue with Phoebe and she sent a very loudly resistant Connie into the pendant. She had no plans of following the girl because she also wanted to know what followed. What had Susie done to Blake Don that prompted him to kill her? From the way he was talking, it also looked like he loathed the woman so why had he involved himself in a relationship with her?


    Phoebe un paused the video and Blake''s confession became even more disturbing.


    "She took off her shoes, her manager poured wine on them and then she told me to lick her toes. As if that was not enough, she made me bend and bark like a dog." He screamed.


    He waved his hand and swiped the pictures of Susie in front of him, sending them to the floor.


    "You must have hated her so much for humiliating you like that in front of those people." Detective Shark suggested.


    "I did." Blake admitted.


    "So how did you go from that situation to becoming her boyfriend of many years?" Shark asked.


    Blake placed both of his hands on the table and held his head between his hands. Even Phoebe could see the shame in his eyes before he revealed the answer.


    "She bought me."


    The two detectives shared a look of surprise and then they looked back at Blake.


    "She bought you. Were you selling yourself?" Shark asked curiously.


    "No." Blake shook his head. "She made me an offer, two million every month and all i had to do was be her man. She promised that she would take care of everything in the world that i need and all i had to do was cater to her needs all day. It wasn''t just sex, i had to cook her food, wash her clothes, clean her house, give her baths."


    "It sounds like you sold yourself." Detective Johns suggested. "Even if she made you an offer like that, you could have turned her down."


    Blake banged his fist on the table suddenly. "Nobody said no to Susie or you were finished. That''s something everyone related to the entertainment industry knows. Over the years, she sabotaged so many other singers in order to get ahead. She used the power of her fanbase to ruin the lives of those that spoke up against her or displeased her in any way.


    Investigate and find out for yourselves how many women she got fired from different boutiques. The bakeries that were closed because she got a fake allergy after eating something from there. How many brands lost a large number of customers because they didn''t pick her as an endorser.


    Susie Isles was the kind of woman to destroy anything she couldn''t have. Ask the people that used to work for her or with her and they will all tell you that she used to say if she cannot have something nobody could."


    "So you gave in because you were afraid she would ruin you. It must also be why you killed her." Detective Johns said definitively.


    Blake raised her head and chuckled. "No detective, i gave in because of two million. I was a man with nothing so what was there for her to ruin? I killed her because she sold me a dream and suddenly decided to take it back on a whim.


    Three years into living together, i decided to end the relationship and start my life anew elsewhere. She suddenly confessed her love for me, begged me to stay and said that she wanted to change the status of our relationship. She promised me that we would live together happily forever and she would retire at thirty and we could start a family because she knew how important that was to me.


    I believed her and went from being her boy toy to her boyfriend."


    Phoebe saw Blake wipe away tears from his eyes suddenly and his voice even softened.


    "For a while, we were happy but i should have known better than to trust her words. As soon as that bitch turned thirty, she started selling off her assets secretly. I found out and confronted her so she came clean and admitted that she wanted to start over indeed, but not in the way we had talked about.


    She was starting over as a solo artiste in a new country. We fought about the issue for months and one day she said she would have a rethink. The next day, she announced on all her social media pages that she was about to begin a new chapter of her life as a solo musician and she wanted her fans to encourage and support her.


    Once more, i confronted her and she said bluntly that she had no plans to sacrifice a lucrative career for something of no benefit like marriage and childbearing.


    That even if she decided to get married or have children right away, it would not be to a former bar host like me that cannot help her career. She would only marry a man that would elevate her further in society, like a Saxon."


    David started coughing suddenly and Phoebe glanced at him briefly.


    Blake''s confession was not paused so she looked at her phone.


    "You should have seen the look on her face when she told me that she picked me up in a bar and suggested that maybe i should go back to my former job as a host if i didn''t want to support her dreams."


    He laughed, broken little sad laughs. "She was so shameless to call it freedom after saying such ugly words to me, that she was returning my freedom to me because she loved me. What kind of love is that?" Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe sighed and stopped playing the video. She didn''t need to hear the rest to know why Blake Don had killed Susie. The answer was simple, Susie was a bitch. She said and did as she pleased, making enemies everywhere and her own actions had led to her untimely death.


    She felt the need to discuss the content of the video with the only other human being in the car so she turned her head and looked at David. Not surprising, he was looking at her too.


    "What do you think, is this a tragedy that could have been avoided? I don''t know if i should pity Susie for being murdered or Blake for..."


    She sighed and left it at that for she didn''t know why she had to pity Blake. Was it for his sad life or for meeting Susie?


    "If you don''t know who to pity then pity the dead. Susie Isles sounds like she was a very horrible person but killing her was not necessary.


    That man could have ended the relationship and walked away from her at anytime but he didn''t. She had not chained him to a bed or chair and unless he is an invalid, he could have walked out of the house and start over.


    I noticed a tremor in his voice when he talked about her selling off her assets to fund her solo career. He seemed to be more angry about that than anything else. In my opinion, he was just greedy for the good life that she could give him and when she made a move to take it away, he killed her."

 Chapter 48 The phone and her charger.

    She mulled over David''s words silently until they reached their destination, an old town which was about to be redeveloped. She pointed the rest of the way without saying a single word until when they came to an old abandoned empty building.


    David came around and opened the car door for Phoebe. She undid the seatbelt quickly before he could pull one of his quick cheek kissing stunts. She was absent minded however and he noticed it easily.


    "Is that murder still on your mind?"


    She looked up to him with unsure eyes and replied, "She said she loved him, i was there when she said it."


    She sounded so innocent and hopeful, so neglectful of the ugliness of the world and he felt the need to remind her of reality.


    "I hate to break it to you Pheebs but people lie, humans or ghosts. From the little i have heard about the woman it sounds to me like she liked controlling people.


    When he decided to leave her the first time, she must have been angered because she was essentially being dumped. To avoid that from happening, she declared her love for him and changed in the way she treated him but as you can tell, made plans for her life that didn''t include him.


    It was always her plan to leave him behind, love or no love. The only person Susie Isles loved was Susie Isles."


    Phoebe remained silent because to a larger extent David was right but still she maintained her stance on the fact that Susie had loved Blake Don. There had been a sadness in her eyes, hidden behind the wall of pride she had put up.


    A person or ghost could lie with their mouth but their body couldn''t. It was just like her and how she kept denying having any feelings for David but her body gave her away each time he was close.


    She stepped out of the car and threw a quick glance at the black range rover that had been following them. It was David''s private security, no less than two bodyguards at a time.


    She feigned ignorance and said, "I think we are being followed, that car has been tailing us since we set off. I think i should call the cops before we end up being murdered and buried somewhere in one of these unoccupied buildings."


    "Don''t bother calling the cops. It''s my personal security, one of the privileges of being a Saxon." David lifted his chin as if to brag.


    A loud scoff came out of Phoebe''s lips when she noticed the smug on his face.


    [Like that''s something to be proud of. No wonder you lot are targeted by women of bad character like Ruth and Susie.]


    She further wrinkled her nose as if being one was one of the most unpleasable things on the planet.


    David was taken aback by her thought, he was now aware that maybe Phoebe disliked the Saxons. It would have been understandable in the past life but she didn''t know them in this one, or did she? Had she met another Saxon besides him?


    He watched her walk to the back of the car and quickly rushed to assist her. He was determined to score a lot of points today.


    "I need my tools, they are in your trunk." She told him.


    David quickly opened the trunk of the car and watched her pull out a big tool box that he hadn''t seen Phoebe transfer from her car to his earlier.


    "How...." he muttered, confused.


    He offered to carry it for her and she accepted. One lift and he realized that it wasn''t light at all. He wondered how Phoebe who was smaller and shorter than him managed to lift it on her own.


    Phoebe who was watching him almost choked on her laughter because she knew how heavy the tool box was. The Saxon spirit always helped her lift it so to outsiders it looked light. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After throwing it to the ground, David stared at her quizzically but Phoebe only shrugged because she wasn''t about to explain anything.


    With her soft thin and slender hands, Phoebe reached for the box only for David to assure her that he can carry it. His hand which was on top of hers remained there for a few seconds and Phoebe could feel energy get funneled into her just by a single touch.


    David moved his hand away from her only for Phoebe to grab it.


    [Ha-ha-ha this feels so good.]


    She closed her eyes and tightened her grip as she shuddered like electricity was coursing through her veins.


    In a mixture of delight and confusion, David stared at her. To him, it was obvious that Phoebe was beginning to like him which made him happy. He just didn''t know what to make of her body expressions because she was shuddering like a leaf being blown by the wind but she had a smile of enjoyment.


    "Ah...Pheebs? Are you alright?" His words interrupted her blissful moment and quickly pulled her out of her reverie.


    Phoebe opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was his broad smile. Then she noticed that she was holding his hand tightly, immediately she let go of it at once like she had been burnt by it.


    [He must think that am into him or something, darn it, my greed will get me into trouble. I should just think of him like a phone charger and i am the phone. I am just charging, nothing more.]


    ''Charger? What is going on here? David frowned slightly because he couldn''t understand her thoughts at all.


    He signaled Polly and Martin the other security guard to come lift the tool box because as much as he wanted to impress Phoebe, he wasn''t going to break his back in the process and humiliate himself while at it.


    Connie came out of the pendant and the amused Saxon spirit narrated what had just occurred between Phoebe and David.


    "He must think you are creepy or something of the sort." Connie chortled continuously.


    Phoebe who wasn''t finding their conversation funny paused her movements and stared at them. "I talk to ghosts, i am the creepiest creep."


    Her voice was so loud the body guards halted their steps and stared back at the woman who was talking to space. Shaking their heads they continued moving to the back of the abandoned building.


    On the other hand, David was now used to this new Phoebe and found her to be very interesting. She was busy quarreling with invisible people without a care about what he thought about it.


    Phoebe glared at the amused Saxon spirit which was laughing.


    "Couldn''t you have brought me back to my senses?" Phoebe tucked her red hair behind her ears.


    "Hell no! I loved whatever was going on besides you enjoyed it too. Check how bright the pendant is glowing." The spirit used it''s index finger to point at the pendant.


    Phoebe''s fingers made their way to the pendant which was brightly shining, just like last night when she and David''s bodies came into contact.


    "Nice necklace you''ve got there." David mentioned abruptly. His words startled her but what surprised her further was the fact that he was staring at the pendant too.

 Chapter 49 A rich man in the dirt

    Too stunned to speak, Phoebe looked at the Saxon spirit which owed her an explanation if it had one. It had told her clearly that only she plus the ghosts can see the pendant, so what the hell was going on.


    "I guess he''s experiencing some changes as well, since David gives the pendant energy just like the ghosts it only makes sense that he can see it." Came the spirit''s explanation that made perfect sense.


    Phoebe stared at David with quizzical eyes. "Are you telling me that you can see this pendant?" She asked just to confirm.


    He shrugged and nodded. "Yeah, how does it glow like that sometimes do you charge it or something?" Came his nonchalant question which caused Phoebe to laugh maniacally


    "This is truly Unbelievable!"


    Was this another coincidence? He knew her before she met him, he had moved into the apartment opposite hers, physical contact with him gave her energy and he could see the pendant which was invisible to other humans.


    Was he truly human? Maybe he was a ghost too. That didn''t make sense since humans could see him. She looked at his chest and wondered if she could feel his heart for a heartbeat without making it weird.


    "What is Pheebs?" He asked, concerned.


    "Nothing, just...nothing." There was no need for him to know.


    [I don''t know who is more weird between me and you. Heck, the entire city is really weird lately. Whatever, i can''t think about it right now.]


    He didn''t know what it was but he could see that she was disturbed. Phoebe smiled briefly and walked ahead of him, following Sylvester who was silent the entire time. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    David placed his hands in his pockets and followed her footsteps because there were mud paddles everywhere since it had rained the previous night. Finally they arrived at the place that Sylvester confirmed was the spot where he had buried the money.


    It was the backyard of one of the old houses. Since it was abandoned a long time ago, overgrown weeds were flourishing everywhere. The smell of sewage was also strong, coming from a broken pipe that run through the property. It was off putting but she had a job to do.


    Phoebe pulled out a key from her pant back pocket, crouched down and opened the tool box.


    "Wooo." David moved closer to study the items that were now on display. ''No wonder it was heavy'' he squatted down and began to inspect them.


    The red box was full of all tools one can think of, axe, rake, spade, k2 meter, arrow and bow, hammer, smoke gun, maglite flashlight and many more.


    His hands moved to the k2 meter and without pause he switched it on because part of him wanted to confirm that Phoebe wasn''t crazy but could actually see ghosts.


    The little lights on the K2 meter moved from green to red in a split second confirming that there were indeed ghosts present in the area. David was startled but not scared because he had come to understand after being reborn that the world was not just black and white. There were grey areas too.


    "Ghosts." he said.


    Phoebe chuckled and took the little devil from his hands, she placed it back in the box and handed him a spade.


    "Let''s start digging, you said you wanted to help."


    Polly who wasn''t far away rushed to his boss'' side and tried to take the spade from him but David refused because he was eager to impress Phoebe. He went as far as to ask her to let him do the work all by himself. For a person who had never lifted a finger in his life, he was quite confident so Phoebe let him be.


    He walked to the spot, folded his sleeves, lifted the spade and dug. The ground was muddy but he didn''t care about mud messing up his expensive clothes and shoes as long as Phoebe saw how macho he was.


    After about fifteen minutes, David was already regretting his decision. He wanted to reverse it but didn''t want to get embarrassed.


    "How much further did that ghost hide whatever we are searching for." He paused and wiped his face with the back of his dirty hand leaving dirt on his forehead.


    "Keep going." Phoebe told him.


    Polly and Martin couldn''t believe their eyes, their boss who was usually cold and intolerant was being ordered around by a small red headed woman.


    Grandma Saxon had ordered Polly to spy on her grandson and report back to her whatever he was upto especially when it came to Phoebe.


    He had obliged and had secretly reported everything from David being her neighbor to Phoebe dragging him into her apartment.


    Pulling out his phone, Polly took pictures of David digging while Phoebe sat in a portable folding chair with a Coca-Cola can in her hand. It looked like she was sun bathing and enjoying herself while his boss did all the dirty work. He sent the pictures to the old matriarch.


    The digging went on for twenty more minutes and David started sweating profusely.


    "Keep going." Phoebe lifted the black shades from her eyes and studied him.


    "If you don''t help him, he''s going to pass out in the next few minutes I can assure you." The Saxon gave Phoebe a tight lipped smile.


    "He offered to help so, let him." Phoebe opened her phone and began to scroll through her phone lazily. This was a little payback for all the weeks and months she spent wide awake doing his research while he slept in bed and ate good meals.


    Suddenly blurred lines in green and red appeared on the phone before it blacked out.


    "Hey!" Phoebe stared at the Saxon spirit, she was certain that it was it''s doing because she had fully charged her phone that morning.


    "Am a lot stronger now with all that energy in the pendant. If you don''t get up from your sit am going to make it rain hard on you and only on you." To add to its threat, the spirit caused only the clouds above where Phoebe was sited to darken and rumble, the rest remained clear.


    Phoebe stood up reluctantly and went to join him, surprisingly David refused.


    "Am almost there, you don''t need to mess up your pretty hands." Came his words that made her laugh because he had no idea what kind of tougher things her hands had done.


    "I want to get this over with, we need more hands on deck." Phoebe gestured at Polly and Martin to take over.


    The two men gladly pulled their boss out of the hole and began to dig.


    "You didn''t have to call them, I was perfectly fine on my own" David swallowed hard, he was sort of embarrassed.


    [Yeah right.]


    Phoebe smacked her lips and offered him some tissues and towels to clean himself.


    After a short while of Polly and Martin digging, they found something.


    "Found something!" Came Polly''s yell which had both David and Phoebe rush to them.


    There was a foldable ladder in the toolbox which Phoebe grabbed and sent down. The two men climbed out of the hole with the bag and David took it. He placed it on the ground and opened it without waiting for Phoebe.

 Chapter 50 Whose money is this?

    "Bloody hell! Pheebs? Where did you get all this money? And why did we have to dig for it?" David''s eyes widened as he stared back and forth between Phoebe and the bag which was full of money.


    Digging for large amounts of money was normally something crime related.


    "Why did you open it? Oh wait I forgot you are a Saxon which makes it okay to touch other people''s belongings without permission." She pulled the bag''s straps away from him.


    David had no idea how being a Saxon was tied to touching other people''s belongings without permission. He tried to speak but words failed him as he was at a loss.


    "I...it wasn''t intentional....I am just trying to protect you Pheebs. We had to dig for a bag in the ground. There could have been anything in there. You can be angry with me but i am partner and i intend to protect you." he said strongly.


    [Partner! Partner! when did we become partners?]


    "Ha-ha-ha wait what? Ha-ha-ha did you say partners? Mr. Saxon you''ve got it all twisted here. You offered to give me a ride and I said yes, I don''t know how that makes you my partner." Phoebe went ahead to pour the money on the chair she had been sitting on.


    As the cash bundles came rolling down, David folded his lips and watched her eyes widen at the sight of money. He chuckled when she took a bundle of the old notes and sniffed it.


    The money had been in the ground for so long that it smelled funky. There was a lining in the bag which had protected it from being destroyed by the rain.


    [Darn it, it has lost it''s new money smell.]


    It was unfortunate because she loved the smell of new money. It was better than any perfume man had ever created. Phoebe lowered the bundle and told David to help her count it.


    "Let''s do this quickly I want to close this case by the end of business today." She signaled Polly and Martin to join.


    The two men were reluctant because unlike their boss, they weren''t planning on being ordered around by Phoebe.


    David noticed that they hadn''t budged so he gave them a curt look which compelled them to join him.


    "Okay partner, let''s do this." He spoke enthusiastically and clapped once.


    Phoebe rolled her eyes, she then squatted and joined David quickly counting the money. He was much faster than her as he was so good with numbers, it was one of the reasons as to why she fell for him.


    He was a brilliant man, just lazy because he was a Saxon and like many of them, wealth was a right from birth. Even before a new baby Saxon was born, an account would be opened for the child and no less than fifty million dollars would be deposited into it.


    There was a saying among people in the country that to be born a baby Saxon was to win a lottery.


    "There is no reason for you to count it, it''s fifteen million dollars." Sylvester told Phoebe.


    Phoebe ignored the words of the ghost however because she was hellbent on counting it. There was no way she was going to trust the word of a thief.


    After about thirty minutes, David announced that the money amounted to fifteen million.


    "Am impressive aren''t I?" He stood and placed his hands on his waist.


    Phoebe for the third time in an hour rolled her eyes. The man''s extreme confidence never failed to shine in any situation.


    "Let''s pack it up, we need to leave right now. I need to find the Ruptin family." She raised her hand and tugged on her front hair.


    This was the kind of favor that she normally asked detective Shark for.


    "I got this." David said confidently.


    He excused himself and made a call to the Saxon security team. "I need you to find out where Ruptin''s widow and children are staying, this is an emergency." He hung up and walked to the car with a little smile on his face.


    "I can ask Shark you know." she told him.


    "Well that''s not necessary Pheebs." David flashed his phone screen at her. It was a message from the security team showing the current location of Ruptins.


    "Oh thank God." Sylvester spoke as he raised his hand to his chest. For a second there he was nervous, he didn''t want to drag this, the ghost wanted to seek forgiveness and move on.


    David''s phone began to ring but by the time he saw who the caller was, Phoebe had already noticed that it was Ruth.


    "Why does she keep calling me, one might think i owe her money. I might as well just block her right now." He went ahead to take action as said.


    "So your not interested in her in any way?" Phoebe asked because she was aware that David had gotten Ruth pregnant in the past life. She also recalled that Ruth said David was drunk and that''s how she got him into bed. However, he was also planning to marry Ruth. Wasn''t that indicative of some affection?


    "Hell no!" His tone was stern and loud. Judging by his facial expression, it seemed as though Phoebe had just offended him greatly.


    David felt his heart ache just by the question Phoebe had asked. He hadn''t given her any reason for her to doubt his intentions towards her. He wished that he could tell Phoebe everything he knew about Ruth but he held back. The woman had lied and tricked him in his past life, used him to get pregnant, got married to him, lied to him and caused his death.


    In this life he was determined to protect Phoebe and their love.


    Phoebe shifted her eyes from him to the road. She wasn''t certain but it seemed like David was pained by something however she didn''t intend to ask.


    "My poor boy." The Saxon spirit mumbled. Phoebe who heard turned her head and stared at it but still she didn''t ask anything.


    They drove to the Saxon private airport because David insisted that they fly to the Moblin city where the Ruptin family had moved to.


    "Show off." Phoebe spoke under her breath although she agreed with him, flying there was much faster than driving there.


    When they reached in the Moblin city, cars were already waiting. Without wasting time, they drove to the Ruptin house. The once rich family now lived in the ghettos, they were now staying in a rickety building that was not fit for humans to stay in.


    David''s security personnel initially tried to refuse him from going with Phoebe but the man insisted. "We are partners, if she''s going then am going. You on the other hand can stay if you like, I''ll see you when we get back." He smiled excitedly and followed Phoebe.


    Polly let out a frustrated moan and followed after his boss. This was a dangerous place for a Saxon to freely loiter around. Still he took a couple of pictures and sent them to grandma Saxon who was demanding for updates. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 51 Returning what was stolen.

    Back at the Saxon family home, grandma Saxon was in a terrific mood since morning. During breakfast, she kept checking her phone and laughing. However she wouldn''t share what had gotten her so amused not even with her son whom she adored.


    Even after breakfast, she continued to laugh while looking at her phone. She seemed to be highly entertained by whatever she was watching.


    This got Dickson Saxon very curious because there were very few things on planet earth that made his grandmother laugh to the point of dabbing tears from her eyes.


    Dickson who hailed from the second branch of the family was visiting after returning from a trip to a holy city. With him he had bought so many gifts to impress the family his grandmother especially.


    However he was disappointed when grandma Saxon barely paid attention to them but rather focused on her phone.


    "I haven''t seen David around, why isn''t he here. I got something for him as well." Came Dickson''s words that raised eyebrows especially those of grandma Saxon.


    It was common knowledge that the two young men competed over everything. They were cousins but far from friends, in fact they almost seemed to be enemies so how come Dickson was now carrying gifts for David?


    He saw the was they were all looking at him with skepticism.


    "Oh come on! We are grown men now and we have grown much closer than you think. The days of silly competition are over and long gone." Dickson who had read the room spoke with laugher in his voice as he defended himself.


    "That brat moved out to God knows where, how can a son abandon his mother because of a woman and not bother to call me once." Miranda let out a muffled sob.


    Grandma Saxon didn''t react, knowing well why David and his parents were not close.


    "Sorry, he what? Aunt, who gave him permission to do as he pleases?....." Dickson''s stared at each one of them in disbelief.


    "I did and that''s that. If any of you wants to go you can move out as well, after all we have enough security to protect you all. You are all coddled enough as it is." Grandma Saxon stood up and wobbled away leaving them mesmerized.


    "How is mother walking without her walking cane?" Miranda looked at her husband in shock.


    Robert stared back at his wife in utter disbelief, moving his head from side to side.


    "Come to think of it, she looks more energetic today."


    "And her skin is glowing more than usual." Rose-Bell stated as a frown grew on her face.


    Katherine clapped once and pointed at Rosie. "Must be that new tonic which she drinks like juice or wine every other hour. The one she got from that place...hmmm...I don''t remember the name....."


    "Black Ghost cafe!" Rose-Bell stood up abruptly on remembering the name that was written on the bottle.


    "Hmmm interesting." Katherine took a big bite of the pear in her hands and smiled like she had won a lottery.


    She looked like she was scheming something.


    After catching up with everyone, Dickson bid them goodbye and headed to grandma Saxon''s bedroom to do the same. His fingers that was about to knock on the door paused when he heard loud laughter resonate in the room.


    "Ohh David that silly child." He heard her say when he pinned his ear to the door.


    He knocked twice before he was told to go in.


    Grandma lowered her phone in a sneaky way as if to hide whatever was in it which only made Dickson eager to know what she was looking at.


    "Grandma I brought these items, it seems like you forgot about them or didn''t you like them." Dickson wore a sad expression which caused his grandmother to hurry and hug him.


    "Of course not dear, I love them. Give those to me." She took the oil and wrapped gifts from him and walked to her study where she intended to keep them.


    While she was gone, Dickson took the opportunity to look through her phone. He saw photos of David and Phoebe whom he knew was Ruth''s friend.


    "Well, well. Look who we have here." Dickson sent the photos to his phone and placed Grandma Saxon''s phone back to where it was.


    When his grandmother returned, he bid her farewell and left with a sly smile on his face.


    *******


    In Moblin city meanwhile, those who had gone in search of the Ruptin''s arrived at their door.


    Before Phoebe could knock on the door David stretched his hand and banged on it and since it was already weak if just fell backwards, scaring the occupants who were inside.


    "David! What is wrong with you? You can''t just go around banging on people''s doors like that. Do you even know how to knock?"


    [Of course not, you are a Saxon. People open doors for you guys.] She kind of answered her own question. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She glared at him but quickly calmed herself and apologized to the woman and two children who were glaring at the intruders while protecting their mother.


    "Please I apologize for the intrusion and we come in peace. We are looking for Cynthia Ruptin and her children, I believe that''s you." Phoebe smiled at them just to reduce the tension.


    She nudged at David who quickly apologized and introduced himself. Polly handed the skeptical mother a business card, after reading the information on it she made the sign of the cross and gave David a tentative smile.


    "Of course forgive the fact that I couldn''t recognize you, I thought that it was the money lenders but Mr. Saxon why are you looking for us?" Sally signaled her children a boy and a girl in their teenage years to feel at ease.


    "Well....uhmm..." He stammered and looked at Phoebe who quickly jumped in.


    "Miss Cynthia the thing is that we brought this for you and your children." She signaled the two men to place the bag on the floor.


    With a quizzical look, Cynthia bent down and opened the bag. On seeing the money she gasped and stared at them.


    "This...this is money." she croaked out.


    "Duh!" Connie rolled her eyes.


    "Yes, and it''s yours." David told her.


    He said it with showmanship in his voice like he was Santa Claus and he had come carrying gifts. His tone and confirmation made Cynthia believe that the money had come from him.


    "Mr. Saxon I know that your family is very rich but I didn''t expect you to give us all this money. Even though it''s charity, isn''t it a little too much?" Cynthia wiped a tear from her cheek with the back of her hand.


    Shaking his head, David told her that the money wasn''t from him. "This is the fifteen million dollars that was stolen from your husband."


    "What!" The Ruptins shouted in unison, the children who were far behind came closer to see it with their eyes.


    "How? My husband searched everywhere but that thief Sylvester was never found. Did you catch him?" Cynthia blinked rapidly with her gaze fixed on David.


    "Well yes and no. Sylvester is dead, he died in an accident and he came to me with a request that I bring back this money back to you." Phoebe choose her words very carefully.

 Chapter 52 To earn forgiveness

    Cynthia shook her head because it all sounded unreal. "He''s dead and he came to you that makes no sense at all." She looked at David as if searching for an explanation.


    "I am sort of a shaman, I see and help ghosts move on which is why I am here. Sylvester cannot move on because he is burdened by the guilt of what he did. He''s here right now to return this money, do what''s right and also request for your forgiveness.


    He is deeply ashamed and remorseful. You may not be able to see him now but i can and he is on his knees in front of you. He wants you to know that he has lived in regret all his life after what he did." Phoebe explained the best way she could.


    She spoke softly in voice that expressed Sylvester''s remorse while also expressing understanding with her eyes for what the family had suffered.


    Letting out a painful moan, Cynthia touched her chest and started wailing loudly. Bitter ears fell from her eyes continuously like a newly formed spring as she cursed Sylvester for what he did.


    "Hell no! No one is forgiving anybody. That thief caused my father to take his life, we were thrown out of our home, we lost all our properties and ended up in this ramshackled place with no food. We have to beg for scraps on the streets. Recently mother had to borrow money to treat my sister who almost died and now the money lenders are harassing us and what! He wants forgiveness?


    Where does he get the audacity? How can he ask for it? That shameless evil man. We don''t need this money, take it back." The boy kicked the bag only for his sister to grab it.


    "No! Father worked hard for this money. This is almost his entire fortune, we cannot reject it just like that. Just because we accept the money doesn''t mean we will forgive him." She tightened the hold around the bag. "Where has he been all this while and why didn''t he come sooner? If he was so regretful of his actions, he should have showed up before daddy died." She screamed.


    Sylvester who was truly on his knees before the family, bawling his eyes out like a baby begged Phoebe to plead with the Ruptins on his behalf. The ghost was truly remorseful so she continued to do as it requested.


    "I understand why you are angry and don''t want to forgive him. Yes he was a terrible person that caused you a lot of grief however he is now dead and most importantly, he has returned the money. Forgiving him is not just for his sake but yours as well. This is an opportunity to untie the knots in your hearts and find peace.


    I have to be honest and tell you that if you don''t forgive him, he will wander for the rest of eternity. In fact worst case scenario he may turn into an evil ghost and cause harm to other innocent people. Please find it in your hearts to forgive him."


    Phoebe was sure that these words would at least prompt them to forgive even if they didn''t want to. All Sylvester needed was to hear the words, however perfunctory they may be.


    "That''s a well deserved punishment. Let him wander the entire universe if he likes, he should repent his sins forgiving him is not possible at all, please all of you should leave immediately." Cynthia responded coldly and pointed her index finger at the door.


    David and Phoebe both read the situation, there was no room for negotiation, not right now. The family was still in pain as if their misfortune had only occurred the day before.


    So, they humbly left but on their way out, David told Cynthia to contact him in case she needed anything.


    He also told Polly to contact someone in the city to come and fix the door. They returned to the car, setting off for the airport to return to where they had come from.


    Sylvester wailed all the way to Citrus city as he lamented that he didn''t want to become an evil spirit.


    "What they don''t understand is that my resentment could be aimed at them. I understand their pain but I regret all that now and wish that I can atone for my sin and move on." He sniffled


    Phoebe let out a frustrated sigh which gained David''s attention.


    "Is the ghost still crying? What happens to him next? Do you banish him to some dark place because he shouldn''t stay here, there are enough evil humans in the world and we don''t need to add evil spirits." He added a shrug to his thoughtless words.


    "What? What is he talking about? Please Phoebe you cannot do that after all I haven''t turned into an evil spirit yet." Sylvester threw David an icy glance.


    "I don''t know what to do with you, the problem is that you are too desperate and you could become an evil spirit much faster." Phoebe spoke through tight lips.


    She had done a good deed for a ghost but was not rewarded with energy.


    That''s when the Saxon spirit jumped in with a solution. "There is a way for you to maybe avert your karma. You can do good for others and that way the regret will slowly go away. The more you do good the more you balance the scale of good and evil."


    "I will do anything." Sylvester responded eagerly. "But how do I help anybody when i am a just ghost?" Sylvester looked at the Saxon spirit which was looking at Phoebe.


    "Phoebe needs servants, you can help her as you repent for what you did to that man." Came the spirit''s words that caused Phoebe to flinch. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You want me to employ a thief! If it''s about getting servants I will but not Sylvester, he may be sorry today but we don''t know what he may do tomorrow." Phoebe was genuinely concerned.


    It was with good reason because she occasionally collected relics and some had magical powers, others were cursed objects that needed to never return among humans, having a former thief snooping around was a bad idea.


    Isn''t that why they said once a thief always a thief?


    "Phoebe please, I have learnt a big lesson from this. When the guilt goes away I will move on to the other side. Please give me a chance." Sylvester folded his hands and begged.


    "Sister we will be watching him don''t worry." Connie assured her. It was three against one, there was no way she was going to refuse at the moment so she agreed.


    "Fine, you can work for me but....you my friend are on probation. If I sense any thing foul coming from your end I personally will call a ghost catcher who will send you off to a very bad place." Phoebe warned.


    David frowned his brows. "Pheebs! You cannot make that decision without involving me, am your partner remember? I vote no to you having a male ghost servant that was a criminal."


    Shaking her head Phoebe laughed only because she was too tired to have an argument with him.


    Sylvester squealed and thanked Phoebe for giving him a chance. He further threw David a cold stare because so far he didn''t really like him.


    By the time they got back at the Cerene Apartments, they were hungry so Phoebe invited David to the cafe because he had helped her a lot that day.


    He accepted and followed her, as they walked discussing Sylvester''s role at the cafe. David paused his movements however stared because there were two men that were suddenly approaching them.

 Chapter 53 The uncanny resemblance.

    "Luke? Andre?" David asked casually because he knew the two men. Other than Collin Mayfair, he had a cordial relationship with the two brothers.


    [Oh great, more of Ruth''s saviors to the rescue. I am getting a lot of unwanted visitors lately]


    A sharp wince escaped Phoebe''s lips when she saw the two men, she assumed that the Mayfair boys were here to warn her to stay away from their sister but if they tried her patience today she was ready to show them what a phony their sister was.


    Connie let out an excited scream. "Oh my God Andre Mayfair! He''s my dream man, I have a super crush on him, look at his fair skin, pink lips he''s gorgeous. Sister please get me an autograph please." She fluttered her eyelashes continuously but Phoebe remained unfazed afterall she had never been his fan.


    Phoebe who was uninterested in taking to the Mayfair boys assuming that they would be just like Collin. She moved passed David and continued walking in the direction of the cafe. She however noticed that Luke was gawking at her, if she wasn''t mistaken she thought she saw his jaw drop.


    She wasn''t wrong because Luke continued staring at Phoebe until her frame disappeared. He shook his head in disbelief, wondering if he was seeing things. Being a doctor, he didn''t believe in things like reincarnation or doppelgangers and other mystery stuff but what he had noticed melted his knees.


    "Who the hell is that?" He asked David who was chatting with Andre.


    "Oh, that." David smiled broadly. "She is my very good friend, partner, and so many other things."


    His voice held a double meaning, not saying things outright but implying them. This was because he had seen Luke gawking at Phoebe and he wanted to draw a line quickly.


    The two men put one and two together and concluded that David''s friend had to be the infamous Phoebe.


    Andre smiled knowingly at his brother but the smile quickly fell when he saw the confused expression on his face.


    "What is it? You look like you have seen a ghost." He nudged him using his elbow.


    "More like a clone of sorts." Luke whispered and looked at the cafe, his curiosity about Phoebe at its peak. His stomach growled loudly attracting attention from David and Andre.


    "Hey i am starving, I barely ate anything today because I had a lot of patients to see today." He informed the two men that were sort of curiously looking at him


    David slapped him on the back once. "You my friend are in luck, let''s get you something to eat." He pulled on his hand.


    He was at ease with the Mayfair boys because they had all grown up together, were close in age and went to the same schools.


    Luke and Andre who wanted to turn down his offer because they had other plans in mind, plans of talking to Phoebe. They were stunned when David took them directly into the Black ghost cafe, the same place that they were going to.


    "Hold up David, This is Phoebe''s place....Ruth''s friend I mean. It''s the ghost place, right?" Andre asked only for David to nod.


    "Ruth said that this woman was throwing herself at you....." Andre was interrupted by David who spoke loudly.


    "What? That''s not true. If anything am the one throwing myself at her. Listen boys you know that your sister has had these feelings for me for the longest time but I have never led her on. I made it clear to you all that whatever she is hoping for is never going to happen.


    All i have ever seen her as is a little sister, basically one of the guys." He grimaced, not wanting to tell them that he didn''t even consider her as a little sister anymore, much less a friend. "I am sorry but your sister is crazy."


    "No offense taken." Andre sat in the chair and leaned back. In as much as he loved his sister, he had his fair share of crazy fan girls swooning over him, he understood where David''s point was coming from.


    It was true that Ruth was obsessed with David and no matter how many times she was told to let it go, she wouldn''t. Whatever pain she was suffering now was a self inflicted wound. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "But still I heard she''s a trickster." Andre mentioned.


    "And i am a playboy." David shrugged.


    He and Andre laughed, even sharing a fistbump because they were birds of a feather. Ande too was a playboy, a famous one who delighted in his wayward ways.


    "Not anymore though, i am officially reformed." David added.


    "Your family won''t accept her." Luke reminded him.


    "Let me worry about that." David received a call from his office and excused himself to pick the call.


    Phoebe on the other hand stood behind the counter making coffee for David. She noticed the Mayfair boy come in and sit down like customers. Pretty soon she started to feel uncomfortable because Luke kept gawking at her.


    [Is this their strategy, to stare at me to death?]


    "Maybe you have charmed him too." Connie added giggles to her words.


    Phoebe snorted, "Yeah right."


    The Saxon spirit was also interested in the Mayfair boys. "Let me go over there and listen in on whatever they are talking about."


    Within a split second, it was hovering over them.


    "Luke? Luke? LUKE!" Andre raised his voice startling his brother whose entire focus was on Phoebe.


    "What?" Luke rubbed his eyes and shook his head.


    "You are staring, it''s kinda awkward and rude."


    "Don''t you see it, Andre?" Luke whispered furiously.


    "See what?"


    "That Phoebe girl looks exactly like grandma in her younger days, the only difference is that she has red hair and grandma is blond."


    Andre waved his hand to dismiss his statement. "Grandma was an unmatched beauty, i am not saying that Phoebe isn''t but I see little to no resemblance."


    Luke insisted that the resemblance between the two is uncanny. "How is this even possible? Maybe she''s a long distant cousin or something. I am telling you Andre, there is something here, I can feel it."


    Andre nodded his head and laughed. "I''ll need to see old photos of grandma to believe it."


    David joined them again just when Phoebe and Rossett were bringing the coffee and snacks to the table.


    "Join us, I would like to introduce you to my friends." David requested nicely but Phoebe only accepted because the spirit told her to.


    "I need you to distract one of them because I need a piece of his hair, you need to do a DNA test or blood spell whatever works for you." She pointed at Luke and said, This one thinks you look like their grandmother."


    Phoebe was already suspicious about the connection between her, Ruth, the Gabriel''s and the Mayfairs. Hearing that one of the Mayfair boys had noticed something too sparked a fire in her heart and she sat down quickly.


    [Could it be?], she wondered.


    When she sat David introduced her to the Mayfair boys, she was surprised to see that they were polite to her unlike Collin. Phoebe took a liking to them immediately, especially Andre. He was funny and somewhat adorable.


    Luke was more quiet and also seemed to prefer looking at her more than talking to her. If they happened to be her brothers, Andre was definitely gunning for the position of favorite brother.

 Chapter 54 Ghost catchers are not welcome.

    For a while, everyone just remained silent, fixating on their coffee and snacks because they were all hungry. There were no new clients in the cafe because a closed sign had been put up. Phoebe didn''t want any human client for now and the ghosts, they could also wait.


    When they were finished, Rosette cleared the table. Phoebe was thinking about getting up to leave when Andre said something which made her stop.


    "Are you really a ghost seer or something like that? Can you do one of your little tricks, i could use them in one of my movies" He leaned forward and narrowed his gaze which was upon her.


    [Just when i was beginning to like him.] she thought.


    Andre gasped and jumped up, pointing at Phoebe''s face.


    "What was that?"


    Unaware that he had seen her thoughts, she gave him a confused look.


    "What?"


    Andre looked at Luke and David and they were curious but only because of him, not her.


    "Did you guys not see it?"


    "What?" They responded together?


    "She...her....she..." he huffed and sat down. "Did you really not see it?" he asked them.


    "Have you seen a ghost in here? If you have, don''t be afraid. They won''t hurt you, they are here as clients looking for help. Some of them are even more afraid of you than you are of them."


    Andre shook his head. "No..."


    The door of the cafe was suddenly flung open, banging against the wall and startling everyone. Andre even jumped up, slightly terrified.


    None of the humans saw the two ghosts which came floating inside quickly, shouting for help. They all did see the human man who entered the cafe, however. He was dressed in a yellow jacket with a cap on his head and he looked like a delivery man but he didn''t have anything he was delivering.


    "We are closed." Rosette shouted from behind the counter.


    The man didn''t respond but he pulled a short silver rod out of his pocket. The head of the rod was surrounded by small golden bells and red threads.


    "Ghost catcher." Connie squealed.


    She hid behind Phoebe who stood up the moment she heard the words ghost catcher. There were three ghost clients in the cafe and they hurried to hide behind the counter where Rosette was.


    "That''s Amon, the ghost catcher."


    When Phoebe stood up, the air became charged and everyone could sense that something was wrong. It was like that moment just before a sudden fight when everyone was tense about what was going to happen next.


    David touched Phoebe''s hand but she shrugged his hand away and kept her eyes on the man.


    "If you move your hand Amon and ring those bells even once in here, i will cut it off." Phoebe said coldly.


    The ghost catcher whose face was hidden tilted his face and looked at her.


    "Two ghosts just run in here, a man and a child. All i am seeking is them and i will...."


    She raised her arm, holding her hand out to stop him. "Ghost catchers are not welcome in my shop, this is a sanctuary for ghosts looking for a way to move on, leave before i become angry."


    "Those two ghosts have been living with a human woman and playing house. She is almost at death''s door because the man has been feeding off her energy. He is practically an evil spirit."


    Phoebe pointed up to the ceiling of the cafe.


    "Inside and outside, i have active talismans and no evil spirit can come into my shop."


    Amon chuckled. "You insist on protecting them."


    "I am not a protector, i am just a lowly shaman that offers help to stranded ghosts. You are a ghost catcher that will shred them into many pieces and send them to purgatory. You don''t care to hear their side of the story and understand why they are stuck."


    "The dead have no story to tell." He answered.


    "You are wrong." Phoebe answered strongly. "The ones that died an unfair death have a story to tell. The ones who want to attone, the ones who want some simple wishes fulfilled and..."


    "Life is for the living." Amon jumped in. "When you die, your story is over. Those two are criminals, a human and a ghost cannot live together as a family."


    "That is your opinion." Phoebe answered calmly.


    Amon sneered and raised his hand out of the blue with the intention of shaking the bell. It was a weapon that affected ghosts, taking them off balance and then sucking them inside. It was a prison of sorts.


    Before his hand could come down, it was stopped by none other than David. Nobody had even seen him moving or reach the ghost catcher.


    David gripped Amon''s hand tightly with force like it was his intention to break it.


    "She said, don''t shake the damn bell."


    The door of the cafe opened and a pale woman that looked confused run inside. She had on only a single purple shoe and she was crying.


    Phoebe heard the little ghost which had run inside with the man call out mother and she realized that this was the woman the ghost catcher was talking out.


    "You must be the one that has been living with two ghosts." she said.


    The woman nodded and looked around inside. She had a charm on her hand, one that Phoebe was not familiar with.


    "Husband, have you seen my husband and child?" she asked in a frightened voice.


    Phoebe used her head to gesture that they were inside, at the back. "I will advise you to say goodbye now because they cannot hide in my cafe forever. The ghost catcher will not let them go, so, if you want to save them, let them go."


    The woman fell to the ground and started crying.


    "I can''t, i can''t let them go."


    In a stern voice, Phoebe asked her, "Are you so selfish that you will condemn your child to purgatory? That''s where the ghost catcher is going to send them. They will be doomed to eternal suffering with no hope of reincarnation. Get your head on straight and think like a mother. Protect your child to the very end, get up now and say goodbye."


    She practically shouted a command which got the woman to move. Rosette was on hand to help and she gave the woman ghost seeing glasses.


    It was a rushed goodbye, and the two ghosts moved on very quickly just as Phoebe had expected. She had been counting on the fact that the woman was a mother and all mothers protected their children.


    "You can let him go now." Phoebe told David.


    Scoffing, David let go of Amon. The ghost catcher still shook his bells, because there were other ghosts in the cafe that he had seen but he didn''t get anything.


    Instead, and invisible energy from the talismans on the ceiling was gathered and it was shot at Amon, sending him flying back.


    "I told you, ghost catchers are not welcome here." Phoebe reminded him.


    The ghost catcher stood up, laughed and wiped away blood from the side of his mouth. He looked at Phoebe and laughed with an air of mystery.


    "You are supposed to be a ghost catcher and yet you work in the opposite direction. Are you sure that you are one of us?"


    She shook her head and wagged her finger.


    "In this world, i am the exception, the only exception." Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 55 Grannys games.

    Amon looked at the ghosts that were confidently hiding in the cafe. Some were even taunting him by sticking their tongues out because they knew they were untouchable as long as Phoebe was there.


    He laughed again, softly and turned to leave.


    "I will see you around."


    Phoebe heard these words along with the chiming of the door as Amon was leaving. She wasn''t sure if she had made a friend or an enemy. He was surely displeased that she had saved the two ghosts so maybe an enemy.


    She sat down, groaned and banged her head against the table. "Why does trouble keep finding me?" she mumbled.


    The others had no idea what had just gone down. It all seemed like some scripted drama. Amon flying back without being hit physically was the cherry on top.


    Andre was even making notes and muttering lines he didn''t want to forget.


    "I am the exception, the only exception. Life is for the living..."


    David slapped him on the back of the head before going to check on Phoebe. He put a hand on her back and gently spoke into her ear.


    "Are you okay?"


    "Mmm." she mumbled.


    He sighed loudly and whispered to her, "I am sorry but i have to go now. There is an emergency at the lab which needs my attention but i will be back soon. Call me if you need anything."


    She raised her head and pointed at the Mayfair boys. "Take them, i am tired."


    She lowered her head on to the table again. The weariness of what had been a long day covered her like a blanket. All she needed was a small nap for while.


    David, ruffled her hair gently, kissed her on the ear and stood up.


    "Hey, Mayfair, with me. If you argue i will get Polly to carry you both out princess style and i will be recording."


    The two brothers shared a look and stood up. They planned to discuss all they had seen and heard when they were alone. For now, Luke just wanted to send the strands of Phoebe''s hair which he had picked off her dress to the lab.


    "Bye beautiful Phoebe, thank you for hosting us. I will come back soon, maybe tomorrow and you can teach me....."


    David pulled Andre out as he was yapping loudly.


    After they left, the cafe was closed again and Phoebe went into her office to take that nap which she wanted. She left behind the saxon spirit, Connie, Rosette and the other ghosts engaged in a heavy gossip session.


    The general subject was Phoebe''s coolness and the way she bravely faced a ghost catcher to defend the two ghosts.


    By this time tomorrow, the showdown between Phoebe and Amon would have made it to almost every city in the country, driving more ghosts to Citrus city.


    When Phoebe woke up, the shop was empty so she decided to take a stroll in town like she did most nights just to pass time.


    Her peaceful stroll however was interrupted by a scream. She quickly looked in the direction from which the voice came, it was an old woman wailing that her bag had been stolen.


    What irked Phoebe the most was the fact that no one was helping her.


    "There is no humanity left in this world, no wonder there are many evil spirits roaming around."


    Phoebe rushed to where the old woman was sitting on the ground. She had a long black scarf covering her head and shoulders, she was also wearing big black shades which looked to be uncomfortable since they covered most of her face.


    "Grandma are you alright? Please stand up." Phoebe helped the old woman up, they moved and sat on a park bench that was closeby.


    "Those horrible boys surrounded me and took my bag. In it was the only money I have remaining. I wanted to buy a yarn because my grandson''s birthday is coming up and I promised to knit a scarf for him. What is this old woman going to do now?" She rubbed her nose with the edge of the long scarf.


    The more the old woman talked, the more Phoebe frowned.


    [Her voice sounds so familiar, I don''t know where I''ve heard it]


    Phoebe tried to study the old woman''s face but to her disappointment, she pulled the big glasses closer to her face.


    Phoebe''s stomach churned because she hadn''t eaten much that day. She didn''t even get to enjoy her coffee earlier and was really hungry.


    "Grandma, let''s eat first and then go to the police." She raised to her feet and helped the old woman to stand.


    With hesitation, the old woman announced that she had no money. "How can I buy food when all my money is gone, young lady are you deaf?" She used a scolding tone which caused Phoebe to chuckle.


    "I never said that you are paying, the bill is one me so let''s go eat something. Someone once told me that when you are sad, you should eat something warm to forget your worries." Phoebe wrapped her arm around that of the old woman. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "That''s what I believe.....hold on, where did you hear that? I tell that to my grandson often." She frowned and then smiled only to reveal her crooked bottom teeth.


    That voice, that smile and those fake teeth juggled something in her mind particularly because she had seen them before. Phoebe paused her footsteps and stared at the old woman. It all started to come together. It was so funny that she had to hold back greatly not to reveal what she knew.


    Phoebe never would have imagined in her life that someday, this disguise would be used on her. It was grandma Saxon''s go to outfit when she was scoping out potential daughters-in-law for the many men in the Saxon family.


    [Old lady, you are really one of a kind.]


    She decided to play along with her. "My own grandma was the one who taught me that. Actually you and her would get along so well, she even looks just like you." Phoebe held Grandma''s hand tightly as they walked.


    To make the night more interesting, Phoebe decided to do things to cajole Grandma Saxon to see if she could come out of her disguise. She chose to take her to a food stall, one of those that sold street food which rich people never touched.


    "Here we go, this place is good enough. I know the uncle who owns it and he is a great cook." She made the old lady sit down.


    The stall was nothing more than a small open tent and a few tables and chairs. Despite the furniture being old, it was rather clean which was something Phoebe always liked about this place.


    "Grandma, they sell chicken feet, duck blood, pig ears, roasted goose, barbecued beef slices, fries, cheese burgers, fried squid and roasted potatoes. They also have beer, soda and steamed vegetables. Do you want to eat?"


    Having been pampered all her life, she expected Grandma Saxon to reject the meal however to Phoebe''s surprise, the old woman made herself comfortable and even loudly shouted out an order like most customers were doing.


    "Bring us two beers, one plate of fries, chicken feet, fried squid, roasted potatoes and add some steamed vegetables too. Don''t skim on the carrots, at my age doctors tell me to eat carrots a lot."

 Chapter 56 Thoughts on marriage.

    Slowly by slowly, Phoebe''s jaw dropped as the old woman displayed behaviors she had never seen before. The always refined and elegant matriarch of the Saxon family could actually accurately pass for a commoner so well.


    [Who is she? Can she even finish all this food?]


    Grandma Saxon read Phoebe''s thoughts and she chuckled.


    The old woman stretched her arms and cracked her neck as if she was warming up for a marathon. The more that she behaved like this, the more Phoebe was frightened.


    Her thoughts were still scattered when the food varieties were delivered to their table. Grandma Saxon further shocked Phoebe by taking a large sip of the beer first and exhaling loudly.


    "That''s the taste." she said to herself. She then set out on a food eating marathon like she was so familiar with it.


    Phoebe watched Grandma Saxon devour the food as if she had been starving. She couldn''t help but wonder why the wealthy old woman had left the house without eating anything. To anyone watching, the assumption was that the poor woman had probably been starving all day.


    "If i didn''t know better, i would think she was someone else." she muttered.


    "What did you say young lady?" Grandma Saxon asked.


    "Nothing." Phoebe replied.


    "Two more beers." Grandma Saxon grabbed a passing server girl and made an order.


    "Oh my God!" Phoebe exclaimed.


    [Is she on a mission to go home drunk?]


    "Grandma is it safe for you to drink? Maybe we should stop here and go to that police station."


    "What''s your name?" the old woman changed the subject quickly as she had no plans of going to any police station.


    "I am Phoebe. What about you grandma?"


    "Prudence Sa...uhm...Pru...just call me Pru." Grandma Saxon almost blew her cover by revealing her name.


    Phoebe who already knew her full name was Prudence Saxon laughed. "That''s a lovely name Grandma Pru, and i still think we have eaten and drunk enough. It''s already late, you need to get home and rest. If you won''t go to the police, at least let me get you a taxi and send you home."


    Grandma Saxon raised one of her hands, reached across the table and pinched one of Phoebe''s cheeks, finding the young woman lovely. She had put on a fake show that her bag had been stolen. In all this she wanted to study Phoebe''s character and so far she liked the young lady even more.


    She was so kind and generous even to strangers. David would be lucky to get her for a wife. Phoebe was the type of woman she believed would make a great wife for her grandson.


    The old woman reverted back to her original sad self. "My grandson''s birthday is in two days, it will be too late to knit anything for him if i don''t start tonight. What am i going to do?" She wailed. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe sighed. Of course she didn''t believe the fictional story but if she played along, it would end faster.


    "Let''s go grandma, i will help you with that too. Take it as a treat from a kind stranger."


    The woman righted herself immediately and smiled like a con artist.


    "Okay."


    Phoebe paid money and both of them took a taxi to a shopping mall. On reaching a store that sold yarn, the old woman''s acting picked up speed.


    "Wow!" Grandma Saxon pretended to be shocked on seeing the rolls. The store only imported some of the best quality of yarn, it was expensive too.


    Phoebe came to this shop specifically because she was aware that grandma Saxon was a regular customer, seeing her pretend to be impressed caused her to laugh.


    "Grandma pick whatever yarn you want I''ll pay for it." Phoebe told her and she thought she saw her wipe a tear but she wasn''t sure.


    Grandma Saxon sniffled and thanked Phoebe for having a good heart. "The man that will marry you will be one lucky fellow."


    Shaking her head Phoebe told Grandma Saxon that she was never getting married again.


    "Again? Were you married before?" She almost took the glasses off just to have a better look at Phoebe.


    "Uhmm...no..but i don''t think marriage is not for me." Phoebe stammered.


    Her words however left Grandma Saxon unsettled because she wanted David to get married as soon as possible. She wanted a grandkid or two maybe and Phoebe was telling her that marriage wasn''t meant her?


    She remained quiet picked out a few yarn, after Phoebe paid for them they left. It was clear to Phoebe that since the marriage topic, the old woman''s enthusiasm had dampened.


    "Are you alright grandma Pru? I want to buy you some groceries that you can take home." Phoebe tried to study her face.


    Shaking her head, grandma Saxon announced that she was tired and was going home.


    "It was lovely seeing you again Phoebe." She lowered her head and began to walk away.


    "Again ha!" Phoebe mumbled and chuckled. She rushed and held the old woman''s hand. She put some money into it and told her to get home safely.


    Phoebe watched Grandma Saxon enter a waiting black cab, she entered one to and told the driver to follow the black one.


    When the black cab came to a stop, grandma Saxon who had removed the scarf and shades stepped out and entered an expensive car that was owned by the Saxons.


    After confirming that it was her indeed, Phoebe requested the driver to take her to the Cerene Apartments. With the long tiresome and interesting day she''d, all she wanted was to dive into bed.


    ****


    At the Mayfair residence, the house was covered by a cloud of gloom which had lasted all day. The princess of the house had refused to eat or drink anything. Ruth had remained indoors the entire day without talking to anyone. Her parents were losing their minds with worry.


    They were taking turns pleading for her to let them in and it was Jennie''s turn.


    "Ruthie sweetie open up and talk to us, what is wrong? How long do you think you are going to stay in there, please my baby let us in." She pleaded for what seemed like the hundredth time, her husband Edward stood behind her massaging her tense shoulders.


    "Maybe we should try again tomorrow honey, she doesn''t even want to see her grandmother so what makes you think that she will let us in." Edward was tired, his feet were sore. After a long day at work he had come home only to find this drama.


    Jennie who was displeased by his words turned to face him. "What is that supposed to mean? I am her mother!"


    She heard the rattling of plates and noticed that Ophelia was still standing there with a tray of food which Ruth had refused to eat.


    "Take that food away." Jennie ordered Ophelia. Her tone was a little stern as she was exhausted and hungry herself.


    Collin almost bumped into Ophelia in the hallway, he asked why everyone looked so down and Ophelia told him everything.


    He handed his briefcase to a maid and proceeded to check on the situation.


    "This is the result of babying her too much." Collin stated. In as much as Ruth was the last born child and they all loved her, Collin always cautioned his parents to use a firm hand at times.


    "Don''t say that, something must have happened to her." Jennie sniveled.


    "Alright mother, let me try." Collin banged on the door strongly. "Ruth, open up. If you don''t I''ll break down the door." He issued a threat which didn''t work.


    He thought deeply of something that could get her to open the door voluntarily and came up with an idea. "Ruth David is here, I''ll tell him to leave if you won''t see....." Before he could complete his statement, the door flew open.

 Chapter 57 Drama queen.

    When the door suddenly opened, everyone looked at her, Ruth seemed disoriented and smelled of alcohol and cigarettes. Her hair was a mess and she was dressed in pajamas. It''s like she had hit rock bottom.


    "David, where is he?" she looked at her parents and brother as if she was looking through them.


    She rushed further down the staircase at a fast pace, practically running as if this was the most important race of her life.


    As she hurried down she almost missed a step which caused her to stumble but not even that stopped her.


    If not for Luke who held her just in time, she would have fallen on the ground.


    "Watch your step Ruth, where are you running off to like a headless chicken?" He frowned, his eyebrows at the sight of her.


    Andre who was right next to Luke pinched his nose in disgust. "When last did you take a bath and why do you smell like a bar at 3 a.m?"


    He looked at his sister who shoved Luke to the side and proceeded to run to the living room.


    "David? Are you here to see me?" Ruth''s eyes darted around the room but there was no sign of David.


    Her family which had followed her stared at her, with grandma Mayfair who heard the noise joining them. They all watched her astonishment in their eyes.


    It''s like she had gone insane because why else would she be searching for David under the chairs, in the cushions and every small corner where a human being couldn''t fit. A baby couldn''t fit under those chairs so how was she expecting a fully grown man like David to fit?


    More importantly, why would David hide under there for no reason? This was not a game of hide and seek.


    Collin who couldn''t stand to watch the disturbing scene anymore, walked to his sister and jolted her to her senses by shaking her really hard.


    "He''s not here Ruth get it together, i lied because i wanted you to open that door. What is the meaning of this? Don''t tell me that you are behaving this way because of that playboy?"


    His words compelled her to break away from his grasp. "Let me go!" She shouted. " David is not a playboy but the man that I love with all my heart, insulting him is like insulting me." She wiped the tears on her face but they kept rolling down like a leaking faucet.


    "Jeez Ruth this has gone beyond love and moved into lunacy and obsession. That man doesn''t like you one bit, please, let it go. I advise that you find yourself someone else, one who will love you like you deserve." Andre pointed out, he believed that his sister had to snap out of her obsession with David. From what he had seen, David was very much in love with Phoebe.


    "I agree with Andre." Luke folded his hands and watched his sister who fell to the floor.


    Jennie who was sobbing run to comfort her.


    "He blocked me mom, i cannot even talk to him or hear his voice. What''s worse is that I did nothing to offend him. Phoebe is filling his head with all these lies about me. Please Collin talk to him tell him to unblock me, please." She cried out before she lost consciousness and fell in her mother''s arms.


    Panic set in among the Mayfairs and Collin quickly carried her to her room. It was messy with crumpled white tissues all over the floor, her beddings were thrown across the room. Empty alcohol bottles and cigarette butt''s littered the floor.


    The maids quickly rearranged the bed and she was gently placed on it.. Luke immediately started treating her and within ten minutes, Dr. Murphy who was the family doctor to most of the rich families in Citrus had already arrived.


    Ophelia walked in with him and he got to work immediately. The doctor checked her pulse and vitals. He sighed and looked at the empty alcohol bottles that were being carried away by the maid after cleaning.


    "What is it? Is it something serious?" Jennie placed a hand to her chest worried that something was wrong with her child.


    Shaking his head, the doctor emphasized that nothing was wrong with Ruth. "She is just wasted."


    It was the same opinion Luke had but hearing a second opinion from Dr. Murphy relieved them all.


    Ruth who was faking everything wanted to throw her hands around the doctor''s neck.


    "Stupid fool! How can a professional not suggest that maybe I get other tests done just to make sure that something is wrong. How are they supposed to pity me just because I am wasted." She closed her eyes tightly and exhaled slowly.


    "My poor child, she must be so stressed to drink herself silly like this." Jennie used a damp cloth to wipe Ruth''s face.


    Grandma Mayfair was very disappointed by her grandchild. " This is totally unacceptable behavior! Jennie you cannot coddle her after she has behaved this way. Which suitor would want a drunkard for a wife, she should forget about the Saxon boy because if he marries her she''ll embarrass us. I am off to bed and i suggest you all do the same."


    She knew that their maids gossiped with other maids around the city when they run into each other while running errands. How long would it take for this incident to slip out and make waves?


    There was silence in the room after grandma left. They knew she had a point, Ruth had taken her obsession to a whole other level. It wasn''t as if they could hold a gun to David''s head and force him to love her.


    "You have to talk to her mom, David is seeing someone else, he told me so himself. We can persuade him to be friends with her like he used to be but he only sees her as that and nothing more." Andre who had already taken a liking to Phoebe spoke with indifference.


    Ruth couldn''t take it anymore, she felt like her family was immune to her pain, the only person that seemed to understand her was her mother. Now they were all suggesting that she lets go of David. She moved before she could stop herself.


    "What do you mean he told you?" S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She sat up shocking her family that had really bought into her drunk pitiful act.


    "I thought you were unconscious?" Andre stated.


    Ruth opened her mouth and closed it. She was sharp eyed and clear, and had no excuse.


    "Don''t tell me it was all an act?" Her father stared at her, horrified by her behavior. Sometimes his little girl scared him with the extremes she would go to in order to get what she wanted. How could she make the entire family worry over nothing. How coupd she listen to her mother crying and remain so cold?


    "You...you, i am so disappointed." He left the room immediately.


    Ruth wasn''t bothered by her father''s disappointment in her but rather glared at Andre. "Answer the damn question, what exactly did David tell you? And where did you even find him?"

 Chapter 58 Yes to the date

    Andre and Luke exchanged glances and left the room too, it was better that they didn''t answer her because she would go berserk if she knew what they knew. They also couldn''t believe that she had refused to explain herself or apologize for fake fainting.


    Bursting into tears, Ruth lamented that no one in the family loved her. Collin who loved his sister somewhat blindly felt guilty and sorry for her. He moved to sit near her and soothed her and his mother who was sobbing too because Ruth was crying heartbrokenly.


    Ruth hang onto Collin. "Please big brother, I love David. You must help me get him at all costs. Mother you too help me out here and explain to dad and grandma." She continued to bawl her eyes out.


    Meanwhile, Andre and Luke went straight to the attic. Luke knew where the old photo albums were kept, so he opened the box storage and pulled out an old album.


    They studied the pictures, one of their grandma and another of Phoebe which Luke had secretly taken.


    "See I told you, that it was an uncanny resemblance."


    Andre whistled he could now see the similarities. "The hair, do you still have it?"


    Luke checked his front pocket and pulled out four long red strands of hair and nodded continuously.


    *********************


    In the morning the following day, Sylvester who was trying so hard to prove his worth was done with all the house chores by the time Phoebe came out of the bedroom.


    "It smells heavenly in here." She raised her nose in the air and inhaled the smell of fried bacon.


    Connie licked her dry lips and praised Sylvester''s cooking skills. "I told you he will be useful. He even baked a fruit cake and brewed fresh coffee."


    The dining table was already set and filled with an assortment of different breakfast foods which excited Phoebe''s stomach. So far she was impressed by him, yesterday Sylvester was even helpful at the cafe for he took care of the ghost guests really well unlike Connie who acted all high and mighty.


    "Sister Phoebe, since I am done here, I will go help sister Rosette at the cafe." Sylvester humbly informed her, he was so respectful but having been a thief, Phoebe still had her reservations about him.


    She was also disturbed by the fact that a man who was older than her by many years was calling her sister, it was very weird.


    "Call me boss." she instructed.


    Compliantly, Sylvester immediately did as told. "Yes boss."


    "I will see you when i get to work, don''t cause any trouble." Phoebe told him.


    He nodded and vanished, leaving her to start on the breakfast which she was already eager to dig into.


    Just as she was raising a fork to her lips, there was a gentle knock on the door which made her groan unhappily.


    [Better not be you David.] she thought.


    On opening Phoebe wasn''t even surprised that it was David indeed. He stood there with a bright smile and in his hands which he held up were two paper bags. Judging by the sweet aroma they emitted, Phoebe knew it was food.


    "Good morning Pheebs, since I left so unexpectedly last evening. I had to redeem myself by bringing you breakfast....." his eyes trailed off to the dining table. "But it looks like someone beat me to it. Don''t tell me it''s that Baltimore guy?" David''s tone had a string of jealousy in it.


    Phoebe''s shoulders fell. She didn''t understand how someone could be so enthusiastic very early in the morning and she didn''t care. All she wanted to do was eat.


    "Come in, Sylvester made this. You can have some if you want to." She walked away and he followed.


    His face expressed shock and confusion. "Sylvester? The ghost guy? When you said servant I thought he would be taking care of the ghosts, I never imagined that he would be making food for humans to eat." He placed the paper bags on the table and stared at the dishes of food on the table.


    "So I take it that you won''t be having any, you can leave, i only invited you in to eat." Phoebe arched an eyebrow and looked at him.


    David chuckled nervously and used his hand to dismiss her words. "Who said that I wasn''t eating, it even looks more delicious than food made by humans."


    [Tch!, look at your hands trembling. I bet you won''t touch any of it.]


    "Ha-ha-ha he''s obviously scared to try it." Connie extended the plate of sausages to him. As soon as she did, David jumped up from the chair because he was spooked.


    "Th....that plate just moved on its own." David stammered and pointed at the plate. Then, in a more confident voice he repeated the same sentence.


    "I mean, that plate just moved on its own and it''s so cool."


    Phoebe rolled her eyes. He was trying so hard and she had to give him points for that. She still needed to warn the teenager to act appropriately.


    "Connie please behave, this is our guest." she sliced a pancake with a knife and ate a piece with a fork.


    On the table, a spoon in Phoebe''s coffee started moving on it''s own. The Saxon spirit slapped Connie once on the butt, it wasn''t finding her tricks funny besides the teenage ghost was ruining the moment which she hoped would turn into a romantic one.


    David got into brave mode and tasted the sausages. He was willing to do anything for Phoebe even if it meant eating food made by ghosts. If he was going to stay around her, the first thing he had to eliminate was his fear of ghosts.


    He took one bite, then a second and third. For a man that wasn''t thrilled to eat the food prepared by a ghost, he seemed to be gobbling it up. "This is amazing, ghost thief is really talented." He kept praising the taste of the food.


    The spectators watched in amusement. "This man will climb any mountain for you because it''s obvious that he will do anything just to be in your good graces." The spirit stared at David adoringly.


    Phoebe ignored it''s words. The spirit liked to act as if all Phoebe had experienced in the past was nothing more than a past and a dream.


    [It''s just breakfast, nothing more.]


    Her thoughts on where they stood were clear for David to read. Even though it had only been two days, he had been hoping that she was warming up to him and this made him unhappy. There was a tight knot in his stomach which made him to suddenly lose his appetite.


    "I guess I better get going." He cleaned his mouth with a paper towel. However he was not going to leave without doing the one thing he came here purposely to do.


    Phoebe who was already done and only waiting for him to finish nodded.


    "Looks like you loved the meal. I can ask Sylvester to pass by your place to make you a meal or two." She teased


    Shaking his head strongly, David rejected the offer. "Not my place, I''ll pass, but on a more serious note. I want to take you out on a date." He crossed his fingers and prayed for a positive answer.


    The Saxon spirit clapped once. "That''s my boy! Finally he''s getting down to business. Phoebe say yes quickly remember you...." Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Okay, text me when and where." She spoke with indifference. As the wise woman she was, Phoebe had weighed the pros and cons and had come to a conclusion that David was of great value to her, she planned to use him to the maximum.


    "Yes!" David threw a clenched fist in the air, he excitedly left promising to call her later.

 Chapter 59 Sharks findings____1

    She packed her bag and left as well feeling better than she had in a long time. It was because it had been so long since she last ate such a filling homemade meal.


    Her phone rung while she was in the elevator and she looked at it, sneered and put it away. It was her mother calling so she deliberately ignored it. A call from any of the Gabriels was not welcomed anymore.


    Her attention was captured by a very curious spirit which wanted answers.


    "You said yes to the date easily. I expected you to say no since you have been singing about how much you don''t like him, is he growing on you dear?" The Saxon spirit tried to block Phoebe''s path but unsuccessfully as she passed through it like it was nothing more than wind. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe entered the car and ignited it. "I still don''t like him but If he is my destiny like you are always singing then i cannot avoid him. He found me here so even if i run, he will find me again. I have better plans in store for him now." She smiled slyly.


    The Saxon spirit was quite knowledgeable about her plan to use David as a weapon against Ruth. As long as it brought Phoebe and David closer, it didn''t matter.


    She drove herself to the city medical examiner''s office while playing music to which Connie sung along loudly. The girl knew the lyrics to every song like an automated machine. Phoebe was in a good mood so she simply laughed and encouraged her.


    On arrival at the Citrus City Medical examiner''s office, she went straight to Claire''s office. She had called her the previous night and made an appointment with her. Although Claire was booked and busy, she had cleared her schedule because Phoebe said that it was important and she was the only person that she could trust.


    When Claire''s assistant announced Phoebe''s arrival, Claire took off the gloves and gown and asked the assistant to continue examining stomach contents of a victim.


    "Hey Pheebs, am nervous about whatever this request is, yours are usually very odd." Claire laughed nervously as they walked her office. She went ahead to close the blinds in there just to make Phoebe feel at ease.


    "Morning." Phoebe greeted in a cheerful voice. She then reached inside the tote bag that she was carrying and pulled out a small clear bag.


    She went ahead and handed it to Claire whose brows moved up.


    "What is this?" She pulled it closer to her face. "Is that..."


    Phoebe nodded. "Hair? Yes it is. I want you to help me do a DNA test and what more credible place than here."


    Claire was curious so she looked quizzically at Phoebe. "Okay but whose DNA do you want to compare this to."


    "Mine, I want to know if I am in any way related to that person."


    Phoebe''s words that elicited a silence in the room. Claire asked no more questions, she pulled out a few strands of Phoebe''s hair and kept it separately on the side.


    "You know, if you provide some blood or saliva and the identity of this mystery person i can make a comparison if said person is in the DNA database."


    "No, i don''t want even a whisper of what i am asking you to do to slip out. It''s better to remain anonymous, completely." Phoebe turned Claire down.


    "Okay then, i am going to take it right now and you''ll get the results in two days." Claire patted Phoebe on the shoulder and left quietly.


    Phoebe too walked out almost immediately after her friend left. She walked to the parking lot with her head lowered, when she reached her car, she opened the door then she heard someone cuss.


    Unintentionally she looked in the direction from which the voice came from, she saw Shark and his partner, detective Johns.


    She closed her car door and and approached them.


    "Hey Shark, you look like you are having a bad morning. Did you post an ugly picture of yourself online?" Phoebe asked because the man kept flexing his muscles and punching the air.


    She made light of his anger because she had no idea what was eating him.


    "Pheebs? Why are you here?" he asked.


    "I passed by to see Claire." she replied casually.


    "Who''s the babe Sharks?" Detective Johns slicked back his hair and smiled at Phoebe. He put on what he considered to be his killer smile.


    Shark went ahead to introduce Phoebe to Johns a little impatiently.


    "Johns, Phoebe and Phoebe, Johns. Now we all know each other."


    Detective Johns stretched his hand to her. "You are the Phoebe Shark described as his hidden ace. You are much younger and more beautiful than I thought. You are not the woman i pictured from all the stories he has told me about you."


    Phoebe returned his handshake. "All good stories I hope."


    In the back of mind, she recalled all the times Shark had complained about Johns, calling him slow and incompetent. Who knew what he was saying about her to Johns.


    "Nothing bad, nobody could have a reason to talk ill about a beauty like you." he laughed.


    After they exchanged greetings, Miller tapped once on Shark''s shoulder. "Buddy, this isn''t the end of the world, maybe next time." He smiled at Phoebe and left.


    "Why is your world ending Shark?" Asked Phoebe who folded her arms, leaned against his car and studied his face. He was visibly angry.


    Shark kicked the air and turned to her. "Can you believe that after all the hard work that I put into solving the Susie Isles case, I wasn''t given my promotion! Can you believe it? All that I was given was this stupid envelope while my superior was promoted to lieutenant." He threw the white envelope on the ground, dollar notes peeped out of it.


    Phoebe bent and picked it, she checked inside and whistled loudly in wonder. "This is what ten thousand, I''ll be grateful to take this if you don''t want it...."


    He snatched it from her and put it back in the pocket. "You are missing the point! I burst my ass because I need that promotion."


    A chuckle escaped Phoebe''s lips and pointed to herself. "You mean I burst my ass because my ghost seeing abilities gave the name of the killer. Your anger on this one is unjustified, be grateful that you were rewarded. That promotion will come at the right time."


    Her words quickly humbled him because he knew that she had a point but that didn''t stop him from sulking and grumbling unhappily.


    "But still my superior didn''t deserve the promotion either. He didn''t do anything but bark and demand for results. It''s infuriating i guess. Next time, i will solve the case on a live broadcast or something."


    She rolled her eyes and decided to ask about his investigation into her since they had bumped into each other anyway. "Do you have anything on my case? No matter how small or irrelevant, just tell me."


    He shrugged. "Honestly there is nothing shady about this investigation, not yet anyway. You, Phoebe Gabriel were born at the St. Marcelino children''s hospital. It''s a luxurious hospital where most of the wealthy women in this city give birth to their babies from. Your parents wouldn''t have been able to afford it if wasn''t for the employment benefits that your father got as a member of staff.


    He was working there as a security guard at the time."

 Chapter 60 Sharks findings___2.

    Nothing odd happened during your time of birth and nobody quit or received any suspicious payoffs. You asked about the Mayfairs and i found out that they too had a baby girl on the same day you were born at St. Marcelino. Normal birth, no complications, there is nothing odd there but i will keep digging if you want me to.


    The only suspicious information I found out about the hospital in relation to children and scandal was that the hospital was sued four years ago but they settled the matter privately. All the parties involved signed NDA''s but i am Shark, i don''t stop until i find something to devour. I dug deep and found out that there was a nurse who switched two babies accidentally supposedly.


    One of the children had a car accident and needed a blood transfusion and this led to the discovery that the parents and the child were not related. They hired a private investigator and finally found their child being raised by another family. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Both families were up in arms and they sued the hospital. The hospital settled and fired a nurse whom they dumped all the blame on. But this is not related to you anyway, not unless you were also switched, haha."


    Phoebe had listened carefully, her heart began pounding when Shark confirmed that the Mayfairs had a baby on the same day too at the same hospital in which she was born. It''s like all the pieces were falling into place and pointing her in a single direction. All she had to do was wait for the results of the test.


    "In two days...just two days."


    *************************************


    Meanwhile Luke Mayfair who had barely had a wink of sleep because he was having similar thoughts and doubts as Phoebe ordered for a DNA test of his own when he got to the hospital where he worked.


    "How quickly do you need the results?" A lab technician asked him.


    "As soon as possible, hours if possible if you can squeeze me in. Tomorrow works to, but i need the results quickly."


    "Let me see what i can do." The lab technician dashed away with the hair samples to do the test.


    He wasn''t the only one anticipating for the results, Andre had followed him because he hoped that the results would return immediately.


    "Am sorry to disappoint you but you have to wait for a day or two." Luke burst his bubble. "If we are lucky, maybe hours."


    "I think it will be cool if she is our sister too. Did you see how see stood up against that ghost catcher? It''s like I was in an action movie." Andre beamed with excitement.


    Luke''s eyebrows formed a frown. "By the way there was a moment when we were having coffee, you jumped up like you had seen something weird. Then you asked if I had seen something, what did you see?" He played with the pen that was in his fingers.


    Clearing his throat, Andre said that he had to be mistaken. There was no way he was going to say that he read Phoebe''s thoughts, the first thing Luke would do was try to admit him and check his brain or accuse him of using drugs.


    "Nothing, I thought I saw a ghost, anyway am leaving now. Call me as soon as those results come back." Came his lie before he rushed out.


    *******


    Katherine Saxon was the definition of a successful woman, and this was evidenced by the awards that she had won in the world of drug innovation and development. She also saw herself as a businesswoman and often brokered new business deals for the Saxon group.


    Most of her time however was spent in the field researching new herbs that could be used to develop new drugs or improve the already existing ones made by the Saxon Pharmaceuticals. She was quite easily the most working Saxon in the current generation of grandchildren.


    Unfortunately for her, even though she had too much money and ambition, she had only a slim chance of attaining her dreams. Katherine Saxon had just one dream, to become the first chairwoman of the Saxon group. No woman from the Saxon family had ever held that position.


    Nobody said they couldn''t do it but it was like an unwritten rule that wasn''t discussed and Katherine believed that she would be the woman to change all that.


    It also looked possible because none of her brothers according to her was capable of contributing to the group like her. The research department was flourishing only because of her. All the employees and members of the board saw her contributions and respected her greatly. There was a saying that went around that the Saxon group had finally birthed a worthy woman.


    Everything was going according to plan for her until about a year ago when David suddenly became mature. He cleaned up his act and joined the company. To make matters worse, he had made awesome medical discoveries and managed to garner respect from the employees and board members too. Between the two siblings, an unacknowledged competition had formed.


    Katherine was determined to show everyone that she was far better than her young brother. She vowed to make more medical discoveries, advance Saxon research labs and this would give her an edge over David.


    Having seen her grandma''s miraculous glow up and build up in energy, Katherine knew immediately that whatever supplement she was taking wasn''t ordinary so she made it her mission to find out what was in the supplements.


    When she got to office that morning, she researched about the black ghost cafe. She then clicked on the catalogue read about each of the products carefully, wrote a few notes and selected one of each into the shopping cart.


    "Purchase." She mumbled as she clicked the mouse. According to the information that she received, the delivery man was going to bring her purchase in thirty minutes.


    "This is a small start up, all I have to do is buy the owner out, or get their recipe. If not then I''ll have to copy and paste, register for the patent and make it mine. What can they do? I am a Saxon after all." Katherine smiled slyly, to her the end always justified the means.


    The delivery was made to her office in less than the said thirty minutes. Katherine''s personal assistant brought the medium sized paper bag to her office.


    Upon receiving it, Katherine went straight to her private lab. A researcher herself, she didn''t want anyone doing this particular job for her. Her lab was highly secure to keep out curious eyes and prevent theft. She had even gone so far as to post a guard outside of it.


    All the documents and garbage from her lab was taken to the Saxon tower for burning. Katherine guarded against theft in every way possible.


    She was in there for an hour and after studying the tonics, Katherine was left in a mixture of confusion and amusement. In her opinion there were no strange herbs in the tonics, some were rare but not impossible to find. It didn''t explain there potency however.


    What she needed to know most was the recipe because one can have all the herbs correct but without the right proportions, it would all be a waste of time.


    She took off her gown, went to the office and picked her bag and headed out to meet the owner of the Black ghost Cafe.

 Chapter 61 Bad rubbish.

    Katherine was packing an attitude when she arrived at the Black Ghost Cafe. She looked around disdainfully, appearing to be disgusted by the place. Then, she smiled dryly and asked the manager if she could speak to the cafe owner.


    Unfortunately, Rosett informed her that the owner wasn''t there yet which seemed to displease Katherine.


    "Can I call her and tell her that you want to see her? I can make an appointment for you if it''s urgent. What''s your name please and?" Rosett stopped speaking when Katherine raised her index finger to shut her up because her phone was ringing.


    "Shhhh quiet." She rudely ordered.


    Rosset curled her upper lip and stared at the impolite camouflaged woman, she knew her type pretty well because such customers usually came around, rich and arrogant dressed in disguise such that no one would identify them and know that they sought for the services of a shaman.


    After answering her call, Katherine walked out without saying another word to Rossett who sneered.


    "What a rude woman! good riddance to bad rubbish."


    She was about to sit down when the front door was opened and more bad rubbish walked in. It was bad rubbish to Rosette because it was none other than the Gabriels who she had seen in pictures on Phoebe''s phone. She was already caught up on their lack of a familial relationship to Phoebe. The Saxon spirit and Connie were always gossiping about Phoebe''s life out in the open.


    She didn''t even bother to pretend and fake friendliness. The sneer on her face was loud and clear.


    "Hello, welcome to the Black Ghost Cafe." she bit out angrily.


    She turned up the air conditioning, then got up from behind the counter and walked to the open area as they were already sitting down. Rosette acted as if she had no idea who they were, treating them like ordinary customers.


    "What would you like to have? Before making your order, please know that our cafe has cash before snacking policy." S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Don''t you recognize us young lady, we are Phoebe''s parents." Elizabeth who was perturbed looked at Rosette with a slightly agitated look.


    "Really..." Rosette responded. "Hmmm, i have never seen you here before."


    The couple looked uncomfortable, and you would think someone was holding a gun to their head and forcing them to sit inside the cafe.


    "Why is this place so cold?" Elizabeth asked.


    Rosette lowered her voice and made it whispery, like she was telling a ghost story around a campfire. "Because our clients are mostly ghosts. They tend to suck energy and feed on the souls of humans who...."


    Elizabeth squealed, and stood up, pushing the chair to the ground. "Let''s go and wait from outside, i don''t want to stay in this damned place any longer." She complained to her husband.


    Aaron shook his head and disagreed. "I won''t move until we see this girl. She dared to cause so much trouble that Ruth ended up in a drunken state and even fainted. She already has a weak constitution, i don''t understand why Phoebe can''t give in and leave David alone."


    Unwilling, Elizabeth turned to Rosette.


    "Pick up the chair, don''t you see that it has fallen down?" She shouted at her.


    "Tch!, you pushed it down and you want me to pick it up for you as if you are royalty. Lady, these chairs cost three hundred fifty dollars each. If you have damaged it then you must pay for it."


    With a warning, Rosette bent down and picked up the chair. She saw two old scratch marks that had always been there.


    "Look, look, see what you have done, there are two scratch marks." She accused. "Pay for the damage or i am going to call the police right now."


    "What?" Elizabeth frowned. "Fine i damaged it, and so what? Didn''t you hear me tell you that we are your boss''s parents? One word from me can get you fired from this job. "


    She pushed Rosette away and sat down while mumbling angrily. "No wonder Phoebe is not sensible anymore, she keeps company with rude people like you."


    "What are you waiting for to serve us tea or coffee?" Aaron barked at Rosette.


    Rosette scoffed and looked up, raising he eyes so that she could roll them while trying her best not to accidentally blurt out the truth about their being fake parents. She didn''t want to spill the beans but the couple was just so infuriating.


    "Where is Phoebe by the way? Go in there and tell her to come out right away." Aaron gestured at Rosette dismissively.


    "My boss is not around, you can wait around as long as you want but it''s all useless since she is not planning to come in today. Also, we don''t have any drinks or snacks, everything is sold out."


    Rosette turned around and walked away from them. The ghost seeing glasses were on top of her head and she lowered them, then gestured at Sylvester to deal with the Gabriels. As long as the ghosts scared the couple, they would soon run away.


    The chairs started moving around on their own and ''wooooo'' sounds which people associated with ghosts started coming from the air above the Gabriels. Meanwhile, Rosette was already texting Phoebe to warn her about the sudden visit from her fake parents.


    Phoebe was just driving into the parking when she got a 911 text from Rosette. It was code for trouble and it was followed up by a picture of her parents.


    Phoebe didn''t bother to park her car, she just turned it around and continued driving all the way to the farmer''s mall.


    She had every intention of avoiding the Gabriels until she was certain that she can talk to them without punching one of them in the face. Whatever it was that they wanted to talk about had to wait. Phoebe parked the car, reached for her phone which was ringing loudly.


    It was David informing her of the venue of their date. The mi amor restaurant was the same place that they had gone to on their first date in her past life. He also pointed out that he would be picking her.


    The phone began to ring again, it was her father calling. Phoebe sneered, switched off the phone and stepped out of the car.


    She walked straight to the seed shop. It was a small shop located at the extreme corner of the mall. The old uncle stood up the moment he saw her. "How can I help you young lady?" He asked politely.


    "I want the following seeds and herbs, some are rare but am sure that you have them in stock like you usually do." She handed him the list and looked around, studying the new seeds and herbs that had been brought in.


    The old uncle packed, weighed and sealed them. He then gave her dandelion flowers and seeds as a bonus. "It has very many healing properties but has become very rare lately."


    The Saxon spirit nodded. " He''s right, you can make liver cleansing tonics, helps to fight inflammation and many more. The flower, leaves, roots all have benefits buy more of it."


    Phoebe was already aware the benefits of the roots, leaves and flowers. She thanked him, paid and left the shop. Since she didn''t know when the Gabriels would be giving up, she decided to drive straight home and begin preparing for the date.

 Chapter 62 A date with David.

    Even after rebirth, the hardest part of preparing for a date was choosing an outfit. Since she didn''t dress like an old frumpy old woman anymore, it was perplexing to decided what was too much or too little for a first date. Her bed had been turned into a mountain of clothes, many with their tags still on, indicating that they had never been worn.


    "This is like watching a dog at a meat buffet." Connie laughed at Phoebe''s plight.


    Phoebe ignored the girl. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes and picked a dress at random. She opened her eyes and nodded firmly.


    "I have made my choice."


    She threw off her towel and pulled on the jeans she had picked out.


    Saxon spirit threw Phoebe a disapproving look for it greatly disagreed with her choice of outfit.


    "I think that you should wear a sexy see through dress to seduce David. How do you hope to achieve anything wearing those long pants? Are you going to work in a factory? I mean I was hoping that tonight is the night that you take things to a whole new level."


    Her words caused Connie and Phoebe who were standing in front of the mirror admiring her finished look to study it once again.


    Connie disagreed with the Saxon spirit. "I think it''s perfect, this is the new sexy, it''s demure. She is flashing some cleavage to be tempting but not ratchet." She looked at Phoebe with stars in her eyes. "Sister you look pretty but simple."


    Phoebe was wearing a pair of light blue jeans, a white corset top and white stiletto heels. For her hair, she let it flow like the endless river of the Nile.


    "That''s it, I think i am done." Phoebe began to walk away from the mirror only to pause when the two ghosts said no in unison.


    "What now?" She stared quizzically at them.


    "Your face! I mean at least put in some effort and apply on some makeup. Right now you look like your usual self." The spirit pointed at Phoebe''s make up bag. It had very little makeup because she barely needed it.


    "I am a natural beauty." Phoebe declared.


    Connie nodded. "Yes, you are but i am with her on this one, you look like you are going to war with that face but lucky for you, I know a thing or two about makeup." She vanished into the pendant.


    Phoebe touched her face and scoffed while admiring her natural beauty in the mirror.


    "How is this the face of a person going to war?" she stuttered.


    Connie came out of the pendant with a makeup box which she immediately opened, revealing seven layers of different products. It was the kind of makeup box used by professional makeup artists.


    "When and how did you get that makeup box into the magic space Connie?"


    "Thank spirit Saxon for this, we know that you are lacking in this department. Luckily I am here to save the day." Connie bounced on her feet in pride.


    "She pinched it from Susie''s house." The Saxon spirit shared.


    Phoebe gasped and shook her head at Connie, giving the young girl a look of great disapproval.


    "How could you Connie?"


    "It''s not as if Susie needed it anymore." Connie muttered.


    "The girl is right, dead Susie doesn''t need makeup. Stop looking for excuses and present your face."


    There was no point arguing with them so Phoebe accepted. She would still have a serious conversation with the girl about taking things which didn''t belong to them. One Sylvester at home was enough, he didn''t need an assistant.


    When Connie was done, Phoebe admired the girl''s handiwork with appreciative eyes.


    "Good job." she paid her a compliment and pulled a small dish of mixed yoghurt with fruit which Sylvester had left there in the morning.


    "Why are you eating? You need to leave space for when you''re at the date." The Saxon spirit tried to take the dish from her but in vain.


    "Rule number one, never go on a date hungry, you can never know what might happen." Phoebe talked as she chewed.


    With her ghost seeing abilities, she never knew when she would have to drop everything and help a ghost. Or if there was a malicious spirit in the restaurant and she had to call a ghost catcher to get rid of it. Or maybe business on David''s side, an abrupt meeting or an emergency at Saxon tower. There had been many of those which ruined their dates when they were married.


    Phoebe switched on her phone and found over ten messages. Her father expressed his bitterness of her behavior towards them and promised that whenever he saw her, there would be hell to pay.


    Her mother too seemed furious especially with Rosset and demanded that she fire her employee.


    "Humph" Phoebe scoffed and deleted them.


    She stowed the phone in her purse but pulled it out again when it began to ring. Phoebe thought it could be David telling her to meet him in the parking area.


    To her surprise, it was Collin Baltimore. She answered the call immediately.


    "Hello?"


    "Pheebs hey, I have been trying to call you but your number has been unavailable. Is everything alright?"


    "Yeah, there is no problem here, my battery died. Why is anything the matter?" A slight frown formed on her face.


    "Well i... I just wanted to ask you something but...in person, can i come over." His hesitation only made her curious but it was the wrong time.


    "Oh....unfortunately I have a thing but tomorrow perhaps?" Phoebe made a suggestion to which Collin agreed before he hung up.


    She sat down in a chair and waited for David. After about ten minutes Phoebe who was tired of waiting started running out of patience.


    "Why isn''t he here yet? I am about to cancel the whole thing."


    "It''s been literally only nine minutes, be a lady and have some patience!" Saxon spirit vanished in search for David and reappeared immediately. "He''s here."


    The moment Phoebe heard it''s words, she walked to the door and opened it just when David was about to knock. Surprised, he stared at her.


    "You are late, i hate to wa...." Phoebe''s sentence was interrupted by


    David who completed it. "Wait. I am sorry but I had a situation. I am here now and we can get going." His eyes roamed over her like he was looking at a bag of his favorite candy.


    "You look ravishing tonight Pheebs." David praised her.


    He knew that she had made an effort because he could hardly remember her wearing makeup, even on important functions. She was also in very good shape and the clothes only accentuated her curves which made her more desirable.


    "Thank you." she brushed her hair back and stepped out.


    He followed her, acting like a gentleman all the way as he escorted her to the car.


    When they reached the Mi amor restaurant, Phoebe acted surprised that it was totally empty.


    "Where is everyone? Are we early?" Her big doe eyes looked at him. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Just when he was about to brag that he had bought the restaurant for the night she burst his bubble. "Don''t tell me that you denied other people the chance to enjoy the food here by buying out the restaurant for the night? How Saxon of you." She sounded very unimpressed.

 Chapter 63 All Collins, he disliked.

    David''s eyes fluttered around, slightly lost. Most women found his act of emptying out an entire restaurant for them romantic. In fact Phoebe loved it in their past life, she delighted in it. So, why is it that she was disappointed in this one.


    Think David, think....., he urged his brain. If this date wasn''t up to her taste anymore then he had to cut it short and move to plan B.


    "What? Why would you think that I would do such a thing? I only came here to pick up something. We are going to the other branch of the restaurant."


    He lied quickly but she saw through it of course. It made Phoebe fold her lips because she wanted to let out a guffaw.


    David pulled the manager aside and whatever he told him left the man distraught.


    "Why Mr. Saxon, is something wrong? What don''t you like, the decorations, band, flowers, rose scented candles?" He asked. He seemed worried because the rich man was canceling and he thought that they would be asked to make a refund.


    "We can change it all Mr. Saxon." the manager offered eagerly.


    "Don''t worry, everything is okay i just have an emergency." David patted his back and rushed back to Phoebe who was getting an earful from the Saxon spirit which was dissatisfied.


    "He put in a lot of thought, time and money to plan this! How can you be so dissatisfied with it?"


    "Spoken as a true Saxon, the world doesn''t revolve around your family. All those women he played around with in the past, he did this for them so what thought did he actually put in? This is not what I want, I never said I was going to make it easy on him. After what he did to me....." Phoebe''s words trailed off when Connie announced that David was coming.


    They left and in a few minutes they were at the other branch of the Mi amor restaurant. Since he was a Saxon, David didn''t need a reservation. Having such a rich man at the restaurant was proof that they were the best in the business so they practically blew trumpets and dropped flowers along the path as they welcomed him inside like a king.


    The manager and all the staff scrambled to attend to them, even abandoning other guests and Phoebe scoffed.


    [But of course, I have to be reminded that being a Saxon is like walking with a golden toad around your neck]


    No wonder people didn''t like the Saxons very much.


    David inhaled softly on reading her thoughts, he was fed up of her mocking his family at every turn, it''s not like she had met any of them yet. Not every Saxon was bad, and he could name a few good ones.


    "This is the best night, we are hosting two people from some of the most important families in the country." They heard the employees gossip as they followed the manger to the table that was allocated to them.


    Phoebe shrugged because it was really none of her business but it suddenly became so when they stepped in the VVIP section.


    She saw Collin Mayfair first, he was having dinner with a news anchor named Kelly.


    She was one of the prettiest women in Fog country with a high number of men wooing her. Recently it was rumored that she was dating a Mayfair and most people speculated that it was Andre the playboy but boy oh boy were they wrong.


    Collin Mayfair raised his eyes and saw David and Phoebe, unintentionally he lowered his cutlery and sneered. It''s like he lost his appetite immediately.


    Phoebe pulled her eyes away from him and settled in the chair with David''s help. He too had seen Collin but he didn''t care to greet him.


    Phoebe on the other hand went on like she had never met him before, they ordered for their food and drinks. They went on to have a light conversation. In no time, the food arrived and just when they were about to enjoy it, Collin shamelessly stood up and approached them.


    He pulled a chair and joined them, leaving Kelly on her own.


    "Collin." David said coldly. "God I really don''t like that name " David mumbled. It was evident that the two men were not friends at all. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Neither do I like yours David. So it''s really true that you are dating this little fake shaman. You two look great, I approve of this one hundred percent. In fact i approve of all the women you date as long as it''s not my sister." Collin''s eyes shifted from David to Phoebe.


    The Saxon spirit wanted to hand him a good invisible slap, it took a good amount of effort to hold back. "He''s ruining everything, if he doesn''t leave I might be pushed to do something bad."


    David had kept his cool but clenched his fists when Collin called Phoebe a fake shaman. "Call her a fake shaman one more time and your teeth will be spread out all over the floor." He warned, his icy glare fixed on his opponent.


    The manager of the restaurant knew what to do without being told. He moved away and told the staff to do as well. When the elephants were fighting, it was better for the ants to keep a distance.


    A chuckle slipped through Collin''s lips. "Calm down tiger, maybe another day. I am here because I want to talk about my sister." His voice became more serious but he used a calm tone.


    It wasn''t new for Collin to warn him to stay away from his sister so David assumed that he was going to talk about just that.


    "I am not in touch with her in any way, you don''t have to issue empty threats like a gun shooting blanks."


    Collin cleared his voice. "Empty threats! Careful David, I am a dog that actually bites..."


    "Get to the point! As you can see I was having a good time before you came here without an invitation might I add." David raised his voice, Phoebe was forced to put her hand on top of his to calm him down and it worked like magic.


    "You know very well that my sister has a weak constitution, we hate to worry her with anything. Why would you cut her off abruptly knowing that she will be hurt. I am request...no am asking that you be gentle with her because if anything happens to her, my family will hold you accountable.


    If you are to throw her out of your life, do it bit by bit. It''s okay for you to be friends, what I am not okay with is you dating her. Start by unblocking her because if something happens to her Saxon....." Collin paused when announcer Kelly joined them.


    "Hi David." She spoke casually like the two were friends. However it seemed like the friendship was one sided for David sniggered and told Collin that he would think about what he had said.


    "Now both of you need to leave because you are upsetting my woman here." David and the two uninvited guests looked at Phoebe who was smiling with her eyes closed, she seemed to be amused by something.


    David took her hand and squeezed it pulling her out of her reverie. She was busy recharging that she hardly heard anything that was said after Collin brought up Ruth.


    Her facial expression irked Collin and Kelly.


    "What''s that smug look on her face?" Kelly wrinkled her nose.


    [Tsk tsk, the great Collin Mayfair. I would warn you that miss Kelly here is cuckolding you but i won''t. I will wait to read it on the gossip blogs and the internet like everyone else in three months.]

 Chapter 64 No sleeping together on the first date.

    Her thoughts on Collin were as clear as day and he read each and every word. He blinked continuously in disbelief and looked at everyone else. David was looking at him with displeasure while Kelly was impatient and angry. None of them were reacting to what he had seen.


    Collin folded his lips and stood up abruptly pushing the chair far behind. He pointed at Phoebe but words failed him because he wasn''t certain about what he had just seen.


    "You...you I hope you are keeping your distance away from my sister like I told you to." He walked away leaving Kelly behind.


    In utter shock, Kelly flipped her hair and run after him.


    David stared at Collin in a mixture of shock and confusion after he warned Phoebe to stay away from his sister. It also seemed like this wasn''t the first time he was warning her.


    "Do you know who that man is Pheebs? Wait a minute of course you do after all he''s Ruth''s brother and you have met him before. Did he warn you to stay away from his sister?" His back to back questions fell on deaf ears as Phoebe''s full attention was on announcer Kelly who almost fell down in a bid to catch up with Collin.


    "Did you say something?" She asked when David touched her hand, his quizzical gaze fixed on her. He had to repeat the question to which she answered that she didn''t know him at all.


    "Other than the fact that I had seen him in the news, I had never really met him. Except for that one time when he came to my cafe and threatened me." Phoebe curled her upper lip upwards.


    "That''s odd! How come you didn''t meet him earlier? Even when you went to the Mayfair mansion you didn''t meet him?" David continued to ask because he was curious.


    Like many other people, he was assuming that she knew the Mayfairs and had interacted with them often since she and Ruth were high school friends.


    "My supposed best friend made it her life''s mission that I never meet any member of her family. Maybe she was afraid that i would fall in love with one of her brothers or something. I haven''t even been to her home but she frequents mine like she owns the place. Gosh I was so stupid to believe that she ever considered me a friend." Phoebe leaned back in the chair and folded her hands.


    A smile formed on David''s lips because he was happy that Phoebe was no longer naive. Although he wanted to protect her from the likes of Ruth, she had to be on guard herself. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe took a sip from her lemonade and continued to speak. "Collin Mayfair came to the cafe recently to warn me to stay away from her because I apparently beat up his sister and tore her clothes. Ruth is a cunning person, she tore her clothes, hurt herself and lied against me to my parents and hers."


    She went ahead to send David a video of the dash cam footage as proof. When he saw it he wasn''t surprised but instead shook his head continuously.


    "She must be putting on a show at home. Aunt Jennie called me earlier in tears, pleading that I pay Ruth a visit. Apparently they are afraid that she may fall sick since her body is weak. My hands are tied here because I pity uncle and Aunt." A frown formed on his face.


    [Your hands are tied! This is how the male lead is often trapped by the female villain in novels. If you dare to go there and act friendly with her, i will cut you out of my life completely. So what if Ruth is sickly, is she dying? In fact, i hope she cries to death, that piece of trash.]


    A smile played on Phoebe''s lips as she thought. David who had read them raised his brows.


    "I have no plans to visit them but my grandmother might make me escort her to the Mayfair house. If she does, i know exactly what to do when i get there." He hailed for the waiter to bring their bill. After paying they left the restaurant.


    It was a quiet ride home and David kept sighing every once in a while.


    "Spit it out." She said as she propped her head on her clenched fist.


    David cleared his throat. "I was wondering why you have animosity towards my family. By any chance has any of them paid you a visit?"


    There was no point in telling him because she was sure that grandma Saxon was going to tell him that she visited him or perhaps he could see her drinking the tonics from her cafe.


    "I have met two." She completely ignored the question about animosity.


    The brakes screeched when David suddenly stepped on the brakes, thankfully Phoebe was wearing a seatbelt so it held her in place.


    David''s eyes flew wide open. "Who and who? Was it my mother? It has to be, she just doesn''t know when to mind her business. Did she threaten you in anyway?"


    A sneer came through Phoebe''s lips, she was glad that finally David knew how impossible his mother was. However it was surprising because in the past life, she had told him about his mother making her life hard but he never took her seriously. She wondered what might have happened for him to have a change of heart.


    "The Saxons I have met are your grandmother and another whom you don''t need to know about." Phoebe wasn''t intending on telling him about the Saxon spirit.


    The spirit was in agreement, it believed that David wasn''t ready yet. In good time he''ll know everything after all he was Phoebe''s helper.


    David cocked his head slightly and quickly turned his eyes on the road. "Grandma? What did she want? How come that she hasn''t told me anything?"


    "She wanted supplements, her visit was totally innocent." Phoebe kept a lot of information to herself including the fact that grandma had disguised herself to meet her.


    "I think she is nice." Phoebe added.


    He smiled, glad that she didn''t hate all Saxons. When they got to the Cerene Apartments, David escorted her to her place. He kissed her on the cheek and left amidst the spirit demanding that she invites him in.


    "Why are you ending things here, call him back. There are so many doors you''ll open when you sleep together!" The Saxon spirit hovered back and forth.


    "Nice try, those doors will remain closed because i am not sleeping with him after one date." Phoebe entered the house.


    Connie was in agreement. "This is the first date, he''ll think she''s loose girl. Is that what the females need your generation did?"


    The spirit was so mad that it vanished, Phoebe was clearly not seeing it''s point and there was no need explaining.


    ****


    To Luke Mayfair, it felt like that particular day was the slowest day of his life. Every hour he called the lab technician asking whether the results of the test were out but each time he was disappointed. He spent his day seeing patients, and thinking about those results.


    It was late and his shift was already over but he was still in the office contemplating the possible results.


    A slight knock on the door called for his attention. "Come in." He lazily said.


    It was the lab technician, he had a big white envelope in his hands. "Doctor, these are the test results."

 Chapter 65 Sister?

    Luke quickly stood and accepted the envelope from him. His heart was racing like a fast car, the tension kept surging as he opened the envelope.


    Before looking at them, he closed his eyes took a deep breath and tried to calm himself. When he felt calm enough, he opened his eyes and looked at them.


    "Oh my God!" He screamed as he sank in the chair on seeing the results.


    His scream was so girly that the nurse passing by outside of his door thought the doctor was treating a little girl inside. Inside the office where no little girl was, Luke''s heart had picked up pace again.


    Possibility of relationship is 50%


    Luke kept reading the statement over and over again. Suspecting that he and Phoebe were actually related was one thing but actually confirming it was another. He mulled over what to do next and had so many questions running through his mind.


    How did it happen? How was it possible? When? How come that no one realized anything? How would Phoebe react to the news? What about his family?


    In a haste, he stowed the documents safely back into the envelope and rushed out of his office. He called Andre on his way home, he was the only other person that he could talk about this with.


    "Andre, drop whatever you are doing right now and meet me at home."


    "Hell no! I have this gig and I am surrounded by a few beauties. I am not leaving that...." Andre was rudely interrupted by Luke.


    "Cut it out! The results are back and you need to get you wayward ass home ASAP." He hung up abruptly.


    When he got home, Luke stayed in the car for a while, gathering his thoughts and calming his nerves. The last thing he wanted was to appear nervous just in case he ran into someone and ended up blurting out everything.


    After a few minutes, he picked up his phone, the envelope and stepped out of the car. Luke opted to use the path that was in the garden which led to the side entrance of the house. It was a path that was barely used unless someone wanted access to the flower gardens.


    He kept looking back and forth like as if he was carrying a briefcase of stolen diamonds and thieves were hot on his tail.


    Unintentionally he bumped into someone, due to panic and sweaty hands, the envelope fell and so did his phone.


    His heartbeat doubled when he saw that the one person he had bumped into was the very one he was hoping not to bump into; his sister.


    Ruth who was browsing on her phone and planning to leave the house stealthily using the side entrance was also startled to meet Luke. He avoided her eyes and looked around furtively like a child caught by his parents stealing sugar.


    A frown formed on her face as she asked if he was okay. "You look nervous." She chuckled and wiped a drop of sweat from the side of his face.


    Quickly he reached for the white envelope and tucked it under his armpit like it was the safest place he could put it.


    "I...i.. well it''s nothing." He began to walk away but she called him back.


    "Your phone." Ruth picked it up and handed it to him. She couldn''t understand his behavior and why he was guarding the envelope with his life. It wasn''t as if she planned to peek, after all, it wasn''t unusual for him to bring back work from the hospital.


    She took one last glance at the envelope, shrugged and continued on her way. Luke stood there, he wanted to run but his feet wouldn''t let him, it''s like he was stuck.


    When his sister disappeared, he sighed deeply feeling relieved that her nosy self didn''t reach for the envelope first. He wiped cold sweat and walked to the stairs, planning to go to his bedroom. He found Ophelia coming down the stairs.


    "Mr. Luke should I bring dinner to your room? Everyone has already eaten." Ophelia asked but was dismissed without a word being said to her.


    When he got to his room, he checked the documents for the eighth time just to confirm that he wasn''t dreaming. He paced back and forth decided to take a quick bath while waiting for Andre to get home.


    After his bath and change of clothes, Andre was still not there and Luke got impatient. He was about to call Andre again when he heard a knock on his door.


    "It''s me." Andre''s voice came from the other side.


    Luke rushed and opened the door, before Andre could say anything he pulled him inside and locked the door once again.


    Andre looked at him quizzically. He had already put two and two together. The dna test results were back and Luke was nervous and impatient. He must have confirmed his suspicions.


    Pointing at the envelope that was resting on the work table, Luke told Andre to read the document himself.


    "You need to see it to believe it."


    Without wasting time, Andre read it and the test confirmed Luke''s suspicion. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Our suspicions were right, Phoebe is related to us." Luke shared, perched at the edge of the big bed.


    Andre clapped once. "Why is it so small, only 50%? Is she a cousin or something? Did Aunt Maureen have a child that we don''t know about?"


    "No, you dumb ass! This means that Phoebe isn''t some distant cousin. She''s our sister, blood sister, at least she''s mine because I used my hair sample." Luke wiped his face with his palm.


    A smart guy that he was, his not so intelligent brother was really frustrating him because he was slow at catching on.


    "But how? Is this really legit?" Andre couldn''t believe what he was hearing, He hoped that Phoebe would turn out to be a long lost cousin or relative but sister was far from his imagination.


    One of their parents had to be the parent and since it would have been noticeable if their mother was pregnant, their father naturally fell on the sword of suspects. Scratching his head, he came to a conclusion that their father must have had an affair.


    "Dad had an affair. It''s the only thing that makes sense because between mom and Dad, they had only four children. Our poor mother, this is going to break her."


    "You are an idiot." Luke laughed.


    Andre paused his words when Luke called him an idiot.


    "Were you not listening at all to what I said. Let me give it to you straight one more time. Phoebe is our blood sister, not half but real sibling."


    Andre sat next to him and remained quiet, the information he was receiving from his brother was so confusing and only their parents could possibly have the answers to their questions.


    "We have to ask mom and Dad right now, they must know something." Andre stood up but his brother pulled on his hand.


    "No, no not like this. Ruth might get distressed by all this. We need to come up with a good plan on how to go about this." Luke made a reasonable suggestion.


    The two brothers spent a good part of the rest of the night coming up with a plan on how best to spring this surprise on the rest of the family.

 Chapter 66 Unrequited love and plots.

    Since he had returned to the country, Dickson Saxon had gone to the Mayfair residence twice to see Ruth but he had bounced because he had been told by Ophelia that either Ruth wasn''t around or that she wasn''t feeling well. He resorted to calling her but she refused to answer his calls.


    It was just the same this morning, he was calling her but she wasn''t answering. He had made ten calls so far and all of them went unanswered.


    He picked up the phone and called her again but she wasn''t picking his call. Dickson was frustrated because he was infatuated with Ruth and he wanted to see her beautiful face. It had been a while since he had last seen her.


    Besides he had brought her a lot of gifts that he had personally chosen in the hopes of impressing her. He had brought jewels, foreign scented oils, famous wines and chocolates, designer bags and shoes which she liked.


    He dialled again and bit his bottom lip. "Pick up." he whispered. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The result was still the same which caused his blood to boil. Dickson was so furious he threw the phone which fell on the floor and the screen cracked.


    "Easy there son, if that skunk doesn''t want to see you then just get another girl. There so many beautiful women out there that would die to be with a Saxon." His mother Margaret sipped on her morning coffee.


    She didn''t understand why one girl had him all twisted up as if it was the end of the world.


    "Mother you do not understand, yes there are many women out there but none of them is Ruth Mayfair. She''s beautiful, classy and elegant. Don''t you follow the celebrity news, Ruthie is the most eligible bachelorette in Citrus city." Dickson spoke through pursed lips.


    A chortle escaped Margaret''s lips. "And yet David doesn''t want her." Her words came out unintentionally and they cut through her son''s heart for he gave her cold glare.


    She sighed and said exhaustedly, "It''s bad enough that we are the second branch in the clan, so close to the ultimate power and yet far but do you have to pick up David''s rejects as well?"


    "That''s rich coming from someone that is jealous of aunt Jennie because she married into the first branch of the family. If I marry Ruth my worth in society will triple because there is a rumor that her father is willing to give some of the Mayfair properties to her husband''s family.


    We may be Saxons but we aren''t as rich as the first branch but if I marry Ruth we shall be equals I believe." Dickson wrinkled his nose at his mother.


    "Your point is valid. If you had explained, i would have given you all the support you needed. To think all this while I thought your obsession with her was because of love." Margaret sliced through the bacon on her plate.


    She had married for power and wealth and she expected her son to do the same. One of her biggest fears was that her son would bring home a poor girl and reenact some foolish cinderella fantasy in real life.


    "Tch! Of course love is involved. I am strategizing for our future mother but still I love Ruth with all of my heart." Dickson dabbed the corners of his mouth and stood up and left.


    He went straight to the Mayfairs with loads of gifts. Even if he didn''t see Ruth, he could butter her parents up. When he got there, Dickson was happy to run into grandma Mayfair whom he hadn''t gotten the chance to see yet.


    The old woman was so pleased to see that he had brought gifts for her granddaughter that she immediately told Ophelia to call Ruth.


    "Well...uhm..." Ophelia stammered because she had already lied to Dickson that Ruth wasn''t around when he arrived.


    "Now, Ophelia." She ordered.


    The maid scampered away, hoping that Ruth would not slap her for waking her up.


    Within a few minutes Ruth appeared. She looked pale and the sparkle that usually lit in her eye was gone. It was obvious that either she was truly sick or something was bothering her.


    Grandma Mayfair told Ruth to sit next to Dickson. "Now this is the kind of man that you should give all your love to. Apparently he has been here twice to see you. Instead of focusing on David give Dickson attention after all they are both Saxons. Look at all the gifts he brought with him." She looked at him adoringly.


    It always gladdened Dickson''s heart when grandma Mayfair praised him in front of Ruth. She was the only one that understood that he was the perfect partner for her. Her brother''s and father were nonchalant about the issue while her mother only sided with her daughter.


    Because he wanted to show grandma Mayfair that he cared, Dickson spoke without knowing that he would regret his words in the seconds that followed.


    "Ruthie are you alright? You look really pale. I hate to see you like this, tell me whatever it is that you desire and I will make sure that you get it." Dickson placed his hand over hers but Ruth pulled hers away almost like she was repelled by his.


    Her act of pushing his hand away hurt him but not more than the words that came out of her mouth when she spoke.


    "Can you bring David here?"


    Dickson snarled softly but his smile quickly returned. And because he wanted to show that he an understanding type of man, he told Ruth that he would try his best. Without further ado, he pulled out his new phone, a replacement of the one whose screen he had shattered and called him.


    "David, my brother, where are you? There is an emergency at the Mayfair residence....." Dickson paused his words when David said that he was on his way already. He kept that to himself because he wanted to gain points by making it look like David had come specifically because he had told him to.


    The smile on his face grew wider. "He''s on his way. Like I said anything, I will do anything to see Ruth happy." He maintained his cool even though what he really wanted was to punch through the wall when Ruth perked up and run upstairs to change into better clothes.


    He just didn''t understand her, Dickson had done everything a man could do to make a woman fall for him but Ruth was still hellbent on making David fall for her. What made the situation sadder was the fact that David didn''t like her like that.


    It worried Dickson that one unfortunate day, David would change his mind or be pushed by the adults to marry Ruth. The Saxon elders believed that she was his perfect match. Perhaps it was time to smear David''s reputation again. The Mayfairs would never allow playboy David to marry their daughter.


    In no time David arrived, the moment he stepped into the house, Jennie Mayfair who had claimed to be busy when Dickson asked for her rushed downstairs to receive him.


    "Aunt I thought you were busy." Dickson mentioned only to regret asking again.


    "I was but i am never too busy for my son David." She signaled him to sit close to her.


    After the greetings were done, Jennie hurried with a request for David.


    "Aunt is a little displeased with you David, how could you treat my princess like this? You have been close friends since childhood, how can you cast her away to the side like a stray dog. You even went so far as to block her calls? My son you went a bit too far. Remember she''s sickly and we have to handle her with care."


    Dickson jumped in because he couldn''t listen anymore. "Yes David Aunt Jennie is right. Ruthie is like a sister to you please treat her as such."

 Chapter 67 Breaking hearts.

    Sister! The words that came out of Dickson''s mouth caused Jennie Mayfair to clench her dress tightly. This wasn''t the angle she was driving at, slowly by slowly she wanted to convince David to give Ruth a chance, just a try at a real romantic relationship not a sister- brother relationship.


    She was aware that her daughter wasn''t going to give up on him because she was not the type to lose. Everything Ruth Mayfair wanted in life, she got.


    David cleared his throat. "Aunt Jennie I am sorry that my actions made you worried but I have been too occupied with work and Ruth just kept calling and interrupting me. I had to block her to focus on work, my intentions were not bad at all."


    Letting out an enormous belly laugh, Dickson looked at David. "Work? You blocked her because you were busy working, David are you sure?" His questions were provocative simply because he had evidence that David was out hanging out with Phoebe.


    "Of course that makes perfect sense, see mother I told you that David must have had a good reason to behave that way." Jennie clapped once excitedly and spoke to grandma Mayfair making it a point to ignore Dickson.


    In that moment Ruth came down stairs, lively like never before and dressed to the nines. She ran to David and wrapped her hands around him.


    "I have missed you so much but am glad that you finally came to see me." Her hug became tighter, the tighter it got the angrier Dickson got.


    David used a lot of strength to tear her hands away from his neck. He didn''t want her touching him because he didn''t want Phoebe cutting him off.


    "You look perfectly okay, I thought you were dying or something." He studied her face, Ruth had even applied makeup on. It was obvious that she was playing the victim as usual.


    Grandma Mayfair suggested that they give David and Ruth some privacy.


    "I am sure that these kids have a lot to talk about, let''s not make them uncomfortable." She pulled on Jennie''s hand because it was obvious that she wanted to stay longer.


    "Dickson you can come and help me with something." Jennie wanted David and Ruth to have a private moment but to her disappointment, Dickson turned her down.


    "I need a private moment with Ruthie too aunt." There was no way he was leaving these two together.


    Ignoring Ruth completely, David faced Dickson. "I heard you have some things for me." He moved away from Ruth, widening the distance between them even further.


    "Ohh I am sorry but since I didn''t find you at the Saxon tower, I gave whatever I got you to the less privileged." Dickson used a sarcastic tone.


    "That''s more like you Dick." David''s tongue pressed on the nickname Dick. In fact he added a chuckle to his words, he was aware that Dickson hated shortening his name but David did it anyway just to taunt him.


    Dickson clenched his jaw. It took a lot of effort for Dickson not to punch David, he was playing nice only because of Ruth. Instead he laughed half heartedly.


    "Do not call me that." His calm voice couldn''t hide the storm that was brewing on the inside of him.


    Ruth interrupted and asked David to stay for dinner however her request compelled him to stand.


    "Now that I have seen that you are in good health, I better get going." He stood up only for Ruth to block his path.


    "How...how can you go just like this? We need to talk about us..."


    David interrupted her rudely. "There is no us Ruth! The only thing that I can say is that I have unblocked you but only because of your family that you are putting through hell with your drama. Stop the pity party, it makes you look pathetic. Call me only if you understand that the only relationship that the two of us can ever have is a friendly one and nothing more.


    I am already seeing someone else, i just came to make that clear." His words were like bullets aimed straight to her heart.


    Ruth clutched on her dress, it''s like David''s mind had been made up. Her blood boiled when she had him declare that he was seeing someone else. It was then that she came to understand that she wasn''t going to get him easily and if she had to pretend to be his friend until she got Phoebe out of the way then so be it.


    "Fine! Let''s have it your way. But David we have been in each other''s lives for so long. This relationship cannot end just because you have no feelings for me. It''s fine I understand you completely." An innocent smile formed on her lips.


    The two men stared at her in complete disbelief. How was it that the tenacious Ruth Mayfair was giving up too easily.


    David nodded, left the Mayfair mansion and drove himself back to his apartment.


    Dickson on the other hand felt like a winner, he wished that he could buy David a beer for finally making it all clear within the ear shot of grandma Mayfair and Jennie. He had a smile that reached his eyes for he believed that finally his time had come.


    "Wipe that annoying smile off your face." Ruth told him as she walked and sank into the sofa. "If he thinks that this is over, then he has another thing coming. The only person David Saxon will marry is me not that good for nothing girl who comes from a poor family." She vowed.


    Confused, Dickson''s smile quickly fell as he touched the base of his neck. "What is wrong with you? He doesn''t want you, he is dating another woman and he is already crazy about her."


    "How do you know that?" She glared at him.


    Ruth hadn''t anticipated that the news about David being interested in Phoebe had began to spread already. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Without wasting time, Dickson pulled out his phone and showed Ruth the photos he took from grandma Saxon''s phone.


    She sneered. "How ridiculous, David has really lost his mind. Instead of being with me, a woman from high society, he has chosen to play in mud with a pig. We''ll see how far he''s willing to take this." She sent the photos to her phone.


    Dickson raised his head and took back his phone. "Ruth why are you obsessed with David. If it''s about marrying a Saxon then i am right here."


    Ruth snickered. "You my darling are not and will never be half the man David is. He''s not just a Saxon he comes from the first branch. That means money, wealth, glory and power." She trailed her eyes over him giving him a scornful look. "You on the other hand what do you have to offer? Love?


    Please, give me a break." She stomped on his heart without any mercy.


    Without waiting for him to say anything else, she walked away and returned to her bedroom. One hour later, Ophelia screamed, almost bringing the entire house down. Ruth had taken a dozen sleeping pills.

 Chapter 68 Who was to blame?

    One by one, the Mayfairs that had been alerted to Ruth''s condition all rushed to the hospital, filled with intense worry. No matter what Ruth had done, she was a daughter, a sister and granddaughter. On hearing that she had attempted suicide, they couldn''t help feeling frightened.


    They gathered at the hospital, and huddled together like a football team, comforting one another and sharing assurances that she would be fine. There was no lack of self blame to go around as everyone was somewhat filled with guilt.


    "It''s my fault, i should have sent David Saxon away the moment he showed up at the house." Jennie cried out. "I already know how he feels about her so why did i think that he would be nice to her?"


    "No, it''s my fault for expressing my disappointment loudly last night. I think i broke her heart." Edward Saxon lowered his eyes and sighed.


    Grandma Mayfair shook her head and touched her son''s arm. "It''s me, i should not have allowed them to speak privately. No, i should have leveraged my friendship to push for an engagement between the two of them during their childhood."


    If they had done that, maybe David and Ruth would already be married by now and none of this would be happening.


    Collin who was struggling to keep it together with his hands clenched tightly also shared in the blame. "The fault is mine, i should have told the servants not to allow the Saxons cross the threshold of our house. I made it clear to that bastard playboy to stay away from Ruth. I am going to kill him. Let''s not forget that phony friend Phoebe, she is also to blame in all this."


    "Nobody is killing anyone or blaming an innocent party. It''s not our fault that Ruth is so obsessed with David that she can''t think logically." Andre shouted at them.


    He was already feeling very protective of Phoebe who he thought was being blamed wrongfully by Collin. David was the one pursuing Phoebe so how was this her fault. Did she put the pills in Ruth''s hands or force her to swallow them?


    Andre''s words fell on deaf ears for some of the Mayfairs like Jennie who saw logic in Collin''s words.


    "Yes, it''s not our fault, it''s that friend of hers. She is the one that started all this by going after David even though she knows that Ruth loves him."


    Before Andre could rebuke that wrong thinking, Ophelia approached them with Ruth''s phone in hand.


    "Matriarch, madam, master, these are the last texts that miss Ruth received before taking the pills. I think i should read them out loud for you."


    "Go ahead." grandma Mayfair encouraged her.


    Ruth: [Pheebs, we have been friends for a long time. I hate the fact that we are fighting over such a silly thing like the love of man. I want to meet and talk, can i pass by your cafe?]


    Phoebe: [You are like a bug that doesn''t know when to go away when it''s not wanted. Stop texting, don''t visit, i am not your friend. In fact, if someone like you is my friend then i don''t need enemies.]


    Ruth: [Why are you treating me this way? I have always been good to you Pheebs, i gave you expensive clothes, expensive food, brand name shoes, bags and i also paid all your expenses when we took vacations. I gave you so many expensive gifts all the time and did nice things for you. Isn''t that enough to prove my friendship? Can''t we stop this and go back to the way we used to be?


    I really miss you, my friend.]


    Phoebe: [I don''t remember ever begging for any of those things. If you need replacements i will calculate how much you spent on me and compensate you.]


    Ruth: [Pheebs, i don''t need compensation, all i want is David, please, just leave David alone. I will give you anything you want. I will do anything, you ask of me. You are my best friend, can''t you give in this once for me. I will die without him.]


    Phoebe: [Then die.]


    Jennie gasped and crumbled to the floor, sobbing softly.


    "It''s her, she did this to my princess. She might as well have handed Ruth a rope to hang herself by telling her to go and die."


    "I am going to kill her. A bug!, how dare she call my sister a bug and tell her to die." Collin suddenly rose and punched the wall.


    There was nothing which united people more than a common enemy and at the moment they had all found one. All along they were all suspecting that Ruth had attempted to kill herself because David had rejected her once again but now it seemed that there was more to the story.


    It was Phoebe, once again that had caused Ruth''s unhappiness and this time she had gone a step too far. Some of the Mayfairs wanted Phoebe to pay dearly for her actions.


    Their anguish was momentarily put on hold as Jennie fainted and she had to be rushed to a private ward where doctors checked on her.


    "Everyone please do not worry, Mrs. Mayfair is just exhausted, it''s nothing serious." Dr. Murphy relieved the worried family. "All she needs is some vitamins which we have administered to her and rest, a lot of it."


    They stepped out of the room and headed back to the VVIP waiting area.


    "And my princess?" Edward asked, the frown on his face remaining there.


    Dr. Murphy sighed deeply and shook his head. "As you already know her body is weak and she is prone to illness. We will have to wait for her to wake up such that we can know if there was any damage caused by the pills but for now we pumped her stomach and everything looks good. While you can take a breath now,we are going to put her on a twenty four hour suicide watch. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I am worried about a another episode like this occurring. I don''t know why she took the pills but i think it will do miss Ruth some good to see a psychiatrist."


    Edward returned to his wife''s side and relayed the doctor''s words to the rest of the family.


    "It is that nobody that caused this! She is not going scot free, she will pay for sure." Edward spoke through gritted teeth, holding back his anger. He was not one to make empty threats so this was a promise.


    Andre was at crossroads, if really Phoebe had pushed Ruth to commit suicide by telling her to die deliberately, it was going to be really hard to defend her. The entire family was against her now they were literally ready to see her hanging from the gallows.


    He came back to his senses when he heard his father say that he was calling his friend the commissioner of Citrus city police.


    "What? No!" Andre shouted. His entire face went pale, his stretched hand trembled and he shook his head continuously.


    They all stared at him quizzically especially Ophelia who was under strict orders by Ruth to keep her ear on the ground because she wanted to know everything that took place while she was unconscious.


    Luke who was already in the know for the reason as to why Andre was reacting like that told Andre to calm down but his brother was vibrating with so much energy that he couldn''t be stopped.


    "You cannot do anything to Phoebe! Not until we hear her side of the story anyway." Andre''s words shocked everyone except Luke who quickly approached Andre and ordered that he follow him.

 Chapter 69 Andre makes a revelation.

    "She is awake, Edward, Jennie is awake." Grandma Mayfair rushed to Jennie''s side.


    Luke pulled Andre outside. "I know that you were about to open your big mouth yet I told you that this is a sensitive topic, you cannot just drop the bomb in an already tense situation. Please take control of your emotions."


    Andre raised both of hands and placed them on his brother''s shoulders. Facing him with urgency in his eyes, he shook his brother slightly.


    "Did you not hear Dad threatening to put charges on her! I will not sit back and allow our sister to come to harm because everyone is jumping to conclusions. There must be more to the story than meets the eye." He marched away with determined steps.


    Luke watched his brother walk away in fury with heavy eyes knowing that Andre couldn''t be stopped anymore. Even though they had only met Phoebe once, it was obvious that he was already attached to her. What worried him was that Andre was an erratic person and anytime from now he was going to spill the secret out whether everyone was ready to hear about it or not.


    He followed Andre back into the room. They were not allowed to see Ruth for now, so Jennie''s room was a temporary gathering place for them. He could hear his mother''s cries before even opening the door.


    Jennie Mayfair was still inconsolable which worried family especially her husband. In the bid to calm his wife down and fulfil her demands, he pulled his phone from his pants and called the commissioner.


    "There is a person that I need you to arrest immediately for attempting to kill my child. Her name is Phoebe Gabriel or Hopkins whatever, just lock her up and throw away the key. Shuffle her through the system if you must to prevent her from calling for help. I will repay this favor greatly." Edward hung up and moved to sit beside his wife who suddenly wiped her tears, smiled and hugged her husband.


    "Thank you honey, that girl deserves no mercy at all." She sniveled. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Luke glared at his father, the veins in his neck pulsing visibly. "You people are insane! You have no idea what you have done father. Call back the commissioner or whomever you just gave those orders and rescind your order now." He clenched his jaw.


    "Young man are you out of you mind! How can you talk to father like that. Apologize now, see the way his flexing his muscles like he wants to fight." Collin laughed sarcastically.


    "Yes Andre Apologize to your father and what''s gotten into you? Why are you defending this girl like she''s something to you?" Jennie blinked rapidly.


    It was in that moment that Luke knew that Andre was at his breaking point so he ordered Ophelia to leave the room. She was Ruth''s spy in the house and she would relay everything to her the moment she opened her eyes which they didn''t need.


    "But i...I was making chamomile tea for Mrs. Jennie, she needs to calm her nerves." Ophelia hesitated, she suspected that something serious was going on here because Andre was behaving strangely and whatever it was Phoebe had something to do with it.


    "Go now!" Collin barked at the woman who dashed out. "Now spill it." He ordered Andre.


    Luke moved to the door and further shooed Phelia away. She was also good at eavesdropping but he wouldn''t let her do such a thing today.


    "She''s our sister and I won''t let you harm her." Andre made a vow but his words confused his family further.


    "Child what do you mean? Your sister! How do you mean?" Grandma Mayfair stared at him. In her opinion the boy had to be running insane.


    "Luke check his temperature, in fact check him into rehab. It''s obvious that he''s doing hard drugs because none of this makes any sense." Edward scratched the back of his neck.


    The order was loud and clear but Luke only folded his arms and sighed deeply. "I am afraid that I cannot do that father and Andre is right Phoebe Gabriel is your daughter."


    Jennie shoved her husband away from her, without wasting any time she gave him a hot slap on the cheek. "You bastard! Have you been cheating on me? You have a love child! Am going to kill her in fact both of you."


    She was already teetering on the edge, between tears and anger so she reacted without thinking.


    Grandma Mayfair let out a shocking cry. "Jennie! How dare you smack my son? And you Edward, how can you do such a thing?" She gave her daughter in law an icy stare briefly before a look of dismay took over. "An affair, a secret love child, oh good heavens! This is all too much for me."


    She sat down and lowered her head, not knowing how to proceed. The atmosphere in the room was grimmer than before and Jennie was sobbing broken heartedly once more. Somehow, she had quickly turned pale, appearing completely sick.


    Edward meanwhile was startled as he stood and watched his wife condemn him for something he had no idea about. He then turned to his mother who was disappointed in him. "Mother I....i...." The poor man was at a loss of words, he glared at his sons that had just accused him and started all this.


    Luke had been asking the elders to calm down but none of them was listening to him so he kept quiet and waited for the dust to settle. When his father looked at him Luke resumed to speak. "Mom, dad didn''t cheat on you. Phoebe is your child too."


    Jennie gasped and covered her lips with her hand. "What...what do you mean?" Her voice was shaky.


    "How is that shameless woman our sister!" Collin was in total shock and he hoped that his brother''s were pulling a prank.


    "Can''t you see that she looks a lot like grandma? I don''t blame mother and father for being clueless but you met her, so how could you not you see the strong resemblance she has to us, especially grandma." Andre accused. "The only different thing about her is that she has red hair." Andre was miffed that a smart man like Collin didn''t suspect a thing.


    "Me?" Grandma Mayfair was shocked.


    "Yes! She''s like a doppelganger or clone whichever one you choose. If you were her age then you two could be twins. Grandma, you need to see her." Andre pulled out his phone and showed the elders a picture of Phoebe, they were all shocked by the strong resemblance.


    Edward''s eyes flew wide open. "Red hair? She has red hair? There are ancestors in our family that had red hair so if she has it then....but hold on, how did you find out, is this just a suspicion? No, how is this possible?"


    Luke raised his hand and told them about the DNA test. "It confirmed that we are siblings, I just don''t understand how it''s possible for her to exist unless..."


    "This Phoebe is the same age with Ruth too." Grandma Mayfair clapped once, cutting off Luke. "What if Jennie had twins and one was stolen? That''s the only explanation I can think of that makes sense since Luke says she is your child, both of you."

 Chapter 70 Phoebe is arrested.

    Edward looked directly at Luke. "Let''s do the DNA test again compare it to ours. In fact do one on Ruth as well, mother could be right maybe Jennie had twins."


    "But....bu..." Jennie tried to speak but couldn''t. She was certain that she carried and gave birth to one child not twins. The only possibility to her was that one of the girls wasn''t hers. She decided to keep it to herself until the results were back. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Luke and Andre sprung into action immediately. Andre mercilessly pulled some hair from his father before gently collecting one from his mother, ignoring his father''s sneer.


    Collin received the same treatment as Edward, rough hair pulling and grandma Mayfair didn''t wait, she plucked her hair on her own.


    "Do you need blood and saliva too?" she asked eagerly.


    Luke nodded. "I will get a syringe."


    When Luke run out, she asked Andre to show her the picture of Phoebe again. Just like her grandson, she already felt a closeness to Phoebe even though she had not met her before.


    Meanwhile the Black ghost Cafe was booked and busy, but mostly with ghosts. News had circulated not just in Citrus but all over Fog country that the Cafe was a sanctuary for ghosts that were hiding away from ghost catchers so ghosts had showed up in droves and camped in there.


    Phoebe had spent most of her morning hours convincing the ghosts to move on. "No one is going to hunt you on the other side, besides if you were good in this life, then you have a chance at reincarnation."


    Most of them understood and she showed them how to move on once they got past why they were stuck. So much energy was funneled into the pendant that she felt like she could float.


    For the ghosts that stubbornly refused to move on, Phoebe sent them away because the cafe was not a ghost refugee camp. Besides she wanted no trouble with the ghost catchers.


    When that was done, Phoebe locked herself in her office then informed Connie and the Saxon spirit that they needed to plant the seeds in the magical space.


    With all the energy she had now, the land was capable of growing plants and the space could hold living beings. All the pets were in there running around freely.


    "In the near future you still need to buy land because people will become suspicious to where your special raw materials come from and guess who can help with that, David!" The Spirit said enthusiastically.


    "I am planning on it, I will use him as much as I can." Phoebe let out an evil chuckle which miffed the spirit.


    It''s desire wasn''t for Phoebe to use David but rather for her to fall genuinely in love with him but clearly Phoebe still had her guard up.


    Sylvester came forward. "Boss can I help too, there is not much to do here I am sure that Rosset is good on her own."


    Phoebe laughed maniacally. "Wait Sylvester, you want me to expose this secret magical space to you? A former thief! I personally believe that a leopard doesn''t change its spots, the answer is a strong no."


    Connie who wasn''t ready to plant anything cleared her throat. "Well you better change your mind about that because i am not doing it. Brother Sylvester is strong and has the energy equivalent to four people. We need him."


    "She''s right you know, there are trust issues here but there is a solution." The Saxon spirit slapped it''s finger and an old scroll with golden knots at the end appeared.


    "This is a loyalty contract Sylvester, sign it and you can enter the magic space. You should know that if anything goes missing I''ll vanquish you to the Ice hell. It''s a place far worse than purgatory." The spirit used a very serious and warning tone.


    Sylvester believed that this was his moment to prove to Phoebe who was still a doubting Thomas that he was really loyal to her.


    "I will sign it and believe me the ice hell is the last place anyone would want to end up." Sylvester signed without hesitation.


    The scroll grew flames and vanished the moment it was signed.


    Phoebe smacked her lips, there was no point in rejecting Sylvester''s help.


    "Okay let''s go in." They all entered the magic space.


    The place had changed once again, it was bright, very bright. With huge stars hanging so close from the sky that Phoebe could touch them.


    "I have never seen stars up close." Phoebe slowly poked one with her index finger curiously.


    The Saxon spirit explained that these were fallen stars collected over the years and used to light up the space at night. The pendant used to be an empty place, and everything there was created through magic, including a small sun during the day.


    "They have magical energy that will keep the herbs healthy and grow faster even at night. More than that a fallen star wards off evil if you keep it close. We have multiple of them now, maybe you can make necklaces and bracelets coated with their dust. I told you the more energy you feed this place, the more it will reveal it''s true nature."


    Phoebe agreed with it, such bracelets and necklaces would bring in more money. Besides they would be easier to carry around than talismans for people that were afraid of facing judgment from others.


    After choosing a perfect spot, they began to plant the seeds. Phoebe left the space because she had to meet Lizzie Guzman. They had agreed to sign a contract over lunch.


    She drove all the way to Guzman gas station, one of the hundreds the Guzman''s owned in the country.


    On the way to the reception desk, she received a text from David who was checking on how she was and if she had eaten lunch. Reluctantly, she replied.


    [Yes to all.]


    She put her phone away and introduced herself to a receptionist that took her to Lizzie''s office. When she got there, the first thing Lizzie did was to apologize for changing the meeting place from a nice restaurant to her office.


    "The contract should have been signed already if I didn''t have pressing matters to attend to abroad."


    "It''s okay." Phoebe touched the woman''s belly to see the condition of the baby. "He is sleeping so peacefully."


    Lizzie smiled happily. "He is a good boy."


    The lawyer walked in with the contract and Phoebe stepped back. She entered business mode and both women studied the contract carefully.


    Just like she had requested all her conditions has been clearly written. Phoebe smiled and sighed it and so did Lizzie.


    "Call me or come and see me incase of anything." Phoebe told her before leaving.


    As she was getting back in her car, she received a call from Rosset informing her that police men from Citrus PD were at the cafe looking for her.


    "Why is there a problem?" Phoebe asked as she started her car.


    "They have refused to say anything. What do I do?" Rossett''s voice was glazed in panic.


    "I will be there shortly." Phoebe''s pressed on the accelerator.


    The moment Phoebe entered into the Cafe, the police men that had been waiting stood up and asked. "Are you Phoebe Hopkins?"


    Phoebe nodded in response.


    They looked at each other. "Ma''am please stretch out your hands." They roughly placed cold metallic cuffs on her cold hands. "You are under arrest for inciting a suicide." They began to shove her out of the door forcefully.


    Phoebe didn''t understand what she was being accused of, she tried to resist but she had no chance against the two strong men.


    Against her will, she was whisked away towards the Police car.


    "Call detective Shark." Phoebe shouted to Rosset who dashed back inside.


    The first person she called was David Saxon, then Detective Shark.

 Chapter 71 Dirty cops and a fake name.

    During the ride to the police station, Phoebe mulled over everything that had happened for the past few days but still she couldn''t come up with a good reason for her arrest. Inducing a suicide, whose suicide was it? She hoped that by the time she got to the police station, Shark would be waiting for her.


    Still, she couldn''t just wait for Shark to find answers. Perhaps if the mean police officers were loose tongued, they might offer up some information.


    "Hey officers, what am i under arrest for?" she yelled from the back.


    "Shut your mouth." The one in the passenger seat warned.


    "But i have the right to know who is accusing me so that...."


    Phoebe was not ready for the sudden fist to her cheek which caused her an incredible amount of pain.


    "I said shut up." The officer repeated.


    Phoebe flinched and glared at the officer.


    "You are going to pay for this, i swear." she promised darkly.


    The officer laughed and looked at her with contempt as he made a threat. "Keep talking and you will leave your teeth on the floor of this car."


    Before Phoebe could stubbornly respond, the Saxon spirit and Connie popped out of the pendant.


    "Phoebe what the hell is going on? I sensed that something wasn''t right out here." The Saxon spirit looked around curiously. "We are not in the shop anymore."


    Connie pointed at the cuffs. "Are those wait a minute." Her index finger pointed at the officers. "Are you under arrest? What for?"


    [I don''t know! I guess we will find out when we get to the station] Phoebe communicated to them through her thoughts. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Oh my God, your face!" The Saxon spirit gasped. Quickly she gathered some energy to heal Phoebe.


    "Don''t touch it, this is evidence of police brutality and a crime." she turned her face away from the spirit. "I need to think, both of you should stay silent or return to the pendant."


    "Whatever it is I hope that Shark detective will get you out of it." Connie sounded worried.


    "So do I Connie." Phoebe shut her eyes tightly.


    When the car came to a stop, she was dragged into the police station like a common criminal by the two police officers that were rough handling her. They kept shoving her and one of them went so far as to pinch her ass.


    "That''s sexual harassment." she spat out.


    "Sue me." the man laughed.


    "We will see about that." she mumbled.


    They took her to the officer that was in charge of booking criminals for the day. It was a middle aged woman that appeared to be exhausted and bored.


    "Name?" she asked in monotone.


    "Mia Andrews." One of the officers was quick to answer.


    Phoebe turned her head quickly, surprised at the deception. When she was arrested, they had used her real name and yet now they were assigning her a new name. She was not a fool, these two were up to something.


    "That''s not..."


    One of the officers slapped her on the back of her head before she could say more.


    The booking officer looked up and raised her eyebrows curiously.


    "Do we have a problem here?"


    "No problem Maeve, just book the perp for attempted murder." One of the officers laughed. "Say, why don''t we grab dinner together one of these days Maeve, i would like to hear all about your son Timmy''s new little league game. I have heard he pitches like a star."


    The female officer was successfully distracted and at the mention of her son''s name, forgot about the doubts she was having.


    "Timmy will be a star in future, the kid has an arm which is faster than a rocket." she said as she typed in the name Mia Andrews. "Fingerprints and mugshot time." she said absentmindedly.


    The two officers nodded at each other and one of them pulled on Phoebe''s arm but she didn''t move an inch.


    "I am not Mia Andrews." she shouted loudly. "I am Phoebe..."


    The officers put a hand over her mouth but Phoebe was like a squirrel determined to evade capture and she bit his meaty hand. He removed his hand from her mouth while cursing.


    "I can vouch for her, she is not Mia Andrews, she is Phoebe Hopkins or Gabriel." Shark showed up and put himself between Phoebe and the officer that looked ready to beat her senseless. "What the hell is going on Sully? Why are you arresting my informant under a different name?"


    Officer Sully looked at the other officer, asking him for a plan B. The other officer rushed over and laughed pretentiously.


    "It''s none of your business Shark."


    He reached around to pull Phoebe out from behind Shark''s bark but Shark moved, blocking him.


    "I don''t think so Amaro. I am not going to allow you book her unless i know what she did and how she did it. Do you two think that i am a fool? I know how dirty you both are and right now, you seem to be up to shady business. What have they said she did Maeve?"


    The booking office had no idea what was going on so she told him what she had been told. "Attempted murder."


    Shark pulled his head back and laughed. "Phoebe, attempted murder! are you joking? I have seen her bandage injured ducks and cats on the side of the road. She doesn''t even kill flies and if she steps on an insect and kills it, she buries it with a whole funeral. I am surprised she is not even a vegetarian."


    The officer that punched Phoebe didn''t care to hear anything.


    "This is the commissioner''s business Shark, stay out of it. Do you think you can take on the commissioner? You will be working traffic before the day ends if you keep protecting her."


    Shark turned around and raised his eyebrows at Phoebe. He wanted to help but he couldn''t fight the police commissioner.


    "What the hell did you do to make the commissioner come after you?" he whispered to Phoebe.


    "I don''t even know who that is." Phoebe whispered back furiously.


    "I think i can take on the commissioner." A new voice joined the conversation.


    Everything that was happening had caught the attention of the other officers, detectives and even criminals in the police station. At the mention of the commissioner, some had even drawn closer to know more.


    "Deputy chief Amon." Shark raised his chest and the other officers stood at attention or at least changed their body language to portray respect.


    "At ease, everyone, i was just passing by when i saw my friend Phoebe and decided to listen for a while." Amon smiled at Phoebe.


    He thought that he would see relief or happiness on her face but instead she scoffed at him.


    "Oh, you don''t look happy to see me, Pheebs."


    Phoebe was taken aback and she frowned, deeply. When did they become friends and why was he calling her Pheebs? Also, why was a ghost catcher working as the deputy chief of police?


    Amon stepped up to Phoebe, bent down and looked at her eyes. "I see what looks like a black eye forming. Did they do this to you?"


    Phoebe had long been waiting to report the two officers. She didn''t care who was willing to listen so she loudly reported for everyone in the station to hear.


    "That one punched me and this one pinched my ass."

 Chapter 72 Many knights.

    The two guilty officers shared a similar look of fright on their faces. Like bullies that had met a bigger bully, they were desperate to escape.


    "Sir, we didn''t do that, we....."


    "Where is she?" David tore through the police station suddenly.


    With his white hair and familiar face, all the police officers recognized him immediately and a few almost fell over themselves rushing to help him.


    ''Mr. Saxon..."


    "Phoebe, Pheebs..." David called for Phoebe loudly, as he looked through the bars of the holding rooms were criminals were locked up before being released or sent to jail.


    Phoebe turned around to avoid being seen by him. Why was he the one to show up when she was in such a situation?


    [How embarrassing! Why is he shouting like as if he is looking for his missing kid? And why is he here? Has news of my arrest already traveled?]


    With her red hair, she could not hide and he saw her easily.


    "Pheebs!" he shouted in relief and run to her. He turned her around and looked at her in dismay. "Bloody hell! Why are her hands in cuffs? Take those off her." He ordered the policemen as if they were his personal servants.


    While other policemen were confused, Shark was not and he un cuffed her quickly.


    "What happened? Who did this to you? I am taking you to a hospital right now." He took her hand to lead her out.


    They didn''t go far because one of the arresting officers stepped in their way. "Mr Saxon, the order to arrest this woman came directly from the commissioner. She commited a crime so you can''t take her away."


    Even if the woman couldn''t be booked under a fake name, she could still be booked under her real name. The commissioner was also more powerful than the deputy chief.


    He spoke with a lot of confidence which triggered David for he raised his clenched fist only to be stopped by Phoebe.


    "Stop it! I want to know my charges first because I don''t understand why he insists on arresting me."


    She also spoke with confidence, impressing David as she was completely different from the woman he knew. The past Phoebe was a meek person but this one standing before him was assertive and not afraid of danger.


    Nevertheless David was undeterred, he was determined to prove to Phoebe that she could rely on him.


    As if on cue, six men dressed in expensive black suits approached them. Phoebe recognized the leader of the group, Mr Cornwell. He was the leading lawyer from T&C law firm, one of the most prestigious law firms in the country, also it was the firm that represented the Saxon group and family during legal battles.


    "It''s good that you are here, I want to sue the police for wrongfully arresting my woman, causing her emotional distress and abusing her physically."


    "And sexually." Shark helpfully added. "Those two pinched her buttocks."


    David growled and leaped but Shark and Amon stopped him.


    David''s index finger pointed at the two men that were now trembling and sweating. "By the time i am done with both of you, you will be sleeping on the street and eating from trash cans."


    The bravado of the two officers had started to waver. It was one thing to sue whole police station and it was another to be sued individually for sexual harassment and use of unnecessary force during an arrest. Moreover, if she was David Saxon''s girlfriend, even the commissioner would not save them.


    "Sorry sir, it was an accident..."


    "Cornwell.." David didn''t care to hear any apologies. All he wanted was to finish this and get Phoebe out of the station.


    The lawyer understood without David explaining much. "What are the charges..."


    Police chief rushed in before Cornwell''s question could be finished. "We are sorry for the inconvenience Mr. Saxon but the charges have been dropped."


    His words took them all by surprise, these said charges had not yet been explained to them and they were already dropped? Was it a result of the influence of the Saxon family?


    David banged the table which caused the Chief to tremble. "What are the charges and who filed and dropped them?"


    The Chief had just arrived so he knew nothing about this case outside the phone call he had received asking him to hurry and release Phoebe. So, he asked the officers in charge of the case to brief him.


    One of the officers, the one Shark had called Sully came forward but remained at a distance because David was glaring at him. "Miss Phoebe Hopkins is....was being charged with inciting suicide. The person that reported the case was Mr. Edward Mayfair and the victim is Miss Ruth Mayfair."


    Phoebe laughed lightly. "I am sorry but are you telling me that Ruth actually tried to commit suicide just because I told her to die?" She spoke unintentionally without knowing that she was incriminating herself.


    The police chief raised his brows. "Miss Hopkins are you confirming that you indeed incited suicide?" His widened eyes were fixed on her.


    Mr. Cornwell jumped in and told Phoebe to remain silent. "The case has been dropped, just in case you need to question Miss Phoebe here again do not do it in the absence of her lawyers. If you talk to my client again without my authorization, i will sue you. If you visit her place of work to question her without going through me, i will sue you.


    If anything about this unfair arrest is leaked to the press, i will sue you. If the two officers who assaulted my client so much as breathe the same air as her, i will sue the department" He took out a card and gave it to the chief.


    [Lawyers!] Phoebe shook her head. "Who dropped the charges then? Was it Ruth?"


    Shaking his head, the Chief spoke. "It was Mr. Edward Mayfair himself, Miss Ruth Mayfair is still unconscious as we speak."


    The answer shocked both David and Phoebe because they couldn''t understand why Edward would drop the charges when his beloved daughter was unconscious.


    "Sir, i think we should go now." Mr. Cornwell told David.


    David put both hands around Phoebe, providing support in case she was too weak to walk on her own. They left behind a lot of bewildered police officers who were sifting through the sudden information dump from what they had witnessed. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As they were leaving the station, Collin Baltimore arrived. He had heard about all that had happened at the cafe and he came as fast as he could.


    "Excuse me, i am here about Phoebe Hopkins. I heard she was arrested and brought here. I have brought lawyers and i can pay the bail if necessary."


    He handed a business card to the desk sergeant and pointed at the three lawyers he had brought.


    "She is already gone, David Saxon beat you to it." Amon shared from where he was standing.


    Collin rushed out, without saying anything else. The lawyers he brought shrugged and followed. They had already been paid and there were no reimbursements.


    "Those lawyers, that''s Max Gold of Gold and sons law firm. Holy cow, who is that guy?"


    The desk sergeant was already searching for information on Collin Baltimore online.


    "Collin Baltimore, the son of the CEO of Baltimore industries in Eagle country." he shared loudly.


    Many of the police officers gasped. Baltimore industries was just like Saxon group. They were quite comparable in wealth, influence and many other things.


    The chief looked at Amon, his deputy chief. He like many didn''t understand why all these men had rushed to Phoebe''s aid.


    "Who is this woman?"


    Amon laughed and replied, "A shaman."

 Chapter 73 Failed plan

    "A shaman!" The police chief exclaimed.


    "Yes, a shaman." Amon repeated with emphasis. He turned to Shark, the only officer that had bothered to protest the injustice Phoebe had faced. What was the relationship between the two, he wondered. Was she really dating David?


    The police chief stood up and pointed to the two officers. "You two have been suspended pending investigation. You dared to punch David Saxon''s girlfriend, sexually harassed her and tried to book her under a false name. Before all the big shots involved in this case call for my head, i will serve them yours. Arrest them."


    Shark and Maeve put the two officers in handcuffs.


    All the officers had forgotten all about the single reporter in the station that had been fishing for a big story. They didn''t even notice when the reporter slipped out. The only remembered when Citrus daily, released an article online which shook the entire country.


    "Move aside Ruth Mayfair, there is a new most wanted bachelorette in town. Meet Phoebe Hopkins, a young shaman whose beauty has captured the hearts of three of the world''s most wanted bachelors, David Saxon, Collin Baltimore and Amon Drusus."


    That article was followed by another swiftly.


    "Citrus PD arrests two of it''s own."


    ****************************************


    By the morning of the following day Ruth had woken up and her family had not left her side for a single second. They comforted her as she bawled her eyes out blaming Phoebe for everything for hours. The sun had come up and she was still going.


    "How can my best friend whom I love so much wish me death over a man I saw before her? She knows how much I love him yet she clings onto him." Ruth blew her nose in a white tissue.


    Even after wailing like a fresh widow, her family was surprisingly nonchalant about the issue. Some of them had grim expressions on their faces, particularly her brothers. In fact if she wasn''t mistaken none of them wanted to talk about Phoebe. Ruth was overjoyed, thinking that it was because they were furious on her behalf. Still, she had to play the good angelic, merciful card.


    "Father I know that you must be mad but please don''t do anything drastic after all, she is still my best friend." Ruth lied blatantly in fact she hoped for the exact opposite.


    [Get her arrested or send goons to beat her up I don''t care if she dies at least then David will move on to me] Ruth covered her mouth with a tissue and smiled.


    Her expectations were quickly doused with water when her father praised her for having such a kind heart. "You are really the daughter i have raised with so much love, you have compassion for others. Initially I asked the commissioner to arrest her but then I thought that it would only make you sadder so I dropped the charges."


    Ruth felt like she had been shocked by electricity. "YOU WHAT?" She shouted, sat up and stared at him wide eyed. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Her reaction however puzzled her brothers especially Andre. If he wasn''t mistaken, he sensed anger in her tone.


    "Isn''t that what you want? You just asked Father not to take drastic measures. I am so proud of you Ruthie, you are a sweet soul." Andre gave her a thumbs up.


    Ruth clenched her hands on the bed cover tightly, she shut her eyes and nodded. "Thank you all for understanding me." She smiled weakly but on the inside she wanted to scream out of anger.


    "Ruthie you are so nice that''s why that girl takes advantage of you." Collin kissed her forehead and left.


    Ruth''s eyes traveled to Ophelia who was pacing back and forth. She made a signal to Ruth that they needed to speak alone. Immediately Ruth suspected that something was going on, she told them that she need to rest so they left.


    When they were alone, Ruth who had been pretending to be so weak jumped from the bed but immediately she bent for she still felt pain in the tummy. "When I decided to take those pills, I didn''t think that I would be in so much pain, this hurts like a bitch."


    Ophelia gave her a cup of water. "How are you feeling? I told you to take a few pills I don''t understand why you took half of the tin."


    Ruth glared at her and swerved the cup. "Do not act like my mother and of course you don''t understand because you are dense." She prodded Ophelia''s head with her index finger.


    The woman chortled like she wasn''t offended. "Your plan failed miserably, in fact it only brought those two closer." Ophelia showed Ruth pictures of David and Phoebe at the police station which were all over social media.


    Furious, Ruth tossed the phone to the ground and it''s screen shattered.


    "God damn it! " She sat down on the bed and heaved. "That sly bitch should not celebrate yet because I am just starting. If plan A fails then I go to B. The alphabet has twenty six letters." She breathed heavily.


    "David ran to the station the moment he heard the news. The country is curious about the mystery woman because more than one eligible bachelor is interested in her. They are wondering if she will be the one to tame David the play....." Ophelia was interrupted rudely.


    "Shut your pie hole Ophelia! You are so stupid that you don''t know when to stop talking. Instead of coming up with ways I can get David to love me, you are talking rubbish!" She covered her ears and crouched down.


    Suddenly, she started crying, both from the pain coming from her stomach and seeing David and Phoebe together.


    Ophelia touched her chest, she hated to see Ruth in pain. The girl was like her own child because she had raised her herself, she understood her more than her birth mother Jennie.


    "I am afraid that there is more and it cannot wait, there is something odd about your family. Especially your brother Andre, he was hellbent on ensuring that your father doesn''t press the charges." Ophelia folded her lips and frowned in regret that she had very little information to give Ruth.


    "What, why?" Ruth raised her head and widened her eyes. She stood up abruptly and started pacing around, seemingly worried about something.


    "My phone, where is my phone?" She asked in a frenzy.


    She threw the pillow on the bed down before moving to the table where many fruits, flowers, get well soon cards and other things were sitting.


    "My phone, i need to find my phone." she screamed.


    "Your father has it." Ophelia informed her.


    Ruth turned around and held her hand out to Ophelia. "Give me your phone and get out right now."


    Her words were a command, one that needed to be fulfilled immediately.


    Ophelia handed Ruth her phone and lowered her head as she left. She was still convinced that something else was going on judging by how secretive the Mayfairs were and how panicked Ruth suddenly was.


    What was Ruth hiding from her when she knew all of her secrets?

 Chapter 74 DNA confirmation.

    From Ruth''s room, the Mayfairs moved as a singular group to Jennie''s. Jennie was sitting upright in the bed, leaning against a headboard. In her hands was a piece of paper with some smudged fingerprints. It had been viewed many times by different people. The paper was the result of the dna test between Jennie and Ruth and it confirmed that Ruth was not her daughter.


    Another piece of paper on the bed confirmed that Phoebe and her were mother and daughter. There was even one between Edward and Ruth, grandma Mayfair and Ruth, Phoebe and grandma Mayfair. Basically, they had done as many tests as possible to remove all doubt.


    Jennie sighed for the tenth time in two minutes before putting the paper down.


    "Is Ruth still crying?" she asked Luke who was closest to her on the bed.


    "She has calmed down and sent us out because she wants to rest." Luke answered with a sigh. "I don''t know what we are going to do about her after she finds out that she is not a Mayfair and Phoebe is."


    "She is a Mayfair," Jennie spoke up quickly. "I raised her from infanthood, i breastfed her, stayed up late at night when she was sick taking care of her. I am the one she calls mother so even if she is not mine by blood, she is my daughter."


    Edward put a hand on his wife''s shoulder and calmed her. "Relax honey, take a deep breath. Nobody is planning to chase Ruth out of the family. We all love Ruth, and we don''t want to chase her away just because she is not our biological child. But, Phoebe is our real daughter, we cannot leave her out in the world to wander around.


    We must meet with her and see to it that she is returned home, her rightful home."


    Grandma Mayfair nodded. "That is true Edward, i am so glad to see that you are thinking straight. Ruth is fine, our main concern now should be Phoebe. I cannot believe that i have a granddaughter that looks like me and she has been living so close but i never saw her even once."


    The old woman wiped away tears from the corners of her eyes. She had been crying on and off ever since the results of the dna test returned.


    She kept caressing the picture of Phoebe which Andre had sent to her phone. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Go and bring her right now, i must see her before i die." Grandma Mayfair sniveled.


    "Mother you are not dying." Edward hastily responded to his mother''s lamentation.


    Grandma Mayfair raised her eyes and glared at her son. "You, you arrested my granddaughter. What kind of father arrests his own child? How will she ever come home now? How was she even raised in another home? How did you take home the wrong child Jennie?


    How could you not know your own child?"


    She slipped out of the chair as if she was lifeless and boneless. Luke and Edward were quick to get to her and sit her upright in the chair again.


    "I cancelled the charges mother, i didn''t know that she was my daughter at the time."


    Andre scoffed. "It won''t matter to her if you knew or not. Father, i warned you not to make any rash decisions but you didn''t listen to me. You too, mother, you kept calling for Phoebe to be arrested and punished severely. I hope you are happy about your decision."


    Jennie winced and defended herself and her husband. "We didn''t know that she is our daughter. We were just seeking justice for Ruth..."


    "For what?" Andre barked.


    Jennie was startled and she whimpered.


    Luke and Collin stepped between Andre and their parents. Luke even pushed him back a little because Andre looked like he was ready to punch someone.


    "Andre calm down. Our parents are not to blame, Phoebe did tell Ruth to die." Collin shouted.


    Andre laughed and tilted his head so that he could see his parents clearly while expressing his displeasure.


    "If i tell any of you to go and die right now, will you kill yourselves?" He turned and looked at Luke. "Luke, you bastard i don''t like you and we were young, i pissed on your bed and told our parents that you did it which is why your little skeleton was confiscated by mom for a week. That''s how much i don''t like you so go and die."


    Luke scoffed and slapped Andre on the back of the head.


    "You crazy fool."


    The incident Andre was talking about did actually happen and Luke was aware that his brother was the culprit despite denying it vehemently back then. To date, Andre would not admit that he had committed the crime.


    Andre looked at his parents and Collin with satisfied eyes. "See, i just told Luke that i don''t like him and then asked him to go and die but he is still standing here. I don''t see him looking for a bottle of pills or reaching for the bedsheet on mom''s bed to hang himself. Can we really blame Phoebe for this or is it Ruth''s fault for being weak minded?"


    He shoved Collin out of the way and looked at Luke again. "How many times have we argued and i told you to go fuck yourself?"


    Grandma Mayfair grimaced at Luke''s choice of words while Edward stared hotly at his son. Did he have to use language like that in front of them? This was not one of his movies where he could use uncouth language as he wished depending on the character he was playing.


    "Many, many, many times." Luke was unfazed and he replied.


    Andre partially raised his hands and asked, "Do you actually go and fuck yourself?"


    Again, the adults in the room frowned at his language but Andre drove his point home as he desired.


    "Point taken Andre." Luke tapped him on the shoulder.


    Andre shrugged Luke''s hand away and stepped back from everyone. "No, i haven''t even made my real point. Ruth manipulated all of us by pretending to be drunk so that we could worry and force David to come and see her. How do we know that she didn''t take those pills to smear Phoebe and once again cause us to pity her?"


    "She wouldn''t do that Andre, you are going too far now." Jennie gasped and quickly defended Ruth.


    "Right, because she is such an angel." Andre said sarcastically. "You may all be blind to her faults but i am not. Ruth is spoiled and selfish and we all have a part to play in the rotten nature of her character. I will make it clear to you all that i intend to protect Phoebe from anyone that wants to harm her in any way." He looked around at his family, one by one and added, "Even if it''s you guys."


    He grabbed his black leather jacket and pulled it on. "I am going to find Phoebe and tell her that she is my sister. I also intend to apologize for the matter of her arrest. You guys do what you want."

 Chapter 75 Trending: Shaman

    Phoebe was at home, entertaining two surprise guests of her own. One was Evelyn that had come over to check on her and the other was Claire that had come over with the DNA results. It was no surprise to Phoebe that both of them were in her home given the news which had been circulating since the previous night.


    Her phone had been ringing off the hook, so much so that she had to switch it off. She didn''t know how reporters had discovered her phone number but they wouldn''t stop calling. Not just them but even relatives from the Gabriel side of the family.


    Phoebe knew them quite well and she could smell what they wanted from a mile away. They wanted to confirm if she had hooked up with a rich man and ask for favors.


    The word shaman was the number on trending topic online. Customers of the Black Ghost Cafe were already giving interviews, talking about the type of person Phoebe was and talking about her claims that she could see and talk to ghosts. There was so much interest in her that some people had gone as far as to camp outside the cafe just to get a glimpse of David Saxon''s woman.


    There was a debate on whose woman she was, David or Collin but since David was the one captured taking her out of the police station, he was the number one contender.


    For that particular day, Phoebe had told Rossett to close the cafe because they were getting more window shoppers than real clients. Besides she had no plans of going to work after the misfortune she had encountered.


    The three young women were casually feasting on sliced fruits but what was sweeter than the fruits was the gossip they were engrossed in.


    "I used to think that the Mayfairs were nice people, I mean they have helped countless people in need, built orphanages, retirement homes and all the freebies given by their foundation. I was shocked to hear that Mr. Edward Mayfair got you arrested because his daughter tried to end her life.


    Like come on, who kills themselves because someone tells them to." Claire switched off the T.V because all that was being discussed was David and his new love interest.


    I did, Phoebe thought. She had killed herself because Ruth told her to jump from the top of the building. Of course, in her defense, her so called mother and her children had been Ruth''s captives.


    Evelyn gulped down the last of the pineapple and licked her lips. "They genuinely are nice people but when it comes to their only princess, all common sense is thrown out of the window. I have never seen a man more obsessed with his sister than Collin Mayfair. I swear, the man thinks she farts glitter or something."


    Claire burst into cackles and slapped the chair.


    Narrowing her eyes, Phoebe looked at Evelyn. "I am surprised that you are taking my side Evie. I always felt like you were more loyal to her because you both come from rich families."


    The words Phoebe said caused Evelyn to click her tongue because Phoebe was wrong. Evelyn always tried her best to remain neutral in the matters between Ruth and Phoebe. As for spending more time with Ruth, it was not unusual since they came from the same society and their families were friendly.


    However after watching Ruth hurt herself and frame Phoebe, she decided to put some distance between herself and Ruth.


    "I did visit her yesterday and I have to tell you that it''s true, sadly Ruth did try to commit suicide. At this point I think that you should just let her have him, you can choose from the Amon guy or Collin Baltimore, that would solve everything. Ruth keeps saying that she knew him first and it was an open secret that they would get married when they were older.


    David Saxon is just a man like any other." Evelyn squeezed Phoebe''s hand.


    She hoped that Phoebe understood that she wasn''t saying it with ill intent or because she was on Ruth''s side. Rather, she just didn''t see the point in her two close friends losing their minds and lives for a man. For heavens sake! one had attempted suicide and one had been arrested. Enough was enough.


    Phoebe laughed maniacally and sipped on her canned beer. All she wanted was to get drunk and forget her worries.


    "That''s all lies! That bitch thinks she has me backed into a corner by making me the villain in the story. She is Cinderella and i am the evil sister trying to steal her prince charming.


    Why should i leave him just because she took a few pills? David doesn''t want her, he wants me and not even her fake suicide will make him love her. Why should he be punished by being with a manipulative woman he doesn''t love?


    You should know that I don''t even like him but whatever pisses Ruth off at this point gives me pleasure. Believe me when I tell you that the suicide was all fake, she just wanted to send me to jail so she can have that man but i won''t let her." sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Her friends nodded especially Evelyn who could not argue with Phoebe''s evaluation of the situation. Ruth was quite good at manipulating people to get her way.


    "But what I don''t understand is why Mr. Mayfair dropped the charges, it was so unexpected. Those people would go to the end of the earth for Ruth."


    Claire nodded continuously. "And his daughter apparently was still unconscious during that time so there is no way she could have persuaded him to drop the charges. Like you said Evelyn, he could just be generally a nice person who decided not to ruin Phoebe''s life."


    Evelyn shook her head for it made no sense to her. "I can''t speak on this situation with certainty. Something is not and i know because I am familiar with uncle Edward. He is not the kind of man that would go back on his word without good reason, especially when someone in his family is hurt. Are you sure you don''t know why the charges were dropped?" Her narrowed eyes fixed on Phoebe who was silent.


    The resident ghosts in the house were discussing the issue as well, they believed that what Evelyn said made a lot of sense.


    Phoebe too had her suspicions but held back because if she was truly a Mayfair then why hadn''t Luke reached out to her by now? He must have carried out a DNA test as well.


    She sighed and stared at the envelope that Claire had given her. It was time to find out, everything would make sense then.


    When her friends left, Phoebe wasted no time for she reached for the envelope and broke the seal.


    "This is the moment of truth, fingers crossed." The Saxon spirit and ghosts huddled together.

 Chapter 76 Gone unwinding.

    "It''s positive." The Saxon spirit spirit gasped.


    Phoebe almost broke down because she just couldn''t believe what she was reading. She was actually a Mayfair. Her suspicions were right, the Mayfairs knew that''s why Edward had dropped the charges. It made more sense than them simply having a change of heart because they were such good people.


    "You are full siblings!" Connie jubilated, so did the spirit and Sylvester. "You are a Mayfair, not a Gabriel. You can finally tell those horrible people to go to hell and cut off ties with them completely,"


    "They can now love and pamper that liar Ruth all they want." The Saxon spirit popped a popper in celebration, startling Phoebe.


    "From what I have heard about the Gabriel''s strange behavior, they must have known about this." Sylvester pointed out as he collected the dirty utensils.


    The Saxon spirit nodded profusely. "Of course they did! Why else would they treat our Phoebe like an outcast and Ruth like their own? I suspect that they could have switched the babies just so their daughter could live a luxurious life. I have been catching up on dramas in this century and the one i am watching recently is just like this."


    "Totally, it makes sense." Sylvester clapped his hands excitedly. "And in the drama, the one who goes to the rich family is always evil while the one raised in the poor family is good."


    Connie too pitched in with a squeal of glee. "And the two always fall in love with the same man but he prefers the poor one to the rich one."


    "What roles are we playing?" Silvester asked Connie.


    "Fairy godmothers." Connie answered with a laugh.


    Phoebe didn''t participate in the theories they were sharing but the more they talked, the more sense they seemed to make to her.


    "Oh my God, Ruth must have known about this fact all these years. I always wondered why she worked hard to ensure that I never met the Mayfairs. That scheming devious cow!!!" Phoebe laughed in disbelief.


    That memory of being pushed into the bush so as not to meet the Mayfair boys came to mind. Ruth always claimed it was an accident but how do you accidentally shove someone into a bush with so much strength and run away?


    "She knew but she decided to hide it anyway and enjoy love from both families. She was loved by my father while I was shunned by hers, she was treated like a princess while I was treated like an ATM machine by her parents. Just hold on Ruth, those roles are about to get reversed." Phoebe continued to laugh like a mental patient.


    All the puzzle pieces came together, fitting like a hand in a glove. The way the Gabriel''s adored Ruth, how they tried hard to get her out of Citrus city. The expensive gifts they bought Ruth and dotted on her. They were also in on it with Ruth and had been for a long time. It had started then, when she brought Ruth home.


    They must have noticed something and done a test or figured out somehow that she was their daughter but decided to stay silent so that their daughter continued to live as a rich heiress.


    "Very good, i will teach you all a lesson." Phoebe whispered.


    There was a knock on the door which pulled her back to her senses. Sylvester was the one that opened the door, letting David inside.


    He came straight to where Phoebe was and sat down next to her. He looked at her with concern in his eyes.


    [I don''t want to talk, I just want to be left alone] came her thoughts.


    David read them and he drew in a deep breath. He wasn''t here to talk, he wanted to help in any way possible.


    "Let''s go, run away with me."


    She glared at him and scoffed. [Is he crazy? Do i look like i want to go anywhere with the public hounding me?]


    "I am not giving up so either you come with me or I carry you out." he said, seriously.


    David''s words caused her eyes to grow wide with disbelief.


    "You wouldn''t dare...." Phoebe knew that David wasn''t bluffing. He once carried her from a party just because he was ready to go and she wasn''t. She almost chuckled on remembering the buzz the scene had created.


    "Fine," she bit out.


    She agreed, went to the bedroom and changed her clothes. Phoebe disguised herself because she was aware that reporters were waiting outside the Cerene Apartments.


    To her surprise, the place was quite but rather security had been beefed up. The entire path from the elevator to her apartment was lined with security guards. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "How thoughtful of the land lord." Phoebe smiled softly.


    Her words caused David to groan because the only man he wanted her to praise was him. "It''s not that impressive, Saxon private security would have done a better job but the Baltimore guy rejected it."


    Phoebe chuckled, it was obvious that he was very jealous of Collin. On the ride home last night he had complained about Collin driving after them when he was bringing her home from the police station. The situation became worse when Collin tried to hug her suddenly which compelled David to shove him. The animosity between the two men had certainly increased.


    Thanks to the tight security and a convoy of guards from the Saxon family, she was successfully whisked away from her apartment without a fuss. Still, she didn''t say a word to David the entire car ride, preferring to drown in her thoughts.


    "We are here!" David spoke with enthusiasm as he packed the car at the Laguna palm beach. It was one of her favorite places, although it was a private beach for the elite class, the place was always somewhat crowded with rich kids mostly.


    It hosted private parties, private concerts, private weddings. Basically, you needed the right name, clothes, amount in the bank and sometimes, physical appearance to cross it''s boundary.


    David opened the car door and Phoebe stepped out reluctantly.


    She only planned to stay for a short time and leave. Even though it was a private beach, it would still have people and they would take her pictures on seeing her with David. They would have questions and want to exchange contacts or ask her to read their palms. Just thinking about it all was exhausting.


    On entering the gates, Phoebe was surprised to find the place extremely quiet. Not even the loud music that was played regularly could be heard. All she could hear was the sound of waves and birds singing. The beach was empty, apocalypse kind of empty where no single human could could be seen in sight. The ghosts didn''t count.


    Unconsciously, a smile formed on her lips. As the soft breeze hit her face, she realized that it was a perfect place to unwind.


    One look at David''s smiling face and she knew that he had rented out the place just for her.


    David didn''t know whether Phoebe was pleased or angry that he had rented out the entire place. He knew that she probably wanted to be alone so he called the beach management and told them to clear and clean the place. If she wanted to be alone, it was better to be here than in her apartment.


    He took the chance because it was the way she used to be when they were married. She would escape to somewhere quiet when the world was so loud.


    Phoebe walked slowly, enjoying the feeling of sand on her feet. David followed her at a short distance, studying her. He was aware that she was troubled after everything that had happened but he suspected that something else was bothering her and he wanted to make it all better.


    If only she could think about it.

 Chapter 77 Stolen kiss.

    She walked and he tailed her, following her for close to an hour as she didn''t stop. They walked from one end of the beach to another and then returned to where the walk had started. Finally, she decided to sit, and he of course parked his butt next to her, on a different chair.


    After settling on the beach chairs, David was forced to ask if something was wrong.


    "Pheebs just talk to me, maybe I can help. What is it that has you like this?" His tone was calm and soft.


    "Not everything can be solved with money, Saxon." Phoebe told him and went silent. She wished that she could tell him about the fact that she was a Mayfair, but it was too soon.


    What if the Mayfair''s preferred the status quo? What if they didn''t want her and that''s why none of them had reached out to her. If a parent found their long-lost child, shouldn''t they come running to meet her. What if they chose Ruth over her?


    Phoebe turned to the other side with her back towards David and closed her eyes. It was obvious that he wasn''t needed in that moment, so he left after promising to come back later.


    David called the manager of the beach and asked them to play some soft music and bring over some drinks and food for Phoebe. Other than that, they were not to disturb her.


    When he left, she ordered for a wine, one glass after another, not even realizing that she was on her way to complete intoxication.


    "You should slow down." the Saxon spirit advised.


    Phoebe raised the glass to her lips and smiled, appearing unbothered. "Why? I am celebrating, it''s not a celebration without alcohol and this one is expensive."


    "Is she celebrating or crying?" Connie whispered to Sylvester.


    Those little tears that Phoebe had wiped away secretly, they had seen. It was understandable if she cried, the day before and this one were both overwhelming. Being arrested, punched, sexually harassed and discovering that your parents have been lying to you your whole life was a lot for one person to take in almost all at once.


    "Woooooh!" Phoebe stood up, threw and run out to the water.


    "She is wasted." Connie shook her head in disbelief.


    The three ghosts were still in shock when Phoebe shocked them even though. She held her hands out and stared out at the sunset, and then, she fell into the water slowly.


    "Oh my God, she has lost it. Is she trying to kill herself?" Connie cried out. "What will happen to me if she becomes a ghost too? I can''t go back to a life of starvation and fighting other ghosts for memorial food."


    While the teenage ghost foolishly lamented, the Saxon spirit and Sylvester dashed out to help. They were closely followed by David and his bodyguards.


    The Saxon spirit stopped Silvester and allowed David to rescue Phoebe. She wasn''t in need of rescuing, she was using some of the ghost energy to breathe under water.


    "Pheebs!" David shouted worriedly as he laid her down on the sand. "Are you crazy? What were you thinking?"


    He started chest compressions, turned to Edgar and bellowed, "Call the doctor and get an ambulance out here right now. Bring me towels and..."


    Phoebe opened her eyes and laughed like a fool. "Got you!" she said. Then she giggled and kicked the water at the bottom of her feet.


    She tilted her head and smiled hopelessly at the last fading golden orange rays of the sun. "The sun is setting, look, it''s taking my miserable life with it. Goodbye, sayonara, farewell, cheers, ta-ta my cursed life." She slurred and giggled.


    David had no idea what she was talking about, but he was just relieved that she was okay. He sat down next to her and heaved, relieved that nothing was wrong with her. Sitting was not enough, he laid down next to her but instead of looking at the sunset, he looked at her.


    Was she always this crazy or was it something new? Were these the parts of her that he had not seen back then because he took her for granted?


    She was a little flushed and her clothes were now wet and clinging to her body. The white shirt she was wearing did little to hide her red bra. He averted his eyes, shrugged off his coat and covered her body with it.


    "We should head inside; you need to dry off." he suggested.


    She turned her head and looked at him lazily through heavy lidded eyes. She was exhausted, like a child that had played all day at the beach.


    "I am tired, carry me." she demanded softly.


    He laughed and shook his head. Since when she had started acting spoiled. It was unlike her and somehow, he found it cute.


    David raised himself up, bent down and lifted her up as she wanted. She lifted her arms and wrapped them around his neck. The coat he was using to cover her body fell to the ground. Like a true gentleman, David looked forward and commanded his eyes to behave.


    "David," Phoebe called softly.


    He lowered his eyes and looked at her. She had this look in her eyes, one that drew him in like he had been hypnotized. His feet stopped and he came to a halt. Vulnerable, the word came to him like a lightning bolt. For the first time since he met her, she looked vulnerable.


    "Phoebe." he called her name softly.


    Something about that moment felt different. He didn''t even know why but his heart felt flustered. He was not prepared for what she did next.


    She lifted herself slightly and suddenly brought her face closer to his, taking him by surprise. David froze and remained immobile like one of the many pebbles sitting on the sandy beach.


    Like a little kitten seeking heat, she moved her face over his, brushing her nose against his. It took a lot for him to hold himself back, not to lean in and kiss her as he had wanted to do from the first day he saw her.


    She was drunk, he told himself, drunk and vulnerable, so much so that she probably didn''t know what she was doing. He told himself this even as his lips parted slowly.


    He made all the excuses in his mind but when her lips touched his, they all faded. But before he could react, she went limp in his arms and passed out.


    David, whose heart was hammering like crazy scoffed when he looked at her. She was sleeping after teasing him like that.


    "What a cruel woman you are." he muttered.


    He carried her to one of the suites in the beach hotel and asked one of the female bodyguards to wipe her body and change her clothes. As much as he would have loved to do it personally, Phoebe would be angry with him if he took liberties with her as he wished.


    Down at the beach, the Saxon spirit was wailing at the wasted opportunity. Two people on the beach, slow romantic music, beautiful lights and stars on the horizon.


    "What a waste!" she floated to the water, held her hands out and fell down as Phoebe had done.


    "At least she kissed him." Sylvester told Connie.


    "She will not remember it tomorrow." Connie laughed. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 78 A great actor and actress.

    Aaron and Elizabeth Gabriel were pissed..., no, livid was perhaps a better word to describe their mood. This was because they had spent the entire evening till late the previous night waiting for Phoebe to return to the cafe, but she was nowhere to be seen. What was worse was the fact that her phone was switched off and yet she had a crime to answer for in their eyes.


    Since Ruth had called them yesterday in fear informing them that there was a possibility of the Mayfair''s being in the know of the fact that Phoebe was their daughter, Aaron and Elizabeth were in a state of panic. They couldn''t believe that the secret that they had guarded for years had come to light possibly.


    Since it had happened however, they decided to put their contingency plan into action. As long as they left the city together with Phoebe, everything would be settled. So, what if the Mayfair''s found out about her? As long as they never set their eyes on her again, Ruth would continue living as their daughter.


    Plans however only worked if everything came together properly and so far, it wasn''t working in their case. It was another day and the cafe was closed. Phoebe was still nowhere to be seen. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What will happen to our Ruth? What if the Mayfair''s kick her out? My girl cannot manage to live without luxury after all she is used to it. And her health, how can we afford to pay for the healthcare she needs?" Elizabeth massaged her knitted brows.


    Aaron wasn''t in the mood to hear his wife whine about her worries so he barked at her. "Shut up woman and let me think. The only person I blame is that ingrate Phoebe, I should have tied her up and taken her to the Magic city....no to a foreign country. I am still puzzled about how they found out." Aaron punched the table which unnerved his wife for she placed her hand on her chest.


    "Didn''t Ruth say anything at all about how they found out?" Elizabeth asked softly, afraid that her husband might direct his anger towards her.


    "Woman, are you dumb! Our child had been unconscious, how is she supposed to know what was going on? You have to take part of the blame because you raised Phoebe wrong. How can she tell someone to die? She will pay for this! I am going to do everything in my power to ensure that she pays for causing this trouble."


    Veins could be seen pulsing in his neck and beads of sweat rolled down the sides of his face. "Listen up. From today on wards none of us knew anything about this. In fact, when you hear the news from anywhere you better play innocent. As a matter of fact, make sure to collapse or come up with something to sell our innocence. It''s not as if this whole thing was our fault anyway."


    Aaron then suggested that they go back at the cafe in search of Phoebe. "I hope that we aren''t unlucky to run into any other Mayfair while we are there."


    Last evening, the Gabriels hid when they saw Luke and Andre at the cafe, they looked desperate when they found it closed. After a full hour they left but Aaron and Elizabeth stayed there until the security guards chased everyone that wasn''t a resident of the apartments including them.


    When they got to the cafe, it was open. Aaron sighed in relief but was shortly disappointed when he didn''t find Phoebe inside. He turned his unpleasantness on to the only one in the cafe, Rosset.


    "Where is she hiding? Bring her out before i burn this whole place down." Aaron threatened.


    "Like I have told you, Phoebe isn''t here!" Rosset raised her voice. In her opinion, it was obvious that the Gabriels were looking for trouble.


    "Shut up you serpent! You work for us, but I don''t like the tone of your voice. When my daughter walks in, she will surely throw you out for treating her parents with disrespect." Elizabeth wrinkled her nose.


    Her words however caused Rosset to laugh which puzzled them.


    "Lady, I highly doubt that. Maybe if you treated her nicely then it would have been possible. Didn''t you both get the memo? My boss clearly doesn''t want to talk to you, so get out!"


    Aaron raised his hand to launch a slap at Rosette. He wasn''t about to tolerate her disrespect any longer. However, he suddenly put his hand behind his back when he heard the rattle bell chime.


    Rosset quickly rushed to welcome the couple; she had heard the rumors from the ghosts that the Mayfair''s could be Phoebe''s parents. Such people of that kind of status wouldn''t be there unless the rumor had some truth to it.


    "Mr. and Mrs. Mayfair! What a pleasure to have your presence here, please have a sit." Rosset grew an honest smile on her face but quickly frowned at the Gabriels whose eyes were fixed on the couple.


    "Is....is Phoebe here? Please tell her that we want to see her." Edward stammered and asked.


    "Sorry, my boss is not here." Rosette informed him politely.


    A frown formed on his face when Rosset told him that she wasn''t there.


    Elizabeth who was quivering quickly hid behind her husband when she saw the Mayfair''s, her husband on the other hand saw this as an opportunity to put up an act.


    "Remember what I told you, we know nothing so act like it. In fact, act like a mother worried about her child." He squeezed her hand tightly that she winced in pain.


    They moved and sat on the table that was close to the Mayfair''s. Immediately, Elizabeth started wailing as she prayed that her daughter was safe wherever she was.


    "My poor girl, she cannot have a moment of peace. The paparazzi are after her like a lion after its prey. I wish that I could just hear her sweet voice."


    The Mayfair''s that where studying the cafe turned to look at the couple that sat beside them. They didn''t know who they were, Jennie believed that it had to be some of Phoebe''s clients.


    Aaron tapped his wife''s hand gently. "I am sure that Phoebe is okay wherever she is. I just don''t understand why she is hellbent on being with that Saxon guy! He''s not good for her. Now look she told her best friend to kill herself, was arrested and right now she is in hiding." His eyes became moist on the other hand his wide was still weeping.


    On hearing their conversation, The Mayfairs put one and two together and concluded that the couple had to be the people that raised their daughter.


    Jennie stood up abruptly, she raised her shaky hand to her mouth and stared at them with teary eyes. She wanted to introduce herself but held back because she understood that telling Phoebe''s parents that Phoebe wasn''t theirs would break them just like it did to them, and it seemed like they adored Phoebe so much. They seemed to be good people at first sight.


    Feeling overwhelmed, Jennie run out and her husband followed after her.


    After the Mayfair''s left, the Gabriels smiled with satisfaction. Aaron was certain that they were now safe so his face changed like a snake shedding its skin. "Where were we? Bring out that little slut or face my wrath."

 Chapter 79 The right woman

    Last night after making arrangements for Phoebe to spend the night at the Laguna beach private residence, David had gone home because his family especially his mother was calling him nonstop. He was aware that he had some explaining to do because he was making headlines in the news.


    His mother was waiting for him in the foyer but luckily Grandma Saxon came to his defense before Miranda could berate him.


    "If your eyes were lasers, they could have sliced right through him Miranda, can''t you see that the boy is tired? Let him be. Whatever you want to talk about can wait until tomorrow." Grandma Saxon gestured at David to go to his floor.


    When he woke up the next morning, Phoebe was the only thing on his mind, the first thing he did was call Evelyn whom he had told to check up Phoebe. From the news he got from her, Phoebe was still sleeping.


    "Please make sure that you give her that hungover drink that I left in the fridge, you can also order anything you two need it''s all catered for. Keep her away from the internet as much as possible."


    There was a lot of false news that was going around about Phoebe with some calling her a gold digger and a fake shaman. What''s worse was the fact that photos of him and Phoebe when they were digging for the money were circulating online and were spreading like wildfire.


    Some of the trending hashtags included.


    #Witch seduces three handsome bachelors''


    #Phoebe''s love portions


    #Phoebe the gold digger


    #Fake shaman. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Already a day had gone by and still she was the hottest social media search. It wasn''t reducing, the fever was just increasing with each passing second. Someone was sensationalizing the matter and fanning the flames.


    This wasn''t how he was planning to introduce Phoebe to his family especially his mother who didn''t like her in the past life. He wanted them to have a cordial relationship in this one.


    He dressed up and went to the dinning area earlier than usual hopping to be the first person at the dining table but to his surprise everyone was already there except for his grandmother.


    David exhaled deeply. Rather than smelling food, he smelled trouble.


    "This must be a family intervention of some kind. I will save you all the time and trouble by declaring my intentions. No, i am not leaving her, no, i don''t care what opinions you have about her. Yes, i love her and yes, i am serious about this relationship and i will marry her if she will have me. " He settled in the chair and gestured at the maid to serve him.


    Ian his older brother spoke first because clearly David didn''t know the gravity of the situation. "The board members and share holders are talking, they say that you have dived back into your old ways and what''s worse is that the share prices have plummeted slightly."


    Shrugging like Ian''s words were total rubbish David took a bite of his bread. "What has my love life got to do with the Saxon group shares? If its such a big deal then my past philandering ways should have long brought the Saxon empire to its knees."


    Miranda whose head had been lowered the entire time lifted her head. "Love life? Most people expected you to marry Ruth Mayfair when you were done with your playful ways. She''s the most suitable partner. She is beautiful, educated and an heiress. Besides, it strengthens the Saxon group when we have in-laws with a strong financial backing.


    Do you really not understand that? That Phoebe is not the woman for you, i cannot believe that she had you dig up dirt. Stop messing around and embarrassing yourself."


    "I agree with your mother on this, the woman that will be good for you is Ruth Mayfair, not some lowly shaman. You need to engage her soon, that woman loves you. I cannot say the same for that one, all poor people marry rich folks to level up. Forget about about fantasies like true love, it''s a scam." Robert sliced through the egg tart.


    Letting out a guffaw, David wiped his mouth with white tissue. "Rose-bell married her gym trainer, no offense Tom." He told his brother in-law who nodded.


    "Why is it different in my case, I am not marrying Ruth Mayfair. Dad you can divorce mom and marry her if you like her so much. Phoebe is the woman I choose and i have made it clear but in case it needs repeating, i will say it again. I am serious about Phoebe and i will marry her as long as she wants me."


    Miranda gasped in horror, she couldn''t believe how brazen and rude her son had become and she attributed it to the influence of hanging out with low lives like that shaman girl. It was in that moment she swore inwardly that her son wouldn''t marry Phoebe.


    "Shut your mouth boy! Disrespect your mother one more time and I will give you a beating you will never forget. Marry the girl if you want to, it''s your funeral." Edward stood up to leave but paused when his mother walked in pushing a wheel chair with his father sited on it.


    "Father!" Edward called. His facial expression was a mixture of shock and joy.


    Rufus Saxon had been bedridden for over a year but here he was looking healthier. The mere fact that he was sitting upright was shocking to them and they all looked at Grandma Saxon, seeking for answers.


    "How?" Edward whispered.


    She settled down with a mysterious smile on her face. "I have been giving him some of those tonics that I am taking, and he is slowly improving. He can even manage to say a few sentences now. Today he wanted to have breakfast with everyone." Grandma Saxon told everyone delightfully.


    Katherine who had been quiet, waiting for the perfect moment to choose a side which would benefit her the most perked up. She was now aware that Phoebe was the owner of the cafe and David''s love interest. It would only do her good to support their relationship that way she would easily convince Phoebe to give her the recipe of the tonics.


    "It''s truly remarkable! Which tonics are these? I need to get some of them." Miranda wore a broad smile.


    "Yes mother, grandpa has been taking those from the Saxon group with no change, how come he''s all better now? What''s the science behind the tonics?" Rose-bell massaged her grandfather''s hand.


    It was skinny but warm and that alone delighted her. These hands had carried her everywhere when she was young.


    Grandma Saxon laughed sarcastically especially at Miranda''s questions. "These tonics are from that lowly shaman Miranda and by the way, I have the final say when it comes to marriages in this house not you. My son married you because i approved. You would not be here today if i had the same attitude as you."


    Miranda grimaced and clenched her hands.


    "Thanks grandma." David touched his forehead to the back of his grandfather''s hand. "Grandfather, it''s so great to see you. I have missed you so much."


    He continued holding the fragile hand, recalling that in the past, his grandfather never left that bed. He died, no matter what miraculous medicine they used. Deep in his heart, he knew that he had a lot to thank Phoebe for. He excused himself, and walked away, planning to visit Phoebe and check on her condition.


    He had no intentions of defending his mother. That was a job for his older brother Ian.

 Chapter 80 Family and financial expectations.

    Katherine rushed out after him. "Darling David, my little brother." She touched the back of his hair and smiled fondly. "I just want you to know that I support you, I like this Phoebe already so go ahead and woo her." She raised her clenched fists and bypassed him.


    Her words shocked him into a frozen state because in the past life, Katherine had teamed up with his mother to make Phoebe''s life a living hell.


    His plan was to protect Phoebe from Katherine no matter what she said or how she acted different suddenly. He looked at Katherine''s back and wondered how a lot of things were changing since his rebirth.


    At the Laguna beach hotel, Phoebe who was nursing a headache from so much drinking was squinting as she read her messages. She had so many of them, over one hundred. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "One would think i am the CEO of a large important company with the way everyone is looking for me high and low." she muttered.


    Evelyn pushed a bowl of porridge which the hotel kitchen staff had prepared meticulously in front of Phoebe.


    "Eat the porridge and forget about the reporters."


    "It''s not reporters that are giving me a hard time. It''s the bunch of fake relatives that are jumping around like monkeys on a playground and begging for me throw some fruit their way."


    "Huh!" Evelyn frowned.


    Phoebe picked up the spoon of porridge with her right hand and blew on it while her left one played one of the audio messages she had received.


    [Phoebe, it''s your aunt Agatha. It has been three years since we last saw each other. Wow, you must be a big girl by now. I heard that you are getting married to a Saxon and i am so excited for you. Aunt has a small favor to ask, just tiny. I live in an apartment in a building owned by the Saxons here in Salt city.


    Can you ask your boyfriend to waive my rent for five years, just five years. Things have been a little hard on lately. Aunt will be expecting good news.]


    [Hey Phoebe, it''s Maybelle. I saw the news about the three most eligible men being friendly with you. Can you set me up with one of them? Whichever one you don''t want. You know everyone in the family says that we look alike so if they like you, they will surely like me. Sister, please, please, please...]


    [Phoebe, B to the E. What''s up cuz, it''s me your favorite cousin Tony. Anyway, i got into an accident last month and sort of totaled my ride. Is there any way you can shoot a couple of thousands or millions my way. I will totally pay you back.]


    [Niece, i heard that you are getting married to a billionaire. Uncle has some advice to give you. Call me as soon as you get my message.]


    [You damn girl, call us as soon as you get this call. We are going to wait for you at your cafe. You better show up or i will remind you the hard way that i am your father.]


    [Sister, i went shopping in Magic mall and bought you the latest Rhode bag. I am sorry that i missed your birthday this year, but this will make up for it. I am sending it through quick service.]


    All the messages from her relatives were different but the message was similar, they wanted favors in one way or another. She had about thirty more like that including her grandparents from the Gabriel side who wanted her to ask David to give them a piece of land owned by the Saxons in Salt city.


    The funny thing was that before rebirth, when she was married to David, she did all these things and more for them.


    "Did your father just threaten you?" Evelyn asked.


    Phoebe nodded. "I have many more messages from him in which he is threatening me with physical harm if i don''t show up immediately. In one he actually tells me that i should prepare myself to meet Ruth and apologize on my knees."


    Evelyn raised her hands in a surrender gesture.


    "I am so done defending your parents Phoebe what is wrong with them? Did Ruth feed them some kind of magic beans? Are they under her spell? How can they ask you to apologize instead of talking about how worried sick they are because you are missing? They have lost it."


    Phoebe scoffed. "Did you hear anyone asking me how i am or worrying because i was arrested?"


    Evelyn shook her head. Now that she thought about it, none of the messages played for her by Phoebe relayed such worry or concern. All of them were full of people asking for this or that. Was this a side effect of poverty or was it something humans did?


    Or was it Phoebe''s family specifically that was this way? The more she questioned this, the more she remembered some things from their days in school.


    Phoebe was a scholarship student that was required to maintain excellent grades to stay in school. If she had so many relatives, why didn''t they contribute money for tuition?


    For as long as she had known her, Phoebe always maintained a part time job. She worked in supermarkets, restaurants or arcades to earn upkeep, buy herself clothes when they were at university and even buy textbooks. Why was it that not one of these relatives helped?


    Thinking about Phoebe''s financial situation reminded Evelyn of an incident from the previous year. Phoebe was working as a boat tour guide along Sunny River when she fell in by accident. She was rescued in time but ended up hospitalized due to pneumonia and she fell into a short coma that last two days.


    When she woke up and the hospital released her, she abandoned everything and run away without contacting anyone.


    Evelyn only reconnected with her after they bumped into each other in a casino in Magic city. By that time, Phoebe was going by a different name, her mother''s maiden name. She was working at the casino as one of those people that read palms.


    "Delete, delete, delete, block...."


    Phoebe''s mumbling brought Evelyn out of the memories of the past. What she wanted to know was why someone in Phoebe''s financial situation back then had turned down a precious job which could have put her on the road to greatness with hard work and the right connections.


    "Hey, why did you turn down the job offer from Saxon research labs and run away like that when you woke up after your near drowning incident?"


    Phoebe looked at the wall as she scratched her head. She couldn''t explain to Evelyn what happened to her, so she just smiled.


    "Forget all that, let''s go. I cannot hide here forever, i must return because i have so much to do. I have clients waiting and they need me as much as i need them."


    She looked at her wrist and smiled. She had five years to live, somehow, she had managed to add years to her life while she was drunk.


    [I need to know how I did it so that I can do it again.] She thought.

 Chapter 81 Ruths urgency.

    Meanwhile at the hospital, Ruth had tried all she could to get discharged but she had failed miserably. Doctor Murphy emphasized that there was no way he was going to let her leave because she was still on suicide watch.


    What was worse for her was that her parents agreed with him, and they were acting as if she was about to throw herself out of every open window. She was being watched like an egg that was about to hatch and not a single second could be missed.


    The sense of urgency she was experiencing was major because she sensed an impending crisis which needed to be handled immediately. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Get in bed." her father shooed her towards the bed for the tenth time.


    "Do you think that i am insane? Why would I try to kill myself again? I was immature and silly and i have realized my mistake. Let''s go home, hmm." Ruth shuffled her feet in frustration, but her pleas fell on deaf ears.


    Her family stared at her in confusion because yesterday Ruth was acting like she was so depressed as if her life was over. Suddenly she was perky and bright as if spring had returned. These were the signs of emotional instability which Doctor Murphy had urged them to look out for.


    "What is the pressing issue that you have to deal with? You can tell your parents, and they will help you deal it. You are not leaving this hospital right now." Grandma Mayfair excused herself and left leaving Ruth under Luke and Ophelia''s care.


    "Grandma! Grandma please!" Ruth shouted as her grandmother left. It was all in vain and she tossed a cushion at the door to express her exasperation.


    There was no time to waste, Ruth wanted to try and convince Phoebe to leave the country. It didn''t matter if it cost her an arm and a leg. If pleading and cajoling didn''t work, she would have to do things the hard way.


    She settled on the bed and her parents relaxed. Ruth however was still unsettled on the inside.


    Phoebe has changed so much; she doesn''t listen to her parents anymore. I doubt those useless Gabriels will get her to leave, I need to handle this myself, but I can''t leave this damn place. She thought as her fingers ran through her hair.


    Her eyes moved to Ophelia who was engrossed on her phone since earlier. Ruth had given her the photos of Phoebe and David that she got from Dickson with instructions to start a smear campaign. She didn''t know how much progress had been made so far and this was also because she was being monitored by someone from the family every minute.


    Luke''s phone buzzed and he received a text. He read it and cleared his voice. "I guess I''ll be leaving now but I will make sure to check on you later." He rubbed his nose and lowered his eyes.


    Intelligent and quick witted as she was, Ruth was certain that he was hiding something. She remembered that Ophelia had mentioned that Luke had taken a sample of her blood after chasing her out of the room.


    "Brother wait," she stopped him with her voice. "My hand hurts where you stuck a needle to take some blood. Did you find anything? Has my illness relapsed perhaps?"


    "No, no, no, everything is good." He shook his head vigorously and rushed out.


    He seemed to have forgotten that they grew up together and Ruth the master manipulator was relatively good at identifying when she was being lied to.


    "I should go to work as well, and your mother needs to rest." Edward and Jennie bid Ruth farewell temporarily. They left but reminded the guard at the door to stay on Ruth all the time.


    Ruth could finally take a breather now that the watchful eyes had gone.


    "Ophelia!" She shouted and the woman rushed to her.


    "Where did Luke take my blood sample and don''t tell me that you have no idea." Ruth exhaled noisily through pursed lips.


    The frown on Ruth''s face quickly fell when Ophelia told her that she had followed Luke to the laboratory. "I saw him give the blood sample, some of your hair and an envelope to the lab technician. I tried to tell you earlier, but you wouldn''t let me."


    "Get someone that works in the lab here....no better still I need to see that person now. Let''s go." Ruth straightened the hospital gown and followed Ophelia out.


    When the guard stopped her, she claimed she was going to the bathroom and since Ophelia was with her, the guard figured it was okay.


    At a safe distance, the nosy woman tried to ask Ruth once again what was going on, but Ruth remained silent. This was obviously something that she didn''t want to talk about.


    When they got to the lab, they were told that the person they were searching for was not on duty, but he would be in the evening.


    Ruth was disappointed but at least she didn''t leave empty handed, she now knew the name and phone number of the lab technician.


    "How is the smear campaign going? I want the entire world to hate and reject her. David will never marry her; it has to be me even if it''s a loveless marriage." Ruth sat on the couch that was beside the window.


    There was no need to explain anything, Ophelia rather handed the phone to Ruth who shook her head and ordered that Ophelia makes up more rumors.


    "Involve her family, post about how disrespectful she is, also mention that she tried to kill me just to have David. Make sure that you highlight that David, and I are to be wed. Post about her having ten ex boyfriends and conning them out of money and expensive gifts, ruin that bitch so much that she cannot show her face in public.


    Find some more internet trolls and pay them to make the issue bigger and when you are done, throw this phone away so it doesn''t lead back to us." She tossed the phone back to Ophelia who nodded and made some calls.


    After a few minutes Ophelia approached Ruth who was in deep thought.


    "Miss Ruth, it''s time you let me in on the secret. I already have my suspicions, but they can only be confirmed by you. If you don''t tell me about the issue i cannot help you, remember a problem shared is a problem half solved."


    Ruth brought her hands to her face and sighed deeply. She knew that she couldn''t hide the secret for much longer anyway and Ophelia was the person that she trusted the most.


    "I am not their daughter, Phoebe is." Ruth leaned back and began to narrate the story because Ophelia was confused.


    "It all began on the first day I visited the Gabriels many years ago. From the moment they saw me they were gob smacked. I thought it was because i was an heiress and they had never met a rich person before, but it was because of another reason, I somewhat look like Elizabeth Gabriel apparently.


    Then those fools for some reason went ahead to do a DNA test without my knowledge. The next thing I knew, they were at my school and telling me that I was their biological daughter with these stupid fucking big smiles on their faces as if it was good news."

 Chapter 82 Cutting ties...1

    They also didn''t know how it happened, but they figured it was an accident at the hospital. Can you believe that those poor church rats wanted to take me back? Like as though they could give me a luxurious life, they cannot even afford my health supplements! They didn''t even own a house and were sharing a small, smelly, dingy, three-bedroom apartment with one bathroom.


    I told them that if they dared to tell my parents I would kill myself and they agreed to remain silent because they love me so much. I secretly did a DNA test on my parents and Phoebe and discovered that she was theirs, that''s why I never let her meet them all these years. But now it seems like my parents know something. That stupid Phoebe is out to steal everything of mine."


    Ophelia began to pace around, everything now made sense especially the Mayfair''s sneaky behavior.


    "Call that lab technician and tell him to come in now, we will offer him as much money as possible to change the results of the test. Don''t worry this will remain in the dark if we nip it in the bud quickly."


    They did just as they had planned by calling the lab technician that handled the DNA results and offering him money. Unaware that Luke had already dealt with the results in person, he came to the hospital and went to the laboratory to check on the status of the test.


    Ruth was too impatient to wait so she followed him, she watched through the glass window as he checked through the computer. She was startled when someone tapped her on the shoulder.


    "Ruth? Why are you here?" Luke asked. He was passing by when he noticed her peeping through the facility windows.


    "I....I want to....my head hurts." she placed her hand on the head.


    Luke was worried and immediately, he carried her back to her room and placed her on the bed.


    "Stay here. stop moving around unnecessarily. I am going to call Doctor Murphy."


    He dashed out of the room. Immediately after he left, she called the lab technician who informed her that Doctor Luke had received the results of the test the previous night. His words caused her blood to go cold and the phone fell out of her hands.


    "It''s over." she spoke softly.


    ************************************


    On the way to the Cafe, Phoebe answered a call from David who wanted to know if she was okay. He sounded more enthusiastic than usual, but she didn''t bother to ask why.


    Instead, she continued questioning the ghosts on what happened last night but they kept avoiding the topic, so she gave up for temporarily.


    When she got to the cafe security was still tight, she hoped that it remained that way until the saga died down.


    Phoebe had hoped that by today at least someone else would be trending but to her dismay she was still the number one search, and more hash tags had popped up.


    People were condemning her from stealing her friend''s man and going as far as to wish death upon her.


    It was obvious that Ruth had something to do with the rumors because suddenly she had become the helpless victim and Phoebe the cunning man stealing wicked witch of Citrus city.


    She stowed her phone and walked with her head lowered. Suddenly she felt someone take a grip of her hand, the clasp was too tight that she winced in pain.


    "You little bitch! How dare you ignore your parents? Is this how your mother raised you?" Aaron''s grip git tighter only for Phoebe to bite his hand.


    He shoved her, let go and let out a painful groan.


    "You...you." Elizabeth was wide eyed and dismayed.


    "What! Did you think that you would attack me, and I would let you be? Why are you calling me nonstop? I told you that have nothing to talk about with you so why are you here?" Phoebe''s eyes moved around, the last thing she wanted was to attract more attention to herself.


    Quickly she entered the cafe, and her parents followed her in.


    "Pheebs my child please, listen to your father and stop making him angrier! Let''s go home and talk about it, why have you become so stubborn? I didn''t raise you to be this way!"


    Her mother tried to reason with her, but her words made Phoebe laugh.


    "So, mother in your opinion I am the problem here and not your husband! How come my own mother never stood up against my father each time he became violent towards me? Why did you ask me to tolerate his behavior? You should have protected me each time that monster of a husband gave me lashes using his belt or the time he locked me in the storage room for a day without food or water!


    And you stand here and call me yourself my mother!" Hot tears rolled down her cheeks as the memories returned.


    Elizabeth placed a hand to her chest and sobbed but her husband was done with the drama. He had come here for one thing and that was to take Phoebe with him.


    "Enough you insolent and ungrateful slut! I do not care if you feel that we treated you unfairly. You were a rude and stubborn brat that needed tough parenting, you will appreciate us when you become a parent yourself." Aaron wrinkled his nose and spoke through pursed lips.


    "Ha-ha-ha I was a rude and stubborn brat you say. How about Nick? He''s always talking back at you, never does any chores and misses school to hang out with the wrong crowd and play games all day. Father you are aware that he picked up smoking at sixteen, why haven''t you used that same tough parenting to discipline him? Phoebe folded her arms and stared at them.


    Her mother covered her mouth with her trembling hand while her father curled his upper lip, a tiny mocking smile formed on his lips as well.


    "None of that matters at all, we are leaving to another country right now and you are coming with us whether you want to or not." Aaron pulled on her hand and began to walk but he discovered that seemed to be stuck.


    He paused suddenly and looked back, only to realize that Phoebe was still in the same place. She was like a big immovable statue and no matter how he tried to pull her; she remained in one place. It was because the angry Saxon spirit was using its power to keep her in place.


    Elizabeth was clapping meanwhile. "That''s it Aaron, let''s take her by force. We are done negotiating with you, young lady. You are leaving with us now." She cheered on her husband who bit his lower lip and pulled Phoebe with all his strength.


    Phoebe sneered at them. "Look at you, is that sweat I see forming on your forehead father! I am not leaving with you and also i am cutting ties with your family, I don''t want to hear from you ever again." Phoebe sternly spoke, her face more serious than ever. "That little secret you have been hiding, I know about it." S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 83 Cutting ties....2

    Her words were the equity of a sharp slap being delivered out of the blue to wake them up from their fantasy.


    Aaron and Elizabeth looked at each other with worry. There was only one secret with which Phoebe could dare utter words like cutting them off. Elizabeth trembled and stumble backwards. She used one of the chairs to support herself.


    Keeping the words of her husband in mind, now was the time to feign shock and play pretend.


    "What..what secret?" she stammered.


    Phoebe scoffed. "What else except for the one which you two discovered when i was thirteen years old. Let''s do this peacefully before i become really angry, let''s all just end things here and go our separate ways."


    Aaron gave up, he pointed at Phoebe as he caught his breath. "How is that possible? We are your parents so how can you cut us off?" He asked questions that remained unanswered. "We are family, there is no such thing as going our separate ways. That''s why we are all moving to Magic city as a family today. I will meet your landlord and tell him to cancel your lease for both the apartment and this shop."


    "Yes." Elizabeth chimed in, finally feeling brave enough since her husband was not backing down.


    This was a matter of life and death for their daughter so they intended to see to it that her wishes were fulfilled. Phoebe had to leave the city today and disappear with them. In fact, she had to leave Fog country all together.


    Ruth knew someone on the island of Darma, millions of miles away from Fog country and that''s where they were going. You had to cross an ocean and a desert to get there. They were all confident that they would never be found in that place.


    "The island of Darma..., hmmmm." Phoebe mumbled and smiled mysteriously.


    Elizabeth gasped and covered her mouth. Then she dropped her hand and asked.


    "How?"


    Aaron glared at his wife harshly. "Keep your mouth shut woman."


    It didn''t matter what Phoebe knew or how she knew, he was getting her out of the shop one way or another. He touched his pocket and got a little pocket knife out. He then handed the knife to his wife and looked at Phoebe smugly.


    "If you don''t come with us right now, your mother will stab herself in the stomach and tell everyone you did it." he threatened.


    Elizabeth dropped the knife on the ground out of shock. Why was she the one that had to stab herself in order to force Phoebe to move couldn''t he do it?


    "Pick up the knife and put it to your stomach woman. If she refuses to move, you know what to do. Push the knife in as deep as possible. " Aaron shouted at her. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe and all three ghosts had never seen such shamelessness. Even Rosette who was recording the whole mess from behind the counter was stunned. Aaron Gabriel either hated his wife or loved himself a little too much.


    "Honey..." Elizabeth called Aaron in a soft shocked voice. "This....." she shook her head.


    "Just do as i say." Aaron barked at her.


    Phoebe pointed at the man she used to call father and asked Elizabeth, "Are you sure you want to be married to this man? Why is he trying to kill you? So his life is precious while yours is not, what kind of crappy logic is he using to make judgements?"


    "Shut up, you won''t divide us." Aaron shouted at Phoebe. "Don''t listen to her, remember why we are doing this. It''s life and death Elizabeth."


    Like a brain washed sheep, Elizabeth nodded, agreeing with her husband. She put the knife to her stomach and stared at Phoebe with determination.


    Phoebe rolled her eyes at the silly duo. "You guys are really trash. If you think that i will be caged by such a threat you don''t know the new Phoebe quite well. Ruth threatened me with her life and she is now in a hospital. What makes you think that your plan is better than hers."


    She searched her own pocket and brought out a knife which was much longer and bigger than the small pocket knife Elizabeth was holding.


    "If i am going to be framed for stabbing anyone, i might as well do it for real. I am going to aim for vital organs so that you actually die since it''s a matter of life and death. Choose, who do i stab first and between the heart and neck, where do you want it?"


    Elizabeth stepped back and put away the small knife. She was not prepared to die at Phoebe''s hands or stab herself with her own hands.


    "You have become a lunatic."


    "Absolutely." Phoebe agreed. "Let''s not waste time, you guys should just disappear from my life before you find yourselves seeking my help as ghosts. I already did a DNA test and i know that i am not related to both of you. I know where i come from, i just don''t know if you stole me from my parents. This could be a case of the cuckoo occupying another bird''s nest.


    Anyway, if you two were involved in any baby swapping so that you could send your daughter to a wealthy family, i will see to it that you end up in prison for the rest of your lives."


    "It wasn''t us," Elizabeth blurted out.


    Phoebe''s mentioning of prison for the rest of her life frightened her much more than all of Aaron''s barking whenever he had a bad day.


    "It was the hospital which made the mistake. We really didn''t know otherwise we wouldn''t have raised a child that wasn''t ours." She went on to add.


    She shook her husband who had been standing in a daze for a while.


    "Tell her Aaron, explain that it wasn''t our doing or everyone will think we kidnapped her as an infant. I don''t want to go prison. What will happen to Nicky if i am not around to take care of him?"


    Aaron was a sly man and he was very calculating as one as well. Since Phoebe had all the evidence, he couldn''t use family as an excuse to get her to go with them. She was also aware that she was the daughter of the Mayfairs and Ruth had said they were also aware of this fact.


    He calculated all the possible outcomes of this situation he could think of. It was possible that Ruth would be sent away by the Mayfairs. Phoebe was definitely going to badmouth them to her real parents. At this point, it was better to get some benefits and let her go.


    "If you want to cut us off, it won''t be as easy as you think. We raised you with so much affection and care since childhood. We are not rich, but we put a roof over your head and educated you. When you were sick and in a coma, your mother sold some of her jewelry to pay your hospital bills.


    In a way, you owe us financially at least. That house we live in, I want to own it completely. Also deposit a sum of $10 million in my account. I know that you have that much money."

 Chapter 84 Cutting ties...3

    The Saxon spirit huffed angrily. She so badly wanted to do something___, anything, just as long as it caused pain to the wicked man in front of them. When did raising children become a transaction?


    Where was it written that children had to pay parents some kind of price for being raised by them? What kind of parent counted every coin they spent on their child waiting for a day to demand for this money back?


    "Rosette, check my desk and bring a pen and paper. Bring some ink as well." Phoebe yelled.


    While Rosette was doing that, Phoebe turned back to the Gabriels. She didn''t even feel anything when she looked at them now. Aaron had successfully killed whatever lingering stubborn affection she had left for them. All of that affection was left over from her childhood, before Ruth.


    How did people that had known each other for at least twenty-four years suddenly go from being family to strangers that couldn''t stand each other? Even if she wasn''t their daughter biologically, they had raised her. Elizabeth had breast fed her, taught her how to walk and talk. Aaron had taught her how to ride a bicycle and even confronted a bully on the playground for her sake at one time.


    It was true that they treated Nicholas better than they treated her because they valued the one son they had more than their daughter, but at one time, things had not been so bad. They were nicer before Aaron lost his job and developed a quick temper and taste for the belt which he only ever used on Phoebe. It became worse after Ruth came along.


    Was blood so important that all the years he spent being her nice father were so easily washed away like dirt on the road during heavy rains? When she looked at him now, all she saw was a stranger and all she felt was nothing.


    "Boss, here." Rosette brought the things she had requested.


    Phoebe sat down and drafted an agreement stating that she and the Gabriels were cutting ties, and they would have nothing to do with each other in future. In return she was compensating them financially.


    She signed it and Aaron did the same. When it came to Elizabeth, she was hesitant, and she looked at Phoebe with regretful eyes.


    "Sign it woman." Aaron barked.


    She signed and all of them stamped the paper with their thumbprints. Phoebe gave it to Rosset to make copies.


    Rosette rushed out to make copies from a stationary shop near the cafe. She was in such a hurry that she made more copies than needed and when she bumped into Andre Mayfair who was disguised outside the cafe, she dropped one.


    "Sorry we are closed." she shouted as shut the door.


    Andre picked up the document and perused through it naturally out of curiosity. When he saw its contents, he clenched his right-hand fist angrily.


    "They are extorting her! very good, just wait for me you greedy bastards."


    He took a picture of the document and sent it to Luke and his parents. Then he called his lawyer to see how this agreement could be reversed.


    Inside the cafe meanwhile, the transaction was about to be completed. Phoebe reached for her phone and sent Aaron the money.


    "As for the house, it''s in mother''s names. Do with it whatever you wish, I''ll send the deed before tomorrow. I hope we never see each other again."


    Aaron sneered and turned around to leave. With money and a house, who cared about a lose slut like Phoebe? She would get herself arrested again somehow, he thought.


    "Let''s go." she dragged out Elizabeth who was hesitant and trying to bid Phoebe farewell politely.


    Rosette opened the door for them and waved at them gleefully.


    "See you never." she shouted and then closed the door from the inside.


    She even turned on the closed sign outside the door so that nobody would come and disturb Phoebe for a while.


    All the ghosts and Rosette gathered around Phoebe; naked worry expressed on their faces.


    "Are you okay?" Connie asked softly, in an abnormal display of concern.


    "Should i cook you something delicious? What do you want to eat?" Sylvester asked eagerly.


    The Saxon spirit raised Phoebe''s chin. "Are you crying again? Those people are not worth it. You shouldn''t have given them the house and money. Ten million!!!" she exclaimed. "We have worked hard to save that money, it''s half of all your savings.


    And the house.... oh i feel so cheated right now."


    Rosette didn''t fall behind "Boss, what should i bring for you? Calming herbal tea or beer, maybe wine."


    "I am fine, stop fussing all of you." Phoebe waved and pushed them away. "I am just proud of myself for getting this agreement. I am going to get it notarized and in future, if the Gabriel''s come to me for any reason, i can use this to slap them in the face." She blew air out of her mouth and sighed loudly.


    "I am tired, so tired and hungry. I still have to deal with all the slander online. It looks like i am going to need to ask detective Shark for help again."


    "David..."the Saxon spirit started.


    "No." Phoebe refused strongly.


    Running to David to fix her problems was the equal of running into his arms.


    "Boss, he handled all of the slander and killed it at once. But he is not the only one, all three men came out and gave statements or interviews. David Saxon declared that he is single and pursuing you. Collin Baltimore said you two are very close friends and neighbors and Amon said you were friends, but nothing is defined in life.


    Wow, boss, you really won the lottery of fine men. Obviously, all these three are interested in you. How did you go from having zero men to having three good looking men hot and heavy after you." Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Saxon spirit slapped Rosette on the back of the head.


    "Better pick a side and it should be my side or i will give you nightmares for a year." the spirit threatened.


    "What a dictatorship we are living in." Rosette mumbled and she stood up to escape.


    The doorbell chimed then, and they all turned around. Humans couldn''t come in since the door was closed but ghosts could.


    "We are closed." Rosette yelled out.


    There was a male ghost standing in front of the door. He was wearing a scorched fire fighters'' uniform, and he looked lost. Phoebe deduced that he had died in the line of duty.


    One of her rules was that anyone who worked for the country and sacrificed their lives for the sake of others couldn''t be turned away. Police officers, fire men, soldiers, judges, and other civil servants in different capacities were always welcome.


    "Oh, it''s as special case, we don''t turn away special cases." Connie said.


    "Let''s get to work." Phoebe told them.

 Chapter 85 The special client.

    The ghost''s eyes exuded desperation and Phoebe could sense the anxiety that came from it. She offered him a seat, gave him a drink and immediately went straight to business.


    "Hi, i am Phoebe. How may i be of help to you if you are ready to move on?"


    "I heard that you help ghosts whose families are in trouble. Please I need you to save my mother, if you don''t she will die for sure." The ghost rubbed it''s arms as it''s eyes became moist.


    It was not unusual to see a ghost crying. Even after death, they continued experiencing emotional pain and physical one too if delivered by a ghost catcher or exorcist.


    Phoebe pulled her brows together. "Please calm down, my team and I are going to help you but first we need to know more details like who you are, the identity of your mother and the entire story of course."


    The said team came closer to listen to the ghost which identified itself as Mason Sandler.


    "I am...I was a fire fighter from the Citrus fire department. Three years ago I died while fighting a fire at a school. I stayed behind because my mother has no one else to watch over her. I was her only child, my father died when i was a boy so it became my duty to look after her when i grew up. My untimely death took a great toll on her and of recent she has been displaying symptoms of dementia.


    She keeps getting lost on her way home and she has ended up sleeping on the street or in police stations often. She forgets to eat, bathe and do simple tasks. She almost burned down the house because she forgot to turn off the gas. If one of the volunteers that check in on elder citizens weekly didn''t come by, there would have been trouble.


    The volunteer was kind enough to take her to the Mayfair clinic and she was told by a doctor that she has a brain tumor. The clinic offers free surgeries but my mother is at the bottom of that list yet the she has no time to wait. It can be done earlier if she is not sponsored by the clinic but she has no money to pay for it.


    That''s why i came to see you, please save my mother''s life." The inside corners of his brows slanted upwards.


    "Oh boy." The Saxon spirit felt like this was going to drain Phoebe dry financially. She had just given ten million to that son of a bitch Aaron and now this ghost was requesting for her help. Knowing Phoebe there was no way she was going to say no to someone that died in the line of duty. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Connie scratched her head. "We are officially going broke!! Mr. Do you know the cost of brain surgery? It''s not that we don''t feel pitiful for you but we may not be able to afford the surgery. And then there are after care fees...."


    Shaking his head, Mason jumped in and highlighted that he wasn''t in need of financial help. "Since I died in the line of duty, my family received a hefty compensation and also I had taken out over five insurance policies. In total my family received a total sum of thirty million."


    The listeners looked at one another, if his family received the money why couldn''t they just pay for his mother''s surgery. The Saxon spirit wrinkled her nose. "Here comes the real problem, what happened?"


    Mason tapped his fingers on the table, time was running out and his story was long so he requested that they drive to his mother''s house as he narrated.


    "Please check her into a hospital. She is at home right now without a care taker."


    There was no time to turn him down, Phoebe picked up her bag and told the ghosts to follow her. Mason was right, if his mother was very sick then taking her to the hospital was the first step in helping him.


    On the way, Mason began to narrate the details and the more he spoke the sadder and more infuriated they got.


    "There was this big fire at the Olympia kindergarten school and a few kids were trapped inside. My colleague who was also my best friend turned brother, Turner and I went in along with the fire crew. One by one we rescued the kids until they were all out.


    But on our way out, Turner said that he heard a child cry at the far end of the hall.


    At that point the flames had engulfed almost the entire building, he decided to go back in and I followed him.


    We split up to rush the search, as I was still looking through the classroom I heard a loud bang so I rushed for the door, unfortunately it was stuck.


    I yelled and broke a window, Turner was


    passing by just on time to pull me out but instead he pushed me back. I hit my head on a desk and became unconscious."


    Everyone''s face turned grim. They now knew who the villain was, his colleague and friend, Turner. No wonder the ghost was stuck here, he had been murdered.


    Phoebe shook her head because she had come to learn something in these cases that humans are the worst evil. "Let me guess, there was no kid."


    Mason shook his head in response which made the ghosts to groan angrily in unison.


    "There so many vermin like this Turner walking freely. Call Shark, let''s get him to arrest him." The Saxon spirit suggested only for Mason to shake his head vehemently.


    "That''s not what I want!! I have let that resentment in my heart go, I hold no grudge against anyone. What I want is for him and my wife, Victoria to give my money that they got after my death to my mother."


    Confusion enveloped the entire team of ghost helpers. "What has Turner got to do with the money and your wife?" Sylvester asked, with his curiosity at the pick.


    Mason looked down as if he was filled with shame or great sadness.


    "After my death, my wife claimed all the insurance money including my mother''s share. At first, she took care of mother and even moved in with her for a few months. It was only for four months though and then she moved out and got married to Turner. My body was not even cold in the ground and my best friend married my wife."


    The ghosts let out different curse words, expressing anger on Mason''s behalf.


    He continued in the meantime. "It was a plot by both of them to kill me and get the benefits. I was angry initially but later on I let go because their lives weren''t as happy as they thought they would be. Victoria failed to get pregnant which caused a rift between them. They were miserable and fighting all the time.


    Turner even took up gambling and he had an extra marital affair with another married woman.


    Her husband found out and went to the fire station to confront him. He beat him up publicly, embarrassing him so much that he was dropped from the list of the next possible fire chief of station fifteen. It seemed to me like justice was being served and i was pleased so my anger vanished on it''s own. I even hoped that they remained married forever. But things turned around.


    Victoria got pregnant and Turner quit gambling."

 Chapter 86 A couple underserving

    "She is now about eight months I believe and they are over the moon. Victoria has forgotten all about my mother which is not right. But I have let go of my anger now because there is an innocent child involved. It''s okay for them to be happy but I want that for my mother too."


    His story rendered them speechless and Mason''s pure heart mesmerized them. It was a miracle that he had forgiven those two for what they did to him. No wonder he hadn''t turned into an evil spirit, the ghost held no grudge at all.


    Having been betrayed once herself, Phoebe knew exactly how Mason felt. The only difference between her and him was that she was given the chance to return and she was planning on torturing the people that hurt her, she wasn''t going to forgive anyone because she wasn''t God.


    Mason''s mother''s house was located in one of the nicest suburbs of Citrus city. It was a gated community, neat and lovely. There were some children playing and parents sitting outside under the shade of the few trees.


    "How come that witch didn''t get rid of your mother and sell this house. I believe such a house will fetch a handsome fee if put on the market." Connie''s eyes roamed over the five bedroom bungalow.


    Phoebe knocked once, then twice, she tried the door lock after the third try. The door wasn''t locked so they waltzed in but on entering, they spotted an older woman lying unconscious on the floor.


    The ghosts rushed to her side. "Call 911!!!" Yelled Sylvester. God knows whom he was shouting at.


    Mason carried her. "There is no time for that!!" Forgetting that humans could see his mother floating since he was a ghost.


    Quickly, Phoebe walked in his foot steps and acted like it was her carrying the older woman and not the ghost. They placed her in the car before driving off to the Mayfair clinic.


    Mason''s mother was rushed off to the emergency room. After about forty minutes, the doctor came in and told them that the patient had been brought in on time however she needed urgent surgery. It was not unexpected of course since they already knew she needed surgery. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "It will be best if we operate right now but clinic policy is that fifty percent of the payment must be provided before the surgery. We provide free treatment for some patients but there is a long list and it''s first come, first serve. Unfortunately, we cannot put her at the top of the list to ensure fairness. What should we do?" The doctor was under the assumption that Phoebe was a family member.


    "I am going to pay right now, please prep her and do the surgery."


    This was a matter of life and death, for the money Phoebe knew that she would make more of it so she rushed to the counter and paid half of the fees required. However there was a balance that had to be paid so they went to Victoria''s new residence in town.


    Indeed, the woman had really benefited from her husband''s death. Judging by the mansion she and her evil husband were staying in. Security was tight with about ten security guards at the gate only.


    "How are we getting past that security? I highly doubt they''ll never just let you in sister, thank God that i am invisible." Connie continued to speak as they watched the Saxon spirit approach the guards.


    The spirit blew some kind of dust in their faces and the beefy men fell to the floor all at once.


    "What was that? I need some of it." Phoebe was astonished just like the rest, this was a new trick the spirit hadn''t taught her yet.


    "Actually it''s sleeping dust, you have a lot of it on the mountains in the Magic space.You just never asked what the shiny sand was anyway let''s go in they''ll be awake in an hour." The spirit lifted her chin proudly.


    They found the right house following Mason''s directions and were let in as Phoebe claimed to be from the estate management office.


    In a few minutes, Victoria strolled lazily through the door of the living room where Phoebe was waiting impatiently.


    The moment she saw her, Victoria pressed the security button. "You idiots! I told you that I don''t want to see anyone. Come take this thing out of my house." She caressed her tummy so preciously like she was carrying a baby made of gold.


    "Sit down." Phoebe spoke authoritatively.


    "Who are you? How dare you come into my house and order me around?" Victoria raised her voice at Phoebe.


    "If you do not want the whole world to know that you killed your husband and took all his money i suggest you sit down and listen." Phoebe''s direct words caused the woman to let out an ear splitting noise.


    Her partner in crime came staggering downstairs, his suspicious glare was fixed on Phoebe but his attention was on his pregnant wife.


    "Vicky who is this? What happened here?"


    Phoebe stood up and pointed an index finger in herself. "Me? I have been very popular these past few days, i am surprised you do not recognize me. Anyway I am a shaman on a mission to get Mason what he wants."


    Letting out a guffaw, Turner wrinkled his nose and stared disgustingly at Phoebe. " You! A young woman like you a shaman. Little girl you must have duped so many people with your confidence all this confidence but we will not be entertaining you here. Leave at..."


    Phoebe cut him short for she had been here for a few minutes and already she hated the couple. "Let''s see....Chase Turner you left your friend to die in a fire after you pushed him back deliberately so that you could help yourself to his wife. You succeeded in your plot but you should be aware that the statute of limitations on your crime has not run out.


    Even though Turner says he forgave you guys, i don''t feel right about it. I have a detective friend maybe i should give him a call." she pulled out her phone and began to browse through the contact list.


    Sniveling, Victoria yelled at Phoebe. "You said that he forgave us! So what is the issue here?"


    The couple barely reacted to Phoebe''s accusation about their involvement in Mason''s murder. They were confident that there was no proof anyway. However, nobody in the world knew what they had done and Phoebe having that knowledge unsettled them. For the moment, it was best to listen and hear what she wanted.


    "We have no idea what you are talking about but we are willing to listen." Turner put a hand over his wife''s hand to calm her down.


    "Suit yourselves, anyway, the money you got from his death benefits, thirty million. He wants you to give half of it to his mother because it was hers to begin with. She was your mother in law and she treated you with love, how could you abandon her?" Phoebe shook her head.


    She was judging Victoria and she wanted the woman to know it. She succeeded in making Victoria so uncomfortable that the woman averted her eyes.


    "Ask her how she could marry the man that killed her husband?" The Saxon tapped Phoebe''s shoulder energetically.


    Connie nodded. "Yes, ask her if she ever loved Mason."


    Phoebe didn''t ask the questions because Mason didn''t care to know the answers.


    "I am on the clock and i can''t stand the smell of murderers. Give me an answer right now." Phoebe shouted, startling the couple.


    She added ghost energy to her voice, making it sound as if two people were speaking as one. It scared Victoria and Turner.

 Chapter 87 Rocks and thorns.

    Victoria was so frightened that she made up her mind immediately without delay.


    "Okay, fine I will do that tomorrow. It''s already late the banks are closed. I still have her bank number."


    Turner to jumped up with an ugly look of disapproval on his face.


    "What!!! Hell no. If we give it to her then we will be left with nothing." He lowered at both women like they were crazy. "That woman is already old and she may not even survive the surgery. We have a child on the way, we need the money more than she does."


    "Oh look, it''s another Aaron Gabriel." The Saxon spirit commented.


    It was because this was another man who was greedy for money that was not his. Rather than being grateful that he would not be arrested for his crime and repenting, he was more concerned with the money.


    "I think you have forgotten that it''s not your money. If you won''t do as Mason wishes then you leave me no choice but to call detective Shark. Everyone in the country who he is, the best detective that ever lived. You may think there is no evidence or witness but he won''t stop until you are both in prison." Phoebe started dialing his number.


    Turner moved quickly in attempt to snatch the phone out of Phoebe''s hand but the Saxon spirit was quicker and she slapped him.


    The loud slap which came out of nowhere scared him into sitting on the ground and looking around in fright.


    "Who...who is there?"


    Phoebe laughed. "Who else?" she taunted.


    Turner fell to his knees, apologetic and in tears. "I am sorry, it was my fault Mason. I shouldn''t have done that, i am the bad guy here and i will spend the rest of my life atoning. We will take the money to your mother and take care of her."


    Victoria was so frightened that she shrunk into the chair and wrapped her arms around her legs. She didn''t want Mason to beat her up as well. What if she lost the precious baby she was carrying?


    "Tomorrow, go to the Mayfair clinic and pay the balance. Hire a caretaker for Mason''s mother and send the rest of the money into her account. I am going to see to it that the money is wired to a law firm which will be responsible for paying the caretaker and catering to the elder.


    After that is done, you both have no business with her and Mason won''t have a reason to return here." Phoebe gave them instructions and added her own like the lawyers.


    As long as the law was somehow involved, these two would be forced to behave. When all was said and done, the Ghost helpers and Mason left the mansion. Mason thanked Phoebe for everything and promised to move on when his mother was well again.


    Thinking about the old woman being alone in the hospital at such a critical time made Phoebe uncomfortable. She had been registered as the granddaughter anyway when she checked her in so she decided to return and wait at least until the surgery was over.


    It was a long wait lasting up to over five hours and although she was exhausted, Phoebe was determined to stay until Mason''s mother came out of the operating theater.


    The ghost was filled with gratitude. If not for Phoebe, nobody would be here for his mother. Victoria had not even bothered to come.


    "Thank you for choosing to stay with her, I don''t know what I could have done without your help." Mason thanked her for the millionth time, he didn''t know how else to express his gratitude.


    "You are welcome, again. You need to stop thanking me Mason, it''s only human to help."


    "Some humans." Connie muttered.


    Although she looked okay, Phoebe could feel the stiffness in her body so she stepped out to stretch a bit and get a cup of coffee because sleeping was out of the question.


    She received a call from David which she answered only because he had dealt with the online haters. He had a group of lawyers going around suing everyone that posted nasty comments about her.


    Of course, his actions were also generating news and still keeping her in the limelight.


    "Hey..talk fast, i am busy and tired." She opened up frankly.


    "Are you sure that you are not hiding from me?" he responded.


    "Why would I do that? It''s not like I owe you or something."


    Her question rendered him speechless. His journey to chasing his wife was really full of thorns and rocks which she refused to move. Nevertheless, he moved on to a more important question.


    "Is it possible for me to see to see you in an hour? I am traveling for business tonight..in a three hours actually."


    "I am sorry, i can''t. I am away on serious business which i cannot abandon at the moment." She replied truthfully.


    He sighed...disappointed. "I guess I will see you when I get back, just be aware that I will be thinking of you during the entire trip. Pheebs, please pick up when i call, stop running from me."


    "Have a safe trip." She told him before ending the call.


    On the way back from the hospital cafeteria with a cup of coffee in her hands, Phoebe spotted Andre walking towards her. A broad smile played on his face like he had won a lottery. Phoebe wasn''t sure if it was her he was smiling at so she looked around just to be sure.


    "Pheebs!!" Andre''s smile quickly faltered when he reached her."Why are you here? Are you sick? I know the best doctors here and they will see you immediately. Let me call...." he was cut short when Phoebe chortled.


    It was lovely to see someone care if she was feeling well or not. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Saxon spirit agreed wholeheartedly with Phoebe''s thoughts. "Now this is what family does."


    "I am helping out a ghost client." She leaned in and whispered.


    The last words she said caused him to shudder. Andre had witnessed it himself in the cafe, his sister was the real deal.


    "Oh...what''s the case?" He asked as they moved to the waiting room.


    She chose not to yell him about Mason''s murder. The ghost had not told her to publicise it anyway.


    "His mother is in surgery, it''s been five hours so i reckon any time from now, they will be finished and we can get a briefing from the surgeon." Phoebe sipped on the coffee.


    As the hot liquid passed through her body, she felt herself coming back to life.


    Andre stared at her, he saw what others didn''t. Although he had just met her, his sister was very kind unlike Ruth. Five hours in a chair, waiting to hear news about a stranger. Ruth would shoot herself in the head if she was asked to do this.


    "I will wait with you." he offered.


    He followed her and they sat down in the corner seats in an empty row. Silence covered the air, all the two siblings did was steal glances at each other when they thought the other wasn''t looking.


    Andre couldn''t keep it to himself anymore so he pulled out a copy of the agreement of her cutting ties with the Gabriels and handed it to her.


    "Pheebs, what is this?" His eyes were fixed on her because he wanted to read her emotions when she replied. He had to know if she was hurt, afraid, shocked.


    "Exactly what it is. I am paying a fee because those two selfish people raised me and i want them out of my life now."


    Andre had a billion questions but first he wanted her to know why he was prying in her business.

 Chapter 88 Sibling connection

    He began by clearing his voice. "Uhmm...Pheebs, there is something that you should know. It''s about your heritage....uhmm....I mean family. About these people, your parents..." Andre struggled to find the right words.


    He wanted to be honest with her but how do you break it to someone that the people that raised her were not her real parents? He started rethinking the decision to open up because it didn''t seem to be the appropriate time as well.


    His right hand touched one of his pockets in which he had the DNA test between her and Luke. Maybe she needed to look at the proof first and then he could break it to her slowly.


    Phoebe chuckled slightly and bumped her shoulder into his.


    "I know everything about them and my heritage so you don''t have to fight with words."


    She was calm and her words confused him. He didn''t think she knew everything because there was no way she would be so calm if she knew the truth.


    "Know!! What do you know Pheebs? Are you already aware that your family isn''t really...." Andre was cut short by her once again.


    "Andre, I know that I am a Mayfair and not a Gabriel. I know almost everything except for how i ended up with the Gabriels. You are my brother, my big brother." Phoebe laughed at his shocked facial expression.


    "Since when? Why didn''t you come home when you found out? How did you even find out? My God Pheebs!" Andre wiped a tear that was at the corner of his eye, he went ahead to hug her tightly like she might escape.


    Phoebe had to tap him on the back because he was squeezing the life out of her. "Andre...I...can''t breathe." She struggled to speak.


    Immediately he let go but he held onto her hand. "Are you okay? Did i hurt you? Sorry, you are so tiny and i am so excited."


    "I am not that tiny Andre." she laughed.


    "I was so scared to bring it out. This is way easier than I thought it would be but how? Did you suspect them all along....what made you suspicious?" Andre gave her a quizzical smile.


    She leaned back in the metallic chair and told him everything. For some reason she felt comfortable talking to him. "I have to say that i am glad that I do not have to deal with them anymore and the fact that they knew about all this and remained silent is beyond evil."


    Andre swallowed hard. "You mean that the Gabriels knew about this and remained silent and Ruth has been visiting them all these years and she has been on the receiving end of pampering from them. That means that she was probably aware of this too, I mean I wouldn''t put it past her."


    His words gave her joy, finally she had met a Mayfair that saw beyond Ruth''s facade.


    "She''s good with her tricks but i am better now." Phoebe thrust her jaw upwards.


    The surgeon came out of the operating room, he walked straight to Phoebe for she was the guardian but the moment he saw Andre his attention shifted to him.


    "Mr. Mayfair? Do you know this patient as well?" The doctor stared at him with half-lidded exhausted eyes.


    Andre confidently stated that he did. "How is she?" He asked.


    "The surgery was a success but we have to put her in the ICU for a day or two before she is allowed to receive guests. We will keep in the hospital for two weeks for observation before she is allowed to go home if she is recovering well."


    "When it''s time for recovery, please put her in a single room, VIP. I will cover the bill." Andre offered.


    The doctor started to leave and Mason run after him. While humans couldn''t get into the ICU, he could. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe knew that she would not be seeing him again for the rest of the day. He would also not move on until she recovered and he saw to it that she was well taken care of.


    "Let''s go, there is nothing left for me to do for now." She told Andre.


    The ghosts didn''t need to be told. They all vanished into the magical space.


    As they passed by the reception on their way to the elevator, Phoebe spotted Victoria and Turner who were asking about the condition of a certain patient, Phoebe assumed that they were searching for Mason''s mother.


    Victoria whose eyes were roaming around saw Phoebe and run to her. "Where is she? I need her to forgive me for abandoning her. I have to take good care of her now." Her voice was quoted with genuine concern which made Phoebe pleased. She felt like her work was done.


    "In the ICU, you will be able to visit her tomorrow or the following day. The nurses have more information so talk to them."


    As much as she didn''t like the couple, she was relieved to see that Mason''s wish had come true.


    As he escorted her to her car, Andre who had been watching saw her yawn. She looked exhausted so he offered to give her ride home.


    "I can have someone drive your car back to your place. You are too tired to drive." he told her.


    She couldn''t argue with him on the tired part of his statement for she was exhausted and she didn''t want to drive but she also didn''t want to put him out.


    "Are you sure you can take me home? Why had you come here anyway and don''t say it was to see me because our meeting was a pure coincidence." Phoebe looked at him suspiciously.


    Andre was overly dressed like he was about to attend a grand party and he had some makeup on. It seemed like he had put in too much effort in his look just to come to a clinic.


    Embarrassed that she could read him easily like a book, Andre bit his bottom lip and held his chin close to his body.


    "It''s that obvious ha! Any way my team advised that I take some photos helping out at the clinic. It''s a public stunt to keep my name in the news. I am glad I did however because I found you because i have been anxious to talk to you and tell you who i am to you then get to know you. " He held her hand again.


    Phoebe smiled for it felt good to have a brother that actually wanted her.


    "You haven''t been answering my calls." he accused.


    She had not been taking calls from any unidentified numbers, not with all that had been going on.


    "Call again." She told him.


    Eagerly, he did so immediately. When he did she saved his number.


    "There, I''ll pick your calls from now on."


    Andre snatched the phone from her hands and made some corrections on his name.Phoebe laughed because he added best brother and heart emojis to the name.


    "Not the hearts ha-ha." She continued to laugh until they reached Andre''s car.


    He had a driver waiting and he told Phoebe to give her keys to the driver who would drive it home for her. He wanted to drive his sister personally.


    Because she was too tired, Phoebe fell asleep she wasn''t aware that Andre had already diverted from the road that led to the Cerene Apartments. He drove straight to the Mayfair residence.


    "When I said i am taking you home, I meant it little sister."

 Chapter 89 First visit home

    It was dinner time at the Mayfair residence however they were more interested in discussing the photos that Andre sent them than the food that was being served. It was the agreement between Phoebe and the Gabriels. Everyone was feeling uneasy about it.


    "This is truly Unbelievable! I don''t know what to think of this? Why is she cutting ties with them and why does she need to pay them so much money and give them a house too. It''s not right at all." Jennie zoomed the picture to read the contents that she had read thousands times.


    Collin who had just come to know about everything spoke. "May be it''s the other way round, this Phoebe although she is our lost and found sister but we all have heard the stories, the girl is ill mannered. I have met her so I know. It could be the Gabriels cutting her off."


    Grandma Mayfair couldn''t handle the sarcasm in Collin''s tone. "Shut up Collin!! Can you not read? I am old but I have a better functioning brain than you. Phoebe is giving then ten million and a house to break ties, it''s clear that they are extorting that poor girl. No sensible parent will accept that kind of deal if its proposed by a child they love.


    The problem here is not my granddaughter, it''s the Gabriels." Her crinkled eyes stared at him with disapproval.


    She knew that Ruth had always been Collins favorite sibling but now that they knew the truth, she was hoping that he would adjust and give the same love or even more to Phoebe.


    "Something must have happened, we don''t know the full story about this. We need to ask Andre...no Phoebe but first we need to let her know that she is our daughter and we should do it as soon as possible. She is all alone now, we should bring our daughter back." Edward spoke softly.


    Jennie nodded. "I agree that we should bring Phoebe home but i think it is too soon to jump to conclusions on this matter. These are the people that raised her I doubt they would do this. You should have seen how sad they were when we saw them at the cafe when they couldn''t find her. Besides let us not forget that they are Ruth''s birth parents, this is a very sensitive issue."


    Luke was quiet, he didn''t know what to say in the situation. His only wish was for Andre to walk in and clarify on the issue. Either way, he planned to meet Phoebe tomorrow and introduce himself as her brother. All this talk about how sensitive the matter was did not change the fact that she was his sister.


    Grandma Mayfair on the other hand already disliked the Gabriels. She saw no reason for them to complicate matters by waiting to hear from them. All she wanted was Phoebe returned as soon as possible and in her opinion, Edward and Ruth were moving like snails about it.


    "Edward why haven''t you told Phoebe that we are her family? What''s talking you so long? Use your connections to find her. All I want is to see my only grand daughter before I die!" The old woman let out a loud sigh.


    Unhappy with her choice of words, Jennie cried out. "Mother! please refrain from saying that Phoebe is your only grand daughter. What if Ruth were to hear you? How do you think she would feel?"


    Edward agreed with his wife. "Mother this changes nothing, Ruth is still our child. We can raise two daughters here easily. We just want to approach Phoebe carefully because we don''t know how she will react to being one of us. What if she doesn''t want to be a Mayfair? She was raised for over twenty years by the Gabriels after all.


    What if she blames and hates us?"


    Collin almost choked on his drink as he chuckled. "Ohhh you bet she will be glad to be a Mayfair. That girl is an opportunist, i am sure when you tell her that she is a Mayfair she will demand for this and that just wait you''ll see."


    His words were too harsh but Ruth had already painted Phoebe in bad light, especially to Collin. She had been doing it since she was a teenager.


    "Let''s meet her first and I think Andre is home but he wants me to him outside." Luke mentioned after receiving a message from Andre.


    The entire family except Collin followed Luke. With everything that was going on, they didn''t want to be left out of anything.


    Andre had stepped out of the car to wait for Luke. He needed advise on how to proceed on whether to tell his family that Phoebe was here or whether to just spring the surprise on them.


    To his shock, Luke didn''t come out alone. Their parents and grandmother were with him. The moment they saw him they started to bombard him with questions and no matter how many times Andre shushed them, they spoke loudly.


    Phoebe who was in dreamland was woken by loud voices, she rubbed her eyes and sat straight. Slowly she realized that she wasn''t at the Cerene Apartments but still in the car and Andre wasn''t in his seat. She opened the car door and stepped out as she called Andre''s name.


    Her steps came to a halt when she saw him with a bunch of people that were staring at her in shock. Of course she recognized them, however she was puzzled because she didn''t know why she was standing before the Mayfairs.


    Realization hit after looking around that she was at their residence.There were two ways she could handle this, one was return to the car and lock herself inside and two was take the bull by the horns. Ruth had not seen any harm in strolling into the Gabriel home and making herself comfortable. It was time she did the same here.


    With her mind made up, Phoebe swallowed hard and walked to where they stood.


    "Grandma, father, mother and Luke, aren''t we going to go in?" She bypassed them and continued to move inside the house leaving their jaws on the floor except Andre who smiled broadly.


    The Mayfairs were stunned for a moment. Phoebe was small and of average height but she was also daring and brave because she didn''t express any nervousness on meeting them. What shocked them the most was the way in which she addressed them.


    "D...did....she just ...call me mother?" Jennie pointed four fingers to her chest.


    Edward suggested that they follow Phoebe inside the house. Grandma Mayfair was already halfway there however. The old lady couldn''t contain her excitement for she kept smiling as she wobbled inside.


    Phoebe knew that if she wanted to punish Ruth for her wrongdoings, kicking her out of the Mayfair family was one way. So, she was going to act like the true Mayfair heiress that she was.


    They all went to the living room where Phoebe was waiting. Collin was just about up to finally join the others outside when he saw Phoebe walk in casually like she owned the house.


    He was shocked, like he had just seen a ghost. "How are you here?"


    Out of all the Mayfairs he was having the hardest time adjusting to the fact that this con artist was his sister. Phoebe ignored him and she sat down.


    [Why does he act like he always has a stick shoved up his ass.]


    Collin shouted "WHAT!" After reading her thoughts, he moved as if to attack her but stopped suddenly when the rest of the family walked in.


    Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 90 Tough cookie

    Grandma Mayfair had never felt the desire to spank her grandson Collin Mayfair more that she did in that moment. She didn''t like the way he was looking at Phoebe or how he had just shouted at her.


    "Is something wrong here?" Collin i am asking you, why are you glaring at my grand daughter? She has only been here for a few minutes and you are already displaying your rude behavior. Let''s all try to get along."


    Grandma Mayfair wasn''t going to tolerate anyone that was going to show Phoebe any kind of animosity and scare her away.


    Collin placed one hand on his forehead and another on his waist as he walked aimlessly.


    How was he supposed to tell them that he had read her thoughts without sounding mad.


    A muffled chuckle slipped through Phoebe''s lips for it was nice to see the almighty Collin get checked by his grandmother. For all his brawn and sharp tongue, he couldn''t hold his own when faced with the old lady. She now knew that she needed the old matriarch in her corner.


    The rest of the family joined them and Edward told everyone to sit. What followed was awkward silence as they didn''t know what to say. They needed first to know what she knew and then they could find a starting point.


    Grandma Mayfair cleared her throat and looked at Phoebe who seemed very nonchalant about the situation.


    "My dear grand daughter i am so happy that you have come home on your own. I was planning to come and search for you tomorrow in person. I have been very restless since i found out about you. To have you here, in front of my me, i don''t know how to express my happiness. I guess i can die in peace now that I have seen you." She wiped tears from her cheeks.


    Her heart swelled with love which threatened to burst fourth and explode over everyone. Looking at Phoebe was like looking in a mirror. She couldn''t understand how Phoebe, her near carbon copy had existed in the same city with her but they never met even once. Did nobody out there notice the resemblance?


    Jennie on the other hand remained silent, she didn''t know what to say to Phoebe. The girl was practically a stranger, they were mother and daughter but she felt no bond yet. All she was doing was was crying and blaming herself as the guilt ate her up every time she looked at Phoebe.


    The resemblance to her husband was strong and Phoebe had her eyes. If she was put side by side with Ruth, everyone could guess who was the Mayfair and who wasn''t. So, how did she not see that Ruth was not her child?


    It troubled her so much that the question slipped out of her mouth.


    "What kind of mother doesn''t realize that she is breastfeeding and raising a baby that is not hers? How?" She continued to wail.


    Her husband felt equally bad that he didn''t suspect a thing for twenty one years. He placed his arm over his wife''s shoulders in a comforting move.


    "Honey you aren''t to blame for this, none of us suspected a thing. Phoebe, we really had no idea. If we had known, we would have come for you just as we were planning to come for you tomorrow." S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe felt bad for them as they were in a hard position like her.


    "You have nothing to feel bad for because I don''t resent any of you at all." Her eyes moved to Collin.


    [Except you of course.]


    Rolling his eyes in disbelief, Collin wrinkled his nose at her. Phoebe saw his reaction to her statement and came to the conclusion that her eldest brother wasn''t thrilled with her presence nevertheless she didn''t care.


    As if to taunt her Collin sniggered. "You must feel like you have a lottery now that you are a Mayfair." His tone was very condescending it left his family offended but he didn''t care. He wanted to embarrass and humiliate her.


    "Collin!!! My God!!" Jennie couldn''t understand his rudeness towards Phoebe and neither could the other elders.


    Phoebe smirked because she could see that he was trying to rile her up.


    "Not really no. It''s nice that I finally found my true origins but I wasn''t going to die if I didn''t find it. It''s not that great to be a Mayfair if you are impudent just like you are big brother."


    Her blunt words bemused them especially Grandma Mayfair who laughed. She was glad that the girl wasn''t a push over.


    Andre who was about to come to her defense gave Phoebe a thumbs up, If she was going to survive here then she had to be a tough cookie.


    Phoebe then smiled at Edward who was staring warmly at her. Ruth always bragged about all the great things he did for her. How jealous of Ruth she had been all these years for she had such a kind father!


    [Father, my father. You have such a kind face and generous heart. I wonder if you will love me genuinely because i want to be your most beloved daughter. Father, it has been so hard for me all these years, will you let me lean on you?]


    Only Edward saw these thoughts and he was stunned. He stood up abruptly like a recharged robot and pointed his index finger at her in disbelief. He didn''t know if what he had seen was real but it forced the tears that he was fighting to come forward.


    Without pause, he moved and hugged her as he cried.


    "My daughter, oh, my beloved daughter. Your father is sorry for coming late. I should have found you sooner and brought you home."


    The rest of the Mayfairs were shocked because his reaction was very unexpected. Since when did he express emotions so openly and why was he crying out of the blue?


    "Edward!" Jennie called his name in utter shock.


    "Let him be, he has missed out a lot on raising her." Grandma Mayfair couldn''t contain her joy for she smiled widely.


    Phoebe on the other hand had moisture grow in her eyes. Finally she was being embraced by her father the way Aaron never did. She wrapped her arms around his back and sniveled softly.


    After a few minutes, Edward sat close to Phoebe, not letting go of her hand while they talked.


    "Now that you know everything, I guess the remaining thing is for us to know how this happened, i have the best investigators working to find out the truth behind how this mix up happened." Edward pulled his brows together.


    "That won''t be necessary father, I have a detective friend that has been digging into it. He asked to meet me tomorrow apparently he got to the bottom of it." Phoebe shared with him. She was squeezing his hand on and off, basking in its warmth.


    Edward''s eyes widened that his whites were showing. He was proud that his little girl was very resourceful and proactive.


    "Then he has to brief all of us on his findings, i am going to call off my investigators."


    Something else had been bothering Jennie so she spoke on it.


    "Phoebe, this agreement between you and the Gabriels, what is that about?"

 Chapter 91 Sisters, never!

    Phoebe forced her lips closed in a firm line, her quizzical glance focused on Andre who had snitched already. That didn''t matter any way because sooner or later the Mayfairs were to find out.


    [Mother, I had to get rid of those horrible humans, you don''t know how badly they treated me.]


    Jennie gasped. Her trembling hand covered her mouth after reading Phoebe''s thoughts. She had no idea what she had seen or how real it was but since it came from Phoebe, she quickly figured out that it was her inner thoughts.


    Everyone else was calm, she realized and she also figured that she only she was the only one that could see it. The small bond she had with Phoebe grew some more. This was probably a sign that mother and daughter had a special link.


    She also realized that she knew nothing of the life her daughter had lived and it wasn''t as rosy as she had been assuming. She blinked continuously as tears came flowing down her cheeks.


    "The Gabriels are no longer my family, I cut them off and paid them for raising me just like they requested." Phoebe curled her lips distastefully.


    Her words infuriated some of the Mayfairs except for Collin that was still skeptical.


    "How dare they ask you for money? How barbaric of them...no...no, there is no way you are going to continue living on your own so that they can reach you as they please. Those people are capable of doing worse, move in here." Grandma Mayfair wasn''t leaving anything to chance.


    Through her life time, she had met so many greedy people like the Gabriels. Soon they would be back for more especially now that Phoebe was a Mayfair.


    "Hell no!!" Collin''s voice reverberate in the room. "She cannot just move in here, we haven''t even told Ruth about everything that''s going on. I insist that we hear the Gabriels side of the story, this sneaky girl cannot be trusted."


    Jennie was stuck between a rock and a hard place because she couldn''t let Phoebe stay out there when she was her daughter. Then there was Ruth who was also her daughter, it was just a matter of time before she found out and it was obvious that she wasn''t going to take everything well.


    "How dare you think that your say counts on this issue Collin? I am the matriarch and my word is final. Phoebe is moving into this house whether you like it or not. Ruth has to adjust to the new normal, if she doesn''t like it then she can move out.


    Don''t forget that her parents are also going to be making contact with her. How do you know that she won''t move out to live with them? Stay out of Phoebe''s matters if you are not helping." Grandma Mayfair used a raised tone to speak.


    Andre stepped forward in full support of his grandmother''s words.


    "Phoebe has every right to live here just like all of us including you Collin. We know that you adore Ruth, I mean we all do but Phoebe here is our biological sister and that means that she comes first.


    Edward looked at Phoebe who was quietly listening to them. A lot had been said but they were yet to hear her opinion on the matter. They hadn''t asked her whether she wanted move in or not.


    "What do you think daughter, do you want to move in or do you need more time to think about it?" His hand brushed over her head.


    This was not a difficult choice for Phoebe because she had already made her decision. Even if they hadn''t asked her, she would still have found a way to move in, after all, it was her home too.


    "Father, since I discovered who i was, I have done a lot of thinking. I decided that if the opportunity presents itself i am going to live with my family. In fact i am hoping to spend the night so that i can get to know you all better." Phoebe''s eyes moved to Collin.


    [It doesn''t matter if you don''t like it Collin.]


    Collin clenched his jaw. It looked like everyone was buying into Phoebe''s good girl act. She was as pretentious as Ruth had said.


    "What about Ruth? When do we tell her? Are the Gabriels even her real family? She could be a total orphan and we just break her fragile heart."


    They had all naturally assumed that since the Gabriels raised Phoebe that automatically made Ruth their biological child.


    Phoebe read the room which was filled with confusion so she cleared the air.


    "Oh she is their daughter alright, she looks just like her mother. Just to be sure, I did the test and confirmed this fact myself but you can ask them to do another just to put people like Collin here at ease." She continued taunt him sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "It doesn''t matter, you two are sisters and although you didn''t get along in the past, I believe that you will be closer now. Phoebe you should start by apologizing for beating Ruth and tearing her clothes." Jennie made a good suggestion and smiled warmly at Phoebe.


    On hearing her mother''s words, Phoebe laughed lightly. Her reaction puzzled all of them especially Edward who arched an eyebrow.


    Phoebe placed a hand to her chest and said coldly. "I am sorry but sisters...no ..never. You should all know that Ruth and I aren''t friends talk more of sisters. I don''t like her and I never will. I hope that i am very clear on that.


    Oh and as for apologizing to Ruth, that will never happen, I would rather go to hell." She browsed through her gallery and sent the dash cam footage to Andre who in turn sent it to the family group.


    The Mayfairs were left speechless by Phoebe''s words, the girl was very blunt with her words. Jennie could only blame the Gabriels that raised her in an uncouth manner. If she had been raised under her care, she would be more polite and refined.


    "Check your phones, I hope that you understand where Phoebe is coming from. Ruth is no saint either!" Andre folded his arms.


    They were left in disbelief after watching the video. Still Collin had the guts to accuse Phoebe of provoking Ruth to do what she did.


    "You slapped her first, she had to do something to get back at you. Ruth is a weak person naturally and she couldn''t fight you physically so she used her brain."


    His words caused Andre to sneer. "Is that supposed to be some kind of joke? This is why Ruth turned out to be a spoilt brat. Instead of condemning her acts you are blaming Phoebe."


    "Andre is right, both the girls were at fault. Collin as the eldest the least you could have done is to scold both of them and not to blame one." Grandma Mayfair glared at him.


    "Still, I cannot believe that Ruth did that! She lied to everyone. I cannot believe this at all! What possessed her?" Jennie blinked rapidly.


    She was still struggling because she wanted both of her daughters to get along but Phoebe was headstrong and Ruth was proving to be a liar.


    Edward sighed deeply. "Phoebe we have heard what you said and we will respect your wishes not to force you two to get along. I just request that you be cordial with her maybe in the future you two will learn to get along."


    Phoebe nodded once. "I won''t mind her but if she comes looking for trouble I promise to give it to her."

 Chapter 92 Collins massive hatred.

    Collin did not appreciate Phoebe''s words which sounded like a threat to his hears. His immediately jumped to the memory from some six years ago. Ruth had come home with a black eye and told him that she had been injured when she was playing a game with her best friend. Even though she acted strong, she had cried until she ended up getting a fever.


    Given that the only best friend Ruth ever claimed to have was Phoebe, it wasn''t hard to deduce who had given her that black eye.


    So, not only was this Phoebe a con artist but she was also a bully. She was not even ashamed and she was declaring it so publicly to the family and everyone was just quietly letting her get away with it. Had they gone crazy? Every family had a black sheep and for them, it was Andre who kept the Mayfair name in the news and not always for good reasons as a result of his career.


    It looked like Andre was about to be overthrown as a new contender had showed up.


    Most prominent families that had a lot to lose usually had their black sheep sent out of the country. As Collin side eyed Phoebe, he came to another conclusion that she should be sent abroad, perhaps to Eagle country, somewhere where she could not besmirch the Mayfair name.


    The media would have a field day if they caught wind of the news that the true Mayfair daughter was a shaman, a trickster, a con woman.


    "Father, we should keep this news within the house first. Not only should we wait for Ruth to be released from the hospital before springing this news on her but we should do..."


    Grandma Mayfair picked up the pillow which she was sitting on her lap and she threw it at him. Because the living room was large, it landed on the floor without hitting the target but the intention was clear, she was displeased.


    "I have told you to stay out of Phoebe''s affairs if you have nothing good to say. Where is your concern for your sister? You have just heard about the terrible people that raised her extorting her so where is your rage on her behalf? All you keep saying is Ruth this and that as if she is the only one that matters.


    Collin, you have disappointed me so much today, your grandfather would be so ashamed if he was here today to witness your behavior. You want to throw away your own blood..."


    She started heaving slowly and put a hand over her heart, appearing to be in pain.


    Edward left Phoebe''s side and her run to her, calling for her frantically.


    "Mother, mother, what''s wrong?"


    Luke rushed to her side and Jennie hurried away to bring the old woman''s medicine. Phoebe didn''t stay still either, she quickly joined everyone around her grandmother.


    She never went anywhere without one of her potions and now that she had a magical space, she had all of them available. The Saxon spirit sent one to her bag and Phoebe took it out.


    It was black liquid in a small crystal bottle. Phoebe opened it and held it up to her grandmother.


    "Grandmother, drink this."


    Collin, like a possessed man full of hatred, stared daggers at the small bottle. He raised his hand with the intention of slapping it away. Andre was quicker however as he saw Collin''s hand movement out of the corner of his eye.


    He caught Collin''s arm and stopped it with a glare of his own.Without a word, he used his own strength to shove Collin away.


    "What is wrong with you?" he barked at his eldest brother?


    "Are you going to stand by and watch her poison grandma?" Collin asked Andre in a raised voice.


    Phoebe had no words for Collin, he succeeded in surprising her into speechlessness. Poison!, had he lost his mind? What had Ruth fed this lunatic to make him so obsessed with her? What lies had she been feeding him because this kind of hatred he had for her, a stranger to him was something built over a period of time.


    Is that what Ruth had been doing all these years, smearing her with shit so that even if the truth were revealed someday, the Mayfairs, her real family would be so guarded against her?


    [This stupid eldest brother, someone really ought to seal your mouth with glue. With which eyes have you seen me putting poison in here? This small bottle, i can charge up to a million for it and people will line up from here to Salt lake to purchase it.]


    Collin read her thoughts and he scoffed. Who did she think she was to have people lining up for her medicine? Was she a miracle doctor? Even if it wasn''t poison, it was probably some water mixed with common cheap herbs. What could it do for his grandmother? He was not going to allow her put his beloved grandmother''s life at risk just because she was his biological sister?


    Jennie, now returned with the various medicines that grandma Mayfair had been given by the doctor to treat her heart and blood pressure agreed with Collin. She didn''t think giving her mother-in-law an unknown medicine that had not been tested was wise.


    "Phoebe, your eldest brother Collin is right. If you give your grandmother something and it has a disastrous effect....mother!!"


    She stopped explaining Collin''s side to Phoebe when grandma Mayfair who had enough of Collin''s bullshit grabbed the little bottle and took a sip of the unknown medicine.


    She didn''t want to point out the hypocrisy at play. If it was Ruth that had brought unknown medicine, neither Collin nor Jennie would have said a word. They would have encouraged her to drink it while praising Ruth for being so loving and caring. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was going to take a while for everyone to get used to this new normal. Of course, she didn''t expect everyone to just jump immediately and suddenly love Phoebe blindly even though they had met her for less than two hours.


    However, she had to be given a chance and provided with equal affection just as they gave Ruth.


    "Should i take another sip?" she asked Phoebe.


    Phoebe looked at the bottle and she frowned briefly before chuckling.


    [Grandmother, you were supposed to take a small sip, not a mouthful. Anyway, it won''t do you harm, it''s good for your heart.]


    Grandma Mayfair cleared her throat and gloated while looking at Collin directly.


    "See, i am not dead, it''s not poison. I have seen that label on medicine my friend Prudence Saxon takes and she is doing much better than me now and yet she was the more sickly one before. It''s from the Black Ghost Cafe, i have been planning to get some things from there for a while now."


    Luke held a hand out to Phoebe with a soft smile on his face. He wanted to take a look at the medicine and she handed it over.


    Andre meanwhile was beaming with pride. "Oh!, grandma, that''s Phoebe''s place, it''s her cafe."

 Chapter 93 Things they missed out on.

    Grandma Mayfair''s eyes lit up and she grabbed Phoebe''s hand.


    "Really, you own the Black Ghost Cafe!, wow, Prudence has been gate keeping where she got the incredible medicine from other people. Her skin is looking much better and hair has regained some volume so she wanted to become the first among us all to regain her old glow before sending us your way. To think the one she was hiding from me is my own granddaughter.


    I am going to call her and brag her about this so much that she will be so envious of me. My dear, you have to sell to me everything that you gave her. I should be the hottest grandma in town."


    Phoebe chuckled and stuck her tongue out playfully.


    "Grandmother." she said bashfully.


    Edward cleared his throat."Mother, what are you teaching my daughter?"


    Grandma Mayfair scoffed playfully at her son and went back to giving attention to Phoebe. She felt as if she had recovered already and her body was filled with more energy than before.


    "Have you eaten? We were having dinner when Andre brought you home. Let''s go and eat, i want to know all about you and what your childhood was like."


    Edward and Luke helped her up, as soon as he was on her feet, she took Phoebe''s hand. For her, there was a new favorite in the house and it was her precious granddaughter.


    They walked slowly and she begun quizzing Phoebe immediately. "What were you like when you were a baby?"


    Edward caught up quickly because he wanted to know and Jennie followed after her sons a warning look. She didn''t want them to fight but the truckload of boiling anger inside Collin and Andre could either spill when they were alone or around other people. It would not be the first time the two would be trading words or fists, it happened when they were going up and they always made up after.


    "I will make sure no blood is drawn." Luke assured her.


    Jennie sighed and closed the door behind her. She leaned against it for a few seconds and sighed sadly. Of course she was happy that Phoebe was home, what mother wouldn''t want their child but she was worried about the aftermath from her return. Was the family going to be torn apart? Would they have to choose between the daughter they raised and the one that was theirs by blood?


    Whatever side they chose, one son would be devastated. It was already clear that Collin was on Ruth''s side and Andre was on Phoebe''s. Luke had not vocally picked a side and he was remaining neutral as he always was in family matters but she had a feeling that if push came to shove, he would stand on Phoebe''s side. He was like his grandmother, blood mattered to him and Phoebe was his blood sister.


    Jennie quietly cried for a few more seconds and then she wiped the tears away. She took a long deep measured breath and went to join the others at the dining table. She wanted to know the things about Phoebe they had missed out on.


    In the living room meanwhile, the shoving had already set in and two brothers were shoving each other while one watched with an unbothered smile. Luke, in fact was sitting in a chair with a smile on his face and a magazine in hand. There was nothing he could do or say to stop the two maniacs at this point.


    "How could you bring a con artist into our home? What will you tell grandma about her business? Don''t you know that she hates shamans and the like the most?" Collin asked through gritted teeth.


    He didn''t stop there and he mimicked Andre, "It''s Phoebe''s business, she owns the cafe." He sneered derisively. "Did that girl cast a spell on you or something?"


    Andre shoved him back in the chest." I should be the one asking you that. Did Ruth put a magic spell on you to make you hate your own sister?"


    "Ruth is my sister? Blood doesn''t dictate everything when it comes to relationships between family. Ruth is a better Mayfair.."


    Andre didn''t wait for what Collin wanted to say and he raised folded his right hand and punched his brother.


    "You bastard, you have lost your mind. We have all said it clearly that Ruth is still our sister, we won''t reject her or throw her away. Why do you keep acting as if you are the only one that loves her in this house? Are you her only brother?"


    Luke raised his head lazily to make a reminder because he saw Collin taking off his expensive watch. He didn''t want the watch to break in the fight.


    "No blood." he reminded them.


    Thirty minutes later, all three brothers joined everyone at the table. One had a smile on his face and two had bruises on their face and ruffled hair. One of the maids had been waiting with ice packs which she handed to them immediately.


    None of the adults gave them attention and only Phoebe was frightened at their sight.


    "Brother.." she cried out.


    Since she was looking at Andre, all three brothers knew on whose behalf she was alarmed.


    "What happened?"


    Andre smiled and winced a little as a result of pain from the cut on the corner of his mouth.


    "I am fine, this is nothing. You should have seen me that one time when i was injured by a falling box at the filming set. You would have cried..."


    Phoebe glared at him lightly as he tried to make light light of his pain.


    "You will get used to this." Edward assured Phoebe.


    His words did not reassure her as he hoped, and in fact they made her worry more. How often did they fight? She checked her bag for medicine and band aids. Andre had been kind to her and he had only fought because of her.


    She got up and handed him the medicine.


    "Apply this."


    He put down the ice and raised his face at her with a rather impish smile.


    "Do it for me."


    She smiled and nodded.


    [Tsk, Andre you are older than me but you are adorable. Brother, thank you. I will be the best sister you have ever had and i will protect you just as you have protected and fought for me.]


    Andre grinned and he suddenly thought that the bruises and pain were worth it. He was steadily on his way to becoming Phoebe''s favorite in the family.


    After applying medicine to him she sat down without saying a word to Collin. She glanced at him however briefly.


    "I don''t need your medicine." he mentioned.


    She rolled her eyes. "I didn''t offer."


    [Did you have to hit Andre so hard you jerk? He is an actor, his face is very important. You are such a cruel brother, you and Ruth deserve each other.]


    Collin scoffed and rolled his eyes ceiling. Andre''s face was important, so what about his? He was a vice president in the company. People were going to talk about him tomorrow when he showed up with bruises or swellings. Why did she care about Andre only?


    Jennie tapped the table and Phoebe broke eye contact with Collin.


    "Mmm, Phoebe, we should prepare a room for you since you are living here from now on. You can redecorate and paint tomorrow tonight, just make do." Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe shook her head. "It''s okay, i will take Ruth''s room."

 Chapter 94 If she can, so can i.

    A loud snicker escaped Collin''s lips, he wasn''t surprised at all by Phoebe''s words. Ruth had always told him that Phoebe wanted everything that she had, in fact Ruth had asserted that the girl would steal her life if she could and here she was doing just that.


    There were so many empty rooms in this house collecting cobwebs, why couldn''t she pick from any of them. Why did she have to sleep in Ruth''s bedroom? Since Ruth was not here to defend herself, he would have to do it for her.


    "That''s too bad because you cannot have it, this house had hundreds of rooms pick one just forget about that silly thought of taking Ruth''s room." Collin pointed a fork at Phoebe.


    Her parents agreed with Collin because how were they supposed to explain to Ruth when she came to the hospital that her room was given to their long lost daughter? It would be as though they were casting her aside. What would people say if they heard about it?


    "Daughter, remember we want you to get along with your sister. If she comes home and finds out that her room was given to you then the situation between you two will only get worse. I agree with Collin, you do not need to use Ruth''s bedroom when you can have your own." Edward tried to make Phoebe see reason.


    But Phoebe was unfazed, she remembered how Ruth bragged about having the biggest room in the house with a customized everything because her parents didn''t spare a coin in giving her what she wanted. She never shied away from saying that it was bigger than Phoebe''s whole house combined. Ruth also taunted Phoebe with pictures of that bedroom.


    "But it''s just a room, and it should have been mine anyway. It''s not like i am stealing something from her anyway. I just want a room near you mom and dad. Phoebe''s sad eyes looked at her parents who melted at her words.


    [Mother, father, do you know that Ruth gets special treatment in the Gabriel house? Even my bedroom was taken away from me thanks to her. The more you speak up for her, the more my heart breaks. Is it fair that she gets to be loved by two sets of parents while i get none?]


    Jennie blinked back her tears and so did Edward. As always, Phoebe was clueless about her thoughts being seen. They were not seen by everyone in the world, only by a few chosen people related to her by blood or those related to the magic Saxon pendant that gave her an opportunity of rebirth.


    Only her parents saw the thought in this case and they couldn''t deny her request after seeing it. They had spent twenty one years loving a stranger it was only fair that their daughter receives some of that love. Both of them wanted to ask about Ruth''s visits to the Gabriel house and what happened with her bedroom but it was the wrong time.


    How would they explain why they were suddenly bringing it up.


    "I think that it''s quite understandable if Phoebe uses the bedroom and sleeps closer to us. Ruth can choose another room when she returns, its just a room for sleeping anyway." Edward agreed to his daughter''s request.


    Ironically, without even knowing, he used the similar language to Elizabeth when she had explained why she gave Phoebe''s bedroom to Nicky basing off of Ruth''s opinion.


    Edward''s words angered Collin who stormed off with the intention of going to visit Ruth. Someone needed to give her a heads up.


    Grandma Mayfair was nodding her head and she called the for the maids to move Ruth''s belongs. To her, Edward and Jennie were prioritizing the right things now.


    "It''s only fair that Phoebe gets that the opportunity to be closer to you both. I am sure that Ruth will understand the situation. Let us show you to the room now."


    They all moved to Ruth''s room along with three maids. Phoebe entered second after her grandmother and studied the items inside. The room whose walls were painted pink smelled like fresh lilies. It had expensive furniture fit for a queen. The bed was massive, and five people could easily sleep on it.


    "You can remodel it to suit your taste if you don''t like it." Grandma Mayfair suggested. "Transfer Ruth''s clothes, jewelry and other personal items out." she instructed the maids.


    Phoebe meanwhile had no plan of changing a thing, she wanted Ruth to be infuriated with the fact that she was sleeping in a room that she designed for herself. It was poetic justice.


    "Everyone, thank you for escorting me here but please wait outside until i am done changing a few things." Phoebe smiled at them and they respected her wishes.


    The maids that had began to move Ruth''s belongings were suddenly stopped by Phoebe. "You don''t have to do that, I have a quicker way, you can wait outside as well." She summoned the ghosts.


    Connie clapped enthusiastically, she was more exited than Phoebe. One would think that she was the lost and found heiress.


    "I hope I get to see that witch''s face when she sees that you are taking everything back from her."


    Phoebe chuckled because she had a lot in store for Ruth, she planned on becoming a living nightmare that would torment her. Ruth owed her three lives, one was hers and two were her children that she murdered.


    "Alright throw everything that belongs to Ruth outside." She ordered the ghosts.


    Suddenly the people outside began to see Ruth''s belongings fly out of the door at a terrific speed. Oman the butler tried to peek to see what was going on but he was hit by an ottoman stool.


    "Sorry, I told you to wait outside, please get out of the way." Came Phoebe''s voice from inside the room.


    They all gawked at the flying items for they didn''t know what to think of what was happening. A jewelry box flew through the air and shattered on the floor downstairs.


    "Oh boy." Andre chuckled.


    "What the hell is going on? Phoebe are you alright in there?" Edward asked out of genuine concern.


    "I am fine father and i am almost done here." Phoebe shouted


    The only people that understood what was happening were Luke and Andre who had witnessed Phoebe in action. Phoebe''s ghost assistants were at work in there.


    The commotion came to a halt and Phoebe told her family to come in. Everything that belonged to Ruth had been placed outside and the room was also tidy and extremely clean.


    "How? What is going on here?" Jennie demanded, she just still couldn''t wrap her head around what had just happened. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    What would have taken a full hour and three maids had been accomplished by one Phoebe in ten minutes.


    Andre spoke excitedly. "It''s the ghosts, they are helping her. This is so cool." He gave her a thumbs up but his words left the elders in a mixture of confusion and shock.


    "Ghosts.." Jennie squealed and hid behind Edward.


    "Yup, ghosts, i have three of them with me." she confirmed. "It''s what i do for a living also, i help ghosts in different ways."

 Chapter 95 Edwards resolution.

    "Black Ghost cafe! Oh my World!" Grandma Mayfair felt a little faint. It was right there in the name of her cafe, so glaringly obvious.


    Phoebe nodded and bit her lips, there was nothing to hide, she had been allover TV and social media with most calling her a con artist. In fact she was certain that Ruth had mentioned it to the family.


    [I hope that you all, my family will still accept me now that they know who I am truly. If you don''t then i guess i will consider it my unlucky fate. I almost died, when i woke up i could see ghosts and now i am this...i can''t change it.]


    They all saw the thought and had even more questions for her especially about her near death incident. What had happened and how it happened, they wanted to know.


    As for the ghosts, at least she wasn''t faking anything and telling lies. If they didn''t have the ability to read her thoughts they would be jumping to other conclusions.


    "So all this talk on T.V about you being a fake shaman was wrong? You are actually a real shaman?" Grandma Mayfair''s eyes widened in question.


    Phoebe nodded and shuffled her feet.


    [I guess i should get started on leaving right away.]


    "Err...it''s unusual but we will get used to it." Edward said nervously.


    He didn''t want her to go. His daughter had almost died and he had almost missed out on an opportunity to know her.


    It didn''t matter if she saw ghosts, he would find a way to deal with it. His friend Dexter had a son that had the mental age of seven and he adored his son, never hiding him from people or acting ashamed of him. So what if he had a daughter that could see ghosts? If Dexter didn''t care what people thought of his son, why should he care what they said about Phoebe.


    Maybe her condition could even be remedied, he would look into it.


    Andre meanwhile was panicking too, he was unprepared to see his sister leaving after all the effort he had put into bringing her home.


    "Mom, dad, grandma, don''t be scared. Our younger sister only deals with good ghosts that need help and is awesome when she is at work. You should have seen at her at the cafe, this guy run into her cafe chasing after a father and son. They were ghosts that were still living with a human woman as a family.


    Phoebe stood up and held her hand up like a hero in an action film and she shouted, ghost catchers are not welcome here."


    Andre put both of his hands on his waist.


    "Luke and i were puzzled, we had no idea what was going on. The guy said, those ghosts are criminals, the dead and the living are not allowed to be together, life is for the living. Then Phoebe replied, this cafe is a sanctuary for ghosts looking for a way to move on, i do not harbor evil ghosts, leave or face my wrath."


    Andre continued narrating the story, exaggerating it and adding new details to it. He had written an entire script and he narrated it to them, making it so exciting that even grandma Mayfair forgot her apprehension in relation to ghosts.


    "The guy told her, you are a ghost catcher, you are just like me but you are doing the opposite of your job. Phoebe held her hand up and said, I am not like you, i am the exception. In this world, i am the only exception."


    Luke moaned and laughed, because he was actually there and half of the details Andre had added were false but he didn''t bother correcting them. It was all for a good cause anyway. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "That sounds action packed and scary, are you okay?" Grandma Mayfair asked Phoebe.


    Phoebe nodded.


    "Let''s all retire for the night, we can deal with everything else tomorrow."


    One by one, they hugged Phoebe, some with genuine happiness and sincerity and others with stiffness. They left one maid behind to help Phoebe make the bed and help with anything else she needed.


    Everyone walked away with different thoughts on their mind. The night had been a whirlwind of surprising events and it had ended on an unexpected note.


    Jennie had the most thoughts as she was disturbed by the fact that Phoebe was a shaman. What would society say about them when they learned about this? She folded her lips and shut her eyes tightly at the thought of her friends and two sisters gossiping about her.


    Edward knew that she was very disturbed and he put his hands around her shoulders as he led her into their bedroom.


    "I know what''s on your mind, you are worried about your family and what they will say about our daughter."


    Jennie sat down on the bed and put her head between her hands. "A shaman Edward, our biological daughter is a shaman."


    She sniveled and quick tears fell from her eyes. For some reason, she was feeling like a failure and she had failed Phoebe even though she was not the one that raised her.


    "How did this happen? how did we end up here? People will mock her and us Edward, they will point fingers and laugh. And there is the matter of David Saxon, two sisters in love with the same man. Not just in love but fighting, exchanging blows in public."


    Edward sat down next to his wife and he sighed. He had put on a brave face in front of Phoebe but he was worried too.


    "Maybe we should first concentrate on becoming closer to Phoebe over everyone and everything else. We have raised Ruth with all the love we have to give and there is nothing wrong with doing the same for our real daughter. Will you be happy if you live knowing that have a daughter out there, starving or dead while you raise another person''s child and pamper her?


    I know you Jen, it will haunt you if you reject Phoebe. You are struggling right now because you are torn between making her happy and protecting Ruth''s heart from breaking.


    Before tormenting yourself, keep in mind that the Gabriels could ask for Ruth back when they find out about her. We may not have a chance to keep Ruth with us so focus on building a relationship with Phoebe, whatever and whoever she is because if we are not careful, we might lose both of our daughters just because we want to protect our pride and image."


    Jennie''s soft cries became louder and she threw herself into Edward''s arms.


    He rubbed her back and comforted her as best as he could. "So what if people laugh and point their hands at her? As long as we don''t do the same thing to her, everything will be alright. She has not had an easy life Jen, let''s not make it any more harder for her. We have even apologized in public and lowered our heads for Ruth''s sake.


    If we could lower our pride for her, why can''t we do the same for Phoebe."


    He was still stuck on the part of Phoebe almost dying and the thought was still haunting him. Now that he had met her, hugged her and talked to her, he would protect her.

 Chapter 96 A long sleepless night.

    After taking a bath, Phoebe remembered the one important thing she had been meaning to do all day but kept putting off to deal with her personal affairs.


    It was the Mason''s murder business which she was not planning on letting go of so easily. Just because Mason had forgiven Turner and his wife did not mean she had done the same. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She found her phone and called Shark before sleep set in and she further forgot about it. As always, when he answered, it was with a smart opener.


    "The mighty Shark speaking, it''s ten thirty in the night, this is a first for you Phoebe, is there a ghost emergency?"


    "I need a favor." Phoebe answered with an eye roll.


    She didn''t need to be present in the police station to see Shark licking his lips as if he was about to feast. The more favors she owed him, the better.


    "But of course, anything for you Phoebe."


    Phoebe sighed. "I am going to tell you a story but i don''t want you to overreact and arrest anyone. You just need to keep an eye on them just in case they try to pull anything. Can you promise me that?"


    Shark got a paper and pen. "Go on, i can''t make any promises but i will not move without giving you a heads up."


    Phoebe sighed again, a very regret filled sigh as she anticipated trouble before opening her mouth. But, a strong part of her was a little uneasy about Mason''s matter. She narrated the story to Shark and again, cautioned him not to do anything.


    After they hung up, Shark looked at his partner Johns who was scarfing down a cheese burger.


    "Hey Johns, when have you ever known someone that killed for insurance to stop at one victim or leave a witness?"


    With a mouth full of food which disgusted Shark, Johns shook his head.


    "Never."


    "Close your mouth." Shark tossed a stale crispy doughnut at his partner.


    He left his desk and found a young rookie officer that he handed a small camera and wiretapping device with instructions for those objects to be hidden inside Mason''s mother''s hospital room.


    As for Phoebe, shortly after getting off the phone with Shark, she entered bed and closed her eyes but one long hour passed by and she was still awake.


    Maybe it was the events of the day or because it was her first night in a new environment but Phoebe failed to sleep no matter how hard she tried. She felt a mixture of emotions because she didn''t expect her family to be so open minded towards her.


    Phoebe believed without a doubt that Ruth had made it her life''s mission to paint her as a bad person and she thought that most if not all the Mayfairs didn''t like her. But things had gone pretty well, all that was left was to see Ruth shed tears of blood as she took everything from her including the love from the family.


    She was also still in disbelief because she was actually in the Mayfair house after so many years of being kept at bay by Ruth. The thoughts that she was such a fool whose eyes had been covered with mud continued lurking in her mind. How did she never realize that the Gabriels and Ruth were related?


    Why didn''t see ever question Ruth''s reason for keeping her away from the Mayfairs? That witch had always known the truth. That time when she threatened to kill her mother if she didn''t jump off a building, which mother was she referring to? Was it Jennie?


    So Elizabeth must have been acting as a hostage in order to make her believe Ruth and do as she demanded on that day.


    Phoebe turned and sighed. It was okay, there was a chance to turn the tables on Ruth now. She would take the love of the Mayfairs away from her, one by one.


    As for Collin she planned to remove the blindfold on his eyes, slowly but surely he would get to know the true characters of his beloved Ruth but she wasn''t in any rush though. If she rushed, she would carelessly crush.


    After another hour of mixed thoughts and no sleep, she gave up. The ghosts had vanished into the magic space after bidding her goodnight so Phoebe decided to join them. Since they had started planting the herbs she hadn''t been to the Magic space because she had been too busy.


    On entering the space, she was shocked by what she saw. The place had changed unexpectedly, it was bigger and the air clearer. Also, a lake with sparkling water had appeared at the bottom of the mountain. All of these changes were attributed to ghost energy, a lot of it. Phoebe couldn''t remember doing anything that caused a massive shift in the energy for the lake to appear.


    "When did that appear here?" She asked a random question as she walked closer to it. The ghosts that were resting beside the lake remained quiet and looked at one another.


    The Saxon spirit gestured at them not to say a word for now. As for her intentions, they couldn''t begin to guess.


    "What in the world happened ancestor Saxon? You said if I remember correctly that I need a lot of energy for this lake to appear and I haven''t helped any ghosts apart from Mason so....." Her words trailed off and she recalled their suspicious behavior. "When I was at the Laguna palm beach...I drunk too much and I don''t remember what happened, is it related to this? Connie?


    Sylvester?" Phoebe called them but they looked everywhere but at her.


    The Saxon spirit chortled. "It''s better that you find out for yourself my dear, let''s go inside the wooden cabin and see what other new things are available."


    Once inside the cabin, the spirit pointed at a small box that was seated on one of the shelves. "Open it." The spirit instructed.


    Phoebe took out that particular box and did as ordered. Inside was a an old strapless gold watch with a pendant chain at its top. She had not seen it before mostly because she hadn''t had the time to check out everything that was in the cabin.


    "What''s this?" Phoebe''s eyes roamed around it.


    "That is a time keeper''s pocket watch, it can take you back in time for five minutes but only once per day. Use it and go back to any particular day, you will then see what happened. All you have to do is look at the ticking hand and think of that memory or place....." The Saxon spirit stopped talking when Phoebe disappeared.


    In less than five minutes she was back, one hand tugged on her front hair and the other held the time keeper''s watch by the chain. She looked at her three partners with a devilish grin on her face.


    "Why the hell didn''t any of you tell me that I kissed him? How could I forget that? This is a nightmare, a horrible nightmare." Phoebe was in a mixture of shock and surprise.


    No wonder David asked if she was avoiding him, how was she supposed to face him. Literally she sort of harassed him, even though he had been a very willing participant.


    "Bloody shit! How do i face him from now on? I was walking around all high and mighty and i have brought myself down a peg." Phoebe spoke through pursed lips.


    Connie stretched her hand to distract Phoebe. "Whatever you do, don''t hurt his feelings! Aren''t you happy about the water lake? We used it''s water to water the plants and see how fast they have grown. This ginseng is equivalent to that of thirty years already give it a few days and it''ll be equivalent to that of a hundred or two hundred years.


    This is money Pheebs, I say give him more kisses...." she bit her lip because Phoebe''s frown grew deeper.

 Chapter 97 The urgency builds.

    Phoebe''s eyes moved from Connie to the lake then to the plants. Connie was right, they had grown beyond human explanation in only two days. Within a week, they would be ready for harvesting at this rate.


    For a few seconds, she closed her eyes and laughed silently. Fate, the pendant or the Saxon spirit had really gone above and beyond to tie her and David together. He could provide bottomless energy to keep her alive and he could level up her space with one kiss. If she slept with him, would everything beyond the fog open up? What else would be uncovered?


    "What are you thinking about sister, are you considering my suggestion seriously?" Connie cheekily asked.


    Phoebe looked away from the girl, grateful that she had not seen her thoughts. She had gone beyond thoughts on kissing and moved on to sleeping with him.


    The Saxon spirit had been quietly watching Phoebe. It didn''t matter what her mouth said, her heart felt otherwise about David. It was just a matter of time before she gave in to him.


    "What''s in that water anyway?" Phoebe asked them.


    The all knowledgeable Saxon spirit provided the answer. "It''s the lake of life, plants and animals will grow abnormally when watered or fed with it. The most important and dangerous thing what it can do for humans. Just as it was named the lake of life, the water can bring back someone that is at death''s door.


    As long as they have a single breath left, a concentrated drop of this water can buy them some time but remember....."


    "Everything tied to magic comes at a price." Phoebe completed the statement she has heard since her rebirth. "What''s the price then?" She asked.


    The spirit sighed deeply. "If you give life, you loose life and in your case a year of life from those you have painstakingly collected which means you have to collect ghost energy to replace what you lose but it also makes you gravely ill for a day, a punishment from death for stealing what it is owed. So, be very careful Phoebe this water isn''t child''s play, don''t just use it on anyone.


    In fact, don''t use it on humans, life and death is natural after all as long as it is an act of fate."


    Phoebe nodded. "Understood."


    She laid down on one of the pool chairs prepared by the ghosts beside the lake, covered herself and closed her eyes. Within five minutes, the long desired sleep came for her.


    *******************************************


    The only reason Ruth had stayed put for sometime was because doctor Murphy threatened that if she made an attempt to escape from the hospital again then he would have no option but to send her to the psych ward for a month.This happened after Ophelia was caught sleeping in the bed pretending to be Ruth.


    Dr. Murphy was exasperated because Ruth was a very stubborn patient and difficult to deal with. First, she had abused all the shrinks that attempted to talk to her, second she was deliberately refusing to swallow the medication. She kept them under the tongue and placed them under the bed, the cleaner alerted him after making the discovery.


    It was because of this reason that he advised her parents that Ruth spends more time at the hospital which further aggravated her.


    With everything that was going on, Ruth was determined to leave one way or another. She had to find out what was happening at home. It was odd that last night, none of the Mayfairs except Collin spent the night at the hospital.


    When she asked him if anything had happened he tried to speak but held back.


    He was always a straight forward and blunt man who spoke what was always on his mind, the fact that he was tongue tied worried her. The urgency to escape the hospital multiplied so she put on the water works.


    "Collin please do something, I am tired of staying here and I want to go home please." She pouted her lips as her eyes became moist.


    Her tears were Collin''s weakness, he didn''t want her to cry or worry about anything but how was he supposed to take her home with all the drama that was going on? What if Ruth fell into depression after finding out that Phoebe was the real Mayfair heiress and not her. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This is why he had suggested that they take things slow but his family had welcomed the girl with open arms to the point of allowing her to spend the night and commandeer Ruth''s bedroom.


    "Just wait a bit and don''t worry about anything because that''s the job of your big brother. I''ll protect you at all costs." Collin pulled her head to his chest, in return Ruth wrapped her hands around him.


    After emphasizing to Ophelia to take care of Ruth and stay by her side, Collin went straight to work because the last thing he wanted was go home.


    Dickson who had been eavesdropping outside walked into the room and clapped continuously. "You have that man wrapped around your pinky finger, the fact that a smart man like that cannot see through your pretense ruffles me." He arched an eyebrow.


    Lifting her chin, Ruth sneered at him. "Why are you here this early morning? Don''t you have better things to do?" Her tone was derisive which miffed Dickson who folded his lips and remained silent in anger.


    He had canceled a very important meeting that was about to make him a lot of money just to be with her but she seemed not to care at all. Of course Dickson believed without a doubt that Ruth had faked the suicide because he knew her like the back of her hand.


    "This is ridiculous! I need to leave." Ruth gawked Ophelia who gasped loudly, her hands were trembling. She had been speaking into her phone for a few seconds and whatever the other person on the line had told her horrified her.


    She rushed over to where Ruth was standing. "Uhmm.. Miss Ruth there is a problem..." Ophelia stopped speaking and frowned at Dickson whose eyes expressed curiosity.


    Ruth knew immediately that whatever Ophelia wanted to say was for her ears only, she looked at Dickson and told him to leave.


    "What''s the problem? I maybe of help to you just tell me what it is." Dickson folded his arms and got more comfortable which angered Ruth, she hated to repeat herself.


    "LEAVE! are you deaf? I don''t need your help just go...now!!" Ruth yelled on top of her voice which compelled Dickson to raise his hands in total surrender. He said good bye and left.


    Ophelia followed after him and closed the door. "A maid that I told to spy for me at home just informed me that Phoebe girl is at home...."


    Her words elicited a loud ''WHAT!'' from Ruth. No wonder her family was nowhere to be seen, they were busy pampering their real daughter, she thought.


    "What did that maid say Ophelia tell me everything." Ruth stood up and paced back and forth.


    "Well apparently Andre took her home and everyone was happy to see her except Collin."


    Ophelia swallowed hard for she was about to share even worse news.

 Chapter 98 And the plotting continues

    Ruth was a little smug about some of the things Ophelia had reported to her. Of course Collin wouldn''t welcome that wretch Phoebe, she had poisoned his mind against her. It now made sense why her brother looked troubled that morning, he wanted to tell her but lost the guts to do so because he was concerned about her health.


    Ophelia wiped her face with her hand. "There is a bigger problem and it''s about the Gabriels. They apparently signed an agreement with Phoebe agreeing to cut off all ties with her away and in return they asked for ten million and the house that they are currently living in."


    Ruth clenched her fists and let out a loud sharp cry like a bird whose eggs in the nest had been stolen. She couldn''t believe how greedy and stupid her birth parents were. She had given them simple instructions to take Phoebe away but the fools had chosen to let her go for a paltry sum and to add salt to make it worse, they left evidence by signing an agreement.


    With this, Edward and Jennie would never allow Phoebe and the Gabriels to so much as meet.


    It was already cemented in their minds now that those two were bad people. She couldn''t use them to smear Phoebe''s reputation to the Mayfairs. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Give me that phone!" Ruth shouted, she wanted to give the Gabriels an earful and for this stupid mistake they had made. They were fools that couldn''t think beyond their stomachs.


    "Ruthie, my daughter, are you feeling any better? I was...." Aaron Gabriel happily spoke when he answered Ruth''s call but he stopped speaking when she told him to shut his big mouth immediately, stunning him.


    "How many times have I told you not to call me your daughter! I am not and I will never be, get that into your thick skull. I am a Mayfair, okay, i am Ruth Mayfair." Ruth''s words only dripped with venom as she spoke, she had no kind words for a father she considered useless.


    "Do you want to see me die right now? I am already in the hospital and in pain. Why do you have to add to my problems?"


    Aaron quickly apologized, he loved his daughter so much and didn''t want to annoy her by his sentiments. "I am sorry daugh...I mean Ruth. I was just so happy to receive a call from you. May i ask why you have called? Is there something I can help you with?"


    Harsh laughter vibrated through the phone. "You, help me? I gave you one simple instruction but instead you have made things worse on my end. Why in God''s name did you ask Phoebe for money and why did you cut her off. You were supposed to stick to her like glue but instead you drove her into the arms of the Mayfairs with a sob story about bad parents that extorted her." Ruth spoke through pursed lips.


    "What? She''s at the Mayfairs? Listen...we didn''t cut her off deliberately, she already had the proof that we are not her parents. She was talking about sending us to prison for a crime of kidnapping and claiming we swapped the two of you as babies. We have your brother to think about too, we cannot be classified as criminals.


    The Mayfairs will ruin all of us if such a rumor surfaces even if it''s not true. And as for the money and the house, we deserved it...." Aaron tried to explain but his daughter was too angry to listen to him speak


    "Shut up!!! You are idiots because now the Mayfairs think badly of you. All the lies I told about her being a bad daughter have been covered by your foolish act because you are horrible parents for extorting her. Why did you ask for money yet I give you allowances each month? As for the house I told you that I bought you one in Magic city so you don''t need one here.


    If you want to help me, you need to disappear before the Mayfairs come looking for you. I want all of you to pack your bags and leave immediately." Ruth ordered, her voice was stern and her instructions were non negotiable.


    "Now? Just like that? What about your brother''s school, maybe we can leave at the end of the year not now." Aaron tried to make Ruth see reason


    "Brother? I don''t care what you do about his school, let''s not pretend that he is scholar or a perfect student. Leave immediately, today. What if the Mayfairs seek for revenge for how you treated their daughter? They have already consulted lawyers about the house and money Phoebe gave you.


    I am sure it''s what that wretch was planning right from the onset and you fell into her trap. You will all end up in prison if you don''t run away immediately." Ruth threatened Aaron who seemed hesitant.


    On hearing that he could end up in prison Aaron agreed to leave. "Just send us more money because Magic city is an expensive city to live in."


    Ruth sneered at the nerve of Aaron to ask her for more money. What about all the money that Phoebe had just given him. It didn''t matter because Ruth wanted them gone, her life was going to get easier without them in it. If they were not around, the Mayfair''s couldn''t say things like ''we are sending you back to your family.''


    "Fine, i will send you money for plane tickets and i am going to find a buyer for the house right now. The money will be sent to your account as soon as the sale is made. Change your phone numbers and don''t contact anyone in Citrus city for a while. Forget your life here and start afresh there and be very careful, the Mayfairs should never find you.


    You can contact me through this number." Ruth hung up before Aaron could say something more infuriating.


    She tossed the phone onto the bed and screamed some more.


    Ophelia sighed deeply because it seemed like Ruth''s woes were just beginning. There was more news from home and she wasn''t going to like it. "Well .....uhmm there is one more thing that you need to know."


    "What''s that?" Ruth placed her hands on her waist and waited for Ophelia to speak.


    "The first thing Phoebe did was to take over your bedroom." Ophelia pressed her lips together.


    Ruth chuckled and pointed an index finger at herself. "My bedroom? Are you serious? My parents allowed that to happen? Are you fucking kidding?"


    Her boiling anger had reached its peak and she couldn''t contain it any longer. Ruth went haywire as she broke and threw everything that she touched. She threw curses and insults at Phoebe as she promised that she would have to pay for crossing her.


    "She must be over the moon that she''s a Mayfair! That insolent bitch deserves nothing good in this life. That''s my family not hers and I will die first before she takes it away from me." Ruth fell to the floor, hot tears rolled down her cheeks, she remained there for some minutes sobbing and talking to herself.


    Then she stood up calmly and wiped her tears away with the back of her hand. "Ophelia search this entire hospital for the most corrupt doctor you can find and bring him to me as soon as possible."


    "What are you thinking?" Ophelia asked curiously.


    Ruth picked up a mirror and looked at herself, she grinned devilishly. "I am thinking that i need to be ill, so ill that they cannot throw me away ever. Jennie, my mother cares so much about public opinion and she cannot throw out her sick daughter for fear of what people will say especially if they find out she is not my real mother."

 Chapter 99 How opportune.

    It was the very first time Phoebe was having breakfast with her family and so far, it was going well even though Collin was absent and he had been gone all night. Nobody had mentioned him, ghosts or Ruth so far which Phoebe appreciated because she knew they were doing it for her sake.


    The silence was interrupted by a phone call to Jennie which made her step away from the table for a few minutes. When she returned, her face was as pale as a white sheet of paper and her eyes swollen.


    Everyone could tell that something was wrong and there were only a handful of reasons why in the current circumstances.


    "What is it?" Edward asked her.


    She put down the phone with trembling hands and looked at her husband. "It''s about Ruth, someone from the hospital has just called me. Apparently she has some type of illness, possibly cancer related or an immune deficiency disorder which explains her weak immune system all these years. The doctor has asked us to go to the hospital immediately...."


    Edward didn''t wait for his wife for finish and he got up. Since Luke was the only one in the family that spoke doctor, he got up as well. Andre looked at Phoebe first before doing anything else. He felt like he would be cheating on her if he expressed any worry for Ruth.


    "Mother." Jennie called out to grandma Mayfair softly.


    Grandma Mayfair shook her head, indicating that she was not going with them to the hospital. "We are all worried but we cannot all go at the same time. Of what use is it to crowd the hospital when there is no sure diagnosis. You can go ahead of the rest of us and give us updates. I am going with Phoebe to her work place today, the detective is meeting us there.


    Andre cannot go because he has a shooting for his latest movie. If Ruth needs surgery, call me immediately."


    "But..." Jennie started.


    Edward tugged on her hand and shook his head. They had two daughters now, and both needed attention.


    "Phoebe, i am sorry that i cannot go with you to see the detective today. This...." he broke off and run his free hand through his hair.


    [See, just as i thought, you are very kind father. You have dropped everything in a heartbeat because you have a sick child. Aaron Gabriel never spent a day at my sick bedside, not even when i was in a coma. Anyway, it''s not as if i expected you throw Ruth out just because i have been found.]


    She smiled and shook her head. "It''s okay father, grandma is going with me."


    Edward was filled with guilt after reading Phoebe''s thoughts but his wife tugged on his hand.


    "Mother, kids, we will see you all later with an update on your sister''s condition."


    Jennie pulled Edward away and they dashed out of the house leaving three people at the dining table. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Are you okay my dear?" grandma Mayfair asked Phoebe.


    Phoebe nodded.


    [I think it''s a little too opportunistic for Ruth to suddenly have this very big illness at this exact time grandmother. I over heard one of the maids calling Ophelia to give her an update on everything that has happened so far. If Ophelia knows, Ruth knows and just like that, she is suddenly gravely ill and my parents have rushed to her. Is it really a coincidence?]


    Phoebe looked down and chuckled lightly while grandma Mayfair''s face twitched. Having read Phoebe''s thoughts, she was wondering the same thing suddenly. Was it truly a coincidence? It was true that Ruth was born with a weak constitution and doctors used to say that she had a weak heart as a child.


    After all the check ups and tests through the years which never pointed to a specific illness, why had the disease suddenly been found at this exact time?


    After all the stunts Ruth had pulled lately from fake fainting to the doubtful suicide, could they trust this diagnosis?


    Unaware of her grandmother''s thoughts, Phoebe put down the cutlery and wiped her mouth. It was almost time to meet Shark.


    "Grandmother, we should get going. Andre, i think you need to give us a ride since i came with you yesterday."


    Andre decided to play on Phoebe''s special ghost abilities.


    "And here i thought you could fly yourself to work." he laughed.


    With a serious expression, Phoebe put a hand on her chin and nodded. "I probably could but we don''t want to scare the non-magic folk."


    Andre couldn''t decide if she was being serious or jesting with him as he was with her. He studied her face for a moment, even coming closer and bending to observe her.


    "I can''t tell if you are serious or not."


    Grandma Mayfair came up from behind Andre and slapped him on his back. "Of course she is joking, your sister can see ghosts but she is not a witch."


    Even though she was still not comfortable with the ghost thing, and had a bit of restless night because she was afraid that one of those ghosts would suddenly pop up and scare her, Phoebe was her granddaughter.


    "We don''t need him to drive us, i have a driver and a car. Remind me later to buy you a car Phoebe, something nicer than what you are driving. As the only Mayfair heiress, you need a car that matches your status."


    Phoebe followed her grandmother out and didn''t turn down her offer of buying her a car. It was something that would drive Ruth and Collin up the wall. She did not even have to drive it and it could just stay here at the Mayfair house. It was its sight that would achieve her desired goal.


    "Grandmother, i was planning to buy my little sister a car already."


    Without turning around grandma Mayfair walked forward with determined steps. "Then buy her one as well. It is not a crime for a single person to own two cars, Ruth has seven of them."


    Floating above Phoebe, Sylvester smacked his lips in judgement when he heard about the number of cars that Ruth owned.


    "Seven girls for one person, is she planning to open an automobile shop? Boss, you should also get seven cars, no, double the number and make it fourteen. The goal of our mission for coming to this house is drive Ruth crazy and then we move back home eventually."


    Connie nodded her head, completely agreeing with Sylvester. "I agree sister, you need more cars, more clothes, more jewelry, more cash and more love. You know, this can both ways too, since Ruth is faking sickness, maybe we should make her really sick."


    Sylvester grinned, his face appeared villainous.


    "Ooh, i like the way you think Connie, you should come up with a plan and i will execute it happily."


    The Saxon spirit turned to Phoebe who was unusually quiet like she could not here Connie and Sylvester plotting. What was she thinking? Was she in agreement with the plan of making Ruth as sick as she desired?


    "What do you think, do you agree with the kids?"


    Phoebe shrugged, it was an idea, good or bad would depend on how things progressed.

 Chapter 100 New employment for grandma.

    When they arrived at the cafe, there was a small crowd of around twenty people outside, all human. It was a higher number compared to the usual customer size Phoebe handled. This was a result of her business being blasted on the internet, television and radios.


    Some of these people were taking pictures of her cafe and she knew that they would do the same for her when she stepped out of the car.


    "Really, they are persistent flies." she said to herself.Then in a louder voice she said to her grandmother, "Grandmother you can cover your hair and put on sunglasses if you do not wish to be recognized."


    "For what? I am your grandmother and i am not ashamed to be seen at your workplace. As for these annoyances that came to stalk you, i will get rid of them for you."


    She was already stepping out of the car and dialing the police at the same time. When she made it to the crowd she yelled into the phone, "Oh, police, there is a group of people outside the Black Ghost Cafe that are wielding knives and other weapons. Some of them have cameras and they are threatening the elderly."


    She recognized one of those wielding cameras, he was Stuart Nelson, a famous paparazzo.


    "One of them is Stuart Nelson, they are threatening elderly folks here. My shirt has been ripped...."


    She waved her driver over and he used a knife to rip straight line through her very expensive silk shirt. Her driver Harry also doubled as her bodyguard and he had been working for her for thirty years so he always knew what she wanted without her having to elaborate.


    After the shirt, he ruffled her hair and made it look like someone had been engaged in a scuffle with her. All these actions stunned the onlookers who had no idea what to make of it.


    "Is the old woman crazy?" someone asked.


    "Are you crazy, don''t you recognize her?" another asked.


    Some smart ones were already on the move just in case trouble arrived, they didn''t want to be swept up in it. The sound of sirens scared away the rest, leaving behind only five people that had genuinely come on business.


    As it was now safe, Phoebe got out of the car and joined her grandmother. First, she looked at the elder up and down in dismay.


    "Grandma, you didn''t have to go this far. I would have just ignored them and refused to let them into my shop anyway." She chuckled and shook her head in wonder. "But, your acting skill is really superb, you are better than Andre."


    Grandma Mayfair brimmed at the compliment and she puffed her chest up slightly.


    "I am good, right?"


    Phoebe nodded, assuring her again before they all entered the cafe. The smell of fresh coffee and pastries was strong in the air and it was coming from the kitchen in the back.


    Someone was playing soft music and the faint sound of singing came from the same direction as the pastry smell.


    Grandma Mayfair gulped slowly as she felt sudden hunger pangs which made no sense as she had already eaten breakfast. More surprising than her unexplained hunger was the lay out of the cafe because it appeared to be just like any other cafe.


    It had tables, chairs, coffee maker and juice processor. There was even an ice cream machine in the cafe and a glass counter where pastries like cakes, cookies and the like were displayed. The walls had shelves that held little jars that had medicine like the kind Phoebe had, tea bags, charm bracelets, and talismans. You could even see the outside street from inside.


    "It''s so normal." she exclaimed.


    "What were you expecting?" Phoebe laughed.Her grandmother was certainly not the first person to be surprised by the appearance of her cafe.


    "It''s named Black Ghost Cafe, i was expecting black curtains, those round orbs like they have in magic city, a deck of cards, marionettes...i don''t even other things but i was not expecting this. No, it''s better than normal because i smells delicious inside."


    "Grandma, you can sit inside my office while i talk to these people and...."


    Grandma Mayfair took Phoebe''s hand and stopped her. "Don''t worry about me, i will be fine sitting anywhere. I came to observe you at work and help you out."


    [Did i hear you right grandma, you want to stay and work here, why? Andre told me that you are scared of ghosts and dislike shamans. He asked me to give you time to get used to me and my special talents. Are you here to see if i am faking it or not?]


    Grandma Mayfair rubbed Phoebe''s back gently to reassure her through physical contact. "I have not worked for the last thirty something years of my life. I always stay at home or visit friends, take cruise trips and non stop vacations.That kind of life can be exciting in the beginning but it gets exhausting after some time.


    When Andre told me about the ghost catcher story i thought he was lying but Luke confirmed it. Let us kill two birds with one stone, spend time together and at the same time, i can find a new way to pass time."


    [But i have ghost clients, right now there are three of them here. What if they scare you into having a heart attack? Even i spent the first half of last year terrified and running away from them. I used to sleep in churches and temples because i didn''t want to see them or hear about them. I lived like a vagrant until i accepted my fate.]


    Grandma Mayfair''s already aged heart constricted and she felt as if she was suffocating on reading Phoebe''s thoughts. She imagined Phoebe sleeping under bridges, starving, alone and in pain.


    Out of the blue, she embraced her tightly and refused to let her go.


    "You must have been having a tough time on all your own my dear." her voice cracked and she started crying.


    She recalled what they had been doing most of last year, especially in the first half. She had eaten good meals, bought a broach worth half a million, taken Ruth on four day luxury yacht trip in Lost saints city.


    They went shopping, buying things worth ten million and that whole time, her own grand daughter was in the neighboring city, sleeping under some bridge, cold, starving and alone.


    How? How could she have filled her own stomach and slept comfortably without knowing? The more she thought about it, the more her heart ached. Overwhelming guilt covered her like wave after wave and pushed her under the sea.


    "I am really a sinner." she cried out. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe didn''t know where the tears had come from but it pained her to see her grandmother crying so brokenheartedly.


    "She cried last night and she is crying again today," The Saxon spirit sighed sadly. "You have two people to rely on entirely at least, Andre and your grandmother. Luke is good too but he is the quiet analytical type. She is a good woman, don''t just use her to get back at Ruth."


    Rather than reply to the spirit or say something perfunctory to her grandmother, Phoebe hugged her back and just let her cry until she exhausted all of her tears.

 Chapter 101 Another plot going downhill.

    At the hospital, Edward and Jennie Mayfair were standing over Ruth who was sleeping. She had been sedated and there was an oxygen mask attached to her nose through which she was breathing. She was pale and she suddenly appeared to be so much worse than when they last saw her.


    Jennie was sniveling and Edward was frowning, but the trophy for most worried relative in the hospital room went to Collin who was pacing back and forth nervously. He was quiet so nobody knew what was on his mind but if they could pry it open, they would hear him blaming Phoebe for Ruth''s illness.


    The doctor that had called them walked into the room along with two interns that usually shadowed him. He was holding a patient chat with had Ruth''s name and other details. He walked closer to the Mayfairs and addressed them in a serious voice.


    "Mr. and Mrs. Mayfair, i am sorry for coming late, i was making my rounds." He looked at the freckle faced male intern next to him and added, "Doctor Boosie has told me that he has shared with you the details of Ruth''s illness. All the tests have been conducted by me and my team personally so i can assure you that my diagnosis is correct, i am the head of my department.


    If you have any doubts, you can take a look at my qualifications.


    Your daughter is suffering from an autoimmune disorder. It has always been there as seen from some of the symptoms she exhibited but the condition was mild. As a result of excessive stress, her condition has worsened lately."


    Collin didn''t wait to hear anything else and he hurled out a bunch of curses.


    "It''s because of Phoebe that her condition worsened. That stupid Ophelia has been calling other maids and one of them shared news about Phoebe so she told Ruth and then Ruth collapsed. I told you that we should take this slowly, one step at a time. What if Ruth dies right now?"


    Jennie let out a muffled groan, she was already blaming herself and wishing that she had listened to Collin. On the other hand Edward felt that sooner or later Ruth was to find out the truth, this was just an unfortunate incident.


    It wasn''t as if they could hide Phoebe away as if she was an illegitimate unwanted child so he stepped in to stop his son and perhaps talk sense into him and end the Phoebe hate train he had going.


    "Collin watch your words, nobody is at fault here, especially not Phoebe. The only two people to blame for this situation are us, because we brought home the wrong child and whoever it is that is responsible for that screw up. That poor girl found out long time ago that she was a Mayfair and she kept it to herself. If she wanted to vex Ruth then she should have told her but Phoebe didn''t.


    Can''t you give her some credit for acting sensibly? Ask yourself why she didn''t blast it all over the country if she wanted to be a Mayfair that badly. Moreover, Ruth was sick long before Phoebe came along."


    "But this particular incident is her fault." Collin insisted. "If she didn''t want to be a Mayfair then she should have stayed away. Her personality and manners don''t match us anyway so whether she joins the family or not, we don''t lose or gain anything."


    Furious at his son''s words, Edward raised a finger to point at him and warn him to watch his mouth Luke beat him to it.


    "Collin, you should know when to stop." he calmly.


    Luke wasn''t in the mood to hear any arguing, all he wanted was for the doctor to tell them how Ruth was going to get better. Everything else could be dealt with later, not now, and especially not in front of strangers. Doctors liked to gossip and there was no doubt that one of the three in the room would speak on what they had just heard with another person.


    "Doctor, thank you for hard work so far but we would like to know to proceed now that we have a diagnosis. What treatment do you recommend?" He asked


    The doctor handed the chart to one of the interns and put his hands in his pocket. "For now we have to study her and treat the symptoms, we shouldn''t worry too much just yet." He didn''t want to scare them to the point of them transferring Ruth to a different hospital as per her instructions.


    Shaking his head in disagreement, Luke shook his head adamantly. "I beg to disagree, judging by the symptoms and tests done this is a very serious issue and if we wait any longer her condition could worsen. Will you be responsible if she dies? I need to confirm this with Dr. Murphy....."


    "NO!" Ophelia shouted from the back gaining all the attention to herself. She fidgeted with her fingers for she didn''t know what to say.


    Ruth had given her specific instructions not to allow Dr. Murphy handle her case because if he did, he would find out that something was amiss.


    "Miss Ruth was disappointed when she heard the news about the illness and she doesn''t want to see doctor Murphy anymore. He has been treating her all these years but never clearly defined her illness. What can he possibly add to the table now? I think we should listen to the experienced doctor here and not worry too much." Ophelia rubbed her nose nervously.


    "What do you think you know Ophelia, it''s your fault that Ruth is this way. It wasn''t your place to tell Ruth that Phoebe was our daughter and she wasn''t, you went over board!" Jennie was visibly angry and Ophelia knew that she had messed up. If things went south, she would end up losing her job.


    Ophelia fell on her knees and rubbed her hands as she pleaded for forgiveness.


    "Sir, madam, it wasn''t my fault. Miss Ruth just happened to overhear my conversation on the phone. I did not deliberately set out to share such news with her." S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Keep your mouth shut Ophelia, we will deal with you later." Edward warned sternly. "Go on Luke, let''s hear what you have to say."


    "I am not trying to dismiss the doctor''s diagnosis but I just find it hard to believe that Dr. Murphy missed this. In my opinion Ruth is in a severe state! She cannot breathe properly on her own and he''s suggesting that we wait. It doesn''t make sense to me." Luke''s words were enlightening and his family agreed.


    Dr. Murphy walked in right on time because Luke had called him earlier. The doctor that had traveled up country dropped everything and came as soon as he could.


    His face was drained of blood immediately when he read the patient chart, he looked at the other doctor in shock. "Are you certain that these test results are correct?"


    The older doctor avoided eye contact and pressed his lips in a firm line. "Y...yes of course...."


    "If you are certain then there is no time to waste. There has been a development in medicine and a bone marrow transplant can correct this kind of auto immune disorder. That''s if you her parents and family are willing to donate." Dr. Murphy''s statement caused the other doctor to gasp.


    "Oh my God!" Ophelia whispered, turned around and made the sign of the cross. Only God was going to save them now.


    This plot was not going to work if the condition was deemed curable. Why had Doctor Murphy showed up now?

 Chapter 102 Scammer of the century.

    When Ruth regained consciousness, her family was surrounding her. She was relieved when she saw how worried they were about her. This is where you all are supposed to be not with that imposter Phoebe, she thought. Her pale cracked lips smiled faintly.


    "Mother, father.." she croaked out in a weak whispering voice.


    The two parents came closer, looking like they had aged five more years overnight which also made Ruth immensely happy. This meant she was still the number one daughter and Mayfair princess in their hearts.


    "We are sorry sweetheart, you were not supposed to find out like that. Nevertheless, none of it really matters because you are our daughter too and nothing is going to ever change that." Jennie rubbed both of Ruth''s hands while her father did the same to her hair.


    Ruth burst out crying, her parents believed that she was crying because of the new discovery but actually they were tears of relief. Deep down she feared that her parents would send her to the Gabriels but still Ruth was shaken that Phoebe was here now, her position as heiress was threatened.


    "Mother, father and brothers, i am going to become a laughing stock in this country when the news comes out. People will jeer at me as I walk on the streets, they will call me a fraud and insult me. How am I supposed to bear this disgrace? How am I supposed to look at people confidently? I am doomed! My life is over!" Ruth punched her chest with a weak clenched fist as she sobbed.


    This alone was not enough, she knew. She couldn''t act greedy and shamelessly hang onto them. They needed to ask her to stay, not her begging to stay.


    "I am so sorry that i am not your real daughter. It''s my fault that you have raised the wrong person all these years. I am so grateful for all the love you have given me all these years and if you tell me to leave, i will leave immediately. Mother, the doctor has said my condition is very serious. You should just let me die, i don''t deserve to live."


    Shaking her head, her mother told her not to worry about that. "Do not talk of such nonsense, nothing will happen to you. We don''t plan on sharing the news about Phoebe right now and we will not even investigate about it publicly, so please be at ease and regain your strength.


    The only thing you should concentrate on is preparation for your surgery and getting well." Jennie continued to rub Ruth''s hands.


    She had tears in her eyes after everything that Ruth had just said. How could her poor daughter be blaming herself for this mess when it was not her fault? Besides, after the little they had heard about the Gabriels how could they send her to those people carelessly?


    A child that she had raised with so much love and care, even if she wasn''t her own, Jennie was unwilling to throw her to hungry wolves like Aaron and Elizabeth.


    Ruth tore her hands out of Jennie''s, wide eyed and confused because of what she had just heard. "Surgery? Who needs surgery mother?" Her eyes moved back and forth between Jennie and Ophelia who wanted to disappear into the wall as the plan had gone beyond what they calculated.


    Luke stepped forward and explained the details to his sister who frowned the moment she heard that Dr. Murphy had taken over the case.


    Shit! This is deep shit, how am I supposed to get out of this?


    Ruth pushed the bed cover aside and tried to stand but she almost fell and she would have hit the ground if her father hadn''t supported her.


    Ruth raised a hand to her head for she felt really dizzy. Even though she was faking sickness, some actual medicine had been injected into her body and IV. The doctor had told her that the medication would make her very weak, nauseous, feverish, cause pain in the joints and dizziness.


    "Stay in bed, we shall get you whatever you need." Edward tried to guide Ruth back to the bed.


    "I need to use the bathroom." Ruth whispered.


    "That''s the purpose of the catheter." Like pointed at the urine bag which was almost full.


    Ruth followed his hand and saw it, she winced because she had no idea when it had been inserted into her. But that was not the most urgent issue at the moment. What she wanted right now was to talk to Ophelia who was winking at her continuously.


    "It''s a number two." Ruth told Luke who asked Ophelia to escort her to the toilet inside the room. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Once inside, Ophelia helped Ruth sit on the toilet sit and locked the door behind them.


    "How stupid did that god forsaken doctor land me in this mess?" She hissed. " A mother fucking transplant? Ophelia I was unconscious for a few hours! Why did you let things become so bad?" Ruth spoke through pursed lips.


    Ophelia turned on the tap, with water running their conversation wouldn''t be heard.


    "We have a bigger problem, the donor of the bone marrow has to be someone from your family, your direct parents. The Mayfairs have sent someone to bring the Gabriels, that''s why they are all still here. The plan is to tell them that you are their daughter and hope that they will donate."


    "Give me the phone." Ruth told Ophelia and called the Gabriels who told her that they had already left for Magic city to her great relief.


    "Stock as many necessities as you need, stay in doors for a while. The Mayfairs are hunting for you right now, they better not find you. If need be, go to another country on vacation, i will fund all the expenses."


    They agreed to her suggestion and Ruth finally felt at ease. At least one hole had been closed and now she had to find a way out of full hospitalization and surgery just in case they brought in relatives from the Gabriel family for testing.


    "I need to gradually reduce on taking the drugs such that I get better and then the doctor will inform everyone that those were not my test results. No one is cutting into my body like a lab rat. Where is that that dumb doctor anyway, i didn''t see him in the room?" Ruth asked Ophelia who was chewing on her nails.


    "Your parents fired him and doctor Murphy has called in other professors that are familiar with the fake illness. I think we should end this quickly before they catch on. The doctor has asked for more money if the plan is going to change."


    "So fucking what! Give him the damn money because the plan has changed Ophelia." Ruth tried to stand because their was a knock on the door, they had been in there long enough.


    After she had been tucked into bed, Alfie her father''s personal assistant walked in and told them that the Gabriels were gone and they had sold their house and left the city.


    "What? Why?" Jennie asked. What were they supposed to do now?


    "Do whatever it takes Alfie, spend as much as you have to. Just find them even if they are abroad, this is a matter of life and death." Edward ordered Alfie who nodded and left.


    Collin had been watching silently and he clenched his fists. If Phoebe had not given those people ten million and a house to sell, they would still be in the city. She was really out to kill Ruth.


    Ruth meanwhile rubbed an eyebrow and hid her smile. ''You won''t find them even if you search the bottom of the ocean.'' She thought but on second thought she wished that she had just killed them off after all her high quality life depended on their disappearance.

 Chapter 103 Worse things in life than ghosts.

    At the cafe, grandma Mayfair had calmed down after a drinking a cup of tea with some herbs from Phoebe and she was now working behind the counter with a cute bunny apron over her expensive clothes.


    She had changed from the shirt which Harry had ripped to a new one which Phoebe grabbed from her apartment. There were some humans in the cafe and they were mostly sitting by the windows. Grandma Mayfair had not hesitated to serve them with Rosette. She was also placing coffee and other things on empty tables as per Rosette''s instructions. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She was behaving in a way which was unlike her normal rich self. The whole time while Phoebe was speaking to clients, she was distracted because she was worried about the old woman scalding herself or pushing herself too much.


    So far, she had broken two cups and wasted some sugar but Rosette was soft spoken and encouraging so grandma Mayfair did not feel terrible about her mistakes. In fact, Rosette shared that she had been so much worse on her first day and grandma Mayfair was feeling proud of herself.


    At the moment they were packing up an order which a delivery man was waiting to take away and they were talking as they packed.


    "Why do you have those glasses on top of your head?" she asked Rosette curiously.


    "They are ghost seeing glasses that allow me to see ghosts. That''s how i know what they want to eat and when Phoebe is not around, i take down their requests and make appointments."


    The old woman drew her head back and gazed at Rosette like she had lost her mind. With a deep frown on her face she sighed.


    "Why would you want to see such things? Haven''t you seen them in movies, they have ripped skin, red eyes, long claws and...."


    Rosette slipped the glasses over grandma Mayfair''s eyes while she was still talking. The old woman screamed and took them off immediately.


    For a while there, she had been under the assumption that Rosette was joking but with the glasses over her eyes, she had seen other figures in the cafe, standing next to Phoebe, having conversations in groups, children running around in the empty spaces or drinking and eating.


    Without the glasses, she couldn''t see them. All this while, the talk about ghosts was really real. She had been doubting it so much and simply trying to indulge Phoebe so as not to hurt her feelings. She didn''t want her grand daughter to think that she thought she was crazy.


    "So she is not crazy." The old woman whispered.


    Rosette put the glasses back over her head, sealed the box and handed it off to the delivery man who gave her a few notes of cash.


    "My boss is not crazy but she is used to people thinking she is. She used to think she was crazy in the past but when she embraced her gifts, life became easier." she shared. "I apologize for the thing with the glasses but there is no easy way to introduce someone to our world. If you are truly going to spend time here it''s better for you to know what you are dealing with."


    "My heart, oh my heart." The surprised woman sat down and took deep breaths to calm herself.


    Thanks to the tonic she had taken earlier, she was not feeling faint, weak or having heart palpitations. It helped that the ghosts mostly looked normal, pale but normal so she wasn''t frightened out of her mind.


    "Don''t these things make you afraid?" she asked a confident Rosette.


    She didn''t understand why a normal young woman was working around ghosts, going so far as to wear those glasses in order to interact with them.


    "There are so many things in life that are worse than seeing ghosts, like hunger, joblessness, poverty, betrayal, life long illness, war, homelessness, being orphaned at a young age, loneliness and so many other things that are causing pain to someone out there.


    Me, it was hunger and being jobless. I had no decent job prospects because i stopped schooling at sixteen. My parents had four children and they couldn''t afford to send us all to school and feed us as we grew up. They had to choose two of their sharpest children to further their education and two went into early employment. I was one of the unlucky two.


    I used to work at Star and Moonlight restaurant until someone else bought it. The new owner wanted educated waitresses so i was tossed out. I spent three weeks searching for a job fruitlessly until when i met Phoebe and she hired me.


    She gave me a generous salary, fifteen thousand dollars a month, health benefits, a car which i use for deliveries and other work related business but it''s also my personal car when there is no work. I get vacation days, sick leave, maternal leave, breakfast and lunch. I even get a year end bonus and overtime if i work on public holidays or into late hours of the night.


    If there are special jobs that require me to go with her out of the cafe i get a cut of whatever she makes.


    I would be a fool to abandon this job just because of ghosts. I am alive, i must live and i plan to live a successful life so that when i have my own children i won''t have to choose who to send to school and who to declare to that their future is not promising."


    Her face was a little grim when she said the last sentence. It expressed how much she was hurt by the decision her parents had taken. Grandma Mayfair felt a little ashamed of how much money she spent on frivolous things when other people were living such hard lives.


    The girl was right, if you compared ghosts with how much she was earning and all the benefits Phoebe was giving her, the ghosts were not so bad.


    "Ahem,...I....er..." She wanted to say something but it felt a little awkward.


    Rosette flashed a reassuring smile at the old woman. "You don''t need to feel guilty or pity me grandma, my life is very good now. I earn more than my university educated sister now and i bought a house last month. I hope Phoebe will have her ghost seeing abilities forever and our cafe will flourish forever.


    It''s a selfish wish but for me it''s a future and hope. I will be her life long employee until the day i die and become a ghost myself. If i die before her, i want a contract to work for her like the two ghosts Connie and Sylvester."


    Grandma Mayfair''s eyebrows shot up. She didn''t know that ghosts needed contracts to work. Truly, there were so many wonders in the world. Why would a ghost choose to work on contract instead of moving on after death?


    The door bells chimed and they both looked up, detective Shark walked in and he walked straight to the counter to order for a large mocha coffee, a box of doughnuts and three bear claws.

 Chapter 104 Unfairness.

    Seeing a new face in the cafe that was an employee intrigued Shark as not many people were willing to work with Phoebe. The older woman that was behind the counter looked somewhat familiar to him and he figured out who she was but just to confirm, he searched online for pictures of the Mayfair family.


    ''Mrs Rebecca Mayfair! What is she doing here and making coffee at that?'' Shark wondered.


    His spider senses kicked in and he started to piece together what he could from the information Phoebe had given to him and her questions about the Mayfairs. There was also a DNA test which Claire mentioned Phoebe requesting her to do.


    It was possible that the information he was about to give Phoebe was already known seeing that the old woman was already here. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe had seen Shark when he arrived so she asked Rosette to takeover the client that she had been dealing with. Their business could not be delayed, it needed to be handled immediately.


    "Give her these herbs and direct her on how to use them." She gave Rosette the paper on which she had written notes about the client and a possible diagnosis.


    She then moved to the counter and greeted Shark, Phoebe went as far as to introduce the detective to her grandmother.


    The fact that she introduced as ''my grandmother'' pieced everything together like glue for Shark and the fireworks in his mind went off. Who knew that working with Phoebe would bring him so many excellent connections? He would have the backing of the Mayfairs and Saxons if he played his cards right. Who knew what the future held, maybe someday he could be the commissioner of Police.


    "I am one of Phoebe''s closest friends and protector. In her line of work things can sometimes get dangerous but i am always ready to assist her when she asks." A broad smile formed on his lips.


    Now that he knew that Phoebe came from one of the richest families in Fog country, he planned to form a closer relationship between the two of them.


    Grandma Mayfair smiled softly as she was more reassured now knowing that her granddaughter had someone so strong and in the police force by her side helping her.


    "It''s very nice to finally meet you, Phoebe here speaks so highly of you."


    The smile on Shark''s face grew wider on hearing her words. Phoebe on the other hand rolled her eyes because she had not spoken highly of Shark and grandma Mayfair didn''t know how much of a headache the detective could be.


    Phoebe didn''t invite him to sit down and they stood around the counter. In a hushed voice, Phoebe went straight to the matter that had brought them all together.


    "Let''s get to it Shark, you told me that you have all the answers as to the truth of what happened over twenty years ago. What we know for sure is that Ruth and I were switched as babies at St. Marcelino children''s hospital. What have you found out about the switch? Who the hell is to blame for all this mess? Was it something deliberate or a mistake?"


    Grandma Mayfair leaned forward and nodded continuously, she wanted answers and also to make the culprit pay for what they did. If the hospital had a hand in this then it was going to be shut down for failing to do their job properly and the heartache that they caused them.


    She tapped one of her fingers against the counter with strength and spoke authoritatively. "Start from who switched the girls, was it the Gabriels?"


    The ghosts who had also finished assisting the ghost clients moved closer, this was a conversation everyone was interested in.


    Shark sighed deeply and just like the power pleaser he was, he looked at grandma Mayfair rather than Phoebe when he responded to their questions. . "I don''t know if Phoebe remembers the nurse that I told her about who was fired for switching babies four years ago at St, Marcelino."


    "I do." Phoebe confirmed.


    Shark nodded once and shared the rest of the discoveries he had made. "Well that wasn''t her first rodeo. Her name is Maria Reilly and she worked with the hospital for forty years. She was one of the best nurses they had and most people had only good things to say about her. However, during her time of service at the hospital she switched one hundred and thirty babies."


    "Wait, one hundred thirty babies!!!" Phoebe exclaimed.


    Shark nodded and he smiled deeply. "They hid it deeply but i am Shark after all, i know the right people to ask and how to interrogate them. After grilling a drug addicted board member that i caught red handed at Club Play, he came clean and told me everything as long as i let him go.


    Apparently after being sued four years ago, the hospital checked records of all the cases that were handled by nurse Maria. During their investigation, they discovered that she had switched babies from time to time just to ensure that no such case would pop up again out of the shadows.


    According to him, this was an employee who was so kind, too God fearing and empathetic, she was popularly known as the angel of mercy. The hospital administration didn''t expect to find anything as thought the first case was a simple mistake. But they ended up finding more than what they bargained for, one hundred thirty babies.


    Maria kept records, they were hidden in her old files which were stored in the basement of the hospital"


    "Is she crazy? All those children...my God!" Grandma Mayfair exclaimed.


    Shark was expecting this kind of reaction and he knew it would be the reaction of the higher ups when they found out because of all the wealthy families whose wives and daughters had given birth at St. Marcelino.


    "How long has the hospital known this?" Phoebe asked him.


    "A couple of years now, four at least." he told her.


    Grandma Mayfair waved her hand and ended up knocking over an empty cup that was sitting on the counter. Nobody cared about the cup as much the information they had just heard.


    "Four years! they have been sitting on this information for years and said nothing. We are going to sue them, no...they should all be in prison. How dare they play games with other people''s families?" Grandma Mayfair clenched her hand angrily.


    The anger she was expressing was also another reaction Shark had anticipated. There would be a lot of that going around when they started contacting the families.


    "Fear of repercussions is why the hospital chose to keep quiet about the mess. One hundred thirty babies is too large of a number, its an epidemic. They knew that if this information was released, the hospital would be finished.


    As for the nurse, i personally looked for her and found her at a nursing home but unfortunately she has a condition known as dementia. She wasn''t in the right state of mind to say what happened."


    "Oh hell no! So she''s going to get out of it so easily after creating this mess?" Sylvester voiced his disappointment.


    And he wasn''t the only one, Grandma Mayfair and Phoebe exhaled noisily through pursed lips. This was far from what they were expecting to hear, if the nurse was sick then nothing could be done. They couldn''t make her stand trial when she had no memories of the crimes she had committed.


    "How will we know why she did what she did to me? Because of her decision, i lived a hard life. Why does she get to forget and i cannot even confront her?" Phoebe raised her voice out of anger.


    Grandma Mayfair was just as vexed. "She cannot even be arrested or explain herself. This is unfair to the victims, we deserve answers. We deserve to know why she picked us. Did she have a grudge against us?"

 Chapter 105 Angel of mercy.

    "Hey, hey everyone let''s not jump to conclusions. You should have faith in me, after all, i am Shark and when I bite I don''t let go until I get to the bottom of it." A Cheshire cat grin formed on his face.


    The listeners perked up too and waited for him to speak, he cleared his throat and continued on with what they needed to hear.


    "I went to the nursing home myself but I didn''t go alone. Nurse Maria''s daughter accompanied me, she had not visited her mother since the incident because she felt didn''t want to stick around in case the two families of the switched babies decided to sue or make her pay the price in place of her mother.


    I convinced her to talk to her mother because if nurse Maria was to say anything she needed a trigger and i thought her daughter could be it. It worked perfectly, when Maria saw her daughter, she snapped out of the trance like state and began to cry as she asked for forgiveness. I stepped in quickly and told her which questions to ask.


    Maria told her daughter that she didn''t switch the babies in bad faith but because she had a calling from God, a voice in her head, telling her to help the sick babies.


    So, she got sick babies from financially struggling families that were picked to give birth at St. Marcelino for publicity and switched them with healthy babies from well to do families.


    She even used most of her salary to find such families and sponsor them secretly to have their children at St, Marcelino.


    Unfortunately you and Ruth were some of the children to fall victim to this scheme. I believe that Ruth must have been a sick baby that was given to your parents because of her condition while you, a strong and healthy baby was given to the Gabriels."


    The story brought out a mixture of emotions from the listeners especially Grandma Mayfair who wept. She still found it highly unfair no matter how much it was phrased.


    "This may sound touching but it is so unfair and not just to Phoebe but to all the families who are in the same predicament. How could she know what conditions the children would grow up under? Did she ever consider how much suffering they would undergo being raised in poor families? She didn''t think about their future and selfishly ruined so many lives."


    Phoebe was teary eyed as well. "I don''t know how to feel about this honestly, I am miffed that she stole from me a chance to be loved by my family but also if she didn''t do what she did, then Ruth would have died." Phoebe covered her face with her hands.


    Connie, Sylvester and the Saxon spirit were shocked. Who was Phoebe worrying about in this situation?


    Grandma Mayfair reached for her hand on hearing her words. "You are such a kind and sweet girl for thinking of your sister that way." She continued to stare at her adoringly.


    The Saxon spirit however was unmoved. "If she had died, then maybe you would have lived happily with your children and husband. You have no idea what kind of damage she did even after you died, that girl is a serpent. With her think with your head not your heart."


    The other ghosts nodded because the spirit had never been wrong about anything, from everything they had heard and seen about Ruth, the woman was indeed cunning.


    Shark wiped his mouth and hands, wiping away the crumbs of the bear claw he had been eating before the conversation started. He felt the need to share some more information.


    "This case is just beginning, I have been asked by my superiors to investigate it thoroughly and I intend to do just that. It''s going to turn the city upside down because so many wealthy families are raising kids that aren''t theirs, some with more than two kids."


    On hearing his statement, Grandma Mayfair felt her back stiffen. "No...no way, Mr. Shark leave our family name out of it. Whatever you do with this case publicly leave the Mayfairs out of it. We shall deal with our situation privately."


    Shark was left in a mixture of confusion and surprise. He expected the Mayfairs to sue the hospital into oblivion. He gawked at Phoebe as if asking for her permission.


    "It''s okay Shark, it''s not like as though this is your first rodeo, just do as Grandma asks." Phoebe flipped her hair and dabbed at the corners of her eyes.


    Shrugging his shoulders, Shark raised his arms half way in surrender. "You don''t need to worry about that but i should get going now. It''s a major case, all hands are on deck for this one." Shark signaled for Phoebe to walk him out.


    Once outside, Shark told Phoebe that he was following up on Mason''s case and his mother was steadily improving. Her biggest concern was whether Victoria had deposited the money that she promised to. Andre had been kind to clear the medical bills but on leaving the hospital, it would be better that she stays at a good nursing home.


    "Have you been monitoring the account? The money should be there by now." Phoebe curiously stared at him.


    Shark scratched his head. "That''s the other thing i wanted to discuss. I told the banker to send me a message the moment it''s deposited but I haven''t received anything. I do plan on passing by the bank and hospital tomorrow. Are you certain this Mason doesn''t want me to investigate this, those two shouldn''t be free honestly."


    "Well my job is to fulfill ghost wishes." Phoebe shrugged and bid him goodbye.


    She turned to enter the cafe but then paused when she saw Collin Baltimore approaching. A small smile formed on her lips when he stood in front of her.


    "Phoebe, it''s been a while since I last saw you. How are you doing?"


    Collin touched her shoulder and looked down at her face intensely.


    "I am alright, thank you for coming to the police station the other day and sorry I took so long to thank you." She stared at her toes.


    "No problem, it''s a shame I didn''t get to be of any help. I actually passed by because I heard the paparazzi came back after I cut back on security, is everything okay here?


    Phoebe laughed as the memory from that morning came forth. "Oh that? My badass grandma took care of it, I doubt that they''ll be back here any time soon."


    "Interesting, care to explain." Collin wanted to make the conversation as long as possible.


    She shared the story and it got better when Phoebe asked if he wanted to meet her grandmother.


    "Of course yes." Collin laughed and pushed the door in for her. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe paused and looked back at him. "And Cassie? Is she still having the nightmares?"


    "About that, I don''t know how to thank you Pheebs, she sleeps so well and barely gets the headaches, even her attitude has improved. You are a miracle worker for sure."


    No sooner had they entered when grandma Mayfair stood up abruptly. She let out a squawk like sound as blood drained from her face. "I''ll be there as soon as I can." She hung up and took off the apron and head cap.


    "Phoebe let''s go it''s your sister, something about her needing a transplant. It''s really serious this time around." Grandma Mayfair pulled her by the arm and bypassed Collin.

 Chapter 106 Actress of the year award.

    Being taken aback by her grandma''s behavior, Phoebe asked the quivering old woman to calm down little. Grandma Mayfair was holding Phoebe''s hands tightly like she was holding on for her dear life.


    "What is wrong with Ruth this time grandma?" Phoebe raised her eyes, a tiny quizzical smile played on her lips. What is that witch scheming now? she asked herself.


    "That was your father on the phone earlier, apparently Ruth is gravely ill and needs a bone marrow transplant from her birth parents. Her illness is much more serious than i imagined." Grandma Mayfair''s trembling hand moved to wipe her face with a small pale blue cotton handkerchief.


    Phoebe was puzzled by the revelation, initially she believed that Ruth was pretending because she wanted to garner attention from the family. But now it seemed that her suspicions were very wrong and Ruth seemed to be truly sick. There was no way Ruth would come up with a plot that involved the Gabriels mixing with the Mayfairs. Both of those worlds, she wanted as far apart as possible.


    But, she couldn''t remember Ruth falling sick and requiring any bone marrow transplant before her rebirth. Had she missed it like she missed all the plotting and betrayal?


    The Saxon spirit was unmoved after reading Phoebe''s thoughts. "Let''s get to the hospital first, after seeing the situation on the ground I''ll be able to tell you but.....I have strong doubts about all this. Nothing related to Ruth can be trusted."


    "This is karma for being an evil person, she deserves this and much worse, sister don''t allow your heart to feel any sympathy for that wicked woman. Keep going with your plan of kicking her out of the Mayfair house." Connie curled her lips upwards.


    Phoebe used her thoughts to order Sylvester to go back to the cafe for there was no need for all the ghosts to follow her besides Rosset may need help with something.


    "Yes boss." Sylvester said before he vanished.


    The Saxon spirit brought a calming tonic from the magic space and put in Phoebe''s bag just in case grandma Mayfair needed it. They could all see that she was unsettled and very worried.


    "Poor woman, it will be terrible for her to go through this if that witch is lying. I swear to God that I will do something to her." It spoke through pursed lips.


    When they got to the hospital, the two women headed straight to the hospital room where Ruth was. Grandma Mayfair led the way, almost breaking into a run while Phoebe just followed steadily.


    "Ruth! My child!!" The old woman pushed the door open with all of her strength while calling out loudly for Ruth in a shaky voice.


    Ruth was sleeping on her back and she had no intention to get up but the moment Phoebe walked in, she sat up with Ophelia''s help.


    "What happened? Why do you look like this?" Grandma Mayfair fussed.


    She touched Ruth''s face, hands and even checked her feet for some reason. Phoebe just stood there awkwardly, not knowing what to do especially because her parents were there.


    If she had been alone with Ruth at that moment, she would be laying the sarcasm on heavily.


    Edward took the initiative to speak and break the awkwardness.


    "Girls, there is no introduction necessary because you both know one another. Both of you are our daughters and to this family you two are sisters, blood relationship or not. It is our hope that you both can put the past aside and learn to live together in harmony."


    A smile formed on Ruth''s pale lips, her eyes not breaking contact with Phoebe''s. She stretched her right hand out and winced as if she was in incredible pain.


    Phoebe wanted to scoff but she stopped herself. If she acted so rudely at Ruth''s sick bed, she would come off in a negative light so, she took Ruth''s hand and smiled dryly.


    "Phoebe i am so glad that my best friend has turned out to be my sister. Please forgive me if I have wronged you in any way all these years. We always loved each other but I don''t know what I did for you to hate me, i just hope that you let it go. Let''s forget the past and move forward as the sisters that we are." She sobbed and rubbed her eyes that had dark circles around them.


    Disbelief enveloped Phoebe''s mind, she didn''t know what to make of the situation, fortunately the Saxon spirit came forward and made things clear.


    "This sly bitch is faking it, she''s not sick at least not physically. Ruth is playing on everyone''s emotions and using them to hang on to this family."


    It was just as Phoebe expected so she tightened the hold on Ruth''s hand, squeezing a little hard. If Ruth thought that she was a good player, she decided to be a better one. Phoebe moved closer to Ruth and spoke calmly.


    "Sister, you should have told me if you were in so much pain. All these years when you were partying, drinking and smoking, i didn''t know that you were ill. Maybe that''s what made your sickness worse. But it doesn''t matter anyway, i will take very good care of you from now on. The past doesn''t matter anymore, from now on i will treat you like a real sister.


    I will even forgive your real parents for what they did to me. I really hope that you will survive this sickness." Phoebe embraced Ruth.


    All the Mayfairs heard Phoebe loud and clear, and they frowned. Ruth used to drink, smoke and party. When did she start doing such things and endangering herself?


    Meanwhile, Phoebe whispered to Ruth, "I know that you are not sick Ruth, you can fool every one here but not me. I am going to give you one chance to drop everything and walk away. You and i can never be sisters."


    Ruth trembled and clenched the sides of Phoebe''s shirt. She wanted to say something but now was not the time, she couldn''t risk setting Phoebe off by taunting her.


    She moved back and said loudly, "Ruth, no, sister, which one of is older? When you get out of the hospital fully healed, i want to know if i will be the one spoiling you or you will be the one to spoil me."


    The bad habits Phoebe had mentioned aside, everyone was back to sighing in relief because of the display of sisterhood.


    "Ohhh aren''t they sweet? My daughters thank you for understanding and not complicating the situation." Jennie moved and embraced her daughters.


    Collin couldn''t believe his eyes, he thought that Phoebe had come to cause more trouble but seeing this side of her being nice to Ruth made his heart soften a bit. Maybe she was not as bad as he thought. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Any news on finding the Gabriels? They need to donate as soon as possible for our Ruth to survive." Grandma Mayfair asked Edward.


    He shook his head, looking grave. "Nothing yet but we are still searching for them. I have deployed all of my resources. Mother, what about the investigation, what did the detective say?"


    Andre arrived and he joined everyone in the room. He didn''t say a word but sat down on the large couch next to Luke.


    Grandma Mayfair went ahead to tell the entire family everything that Shark had told her and Phoebe. When she was finished everyone was equally horrified except for Ruth that was relieved.


    As long as it was not a kidnapping or baby swap, it was all good. She could live as a Mayfair with her head held up. The nurse had called her actions an act of God and she was doing his will so it was God''s will for her to be a Mayfair.


    Others didn''t think the same way however just like grandma Mayfair thought.

 Chapter 107 Not so bad Phoebe

    "She was insane indeed! One hundred and thirty babies? Goodness gracious me!!!" Jennie thought the story was absurd.


    "It''s madness, not God''s work. That woman was selfish and arrogant. She has ruined so many lives with her actions. The hospital is even worse for knowing this and staying quiet." Edward placed his index finger and thought deeply. "We should sue the hospital for everything they''ve got."


    On hearing his words, Ruth panicked. "No father! Then everyone will find out about me not being a Mayfair!!! i am not ready. Please, can we wait at least until when i am not afraid."


    "I agree on waiting Edward, initially I too wanted to sue because I know that all affected families will do it but then again I don''t want our name to be dragged in this mess. It going to be chaotic, besides I think that the girls need time to adjust to these changes but that''s only if Phoebe is okay with waiting on revealing who she truly is." Grandma Mayfair gave her submission.


    All their eyes turned to look at Phoebe who was sitting between Andre and Luke. She looked at Ruth, she had an expression of worry written allover her face. ''I hope you now understand that this is my family and my opinion counts more than what you want Ruth.'' she thought.


    In as much as she wanted Ruth to lose her social status, it was more important to Phoebe that her family sees her in a different light than what Ruth had told them. She had seen their faces after throwing out Ruth''s belongings, her parents wore disapproving expressions on their faces but didn''t say anything. It was time to change her strategy.


    She shrugged like it wasn''t a big deal.


    "I am okay with it besides, I think that we need to concentrate on Ruth''s recovery for now. We can take time and do things slowly." Phoebe smiled warmly.


    Her response had warmed their hearts especially Collin again, who expected her to demand that they announced everything to the public immediately and throw Ruth out. He suddenly had the thought that Phoebe was not so bad.


    Ruth believed that she had Phoebe by the balls, and she could do nothing but accept everything the family wanted.


    "Thank you so much Phoebe, I promise that when i am ready, we will let everyone know that you are a Mayfair now." A tentative smile made it''s way on her lips.


    After a short while Edward stepped out to make a phone call, Phoebe sneaked out after two minutes because she wanted to talk to him. She watched him and when he was done, she approached him.


    "Father, I heard that the Gabriels left town and I think I know where they might have gone to." Phoebe was certain that they had gone to the house in Magic city. For Ruth''s good health and out of the goodness of her heart, she shared a possible address. She even shared the Darma island idea just in case.


    Aaron and Elizabeth had sent her pictures of the house back when they were trying to coax her into moving there. Thank God they did because she knew the address of the place. Phoebe sent the pictures to Edward to make his job simpler.


    "Father, let''s not let Ruth know until we find them, we shouldn''t raise everyone''s hopes high just in case they went else where." Again, Phoebe made another suggestion out of the goodness of her heart.


    "You really care about your sister''s health, i am so proud to have a daughter like you." Edward ruffled her hair slowly.


    He walked away to share the new findings with his investigators while Phoebe found a vending machine and got herself a bag of nuts.


    As she walked back to the hospital room, she bumped into Collin, Phoebe wasn''t in the mood for his insults so she bypassed him without a word.


    "Wait." He spoke suddenly.


    She paused and whirled around. "I am sorry is it me you are talking to? What could you possibly want with a con woman like me oh great sir Collin Mayfair."


    She smirked and curtsied like she was in the presence of royalty.


    Collin growled inwardly, the tiny woman standing before him knew how to push his buttons.


    "I...just want to thank you for being considerate, I didn''t know that you had it in you."


    Phoebe chuckled. Finally her eldest brother was talking calmly to her for the first time since they met.


    [It''s not your fault for being a jerk, you are just blind about the things going on around you especially when it comes to Ruth. As you learn about her, your heart is going to break.]


    He read her thoughts but didn''t react, instead he turned to walk away with a frown.


    "Collin?" Phoebe called him, in as much as they didn''t have the best relationship, Phoebe didn''t want her brother to be toyed around with by a woman.


    "What is it?" He turned around.


    "That news anchor you were with the other time, you should end it." Phoebe chewed on the inside of her cheek.


    "You don''t even know her, why do you say that?" Collin arched an eyebrow.


    How was she supposed to tell him that she knows the future and he had become a laughingstock when the truth was revealed. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Nothing." Phoebe shook her head.


    [She''s sleeping with her boss and pictures of them will soon be in the news. You will become a laughing stock and won''t show your face in public for a few months I may not like you much but as a sister, i just thought you should know. Whatever happens, at least i warned you.]


    On reading her thoughts, Collin frowned some more and walked away.


    What he had read kept ringing like a bell at the back of his mind. It was the second time he was seeing her thoughts concerning his relationship. He did not believe her but checking would not harm anyone. He pulled out his phone and called his assistant.


    "Put a tail on Kelly, I want to know all the people she meets and what she does especially anything related to her boss." Collin hung up and looked back but Phoebe was already heading back into the room to join the rest of the family.


    Dr. Murphy walked into the room ten seconds after Phoebe along with doctor that had diagnosed Ruth. Edward stood up the moment he saw them both. Everyone gave them full attention, expecting an update on Ruth''s condition especially because Dr. Murphy was carrying some papers.


    "Is there a change in her condition?" Jennie asked him quickly.


    "I have good news everyone, after doing some more tests and comparing them to the ones which had been done, i discovered some inconsistencies. Ruth does not have an auto immune disorder." He shared.


    Everyone was shocked but mostly relieved. However they needed more detailed information.


    "What? How can this be doctor, i feel sick? Did you make a mistake?" Ruth asked in a soft weak voice.


    The doctor lowered his head to apologize, seemingly alarmed as well. "I am sorry but this isn''t entirely my fault, my intern Dr. Boosie must have mixed up the test results which created this mess. Those test results belonged to another patient, please forgive us I will reprimand doctor Boosie strongly."


    Jennie stood up. "So does this mean that Ruth doesn''t require a bone marrow transplant Dr. Murphy?"

 Chapter 108 Bring on the gifts.

    Nodding his head, Dr. Murphy apologized for the scare they had encountered. "She is going to be okay, there is no need to worry anymore. Again, we apologize for the mix up in the paper work."


    Grandma Mayfair was still disturbed and she felt the need to caution the doctors. "Teach your doctors to be more careful next time otherwise you could really end up making and irreparable mistake. What would you have done if Ruth ended up getting an unnecessary surgery?"


    Both doctors apologized again and the family accepted the apology.


    Ruth clapped continuously in jubilation and even squeezed out a few tears. "This means that I can go home finally."


    She couldn''t stand the idea of being in the hospital anymore when Phoebe was walking around freely in her house.


    Her words angered the Saxon spirit which blew sleeping dust in her face. Her flaccid body fell back, it''s like she had lost consciousness.


    "Ruthie!!!" Jennie shouted


    "That''s for toying with people''s emotions. Enjoy a longer stay in the hospital." The spirit vanished right before Phoebe chocked on laughter.


    The two doctors quickly examined Ruth and informed the worried family that she was sleeping and her vital signs were normal. Her sudden fainting spell was attributed to exhaustion and medication.


    Everyone stuck around at the hospital until late in the night. Phoebe once again slept over at the Mayfair house. It was another long night and she slept in the space again.


    Very early in the morning she was woken up by a call from David which she answered extremely groggy and unhappy.


    Great, i dream of him and he calls me at unholy six in the morning.


    "There is nothing unholy about six o''clock in the morning." The ancestor spirit shared as she manipulated Phoebe''s phone and tossed it at her.


    Phoebe sighed and answered in an unfriendly voice.


    "Two minutes past six Saxon, it''s two past six. Has your bed been infested with fire ants? Do you hate sleep?"


    On the end of the call David chortled. "You sound delightful my love."


    "Call me that one more time and i will be the fire ant in your bed." she threatened.


    "Oooouh, scary." he laughed. "If you are looking for a way to get into my bed Phoebe you don''t need to be an ant. You can walk in on your two human legs and i will welcome you with two..."


    "What do you want Saxon?" she bit out.


    "To tell you that i will be returning tomorrow and if you are free, i want to take you out. We can do anything you want."


    "What i want is to sleep." she cut the call swiftly, shut the phone off and stuffed it inside a pillow.


    With a smile, she laid her head back down and went to sleep on the bed. One hour later, she woke up, showered and went downstairs to join the others for breakfast.


    Grandma Mayfair was already at the dining table, enjoying her meal. She appeared well rested and happy despite roller coaster of the previous day. She smiled fondly at Phoebe the moment she saw her.


    "Phoebe, hurry and have breakfast. We should leave for work as soon as possible after breakfast, I enjoyed my time yesterday."


    "Good morning to you to Grandma." She spoke teasingly.


    Her parents and brothers joined them and everyone traded greetings. What surprised them was that Collin greeted Phoebe and she responded politely, no snarky comments or anything.


    Nobody knew what had brought on the positive change in their attitudes and they just thought it was nice that he was warming up to her.


    "Any update on Ruth?" Grandma Mayfair asked. They had left her sleeping and Ophelia was the only one that stayed back at the hospital.


    "She opened her eyes at around midnight and had something to eat. Right now she is taking a walk around the hospital on doctor Murphy''s encouragement. He has told me that she will be discharged later today as she can recover fully from home." Jennie wore a broad smile as she shared the great news.


    It brought a smile to the everyone''s faces, Phoebe as well as she was still playing the kind daughter role.


    "I also have good news to share, as of yesterday i am an official employee of the black ghost Cafe."


    Her announcement elicited different reactions from everyone and some people in particular were vocal about it.


    "What?" Edward was shocked.


    "Grandmother, why? Are you short of money or bored?" Collin asked, dismayed.


    "Mother, I don''t think you should strain yourself that much, if Phoebe wants employees I can ask Alfie to find her some." Edward pulled his eyebrows together.


    The old woman laughed. "Stop fussing Edward i am old not dead. I haven''t felt this alive in years because all i have been doing is wasting away. It is very exciting working there and it gives me bonding time with my darling Pheebs."


    "Still, that is no place for a Mayfair to be! In fact I suggest that Phoebe closes shop. I can get you a good position at Mayfair corporations." Collin strongly suggested.


    "Excuse you?" Phoebe dropped the spoon she was holding. She wanted to put Collin in his place but Andre beat her to it.


    "Who the hell do you think you are to tell her to close her business Collin? She''s doing what she''s passionate about just let her be." Andre''s lips pressed together. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Jennie cleared her throat. "Andre I don''t think that your brother is coming from a bad place, we all want the best for Phoebe that''s all. Just because she can see those....she doesn''t have to be involved in that kind of business." She was worried about their reputation when people find out that their daughter was a shaman. She couldn''t even bring herself to say the word ghosts.


    "Think about our family''s reputation Phoebe. If you are to be one of us, you must behave like one of us." Collin urged.


    [Then i would rather not be one of you.] Phoebe thought and everyone saw that thought.


    The Saxon spirit was angry with Collin''s words so it decide to act out. Just when he was about to sip the black tea, it prodded the cup and the tea spilled all over his new expensive suit.


    "Damn it!!!" He stood up and went to change into something else.


    Everyone else meanwhile dropped the topic immediately. Bringing it up after seeing that thought was not a good idea.


    After breakfast, Phoebe went with Andre to the garage as he was giving her a ride to work, again. There she found three new cars with ribbons tied around them. One was pink, another yellow and the third black.


    Surprise!, Andre loudly, with his mouth wide open bellowed out. "I hope you love the surprise, these two colorful ones are from me and that one with a boring color is from grandma."


    "Maybe but it''s more expensive than both your cars combined." Grandma Mayfair winked at Phoebe who was smiling.


    Even though they had vocalized their intentions to buy her cars, she didn''t think they would be doing it so soon. She also did not expect three cars and in her mind she had assumed she would be getting only a single car. Being showered with love in the form of gifts from her real family was a little overwhelming. Tears formed in her eyes as she imagined how much love she missed out on.


    Quickly she wiped them and hugged each one of them.


    Luke joined them. "Oh hell no! What do I get my baby sister now? Phoebe do you care for a fourth car? I heard mom and dad saying that they were buying one for you too." He laughed and joined in on the hug.


    "I could use a van." Phoebe joked.


    "Done, one luxury van coming." Luke waved a finger as if he was waving a magic wand. "What else do you like?"


    "Money." Phoebe shared. "It''s handy in my line of work."


    Luke waved his finger again. "Done, just share your banking details with me."


    "Me too." Andre volunteered eagerly.


    "Me three." Grandma Mayfair chimed in.

 Chapter 109 Miranda Saxon, queen of the witches.

    Phoebe drove herself and grandma Mayfair to work in the brand new yellow car. The new car smell was just as sweet as that of new bank notes. She hummed happily all the way to work.


    Upon arrival at the cafe, grandma Mayfair made herself busy behind the counter immediately. They had received ten large orders and they had clients waiting for coffee and pastries.


    Phoebe and the ghosts helped as well and in less than hour, they handled the morning rush then continued handling orders.


    At around nine, the doorbells chimed and in stepped a woman that Phoebe recognized immediately. There was no way she could ever forget the cruel Miranda Saxon, not even if she was reborn a thousand years later.


    She had no smile on her face, but a cruel smirk which indicated that she had not come to play. Phoebe could smell trouble wafting off of her from a distance.


    Miranda took off the black glasses that she was wearing, her eyes moved around, gauging the cafe''s worth and judging by ugly her expression, she was disgusted by what she saw.


    Phoebe placed the rug which she was using to wipe away coffee stains from the counter and moved to where Miranda stood.


    With a blank expression and cold eyes Phoebe welcomed her just like an unwelcome client.


    "Welcome to the Black Ghost Cafe, how can I be of assistance to you?"


    Miranda studied her from the head to the shoes.


    "You''ve got to be kidding me!!! Of all the fine women that he could get he picked you!" She rolled her eyes in disgust.


    "Red hair, you must be the infamous Phoebe Gabriel or Hopkins whatever. Follow me to the Swiss Restaurant uptown so that we can have a talk in a more civilized setting." She began to walk away but stopped and spun around. "Oh and by the way bring me one of your creams to revitalize my skin. Something that will restore my youthful looks." She continued to waltz out of the cafe all high and mighty.


    Phoebe wasn''t surprised at all by the woman''s behavior. In the past she had dealt with that nasty attitude and temper when she married David. In fact, it was so much worse than this.


    Phoebe wasn''t going to allow anyone step on her like a rug in this life. She had plans for Miranda as well, the woman had to learn that there were people on this planet that valued self respect more than money.


    "I don''t know what Robert saw in her." The Saxon spirit shook its head disapprovingly.


    "Judging by her words, she wants to talk about David, she looks like she would make a troublesome mother in law. On the other hand Collin Baltimore''s mother adores you." Connie expressed her opinions with a look of intense disgust as if she had personally been entangled with Miranda at some point.


    Her words were not well received by the Saxon spirit which warned her. "I am the reason you are here Connie, it will serve you well to keep that in mind."


    Phoebe turned around and went back to work, working on two human clients. On wanted to know if he was being haunted and another wanted a good luck talisman because he was attending his tenth job interview the following day.


    After about an hour, Miranda Saxon stormed back into the cafe, she was heaving and furious.


    "How dare a pauper like you make me wait for an hour? Do you know who I am?" She barked like a hungry dog.


    Without pause, she moved and sat at a table in the corner near the door. Then she went ahead to strip her hat and shades off, with her hand she began to fan herself.


    Phoebe chuckled because the heat she felt came from a fallen star that the Saxon spirit was holding over Miranda''s head.


    "Why is this place so damn hot? Turn the AC on immediately." Her gaze moved from Phoebe to Rosette who did as the customer wanted.


    Phoebe moved and sat opposite her. "Start talking, I don''t have all day."


    Miranda''s eyes flew wide open. "How rude? How can you talk to an adult this way young girl? You have no respect at all, what the hell did David even see in you? I don''t see it."


    Phoebe laughed and remained silent.


    [Respect is earned you wicked witch.]


    The thought was as bold as it could get and Miranda read every word.


    "Witch, did you just call me a witch?" she screamed. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe frowned a little puzzled because she had thought about it but not shared her thoughts loudly. In this case, she could deny it comfortably.


    "Lady, are you crazy? With which ears have you heard me say the word witch?"


    [Witch, witch, wicked witch, lazy eyed witch, queen of the witches.]


    Miranda gasped and squinted her eyes just to be sure about what was happening because Phoebe''s mouth was not moving but those words were there above her head. What did it mean?


    "Am I seeing things because she is a shaman?" Miranda muttered.


    She cleared her throat and straightened her back. "If you are making me read that because you want to scare me off then you have another thing coming. I would not be Miranda Saxon if little things like that scared me. I have seen much scarier things before."


    Phoebe frowned for she had no idea what the woman was yapping about. "Talk Miranda, I have ghosts to deal with." Her voice was raised.


    Miranda''s mother flew open as she wondered how the girl knew her name, she then remembered that Phoebe was a shaman. Her eyes moved around as if in search of the ghosts.


    The heat, the weird words above Phoebe''s head, the ghosts and her rudeness all served to anger her. She wanted to leave as soon as possible so she coldly stared at Phoebe and slammed her hand on the table.


    "Stay away from my son!!! I don''t want you to date him, stop clinging onto him because I will never accept your relationship. Aren''t shamans supposed to be pure or something like that? I heard that women like you are married to the spirits you serve or something. I just want you to stay away from my son you gold digger!!!"


    Miranda held her nose in the air, her almond shaped eyes narrowed when Phoebe let out an ear piercing laughter.


    Grandma Mayfair who had come from the back of shop was eavesdropping, she knew the visitor quite well but she never imagined that Miranda was so mean. She was impressed to see Phoebe pushing back strongly.


    "Who told you that I was clinging onto him?" Phoebe quizzed. I don''t want your son talk more of loving him. It''s him you should tell to leave me alone Miranda. He has been following me like a puppy in need of affection so I decided to let him. You Saxons think that you defecate gold or something. You are nothing special I can assure you." Phoebe smirked and looked back at Miranda with contempt.


    "What? How can you....this is why I told him to go after Ruth Mayfair instead of someone below our status. You clear don''t understand what it means to be a Saxon in Fog country. You dupe people for a living and above all you come from a poor back ground. You have no place with us, you cannot be a Saxon so listen up.


    This is a cheque of two million take it and go far away to a place my son can''t find you." She tossed the paper across the table.


    Phoebe picked it up and read it, her upper lip curled upwards.

 Chapter 110 Double, quadruple, and add another zeroes.

    The amount of money Miranda was offering was very laughable and ridiculous. It was pennies compared to the endless mine of financial reserves she had access to. Phoebe was no gold digger but she found the money offered insulting.


    [Two million, is this all your son is worth to you?]


    Miranda gasped. "So you want more but of course what would I expect from a woman of your class." Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe was shocked that Miranda understood her dissatisfaction but nevertheless, it didn''t matter because it was how she was feeling genuinely.


    "David Saxon is worth more than two million. I can get this if he gives me some strands of his hair. Make your offer juicier."


    Miranda huffed, pulled out another check, wrote on it and tossed it at Phoebe like it was trash.


    Again Phoebe picked it up. "Five million, now we are talking. But it is still not enough, double it"


    Miranda''s face twitched and she snorted. "Your greed really knows no bounds. Fine, i can afford it anyway."


    She signed another cheque for ten million which she threw Phoebe''s way in her preferred smile. Phoebe didn''t even touch or look at it. Like a dog at a sausage buffet with a wagging excited tail, Phoebe felt her cells dancing for joy. If she had known that she could make easy money like this from dating David, she would have initiated a relationship with him on day one.


    "Quadruple it." smugly, she ordered Miranda.


    Miranda''s hands trembled with the urge to slap the smug look off Phoebe''s face. Did the woman crook assume that she could simply blackmail her as she wished?


    "Are you crazy? Have the spirits you serve turned your brain into mash? Why is your greed unlimited? Do i look like i am made of money?"


    Phoebe looked her up and down, taking in her luxury clothes and bag.


    "The bag you are holding is worth more than ten million. Is your son less valuable than your bag? Wow, David will be disappointed to hear this. The mother that didn''t give him time or love as a child because her career and proving herself to her in-laws was worth more than raising him thinks he is worth less than one of her bags."


    Miranda raised her hand in an attempt to slap Phoebe. Phoebe tilted her head to dodge the slap. She did not need to dodge anyway because Miranda''s hand was frozen in the air, caught by the Saxon spirit.


    "Release her." Phoebe told it.


    Reluctantly, it did as she wanted.


    "Quadruple it and add another zero or get out of my cafe and start preparing new bedding and a wedding ring for me because i will be coming as his bride. I look forward to calling you mother-in-law sweetly."


    Miranda roughly wrote up another cheque for one hundred million.


    "This is the most you will get out of me. If i see you around my son, i will report you for fraud because this is a verbal contract. I have recorded this conversation as well, if you go back on your word i will sue you for everything you own and you will die and serve your spirits from the grave."


    Phoebe responded by smiling calmly. "You can leave now, thank you for passing by Miranda. It was nice doing business with you, i hope we do this again soon." Her nonchalant tone irked Miranda who stood up and matched out.


    Grandma Mayfair run up to Phoebe quickly. "Darling, what just happened here? How could you take the money, don''t you love David?"


    "Love.." Phoebe lowered her eyes and laughed softly for a few seconds. Then she looked up and said, "Loving a Saxon is painful and expensive grandma, in more ways than one. Sometimes, the price to pay for that love is life."


    Grandma Mayfair was perplexed, she couldn''t make heads or tails of Phoebe''s words. All she was worried about was how Phoebe was feeling about hearing such horrible words from Miranda Saxon and what people would think when they found out that Phoebe had accepted money in exchange for breaking up with David.


    Miranda Saxon was not going to keep quiet about this little tidbit. She would use it to ruin Phoebe''s reputation for sure.


    "I cannot believe the nerve of that woman coming into your cafe to talk to you like that. Hmph, Prudence will hear from me about this for sure. Darling, let us give that money back before it becomes the source of your ruination, I will give you double the amount...."


    Phoebe hugged her grandmother abruptly, stunning the old woman into silence.


    "Grandmother, believe it or not, i earned this money fairly. Nobody knows Miranda Saxon like me, and i know all too well the cruelty she is capable of. I am doing this to teach her a lesson.


    If David chooses his mother''s side, that''s fine with me, it just means that he is not worthy of me anyway. Do not worry about me and Miranda because I am also not a push over. Whatever amount she offers, i will take and keep taking until i bankrupt her or she surrenders.


    If she uses this matter to attempt to ruin my reputation, i will do the same to her."


    She pointed up the corner of the shop. A small CCTV camera was hidden in the corner and nobody but her and Rosette knew about it.


    "What will people think if they see what the polite and refined Miranda is really like. Her reputation will take a hit faster than mine. If she leaks the audio of me accepting the money, i will release the video of her offering it. At the end of the day, she came to me and initiated the whole thing not the other way round."


    Grandma Mayfair was misguided by Phoebe''s smooth tongue that she forgot her own worries and nodded.


    "I am going to go and cash this cheque at the bank before she changes her mind, please watch over the cafe grandma." Phoebe kissed the old woman on the cheek and dashed out of the cafe.


    For Phoebe, this was a free windfall, one hundred million to replace what she had spent on Mason''s mother. Maybe God had decided to pay her back in this way.


    When she was married to David, Miranda never gave her as much as a dollar and even checked her financial records regularly.


    She monitored every coin Phoebe spent and berated her for wasting money on anything she deemed unnecessary.


    Sometimes, Ruth would even randomly and casually mention it to Miranda if she bought a nice new dress. Miranda in turn would react as if a world war had broken out and the dress of eighty dollars had cost eight million.


    There were many more incidents like this and the excuse which was always used was that she needed to be more careful, mindful, conservative and not money minded to expose her poor background.


    Phoebe sneered at the memories. This one hundred million was just the beginning. Ruth and Miranda, she would teach them both good lessons.

 Chapter 111 The storm of blood in the city.

    "A new storm is about to sweep over the country as allegations of baby swaps at one of the country''s best women and children''s hospital St. Marcelino in Citrus city have been reported. These allegations are already sending the elite and wealthy into a panic because because they are the majority involved.


    Sources claim that over one hundred babies belonging to wealthy families were replaced with sickly babies from belonging to poor mothers from poor families over a period of at least forty years. The police is already investigating the case and earlier this morning a raid was executed on St.


    Marcelino hospital, many documents were captured and hospital executives and some doctors were arrested and taken in for questioning."


    Almost every television was reporting the same news, baby swaps at St. Marcelino hospital. The news was sensationalized even more by the fact that this affected some of the wealthiest families in the country. The headquarters of the police in Citrus city where members of wealthy families were driving in and out had been turned into a center of chaos.


    On the television the heavily surrounded station was almost similar to a crowded market place. Nobody knew who had leaked the news as the police had been intending to handle the matter quietly because of the caliber of people involved. Unfortunately, news like that could not be contained for so long.


    As Phoebe watched the news from the bank while in line, waiting for her turn to deposit the cheque, she imagined the fall out that was going to follow the release of this news.


    How many previously wealthy, spoiled and entitled young men and women were going to have the rug pulled out from beneath them? Would they react like Ruth and hold on to the rich families with everything or would they let go and walk away?


    This would not stop at the children alone as some of them were married and had their own children now so the younger generations would be affected as well. Children, grandchildren and great grandchildren would all be affected.


    People would be talking about this incident for so many years to come, Phoebe could already see the light of excitement in the eyes of the people in the bank. Usually, the atmosphere in a bank was dull, to some tense even as they dreaded the loans they had come to ask for or pay off, and the mortgage extension they wanted to request for.


    Some like Phoebe would be trying to hide their excitement as they came in to deposit large sums of money or cheques.


    Someone in the bank changed the television station switching to news being reported by Kelly. This was the kind of news that she would be reporting on as one of the best anchors in the city.


    She was already on the case like a hyena on meat, sharing the updates vigorously with the citizens of the country.


    "According to reporter Gibbs at the station, families like the Holly''s, the Andersons, the Meyers and the Valladont''s are some of the victims of this scheme that people have named the cuckoo incident. For those who are wondering why it has been named the cuckoo incident it''s because a cuckoo is a bird that is an unwelcome intruder in the nest.


    It is a bird that lays its eggs in the nest of another bird.


    When the cuckoo egg hatches the baby cuckoo pushes out the eggs of the host from the nest one by one. In other words, the host parents are tricked into feeding an offspring that is not theirs. Some people are arguing that calling it the cuckoo incident is extreme because the children are innocent and played no part in the baby swaps.


    The question we are all asking ourselves right now is who is responsible for the tragedy and what will happen to the children?


    We will now take you back to the police station where the commissioner of police is personally going to address the media and elaborate on the incident."


    Phoebe scoffed, cuckoo in the nest applied perfectly to Ruth because she had known the truth that she was not a Mayfair and yet stayed there, feeding off the family gladly.


    "Oh my God, the Andersons were also tricked, which one of their children is it, could it be Valarie Anderson the actress?" S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "They should have called it the falling from grace incident because so many are going to fall from grace."


    "No, the fake children are like fallen angels so they should be named fallen heirs."


    "Fallen heirs, haha, let me tweet that immediately."


    "This is so exciting, it''s even more exciting than the news about David Saxon''s witch girlfriend."


    Phoebe could hear the conversations from all around the bank and she raised her head quickly wondering why she was suddenly being pulled into the conversation. Had they noticed her and they were deliberately saying this for her to hear?


    "About the Saxons, do you think that they are also involved in this mess? They are rich and all rich women in this city flock to St. Marcelino the moment they sniff a pregnancy. In my opinion, it serves them right for thinking that they are more special than the rest of us. I had my six children at St. Catherine general hospital and nothing ever went wrong with any of them."


    "Who in this country would dare to accept a white haired baby as their own on the same day someone in the Saxon family gives birth at the same hospital? It would be obvious that the child is not theirs."


    "That''s true, the Saxons have survived because of their hair. Nobody would dare to swap one of their children otherwise, they would be victims as well. Who in this city is as wealthy as them?"


    "The Mayfairs are close to the Saxons in wealth, do you think they were affected too?"


    "As soon as i get home, i am going to test the DNA of all my children. I may not be wealthy but this incident has opened my eyes. I do not want to raise any cuckoos."


    "Should i do the same, i don''t want to raise any cuckoos too."


    "My instinct tells me that some people paid off the doctors and deliberately sent their children to wealthy families. I am big fan of family dramas and i have seen many with such a story line. Everyone involved in this plot should be executed, they are simply evil."


    Every one had an opinion and the bank tellers were also carried away and they joined in on the gossip. It didn''t stop until the bank manager passed by and cleared his throat giving them warning glares. He also switched off the television and work was resumed.


    The clients didn''t stop gossiping however and the Mayfairs were brought up three more times. Phoebe couldn''t help thinking, if only the people knew that Ruth Mayfair was the reason as to why the flood gates had burst open.


    People had switched to their phones to follow the news and get updates consistently. A storm had come to Fog country and everyone was curious to see who was going to be swept away.

 Chapter 112 Out of nowhere.

    Phoebe was leaving the bank when she got a call from Evelyn which immediately started with an unexpected question that made her pause in her tracks for a moment before entering her car.


    "You are a Mayfair, aren''t you?"


    Evelyn was so direct about it, sounding so sure. Uncertain, she posed a question of her own in response as she started the car. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What makes you say that?"


    "I passed by the hospital to see Ruth and she was all pale and scared when i mentioned rumors circulating about swapped babies. I heard my parents whispering about it last night. Apparently the nurse that swapped the babies left notes and a list which clearly identifies which child from which family was exchanged with another.


    The Carters, my cousins family, their parents were called in last night. Devan is not related to us by blood, everyone is devastated. Anyway, seeing how nervous Ruth looked, i decided to pass by your cafe and to my surprise, old Lady Mayfair is working there now.


    I am not stupid Phoebe, i have known the Mayfairs all my life. In no universe and under no conditions would she be working when her precious only granddaughter is sick in the hospital.


    She certainly wouldn''t be in your cafe, like come on, the answer is right there. It''s a gigantic ass glowing billboard in the middle of the road screaming over here, look at me."


    Phoebe laughed lightly. "I guess you do not need me to give you a confirmation then."


    Evelyn gasped loudly and she giggled. "Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God!!!! this is huge Pheebs, you are the Mayfair heiress. This explains the weird relationship between her and your parents...., no they are not your parents anymore. Thank God they are not your parents and you can finally escape those demons. They can finally have their Ruth that they adore so much.


    Holy shit i gotta tell everyone we went to school with and...."


    "Slow down Evie," Phoebe stopped her friend who was moving way too fast. "I think you have forgotten how cunning Ruth is. Do you think my parents can abandon her when she is sick and the Gabriels are conveniently missing? This whole swapped baby revelation came to light because i was suspicious and asked detective Shark to help me investigate.


    He ended up discovering that i was not the only baby to be swapped. Anyway, it''s not going to be made public for now and Ruth is staying. We are two happy loving sisters now." she said sarcastically.


    On the other end of the phone, Evelyn guffawed because she knew from Phoebe''s tone that this was not a loving sisterhood. There was going to be some backstabbing and plotting.


    "I cannot believe Ruth is shamelessly choosing to continue living as a Mayfair. Why can''t she just take all the money she has and move away? If it were me i would have left the moment the truth was discovered. I cannot imagine living everyday with the actual child of my parents.


    Have you seen the cuckoo thing online, i would even be too afraid to accept anything from the family because it would be like stealing.


    Can you imagine the whispers from relatives, maids and other workers looking down on you and thinking you are the same as them but just happened to be lucky because you were swapped. I couldn''t live like that Pheebs, its suffocating and embarrassing, then again, Ruth has no shame."


    Phoebe was inclined to agree about the last comment and Evelyn''s opinions. If she had been in Ruth''s place, she would have left the Mayfair family. If she didn''t want to live to be with her birth family then she would choose to live alone.


    "So what is your plan?" Evelyn inquired.


    "To watch and see for now how things progress. I will call you later Evelyn i am driving back to the cafe right now. I want to hear more about your conversation with Ruth."


    They said farewell to each other and Evelyn ended the call. Phoebe found herself in a good mood and she turned up the volume of the music, bringing Connie out of the space with her off key and out of tune singing.


    They enjoyed the music until the Saxon spirit suddenly made a reminder to Phoebe with a frown. "I think you should call David and let him know about what transpired between you and his mother."


    Connie stopped bobbing her head up and down like a doll and she agreed with the spirit. "That Miranda woman seemed like someone that would manipulate such a situation."


    Knowing Miranda Phoebe knew that Connie was right so when she parked her car and started walking to the cafe, she called David who answered the call joyfully.


    Phoebe exhaled loudly. "This isn''t a pleasant call David Saxon, it''s just a heads up about your mother...."


    Hands wrapped around her neck out of nowhere and she screamed. The phone fell from her hands and hit the paved ground. She didn''t recognize her assailant until she heard his voice over Connie''s screams.


    "It''s your fault you bitch!!! You killed my wife. You evil witch! You brought Mason''s ghost into our perfect lives and now everything has been ruined." Turner spoke gruffly as his grip tightened around Phoebe''s neck.


    "Pheebs....phoebe? Who the hell is that?" David''s voice could be heard shouting through the phone, he kept calling her name and asking what was happening to her.


    Meanwhile Phoebe was struggling to breathe as she slapped the beefy man to let go as she gasped for breath like a drowning rat.


    "Le..let go!" She croaked.


    The Saxon spirit intervened, coming out of the bracelet and sending Turner flying. Phoebe stumbled towards the nearest wall, heaving and catching her breath. Thankfully the spirit intervened by using its powers to hold his arms to the back and pin him in one place.


    After catching her breath, she stood up slowly but her hands continued to massage her sore neck. She wanted to go into the cafe immediately, the scuffle had attracted a small number of spectators and the last thing she needed was to end up in the news once again.


    So, she glared at Turner and pointed at the cafe.


    "Follow me."


    "Heck no!! I am not following you, what are you and Mason planning to take my life as well? I have lost everything because of you, I have nothing left." Turner''s voice was glazed with resentment.


    Phoebe wasn''t about to argue with the man so she asked the ghosts to force him inside.


    "Whatever you do, do not carry him. There are too many eyes here." Her eyes moved around before pushing the door open only to see more spectators.


    The people in the cafe were watching through the windows. Rosset had used a lot of strength to hold grandma Mayfair back. The old woman wanted to attack Turner but Rosset assured her that Phoebe would handle it.


    First, Phoebe decided to get rid of the customers. Turner was not going to talk silently, she could hear his loud screams and pleas for someone to call the police.


    Phoebe opened the door of the cafe and made an announcement loudly. "I apologize for the commotion, none of you has to pay for your meals because we are closing up right now. If you have already paid, please return tomorrow for a free replacement drink and snack. We have an emergency to deal with, please make your way out as quickly as possible."

 Chapter 113 Turners arrest.

    Rosette and grandma Mayfair stepped up quickly and they ushered out the customers while making more sincere apologies.


    When the cafe was emptied out, the ghosts dragged in Turner kicking and screaming at the top of his lungs.


    "I will kill you, do you hear me you bitch, i will kill you. I am going to wring your neck like a chicken and smash your head with a hammer. I have killed a person before so adding one more to the list is not different. You better run and hide or else...."


    The Saxon spirit had had enough so it sealed his mouth shut but that didn''t stop Turner from mumbling and glaring fiercely at Phoebe.


    She on the other hand was unfazed by the threat and she rather continued to stare at him condescendingly. As a murderer with blood stained hands, what right did he have to threaten her?


    What is it that she had ruined? Had Shark made a move even though she told him not to do it. In order to know more she needed his mouth to be sealed first.


    She pulled closer a chair and sat down and within seconds, grandma Mayfair who was already on the phone with the police did the same. She had a ladle in hand that she was firmly wielding as a weapon. If Turner so much as came close to Phoebe, she was going to personally beat him up. Looking at those finger marks around her granddaughter''s neck was very heartbreaking.


    "Are you okay?" she touched Phoebe''s slightly red bruised neck.


    Phoebe nodded, and she gave her attention to Turner who had been pushed down onto the ground by the ghosts. Sylvester was even sitting on his back.


    "I am going to ask the ghost to let you go and unseal your mouth but if you so much as make a move to attack me or my people here you are as good as dead. I want to know what you are accusing me of so nod your head if you understand."


    He nodded and Phoebe ordered the spirit to let him go. Sylvester also got off his back.


    Although he was acting all macho, Turner was afraid of ghosts, he had tasted their strength so he remained composed but he collected as much saliva as he could and spat on the floor, his loathing look never leaving Phoebe.


    "Eeeww, that is just gross!!!" Connie jumped away and asked Sylvester moved to fetch a mop.


    None of them reminded the teenage girl that the spit could not touch her as she was a ghost and grandma Mayfair who was losing patience hit Turner on the head with her ladle as she had long wished.


    "You bastard, i will use this to scoop out your eyes." she threatened.


    Phoebe put a hand on her grandmother and encouraged her to calm down.


    "You, talk." she ordered him.


    He scoffed folded his lips, refusing to reveal his reason for attacking her. His behavior just sprinkled more confusion on everyone. He had been shouting vulgarities and making threats bravely so why clam up now?


    The ringing of Phoebe''s phone diverted their attention for a few seconds. She looked at the caller, it was Shark so she picked up the call immediately. She did not intend to shield Turner anymore, she was not a ghost and he was now a danger to her.


    "Shark, you have called right on time, someone just assaulted me. Please come to the cafe as soon as possible, the assailant is still here."


    "I am actually pulling in to Cerene apartments parking right now Pheebs and i am coming all the way from the Mayfair free clinic. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but Mason''s mother died last night." Shark hangup suddenly.


    Phoebe lowered her hand slowly and she turned her head to Turner. Even though she was not one hundred percent certain, one thing she was certain of was that there was a possible connection between the two events.


    "Mason''s mother is dead." she said softly. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She was in a little bit of shock because she had been receiving daily updates in the form of texts from a doctor who was providing them at Andre''s request. The last one she received had shared good news, telling her that she was ready to be moved from the ICU to a recovery room that had been prepared. Even the caretaker had been found and paid a full month''s salary upfront.


    The ghosts were equally shocked as well and the only one in the cafe that was confused was grandma Mayfair.


    "How?" Rosette asked.


    Phoebe shook her head. "I don''t know...."


    The door opened and Shark hurried inside, walking with so much energy and he pounced on Turner immediately, putting handcuffs on his hands.


    "You are under arrest for the murder of Mason Caldwell and Desire Caldwell, two counts of insurance fraud and physical assault...."


    "Attempted murder of my granddaughter too." Grandma Mayfair added to the list of crimes.


    Shark adjusted his words, "Attempted murder, you have the right to remain silent and anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law. You have the right to an attorney, if you cannot afford one...."


    Turner pushed back against "Let go, get off me, let go.."


    While Turner was struggling, more officers walked into the cafe and dragged him away. He was till shouting threats as he was dragged out.


    "I will kill you witch, you ruined our lives, not even the police will be able to stop me...."


    He passed by Amon who chopped him on the back of the neck, shutting him up as he fell into a state of unconsciousness immediately. Because of his status, none of the other officers batted an eye or said a word.


    "Send him to central, book him and dump him in an interrogation room. Do not give him any food or water and crank up the air conditioning. Tell detective Johns to get a full confession from him."


    "Yes sir." they responded loudly and left.


    Amon shut the door and locked it behind him, ignoring the unhappy looks he was getting from Shark who wanted to close the case personally.


    He stopped in front of Phoebe and pulled out a chair, sitting down and facing her. For a moment, everyone held their breath curiously to hear what he heard to say. If he was in the cafe, he was there was as a ghost catcher, not a police man. Arresting criminals was not his work, he was internal affairs.


    Phoebe got this sudden sinking feeling in her stomach and it made her want to retch. A part of her wanted to cover her ears so that she would not listen to what he was going to say.


    All she knew was that it would not be good news in light of all that was going on.


    "I warned you Phoebe, i told you that ghosts and the living should not mix. Perhaps if you had come to me about this case we could have worked together to prevent this tragedy. Unfortunately, because you acted as you please and fulfilled the wish of a ghost, three lives have been lost today.''

 Chapter 114 The death of a wicked woman.

    Amon''s words were like bullets firing accusations at Phoebe. It seemed like the man was blaming her for what was happening even before sharing the details.


    "If you were one of my officers you would be under arrest right now for gross negligence of your job." he added.


    Phoebe crossed her arms across her chest and returned him an icy stare. "Well, I am not one of your officers Amon and i would watch the accusations. I should know what i am being accused of in the first place." Phoebe was already offended by his sharp words.


    "Let''s see....a ghost killed a pregnant woman tonight. We both know what that means. You and your ghost wish fulfilling cafe played a role in it. You should have reported the murder to the police no matter what the ghost wanted. Dead people do not dictate the terms of life for the living."


    Phoebe clenched her fists, and the unsettled feeling in her stomach finally begun to settle as she had an answer. Mason was the one that had killed Victoria and knowing her, she had probably done something to Desire Caldwell.


    "I am not responsible for the actions of any human being and i reported the murder for your information." She turned her head to Shark. "Go on, ask him."


    Amon''s eyes moved to Shark and he nodded, confirming that Phoebe had reported the case to him. He went ahead to brief him about everything up to the point of Desire Caldwell''s death, mentioning that Victoria had killed her.


    "Victoria killed Desire...are you certain?" Phoebe asked. "Why?"


    When she last saw her the woman was remorseful and very afraid that the ghosts would come after them again. What had compelled her to commit murder?


    Clearing his throat, Shark smacked his lips. "I was wise enough to have a spy camera installed in Desire Caldwell''s room." He looked at Amon and said with emphasis, "I know that it''s not legal and i was not going to do anything with it. All i was doing was keeping an eye on a helpless old woman."


    Amon snorted like he did not believe Shark at all. He was familiar with Shark''s tactics and glory hogging ways. He was the kind of detective that would do almost anything to break a case.


    "Just tell her the rest of the story." he waved his right hand dismissively.


    "Well, the camera showed Victoria turning off the machines and taking off the old woman''s oxygen mask. She held a pillow over her face and within a short period of time Mason''s mother was dead. It happened last night and i didn''t see the footage until morning because we are busy with the cuckoo case.


    My theory is that Victoria and Turner didn''t want to share the money but were buying time because Phoebe frightened them. So, they hatched a plan and she pretended to be remorseful. She stayed around the hospital and acted like a faithful daughter-in-law for sometime and the nurses started trusting her. When she thought that no one was watching, she killed the old woman."


    "Oh my word, what a wicked woman. How could she kill her mother-in-law for money after killing her husband? Where was her conscience? She is not a woman, she is a beast." Old lady Mayfair lamented, reacting before everyone else.


    Amon, filled with self righteousness chose to respond to her. "Well these things never end well, ghosts shouldn''t mix with humans at all. They are dangerous, with a flip of a switch, they can become evil." His eyes looked at the ghosts in the cafe. "You should send them away."


    "This is our territory Mr ghost catcher and you aren''t supposed to vanquish good ghosts." Connie opened her mouth and showed him the tip of her tongue.


    Amon chuckled in return. He wanted to be on Phoebe''s good side so touching her ghosts was out of the question.


    "What happened to Victoria?" Phoebe asked a more urgent question.


    "She was found at the bottom of the stairs on the second floor of the hospital. She used the emergency stairs to sneak in and kill Desire so she exited the same way. The doctors couldn''t save her or the child in her belly."


    "Your ghost friend did it, which makes him an evil ghost now. He will not stop at one you know and the more he kills, the more irredeemable he will be. " Amon chimed in informatively.


    Phoebe pursed her lips and she looked down at her hands, one was trembling so she covered it with the other. There was a part of her which was indulging in self blame because she should have known better than to trust the words of two criminals.


    "Where is he? What comes next is my part after all." Amon touched his pocket and his hand came up with his bells.


    "Say nothing, let us find him on time before he becomes pure evil and send him away. That man Mason had a good heart, its sad that those wicked people have reduced him to this." The Saxon spirit gave Phoebe an empty stare and they communicated with their thoughts..


    She nodded in return, she wanted to save Mason no matter what it took, not just because she was rewarded with energy but because Mason deserved to move on and get reincarnated.


    "He is not here and you should leave now, ghost catchers are not welcome in my cafe, you know my rules." She gave Amon a stoic stare.


    The air in the cafe became somewhat chilly as the two stared each other down, each not backing off. Eventually, Amon gave in and he left with Shark.


    Phoebe stood up as soon as Sylvester confirmed that they had driven off.


    "Boss, you are going to look for him aren''t you?" Rosette asked.


    Phoebe nodded. "I need to find him immediately, Grandma and Rosset please take care of the cafe You can reopen or go home since i sent all the customers away anyway."


    Rosette couldn''t stop her so she simply gave some advise. "Be careful boss, if he won''t listen, just give up, he is not your responsibility and you are not liable for his actions in any way. You tried your best to help him to the maximum of your capabilities, it''s not your fault that Victoria and Turner were just so wicked and greedy to the very end."


    She had to shout these words out loudly because Phoebe was already racing to the door and by the time the last words came out of her mouth, the door bell chimes were ringing.


    Grandma Mayfair was very worried about Phoebe. Why did she have to go in search of an evil ghost? sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Why was Amon Drusus here and what is a ghost catcher?"


    Rosette sighed and sat down beside the old woman. She decided to start educating her on all the ghost lingo she was familiar with and share what little she knew of Amon Drusus__, a high ranked police officer that moonlighted as a ghost catcher.


    "Let''s start with ghost catchers, they are people that capture ghosts and send them to purgatory. Amon Drusus is the first and only one i have met...there are also ghost exorcisers...."

 Chapter 115 Ghost hunting.

    When Phoebe and the ghosts got to Victoria''s house, they found Amon and Shark there, waiting for them. Amon had a smug look on his face, like he had finally got one up on Phoebe.


    "I guess we had the same destination in mind, eh Pheebs." he scoffed.


    She rolled her eyes and walked passed him, moving straight to the door and ringing the bell. It was opened by the same maid that had opened for her the last time she was there.


    Phoebe flashed her badge and identified herself as a detective, something that left Amon gobsmacked. He couldn''t believe that she told such a big fat lie in his presence.


    "You do know and understand that i am the deputy chief of the standards operations bureau of the police Phoebe, what you have just done is a crime that can get you ten to twenty years in jail." He turned his focus on Shark "And you detective, are you aware that you can get fired for getting an ordinary citizen a fake badge?"


    Shark looked like a rat that had been caught stealing cheese at the scene of the crime. He was the one that had given Phoebe the fake badge in the first place.


    "Relax Amon i am smart enough not to get caught flashing it. If you want to be helpful, get me a consultancy gig with the police and then i can have a real badge. It''s not as if you guys don''t work with people like me to help you solve you crimes and find missing kids once in a while. A perfect example here is you Amon, you are a ghost catcher that works in the police.


    You and i are no different from each other."


    Connie snapped her fingers. "Give it to him sister, teach that arrogant jerk a lesson."


    "I heard that." Amon gave Connie a sharp look.


    She didn''t see it because the Saxon spirit was berating Connie and telling her to clean up her language because giving it to someone did not sound appropriate to her.


    Shark felt like he was missing out on all the excitement so he whispered to Phoebe to give him the ghost seeing glasses.


    With them on, he felt better and squeezed next to Phoebe to whisper something. "I have a question, how come the deputy chief can see ghosts with his ordinary eyes?" His curiosity had reached the highest pick.


    A small sneer formed on Phoebe''s lips. "That''s because he comes from a family of ghost catchers, my hope is that Mason will not be the next one he catches. Don''t go around sharing our ghost adventures with him."


    She stepped inside the house and circulated some of her energy. Additionally, she took out two coins from her bag and flipped them revealing her animal companions. She ordered raven Yin and the black kitty to help with the search. The ghosts rushed away and started on the job of searching the entire estate.


    "You have ghost pets too, you are so amazing. Do you have a house at a graveyard too?" Amon jibed.


    Phoebe ignored him and she walked to the nursery of the now dead baby, the only one Mason had been concerned about. If he was remorseful, that was the place where he would be.


    But even as she made her way up the stairs, she had a feeling that it was a wasted trip. After about forty minutes of an extensive search, Mason was nowhere to be found.


    Yin and black kitty confirmed it too just before they were snatched by Amon who was fascinated by them.


    "So where do we go now?" Shark asked.


    "The hospital maybe, it''s possible that he is guarding his mother''s body." Phoebe suggested.


    "I disagree," Amon put down the squirming animals and they hurried off to Phoebe. "He probably witnessed the murder of his mother which sent him into a blind hot rage that pushed him to kill the murderer personally. I told you, once a ghost tastes blood, there is no going back.


    He cannot think rationally anymore, and he is probably looking for an equally evil human to possess and continue committing more murders or evil. The only other place i can think of is the police station where Turner is being held. But i can find that out with a single phone call."


    He dialed a number on his phone and straight away started communicating without mentioning any names.


    "Is there any dark energy, flickering lights, bad smell, chill in the air, growling sounds, moving furniture? You know the usual signs."


    He kept quiet for a few seconds and then he hung up.


    "Not the police station."


    They all looked at each other, wondering what the next plan was. If he was out in the world looking for humans to possess, he could be anywhere, maybe out of the city even.


    The Saxon spirit clapped once. "There is a way, Phoebe you can use the central lay line map in your bag to find Mason." It unzipped her bag and came out with an old scroll that it laid out on the ground.


    It did not want to risk Amon finding out about the secret magical space. Phoebe injected some of her energy into the map and it came to life showing real time locations of everything supernatural in the city. It also had locations of the homes of the first families of Citrus city.


    "The central lay line map! That is so cool." Amon gasped and exclaimed.


    Phoebe raised her eyebrows at him curiously. "Do you know what this is?"


    "Of course i do, it the central lay line map and i am sure because all the features like the mountains, streets, lakes cover Citrus, Magic and Seal city. Those are the three cities that make up the center of Fog country. There is also the Eastern, Western, Southern, Northern and island of nowhere lay line maps.


    I have seen the Southern map, the Eastern one is in the Great Citrus university museum and the other maps are missing, where about unknown. These maps date back to the thirteenth century, or so it''s claimed, ghost hunters and other monster hunters have been using them for centuries."


    "It is not for sale." Phoebe shared immediately because Amon was extremely excited.


    "We will discuss this later." Amon was determined not to give up on the map. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You also cannot tell anyone that i have it or you and i, we will become enemies." she threatened.


    "If you think i plan to tell others about that sweet map you are crazy."


    "How are we supposed to understand that?" Shark who was excited to learn all these new things and antsy to get back to the station arched an eyebrow at the two.


    The writing on the map was ineligible and in another language, one that he could neither read nor understand.


    Phoebe didn''t explain things to him. She followed the instructions of the spirit, thinking about Mason and calling his name as she pricked her finger and a drop of her blood fell onto the scroll.


    Meanwhile, the Saxon spirit chanted some words as it''s hand hovered over the piece of paper, a bright light compared to lightning appeared and the old map of the three cities became updated.


    "Awesome, it''s like updating software on a computer, super cool, what happens next?" Amon rubbed his hands together.


    Now that he considered things, hunting for ghosts was much more exciting ever since he met Phoebe.

 Chapter 116 Too late.

    The blood moved on the scroll in a thin line and located Mason. Immediately Phoebe snatched the map and rushed out without explaining anything to Shark and Amon.


    "Hey Pheebs!!!" Amon shouted. He couldn''t believe that Phoebe was going to engage the evil ghost on her own. She was probably still on her hopeless mission to save him. "She''s too sentimental about all this." He shook his head.


    He run after her quickly, not intending to let her out of his sight for a single second. "What are you waiting for Shark? Follow me and start the damn car, blast the sirens and keep up with her.


    Shark leaped into action, run after Amon and they both entered the car and started chasing after Phoebe with determination. In all truth, Shark had actually lost interest in the matter, however exciting it was. Mason was not a victim they needed answers from and even though he had killed someone, they could not arrest him.


    Handling evil ghosts are not his area of expertise and it was a waste of his ordinary human time.


    Amon in the meantime was slapping the dashboard of the car in anger. He should have known that Phoebe would double cross him. He dialed her number but she didn''t pick, so he dialed Rekha a friend of his that happened to work as a ghost exorciser.


    Amon explained the situation to her and told her his suspicion that Mason had found a human host.


    "I don''t do exorcisms Rekha, that''s more your territory. It looks like we could be heading to the police station. Any advise?"


    "I advise that you wait till I get there and whatever you do, do not engage him unless you want the human to die." Rekha hang up the call from her end.


    Shark was eavesdropping on the phone call and he felt his back stiffen. He had solved so many cases with Phoebe but this was next level because they had never encountered an evil ghost that possessed a human. He had also not met a ghost exorciser before. What was the ghost intending to do by possessing a human? He dialed Phoebe''s number and fortunately she answered.


    "Hey Pheebs, i have a question...."


    "Oh so it''s me she is ignoring?" Amon snarled and snatched Shark''s phone.


    Phoebe was asking Shark what question he had when she heard Amon''s voice on the other end of the line.


    "Where is he?"


    "I am not telling you where he is Amon, if you want to find Mason then do it on your own..."


    Interrupting her speech, he barked at her. "Check the fucking map, and tell me because only then can i come up with a solution to help him and save others just in case of trouble. You care about ghosts, i get it but you should care about humans too."


    Phoebe turned her head to the invisible Saxon spirit sitting in the passenger seat.


    "Where is he now?"


    The Saxon spirit unfolded the map and focused her gaze on the moving blood drop. "Oh-oh!, this is bad Phoebe." Her worried voice compelled Phoebe to pull the car to the side of the road.


    "What''s wrong...is he gone?" she asked.


    "What do you mean by he is gone?" Amon yelled.


    Because the phone was connected to the car''s blue tooth, everyone heard his loud yell.


    Phoebe didn''t respond momentarily, still staring at the map with her eyes widened in disbelief.


    "I see two people moving as one, Amon, two names entangled together." she answered finally.


    Amon groaned and a string of curse words pierced the ears of everyone that was listening to the phone call. Finally, after two minutes, he calmed down and explained why he was all outraged.


    "Your ghost friend has leveled up, he has possessed a human now. Do you know how much harm he can do in a living body? I guess we can add some new victim to the list of those whose lives have been ruined by this mess, the human that he has possessed?" Amon''s voice was coated with desperation and anger. It was clear that he was still blaming Phoebe for everything.


    A gut wrenching feeling enveloped Phoebe''s whole being as she hung up the call.


    "Please God, don''t let Mason make things worse," she sent out a desperate prayer.


    She rejoined the main road and headed straight to Mason''s last known location, the rest stop next to the police station. She sent out the raven Yin first to do reconnaissance. He wasn''t gone for long before he returned to her. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Anything? Please tell me that you found something." Phoebe bit her bottom lip.


    Nodding in affirmation, raven Yin spoke. "Mason is in the men''s rest room, it looks like he still has some remorse about possessing the human. You may have a slim chance of saving him."


    Quickly, Phoebe made her way to the Men''s rest room, two men rushed out of there like they had witnessed something strange. They almost pushed her down but she avoided them swiftly and kept going. The Saxon spirit placed an ''out of order'' sign at the entrance to stop any more humans from entering.


    The place was dim with one light bulb flickering, it was also very cold and she could hear growling sounds coming from one of the bathroom stalls.


    "He''s here alright." The Saxon spirit spoke grimly. There was nothing fun about engaging an evil spirit.


    Phoebe found him in there, a knife in his bandaged blood red stained hand.


    "Ma...Mason." she called out tentatively.


    An unfamiliar face looked at her. "Leave, this has nothing to do with you anymore."


    An unfamiliar voice spoke to her but it was not a single voice. It was like multiple people were speaking at the same time, he added frightening laughter to it.


    "We are too late." The Saxon spirit said sadly. It knew all about ghosts that possessed humans and the consequences.


    The fact that he was exhibiting such behavior meant that he had lost his humanity. Phoebe however refused to give up so easily.


    "Listen Mason, i am here to help you. Think about your poor mother, you stayed back for her and you can see her again on the other side. If you kill another human being, there will be no saving you." Phoebe tried to reason but Mason laughed sarcastically.


    "Turner has to die first." Came the multiple horse voices.


    "Stop trying Phoebe, it won''t work. Connie, pour pure salt mixed with star dust in front of the door such that he doesn''t escape. We are going to need an exorcist for this." Came the words of the Saxon spirit which caused Mason to scream.


    The ear splitting sound was so loud that it caused the mirrors on the wall to break.


    "If you dare try it then i will kill this human!!" He stepped out of the toilet stall and Phoebe was taken aback by what she saw.


    Mason had put a knife to the neck of the security guard he had possessed and he made a small cut which started bleeding.


    "No, Mason no, you do not need to do this. You need to leave that body, can you not see that you are killing him?" Phoebe lamented.


    Mason arched his head and sniffed the air. "An exorcist? You brought an exorcist with you yet you claim that you want to help me" He dashed out of the men''s room.

 Chapter 117 A tragedy.

    He passed by Amon, Shark and a strange woman with strange tattoos on her arms and slightly visible upper chest thanks to the small crop top she was wearing.


    The two men tried to catch him but Mason''s strength was unmatched and he was so fast that he left a gush of wind behind. Nevertheless they all run after him with the strange woman pointing out that they should catch him before he harmed anyone.


    Phoebe knew that she was the exorcist that had spooked Mason, her untimely arrival had ruined every chance of Mason being redeemed. As far as he knew, she had betrayed him and he would not listen to her anymore.


    Mason shoved a lot of people out of his way as he was running away. There were many truckers at the rest stop and different people that had stopped to purchase snacks, use the bathrooms or take a break before continuing on their journeys. Mason made it a point to cause chaos by pushing and using them to block his pursuers.


    When he reached the road, he yanked a driver out of the taxi and drove off laughing maniacally.


    "He''s going after Turner." Phoebe yelled as they entered their respective cars. They drove after him in a bid to catch to catch him.


    The rest stop was only fifteen minutes away from the police station. As long as they overtook him, they could stop him.


    Amon put on the police siren to alert other drivers to stay out of the way, he also used a police issued speaker to ask Mason to stop driving. The tactics didn''t work as Mason continued to drive recklessly to the point of running a red light, because of this so many cars collided into each other in the intersection including his.


    "Fucking great, just great." Amon sneered as he rushed out of the car.


    Mason was now running towards the station which was now in sight, he kept looking back at the people that were hot on his tail.


    Suddenly, the security guards body which he had possessed became flaccid as it fell to the ground. Mason, the now malicious ghost jumped out of his body and floated away.


    "Amon hurry up before he possesses someone else."


    Rekha shouted. She rushed to the security guard and checked for a pulse. "He is alive, thank God." She sighed deeply.


    On entering the station, the Saxon spirit switched on the emergency alert system. The people in the building began to vacate including the criminals.


    "I''ve got this one." Amon told an officer that wanted to escort Turner out. He looked inside the interrogation room but didn''t see the ghost. Still, there were many signs that he was close by.


    The moment Turner saw Phoebe he began to tremble, the flickering lights and pungent smell were freaking him out. He put two and two together, figuring out that Mason was close by. He knew that Victoria''s death was likely to be Mason''s work and it meant he was next on the list. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Save me please, i...I don''t want to die." He shamelessly begged.


    Phoebe told Connie to scatter rock salt around the cell such that Mason had no access to him.


    Connie jeered at him. "If you wanted to live so badly why did you kill an innocent man and his mother? I say we let Mason kill him such that his banishment to purgatory is justified."


    Shaking his head, Amon stared at Connie. "As much as Turner is wicked, he''s still human. We ghost catchers protect humans unlike your boss here." His eyes moved to Phoebe who was taking out talismans to trap Mason. She placed them on four parts of the wall in a protective circle. When she was done, she dusted her hands.


    "What are you doing?" Amon asked her.


    He recognized the circle and understood the meaning of the talismans. Phoebe was apparently still determined to play savior.


    "I want to talk to him first and try to save him one last time." Phoebe curtly spoke.


    Rekha walked forward. "She''s insane, there is no bargaining with him, he killed two humans, on an innocent soul, a baby. His dark energy can be felt from miles away. Baby girl you cannot save him, i am speaking from my years of experience. I am Rekha by the way, an exorciser with twenty years of experience."


    She started chanting and went ahead to summon the ghost because she could do it.


    Mason appeared in the midst of the protective circle and he looked confused. Phoebe saw traces in him of the old Mason she had met at the cafe the very first time, the good ghost that simply wanted to save his mother and move on.


    "Phoebe." he called out, sounding frightened. The dark cloud around him was gone and his voice was back to normal.


    "See, i told you that he would find himself, Mason it''s not too late for you..." Phoebe''s words trailed off when Amon shook the bell once and the illusion Mason had created for them to see faded.


    The dark energy returned, and this time, even his eyes were bloody. He looked less human than he did before.


    "Ohhh she''s naive too." Rekha chortled. "These evil spirits can manipulate a human by creating a world that they want you to see, what you were seeing was not real. It''s time for you to stop and let us do our jobs or more humans will die."


    Phoebe''s heart broke and quickly, tears fell from her eyes. Mason deserved a happy ending more than anyone else she had helped before. Why had nothing worked out despite her doing everything right? Perhaps if she had stayed in the hospital by Desire''s bedside, things would be different. Maybe she should have insisted that he move on immediately after his mother''s surgery. Perhaps Amon was right....


    The Saxon spirit wiped Phoebe''s tear and intervened, pulling her from all the doubts she was having." It is not your duty to baby sit them. Even without you stepping in there was a possibility that Desire Caldwell would have died as a result of the sickness, and Mason would still have ended up killing Victoria and Turner because they would have been responsible for her death due to negligence.


    Child he is far too gone, it hurts us too but we can''t save him."


    Amon pulled out another short silver rod of bells out of his jacket making them two. Because this was a ghost with strong resentment and anger, he needed more than one bell to banish it.


    He shook the bells continuously while Rekha chanted creating a portal. The sound of the bells took Mason off balance, he tried to resist but he got sucked inside anyway.


    What broke Phoebe''s heart was that he kept wailing and calling her to help him and saying he didn''t want to go. She didn''t do anything and for the first time since she started helping ghosts Phoebe felt like a total failure.


    Her legs gave away as she fell to the floor and sobbed brokenheartedly.


    "He didn''t deserve this...." she said continuously.


    Amon crouched beside her and handed her a white handkerchief which she took.


    "Maybe not but what about the innocent baby that died or the security guard that he possessed? He is going to be charged for causing that accident that happened earlier, his life is ruined too and we cannot help him even if we wanted to." He patted her back.


    The Saxon spirit cleared its throat. "Well just to remind you, evil ghosts only possess evil humans i am sure that it will do the community good if that man is imprisoned. We should not blame each other, this case was just a tragedy."

 Chapter 118 The positive and negative.

    Because she needed to regain composure, Phoebe excused herself and went to the bathroom. In there, she cried some more and prayed for Mason''s soul. If he realized his wrong doings and atoned for his sins there was a possibility of him getting a chance at reincarnation after thousands of years.


    She would continue to pray for his soul as often as she could and help with the arrangements of his mothers'' burial if nobody stepped in.


    A female police officer walked in and saw her wiping tears away with slightly red eyes.


    "Is everything okay miss?"


    Phoebe nodded. "I am okay."


    "Are you sure?" the policewoman asked just to be sure.


    It was not the first time someone was crying in the police station bathroom. Relatives of criminals or victims and sometimes people that committed crimes and were feeling the pinch of the consequences cried in bathrooms.


    She didn''t know which category Phoebe fell under but given that she was a familiar face to her, she assumed a criminal.


    "It will be okay, just pay for your crime and and become a law abiding citizen."


    Phoebe frowned, but before she could ask the policewoman to elaborate her phone rung. She checked and realized it was David again. He had been calling her nonstop but she wasn''t in the mood to deal with him so she rejected the call.


    She stepped out of the restrooms with her hands inside the pant pockets and her head lowered, sniveling now and then with guilt eating her up. All she wanted to was leave the police station but when she walked to the the exit, it was blocked off.


    Since no danger had been detected after the fire alarm went off, everyone had reentered the building and the police officers were back to business. Once more, the police station was crowded with people mostly involved in the Cuckoo case. Example in point was the loud woman that was crying and lamenting loudly.


    "How am I supposed to go on with my life childless? The Montgomery''s have decided to keep both children, my biological child and theirs. This isn''t fair at all, please officer tell them to return my biological child since they took their son." The woman went on her knees and rubbed her palms, making a plea.


    She was wearing old worn out clothes, a black skirt that had gone out of style ten years ago and an old faded chiffon top. Judging by her appearance she was too poor to stand against a powerful family like the Montgomery''s.


    A set of four lawyers dressed in black expensive suits stood close by and one whom Phoebe assumed was the leader threw the woman a business card.


    "Madam, we have explained the situation to you, the child that you gave birth to doesn''t want you and the Montgomery''s are going to legally adopt him. Also the child you raised is a Montgomery, he was ecstatic on finding his real parents, he won''t be returning to you as well.


    The Montgomery''s are kind people and they are willing to compensate you generously for all your efforts in raising their child. Call us when you are ready to negotiate. In the meantime, please refrain from contacting our clients and their children."


    The lawyers turned around and walked out in a straight line.


    Shaking his head in disbelief, the officer helped the woman sit on a chair, he sat on the one next to her and tried to convince her to take the offer.


    "I cannot help you here ma''am and the child you are talking about here is an adult. He is sane enough to make such important decisions for himself. Even if you take this to court you are on the loosing end here after all it''s the wealthy families that are the victims here. They gave their all to raise these sick children while their own children endured misfortune.


    Some of them even died due to illnesses they acquired, simple illnesses that could be cured but were not because they were raised by poor parents. Some children ended up permanently crippled while others didn''t receive education. If you weigh these things on a scale, those children suffered more. "


    The woman reached for a tissue from the tissue box the police officer was handing to her and after sneezing in it she looked straight at the detective.


    "Why didn''t you discover this years ago, do you know the kind of trauma that we are going through, especially we the poor families? Our children are being ripped out of our lives and we cannot fight back. Our lives are being ruined, which child will want to leave a wealthy family for a poor one especially when the wealthy family is refusing to let them go?


    It''s not like we asked for this, we are also victims. We are being called shameless cuckoo parents on the news but what was our fault? People are even speculating that we colluded with that nurse to send our children to rich families. Our pictures have been published in the news against our will. Why did this have to happen?


    It would have been better for all of us if the secret remained a secret forever." She continued to sob.


    Phoebe''s red eyes became moist once again, this was her fault to an extent because she had opened this can of worms.


    "I know what you are thinking but this isn''t your fault Pheebs, if anything it''s mine." Shark crept up on Phoebe and handed the ghost seeing glasses back to her. "These people deserve to know the truth


    Don''t focus on families that are damaged, we have seen some positive cases where two families have become one, agreeing that both children can stay in all their lives.


    Some poor families have leveled up too because understanding wealthy families have given them houses, jobs and cars without selfishly holding onto one child or throwing out another. This has had both positive and negative effects. Do not dwell on the unfortunate ones alone." Shark patted her back and left, as the head of the task force that was handling this cuckoo case he had a lot on his plate.


    As she left the station, Phoebe run into Amon and Rekha sited on a metallic bench outside. It''s like they were waiting for her for they stood up on seeing her.


    "Pheebs a second please." Amon signaled at her to come over.


    Phoebe pulled her eyebrows together, she had nothing else to discuss with them and the timing was off too because she was still upset about what had just happened. Still, she walked over with her sullen attitude.


    "I am suggesting that you save Rekha''s number, she is the best exorcist there is." Amon bounced on his toes like he was doing her a huge favor. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Although he was right, Phoebe declined the offer for she had no intention of getting involved in a case like Mason''s again. She would never leave the ghosts that came to her for help a chance to become malicious.


    "I doubt that we''ll be meeting again, well if you have nothing to say then I better get going." She turned around before she felt a hand pull on hers.


    "Listen baby, don''t take things to heart. This must be the first time you have failed to save a ghost, I get it but these things happen. There is nothing you or anyone else could have done to save your ghost friend. Sometimes things just don''t go as planned." Rekha let go of her hand and reached for Phoebe''s phone and grabbed it.


    She punched in the digits of her phone number and called herself because she wanted Phoebe''s number.


    "You may not need my help now but we don''t know what will happen tomorrow. Call me if you need my help Pheebs." She winked at Phoebe and walked away after sparing Amon a smile.


    Phoebe followed and drove away from the police station, hoping to put the bad day behind her.

 Chapter 119 Davids rushed return

    Phoebe was not the only that thought it was a bad day, David thought the same exact thing. After hearing someone attack Phoebe, he tried countless times to reach her but failed as his calls went unanswered.


    He tried to concentrate on his important business meeting however he couldn''t string together any useful thoughts because his mind and heart were preoccupied. Finally, when he reached boiling point, he surrendered.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, please excuse me but I have an emergency that cannot wait." He stood up and left the meeting without further explanation.


    His new personal assistant Hobbi was surprised to see his boss give up on the important meeting which had been scheduled weeks before he was hired. It was even marked important on the calendar so what was more important? Hobbi followed him outside.


    "Sir? Sir! What emergency?" He tried to keep up with David who was rushing out of the elevator.


    Hobbi had been warned that working for David Saxon wasn''t a walk in the park. Four people had resigned before him in a space of only one year. But still, being the bread winner of his family, he had taken on the challenge.


    "Sir please say something!!" Hobbi desperately stared at his boss.


    The company president, who also happened to be David''s father had told them to close the deal no matter what. It was a meeting with investors that wanted to open thirty franchises of Saxon pharmacies in Eagle country. In the long run, if the deal was closed successfully, billions more would be added to the Saxon group coffers.


    Failure was not an option, not unless your boss gave up half way and walked out the investors.


    Hobbi had a feeling that president Robert was going to kill them both.


    "Sir...." he started, one last time.


    "Hobbi cancel all the scheduled meetings and tell the pilot that i am returning to Fog country right now not tomorrow like I planned." David entered the waiting car.


    Nothing mattered to him than protecting Phoebe and the fact that she wasn''t picking her calls only meant that she was in some kind of trouble.


    He heard her scream while some man threatened her, just the memory of the phone call made the hair on the back of his neck stand. He tightly clutched his phone and sighed.


    She had mentioned his mother just before the scream, was she involved in the attack on Phoebe somehow? In order to know more, he called his sister Rose-Bell.


    "Rosie, what has mother been up to? Did she anything about Phoebe?"


    His sister did not appreciate his abruptness and she made it clear in her sarcastic response. "Hello Rosie, how are you? I am fine thank you David. That''s how a phone call is started baby brother."


    A small impatient groan escaped David''s throat. "Fine, hello Rosie how are you? Since i already know that you are fine, please answer my question, mom and Phoebe have they met?"


    "I will ask around for you and give you a call when i know more."


    David scoffed. She didn''t know anything and yet she was the gossip queen of Saxon tower. Rosie knew everyone''s business. If she didn''t know, then only his mother''s driver had answers and she was loyal to her so she would not tell him what he wanted to hear.


    It''s my fault, i should have asked Polly to watch out for her, he thought. It was a stretch because Polly wouldn''t have agreed, he was hired specifically to protect him and only him. In fact, he had come with him on this trip to Eagle country.


    It was time to convince Phoebe that she needed a personal bodyguard. He had been wanting to do it for a while but he didn''t want to overstep his boundaries and push her away. For now he needed to know if she was alright, so he called the only person that he could trust with her, his grandmother. Luckily for him, she answered her phone immediately.


    "Grandma, hi, i need you to go to the Black Ghost Cafe, something happened to Phoebe and now I cannot reach her, please grandmother I have no one to ask." David begged.


    "You do not need to beg me, if Phoebe is in trouble then I must help her." She answered.


    "Thank.." David noticed that the call had already been cut off. He smiled at that fact because he loved that his grandmother adored Phoebe as much as he did.


    He rushed to out of the car and walked to the private plane. All of his luggage and personal belongings had been delivered before he arrived.


    "No delays, tell the pilot that we are leaving right now. My woman needs me." he instructed Polly as he made himself comfortable.


    The one confused party in the plane was Hobbi who was also Miranda''s part time spy. He texted her and let him know that his boss had dropped everything to go to his woman.


    The plane engines were started within five minutes and the the plane soon set off. It was a seven hour flight but David felt like it was too long. The seven hours felt more like seventy torturous hours.


    He conjured up worst possible scenarios in his head, wondering if Phoebe was in the hospital and that''s why her phone was not being answered.


    "Please god, i don''t pray often but once, just this once listen to me and let it be nothing serious. I don''t know if i have used up all of my miracles but give me one more." He mumbled a silent prayer. David regretted a lot of things in his past life but not listening to Phoebe was his biggest regret. She had died because of him, because he had not been cautious enough.


    He couldn''t lose her again not when he was doing everything possible to protect them.


    He arrived later in the night but that didn''t stop him from going straight to Phoebe''s apartment. After about five minutes of ringing the door bell and knocking on the door. David resorted to banging and shouting her name. He would have kept going but he was interrupted.


    Cassie opened the door to their apartment with fury on her face. "She''s not in there!! You are depriving us of our peace please stop with the noise." She shut the door before he could ask her anything else.


    Where could she be at this hour? It was well beyond her working hours. He dialed his grandmother who told him that she was at the cafe.


    David rushed there but on entering he only saw Rosset and his grandmother who chuckled on seeing how rattled he looked.


    "Polly told me about what you did in Eagle country. I knew that you would come and search of her so I waited for you. Let''s go home son, Phoebe isn''t here."


    "Why? Did something happen today? Where is she?" David''s eyes kept moving around.


    "At the Mayfairs." she said openly, not intending to hide anything from him.


    David paused and looked at her. "What do you mean? Why is she there? What is she doing there? Did they force her to go there because of Ruth? Huh, i will show them that i am David Saxon today.


    It was Collin Mayfair i am sure, i will give him a good lashing tonight."


    His grandmother sighed deeply, she didn''t know where to begin because her friend Rebecca had filled her in on the surprising new development in her family. Phoebe was a good mystery that she kept unwrapping. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "There will be no lashing tonight David. Let''s go home, i will tell you all about it on the way." She picked up the paper bag that was full of supplements.

 Chapter 120 Ruths return home.

    That same night, Ruth was discharged from the hospital under strict orders from the doctor to take it easy. She was to have enough rest and eat a lot of healthy food but above all to avoid stress. Similar words of advise that were always given to her by doctors followed.


    "Your body is already weak as it is, so don''t over push it. I have already told your parents that you need to stay away from alcohol, smoking and i would advise you not to go to any night clubs for a while. If you get anything as small as a flue you will be back here." S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Dr. Murphy gave Collin the discharge forms to sign and asked him to follow him to the pharmacy to get Ruth''s medicines.


    Ruth''s eyes kept moving to the door because other than Collin, none of the other family members had come to pick her from the hospital. Usually when she was discharged they all showed up with flowers and gifts to celebrate her recovery.


    "Where is everyone? Why aren''t they here right now, don''t they know that i am about to be discharged from the hospital?" she punched one of the pillows on the bed out of frustration.


    "They are at home young Miss, i am sure that they are preparing a welcome dinner for you. A special meal is always prepared to welcome you from hospital even when it''s just a doctor''s routine check." Ophelia threw out random consolations as she zipped the last bag and took it outside, ordering the driver to take it to the car.


    Three minutes later, Ruth was still pondering on Ophelia''s words which sounded credible. It was true that her parents always went overboard when welcoming her back from the hospital. Sometimes it was a party at a one of the best hotels in the city, one time they rented out an entire luxury yacht for her and her friends.


    She also recalled the time when they flew her and her friends to Darma island for a week of fun in the sun.


    She had almost had surgery this time round so they had to be preparing an even greater surprise.


    A sly smile grew on her lips. She could not wait to see the look on Phoebe''s face when all those gifts were being handed to her. She would understand that even if she was a real daughter, she was the one with the deeper bond. What was blood in comparison to a bond of over twenty years? A muffled chuckle slipped through her lips.


    The door was opened and Collin stepped in, ready to go. "Are you ready?"


    "Mmm." Ruth responded weakly.


    She stood up and stumbled, acting very weak. Collin stepped in and swept her in his arms, carrying her like a princess.


    "Let''s go home, i am sure that everyone is waiting for your arrival."


    Ruth wrapped her hands around his neck and rested her head on his chest. This was their usual behavior when she was leaving the hospital. In fact, one of the men in the family had to carry her when she was discharged.


    During the car ride, Ruth winced at every slight bump, acting as if she was the world''s most sensitive woman. In the end, Collin had to carry her, using his body as a buffer.


    In no time they arrived home and alighted from the car. Immediately, Ruth noticed four new cars with ribbons. She smiled arrogantly, because it was just as she expected, they had prepared gifts for her.


    Rather than feeling excited, she was angered because these were not gifts that excited her.


    ''Hmph! Cars again'' Ruth rolled her eyes, she didn''t know how many times she had told her family to stop gifting her cars. Even worse, the colors were tacky. Why would she drive around in a pink car? The yellow one had no ribbon but it was just as displeasing to her eyes.


    "Why is no one waiting outside to welcome me?" Ruth searched the vicinity but no one was in sight, not even the maids. "Ah, they must be waiting to surprise me." she laughed excitedly.


    Her hopes remained high as her imagination run wild. She imagined them right behind the closed door and the moment she walked in, they would all scream "Surprise!!"


    The driver brought the electric wheel chair from the trunk of the car and Collin who was waiting by Ruth''s side helped her into the chair.


    Ruth lost her smile and she folded her body inwards, even making her body tremble like she was being assaulted by enemy winds. She planned to act even more pitiful now that she was home.


    When they entered the house, Ruth''s heart dropped because nothing was as she imagined. Her family wasn''t waiting in the foyer to pop champagne and welcome her like she expected. She could hear laughter and conversation coming from the dining area. She continued to assume that they were preparing a feast for her so she drove the wheel chair to the dining area.


    To her shock, her family was already enjoying a meal without her. Her mother was caught in the moment dabbing the corners of Phoebe''s mouth with a tissue.


    "What took you guys so long, as soon as your grandmother and Phoebe came home we sat down to eat. You can join us too, Ruthie i hope you have an appetite, i prepared some of your favorites." Jennie smiled and walked towards her.


    A tentative smile formed on Ruth''s mouth, she couldn''t believe that their attention was drawn to Phoebe yet she was the sick one. Had they forgotten the old traditions already? How dare they not celebrate he return? She was boiling on the inside but composed on the outside.


    Nodding once, Jennie and Collin helped her sit in one of the chairs. One by one everyone congratulated her on her discharge.


    Ruth studied the dishes that had been served and only two of them were her favorites. One of the dishes on the table was a mixed sea food curry dish which she hated.


    "Mother you know that I don''t like sea food, why did you prepare it for me?" Ruth pinched her nose.


    Jennie moved the dish away from Ruth''s side and placed it by Phoebe. "I am so sorry sweetheart, this is one of Phoebe''s favorite foods, when she told me I couldn''t wait to make it for her because it''s one of my best dishes too. Please just bear with it."


    Phoebe chuckled and winked at Ruth as their eyes met. Sea food curry was not necessarily one of her favorite foods although she could it eat it just fine. To call it her favorite was a stretch and Ruth knew immediately that Phoebe had done this to torment her.


    "Oh no mother! If sister Ruth hates sea food then by all means, we should get rid of it." Phoebe placed a hand to her chest and mimicked Ruth''s usual pretentious tone.


    As expected, everyone praised Phoebe for being thoughtful while Ruth tightened her hand around a fork, wishing she could plunge it into Phoebe''s eyes.


    "It''s okay, if my sister likes it then i can endure it." She faked a smile.


    After dinner, Ruth was escorted to her new room. It had been decorated just like the old one and gifts were waiting for her on the bed. Ruth did not even give them a single glance as she was filled with bitterness over being moved to another bedroom.


    "Humph!! It smells musty in here, did they not bother to clean it up." Ophelia turned on the air conditioner.


    Ruth stood up, fell on the bed and placed a pillow over her face, she screamed as loud as she could, letting out all of her rage.


    "I am going to kill that bitch, I swear to God."

 Chapter 121 A face-off at breakfast.

    In the morning, David was still in a state of confusion about why Phoebe was at the Mayfairs. The previous night as they left the Black Ghost Cafe, his grandmother had told him that she would tell him about what was going on with Phoebe but she said nothing the entire ride home. All she did was sigh and shift uncomfortably in her sit.


    No matter how many times he asked her why Phoebe was at the Mayfair house, his grandmother only sighed in response.


    "Wonders will truly never end." Were the only words she said.


    His grandmother then shut her eyes and claimed that she had a headache. She pretended because if David had asked her one more time she was going to blab out the secret yet she had promised Rebecca Mayfair to keep the news to herself for now.


    When they got home, Robert, Miranda and Katherine were waiting in the foyer. They were all frosty and tense, waiting to explode.


    Grandma Saxon knew that David was in trouble so she stumbled and acted ill just to divert their attention from David to herself and it worked, saving David from the explosion.


    Robert had given his son a deadly stare before rushing to his mother''s side. "We will talk tomorrow boy and you better come up with a good explanation for the mess that you have created." He carried his mother on the back and walked to the elevator.


    David had not been in the mood to fight so he was relieved and grateful to his grandmother. He went to visit his grandfather and then he was off to bed. Phoebe was alright and everything else could wait until tomorrow.


    Tomorrow had come quickly and as David readied himself for the confrontation which he knew was coming, he put all thought of the Phoebe-Mayfair relationship on a pause. His family was ready to eat him alive, he had screwed up but that was the least of his worries because he had still not yet heard from Phoebe.


    He accepted a coat from the butler that took care of his personal affairs and needs in the house. He shrugged it on in one smoothly practiced move and stepped out of the bedroom.


    He headed first to his father''s study because he had some explaining to do. It was better for them to talk alone than in the presence of people like Katherine or his mother who would catalyze the situation from bad to worse.


    After knocking thrice and receiving no answer, he gave up and walked to the elevator, finding his way to the large dinning room which was on it''s own floor. He met Ramon the family butler at the door and the older man stopped him.


    Ramon had always had a soft spot for David since he was a little boy, often giving him a heads up whenever he was in trouble and he was about to do the same thing at that moment.


    "Mr David your parents are so mad that they have barely touched their breakfast. Some of the heads of the other branches have come and they are on fire. The only person in there with a smile is your sister Katherine."


    Ramon pulled his brows together, he was worried for him. "Will you be alright? I can tell the family that you are not feeling well or you have a prior appointment. It''s colder than Frost mountain in there."


    David rubbed his hollowed cheeks, in such situations only one person helped get him out quickly. "And grandma?" S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "She is not there yet Mr. David, i am afraid you might have to face them on your own." Ramon scurried away when he head footsteps coming their way from inside the dining room.


    David was not too far behind him, getting into the elevator quickly. One thing he was certain of was that he wasn''t going to a gun fight with a knife so he went to his grandmother''s bedroom and knocked on the door.


    "Nana, it''s Davey."


    Nana was what he called her whenever he was in trouble or in search of consolation and affection. Davey was his way of reminding her that she was his most beloved and adorable grandson that she personally raised. The door was opened after his first call and his grandmother stood there smiling at him.


    "Nana..., Davey." She smiled knowingly, "It must be frostier than Frost mountain in there. Don''t worry, nana will be your hero, now let''s go eat something." She locked the door behind her. "So, good morning Davey, how did you sleep?"


    Arm in arm they found their way to the dinning area and the moment Robert saw them he sneered and jumped up vibrating with anger already.


    "Do not think for one second that your grandmother is going to get you out of this." He spoke through pursed lips.


    "Oh good morning to you too son, I feel so much better today thank you for asking." Came Grandma Saxon''s sarcastic words that compelled Robert to remember his manners.


    There were other people present after all, not just their first branch so they all had to be on their best behavior.


    "Good morning mother." His tone softened a bit.


    The others followed, greeting her respectfully one after the other.


    As she sat down, a chuckle came from Miranda lips, she used the tea cup to cover her mocking smile. "Mother, you look well rested, looking at your flushed healthy face one would never know that you were very sick last night or was that all for show."


    Her words caused grandma Saxon to snigger. This was another reason why she disliked her son''s wife, she loved poking the bear unnecessarily. She ignored her daughter-in-law because she had a tendency of trying to bring out the worst in her.


    Miranda was a snake that pulled a lot of tricks to marry her son. Prudence couldn''t count the number of times she had regretted choosing her as Robert''s wife as she only found out about these tricks after they were already married.


    For a few seconds, everyone remained silent and they looked at each other. All of them, except for Rose-Bell and her husband were antsy to get started. They thought it would be Robert to start but another person took charge.


    "Why the hell did you blow up that lucrative deal brother? You know how hard i worked to secure that meeting." Katherine spoke for she wanted the chaos to begin.


    There was nothing more interesting than watching her siblings in hot soup.


    Ian put down his cup of coffee and added to Katherine''s words.. "I am very confused as well, all you had to do was listen to them and sign the damn papers."


    His wife Jasmine looked at him curtly. "This task was too big for him honey. You, as the person next in line for the position of president of the Saxon group should have gone personally. No offense David but you still have some growing up to do."


    She stepped in because she wanted to remind all her siblings about how things ought to be. As the first son of the current Chairman, it was only logical that Ian follow in his father''s footsteps. She disdained Katherine''s greed and never understood why her husband was so reluctant to act like the heir that he was.


    Jasmine''s words were not appreciated all around the table, not even by Ian her husband because he knew how they would make him look. The position was not given to the first son, it was given to the most competent son. With the way Katherine was angling for it, who knew if it would go to a daughter someday?


    "Next in line?" Katherine scoffed. "Father was Ian crowned and the rest of us just happened to miss the coronation. Rewarding incompetency...." Katherine was interrupted by her father who hissed.


    "Speak David."

 Chapter 122 The ultimatum.

    However David remained quiet because silence was far better than the truth. What was the worst they would do to him? Threaten to fire him or chase him out of the family, both of which were impossible with his grandmother watching his back.


    His mother who was already in the know placed her cup on the saucer carelessly, almost spilling her mint tea.


    "What can he say? I am certain that it has to do with that shaman woman. I have my people watching that shop of hers, something happened there yesterday so he came back running. Am I lying David?"


    All eyes turned to David except for those of grandma Saxon which were steadfast on Miranda, wondering what she was up to now. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Slowly, David raised his dangerous eyes to meet his mother''s equally cold ones. He was disgusted by what his mother had done, planting spies outside Phoebe''s cafe in search of blackmail material probably. She always knew how to make life miserable for him.


    "With a mother like you, who needs enemies? Why does my happiness give you such a headache? You are watching her, why?"


    "To make sure that you don''t end up being swindled by a con woman. I am your mother David, mothers protect their children." she raised her voice and slammed the table once.


    David sneered and raised his voice too. "Oh, let''s all put our hands together and praise the great selfless noble mother Miranda, savior of her children." He used a mocking tone and his eyes didn''t hide how much he couldn''t stand her words. "So now you want to act like a caring mother? Don''t! because it''s too late for that and I don''t need you to intervene in my life.


    You are correct, I came back because Phoebe was in trouble so what now?"


    His arrogant speech shocked everyone as they were now very vested in the unfolding drama which they would relay to other family members later. Forget the unsigned contract, this was much more entertaining.


    Robert banged his fist on the table. "Get back on that plane and beg those investors to return to the table. You are going to make sure that we get that deal or else you are fired!!!" he ground pout, giving David an ultimatum.


    Most people gasped, not expecting things to go that way. Katherine was excited and she made the sign of the cross.


    Robert''s wife placed a hand over his to calm him. David being fired was not in her plans for his future that she had designed meticulously. Now was the time to ruin Phoebe completely. "Ohhh you must think that she is virtuous or something well i am sorry to inform you that she is a gold digger like the rest of them. I tempted her to see just how much she cared for you and guess what.


    That poor church rat took the bait, not only did she sell her love for you for money but she asked me to quadruple the offer. I gave her one hundred million and she cashed the cheque within an hour. So much for your great love story son." Miranda laughed in a villainous manner, she looked nothing like the elegant woman she was known to be.


    Another round of communal gasps came from everyone this time, some of their jaws even fell because this was simply too outrageous. One hundred million, was Miranda thinking straight? Even though they were wealthy that was a lot of money to waste. Was it worth getting rid of one woman?


    Grandma Saxon did something unexpected out of the blue. She picked up the warm cup of coffee in front of her and splashed it onto Miranda''s face. "Miranda!! You did what?"


    Miranda was stunned but so was everyone else.


    "Holy shit!!" Rose-Bell exclaimed. She basically expressed the shock on everyone''s behalf.


    Nobody had ever angered Prudence Saxon to the extent of the dramatic liquid in your face punishment. She didn''t even do it when she found out that Miranda had tricked Robert into marrying her. Was she suddenly triggered because of their family''s reputation or because she liked Phoebe?


    They all kept their widened eyes on Miranda and grandma Saxon, greedily soaking in the drama. It was like they were at the movies and all that was missing was popcorn.


    The elder of the fifth branch, Thomas Saxon secretly brought his phone out to record.


    Miranda meanwhile realized what she had just said and where she had just shared the news. It was something meant for David and Robert''s ears only. Excitement had pushed her into sharing it prematurely.


    "One hundred million, you wasted one hundred million. Is your family worth one hundred million Miranda?" Grandma Saxon slammed the now empty coffee cup on the table, shattering it.


    Miranda suddenly panicked and she looked at Robert for help but her husband was giving her a look of disappointment. She was not going to find any help there, it was clear so she was left to defend herself.


    "No no mother it''s not what I did but what that skunk did. She asked more money than what I initially offered and i lost my mind for a moment and gave it to her. She''s money hungry, disrespectful, arrogant and above all weird. She is a witch, she hypnotized me into giving her that money." Miranda''s tongue dripped with venom. She bought into her own lie and believed it.


    "Yes, she is a witch, there is no other explanation for what i did."


    David clenched his hands and jaw, his heart was shattered that Phoebe had agreed to stay away from him in exchange for peanuts. Maybe it was the reason why she was not answering his calls.


    It was surprising that she had taken it though because the Phoebe he knew cared less about money and more about other people''s feelings.


    Still, he was not going to give up on her, he would keep going until she told him personally that she didn''t want him.


    "Father I have heard your message loud and clear and i will turn in my resignation at the end of the week."


    At this point, everyone was tired of gasping and they just didn''t know how to react. Was David really leaving the company?


    Katherine and Jasmine wanted to celebrate and if they could, they would have ordered for champagne immediately.


    "As for mother, i am sorry to burst your bubble but Phoebe has already told me about you offering her money. In fact, she returned it to me although I insisted that she keep it, after all, your insults made her earn it." David lied blatantly, he wasn''t going to let his mother have the last laugh.


    "She did!! Of course she did. The Phoebe i know would not have accepted that money if she was not insulted and fighting back." A broad smile appeared on grandma Saxon''s lips, she knew Phoebe couldn''t sell her love for money.


    David pulled out his phone and sent the money to his mother''s account. She was so shocked by the revelation that her face went pale. The brazen woman she had met could never have returned the money. She was doing it to prove she was honest and bewitch David. She wanted to drive a wedge between them.


    "I have sent you the one hundred million, next time, triple what you give her. It can be considered your gift to her as my mother."


    "What a pretentious little bitch!" Miranda muttered, she was now certain that Phoebe wasn''t as naive as she pretended to be. "Nevertheless end things with her because that relationship is going nowhere, I as your mother will never allow it." She squeezed Robert''s hand.


    However angry he was with her, he had to stand with her on the issue of David''s marriage.


    "I know i told you to do as you please David but I am in support of your mother here, we will not give your relationship our blessing. You have a good woman, Ruth Mayfair. We know her family and it''s a custom in Fog country that first founding families marry from each other''s houses to keep the money in our circle.


    What will people say when you bring home a pauper." Robert curled his upper lip to the side.

 Chapter 123 Another dramatic breakfast.

    Grandma Saxon burst out laughing, they had no idea who Phoebe was but she did. "Ohhh that''s just hilarious, founding families must marry from each other''s houses. What a load of crap."


    Still laughing mockingly, she raised her hand and waved at Miranda, "Hello there, founding first family descendant, Miranda Briggs."


    Both Robert and Miranda winced and the other elders chuckled. There was no Briggs in the first families of Citrus city, let alone the whole Fog country. The Briggs were new money and had no roots. The secret was discovered too late however as she pretended to be a member of the Dewinton family in order to trick Robert into marriage.


    The marriage only happened because Miranda was pregnant. She was a stain on the first branch of the Saxon clan. Thanks to her, there was more scrutiny on marriages in the clan than before. It was not a must to marry from the founding families but you had to bring a clean woman or man if they were from an ordinary family, not a calculating one.


    "Anyway I the the female head of the Saxon family bless the marriages in the family, not the two of you. David, I approve of your relationship with Phoebe. In fact, you can bring her home if she will have you. I will give you your great grandmother Esmeralda''s ring and you can use it to propose when you are ready." S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And thus the gasps returned, not only was the old lady in support of the relationship but she was giving David one of the rings that were considered family heirlooms.


    "That''s the blue love grandma, a sixty million dollar ring." Katherine cried out. She had been trying to get her hands on it for years, unsuccessfully.


    "Mother!! You cannot...." Miranda was interrupted by grandma Mayfair.


    "Yes I can! If you don''t like it then you can both leave my house. And David is not fired or you are fired as well Miranda." She barked.


    She looked around with stern piercing eyes, warning and daring anyone to contradict her.


    "From now on Miranda''s finances will be controlled by the family accounting firm. She is to be put on an allowance of one million a month. If anybody dares to send her money, they will fave my wrath, and this includes you too Robert."


    She turned around and gave her assistant more instructions. "I want to receive all of her daily expenses. If she buys even one dress or bracelet i should be notified about how much it costs."


    Miranda wilted like a dried up tree in a desert while her children and others digested another shock. Nobody in the family had ever been put on an financial time out. Then again, they didn''t necessary waste family resources and they were sure Miranda had not paid Phoebe out of her own pocket. She had pulled the money out of the Saxon common fund open to everyone in the family.


    Robert didn''t say a word to defend his wife and everyone decided to just concentrate on their breakfast. The matters to do with the contract were forgotten.


    "It''s my birthday next week. Bring Phoebe home and introduce her to the whole family if you are serious about her." Grandma Saxon suddenly said. "Your grandfather has given you his support."


    Katherine raised her hand halfway and whispered. "Me too, go brother, you can do it." She winked at him.


    Rose-bell shrugged because she didn''t care whom David married as long as he was happy.


    Only Miranda''s lips were thin and twitching as she struggled to control herself. She didn''t understand why the old lady was so supportive of that poor Phoebe. Her own family the Briggs were not as dirt poor as the Gabriels when she fell in love with Robert and yet the old lady still disliked her to this day. Why, why was she determined to stand against her in everything?


    She hated her mother-in-law as much as she hated Phoebe.


    *****


    That same morning when she woke up, Phoebe harvested vegetables and herbs in the magic space before having a shower. When she was done, she went downstairs and everyone was already having breakfast except Ruth.


    They were watching the news which was reporting on the cuckoo case. Everyone knew that Collin was dating Kelly so like the supportive family they were, they loyally watched her on the news on CNCN, only switching channels if she was not the one anchoring. Morning news was her gig as it was watched by many people.


    "Breaking news coming to the CNCN desk this morning is that the families of the poor whose children have opted to remain exclusively with the wealthy families rejecting their true roots have banded together to sue the wealthy families for transfer of their children''s custody. They are being represented by Attorney Kang Ho Gold of Gold and sons law firm.


    Should this case successfully go to trial it will certainly be one of the most highly anticipated trials of the century as all eyes will be on it. One thing is clear, it will be a very long time before we put the cuckoo case to bed. There are still many questions to ask and the investigation is still on going and the police remains tight lipped.


    Doctors and board members of St. Marcelino women and children''s hospital that have been implicated so far are refusing to give public interviews. The hospital has been shut down and it''s future remains hanging in the balance.


    The public has continued to demand for answers and CNCN is on the hunt. The question of how the biggest case of the century was discovered has cracked a little. Sources say that this all started when someone in the medical examiner''s office run a DNA test.


    The chief medical examiner has refused to make a statement but CNCN is still digging for more details. Stay tuned for more as we bring you an exclusive interview with one of the children at the heart of the cuckoo case."


    Andre lowered the volume of the television and he looked at Phoebe in disbelief.


    "You took my hair to a coroner''s office!" he exclaimed in horror.


    "I know a good M.E that helps me out once in a while. Where was i supposed to take your hair, to the Mayfair free clinic or the Saxon hospitals? In both of those places, the probability of you all finding out was high. Besides, the M.E didn''t charge me a dime."


    Grandma Mayfair laughed and told the others, "Have i mentioned that she is a penny pincher."


    With light conversation, everyone talked about different things and they gossiped about the cuckoo case but all went silent when Ruth came into the room. The cuckoo conversation was uncomfortable when she was around as she was one of the cuckoos.


    She had already heard their conversation but pretended not to. Of what use was it to bring it up or indulge in it when it was a reminder of her roots? After settling into the chair, Ruth smiled genuinely.


    "Father, Mother and all my handsome brothers, thank you for all my gifts especially the cars. Since Phoebe has just one, i am going to be a generous big sister who was born two minutes before her. She can take the pink and yellow ones." she spoke coquettishly and acted adorable, batting her eyes.

 Chapter 124 A gift brings chaos.

    Silence covered the entire room and an unexpected awkwardness pursued. Some people swallowed their food as if they were swallowing hot lumps of coal and they shared quizzical looks. Who was going to break it to Ruth the spoiled and pampered princess that those cars were not meant for her?


    The cumbersome reaction wasn''t what Ruth was expecting. Their silence unnerved her because she was expecting her parents to sing her praises for being considerate. Instead they were avoiding her gaze at all costs. Only one person was reacting and it was Andre, her most unpredictable brother. He was clearly choking on laughter.


    His reaction caused Phoebe to let out a muffled chuckle yet she had been trying so hard not to laugh as well.


    "Sister, the new cars are for me, not you. My brother Andre got me the yellow and pink ones, Luke bought me the mini van and grandma surprised me with the black one. I am still waiting on my eldest brother Collin to give me one too or another gift welcoming me back home." Her eyes moved from Ruth''s flashed face to Collin who swallowed hard.


    "Anyway, Ruth, you have seven cars already so what could you need new cars for? I hope you are not too disappointed. The gifts you found on your bed are the ones everyone bought for you to welcome you back from the hospital. I personally helped grandma and Andre choose their gifts. You were exhausted last night and maybe you haven''t opened them yet." Phoebe was all smiles.


    The gifts she had helped her grandmother and Andre select were all perfect imitations, a jewelry box set and a jade hair clip. Slowly by slowly, she was going to replace all of Ruth''s jewelry with fake ones.


    Phoebe''s explanation satisfactorily summed up the matter especially because she reminded everyone casually that Ruth had seven cars already. Indeed, she didn''t need a new car.


    Edward and Jennie gave attention to their first son. "So Collin aren''t you going to get anything for your sister to welcome her home?"


    Ruth couldn''t believe her ears, her parents had completely ignored her issue and moved on. Phoebe had received four cars why wasn''t she given any. How could they be so unfair to her? Who cared if she had seven cars, they could afford to give her twenty more if they wished, they could afford it.


    She couldn''t take it and her mouth open flowing with her true feelings. "Which of his sisters? You all forgot to get me anything grande and whats worse is that you didn''t even bother to pick me from the hospital. I guess things are changing now that Phoebe is here." Ruth''s words were daggers aimed straight at them.


    She clenched on the hem of her dress, at least there was one person here not blindly infatuated with Phoebe.


    Her words made Jennie feel a little guilty. Before Phoebe came home, they would go all out for Ruth indeed when she left the hospital. Edward held her hand reassuringly, reminding her not to let the words get to her.


    Grandma Mayfair scowled, displeased by Ruth''s words and her brothers didn''t appreciate them too. Even Collin thought it was a little too much.


    "Sweetheart it''s not like we forgot about you. We thought it over and in addition to the gifts on your bed, we are gifting you an all expense paid trip to any place and country of your choice. You have been through a lot and you deserve some special treatment." Edward stared at her adoringly. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Suddenly Ruth''s eyes became moist, of course her parents still loved her and would continue to do everything she wanted.


    She placed a hand on her chest. "Oh thank you mom and dad, for a moment there i was truly scared that you didn''t love me anymore."


    Phoebe was watching all this with disbelief. Ruth really knew which buttons to push and how to emotionally play her parents like fiddles to get her way. It was still too soon, with time, they would wake up from their slumber. Phoebe''s gentle smile hardly revealed the storm that was surging within her.


    Ruth arched an eyebrow and looked at Phoebe as if to taunt her. "So mother when are we going?" Ruth asked because she always went on vacations with Jennie, it was a thing they did together but to her surprise Jennie turned her down.


    "I am so sorry baby but this time, Ophelia will accompany you." Came her words that caused Ruth''s broad smile to crumble.


    Phoebe reached for her phone and sent Ruth a message.


    [Now that her real daughter is here, why would she hung out with the fake one.]


    She added laughing emojis to accompany the text.


    Ruth read it and noticed the smirk on Phoebe''s face. She longed to wipe it off with a bowl of hot soup thrown in her face. By the time she thought of saving the message to use against Phoebe, it was gone.


    Phoebe sent a disappearing message which disappeared before Ruth could save it because she knew the other party so well.


    Ruth analyzed everything to counter Phoebe. So this was the plan, they wanted to send her off with Ophelia such that they can enjoy family time with their daughter, that wasn''t going to happen on her watch. Phoebe could not be allowed to be alone with her parents for a long time. They would bond and strengthen the family relationship which was not good for her.


    "When are you planning to leave sweetheart?" Jennie asked.


    "It''s okay mother, i will tell you when i am feeling all better, I cannot travel yet. Doctor Murphy told me to rest as much as possible." Ruth''s lips formed a smile but her eyes were devoid of warmth.


    Edward cleared his throat and looked at Phoebe. "Speaking of gifts, we were planning on buying you a car but since you have more than you need we don''t know what to get you. Sweetheart is there something you need, just name it because your mother and I will lay the world on your feet."


    Almost everyone was glad for Phoebe with the exception of Ruth of course. Edward''s words infuriated Ruth to her deepest core. Her father calling Phoebe sweet names wasn''t something she was prepared to hear. She was the sweetheart of the family, not Phoebe. Why was Phoebe taking that too away from her? Hadn''t she taken enough?


    Phoebe considered a proper answer meanwhile and thought about the thing she wanted.


    [I would really love some of that land by the lake which is owned by the founding families but it''s so expensive i dare not ask for it.]


    Her thoughts were clearly displayed for her father to see but she couldn''t make such outrageous demands, she had just found her family. The last thing she wanted was for them to think that she was a greedy person.


    "I will be happy with anything you give me." She ate a sliced apple and smiled at him.


    Edward excused himself because he didn''t want to tear up in front of his family. He couldn''t believe how humble Phoebe was not to ask for anything. He also thought that it could be because they were not close yet. If Ruth was the one that wanted that land, she would have demanded for it with her hands on her waist in an arrogant tone.

 Chapter 125 The work of a fake daughter never ends.

    Edward washed his face, made a few calls and rejoined his family. He had a mysterious smile on his face which made everyone curious about what he was up to.


    He sat down and looked at Phoebe. "Sweetheart i know the perfect gift to give to you. I have instructed Alfie to purchase four acres of land near the Salt Lake in your names."


    The apple slice which was about to enter Phoebe''s mouth fell down thanks to the surprise from her father.


    [Santa Claus, father could you be Santa? How do you know exactly what gift to give me? Did you read my mind?]


    Edward chuckled at her thoughts and he patted his chest.


    "Since you deal in herbs and what not, your grandmother mentioned that you could use your own plantation or gardens. What do you think, dad is like Santa Claus right?"


    "Dad, how do you know?" Phoebe blurted out.


    His words sent Phoebe into a tailspin, especially when he called himself Santa Claus.Her words widened as she wondered if this was a coincidence. First the land and then the Santa Claus reference, it was too suspicious. To test her theory, she decided to play a trick.


    [Ahem, father, your zipper is open.]


    Edward''s head popped up and Phoebe moved her own head forward to see what he was going to do. Before anything more could happen, Andre broke her concentration by shrieking and everyone''s attention turned to him.


    "Spider, i saw a spider." Andre shivered while holding on to Collin for dear life.


    "What spider?" Collin pushed Andre away. "Seriously, you are not a boy anymore. Why do you keep hiding behind me?"


    Every time Andre saw a bug, he called forth Collin to kill it. It had been that way when they were children and he had not outgrown the habit.


    Nobody saw any spider and they settled down. While they were doing that, Edward checked the zip of his trouser secretly and sighed in relief when he saw that it was closed as expected.


    He suspected that Phoebe had been testing him and he decided to be more careful. Reading his daughter''s thoughts was the only way for him to get close to her quickly. It was their special father-daughter connection, a gift from heaven. If she knew that he could read them, wouldn''t she be on guard?


    They all settled down and the conversation restarted as if it had been paused.


    "Sweetheart, do you need the land? We can give you more than four acres if it''s enough. Should dad add four more?"


    Phoebe almost fell out of the chair as she couldn''t believe what was happening. An acre of land near Salt Lake cost close to 250 million dollars, four acres was at least one billion. One billion!!!!! and he was just dashing it to her as if it was 200 dollars.


    Phoebe looked at her brothers, grandmother and parents. They all looked normal, nobody''s eyes were bulging as if this was extraordinary. Apparently she was the only pauper at the table that thought a gift of one billion was too much.


    What was she supposed to say?


    The ever impatient Connie popped her head out of the pendant.


    "Say yes quickly, what are you waiting for? We have been taking on haunted house cases to afford one acre of land and you have been given four. Don''t blow this for us sister."


    She was pulled back into the pendant by the Saxon spirit. This decision was Phoebe''s to make.


    Taking the young girl''s advise, Phoebe cheerfully smiled and put her hands together. "I love it, i love it so much. Thank you father and mother....." Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Someone slapped a hand on the table before Phoebe could say more, startling everyone. It was none other than a very angry Ruth whose throat was swollen like a python''s full belly.


    "No way!!!" Ruth''s sharp voice interrupted Phoebe''s speech. She was the only displeased person at the table and since nobody was stepping in, not even Collin, she jumped in.


    "Father i don''t agree, it''s not fair. You have never given me such an expensive gift even though you personally raised me yourself. Phoebe has not even lived here for a week and already you are handing her everything and pushing me away. Is it because i am not your real daughter?" Ruth stood up forgetting that she was supposed to be too weak to stand.


    She managed to surprise everyone again with the lengths of her greed which was bottomless and some people had had enough.


    "Oh shut up you ungrateful girl, has any of your brother''s been given such land? Phoebe deserves this and you of all people should understand this. She spent her entire life drowning in your parent''s poverty stricken home where they mistreated her. So what if she gets four measly acres of land?


    I bought you a luxury yacht worth two hundred eight million. You father had given you two houses and your mother bought you a resort in Magic city. All this is in addition to all the gifts your brothers have given you through the years when you were growing up.


    We spoiled you with love and gifts while Phoebe was starving. On your tenth birthday, we booked out the entire Queens hotel to celebrate you and gave you a farm of horses and ponies while Phoebe locked in a closet in the dark simply because she cried for a slice of cake.


    The money that we have spent on you to date is not even a quarter to that spent on that land." Grandma Mayfair stood up and tapped Phoebe''s shoulders.


    "Let''s go to work, we are already late as it is."


    She didn''t want to stick around anymore, not if Ruth was so ungrateful and every time she opened her mouth, it was to irritate her greatly.


    Phoebe stood up and softly wished everyone a good day. She would not stick around to explain anything and she wanted them all to digest what they had just heard while looking at Ruth. She never planned on sharing that story with them and she knew that Evelyn was the one that had done so.


    She was the only other person other than the Gabriels that knew about it. Phoebe had told her about it one day when they were drunk and she curiously asked why Phoebe didn''t celebrate her birthday. Perhaps it was because the birthday was two weeks away that it was on her grandmother''s mind.


    She had to give her grandmother props for knowing what grenade to toss at the opportune moment. How would Ruth get herself out of this sticky mess?


    They walked away, leaving everyone with shocked expression on their faces, Ruth inclusive.


    "I didn''t know, i don''t know anything." She shook her head and defended herself before anyone could accuse or question her.


    And like the actress she was, she switched on the water works, heaved and fainted.

 Chapter 126 Beginning with grandma.

    As they headed to the cafe, Phoebe passed by the farmer''s market. She told her grandmother that she was going to buy groceries since they were about to introduce a light food menu.


    Looking at her small frame made the old woman a little worried. She pictured Phoebe lugging two heavy bags of groceries like bags of heavy rocks.


    "Are you sure that you don''t need any help? I have a good eye for such things." Grandma Mayfair unbuckled the sit belt but Phoebe quickly rejected her offer to help.


    She pushed her back carefully and buckled the seat belt for her again. because she didn''t need the company. Coming to the market was a cover up, she already had the vegetables in the magic space.


    "It''s okay grandmother, you can wait for me, i won''t be long." She escaped before the old woman would follow her.


    Phoebe wasn''t gone for long, it was around ten minutes only and she returned with two bags of groceries, one in each hand. She opened the car trunk and placed the bags in there. During that time Connie and Sylvester swapped the ordinary vegetables for those that were in the magic space.


    "That seems to be it." She added the last batch of the fresh lemon grass Sylvester was handing to her.


    "Thank you guys." Phoebe shut the trunk and went back into the car.


    Phoebe noticed that her grandma was unusually quiet during the rest of the drive to the cafe. She had this deeply disturbed look on her face and Phoebe was bothered by it so inquired carefully.


    "Grandma, is something bothering you? A problem shared is a problem half solved. I think there is a saying like that." she scratched the back of her head and winced. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She was not sure if that was the actual saying. Right or wrong, all she wanted to do was help.


    "It''s Ruth apparently she fainted after I scolded her." Grandma Mayfair sighed softly.


    Phoebe rolled her eyes and scoffed. Of course Ruth had fainted, how else was she going to get herself out of trouble if not pull out a move that would send everyone into a worried state?


    "There is nothing new about Ruth fainting, she does it all the time when she is in trouble. That card is really getting old she needs to find a new one. Grandma please don''t tell me that you are regretting what you said to her. It was the truth and she had to hear it, sister''s behavior and her words were really eye opening to me.


    She is too entitled and spoiled." Phoebe watched her through the rear view mirror.


    She was testing the waters to see whether her grandmother was open to seeing through Ruth''s faults. If she defended her blindly like Jennie did then she would adjust her words and attitude accordingly.


    The old woman wore a blank expression first and then she sneered.


    "I meant everything that I said and i do not regret it one single bit, however your mother thinks that I was a bit too harsh on your sister. She thinks i should have worded my words carefully since Ruth has just returned from the hospital and the doctor told us not to stress her.


    Ruth has always been a selfish and entitled person, she has been that way since she was a child. If another child had something nice, she would cry for it and ruin it if she it was not given to her. Your parents and I tried to correct her ways but she wouldn''t budge. In the end we just decided to give her everything she desired in order to keep her hands and eyes from wandering.


    I always thought that i had to bear with it since she is my grandchild but i will not do it anymore, especially not when it comes to you. I will not allow you to be the thin camel while she lives as a fat horse.


    As for the fainting, I know for sure that she is pretending but sadly, your parents are blind to that fact and she uses her health condition to manipulate them. I need to get my hands on her medical records and study them extensively. What kind of person faints every time she is berated slightly?"


    Phoebe exhaled loudly on hearing her grandmother''s submission. A gap had opened up, two in fact because she could count on Andre as well.


    "She was even pretending to be too weak to stand but suddenly found the strength to do so earlier, I can confidently say that Ruth was lying about that as well."


    A chuckle came from grandma Mayfair. "It''s true what they say, an apple doesn''t fall far from the tree. She gets her craftiness from her shameless biological parents. Speaking of parents, its odd that they haven''t been found yet, it''s like they don''t want to be found.


    They need to know that their daughter is actually Ruth, Jennie will be heart broken if they want to be in Ruth''s life because they are such a bad influence but it can''t be helped."


    "Maybe they don''t want to be found." Phoebe blurted out through pursed lips. She had hoped that they were staying at the house in Magic city but she was wrong.


    "What do you mean dear? There is a reason that you are saying that i am sure, tell me whatever is it that you know child. In fact i want to know what those crooks did to you from the horse''s mouth and not from your friend Eve, Evie...Evelyn is it."


    This wasn''t the right time to disclose what the Gabriels had done to her, she planned to do it slowly at the most dramatic moments to make it memorable. Just like the moment at the table when her grandmother exploded. Ruth could not be ruined in private alone, it needed to be public as well.


    "Well grandma, don''t you think that it''s odd that they disappeared without a trace on the same day that Alfie went looking for them, it was almost as if someone had alerted them about it. Also it bothers me that they disappeared just when the cuckoo case blew up, it''s too much of a coincidence.


    I think they went into hiding because they already knew the truth." Phoebe''s words caused her grandmother to gasp loudly.


    She raised a hand to cover her mouth as Phoebe''s words sank in. "So you suspect that Ruth perhaps told them to disappear? Wait and you also think that they knew that you were not their daughter?"


    Phoebe nodded once, her grandmother had proved beyond reasonable doubt that she was an ally. If she was going to get rid of Ruth, she needed her grandmother on board too.


    "I can authoritatively tell you grandma that Ruth was never sick. She was dying one day, pale and in need of a transplant. Out of the blue the doctor suddenly realized his mistake just in time for the pressure on the search for the Gabriels to be called off since they were not needed anymore.


    I think she planned everything grandma and as for the Gabriels, the way that they pampered her made me suspicious that''s why I did a DNA test.


    They never once threw me a birthday party until she came around. They would buy her favorite cheese cake and celebrate her birthday using me as an excuse. Ruth used to cut the cake and blow the candles. I believe that they knew for sure she was their daughter but if you don''t believe me then wait till you meet them."


    Everything that she said made grandma Mayfair more and more suspicious.


    "I do believe you but we need evidence for your parents to believe it." She pressed her lips tightly together, thinking about that terrible couple. The Gabriels were going to face her wrath when they meet.

 Chapter 127 Who touched her?

    When they walked into the Cafe the first person Phoebe saw was David. He waved and stood up in a bid to hug Phoebe but suddenly he paused when Rebecca Mayfair appeared from behind her and stopped him with the sharp tip of her walking cane.


    She cleared her throat and put it away as her intention was not to harm him. She simply didn''t want random men pawing at her granddaughter.


    "Grandma Mayfair? What....what are you doing here." He embraced her instead of Phoebe, she was one of her favorite Mayfairs.


    His eyes quizzically moved to the grocery bags that she was holding and he raised his eyebrows. Why was old lady Mayfair carrying bags of raw vegetables into Phoebe''s cafe?


    "I work here what about you David, what brings you here so early in the morning? You must be here for the coffee, i will prepare a to go cup for you." She feigned ignorance yet she knew that he was very much interested in Phoebe.


    David''s brows raised higher up in surprise over what he had just heard. There was no need for grandma Mayfair to work for anything in her life but even if she wanted to work why here at Phoebe''s Cafe? Why not Mayfair corporations? Something fishy was going on. He didn''t get to ask any more questions because the old woman excused herself.


    "I will be in the kitchen." She notified Phoebe before turning her back to them.


    David watched her back and once her frame disappeared he looked at Phoebe. She had not got much sleep, he could tell and she was slightly tense. She didn''t say a word but her thoughts betrayed her.


    [I could use a hug right now, i don''t remember the last time I recharged. I have not received any new energy in days now.]


    He didn''t know what kind of recharging she meant or what energy she needed but he worried about her. Something had really happened the day before and it was still troubling her.


    "Are you okay? I was worried when you didn''t answer any of my calls yesterday?"


    David shifted forward and hugged her without warning.


    Unintentionally Phoebe wrapped her hands around him like a octopus with prey, not letting go. She absorbed as much energy as she could until she felt light headed, receiving this rush of endorphins that made her feel like she was floating on clouds.


    David got into the hug pretty quickly and he held her tight. Oh how his mother was wrong! Phoebe seemed to be even more into him now than before he left. It was true what they say that distance makes the heart grow fonder.


    "I have missed you too Pheebs." S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    David''s words and smooth voice pulled her out of her reverie. She pushed him away gently and cleared her throat. She could see why he misunderstood her intentions. She had been hanging onto him like he had her life line which he technically did.


    [Who said anything about missing you, hmph! so presumptuous.]


    She rubbed her nose and lowered the scarf around her neck to show him the fading marks left by Turner when he had been strangling her. "I am fine, there was an incident with a lunatic but it''s all good now."


    He was horrified to see them, just as her family had been. He raised his trembling right hand and carefully touched her neck.


    "Who dared? Who is brave enough to touch my woman?" he growled out fiercely and punched a table.


    Phoebe rolled her eyes.


    [Who is your woman? Again he is being presumptuous.]


    "He is already in prison and he will probably stay there for next sixty years of his life." she informed him.


    She pulled out a chair and sat down. David sat just as she did and he sighed. He was relieved that she was safe but one could never tell what could happen tomorrow. What would he do if the situation was not remedied on time?


    "I am going to hire you a bodyguard, this job is way more dangerous that I imagined."


    His suggestion was dismissed the moment it was brought up.


    "I don''t think that there is a human that can protect me more than my ghosts can but i appreciate the offer."


    Phoebe was touched that he cared for her safety. She was not as cold as she acted after all.


    Letting out a frustrated sigh, David leaned back. Ghosts couldn''t always do what a human could. Phoebe didn''t understand it yet but she had more foes than she knew, there was Ruth and his mother who employed people to spy on her.


    He knew what Ruth was capable of and the only reason why he had not made a move to get rid of her was because he wanted to find the person that pulled the strings behind her, the one that ruined him and Phoebe. As for his mother, he didn''t know what she was capable of but to prove a point, she could do anything. The more he spoke up for Phoebe, the more she hated her and desired to get rid of her.


    Still, he could not override her wishes as he pleased and force his will on her.


    "Okay fine but please let me know in case you change your mind."


    Awkward silence took over, David wanted to ask her about the visit from his mother but he held back to avoid hearing an answer he didn''t want. Phoebe sensed that something was bugging him and she suspected that Miranda must have already told him something.


    "That day I had called to tell you that your mother was here, she offered me money to stay away from you...."


    "I know Pheebs." A smile formed on his lips as relief set in. If she was open about it and had hugged him it meant she had no plan to chase him away.


    [Of course you do, I wonder what your wicked mother said about me. Gold digger, greedy bitch, con artist, pauper, i wonder what the wicked witch Miranda called me.]


    David chuckled on reading her thoughts.


    "I took the money with my full chest." Phoebe arched an eyebrow wondering what had amused him.


    "I know that too, Pheebs." he smiled easily. It was not the reaction she was expecting. She thought he would flip over a table, call her names and demand that she doesn''t cross his path again. One hundred million dollars was no small amount of money after all.


    [Aren''t you mad? Another person would be.]


    David reached for her hand across the table.


    "I don''t blame you for taking it as long as you don''t push me away. If she brings more, take it as well although I doubt she will make you an offer any time soon after what happened."


    He brushed his thumb over her knuckles causing electric waves to flow through her veins.


    She pulled her hand back to her side, the last thing she needed was to rekindle any old feelings by falling into temptation.


    His words compelled her to ask if something happened. "What happened?"


    David narrated the story that his mother was banned from using the family funds.


    "Grandma has put her on a budget and cut her allowance, she won''t be spending recklessly anymore at least."


    David rubbed his eyebrow and sighed, he had a lot of things on his mind and she could tell. Rosette came with his to go coffee cup and put it in front of him. She gave Phoebe one as well.


    "Did things not go well on your trip?" Phoebe thanked Rosset for the coffee and turned her attention to him.


    "Well i am thinking of leaving the Saxon group."


    "What?" She yelled.

 Chapter 128 Humiliation making rounds.

    [Are you crazy!! What about your dream of becoming the president of the group? What will you do if you leave the company?]


    He smiled on seeing the thought.


    "It''s good to see that you care about my future Pheebs."


    If she cared about his future then she definitely cared about him. In fact, to him it was not just his future but their future.


    Phoebe was wondering if this was a consequence of her rebirth, just like him moving away from the Saxon tower. No matter how much she tried to think about what David had just told her, she believed that David was making a huge mistake.


    [I thought he had changed for the better but maybe i was wrong. I cannot even tell him that if he works hard, a few years from now he will be vice president, maybe even president.]


    David squinted his eyes, wondering how she knew this. Indeed, he had become the vice president and president when they were married. Was it something she had seen in her cards or was reborn like him?


    It was not the first time this thought was crossing his mind considering how she had run away from him. Was his Phoebe hiding a similar secret like him? He smiled and observed her face.


    "What is so amusing? You are leaving a good position in a great company to do what exactly?" Phoebe folded her arms, it almost sounded like she was berating him. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He was really a piece of work, she needed him to be a successful Saxon such that Ruth was pained by the fact that she had him. What could he do on his own? In the past she had worked tooth and nail to make him successful.


    David clicked his tongue. "I am leaving because I want to start my own research lab. I can do it Phoebe as long as I have you by my side cheering me on, I believe that I will go far." He tried to reach for her hand again but she pulled it away.


    [In your dreams!! I can never be that stupid to do all the work for you, never again. If i am to do anything with you, it will be because i am gaining from it]


    His face formed a frown, ''again'', she had just said again. Truly, she had done eighty percent of their research projects and given all the credit to him. Back then, he never saw it as a big deal but times had changed. He needed to stand before her proudly and prove that he could be a man on his own.


    The first step had been moving out of the tower and the second was leaving the comfortable fold of the family company.


    He was determined to leave mainly because his father was going to try to control him through the Saxon group. It was better to leave it all behind and start afresh. What else was his father going to black mail him with? If it wasn''t for his grandmother he would leave the house completely too.


    The air in the cafe was suddenly saturated with bursting aromas of freshly made food.


    "What''s that delicious smell?" David lifted his nose and sniffed the air.


    The delicious smells came closer and Phoebe smiled as her grandmother approached them with a tray of food.


    "Boss these vegetables pies and salads before we add them to the menu. I have to say that some of the vegetables you bought are the freshest I have ever seen. The food turned out so good specially because of the ingredients." she shared.


    Ignoring the fact that old lady Mayfair had just called Phoebe boss, David reached for a vegetable pie and took a big bite, he closed his eyes and let out a satisfactory sigh.


    "This is the best damn pie I have ever tasted!! What have you put in it?"


    He ate some more and so did Phoebe which pleased grandma Mayfair greatly. It was not just the ingredients that matter, the talents of the chef counted too.


    Everyone sat down to grade the new additions to their menu. They all had something in their hands except for Connie who was too full to eat, having stuffed herself in the kitchen.


    She went back to work as they started receiving customers. Passersby began to walk into the cafe ordering for the whatever was smelling amazing, not just humans but ghosts as well.


    "This is our new hot seller." Phoebe told her grandmother.


    The old lady rushed back to the kitchen to make some more happily.


    "I still can''t believe that grandma Mayfair is working here, how did you do it?" David asked as she walked him to the door.


    "That''s a story for another day." She paused next to the door.


    [That''s one unbelievable story, when you find out your jaw will drop]


    "Okay then." He hugged her briefly and left.


    The Saxon spirit moved closer. "Ohh aren''t you two sweet." The smile it had continued to exist, Phoebe mimicked it''s words as she rushed to the kitchen to help her grandmother.


    ******


    Margaret Saxon had been laughing for an hour and she had not stopped laughing from the moment she saw the video of grandma Saxon pouring coffee on Miranda. What was even funnier was the fact that someone had posted it briefly in the family group chat. Although it had been deleted, Margaret had already downloaded it.


    Everyone was discussing it, including the servants. It was the most exciting to thing to happen in the tower since the news of David''s red haired witch girlfriend broke. The cuckoo news was gossip worthy but it had not affected them personally. Miranda''s humiliation was so much more fun.


    "Maybe i should leak it to the paparazzi, whatever makes that witch Miranda humiliated makes me happy. She pretends to have this perfect life and she thinks that she is better than me but she isn''t."


    "Mother you better not spread that video, believe me that it will be traced back to you and you too will have grandma to deal with just like aunt Miranda." Dickson was seated next to her in the back seat of the car.


    She knew that her son was right so she switched the topic. "Marry that Mayfair girl quickly, if you need my help let me know." Margaret put the phone down and touched up her lipstick.


    Dickson sniggered. "About that, there has been a new development. My spy at the Mayfairs told me that apparently Ruth is a cuckoo, one of the exchanged babies and the true Mayfair heiress has already returned."


    His mother''s eyes flew wide open. "Wait, what?"


    She drummed her fingers on the car seat slowly as her mind moved quickly. No wonder the Mayfairs had been strangely out of the public eye, even Andre was behaving himself. All along, they had a cuckoo in their nest and didn''t want the world to find out.


    The fact that the real heiress had been returned meant that they planned to recognize her. Everything that was supposed to go to Ruth would go to the new heiress. Now was the time for her son to strike when the naive girl was vulnerable and new to the elite life.


    If her son could get the true Mayfair heiress, while David married his pauper witch Miranda would die of anger.


    "Change course now Dickson before people find out. Marry the real heiress and forget the fake one. Who knows, with your handsome face, you may charm her and have eating out of your hand within a week. Who is she anyway?"


    "That part i don''t know yet but i am going to find out soon." A sly smile formed on his lips.

 Chapter 129 A hungry ghost.

    Phoebe had been pushed out of the kitchen by her grandmother because her talents were best suited doing her normal job. Rather than watching her burn down the kitchen, it was best for her to stay as far as possible from it. With the ghosts and grandma Mayfair doing all the work anyway, she was not that necessary.


    At the moment, she was listening to a worried mother that kept slapping her adult son on the head while explaining their troubles.


    The gown sullen man in a suit that was wearing his company identification card around his neck clearly didn''t want to be there and he was very embarrassed.


    "So, your son is obsessed with his dead ex-girlfriend." Phoebe said calmly.


    The mother shook her head. "It has been five years since she died, five years!!!" she shouted and groaned loudly, expressing her frustrations. "Five years and he has not yet moved on. His house is like a shrine to her, he has pictures of her everywhere and last week he had one of those life like dolls made. Do you know how freaky it is when he refers to her as his wife and my daughter-in-law?


    You need to help me little shaman, he has lost his mind."


    Phoebe looked at the man and sighed. This sounded like a matter for a psychiatrist, not her. What was she supposed to do when it was not a case of haunting. The dead ex girlfriend was not hovering around him.


    "Tell them to return tomorrow for a potion that breaks obsessions like his. He must have made some kind of vow to her that is tying them together so he cannot move on." The Saxon spirit told her. "Young people are so foolish and they do not measure their words or consider the consequences of vows on the conscience. They can haunt you and drive you insane."


    Phoebe shook a few bells and pretended to communicate with an unseen spirit.


    "Please come back tomorrow for medicine that ends obsession like his. When you get home, take everything that belonged to his ex girlfriend and burn it."


    The mother was uncertain and she frowned.


    "That''s it?" she questioned.


    Phoebe nodded. "If my solution does not work i recommend a psychiatrist. Your son''s ex girlfriend''s ghost is not in the realm of the living anymore. If you cannot pick up the medicine, we can deliver it to you as long as you pay in advance."


    The woman touched her bag and she clutched it nervously like someone was about to snatch it out of her hands and pull cash out directly.


    "I will come in person."


    Phoebe shrugged. The woman left and another client walked in, a human client. Right off the bat, Phoebe could tell that it was a wealthy woman. She was old, around the age of grandma Mayfair and she carried herself in a dignified way. It was a little surprising to see a wealthy client come in without covering up and hiding.


    "Hello, how can i help you today?" Phoebe addressed her politely.


    The old woman didn''t say a word and simply took a white paper out of her purse. She opened it and handed it to Phoebe, it had a name, a date of birth and time.


    "Tell me about his marriage fate, i need to know everything you say."


    She placed an envelope on the table that was fat, filled with cash. Before reading the marriage fate, Phoebe took the cash of enveloped and flipped through the notes. Brand new with the smell she liked. Perhaps word had gone around that she preferred new notes but lately her clients mostly brought her new notes.


    She looked at the details of the individual on the paper and shook her bells to give off the image of a real shaman.


    "He is already married." The Saxon spirit shared.


    Phoebe put down the bells and extended the paper to the older woman. "He is already married."


    The woman''s face tightened and she slapped the table.


    "Are you sure?"


    Phoebe nodded.


    "He has been married for three years and has two sons. If he remarries, the woman will die." The Saxon spirit added.


    Phoebe relayed the same words to the old woman and her face darkened even more. She stood up and walked out of the office, offering no explanation whatsoever.


    The Saxon spirit smacked her lips. "I guess she has a daughter or granddaughter that is being swindled by a jerk."


    It put away the money, sending it into the magical space.


    "We are going to have to hire another worker, servers. Expansion of the menu and the sudden influx of more customers who have decided to ignore the whispers of ghosts roaming around in the cafe will take a toll on your grandmother and Rosette."


    "I will put up a help wanted outside."


    The door opened and Rosette peeked in. "Aah, boss, we have a small problem out here. A ghost related problem that you need to come and look at."


    Phoebe used her human legs to walk out of her office while the Saxon spirit vanished, going ahead of her. The cafe was partially empty now and someone, probably Rosette had already put up a closed sign. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Only ghost clients had remained and all of them were sitting to one side, avoiding the one ghost that had gathered all of the food and drinks served to the other ghosts.


    This ghost was quite unusual and almost ominous with the way it was growling. Phoebe was not afraid of it however because it was not malicious or evil. Her cafe was protected from such ghosts.


    "He has been eating and gobbling everything up like a starving zombie. I can barely get him to talk to me and every time i go close to him, he growls." Rosette shared. "Oh, he is also a special client because he is wearing a soldier''s uniform according to Hellene, one of the regulars."


    The regulars was the term used for ghosts that came by often to eat even though they were not ready to move on. Phoebe always received energy as long as their stomachs were satisfied.


    They had a work computer on the counter which Rosette rotated for Phoebe to take a look.


    "This is the uniform, according to the internet it was worn by soldiers that served in the year 1700''s. If this is really a soldier from that time then he is the oldest ghost we have ever dealt with."


    "Wow, i was not even born yet. A soldier from the 1700''s, my God, when you work here you see everything." Grandma Mayfair gushed.


    She was seeing the ghost through normal seeing glasses which the Saxon spirit had enchanted. She didn''t like the sunglasses and she had complained about them making her look like an owl.


    "Boss, what do we do?" Rosette asked.


    Phoebe looked at the ghost whose growling was becoming louder as the food in front of it started to diminish.


    "He is a hungry ghost that has probably recently escaped from where he was buried. We should keep feeding him until he is full and then we can ask for answers."


    She sighed and stretched her arms, feeding a hungry ghost was no walk in the park. She had dealt with one before in Magic city and spent sixty thousand dollars on food before it moved on.


    "It''s going to be a long day for us boss." Rosette sighed.

 Chapter 130 All nighter......1

    It was unusual for the time to clock eight in the night without grandma Mayfair being home. Her absence and that of Phoebe made Edward uncomfortable as soon as he got home from the office and he called her.


    "Mother, where are you both?"


    "At work, we are busy and we are pulling an all nighter." she answered and ended the call.


    Edward eyes trailed slowly over the phone as he wondered what kind of all nighter was needed at a cafe. Serving coffee and snacks did not need one to work over night. He had never stepped foot into his daughter''s cafe and he figured now was the right moment to do so.


    Without bothering to shower or change as he originally planned, he left the house. On the way to the garage, he met his wife that was from doing some house shopping. She was openly surprised to see him leaving with his work briefcase and in the same clothes he had gone to work in that morning.


    "Oh, Edward, honey, where are you going? Is there trouble at work?"


    "Not my work." he mumbled.


    He opened his car door and threw the brief case back in the back seat. "I just called mother and she said that they will be working all night. I am going to visit Phoebe''s cafe and see what that is all about. You can all start dinner without us."


    He paused before entering the car, walked back and kissed his wife on the forehead.


    Jennie held onto his arm, worry expressed in her eyes. "I will go too."


    They handed the shopping bags to a maid and a driver then drove off together. The Mayfair house was left devoid of family members that night with the exception of Ruth who was still acting weak.


    Collin was working late, Luke was on the night shift and Andre''s movements were unpredictable as he often slept out late.


    When the couple arrived at the cafe they the door locked and no matter how much knocking they did, the door remained closed. Edward had to call Phoebe that came in person to open the door for them.


    "Mom, dad." she was surprised to see them there, standing outside her cafe.


    She had been expecting her father but not her mother. Jennie Mayfair wanted nothing to do with ghosts. The simple fact that she was standing outside here was a miracle.


    She didn''t open the door wide and blocked their view inside with her body. "What are you guys doing here?"


    Edward and Jennie were both taller than Phoebe and so they peeked over her head.


    "Your grandmother told us that you are working over night so we came to see what you are up to. What are you doing in there?" Edward was more than curious.


    The lights in the cafe were on and the smell of food was escaping through the open door and tickling their nostrils. He was hungry and he definitely wanted a taste of whatever was being cooked.


    Phoebe looked inside and she looked at them. "Is there any chance that you guys can just head on back home and let this matter go?"


    Both of them shook their heads. She sighed, dropped her hand, stepped aside and reluctantly let them inside. They were met with a view of what was a possible banquet. All the tables in the cafe were filled with food but there was no trace of human customers at the tables.


    What they did notice was food vanishing from the tables at the speed of light into thin air. They also heard some growling sounds and Jennie tightened her hold on her husband''s arm.


    Edward fastened his pace and he delivered his wife to what he assumed was safety, behind the counter where his mother was busy making drinks that were floating through the air. This, they had seen before in the house when Ruth''s things were being thrown out of the bedroom.


    "Mother," Edward tapped old lady Mayfair on the shoulder."What is going on?"


    She barely looked at him before grabbing Rosette''s ghost seeing glasses and handing them to him.


    "Why are you here?" She asked him. "I told you that we are busy. If you are here to talk about Ruth i do not have time. We have a house full of hungry ghosts that happen to be soldiers that served in the Fog country great northern war of 1701 which stopped the expansion of Eagle country.


    In our cafe, soldiers, police men, doctors, fire fighters, priests and others who dedicate their lives to the service of others are special clients. We help them whenever they walk in, no questions asked."


    Edward and Jennie stared at old lady Mayfair like she was talking nonsense. The way she was talking, you would think that she had been working in the cafe for many years and not two days.


    Edward slipped the glasses over his eyes and he saw them, the ghosts that his mother was talking about. There were hundreds of them squeezed around that tables and on the ground. Some were floating in the air and all of them were drinking or eating. They were not behaving demurely and grabbing food with their bare hands like they had been starving for centuries.


    He took off the glasses and handed them to his wife who took one look and turned away, preferring not to see them. She even closed her eyes and made the sign of the cross. Her right hands tightened on the cross around her neck as she murmured a prayer.


    Edward did not put on the glasses again and instead pulled two bar stools that were unoccupied for himself and his wife to sit down.


    He looked around the cafe and then at his mother that was dumping fruit into the juice processor so unbothered about the ghosts and with a lot of focus. How had she become so comfortable with all this ghost stuff so easily? He and Jennie were still struggling to accept it and they would probably be that way for a long time.


    Watching his mother working hard made him feel guilty however. He didn''t want her to overwork herself no matter what the situation was.


    "Mother, i can help. What should i do?"


    Grandma Mayfair was a little taken back as she expected her son and daughter-in-law to high tail it out of the cafe at the speed of lightning after seeing ghosts.


    "You don''t need to stay here if you are uncomfortable Edward." she told him.


    He shook his head. "No, i can help, mother. I want to help." S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She pointed in Phoebe''s direction. Phoebe was sitting in a corner with a laptop and the ghosts whose stomach had been filled were giving her their names and details while explaining their last wishes.


    "Go and assist you daughter, her fingers must be killing her right now. These men have so many last wishes and she is taking down information alone." She pushed the ghost seeing glasses towards him. "If i can handle seeing them for the sake of my granddaughter, so can you. Prove to her that you will be better and more tolerant than those Gabriel beasts.


    Do not ever forget that she suffered at their hands. She doesn''t celebrate her birthday Edward, she won''t even let me bring it up. She has been wounded greatly and betrayed, as her father, cover her wounds."


    Edward recalled the birthday story and Phoebe being locked in a closet. He clenched his hands and picked up the glasses. He had wounds to heal, his daughter needed to see that he could be relied on.

 Chapter 131 All nighter.....2

    That same night, David was busy with his own mission to avenge his woman. He paid a visit to a place not many people in the world wanted to be, the Citrus maximum prison. It was tightly secured prison commonly known as the home for murderers and robbers. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He was at the prison because he had spent the afternoon with Detective Shark who had filled him in on all that had happened to Phoebe during his absence. And because he wanted to be in a Saxon''s good graces, Shark had added a lot of spice to the story, he even went as far as to name himself Phoebe''s savior. By the end of their conversation the two men had exchanged phone numbers.


    Shark agreed to keep him up to date on everything that concerned Phoebe crime wise. David had sent some money to Shark''s private bank account to motivate him but it was more of a bribe to accept his request.


    When they separated he went straight to meet Turner at the prison where he had been remanded.


    On arrival, David was escorted by one of the prison guards to the office of the prison warden who was too eager to help him.


    He was a short bald man with a big tummy which represented all the bribes he had eaten throughout his career.


    "Mr. Saxon, i was surprised when you called me, its a rear occasion for a first family founding member to visit such an unclean place. Please have a seat." He humbled himself and offered David the warden''s chair, he on the other hand sat on a single chair that was close by.


    David could spot a lick spittle when he saw one, he was used to people behaving this way and this was nothing new.


    "I want to see an inmate by the names of Chase Turner. I told you that when I called, bring him to me." David leaned back and crossed his leg over the other making himself comfortable.


    The warden swallowed repeatedly and wore a shaky smile. "About that sir, I beg that you reconsider."


    "And why is that?" David dismissed the warden''s secretary that had brought him a cup of coffee.


    Rubbing his jaw the warden looked at him. "Since he got here, he has been acting very weird. Chase Turner keeps talking about ghosts and how one killed his wife yet we all know that she fell to her death while escaping the hospital after committing a murder. He has been declared a danger to himself and others that''s why we isolated him. What if he harms you? What will I tell your family?"


    David remained unfazed, the others didn''t know what he knew that Turner was being truthful. "Bring him, whatever happens you are not liable."


    He gestured at Polly and his bodyguard came forward, putting down a small box of apples. He opened it and the warden saw shiny gold bars inside which caused his face to light up like a bulb.


    Nodding once, the warden ordered for Chase Turner to be brought in. In no time there was a knock on the door and he walked in. His hands and feet bound by chains but other than that he looked normal and not deranged like the warden claimed.


    "Leave us." He told the warden who happily picked up the box of fake apples and locked them away in a safe before leaving.


    When the door closed behind the warden, David turned his full attention on Turner who was laughing maniacally.


    "You must be here because you heard that I roughed up that witch. Listen Mr. Saxon i am not one of those minions that bow and worship you. What''s the worst you can do to me? You cannot kill me, i am not afraid of you and as soon as i get out of here i will make that witch pay for killing my child." He gathered saliva and spat in David''s direction.


    It landed on the arm of the chair and David grimaced, utterly disgusted. Polly moved without waiting for an instruction, kicking Turner in the back and forcing him to his knees in front of David.


    David grabbed Turner by the neck as a frigid air encompassed him. "How dare you? A small fry like you dared to lay a hand on her and threaten to kill her when when you get a chance. I am here to ruin your dreams, it will never happen because i am going to make sure that you rot in here. How you may ask? Because I already spoke to the judge that''s presiding over your case.


    As for your plan of acting crazy so that you are sent to the mental hospital where you plan to escape, it is not happening either so I suggest that you get comfortable and feel at home."


    David''s words infuriated Turner who jumped like a grasshopper in an effort to grab him.


    His move was unsuccessful because Polly pulled him back by the hair causing him to scream in pain. That was just the appetizer for the beefy man beat the living day light out of Turner, strangling him as he had done to Phoebe. No matter how much he yelled for help, no one dared to enter the room.


    "Warden?" David called and the door opened. The warden walked in and kicked Turner in the butt.


    "What have you done to anger Mr. Saxon? Take this fool away and lock him up in solitary until we receive sermons for his first court date." The warden put his hands together on his waist and clenched his belt. "If you have anymore instructions Mr. Saxon i will be glad to fulfill them for some more apples."


    David scoffed and stood up. "He doesn''t need the movement of his legs. A dangerous man like that should not be walking around."


    "I believe his arms could be dangerous too, they are quite murderous." The warden suggested.


    "Do as you see fit warden, make me happy." David righted his coat and left the office.


    He went straight to the Cerene Apartments to his apartment and as usual he passed by the cafe which was on apartment grounds. Usually, at that time it was usually closed but he was surprised however to see that the lights were still on, the delicious smells of food were permeating in the air.


    He was not the only one outside, other people were loitering around as well, tempted by the smell of delicious food which they could not taste.


    He called Phoebe but she didn''t pick up so he sent a message asking to be allowed inside. He waited with crossed fingers and breathed a sigh of relief when the door was opened for him.


    Other people tried to squeeze in after him but Polly intimidated them with his big stature before shutting the door in their faces and following his boss.


    David was surprised by what he found inside, more Mayfairs than he expected and a banquet. He cared less about the food and more about the Mayfairs. Why were they in there acting like employees of the cafe? First was grandma Mayfair, then Edward and Jennie something very fishy was going on here and Phoebe had some explaining to do.


    "Take off your coat and get to work." Phoebe tossed him an apron and sent him to the kitchen.

 Chapter 132 All nighter......3

    David did not go alone into the kitchen, he made sure to pull Phoebe and take her with him. He didn''t waste a moment and immediately fired a question.


    "Pheebs, why are the Mayfair''s here?"


    "Because i am a Mayfair, cuckoo case, keep up Saxon i do not have time to educate you on everything. I thought you had all these information sources to keep you up to date on everything all the time."


    She had no plans to hide this truth from him, he would find out the truth quickly anyway. The more that her family showed up at the cafe, the more people would put two and two together.


    David''s eyes lit up and his mouth fell open slightly for a few seconds. He opened and closed it like a fish gasping for air on and off as he digested the surprise. Phoebe was a Mayfair! how, when and why?


    How did he not know this before his rebirth? What about Ruth, did that serpent of a woman know the truth? She was very capable of getting rid of Phoebe in order to keep her identity as the Mayfair heiress.


    He had not paid a lot of attention to the cuckoo case. It was hard to miss it since the story was national and international news but as it did not affect the Saxons or their business he had not cared much for it. Then again, he had been busy with the meeting with those investors from Eagle country, worrying about Phoebe and fighting with his parents.


    He crossed his arms and leaned against the kitchen counter, almost sending the cake butter in a large glass jar falling. He pushed it further for its own safety and then faced Phoebe.


    "So let me get this straight, you are the daughter of the Mayfair family and you were swapped with Ruth at birth."


    Phoebe glared at him.


    [Do i need to spell it out for you?]


    David kept his next questions on her true heritage to himself. Obviously he had every answer he needed on the matter and the rest he could learn from the news or detective Shark, the man responsible for the case as seen on the news all the time.


    "So, has Ruth been sent packing? That right there is poetic justice, it''s karma. She is the most greedy woman in the world and she has lost all the wealth and glory she had."


    Phoebe snorted. "Hmph, oh she found a way to stick to that glory and wealth for now. My parents are not giving her up so easily thanks to a bond of more than twenty years. In the words of my father, they can afford to raise two daughters. Besides, with the few horrible stories they have heard about the Gabriel''s i doubt that they would willingly send her to them."


    It was also one of the reasons why Phoebe was not in such a hurry to expose all of the Gabriel''s dirty deeds and their true nature. With her mother''s soft heart, she would never allow Ruth the daughter she raised with so much love to end up with such greedy, selfish people even if they happened to be her parents.


    Even if Ruth left on her own, she could still call Jennie, blackmail her emotionally and get financial support from her forever.


    Phoebe intended to open her mother''s eyes to Ruth''s true nature so that Jennie would willingly cut the strings. If she could see that Ruth was just like her biological parents she would grow to disdain her. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I can''t believe this. Why would they keep her around, for what reason? She is a terrible human being and the sooner they get rid of her the better for the whole family. Pretty soon she will be plotting how to steal the Mayfair fortune since she cannot get her hands on it the lawful way. You should be on guard with her, do not allow her to....."


    The door to the kitchen was pushed open and Andre strolled in. "Hey guys."


    He was all smiles and very cheerful as he walked up to Phoebe, turned her around and gave her a brotherly hug.


    "Lil sis, if you needed all hands on deck you should have called me. I went home and didn''t find anyone only to hear from one of the maids that you were all working all night.


    Sis, i should be your first call next time. If i didn''t come by i would not get to meet real war heroes that participated in the great Northern war. Director Baylor Monk has been passing around a script for a new movie that he is planning to shoot.


    It''s called saving captain Andy, and it''s based on the Great Northern war. He is looking for investors and actors and yours truly is one of the actors that have been given a chance to play the role of captain Andy."


    "Congratulations." Phoebe tapped him on the shoulder.


    If he was smiling then it was probably a good thing.


    David put one of his hands on his chin and he looked thoughtful. "Hmm...i should give him a call. Now that i am unemployed i need to find new ways to make money. Investing in Baylor sounds like a good idea."


    "Unemployed!!" Andre exclaimed.


    David nodded. "I am quitting the Saxon group and venturing out on my own. I need to make my own money just like you Andre."


    With all the Mayfair wealth, he had become an actor basing on his talents and he had amassed a significant amount of money.


    In that aspect, the Mayfair''s were better than the Saxons as every Saxon worked in the family company. If it collapsed one day, they would all be unemployed.


    "I get to bring in an investor and real knowledge about the war, I am awesome." Andre bragged and danced with his shoulders.


    Rosette came by and glared at the three that were indulging in conversation instead of working. She cleared her throat and pointed at all the buns that were waiting to be stuffed with sausages and vegetables.


    She gestured for Andre to follow her with one of her fingers.


    Andre awkwardly followed her and donned on gloves. He obediently got to work immediately and he was not alone, David and Phoebe did the same.


    For two hours, they worked in silence and accomplished a lot but the job was not coming to an end.


    "Why are we cooking these things ourselves when we can just order out?" David asked.


    He rolled his shoulders back suffering from a case of exhaustion.


    Phoebe handed him an ice cold cup of lemon grass tea prepared with some water from the lake of life and death that had been diluted incredibly. The Saxon spirit had declared it harmless and recommended it if everyone was to keep up their energy.


    She handed a cup to Andre as well and they took a thirty minute break.


    "We need special fire to cook food for ghosts that can fill them for a long time." Phoebe pointed to a large pot in the fire place that was producing green fire.


    Andre stood up and squeezed himself between David and Phoebe. "Lil sis, I saw mom preparing hot chocolate for the fallen heroes out there, it''s amazing that you roped her into this Pheebs."


    "I didn''t do anything. I am amazed that she is still here as well. Anyway, who else is coming, should i be expecting Luke and Collin as well?"


    Andre shook his head. "They were working overnight as well. Anyway, what is your plan, these ghosts want a state funeral in order to move on. How do you plan to pull that one off?"

 Chapter 133 Heroes with a story

    It was a simple but loaded question, a problem which Phoebe could not tackle on her own. She was no politician after all and a state funeral was a political event or a military one. She hadn''t thought about what she was going to do to help the ghosts move on because a lot had been going on. In this particular situation, there was one person she knew of that could help her and that was Amon Drusus.


    "I don''t know but i need to involve the government, these men sacrificed their lives for this country and for that they deserve a befitting burial. Excuse me for a second."


    She walked to her office and called Amon.


    She hesitated for a second before making the call but the urgency of the matter outweighed her dislike for the overly judgemental ghost catcher.


    "I need help, if you can, come to my cafe right now."


    "Is it ghost related?" Amon had enthusiasm in his voice. The man was like an addict and his addiction was banishing ghosts.


    "Yes but..." The line went dead before she could explain the situation. Phoebe sighed and sank into the chair for exhaustion had enveloped her.


    After twenty minutes she stepped out of the office only to find some of the ghosts lazily sitting, having eaten to their fill. They were watching television now and very loudly expressing their wonder like it was the first time they were seeing one. One of them kept going in and out of television while others gushed.


    Clearly, they had not been in the real world for long or else they would be familiar with technology, visually at least. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Oh, we have actually satisfied them." Phoebe was amazed.


    "I told you the only thing that could satisfy them quickly was mixing drinks and food with water from our lake. It has even purified them and they are all but ready to go into the light." The Saxon spirit popped up next to her. "Your ghost catcher is here."


    Phoebe looked around and she didn''t see him, five seconds later, Amon walked in holding his bells in hand. He looked around the cafe and practically drooled.


    Some growling was heard and it was followed by a trembling, the ghosts were uneasy. Nobody liked a ghost catcher, especially not one that was wielding his weapons from the get go.


    "Amon, down." Phoebe commanded like she was talking to her trained dog.


    "Woah, woah, woah!" what are you doing here Amon and why the hell are you doing with those damn bells?" David rushed forward and grabbed both of Amon''s arms. He knew Phoebe wouldn''t want them used inside her cafe.


    "Dude whatever you do don''t shake those damn bells, these are heroes not illegals. You know my sister doesn''t like ghost catchers and those things will backfire on you like they did the last time anyway." Andre was familiar with the situation so he advised.


    Edward and Jennie were tired and confused, all they did was sit behind the counter and relax, their daughter was living such an adventurous life. They knew Amon as the deputy chief of the SOB Citrus Police department but it didn''t look like he here in that regard.


    Grandma Mayfair started explaining to them what Amon''s other identity was.


    Phoebe was already exhausted and she was too tired to make threats or argue. "Wow Amon, you sure know how to make an entrance. Now sit let''s talk."


    She calmed the ghosts that were worried on seeing a ghost catcher. Connie and Sylvester were doing the same thing, assuring them that they were safe.


    "What is going on here Pheebs? Why are there so many ghosts here? What''s with all the food? Are you running an elderly home for ghosts now, these guys look ancient." His eyes moved around wondering why the cafe was so messy and disorganized. Then he spotted about four Mayfairs.


    Shark had mentioned something about Phoebe being the genesis of the cuckoo case. That and the presence of the Mayfairs stamped an answer in his mind.


    "You have so many questions but I will only answer those that are necessary.


    Phoebe called the leader of the ghost soldiers Major Micheal Mitford over, she wanted him to tell Amon the story of what happened to them and how they ended up in that situation.


    The ghost moved over and sat between Phoebe and Amon. The remaining seats were quickly taken because everyone was very interested in the story that Major Mitford was about to tell especially Andre; it was not everyday that you come across people from the 1700s.


    "Go ahead Major tell us what happened?" Phoebe smiled warmly.


    "It was winter at the height of Northern war and my regiment was tasked to protect the treasures in the Iborg temple. Those vicious soldiers from Eagle country were nothing but bandits, looting everything and stealing from our nation.


    When Craven hill was lost, we retreated further inwards and my regiment was commanded to take the treasures and deliver them to Governor Dewayne. He was supposed to escape to safety along with the treasures and take them to the capital in Citrus.


    Unfortunately we were betrayed and someone leaked the information. We were intercepted by the enemy forces, we fought them off and entered Iborg city successfully. We thought it was all over and met the governor but we were caught off guard when suddenly the soldiers of Eagle country revealed themselves.


    They had been waiting for us there all along, the governor had betrayed not just us but the entire country. He ordered us to hand over the treasures to the enemy including the national seal. We couldn''t do that because the treasures were more important than our lives. We refused strongly so they shot a few comrades to scare us that''s when we knew that we were not coming out of there alive.


    Before setting off on the mission, we had all come to an agreement to surrender our lives if need be so our mission changed. We were not got going to allow them to steal from our nation and trample on our pride. We took out the bombs we had and detonated them, dying along with the enemy. In a way, we fulfilled our mission."


    Everyone was listening and they all felt touched when they heard the story detailing the sacrifice of the brave but pitiful soldiers whose loyalty cost them their lives.


    "That is just so sad." Jennie dabbed tears away from the corners of her eyes.


    While she was sad, others were mostly angry because they recognized the name of the governor. He was regarded as a national hero that contributed a lot in the Great Northern war. Who knew that the person with a heroic statue in the city and pictures in textbooks, plus poems written about his valiance was actually a traitor?


    "The governor was a traitor and all this while but he been praised for sacrificing his life for the country, his family members have built their political careers based on that fact." Amon clenched a fist.


    "Well he was a real scumbag." The Saxon spirit told Phoebe, it witnessed everything in real time.


    "Keep going." Phoebe told the Major.


    "We were buried deep in the ground and our bodies were never recovered. Our ghosts cried out for help but those heard us thought it was an ill sign. Someone invited a priest that put a seal on the land and trapped us down there. Yesterday, there was an explosion, the earth shook and the place was unsealed.


    That was how I came out in search of help but I was so hungry so I ate first and went back to get my comrades too.


    The problem here is that the land was declared evil and sealed off but it wasn''t our fault, the evil did not come from us. The enemy soldiers that were buried with us turned into evil spirits and now they are going to escape as well. You need to get rid of them as soon as possible." Major Mitford pulled his brows together closely.

 Chapter 134 Money loving mommy.

    The major''s revelations frightened them especially Phoebe and Amon, they knew very well what his words meant.


    "Something had to be done before they start possessing people. Are they freed like you are? Or are they still trapped down there." Amon held his bells tightly.


    "Down there, the seal was broken only on our side slightly but i reckon that soon they will realize that there is an escape path. You have hours at most and then they will come to the surface and wreck havoc." The major shared.


    David began making phone calls immediately. The first person he called was the governor of the north, he asked if there had been anything strange in the last twenty four hours to which the governor said no.


    "That''s a relief for now, those ghosts will do more harm than good and we are going to need your help Major. You need to lead me to that place and show me exactly where you escaped from." Amon told him.


    He started making phone calls, rallying his own ghost catching troops Phoebe guessed because she heard him mentioning Rekha''s name.


    Phoebe had heard the word treasure, and she was planning to hop onto this cavalry. She had just used a lot of money and resources to feed hundreds of hungry ghosts, someone had to pay the bill.


    "We are going, right?" The Saxon spirit communicated with her directly in her mind.


    Phoebe nodded.


    "The the easiest way to get rid of the evil ghosts without ghost catching bells was to pour salt on their bones and burn their bones and all their belongings. We should leave soon." The spirit advised.


    "What will you do with the bones of the enemy?" Major Mitford asked them.


    "We have to burn them, this way even if they have traveled miles away, they will still be vanquished. This is top secret information because we do not know how the government of Eagle country will react when this information lands in their ears. We are not sending those invaders back to their country to be welcomed like heroes.


    Not a word of this should leave this room people, not a word." Amon looked at each one of them as if he was searching for a snitch.


    His eyes locked with those of David. "Are you kidding me, the only person with ties to Eagle country nearby is Collin Baltimore who happens to be the landlord by the way." David sniggered.


    He would use anything at anytime to take down his competitor.


    Amon excused himself to call the most powerful general in the country who also doubled as his uncle and happened to sit on the joint chiefs of staff working for the president of Fog country, general of the army Paul Drusus. He had to start making arrangements for the dead soldiers state funeral immediately.


    David however wasn''t thrilled by the revelation. "Is that why you called him here? I could have called the president, I have his number on speed dial."


    Phoebe rolled her eyes and walked back to the group, she wasn''t in the mood to listen to who had the better connections.


    When Amon returned he informed them that the state funeral would be happening and he was going to the Iborg city which was in the north immediately.


    "The general will meet me there." He rushed out of the door. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe turned and looked at the ghosts. "Gentlemen, you have eaten, you will get your state funeral and it''s time to go. There is nothing left for you here anymore, it''s best to go on and meet your loved ones that are waiting for you on the other side. I am not a soldier but i am going to salute you and thank you for your service."


    She stood still and saluted them. To her surprise, the other humans in the cafe did the same, saluting the fallen heroes.


    "We will remember your sacrifice." she promised them.


    One by one, they saluted back, smiled and started to vanish. It was not hard to accomplish since their spirits had been purified with the water of life, leaving them unburdened. All left with the exception of Major Mitford that had gone with Amon.


    At around five thirty in the morning, all ghosts were gone and Phoebe was in a rush to set off for Iborg city but she had to first express her gratitude.


    "Thank you so much for helping everyone, i am so sorry for keeping you up all night."


    "What thank you when we are all family." Grandma Mayfair waved her words away. "I personally feel really good right now, we helped heroes of the country. Who else can brag about doing something like that?"


    All of them were feeling pretty good about themselves, like they had accomplished something so great. The ghost gig was not as frightening as they expected. It was actually good for the soul.


    "I made hot chocolate." Jennie raised her hand.


    Everyone laughed lightly.


    "Let''s go home now and get some sleep. After the night we have had, we need to take a day off." Edward suggested.


    "Not me dad, i have to go to Iborg city." Phoebe reached down under one of the counters and pulled out her go bag.


    "Why?"


    [Treasures, i heard the word treasure. How can this money loving mommy miss out on those beautiful shiny things? Every second i spend here one gold or silver coin is taken out of my pocket. Ghosts pay me with information like this, that''s how i can afford to pay the expensive rent for this place.]


    "To help, just in case there are other innocent ghosts. It''s not unusual, i do this kind of thing all the time." she assured them.


    She smiled innocently but everyone read her true intentions and they smiled or chuckled to themselves. She was really good at lying lying with a straight face, if only she knew that she came with subtitles attached!


    They couldn''t stop her from leaving without exposing the fact they knew of her true intentions.


    "You are going to need me so i am coming along." David spoke first. "Besides I can get us there faster, I have a private plane." He thrust his jaw out proudly.


    "So do we Saxon." Edward Mayfair pointed out. "Daughter, I have to come with you, we don''t know what you are going to find up there, this mission seems dangerous for you to go.on your own."


    "Dad, i can protect her, don''t worry." David pointed out.


    Edward acted like he had just got the shivers from David calling him dad. When did he come to resemble that white haired up tight man Robert Saxon? He eyed the eyesore David that kept sticking to his daughter like honey shamelessly and he scoffed.


    "As who? What is the nature of your relationship with Phoebe and..." Jennie was interrupted by Phoebe who announced that whoever wanted to go could tag along as there was no time to waste.


    "I suggest however that grandma and mother go home, you are exhausted and needed some rest." She hugged them and rushed outside before another argument could break out.


    Andre, David and Edward followed after her like they were running after an escaped convict.

 Chapter 135 Ghost catchers on the move.

    To fly to the north, they used the Mayfair private plane not David''s like he originally wanted. Phoebe had been in a private plane before, David''s and grandma Saxon''s. She used to watch her step and act so timid, afraid to scratch anything.


    Old habits died hard and that''s why she was also careful on this private plane. Phoebe knew that the Mayfairs were wealthy but it was yet to sink in that this all belonged to her too now and she could enjoy it freely.


    David sat by himself at the back in a single chair while as Phoebe sat with her father and brother on a long sofa. She was sleeping with her head resting on Andre''s shoulders. Not even once for a second did she open her eyes until they landed.


    The flight took about fifty five minutes and when they stepped off, black cars were waiting for them with extra bodyguards all arranged by Edward.


    Phoebe commandeered the car keys from one of the drivers and started the car while yelling, "Let''s go, let''s go." She was in such a hurry because Amon and his group had arrived long before them.


    Using the ghost map and the spirit''s guidance, they had arrived at the location in no time. It was an old stadium, one of the very first to be built in Iborg city. Ironically, it was named after the dead traitorous governor as his residence once stood there.


    A part of the stadium seemed to have collapsed in and evacuations were ongoing.


    "Shit! There are too many people here, all of them are perfect hosts for evil spirits." Andre looked at the reporters and ordinary people that had come to check out the site.


    He was learning to talk like a ghost catcher and a regular in the supernatural business.


    Phoebe was bound to agree with her, there were too many unnecessary eyes in the area. There were a few police officers in the area that were keeping spectators at bay.


    The ground trembled and heavily armored vehicles appeared in sight and the fully camouflaged army men jumped off the trucks.


    "Fun''s over, everybody leave this place." They pointed their guns at the spectators who began leave right away.


    The heavy deployment of armed soldiers with guns easily frightened their soft hearts. The force used to evict the people was completely unnecessary and the news about what was happening only spread faster as people and reporters uploaded videos on the internet.


    First an explosion and then military deployment, everyone could smell something in the water.


    "Move back please, way back. Some deadly chemicals have been detected in the area, it''s not safe for you to be here." A soldier finally came to Phoebe and her group.


    He used a softer tone than when he was barking orders at the other spectators. This was because of the expensive cars and all the bodyguards that were clearly armed as well.


    "We cannot leave, we have business here." Phoebe responded.


    She flashed her fake police badge and put it away quickly before the soldier could ask to take a closer look.


    "Ma''am only authorized officers are being allowed access and CPD has not been assigned to handle this matter. Which department are you with?" the soldier looked curiously at the group.


    No matter how many times he looked at them, they did not look like police officers. Who in the country did not recognize David Saxon, Andre Mayfair the actor and Edward Mayfair current CEO of Mayfair Corp. When did they start working for the police?


    Phoebe saw Amon with a newly arrived group and she jumped up, waving her hands wildly.


    "Yoohoo, hey Drusus, over here."


    Edward moaned a little and he wanted to bury himself in the ground. Amon was not the only Drusus there, the army general was also a Drusus and he was walking with Amon. The general did not like being disrespected, this, everybody knew.


    Amon and the general approached them. "They are with us."


    Phoebe rushed in without waiting and she fell into step with Amon who started making introductions.


    "Uncle Paul, this is the ghost...err...helper, counselor or whatever she wants to be instead of a catcher, Phoebe Mayfair."


    The general''s eyebrows shot up at the Mayfair name. He recognized Edward for sure but he also knew that the Mayfairs were a small family and had only one daughter the popular socialite Ruth Mayfair. With the current state of affairs in the country, it was not that hard to put together what was going on.


    "Cuckoo." he grabbed Amon''s hand and whispered.


    Amon nodded and introduced three men to his uncle. "You know the rest uncle, Saxon and two more Mayfairs."


    They traded greetings and shook hands but the general''s interest returned to Phoebe pretty quickly. It was obvious that he had been one of those people swept up by the cuckoo news.


    "I can''t believe you had a cuckoo too in your house Edward. It''s the first i am hearing of this." he looked at Phoebe with so much interest. "What was it like going from rags to riches at the snap of a finger?"


    "Uncle, not now." Amon whispered.


    It was very embarrassing for him to expose the gossipy side of the army general which was opposite of the tough man image he had cultivated and the public was so familiar with.


    The army general backed off but he intended to have a talk with Phoebe later.


    "Mr. superstar, perhaps you ought to cover up." he advised. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Andre was drawing a lot of unnecessary attention even from the soldiers.


    "You too Saxon, cover the hair." he instructed.


    The two of them were sticking out like sore thumbs in the midst of this crowd. News helicopters were already circling above the more news continued to travel.


    When they came to the entrance leading down where the bodies of the soldiers and treasures were buried they were all divided into groups.


    One group of soldiers was going to help recover the skeletons, it was going to be led by Amon. Their were at least eighty of them and they were not soldiers, not just ordinary ones from the few markings that Phoebe saw on their bodies.


    They were exorcists and ghost catchers in disguise or actual soldiers that handled special situations. Exactly how many ghost catchers were in the country?


    The rest of the group was going to be led by the army general himself and he was very stern and serious when he addressed his men.


    "Alright everybody listen up, the priority here are the treasures in there including a national seal." He rubbed his hands and licked his lips. "Be careful with the treasures and your lives."


    They went down into the tunnel which had been dug by fire men long before they arrived on site.


    Phoebe and her group did not go down because she remained where she was standing. Since she was the reason why they were all there in the first place, she needed to tell them how to proceed.


    "What''s the plan Pheebs? Do we go digging into the dark tunnel as well?" Andre asked.


    He had on his camera, ready to document the entire journey.


    Phoebe pointed to the still intact part of the stadium with a lour on her face. Why had they chosen to go down the dark unsteady tunnel?


    "Did none of them realize that there is a door and stairs that lead to the bottom?"

 Chapter 136 From hot to hotter soup.

    Back in Citrus city, someone was hoping that Phoebe would drop dead wherever she was. The person was none other than Ruth. Having had a terrible night she laid in her bed, ignoring the bright rays of the sun pouring through her window.


    Her thoughts were whirling, coming up with all sorts of plots on how to get Phoebe disowned because getting her out of the house wasn''t going to be enough. She had realized that within the past few days that her family, with the exception of Collin had formed a strong bonds with Phoebe. Even for Collin, it was just a matter of time before he got swayed by Phoebe''s charm.


    How could they abandon her in the sickly condition she was in to help Phoebe out at the dastardly cafe? What pained her the most was that Collin had mentioned that David was at the cafe too, he had received the news from their mother who called to know about her state of health.


    A tear rolled down her cheek as she bit her bottom lip so hard she felt a metallic taste of blood in her mouth. Ruth was furious that David had come back from his business trip and run straight to Phoebe yet she had sent him dozens of messages letting him know that she was sick. He had left them on read without a response.


    While she was throwing herself a pity party, Ophelia walked in and opened the curtains. The bright light pierced Ruth''s eyes forcing her to wince loudly, she threw a cushion at Ophelia who was already apologizing for forgetting to announce her arrival.


    "You should get up now miss Ruth, at least pretend to be active and make your presence felt within the house. Your mother and grandma came back this morning at around six, they looked exhausted like they had been laboring the entire night. Your father and Andre weren''t with them and as for Luke, he came home briefly changed his clothes and left again."


    Ruth turned in bed and ignored Ophelia''s words totally as she cared less about pleasing Phoebe''s allies, especially her wicked grandma old lady Mayfair, the old woman had suddenly changed her attitude towards her. How could she berate her in front of that nobody pauper Phoebe? How dare she call her ungrateful?


    She was raised as the Mayfair heiress and it had been decided that she was still going to be a Mayfair so didn''t it mean that she had a say in how money was spent in the family?


    She was more interested in what Ophelia was going to do to get Phoebe out of the house.


    "You said that i can rely on you on getting that weasel out of here, why then haven''t you made a move?" Ruth glared at her.


    To her surprise, Ophelia smiled. "Oh dear miss Ruthie, I have to be strategic about this. I have already made my move and your mother will never forgive her once she finds out what Phoebe has done."


    Ruth''s eyebrows shot up as her interest in the matter piqued. "Tell me, what your plan?"


    Ophelia clicked her tongue continuously. "No-no-no, you have to react naturally. So you''ll have to wait to find out when everyone does. Master Collin wants to know if you''ll be joining him for breakfast."


    Using her fingers, Ruth dismissed the suggestion. "Why would I spend time with that good for nothing idiot, tell him that i am on a hunger strike or something like that. He thinks that i have not seen his attitude towards Phoebe softening."


    Ophelia laughed and left the room, shortly after Collin knocked and walked into the room with a wooden serving tray. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Sister, princess Ruth, I heard that you are starving yourself so I brought your favorite vegetable porridge and some delicious meat pies which you will not be able to resist." Collin placed the tray on the side table besides the bed.


    Like the terrific actress that she was, Ruth began to sob. "Brother, no one cares for me anymore, they are all on Phoebe''s side now. Can you believe that grandma scolded me like that? She had never done that before and mother and father just watched her do it." Tears continued to sprout out of her eyes. "They didn''t come home last night even though i am gravely ill.


    My heart is so broken Collin, i feel so alone."


    He put the tray down and sat down beside her. She threw herself onto his chest and clung onto him quickly.


    Collin patted her shoulder. "You have me to fall back on, no matter what happens you are my Ruthie, don''t forget that. As for grandma she was kind of right, you reacted impolitely, it''s not your place to advise our parents on how they should spend their money. You need to control your emotions Ruth, Phoebe is here now and she''s not leaving. You should accept that."


    ''Stay!, stay where? That bitch has to go because this is my family not hers.'' She thought.


    Ruth had no idea how to react to her brother''s words, she couldn''t tell whether he was comforting her or rebuking her. She had been expecting him to comfort her and simply agree with him, not give unnecessary advise.


    Either way she smiled softly, Collin was her backup plan and the only person in the Mayfair family that she could use as she had him firmly wrapped around her fingers. It was best to play smart and look at the big picture.


    "You are right brother, i could have handled the situation better. I will apologize to our parents and Phoebe later, this situation will never occur again."


    Her perfunctory pretentious answer satisfied Collin and he stayed, accompanying her through breakfast before leaving for work at the company.


    At around nine o''clock as Ruth was relaxing in the living room reading through a magazine with her feet dancing, when Oman their butler announced the arrival of a Mr. Saxon.


    She jumped up to her feet in delight but the broad welcoming smile on her face quickly fell when Dickson came forth and not David as she wished.


    He smiled mockingly and knowingly after seeing that look of disappointment on her face.


    "Why are you here?" She rudely asked as she slept back on the white chaise lounge sofa.


    Dickson had come to find out the identity of the real Mayfair heiress, his spy was still adamant to reveal that part. He also didn''t plan on revealing this truth to Ruth as it had not been made public.


    "You my dear," he smiled, "You were released from the hospital so i came to check on you. Oh and I heard a rumor that there is a new family member living here, its only courteous that I make acquaintance."


    He looked around curiously, hoping to catch a glimpse of the true Mayfair heiress before deciding which of the two women he would choose.


    His words compelled Ruth to sit up quickly. She couldn''t believe that rumors had began to circulate already. Nevertheless, she had no plans to confirm the rumors.


    "Oh! Her? She''s my long distant cousin that came from the countryside. Don''t trouble yourself making her acquaintance as she is a bumpkin anyway." Her face folded to form a disgusted expression.


    Before Dickson could respond grandma Mayfair came out of nowhere.


    "That''s a big fat lie, Phoebe is my real grand child, how dare you have the audacity to tell such a lie Ruth? Is that what you think of your sister?"

 Chapter 137 Not alone.

    Tension engulfed the air, it could not be avoided. Ruth bit her lip as she had been caught in the lie and she had no idea what to say or how to defend herself. Worse still, grandma Mayfair had directly destroyed her lie and revealed that Phoebe was her granddaughter.


    Ruth was quite the clever schemer and her mind came up with a solution to get herself out of the fire.


    She softened her tone and smiled playfully. "Grandma, i was just joking. Of course i don''t think that Phoebe my beloved best friend and sister is a bumpkin. I was just trying to hide her identity in case someone with bad intentions tries to take advantage of her.


    You know that she did not grow up in our circles, as word of her existence spreads, there are so many rich young men that will approach her for all sorts of reasons. I have known Dickson for many years, but i do not trust him completely. I do not want him to meet my younger sister without checking his intentions first."


    Ruth walked to Jennie and shook her arm while talking coquettishly, "Mom, you understand me, right? I have nothing but good intentions. Even if it was my brothers here, they would all hide the truth and feel him out first."


    Jennie''s body relaxed and she smiled, it sounded like a perfectly plausible explanation. Grandma Mayfair didn''t believe it however, not in the least bit. Calling Phoebe a country bumpkin was a little overboard. Ruth was clearly lying, and the more she saw this side to her, the more she terrified her.


    "I am going to rest in my room, Jennie, wake me up when the others return."


    Jennie extracted her arm from Ruth and escorted the old lady to her bedroom to rest. Ruth was left behind seething in anger and clenching her fists. I need to get rid of that old woman sooner rather than later, she thought.


    Dickson excused himself and left, he had a name and that was a start. He would share his observations with his mother.


    *******************


    IBORG CITY


    Phoebe and her group had found their way to a door leading down to a direct path that led to the treasure they were seeking.


    The reason for this was because she recalled an incident from her past life. In this exact place, there was an explosion and three days later seven dead bodies had been discovered by firemen that were clearing out the structure. According to the news, all the bodies were stabbed or shot, making it a murder case. No treasures had been discovered at all.


    In fact, not even the skeletal remains of the dead soldiers had been found. Things were different now because the dead soldiers ghost had come to find her but the matter to do with the dead bodies made her suspicious. What if someone knew about the treasures before and deliberately caused the explosion in order to retrieve them.


    "I am here, what worries you when i can handle anything? If there are grave robbers down there, i will just throw some sleeping dust in their faces and voila!" The Saxon spirit assured her.


    With it''s assurance, Phoebe felt much more confident to venture down. "Everyone, we don''t know what we are walking into, be careful."


    From her backpack, Phoebe handed them all head flash lights, she expected the place to get darker the more they went inside. On top of that, she stuck protection talismans onto their backs and then they ventured into the basement.


    She needed to warn Amon just in case something nefarious was going on and she got the radios which had been handed to them.


    "Amon are you there? Over"


    "Yeah, Pheebs what''s up? Over"


    "What exactly did they say caused the seal to break? Ask Micheal once again. Over."


    After a few seconds Amon told Phoebe that Micheal said that all they heard was a blast, the ground shook and a cracked appeared.


    "Why? Is something suspicious to you? Over." Amon asked.


    "Not sure, just watch your six, we don''t know if we have company down here."


    Phoebe didn''t know what to say, she couldn''t tell him that she had knowledge of the future and maybe grave robbers had gone down before they arrived. She didn''t have proof anyway.


    Andre looked at her and asked if something was wrong. "Let''s go in already." He pointed his index finger at the go down stairs.


    Phoebe slapped more talismans on all of their backs. "In case we run into evil ghosts." she clarified.


    She saw the fear in her father''s eyes and patted his arm in comfort. "Do you want to stay?"


    "No way." he shook his head. What kind of father hung back and watched his daughter venture into danger?


    He feigned bravely and lifted his trembling legs. "Let''s go."


    Step by step, they began to go down the stairs, it took some time to get to the bottom. The stairs were stony and old, riddled with pot holes and cracks. The air smelled stale and moldy.


    "How come the others didn''t know about these stairs?" Edward asked.


    "This entrance was blocked by a wall that was put up when they attempted to resurrect the old governor''s mansion in his honor. However, the family decided to sell the land to the city and then the stadium was constructed. They poured concrete and built over the stairs and basement. I guess people forgot all about it as it happened very many years ago." Phoebe explained as they went deeper.


    Some of these things she knew from knowledge acquired in school and others the revelations made by the police after the bodies were found.


    The deeper underground they went, the narrower the steps became and when they stopped they came to the entrance of a cave. Maybe she was seeing things but it seemed like stones and rocks had been carefully paved out of the way. She sighed heavily and swallowed hard.


    The others noticed it as well, the big stones and rocks were pulled to each side. There was even a candy wrapper on the ground, a candy that did not exist in the 1700''s.


    "We have company." David whispered.


    "I feel human presence, other than you people. There are other people here." The Saxon spirit also shared with Phoebe.


    "How many?" Phoebe communicated through her thoughts.


    "About ten."


    Ten was a bigger number than she hoped it would be. Just in case they run into these grave robbers, there was a possibility that things would go south. It was best to call the soldiers ahead of time.


    "Amon come in, over."


    "I am here, over."


    "We took another route, there are stairs that lead to the go down behind the pantry in the kitchen and I think that we aren''t the only people here, i am one hundred percent certain that there are grave robbers seeking for the treasure, Over."


    "Phoebe, stay where you are, i am coming there now, it''s a dead end this side, over."


    "What do you mean by wait? We need to find the treasures before they do." Andre excitedly run ahead of them like an idiot with his camera.


    To him, the talismans Phoebe had slapped on his back where enough to protect him. If they could send Amon and his bells flying back then, what were a few ordinary grave robbers?


    "Andre wait!" Edward called his son but his stubborn son increased his pace.


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 Chapter 138 Meeting grave robbers.

    "That damn idiot." David whispered and he took off quickly, getting ahead of Phoebe and Edward.


    He had suddenly remembered an incident related to the collapse of this stadium and the subsequent murders. Andre was Phoebe''s brother, if something happened to him down here she would blame herself.


    He was the first to catch up with Andre, crushing straight face first into the other''s back. Phoebe and Edward caught up with them and everyone froze because they found Andre standing with his hands high up in surrender.


    His camera had fallen down to the ground and his face was pale. An agitated burly man with a scruffy beard was pointing a gun at him.


    "Uurrgghh!! How many of you are there?" The man waved the gun from side to side, quite agitated. "Come closer, all of you, stand in one line with your hands up just like him." Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    There were other men down there and nobody knew how many guns they had. They were very terrified, especially Edward and Andre that had never encountered such a situation before. Would Phoebe''s talismans be strong enough to stop a bullet?


    "Don''t worry, i am here." Phoebe told them.


    They all lined up accordingly, hoping that the soldiers would arrive soon and save them. Phoebe''s eyes moved around in an effort to study the surroundings. There were old human skeletons dispersed all over the place. She could recognize pieces of ruined clothing that was similar to the one the soldiers that she had fed in the cafe were wearing.


    Mixed in with the bones were treasures being plundered by the men that Phoebe had dubbed grave robbers. They certainly had the equipment and looks.


    So many old shiny things that were worth quite the fortune. Her eyes paused however, when she sported another uniform, it was blue in color.


    "Hey Saxon spirit, the uniform of Eagle country soldiers is blue, right?" Phoebe communicated through her thoughts.


    A mixture of such uniforms here worried her, it was possible that the malicious ghosts were closer to them than they thought.


    "Yes blue and black if I can recall correctly, can you feel them? They are here somewhere and they aren''t hungry for food but for human souls, these are demons in the making." The spirit confirmed.


    Phoebe heaved as frustration set in. "Bloody hell?" She whispered. Demons was never a good word in her line of work, it meant more trouble than she wanted to deal with.


    "Phoebe all you have to do is burn those bones, the ghost energy will help you identify which remains belong to who. Be careful, i can sense real evil here, stay where you are first and don''t touch anything." It''s words harbored a strong warning.


    Telling Phoebe not to touch anything in the presence of these treasures was like telling a cat to stop itself from eating meat.


    Connie shuddered. "Why spirit? What about the treasure in the rubble?"


    "You heard the words demon Connie, demons in the making. Anyway why haven''t the evil spirits left yet?" Phoebe asked as she watched masked men pick up gold and silver coins that was scattered allover.


    They had sacks in which all the found treasures were stowed.


    "That''s because in the middle of the rubble are very precious magical stones that were gathered from the temple if i have to guess. They must have been given to the soldiers for protection by a priest or someone that understood their value. The stones together formed a protective shield that prevented evil from escaping.


    The shield is still up but if these good for nothing grave robbers mess with those stones, it will be broken and you can imagine the rest. I am going to throw sleeping dust at them and get this over with quickly."


    The spirit floated up to leave Phoebe''s side.


    "Wait." she called out.


    It was too puzzling that a group of ordinary grave diggers came on their own to this place. Then again, with guns, they were not that ordinary.


    "How did they know about this place? It''s been hundreds of years since these things were buried down here so why now?" Phoebe wondered.


    The inaudible conversation was interrupted by the man who prodded Andre with the gun.


    "I asked how many of you are there?" He shouted so loud that particles odd saliva escaped from his mouth, falling onto Andre''s very precious face.


    The woman who was studying the skeletons stood up, took off her gloves and handed them to a thin man wearing glasses.


    "Calm down Axe, i am sure that they must be here filming something. This is Andre Mayfair, the actor, the rest of them must be part of his crew."


    She pointed at the camera and moved closer, studying them. David''s hair was covered and he had dirt on his face so he was barely recognizable. Edward too could not be recognized while Phoebe was not famous despite having graced social media unwillingly for a while.


    Apparently, even with the hat on his head and in such poor lighting, Andre could be recognized. His face was that memorable, or the woman was a hard core fan.


    She walked closer and observed them slowly. "I am Lorraine Bettam, and you have stumbled on our little operation. Unfortunately you have seen our faces and that means that we cannot let you go that easily. How did you know that there was a go down leading here?"


    The woman was dressed in cargo pants with many pockets, a black shirt and a brown vest over the shirt. She had a gun tucked into the waist band of her pants and an arrogant smile on her face. As she talked, she caressed the butt of the gun to frighten them.


    The criss cross scar on her jaw line was actually more frightening than everything else about her. It told of a story, a scary story of survival.


    Phoebe was not frightened and naturally spoke for everyone as she was the one that had brought them down there. "I can ask you the same thing, why are you here in the first place? There are evil spirits here, trapped for now but if you keep moving things, you are going to unleash them."


    Her words were accompanied by a weird cold wind and a howl which spooked most of the people there, causing the hair on the backs of their necks to stand.


    Some of the grave robbers became tense, they were used to digging up ordinary graves of wealthy people and not mass graves like this. This job had come with a lot of money, the rich man had told them that it was nothing complicated all they had to do was collect treasure and take a whooping 25% at the end of the day. He had not mentioned all of the skeletons.


    Grave robbers were not careless, they also visited churches and temples before each job. Nobody wanted a ghost or something following them home.


    "See what I told you Timmy, the great seer told us not to take the job but Lorraine insisted. Lady who are you?" A slim guy came to stand beside Lorraine and pointed his trembling index finger at Phoebe.


    Phoebe tilted her head, "Me? I am a shaman and also a seer. You should have listened to your seer because you came here looking for death, it''s written on your faces, your death."


    Her spooky words and the soft velvet like quality of her voice suddenly spooked everyone. It became worse as the cold increased and that howling cry was heard again.


    The beefy man with the gun walked forward fast. "You will die first bitch." He cocked the gun.


    The three men dashed to protect Phoebe but David was faster, he stood before her and took off the mask and hat. He believed that if they recognized who he was they could hold back.


    "Kill a Saxon and your entire generation will be wiped out." He threatened

 Chapter 139 A treasonous family.

    It was a gamble, David knew but he took it anyway because there was no way he was going to allow Phoebe to die again. He would much rather take the bullet for her.


    "I have never killed a Saxon before but i am sure that nobody will be coming after us as long as your body is never found." Lorraine declared arrogantly.


    She got her gun and placed the barrel of David''s chest. Looking into his eyes, she licked her bottom lip and smiled.


    "Aah, there is one more treasure here, those wonderful white hairs on your head."


    The large man, Axe chuckled as if it was so funny.


    Laughter suddenly came from a dark corner and every eye turned that way. A short blonde fully haired man adorned in an eye catching expensive silk shirt with floral patterns came forth, revealing his face.


    "Saxon!! I will be damned, i didn''t think that you would be the kind to get your hands dirty by digging through the ground for wealth. You should have introduced yourself first and told us that you wanted some of the treasure for yourself. Everyone stand down."


    The man was Arnold Dewayne, a descendant of the treasonous governor. He stretched his hand to greet David who snubbed him. He was clearly in disagreement with what Arnold was doing.


    The man took out a small pistol and aimed it at David. "How dare you act high and mighty in front of me? Well this treasure belongs to my ancestor after all and i don''t plan to share. David Saxon, you and your friends can go to hell."


    Phoebe had successfully identified the one in charge of the grave robbing ring and she figured it was time to wrap things up.


    "Now." Phoebe told the ghosts.


    The ghosts blew sleeping dust in the faces of the grave robbers and they all fell to the ground one by one. Phoebe sprung into action, not waiting. She grabbed a few coins, gold and silver ones that had fallen on the ground.


    Her actions shocked the men who were still reeling from what they could only deem as a near death experience. They could not believe how calm and composed she was or she was quickly sweeping up treasures as if she was on a marathon. She was even faster than the grave robbers themselves.


    David started disarming the robbers just in case one of them woke up suddenly and decided to touch that trigger. Edward bent down to catch his breath and control his shivering while Andre picked up his camera and walked forward to record the loot without capturing his thieving sister.


    "Here." The Saxon spirit tossed a small box into the air. Phoebe leaped up and caught it, and she put it away in her bag.


    In reality, she sent it to the magical space just like most of the things she was touching.


    "The soldiers will be here in five seconds."


    Phoebe run back to the side of her father, pulling Andre with her. Barely a second later, Amon, the general and heavily armed soldier''s appeared, brandishing their weapons and announcing their presence heavily.


    Phoebe and group made way, exposing the grave robbers.


    "Who are these?" Amon kicked Axe who was nearest to his feet.


    "That is Arnold Dewayne, he was here to apparently claim his ancestors treasure." Phoebe spoke sarcastically so helpful in volunteering the information.


    It was funny to her how the man had made a ridiculous claim yet it was his ancestor that led to the death of so many people.


    The general laughed mockingly. "That''s ridiculous, initially I was going to suggest that we keep what we know under wraps just to protect the honor of the Dewayne family but now it believe that the country deserves to know who the traitor was. A whole bunch of treasonous folks is what they are."


    Like his nephew Amon, the general kicked Dewayne with contempt on his face.


    Amon approached and asked if Phoebe was okay but before she could respond David spoke up.


    "Of course she is okay, that''s my role to worry about, not yours." He swerved Amon''s hand away from Phoebe''s shoulders.


    In response Amon chuckled and rested his hands on his waist, looking around at the bones and surviving treasures mixed together.


    "So this wasn''t an earthquake like the original report said, this idiot and his criminal gang blew up the place for a few damn treasures."


    The general chortled. "A few? Come on son, look at that!! We are going to place these in the museums and the national treasury is going to get richer when all this gold is added into it. I am sure that there is a lot of it still here." He signaled his men to remove the rubble that was still blocking the path.


    "No sir! My daughter says that it shouldn''t be moved." Edward rushed and stood in front of the soldiers that were moving forward.


    In his mind, he had experienced enough adventure for the day, evil spirits did not need to be added to the list. He was all but ready to grab his children and hightail it out of the cave.


    The general used his hand to stop his men.


    "Why not?" He was not one that liked his authority to be undermined especially by civilians but Edward Mayfair wasn''t an ordinary civilian, he could cause significant havoc and shake some people in the government if he wanted to.


    Amon pulled his uncle to the side. "Uncle, have you forgotten about the other reason why the special team is here? We can feel them down there, clamoring for souls, bursting with evil intent."


    By we he was referring to himself and the other ghost catchers and exorcists. Many of them were itching to get started and had their weapons drawn, not just bells but swords, wooden staffs and even a fan in Rekha''s hands.


    His voice was low but sober, it was too risky to ignore his words. The general hailed from the Drusus family, he knew of the ghost catching talents some family members possessed, however he had orders from his superiors and that was to secure all the fortune and remains of the fallen soldiers of Fog country.


    He was more worried about the treasures being destroyed in the fight which would ensue. Evil ghosts did not exactly vanish obediently.


    The general turned and faced Phoebe who was watching him like a hawk.


    "How about you ghost hunting folks get rid of the evil guys as we get the treasure out, that''s a win-win for everybody." He tried to reason with them.


    His words brought about a debate for most soldiers laughed sarcastically, they couldn''t believe that the general believed the bullshit.


    "Come on Sir!!! Let''s just get the jewels and get out of here, i am yet to see one ghost with my naked eyes." Said the team captain.


    His words elicited laughter from the group, not until he began to float in the air. Suddenly the laughing soldiers went quiet, trembled and some even run out there.


    "Put him down, they get the point." Phoebe told the Saxon spirit that was lifting the now unconscious soldier.


    Rekha had been quietly staring at them wondering why this was even up for debate, she walked forward and stood in front of the general. "Listen Sir, with all due respect, you are familiar with these things. If you carelessly move a single thing in this place, it will be like opening Pandora''s box. Listen to your nephew." Her words were exactly what all the special soldiers were thinking.


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 Chapter 140 So not good.

    The general sighed and ordered his soldiers to return to the surface and wait patiently until he gave the order for them to return and start on the retrieval mission.


    "Be careful Amon, the national seal must be damaged, it''s worth over ten billion. That money will come from your pockets if the seal does not come out intact." he warned before leaving.


    Edward sighed in relief and he gestured at Phoebe and Andre, his children. They needed to leave as well, whatever Phoebe had grabbed was enough. He even used his hands to grab their hands, preparing to drag them along like a father taking two stubborn toddlers away from an amusement park against their will.


    As they all turned to leave, they heard something being moved and felt the ground tremble so they turned around.


    One of the soldiers for some reason had disobeyed a direct command from the general and not left but rather stayed behind. While everyone had been relaxing gradually, he had inched forward bit by bit and now he was standing there, holding a large red pigeon sized ruby in his hands with a demented smile on his face.


    Unknowingly, he had also just destroyed the protective shield entirely. Suddenly the fire lit torches which the grave robbers had been using went out. The cave would have been plunged into darkness were it not for the headlamps attached to the hats everyone was wearing on their heads.


    Those lights however started to flicker, and inhumane whisper like noises started coming from different directions___, above, below and to the sides. A pungent smell suddenly wafted into the cave out of nowhere as if someone had opened a bucket with hundreds of rotten eggs.


    "This is not good." someone whispered.


    Of course it''s not good, that idiot has just opened up a path for at least a hundred starving evil ghosts that have been looking for a way out for hundreds of years, Phoebe wanted to say. She didn''t say it, she didn''t want to spook anymore than they already were.


    With the way her father was clutching on to her arm, he was about to faint at any moment. Even Andre was freaking out, his arms were trembling and David''s face was all dark. He had a gun in his hand and he was pointing it ahead, aiming uselessly since ordinary bullets could not kill ghosts anyway.


    Phoebe didn''t know why everyone was still standing around, especially the ghost catchers. Now was the time to act, the ghosts were still unaware that they had been released.


    "Salt now." Phoebe barked.


    Amon let out a loud frustrated growl and those with special abilities immediately scampered, running around to block every possible exit and trap the evil ghosts. Nobody cared about the treasures, all they cared about was how to contain the evil.


    Phoebe opened her bag and started throwing out talismans. As they touched the ground, the cave became lighter because each emitted enough light to brighten up the room.


    Then, she got more talismans and staffed them in the hands of the men.


    "Slap them onto the walls." she instructed.


    Other ghost catchers were already doing that anyway, slapping their own talismans which they came with onto the wall of the cave. Others were creating a protective circle with the salt and some were already chanting spells and shaking their bells.


    Phoebe bumped into someone and she looked up to see Rekha who was already reading from a book, commanding the path to purgatory to open up. In order to help the ghost catchers, Phoebe started burning some incense as well as she stepped back.


    She gestured at Edward, Andre and David to step back then and allow the ghost catchers to get to work.


    "If you are scared, look away." she told them.


    It was not easy seeing a ghost being dragged away to purgatory, the experience did not leave one the same. It certainly forced you to have a rethink of your life choices. For some, it gave nightmares for days, weeks and even years.


    Many high pitched wails filled the cave, sharp enough to burst an eardrum. Phoebe opened her bag and got the large furry pair of headsets she had in her bag and gave them to her father.


    "Dad, cover your ears." she encouraged.


    "You." he said in turn, asking her to cover her ears.


    She shook her head. "I am used to such things, you are not." she assured him.


    Edward hesitated for a few seconds and then accepted them gladly and covered his ears. Listening to Connie''s selection of girly pop music was better than the cries of a hundred ghosts. Phoebe had noise cancelling headphones too and she handed them to Andre. He shook his head, rejecting them. As scared as he was, he was frustrated and he wanted to capture every single moment.


    David was a puzzle to Phoebe, he didn''t seem to be scared. In fact, he just kept following her around like a puppy and using his hand to shove her back if one of the ghost catchers came too close.


    The reason why he kept trying to shield her is because the battle inside the cave was also physical. As some ghosts tried to escape, they had to be beaten back by whatever weapons the ghost catchers had.


    "Well, they seem to have everything covered." The Saxon spirit commented.


    Phoebe had to agree, the ghost catchers were moving in sync like highly trained special soldiers that had done this many times before.


    They were even more impressive when they climbed up the walls of the cave in ways normal humans could not or how high they flew up to grab the ghosts that wanted to escape through cracks in the cave.


    "Woah!" Andre gasped.


    To his astonished eyes, they were like stuntmen without any protective gear or natural laws holding their bodies down. What kind of training did these people put their bodies through to be able to do such maneuvers?


    "This is so cool." He gushed.


    Phoebe scoffed a little, thinking that Andre was either too simple minded or an idiot. Had he quickly forgotten that the cool people were fighting evil spirits and not acting a fictional movie?


    "They are actually practitioners." the Saxon spirit observed. "I didn''t think practitioners were still in existence, does this mean sects still exit too?"


    Everything that it was mentioning was all new information to Phoebe''s ears. She had not heard about practitioners and sects before. What were they? Was it something like cultivation which she had read about in fantasy novels? Was she going to encounter people that split mountains apart with the flick of a finger? What about the ones that flew on swords?


    "Your mind really goes to weird places." The Saxon spirit shoved Phoebe''s head and laughed at her.


    Phoebe sighed and pulled her father and David to sit down.


    "We should sit down, it''s going to take at least an hour for them to finish." S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She didn''t bother with Andre, he was completely mesmerized by the ghost catchers. If she asked him to sit down he would probably turn her down.


    "Let''s discuss practitioners." She communicated to the spirit. "Is it magic?"

 Chapter 141 A taste of history.

    "We can discuss those things later, for now you need to help those guys out. The red ruby, something much more dangerous is hiding inside. You need to take a mirror and hold it over the ruby, trap that thing and send it away. " The spirit encouraged her.


    "What is it?" she asked curiously.


    What else could be more dangerous than the evil ghosts being banished?


    "The evil spirit of the greedy governor, he is waiting for one moment for an opportunity to possess the body of the soldier that was drawn to the ruby and almost caused a disaster."


    Phoebe took a deep breath and she got up calmly. In her magical space, she had everything, including small round shaped mirror that she got from her bag. She injected some energy into it and slowly weaved her way through the ghost catchers that were settling down as half of the ghosts had been dealt with.


    She was careful not to distract them as she located the ruby and squatted down. Without touching the ruby, she held the mirror over it. Immediately, some dark energy dashed out of the ruby and went straight into the mirror.


    Phoebe raised the mirror and smiled arrogantly at the black mass inside which didn''t even have a shape. It had strength though, and it was trying to break the mirror.


    "Ha! what an idiot." she smirked. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Immediately, she cast a ghost binding spell over the mirror, trapping the governor''s evil spirit inside permanently.


    The subsequent howl of anguish and pain that came from inside the mirror satisfied her deeply.


    Following the instructions of the Saxon spirit, she tossed it into the same direction as the ghosts that were on their way to purgatory.


    Her work was not finished yet as she had promised the dead soldiers a state burial. Their bones needed to be separated from those of the enemy. With the help of the Saxon spirit and the helpful hands of the three men that came with her, she set out on a mission of identifying them and putting them aside.


    When the ghost catchers finished eradicating the ghosts, they joined her to finish that job. All the surviving bones of the Fog country soldiers were carried out. The ones belonging to the Eagle country soldiers were gathered to one corner, salt was poured on them and they were set on fire at Amon''s command.


    By the time the general and his soldiers returned to start on the treasure retrieval mission, smoke was quite heavy in the air.


    "Amon!!" he ground out.


    Amon was standing next to the entrance with Rekha next to Phoebe and company, a big accomplished smile on his face.


    "We didn''t touch your treasures uncle."


    "You started a fire, are you crazy?" The exasperated general responded. "What if you set these precious things on fire?"


    He looked at his soldiers were working slowly and carefully like old women who had all day.


    "Stop dawdling as if you have no strength, you are soldiers of Fog country, carry these things out quickly as if it''s your wedding night and you are escorting your new wife to the bed chamber." he commanded, loudly.


    The cave reverberated with his command and the soldiers loudly responded to his command.


    "Yes sir." they barked.


    Their speed increased hastily and they stopped caring about what condition the treasures in. They stuffed things into sacks and boxes at a high speed.


    While the general was smiling proudly, Amon wanted to hide his face in shame. What was wrong with his uncle and his language? Escorting your new bride to the bed chamber!!


    "Sir, the national seal is intact." A soldier reported to the general.


    It was presented to him and everyone turned their heads to see what it looked like. Phoebe, who happened to be the shortest in the group had to stand on tiptoes to peek but that didn''t help.


    In the end, she didn''t get to see it and she settled on sulking while David chuckled at her.


    He ruffled her hair and consoled her, "It''s okay shortie, i will take you to have a look when it''s on display in one of the national museums."


    Phoebe hissed at him in response. Normally, she would have a sharp retort in response but she had been up for so many hours that her brain was on a freeze.


    "I saw you do a ghost binding spell." Rekha poked Phoebe on the shoulder and commented.


    Phoebe nodded. "Dewayne''s evil spirit was attached to the red ruby. I imprisoned him in the mirror so that even in purgatory, he cannot move. He will be trapped in there forever."


    "And you say you are not a ghost catcher." Rekha scoffed.


    Punishing evil ghosts was ghost catcher territory, Phoebe was a ghost catcher, whether she admitted it or not.


    "Are you all members of the same sect?" Phoebe asked Rekha.


    She had observed how familiar and in sync the ghost catchers on this mission were with other. She jumped to the conclusion that they belonged to the same group or trained together often. Since the Saxon spirit had mentioned a sect, she decided to test the waters.


    The woman nodded. "We are members of the first sect that was started by some people from the first founding families. The members of the sect had a duty to protect the world from unknown forces of darkness that could ruin it. In due time, the sect lost momentum as some people broke away and formed their own sects, others ended their involvement in all supernatural related activities and chose to live normal lives, like the Mayfairs." she deliberately mentioned their family since they were there.


    Her eyes moved to David and she added, "The Saxons too."


    Edward, Andre and David were all surprised by this information. This was a piece of their family history which they had no idea about. Phoebe had a clue about the Saxons because of the magical space and the Saxon spirit. The Mayfairs having ghost catching ancestors was a surprise to her too.


    Andre pointed at Rekha and exclaimed loudly, "Wait, so we used to do cool shit like this."


    He really couldn''t believe it that he had ancestors that did what he had seen the ghost catchers doing. Why did they give it up? Who were these ancestors and what were their names? He had so many questions and he was going to look for answers when they got home.


    Rekha slapped his finger away, covered her mouth and yawned loudly.


    "This was really draining, damn grave robbers." she muttered. In a louder voice, she told Andre, "Get answers on your own superstar, i am leaving, our work here is done." She yawned again.


    Out of the blue, she hugged Phoebe and then walked away without bidding anyone else farewell. Phoebe yawned too, and she shuffled her feet.


    "Dad, we should go too, i am really tired."


    On hearing her soft voice, Edward didn''t delay and he took the bag in her hands and threw it to Andre while giving him a scathing look.


    He put his hands around Phoebe''s shoulders and led her out of the cave. "Let''s go princess, let''s go home."

 Chapter 142 Competitors.

    Phoebe was too sleepy and tired to stand on her feet or walk so when they reached the Mayfair home, she had to be carried into the house by her father.


    They had been gone for almost an entire day and the sun was about to set when they arrived. The anxious family members, particularly Jennie and old lady Mayfair welcomed them inside personally.


    "How is she?" Grandma Mayfair was particularly interested in Phoebe.


    Her heart was distressed for her granddaughter that had to be burdened with the task of helping ghosts at the expense of her personal well being. From the stories Andre had shared with her, she needed to confirm that they were all back safe and unharmed.


    It skipped the old lady''s mind that Phoebe had willingly run to Iborg city because she wanted to grab some of the treasures, not necessarily because of the ghosts.


    "She is sleeping like a baby." Edward proudly displayed a lightly snoring Phoebe that was in his arms.


    "You all look terrible!!!" Jennie whispered as she did not want to wake Phoebe up. Her eyes could not miss the dirt on their clothes or the smell of smoke which clung to them heavily.


    "What exactly did you do in that city?"


    "We battled with evil mother, it was terrifying but at least those good soldiers are going to be given a state burial this Saturday. I would show you our adventure but my footage was captured by the general." Andre exhaled noisily through pursed angry lips.


    He had worked so hard to get such authentic footage, it was not fair that the general stole the fruits of his labor.


    "I can narrate everything to you however, i remember it all. First, we were confronted by gun wielding grave robbers..."


    Jennie gasped, and she looked at them with worry. "Guns!, oh my God....." she croaked out and trembled, scared at the thought of what could have possibly been a disastrous ending.


    Grandma Mayfair could see that spark in Andre''s eyes and she knew that he would no doubt keep them all there and recount the adventure but when she looked at Phoebe, she couldn''t bear for her granddaughter to be woken up even by accident.


    "Why don''t you tell us all about it later Andre. You all must be tired, go on and freshen up for now. If you want to eat before going to bed, food had been prepared. Edward, let''s get Phoebe to bed."


    Andre snapped out of it when he heard her mentioning Phoebe being taken to bed.


    "Yes, father, let''s send Phoebe to bed."


    He extended his arms to carry her but his father rejected the help and carried Phoebe to the bedroom personally, escorted by all of them. Carefully, he put her on the bed, grandma and Jennie took off her shoes.


    "I will wipe her body with warm water mother, you should go and rest." Jennie was eager to help make her daughter comfortable.


    While her husband had to compete with their son Andre for Phoebe''s attention, she had to compete with her mother-in-law for her daughter''s time and affection.


    "Go and help your husband, i will help Phoebe." Grandma Mayfair told her daughter-in-law.


    Phoebe was unaware of all this, she was out like a lamp and she didn''t even wake up when her body was cleaned personally by her grandmother.


    When the old lady left, the ghosts stepped out of the magical space to inspect the room.With Ruth under the same roof as Phoebe, they could not overlook anything.


    The Saxon spirit walked to the large ancient dressing mirror which had been taken out of the magical space. It was an antique with little symbols curved into the bronze edges and it''s purpose was more than just a looking mirror. It was a special mirror that had been spelled to show the past, present and future.


    The spirit injected some energy into the mirror and an image of the past appeared. It was none other than Ophelia and she was walking around in Phoebe''s room sneakily, like a thief.


    Above the door was a hanging talisman of protection that had been activated. To the normal human eye, there was nothing but the ghosts and Phoebe could see it. It glowed red if someone with ill intentions passed by it.


    "Thank God sister Phoebe put up measures to protect herself, you can never tell what that witch is planning." Connie''s pupils dilated as she scanned the room for anything suspicious.


    The Saxon spirit stretched its hands, whitish energy emanated from its hands and spread throughout the entire room.


    "There it is." sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Since Ophelia had touched quite a few things and searched many places in the room, they needed to know what exactly she had done.


    The lower bedside drawer open, Connie dashed and peeped inside but there were only tampons and lingerie, nothing seemed strange at all. At least not until the pads flew out and a single piece of jewelry came into view.


    Judging from the artistic design and appearance, it was expensive brooch. It was a Mayfair family heirloom that had been passed down to the Mayfair women.


    "This evil maid put this here because she wants Phoebe to get into trouble, well not on my watch."


    The Saxon spirit wasted no time for it returned the favor by taking the brooch and putting it in Ophelia''s belongings. Unsatisfied, it even took some of Phoebe''s own jewelry and hid it in various spots in Ophelia''s bedroom.


    "We need to tell sister about it tomorrow morning."


    Connie slept besides Phoebe with a plan to protect her more carefully hence forth.


    *******


    Dickson''s hand rummaged through a bag of banana chips, his head was whirling with thoughts of the future. If he made one wrong move then his bright carefully planned future was doomed.


    Suddenly he felt warm hands massage his shoulders.


    "What has my son wrapped up in his thoughts, tell mommy all your worries dear." Margaret pinched his ear.


    He took her hand and requested her to sit for there was something that she needed to know.


    "Is it about the Mayfair heiress?" Margaret made herself comfortable in a sofa opposite to the one he was sitting in.


    Dickson nodded. "Ruth mentioned that her new sister was her best friend. I have done all my research and the surprising true Mayfair heiress is Phoebe Gabriel or Hopkins or whatever. I guess its Phoebe Mayfair now."


    "What!!" Margaret gasped as she covered her mouth with her hand. "Are you certain?"


    That was the name of David''s shaman girlfriend, she knew it by heart because she had been keeping her fingers crossed and hoping David married that woman.


    Dickson nodded continuously. "It has been confirmed with DNA tests. She has been moved into the Mayfair mansion and old lady Mayfair has been spending a lot of time at the black ghost cafe."


    "And what''s that?" Margaret looked at him quizzically.


    "Mother please keep up!! Phoebe is a shaman and her place of work is The Black Ghost Cafe. She is David''s girlfriend.....fuck!!" he threw away the bag of banana chips out of anger, hurling it at the wall with maximum force.

 Chapter 143 The world of the supernatural.

    "Calm down." Margaret sternly told him.


    She didn''t understand why her son was always too emotional, thinking of little obstacles as large mountains that could not be moved. Nothing was going to stand in their way of getting the heiress not even David.


    "She is David''s girlfriend, not his wife. As long as she is not married to him, it''s not too late to turn the tides. In some cases, not even marriage can stop you if you are determined to get what you want.


    The girl is a shaman so it makes things even easier for us because Miranda will not accept her even if she is a Mayfair. You need to be wiser Dickson, do not put all our eggs in one basket, go after both of them and catch the bigger fish."


    A devilish smile formed on Dickson''s lips, and he cackled softly. As expected of his mother, she was an evil mastermind that could find a loop hole anywhere.


    *******************


    The fact that it rained from 01:00am in the night only made Phoebe to enjoy her sleep even more and her eyes were not opened until 6.30 the next day in the morning. She was accidentally woken by her mother who opened the door sneakily to check on her. Jennie had, sat on the bed and watched her, she shed a tear or two because Phoebe heard her snivel.


    After a few minutes she raised the fleece blanket to cover Phoebe''s shoulders and left.


    The moment the door was shut, Phoebe opened her eye and sat up. She wished that their was a way to relieve her mother of the guilt that she was still harboring deep inside. At what point was she going to stop crying and blaming herself?


    "That poor woman still blames herself for failing to notice that she wasn''t raising her daughter." Prominent lines formed between the Saxon spirit''s eyebrows as it spoke.


    "I don''t know how to help her anymore, i have told all of them that it wasn''t their fault and everyone else seems to have let it go except her." Phoebe tossed the blanket to the side and moved to the bathroom.


    "She''s a mother, child. You will only understand this when you become one yourself." The spirit followed her to the bathroom, sharing words that caused painful memories to return to Phoebe''s mind.


    In her previous life, she had been a twin mom, she would have done anything for her children. To this day she still felt responsible for their death although she wasn''t.


    "Now that i think about it, I do understand her actually. She is trying her best, maybe I need to get her something to lift her spirits, she needs to know that i am grateful to have her in my life." Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe took a shower, thinking about all the things she wanted to eat. Now that she was wide awake, her stomach was quick to remind her that it had not been fed since the previous day.


    "Sausages, vanilla orange waffles with cream, bacon__spiced bacon, sweet bacon, sweet and spicy bacon, soft warm fluffy buns, fried egg sandwich...."


    "Are you reciting a menu?" Connie popped out of the magic space. "Anyway, we have finished harvesting the vegetables." She informed Phoebe proudly.


    She had not done any of the work, Sylvester was the one that had harvested the vegetables and she was simply tugging onto his apron strings to look good.


    "Old ancestor, Have you told her about what happened while she was away?" Connie asked the spirit which shook its head in return.


    Phoebe who was dressing up asked what they were talking about. The two ghosts filled her in on what had happened. It made her sneer, of course she expected such a thing to happen.


    Ruth was stupid, and so was Ophelia, their tricks were the kind you would see in everyday dramas. Framing her as a thief was not original.


    "Ha-ha-ha, i cannot wait to see her face when she realizes that her stupid plan backfired." Phoebe continued to laugh.


    When she was done, she moved into the magic space to take a look at the vegetables and check on the treasures she had stolen. For each member of the family that had helped out on the case, she needed to give them something.


    She selected some of the gold and silver coins before moving to the box the spirit had personally picked out of all the treasures.


    "What''s in here?" she shook it.


    Phoebe thought she could have seen wrong but it seemed like the Saxon spirit went pale for a second. It''s empty eyes stared at the small wooden box in her hands with a look she couldn''t quite describe. Maybe it was pain, anguish, fear....she couldn''t tell, what was clear was that it was not joy.


    The box had strange writings on it and Phoebe recognized some of the symbols from the many books on the supernatural which the Saxon spirit made her read.


    "Lock, I recognize the word lock." she shared.


    She tried to pry the box open but nothing worked with her hands so she injected some energy into the box. She could could sense energy from it and it wasn''t the good kind.


    The Saxon spirit waved it''s hand and the box flew out of Phoebe''s hands and went to it.


    "In this box is a key, you do not need to know anything about it. Just make sure that it never leaves this place because whatever it opens should stay locked wherever it is."


    Since she had met the Saxon spirit on the day of her rebirth, not once had Phoebe ever seen the spirit unsettled. It''s like she read fear in it''s eyes, it''s words were more than a strong warning and she planned to take it seriously. All she wanted to do was help a few ghosts, get a long life span, make some money, travel the world and die a rich healthy old woman. So, if the key was trouble, she was staying away from it.


    In a bid to change the conversation, Phoebe asked about the practitioners. The Spirit had told her that it would tell her more about them.


    "You have been reborn Phoebe, you should know that there are so many things in the world that cannot be explained. Obviously you know that the supernatural world is real, so things like magicians, sorcerers and sorceresses, shamans, magicians, witches, warlocks and the likes are real. They are as real as ghosts, demons and angels.


    Practitioners are people that draw power from different sources enabling them to do things others cannot do. You saw the ghost catchers and their abilities, they can literally fly and climb walls with no support. The exorcists whose words and blood can send demons straight to hell, the alchemists in magic city. The celestial masters that read faces to determine your life or death, Seers that see the future, necromancers that raise the dead in some form.


    Some draw their power from the earth, others from the Gods they worship, there are those that draw power from special stones and artifacts, and some, the evil ones draw power from the living by stealing the life force of others or the dead."


    She looked at Phoebe, "You, from ghosts. You are also a practitioner; you just need to start practicing how to wield the power differently."

 Chapter 144 Its gone.

    Phoebe eagerly looked at the Saxon spirit. She had long been envious of it''s abilities to do different things with the snap of a finger. She on the other hand could not even lift something heavy from point A to point B without the help of the ghosts. She could not even create or breathe life into paper men. More importantly, she had zero shamanic skills and she relied on the Saxon spirit for everything.


    This was an opportunity for her to gain that abilities to rely on herself in case the spirit vanished one day.


    "It''s cultivation, right?" she clapped her hands excitedly.


    "Why do you keep calling it that? It''s....." The spirit sighed and let it go. Whatever she wanted to call it didn''t matter so much as putting to practice what she was taught.


    The spirit waved it''s hand and a book dropped into Phoebe''s hands. It was a large book with a plain gold cover. On the middle of the hard cover was an image of two rows of sharp teeth and a black tunnel between.


    "One drop of your blood between the rows of teeth." The spirit instructed.


    Phoebe got a silver pin from her hair, pricked her finger and squeezed out one drop of blood as instructed. The book floated out of her hands and the pages turned quickly as if wind was rifling through them. Suddenly, it stopped and fell back into her hands.


    She opened the first page and read, "The mysterious art of ghost cultivation."


    Smugly, she looked at the spirit. "I told you that it''s called cultivation."


    She sat down and flipped to the first page which included chapters. "Spirit absorption, Necromancy, astral projection, phasing, spectral manipulation, soul healing, spectral vision, ethereal defense, immortal elixir, perfected physique, regeneration....."


    Phoebe''s head spun, it was like she had been transported to a fantasy world like the ones she read about in novels, exactly.


    She flipped to another page elaborating on the first chapter. "Spirit absorption, the ability to absorb the essence of other spirits to increase your own power."


    Wide eyed, she realized that it was exactly what she did, she absorbed energy or essence from ghosts to increase her life span. If she had to guess, it was the same as power anyway.


    The spirit waved her hand and the book closed.


    "Pay attention to me, i am your teacher. One, you need to understand your body, you have what is known as a yin body which is why you can harness ghost energy efficiently."


    Phoebe was sitting rigidly with her back straight like a perfect student. She wanted to absorb all the knowledge which was being passed on by the spirit, but her very human body chose that moment to remind her that it needed to be fed.


    The Saxon spirit gave up momentarily on teaching.


    "Let''s go, you need to be stuffed with sweet and spicy bacon before you can understand anything."


    ************************************


    "The case of the cuckoos has taken a dark unexpected turn with the attempted murder of Lee Jakrapat, the son of Lee Kanarot, vice president of Kanarot steel. Sources inside the police claim that the recently returned to his true family Lee Jakrapat was pushed down the stairs by cuckoo Lee Horne during a fight and he injured his head severely.


    Lee Horne who has no blood ties to the Lee family has apparently been very reluctant to move away from the family which raised him since infant hood. As greed and jealousy rise to the surface in the case of the true blood children versus the cuckoos, should we be expecting more incidents like this? The details of this story are still thin at the moment and we will keep you updated as it develops." Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe switched off the television as she shook her head. There was no end to the cuckoo case, there probably would never be one as something new was heaped onto it with each passing day. With attempted murder being added to the list, the story was going to be sensationalized again.


    It had been a week since the Iborg city adventure and the cuckoos were still trending. She swept her hand over the table to pick up a gummy worm candy and an invitation fell down.


    Sylvester handed it to her and she looked at it while twisting her mouth back and forth. Through the week, invitations to the fallen heroic Fog soldier''s state burial had been passing around.


    The state had invited dignitaries from all over the world and very many important people were expected to be in attendance for the event.


    Army general Paul Drusus had even held a press conference where he briefed the country on most of the events that had happened. He left out the part about the particular soldier that failed to adhere to instructions given to him by his superior and almost caused a disaster. He was to be punished for the crime of disobedience of a command while on duty.


    The fact that governor Dewayne had been named as the traitor from hero was also making the rounds through the press. News that he led to the death of the soldiers directly left the citizens flabbergasted because he was one of the most adored heroes they had. The education ministry was already amending historical facts and correcting the wrong information.


    It only got worse when Arnold Dewayne was named as the person that blasted the Dewayne stadium in the bid to steal national treasures. The Dewayne family members had began to withdrawal from political offices while others opted to leave the country.


    Governor Dewayne''s statue in Iborg city had been pulled down by enthusiastic righteous citizens. The once worshiped Dewayne family was now ostracized as no one wanted to associate with them including the founding families society which had expelled them all.


    Phoebe put down the invitation card and she looked at Saxon spirit.


    "Do you think they are happy?"


    The spirit guessed that she was talking about the soldiers.


    "They must be, they were good men." she responded with comforting words. "Now, you need to pick a dress for the occasion, will you be wearing a white or black dress?"


    The D-day was tomorrow and all of the Mayfairs had been invited. Their contribution to this matter was quite large.


    All the women in the house were preparing themselves at that very moment. Jennie for one planned to look her very best, the women from all the founding families always liked to show off their wealth and family heirlooms during such occasions.


    She had bought a brand new perfect dress and then found the matching jewelry set. The only missing piece was one of the Mayfair family heirlooms-a pink butterfly brooch inlaid with diamonds and pure gold edges. It was worth about fifteen million dollars.


    Jennie was humming a kiddish rhyme while searching through the jewelry counter in the dressing room. Suddenly, she froze and let out an ear splitting scream. This lock box was empty, the piece of jewelry that had been passed down for generations was missing.


    Frantically, she pulled open every other box and looked through all the counters, but it was nowhere to be seen. She rushed out of her room and down the stairs, shouting her husband''s name.


    "Edward! It''s gone. I cannot find it!!" Jennie placed a hand to her chest as she informed her husband. "The pink butterfly is gone."

 Chapter 145 Flying accusations

    Because she was in such a hurry, Jenny almost fell down the stairs and Edward caught her just in time.


    It did not escape his ears what she had just shared through her shrills, the pink butterfly was missing.


    He helped his wife stand more steadily before quizzing her.


    "Have you checked well?"


    Frantically, Jenny nodded and she shook him as if she was experiencing a spasm. Eyes wide in fright like she had just seen a ghost, she nodded.


    "I checked everywhere Edward, it''s gone."


    The noise which Jennie made drew out everyone from different corners of the house. It was hard for her screams which were like those of a red fox not to attract attention.


    Grandma Mayfair was the first to comment, a big frown on her face since her peace had been disturbed. "What is the ruckus all about, are you trying to bring down the house Jennie?"


    Jennie abandoned Edward and run to her mother-in-law. She repeated the same words, loudly and frantically.


    "It''s gone, the pink butterfly is gone mother."


    The old woman was well aware of what the pink butterfly was, she was the one that passed it down to Jennie after all. The frown on her face deepened as the corners of her mouth turned downwards in displeasure. It was not the cost of the pink butterfly that mattered, it was the history attached to it which gave it the most value. To lose such a precious heirloom was just negligent.


    "What do you mean by gone, Jennie? Surely the pink butterfly did not grow legs and walk out on its own."


    Jennie''s face crumbled and she shook her head. "I don''t know how. What i am certain of is that it is missing. I have checked everywhere mother and i cannot find it."


    Edward didn''t waste a single moment, his long legs carried him upstairs and he confirmed with his own eyes that it was just as his wife had said. He returned downstairs and shared this fact with his mother.


    Already, all the family members and the servants present had converged in the living room, having been summoned by grandma Mayfair. Most of them were confused about what she was talking about.


    The present members of the family were sitting down in chairs, sharing shocked expressions.


    "The pink butterfly is missing, does anyone know anything about this?" Jennie questioned all of them, children and servants alike.


    "Mother what are you talking about? How can our family heirloom go missing? Perhaps you left it some where and you forgot." Ruth''s eyes were wide open with her whites showing.


    She was honestly shocked and disappointed in Jennie for misplacing it because that brooch was supposed to be passed down to her and now her mother had lost it.


    Shaking her head vehemently, Jennie heaved. "No way, i stowed it carefully after the annual founding families dinner last year and I never touched it again, i am certain that someone took it. That brooch is worth a fortune." Her eyes moved about accusingly.


    Phoebe had dashed out of her bedroom but she was the last to arrive. She made her way to the living room while watching her mother speak. On looking at Ruth, she realized that her reaction was so genuine which confused her because she believed that Ophelia was working on her orders


    Ruth was also searching for answers and looked at Ophelia who winked once at her in return. Ruth caught on quickly and she realized what was happening. This was it! the card Ophelia had played. The table had been set and now it was time for her to blame Phoebe for the crime.


    She put her hand on her head and sighed loudly. "Are we living with a thief? This has never happened before, it is the first time anything has been stolen in this house. Do we have any new servant? It''s odd that this is happening now, the old servants are very diligent, it must be someone new in the house." Ruth made an accusative statement.


    As she expressed her concerns, she sent Phoebe furtive glances while trying to appear apologetic and troubled. She could not just come out and accuse Phoebe of being a thief directly so she was meandering around the issue. Nobody was a fool and everybody understood what she was trying to hint at.


    "We have not hired any new servants Miss Ruth." Ophelia voluntarily aided in the mission by offering this information.


    Ruth played with her fingers and looked down. "Mmm, if it''s not someone new in the house then who could it be?"


    Andre slammed his hand on the chair, prepared to rebuke Ruth but another brother beat him to it.


    "Oh come on Ruthie! You don''t think that Pheebs here actually stole from mom. Your theory is practically an accusation being laid at her feet." Luke pulled his brows together.


    Collin stretched his hand forward to dismiss Luke. "I am not saying Ruth is right but her theory is not far fetched. Phoebe is the only new person in the house and Ruth always told me that Phoebe stole her things at school. She grew up poor and such people sometimes have sticky fingers, maybe..."


    "Oh cut the bullshit Collin!! We all know that you and Ruth don''t really like Pheebs but accusing her of theft is something really outrageous!!" Andre clenched his fists angrily.


    This felt more like a plot to trap Phoebe somehow and he was not going to let it succeed.


    Edward watched his daughter and wondered why she was so calm. She was watching the happenings as if she was no more than a by passer.


    [Really? Ruth so you have gone through with this stupid plot Can''t you be more original? Of course if something goes missing in this house i would be the first suspect as the new resident. Would i be so stupid to actually steal when i will be the obvious suspect? God she is so stupid!! I am sure her next suggestion will be for my room to be searched but she will be disappointed, how can this supernatural mommy fall into such a foolish trap?]


    He read her thoughts and smiled, although he didn''t know her for long his daughter wasn''t the kind to steal especially from her mother. From her thoughts, Ruth was behind everything.


    Edward''s own thoughts traveled to the latest development in the cuckoo case, the attempted murder in the Lee family. His eyebrows drew together as he wondered if Ruth was actually capable of harming Phoebe just so that she could remain as his daughter. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Andre and Collin continued to trade words while Ruth squeezed a few tears out of her eyes and apologized for making such a suggestion.


    "I saw her."


    A sudden witness statement from Ophelia silenced the room.


    "What? What are you yapping about Ophelia? My grand daughter works hard to make her own money, she isn''t a thief!! I know that you are in cohorts with


    Ruth to smear her good image but it''s not going to happen." Grandma Mayfair stepped in finally.


    She had been quietly watching Ruth and Ophelia steal glances at each other. The two were thick as thieves and she suspected they were the actual thieves.


    Ruth was taken aback by the accusation, she knew that the old woman had it out for her but she didn''t think that she would accuse her of working with Ophelia which was actually the truth.


    "Granny...Grandma I know that you favor Phoebe because she is your biological granddaughter but this is not fair, how can you blindly play favorites? I have been raised by you all my life and i have never stolen anything at home. Father please say something." Ruth''s words were aimed at weakening her grandmother''s accusations against her.


    She squeezed out more tears and settled for bawling loudly before running to Collin''s side.


    Phoebe scoffed.


    [She has never stolen at home but what about outside home?]

 Chapter 146 Who is the thief?

    Those that saw her thoughts were perplexed by what they meant. Ruth''s sobs became louder and Luke joined in the argument between Collin and Andre.


    Edward shushed everyone especially the employees who were whispering amongst themselves.


    "I trust Phoebe but to end this madness, let''s go search her room. That''s the only way to know for sure if she stole the brooch." Edward stared at Phoebe apologetically.


    Phoebe smiled at him in return. "It''s okay father but it isn''t fair to search only my room. We should search the rooms of the people that are accusing me as well." Her eyes traveled to Ruth, Ophelia and Collin.


    "Wait, you can''t be serious." Collin exclaimed.


    He could not believe her guts, accusing him of being a thief too.


    Phoebe shrugged. "Why not? If you can accuse me of being a thief then i can do the same to you. It''s not just poor people that steal you know, rich people do it all the time. Don''t you watch the news brother dearest, haven''t you heard about a little something called espionage? There would be no laws dealing with intellectual property and patents if rich people were not stealing from those with less in order to become even richer than they already are."


    Andre clapped vigorously. "Cool, sound logic. I dare you to argue against that."


    He came and stood beside Phoebe, and both of them shot challenging looks to a flabbergasted Collin. Grandma Mayfair chuckled, Luke''s jaw dropped and Edward''s heart was tickled with pride.


    "Nicely played." The ghosts slapped their hands together in a high five fashion.


    With a few words, Phoebe had put that arrogant jerk Collin Mayfair in his place. He was so stunned that he could not even argue back. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Edward ordered the head of security to check the security footage and see if any strangers other than David Saxon had visited. He also instructed the head maid Maria and Oman to search the servant''s quarters. It was long shot because they were always scanned by security before they left the house to run any errand so there was no way any of them sneaked the pink butterfly out of the house.


    "Start with my room." Ruth voluntarily raised her hand, she was very sure that it was a waste of time and it was as the only jewelry in her room was hers.


    She gave grandma Mayfair a distraught look. "See!! you misunderstood me because i am not your blood related granddaughter grandma, but i understand the position you are in so i will not hold it against you.


    You may not want to believe it but Phoebe here is a thief, she stole so many of my things and claimed that I gave them to her. Of course I always let it slide because they were old and my parents always replaced them. Let''s search Phoebe''s room now, if we don''t find the butterfly brooch then you can brand me a liar." Ruth bypassed her parents and pulled Phoebe by the hand towards her bedroom.


    The rest of the people followed them inside the bedroom. The moment they stepped foot inside, Ruth ordered Ophelia to search every corner of the room.


    "Yes of course Miss Ruth." Ophelia started from the least expected places like the bathroom, under the bed, in the pillows which were changed daily and searched the lingerie drawer last. With eager hands, she rummaged through it but she couldn''t find the brooch where she left it.


    Her terrified eyes met those of Ruth and she shook her head. In disbelief, Ophelia removed everything, throwing it to the ground but the brooch wasn''t there.


    "It''s gone!!" Ophelia''s dreadful voice was loud for them to hear. Ruth''s smile quickly fell, confused by what was happening.


    Even if she tried, Ruth couldn''t hide the disappointed she felt when Ophelia mentioned that the pink butterfly was gone.


    "What do you mean it''s gone? How? Check again properly!!" Ruth blatantly shouted, her words attracted everyone''s attention.


    "Why does it seem like you were so certain that the brooch was in there." Andre folded his arms.


    Phoebe who was standing close to Andre smiled mysteriously and nodded continuously.


    "Well I guess you just branded yourself a liar Ruth. Andre has whispered to me some of the things you claimed i stole and all those things were brought to my house by you Ruth, you gave them to me. The Gabriels, your birth parents always sang your praises for your generosity. Have you suddenly lost your memory?"


    The only thing Ruth heard out of everything that Phoebe said was her calling the Gabriels her birth parents. She scanned her mind for a way to play victim and as usual, her hand moved up to her heart.


    A fed up grandma Mayfair suddenly spoke up sternly. "Don''t you dare faint now Ruthie, you accused Phoebe of being a thief so don''t act like you are more offended than she is."


    Ruth stood in a slumped posture and swallowed exaggerated, defeated by the situation. The only person that she could blame was Ophelia, the woman just couldn''t do anything right. It was her fault putting her trust in her. Her moist eyes looked at Collin, hoping that he would rescue her.


    "I just believed in Ophelia''s words because she has been with our family for far longer than Phoebe. It''s my fault, i am in wrong?" she cried out pitifully.


    Collin shot an accusing gaze Phoebe''s way as if she was to blame for Ophelia''s words too.


    "That''s enough Phoebe, we have now confirmed that you are not the thief. Grandma, this is really unfair to Ruthie, she was obviously acting this way because of what Ophelia had said. The woman said that she saw Phoebe sneaking into mother''s room." Collin held Ruth''s hands to comfort her.


    "Exactly and about Phoebe taking my things I wasn''t lying about that!! I gave them to her unwillingly because she would cry and accuse me of not being a true friend if i didn''t help her. Gabriels can vouch for me." Ruth wiped a tear from the edge of her eye.


    A loud snicker escaped Phoebe''s lips. "Of course they will vouch for you, again they are your parents. Do you know how many times your father flogged and locked me in the dark closet because you lied against me?"


    Now was the right time to drop a few more bombs on the Ruth-Gabriel front, Phoebe figured. Ruth had taken the first shot by accusing her of being a thief openly, it would not be fair if she didn''t clean up her name while taking her down a peg.


    Phoebe''s words elicited a ''WHAT'' from everyone including Collin. This was the second time they were hearing about that closet and the inhumane behavior of those monsters.


    From the way things appeared, the Gabriels and Ruth really had a close relationship, so much so that they had been punishing Phoebe unjustly for slighting Ruth. Did it mean the Gabriels and Ruth had known the truth all along?


    Collin tore his hard away from Ruth who was holding his tightly and he took a step away from her.


    Ruth was stunned as she didn''t expect her words to turn around and cause more trouble for her. All she wanted to assert her claim that Phoebe was a thief but now she had just turned her into the victim that had to be pitied. Worse though, Phoebe had made it sound as if she and the Gabriels were in cahoots.


    The palpitations of her heart picked up speed and her mind raced. She quickly covered her eyes and bawled heat brokenly.


    "I don''t know about this, i already said that i don''t know anything. When i visited Phoebe, the Gabriels never exposed any violence or distasteful behavior. They may not have been the best parents to her because they are poor and greedy but i don''t know if they were so inhumane to a child they believed to be their own.


    Father believe me, maybe Phoebe is lying against them. She wants you to hate my birth parents and hate me too, please find the Gabriels and clear the air about this. If they are monsters, i want nothing to do with them, i don''t want to be locked in a dark closet." Tears rolled down her cheeks as she shook her head in disbelief.


    Phoebe was aware that all Ruth was doing was for show because Ruth knew that the Gabriels physically violent towards her. Since Ruth wanted the Gabriel''s to be honest, she would be sure to aid that along when the time came.

 Chapter 147 A change in the wind.

    Oman and Maria returned and announced that they found nothing after thoroughly checking the servants quarters.


    Their arrival diverted some of the attention which had been given to Ruth. They could return to it later, what mattered more at the moment was the pink butterfly.


    "Then where could it have disappeared to, did a thief really come from outside?" Ruth asked in the bid to change course of the conversation from the previous ones.


    "There is one person whose room has not been checked yet." Phoebe looked keenly at Ophelia and waved her hand with a bratty smile on her lips that were curled upwards. "Ophelia, lead the way."


    Ophelia put her hands on her waist and she laughed mockingly.


    "Young woman do you know how many years i have been working for this family? Not once have I ever taken anything that Madam hasn''t given to me. I have faithfully served the family and everyone here can attest to my loyalty. I will forgive you this once because obviously you are new and unfamiliar with our history." Ophelia lifted her chin proudly.


    If she was a peacock, her feathers would be dancing in the light wind that was sweeping into the house through the open windows. She clearly didn''t expect the Mayfairs to actually go through with it.


    "A good maid should know her place." Grandma Mayfair commented softly but with strength.


    Her words were simple but they were a warning to Ophelia that had just been disrespectful to Phoebe in her eyes. No matter how many years she had been with the family, Phoebe was a master in the house.


    "Madam..." Ophelia cried out, surprised.


    Andre scoffed, "A servant that wants to eat at the same table with their master is one capable of removing the master from the table to take their place."


    Ophelia''s legs trembled as she looked around and noticed that all of the Mayfairs with the exception of Ruth were frowning at her. They all had picked a side and it was Phoebe''s.


    Phoebe chuckled. "I told you that if you accuse me, then i can do the same to you. Father please be fair and search everyone her included." Phoebe pointed an index finger at Ophelia.


    [Please do it dad, please.]


    On seeing her eager thoughts, Edward ordered Maria to lead the way and search Ophelia''s room.


    "What? Mr. Mayfair you cannot be serious!! This is outrageous. I have been loyal to this household how can you treat me like a common servant?" Ophelia rushed after Edward who was walking to her room.


    Her protests did not help and everyone followed as well.


    Once inside, they all stood to the side and watched Maria search everywhere.


    A clever servant was one that knew how to read the signs and predict the change in the movement of the wind. Maria had already adjusted her attitude in accordance to who the new Mayfair heiress was so she was as ruthless in handling Ophelia''s personal property as she had seen the woman do to Phoebe''s things.


    The clothes were dumped on the floor carelessly, a few dresses were ripped somehow. She searched everywhere, from the wardrobe to the bathroom then under the mattress.


    On lifting it, her eyes saw a small black pouch which she opened immediately. The pink butterfly brooch came into appearance, causing everyone to gasp in shock including Ophelia whose hand moved to her mouth because she was in disbelief. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Found it!" Maria announced as she picked it up and presented it to Jennie.


    "No," Ophelia muttered.


    The ghosts had come out to watch the drama and Connie was hovering around Ophelia.


    "Serves you right bitch." Connie stated only for the spirit to call her out for using foul language.


    Phoebe had to bite her lower lip to prevent herself laughing at Ruth and Ophelia''s shocked expressions. They were probably wondering how their carefully calculated plan had backfired.


    Ophelia who was standing at the back came forward, her eyes fixed on the butterfly brooch.


    "How? How is this possible? Why is this here?" She uttered suddenly, shocked that the brooch was suddenly in her room.


    "Explain yourself Ophelia, you have been accusing my grandchild of stealing it yet you are the one that had stolen it!" Grandma Mayfair wanted to fly and slap the taste out of her mouth.


    "No, no old matriarch something is wrong somewhere, I swear to God that I don''t know why this brooch is in my room." Ophelia shuffled her feet.


    No matter how much she denied, it was obvious that nobody believed her so she turned to Ruth, beseeching her to come to her defense.


    Ruth however looked away, looking anywhere but at her co-conspirator.


    Jennie shook her head. "I am so disappointed in you Ophelia! Why are still denying it? I have treated you so well over the years and trusted you, even going to the extent of buying you jewelry occasionally but still you decided to steal from me? Of all things, you chose a family heirloom? Were you deliberately calculating against me?"


    Jennie held onto the precious brooch tightly.


    Ophelia fell to her knees and employed Ruth''s crying strategy. When all else failed, tears were a good weapon to fall back on.


    "Madam, Miss Ruth, i am being framed. Think about it yourselves, why now of all times? We have all lived together for so many without any troubles but as soon as miss Phoebe returned, we have encountered one trouble after another." she cried.


    Ruth grabbed Jennie''s hand and looked at her mother imploringly. "Mother, maybe she is really being framed and we should hear her out."


    Grandma Mayfair stomped her right foot down. "Ohh you don''t say!! I think it''s the other way round, judging by how she insisted that Phoebe was the thief. Ophelia must have wanted to frame Phoebe but she decided to keep the precious jewel for herself out of greed. I also have a feeling that you, Ruth, knew about it. Who doesn''t know that Ophelia is like your very own hands and feet in this house? " She was on a mission to reveal Ruth''s terrible character.


    "Why must you keep disappointing me? At a time like this you are standing with this deceitful maid instead of your sister."


    The points raised by her made everyone curious indeed. Why was Ruth still defending Ophelia? Where was this defense when Phoebe was being accused?


    "Ruth, you are not really involved in this, are you?" Collin asked.


    Shaking her head vehemently, Ruth denied knowing anything.


    "Grandma I didn''t know that Ophelia could do something like this. I am just in shock because we have all known and trusted her for so many years. I am still in awe that she could do something like this and betray all of our trust.


    I wanted to defend her because she has cared for me for so many years and i thought that if she explained her reasons for doing what she did, we would understand and forgive her."


    She untangled her hand from Jennie''s arm and faced grandma Mayfair.


    "But, whether she had a desperate need for money or not which pushed her to commit the crime doesn''t matter. No reason she gives will be good enough, what matters is the evidence in front of our eyes, the brooch has been found in her room so she is the thief."


    Ruth walked forward, looked resolutely at Ophelia, raised her hand and slapped the maid.


    "Confess your crime and beg for forgiveness." she ordered Ophelia.

 Chapter 148 Bye-bye Ophelia.

    The sharp sound of the slap took everyone by surprise as it was not a reaction they had been expecting to see, not from Ruth that had been defending Ophelia only a few minutes ago.


    What was responsible for this sharp turn of events?


    "She is really good, i can see why she led you around by the nose and killed you." The Saxon spirit commented as she observed the faces of everyone.


    With one slap, Ruth safely dug herself out of the hole in the eyes of some family members. Collin for one was very satisfied.


    "We should call the police." Phoebe suggested.


    Edward nodded and so did grandma Mayfair, a theft of something as valuable as the pink butterfly was not to be taken lightly. It was worth fifteen million dollars, more if put up for sale on an auction.


    Ruth looked down and gritted her teeth, biting a part of her cheek in the process as anger washed over her. Involving the police might lead to more complications which could trace back to her. No, she would not stand by and watch it happen.


    "Police!" she she put her hand on her head and gasped. "Little sister, isn''t that going a little too far? She has served this family for more than forty years, how can we heartlessly throw her to the police? I know that she has done something wrong but we should not be so cruel." Looking at the others, one after another, she slapped her chest lightly and lamented.


    "She was by sickbed night and bed whenever i was sick. She was always waiting for me with an umbrella at school, rain or shine, in health and sickness. If i asked for something special to eat at three in the night, she would run out and buy it immediately. Mother, do you even remember the attempted kidnapping when i was ten years old, Ophelia fought the kidnappers and she was stabbed.


    Even when she was in pain and bleeding, she still saved me. How can we send someone like her to the police because of one mistake?"


    The emotional appeal she made created some fractures in the hearts of all the Mayfairs. How could they forget the scene of a bleeding Ophelia carrying Ruth on her back and racing off to the safety of the car without a care about her own well being.


    She had ordered the driver to drive them to the house first and ensured Ruth''s safety first before collapsing to the ground. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "We can just terminate her services and send her away." Collin suggested.


    Ruth nudged Ophelia, urging her to quickly take the deal before someone mentioned the police again. There was no point in taking Ruth down with her so Ophelia quickly fell to her knees.


    "It is my fault, i am sorry for betraying your trust." she admitted in a small voice.


    "Are you admitting that you stole the brooch then?" Edward asked.


    Nodding her head, Ophelia admitted that she did take the brooch from the master''s bedroom.


    "Why did you do such a thing?" Jennie asked her.


    Ophelia looked up and flashed Phoebe and accusatory look, indicating that she was somehow the cause of the problem.


    "Since miss Phoebe came into this house, you all have changed your attitude towards Miss Ruth. When she was sick in the hospital, you were all giving attention to Phoebe, laughing happily and welcoming her home.


    You even gave her miss Ruth''s bedroom so easily and bought her all those cars. What did miss Ruth get as a gift when she came back from the hospital apart from some small jewels? She did not even receive as much as a bicycle.


    The matriarch''s attitude has changed completely and she scolds miss Ruth openly. Mr. Edward even went so far as to give Phoebe a gift worth billions. As for master Andre, you do not need to glasses to see that she has quickly become his favorite sister.


    It hurt me to see the young miss that i raised suffer as a result of all these changes. She has been having a hard time sleeping so she is taking sleeping pills. She has no appetite and she cries often, scared that she is going to be abandoned. Even though i know that none of this is really miss Phoebe''s fault, i can''t help but to blame her in my heart.


    I wanted everything to go back to normal like it was before she came to this house, so I took the brooch and hid it because I wanted her to be thrown out of the house for stealing the Mayfair family heirloom."


    He voice cracked as she was winding up her confession. She did not admit to hiding the brooch in Phoebe''s room and instead of coming off as a thief, she came off as someone who simply did the wrong thing for what she perceived to be a noble reason.


    Jennie felt her chest tighten, it always did each time Ophelia acted like Ruth''s mother, making it seem as if she loved her more than everybody else in the family. Even when Ruth was young, Ophelia would intervene in some of the decisions she made concerning Ruth''s personal life.


    If she didn''t know better, she would actually suspect that they were mother and daughter. As for the saving Ruth from kidnappers incident, it had given Ophelia even more importance in the house. She was treated like a relative instead of a maid from that day.


    Like it or not, her past good deeds could not be changed. It still did not give her the right to steal from them or undermine Phoebe. As the mother to the two women, she had to step in to avoid both Phoebe and Ruth from being wronged. She placed a hand to her chest and sighed deeply.


    "It doesn''t make what you did right, if you had any grievances whatsoever, you could have told us. Ruth is still a member of this family regardless of having no blood ties, and we have not wronged her in any way like you are insinuating.


    More importantly it''s only fair that Phoebe is showered with love after all she is my biological daughter who had a rough life. I have to make up for the time we missed and the love she did not get as a child and I am not going to be apologetic about it.


    You have crossed your limits Ophelia, leave by the end of the day. I do not want to see you near the Mayfair mansion, Ruth, Phoebe or any of my other children again."


    The words that Jennie spoke surprised them all because by far she had been walking on tip toes around Ruth in relation to Phoebe. It looked like she would not be doing so anymore and she was going to build a relationship with Phoebe openly.


    Tears sprouted from Ophelia''s eyes as she apologized continuously, begging to be allowed to stay but everyone remained stoic. She had already proven that she had a deep seated grudge against Phoebe and even plotted against her so how could they allow her to stay under the same roof as her?


    Ruth glared at her and snapped her fingers.


    "You heard my mother, go pack your bags and leave our house. We cannot stay with a thief Ophelia, you should not have plotted against my sister. That sin cannot be forgiven."


    She had noticed that there was no way Ophelia was coming back from this and to stay on good terms with the family she had to pretend to care about Phoebe.


    "Thief, what thief?" David made his entrance just as Oman rushed into the living room to announce his arrival.

 Chapter 149 The arrival of an unwanted hero.

    David''s arrival was no coincidence, he had rushed over because he heard that Phoebe was in trouble. Just like Dickson, he had his one spy in the Mayfair house, the head maid Maria. He had previously requested her to keep watch on her because he was worried that Ophelia and Ruth could do something to harm her.


    She had agreed to keep him in the loop about Phoebe''s affairs, and only that. She would not be sharing intel on the other Mayfair''s private lives. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Maria had kept to her words and informed him that Phoebe was in trouble as soon as Ruth suggested that her room be searched. Just as the matriarch had said, Ophelia was Ruth''s hands and feet in the house and right from the start, she had suspected that they were scheming something.


    What David didn''t know was that Maria also had her reasons for accepting his offer. As soon as she heard Ophelia''s name, she decided to spy for him because she was fed up with the woman undermining her yet she was the head maid. They were both servants so what gave Ophelia the courage to act as if she was right below madam Jennie in status?


    How could she dare to walk around barking orders and acting like the second madam of the house? All the servants hated Ophelia but with Ruth''s backing, she was untouchable, until Phoebe was brought back by Andre. Then, the tides started to change.


    David looked at Ophelia that was crying on the ground and his smug Phoebe that looked like a cat which had just eaten a canary.


    He moved, heading in Phoebe''s direction but Collin stepped in his way.


    As always, Collin had that same constipated look on his face when his eyes met those of the most irritating Saxon to ever exist.


    "Why the hell are you here Saxon? Of late you have been walking in and out of our house freely like you would a public bathroom."


    David ignored him, stepped to the side and breezed past him confidently because he was welcomed by grandma Mayfair eagerly. She had heard all about his brave deeds in Iborg city and how he had been willing to take a bullet for Phoebe.


    "Mom, dad, grandma, good morning." David greeted and also fist bumped Luke and Andre. His lips twisted into a smile when he looked at Phoebe.


    [My charger! You couldn''t have come at a better time. I could use a boost, all this plotting has exhausted me.] She smiled sweetly at him.


    He waved his hand at her, holding his gaze steady as he drunk in her beautiful sight. His shortie was really cute today.


    Unhappy with the sweet romance drama worthy looks they were exchanging, Ruth quickly stepped forward blocking his view of Phoebe.


    "David! Oh how nice it is that you are here. Something really terrible has happened." She cried out and opened her arms wide, planning to embrace him.


    David in turn poked her head with his right hand index finger and pushed her away.


    "Keep your hands to yourself, i am very sure that whatever is going on here has something to do with you."


    Ruth pinched her lips in a firm line after David embarrassed her in font of everyone especially Phoebe. She turned her blazing guns towards Ophelia who was now sitted lazily on the floor.


    "You! Why are you still here, leave already." Ruth yelled as she folded her arms.


    Ophelia walked on her knees to where David was standing. She held onto his trousers tightly as if for dear life.


    "Mr. Saxon please help be beg the Mayfairs, if they give me a second chance I promise not to attempt something like this again. I will never be daring again, and will stay in my place as a maid." Her pleading gaze darted around.


    Phoebe moved to his side and bashfully told David what was happening. She reported it all to him as if he was the hero arrived to save the heroine.


    It made the Mayfair men dissatisfied, if he was the hero, what were they?


    On hearing everything, David was vexed by the fact that Ophelia had tried to frame Phoebe.Truly, the maid did not know her place.


    "How dare you frame my woman for theft!! Do you think i am dead and useless?" He used his leg to kick her away from him as if she was a disgusting fly.


    His venomous eyes moved to Ruth because he was certain that she was behind it all.


    "She has been fired." Phoebe grabbed on to his arm and shared.


    He smiled, proud of Phoebe for getting Ophelia fired. She was Ruth''s right hand after all and getting her out of this mansion was a good move. However Ophelia was just a small fish, she needed to get rid of Ruth before she destroyed the Mayfairs.


    The decisiveness with which he kicked Ophelia away shocked everyone however his words left them puzzled, David had just referred to Phoebe as his woman in front of them all. As there had been no official announcement of a relationship, wasn''t he being too bold?


    Had he forgotten where he was and in whose presence he was? All the Mayfair men were displeased. One, was more displeased than others and he loudly expressed himself.


    "Who the hell is your woman you good for nothing play boy!! I hope it''s not Phoebe that you are referring to? You stay away from him, your relationship is forbidden." Collin pointed his finger at Phoebe and then cursed silently as he was late for work.


    His secretary was calling for the tenth time that morning.


    "Stay away from him Phoebe, i forbid this relationship, no sister of mine will date a Saxon."


    Ruth''s mouth produced a small gasp from the shock of Collin''s words. He had actually called Phoebe his sister, a sure sign of acceptance. He even seemed to care so much about the possibility of the two dating. Her greatest fears were truly coming to life.


    David didn''t care about the warning and he gave his attention to Phoebe even more, patting her head gently.


    An alarmed mother Jennie wanted to pull her daughter away from the eyesore that was touching her head in a way she had not got a chance to do yet.


    "David, what is going on? Now that you know that Phoebe is the real heiress you have suddenly switched from Ruth to her?"


    David''s face darkened and he scowled, he liked Jennie but she was really slow on the uptake. How many times, did he have to clarify his lack of interest in Ruth in order for her to stop lumping him together with her?


    The confusion was quickly cleared by grandma Mayfair who cleared her voice.


    "That''s not right Jennie, for the longest time David here has always told anyone that has an ear including you that he is not interested in Ruth. Anyway, about their dating life, the decision here is for Phoebe to make but she hasn''t told us what is going on between the two of them."


    The old woman hoped they got together, she had already discussed it with her friend. It would be wonderful to go from friends to in-laws, moreover, David was crazy about Phoebe.


    It was a win-win for the families and all the people involved.


    Everyone''s eyes moved to Phoebe who was pretending to be coy deliberately because she could see Ruth''s anger on her face, her throat was swollen like it was about to burst.


    "Daughter, is there something that we should know?" Jennie poked Phoebe with her curious eyes.


    Everyone else waited to hear what she would say, David inclusive. Was she going to deny or admit that there was something between them?

 Chapter 150 White haired leech.

    Phoebe contemplated on what would hurt Ruth''s feelings the most and went for it.


    "We are sort of seeing each other, although he wants to rush things i prefer to take it slow. There is no need to define anything yet, i will take my time and study him slowly."


    Her answer was confusing to the elders, what studying was she talking about? Was David a subject she needed a degree in? Where relationships that complicated these days that people needed studying?


    Ruth on the other hand got the message Phoebe was trying to pass onto her which was that David was in the palm of her hands at the moment. The affection she was so desperate to get from him, Phoebe could reject if she was dissatisfied.


    This fucking sly bitch, what makes her worthy of him? Mayfair blood or not, she was raised in a slum and reeks of poverty. I will take everything back from you, especially my man, Ruth thought.


    She plastered a smile on her face and composed her emotions. "Congratulations to the both of you, let''s see how long it lasts." Ruth spoke with a trace of sarcasm. As long as they weren''t married, she believed that she still had a chance.


    David was so pleased with Phoebe''s answer, he loved this version of her, so straight forward and intentional with her words. Even though she had not accepted him yet, she seemed to harbor intentions of doing so as long as he redeemed himself. It didn''t matter how slow she wanted to go, he could wait until she saw his sincerity.


    He wanted to sweep her off her feet and give her a big fat kiss on the lips but he couldn''t do it with her family right there.


    Anyway, he had come on a specific mission and that was to make sure that Ophelia never returned to the house and give Ruth a hard time.


    He looked away from Phoebe and pointed at the almost forgotten Ophelia that had yet to leave.


    "Mr. Mayfair i am of the view that you check Ophelia''s financial records, its possible that she has stolen a lot of things from you. Who knows?"


    "Sir, there is more jewelry hidden above the window. Oh my goodness, if not for the wind, we would not have discovered it." An eager to please maid suddenly called out.


    Everyone turned to see one shiny gold pinky finger ring.


    "That''s mine." Phoebe gasped and pretended to be shocked.


    Ophelia''s face paled, and she shot Phoebe an accusing look. She could not even die anymore as she had already confessed to one theft. No matter what she said now, her words were as good as stale air; unwanted and reviling.


    The servants searched and found more jewelry, all of it Phoebe''s. It stunned everyone how much Ophelia disrespected Phoebe, so much so to the extent that she stole from her and then framed her.


    "You are really a rotten thing." Grandma Mayfair threw her cane at Ophelia. "Drag her out for me." She commanded.


    Edward called the head of security and Ophelia was dragged out, wailing and protesting her innocence. Her luggage was packed up by Maria and the rest of the maids.


    "Check her bank records, i want to see if she dared to scheme and steal from us. We have really been raising a wolf in this house."


    This command was given to the head of security Mark Boreanaz, a former employee of the Fog National Security Agency. If anyone could dig up that information, it was him.


    Ruth did not care about Ophelia''s affairs anymore, she was useless to her anyway, just like a soiled tissue. There was no other place for it other than being flashed down a toilet.


    The theft matter seemed to be over and done with so David grabbed Phoebe''s right hand.


    "Pheebs if you are done then we should get going, I want to spoil you today."


    "Are you going to the cafe? Drop me off too...." Grandma Mayfair got up from the chair.


    She was late for work thanks to Ophelia''s troubles.


    The old woman was stopped by David.


    "Granny, I am taking Phoebe shopping. I asked my sister Rose-Bell for the best clothing brand in town and she recommended Madam Boujee. I called ahead and they said they have just launched a new collection so I want Phoebe to pick out whatever she likes. Now that she has finally returned to her rightful place, she must stand out as the one true Mayfair heiress that she is." David threw Ruth a condescending stare.


    Ruth scoffed, she knew he was doing it deliberately, hurting her for Phoebe''s sake and to make her surrender. There was nothing he was going to do to get her to dislike him. In fact the more he pushed her away, the more she wanted to stick to him like glue.


    As for Phoebe buying clothes at Madam Boujee, forget it. Was she worth such a brand? How could they wear clothes from the same place? Only one daughter in the Mayfair family could stand out and it was not the fake ghost seeing country bumpkin.


    "Well you are too late, I already got my sister a befitting dress for the ceremony" Ruth smiled lovingly at Phoebe and turned her head, "Maria!" She shouted. "Go bring the new clothes i ordered for yesterday."


    "Mother, i hope you don''t mind that i stole your thunder by buying for sister a dress. The state funeral for the dead soldiers will be her first time out with our family, a soft launch of her true identity. I want to make sure that she looks her best and all eyes are on her. Also, our family will be sitting with the VIP''s as we contributed a lot to this event. Sister needs the perfect outfit, not too flashy to take away from the occasion but not too dull to become a point of mockery.


    "We! what did she contribute?" The Saxon spirit laughed.


    The other ghosts joined in as well, and Phoebe, she hid the laughter well. Ruth was really beyond shame.


    Jennie as always fell into Ruth''s trap because she was determined to see her two daughters getting along. "Oh that was thoughtful of you Ruth, we have to make Phoebe feel as welcome and comfortable as possible. I like that you see how important this is Ruth."


    Ruth cuddled into Jennie''s side and wheedled like a child.


    Grandma Mayfair had her reservations, Ruth had no space in her heart to show affection to anyone especially Phoebe. This had to be another display of her insincerity. Phoebe thought the same thing but she fake smiled, pretending to be happy.


    "Oh thank you so much Ruth." Her words caused David to frown deeper.


    He was worried that Phoebe was maybe still so naive even after getting a second chance at life. How could Ruth buy for Phoebe a dress with good intentions? He was also displeased because Ruth had ruined a perfect date for them.


    They all moved back to the living room and sat down. He made sure to sit close to Phoebe, he wanted to watch everything closely.


    Not everyone had intentions to stay back and look at dresses. Luke got up and excused himself. Andre followed two seconds after him. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Well ladies enjoy your time trying on dresses."


    He kissed his grandmother, mother, Ruth and lastly Phoebe on the cheeks before leaving. David got the nearest tissue and cleaned the spot on Phoebe''s cheek where he had kissed.


    The Mayfairs watched him acting shameless again in their house, like their daughter had already been handed over to him.


    Just how were they supposed to get rid of the handsome white haired leech clinging onto their daughter?

 Chapter 151 Is it a fire?

    Maria pushed in the portable wood clothing rack, it had black garment bags stacked back to back. There were at least ten dresses. Ruth was counting on the volume to make Phoebe look unreasonable if she rejected all of the dresses.


    "Here!! If you do not like this one in particular, you can choose another. I selected all these for you." She bounced on her feet excitedly.


    How would anyone now insinuate that she didn''t like Phoebe after this display of affection.


    The scene was all too familiar, Phoebe could remember all the times that Ruth brought over clothes to the Gabriel home, claiming that they were new yet they were her old clothes. She would act all generous and act as she threw away her hand me downs.


    Phoebe did not want to disappoint Ruth so she played along, taking a look at the dresses as Maria unveiled them. She looked and examined them from top to bottom.


    It was exactly as she was thought, most of the dresses had little issues. Some had loose threads and they would probably come apart at the ceremony. Even the ones with zippers were problematic, one even had little black spots, smelling of mold. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe crinkled her nose and tossed it away, flicking her hands like she had just touched garbage.


    She gestured for Maria to take them away. "This is really kind of you but Ruth I can now afford to buy clothes, you do not need to pass down your old clothes to me like you did in the past. Father has given me a fat allowance to cater for such small needs."


    "What? Is that what you think of me? All these things were in my closet but they are all new. They are perfect for the state funeral, just because you have money does not mean you should buy any random dress." Ruth pulled her shoulders close to her body and sighed. "I guess i should not have meddled, we have different tastes anyway."


    In her mind, she was laughing, sure that her plot had worked. She didn''t understand why Phoebe was acting fussy anyway, these clothes were too good for a bumpkin like her.


    David picked up the black dress which Maria had yet to take back. He turned it to the side and then looked at the hem.


    "If they are all new then why is this one torn? You have obviously worn it before!!" He threw it at Ruth''s feet.


    Edward and Jennie frowned at Ruth, they just couldn''t understand her anymore. Was this a mistake truly or was she deliberately making small moves to sabotage Phoebe?


    Edward recalled the Lee family incident and his heart skipped a beat. This was no attempted murder but Ruth was really spiraling out of control. What if she harmed their daughter? Ruth was a cuckoo after all.


    "Maria, gather all those clothes and set them on fire and as for you Ruth, do not ever give Phoebe clothes, old or new. If you feel like you have too many, donate some to the homeless. Do not bother worrying about what the public will perceive depending on how she dresses, Phoebe does not have to impress anyone with her appearance, she is a Mayfair. Her family name alone is enough." Edward marched away disappointed.


    He felt like if he stayed back, he would end up something something really hurtful to Ruth.


    "I guess that''s it then, Pheebs let''s go on a shopping spree. David stood up and pulled Phoebe to her feet.


    Jennie wasn''t comfortable with the relationship between David and Phoebe so she stood up and let them know that she was going along. It was best to chaperone her daughter around the rogue with the reputation of a play boy.


    "I need a scarf to match my dress." She lied blatantly


    Grandma Mayfair wasn''t planning on missing out on the fun so she announced that she was going to.


    "Well I guess it''s a girls day out!!" Ruth said shamelessly asked she clapped continuously. ''Whatever it takes to ruin you two being together.'' A sly smile grew on her lips, her narrowed eyes moved from David to Phoebe and back.


    Grandma Mayfair frowned immediately, she was hoping to hangout with her daughter-in-law and granddaughter without any unwanted extras but she couldn''t tell Ruth to stay behind in as much as she wanted to. She didn''t want to be accused of being biased again.


    "I will be your chauffeur for the day, that''s if you will have me." David bowed teasingly.


    "Let''s go then." Grandma Mayfair tapped his shoulder.


    ...


    When they reached Madame Boujee''s store, something unexpected happened. People began to flee, heading out like they were escaping a plague.


    Phoebe knew exactly why but her companions didn''t. In fact this very reason was why she was secretly excited when Ruth said on coming along with them.


    A woman almost stepped on grandma Mayfair''s foot and David pulled her back, saving her old toes from injury.


    The poor woman was so stunned that she looked at the exit as well, wondering if they should turn back too. If people were fleeing from a fire, it made no sense to head inside and risk their own lives.


    "Why are they running?"


    Jennie was equally puzzled as she observed the now quiet and deserted store.


    "Mother, i am scared. I also don''t know why they are running."


    [Because we have come along with the monster named Ruth Mayfair.]


    Jennie got hiccups immediately on reading Phoebe''s thought.


    Phoebe put a hand over her mouth and she chuckled. Because she had come to this place with Ruth enough times in the past, she was familiar with this scene.


    It was an open secret and rule at madame Boujee''s store that any time the social queen-Ruth Mayfair came to do her shopping, all the customers in the store were to vacate the premises. Failure to vacate resulted in bad painful consequences for the unlucky victim.


    Only people at the same level as the founding families could be allowed to stay.


    On this particular day, the security guard alerted the store manager as soon as he saw Ruth in the parking ground where she still was because she was making a phone call.


    "It''s a 911!!" He had yelled desperately through the phone and Phoebe had caught his warning clearly, that''s why she was not surprised to see the fleeing clients.


    "Ooh, i see a nice dress." Phoebe clapped her hands and feigned excitement.


    She wanted them to follow her inside because it was another opportunity to expose Ruth and they did. On entering further, the three women were approached by the employees and security personnel.


    "Deal with them now." One employee pushed another forward as the rest hurried to straighten out clothes and stand in line like they were waiting to welcome royalty.


    "I am very sorry for the inconvenience however you need to leave because we have an emergency." With shaky hands, the female employee left to deal with the not so important guests shoved Jennie gently towards the back exit.


    "God!! Take it easy on her, Is the place on fire?" Grandma Mayfair followed Jennie.


    "That''s not it but we have a very important customer, move it she will be here soon and I don''t want trouble from her."


    The employee warily looked at the entrance, terrified so much to the point that her legs were shaking.

 Chapter 152 Ruthie monster.

    The fear that the employee was displaying was akin to someone thrown in the deep end of a swimming pool without a life jacket or swimming skills. It was terror___, nightmare, wake up in a sweat kind of terror.


    "What kind of special client is this? Is it the first lady of the country?" Grandma Mayfair asked.


    She was asking herself but they all heard the question.


    "Get your hands off of my mother, we are not leaving. Can''t you tell by his hair who he is?"


    Phoebe did not want to give up their Mayfair identities so she took advantage of David. He in turn was proud to flash a smile and lift the hat on his head. Like many other Saxon''s, he didn''t go around displaying his hair unnecessary. For Phoebe, however, if she needed it, he was even willing to pull out a free strands for the employee to test.


    The woman''s eyes of course widened and she bit her bottom lip, still nervous. She looked from them to the door, still displaying skittish behavior.


    "Ha! who is this special guest that even a pure blood Saxon is not enough to make you relax?" Grandma Mayfair asked the employee.


    Phoebe stepped in quickly, stopping the employee from revealing the answer by chasing her away. This needed to be witnessed, not narrated.


    Her anticipation was in high gear, there was no way Jennie''s affection towards Ruth was going to remain unshaken after this experience.


    "Mother, when Ruth comes over, we will get the answers." she whispered.


    Phoebe''s feet were a little restless, she was all but ready to fly away on a bubble of excitement. David read her face and he put his hands on her shoulders.


    "Smile a little less shortie." he whispered to her.


    Phoebe didn''t even react to the ''shortie'' which was a direct reference to her height. She only cared about Ruth getting busted, and to have it happen on the same day when Ophelia had been fired. Karma was really doing it''s job.


    Jennie was rather confused. "Ruth? What has she got to do with this?"


    Phoebe wasn''t about to spoil the surprise, she clearly remembered that she had visited madame Boujee''s store frequently in her past life. One, as Miranda''s escort and shopping bag holder, basically her slave.


    Two, each time Ruth was stressed and decided to overdose on her happy pill, wasting and showing off her wealth. At each visit Ruth demanded other people to leave and at one point she witnessed her slap a mother and daughter that had tried to resist.


    That day, even the store manager was one of her many victims for she once won herself a kick in the knee. Come to think of it, that was the day she told her of her first pregnancy which she miscarried unfortunately.


    Phoebe winced at the memory and her right hand unconsciously moved to her stomach. She didn''t get the time to dwell on the past memories and the manager of the store shot past like them like a bullet and joined the rest of the staff.


    All the employees that were standing in a line suddenly bowed their heads at a ninety degree angle.


    "Welcome Miss Ruth Mayfair!!" They shouted in unison, respectfully.


    Phoebe wanted to bring out a fire cracker or some fireworks and set them off. As she couldn''t she settled on pinching and scratching David''s arm while trying her best to keep her feet on the ground.


    Ruth on the other hand tried to signal the manager to stop the show, her mother and grandma stared at her in utter shock.


    "You, manager, come here." Grandma Mayfair summoned the manager who recognized her almost immediately.


    "Yes ma''am? It''s our honor that you and your grand daughter have paid us a visit." The manager''s eyes widened and she rushed over.


    She maintained her back bent and eyes lowered to the ground posture.


    "What is going on here? We have been told that you are evacuating everyone because you have an important customer. Stand up straight and answer my question, why are you bending over as if i am royalty?" Grandma Mayfair studied her uneasy demeanor.


    The woman was trembling slightly almost as if she was scared of something stood up straight. Her eyes moved to Ruth who was shaking her head continuously then back to Grandma Mayfair.


    "Is the important customer here with us Peggy?" Phoebe''s eyes narrowed as she read the woman''s name tag. "Is it my sister Ruth by any chance?"


    Jennie''s eyes moved around, she couldn''t see anyone important enough to evacuate the store. "Where is that arrogant customer then, I really hate people that think that they are better than others."


    David, on hearing her question wanted to slap his forehead. Jennie, mom, why are you so slow? he asked himself. Had she not seen the way the employees bowed and addressed Ruth?


    "It''s you Ruth, right?" Phoebe continued to poke slyly. "Wow, the way they lowered their heads and said, welcome miss Ruth Mayfair...wow....i got chills. Sister, you are really powerful." Phoebe gave Ruth a thumbs up. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She turned her head to Jennie and grandma Mayfair. "Mom, grandma, is this how rich people shop? My eyes have really been opened today. But, i wouldn''t want people to run when i come shopping or for employees to tremble as if i am a beast. I will not be picking up this habit, it''s too awful."


    Her words were like sharp tips of an arrow stabbing Ruth over and over. Ruth bit her lower lip desperately and clenched her hands. She had forgotten about her shopping habits and now regretted having tagged along. Her mother and grandmother were staring at her like she was the worst monster in the world.


    It was all that slut Phoebe''s fault, she was ruining her life, step by step.


    "Why am I not surprised." Grandma Mayfair shook her head in disappointment. "See Jennie this is the true face of your darling child. She finds pleasure in tormenting others. I am beginning to believe that Phoebe is her victim as well."


    Ruth stepped forward, clutching her mother''s hand as she was her safety net. Even if all the Mayfairs hated her, Jennie and Collin were supposed to stay in her corner.


    "Mother this is a misunderstanding I swear, it was one time. My friends dared me to do it but these good for nothing employees continued to do it. Am I not telling the truth Peggy?" Ruth gave the manager a sharp look that promised consequences if she did not play along.


    The poor terrified woman nodded in response. At the end of the day, Ruth Mayfair spent hundreds of thousands to millions in the store on her shopping sprees. They could not lose a big client like her or they would be fired.


    Phoebe was not about to let the lie fly, this was her trap and the web had been woven. The fly could not escape so easily.


    "Really? Is that why you slapped them too? I saw it somewhere online that you were violent towards some employees and customers here. Who was slapped, you or you?" Phoebe pointed at the manger and at the employee who was previously chasing them out.


    The younger girl got hiccups immediately as she fell to the floor because of fear. If she said one wrong thing thing her livelihood would disappear.


    "I...i..don''t...know anything please." She wiped hot tears from her cheeks.

 Chapter 153 Bad child.

    Her reaction however was enough to confirm Phoebe''s words. At this rate, grandma Mayfair was all but done with Ruth.


    She was a smoker, drinker, club goer, alcoholic, faked illnesses, a continually proven liar who also lied about everything she ever told them about Phoebe, a thief and on top of that, enacted public violence on innocent civilians to the point that they were extremely terrified of her, as if she was a terrorist.


    Jennie''s mind was also blown away. She wrenched her arm away from Ruth, shooting a let down look. It was one thing after another, there were so many things about Ruth she didn''t know. Slowly, by slowly, they were being unveiled and all of them were ugly.


    "I cannot believe this. Have you been going around beating up people even after your father and I lowered our heads to apologize on your behalf on seven different occasions? How long will make us trample on our honor in your defense? What is wrong with you? Are you truly the child i raised because i did not raise this person, i don''t know you at all."


    Dispirited, Jennie backed away from Ruth. truly she felt as if this was a stranger. Ruth was lost for words, she let out a small cry and run out of the store.


    Motherly instinct that had been honed for over twenty years set in, pushing Jennie to react. She whirled around, and called out Ruth''s name.


    Grandma Mayfair grabbed her arm and stopped her from taking any step further. "Let her go! That good for nothing cuckoo."


    The words which slipped out of her mouth in a moment of anger were loud enough for all the employees to hear. The old woman had just given them sweet gossip for later.


    After those events, Phoebe was the only one in the mood to shop anything with David''s full indulgence and on his wallet. When they were done, Jennie apologized to the employees on Ruth''s behalf and even went ahead to heavily tip them. Additionally, she ordered them not to repeat their actions as they would tarnish the Mayfair. She felt ridiculous because Ruth had been busy burying it in the mud all along.


    After the shopping was done, grandma Mayfair headed to the store, Jennie was very dispirited so she went to a spa.


    Meanwhile Phoebe and David went on a short spontaneous date because she happened to be hungry.


    While she filled her stomach to satisfaction, he warned her sternly about Ruth. They both knew that even a rabbit could bite when cornered and Ruth would surely be plotting vengeance. The sooner the Mayfairs denounced her as sent her packing like Ophelia, the better. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    David''s eyebrows were pulled together because he was genuinely worried about her, if something happened to her newly found family because of her vendetta against Ruth, Phoebe would never forgive herself.


    Phoebe watched him with observant eyes, this David was very different from the one she knew. He was more meticulous about situations and monitored Ruth''s movements vigilantly like he would a ticking time bomb. Was it the same back then but he just didn''t tell her?


    She recalled a few occasions during their marriage when he told her not to hang out with Ruth and that she should not give her access to their apartment in Saxon tower but foolish as she was, Phoebe never listened.


    She had defended Ruth, her best friend vehemently right until the day Ruth sent her to her death.


    Things would be different now however, Phoebe was determined to see to it.


    "You don''t have to worry about that, in this life i am going to be the weapon fashioned against Ruth that will prosper. She won''t win, not like she always did in the past. If i find myself losing the war, i will send a few ghosts to torment her until she runs crazy and we lock her up in a psych ward like she deserves. She is a psycho, a pure psycho."


    Phoebe spoke casually without thinking but what she didn''t know was that she had confirmed David''s suspicions that she had been reborn too. There were no more doubts in his mind about it.


    How would she react if she knew that he had been reborn as well? How could he bring up the subject of their past and clarify all the misunderstandings they had?


    That question remained on his mind for the rest of the day and it followed him when he closed his eyes to sleep that night.


    ....


    Very early on the morning of the following day, which was also the day of the state burial, Ruth returned home. The family was preparing to leave for the state burial grounds which were all the way opposite Salt lake. Medalham cemetery was the final resting home for all soldiers and presidents of Fog country.


    It had a branch which was a large ship out in the sea, and some soldiers, were buried there. These ones however were going to be laid to rest on dry land.


    Most of the Mayfairs were dressed and waiting for the slow movers when they saw Ruth sauntering into the house hesitantly.


    Her hair was ruffled like she had been in a scuffle and her clothes wrinkled but no one asked about it or raised an alarm like they would have done in the past, not even Collin.


    "Good morning." She greeted everyone softly.


    Her voice was smaller than the sound made by a mosquito at night.


    "You are a grown woman so no one is going to lose a wink of sleep if you spend the night outside however it would only be courteous of you to let your mother know if you are not coming home." Edward spoke in a stern tone.


    Last night, Jennie had told him all that had transpired at the boutique. Edward had come to the conclusion that he had to put in place strong measures to control Ruth''s impolite and wild behaviors. He recalled so clearly the worry on his wife''s face about Ruth feeling as if she was unloved if they disciplined her so mercilessly. Obviously Ophelia''s words had struck some kind of nerve.


    His response too had been firm because he didn''t want to lower his head ever again if Ruth created more trouble.


    "If she doesn''t like the new rules, then she can move out, better still she can go find and live with her parents. She has to stop embarrassing us!!"


    It was also inevitable for comparisons not to be made between the two girls. Phoebe was obviously better behaved, calmer, hardworking, smart, polite and more honest than Ruth.


    His biological daughter embodied the traits of the Mayfairs even though she had not been raised by her rightful family. Ruth was more like the Gabriels, truly bringing the nature and nurture debate to an end in his mind. Ruth''s nature was bad....crooked, it was in her blood.


    Ruth''s shoes slipped from her hand as she knelt on the floor, she had read the room. The Mayfairs were unhappy with her, she knew that they were aware of what she did at madame Boujee''s store.


    "Father, mother, grandma and my brothers i am so sorry that I didn''t spend the night at home and made you worry, i slept at the Verdemont''s house. I am also sorry about what I did at the boutique. I have to admit that I hang out with the wrong crowd hence my behavior became crooked. In my defense what I did is what all the rich kids in my circle do so I thought that it was okay." Ruth apologized and explained the cause of her impolite behavior.


    If she had stopped at apologizing, they would soften their hearts but she tagged an excuse onto her behavior, thinking that they had not made inquiries about the matter. What they had discovered was worse than they imagined, it was not just Madam Boujee''s store, Ruth had pulled her entitled wealthy heiress act in other places as well.


    "So you thought that it is okay to hurt other people because your friends do it? This isn''t the first case were you are humiliating people. Edward and I have paid off multiple people to silence them and stop them from pressing charges against you but that ends today. If you dare do something terrible to someone out there you better get ready to face the consequences." Jennie spoke in a raised tone.

 Chapter 154 To punish a bad child.

    Edward wrapped his left hand around her waist and squeezed it. She had been worked up since yesterday, maybe she needed to take some of that calming tonic gave his mother.


    Edward pointed Ruth''s way with his right hand,. "That is not all young woman, since you are going around disrespecting people because of our money then you should know that i have made a decision to cut your allowance in half. If you are dissatisfied then look for a job and make your own money."


    He stood up, tugged on the corners of his suit jacket and started leaving the living room. He could hear Ruth calling out for him but he didn''t look back.


    "No, dad, no. What will i do if you cut my allowance? How can i survive on five million a month? Father please!! Don''t do this to me." She screamed.


    "Mother, you won''t allow this to happen, right? I have apologized already, why is dad still angry with me? Do you want me to starve? How will i have friends if i cannot afford to go to the same places as them? My social status will decline, i will become a pariah." Ruth walked quickly on her knees and hugged her mother''s legs, sobbing loudly.


    Collin and Andre were flabbergasted, Ruth''s reasons for wanting an extravagant allowance were really eye opening. Other people survived on less than five thousand dollars a month, she was crying because five million was too little, and yet all she wanted it for was to spend on showing off with her idiot friends.


    Jennie for once wanted to slap Ruth and beg her to shut up. She moved her leg instead, dislodging Ruth''s hands.


    "This is for your own good, i really regret that it took us so long to check your bad behavior. It''s our fault that you turned into a spoiled brat. Now go upstairs, clean your damn self because we are leaving in about thirty minutes." Jennie pointed to the stairs.


    Phoebe who had arrived only thirty seconds ago was sipping her black tea as she watched the almighty Ruth Mayfair get disciplined. The very gossipy ghosts had been updating her on all that had been happening since Ruth returned.


    Watching her plead on her knees brought a smile to Phoebe''s face. Her cries were like a love song in her ears and she longed to hear it more.


    Phoebe had figured out that Ruth was responsible for her miscarriage back then. The bottle of grape juice she had given her must have had something which flushed out her baby. The debt Ruth owed her had increased, it was not three but four lives...and she would collect them.


    Grandma Mayfair stamped her stick on the floor.


    "Now this is more like it, you have always been a terrible person and I have always mentioned it. I thank God that Phoebe''s coming to this house helped open your parent''s eyes. Why are you still squatting there, are you laying an egg?"


    Her words to Ruth caused everyone to guffaw while Phoebe laughed out loud exaggeratedly to annoy Ruth. She had to give the old woman props for having a loose scathing tongue.


    Glaring at the old woman, Ruth stood up and went to her room struggling to keep her anger in check. Once inside she threw herself on the bed, grabbed a pillow, buried her face in it and let out a muffled angry scream.


    "By the end of the day all of you are going to be crying tears of sorrow. Stupid ass Mayfairs." Ruth clenched her fists together.


    She was even more certain that their hearts were turning against her. Soon, they would not see her as their daughter anymore. But that was okay, she had a back up plan___, one to bond her life with theirs forever. They could have their precious daughter, but she was going nowhere.


    Ruth got up and looked at herself in the mirror, smiling deviously. The mirror reflected her eyes which were darkened with evil, pure evil.


    In the living room, Phoebe had moved to sit next to her mother who she could tell was depressed by everything that was going on. It was to be expected, the Ruth disappointment incidents just kept piling so her heart was heavy.


    She pulled out a small jewelry box from her bag and handed it to her.


    "Mother, i know that this is nothing like the fancy jewelry that you often wear but this ring comes from the center of my heart."


    A smile of gratitude fell on Jennie''s face as she opened the jewelry box and studied the ring. It was the second gift Phoebe was giving her, the first was returning to them alive.


    It was a silver ring with different colored small stones at the center. They weren''t ordinary stones though because Phoebe got them from the mountain in the magic space.


    They included pieces from a black onyx stone, a purple amethyst stone, a selenite stone and a moon stone. All of them had energy to protect her from danger and evil. They could protect her from manipulation spells too or having her luck stolen.


    "Thank you my darling Pheebs, I will treasure this for the rest of my life." She slid it on her finger and hugged her daughter tightly.


    "What about me?" grandma Mayfair raised her disappointed voice.


    As the first one in the family to accept Phoebe wholeheartedly, shouldn''t she be getting a precious gift? It was the same for Andre who cleared his throat and Luke who smiled. Collin couldn''t pitch in because he was often butting heads with Phoebe, still he wanted a gift from her too.


    He had forgotten that he had not given her a welcome gift yet.


    "It''s still in the works grandma, everyone will get a special gift from me." Phoebe assured them.


    Jennie raised her hand and waved it around, showing off her ring.


    "I guess i am more special, nothing beats a mother-daughter bond."


    Phoebe chortled and covered her mouth.


    [Ha! my mom is actually cute.]


    Jennie actually blushed a little and then looked away from Phoebe. How was she was cute as a middle aged woman? That was embarrassing, thankfully nobody saw it but her. It was the biggest confirmation of their special bond, seeing her daughter''s inner thoughts.


    Phoebe then got up and told her family that she would meet them at the venue because she had small business to take care of at the cafe.


    Jennie was worried that she would be late but Phoebe assured them that she would be on time. When she left, they were admiring Jennie''s ring.


    When she got to the cafe, Phoebe found the jeweler she had an appointment with waiting for her. She was siting on one the tables close to the window, sipping on the beverage Rosette had served her.


    She slipped into a chair beside her and looked at her watch before facing the woman and speaking rashly. "Thank you so much Lorraine for creating a masterpiece, my mother loved the ring so much."


    "That''s lovely to hear, I have to say that I have been in this business for years and I have to say that the stones you gave me had the purest energy i have felt in so long. I would like to know where you got them such that I can buy them all."


    Lorraine was an alchemist, an actual witch of sorts that Phoebe had met in Magic city. She sold all sorts of trinkets and magical gadgets, a few moths ago she had moved to Citrus city. She was Phoebe''s go to person for making all the good luck charm bracelets, necklaces and other jewelry in her cafe.


    Lorraine''s words caused Phoebe''s eyes to fly open, all she could see were dollar signs. She had a mountain of such stones in her magical space. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Ha-ha-ha, those stones have been in my family for decades, we just never knew what to do with them as they seemed worthless." Phoebe lied blatantly for she had no better explanation as to where she got them. "Let''s talk money."

 Chapter 155 A kidnapping, also to be expected.

    They discussed the price of the stones for a while, haggling as one wanted to get them a low price. Eventually, they settled on the price of 70 to 1000 dollars per carat, and the price could be increased to millions depending on the strength of aura in the stone.


    They agreed to sign a contract on Monday as Sundays were Phoebe''s days off.


    As she left the Cafe, Phoebe made the spontaneous decision to take a taxi to Medalham cemetery. On a day like this, there was bound to be a lot of car traffic on the road. With many dignitaries in the city, security was bound to be tight with a lot of police stops. She hated driving in traffic, she had an impatient soul, or so the Saxon spirit claimed. Not that something like that existed.


    The other reason for her not driving was the weather. The clouds had a dark gray hue and thunder rumbled slightly, there was a possibility of it raining at any time. She rushed to the road side as her eyes meandered around looking to see if she could find a taxi before the rain began to pour.


    Phoebe''s attention was drawn to a crying child. It was a boy, and his moist eyes kept moving around at the strangers that were passing by as if silently asking for help. Nobody was eager was help, one man even spat close to the boy, the spit almost fell on his face.


    "This is why I lost hope in humanity, not one person is stopping to assist this little kid." She rushed and crouched near the green metallic bench on which he sat.


    The Saxon spirit studied him, it couldn''t place its fingers to it but something was definitely off.


    "Phoebe maybe you should ignore him like everybody else, besides you are running out of time."


    A frown formed on Phoebe''s face as she wiped the boy''s wet face.


    "I know that you have no heart but I do, I will just drop him at the police station and go on my way." Phoebe communicated through her thoughts.


    How could she ignore this boy, especially as a one time mother that lost her own sons. If she counted the miscarriage, she lost three children. Her heart would not be at ease if she left him alone, scared and in tears. Those had been the last moments of her sons, scared, alone, in tears, calling for her as they died.


    Her heart tightened and her eyes moistened. She smiled at the little boy and asked him why he was crying. Her eyes darted around, he seemed to be alone with no adult chaperoning him.


    "Are you here alone?"


    The boy remained silent but he responded by shaking his head continuously.


    "Tell me where is your mother?" She asked him.


    The boy lifted his left index finger and pointed towards the alley way. Phoebe followed his eyes and studied the place he was pointing at, there was a tiny path that was not often used by people because it was dirty and had potholes in it.


    "She collapsed, I came here to find help such that I can take her to the hospital." He sniveled and pouted his lower lip.


    Phoebe''s heart sank.


    "Let''s go, take me there." She picked his hand and told him to take her to him.


    The Saxon spirit saw a small mischievous smile grow on the boy''s face which worried her but she didn''t put much weight on it. Maybe he was happy that someone had come along to help.


    "What''s your name?" Phoebe asked as they entered the alley.


    "Timmy." He tightened his grip around her hand. Phoebe figured that he was scared hence his reaction so she tightly held on to him.


    "It''s okay Timmy your mommy is going to be just fine." She told him.


    As they crossed over a big pothole, Timmy missed a step and fell. He winced loudly to express pain and started crying even louder than before. Phoebe who was yet to see a dying woman squatted to check his foot because he was wailing that it hurt.


    "No it doesn''t, Phoebe something is off...." Before it could finish its suggestion, Timmy pulled out a small bottle and spayed it''s contents in Phoebe''s face, within seconds she had collapsed to the floor.


    "You can come out now, I caught the prey." Timmy stood up and laughed in a sinister way.


    Four men came out of a shop that sold used glass ware. They had the look and aura of hooligans, like the kind that thrived in the Southern district. Two of them were holding wooden baseball bats and one had a knife. All of them had tattoos on various parts of their bodies, one in particular had his entire face marked.


    "I have trained you well Timmy, good job aye" The fat man in the group spoke.


    He was the leader of the group and also Timmy''s father. He ruffled the boys'' hair and looked at him proudly.


    "Let''s move before someone walks by and decides to play hero. I thought this job would be so difficult but who knew that she would be so easy to grab." The fat man laughed.


    "That''s why you should not be very trusting of people, even children can be deceitful." The one with a fully tattooed face snickered as he bent down to grab Phoebe''s legs.


    Another one grabbed her shoulders but the fat man stopped him.


    "Oy, what are you doing? One small woman like this does not need two beefy men to be moved. Just throw her over your shoulders and get a move on."


    Tattooed face left the job to his companion who did as their leader said. Phoebe was thrown over his shoulder, slumping like a lifeless body and carried off to a waiting white van.


    One of the men removed an alley closed sign which they had falsely planted on the road to ensure that nobody would interfere with what they were doing.


    The van drove off quickly the moment all the men and Timmy jumped inside. The little boy was sipping pineapple juice out of a small juice box, unbothered by his previous actions.


    Unlike their presumption, Phoebe was not unconscious, she was fully awake, after all, she had been cultivating her Yin body for a week now. With all the ghost energy she had, how could an ordinary knock out spray make her pass out?


    She was quite certain that this was another one of Ruth''s plots. Kidnapping was to be expected of her, it was not unexpected. The only reason why she was playing along was because she wanted to know if these were the same men involved in the kidnapping of her children.


    There was no way to prove it was them but if Ruth had used them now, chances were high they were the ones involved in that plot back then.


    How could she sit by and not punish them?


    She let out a tiny snore, pretending that she was sleeping.


    "She is actually sleeping so comfortably," One of the men laughed and touched her cheek. "She has really nice skin. Boss, when we get to the club, we should play with her before the client comes over. I am sure that she will not mind if we have ourselves some fun." S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Another car was following the van meanwhile. In the car were two men that David had assigned the job of protecting Phoebe from a far.


    One was a lean man with a prominent long nose and cold eyes, named Pike and the other was a heavily muscular former kickboxing champion named Santos.


    Even though they were on the trail of the kidnappers, they had to report the incident to their boss. He had given them strict instructions to update him whenever his girlfriend was in danger.


    Santos pulled out his phone and called David, explaining what had happened.


    On hearing what had happened, David advised that they keep up with the van and do whatever it took to protect Phoebe.


    He was already at Medalham cemetery with his family but he could not stay still while Phoebe was in danger. David stood up and rushed out of there without saying a word.


    "Where is he running off to?" Miranda tapped Katherine''s shoulder and asked.

 Chapter 156 The active rumor mill.

    A wide grin formed on Katherine''s face. "I heard him mention Phoebe''s name." She added a shrug to her words.


    Displeased by what she heard, Miranda''s face became twisted, in an ugly way. It pained her that David was still chasing after Phoebe. He had gone as far as to beat up the men she had told to watch Phoebe''s movements. She needed to free him of his obsession with that good for nothing pauper soon.


    There was one way to do that and that was to marry him off to an suitable woman as soon as possible. They opportunity had presented itself because the Mayfairs were sitting right next to them she intended to talk to the elders about engaging the children as soon as possible.


    The ceremony had yet to start and guests that arrived early were busy socializing. She was hoping to get a moment with Jennie Mayfair as soon as she detached herself from her husband''s arm.


    If it didn''t work out with Ruth Mayfair, she could choose another one from the many daughters of privileged families around.


    Many of those girls were scattered around, daughters of the elite, sitting in groups of three to six. There was one group in particular that was even more exclusive, one had to come from the very top prestigious families to be one of them. This was the same group to which Ruth Mayfair belonged. It had fourteen members, and the number could go up or down depending on the circumstances.


    They were sitting in a circle and a tall blonde young woman with long hair sat in the middle of twelve others, gossiping about this and that. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Oh can you believe that Mr. Edward Mayfair bought land near Salt Lake?"


    "That''s nothing to talk about?" One of them commented.


    The blonde shook her head. "My father told me that the land is a gift for someone named Phoebe Mayfair. I wonder who that is to receive such an expensive gift from him. Do you know who that is?"


    All their gazes turned the Mayfair family and they were caught looking so they waved at Ruth who was talking to Collin.


    "There is a rumor going around that they too have a cuckoo." One stated.


    She was afraid of mentioning Ruth''s name after all, she carried herself like she was the leader of the group. If she was wrong and spoke ill of Ruth, she could be expelled from the group.


    "Ha! Rumor you say? I went shopping at madame Boujee''s store and I heard from the manager that grandma Mayfair called Ruth a cuckoo."


    All twelve young women gasped and looked in the direction of the Mayfairs again, they could not help it. If the Mayfairs had a cuckoo, they had hidden it well.


    They all reeled in shock at the revelation except for Camilla Verdemont. She and Ruth had spent the night together and Ruth confided in her about it.


    Camilla had advised Ruth to get rid of Phoebe before she could make a public debut but it seemed like it was now too late, the rumor was everywhere and the perpetrator was none other than old lady Mayfair. If it had come from the horse''s mouth, it could not be covered up.


    "It''s true, that bitch has been acting like she''s better than us yet she isn''t the Mayfair heiress." Camilla spilled the beans.


    The very person Ruth had confided in had just hammered a a nail into the coffin. Camilla believed that it was time for the group to get a new queen bee and it would be her. This was a coup, of sorts and Camilla was not finished blabbing.


    "I also heard from one of our maids the real heiress is David''s girlfriend but I don''t trust the words of a servant one hundred percent so girlies, don''t go around saying that i told you" Camilla Verdemont chuckled. "But if it''s true then she has lost the heiress tittle and her man to the same woman. I guess this is the down fall of Ruth Mayfair."


    "Oh my God! She took so long to marry him, at least if she did then she would still be a Saxon, right?"


    "No, her mistake was throwing herself at him when he didn''t want her. She should have married one of the many young men from our circles that was interested in her. She receives around ten proposals every year and she rejects them all arrogantly. If only she had accepted one then the cuckoo thing would not matter, she would be tied to another family."


    "Eeh, i don''t know about that. Haven''t you heard that some cuckoos that married into elite families have been divorced?"


    "Shhh! in coming." Camilla whispered furiously.


    They all went dead silent as Ruth approached them, sashaying like a cat on a runway.


    "Hi guys, what are we talking about?" She asked the group which dispersed immediately leaving her feeling awkward.


    "Nothing." they all denied, one after the other.


    Suddenly a funeral song being played by a military band was started and they were literally saved by the bell. Camilla shrugged as she went past Ruth to her join her family. It was time for the Military procession to begin.


    ****


    Meanwhile, Phoebe who was pretending to be unconscious was brought to the final destination and carried her into a dim lighted unfinished building behind some old uncultivated farmlands. It was not a club, like she expected.


    "Todd, sit her up in the chair and tie her up tightly." The fat man ordered.


    He threw the bat in his hands on the floor and peeped through the windows for any sign of human life. They didn''t need witnesses.


    "Boss can I play with her now please before we kill her?" Todd brought his face close to Phoebe.


    The bad odor coming out of his mouth caused Phoebe to curl her toes and frown in revulsion. His breath stunk worse than the gas from a skunk. As somebody that had been skunked once at a cemetery, Phoebe could testify to this fact.


    "Don''t dare touch her, the boss lady wants her unharmed. You can play when she''s done with her. Guys wear your masks i think she''s waking up." The fat man pulled his out of his back pocket.


    Phoebe opened her eyes and lifted her face before they could mask up.


    She yawned and looked at them, one by one. Then, she opened her mouth and chuckled, a high-pitched, make your skin crawl and send shivers down your spine kind of chuckle. It was like she was possessed by evil.


    The men looked at her dumb founded for they expected her to be scared but she wasn''t. Rather, they were the ones feeling unsettled.


    "Father is it okay that she has seen our faces?" Timmy spoke in a more mature voice, he was no longer the innocent kid she had seen a while ago, even his entire demeanor changed.


    The fat man sniggered. "Timmy, my boy, It doesn''t matter if she has seen our faces because she is going to die anyway. I can even tell her my name," He snapped his fingers, "Hey lassie, i am Mitch O''Donnell this is Timmy my boy, that''s Todd Evans, Randall Pickle and his brother Brody Pickle."


    He smirked and snapped his chubby fingers twice. "Todd send the text to her mother now."


    He pulled out Phoebe''s phone from her bag and tossed it to Todd.


    Phoebe didn''t know what message they wanted to send but she decided to play with them, starting with Timmy.


    "Yo...you tricked me."


    .

 Chapter 157 Ghosts to the rescue.

    Timmy laughed sarcastically, in a way that was unlike a child of his age.


    "Lady this is just business, it''s not that deep you were my target, you should blame your kind heart landed you in trouble. Besides the boss lady is paying us a hefty sum for your head, she''ll be here soon to watch you die." He stood before her and crossed his hands.


    The boy had no bone of regret in his body, his eyes glittered with pride. He had learned how to be bad and he was ruined, completely destroyed by his own father. It would take a miracle for him not to grow into a hardened criminal.


    "Come out." Phoebe commanded.


    Sylvester and Connie had come forth, boiling with anger after all that they had witnessed. They had been itching to act the moment Todd asked Mitch for permission to lay his filthy hands on Phoebe.


    A breeze of cold wind invaded the room, and things in the room like chairs and thrown away old wood started to shake. The cups on the table shattered on their own and the glass pieces flew out, one even cutting Mitch on the cheek.


    The men backed away from Phoebe, terrified of her because they guessed it was her doing.


    "Whats...what''s happening?" Little Timmy stammered, he was horrified of ghosts.


    His legs started to shake and his bladder loosened, causing him to urinate on himself.


    "Dad...." he cried out.


    Things became worse as they heard growling, as if an animal was present with them. The Saxon spirit undid the ropes that were binding Phoebe while all the distractions were happening.


    She held her hand out and pulled the bat Mitch had thrown away so casually.


    "Now, let''s get this party started." Phoebe announced loudly.


    On turning, the men saw her sitting calmly, holding a bat in her formerly tied up hands.


    "How....is ...that possible?" Todd shivered.


    He had tied her up really tightly, so much so that her bones could have been broken. He had made sure to see to it that the rope cut into her skin if she struggled. How had she loosened it?


    David''s men were peeking inside through the windows and they too were astonished by what was happening. Pike rubbed his eyes really hard to see clearer, and they ended up with a sting but he didn''t care. He had to ascertain for himself that he really was seeing furniture flying around.


    "I don''t think she needs our help." Santos blinked continuously.


    They decided to wait for a while to rescue her and continue watching.


    Phoebe stood up and proudly proclaimed, "I am a shaman and those are ghosts that I have summoned to take you out. Today, you will learn a valuable lesson and pay for all of your crimes, you should have targeted someone else." She laughed mockingly.


    Mitch was furious, he stepped forward and swung a knife in the bid to chop off Phoebe''s head but was caught by something.


    The Saxon spirit broke his hand, and then his left leg.


    He let out an ear splitting cry which caused the others to try and run away. They could not fight against something invisible after all.


    Phoebe focused on her energy, snapped her fingers. "I give you the gift of sight."


    Their eyes were cleared to see paranormal beings, she had been practicing the skill so she decided to give it a try.


    "Bingo." She laughed when Timmy pointed at Connie and Sylvester.


    "Gh....ghosts..." he screamed.


    They ran back towards Phoebe only to meet an invisible blockade. No matter how much they pushed the invisible wall wasn''t shifting yet the ghosts were coming closer.


    Connie''s hair covered her face and she had lowered her head but making cackling sounds, Sylvester was even scarier for his neck seemed like it was broken, he had dark circles around his eyes and made the loudest growling noise.


    The men tried to find their way out but it was for naught. They were dragged on the ground and beaten brutally by the angry spirits. By the time they were finished venting their anger, all of the men had fractures, bruises and cuts.


    Phoebe was not done, she slapped truth telling talismans on their backs and sent the location to Shark. Those talismans would work for five hours and in that time, they would confess all of their crimes. She was sure they had murdered people before, and they would be spending the rest of their lives in prison.


    Timmy, the only one who was not beaten black and blue ran towards Phoebe and played the victim. "Please don''t hurt me, i am just a child."


    Phoebe laughed. "Oh so now you remember? You are a very bad child Timmy." She slapped him across the cheek. She was not one to beat a child but this one....he was just so terrible.


    "Ouch!! This is child torture lady and it''s a crime." He rubbed his flushed cheek continuously.


    "Well little criminal i suggest we both head to the police station and see which crime is heavier. You did promise to kill me after all." Phoebe pulled on his hand and began to walk towards the door.


    "Who would even believe you?" Timmy bit her hand so hard that Phoebe had to let go.


    The Saxon spirit kicked his butt. "This little psycho, i will just erase his memories of ever meeting these men. We can take him to an orphanage."


    Phoebe shook her head. "These men will still find him in future, one is his father after all."


    She pulled him up from the ground and gave him a stern look and warning. "Listen Timmy if you ever do bad things again I will send my ghosts to torment you. Go home or to an orphanage and be a useful human or else...."


    Sylvester flashed to him in an instant and wrapped his hands around Timmy''s neck. The little boy screamed and nodded right before collapsing.


    "I am going to strangle Ruth Mayfair!!" The Saxon spirit pinched it''s lips in a thin line.


    "No-no, I can handle Ruth as long as I have the three of you." Phoebe smiled warmly at the ghosts, this would have been a different story if not for them.


    Phoebe was late so she called David but he didn''t answer, then she started calling Andre but suddenly David run in all drenched from head to toe. He run to her and hugged her. Phoebe pushed him away and looked behind him. He seemed to be alone. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "How are you here? How did you know that I was here?" Phoebe''s looked at him quizzically


    David summoned his men and they came forward. "This is Pike and Santos, i hired them to protect you from a distance." He elevated his chin maybe expecting Phoebe to be grateful.


    "So you have your people tracking my each and every move without my permission Aren''t you taking too many liberties Saxon?" Phoebe questioned.


    David put his hands on her shoulders and replied seriously. "Thank God that I did, how else would I have known that you were in trouble? It''s for your own good just in case you end up in a situation like this one. I will not lose you again Pheebs."


    "I don''t need saving David, as you can see i can take good care of myself." Phoebe placed her hands to her hips.


    For today she did but who knew tomorrow? David was not going to call off his men, he was determined to protect her with everything he''s got. They had been lucky once, it was best not to tempt fate and see if they could get lucky twice.


    "Let''s go" She told him as she bypassed him only to meet Collin Baltimore at the front door.


    David who was walking slowly rushed forward. "How and Why are you here?"

 Chapter 158 Mirandas ambitions.

    "One of the tenants told me that they saw Phoebe going into an alley with a kid and then a van sped away with that kid inside but she didn''t come out of the alley. I followed as soon as i could but all these police stops delayed me. Is everything okay? Are you hurt?" His eyes looked at the men that were lying far behind.


    He had called in a favor from a friend to hack into the cameras and track the van, which is how he had found her. Still, it looked like he was a step behind the Saxon. It was always like this.


    "I am fine, thanks for coming. You are an awesome landlord." She grinned broadly at him. "It''s a wasted trip sadly, the police are on their way, you should leave now to avoid being caught up in this mess." S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Then she turned and looked at David who had his face twisted.


    [Jeez, get over it Saxon.]


    He was all sour over nothing. "Are we leaving or what? We are late for the state funeral already."


    "I have a helicopter waiting outside." David took her hands and smirked at Collin Baltimore.


    The man could not go with them because he was from Eagle country, his appearance at the state funeral would cause a political wave. It didn''t matter if he was there innocently, the optics would not be great.


    They left the two not so secret bodyguards to keep an eye on the men and Timmy until Shark and his men arrived.


    *****************


    At Medalham cemetery, the military procession had ended and so had the religious service and guard of honor. The master of ceremonies had just taken the stand and announced that the guests could take a short break of forty minutes before the military farewell.


    "Why is Phoebe not here yet?" Andre asked loudly as his eyes moved around in search for her.


    He flashed a suspicious glance at Ruth, wondering if she had done something. Of late, things were chaotic in the family.


    Ruth smiled dryly at him. "Maybe she is busy at work, i hope that you won''t accuse me of doing something to harm her. Grandma accused me of wanting to cause her harm." Ruth gave grandma Mayfair the side eye.


    Her words however caused her father to question his own thoughts, of late he had this nagging worry that Ruth could do harm to his biological daughter. Having such thoughts made him feel guilty, like he was feeling this way because Phoebe was his real daughter. He convinced himself that maybe he was wrong, after all if anything happened to Phoebe she would be the first suspect.


    "Let''s play nice, this is not the time nor place for such conversations." His eyes moved from his Ruth to his mother who was calling Phoebe on the phone.


    "Her phone is switched off, that''s not normal. Something is definitely off." Her glare was fixed on Ruth was deep in thought.


    Ruth smiled at the old woman sweetly and batted her eyelashes for no reason. There was nothing to prove that she had anything to do with Phoebe not showing her presence today. Today was the day Phoebe was going to be wiped off the face of the earth.


    A tiny sly smile formed on her face as she imagined breaking Phoebe''s bones one by one, peeling off her skin and gouging out her eyes. That bitch was going to pay for ruining her once perfect life.


    "Maybe she is with David, he is always clinging onto her. Why don''t you try calling him mother?" Jennie suggested to grandma Mayfair whose brows were pulled together.


    The old woman was all but ready to leave and start searching for Phoebe. This funeral mattered less than her beloved granddaughter.


    She tried calling but David didn''t pick, grandma Mayfair sighed. She was about to give up and then remembered the ghosts, they could know something just in case Phoebe was in trouble.


    Her face was doused with hope as she dialed Rosette''s number.


    "Oh Rossett thank God! Are the special friends there?" She whispered. She didn''t want to call them ghosts in public.


    "They rushed out of here sometime back, i think Phoebe is in some kind of situation. However grandma don''t worry Phoebe and the ghosts will handle whatever it is."


    She hung up as she was attending to customers.


    "I knew it!!" Grandma Mayfair spoke in a tone so skeptical and glared at Ruth.


    It was obvious to her that the serpent in human form had something to do with it. Every bad that had happened to Phoebe in the past Ruth''s name had been written all over it. Why would this be any different?


    "Mother is everything okay?" Edward asked.


    Shaking her head in response, grandma Mayfair told them not to worry about Phoebe. They could not discuss the matter in public anyway, especially because Miranda would not stop looking their way.


    "Wave at her." grandma told Jennie.


    Both of them waved at the woman, just to be courteous. Miranda Saxon saw this as an opportunity to talk to the Mayfairs. She moved closer to them and embraced Ruth so lovingly.


    "Oh darling you are are the best dressed young woman here as always." She stared at her admiringly.


    Ruth bashfully answered, "Thank you aunt Miranda."


    Miranda let her go, then greeted the rest of the Mayfairs, grandma Mayfair however had her lips curled upwards and rejected the hug. Miranda was taken aback, she couldn''t remember doing something to warrant such treatment from her.


    She needed to ready it quickly as the old woman was the one that decided on marriages in the Mayfair house.


    "Old matriarch did I do something to offend you?" She placed her gloved hand on her chest.


    Grandma Mayfair had never forgotten about the day Miranda insulted Phoebe at the cafe. She didn''t say anything but looked the other way making it a point to ignore her.


    Miranda did not let that stop her from doing what had brought her over. "Anyway I wanted to pick your mind and hear your thoughts on the matter of engaging our children, Ruth and David."


    Ruth bounced on her feet on hearing her suggestion.


    The other Mayfairs traded looks, they knew that it was easier for a man to give birth than getting David to marry Ruth voluntarily.


    "Does David know of this? I want to hear his opinion on this matter." Grandma Saxon approached them.


    Miranda was doing this without her knowledge yet she had warned her countless times. It looked like she had to find other ways to keep her daughter-in-law busy.


    "David likes someone else, you do not have to like it but that''s the fact."


    Edward cleared his voice. "Well Miranda I think that what you are suggesting is no longer possible. Our family isn''t interested in David marrying Ruth."


    Miranda let out a sigh of frustration, where was she going to get a better candidate? Who on this walking earth would make a better wife for David than Ruth.


    Ruth bit her lower lip and fought back tears of despair. Her own parents were now stumbling blocks to her happiness. They were choosing to support David and Phoebe rather than her.


    General Paul Drusus and his guards approached the group and looked at each of them. Unsatisfied, his eyes roamed around them before finally settling on Ruth.


    "Ah! you are not the real one, you are the cuckoo. Where is the real heiress, the one i met in Iborg city?" He wore a silly smile.

 Chapter 159 Its a cemetry, of course there are ghosts.

    His words made the Mayfair''s uncomfortable but they didn''t intervene to correct him because he had only spoken the truth. Also, he was army general Drusus, not many people corrected or talked back to him.


    The one person most shocked at the revelation was Miranda. She thought maybe she had misheard but those furtive glances between the Mayfair''s and Ruth''s uncomfortable energy told a different story. In fact, as Ruth herself was not daring to contradict the general, it had to be true.


    The closest Saxons heard it too so they stared in their direction with Rose-bell moving closer to listen in on the conversation.


    "Cuckoo? Who is the cuckoo?" Rose-bell asked.


    Miranda''s trembling hand pointed at Ruth.


    "How? She is one of those cuckoos in the news, oh my God!!!!, she stepped away from Ruth as if the young woman had suddenly grown boils on her skin."


    Further more, she shot Jennie an accusing look. "You are really unbelievable, you have known this all the while and kept quiet. I have been here trying to get her and David together and you said nothing. Did you hide this such that my son can marry a cuckoo? Let me tell you right now, it will not happen."


    All of the Mayfairs had no words for Miranda who had managed to make this matter all about her. What possible benefit would they receive from plotting to have Ruth marry David? Miranda was the one pushing for it, not them.


    "Oh look here comes the real heiress" General Drusus loudly announced, pointing at Phoebe who was walking their way between Collin and David.


    The two men were holding onto one of her arms each, engaged in a minor game of push and pull. Collin wanted to get Phoebe away from David and David was determined not to release her. The one being pulled from sided to side had an exhausted look on her face.


    "Tsk, she knows how to command attention for sure, a true Mayfair." General Drusus approved.


    In her plain black dress, wide brim hat, black gloves on her hands and high heels, Phoebe looked like she was attending a royal funeral.


    Miranda gulped as she watched the real Mayfair heiress come in with her son. In her mind, the stars had aligned for sure, her son had already linked up with the real one. Thank God he had the sense to reject the cuckoo early on. David must have known the truth all along. Miranda wanted the hat and sunglasses to be removed so that she could have a good look at the woman.


    Rose-bell leaned towards Andre and whispered, "Why is David with her?"


    "Don''t get me started on that clingy bastard, he will not leave my sister alone." Andre responded.


    Almost every eye at the venue had turned to Phoebe and the two men. A woman walking between a Saxon and a Mayfair was bound to capture attention. Whispers were already floating around.


    "Who is that?"


    "Where did she buy that dress?"


    "Is she David''s girlfriend, the witch?"


    "Isn''t Collin dating Kelly? Why is he with a new woman?"


    "Did you hear that, apparently she is the real Mayfair heiress."


    The thirteen young women had gathered again and they were more than excited for the drama. Most of them had come for the state funeral unwillingly, expecting it to be a drab event. To fill up the time, they had been gossiping about this and that, mostly about Ruth and the Mayfair affairs.


    "I can''t believe she is here, look at Ruth, she is melting." one of them whispered.


    "This must be her worst nightmare, oh thank God i am not a cuckoo. General Drusus really just shouted it loudly for everyone to hear, my God!!!"


    "Miranda Saxon was trying to get David and Ruth engaged, what is she going to do now?"


    "There is no way the Saxons will be accepting Ruth now. Have you met David''s mother? She has just one consideration for daughter-in-law, you must be from the top founding families."


    "Camilla stands a chance."


    Camilla flipped her hair back and her nose pointed in the air and she raised her head proudly.


    Phoebe could hear the whispers but she didn''t give them any attention. She was standing in the presence of general Drusus, who was looking over her curiously.


    "You, little girl, i told Amon to invite you over for dinner but you turned me down. Is it so bad being on friendly terms with me?"


    "Why would i be friends with a stranger?" Phoebe retorted.


    "Ha!" General Drusus laughed. "Anyway, i thought for a minute that you were not coming when you contributed largely to the return of these soldiers home. If you had not shown up, i was going to hold on to your medal of merit for civilians that make great contributions. I recommended you. You are really grateful, aren''t you? You probably want to hug me right?" He gave her his most proud look, waiting for her to praise him for his great deed.


    Amon likened his uncle to a silly husky in his mind as he approached them. Why the heck did he like Phoebe so much despite meeting her only once?


    "Uncle, please, we are in public." he whispered.


    General Drusus snubbed his nephew and kept his eyes on Phoebe.


    "In return for my good deed, i want breakfast from your cafe daily. It should be free for the rest of my life."


    "Uncle!!" Amon raised his voice slightly.


    He cleared his throat and his eyes roamed around. There were reporters around for heavens sake!! If they caught wind of this, the headlines tomorrow would be medal of merit sold for free life time supply of breakfast. They would milk the story the way they were milking the cuckoos.


    General Drusus was not finished, he lowered his head and whispered to her. "Girl, what is your life like in the Mayfair home living with the person that stole your life? Is there any kind of plotting like the one in dramas? Recently, my wife and i are watching tale of two sisters and it is almost like your life. Two girls were swapped at birth and..."


    Grandma Mayfair came forward with a smile on her face.


    "Mmm, general, can we talk about this later. Phoebe needs to sit down and you are needed by one of the congress men."


    She directed him to the congressman that was waving in their direction wildly. Successfully, she retrieved Phoebe away sat her down in the empty chair which had been left for her between herself and Andre. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Andre sat down quickly before David could snatch his chair.


    "Sister, why were you late?"


    Phoebe smiled and answered, "Traffic."


    Andre turned his head and passed this answer on to his mother and she told Edward, who told Luke that whispered it to Collin.


    Phoebe didn''t want to mention the kidnapping, not right now. There had been a lot of drama in the family lately and they needed a small break from it. Moreover, Ruth had covered her face when she met Mitch, so it could not be proven that she was behind the kidnapping.


    "Are there any ghosts here?" Andre asked.


    Phoebe looked around and nodded calmly. It was a cemetery, of course there were ghosts around, many of them.


    Hopefully, they would not try to start a conversation with her when she was surrounded by all these people and television cameras. Enough people thought of her as crazy, as it was.

 Chapter 160 Ruth on needles, again!

    Phoebe was worried about ghosts and on the other hand, Ruth was nervous as hell not just because she had become the center of gossip thanks to the loud mouthed general but because Phoebe whom she thought was lying unconscious somewhere had suddenly appeared.


    General Drusus had loudly declared her identity and the Mayfair''s had all but confirmed it. What she had been dreading, was happening slowly, the whispers.


    She couldn''t stand the curious and condescending gazes of the public especially the girls she called friends so she excused herself claiming that she didn''t feel well.


    Her desire to escape jolted Phoebe out of her ghost related thoughts, she got up and went towards Ruth. "Oh you don''t? Sister I will escort you to the car then."


    Phoebe forcefully pulled her by the arm. Ruth started resisting but Phoebe was abnormally strong and her nails dug into Ruth''s arm.


    "You don''t want me talking about the kidnapping here now do you?" Phoebe whispered through pursed lips.


    "WHAT!! kid...what? Pheebs what are you talking about? Did something happen?" Ruth''s eyes grew bigger her whites showed.


    If she didn''t know her any better Phoebe would think that Ruth was actually innocent. She really had a knack for acting, instead of plotting in real life, she should have got a job plotting in a fictional television world. It would earn her money and fame as well.


    The somewhat loud quizzical statements that came from Ruth''s mouth attracted curious gazes from the family something Phoebe didn''t want. She had no evidence, Mitch confessed when she slapped the truth telling talisman his back that they didn''t know the boss lady. They had received a phone call from a burner phone from a woman and a huge deposit.


    "Come with me obediently." Phoebe ordered Ruth.


    More people were looking their way, heavily vested in observing the relationship between the real and the fake.


    "Is something wrong?" Edward asked.


    Phoebe smiled and shook her head. "Nothing dad, i am just escorting Ruth to the car because she doesn''t not feel fine. Please excuse us for moment."


    As if she was leading away a hostage with a knife to the throat, Phoebe pushed a now reluctant Ruth to move.


    Old lady Mayfair was dissatisfied to see this. "Hmph! why does she have to help that white eyed wolf. My Phoebe is too nice and soft for her own good."


    "Mother, don''t say that in public." Jennie whispered.


    David was unsettled to see the two women leaving together so he followed them stealthily.


    When they reached in the parking area, Phoebe whirled Ruth around roughly.


    "Rotten thing, it was you that had me kidnapped, right?" she questioned her. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In response Ruth laughed snidely and clapped her hands softly.


    "If it''s me, then why haven''t you told everyone? What, are you trying to protect your newly found family? It''s so sweet and touching but Pheebs you are now vulnerable because I know your weakness." She poked a finger at Phoebe''s chest. "If you dare me, i will do worse but not to you, maybe Andre or your mother, so just be a good girl and keep your pie hole shut."


    Since they were alone, with no witnesses to overhear, she felt confident in asserting herself.


    Ruth moved her hand to Phoebe''s cheek and caressed it. Phoebe moved her head back slightly and slapped Ruth''s hand away.


    Then and now, Ruth was resorting to such means to get her way. Phoebe suddenly had a thought, what if the mother that Ruth planned to kill after her children was not Elizabeth but Jennie? Even in the past, Ruth was aware that she was not a Mayfair. There was no way she would have killed her own birth mother when that couple helped her scheme back then.


    She looked at Ruth and wondered how many more things she missed back then because she had been blind. Ruth would pay for it all, everything she had done.


    Phoebe pulled out the phone from her purse and pressed the stop recording button.


    "Thank you for confessing sister," She said sarcastically, "Before now I didn''t have any evidence but now i have you on recording admitting to your crime and making threats against my brother and grandmother. If anything happens to them, you will be suspect number one."


    Ruth heaved heavily and tried to snatch the phone but a manly hand grabbed hers.


    "You venomous witch, what are you trying to do?" David shoved her vehemently that she stumbled back and fell to the ground.


    Phoebe touched David''s arm to calm him down because he wanted to beat Ruth up.


    "Dav...its not what you think...i....i" Ruth began to sob.


    It dawned on her that this was it, David was never going to see her the same way. She had finally hit rock bottom and lost everything, what would her parents think when they hear that damn recording. She began to scan her head for solution but she had none.


    Phoebe pointed at Ruth. "Ruth Gabriel, you must be stupid. I saw this coming from miles away. I was your friend once I know what you are capable of. Actually, i thought you would just add peanuts to my food since i am allergic to them but you went for a kidnapping plot. Haven''t you wondered how i am standing before you unharmed? You surely do not think that those men let me go willing, you are dumb but not that dumb. I will show you what will happen to you if you do something stupid like that again."


    Phoebe told the angry Saxon spirit to strangle her but not kill her.


    "I thought you would never ask." The spirit sealed Ruth''s mouth, rubbed its hands and gave Ruth two slaps first.


    Ruth tried to stand or crawl away but she was confused, not sure of what to do. She looked around in search of the assailant. The spirit added more slaps and wrapped its hands around her neck until she was fighting for breath and blue in the face.


    "I am Phoebe Mayfair, the one true shaman of Citrus city. If you mess with me again, I will break your bones like I did your criminal friends and as for my family, I dare you to hurt them.


    My parents raised you with so much love and their hearts will break beyond repair if they heard this recording. That''s why i am going to hold on to this but only on the condition that you leave the country by the end of the week, say good bye to the Mayfairs forever and never return."


    Ruth who was coughing endlessly with her hands around her bruised neck was frightened, and nodded continuously.


    "I...i will leave, I promise please tell those ghosts to stay away from me."


    She rushed inside the car and her waiting driver who didn''t intervene as this was a matter between two sisters drove off.


    David was standing guard next to Polly, making sure that no one was watching what was going on.


    He disagreed with how Phoebe had decided to handle it. "Pheebs, she is not going to walk away on her own, even if leaves the danger doesn''t go away. Just go to your parents and let them listen to the recording. Let them kick her out for good and send her to prison. That cunning snake is only going to come up with another plan."


    Ruth would never willingly give up a life of wealth and luxury, she would rather die.

 Chapter 161 She cannot avoid ghosts.

    Phoebe knew he was right but her family had had enough heartbreaks especially her mother who would only blame herself for Ruth being a monster. She had the evidence anyway and the house had talismans everywhere, her family members were safe. For now, it was better to wait and see.


    Besides, how could she allow Ruth to leave so easily with a healthy body and all the money in her accounts? She had to be penniless and in pain. Now that the family didn''t trust Ruth anymore, it was time to begin the second phase of her plan.


    "David let''s keep this between us at least for now, if she attempts to do anything then I will have to let them know."


    They left and went back to the cemetery because it was time for the interment.


    When they left, Collin Mayfair revealed himself. He had followed David and his sisters with the intention of dragging them away from him. He did not expect to witness the scene which had met his eyes or hear the words exchanged between Phoebe and Ruth.


    He was so shocked that he loosened his tie and sat on the grass under the large tree where he had been hiding. He could not believe what he had just heard. Was this the real Ruth or had Phoebe pushed her so much that she said those things out of anger? How could she threaten their grandmother and Andre? Even if she was feuding with Phoebe, how could she make such a threat?


    What was the right thing to do with this information, tell the rest of the family or wait like Phoebe had told David? He thought long and hard for a few minutes but came to no proper conclusion so he stood up and went to rejoin the ceremony.


    He was like a zombie through most of it, just staring at Phoebe who scowled at him in turn, even hissing and gesturing for him to look away from her.


    [I am not a television, why do you keep watching me? It can''t possibly be that you are blaming me for Ruth suddenly deciding to leave. She is the one that sent goons to kidnap me and yet i haven''t ratted her out. Be grateful to me for saving the reputation of your wicked beloved fake sister I should just take the recording and slap you in your smug face with it.]


    Collin scoffed and looked away from her. She noticed the slight upward curl of his lips as he was looking away. She scoffed too and folded her fist, then made a small punching gesture in his direction.


    "What are you doing?" Andre whispered to her.


    "Nothing." she lied.


    She put that hand down and folded both of her hands on her laps in the fashion all the other young ladies were doing.


    Her fake perfect young lady pose did not last long because she noticed something weird going on between ghosts. One had dark energy, it was definitely a malicious ghost and the other one was normal. The dark malicious one was a man and he dragging the normal one, a woman that was screaming.


    She did not expect that her eyes would ever see the sight of a female ghost being harassed even after death.


    "What the heck." she whispered.


    The ghost defender in her did not sit still.


    "Go and check it out." she told told the Saxon spirit.


    She moved her hand into her bag slowly and tossed out a few talismans to get rid of any evil ghosts and energy in the cemetery.


    They turned into black ash as soon as they touched the ground and what remained was carried away by the winds.


    "I saw you." Andre leaned down and whispered in her ears.


    "What are you, my personal stalker?" she shoved his curious head away.


    Andre''s head pivoted her way and he shamelessly responded with pride, "Yes, if i don''t stalk my sister, who will i stalk?"


    [Crazy! he is not a sis con, is he? No, that term describes jerk Collin better. I bet he would wash Ruth''s feet if she ordered him to. Maybe even dress up as a maid in those short fluffy uniforms to and dance around if she asked. Hahahaha....]


    Both Collin and Andre could not believe what they had just read. Collin who was back to staring at Phoebe could not believe that she thought he was a sis con. He just defended Ruth a little because he thought Phoebe was a bad guy. Sis con was really too much!


    And what was that nonsense about washing feet and dressing up as a maid. What exactly was it that went through his sister''s mind? For someone that had been kidnapped only an hour and some minutes ago, she was too carefree with her muddled thoughts.


    Andre meanwhile was snickering, while he looked in Collin''s direction, imagining his brother in the silly maid costume.


    Collin noticed Andre snickering and looking at him immediately.What is this idiot brother thinking, he asked himself.


    He was turning his head back when he realized that Andre had been looking at the top of Phoebe''s head just like him. It can''t be.....he thought.


    The sudden sound of gun fire drew him away from his brother. It was best not to appear distracted at this ceremony so he looked ahead.


    Phoebe could not avoid her ghost duties, the Saxon spirit had not just returned with the ghost but a sad story as well.


    The poor young woman had been killed by her stalker and then he killed himself. Before dying, he made sure that they were buried next to each other. In life and death, her stalker refused to let her go. She could not move on because he had used some means to tie their ghosts together. Everywhere she escaped to, he would find her and torment her.


    The ghost made a request for Phoebe to dig up her grave and transfer her bones, separating her from her stalker so that she could move on.


    Hearing the story made her sigh. What kind of stalker was this, a super stalker? How could he stalk someone in life and death?


    "What a devious bastard, i just to rip off his head shove it up his fuc..."


    "Connie! i swear to God i will ground you." The Saxon spirit sternly raised her voice.


    The teenage girl pouted and disappeared into the space, but not before stomping her right foot to express her displeasure for not being allowed to express herself as she wished.


    Soon, they came to the final part of the ceremony, handing out medals to the families of the dead soldiers, Phoebe too received her medal, as did Edward, David and Andre. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Unexpectedly, grandma Mayfair pouted unhappily.


    "Mother, what''s wrong?"


    "I should be getting get one as well. I worked all night to feed hungry ghosts, listen to their stories and register their information. I contributed to."


    Jennie was lost for words. What was she supposed to say? It''s not as if this information could be shared publicly.


    With the medals awarded, coffins were lowered and the ceremony was ended. General Drusus immediately made a bee line for Phoebe but she turned around and took off running.


    The general latched on to Edward instead.


    "When are you inviting me over for dinner?"


    Edward turned to Amon for help. Other families had cuckoos too, why was the army general so interested in their family affairs?


    He couldn''t help frowning at the man. Thanks to him, his daughter had run off.


    Their face off would have to be pushed to another day because Collin got a call from the hospital, Ruth had been in an accident.

 Chapter 162 A regular at the cemetery.

    It was not until she reached the car parking that Phoebe recalled she didn''t come with her car. She didn''t want to be driven by her family members as they would insist on following her.


    The only option left was grabbing a taxi but in that area she would have to walk for at least thirty five minutes to find one.


    "Damn it." she whispered.


    She abandoned the heels for sneakers which she took from her space and decided to run to the road.


    The Saxon spirit noticed that Polly was somewhere in the parking.


    "David could give you a ride."


    "I am going to dig a grave, allow me to maintain some of my beauty and dignity please." Phoebe brushed the suggestion off.


    Even if he was familiar with what she did for a living, she didn''t necessarily have to go around with him all the time. Besides, David Saxon digging up a grave would attract attention from people and get in the way of her job.


    She pointed in the direction of the road and exhaled loudly.


    "Let''s go." she shouted vigorously and took off running at an incredible speed.


    What she didn''t know was that David had actually tried to follow her when she took off running but he could not make it to her because his mother had latched onto him tightly. He couldn''t shake her lose, not in public but it didn''t stop him from trying anyway.


    "Let go." he spoke through gritted teeth.


    "Not until you tell me about this cuckoo business. Did you know that your little ghost seeing girlfriend is the Mayfair heiress? How dare they try to deceive us with the fake thing? Thank God you saw through the ruse and got the real one first.Anyway, don''t worry, i will not oppose your relationship anymore but you must make sure to marry her quickly. I know for sure other families will send their sons to seduce her first. A girl like that who has not seen the world is easy to fool, a little money and she will be taken."


    She looked around like a thief and then lowered her voice even more. "Have you bedded her? If you haven''t, do it quickly and make sure to score a big one, it doesn''t matter if you play dirty, just do whatever it takes. If she is pregnant, she can''t escape."


    David shoved her away from himself immediately, sending her back and she crushed into Katherine. There was dismay on his face and loathing.


    "You are unbelievable." he spat out and walked away.


    She just kept disappointing him more and more every passing day. How could she make such a suggestion to her own son? He had heard rumors that she used such a trick to entangle his father and marry him. He didn''t think that she would encourage her own children to do the same.


    He had to get out of there, he could not look at her anymore. What he needed was Phoebe or a drink. When he contacted Phoebe, her phone was off so he decided to get the drink instead.


    ****************


    Phoebe thought her days of spending the night at a cemetery were long gone but she had been kidding herself. In her line of work, places where the dead were buried were like restaurants. Every once in a while, you had to visit one.


    Digging up graves was illegal which left her with no choice but to stay there helping ghosts or simply having conversations with some while she waited for darkness to come.


    Even the darkness she needed had to be timed, it had to be a moment when most people were sleeping. As soon as it clocked midnight, she donned a black rain coat and got to work.


    She got a shovel and followed the Saxon spirit and the frightened ghost seeking her help to the grave of her stalker.


    With the shovel in hand and the unnecessary rain coat as it was not raining, she was quite the sight. If anybody saw her, they would run for the hills assuming that she was a killer. Who else walked around a cemetery looking like that?


    Connie poked the rain coat" Sister, every time you dress like this you look just like a ghost. You are one of us, one of us...one of us...one"


    "Shut up and dig Connie." Phoebe put the shovel in her hands.


    Immediately, tears formed in Connie''s eyes. "Sister, how can a weak young ghost like me dig? I do not have the strength, look at weak limbs."


    She put her arms out and feigned sadness.


    Phoebe and the Saxon spirit rolled their eyes, the girl was really good at dodging work. Sylvester took the shovel from Connie and got to work.


    As soon as the shovel touched the ground above, they had an angry growl.


    The frightened ghost of the woman screamed and looked around from left to right.


    "It''s him, he is here." She clung onto the Saxon spirit and trembled.


    Phoebe poured salt all around the them, encircling the graves as well. Not wasting a moment, she got another shovel and also got to work. The moment she lifted it, she made a realization, with two or three days worth of energy, she would not need to dig and the process could be expedited.


    Outside the salt circle, the malicious ghost was trying hard to get to them, looking for an opening. That smell of evil was really nauseating, Phoebe wanted to leave as soon as possible.


    "Step back." she ordered Sylvester.


    She put her hands out, palms facing downwards and concentrated with a lot of energy. She had only learned to move things recently, and nothing this big so far.


    "Step aside." The Saxon spirit told her.


    "No, you keep an eye on that bastard, you can see the change in the wind, right? He is trying to blow the salt away. Protect her, i can do this." Phoebe responded.


    "Why don''t we use paper men?" Connie asked.


    Nobody answered her, it was not the time to answer her question. If they could respond, they would tell her that using paper men would eat up at least thirty days worth of Phoebe''s energy and life.


    More importantly, Phoebe needed to practice her skills and become strong.


    "Oh, it''s working." Connie squealed.


    The ground above was cracking as if there was a small land slide. Grass and brown soil fell to the side, parting to make way for a dark oak coffin with gold plated handles.


    The growling of the malicious ghost became louder.


    "I will kill you." It threatened.


    "Oh yeah, you and what army?" Connie responded.


    She raised her hand and gave the malicious ghost the middle finger, deliberately provoking it. Not even the Saxon spirit stopped her this time. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Sylvester suddenly spun around and kicked off the lid of the coffin.


    "Wow!!" Phoebe exclaimed.


    The growling became louder and the force of the wind increased, blowing off some leaves from the trees around the cemetery.


    Some of the salt was blown away but the Saxon spirit replaced it immediately and threw out an intricately designed black amulet which was a blocking talisman imbued with protective magic.


    The wind did not reach them anymore and the growling of the ghost was cut off to their ears.


    Phoebe moved closer to the coffin to take a look. There was something inside, a thing that reeked of evil.

 Chapter 163 Until death dont so us part.

    Phoebe couldn''t help gasping when her eyes saw what was in the coffin. It was in the hands of the dry decayed body of the malicious ghost, a black talisman with a dark aura crafted from a human bone. When she looked closer, she noticed a faint glow with a spooky light.


    The knowledgeable Saxon spirit knew what they were looking at immediately


    "It''s a binding talisman but this one is packed full of dark magic. This kind of talisman was crafted to create an unbreakable bond between her and this stalking bastard even in the afterlife. The bone is probably hers."


    The female ghost had told them that it died in an accident so it was not impossible for someone to acquire a piece of her bone.


    "Whoever prepared his body for the burial must have known about it because his hands are glued to the talisman, he basically glued their fates together making sure that even if she reincarnates, he would find her in another world." The Saxon spirit could not believe what it was seeing.


    This was the kind of thing you heard about in whispers, never really witnessing in person. It was only used in cases of true love where lovers could not let go of each other even in death. Undying loyalty to a king, emperor, or someone superior. The last case was tragic love where lovers chose to die because they could not be together in that life so they hoped for a chance in the next one.


    Never before had she heard about it being used as a vengeful tool. Not only had this stalker, killed the woman, and ensured that he was buried next to her but he went ahead to tie their fates together. What kind of obsession was that?


    Phoebe looked back at the growling ghost in disgust. "First it was stealing luck and now this, what is wrong with people?"


    It did not make sense that a stalking victim had not found peace even in death. Some of them actually took their lives to escape their stalkers, if this kind of thing was common, did it mean even death was not a relief?


    The scared female ghost had collapsed to the ground, bawling her eyes out while Sylvester tried to comfort her, assuring her that all would be fine now.


    Connie on the other hand lost her patience and poured salt on the body. She vanished into the space and returned with Phoebe''s newly crafted evil banishing talismans. Not wasting a single moment, she stuck them onto the bones and poured gasoline all over them.


    Phoebe lit another talisman and tossed it while it was burning into the coffin. Immediately, the fire rose up and cracking sounds came from the bones.


    As the binding talisman burned, so did the ties between the two, freeing the poor female ghost that vanished into a white light quickly as soon as it was freed. Phoebe had never seen a ghost that was so ready to say goodbye to the earth.


    "She is gone, just like that." she commented.


    "She didn''t even say goodbye or thank you after we helped her." Connie noticed.


    The others laughed at the teenage girl who was famous for saying neither of those things as well. Since the bones were still burning, they stayed for a while, waiting for


    The air was filled with wailing from the malicious ghost that was angry because the woman was gone, not bound to him anymore.


    It was also scared because it had started fading and darkness had come to claim it. Phoebe did not feel sorry for it in the least bit, it deserved even worse.


    What she had done was send it to its final destination directly which was well. The evil malicious ghost was not deserving of purgatory.


    With the job finished she restored the scene of the crime as best as she could and they left the cemetery. She didn''t return to the Mayfair house but went to her apartment instead.


    The guards at the entrance gave her quizzing looks when they saw her dirty sneakers and the rain coat. They wondered what kind of person wore a rain coat on a non rainy day and why her sneakers were so dirty.


    As she took the elevator up, they whispered about her.


    "That''s the ghost seeing woman, right?"


    "Does she just see ghosts or is she one of them?"


    "I have seen her talking to herself many times, she is very creepy."


    Phoebe didn''t know that an entire discussion into her had been started when she made her way to her apartment. Even if she did, she would not have cared. It was nothing new anyway.


    She entered her apartment, took a shower and went to sleep.


    ***********************


    Edward Mayfair woke up early on Sunday morning, he went to his study because he had a scheduled meeting that was happening via a conference call.


    First, he checked his phone for a call or text from Phoebe and smiled when he found one, informing him that she was sleeping at her apartment.


    Satisfied with her sense of responsibility, he concentrated on business. Two hours later, There was a knock on the door and Edward told whoever it was to come in.


    Mark, the head of security entered with an air of nervousness. He didn''t know how he was going to break the terrible news he had to his boss.


    "Mr Mayfair i am sorry to bother you...."


    "Its no bother Mark, i am done here." Edward switched off the computer, not looking at Mark so he didn''t notice the nervousness on his face.


    Mark cleared his voice. " Well sir you have a special visitor, its the news anchor Kelly."


    Edward brightened up and looked up at Mark with a delighted grin. He was aware of relationship between his son and Kelly and he thought it was high time Collin took a serious step and made things official.


    He was tired of his peers asking him about when he was going to start having grandchildren or why all his three sons were still not married.


    He stood up immediately in a rush to go and welcome the special guest.


    "Have my mother and Jennie been informed yet? It''s a pity Pheebs didn''t spend the night, she is going to miss out on an opportunity to meet her future sister-in-law. And Collin, has he welcomed her?" He asked.


    "Unfortunately, Mr. Collin had already left but I have informed him and he is on his way back. As for the madams. Oman has gone to inform them. However sir there is something else that you should know...."


    Edward stopped in his tracks because Mark''s voice had suddenly become very serious.


    "What is this about? Can''t it wait?" He asked.


    Mark tugged on his left ear lobe. "It''s about Ophelia financial records. I sent them to your email after highlighting the suspicious parts.


    I discovered that Ophelia sent money to a lab technician so I tracked him down, quizzed him and he confessed that he was paid to find out about the tests Luke Mayfair had requested to be run between members of the family and miss Phoebe. She wanted the test results to be changed.


    Then also she paid a small internet company whose employees are paid to make false posts and slander people on line. Additionally, she paid off a doctor that treated miss Ruth when she was about to have a surgery. I have found all that and many other shady payments." S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 164 Uninvited guest.

    The information overloaded Edward''s mind for a moment. He had been pumped full of one shock after another, covering the news of Kelly visiting his house. Why had Ophelia made such suspicious transactions? Was Ruth in on it or were these things done by Ophelia to protect Ruth?


    He rushed back to his desk and checked the email. The amounts of money she had spent were staggering. By the count alone Ophelia was a wealthy woman that didn''t need to work as a maid.


    "This doesn''t make sense at all. Yes, we do pay our employees really well but where did Ophelia get this kind of money? I am seeing millions of dollars here."


    Mark squinted his eyes and wrinkled his brows. "Well sir that''s the other thing which i have not shared yet. The money came from one account that belongs to miss Ruth." He scrutinized his boss''s face to see his reaction on the issue. "I have attached all the evidence related to these incidents, i just don''t know what to do next. It''s not like I can question the older young miss." He shrugged. He had done his job it was now up to his boss to decide on what to do next.


    "Thank you Mark, you can leave for now. Remember not to mention this to anybody." he cautioned his head of security and sent him away.


    After Mark left, Edward walked to the big French window that displayed the beauty of the flower garden. He could not even enjoy the beauty of the flowers at the moment. The writing was on the wall, Ruth had wired Ophelia millions of dollars and made her do all the dirty work. She was probably behind the theft and framing as well. He needed to take a look at Ruth''s bank statements first to confirm his suspicions.


    Once they had concrete evidence, they could make on a decision on how to proceed. What would they do to Ruth when all the pieces of the puzzle came together? Was expelling her from the family enough?


    He looked down and saw his mother sitting on a mat near the gazebo doing some light yoga and made made a momentous decision to go talk to her as this was beyond what he anticipated Ruth was capable of doing.


    As he walked down the stairs, he heard laughter in the living room so he went by to greet the guest.


    The moment Kelly saw him, she raised herself from the chair and put on her best charming smile which had won many hearts. "Mr Mayfair, its my pleasure to finally meet you, i am Kelly, Collin''s girlfriend." She introduced herself bashfully.


    Edward returned the smile and before he could respond, his wife''s excited voice came to his ears. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Edward at this point we should begin preparing for a wedding. She''s a good fit for our family. She''s beautiful and charming I like her and so does mother. I wonder where she went to." Jennie''s eyes moved around as if in search of the old woman.


    Edward gave her one gentle look, smiled at the guest again and looked in the direction of the door through which Collin was coming through.


    He stopped his son by grabbing his shoulder. "Oh Collin, it''s good that you are here. How come you have been hiding your girlfriend from us? She is very charming and patient if she can put up with your fiery temper. Your mother and i like this one, try to keep her son."


    Collin let out a muffled growl, he wore a glum facial expression. It''s looked like he wasn''t happy with Kelly''s visit. He greeted his father and mother before looking sharply at Kelly.


    "Follow me." He curtly orderd her before looking at his parents. "Please excuse us, Kelly and i need to have a word in private." His tone was grave and stern enough to raise curiosity.


    Jennie was displeased by his actions especially the tone of his voice. "Son! This is not how I raised you, I have always told you that women are delicate creatures that need to be handled with care especially when she is your woman. At least let her finish her cup of tea before you have a private talk."


    His father nodded and patted his back once. "Your mother is right son, exercise some patience." Edward excused himself and stepped out of the house.


    He went straight towards the gazebo where his mother was now sitting, soaking in the gentle rays of the morning sun. She waved happily upon seeing him like she was expecting him to show up.


    Edward squeezed himself next to her on the gym mat and sat with his legs crossed.


    "Good morning mother, why aren''t you with the others? Did you not like our guest?"


    Grandma Mayfair clicked her tongue. "I don''t like the fact that she introduced herself to us. I am still traditional in some things like marriage and bringing her here for us to meet was Collin''s role. I find her a little too presumptuous. And you, what''s bugging you? You have a deep frown on your face. Is the company not doing well?"


    Edward sat beside her and narrated everything that he had discovered including his worries. By the time he was finished, grandma Mayfair''s lips were curved downwards with a big frown.


    "This is not surprising at all, I always knew that wicked girl was gaslighting and manipulating you all using her sickness. Judging by everything that you have told me Ruth tried to know if we had done a DNA test which only raises more suspicion on whether or not she long knew that she wasn''t a Mayfair.


    She must have also paid that doctor to come up with that diagnosis. The timing was too perfect for him to announce that it was an error just when we intensified the search for her birth parents. And the pink butterfly going missing, it was all Ruth''s doing. That girl is greedy, full of wickedness, her heart is as black as sin and she is capable of anything. If she stays here longer, we will all end up in danger."


    Edward stroked his jaw, thinking about what his mother had just said.


    "Mother what do we do? We cannot just send her away without evidence, people will talk. We could get answers quicker if we question Ophelia but the problem is that Ophelia has disappeared off the face of the earth."


    Just when his mother was about to respond, they spotted Collin on the other side of the gazebo dragging Kelly by the hand into the garden.


    Grandma Mayfair put a finger to her lips and asked her son to stay silent. That look on Collin''s face spelled trouble, the couple was about to fight.


    This would be a great way of observing Kelly to see if she was more than just a charming smile. She had seen what a wolf in sheep''s clothing was with Ruth so she would not trust easily anymore.

 Chapter 165 The break up.

    Collins eyes darted around just to make sure that there were no prying eyes and when he didn''t see a shadow of a single human, he glared at Kelly.


    Unbeknown to him was that his father and grandma were sitting in the gazebo but out of his view.


    "Babe! You are hurting me!" Kelly pulled her hand away from him, she gently massaged it as she winced softly. "You must be shocked that I came here without letting you know but I had to.


    You are avoiding me lately which has made me afraid so i came to see you in a place where you could not hide from me. Babe, I don''t understand why you are taking so long to make our relationship official. It''s an open secret everybody knows anyway." She reached up and tried to touch his face but he slapped her hand away.


    "Get your dirty hands away from me." he spat out harshly.


    Kelly was puzzled by his reaction, she expected him to be miffed maybe at her surprise but Collin looked more than a little miffed, he was enraged. His eyes were blazing with fury and his mouth set in a tight line. His nostrils were flared and the muscles in his face tense. Kelly could feel a palpable sense of hostility, as if he was ready to pounce and eat her alive.


    "Why are you here?" Collin asked, his voice was deep and harsh indicating that he wasn''t in the mood to be lovey-dovey.


    "What do you mean?" Kelly frowned. "You always said that you want us to marry and I introduced you to my parents it''s only fair that I know yours too. Besides, yesterday while covering the state funeral there were rumors going around that you had a new love interest, although I later found out that she is your biological sister and it shook me to the core.


    This is the kind of stuff you share with the woman you are serious about Collin. I am a little unhappy that i had to find out about your family raising a cuckoo through the elite gossip vine but i decided not to blame you. You were afraid that i might air it on the news because of my job. I believe that''s one of the obstacles in our relationship so i want to give you assurance."


    She reached in her bag and pulled out a small box. She opened it revealing the two silver couple rings inside.


    Smiling shyly, she held the rings up to him. "Babe, let''s get married."


    Letting out a guffaw, Collin twisted his face in disgust. "Me? Marry you? That will never happen! Not even in your dreams. I know everything Kelly, you have been sleeping with your boss. I have the pictures of you two together fucking in the office." He raised his index finger to silence her. "And before you say that it was a one time mistake, I have pictures of you going to the Best East hotel at night and leaving in the morning." He pulled out his phone and showed her the photos.


    "I cannot share a woman with that sixty something year old man." He looked her up and down derisively, "He is old enough to be your father and he is married. You disgust me."


    The loathing with which the words fell off his tongue was almost tangible. The way he looked at her, it was almost as if she had maggots crawling all over her body. Kelly''s heart raced faster than a motorcycle being raced on a dirt road.


    She clenched her hands and calmed herself.


    "I disgust you!" she exclaimed. "Do you really believe that i would choose an old man like that over you? I was drugged and blackmailed by him, i had no choice. I tried to tell you that my boss was pressuring me into having sex with him two months ago but you left me and run off because you got a call from your sister. That same night, he took advantage of me. Please believe me, i didn''t have a choice."


    In response to her defense, Collin shook his head.


    "I do not believe you Kelly. If your boss took advantage of you, why didn''t you report to the police? Why did you continue sleeping with him after that? You are a media worker, i do not believe that you could not have acquired evidence to turn the tide against him.


    I am a Mayfair, with the power of my family, i would have fought for justice for you. I am not a fool Kelly, do you think i don''t know that its promotion season at your network and you are aiming for a higher position?" he barked at her loudly.


    "If i didn''t discover all this, i would have ended up being cuckolded by you and humiliated. Thank God my sister warned me about you in time." Collin was grateful to Phoebe and the fact that he could read her thoughts.


    At the mention of his sister, Kelly sneered, her lips curved upwards. "Wait what? Your sister, why am i not surprised that she is coming up in this conversation. Of course this has everything to do with that bitch. Tell me Collin were you ever true to me during our relationship? It was always a competition between me and that bitch for your affection and time."


    She shouted hysterically, uncaring about where they were or who happened to overhear them.


    "I want to know your true feelings towards your sister because I don''t get it. She was always showing up on almost all of our dates, acting like a child and you would indulge her in my presence. She always tagged along on our vacations with us and you bought her more gifts than you did me.


    Her arm was always in yours and i would walk on my own as if i was a third wheel. It''s like you were dating her and not me. You''re wondering why I slept with my boss? Well it''s because it felt like I had to compete with your sister for attention.


    It always felt like you were dating both of us and now it turns out that she is not your biological sister after all. I guess you are dumping me to pursue a relationship with her, but I won''t sit back and watch the two of you enjoy each other, just you watch."


    Kelly removed the sun glasses that were resting on top of her head and threw them at him. She gave him a vicious glare before walking away with revenge on her mind.


    Collin stayed back frozen and perplexed by her false accusations. In his eyes, he had done no wrong. Was he supposed to ignore his sister just because he had a girlfriend?


    Most of the situations she had referenced to were coincidences that occurred because Ruth just happened to be in the same place as him. As for the vacations, she nagged him about tagging along and other times it was a pure coincidence that ended up in the same city.


    There was no inappropriateness between him and Ruth, it was disgusting to even imagine. She had been unfaithful and now she was looking for someone to blame. He shook his head and walked back into the house. It was obvious that the woman was insane and he had dodged a bullet.


    S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 166 The worries of a mother and son.

    Edward and old lady Mayfair had been trading glances as they eavesdropped the conversation. Initially they were taken back when she proposed, a thing which the old fashioned lady Mayfair did not approve of but if it was Collin''s choice, she planned to respect it.


    However, when they heard about Kelly''s unfaithfulness, they were miffed. The old lady wanted to come out of hiding and throw Kelly out but Edward stopped her.


    Luckily, he stopped her in time or they would not have been able to overhear the concerning remarks she raised about the relationship between Collin and Ruth.


    As soon as Collin left, they came of hiding, each with a worried expression on the face.


    "Mother, did you hear that? It can''t really be that....can it?" Edward expressed his concern about the matter.


    "Well that young woman is not totally wrong, the closeness between those two is very worrisome especially now that they are not real siblings. Maybe i am over thinking things but...." Grandma Mayfair rubbed her chin.


    She didn''t need to say more, he understood exactly what she meant.


    "No you are not wrong mother, let''s watch them for now to prevent any accidents. I am going to order someone in the house to keep a keen eye on Ruth. Additionally, i am going to investigate her financial records, if she really did those horrible things then i won''t have a choice but to kick her out, Jennie will have to bear with it." Edward sighed deeply.


    The two walked back inside, coinciding with Phoebe''s return to the house. She was welcomed back by both parents with great enthusiasm as if she was just returning from a war and not a person that had slept out for only one night.


    "Your brother''s girlfriend was here." Jennie eagerly shared with her while pulling her down to have a sit.


    Phoebe looked at Collin who was sitting in the opposite single chair with his legs crossed, pretentiously perusing through a newspaper.


    [Tsk, tsk, he really refused to listen to my advise. He must love being cuckolded so much, anyway, its his grave. In two weeks, he will reap what he has sewn.]


    Collin was peeking at her from behind the newspaper and he saw her thoughts on the matter.


    He scoffed, cleared his throat and announced, "We have broken up."


    Jennie''s face turned grim at the news which she perceived as bad. Only was son was dating seriously and he had broken up with his girlfriend.


    "Why?" she cried out. "How can you lose such a good girl? Go and get her back for me..."


    Phoebe drew her back by tagging on her arm. "Mom, forget it, she is not as good as she acts."


    [In two weeks, pictures of her in a cat costume riding an old man that could be her father will be spread on social media. His wife will beat her black and blue, her reputation will be ruined and she will go into hiding for the rest of her life.]


    Jennie gasped and covered her mouth while Collin''s jaw dropped. Cat costume!! how did Phoebe know the exact details of the private affair? Had she seen the pictures or did she know who was going to leak them?


    "Break it off cleanly, make sure she does not return to this house. Block her so that she doesn''t contact you anymore." Suddenly Jennie was fired up and delivering commands to Collin fiercely. "Collin Mayfair, if i dare find out that you have even crossed her path i will be merciless. I do not approve of your relationship, even if you kneel down and threaten to end your lives unless i approve, i will never allow it."


    "Yes mother." Collin obediently answered. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Jennie sent him one last warning glare and then her doting eyes moved to Phoebe.


    "Have you had breakfast?"


    Naturally, Phoebe pouted and shook her head. Jennie immediately gave commands for her precious daughter to be fed.


    "Mom, i don''t see Ruth. Did she go out?"


    Old lady Mayfair scowled deeply, showing her disdain for Ruth. "Ha! don''t mention that name here, she is at the hospital just like always, faking another illness. She got into an accident and the doctor called us as if she was on her death bed. On reaching there, she had no scratch mark on her body but she was crying and acting fragile as always."


    "She was probably displeased because we declared Phoebe''s true identity to everyone at the state funeral." Andre suggested.


    When Phoebe looked around, everyone was accounted for. Whether the accident was real or not, Ruth was the girl that had cried wolf too many times and nobody believed her anymore. Her days in the Mayfair family were numbered.


    Maria came over with a big smiled and brought breakfast for Phoebe.


    "Miss Phoebe, i prepared raspberry waffles for you because you mentioned craving some a few days ago. If you like them, tell me and i will make as many as you like."


    Phoebe smiled with gratitude at the maid and nodded.


    "I have never seen Maria so happy to serve breakfast." Andre commented.


    "It''s because your sister is special and likeable." Jennie was filled with praise for Phoebe.


    "I have a present for every one except mother." Phoebe announced as she placed a parcel on the coffee table. before digging into her breakfast.


    Andre jumped and picked it up quickly as if it was about to be snatched away, eliciting laughter from the group.


    Inside were small jewelry boxes with a tag that had everyone''s name.


    Everyone opened theirs, Jennie was the most inquisitive of what was inside because she didn''t get one.


    Grandma Mayfair got a ring just like Jennie''s and the men got a gold pendant necklace with the Mayfair emblem which was a butterfly with an ''M'' in the middle. Around the edges of the round head of the pendant were embedded crystals which were the aura stones just like the ones in the rings. The backs had special rune carvings.


    "It''s talismans, make sure you have them on you at all times." Phoebe reminded reminded them.


    "Well since I got mine first, I guess i am her favorite." Jennie waved her fingers.


    "That''s not true, I have a secret bond with her it''s a secret though. Thank you daughter." He put the pendant around his neck.


    Edward was referring to the ability to read her thoughts but he was not the only one that thought they had a special bond for that special reason..


    "I have the most special bond." Andre declared.


    "No. it''s me." Grandma Mayfair declared proudly.


    Luke just snorted while Collin was too embarrassed to fight for favor. His sister had given him a gift even though he had not given her a single thing and always been unkind to her.


    He had wasted all of his love and support on Ruth, what a shame!

 Chapter 167 Family expulsion.

    Later that evening, Edward called for a family gathering. According to the message he sent each of the family members it was something important therefore everyone was requested to be in attendance.


    Since it was a Sunday, Phoebe had spent the rest of the day at the Mayfair home watching dramas with her grandmother. She napped through the afternoon and at around 3:00pm David had come by for a visit.


    The two had a late lunch during which David confirmed that he was resigning from the Saxon group in fact he had already formed an organization of his own, DP holdings. He didn''t give much information on what it did nor did Phoebe ask any further questions.


    After he left, Phoebe went back to her room and spent a lot of time in the magic space learning as much as she could from the books and planting more seeds. Business was thriving and she needed more herbs and vegetables.


    When Edward''s summons came, she was eating ice cream and reading a novel about an ill fated woman that had been reborn like herself.


    One by one the family gathered in the living room, they played games like chess or watched television as they waited for the head of the family to address them.


    "Phoebe can I talk to you?" Collin asked.


    [What have I done now? Am i being blamed for Ruth''s accident or general Drusus screaming to the world that i am the real Mayfair heiress?]


    She sighed deeply feeling persecuted for no reason.


    Collin opened his mouth to reassure that it was none of those two things but he didn''t get the chance.


    "You two can talk later, right now there is an important decision to be made. As a matter of fact, i have made the decision already but i have to let you all know since we are family. This kind of decision needs to be heard directly from my mouth."


    Edward stood before everyone, he requested Luke to turn down the volume of the TV. After gaining their full attention, he told the family everything Mark had told him early that morning.


    "I have done my own investigations on Ruth''s financial records and it''s all true. In fact she also bought the Gabriel house using a false identity." he concluded.


    Grandma Mayfair clenched her fists. "This means that she told them to go into hiding such that no matter how much we search for them we don''t find them. I can''t believe how shameless that cuckoo is."


    "Grandma, remember it was at that same time that she needed the supposed fake surgery that the Gabriels conveniently disappeared." Phoebe nodded her head.


    [She even threatened to kill you all so that i keep my mouth shut about her evil deeds. I know all too well that she is capable of murder even if it means killing the parents that raised her. Ruth is a serpent just like her birth parents.]


    They all read her thoughts and clenched their hands while Jennie gasped. The more Ruth''s crimes were clearly laid out with evidence the more she could see things clearly.


    Threatening to kill them! what kind of person were they living with in the house? Who had they raised?


    "My God! I guess the apple doesn''t fall far from the tree. After all the love i showed her she still decided to play tricks on us for affection, ha!" she cried lamented woefully. "We told her that she could stay as our daughter, we even gave her the same treatment as Phoebe without discriminating. We even kept the truth about her being one of the cuckoos out of the news but she still went ahead to do all this?"


    Her entire body trembled and she felt sick to the stomach. Tears formed in her eyes as she recalled how they had compromised on showing Phoebe too much affection just for Ruth not to feel uncomfortable.


    Collin let out a deep and long sigh of disappointment, he even lowered his head feeling ashamed for ever standing up for Ruth unconditionally.


    "Collin, what do you have to say?"


    His father asked for his opinion on the matter so Collin raised his head, a deep frown etched on his forehead.


    They all turned to him as they expected him to vouch for Ruth but he had no such intentions. In fact, he had some truths to share.


    "Recently I heard a conversation that I wasn''t supposed to hear and it made me realize that Ruth is a very conniving person. She attempted to...no, she kidnapped Phoebe but luckily it ended in a failure. Although i am not close to Phoebe, i am deeply hurt that Ruth would try and kidnap her."


    Phoebe''s mouth twisted, she really didn''t want this news out at least not yet.


    Her mother jumped up and began to search her body for injuries as if the kidnapping had just happened. She checked her hands, arms, face, and even her hair as if she was looking for lice.


    "When was this? Why didn''t you say anything?"


    Everyone went into a panic stricken mode in search for answers. Andre was on a warpath, ready to crucify Ruth.


    "Please everyone i am okay, i have ghost friends remember?" She smiled tentatively in the bid to assure them that she was fine.


    This was her chance to advocate for Ruth to leave the house.


    "What Collin says is true, Ruth did send men to kidnap me and that was why I was late on the day of the state funeral. But I managed to escape with the help of my ghost friends of course, that witch had every intention to kill me but i outsmarted her." Phoebe comforted her sobbing mother. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Grandma Mayfair stamped her foot on the floor. "That''s it she has to go."


    "B..but why didn''t you say anything? Were you afraid of forcing us to choose between the two of you?" Jennie dabbed her nose with a white tissue.


    "Honestly mother, this family has been through a lot because of her, besides she was your daughter too. I had told her to leave quietly after saying goodbye to you all." The corners of Phoebe''s eyebrows slanted upwards.


    "Shouldn''t we report her to the police or something." Andre asked only for Phoebe to refuse vehemently.


    She had bigger and better plans for Ruth, putting her in prison for an attempted kidnapping was an easy way out. She would be released in a year or two.


    "This only makes me feel better about my decision. Ruth is no longer part of this family and i am also going to take her name off the family register." Edward said strongly.


    His attention had been grabbed by the TV because Ruth''s picture was on the screen for some reason during the airing of the 7 o''clock news.


    The Mayfairs hide their cuckoo daughter Ruth Mayfair.


    He read and asked Luke to turn the volume up. Anchor Kelly who was reading the news was smiling. She made it a point to embarrass Ruth by saying that it was possible that she didn''t want them to out her as a cuckoo.


    Collin sniggered because Kelly was obviously enjoying the moment. This was how she had planned to take revenge on him, by destroying Ruth''s reputation.


    It didn''t matter anyway, their family had already made a decision.

 Chapter 168 David quits...for real

    Early Monday morning, David reported at the Saxon group headquarters. The board of directors was already waiting in the conference room. When he entered he noticed that members of the disciplinary committee were also present.


    His father had really made good on his words to discipline him. He had barely taken a sit when they started on him.


    "Mr. David Saxon we are already aware that you failed to secure the business deal in Eagle country because the offer was given to another company." Mr. Simon Saxon of the fourth branch and the head of the disciplinary committee spoke sternly, he was clearly unhappy with how things had turned out.


    "Explain this matter clearly." Conrad Saxon of the third branch slammed his hand down on the table.


    David did not respond to them because he had no plans to quibble with old men that used their authority to push others around.


    "Judging by the blank expression on your face, you have nothing to say, therefore Mr. David Saxon you are to accept whatever decision that the disciplinary committee makes over this matter, i rest my case." Simon leaned back in a chair.


    "Actually i have something to say." David stood up respectively. People looked at him quizzically including his father.


    "Listen David, no amount of pleading is going to get you out of this one. Just serve your punishment and come back stronger." Robert Saxon whirled around in the office chair from side to side.


    "That''s if he can come back. You lost us millions of dollars. You don''t deserve the position that you are in!" Katherine added gasoline to the flames because she saw this as an opportunity to burn her opponent to ashes.


    "I quit." he calmly put down his resignation letter on the table.


    David''s words that evoked silence from everyone except Katherine that had long been hoping that David would actually go through with his threat to leave the company.


    "Yes." Out of over excitement, she celebrated a little too loudly, earning frowns and disapproval from the others.


    Grandma Saxon raised herself to her feet, she couldn''t believe what she was hearing. How had David made such a major decision without alerting her at least. She really thought he had been bluffing and only said he would quit out of anger.


    "Davy! What do you mean? Follow me." The old woman stormed out.


    David shrugged and followed after her. She walked to the conference room that was adjacent to the one they were in.


    "Grandma before you beat me up, please listen. I am tired of my father using the Saxon group to threaten me. I lost a deal but I have won many more in the past and yet this one erased all of my hard work and dedication. I constantly have to be at odds with my siblings. Lately every time i see father, we trade words like immortal enemies.


    I am tired of walking on egg shells because of the company. More than anything, i am a grown man and i cannot stand the disrespectful way in which my father talks to me even when we are in public."


    His tone was calm as he inwardly prayed that she didn''t insist on him staying.


    The door opened abruptly. "What are you thinking boy? You go back in there and apologize to those good people or else I''ll fire you for real." Robert barked


    David did not tremble as he once did when he was a boy and he just laughed.


    "See what i mean grandma." his father had proven the point for him.


    Grandma Saxon sneered at her son and left, she still had mixed feelings about the issue but her son really did speak to her grandson in an unbecoming manner. She would sit him down for a serious talk about the issue before it grew further.


    "Father i quit, i am not going to be a puppet and i am tired of the threats. You did that to Ian and see his life, he hates this company, he is just afraid of admitting it. Good luck with controlling Katherine though cause it looks like she''s all you''ve got left." He bypassed Robert and entered the elevator.


    When he got to the car, Hobi, his assistant hesitated to leave with him as following David meant that his future was uncertain. The man was always making drastic decisions like a teenager on steroids.


    "Si...sir what happens to me?" Hobbi clenched his hand to his chest, his heart was pounding relentlessly.


    "You can decide to still be my personal assistant or stay back at the company i am sure that the human resource department will find a spot for you." David entered the car and waited for him to makeup his mind.


    Hobbi chewed on his nails, if he went with David then maybe he would help him find another job but if he stayed back Miranda would surely get him fired for not informing her about David''s resignation before hand yet he knew nothing. He chose the former and jumped into the car.


    "You have made a wise choice, i hope you know that this means that you are no longer Miranda Saxon''s little spy." David tapped his shoulders.


    Hobbi quivered, he didn''t expect that he''s cover had been blown already. "Sir...how..."


    "I am not a fool Hobbi, she is my mother. I have known her longer than you so i knew exactly what you were up to when i saw how you sneaked around." David narrowed his eyes.


    "I promise to be only loyal to you Mr. David." He sniveled. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He was relieved that he still had a job and David was willing to keep him around despite all that he had done. He made a promise to himself to be the best assistant to David from that point on.


    They drove to the other side of town and went to a tall fifty floor storied building.


    "DP holdings." Hobbi read the huge 3D sign post that was positioned near the entrance.


    He was surprised to see where they had come. Had David already found another job?


    "Welcome sir." The doorman bowed respectfully.


    David walked straight to the head office where he meant a blond haired gentleman.


    "Morgan, good morning. Is there anything i should know?" He settled in one of the leather chairs in the open area.


    The man named Morgan came from the executive chair and greeted David.


    "This is my personal assistant, Hobbi get him settled in, he will be running some of my errands going forth." David made the introductions.


    Morgan''s secretary escorted Hobbi to his place of work leaving the two men to talk.


    "Are you sure that it''s okay for you to be here? You said that you didn''t want people to know that you own this company." Morgan a long time friend turned business manager asked.


    "That''s why i am leaving now, let''s talk on the phone." David left and drove straight to another company that he owned.


    He had been just as busy as Phoebe after his rebirth, building his own personal and amassing private funds. In this life, they would not rely on the Saxon power and influence.

 Chapter 169 A taste of pain.

    David had more than one company and he was on his way to the second one. It was a security company name Alfa security firm which handled most of the unsavory things he wanted done.


    Such work was already ongoing at the moment at the company. A slim and tall man was sitting on a single stool in a well lit room with his legs crossed. His fingers were playing with a sharp knife, one mistake and it could slice his flesh. He didn''t seem to mind because it was a trick he had mastered over the years but even if it cut him, he had high tolerance for pain.


    His name was Roman Elgard and he was the head of business at the Alfa security firm. Judging by his size, you would not think of him to be a dangerous man but, he was a retired navy seal commander. Many of the employees were also former military officers or people that had been involved in dangerous jobs.


    Roman received a call and he put the knife down on the table momentarily before answering the call. He didn''t say a single word and only listened to the speaker on the other end.


    "Got it." he hung up and picked up the knife again. "Sean, bring me our guests."


    This order was given to a beefy man that was standing at attention in the corner of the room.


    "Yes boss." Sean walked out of the door in a hurry.


    He was gone for half a minute and when he returned, he was dragging in two people, a man and a woman that were groaning as a result of incredible pain. They had been tortured in areas that were not visible to the naked eyes. They were bound by chains and he had grabbed them by the backs of their clothes. Sean tossed them on the floor like sacks of old unwanted rice.


    The couple was none other than Aaron and Elizabeth Gabriel. This whole time, everyone had been looking for them unaware that it was David who had them.


    Aaron shivered at the sight of Roman who he equated to a devil in his mind. He looked around and saw no sign of Nicholas.


    "Please where is my son?" he cried out.


    Aaron was worried that his son was being tortured still. He himself had finally given in after the man sitting in front of him began to pull out his teeth yesterday. It was a result of him refusing to confess to all the things he had done to Phoebe Mayfair.


    "We have already apologized for mistreating her and we have also told you countless times that we do not know who Ruth our daughter is working with. Please let us go." Elizabeth rubbed her hands together. She didn''t want another torture session as she almost drowned from the last one when her head was lowered in the toilet bowl.


    All she wanted was for their son to be handed back to them and then they could leave this cursed city, never to return. Everything had become a mess for them ever since Phoebe found her birth parents.


    Roman stood up and crouched next to Aaron with his knife. He pointed the knife in the direction of his eye and smiled dangerously.


    "I don''t like the tone of your voice, a little bitch like you that tortures little girls for fun doesn''t deserve to breathe. First i am going to pluck out these eyes that are glaring at me then...."


    "Boss Roman, the big boss is here and he requests your presence immediately." Sean interrupted him.


    "Argh!! Just when the fun was about to begin. Pray because your fate gets decided today and you don''t spend another day with me."


    Roman stood up, straightened his suit and walked out of the room, humming.


    The moment he left, Elizabeth crawled to her husband on bloody wounded knees. "The man is a complete psycho, why are they interested in Ruth and Phoebe? Why is this happening to us. I cannot believe they took everything from us including our shoes. They don''t even give us anything to use as a cover at night, its so cold....." She sobbed.


    "Shut up woman! Let me think of how we are going to survive." Aaron hissed, his face twisted to express frustration.


    He crawled and pinned his head on the door but he couldn''t hear anything in the hallway. He could see a pair of shoes there however, which warned him not to attempt anything. If the men outside heard a suspicious sound, they would come in and the torture would resume.


    On the second floor of the same building, David entered his office. He made a bee line and sat down.


    "Come in." He spoke after there was a knock on the door.


    Roman walked in and sat in one of the single chairs. "Good morning sir."


    "Good morning Roman, how are our guests doing? They get to go home today but only if they do as told." David leaned forward hoping that the Gabriels had softened up.


    He didn''t agree with Phoebe''s plan of waiting to get Ruth out of the Mayfair house. She had threatened Phoebe''s life and that of her parents, it was high time Ruth was removed.


    "The woman got intimidated quickly but the man still has a little fight left in him." Roman reported.


    "But of course." David chuckled, he knew that Aaron Gabriel was a tenacious and strong headed man. "Clean them up and tell them exactly what i am going to tell you. Highlight the fact that we will keep their child until their mission is over. Oh and by the way put them in blind folds as they leave just like you did when you brought them here."


    After getting the instructions, Roman went back to the room where the Gabriels were.


    "Today is your lucky day folks, you get to go home." He announced and instructed Sean to untie them. "Bring a bucket of water, soap and a sponge, plus new clothes to replace the smelly rags they are wearing." He put a hand over his nose. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Are you....serious? We can leave? What about Nick?" Elizabeth asked.


    "You are rushing to the last part Liz, the question you should be asking is what you are going to do for me that will earn you your freedom. You did not think that we were letting you go just like that." Roman arched an eyebrow and studied them.


    "What do you want?" Aaron wrinkled his nose.


    He had a bad feeling about what was going to follow next.


    Roman crouched near him and grabbed his face by the chin. "Simple, i want your family to get back together. You two are going to go to the Mayfair family house and request that you want to take your child with you. If they reject you, make a scene and act dramatic. Do whatever it takes to take your daughter back with you. Your son is staying with me as insurance. If you dare to do anything other than what i have instructed, i will end him. Do not even ask for help because we will be watching and if you make any mistakes then I will..." He slid the knife across his neck.


    The Gabriel''s nodded desperately, consenting to carry out the orders they had been given.

 Chapter 170 Poison in the tonic.

    Monday morning came and Phoebe woke up late and hung over. She, grandma Mayfair and Jennie stayed back in the living room after everyone left discussing different things over three bottles of wine which they drained.


    First among the things they discussed was the fact that Collin had surprised her with a diamond necklace more expensive than the cars her brothers had bought her. Phoebe had really been taken aback. Collin had not added any sweet words but he just handed her the navy blue box and disappeared to his room before she could even thank him.


    Phoebe could have sworn that she had seen a little blush on his face when he was escaping. It was quite adorable to watch.


    "He''s so sweet when he wants to be." Jennie lightly touched the necklace.


    Then, grandma Mayfair narrated everything about Collin and his girlfriend that she had overheard. Jennie had been the most displeased about the issue and she was glad that she saw Phoebe''s thoughts and stopped pressuring him.


    "Sometimes I feel like my boys are cursed, why else are they still single at that age, none of them has ever brought a woman home and when Collin finally did she is a whore." Jennie let out a frustrated sigh.


    They were sipping on wine, now on the third bottle to be precise and they were quite tipsy. Jennie had even slurred over her words slightly while Phoebe was struck with occasional hiccups.


    Grandma Mayfair dismissed her worries. "Oh come on, they will marry when they like. Good thing their sister here is the most famous witch in the city so she will tell us if they get good people."


    Calling Phoebe a witch elicited laughter from all of them especially Phoebe who mentioned that if she was a witch then she would have turned Ruth into a stone.


    "A warthog is better, she would at least be of use to someone that way." Grandma Mayfair continued to laugh.


    Phoebe cleared her hoarse throat and looked at her mother. She expected her to be unhappy with the jokes, maybe that''s why she was drinking so much. She had certainly downed more wine than her and grandma Mayfair.


    "Mother are you sure that you are okay with Ruth being kicked out?" Phoebe had asked.


    Jennie had shrugged. "I don''t know what it is but I support Edward. The moment I heard that she tried to kidnap you, i stopped commiserating. Ruth cannot be changed, she will always use her illness to manipulate us. I thought she would be grateful to us for raising her and be kind to my daughter but she had ill feelings towards you instead. Someone like that cannot be kept at our home."


    She clenched her chest, burped loudly and fell back in the sofa. The next thing they knew she was snoring in a way that she would find embarrassing normally. Phoebe and grandma Mayfair had continued to talk as they drowned themselves in wine to the point where Phoebe couldn''t tell left from right and she could not even take proper steps.


    She had no idea how she got to her room but she guessed somebody had carried her.


    "Ouch my head." Phoebe rubbed her temples with her fingers.


    The Saxon spirit was already waiting with hungover tonic it had made from inside the magic space.


    "Tsk, tsk, you know that you make stupid decisions when you get drunk and yet you gouged yourself on alcohol anyway. It was a an excellent way of bonding with your mother and grandmother but take it easy next time. You should also finish off Ruth and move on. Being sent out of this house is not a permanent solution."


    Phoebe drunk the hungover tonic in one go while pinching her nose. The taste was quite bitter so she quickly put a sweet candy in her mouth to obscure the taste.


    "I know that very well and I have long prepared a life long gift for her." Being chased out of the rich family was simply too small of a punishment for a woman that owed her four lives.


    Phoebe freshened up and went down stairs straight to the dining room. Everybody was there already, even Jennie and grandma, two people she thought would sleep in after all that drinking.


    "Good morning family, i thought that most of you would be at work by now." She smiled at her father and brothers.


    "How could I just leave knowing that the three most important women in my life drunk themselves silly last night. Imagine the shock on my face when I came down looking for my wife only to see the three of you snoring in the living room." Edward spoke warmly, he wasn''t mad in fact he was glad that they were bonding.


    "So I missed out on the after party ha?" Andre teased. "Father called us to lift you to your rooms, tsk tsk, Pheebs, you are actually heavier than you look.


    Phoebe glared playfully at Andre as the rest of the family laughed lightly. She then offered her mother and grandma much more effective hungover tonics than the soup than they were drinking.


    Jennie was wearing big black sunglasses because her eyes hurt if she so much as looked into the bright light, however grandma Mayfair seemed unaffected, which was surprising given her age. None the less, she drunk the tonic.


    "Hmmm i feel much better, this actually tastes good too." Jennie lowered the glasses to read the contents of the bottle. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The tonics were sweeter because Phoebe had added some honey to them.


    Grandma Mayfair looked at the bottle. "I have been trying to drink my tonics since morning but each time I tried the bottles would fall out of my hands and break."


    "That''s because you drunk a lot more than you could handle mother. Your hand was probably trembling." Edward suggested.


    Grandma Mayfair shook her head and put both of her hands out. There were no tremors, her hands were quite steady.


    ''It''s not my hands, and one bottle slipping i could understand but all three. It was as if an invisible force kept pulling them out of my hands." She looked at Phoebe.


    She had assumed that maybe it was ghost related. Phoebe became suspicious immediately and asked Maria to bring them. Her grandmother was right, one bottle could be explained but all three!!


    Collin cleared his voice. "Pheebs...Phoebe well if you like, i can help you mass produce your tonics. If you want of course." He spoke in a low tone, trying to appear serious but also seeming highly embarrassed. The tips of his ears were quite red.


    [Does he need a hungover tonic too?]


    Phoebe could not understand anymore, his sudden niceness to her was so out of place.


    "First was the necklace now this, Collin what''s your play here?" Andre arched an eyebrow.


    He had a feeling that his position as the best brother was under threat.


    Phoebe interrupted. "Thank you big brother for the necklace and the offer. I am ready to go into mass production but whenever i am ready, i will take you up on the offer."


    Colin smiled and nodded.


    Maria returned with the remains of the tonics that had been disposed of. She had got them back from the discarded rubbish.


    The Saxon spirit dashed out of the space, sniffing the air like a dog.


    "I smell poison."

 Chapter 171 A thorough cleansing.

    There was one bottle which had not been broken, Phoebe opened it and she took a sniff.


    [I can''t believe this.] She scoffed.


    There was no need to check the ingredients of the tonic, the Saxon spirit was right. There was a smell a deadly foreign poisonous substance that had been added to the tonic.


    "Grandma were you wearing the ring when you touched the bottles?"


    The old woman nodded. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "That explains why they kept breaking, the ring provided protection. The tonic was poisoned, all of it, including the ones which are not broken. You would have died if you had drunk this."


    All of them were stunned at the news, the old lady even gasped. Luke asked to take a look at the bottle Phoebe was holding and she handed it over.


    Grinding her teeth, grandma Mayfair slammed her fist on the table.


    "This must be Ruth, nobody else would dare to attempt something like this. Lately, I have been openly against her the most so she wants to get rid of me."


    So livid, the old woman tipped over a cup of warm tea accidentally as she let out an interesting series of curses in reference to Ruth.


    Phoebe had never seen her cursing this much. Then again, someone had attempted to end her life.


    Collin shook his head. "Ruth! How is that possible though grandma? She has been in the hospital since the day of the state burial. We should first determine when the poison was added."


    [Brother i thought your eyes had opened but I guess you still have a soft spot for her.]


    Phoebe came to her own conclusions which Collin saw and sighed. It''s not that he was defending Ruth or had a soft spot for her. He just wanted to get to the root of the issue in case it was done by another person in the house.


    "Let''s ask Mark first and check the security footage from the day when grandma last used the tonics." He suggested.


    "Grandma, when did you last drink the tonics?" he asked.


    "On the morning of the state burial." she replied confidently.


    With that answer, they figured out the timeline which made it easier. When Mark came over, Collin asked him if anything abnormal had happened on the day of the state burial.


    Mark frowned first, and his eyes moved upwards and he pondered on the question. He remembered something so he nodded.


    "First the power went off and the back up generator didn''t go on automatically. When I checked the main service panel for the house, a wire had been loosened. It was fixed quickly but to ensure that there no foul play, we looked around the house and found no suspicious people."


    Edward was exasperated that Mark had not reported this information to him


    "You know that we have an enemy in the house and you didn''t find this suspicious enough to tell me? How are you doing your job as the head of security?"


    "Sir I wanted to investigate the situation first before reporting it to you. I was going to do so as soon as you were done here." Mark explained quickly, this was something that could get him fired if his employer was angry.


    "And? Did you find anything at all?" Edward asked sternly and Mark nodded in response.


    He picked his phone and called a junior maid.


    "According to some maids, Miss Ruth Mayfair came home on the day of the state burial before the power went out. She was seen coming out of the matriarch''s room but they didn''t think much of it." Mark beckoned the junior maid to come closer.


    The maid was the same one that Edward had given the task of watching Ruth so he asked her if it was true.


    "Yes sir, but this happened before you asked me to keep my eye on her. I just thought that maybe the old matriarch had asked her to pick something up for her." The junior maid kept her gaze on the floor.


    Maria had been listening avidly so she stepped forward. "Madam actually that day, i saw the maintenance man go into the storage room right before the power was cut off. I assumed that he had been doing his job as usual but now i think it was suspicious. In fact, there are many people here that are still allies of Miss Ruth and she could use them to hurt Miss Phoebe or any of you. I hope i am not being too presumptuous but i suggest a thorough cleansing. We would rather use new employees whose minds are as blank as sheets than some of the old ones."


    Phoebe''s lips curled upwards slightly. Maria was really a good helper that knew exactly what to say.


    Grandma Mayfair nodded. "She has a point, Maria bring the list of names of all the people that were loyal to Ruth, we need to get rid of them."


    "Include the two security guards that were on duty that day. They are denying that they don''t know anything but they must have seen her drive in." Mark told Maria who rushed out joyfully.


    She was tired of Ruth''s minions and it was about time sanity returned to the house. If she did her job well, she could become miss Phoebe''s personal maid, every woman from the founding families had one.


    "Step out, lock the doors and don''t allow anyone inside." Phoebe ordered Mark.


    Using her energy, she blocked off the cameras in the living room and faced the puzzled family members.


    "There is a way to ascertain that Ruth was behind it." Phoebe checked in her pocket and revealed the time keeper''s pocket watch. "This device will take me back to that moment, give me a few minutes."


    "Whoa!!" Andre got closer, he needed a better look of it. Mistakenly he touched it and his soul traveled with Phoebe to that moment in time.


    "My God Andre!!" There was no time berating him because if she didn''t use the time well then she would have to wait until the next day.


    The Saxon spirit had gone with them as well and she slapped her forehead. Using this watch also took away from Phoebe''s days. With Andre here, she would surely lose two months of her life. Thankfully they had David now, he could refill the gap.


    "Just remain quiet and don''t touch a thing, you could change the future."


    They watched Ruth sneak into grandma Mayfair''s room, she injected some liquid in the tonics and rushed out before the power came back on.


    In real time, Andre and Phoebe''s bodies were like statues, not moving, which marveled the whole family. After being introduced to ghosts, everything Phoebe did could shock them but not to the point of madness. Andre and Edward had also told them stories about the founding sect, supernatural world, exorcists, ghost catchers and more. Their eyes had been opened to the real world now.


    Jennie made the sign of the cross and prayed for their safe return.


    "That idiot Andre, he just does things without thinking." Collin spoke through pursed lips. He had led them straight to grave robbers in Iborg city and now this.


    His words caused Luke to chuckle. Their youngest brother was really playful.


    Just shy of two seconds to the five minutes ,the two immovable bodies regained mobility again when their souls returned.


    "That was super cool! Again!" Andre was on cloud nine.


    His words however caused Phoebe to smack his head, he might be older than her but he sure was reckless. She could not even tell him that he had inadvertently stolen some of her life span. She looked at her hand, fifty two days were gone.


    "Sooo...err...what did you find?" Collin was quite curious.


    "She did it, Andre saw it too." Phoebe confirmed.

 Chapter 172 How the mighty have fallen.

    Her confirmation plus the firm nodding of Andre''s head was the last stroke for them all. Jennie slumped in the chair like a lifeless doll and Edward clenched his hands.


    Old lady Mayfair was trembling and Collin was blaming himself for having been so blind. Luke was texting a doctor at the hospital to inform him about Ruth''s whereabouts, plotting vengeance in his mind.


    They could barely stare at each other for five long minutes, temporarily lost in their minds. It was ghostly quiet except for the ticking of the large clock on the wall in the living room, birds outside in the garden and a trimmer bringing down tree branches.


    None of them had ever imagined that Ruth would make good on her threats and go on to try and kill a member of the family.


    Someone knocked on the door persistently, waking them all up from slumber.


    "Come in." Edward called out.


    Oman the butler, entered and approached Edward. "Sir, Mr and Mrs. Gabriel are waiting down stairs."


    Everyone, including Phoebe bobbed their head up and turned to the butler. They had just gone from one shock to another.


    "What? We have been looking for them everywhere and they suddenly decided to appear here on their own?" Edward stood up quickly and set off.


    The rest of the family followed, they wanted to see the shameless people that mistreated their Pheebs. They were all itching for a fight, especially the Mayfair boys whose sole job now was to protect and defend Phoebe.


    ***************************


    Ruth who was unaware of the return of the uninvited guests at the Mayfair house was still at the hospital dealing with her own troubles. The trouble being the side effects of Kelly''s revenge.


    Everybody was discussing her at the hospital. She was worse that the other cuckoo victims because they were revealed as a group. In her case, she was alone, so everyone focused on her.


    She was feeling like a dressed monkey performing tricks in a circus. Every now and then nurses walked into the room under the pretense of checking on her but she could hear them let out silly giggles.


    Three intern doctors even had the guts to gossip about her because they thought she was sleeping.


    "The Mayfair cuckoo, this is unbelievable!"


    "She used to act all high and mighty each time she came to the hospital."


    "Oh how the mighty have fallen! Dr. Murphy hasn''t been in here once to check on her. None of the Mayfairs has even stepped foot in the hospital since she was admitted. In the old days, ten doctors would be surrounding her and the whole family would be gathered here."


    "It goes to show, no matter how much you dye the water red, it cannot become blood. They have their real daughter back, of what use is a spendthrift frail cuckoo?"


    They laughed loudly, not caring if she would be woken up.


    Under the covers, Ruth could hear everything. She had restrained herself from insulting anyone since last evening but these kids had taken it too far and were going to get a taste of her fury. She uncovered herself and screamed like a maniac.


    "How dare you low lives say such things about me in my presence?" She spoke through pursed lips.


    They were surprised and frightened for a moment until it hit them that she was a toothless tiger.


    "Calm down! You aren''t as special as you think you are, fake Mayfair." They giggled and run out.


    Ruth screamed and threw a pillow on the ground not believing that this was what her life had been reduced to, a subject of ridicule. She moved from the bed and locked the door tightly. She didn''t want to see anyone anymore.


    "What the fuck did I do to that bitch Kelly that she did me dirty? Did Collin put her up to this? Did they work together to humiliate me? That bitch thinks i don''t know what she has been up to."


    She sent a folder of pictures that she had been keeping as blackmail material to a paparazzo that did dirty work for her sometimes.


    "Hmph, let me see how you will survive at your job anymore." she sneered.


    She checked the hottest topics of the day and tossed her phone on the bed. She was the hottest search on all platforms with many calling her all kinds of names.


    Ruth went to the bathroom and took a cold shower as she felt her brain worked best when she was cool.


    "I only have one option left to survive in this circle, i need to get married." She had three men in mind as options, she just needed to hook up with any one of them. She chuckled deviously, certain that she was always one step ahead from Phoebe.


    When she came out of the bathroom, there was a knock at the door. Ruth didn''t respond cause she didn''t want to see anyone because it the doctors.


    "It''s Dickson." Came the voice from outside the door.


    Ruth''s upper lips curled up smugly, it was good that he was here. He was option number three after all, the least desirable but useful.


    "I might as well brighten his day." She walked to the door and opened it.


    Dickson walked in, his eyes never leaving her body that was enveloped in a short white bathrobe. His gaze roamed all over her full figure and he moistened his lips with his tongue.


    A soft chuckle slipped through Ruth''s lips, she knew that Dickson had wanted to have her for the longest time. Seducing him was as simple as snapping her fingers. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What brings you by?" she asked.


    "You were involved in an accident so how could i not come? I care about you more than anyone in the world. I came to see how you are doing, it seems you my dear have become an over night celebrity." Dickson made himself comfortable in the sofa that was close to the window.


    He looked out and saw the paparazzi he told to leave were still lurking around waiting to get a picture of Ruth.


    She let her bathrobe slip to the floor, exposing her almost entirely naked body. She had on matching black undergarments beneath.


    Shamelessly, she moved her body in different suggestive positions as she put on her clothes one by one in a seductive way.


    "You don''t seem surprised by the news." Ruth sat on the sofa next to him.


    Dickson chuckled. "That is because unlike most people, I have known the Mayfair secret for a while." He released her hair that was tied in a bun and caressed her face.


    Ruth was repulsed by his touch, not once in the past would she have tolerated his hands on her but now, she had no choice but to allow him have some freedoms like this.


    However, if he wanted more, he had to step up and do the right thing.


    "I will marry you, let''s wait for all this noise to die down." She smiled warmly at him.


    Dickson laughed once and lowered his head. "You want me to marry you!" He raised it and looked at her with eyes that mocked her. "You should have done that when I was still interested and you were the Mayfair heiress. That ship has sailed I have a new love interest."

 Chapter 173 It all falls.

    His words were truly the opposite of what she expecting to hear. She stared at him in total shock cause he too was abandoning her and knowing his ambitions, it was probably for Phoebe, that bitch.


    "You said you loved me!" She said, in an angry voice.


    "I do but now that you have been kicked to the curb i can''t do anything about it, my mother will not let me marry you. I will become a laughing stock if i take you home as my wife. Besides, love alone cannot sustain a marriage, I want the Mayfair connection dear.


    I am willing to take care of you if you will be my mistress. I love you, so i will make sure you never lack for anything. I can buy a big house, cars and everything you want."


    Ruth recoiled away from his touch, disgusted by the suggestion. She was Ruth Mayfair! how dare he suggest that she become his mistress?


    Dickson scoffed. He did not want to mock her but it was obvious she still needed time to understand her new reality.


    "I have paid your hospital bills and I will help you get rid of the paparazzi so you can leave." He grabbed his trench coat and hat, then stood up to leave. "Think about becoming my mistress, I will treat you well."


    His words caused her to panic and she made a momentous decision to go home and plead with her parents one more time. Not even Phoebe''s ghosts were going to stop her from remaining in the Mayfair house. Her status and everything else depended on them taking her back even if as an adopted child. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    *********


    At the Mayfair home meanwhile, everyone had gathered in the living room to face the Gabriels who looked uncomfortable despite being dressed immaculately. They had worn nice expensive clothes, dressed to the nines like they were going for an important business meeting.


    Phoebe''s eyes roamed allover them from head to toe as she wondered how they could afford such costly clothing. She recalled the ten million she had paid them, so it was not impossible for them to look like this. Or perhaps Ruth had been taking good care of them while in hiding after all, they were her parents. With plain eyes, she could not tell that the two people had spent some days in a torture chamber.


    The expensive clothes they had on made Edward livid and exasperated, so much so that he was lost for words. He had so much knowledge about what they had done to Phoebe when she lived in their home that all he wanted was to punch Aaron in the face. How could they dare to come to his house looking like this after committing a crime of child abuse?


    "Good morning Mr and Mrs Mayfair, old Madam Mayfair." Aaron bowed little to show his respect to three. Elizabeth did the same, her husband had given her instructions to let him take the lead, all she had to do was seal her mouth and follow.


    In response grandma Mayfair snubbed their greetings and so did Edward and Jennie who wore hostile faces.


    "Nobody here cares for your greetings you conniving bunch of snakes. We have been looking for you for a long time without a a single trace but you came to us willingly. Begin by getting on your knees." Grandma Mayfair was already in combat mode, ready for the war to start.


    Elizabeth began to fidget with her fingers on noticing how spiteful their gazes were. She looked at Phoebe who was surrounded by her tall strong brothers, it was almost as if they were protecting a delicate snow white from the evil queen.


    "Phoebe darling are you alright, we have been thinking of you since the news broke out....." Elizabeth stopped talking when Aaron threw her a sharp glare.


    Phoebe guffawed and rolled her eyes. What was with the soft voice and sudden niceness?


    "That''s odd, i am where I belong the person that you should be thinking about is Ruth your daughter. Stop with the fake caring pretense Elizabeth i already told my family everything."


    Aaron sneered. "Girl, is that how you are going to address your mother?" His voice was stern as he was running out of patience just by looking at her. He felt she deserved some lashes for everything he had been through because of her.


    "Don''t you dare talk to my daughter that way, not in my house!" Edward clenched his fists. "You are going to pay dearly for mistreating her it doesn''t matter if I have to spend all my fortune while doing it."


    His words made the Gabriels nervous, was Edward Mayfair going to kidnap them and torture them as well or was he going to throw them in jail. Aaron knew that Phoebe must have exaggerated the punishments he gave her. It was not a crime, he was disciplining her.


    Aaron had a temper, and a great sense of self righteousness. He forgot the instructions which had been given to him by Roman and decided to clear his name first.


    "Mr, Mayfair, its not our fault that the girls were switched. Whatever lies that girl had told against us are not true, i was a good father and all i did was give her a little disciplining when she went astray."


    "A little!!! You abused her you bastard." Andre bellowed.


    Filled with anger he threw his phone at Aaron''s head. It hit him on the nose before falling to the ground.


    Elizabeth whimpered and knelt down but nobody paid her attention. All eyes were focused on Aaron alone since he was talking back shamelessly.


    "You despicable man! You are going to learn that justice can be bought. I am going to make sure that you suffer and then rot in prison." Grandma Mayfair yelled. "Beat them up for me."


    Mark and his team were just waiting for an order and this was it. They began to walk towards the unwanted guests with wooden sticks.


    "No, no....." Elizabeth mumbled.


    "I will call the police." Aaron threatened.


    Mark and his team did not care and they brought the sticks down on the couple. Andre joined them, and he punched Aaron in the stomach.


    "You locked my sister in a closet, you ripped up her admission to an elite university, you refused to buy her a birthday cake, you didn''t take a single picture of her at her graduation..."


    Every grievance that he mentioned was followed with a blow to any exposed body part on Aaron''s body.


    The beating slowed down only when Ruth was unwillingly pushed in by Maria all of a sudden.


    She had arrived from the hospital thirty seconds ago and peeked in when she heard Aaron''s cries.


    On seeing her birth parents, she turned around to leave but Maria caught her and pushed her into the living room.


    "Madam, look who is back."

 Chapter 174 Bye-bye Ruth

    Ruth knew that it was all over when she saw the bruises on the bodies of her parents and the glares she was receiving. She couldn''t figure out why her birth parents had decided to appear here and complicate her situation.


    She wished that they could crawl back to whatever hole they had come out of but it was impossible.


    Ruth Knelt before the Mayfairs immediately, ignoring the Gabriels completely.


    "Grandma, mother and father please i am sorry about their rudeness. I have nothing to do with them."


    She crawled on her knees until she reached Jennie and clung onto her legs desperately. Jennie glowered at her, never in her life had Ruth seen such hatred in her mother''s eyes.


    Jennie lifted her leg and kicked her away. She then pushed her with her hands to grandma Mayfair who wasted no time to slap her across the cheek.


    "You good for nothing piece of trash! How dare you try to poison me. Did you think that killing me off would help you stay in this house?" Grandma Mayfair smacked her on the other cheek.


    "WHAT!!" Elizabeth screamed.


    Aaron on the other hand believed that the Mayfairs had ganged up against his daughter. On coming here, he had hoped to persuade them into giving him some money but that wasn''t going to happen it seemed. All he needed was to take Ruth and get out of there before they decided to imprison her.


    "My daughter cannot do such a thing, you are just bullying us because we are poor."


    Ruth nodded quickly." Yes grandma, I cannot please i am being framed. Collin please tell her....."


    "There are witnesses Ruth, that accident you claim you got into was staged too. There security cameras on the streets, why did you do this? We were so good to you, we were willing to stay with you. Your heart is wicked Ruth, it''s rotten." Collin''s eyes were glazed with pain.


    "It doesn''t matter, she leaves today. Go up stairs and pack just your clothes. All your cards have been canceled because that''s our money, the process of removing you from our family register has been started. From this day on, you are not a Mayfair so go with your parents and count yourself lucky that we are not pressing charges for attempted murder." Edward wrinkled his nose.


    Shaking her head vehemently, Ruth got back on her knees and rubbed her hands. "No please, father I have done nothing wrong. How could I poison grandmother i am being framed, please take back your decision." She couldn''t imagine for one second going to live with the Gabriels, they were poor with nothing to offer.


    This is why she wanted them to disappear, if they hadn''t shown their faces then perhaps the Mayfairs wouldn''t be sending her away.


    Aaron couldn''t stand to watch his daughter make a silly spectacle of herself anymore so he moved to her side and forced her to stand up.


    "Don''t beg them! In fact it''s good that they are sending you away after all we had come here specifically to take you with us. Let''s go now."


    Ruth freed her hand and slapped him as hard as she could. She couldn''t understand how brazen he had become to think that he had a say in her life. "Who said that I was going to go with you? How dare you come to my home and disrespect my parents. Leave now because i am going nowhere with you."


    Her actions were not even shocking to the Mayfairs anymore. But slapping her own father directly was still surprising.


    "That wasn''t the deal we made after you tried to kidnap me." Phoebe pulled out her phone and played the recording before Ruth could deny it. "You said that you would leave by the end of the week but since you tried to kill grandma you should leave now. No, maybe i should just give this to the police and leave you to your fate."


    "Leave on your own and never come back, you psycho." Andre pointed at her.


    "Yes Andre tell her, I have waited for this moment for the longest time." The Saxon spirit was hovering allover the place in excitement.


    Connie was having a party dancing like it was her last day on earth as she celebrated Ruth''s exit from the Mayfair home.


    Aaron had had enough with the drama so he grabbed her hand again "Ruth let''s go, we have always known that such a day might come anyway. Don''t force me to carry you out."


    "Ha! That means that Phoebe wasn''t lying when she said that you people knew all along that the girls were switched. Instead of picking her up, you allowed your cuckoo to be nourished by us you bloody bastards." Grandma Mayfair clutched on the chair armrests.


    "Of course grandma, that''s why they treasured her and shunned me, i think we were around thirteen years old when they found out. I am sure that they would have kept us all in the dark forever if I hadn''t become suspicious. Who knows, maybe she would have even killed me to hide the secret after all, if i die nobody would have known. You were probably behind the accident i had when i fell in the water and ended up in a coma."


    Phoebe folded her arms and watched blood drain from Ruth''s face but her woes were only beginning.


    Ruth placed a hand to her chest and sat down. "I am sorry please forgive me, mother i was scared. I thought that you were going to throw me out once you got to know that I wasn''t your real child. Just like you are doing right now. Doesn''t this all prove that i was right? Blood is thicker than water..right?"


    She laughed, partially hysterical and partially heartbroken.


    Edward shook his head, it was baffling that Ruth still didn''t understand what she had done wrong.


    "We would never have thrown you out, in fact we had told you to stay but you went ahead to kidnap my daughter, poison my mother and fake illnesses. You are obsessed with Phoebe and want everything that she has as if she owes you something. You must be sick in the head."


    "No, no, no for the poisoning and kidnapping i am going to file a case at the police station. Be ready, to face the consequences, the police will contact you at anytime."


    The moment Ruth heard grandma Mayfair talk about involving the police, she stood up her spiteful eyes fixed on the old woman.


    "Fine, i will leave as you wish." She moved her eyes to Phoebe who was waving at her.


    "Good riddance to bad rubbish, I hope that Aaron disciplines you well. I mean how could you slap your own father?" Phoebe giggled continuously.


    This is not over, i will see you all soon, Ruth thought.


    Elizabeth winced as she shot Phoebe a curt look, she no longer faked the kind mother act like she did all those years. "You are wicked and ungrateful Phoebe, don''t ever come back to our home, we don''t want you too."


    Out of nowhere, Jennie dashed forward and slapped Elizabeth.


    "Hmph, as if my daughter could ever come back to that hell."


    Aaron on the other hand carried Ruth in his arms and walked out of the door without saying anything else.


    Mark and his team escorted them out on Edward''s orders, the Gabriels were unpredictable so it was better not to lower their guard. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 175 Jealous of oneself.

    "I cannot believe that you had to live with those monsters all those years, they are despicable beings but thank God we don''t have to deal with them anymore." Luke finally said something and he hugged his Phoebe.


    Out of everyone in the living room, he was the one that had been silent the most. It did not mean that he was not filled with rage. Even though the Gabriel''s had left, he would find a way to make them pay the price.


    For a while, they all huffed and puffed, cursing the Gabriels and comforting Phoebe until their tempers came down and one by one, they left for work at Phoebe''s insistence.


    Phoebe and grandma Mayfair also said there goodbyes and headed to the cafe. On getting there, David was already inside and hard at work. He had on a red apron tied around his waist and was helping to serve the customers.


    [What is this? What is he doing here?]


    Phoebe was really puzzled on seeing him. He was not her employee after all.


    "This Saxon boy is starting to grow on me." Grandma chuckled before going to the kitchen. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe greeted everyone David inclusive and she entered her office. Rossett briefed her on everything that happened during her absence, there was nothing out of the ordinary it was business as usual.


    "Evelyn passed by and dropped off an envelope." Rosette followed her inside and pointed to the medium sized blue envelope on the desk.


    She noticed that Phoebe, grandma Mayfair and the Saxon spirit were in a jolly mood. Before she could ask why, David walked in so Rosset excused herself.


    With a wide grin on his face, David sat in a chair opposite hers. "Did you like the gift that I sent you?" He asked.


    Phoebe scanned her memory, she couldn''t remember receiving a gift from David recently, perhaps she left home without Oman delivering it to her or it had been misplaced.


    "What gift? I haven''t received it just yet but you should not be giving me any gifts. Save your money, you told me the other day that you started a company. As a business woman, i can reliably share with you the fact that every coin counts, especially in the beginning. It took me three months to stabilize my business here.


    If i relied on only reading marriage fates and selling lucky charms, i would have been forced to close a long time ago. That''s why i turned this shop into a cafe and take on side jobs like cleansing out haunted houses, helping the police, finding missing people, digging for treasures and the like."


    Most ghosts could not pay money, she had to find ways to make the money on her own. David was just stepping out of the shadow of his family, it would not be bad to guide him, he was her charger after all. If he was healthy and wealthy, it was good for her.


    [But, how can give up the Saxon throne so easily? How will he make money now? What kind of business can he do? Should i make a list of all the.....no..i promised myself not to help him like a horse until i am exhausted. That was stupid Phoebe, wise Phoebe can offer pointers.]


    David stretched his hand and touched the tip of Phoebe''s nose, she didn''t pull away for she needed to recharge.


    "Don''t worry about me." He pulled his hand back and she sighed, feeling pained.


    [He can touch a little longer, why is he in a hurry to take his hand away. I can''t ask him to bring it back because i will look like a fickle woman. Aah....it''s so hard being cool Phoebe.]


    David chuckled and moved closer to her, taking advantage of a rare moment in their relationship to caress her cheek.


    Like a silly kitten, she moved her head slowly, soaking in his energy with a shy smile on her face.


    [That''s it, that''s it...now this is more like it. It feels so warm and good.]


    David''s hand slipped to her neck and his head moved on its own, carrying him closer to her face. She had her eyes closed, making those facial expressions as if she was experiencing great pleasure.


    David had no idea what charging was but he actually felt a stirring of jealousy in his heart. It did not even make sense for him to be jealous of himself.


    He sighed and pulled his face away. It was not the time for such thoughts.


    "The gift i sent you is the Gabriel''s. I sent them to your house. "Did you like it?


    Phoebe pulled away in shock, good enough she had charged up, receiving at least a twenty days worth of life.


    "Wait what? Was that your doing, where did you even find them? My father searched everywhere and he couldn''t find them."


    David moved back to the chair opposite and crossed his right leg over the left one.


    "Maybe your father was not as desperate as I was to find them. I kept them for a while and figured they would make an appearance at the right time When i heard about your grandmother''s poisoning, i figured it was the right time."


    David didn''t say much about his men interrogating them about who Ruth was working with and how they treated her in the past. He would only let Phoebe know after he found out who it was.


    "So you just happened to find them and ordered them to come to my family house?" She asked only for him to nod.


    "Just like that?" Phoebe asked again and he nodded again.


    It was odd, the Aaron she knew would never just go willingly to the Mayfair house and demand to take Ruth with him something must have pushed him. He was not telling her the whole story.


    "Start talking David." She looked at him suspiciously.


    David realized that Phoebe wasn''t going to let go of the issue until he gave her a convincing story.


    "Some of my people found them right before they crossed the border and I kept them somewhere. During that time I persuaded them to come and take back their daughter which they agreed to do because they love her."


    "Persuade ha?" Phoebe''s narrowed gaze focused on him and she snorted.


    "Ha-ha, did they look harmed in any way when you saw them? In as much as I wanted to remove their eyes for abusing you I was nice to them. But just so they fulfilled their end of the deal, i hosted their son so they had no choice but to oblige."


    David''s story was now more convincing. The Gabriels loved Nicholas so they must gone to the Mayfair house obediently just to save him.


    "What do you mean by hosting him exactly? Is it like a kidnapping?" Phoebe asked.


    "No! My God! I am not a mafia Pheebs." He tugged on his ear. David denied vehemently. "I talked to the boy and asked him what he wanted to do with his life. He said that he wanted to be a computer engineer so I sent him abroad to Eagle institute of technology. All expenses paid, he will contact his parents after he settles in."


    He smiled a little slyly, there were many ways to kidnap a person, a basement and chains was just one. Nicholas Gabriel could still be used in many ways.

 Chapter 176 Trouble with kindness.

    In the past, David was a kind person, he used his own money to sponsor the education of many underprivileged children around the country. it wasn''t surprising that he had given Nicholas a scholarship. But to her, Nicholas was undeserving, as much of a white eyed wolf like his sister.


    "The world takes advantage of kind people, i hope that you keep that at the back of your mind David." Phoebe told him.


    "Shortie, you should remember those words as well because you were recently kidnapped while trying to help a little boy."


    It was one moment of weakness and it had served as a kind reminder to her, not that she was willing to admit it to him. She stretched her hand and picked the blue envelope that Evelyn had dropped by. Inside was an invitation to a private birthday dinner tomorrow evening.


    "I had actually forgotten that tomorrow is her birthday, i have not bought her a gift. Any ideas Saxon?" Phoebe moved her mouth to one side as she thought.


    "Mmm, a Regius sports car maybe, anyway, we are going together. I am going to be your plus one, right? I''ll pick you up at lets say 7:30pm."


    [Is he crazy!]


    Phoebe was still stuck on him mentioning about gifting a Regius sports car. The cheapest cost seven million but he was mentioning it so casually. Rich people were surely built different. She could not afford to squander seven million on a birthday gift, she had a business to run.


    "I will give her something from my jewelry collection. And as for picking me up forget that, my brothers have been invited so I''ll be going with them. We can meet there. It''s time for me to work."


    She walked up to him, forced him to stand up and then pushed him out of her office, stealing some energy in the process. Then, she settled down to see her clients, only two were waiting.


    A woman entered her office first. She was polite in her way of greeting as she took a seat opposite her. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What can i do for you?"


    The woman clenched her hands and took a deep breath.


    "I want to divorce my husband." she blurted out.


    Phoebe blinked thrice, finding herself a little lost. What did she have to do with divorce?


    "Miss, err..this is not a lawyer''s office. I think you came to the wrong building. When you get out of the cafe, keep walking right until....."


    "No." the woman blurted loudly. "I want to divorce but i cannot do it without knowing if my future will be better after i leave that man. That is what i want you to tell me."


    Phoebe looked at her forehead, eyes and facial structure. She had been learning to read faces from the Saxon spirit.


    "Your forehead is broad and smooth, your eyebrows are well-spaced and thick, the eyes are bright and clear. Your chin is round and prominent, your earlobes have flesh, the overall symmetry of your face is balanced and indicative of good fortune."


    The woman had no idea why Phoebe had been describing her facial features but when she heard good fortune, she lit up.


    "You have past your tribulations, you are going to find happiness and some moderate wealth."


    The woman paid Phoebe in cash and left the office with a smile. On her way out, she bought one of the new good luck charms and a protection talisman.


    Phoebe pressed a button under her desk which normally told Rosset to send in the next client. Rosset entered the office and asked Phoebe to step out, it concerned the next client.


    Phoebe followed her behind the snack counter.


    "What is with the mystery?"


    "Pheebs, see that man over there." She jutted her chin in the direction of the second client. "He is the next client and requests that you follow him to his employers residence. Problem is he won''t give me his name or tell me who his employer is."


    The Saxon spirit scanned the man, he didn''t look dangerous in any way.


    David was eavesdropping so took a picture of the man sneakily and sent it to Roxanne at Alfa security. She was in charge of all technology in the firm, she was also a very good hacker that could access all data bases including those of the government.


    "Phoebe give me a minute, let me find out who he is before you say anything to him, much less leave with him."


    David advised and Phoebe agreed, there was nothing wrong with making him wait a little longer. After Timmy and the kidnappers, a little caution could not hurt.


    Roxanne sent all the information within a minute. The man was named Joseph shore and he was one of the many drivers of the Verdemont family.


    "We can go and talk to him now." David showed Phoebe the information he had received.


    "We?" Phoebe looked at him quizzically.


    "Yes we, remember we are life partners and I know a thing or two about the Verdemonts so i am useful in this case. They despise people that don''t come from the same social status, knowing that you have a Saxon in your corner will give you an edge." He lifted his chin like he was God''s gift to her.


    Phoebe sniggered. "You keep forgetting Saxon, i am a Mayfair and my family is far richer than the Verdemonts if i am not mistaken. The Saxon are only richer by a few billions which is like a nickel." She spoke as she walked to the table where Joseph was sitted by herself.


    Her words however made him to let out a loud chuckle, David had no idea that Phoebe was a stubborn and funny woman. In the past they were always so busy and she was quiet, introverted, like a turtle in a shell constantly. Despite liking each other, they never took time to talk and understand one another.


    "Mr. Joseph Shore?" Phoebe asked politely.


    The man blinked rapidly, he had no idea how she had known who he was.


    Phoebe smiled. "You shouldn''t be surprised, i am a shaman that knows everything. I know that your employer is a Verdemont...."


    "Shhhh!" Joseph''s eyes darted around just to make sure that no one heard her say his employers name out loud.


    "Is there a problem?" Phoebe asked.


    Connie snickered. "It''s another rich person that does not want to be seen consulting a shaman as if that would be the end of them. Sister, charge them the maximum price, nothing less that five...no...ten million."


    "You have become a money grubber." The Saxon spirit knocked Connie on the head.


    The girl pouted and stomped her right foot like a spoiled little miss.


    "You don''t call sister a money grubber, i am just like her. Why don''t you knock her head too? Hmph!"


    She vanished into the magic space after throwing her daily tantrum. She did not even stay there for a two seconds and returned because she was still eager to know what the big secret was.


    Joseph cleared his throat because he noticed Phoebe was barely paying attention to him.


    "Please excuse the secrecy, I am under strict instructions that not a third ear should know of this."


    "That''s too bad because my ears have already heard something." David stepped forward he was tired of listening in from a far.

 Chapter 177 One too many unhappy families.

    It was impossible for the man not to recognize David, of course. "Mr. Saxon? W...what are..you...." Joseph stammered.


    "I work here." David blatantly announced, causing the ghosts and Phoebe to stare at him in utter shock.


    "For a person that wants to keep this a secret, you are sure clumsy because you are wearing a brooch with the Verdemont family emblem." David voiced his observations.


    Phoebe gave David a warning side eye, she had told him to keep his distance as she talked to the man.


    "Don''t mind him, i have been told that you want to take me to your employer''s residence, so let''s go."


    Phoebe went into her office and picked her bag, she informed her grandmother that she was stepping out and then left.


    A black car was waiting outside, funny enough was that it also had the Verdemont family emblem at the front. David chuckled as he squeezed himself next to Phoebe in the back seat.


    "Joseph the next time your employer tells you to do something confidential, ditch the family car and brooch. I bet even the cats on the street know who this car belongs to."


    On hearing his words, the poor man panicked and tore the brooch off as if it scalding his chest.


    "Yes Mr. Saxon."


    Phoebe scoffed.


    [Does this Joseph know who he works for? David commands and he jumps. Then again, i didn''t correct him when he claimed to be my employee. Tsk, tsk, i never knew how shameless this man was.]


    He ignited the car and drove off towards the West of the city. In no time, they had arrived at the Verdemont''s large residence. Just like the other founding families, it was a stand alone house built on many acres of land. Phoebe still didn''t have detailed information on the founding families so David was kind enough to tell her about the Verdemont family on their way there.


    Apparently the family lived together under one roof like most founding families. Even men from weaker families that married into their family had to move in.


    "Living with your in-laws is the worst thing that can happen to anyone." Phoebe pulled her brows together as the memories of her suffering returned to her.


    She had experienced it once and would never do it again. You would rather send her to actual hell than make her live with in-laws.


    David studied her face, he didn''t know what to think because it''s like he could see pain etched all over it. But, going on the memories of their life before rebirth, he agreed. Phoebe did not need to be around his mother.


    "I agree with you on that." He reached for her hand and squeezed her fingers. He was never going to let his family hurt Phoebe in anyway ever again especially his mother.


    "Here we go." David spoke when the car came to a stop in front of the main doors.


    It seemed from the get go that Phoebe wasn''t the only shaman that had been invited to the Verdemont house. There were people from different religious sects from monks to priests and shamans of all types going on the grounds.


    David and Phoebe studied the situation which was more chaotic than anticipated. All these individuals had been given sits in one big tent and one by one they were being called in like school children on immunization day.


    The older shamans looked at Phoebe in a mocking way. Compared to the rest she was nothing like what a shaman ought to look like. Besides, she was too young to know anything about the spirit world.


    "Oh hell no! How dare they put you in the same environment like these crooks? I wonder what happened that they need the services of a shaman. This family is known for faithfully worshiping the church of light, no wonder they didn''t want word to get out." David whispered to Phoebe.


    The church of light, meant they were followers of the God of light. Their religion abhorred shamans and their kind. For them to be here, the family had serious trouble.


    David firmly kept Phoebe by his side, standing by the door until the butler came and asked them to follow him. The two were escorted to the main house directly unlike the other shamans.


    "Miss. Mayfair and Mr. Saxon the old patriarch would like you to wait for him here." The butler told them once they entered the living room.


    They were not alone, some of the members of the Verdemont family were in the living room already like as though they were waiting for their arrival.


    David pulled Phoebe down because she seemed a little uneasy. Not even one second passed when someone spoke up.


    "David, so it''s true that you are dating this shaman girl and it just so happens that she is the Mayfair heiress! Ha I bet that is not a coincidence."


    Brandon the first born son of Ekhart Verdemont, eldest son of the patriarch gave Phoebe a condescending look. To him, a shaman like all the other quacks that claimed to have ties to the spiritual world had a seat next to the devil.


    Anger washed over David, he had not come all this way to hear anyone insult Phoebe especially not a loser like Brandon.


    "This is a case of sinners judging others because they sin differently. Brandon a drug and strip club addict like yourself shouldn''t judge anyone without knowing the facts." David retorted.


    His words caused the man to jump from his chair with fists clenched, ready to start a fist fight but his mother told him to sit back down.


    "The Mayfairs must be shocked to the bones! Their daughter dances with ghosts and spirits it must be embarrassing, no wonder Jennie had been saying away from society gatherings." Emilia Verdemont, his mother stood up and moved around, her eyes fixed on Phoebe.


    Phoebe had never socialized with members of the founding families when she was married to David so she recognized one person out of the bunch, Camilla Verdemont. She was one of Ruth''s friends that she never got to meet in the past life.


    Phoebe noticed that Camilla''s undivided attention was solely on David. She looked like she was about to drool with the way her mouth was partially open. But that was not unusual because David was desired by most of the maidens in Fog country.


    Camilla walked towards them and wrapped her arms around David''s own with a seductive smile on her face.


    "David would you like to sit down next to me?"


    [Three, i am going to count to three and then smack her and leave. How dare she put her ugly green nails on my charger!]


    David chuckled.


    Camilla''s mother winced loudly as a warning to remind her to behave herself. "You want to become exactly like your sister, if she didn''t go around chasing after men then we wouldn''t be in this position."


    David forcefully released his arm and shoved her away before holding on to Phoebe like a frightened maiden. His actions added more embarrassment on Camilla''s plate.


    "Maybe you shouldn''t have forced her to marry someone that she didn''t love." Camilla marched back to her seat and sat down with an angry huff.


    Emilia laughed sarcastically. "Love? Since when did people in families like ours marry for love? We marry to keep our families financially strong and politically powerful. Poor people are the ones that marry for love and then beg us for scraps to eat.


    In our days, the founding council dictated marriages but since that system was abolished our society has been infiltrated by the poor because some of you kids are marrying them, that Saxon girl Rose-bell is a good example." She bluntly stated


    "Keep my family out of your mouth, madam Emilia." David gave her a warning stare.


    The old woman was not happy to be warned by someone from the younger generation and she glared at David as if she could eat him at any moment.


    Phoebe slipped her fingers through his just to calm him down but the environment was becoming more hostile by the minute. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Had they been invited to fight a war here? From what she could tell, this family had its share of problems just like the Saxons.


    This was the result of marrying for financial reasons and holding on to power. Many unhappy families were formed.


    The room fell silent when a dignified old man walked in with the support of a walking cane. Behind him were three gentlemen, one had a wet puffy face with red eyes. It seemed like he had been crying because another man patted his back to comfort him.

 Chapter 178 Social standing.

    "Judging by that face I guess all those fake shamans and priests failed to find Linda." Emilia sneered.


    The sad man with red eyes nodded his head. " I don''t understand any of this? At this point I think that she doesn''t want me to find her. I just want her to come home, why won''t she come back?"


    He broke down and again, some people comforted him.


    "But Abel why then would she be sending you text messages? Going as far as asking you for money?" Brandon looked at his brother in law who was as confused as he was.


    The old patriarch sat down and asked Phoebe and David to sit as well.


    "I need you help little shaman, i need to know if you can find my grand daughter." He crooked.


    Emilia rolled her eyes to the ceiling, she was fed up with the entire situation. Besides their personal priest had prayed on the issue and all they had to do was wait on the lord. Why then was the old man being impatient to the point of inviting people with barbaric beliefs to find Linda.


    Rumors in Citrus traveled fast, she wouldn''t know what do if her brothers and sisters of the light faith heard about Shamans visiting her home. She would probably be demoted from the position of church deaconess. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I have tolerated this madness enough! You need to give up. If it''s money that Linda wants, we''ve got a lot of it that we don''t know what to do with it. Abel just send it to her." Emilia''s tone was mildly disrespectful.


    Ekhart Verdemont sat quietly in a single cushioned chair, it was almost like he didn''t want to say anything that could offend his wife. He had to stick with her in this situation.


    "Father, Emilia is right, look at that little girl, what could she possibly do? You have brought all kinds of strange people to our home and honestly we don''t feel safe."


    "Yeah right because I look like a mass murderer to you." Phoebe spoke out her thoughts unintentionally.


    Her words caused the entire family to glare at her especially Emilia and Camilla. On the other hand, the old patriarch let out a guffaw that it transitioned into a light cough.


    "Sir are you okay?" Phoebe asked because no one else seemed to care.


    A butler that was standing close to him poured some water in a short glass and handed it to him.


    When he regained composure, the old patriarch began by apologizing to his family.


    "I am sorry that i decided to handle this issue the traditional way although most of you are against it. But we have used all other means to search for my grand daughter and all the private investigators failed. Your church of light failed too even after we sowed seeds worth millions of dollars.


    Monks and Shamans in the days of our ancestors solved such problems that seemed impossible. It''s a pity that finding a real one is like finding a needle in the haystack. Please be patient with me after all this little shaman came in highly recommended."


    His eyes were half closed as he spoke and the inside corners of his eyes slanted upwards. Phoebe could tell that he was in agony, not physically but emotionally.


    "I heard about the Elroys from one of my servants that recommended your services. Is it true that you healed their child that everyone was sure was going to die? I heard that there were some extraordinary circumstances involved but unfortunately they left the country so I cannot ask them to confirm this." He asked.


    "It''s true, i did help them out with their son, sir I will help you if I can and I promise to admit to it if I can''t." Phoebe smiled warmly.


    A man that was sitting next to Abel , called Conrad laughed derisively. "I bet you are a fake too." He gave her a condescending look.


    "I am a Mayfair, i have no desire to steal from you, let us be respectful to one another besides i was invited by the old patriarch so I will deal with him and only him. Who ever feels like this is a waste of time can leave." Phoebe sternly spoke up shocking the bunch.


    "You want us to leave such that you can con him." Brandon spoke again this time raising his voice.


    David shifted forward in his seat. "Who the hell are you anyway? You are not a Verdemont but you are acting like this issue has something to do with you." One more word from him and David was determined to punch him.


    "Conrad shut up!" The old patriarch ordered. "That is Abel''s friend and a close friend of the family. I apologize for his attitude, this puzzling situation has taken a toll on all of us. Abel narrate the story of how all this started."


    "Again!!" Camilla exclaimed and rolled her eyes.


    This was going to be the third time in the day that the story of Linda going missing was told. It would also be the twelfth time that week alone. If she was forced to listen to it one more time, her ears were going to bleed.


    Everyone ignored Camilla''s not so silent displeasure and they turned to Abel.


    Abel dabbed his eyes with his fingers and sniveled. Conrad handed him a tissue and he dried his eyes. "Well..I don''t know where to start but two months ago I received a text on my phone from an unknown number. The sender identified herself as Linda Verdemont my wife who has been missing for more than ten years."


    "Ten years, five months and two weeks to be exact." Emilia interrupted. "And no she is not missing, my son-in -law is trying to be polite here. I cannot believe that after all these years Abel, you are still in love with that skunk. During the two years they were married, Linda slept with everything that had a male organ, including his friends and yet despite that, Abel was patient with her because divorce in this family is unheard of. But my prostitute of a daughter left this kind and decent man and ran off with her poor lover.


    She disgraced this family and our faith with her actions. Our reputations barely survived the scandal which would have ruined us socially by the way. I don''t know why we cannot just let sleeping dogs lie because resurrecting Linda''s murky past is the same as bringing us all closer to a social death. " Emilia clicked her tongue.


    Nothing mattered more than social standing to this family. A lot of heads were bobbing upwards in agreement with Emilia''s words.

 Chapter 179 Facts or fiction.

    The old patriarch slammed down hard on the table and shook his head. He was unwilling to tolerate any Linda slander, especially not from her own mother. It was not as if such words were going to help the situation.


    A lone tear flowed down his haggard cheek as the memory returned to him of the day of Linda''s wedding. He remembered the empty look in her eyes when she was forced to walk down the aisle.


    "She never wanted to marry young, she had bigger dreams of traveling and furthering her studies but you her own mother forced her into that marriage."


    He punched his thigh weakly with a clenched fist. He was filled with regrets, he should have stood firm and protected his favorite granddaughter.


    "Father-in-law, how can you blame me for continuing a proud family tradition. I had dreams too but I had to give them up to marry your son at eighteen. My mother was also the same when she married my father, we never had choices and did what was required of us by our families. None of us resorted to prostitution to show our dissatisfaction.


    She was betrothed to Abel since the age of five, if she really wanted to escape then she should have done so right before the wedding instead of turning him and us into a laughing stock in society." Emilia curled her upper lip.


    The old man lifted his head to look at her, veins were pulsing at the sides of his neck.


    "My poor baby girl is not that kind of person you all claim she was! Linda was a nice and kind human who could not stand to see even one hungry cat or dog. She used all of her money to feed the poor and built tow homeless shelters. A person like that cannot do the things you say she did, i refuse to believe it. I cannot explain it but I can feel it deep down that something is terribly wrong. I once saw her in my dreams saying good bye to me, I told you all."


    Camilla rolled her eyes stamped her foot. "Oh here we go again with the dream." she said sarcastically.


    The Saxon spirit was touched by his words. Poor guy, its obvious that the rest did not care at all. How could they be so heartless when one of their own is missing? Why was her own mother like this?


    Phoebe hadn''t listened to the whole story but she still didn''t know how to help them.


    "I know a good detective that could assist you in this situation." She pointed out, interrupting the exchange the old patriarch and Emilia where having.


    Shark had found that nurse that swapped the babies and got a confession from her. He could surely find this missing Linda as long as she was alive. It sounded like she married a poor man, run out of money and was asking her husband for money, or so it seemed.


    "Do not bother! We are tired of searching for her. If she wants to, she will come home on her own after all she is not a baby." Emilia marched away followed by some members of the family.


    Only Abel, Conrad and the old patriarch were left behind. The old man was looking at Phoebe with despair in his eyes which she could not ignore. The least she could do was poke around a little.


    "Can I see the messages sent." Phoebe asked Abel who in return asked for her number on which he forwarded them.


    [This is Linda, i don''t have much to say, i just need some money. Send me five million as soon as possible.]


    [Abel, i said five million, how dare you send five hundred thousand? I told you that I am in need of money you useless man. Hurry and send it to this account.]


    [Why have I not received the money yet?]


    [Abel! Send it unless you want me to come back home and make your life miserable. Believe it or not, i can ruin you.]


    David read them too and he noticed something. "She gets more desperate with each message. It comes off more like blackmail than anything else to me, something is not right with the texts."


    Beside Phoebe the Saxon spirit nodded. "I agree, besides why did she contact him if she needed money and not her grandfather who adored her or any of her siblings? You heard her mother, they are willing to give her the money as long as she doesn''t ruin their reputation. Why choose him out of all these people? Something is fishy here." The Saxon spirit shared its own observations.


    Phoebe nodded in agreement. If they were on terrible terms before she run off, why then would she contact him for anything? Why would a man she had cheated on so many times give her money willingly?


    "Is this all? She didn''t say anything else or try to call you?"


    Shaking his head, Abel shared that the messages came from a burner phone. He broke down into fresh tears as if he had a bag of them stored in his eyes.


    "I have received one almost everyday for three months, in fact i switched phone numbers but I continued to receive them." S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe and David traded gazes, the man said he received messages every day yet he had sent them less than five and all were money demands. Something was definitely amiss.


    It was impossible for nothing else to have been communicated is those many texts.


    "Abel...I want to know something. Why did you stay with the Verdemonts? You could have remarried and moved on after Linda run off." Phoebe asked.


    "A lot of people ask me that but I decided to stay because despite everything I love my wife. I am a person that honors my vows that said till death do us part so i will die in the home where we lived, waiting for her." He wore a solemn expression and Phoebe was a little touched deeply by his words, it was very rare to find a man that was extremely devoted to his wife.


    Phoebe moved next to the old patriarch, she took his hand and looked deep into his sad eyes. "I am going to get to the bottom of this." She patted the top of his left hand with her right one.


    "A big reward awaits, just as long as you find her." The old patriarch smiled warmly at her.


    David had already decided to join Phoebe on this case. "Grandpa Verdemont, we''ll find Linda Verdemont, please be rest assured."


    They both left the Verdemont family home, Joseph was kind enough to drive them to the police station.


    Shark was already waiting, he didn''t shy away from introducing them around as his personal friend even though most of the officers had met them already.


    People assumed that they were there because of the cuckoo case and many eyes stared at Phoebe.


    "Shark we need your help to find a missing person, a woman named Linda Verdemont. Can you help?" Phoebe asked of him.


    Shark pulled his brows together for it wasn''t the first time he was hearing the name in the investigative circle. "Linda Verdemont, I know exactly where to begin from." He nodded.

 Chapter 180 Shark on top.

    Ten years ago former detective and his first partner now turned private investigator was hired to discreetly search for the whereabouts of Linda Verdemont.


    The explanation given was that Linda had traveled overseas for better treatment after coming down with a strange illness and then disappeared.


    The Verdemonts kept the truth to themselves that Linda had run away with one of her numerous lovers which was the rumor in the city. Nobody of course directly threw this rumor in their faces because no matter what, they were still a rich powerful family.


    Shark knew that if anyone had any useful thoughts or leads on this case, it was Thomas Bing.


    As they prepared to leave the station, Phoebe''s attention was grabbed by a furious woman, she was shouting loudly and rudely, asking the police officer to free someone or else face the consequences.


    "Eliza?" Phoebe identified the woman immediately even before she spun around to show her face.


    Another reason Phoebe could tell it was her was because she could identify the malicious ghost that was hovering around the woman. It was tied to her, with a link that could not be broken easily.


    Phoebe had asked the woman to come and see her for that exact reason but Eliza rejected her. The woman was proud and arrogant, no matter what Phoebe told her, she would ignore it.


    "A friend of yours?" David followed her gaze to Eliza Grant.


    Shaking her head, Phoebe scoffed. "More like a potential client but a disobedient one who probably did something very bad in the past."


    "What did she do?" Shark asked, his curiosity piqued highly.


    Phoebe rolled her eyes in response, Shark was indeed a shark. He was sniffing for something to bite into because he had always wanted to arrest Eliza.


    "I don''t know everything." Phoebe admitted.


    Shark''s face fell as he was a little disappointed. "She is really a piece of work, she has taken away our peace of mind since she stepped foot in the police station. If i had the authority, I would lock her up for causing chaos."


    Phoebe pulled her brows closer together. "Why? What happened?" Her eyes returned to Shark.


    "The usual, when it comes to her, the reasons for visiting any police station are the same. One of her many male idols is involved in the Freezing moon club case. We have damning evidence against his participation but she wants us to let him go? Can you believe that? Her lawyers have told her countless times that the idol can''t be freed especially now that one of the girls is dead but she insists on it and is threatening to sue everyone if it affects his career. It''s not my case anyway so not my problem at the moment." Shark shrugged.


    The Freezing moon club case involved a bunch of celebrities and rich kids that held a drug fueled orgy and a clip from the party was leaked. It had covered the cuckoo case and had become the latest gossip in the country.


    Even though Shark looked uninterested in the case, Phoebe could see it in his eyes that it was the opposite.


    "Tsk, tsk, you say one thing with your mouth but your eyes tell a different story. You cannot take on every big case Shark, curb your greed."


    He wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Sadly not, detective Arthur over there is in charge of this one but if it gets any bigger, I will still try to steal it or hop onto the investigation somehow. You know me Pheebs, i cannot let go if i smell blood. Anyway, lets see how things go for now, i will update you on the missing woman case." Shark left them with a lazy goodbye gesture,waving his hand as if it was limp.


    Eliza stormed out of the station and Phoebe quickly followed. She wanted to warn her about the malicious female ghost but on getting outside she didn''t know where or how to begin. People were generally not very receptive to the news about ghosts following them around.


    In that mood, Eliza was definitely going to be less welcoming.


    "Maybe you should let her be, i have heard about Eliza Grant and everything i have heard is bad news." David pulled on her arm to stop her from approaching Eliza.


    Phoebe pulled her hand away stubbornly. "Did you not listen when I said that she is a potential client? That means money and a chance to help either the human or the ghost."


    Whether Eliza was bad or good did not matter, warning her about the danger she was in was more important so Phoebe walked in her direction. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Eliza had just lit a cigarette but decided not to smoke. She dropped cigarette on the ground and stepped on it like she did all her problems. Her eyes lifted when she noticed a young red haired woman approach her.


    "Detective? Are you here to help me? I mean you and I go way back. You know, we can enter into a mutually beneficial relationship, having connections to me can be rewarding." She smiled at Phoebe slyly, hoping that she would bite into the offer.


    As long as she said yes, she could be led a down the corrupt dark path of no return. Eliza had a few police officers, prosecutors and judges on her payroll. Adding one more would not cost her that much, especially if it was one that worked with the arrogant Shark.


    Phoebe didn''t flinch on being called detective, with Amon''s help she had been given a position in the police as an independent police consultant.


    Phoebe smiled coldly. "Yes i am here to help you Eliza. It would be sad if I woke up one morning and they told me that you died because of that ghost hovering around you."


    The smile on Eliza''s face fell immediately and her demeanor changed. Her reaction was not what Phoebe expected, no shock or looking around while squealing. She seemed angry which to Phoebe meant that she was not ignorant about the ghost.


    "W...what?" She adjusted her face back to a neutral state and stammered. "How...who the hell are you really?" Eliza asked


    "A shaman, I told you to visit the black ghost Cafe because I was worried."


    "You don''t have to worry your pretty red head about that, it''s taken care of." Eliza touched her neck and began to walk away only to pause when Phoebe spoke.


    "Perhaps but that talisman that you used to bind it is making you feel safe and making you arrogant but soon, and very soon, that female ghost will harm you personally like it''s doing to your business. You don''t think that all the problems you have encountered lately are a coincidence now, do you?" Phoebe slipped a business card in Eliza''s jacket pocket and walked to David who was waiting.


    "She doesn''t seem like she will willingly give you her money." David wore a victorious smug smile on his face.


    "Are you happy that I failed to persuade a client?" Phoebe gave him a threatening gaze.


    [Choose your next words very carefully Saxon.]


    Shaking his head, David denied vehemently.


    "Me! When did I do that?"

 Chapter 181 Short battle of the suitors

    The playful accusations and denial continued until David dropped Phoebe at the cafe. He did not follow as he had other business to attend to. He went to the Alfa security firm to dig as much information as possible on Abel Castor. He didn''t want Phoebe walking into an unknown mess.


    First he went to speak to Roman who was in their surveillance room.


    "How are the guests in the house next door?"


    He was referring to the Gabriels and Ruth that had moved into a house close by at Roman''s demand.


    "They are following the instructions we gave them, can they dare to disobey when we have their son?"


    David was pleased by the answer, he had told Roman to ensure that the Gabriels gave Ruth a taste of what Phoebe endured all the years when she lived with them.


    "What about the person i asked you to look into?"


    Roxanne was also in the surveillance room with her fingers flying rapidly over a keyboard. She had a extra large round sweet in her mouth and every few seconds, suckling noises would come from her mouth.


    "Done."


    She turned the laptop in David''s direction so he bent down to take a look. The information Roxanne had found as she dug into the Castor family was dumbfounding.


    "Great job, send everything that you have got to my email now."


    He rushed out to go and show Phoebe what he had found. To bring her closer to him, he needed to make himself useful to her and this was the kind of work he could handle.


    ***************


    Right before evening rush hour at the cafe, Phoebe decided to track Linda''s location using the central map but she didn''t find a location. Since it covered all of Citrus city and two others, it meant she was not in those places.


    She decided to expand the search and got an ordinary map of Fog country. It was all in vain, Linda was not in the country at all.


    Phoebe decided to go big and try her luck with a world map. With the help of the Saxon spirit, she did the location spell again but the result was the same.


    If Linda was alive, she was not earth. Phoebe''s mind jumped to a conclusion that she was not ready to share with the old man, Linda was probably not among the living anymore.


    Unless she had taken a trip to the moon, she was most likely a ghost by now. Phoebe shivered at the thought but for now, it was better to wait for Shark''s findings.


    She tied an apron around her waist and stepped out of her office to help with serving. Her grandmother and Sylvester were expertly managing the kitchen. Rosette was managing accounts while the new female employee, was working on deliveries.


    David walked in when they extremely busy so he immediately got to work. However, his white hair was too outstanding and his presence only increased the number of customers. Those already inside didn''t want to leave, especially the ladies that were drooling over him.


    David was such a good sales man that not only did he sell the snacks but he also managed to sell the jewels and tonics as well.


    Phoebe had never seen women so eager to empty their wallets. At the end of the day, sales had increased significantly because of him which made Phoebe happy. Anything and anyone that increased the amount of money in her bank account made her happy.


    When they sent the last customer out, they sat down and took deep breaths. All of them were exhausted but they had smiles on their faces.


    "Those jewels that Lorraine brought this afternoon as a sample have also been sold thanks to our sales man here."


    Rosset clapped loudly and David smiled, stood up and bowed in a dramatic fashion before sitting down.


    "Anything for my queen." He winked at Phoebe who rolled her eyes and looked away such that he could not see the small smile on her face.


    [What a flirt...i will not fall for it, hmph. He is even doing it in the presence of my grandmother.]


    Phoebe glanced at grandma Mayfair and she in turn looked away from her quickly. She had no business when the young people were flirting.


    Suddenly someone knocked on the door and all the exhausted humans glared at it. A closed sign was already on meaning that no more customers could access the cafe however the outsider continued knocking persistently.


    "If we all stay silent, maybe they will go away." Grandma Mayfair whispered.


    Phoebe guffawed, it were useless to whisper when the lights were still on.


    "I will send them away." Rosette volunteered.


    She could not fulfill these words when the person on the other side of the door was the landlord so she stepped aside. Collin Baltimore strolled into the cafe with with a medium sized bouquet of flowers.


    "What the hell is he doing here at this hour." David murmured. He walked to where Phoebe was standing and put his arm on her shoulders as if to mark his territory.


    In Collin''s opinion it was such childish behavior, Phoebe felt the same way as she swerved his arm away.


    "Landlord! What a pleasant surprise!" Phoebe asked with mild enthusiasm.


    [Did he come with flowers to increase the rent?]


    Collin almost dropped the flowers in his hands. What opinion did she have about him to think up such a bizarre scenario?


    David sneered. "What''s so pleasant about him coming here? Is it the flowers I can have trees delivered here." He pulled out his phone to make a phone call but Phoebe snatched it from him and gave him a warning gaze. If he was going to act like a child, then she was going to parent him.


    The Saxon spirit was displeased by Collin''s sudden appearance as well. "Oh here we go again, tell the man that you aren''t interested in him instead of stringing him along!"


    Phoebe glared at it. "I am not!"


    She quickly wore a smile and looked back at Collin who was staring at the empty space where she had been looking. Phoebe talking to ghosts wasn''t new to him.


    Connie who was blushing like the flowers were meant for her simpered.


    "Sister, forget this old ancestor. I advise that you don''t put all your eggs in one basket. Date as many men as possible until you decide on one eventually."


    "I agree, this Saxon guy is yet to be trusted." Sylvester spoke blatantly. He was still holding a grudge against David for refusing Phoebe to take him in.


    The Saxon spirit threw him a dangerous look which forced him to retrieve the statement.


    "David has really been trying to redeem himself, on the other hand Collin is still even afraid to ask you on a date and seems like a mama''s boy."


    "Sylvester, you just passed your probation period and you are now a full employee." The Saxon spirit smiled at him. "As for you Connie, no candy for a week."


    "Hmph!, you are bullying me because you are older. I am not a child, you don''t decide for me."


    "You live under my roof in my pendant, that makes you my child and you have to obey my rules." The spirit replied. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe had no idea who to control at the moment, the ghosts or the humans.


    "Phoebe we have the Verdemont case to work on, tell the unwanted visitor to leave." David glared at the flowers she had accepted.


    His words however only piqued Collin''s interest, he had passed by to finally ask Phoebe on a date but if she was working on a case then he had to help her somehow.


    "Pheebs can I stay? I may be able to help." Collin offered.


    "No, it is confidential." David loudly rejected the offer.


    "Oh sit your bottoms down David! I am going to help too if I can." Grandma Mayfair said loudly. "Rosette get us all fresh juices while my granddaughter introduces me to Goldilocks here." She smiled at Collin.

 Chapter 182 Uncovering Abel.

    She tried hard not to laugh but Phoebe could not help it. Her grandmother had called Collin Goldilocks so calmly as if it was his actual name.


    Collin on the other hand saw the similarities between Phoebe and her grandmother. One had called him Goldie and the other Goldilocks. If he ever met her mother, what would she call him, Golden retriever!


    His hair was not even that gold, it was honey blonde for heavens sake!


    "Ahem, this is Collin Baltimore, my landlord." Phoebe introduced Collin to her grandmother casually.


    "Friend." Collin amended, "Not just landlord but also friend."


    "That''s right Baltimore, you two are just friends." David chuckled in a juvenile manner.


    Phoebe raised her right hand and hit him in the stomach lightly.


    [Seriously!! this dummy, what am i going to do with him?]


    Collin swallowed hard. "Oh yeah! Isn''t that what you two are?"


    Phoebe crossed her right hand middle finger over the index finger, scanning her brain for a good answer.


    [It''s really complicated Goldie, don''t ask.]


    Collin''s world collapsed on reading her thought because she confirmed there was something between them but he perked up quickly because complicated wasn''t necessarily a bad thing. It meant the relationship had not been cemented.


    Phoebe decided to change the topic and she started talking about the case. Rosset swiftly served the drinks as they listened to Phoebe narrate everything that had happened at the Verdemont''s residence.


    When she was finished, they were all quite amazed to be taking an inner peek into the life of a wealthy crazy family.


    "They always seem like the perfect family but i knew there was something off about them, they are too obsessed with that light church and judge everyone that doesn''t share their belief. There is something that I don''t understand, Linda Verdemont''s picture has always appeared in their Christmas family letter, how come she has been missing for so many years?" Grandma Mayfair asked.


    "Oh grandma with the latest technology everything is possible. Imagine she has been missing for over ten years but most of us thought she was just working in another country." David sipped on some water.


    It was really a baffling story but they all felt terrible on behalf of the old patriarch of the family. All those years of waiting and hoping endlessly. He was close to death now so he had become more desperate for answers.


    "Now that I think about it, Luther stopped appearing in public about ten years ago, all we heard was that he had suddenly become very sick. He loved that girl Linda so much and went everywhere with her.


    The girl was the carbon copy of his late wife, i guess that''s why he grew attached to her so much. It was a pity that she was already betrothed to Abel Castor when she could have done so much better.


    Growing up, he was not pleasant looking, clever or industrious. That''s why his family let him marry into the Vedermonts, he was useless. Rumors moved around that Linda wanted to break the engagement.


    The next thing we knew, the two of them were walking down the isle in their church and then she suddenly stopped attending public gatherings. One year after the marriage, she stopped appearing in public completely. Her reputation was no longer rosy." Grandma Mayfair had a faraway look in her eyes as the memories returned to her.


    She was mostly thinking about her late husband, he had been on good terms with Luther so she met Linda four times when the girl came over to deliver something on behalf of her grandfather. She was such a sweet, kind and soft spoken girl.


    Collin cleared his throat. "Then that means that there is a connection between her disappearance and the old patriarch''s sickness, I think that he took her disappearance so hard and got so depressed that it made him sick."


    "What are you, a doctor?" David gave Collin a condescending look.


    "Saxon, this is something your short sighted brain cannot comprehend." Collin sarcastically stated.


    [Can''t you two just stop bickering like little kids for once! It''s not cute.]


    Phoebe''s thoughts displayed for them both to see, they traded gazes and looked away from each other.


    "Anyway, I had my people dig up everything they could find on this Castor guy and guess what, he lied about a lot of things. Most especially about the content of the messages that he was receiving from Linda." David sent some documents to the printer which he had bought for the cafe


    He asked Rosette to print them out and each of them got a paper as Rosette handed them out.


    Phoebe''s eyes shot wide open as she read through the messages on the first paper she received.


    [Give me the money if you want the truth to stay buried. I will come back and tell my parents everything.]


    [If i expose you, the shame will make you take your life. Do you want your family to know what you are?]


    [You think the peanuts you sent are enough? Better send me more or i will ruin you?]


    [I saw you last night, you look like you were having a blast. I took some pictures, who should i send them to? The price has gone up to ten million.]


    [Abel, give me all the money that you stole from my family or else.....]


    She read the messages out loud becoming more and more perplexed with each one.


    "What i don''t understand is why she is determined to ask this Abel for money and not her family." David placed his index finger on the lips and thought deeply. "This is obviously blackmail, Linda knows something that Abel doesn''t want the world to know."


    David nodded and flipped the page. "Check page three, it''s all deleted images. Page six she threatens to reveal that the Castors moved to Eagle country after stealing valuables from the Verdemonts."


    Collin agreed. "Not just that, they are now dead broke and running shady massage parlors while maintaining the image of an elite family that just migrated for business reasons. You Fog nationals consider the founding families to be sacred, something like this will get the Castors exiled from that society immediately."


    Phoebe''s eyes noticed something in the papers. "According to this information the Castors went broke way before Abel married Linda, he married her for the money. His account received a lot of money when he was the home affairs accountant. It looks like he doesn''t hold that position anymore."


    "Why was that changed?" Collin asked only for Phoebe to shrug.


    "I have to ask the patriarch but first i need to hear from Shark, no wonder he stayed back all these years after his wife disappeared with her rumored lover." Phoebe said. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    David snapped his fingers. " This man is not as loyal as the Verdemonts think he is. He''s a total scum, the family thinks he''s this innocent martyr that sacrificed himself for true love."


    "Total scumbag, maybe she wasn''t perfect like they claim but he isn''t either." Collin rose to his feet after receiving an important call from his sister.


    "Grandma, everyone I have to run now, my sister needs me." He bid every one goodbye and spared David a quick mean glance before running off.


    "Okay, the pictures, i didn''t print them out but...." David shook his head and whistled as he showed Phoebe the photos Roxanne had sent to his phone and the two picket sized photographs he had been holding onto.

 Chapter 183 Suspicion of death.

    On seeing the photos Phoebe gasped loudly as if she had seen the most alarming thing ever. Never in her wildest dreams could she have imagined that Abel and Conrad had such a kind of relationship.


    Grandma Mayfair asked to take a look at the photo too, she covered her eyes the moment she set sight on it. A man and a man engrossed in different erotic positions.


    The old woman whose mind was still very much traditional wanted to bleach her eyes. In some of the pictures, the two men were going at it on an open rooftop of a small villa. She really couldn''t understand this generation, it was one that really had too much freedom and had lost all shame.


    "This must be the reason for the blackmail, this Abel man converted to the faith of light after marrying Linda and news of this abnormal relationship getting out wouldn''t only ruin him but the Verdemonts as well, especially within the church circles." Grandma Mayfair frowned deeply.


    The church of light was strongly vocal against same sex relationships. The Verdemonts would kick Abel out as soon as they caught wind of this.


    Phoebe sighed heavily. "I was hoping for the opposite but this makes me think my hunch is right, Linda Verdemont isn''t alive anymore....."


    Her words elicited a "WHAT?" from the listeners who interrupted her speech.


    Nodding her head Phoebe further elaborated on her suspicion. "I did a location spell, four actually and she is nowhere to be found on earth. Abel and Conrad were suspiciously close when we went to the Verdemont home. Conrad was practically wiping Abel''s tears for him like a good wife. He also had this look on his face as if he was confident Linda will never be found."


    "If she really is dead, i bet my entire fortune that Abel and Conrad having something to do with it. Such a secret can get some one killed especially if one is desperate to hide it." David waved the photo around continuously until grandma Mayfair asked him to take it out of her face.


    "My God! Poor Luther." Grandma Mayfair placed a hand to her chest. "Are you certain dear?"


    There was only one way for Phoebe to find out for sure and that was to find Linda''s ghost whether it was here on earth or beyond. However, to do that she needed Linda''s personal belongings. It was already late so she had to put that plan on hold but, she planned to call the Verdemont patriarch and make the request.


    "We will know for sure tomorrow and hopefully i will have got answers from detective Shark as well." Phoebe blew air out of her mouth and sighed. She was tired, her joints hurt and needed rest.


    "Let''s go home people, good work today everyone." Phoebe announced as she stood.


    ******


    The next morning Phoebe arrived early at the cafe first because Joseph was already waiting for her with Linda''s personal belongings, he smiled calmly as she approached.


    "The old patriarch asked me to bring this." He handed a medium sized black suitcase to Phoebe. "This is everything that is left of miss Linda''s belongings. The rest of them were burnt to ashes by her mother. Please call me to pick them when you are done with them because to the old patriarch they are priceless treasures."


    Phoebe smiled back and shook her head. "No worries Joseph, I will bring them with me when I come to the mansion with answers." Phoebe entered the sparkling cafe.


    With the exception of grandma Mayfair, everyone had already reported to work, whether it was because they were eager to make money or not miss a single thing to do with Linda''s case, she was unsure.


    She stopped in the kitchen first and locked the door for privacy before unloading the groceries and herbs. There was a lot to be retrieved from the magic space.


    The Saxon spirit helped but Phoebe felt the work burden too especially when they were moving the potatoes. When she was done, she dusted her hands and ordered Sylvester to start cooking because grandma Mayfair was going to be late.


    No sooner had she slumped into a chair behind the counter when her grandmother walked into the shop.


    "Hey nana, how did the shopping go?" Phoebe asked, her eyes eagerly studying the gift bag she was holding.


    She had asked her grandmother to pick out Evelyn''s birthday gift on her behalf. Grandma Mayfair pulled out a small purse.


    "I think Evelyn will love this, it came in highly recommended for people your age. I got one for you too." She took out another purse, better looking than the one meant for Evelyn and gave it to Phoebe. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Oh sweet nana! You didn''t have to, thank you so much, i love it." Phoebe hugged the purse to her chest and hopped up and down like a bunny.


    Pleased with her reaction, grandma Mayfair excused herself and went to the kitchen.


    A delivery was made to the cafe for her from David. Phoebe wasted no time to check what was inside, a mini black dress and an envelope with a card and money.


    "He''s going to go broke soon if he doesn''t take his finances seriously." Phoebe mumbled. She was happy though, a girl can never have too many cute dresses as for the money it was going straight to her bank account.


    She was going to open the suitcase when someone knocked on her office door and she invited them in.


    Shark walked in, holding a small note book and pen. A wooden tooth pick played in his mouth as usual.


    "Hey Pheebs."


    Phoebe nodded once as she pushed the gift box to the side.


    "Anything yet?"


    Nodding his head, Shark took a sit and began to narrate what he had discovered.


    "I talked to Thomas and he said that he searched everywhere but there was no sign of Linda. It''s like she was wiped off the face of the earth. No cars or houses registered in her name, no credit card, no registered phone number. She is basically a ghost." He looked around in case the ghosts were there. "No offense to you guys."


    Phoebe scoffed, the ghosts were not around.


    "Thomas also mentioned that he came to the conclusion that the Verdemonts maybe hiding something. They were just so uncooperative and unhelpful and as for the husband, he was completely torn and miserable that he could hardly answer a question without breaking down. Thomas did suspect him but there was no evidence and he had an alibi...."


    Phoebe interrupted. "Let me guess his close friend."


    He nodded. " I don''t get why they are digging it up after all these years when a lot of time has passed. They were too nonchalant about the issue back then which made the trail run cold. If she had run off with a lover then there had to be a trail of some kind but there was none in her case.


    According to Thomas, the supposed men she had affairs with didn''t hear from her after she vanished and some did not even remember ever meeting her its all. This matter is quite strange and could be a waste of time. From what Thomas shared about that family, maybe they locked Linda in some basement since she was a family disgrace." Shark twisted his lips to the side.


    Shark shrugged, indicating that he was done and there was nothing left to tell.


    "I think it''s time i search among the dead." Phoebe suggested.

 Chapter 184 The other side

    Shark stared at her in a mixture of confusion and curiosity.


    "You actually think she''s dead."


    His heart skipped a beat as excitement set in and suddenly he started to view the case in a different light. If things were as Phoebe truly thought then it was about to blow up anytime. A dead murdered daughter of a founding family was going to turn into a high profile case. For one small moment he felt pity for Linda but it vanished quickly. If she was dead, she could not be saved and all he could do was bring her justice. He would also benefit largely from solving the mystery, he had to grab the opportunity as soon as possible.


    Phoebe could read his excitement from where she was and she scoffed. As expected of the Shark, now that she had shared this with him, he was going to be more proactive. It would not surprise her if he went to the Verdemont house and started questioning people immediately.


    It was best not to say anything else to him until she had confirmation.


    She tapped the desk lightly. "I said that I will search among the dead just to be certain so don''t jump to conclusions quickly. I will let you know in case i find something, Thank you for your help Shark, Your breakfast is on me today."


    He stood up and left hesitantly wishing that Phoebe could say more but he was aware that he could not pry her mouth open unless she was willing to share. He was her go to detective anyway, so he could wait.


    He grabbed himself a medium sized box of freshly baked donuts and milk tea. On his way out, Grandma Mayfair called him back and asked to speak privately.


    They moved towards the end of the counter, away from customers and she whispered.


    "I want to report someone for attempted murder, Ruth Gabriel. That bitch tried to kill me and she had my real granddaughter kidnapped. She also faked medical records and bribed a doctor, hired people to slander Phoebe online and....."


    She put a hand on her chin as she pondered on other crimes that Ruth had committed. She was determined to see the wicked woman end up in prison.


    Shark was shocked but he realized the gravity of the accusations quickly and invited her to follow him to the police station.


    After Shark left, Phoebe locked the door of her office to secure her privacy. She then checked inside the suitcase that contained Linda''s belongings. Not much was in there, Linda''s belongings were really few.


    There was a polka dot scarf, a silver necklace with a heart shaped locket, two t.shirts, a humanitarian certificate, a comb and a report card from first grade.


    "Tsk tsk, this is all that''s left of Linda''s remains in the world. That family is really cruel towards their own." Phoebe sighed.


    She took out the small green comb, it still had a few strands of Linda''s black hair in it.


    "Perfect." Phoebe then moved into the magic space and made a beeline to the cabin where she searched for the book that could assist her contact Linda''s ghost.


    It was already resting on the table because the Saxon spirit was aware that Phoebe was going to go in search for it.


    "I took this out the moment you failed to find her anywhere on earth. I had a feeling that she had already moved on."


    It''s sympathetic eyes remained on Phoebe who sighed lightly.


    "Her family is to blame, maybe that''s why her ghost did not linger on earth. If i had a family like that, i would not stay behind either, i would find the first bridge to reincarnation and cross it as quickly as i can."


    She touched a corner of the ghost note book, it had some dust on it so Phoebe blew it off. The dust went straight up to her nose which in turn caused her to cough a little.


    She wondered what Connie spent her time doing in the magic space instead of cleaning.


    "Lazy bones." she mumbled.


    "The day that girl voluntarily takes charge of this place is the day i will surrender it to her. Look at her in the cafe right now, she is drooling over a handsome customer instead of helping. I thought my days of raising a teenager were over but i was wrong." The Saxon spirit laughed.


    Phoebe laughed along with it, and then she opened the first page of the notebook. It was an empty brown page with no single marking.


    "You remember the rules of communicating with spirits that are on the other side, don''t you?" The Saxon spirit asked.


    In response, Phoebe nodded. "All I have to do is hold one of Linda''s personal belongings, chant a spell and write what i want to ask right?" she stated.


    "That''s right." answered the spirit.


    In one hand Phoebe held Linda''s comb and in another she held a short silver pen with strange markings all over it. She poked her finger with the sharp tip of the pen and it sucked blood out. The blood was going to act as ink.


    "I spend energy, blood and time, all that''s missing is my flesh." Phoebe mumbled.


    [Linda Verdermont, please i humbly request to speak to you.]


    Phoebe wrote and placed the pen down, from what the spirit had told her the pen was supposed to move on its own as the ghost responded by writing in the book as well. But in this case, it lay there like dead tree wood.


    "She''s one of a kind because most spirits on the other side would rush at this kind of opportunity, i guess she''s contented and has no desire to hear about those that she left behind." The Saxon spirit thought deeply. "Say something about her grandfather."


    "What are you guys doing?" Connie popped up behind Phoebe.


    "Contacting Linda but she doesn''t seem to want to respond." Phoebe shared.


    "Perhaps she is in purgatory after all, she was an adulteress who has to pay for her sins, who knows what kind of punishment was handed to her."


    Connie ignorantly spoke up only to attract warning glances from Phoebe and the spirit.


    But in response the teenage ghost shrugged. "What? i mean she could be pulling out her nails or teeth to atone for her sins." Connie continued to blabber.


    "Child i have told you countless times to watch your mouth, that book is open and Linda''s ghost could be listening in right now." The Saxon spirit waved its hand and expelled Connie from the space.


    [Linda? Please i humbly request that you respond, i have something important to ask. Your grandfather wants to know what happened to you, he is gravely ill.]


    Desperation etched allover Phoebe''s face as she wrote.


    Hardly had Phoebe placed the pen down when it began to scribble in the book.


    [My poppy? You know him?]


    Before Phoebe could process what was happening, a ray emanated out of the page and a reflection of Linda on the other side appeared.


    "Oh God!" Phoebe covered her mouth with her fingers.


    A lot of things since her rebirth still surprised her, this being one of them. With this book, she could talk to anyone that had died and moved on as long as they had not reincarnated. The world truly had wonders.


    "What about my poppy? Is he okay? Can I see him? Is he there with you?" Echoed Linda''s voice.


    Phoebe shook her head. "He is not here with me, I am a shaman named Phoebe, he told me to find out where you are. He has been looking for you ever since you disappeared, he never stopped for a single day. What happened to you?"


    Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 185 Linda woeful journey.

    Saddened to hear that her grandfather had become ill because of her disappearance, Linda bit her bottom lip and tried not to choke on her tears. After all this time, he had not moved on, it seemed.


    "I remember him to be so healthy, he should have just moved on like I did. I told him that when I visited his dreams right before I crossed to this side."


    She rubbed tears away from her cheeks with the back of her hand.


    Phoebe took a sip of the lemon grass tea she had brought over from the shop. It was going to be a long chat because she had a lot of questions for Linda. She didn''t know how long the spell would last and she wanted answers quickly.


    "What happened to you? Nobody knows that you are dead, your family thinks that you run away with another man."


    Linda scorned at the mention of family, the very people that had led her to her death.


    "Those people ruined me, my woes began when I revealed to my family that I was not interested in marrying Abel. I was only eighteen and I wanted to further my education, expand my skills and travel the world but my parents had other plans for me, a forced marriage.


    I tried to get out of it by persuading my grandfather to help me and he intervened but my head strong parents didn''t listen to him.


    I even tried to cajole Abel but he showed me how serious he was by converting to the faith of light and agreeing to move into our house. When poppy Luther traveled out of the country, my parents took the chance and forced me to marry Abel.


    It was a sad private wedding which I was forced into just because I was betrothed to him and he had showed commitment by converting to the light faith. Abel, that beast acted like the perfect son-in-law, so devoted to my family and tolerant of everything.


    My father even appreciated Abel by making him the home affairs accountant. When Grandpa returned he was furious but the deed was already done and divorce in our family was a taboo unless one had a strong unshakable reason." She swallowed deeply.


    "Why was Abel dismissed from being the affairs accountant?" Phoebe asked.


    "Honestly, i am not sure why but it was Grandpa that dismissed him, claiming that a professional was taking over." Linda shrugged.


    Phoebe put one and two together and connected the dots. The broke Castors suddenly had money to spend in Eagle country and then they went broke again, the timeline matched perfectly.


    "Please keep going how did Abel do this to you? I am certain that he has everything to do with your death." Phoebe rubbed her chin.


    "Even if ours was a loveless marriage, it was odd that Abel had not once approached me for sex. We slept in the same bedroom but he didn''t try not even once to initiate a physical relationship. I am not saying that I wanted him to. Honestly, i was actually relieved that he didn''t touch me. But it was odd, so I began to spy on him because if he was cheating then all I had to do was expose and be free of him.


    My parents suddenly began to talk about grandchildren and that''s when Abel shamelessly accused me of infidelity. I denied of course, because it was not true but it was all in vain because he had cooked up evidence, pictures of me with different naked men in bed. I don''t know how or when he took them.


    I was speechless but my parents condemned me immediately and pleaded with Abel to keep things quiet on the other hand, they banned me from leaving the house. From that day fourth I became an outcast in my own home, priests from the church came to perform exorcisms on me because obviously I was possessed by darkness. They even called me the devil''s wife and whipped me with ropes.


    It was as if their ears were blocked to my cries and pleas. All i said about Abel fell on deaf ears and the more i tried to expose him, the more evidence against me piled up.


    I confronted Abel but the man laughed and called me his lifeline. "Just be a good wife, do as your told and shut up unless you want your grandfather to die of a heartbreak. If you cannot take it anymore then you can ask me for a knife to slit your wrists." That''s exactly what he said to me.


    I was afraid for my poppy so I did as told and from then on my life became a living hell. I watched my parents hate me and treat me like the devil but love and praise the man that had assassinated my character. He drugged my food and drinks, making me emotionally unstable. I became a shadow of myself and eventually, i started to think that ending my life was the solution. My grandfather would be safe and i would be free.


    The morning i was planning to end it all, I went into the maze gardens that''s where I found them, Abel and Conrad. They were naked and doing stuff...intimate things. I was shocked at first but then everything began to make sense. I finally saw the light and took pictures of them as proof.


    I hoped that my family would come to their senses. The first person i told was Brandon who found me running out of there, my phone fell and he picked it up. On seeing the pictures, he sneered grabbed my arm and took me back into the maze."


    "I am sorry what? "Phoebe blurted out. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Brandon was Linda''s brother, if there was evidence that exonerated her of the cheating scandals and also revealed Abel''s true face, he should have jumped on it and protected his sister.


    Why would he take her back into the maze, to the very man that had ruined her life? Phoebe recalled the way Brandon had been extra worried about Abel, he had had been as concerned as Conrad.


    If Conrad was Abel''s lover, could it be that Brandon was just the same? David had mentioned him being a strip club addict so Phoebe had doubts. Then again, it could be a cover up.


    Before rebirth, she didn''t remember ever hearing about Brandon Verdemont getting married.


    "No way, it can''t be what i am thinking." She shook her head.


    "What?" the Saxon spirit asked curiously.


    Phoebe looked at Linda and asked, "Are the three of them by any chance together?"


    Nodding her head in confirmation, Linda stared back at Phoebe. "Yes."

 Chapter 186 Betrayed by blood.

    The confirmation shocked Phoebe more, it was truly astounding. Three men in one relationship!!! what were they thinking? Why involve an innocent woman in the messy affair?


    As for that Brandon, Linda was his blood sister, how could he betray her?


    Phoebe stared at Linda''s reflection, the ghost had a blank expression on its face. It was almost like these things had happened to someone else and not her.


    The Saxon spirit was equally shocked, it found the affair immoral and distasteful. The men needed to be exposed for what they had done to poor Linda by ruining her life and leading to her death.


    "Pause the story and please explain this well." Her ears twitched.


    Linda sighed weakly. "Honestly if I hadn''t caught them I never would have known but once i did the while picture became clear. It made perfect sense because Brandon had refused to marry. My parents tried to set him up with countless girls but he rejected them all with one excuse or another. Those hypocrites didn''t force him because father said he was a man and he didn''t have a biological clock. Him frequenting the strip clubs was a cover up, besides those places have male strippers too so who knows what he was doing."


    "Wow just wow! This is sick, so your brother kept quiet as you entered the lion''s den? He''s a psycho, most brothers protect their sisters jealously what the hell was wrong with yours?" The Saxon spirit wore a stolid expression.


    Phoebe''s narrowed eyes stared beyond Linda''s reflection.


    "You were used by them because of your reserved nature which made you easy to control. But, with all the love your grandfather has for you, why didn''t he notice?"


    Linda''s eyes grew moist as her grandfather''s face came to her mind. He was not to blame, he didn''t really know what was going on under his nose.


    "Poppy was always busy back then since he was the head of the corporation. He traveled a lot besides, he has a fragile heart. I didn''t want to send him to an early grave or risk Abel killing him. When he was around, I would come down with an illness which would keep me immobilized and weak.


    l think someone was intentionally making me sick to keep me from talking. Poppy would visit me when he could but even then Abel and Brandon were always right there by my side, making sure i could not say anything. I didn''t know that Brandon was in on it at the time, i just thought that he was being a considerate brother that at least cared about my health. How wrong i was!"


    "What happened after Brandon caught you?" Phoebe asked her.


    Snickering in a scornful way, Linda narrated the minutes leading up to her death. "Brandon''s hand made it''s way to the back of my hair, i remember that he grabbed a handful of it and pulled on it as he dragged me back in the maze. I screamed as loud as I could but no one could hear me. Brandon put another hand over my mouth to stop me from screaming, that''s when I took the opportunity and bit his hand so hard I could taste his blood in my mouth.


    He winced and threw me to the ground in front of Abel and Conrad then kicked me countless times as he called me a bitch. Abel and Conrad joined in after he told them that i knew their secret. They laughed and Abel kissed Brandon, that''s when i knew why he had dragged me into the maze, he was one of them.


    Conrad kicked me so hard in the head that i became really dizzy, my bones were broken and i had no energy to move. I lay on the grass while the three deliberated on what to do with me. No matter what they said it only came down to the fact that i wasn''t allowed to get out of there alive.


    Abel stomped on me as he blamed me for ruining his plans. That''s when Conrad decided to get rid of me so that Abel would stay on as the virtuous husband whose unfaithful wife had run away with an unknown lover.


    My voice was weak, i was cold and frightened so i used the last of my energy to grab onto Brandon''s shoes and beg them to let me go. I would leave the country, disappear for good and never return and also keep their secret.


    They didn''t believe me and Brandon said there was no way they could let me walk away alive after what I knew because I was going to expose them. Abel bent over me, he wore an evil grin as he wrapped his hands around my neck, chocking me until I breathed my last. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The next thing i knew, i was hovering over my own body as a ghost. I watched them bury me in the center of the maze garden. I stayed around as a ghost for a while, hoping someone would notice but nobody did, they just believed the lies and cursed me for embarrassing the family while consoling one of my killers. Only poppy stood up for me so i visited his dreams, said goodbye and left. It was an odious journey but i was finally free so in the end, i was okay with death.


    My body must still be there, those killers must have enjoyed themselves all these years."


    Phoebe shook her head and dubbed away the tear at the edge of her left eye. "Of recent Abel began to receive text messages from a Linda Verdemont black mailing him for money. They are from someone that knows about their relationship and possibly the secret of your death. Do you know anybody that could be behind it?"


    A loud chuckle escaped Linda''s lips. "Obviously i am dead so it''s not me. It can''t be Brandon because he has money, and not Abel since he can''t blackmail himself. It leaves just one person, Conrad. He is the son of one of the drivers. If anybody needs money, it''s him."


    Phoebe sighed and massaged the back of her slightly sore neck. She had all the answers she needed, it was time to bid Linda farewell.


    "I will make sure that your bones are found and reveal the truth. Your grandfather is going to be heart broken when he gets the news. He will probably blame himself because all this happened under his roof and you were betrayed by one of your own blood." Phoebe shook her head gently and sighed loudly.


    In Linda''s case, blood had not been thicker than water.


    "Can''t i see poppy one ....." Linda''s voice trailed off as the spell wore off and she vanished.


    "Wait...wait." Phoebe shouted.


    She had not given Phoebe a clear spot for where the body was. It would be much easier to find if she had a map with an X marking the spot.


    She was going to do the spell again when the Saxon spirit stopped her.


    "You are low on energy to summon her again, we can try again tomorrow or later after you regain it."


    Phoebe closed the notebook and looked at the spirit.


    "About her last words before she went poof, i am certain that she wants to see her poppy one last time. Can it happen?"


    Phoebe asked because she didn''t want to break any rules.


    "You can if you are connected to an endless source of energy." The Saxon spirit''s eyebrows danced playfully.


    Phoebe smirked. "David

 Chapter 187 PG 10

    "Here we go again with the David promotion strategy, you just throw him my way whenever you get a chance. Anyway, i will take you up on that offer this time round because it is for a good deed. Before you get your hopes up, i am just going to hold his hand....we are keeping it PG 10."


    Phoebe gave the spirit her own smirk.


    "Ten!!!" it exclaimed.


    Phoebe nodded. "Mmm, ten."


    "My dear, why don''t we bargain?" The spirit cozied up to her with intentions to haggle.


    The relationship between Phoebe as David was not progressing fast enough, he had not even seen the door leading to her bedroom.


    "How about we go up two ages, PG 13."


    "You sly spirit, all that is needed is hand holding, we should not rush things. My relationship with David is progressing at the normal rate. In my last life, i chased him but in this one, it''s his turn to chase me. Whether he can catch me or not depends on how skilled he is."


    The Saxon spirit sighed as if she had let it down greatly. Phoebe left the cabin and looked at empty plot of land. She needed to plant some more irish potatoes, fries were easy to sell in the cafe.


    She noticed some plants and herbs which had not been acquired through her.


    "Hmm, who planted garlic and chilli''s?" she mumbled.


    It didn''t matter anyway, she left the space and her office altogether. She had no clients, ghost or human but the cafe had customers. Her grandmother was absent and Phoebe assumed she had stepped out.


    What surprised her however was to find grandma Saxon sitting at one of the tables close to the counter. The old woman was sipping their popular lemon grass tea. She had a half eaten jam filled large scone.


    Phoebe was hoping to leave the cafe without being noticed but the old woman saw her and waved at her. Then she gestured for Phoebe to go over, she was reluctant but went anyway.


    "Grandma....Mrs. Saxon?" Phoebe approached the table.


    "Pheebs! We are closer than that, please call me granny or Nana."


    "Granny, how lovely it is to see you and you look healthy and strong." Phoebe commented.


    Grandma Saxon smiled widely. "I am getting compliments about my physical state lately, that''s why i am back for more supplements. Oh my husband''s health has improved so much as well, it''s astonishing. I had asked you to deliver them at the Saxon family house in the hopes of hosting you but you didn''t come over."


    "I am sorry granny, the cafe and other business have kept me occupied but we now have a full time delivery person who can deliver the supplements whenever you want." Phoebe lied about her reason for not going to the Saxon tower. The last thing she wanted was visit that place.


    The old woman smiled at her tentatively. "You and David, i have heard some good news on that front, how is it going?" She asked after hesitating slightly.


    [He''s a pain in my ass but its nothing i can''t handle.] S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Grandma Saxon giggled softly on reading Phoebe''s thoughts.


    "It''s...err...good." Phoebe replied hesitantly.


    It was the best answer she could come up with and it was also the truth, the relationship was good.


    "So, do you see a future with my grandson? Oh...before we get to that, what do your parents think about your relationship with David, is it a match that can be made? I have heard that your oldest brother does not approve of the relationship."


    Grandma Mayfair walked in right to time to save Phoebe from answering the questions.


    "Prudence Saxon, I cannot entertain you during working hours, this is my work place."


    Grandma Saxon''s eyes flew open. "This is the place you work at? I am jealous, Phoebe do you have a spot for me too?"


    "NO!" Grandma Mayfair shouted, surprising them both. "Prudence you have never worked a day in your life, you are going to be a burden to us, no offense."


    Grandma Saxon laughed. "I am joking Rebecca, calm down. Pheebs i only have one job on this earth and that is to look good and enjoy myself. I cannot work, i am not cut out for the hard stuff."


    [Thank God! I cannot handle the both of you here at the same time.]


    Phoebe let out a huge sigh, glad that she and her grandmother were on the same page. She already had the Saxon spirit pressing her on David matters, she didn''t need grandma Saxon doing the same daily.


    "Phoebe my offer still stands, I want to buy the recipe of your supplements. Look at Rebecca, she''s stronger than an ox. All my friends are praising your products even my daughter-in- law that is hard to please is obsessed with them." Grandma Saxon smiled warmly at her.


    Phoebe thought about the recipes falling into Katherine''s hands or whoever it is that was going to be the eventual president of Saxon group now that David had stepped away.


    She could not hand over the source of her wealth to them. Once lifetime of living as a Saxon horse was enough, she could not do it a second time.


    [Never!]


    "I am never going to sell it, it''s something I will hand over to my children someday." Phoebe smiled back.


    "Forget it Prudence, just buy and recommended our products to others, your family is rich enough. And as for you Phoebe, guard those recipes jealously you can never know what can happen, the Saxons hate competition." Grandma Mayfair gave her friend a side eye.


    Shaking her head, grandma Saxon disagreed with the statement. "That isn''t necessary true, competition is good for business. That is why i told David to go ahead when he told me that he was opening his own research center concentrating on the field of deadly diseases mostly. That kid wants to make medicines cheaper for the poor and cure as many people as possible. It''s a secret though." She whispered the last words


    Phoebe was surprised because David had not mentioned a thing to her. It was a good choice for him to go into that field because he was familiar with it. In the past life, they had together developed a number of drugs that cured various illnesses.


    Although she had no plans to help him, it sounded like a viable place to invest.


    Grandma Mayfair was even more shocked to hear that David had quit the Saxon group.


    "No wonder he has been spending a lot of time here. Phoebe you might rethink dating the Goldilocks boy because he has his own money. It seems like David is just starting out, take it from me as an old woman that has seen the world, building a man is stressful."


    As someone that had done that before, Phoebe could not argue with that reasoning.


    Grandma Saxon gasped. "How can you tell her that Becky! Listen Phoebe, David maybe branching out on his own but he is already financially successful and i believe that he is the best out of all those boys lurking around you."


    All Phoebe did was giggle. "Nana we have a hair appointment, don''t forget that we have a party to attend."


    "What party? Can I come too?" Grandma Saxon was determined to spend time with Phoebe, not even her friend was going to get in her way.

 Chapter 188 Ruth in hell.

    If hell on earth existed then Ruth was living in it, her father Aaron''s last act of love was carrying her from the Mayfair house into the car. The moment they reached at a house that was in a secluded location he changed completely. It all started after Ruth asked him why he had gone to the Mayfair house.


    "I told you stupid old fools to stay put but you didn''t listen to me because your brains are empty." Ruth had glared at Aaron who stood in the simply decorated living room.


    He had lowered his head while shaking it from side to side. "That man was right you need to be disciplined, growing up in a rich family had spoilt you. Look at how you are addressing us, do you know the kind of things that we have had to go through because of you? Well that ends today, if you don''t know how to be respectful then I will have to teach you."


    His words had caused Ruth to let out a disrespectful guffaw. She had never respected or loved the Gabriel''s and her plan was to ditch them and climb her way back into the Mayfair house.


    Bravely, with mockery on her face, she had looked him up and down as if he was garbage.


    "Discipline? Who are you to Discipline me? I am Ruth Mayfair, the heiress of the Mayfairs. Now listen to me, i am not done with those Mayfairs, I have to go back there. I cannot stay with people of you caliber! Give me back all the money I gave you to keep in case of an emergency. Hurry up, i need to leave this slum of a house and go to one of my three villas."


    "What money? That money is gone! Did you expect us to starve? We used it all, every damn penny." Aaron had responded in a raised voice.


    Ruth, filled with anger and ignorance, did what she knew best. She raised her hand and slapped Aaron across the cheek.


    "How dare you touch my money?"


    Elizabeth had seen their tempers flaring, what she didn''t expect was for Ruth to slap her husband again. She should have warned her daughter that her husband was a raging bull when triggered and she had done just that.


    "You brainless wench, i am going to put you in your place today." Aaron had unbuckled his belt. "You are of no use to us outside that house, those rich folks cannot take you back even if you cried blood." He took off his belt.


    Ruth took a few steps back but still laughed, calling his bluff, he wouldn''t dare touch a hair on her head.


    "What do you think you are doing? Do you think that i am that stupid Phoebe that is afraid of you? I dare you to try....ouch!"


    She had cried loudly in disbelief as the belt sliced through the air and landed on her shoulder. Aaron''s nostrils at the time were flared and he had a look of madness in his eyes.


    "I accept the dare, I will whip your senses back into your head." Aaron hit her again, and again, getting in three good whips. He had tried to hit her for the fourth time but the belt was caught his wife who tried to shield Ruth from the strike.


    "Please honey, forgive our Ruthie." She had pleaded before he kicked her to the side and continued to hit Ruth. As if that wasn''t enough, when he was finished he locked her in the tiny, cold and dark basement.


    It was only an hour ago that Aaron had let her out under the condition that she remain in her room.


    Ruth had never experienced such pain in her life. The Mayfairs had raised her as a princess and not a single hair on her head had ever been so much as pinched. But not less than an hour with Gabriels and her body had red marks, she had been locked up and starved.


    Phoebe was right, they were monsters and she could not stay with them. Now, she was planning on how to escape from her mad father.


    She had no one to run to for help, the only person that could come to her mind was Collin Mayfair. She checked her phone to call him but her father was wise for he had removed the sim card.


    Ruth growled and threw the phone on the bed, thinking of where she could run to for help. She recalled that it was the day of Evelyn''s birthday, which gave her an idea. Every year, it was held at the same venue but the theme was changed. The Mayfairs always attended, her brothers at least always went with her.


    Since Evelyn and Phoebe were friends, it was likely that they would be at the function. If she could leave this ugly house, she could go there. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "A private dinner at the Everton Hotel, that''s it. Collin will save me." Ruth whispered, and looked at around.


    The bedroom had no windows and the bathroom window was too small for her to fit through. The door was locked from outside, she had no hope of getting out unless she used Elizabeth. Whether it was soft or hard means, Ruth was determined.


    She collected her thoughts and sat down on the bed with a look of disgust like it had bugs and cockroaches. Patiently, she waited for the lunch hour.


    When her mother came to bring her food, Ruth did not even look at the plate.


    "Mother, he is going to kill me, you have to help me. I am your daughter, are you going to watch as he ruins me? I am not useless, i have three villas, money in my accounts and Dickson Saxon wants to marry me. Think about it, aren''t the Saxons richer than the Mayfairs?


    Don''t you want to be in-laws with such a great family? You can step on the Mayfairs with the power of the Saxons. Mother, please let me out of here, if you don''t i am going to kill myself."


    Ruth pleaded, cajoled and threatened, applying pressure with her words to get her help in order to escape. Elizabeth was a simple minded woman, easy to manipulate so she agreed easily. To her, the Saxons were indeed greater than the Mayfairs.


    With the power of the Saxons, they could rescue Nicholas and live a wealthy life. So what if Ruth was not a Mayfair anymore, she would be a Saxon.


    She gave Ruth the bank card to the account which had the hidden money and told her to withdraw it. She also took out the sim card from her phone and gave it to her daughter.


    "I will leave the back door unlocked, when your father goes up stairs use that opportunity and run, don''t worry about me and just go." Elizabeth hugged her.


    Five minutes later, Aaron went upstairs to use the bathroom so Ruth did as instructed.


    She run like her life depended on it until she found the road. Without wasting time she pushed aside a pregnant woman about to enter a taxi and she jumped inside.


    "Drive, i will pay you three hundred dollars." she shouted.


    The taxi set off immediately and Ruth returned to the heart of Citrus city.

 Chapter 189 Waiting for prey.

    The first thing Ruth did was transfer all the money to an overseas account she was aware that there would be no second chance because Aaron would get a notification that money had been transferred. If she did it in bits, that devil in human skin would block her access.


    Her next move was to buy a few items but with a popular face like hers, she was bound to get noticed yet she didn''t want that.


    Near the ATM machine was a mini mall, she wanted to rush inside but it was a bit crowded because people did a lot of shopping in the evening hours. Close by was a school and she was in luck because students were walking home.


    Ruth whistled attracting two girls'' attention. She signaled them to come over and they did.


    "Listen kids....."


    The girls were not pleased with how she addressed them. "Kids? Lady we are in high school!" One retorted.


    Ruth rolled her eyes to the sky for a fleeting second then looked at them. "Just listen up you brats, i don''t have all day do me a favor and I''ll pay you two thousand dollars." She spoke rapidly.


    The girls skipped the part where she had called them brats and focused on the money.


    "Lady are you for real? What do you want us to do for you?" The other girl asked.


    Ruth wore a victorious smile. "Nothing much, just buy me some a pair of scissors, binoculars, hat and black glasses." She shrugged and waited for them to respond.


    The girls traded looks and shared cunning smiles. "Top up the money you are giving us." One said.


    They were both quick witted and could tell that something was stopping Ruth from going to the near by mini mall.


    "What? Hell no! Are you trying to rob me?" Ruth folded her arms only for the girls to shrug and begin to walk away.


    One halted her steps in hesitation but followed her friend in the end as she was pulled unwillingly. Ruth considered her urgent need and changed her mind. What was this little money in comparison to what she was going to obtain tonight?


    "Alright fine! You little thieves. How much more do you want?" Ruth''s chin vibrated, she was getting impatient and frustrated.


    The girls took four steps back and the taller one who appeared to be in charge as she was the one doing the most bargaining folded her arms across her chest.


    "Make it five." She looked at her finger nails as she was done bargaining.


    "Bring the damn things first." Ruth gave them three hundred dollars to buy what she needed.


    They left and returned in five minutes with the things she wanted. After she paid the students off, Ruth wore the hat and shades and went inside the mall. She bought a nice dress, bag, some make up and shoes.


    She searched for a shop that sold sleep inducing herbs and drugs. She requested for something that could be strong enough to knock out a horse. When she got the perfect substance, Ruth checked into a motel that was closest to the Everton Hotel. From the side window she could clearly see through the binoculars all the guests that were strolling in.


    She called a person from her former not so savory circle and made another order for a different kind of drug. It was delivered in thirty minutes and then Ruth got to work, preparing herself for her own kind of party.


    She trimmed her hair, turning it into a bob cut, took a bath and ordered something to eat. A very hungry Ruth practically inhaled the food as she was starving. She had never gone hungry in her life, she didn''t know that being starved was so terrible.


    The food almost choked her and she was forced to slow down and chew like a human.


    "Fucking stupid Gabriels." she mumbled when she was finished.


    She brushed her teeth and resumed the job of watching for her prey to arrive. It was not long before the guests began to arrive. From Evelyn''s family, to business men, celebrities and politicians S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She sneered when Phoebe, grandma Mayfair and grandma Saxon appeared.


    Hate filled her soul to the core especially when she looked at grandma Mayfair and Phoebe. The two had taken the lead in ruining her life.


    "Stupid bitches, you will be surprised to see me back very soon." She muttered.


    When she returned, she would make sure to get rid of them permanently this time round and leave no stones unturned. She would take her time and do things slowly, not rushing like she had done before.


    Her eyes roamed outside and her gaze fell on her target, Collin, he was with Andre and Luke. The moment they entered the hotel, Ruth also got into action.


    She secured the hat and shades and moved across the street to the Everton Hotel where she got herself a room.


    Once entering, she took the neutralizer the shop attendant had given her. It was to help her wake up faster after burning the strong sleeping incense.


    She opened a bottle of wine which she had come with and dumped some white powder inside. She had seen such things being done before but she didn''t think she would ever have to resort to them.


    That bitch Phoebe had reduced her to a gutter rat from a princess. She would avenge the injustice which she had suffered and make her pay.


    "This better work because it cost an arm and leg. "She said as a thread of smoke began to come out of the incense. She placed it behind the curtain and moved on to the next phase which was tearing her clothes and putting more injuries on herself especially her face.


    She was already in so much pain after the lashes Aaron gave her but to look more pitiful she had to spill some blood. Ruth began to bang her head on the bathroom wall until she was satisfied with her appearance. All that was left was to call her prey.

 Chapter 190 Evelyns birthday

    Evelyn''s annual birthday dinner was all about feasting and having fun as there were so many games to engage in and prizes to win. Her parents had gone all out for their youngest child just like they did every year, sparing no expense to put a smile on her face.


    There was a fully stocked buffet with various foods, all exquisite, cooked by top chefs. Expensive wine was flowing endlessly as if it was nothing but plain water.


    Evelyn''s favorite band Island dream was up on stage singing their latest hit song, the lead singer a popular female singer named Dawn was serenading everyone with her soft voice.


    Evelyn was singing along to the song, standing in the midst of her brothers and sisters. She looked like a royal princess in her eye catching turquoise colored dress that was glowing with real diamonds.


    When she was poor, in her past life, Phoebe never got the chance to attend Evelyn''s birthday. One, she was embarrassed because she had nothing nice to wear. Two, Ruth always made sure that she was unavailable on that day. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She only started attending after she married David and it only happened once because it didn''t end well. Someone had pushed her, she fell on the cake and made a mockery of herself. After that, David''s mother had forbidden her from ever going for a function not related to the family lest she humiliate the Saxons with her poor upbringing.


    Phoebe let out a soft sigh which caught her father''s attention. He jumped to the conclusion that she was envious because she had never had such a party.


    "We can do this for you and more if you want us to dear daughter."


    They had more money than Evelyn''s family, so they could afford to throw her a even bigger party. All she had to do was say the word.


    Shaking her head, Phoebe smiled gently at the father. "Birthdays are not really my thing dad, like i said, i don''t have good memories of any of them." Besides, a big party like this was useless for her as she didn''t have many friends. Why invite strangers and act awkward? What if a ghost came along and she acted weird?


    Thinking of ghosts made her eyes roam around, she counted eight of them in the room. None had approached her for anything.


    "Ohh come on darling, how about we make new memories. I am sorry that those Gabriel pigs left you with horrible memories for such an important day but we have to change that. Birthdays are important, as your mother i want to celebrate the day i had my lovely baby girl." Jennie took her hand and tried to convince her.


    Phoebe mulled on it for a second, there was nothing wrong with making new memories especially with her family. This was her life now and she wasn''t going to live it while dwelling on the hurtful old memories.


    When she saw how eagerly they were all looking at her with hope in their eyes, she couldn''t say no. Why refuse to be loved in this life?


    "Maybe we can start small." She told them.


    "Oh thank God!" Andre exhaled loudly like he had been holding in his breath for hours. I am going to do all the planning then." Andre raised his hand only for Jennie to dismiss him.


    "No way Andre, i am going to do it." She announced, so excited for the opportunity.


    Edward laughed gently. "Our daughter said we should start small. That means no grand orchestra or inviting so many strangers."


    He had a bright idea in his mind that he planned to share with his wife later.


    David who was glued to the Mayfairs gave Phoebe a side glance. In the past life he never understood why Phoebe didn''t like celebrating her birthday but now he knew why, it was the Gabriels. He wrinkled his nose as he felt that he hadn''t punished them enough.


    He moved his chair behind her, ruining the sitting arrangement as the tables were round.


    "Oh for heavens sake!" Jennie whispered.


    The Saxon boy was like a cockroach that just wouldn''t be killed. The Saxons had a table but here he was, clinging onto her daughter, He was like a baby and she, the mother.


    Phoebe had already sensed the change in her emotions so she turned her head to look at him. He had frown lines on his forehead and his eyes were tense.


    She poked his forehead gently and drew her hand back. "What are you thinking about so deeply? The research center?"


    David''s eyes moved around, this was information that he didn''t want out there just yet.


    "Did Granny tell you? I was going to tell you but only after I succeeded. The last thing I want is for you to think that i can''t make it on my own. I want to show you that i can climb up through my own efforts, i want you to be proud of me Phoebe."


    Such simple words, yet they made her heart flutter easily like tiny waves making a ripple on the ocean. She smiled warmly at him and replied softly.


    "It''s better to fail and try again than to give up, you are worried over nothing. I know how intelligent you are and i believe that you can do it. I advise that you start with a cough remedy and be sure to use the ivy leaf in your medicine."


    [There will be a viral cough outbreak soon and if you do as I say you will make a lot of money. Wait, if he is reborn then he knows about it too.]


    David looked deep in her eyes after reading her thoughts. He knew about what she was talking about in fact he was already in contact with the herbalist that grew that specific kind of ivy leaf on a large scale.


    She had been so determined not to help him but she was already doing it.


    "What if I asked you to partner with me, would you?" He asked casually.


    "Not now."


    [I have to see how you do on your own first.]


    David nodded continuously, maybe he had rushed in suggesting it however he was determined to convince her. She could just lay back and collect money, she didn''t need to do any of the work.


    He actually already planned to give her half of the company shares once it took off.


    "Where is Collin by the way?" David asked her out of the blue.


    If he was here, he would have chased him away already.


    Collin was sitting at the bar, drinking like a fish and not participating in all the fun. He was furious because he had been trying to find Ruth but failed. His reasons for searching for her were not kind, he wanted to pluck out her eyes and make her suffer for the damage she had done.


    He had discovered today that she had sold some company information. All of her visits to his office were never innocent, she was the mole they had been looking for.


    He had been getting calls from an unknown number persistently and he had been rejecting them. Out of frustration, he gave up and picked the tenth call.


    Immediately, the person on the end broke into tears.


    "He...hello? Brother, Collin." She sniveled. "Please I need your help my father wants to kill me." Ruth stammered.


    "Where are you?" His voice was stern as he sobered up immediately.


    "I am hiding at the Everton Hotel, room 112" She hung up.

 Chapter 191 Ruths new plot.

    Collin scoffed after hanging up, and he downed what remained of the brandy in his glass. He didn''t know that the idiot he had been searching high and low for was going to deliver herself to him. If anyone was going to kill Ruth, it was going to be him.


    Collin stood up and headed to the elevator bumping into Luke who was coming out of it.


    "You reek brother, maybe you should go home." He suggested as he watched Collin press the button for the tenth floor.


    Collin didn''t respond to Luke, he had violence on his mind.


    Luke went straight back to table and joined Phoebe, Evelyn and David who were chatting away. Evelyn had just joined them and she was exposing some of the mischief Phoebe got into at school.


    Meanwhile in room 112 of the same hotel, Collin found Ruth. He barged into the room when she opened the door with a clenched fist but took a step back when he saw Ruth''s face and the blood stains.


    "You look horrible what the hell happened to you?" He asked nonchalantly.


    Tears began to fall out of Ruth''s eyes. "Aaron the man you all sent me to did this to me. He was the one who brainwashed me and ordered me to do all those things. He further threatened to kill me if i didn''t poison grandma, you know me Collin, i could never do such a thing otherwise. Please save me brother, you are all I have left." Ruth closed the gap between them and wrapped her arms around him.


    However Collin shoved her back with full force that she fell on the fur carpet. He laughed scornfully. "You must think that i am that blind fool because i did not see how truly evil you are. You stole my sister''s life, slandered her and made me hate her, you stole from us, betrayed us and tried to kill my grandmother.


    I am sure that you did this to yourself thinking that I will have mercy on you because you look like this. Well too bad, Ruth Gabriel I feel nothing and as for toying with me i am going to make you pay. How? You may ask." He took out his phone from the his pocket.


    "Collin i swear my father beat me up mercilessly, how could I do this to myself?" Ruth Knelt and rubbed her hands together.


    He nodded continuously. "That is why i am going to help you dear sister. I am going to call the police to arrest your father and not just him, you too for getting my sister kidnapped, poisoning my grandmother''s tonics and many more. I will make sure that you never play with other people ever again. Oh...let''s not forget espionage, i have all the evidence and i am going to send you to prison for life."


    "No! Collin please no!" Ruth shouted and jumped up. Things were not moving according to plan. It would be problematic if he involved the police. All she had to do was buy time until he breathed in enough of the substance.


    Collin was already dizzy and she grabbed onto him until he fell to the ground. A smile grew on her lips as she realized that the man had not duped her because the neutralizer had worked, she was sober while he was wasted.


    She stood up and poured water in a glass, she drunk some of it and left a little. She then mixed an erection pill in it and stirred until it dissolved.


    "You scumbag, after I get pregnant with your child. You won''t have a choice but to marry me. I have also called reporters to catch us in action. Let me see how your family will throw me out now." She squatted next to his head and poured the liquid in his mouth.


    She lifted him and threw him on the bed, then lowered his pants and briefs to the thighs, humming as she waited for his manhood to salute.


    Back at the party, everyone was laughing, however a call David received ruined the good mood immediately.


    "What? What do you mean that you don''t know where Ruth is?" David hissed Roman who was on the other side of the line.


    "Boss, Aaron told me that his wife aided her escape, we cannot find her. After a beating, the wife admitted to helping her escape but she does not know where she is. I am sure that she''s going after Miss Phoebe."


    "God damn it!" David clenched his fists.


    Everyone at the table heard David''s words and they were alerted quickly. They had also been looking for Ruth, each with their own plans. Only Phoebe had actually known her location because she had put a location talisman in Ruth''s body.


    Wherever she was, as long as Phoebe chanted a spell, she could find her. Just like David, she wanted to know who the mysterious person behind Ruth was, the one that had aided her in her schemes. It was the only reason why she allowed her to leave the Mayfair house in one piece.


    The most curious person at the table was Luke, he was thirsty for Ruth''s blood. There was no way he was going to let her go scot-free. He had hired private investigators to find her but in vain, it seemed that David had an idea as to where she had been hiding.


    "What about Ruth, where is she?" He clutched on David''s shirt sleeve.


    David swerved Luke''s arm away gently. "I knew where she was a few hours ago but right now I don''t."


    He cursed silently, wondering why they had not put a tracker in her body or killed her straight up.


    "She''s obviously up to something, i am sure that she''s coming for my family. She already tried to kill grandma, she won''t shy away from killing any of us but that will never happen on my watch." Phoebe spoke through pursed lips.


    Evelyn gasped when she heard about the attempt on old lady Mayfair''s life. "My God! She had gone mad."


    David suggested that the priority at the moment was to keep all the Mayfairs safe.


    Phoebe agreed so they pulled them away from the party to attend one of the executive rooms of the hotel.


    "Is everyone here?" Phoebe looked at each one of them.


    "Collin! I saw him enter the elevator but I don''t know where he went off to." Luke pointed out.


    All the Mayfairs were accounted for plus one uninvited guest, grandma Saxon who had followed them for the gossip.


    "I know how to find Collin." Phoebe shared. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The talismans she had given them could be used and she had her spirit animals plus the ghosts. The Saxon spirit brought out the coins from the magic space.


    Phoebe flipped both of them, causing Yin and black kitty to appear.


    "Woah! Pheebs...."


    "Not now Andre." Phoebe raised her hand to stop him and ordered her pets to search for Ruth and Collin because it was possible both of them were in the hotel. They were ghost pets which could pass through closed doors and walls so they could get to Collin faster if he was in danger.


    Everyone that was watching was amused especially Jennie whose eyes flew open.


    "My God Pheebs are you a magician now?" She asked.


    Phoebe did not reply, she was chanting a spell and then she suddenly took off running out of the blue.

 Chapter 192 Phoebes gift for Ruth.

    Once Phoebe started running, everyone just followed because they assumed danger looming. They all crammed into the elevator which they could have sworn was moving at a snail''s pace.


    Anxiety filled their hearts, brought forth by the expression of Phoebe''s face. What did she know that they didn''t?


    Raven Yin returned and landed on Phoebe''s shoulder. The bird had not gone far to find Collin, it had a strong vision which allowed it to see things that were miles away.


    "Room 112, you better hurry, there is a woman in there with him and lets just say that she''s up to no good." It told Phoebe before returning inside the coin.


    "Wait the bird talks?" Jennie gasped and covered her mouth with her hand.


    Answering Jennie wasn''t as important as saving Collin from Ruth''s paws. The elevator doors opened and the men with long legs beat Phoebe in getting out. David was the first out, followed by Luke.


    Phoebe rushed after them, running where they were striding. They got to the room and found the cat outside the door.


    "In here." It told them.


    Just like Yin, it returned to the coin without another word.


    "So cool." Andre shook his head, he''s adrenaline was at its peak like he was filming an action movie.


    David was glaring at lock of the door, they had all rushed over but forgotten to call someone for a key card and they could not get inside. There was not a single hotel employee in sight to provide assistance.


    "I will call the manager." Edward got his phone out and started making a call.


    "There is no time to wait." The Saxon spirit told Phoebe.


    "David touch my shoulder, Father you will compensate the hotel for the door."


    Phoebe ordered him and he obliged no questions asked.


    She could feel the energy funnel into her body like a blast. She moved her hands in a circular motion creating a ball of blueish-white energy which she tossed at the door. It shattered into pieces and they all moved forward only to meet a scandalous sight inside the room.


    Ruth was on the bed, naked as a new born baby and wrestling against Collin who was half partially undressed. It looked like she was trying to climb on top of him and he was pushing her away with all of his strength.


    "Father in heaven! What is she doing" Grandma Saxon covered her eyes.


    Phoebe waved her hand which emitted a ray of energy that struck Ruth compelling her to fall off the bed. She struggled to sit back on him but was caught by Luke and David who tied her hands with Collins tie which had been laying on the ground. Meanwhile Andre helped Collin dress up.


    Phoebe dealt with the incense, putting it out so that nobody else in the room could be affected by it. Before she could turn around, she heard the sharp strike of a hand meeting flesh.


    It was Jennie, maddened by Ruth to an extreme point that she wanted to murder the bitch right there.


    One slap was not enough, and she went ahead to rain down more of them. Edward had to pull her back when she started punching Ruth on the head. Jennie was screeching and howling, kicking her feet in the air as she was lifted away by her husband.


    "How could you? Do you have no shame at all? This is your brother...are you crazy?"


    "She is not our sister." Andre denied vehemently. No sister of theirs would be this crazy to try and have sex with her her brother, biological or adopted.


    Everyone glared at Ruth, wishing that they could rip her head from her shoulders.


    Ruth smirked, to their great disbelief. "It doesn''t matter, the deed has already been done. You will have to take me back after Collin marries me." Ruth let out an evil laugh.


    "What? You loose crazy bitch, no matter what happened here, i will never allow you to step foot in my house. I will bury you ten feet in the ground and i will do it while you are alive." Jennie glared at her with a promise in her eyes.


    "It''s all your fault you destroyed my life, i have to survive somehow. I will become a Mayfair by marriage because i am carrying his seed inside me." Ruth widened her eyes at Jennie.


    Phoebe clapped slowly but continuously. "It''s too soon to celebrate don''t you think? You drugged him but he didn''t touch you, my brothers are under my protection. I am sure that he did not rise to the occasion as you wanted. Look at him, he is still sober even though you drugged him, he is just a little weak."


    Just as grandma Mayfair''s hand had kept her from drinking the poisoned tonic, Collin''s body was the same in the face of danger.


    Phoebe''s revelation shocked and relieved everyone except for Ruth. However, there was no evidence to support Phoebe''s words and only two people had been present in the room.


    "Shut up! What do you know? Only i know what happened in the room, if he does not marry me i will report him for attempted rape." Panic coiled in her stomach so she came up with another plan on the spot. "How will your Mayfair reputation survive when everyone finds out that your son is a rapist?"


    Jennie was enraged, she moved towards Ruth and slapped her again, her hands moved to her neck in the bid to strangle her but was stopped by grandma Mayfair.


    "Let her be, Shark is on the way. I filed a case already. I am going to make sure that you rot in jail."


    To Phoebe sending Ruth to jail was way too easy, she was not going to allow that to happen.


    "Everyone please go back to the other room and take care of Collin. He needs to have his stomach flushed and be checked by a doctor to see what she drugged him with. I have unfinished business with this woman." She announced.


    The elders hesitated but Andre and Luke cajoled them into leaving and they shut the door. Luke looked around sneakily and then stuck a silver needle in Ruth''s back when nobody was watching. He moved to the bed and helped Andre carry Collin''s now unconscious body out.


    David stayed back with Phoebe, guarding her in case Ruth tried to harm her.


    "What do we do with her?" He jutted his chin in Ruth''s direction. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I have a gift for her." Phoebe said, in a grave voice. "I am not going to let her harm any member of my family ever again. I cannot allow it."


    A yellow talisman and match box appeared on the table. "That''s all you need to drive her into endless madness." The Saxon spirit told her.


    Andre returned and he stood on Phoebe''s other side like a bodyguard.


    Phoebe picked the talisman and began to chant a spell. She took out a stick from the match box and set the talisman on fire. She continued to chant as it burnt away, the men watched but said nothing.


    She got the same glass in which Ruth had mixed the drugs she used on Collin. She dumped the ashes in inside, added some water and a drop of water from the lake of life and death.


    She walked up to Ruth, grabbed her the chin, pressing hard and forcing her to open her mouth. Then, she poured the contents in her mouth.


    Phoebe chuckled and crouched next to Ruth. "I have given a special gift by making you a ghost magnet. You will see them, hear them and be afflicted with madness forever. Every seven days, you will get ten seconds of sanity to remember your old life and be filled with hope that you are cured. But that hope will vanish quickly and you will return to the hell in your mind. I want your life to be as miserable as you made mine."

 Chapter 193 Shock all around.

    "Boo!" Connie suddenly appeared before Ruth causing her to scream in fear.


    The teenager had long been waiting for this opportunity and she changed her looks, turning from the cute normal girl to a demon like creature and she went after Ruth.


    Ruth covered her eyes and ears, screaming at the top of her lungs.


    Shark arrived at that very moment, walking over broken pieces of the door that were on the floor. When he entered the room, he smiled widely at the sight of David.


    "Mr. Saxon, I have been told the criminal is here..." Shark broke off because he could not take the screaming. Also, Ruth was still naked, nobody had bothered to cover her up.


    "That''s your criminal but what she needs is a mental institution not a prison. I will leave the rest to you and your other officers to handle." Phoebe bypassed Shark who was confused.


    Shark wanted to ask about what had happened in the room. The old injuries Aaron had inflicted on Ruth were visible, she was naked, the bed looked slept in and some things in the room had been smashed on top of a broken door. At least they should offer some kind of explanation before dumping the mess on him to clean up.


    Suddenly Ruth sprung up and attempted to escape, laughing manically and screaming at the top of her lungs. Shark had to grab her by the waist and pull her back forcefully. He threw her on the bed and covered her with a blanket.


    To keep her from moving, he put handcuffs around her ankles since the hands were already tied up. Then, he called for back up.


    The ruckus however attracted guests who stepped out of their rooms to see what was going on. Their interest was focused on the loud horrified woman''s scream that came from room 112.


    Since the door was gone, some people peeked inside curiously and they saw a man in a disorganized room where a woman was screaming terribly under the cover of a duvet.


    "Let''s call 911, can''t you hear her screaming for head off."


    A man told his wife, his suspicious eyes kept moving past Shark who was assuring them that everything was okay.


    "Show is over folks, i am the police, there is nothing to worry about. Please go back to your rooms."


    Shark flashed the badge in their faces. A team of paramedic officers arrived much quicker that Shark anticipated. They rushed inside the room and to Sharks relief, other officers arrived. It helped calm the guests but some of them refused to leave as they were filming whatever was going on.


    "It''s just a drug overdose, nothing to see so go back up to your rooms or we will start searching all of you as well to make sure you are not her accomplices." Shark threatened.


    His words made the crowd surrender and turn away. Some of them had come with mistresses, some did have drugs, others had their own personal reasons for being in the hotel. Nobody wanted the business in their business.


    Ruth was sedated and carried out but even in a weak state she kept talking about ghosts.


    "We will take her straight to the city asylum, is anyone going with her?" A female paramedic asked.


    The Mayfairs who had returned to see Ruth''s ending traded gazes, none of them was willing to tag along.


    "I will." Luke raised his hand. "I want to make sure that she''s locked up real good and that she''s not faking it."


    Phoebe giggled. "Ohh she is not brother, i can assure you of that but by all means do as you wish and don''t worry about Collin, I''ll take good care of him."


    She pulled Shark to the side as Ruth was wheeled away on a stretcher.


    "That Verdemont case you were so interested in, i am tackling it tomorrow. We will go together because some people have to be arrested for murder. Before then, get a search warrant and check Conrad Ledger''s house for Linda''s old phone. The evidence there will help to get them locked up." Phoebe spoke in a low tone.


    Shark wore a wide grin and rubbed his hands excitedly. "I knew it was a big one, my face is going to be allover T.V i cannot wait. Can''t we go today?"


    His question forced her to give him a side eye. "Tomorrow it is then. So about Ruth Mayfair, what the hell did you do to her? Why is she suddenly acting crazy? What happened in the room, my detective senses...."


    "Goodbye Shark, I''ll see you tomorrow." Phoebe cut him off and went to the room where Collin was.


    Everyone had already gone ahead of her and they were all still in visible shock. Ruth''s move had really taken them all by surprise, not even Phoebe had expected.In that moment, it struck her like a bolt of lightning out of nowhere. Was this what Ruth had done to David in their past life?


    This was it! she must have used this trick to sleep with David just like she had bragged. Just like David, Collin was half way drunk when she took advantage of him. Phoebe gasped!!!


    If she had recalled that moment early on, she would have warned everyone to be careful. She looked at Collin and felt guilty, this had happened to him because of all the threads she had untangled.


    "Ancestor, could you get me a neutralizing tonic from the space?" Phoebe requested using her thoughts.


    "Right away." It answered.


    The bottle appeared in her hand. She moved towards Jennie who was wiping Collin''s forehead with a small damp white towel.


    "He will be fine mom." she comforted the sad woman.


    "Oh my poor boy! All this time i didn''t know that I was raising a cub that would eat me one day." Jennie took Collin''s hand into hers.


    Phoebe handed her the bottle. "Give him this mother, it will neutralize whatever she gave him faster."


    Edward was deep in thought, he looked at Phoebe and Andre. "What happened to Ruth?" He asked calmly.


    Andre scratched the back of his head while Phoebe curled her lips to the side.


    "Well dad Mayfair, Ruth was devastated that her plan failed, I think some screws went loose in her head. The woman has gone mad. Let''s be honest, she was already on her way to madness otherwise she would not have done such a thing if she was sane."


    David answered before Phoebe uttered the truth, it was better for her parents not to know that she had a hand in it.


    Grandma Saxon clicked her tongue. "I always knew that their was something evil hiding behind her plastic smile, that was why I was against her marrying you David. What a terrifying character she has!" She shivered, feeling really jittery.


    "My God!!" Grandma Mayfair wiped away her tears. "What an evil child, she deserves nothing but death. She is not human at all, she is an animal. Even animals are better than her. How could she do something like this?"


    Shaking his head, Edward sighed deeply. "We were blind for so long but thank God that she won''t be able to get away this time around. Her punishment should be permanent." His inquisitive eyes moved to Phoebe who nodded in agreement. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Soft moaning came from the bed as Collin regained consciousness interrupted them. He slowly lifted his hand to his pounding head.


    "Son are you alright?" Jennie asked.


    Nodding his head, Collin slowly sat but jerked up suddenly when his last memories returned to him.


    "Ruth! what did that bitch do to me?"


    Edward sat on the bed and slowly started explaining to Collin what he had narrowly missed.

 Chapter 194 News travelled quickly.

    News really traveled really quickly in Citrus city it was everywhere by the time the sun came up that Ruth Mayfair had run crazy and that she was the newest resident of the old Lokler city asylum, a private facility which had been acquired by a mysterious owner in the night.


    Some people blamed the cuckoo situation, others blamed the Mayfairs for not comforting her while some thought that Ruth deserved all the bad things that were happening to her.


    The Mayfairs were just glad that nothing absurd had happened between her and Collin or else, the news would be different. It would not be news in fact, it would be a scandal.


    When the family gathered for breakfast in the morning, they all discussed the current affairs and the events of the previous night. They had not stuck around to celebrate the rest of Evelyn''s birthday and left the hotel as soon as Collin could walk on his own.


    Seeing Ruth''s name in the news, tied to the Mayfair name still made old lady Mayfair uncomfortable. She did not want people tracing Ruth''s last steps and tying her to Collin.


    In light of all that had happened. she and Edward had been right to worry about Ruth''s closeness to Collin. Thank God they had thrown her out of the house or else who knows what she would have done under their roof?


    Collin could barely eat, his hands were still trembling and every few seconds, he would caress the ring pendant around his neck. He would never__ever, take it off.


    "I am so glad that there is a lot of gossip traveling around from the Freezing moon scandal to Kelly sleeping with her married boss. They won''t focus on this Ruth issue for long." Grandma Mayfair commented.


    Phoebe nodded in agreement, what they didn''t know was that by the end of the day a Verdemont bomb was going to blast covering all the current gossip.


    "Collin, how are you?" Do you remember everything from last night?" Grandma Mayfair asked.


    He nodded. "I feel like i am going to need a thousand more baths before feeling clean ever again."


    How could a woman attempt to rape a man? She had even claimed that she was pregnant!!! Thank God his soldier had refused to salute or he would be in trouble.


    "I recommend you talk to someone." Edward suggested.


    He and Jennie were very worried about the side effects of this event on him. What if he stopped associating with women altogether? First he had been cuckolded by Kelly and then almost taken advantage of by Ruth. Both of them had held special places in his heart and both had let him down greatly,


    Phoebe wasn''t really worried like them. Collin would eventually overcome what happened because he had a good support system.


    "Brother, you just had some bad luck in the romance department but it''s over. The blockage is gone so you cane meet a nice woman now." Phoebe offered a few words of comfort.


    [Should i tell them that the perfect woman for him is Shana Lee from the Lee family. She is beautiful, graceful, kind, morally up right and she has an air of purity. She is a woman destined to bring luck to the man that marries her. But, this silly brother of mine, looking back at his ex girlfriends....tsk, tsk, he is not worthy of Shana.]


    Phoebe sighed bid her parents goodbye and left with Grandma Mayfair.


    Unknown to her, everyone had seen the Shana Lee thought and they wanted to do research on who she was, including Collin. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The moment they left the house, Edward invited his wife upstairs to their bedroom.


    "Honey, how are you close to the Lee family? I have been heard that they have a young woman named Shana...."


    Jennie gasped and pointed at him.


    "You see Phoebe''s thoughts."


    Edward''s eyes widened and he grabbed her shoulders. "You too!" he exclaimed.


    Jennie nodded. Husband and wife looked at each other and they laughed.


    "This must be a gift to us from God, i don''t know how it''s possible for us to see it but we should keep it a secret. If not for Phoebe''s inner thoughts, Collin would have been ruined by Kelly and Ruth would have destroyed us."


    Jennie nodded firmly, she chose to see it as a divine miracle.


    "Honey, hurry up and introduce Shana to Collin before another man snatches her up. You saw what Phoebe thinks, the woman is too good for Collin and yet she is perfect for him. I believe that these experiences have changed him, he is not a tunnel vision fool like before. We must make Shana our daughter-in-law quickly, with luck we will be able to get some grandchildren next year."


    Both of them laughed and started colluding for the happiness of their son.


    ***************************


    When they got to the cafe, Evelyn was waiting for Phoebe. She was sitting cross legged on a stool near the counter engaged in deep gossip with Rosset that they didn''t hear the rattle bell chime or Phoebe walking up to them.


    "Evie? I thought that you would be exhausted after yesterday."


    Evelyn got up from the stool and greeted Grandma Mayfair, she then dragged Phoebe by the hand to the stable in the corner.


    "I want to know everything that i missed out on because i could not follow you. The fact that Ruth Mayfair, sorry Gabriel had gone crazy was all the guests were talking about at the party. Honestly after you guys left the excitement sort of died down for me because i wanted to so badly know what was going on. Now tell me what the hell happened to that psycho." Evelyn locked her head and stared at her quizzically.


    Phoebe wanted to move on from the topic but it was all anybody that knew Ruth or her and the Mayfairs was talking about. With Evelyn, she had no intentions of telling the whole story because it would eventually make it''s way into the homes of all the founding families and then the entire city.


    "She tried to hurt my brother so I stopped her the only way I know how. Can you believe that she had me kidnapped and poisoned my Nana''s tonics. Ruth had to be stopped."


    Evelyn shook her head in wonder. "Ruth has always been selfish i am not surprised by any of the things that she has done, i am glad that she cannot hurt you or your family anymore."


    "Did you save me some cake?" Phoebe asked her.


    "It''s already in the kitchen, inside the refrigerator. You missed the rest of my party so i want to show you pictures."


    Evelyn brought out her phone and she took Phoebe through all the expertly taken pictures. They talked for around thirty minutes about the party.


    Shark showed up when the topic was moving to David, and Phoebe sighed in relief. As soon as the detective set his eyes on them, he walked over and took the initiative to introduce himself to Evelyn.


    He knew how rich her family was, so he offered her his card and told her to call if she ever needed his help. After the greetings, Evelyn bid Phoebe goodbye and left.


    Shark bounced on the tips of his toe; it was time for the big case.

 Chapter 195 Time to wrap up Lindas case.

    Grandma Mayfair rushed over to them when she saw Shark, she had personal business with him. "Young man what happens to my case now?" She handed him his usually preferred box of mixed variety doughnuts and a cappuccino to go.


    "Well Mrs Mayfair the culprit is not mentally fit to be tried, however I believe that what Ruth is going through is far worse than what she would have experienced in prison." Shark accepted the free breakfast she was handing to him.


    Grandma Mayfair nodded. "You are right and even though I cannot report those stupid Gabriels for how they maltreated our Phoebe, i get satisfaction from knowing that they will be pained to see their daughter in such a state."


    There was a part of her that had been hoping Ruth would regain sanity and rot in prison where she could pay someone to make her life miserable forever. For now, she would have to be satisfied with this outcome.


    "Nana, we are going to the Verdemont residence so please watch the shop." Phoebe moved to the office picked up her bag and left with Shark.


    The cafe was beginning to get busy as she left, so the curious ghosts and employees could not follow along.


    Outside, leaning against the police issued vehicle, Shark''s partner detective Jones was talking on the phone. He hung up when he saw Phoebe.


    "The beautiful Phoebe! It''s nice to see you again. Tell me, is it true what Shark here says about us having to dig for gold?"


    Phoebe smiled and greeted him politely.


    "Ignore that idiot, it''s not gold but old bones." she told him.


    Her eyes roamed around in search of David who was nowhere to be seen. He was supposed to go with her and it was already time. Could he have changed his mind, she asked herself.


    "Were you leaving without me?" His voice reached her ears first and then his figure appeared. He stepped out of the back of the police vehicle and gave her a side hug.


    "Well you know your way there, I thought that perhaps you left....." she nudged him away with her shoulder.


    Not that it worked because he did not move an inch.


    "Without you? Hell no!" David interrupted her speech. He went ahead to greet Shark. "Let''s go, i am ready to enact Linda''s vengeance on her behalf."


    "Shark did you call the reporters?" Phoebe asked she moved towards her car.


    Initially she had wanted to make the case a low profile but now she wanted to blow it up as much as possible. Not only would it clear Linda''s name but also cover Ruth''s issue, that way her oldest brother could stop seeing news about Ruth anywhere.


    "Yes I told reporter Heinz, he will take care of the rest." Shark answered as he walked towards his car too.


    They all set off in a convoy of six cars, eight detectives, David''s bodyguards and Phoebe in her eye catching yellow car which David was driving.


    The Verdemonts were not expecting Phoebe to come back to their residence. They all believed her to be a fake shaman since not a peep had been heard from her about Linda. At least the others gave fake information, but her, nothing. So, her presence was confusing and annoying.


    "You again? Why are you here? Weren''t you paid?" Emilia asked the moment Phoebe walked through the double doors.


    Phoebe smirked. "Emilia is this how guests are welcomed into your home? Besides, why would i be paid for an unfinished job?"


    Emilia got her phone and looked at Phoebe with disdain. To her, the girl had really been raised in poverty, even though she was now a Mayfair, she was still crooked and starving for other people''s money.


    "How much do we owe you that you have come to distort our peace this morning?"


    Phoebe wore an irritating smile, how was this woman talking about peace after what had happened to her child.


    "Peace my ass!" she mumbled. She had come for war.


    "Excuse you?" Emilia pulled her brows together, she wasn''t certain but she thought that she heard Phoebe cuss.


    "Ten million." Phoebe stated.


    Emilia inhaled loudly, among all the shamans that had come by the most they had given was seven thousand but here stood a brazen girl arrogantly demanding for ten million.


    "Do not be shocked, your case has given me nightmares that I might need to speak to a shrink after i am done so the price has gone up." Phoebe folded her arms.


    The men stood back and watched the two women back and forth until a butler came and announced that Mr. Luther Verdemont was ready to see them.


    "I will not allow you to steal from the old man in broad day light." Emilia tried to pull Phoebe back by the shoulder but her hand was swerved by David who gave her a warning stare.


    "Don''t you dare touch my woman unless you want to lose your hand." He growled out.


    Shark and Jones traded gazes, they had something new to gossip about at the police station, before now it was all mere speculation but David had defined their relationship.


    Phoebe had called Luther ahead and given him the names of all the people whose presence was required today.


    He had gone so far as to invite almost the entire family. They were already waiting outside the double doors that led to parlor room. Phoebe had told Luther that she needed space for what was to come.


    The butler opened the doors and asked only the guests to enter but Emilia pushed the old butler to the side.


    "How dare a servant tell me not to enter a room in my own house?" She clenched on her dress and marched inside, she was followed by the rest of them.


    "Father what is going on? You promised to stop bringing these impure shamans to this house. I just cleansed it for heavens sake!" Emilia shuffled her feet.


    The old patriarch greeted the guests, he too wondered why there were so many of them.He had been expecting two, not fifteen people.


    "Emilia i requested this little shaman to find Linda, if she is back then that means that she found something that connects to Linda."


    "Where could she possibly find her? She''s a quack grandpa just like the rest of them. I heard her tell mom that she had increased her price can you believe that?"


    Brandon shoved his way inside, frustrated by this renewed search for Linda. Every time someone said they had found something, his heart dropped.


    The rest of the relatives came in and found seats, they wanted the mess over and done with. Abel was already i tears, again! S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Emilia backed Brandon''s words quickly. "Ten million, that is what she wants. It''s outrageous, what is all that money for?"


    The old patriarch whispered to his butler to bring his cheque book.


    "Forgive me young shaman, I forgot to pay you for the services." He signed it and asked the butler to hand it to Phoebe.


    His family was left in utter shock especially his oldest son Ekhart.


    "Father you cannot keep dashing out money on a whim, you may not have any use of it anymore because of your age but that''s family money."


    Some people nodded, the patriarch already had one leg and a half in the grave. Why did he want to take their financial future with him by being wasteful? The living had use for all that money.

 Chapter 196 Delivering bad news.

    The words that came out of Ekhart''s mouth angered the old man, pushing him to bang the table to express his fury.


    "Very good, you are showing your true colors now. Is that why you went behind my back to depose me from the position of chairman? You ungrateful bunch of idiots, I worked single handedly to revive our corporations. Our ancestors had sold off most of our lands, it is i Luther that bought them back and restored the Verdemont name to its glory. But now i realize that I have been toiling in vain! I cannot leave my fortune in the hands of greedy vultures like you."


    Ekhart dismissed his father''s words arrogantly, the power was already in his hands after all.


    "Oh come on father! You are old, the corporation needs young blood to run it. Stop with the threats, we are Verdemonts too and we are entitled to that wealth."


    "Mr. Verdemont, at your age you don''t know how crooks look like. Some are red headed, slim pretty young things." Conrad''s eyes roamed over Phoebe from head to toe. "Now tell us where Linda is." He mockingly asked.


    "In the maze." Phoebe blurted out unintentionally.


    This wasn''t how she had planned to tell them, especially the old patriarch who looked her with confusion etched on his face.


    The three culprits on the other hand exchanged gazes, shocked by what Phoebe had just said. They knew that they had to get rid of her immediately.


    "Bloody liar! What do you mean by saying that Linda is in the maze? This is a real crook right here I told you all, we should get rid of her right now." Conrad shouted strongly in a slightly hysterical voice.


    Brandon raised from his seat and glared at Phoebe, his shame had transformed into anger. "I am going to count to three, if you aren''t gone yet then I will call the cops. What kind of bullshit crap have you come here to spew? Call the guards and throw her out."


    On the other hand Abel was determined to maintain his virtuous husband act. He raised his hand to his chest and blinked rapidly.


    "W...what d....do you mean? Why have you decided to awaken my sorrows just when I was trying to move on. My wife will return when she wants to, i am waiting for her because I still love her. Please leave, i cannot listen to this anymore."


    Tears sprouted out of his eyes, its like he had a tank of them stored somewhere inside and all he had to do was open the tap when he desired.


    "Oh cut the bullshit Abel! Both you and i know that you are far from the virtuous husband your pretending to be!" Phoebe couldn''t bear to hear anymore of his whining, he was getting on her last nerves.


    It was just a matter of time before she jumped and slapped the crocodile tears away from his round face.


    Emilia was done with Phoebe and she wasn''t going to sit back and listen to the ignorant shaman disrespect her loyal son in law.


    "Do you even know how much Abel has sacrificed for our family? He could have remarried but no! He decided to be faithful and loyal to our family. Because of his gesture as the selfless, faithful husband our family is idolized has gained a lot of respect in the church. This is a great man so I advise that you watch your damn unclean mouth when you talk to him."


    "I am calling the cops....." Conrad began to walk towards the door but Shark blocked his path.


    "We are already here." Shark brought both his hands forward and touched the buckle of his belt. "I am detective Shark of Citrus Police department and that''s my partner detective Jones."


    He jutted his chin at Jones whose narrowed eyes traveled around the room.


    "We came with other plain clothed officers." he indicated to the others who showed off the badges, weapons and handcuffs.


    Conrad staggered backward. "Dete....detectives?" He whispered.


    The moment he had heard Phoebe talk about the maze, Conrad had made a momentous decision to run and get out of the country as soon as he got the chance. All his cop talk was just for show.


    Knowing that the real cops had come, he trembled and fear filled his body__, ice cold dread washed over him.


    "It''s over." he whispered to himself.


    Camilla pulled her brows together. "Why the hell did you come with cops? Do you think we are criminals or what?"


    "I don''t get it either, are these men really with CPD? Let me see some identification up close." Ekhart asked politely and the detectives obliged, handing over their badges for all to see.


    "Well you didn''t give me the chance to introduce them but now you know who they are. Old patriarch before I address every body I request that we first talk privately just you and i." Phoebe asked Luther Verdemont and he nodded.


    "No way! We need to know what is going on too." Paul shouted, he was the patriarch''s second son and Ekhart''s brother. "If you know where to find Linda tell us, it''s high time Abel moves on with his life he has suffered enough. If i were in his shoes I would have dissolved the marriage a long time ago. Imagine ten years without feeling the warmth of a woman or having children!" He added.


    A chuckle slipped out of Phoebe''s lips. "I don''t think that''s one of Abel''s troubles." She threw him a venomous look.


    Abel gasped and looked at Brandon nervously.


    "What is that supposed to mean?" Ekhart asked, his curious eyes moved from Abel to Phoebe and back.


    Phoebe turned her attention back to the old patriarch and waited for him to grant her request. "Sir?" She spoke with a request in her tone.


    She wanted to give him a pill for his heart to protect it from the bad news she was about to deliver. It was not her intention to meet Luther''s ghost today.


    The old patriarch sighed softly. "It''s okay little shaman, go ahead and tell us where Linda is. She has to come home, if it''s a divorce she needs in order to be happy then she can get one. There is a first time for everything even divorce in this family." He signaled for Phoebe to speak.


    He had not understood her maze reference and still refused to accept the possibility of Linda being dead.


    She cleared her throat. "I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news but Linda Verdemont is dead." Phoebe''s eyes remained fixed on the old man who groaned in pain and lost all his energy, falling back in the chair as if he was lifeless. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 197 Not a joke

    The revelation left those that were not aware in shock and doubt. The sureness with which Phoebe delivered the news made it seem like she had personally witnessed the death.


    Some like Emilia and Ekhart were in denial. Linda was still their daughter, however flawed she was.


    "How dare you say that? You cannot just walk in here and utter such nonsense? You better back up your claims by providing evidence. Where is her body?" Ekhart asked.


    Phoebe remained silent, her attention was focused on the old patriarch who was swallowing a pill to calm his nerves. He surprisingly accepted the news way better than she expected. Phoebe had thought the man would cry his eyes out or even collapsed but he had only shut his eyes for a second and then massaged his chest.


    "So the dream was not just an ordinary dream. Ohh my dear girl, I was really hoping that you were alive somewhere." His lips trembled as tears rolled down on his wrinkled cheeks.


    He put a hand over his eyes and broke down, sobbing loudly, releasing the frustration he had been holding in for so many years.


    For a few minutes__, five to be precise, they all remained silent and waited for the old patriarch to calm down. A knot tied in Phoebe''s stomach, she fought hard to keep the tears from coming out of her eyes. She felt an ounce of guilt for being the one that had doused the little hope the old man had of finding his grandmother daughter alive.


    The butler handed him a tissue which he used to wipe his eyes and blow his nose. The butler collected the tissue and dumped it in waste bin before returning to stand by the old man.


    "You are certain." Luther questioned Phoebe.


    She nodded. "Patriarch did you also suspect that she could be dead?" She asked.


    Luther nodded. "That night when she appeared in my dreams she told me that she was going to a far place. Linda also mentioned that she was happy and at peace finally. That poor girl suffered so much when she was alive and it''s my fault, I should have protected her more. I did fear that she was dead but without a body it was better to keep my hope alive.


    Every shaman, magician, diviner and the like claimed she was alive but deep down, i knew that she was gone. You are the first to confirm my suspicions, so i know that you are a true shaman indeed." He wiped his haggard wet cheeks.


    "Oh come on Mr. Luther, Linda is alive. Everyone, do not buy anything this crook says, we all know her kind relies on tricks to make a living. If she is dead, what about the text messages then?" Conrad wore a cat Cheshire grin. There was no way anyone was going to know that it was him that sent them.


    Phoebe sneered at him, she had been taking things slow for the sake of Luther. Now that he had calmed down, it was time to drop the bombs and Conrad had poked the bear at the right moment.


    Phoebe laughed scornfully. "Oh yes, Linda''s blackmail texts which started this new search. Why are you asking me about it Conrad when you know for a fact that it''s you that sent your supposed friend those messages?"


    Every eye in the room moved to Conrad, doubt and questions in their minds. Was it truly him?


    "What? W..what are you accusing me of?" Conrad''s eyes flew open. "How could i ? What evidence do you have?"


    Abel moved and stood next to Conrad. "This is my best friend turned brother, he can never do such a thing! Besides I spoke to Linda on the phone, it was her voice not Conrad."


    Brandon added a comment. "I can vouch for Conrad too he''s a good guy. He could never torment our family like that. You must be working with Linda on this scheme." he accused her.


    They kept trading gazes and looking at the only exit out of the parlor, desperate to escape but there was no where to run because the detectives had secured the door. The only option left was to deny knowing anything to the very end.


    Phoebe gave Shark a signal, it was time to search Conrad''s room, Brandon''s room and Abel''s room as well. Shark had mentioned that people that committed murder often kept evidence that bonded them together so that none would betray the other. He suspected that these three had done something like that which is why their relationship had not fractured all these years.


    Ekhart had been mulling over what Abel had said and he was a bit confused.


    "Abel I recall you said that you only received text messages how come you never told any of us that you spoke to Linda?"


    Eyes moved from Conrad to Abel as little holes started being poked into the story.


    "He couldn''t have because Linda is dead." Phoebe stated and laughed softly.


    Abel felt corned so he burst into tears. "That is not possible! My wife cannot be dead i swear that i talked to her....." Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Here we go with the tears." Phoebe said sarcastically. "You should recommend the brand of eye drops which you use every time Linda''s subject comes up. How else is a grown man like you crying on command if you are not faking it?"


    "I..." Abel started.


    "Shut up Abel!" David cut him off, having had enough of Abel that cried more than a baby. It was annoying, irritating and made him want to beat up the man to give him a real reason to cry. "You know very well what happened to Linda, you were there and you participated in it. You have been deceiving and lying to this family for over a decade, stop with the pretense the show is over."


    The Verdemonts were perplexed for they didn''t understand what David was accusing Abel of. They all wanted Phoebe or David to make it clear and stop talking in circles.


    "What are you talking about Saxon?" Ekhart asked, his hands trembling because David would never lay such a careless accusation unless it was true.


    Abel stood up and run away hand through his hair. "I want to know the answer to that as well, are you accusing me of killing my wife? He pointed an index finger at himself. "First that fake shaman accused Conrad, now you have accused me do you have any evidence of what you speak of?"


    The old patriarch interrupted because he was falling behind on the story. "Little shaman what is going on here? I don''t understand anything. Where is Linda I want to give her a befitting burial. I also want to know how she passed."


    Phoebe sighed softly. "Patriarch i told you already, Linda is in the maze, its not a joke, i am very serious. Her body was buried there and it has remained there all these years. Now i am sure that some of you are still skeptical and you will not believe until you see it for yourselves so I think it''s time for the digging to start." She nodded at detective Jones.

 Chapter 198 Lindas revenge.

    To the culprits who realized that it was over for them, this appeared to be the perfect chance to escape. While the others headed to the maze to dig for the bones, they could get away. They had all made preparations for this day, in case it ever came. Rather than go to prison, they planned to flee to Eagle country.


    Phoebe was far ahead of them though, she had come here to carry out Linda''s revenge so how could the culprits escape from her grasp?


    While the detectives left, David''s bodyguards stepped in and blocked the door, keeping the Verdemonts from leaving.


    "Before we proceed, Brandon, Conrad and Abel should stay behind. Not just them, everyone whose name i read should not bother getting out."


    Phoebe got a paper from her pocket and she read the names. These were all the people that participated in whipping Linda or mistreating her in any form. Altogether, they were nine people.


    "All of you harmed Linda in some way, causing her to become depressed and suicidal before her death. You called her the devil''s wife and poisoned her, ruined her reputation and denied her peace of mind. The time for reckoning has come."


    Her words were like bullets shot straight in their hearts, especially Abel was even frightened more.


    "What! Linda was my wife, if something happened to her i was not involved. I loved her, ask anyone here and they can vouch for me."


    Phoebe chuckled. "Was? I guess you have no trouble believing that she is dead."


    Conrad tried to use force but his way was blocked one of the bodyguards. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Didn''t you hear what she said? Take a seat now." His bulging eyes stared at Conrad who swallowed hard and took a few steps backs.


    "The rest of you can leave." Phoebe told them


    Quickly, the ones whose names had not been read rushed out, going in the direction of the maze. As for the nine who remained behind, they trembled as two bodyguards got ropes, similar to the ones used to beat up Linda back then and brought them down on their bodies cruelly.


    The screams could be heard for miles and it was the return of three curious detectives that saved them. They were allowed to leave with the exception of the three criminal masterminds behind everything. Phoebe was feeling unsatisfied, Ekhart and his wife Emilia had hurt Linda just as much as the others. They deserved to be punished as well but it was not her place to do so.


    Phoebe caught up with David on the way to the maze, she wanted to say something but Ekhart pulled on David''s hand as they walked and drew his attention.


    "I do not understand why you stopped Brandon from coming out. You people don''t suspect that he had anything to do with his sister disappearing, do you? He is a good boy, not like his sister at all."


    David paused his step. "Mr. Verdermont are you even sad at all that your child is dead? At least your wife is speechless."


    Emilia jumped in, "Tsk, what is there to be sad about? The girl died on the day she committed adultery. What is sad is that she won''t be going to heaven but straight to hell." She hurried her steps, unnerved by the judgemental looks she received from everyone.


    When they reached at the center of the maze, Phoebe was confused because it wasn''t a small place. She didn''t know where they could start digging but fortunately Claire was there too. Shark called her because it was the forensics that dealt with such issues.


    Claire was already there with her team and police officers were setting up a perimeter. The Verdemonts did not care for the perimeter and they tried to shove the officers out of the way.


    "Everyone please stay behind the yellow tape, this is a crime scene." Claire announced as she wore white gloves to complete her look.


    "Oh hey Mayfair." Claire teased Phoebe.


    "Claire where are you even going to start from?" Phoebe asked.


    If it was a difficult task, she would have the Saxon spirit do it or use her energy. She did not want to use her energy, a lot had been used when she used a drop of water from the lake of life and death on Ruth.


    At the moment, even her life span had gone down, she had less than two months of life left.


    Pointing to the equipment which was already being used Claire gave Phoebe and explanation. "We have ground penetrating radars, its the best way to find remains beneath the surface without digging up the entire maze. You will know when we find something."


    She left and Phoebe used the opportunity to lean against David to suck some energy. She studied the faces of the Verdemonts that had come out to witness with their eyes whether it was true or false that Linda had really been here all this time.


    Some of them looked worried, probably because it would affect the reputation of their family. There were those that felt sorry and guilty, they had condemned Linda verbally back then. If she had been murdered by Abel, they had contributed to her death.


    The environment was solemn, not a single smiling face around, only frowns and whispers. Twenty minutes in and someone screamed.


    "Over here, i have found something!"


    The forensics team and police officers started digging immediately. Less than a minute in, they found a skull which was retrieved and seen by everyone.


    The evidence caused the old patriarch to stagger backwards.


    "Oh God" he cried.


    Her father gasped as well, in shock, just as the rest of the family did. All this time none of them knew that Linda was buried in the maze and they even held parties in this place, over her body.


    "Ho...how is this possible? After all these years no one knew?"


    Ekhart shivered,he was not as hardened of heart as his wife. "How....who buried her here?"


    David tapped his shoulder once. "Now you are asking the important question."


    For a while, they all stayed and watched as bone after bone was retrieved and Claire confirmed it was the body of a woman. There was no more denying it, unless a DNA test said otherwise, this was Linda.


    Phoebe announced that they leave the scene and return to the house. It was time to lay everything out in the open. Nobody doubted Phoebe anymore and they followed her instructions, returning to the parlor.


    The grave looks on their faces, the snivels among some of the women and the glares which were sent Abel''s way, confirmed to the three men that the remains had been found.


    Phoebe didn''t waste a moment, she immediately started revealing the truth.


    "Linda''s biggest problem was her parents...you Emilia and Ekhart. You should have listened to her when she told you that she didn''t want to marry Abel."


    Emilia moved forward and perched in the chair. "What? So now it''s our fault that we choose a good man for her?"


    Nodding her head, Phoebe looked straight into Emilia''s wide eyes. "That good man killed her."

 Chapter 199 Murderers in house.

    Abel tried to stand but was forced back down by a detective. "W..what..proof do you have?"


    Emilia laughed maniacally choosing not to believe what she was hearing. "So you are determined to attack and blame my son in law to the end okay fine bring the evidence."


    Shark stood up and revealed two phones, one black and one light pink with stickers on the back.


    "I believe that you all know who this phone belongs to." He raised the pink phone.


    Brandon lowered his head and cursed, Conrad shut his eyes tightly while Abel pointed at it.


    "Ho..how? Where did you get that?" He tried to snatch it away but Shark raised it higher.


    His fear was for what the phone contained.


    "Criminals especially the perverted ones like to keep things that belong to their victims. It gives them joy as they relive such memories. Thank you Conrad for keeping Linda''s phone after you killed her it would have been harder to prove that you did it." Phoebe threw out bait.


    "So it''s all true that you killed my grandchild, you a dog that I raised? I am going to make you suffer to eternity." The old patriarch declared and got to his feet, ready to fight Conrad if that was what it took to bring Linda justice.


    The butler pulled him back to stop him form hurting himself, he was too old for such antics.


    Terror began to envelope Conrad''s entire being meanwhile, he looked at his partners in crime but they avoided his gaze.


    Abel stood up and grabbed him by the scruff. "Take one for the team. Who asked you to keep that phone you idiot? Take the blame and we will take care of you in prison." He whispered.


    Conrad''s eyes flew open in disbelief, he then looked at Brandon who signaled him to keep his mouth shut.


    Before he could properly register what was happening Abel punched him in the face.


    "How could you do that to Linda! You my friend? Why?" He wailed as he punched him until the detectives separated the two men.


    Phoebe wanted Conrad to deny everything but even he was too stunned by the turn of events to speak so she catalyzed the situation.


    "Conrad there is clear evidence against you and you are going to rot in jail but the question is are you going to go down alone?"


    Brandon stood up, broadening his chest in an intimidating way like an alpha gorilla.


    "And who do you think should go down with him? If the evidence proves that he did it then he should pay for his crime. He killed my beloved sister!" His words only highlighted what Phoebe was trying to tell Conrad.


    "The people you think are going to save you aren''t going to do it so you might as well rat them out." Phoebe told him.


    The old patriarch banged the table. "You had accomplices? Who is it? Which of the employees did you connive with to kill my grand daughter."


    Phoebe wanted to remind everyone that the first person she accused was Abel. Before looking for accomplices among the employees, they had to look at him first.


    "He must have been one of her lovers. Did Linda refuse to give you money? Is that why you killed her? Conrad you have always been money hungry now i believe that you have been the black mailer all along. Linda must have left her phone at your place after one of your hook ups."Abel filled in all the gaps, brainwashing some foolish relatives.


    "You are an animal." Emilia said to Conrad.


    "Arrest him right now." Ekhart commanded the detectives.


    Phoebe and David could not believe the man''s ability of turning black to white and covering his ass. If they were foolish, they too would buy his innocence and convict Conrad.


    Abel''s accusations only made Conrad more angry and desperate. They had agreed to sink or swim together so why was he sinking alone? He gritted his teeth and glared at Abel then Brandon.


    "I cannot believe they both of you! You really want me to take the fall for this? To save yourself, who knows if you will kill me in prison just like you killed your wife!"


    He shot daggers at Abel with his eyes. His heart was filled with hatred, he had always known that Abel loved Brandon more than him. He figured they wanted to get rid of him and stay together, enjoying wealth and love while he wasted away. To him, his lover had broken his heart so he was returning the favor.


    "What? Conrad what do you mean?" Emilia stood up and asked.


    "Mother do not believe a thing he says! He''s lying against me because he''s been caught. You son of a bitch!" Abel sent a flying punch but he was grabbed by Shark.


    Brandon excused himself. "I can''t take this i am leaving."


    He began to move towards the door but he was pushed back by Jones."Sit!"


    He pointed at the chair in which he had been sitting in and Brandon unwillingly parked his ass where it had been.


    Conrad laughed loudly and mockingly. "Abel was the one that killed Linda, i was there and saw it all. I kept the phone to use as blackmail, i will admit to that crime but not killing her. Brandon was there too he can vouch that i am telling the truth."


    His eyes moved to Brandon just like everybody else.


    Vehemently, he shook his head in denial. "What the hell do you mean? How could I just watch as Abel killed my sister who was also his wife and keep quiet about it? Don''t listen to this crap! He''s lying."


    "Shut up you guys! This is exactly what this shaman bitch wants, us to turn against each other can''t you see?" Abel''s eyes moved from Conrad to Brandon.


    Emilia had sank back in the chair, trying to comprehend what was going on but she needed the full story to understand. All she was hearing were bits and pieces of accusations. She let out an ear piercing scream.


    "Quiet! I want someone to explain what is happening here" her eyes were fixed on Phoebe.


    Brandon began to speak but she shushed him.


    "You shaman lady tell us, please what is going on." Ekhart requested.


    Phoebe cleared her voice. "Well first of all I would like to clear Linda''s name, she was never promiscuous or adulterous. Although she was against the marriage, she was faithful to her husband but her husband Abel here was the opposite. He is gay and involved in a sexual relationship with Conrad and Brandon."


    "Bullshit! You can lie against my son about a lot of things but that. He changes women like he does his cars. It''s not possible." Ekhart retorted. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe checked her phone and showed him the pictures which Shark had sent to her after charging it.


    "This is what Linda saw when she walked into the maze, the reason why she died."


    Shark had physical copies of the photograph and he had then distributed for everyone to see. They were all as shocked as Phoebe and the others had been when they saw the images.


    "My God! What will our brothers and sisters in the church say when they see this?" Emilia began to breath rapidly as if she was about to get a panic attack.

 Chapter 200 Finally, a confession.

    The words spoken by Emilia left a bad taste in Phoebe''s mouth and it wasn''t just her but David and the officers too. The woman was lamenting about how they would be perceived by the church and how it would lead her to loosing her deaconess position in the church.


    Not one word out of her mouth was pity for her dead daughter or condemnation for her killers. It was truly baffling!


    Phoebe wondered if Emilia had been brainwashed in that faith because all they seemed to care about was it. Had she been promised a ticket to heaven?


    "Emilia, did you clearly process anything that the young Shaman said? Linda was killed by these idiots because she discovered their secret!" David yelled at her in a raised voice.


    He was so disappointed by the reaction of the people that were supposed to care the most about Linda, except Luther of course. David couldn''t tell who was worse between Emilia and his own mother.


    No, he could see a difference, his mother was a schemer and Emilia was insane like Ruth. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Yes I heard! I heard it all and I still think that Brandon is being framed here. How could he have just watched as Abel killed his sister?" Emilia croaked.


    Tears actually sprouted out of her eyes, she was devastated but all for the wrong reasons.


    Phoebe had seen shameless people but some of the Verdemonts were just sick in the head. She thought that they would be repentant about what they had done to Linda but no they were dry eyed and cold.


    Ekhart shed a tear or two but all he did was mumble about how the stock prices were going to plummet the moment the news got out. The rest of the family kept whispering to one another about what was going on.


    "It was a bloody disaster when she was alive and her death is going to be another scandal." Phoebe heard Camilla whisper.


    She was worried about her marriage prospects when news was leaked that she had a brother that had participated in this depravity. Even her newly acquired queen bee position was going to be lost.


    Phoebe''s eyes moved to Emilia who like a crazy person kept insisting that Brandon wasn''t part of anything.


    "He must have been indoctrinated by those two idiots into this whole thing but we shall call the priests to pray for him." Emilia began to recite a prayer.


    The only person that could make sure that Brandon paid for his crimes was the old patriarch who was watching his family with his eyes glazed, filled with an expression of shame and disappointment.


    "My God, no wonder Linda could not stand you people!" Phoebe exclaimed. "Old patriarch, Linda could have survived that day. After capturing images of Abel and Conrad she ran out of the maze only to bump into Brandon. She was relieved thinking that he was going to help her but instead, he dragged her back into the maze, kicked her in the ribs and watched as Abel strangled her. When all was said and done, he and his lovers buried her right there and slandered her to hide the truth." Phoebe added to the accusations, pouring everything out in a part growl-part yell.


    Her words elicited a loud ''WHAT'' from the listeners and all of them turned to Brandon.The whispers started going around immediately as the relatives discussed what they had just heard.


    "It can''t be."


    "No way."


    "That is crazy, completely crazy."


    "Oh my God!! this can''t be true."


    There were those however that still refused to believe, especially Emilia.


    "How do we know that she is telling the truth? This sounds insane, Brandon is my son, Linda''s own brother. He could never do something like that, it looks like this little crooked shaman is writing a script or a novel. She is making up stories, can''t you see that. Someone come and throw this bitch out of my house." Emilia glared at Phoebe.


    Conrad raised his hand and shouted frantically as he struggled against the detectives holding him back. "It''s not a lie, i was there and it went down exactly as she says it did. Detective i am willing to testify to get a lighter sentence."


    "You fucking traitor!" Brandon leaped at Conrad as he hissed but he was caught by officers before he could land a single blow on his partner in crime. Brandon was enraged that he revealed information without meaning to. "If it wasn''t for your stupidity there would be no incriminating evidence and we wouldn''t be in this position!


    In fact, if you and Abel had just reigned in your lust and kept it behind closed doors in a hotel Linda would not have had to die." He turned to face his Emilia."Mother please save me, I don''t want to go to jail."


    Gasps went around the room and someone even fainted from the shock. He had just admitted to everything Phoebe had accused him, Conrad and Abel of.


    Ekhart stood up and yanked on Brandon''s hand, trying to get him away from the detectives. "You are not going to jail! This evidence is not incriminating enough. Conrad and Abel are the only criminals here so detectives take them away and leave my house." His remarks forced the old patriarch to let out a loud groan that compelled them all to keep quiet.


    "All the people that were involved in Linda''s death are going to be punished by law including Brandon. Officers take them away!" Luther ordered.


    Shark took out the silver cuffs and went ahead to put them around Conrad''s hands, he put up no resistance at all.


    Abel on the other hand struggled. "Father, mother please what will the church say, think of the reputation of the family. Aren''t you influential, please you can make this go away." He cried as he was cuffed.


    Emilia blocked detective Jones from taking Brandon out of the house.


    "Not my son! Our reputation is going to be ruined, he made a small mistake back then. What he did wasn''t intentional." She shrieked loudly at the detective.


    Jones shoved her gently but the woman stayed put, holding on to her son by his shirt and pulling.


    "Father please, think about how our name will be dragged through the mud, are you okay with that?" Emilia''s narrowed eyes scanned Luther''s face.


    "I do not care, you will have to face the consequences of being hurtles. None of you present here is innocent, you all bullied Linda in one way or another and i am going to make you pay for it.


    I cannot even trust any of you anymore, i cannot sleep with both eyes closed out of fear for what you are capable of. It was Linda then and tomorrow it could be me in her position.


    When did this family start giving birth to parents that eat their own children and brothers that kill their sisters? I am very disappointed in all of you." Luther stared at each of them with venomous eyes. "Little shaman, please follow me to my office." He raised to his feet with the help of the butler.

 Chapter 201 An emotional reunion.

    There was a scuffle but Brandon was whisked away by Shark and his team, the Verdemonts tried to put up a fight but they couldn''t defeat the physically stronger police officers.


    "Guards! Don''t allow them to take him." Emilia shouted.


    They approached but Shark warned them that he would arrest them for obstruction of justice if they interfered. The butler shared the stance of the old patriarch with them and then they stayed put. They figured quickly that it was better not to get involved.


    The criminals were driven away in police vehicles whose sirens were loud. It was like they wanted all the residents of the luxurious neighborhood to know what had happened at the Verdermont residence.


    The rest of the family could only watch helplessly and figure out what to do next. Not all of them were foolish, Nina Verdemont, Luther''s daughter had seen her father''s reaction and read the room. She whispered to her husband and children that they should go to the morgue and at least display some care for Linda.


    At the end of the day, they had not participated in her torture and never knew what was going on with her. The rate at which Ekhart and Emilia were going, they were about to be dethroned and someone had to take the crown.


    Others started contacting their public relations officers to start strategizing. A few were immersed in their own troubles, figuring out how the scandal would affect them.


    With the involvement of Shark, the whole country would know what happened to Linda within an hour probably.


    Camilla was among the ones indulging in self pity. She shook Emilia''s arm continuously trying to wake her up out of the shock she was in.


    "Our family is going to be embarrassed before the founding council. We will have to avoid social gatherings for a year at least, I cannot afford to live in hiding! Mother, do something before we are all ruined."


    Emilia just kept on looking in the direction the cars had taken, in a near catatonic state.


    "I cannot allow this news to spread, Paul keep an eye on the tabloids, news should be controlled. My biggest worry is the stocks father doesn''t care because he is dying any time soon." Ekhart folded his hand into a fist and marched into the house.


    Camilla pinched her mother''s arm and Emilia came back to life. She run after husband, screaming her own worries like a shrew.


    "The church cannot hear of this news, my God i feel like i am about to lose it all. I am afraid Ekhart." Tears sprouted from her eyes.


    "We are one of the richest families in Fog country, we can protect our selves. With money everything is possible, so everyone calm down. We can pay Conrad and irresistible amount and he will keep his mouth shut about Brandon''s involvement." Paul Verdemont joined them and he sat down in a chair, completely relaxed.


    In reality, he was smiling on the inside, with Brandon out of the way, his own son had an opportunity to rise. Paul was not a believer in the church, he believed in money more than anything.


    David listened to them in utter shock, his family had its issues but the Verdemonts were a rotten bunch truly, his eyes moved at the door of the study where Phoebe had entered.


    What was she discussing with the old man, away from everyone else?


    Inside the study, the old patriarch had just calmed down again, after taking a tonic Phoebe offered him. He pushed the bottle to the side and put his walking cane on the desk. Finally, he leaned back in brown leather chair and faced her.


    "Thank you for your help little shaman. I thought that at my age i had seen it all in my life but today proved me wrong. That poor girl deserved a better family than this group of beasts, if i had known i would have sent her abroad to my cousin in Silver nation."


    He dabbed at the corners of his eyes with a white tissue. "It''s always the good people that suffer the most in this world, Linda had such a pure heart..." he broke down and cried silently for a few seconds.


    Luther shook his head and looked at Phoebe again with red eyes, "I don''t have the will to live anymore, i want to be at peace just like Linda is now, but before I do that I plan to destroy this family. I want them to feel as much if not more pain than what my poor grand daughter went through. If they had been remorseful I would have perhaps reconsidered but no they are worried over materialistic things." He paused and sipped on some water.


    "I am going to visit the police station and testify to the rotten character of those three murderers. When i am done, i will begin making preparations to let go of all these material things. My body is already failing, the doctors say i do not have more than a year left. I should have died a long time ago but I was holding on to life until i found Linda. I will support you in whatever way I can such that you can help more people like me."


    Phoebe had mixed reactions flowing within her, she was sad from hearing his words but at the same time grateful that she could help him.


    "Mr. Luther, you have already given me enough, it''s all the support I need. There is also a way you can talk to Linda, i can arrange it if you are interested." She gave him a warm inquisitive smile.


    The old man''s distressed face perked up. "Is there? Can I see her one more time please, I will be very grateful."


    The Saxon spirit placed the ghost''s notebook on the table.


    She communicated to Phoebe directly in her mind. "He is not left with much time, i can feel it, death is already stalking him."


    Phoebe opened her mouth and the spirit sealed it, shaking its head.


    "Do not warn him, it''s not your place to decide his life and death. You cannot change his fate anyway, he wants to die." S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe sighed, got up and stepped out briefly to call in David. She put a hand in her bag and took Linda''s belongings out. The Saxon spirit was actually transferring hem from the magical space directly to the bag.


    Luther carefully put them away, handling them like they were so precious.


    "David touch my shoulder." Phoebe requested.


    Just like the last time she chanted a spell, wrote in the book and told Linda to appear if she wanted to talk to her poppy. Immediately, Linda''s reflection appeared as if it had been on the other side waiting for this moment.


    As soon as they traded gazes, grandfather and granddaughter begun to cry and apologize to each other in an emotional reunion.


    Phoebe couldn''t help but cry with them on the other hand David''s focus was on the pendant. He was wondering why each time he touched Phoebe the pendant glowed.


    It was like he had a special connection to it. ''Charger!''


    The word came to his thoughts, Phoebe always referred to him as her charger.


    Was he charging it? Why? What was it for? He wondered.

 Chapter 202 The old patriachs decision.

    There was a lot to talk about for the two to discuss and the reunion lasted an hour long before wearing off. Even then, the reunited Verdemonts were not done.


    It was human nature to be greedy for something good once you got a hold of it and the old man was just the same. The moment Linda''s ghost vanished, he cried out like a baby suddenly pulled away from a mother''s nipple before achieving satisfaction.


    "Bring her back! Please bring my grand daughter back."


    The old patriarch wailed and pleaded with Phoebe loudly with no regards to his status. Even though she could, Phoebe choose not to otherwise she would have to spend the entire day summoning Linda.


    If she gave in, he might even call her back daily and have her enable him speak to Linda as often as possible.


    "I can''t help you with that request anymore elder Luther, if i continue, i might spit up blood and die. At least your have seen that she''s alright and happy." The book vanished as the spirit returned it to the cabin.


    Luther punched his chest over and over, sobbing softly as he lamented. "I want to go to her, i want to be with my wife and dear great granddaughter. I can''t continue living so miserably like this without them."


    Phoebe wanted to tell him that soon he was going to the other side but she chose to keep shut. There were consequences to letting a human know such information. One could never know how a person could use it such knowledge.


    "Everything that happens is out of our hands, please just take comfort in the knowledge that she is at peace now and make plans to punish those that harmed her."


    Luther wiped his tears away and regained his calmness slowly. The old patriarch moved to a wall and pressed against the painting which in turn opened.


    "There is something special that has passed down in my family for generations. I should be giving it to one of the members of my family but I would rather not leave such valuable treasures to those greedy fools. I plan to leave them as little as possible."


    Phoebe felt uncomfortable and was about to reject whatever it was but the Saxon spirit told her that she sensed energy coming from the safe. Whatever Luther wanted to give her, it was not ordinary.


    The safe was full of treasures but Luther did not touch any of them. He pulled out a medium sized golden box, closed the safe and moved back to his seat.


    Phoebe''s curious eyes remained on the safe, she had a desire to take a closer look at the shiny things which were locked away in there. If she was a thief, she would already be making a plan to return for the night.


    "Here, this is yours now. Do not worry my family doesn''t know of its existence. Take it, maybe it will be useful to you in future." He offered.


    Phoebe stretched her hands and took it, on touching it she too could feel the energy emanating from it. "What is it?" She looked at him curiously.


    "Open it first." The old patriarch jutted his chin in her direction.


    She did as he asked and her eyes fell on a bright sight. Inside the box were gold coins with drawings of interwoven tree branches and a writing in a language that she couldn''t understand.


    "What are these?" She lifted one to her eyes and examined it.


    David pushed his chair closer to Phoebe''s to have a closer look and be his usual helpful self. His brows pulled together however, as he couldn''t identify what the coins were.


    "Whispering coins!" The Saxon spirit took a closer look.


    "Whispering coins?" Phoebe repeated loudly in a questioning voice.


    The old patriarch looked at her in surprise, the coins were so old and there was no way someone her age would no what they are. In fact a few minutes ago Phoebe had been asking him what they were. "How...." The old patriarch shook his head, she was a shaman after all.


    "Yes those are Whispering coins, when flipped they ensure a desired outcome or some personal bad luck for a while. This is my business secret, it was not just through plain hard work that I made all this money, i had extra help.


    I made wishes with the coins and they came true, helping me rebuild the Verdemont fortune faster. If these fall in the wrong hands you know what could happen. You should be careful however, wishes come at a cost, nothing magic related is free. You should know that better than me, your special abilities must come at a price."


    Phoebe did not respond, not wanting to spread the information that her lifespan was often used as the price.


    "Maybe the cost for me was my family''s happiness, look at us now. We have so much money but my descendants have turned inhumane. I made one last wish and it''s for them to change, even if all the wealth is lost." He sighed and looked at the coin in Phoebe''s hand. Perhaps truly, the coins were source of the Verdemont ruination.


    The Saxon spirit nodded continuously. "This isn''t something a greedy person should possess especially those damn Verdemonts outside, take them for safe keeping."


    David was intrigued and he had a lot of questions about the coins.


    "Where did you even get them?"


    The old patriarch sighed softly. "Like I said, they have been in my family for generations. Most, if not all founding families have mystic objects or weapons that are passed down through generations.


    Some have more than one as it was our great ancestors who discovered this land that was rumored to have mystic beings and powers beyond comprehension. They apparently battled these beings and settled down here, building the country to what it is today.


    The stories are so old and distorted that they sound like fiction but some are real. How else do you explain something like that?" He pointed at the coins. "Maybe my ancestors knew the danger of the coins and that''s why they never used them. It could explain why the Verdemont fortune diminished significantly in their hands when they had access to such a great thing. The coins might be cursed and in Ekhart''s hands, nothing good will happen."


    Luther eyed them both, "You two are from founding families, don''t you know about these things?"


    David and Phoebe looked at each other and shook their heads. They were clueless and planned to ask their families if they knew of such mystic objects.


    "I am going to the police station, then the morgue and I would like you to accompany me if that is okay with the both of you." The old patriarch asked as he stood from his chair.


    Phoebe placed the golden box in her bag and told the spirit to stow it in the cabin. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Of course, we''ll help with whatever you need." she answered Luther.


    When the door was pulled open, Ekhart fell to the floor, inside the study. It was obvious that he had been eavesdropping.


    "Father where are you going? You need to clear this mess for you created it."


    Nodding his head, the old patriarch told them that he was going to the police station.


    Emilia clapped once. "So you have decided to save the family name thank God! I will come with you."

 Chapter 203 A great time for journalism.

    With limited strength left in him, Luther didn''t bother to tell Emilia and the family that he was actually going to the police station to testify against the criminals. Besides he wanted to start making arrangements for Linda''s burial, she had spent so many days and nights in the dark cold ground. It was time she received some warmth, but, more importantly he wanted to change his will and distribute all of his fortune.


    "Let''s go." He ordered Joseph who rushed to open the car door.


    Phoebe and David plus his body guards followed behind his three cars, forming a long convoy once again. As soon as the cars drove out, reporters pounced like starving lions, yelling questions that were related to the three men that had been arrested.


    "I guess Brandon, Abel and Conrad have arrived at the police station."


    David looked at the watch on his wrist, it had been exactly one hour and twenty minutes since they had been taken away. Shark was really a glory hound, it seemed like he had called the press already.


    Phoebe giggled. "I prepared a shocking surprise for them, those idiots must have been shocked to find bloggers and reporters waiting to give them a warm welcome at the police station." S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She pulled out her phone to check for trending videos, if reporters were swarming the Verdemont residence it had to be because Shark had already briefed the press.


    It was better than she anticipated as Shark had paraded the men before the press before they were taken into the police station. He clearly gave details of why the three had been arrested, he concluded by stating that investigations were on going. He did not forget to mention that evidence had been found and there was no doubt about the men''s guilt.


    "David sighed gently as his eyes shifted from the video. "Won''t Shark get in trouble for disclosing so much about the case to the press before informing his supervisors?"


    "The evidence is pretty damning, there is nothing more to investigate. In fact the old patriarch''s testimony will be the last nail in the coffin, besides Conrad is ready to testify. The case might as well be sent to the office of the prosecutor immediately."


    Phoebe did not know how right she was, a hungry prosecutor whose nature was similar to Shark''s was already at the police station demanding that the case and everything related be handed over.


    She placed her phone back in the back and leaned against David, closing her eyes as she charged all the way to the police station.


    When they stepped out of the cars after reaching their destination, they found even more reporters camped outside. They rushed to meet the old patriarch requesting that he say something about the charges levied against the three men especially his grandson.


    Thankfully the officers were around to stop them from wildly swarming around him.


    "Everyone step back! If you get out of order then we will be forced to chase you away from here." An officer spoke loudly, beneath his warning was a threat.


    His words didn''t settle well with some of the reporters, one went as far as to highlight that it wasn''t fair.


    "We are doing our jobs! You cannot limit the freedom of the press that''s a crime." She shouted. "Did your family work together to cover up the murder of your granddaughter?"


    "Just tell us how long you have known that your grandson is gay and has two lovers." Another yelled.


    "Are Brandon Verdemont and his lovers married?"


    For them, it was a great time for journalism, lately, it was one breaking story after another. This was no different to them from the other scandals happening in the country.


    The unnecessary provocative questions stirred up other reporters and created chaos so police officers started pushing the reporters from station grounds. True to their threat, they even started making arrests.


    Phoebe and David followed the old patriarch into the station, surprisingly Emilia and the few Verdemonts that had followed them stayed back in their cars.


    Deciding not to engage with the press besides, they were contented that Luther was going to solve whatever chaos Brandon had put them in. After hearing the questions being thrown at the old patriarch, they did not want to show their faces.


    Inside the station which was crawling with curious officers, the old patriarch was requested to sit in a small meeting room by Shark and Jones who were automatically in charge of the case, having made the arrests.


    They could not put such distinguished guests in an interrogation room.


    "Thank you for volunteering to talk to us as a witness." Shark humbled himself and pressed the recording button.


    Jones brought coffee and bottles of water for them and then he sat down and brought out his notebook and pen to note down any important parts.


    After about thirty minutes, Luther was done testifying. He stood up from the chair and walked out, he ignored the press once again and moved to Citrus city medical examiners office where Linda''s remains had been taken. There too, he was welcomed like a VIP by the director who spoke to the old patriarch gently.


    The director led Luther inside but he paused in his steps when he saw Nina and her family who on seeing Luther they began to sniffle.


    "Dad, i came to keep my poor niece company." Nina squeezed out some tears.


    "You must think that i am gullible." Luther sneered and by passed them.


    As they were walking away, Phoebe heard one of Nina''s kids ask if they can stop the charade because he was tired. She shook her head and sighed, there was really no saving the Verdemonts.


    Claire politely received them, with Phoebe''s help the case was simpler than others. All Claire had to do was confirm what Phoebe had told her, not once had she ever discovered other wise.


    "So tell me, have you confirmed the cause of death? Does it match precisely to everything the little shaman said?" Luther asked.


    Claire folded her lips briefly, this was a part of her job that she did not enjoy. Normally, she explained the cause of death in such cases to detectives or in court if she had been called to testify. What she hated the most was facing a family when delivering bad news about the way their child was killed.


    Having to look into their aggrieved eyes and listen to their wails was very heartbreaking.


    Claire took a deep breath and shared her findings with them. "She had a lot of broken bones which confirms that she was beaten severely over a period of at least five years. The cause of death was strangulation, the hyoid bone was broken, whoever strangled her used a lot of strength. It is clear that the intention was murder, there are other injuries that occurred at the same time as the hyoid fracture like a crack on the back of the skull, fractured ulna and broken femur."


    "A brutal beating before she was killed, those animals are really cruel." Shark spoke in a soft voice.


    The old patriarch moaned softly, his eyes glistened with tears. They would pay, especially his Ekhart, Brandon and the nasty witch of a witch of a daughter-in-law, Emilia. They would pay for Linda''s pain, he would make sure of it.

 Chapter 204 Closing Lindas case.

    After composing himself, the old patriarch announced that it was time for him to leave, he thanked Phoebe and David once again.


    "Elder, if you have any plans for the company, you can go and see him." David stopped Luther and handed him a business card for DP holdings. "It will be best if you see my friend tomorrow or today itself just in case your children or grandchildren get any ideas. You have already lost your influence in the company, act before more is lost."


    Luther took the card and he lifted his eyes to David, grateful and surprised that he was going out of his way to be helpful.


    But, it was great advise, before those monsters reacted, he needed to amend his will, redistribute his shares and liquidate most of his assets.


    "Thank you young Saxon, you are a fine man unlike the rumors. How great would it have been if i had a son as reliable as you." Luther reached out, almost touching David''s cheek but he dropped his hand quickly.


    In his heart, he wished that Linda had met a man as wonderful as David, someone devoted to her the he was to the little shaman. How amazing would her life have been?


    He kept his regrets to himself and leaned on his walking cane.


    "Are the reporters still out there?"


    "Most are gone." Shark shared.


    "You can use the back door, i just peeked outside and the reporters are flocking to the entrance." Claire advised


    "No, i should speak to them, there are some things i should make clear personally."


    He walked slowly, supported by one of his bodyguards and stood on the first step where he was towering over the reporters . As expected they began to throw questions at him loudly, not giving him a moment to digest and answer properly.


    It was Shark that stepped forward and calmed them, allowing Luther to give a statement.


    "I know that there is a lot of interest in the affairs of my family with this case coming to light so the first thing i want to do is clear my granddaughter''s good name. Linda Verdemont has never been a woman of loose morals. She did not run away with any lovers or have any affair, as a matter of fact, her husband was the one that had affairs.


    I will not hide the truth about my grandson Brandon''s involvement in the case. He worked with Linda''s husband and one employee of the family to kill her and hide the murder by ruining her reputation and for many years they got away with it.


    I have been searching for her all these years and my poor baby was buried in the ground, cold and lonely. My family including her parents will try to say otherwise but please do not listen to them. They are worried most about losing their reputation and money than getting justice for Linda Verdemont.


    I am going to cooperate with the police to ensure that those that were involved in Linda''s death are given the punishment that they deserve. I want to thank the detectives for their stellar work in discovering the truth. I would also like to thank a special person, the shaman Phoebe Mayfair for without her help, i never would have found my grand daughter. That''s all i have to say, thank you." He bowed respectfully.


    His bodyguards and David''s had already arrived, guarding him from all sides. They formed a path for him, guiding him to the car.


    The press was noisy and still shocked that he had actually admitted that his grandson was involved in the murder of his sister. Wealthy families like his would do their best to make the case go away but not Luther.


    They could see that he had spoken with a lot of pain and regret. Many of them still had questions and they run after the cars with some still yelling out questions about Brandon and his lovers.


    Obviously, they intended to sensationalize the issue and make it a big headline. Only a few moral news outlets would rectify Linda''s reputation.


    Phoebe, Shark and David watched the chaos from the sides in silence.


    "Our Phoebe''s business is about to blow up, don''t forget me when you become a celebrity shaman." Shark bounced on his toes.


    David smiled at Phoebe, his eyes laced with pride. "She is a force to be reckoned with, once Phoebe sets her mind to it she gets things done. Anyway, what happens to the criminals now?" David asked.


    "Well we have strong evidence and witnesses. Honestly no matter what the Verdemonts say it''s over for them. The prosecutors are already in the station offering deals, one of them said they will be getting thirty to life with no parole." Jones approached them from the back.


    "I am elated! This case is like ten years old and I just solved it. I can smell my promotion from miles away." Shark sniffed the air like a dog.


    His words elicited laughter from the group, they all had a feeling that he would be promoted. He had held a press conference on his own without giving his superiors a heads up. They too would have loved to get credit in this case, it involved the Verdemonts after all. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    David pulled on Phoebe''s hand so that they too could get going. She tugged on his hand and looked at him through heavily lidded eyes.


    "I am worried about Luther now that he is going to make changes and expressed a different opinion from his family members. What if they do something to that old man?" Phoebe pulled her brows together, shadows of worry gnawed at her.


    David was way ahead of her, after studying the Verdemont''s behavior he feared that they would harm him or even kill him. He had told the butler that he was going to send more bodyguards to specifically take care of the old man''s security for as long as possible.


    "It''s taken care of, i knew that you would worry so i took some measures on my own. I believe that he knows what he needs to do, Old man Luther is living among wolves and he is not a rabbit, he will protect himself."


    Phoebe felt her heart flutter, surprised by his thoughtfulness. David had really become the best version of himself. The fact that he had taken care of it anticipating her worry made her incredibly glad.


    "I am tired and i feel like i need a bath. Being around those people had taken a toll on me." Phoebe yawned and removed her hand from his, then stretched like a cat.


    David took her hand again and led down the steps. "I am hungry too, lets head to the cafe. I am sure that grandma is waiting to hear all about this adventure."


    They bid farewell to the detectives, got into her car and Polly drove them back to the cafe.


    Although they were somewhat exhausted, they wore aprons the moment they arrived at the cafe. It was lunch hour and the cafe was packed to the brim.


    Some of David''s female admirers were back, and they were clearly excited to see him with the way they were squealing and blushing.


    Phoebe navigated between clients with ease and speed until she felt her legs shake. When the number of customers dwindled, she sat down behind the counter and sighed.


    "Why do we have so many clients today though? I am not complaining but girl i am worn out." She beat her shoulders manually with a clenched fist.


    More clients had come over but they had not placed orders for food yet.


    "Actually all those people siting over there have issues and want a consultation with the great Phoebe Mayfair. After old man Luther Verdemont praised you on TV our phones have been ringing non stop and people have been coming here like the services are free. Marianne, the new part time worker just graduated to full time. She''s helping them book appointments." Rosette gave her a list of inventory that had run out.


    "Tomorrow, i am tired, Send them away with apologies and a complimentary gift." Phoebe declined to do anymore business.


    It was one of the joys of being self employed, she could pick and choose her working hours.


    Rosette did as she said, they took down information and sent away the clients. After Marianne closed the doors, they sat around the same table as usual to relax.


    "Tell us everything that happened." Grandma Mayfair ordered.

 Chapter 205 Kicked out.

    In the days that followed the Verdemonts dominated the news, with the affair and murder being splashed on the front page of every newspaper.


    It was the leading news on social media, television and radios, milked thoroughly by prosecutors, police and politicians looking to make a statement. It even made international news just like the cuckoo case had done.


    The Verdemonts were faced with baseless accusations of covering up for Brandon and partaking his murder. The scandal reached fever pitch and even the light of faith distanced itself from them.


    The Minister of the faith and the head of the church personally called for a press conference and denied having any knowledge about some of their family member''s extra curricular activities. To prove this, Emilia was relieved of all her duties in the church and the Verdemont''s attendance to mass was suspended. The minister also denied having any personal connections to the family.


    It was debunked quickly online when pictures of the minister and Emilia looking cozy surfaced. Additional pictures of him coming out of the Verdemont residence during the time when the exorcisms on Linda were carried out were leaked.


    The leak was none other than Luther himself who was digging deeply into everything that happened before Linda died.


    All the atrocities committed by any member of the family in the past were resurrected one by one by the press who were not afraid of exposing and writing about them anymore.


    The previous night, the founding council had voted unanimously to kick them out, from that moment forward, they could be considered commoners. To say the least, their social life was going to change.


    They had gone from Fog country royalty to just rich folks and the rich part was also shaking because the stocks of the Verdemont corporation had been falling day after day as the scandal grew.


    As for Emilia and Ekhart, their relationship was now rocky because he was certain that she had cheated on him with the minister of the church of light. Rumor had it that he wanted a DNA test done on all of his children and he was claiming that Brandon was possibly not his son because no child of his could ever commit murder or engage in a same sex relationship.


    Some sharp online news media had jumped on the rumor to claim that perhaps Brandon was a cuckoo personally brought in by Emilia. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Verdemont legacy was coming undone, just as Luther intended, he was going after them all, making them pay for Linda''s death as he had promised.


    Phoebe was in the living room with her mother and grandmother, her hair was being braided by Jennie who was arranging it for their mother-daughter date. It was less of a date and more of a trip to the supermarket which Phoebe had been coerced into.


    "The police has arrested Paul Verdemont this morning following the revelation of information from an anonymous source that he was involved in a hit and run incident three years ago. This accident happened around July on a rainy night and a drunk Paul crushed his car into a sixteen year old girl. A man named Joy Malloy turned himself in to the police the following morning and confessed to the murder and he received a two year sentence and probation because the victim did not die. She survived but lost all mobility in her legs. Since the case....."


    Grandma Mayfair switched off the TV with a remote. She had a slightly agitated expression on her face.


    "I have had enough about the Verdemonts to last me a life time. My goodness! Luther is really determined to take them all down." She frowned at Phoebe. "Do you think that he is the anonymous source?"


    "Probably." Phoebe mumbled out.


    The words were muffled as she was chewing after taking a large bite out of a strawberry cupcake with a lot of vanilla frosting.


    She had five more of those cupcakes lined out on a tray, waiting to be eaten. They were another product of Maria who was quickly working her way into becoming one of Phoebe''s favorite people in the world.


    Jennie stuck a gold hairpin with pearls in Phoebe''s hair. Not satisfied, she added two more which still didn''t satisfy her eyes so she added one with red tassels.


    Grandma Mayfair looked at Phoebe, wondering if she even had an opinion on what was going on on her head. Phoebe seemed to be more interested in the cupcakes than anything else. The relish on her face as she started on the second one certainly said so.


    Jennie took a hold of Phoebe''s left hand and clasped on a luxurious emerald green gold bracelet.


    "Oh for heavens sake Jennie it''s a trip to the supermarket not a ball or a wedding. Why are you dolling her up so much?"


    "Mother, we are going out on important business." Jennie claimed.


    Grandma Mayfair had no idea what they were up to and neither did Phoebe. She figured that she would find out when they got there.


    "Stop eating, let''s go." Jennie told her.


    Phebe picked up her bag and stood up. "I am ready."


    Even if her mother had dressed her up to look like a decorated Christmas tree, Phoebe could not have cared, she was just happy to have a mother that actually cared about how she looked.


    Jennie got a tissue and cleaned some of the frosting that had made it to the tip of Phoebe''s nose.


    "You eat like a cat." she told her.


    Phoebe smiled widely and chuckled.


    "Collin..." Jennie yelled.


    Grandma Mayfair put down the newspaper she had just picked up and sent Jennie a look of reproach, she disapproved of such uncalled for yelling in the house. Even Collin was agitated as he made his way down the stairs in a new look which he had chosen to debut that morning.


    Collin was a suit kind of man, day or night, at home, a party, a club, at work, at the church. The only time Collin Mayfair was not in a well pressed expensive suit was when he was working out or going to the gym.


    He had ditched the suit today and stepped out in jeans, a white shirt and white sneakers. He even had sunglasses on the top of head which drew attention to his hair that had been trimmed on the sides and a messy fringe.


    "Ooooohhhh!!" Grandma Mayfair croaked out in a broken voice.


    "I must be dreaming." Jennie whispered.


    Collin rolled his eyes as he walked past them with a smirk on his face.


    "What, haven''t you ladies seen a handsome man before?"

 Chapter 206 Best fake actress, Jennie.

    "Oooooohhhh!!!" Grandma Mayfair whimpered out. If one didn''t know better, they would assume the old woman was sick.


    The sound made Phoebe laugh loudly and she run after Collin, curious about the new look and the inspiration behind it.


    "Collin, wait up." she called out loudly.


    She caught up to him on the last step and he turned around.


    "Hi.." he raised his hand and folded it quickly with a nervous look on his face.


    He looked nothing like the cocky man that had just asked them if they had never seen a handsome man before.


    Phoebe almost strained her neck as she looked up at him from side to side with wide expressive eyes that were very impressed with his new look.


    [Shocking, wow!! this dumb brother of mine is actually good looking.]


    "Hey, i was born good looking, you must be suffering from Myopia or something, that''s why you are dating that David Saxon." Collin knocked his knuckles on her head gently.


    Phoebe stuck her mouth out in a pout and rubbed the slightly sore spot which had been knocked.


    "Does it hurt?" Collin moved her hand and rubbed the spot for her. "Sorry, i will be more careful next time and pinch your cheek instead little sister. Does it still hurt?"


    Phoebe smiled and shook her head.


    [Is this what it''s like to be dotted on by him? It sure is nice to have brothers that care so much.]


    Collin smiled, regretful for all the time he had missed out on with Phoebe because of Ruth. He would have to spoil her more often and give her twice the attention and love he gave Ruth as a child.


    "What have you done to your sister Collin Mayfair?" Jennie asked when she walked up on them with Collin still rubbing Phoebe''s head.


    She winced when she noticed a few hairs that had fallen out of place.


    "Look at what you have done Collin, it took me thirty minutes at least to design Phoebe''s hair. Why did you put your paws on her?"


    "Paws!!" Collin repeated.


    Jennie pushed him aside and she used her hand to get the hair back into place carefully.


    "There we go, now it''s perfect." She gave Collin one more glare and pulled Phoebe to the car. "Son, you can drive yourself, we need some privacy."


    Jennie firmly closed the car door before Collin could argue. Alone with Phoebe now, she started bombarding her with questions about herself and her childhood, grilling like Shark when he was determined to close a case.


    "What is your favorite color?"


    "White." Phoebe answered. "Or Black."


    Jennie noted it down on a notepad.


    "Ouuh...i like red too, because it''s the color of my hair and blue because it''s the color of the sky. I also look good in yellow." sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Jennie gave Phoebe a hopeless look, wondering if her daughter was going to just name every color in existence.


    "I definitely don''t like blonde." Phoebe said with grit. It was the color of Elizabeth and Ruth''s hair, the same one she had been forced to pass off as her natural hair color when they were scamming her.


    "Blonde is not a color." Jennie told her.


    Phoebe frowned and got her phone, rather than argue she preferred to get answers from the internet.


    "Mom, it says here that blond is a human hair color."


    Jennie blinked twice and sighed but perked up quickly and moved on to the next question.


    "What is your favorite doll?"


    Phoebe guffawed and she gave Jennie a look that said, are you kidding?


    "Mom, do people have favorite dolls?"


    Jennie nodded, to her it was a perfectly normal question because all little girls grew up playing with dolls. Ruth had no less than fifty dolls as a child, all of them expensive with houses, clothes, shoes, bags and tea sets.


    "I don''t have, i have never owned a doll." Phoebe answered nonchalantly.


    Jennie''s shoulders sagged, she wanted to cry out but kept her emotions in check so as not to burden or sadden Phoebe. She wanted to find the Gabriel''s and beat then up some more. Why didn''t they buy Phoebe a single doll?


    "Oh, i used to own a stuffed bunny, it was white and had the longest ears i had ever seen. As i grew older, the white turned to brown and the ears were torn off." Phoebe tilted her head to the left as she recalled the last time she had seen the old torn bunny which had been patched at least a dozen times. "Aaron threw it out when i was four or five i think, he said i was too old for dolls."


    Phoebe scoffed, she found it funny that he had said dolls when she owned only one.


    Unexpectedly, Phoebe was pulled into Jennie''s arms and hugged.


    "It''s okay, mommy will buy you as many dolls as you want."


    "Err..." Phoebe mumbled wanting to tell her that she did not really care about it anymore. People did not really miss things they did not have. Besides, as a grown woman now, what was she going to do with dolls?


    Not knowing what to do, Phoebe comforted Jennie, reversing the intentions of her mother to be the comforter and not the comforted.


    Jennie pulled back after a minute and the questioning continued.


    "What is your favorite cake flavor?"


    Phoebe shook her head. "Anything as long as it''s tasty."


    "Favorite ice cream." Jennie asked.


    "Mmmm, neopolitan, i am greedy i want three flavors in one. I also like coffee and chocolate chip and mint. I don''t like single flavors like plain vanilla or plain strawberry."


    "Favorite TV actor and actress."


    "My brother is an actor, i will feel like a cheater if i have a different favorite actor other than him. As for actress, Diane Anderson, she is the best when it comes to action scenes."


    Jennie had never heard about this actress so she noted down the name.


    This questioning continued until they arrived at the supermarket, When they walked in, they drew attention from others easily. One, because of the extravagant hair pins in Phoebe''s hair and two, Collin''s new look. The cuckoo factor could not be ignored, everyone knew that the new Mayfair heiress was a red head so when she was seen with Jennie, they knew exactly who she was.


    As they walked, they stopped to greet others or others stopped to greet them, especially those that were part of the founding society.


    The one thing they had not done so far was put a single item in the shopping trolley, a thing which confused both Phoebe and Collin.


    "Mom, we have not bought a single thing yet." Collin shared the observation.


    Jennie glared at her son and humphed.


    "Who said that we came to shop for things."


    Suddenly, she shoved the empty trolley and bumped into another woman and her daughter. Then, she put on some of the best fake acting Phoebe had ever seen as she approached the pair.


    "Oh my Gosh, i am so sorry, that was so clumsy of me. My hands are so slippery today, are you hurt?" She put a hand on her mouth and gasped loudly as if she was taking her very last breath on earth. "Annabelle Lee, is that you? This must be your daughter Shana, Oh wow...she has really grown up."


    Jennie grabbed Shana''s hand and pulled her away from her mother, snatching her like a kidnapper.

 Chapter 207 Kidnapping a daughter-in-law.

    Neither Phoebe, nor Collin could believe what they were witnessing. It was stunning to see how their mother could tell an impeccable lie with a straight face.


    What slippery hands? What coincidence? It was obviously a carefully calculated move to get her hands on Shana Lee. The way she had just snatched Shana away from her mother Annabelle, you would think she was the actual mother and Annabelle the kidnapper.


    They were not the only ones to be stunned, even Annabelle was the same. For one, she had never had any interactions with Jennie Mayfair, not personal intimate ones anyway and two, why had she just grabbed her daughter and why was she imprisoning her at her side?


    Mrs. Annabelle Lee, a normally soft hearted woman with a kind nature drew her thin eyebrows together in a frown and reached her hand out to retrieve her daughter. She could not help the suspicion arising in her mind.


    [Holy shit!! we are not shopping at all, we are kidnapping another family''s daughter.] Phoebe''s mouth dropped open.


    Before she could take her daughter back, Jennie spread both of her hands out, a move that suddenly shoved Shana lightly. She stumbled back two steps and Collin who was somehow at the right place and standing in the right position caught her.


    Phoebe''s eyes widened and she gasped, she could have sworn that all of this was happening in slow motion and she was at the live shooting of a romance movie.


    It became even more entertaining when Collin tightened his hands around Shana''s waist and Shana blushed red like ketchup. She looked so innocent and shy, in the arms of the big bad wolf.


    [Wow!!!!! i should not be watching this, nooo, i need to watch.]


    Phoebe squealed and almost laughed out loud, struggling to contain her excitement. The ghosts sensed her excitement and they too came rushing out of the space to witness this hero saves the damsel scene.


    "Are you okay?" Collin asked Shana.


    Shana blushed again and looked down, nodding. "Yes."


    Her voice was soft and adorable, Phoebe could not help the ''awwwww'' sounds which spilled out of her mouth. It was hard not to find Shana Lee adorable, with her dark hair, big eyes and innocent face together with an air of purity.


    One worried mama was watching this scene with an unhappy face, Collin Mayfair was not exactly known for his softness. He was also a well known sis con and part time rogue. She would not allow her innocent daughter to fall into his clutches.


    This scene of them standing close with one of his large hands on her waist was worrisome enough, if the wrong person with a loose mouth saw them, it would become a new topic at the dining tables of every founding family.


    If there was one thing they loved more than a ball, a charity fundraiser, dirt from another household and downfall of another family, it was who was dating who. Not just dating but even other things like hand holding, kissing, a pinch on the cheek, a smile and other ridiculous details. They needed to know such information as if it was daily bread.


    If one wrong person saw them, people would be taking bets on whether the Mayfair and Lee families were to be joined in marriage. Such rumors would ruin her Shana''s carefully built reputation.


    "Shana..." Annabelle called out sternly.


    She took two steps in the direction of her daughter and Collin but Jennie grabbed her and held on to her.


    "Annie, my good friend, Shana is not okay. My hands slipped again and i accidentally sent her flying into my wonderful son''s arms. Thank God he is strong and capable enough that he caught and protected her. If she had hit her head on one of the aisles what would we do?"


    Jennie''s carefully calculated words did not make Annabelle comfortable. Instead, she struggled to be released from what was a surprisingly, strong hold.


    "Collin, take Shana to the hospital right now, i think she sprained her ankle." Jennie ordered. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Huh!" Phoebe and the ghosts exclaimed.


    Which ankle was sprained? Those two steps Shana had taken back could not even hurt a fly.


    "Yes mom." Collin answered without hesitation.


    Suddenly, without hesitation, he lifted Shana off her feet and run away from them as if Annabelle would break free and chase after him.


    [Wow!! Oh my God, we truly came to kidnap a bride. Mom, we are not living in the old centuries where brides were kidnapped. We could get reported for kidnapping...but this is so wrong but also funny.]


    Phoebe turned her face and leaned into the tissues which were lined up carefully in the aisle, and she laughed.


    The expressions on Shana and Annabelle''s faces when the kidnapping happened would never be erased from her mind.


    "What are you doing? You hooligans, rogues, rakes, return my daughter to me you Mayfairs." Annabelle shouted.


    "And i thought your family was boring." The Saxon spirit laughed and returned to the space.


    Connie was starry eyed, "Sister, i didn''t know Collin was so strong. I want to be carried like that and...."


    The Saxon spirit came out of the space and pinched her ear.


    "You brat! how old are you to be talking about being carried like that by a man? Instead of watching silly romance movies all day, you should be reading more books."


    "Let me go you old witch, i don''t want to read those stupid books. I am a ghost, am i going to take ghost exams? You are bullying me." Connie struggled.


    Her struggle was futile as the spirit dragged her back into the space.


    "I will mediate." Sylvester assured Phoebe and he vanished.


    Jennie saw that Collin had vanished from their sight and she let go of Annabelle''s hands. Annabelle gave Jennie a look that promised to rain fire and hailstorms down on Jennie.


    "Sister Annie, your daughter is injured and it''s my fault. You have to allow me take care of her as best as i can. Don''t worry, i trust my son and he will be nothing but a gentleman. Phoebe am i right, Collin is a gentleman, right?" Jennie looked at Phoebe.


    Phoebe raised her head and she smiled. "Yes, my brother is the best."


    Annabelle rolled her eyes and tapped her right foot down impatiently at the same time. These two were mother and daughter, of course they were going to defend Collin, he was one of them.


    "Annie...." Jennie started.


    Annabelle scoffed. "When did we become close to the extent of you calling me Annie?"


    Jennie latched onto Annabelle''s arm shamelessly. "What are you talking about, we stood next to each other thirty two years ago at the founders memorial ball. I remember that you were wearing a very pretty green bow in your hair and i bought one the very next day.


    Ooh, speaking of things we have in common, your family raised a cuckoo just like us and those cuckoos turned on us."


    Annabelle''s eyes lit up and she forgot her kidnapped daughter for a moment. Just like others, she too loved to know that happenings in the houses of the others and the Mayfair cuckoo had been one of the best kept secrets in their society.


    Jennie smiled slyly and winked at Phoebe as they pushed their shopping carts, walking side by side in a sudden newly sprouted friendship.

 Chapter 208 Temptations of owning a hot charger.

    One hour later, Jennie and Phoebe bid Annabelle goodbye after treating her to some tea and cookies in the cafe inside the supermarket.


    Jennie had succeeded in making Annabelle a friend and they had made plans to go golfing together tomorrow.


    As they were waiting for the driver to bring the car over and take them back home, Phoebe could not stop thinking about the method her mother had applied. Why had she schemed rather than approach Annabelle and broach the subject of bringing their two children together through a blind date perhaps?


    "You must be wondering why i acted in there, right?" Jennie asked.


    Phoebe turned her head and nodded, with a gentle smile on her face.


    Jennie let out a dramatic exhausted sigh, all that acting had been out of character for her but she had enjoyed it. "The Lee family is a scholarly one, never have i ever heard a scandal from their house, not until the Cuckoo case. They care about their image extremely so they raise their daughters with care like ancient royal families used to do.


    They train them in arts like piano, drawing, calligraphy, painting, chess, violin, art and design. Every woman from the Lee family or one who marries in must be a virgin. Purity is very important to them, heck, they are obsessed with it. With their standards of raising daughters, it is no mistake that most of their daughters grow up to become women to look up to in society."


    "Tch!" Phoebe scoffed.


    "I know, i know, it''s ridiculous but that''s their way of doing things, every founding family has theirs. You obviously saw the look of disapproval on your grandmother''s face when that Kelly brought herself over and introduced herself as Collin''s girlfriend. In our family, it is the elders of one or both families that make the introductions if you are ready for marriage. A woman cannot just come over the way Kelly did and make herself comfortable, it supposedly shows bad character, shamelessness."


    "Wow! how complicated." Phoebe muttered.


    She shuffled from one foot to another, looking up at the grey sky that was showing signs of rain.


    Jennie smiled to herself as she came down to the explanation of why she had acted the way she did. "Shana Lee is an academic, smart and accomplished, about to become the youngest female professor at the Victorious university law school. She is a prize in the Lee family, guarded like a fragile golden egg.


    I looked into it yesterday and apparently her family has already received six marriage proposals which are being weighed. In order to help your brother who is late to the party, i must be cunning and ruthless.


    Such a good daughter-in-law, how can i let her end up in another family? I can only do so much however, the rest is up to your brother. If he misses her...." She sighed.


    If Collin missed Shana, they would have to ask Phoebe to find another good wife for him. Jennie hoped that Collin was wise enough to utilize the opportunity she had bought him to make a good impression.


    "Don''t worry mom, did you see how she was blushing? It indicates some modicum of interest from Shana. My brother will charm her within a day and we will have a wedding in three to four months maximum." Phoebe assured her.


    Jennie''s lips beamed with a smile, excited by the possibility of finally marrying off one son. How joyous would it be!


    "I am a shaman, aren''t i?" Phoebe asked.


    Jennie nodded, she clenched her fist and nodded again. Her daughter had extraordinary abilities, if she said it would happen, she had to believe it.


    The car arrived but Phoebe did not get in, only Jennie did.


    "Mom, i have to go and see a friend."


    "Okay, be careful on the road, remember to eat and watch out for your safety." Jennie gave her reminders.


    When she left, Phoebe hailed a taxi and set off in the opposite direction.


    ***************


    David was in his apartment, sweating massively after an intense gym session. The last thing he expected was to receive a guest just when he was wiping his body with a towel.


    The news of the arrival of the guest was shared by his personal butler, George, a stoic faced man in his mid fifties sent over by his grandmother to assist him since he was not living in the Saxon tower anymore.


    David was reluctant to exit the home gym, until the butler mentioned the name of the guest. As soon as he heard it, he stumbled out of the gym, narrowly escaping the fate of tripping over a misplaced exercise ball.


    "Phoebe!" he exclaimed.


    It was not a lie, she was there in living room looking at the books on the wooden shelf on the large living room wall.


    His feet could not stop themselves and he approached her.


    "Phoebe." he turned her around.


    When she looked at him, the smile on her face faded and her lips formed a small pout. She trailed her eyes over his bare broad chest that was glistening with sweat which was running down to his perfectly crafted abs.


    Phoebe was not a lustful person but it was hard to divert her eyes from the free visual service being offered.


    [Damn it! this bastard charger is still as hot as ever, i should touch a little bit, just a little. Hmmmmmmm.....No, no, i should look away and avoid temptation. Phoebe falling for beauty is what got you into trouble in your last life, be firmer and smarter. Okay just one more peak, just one more...and maybe a poke. No, no, no...Damn it Phoebe! snap out of it.]


    She was thinking so hard that she did not notice one of her fingers dancing around, facing the direction of his chest.


    David chuckled, "You can touch if you want, it all belongs to you anyway."


    Phoebe was mortified on hearing his words and she turned around.


    [Who wants to touch you? Hmph!]


    David chuckled again, he grabbed her hand suddenly and slammed it on his chest, right over his heart. Phoebe gasped and pulled it back but he would not let go.


    "What are you doing?" She questioned him.


    "I am using my beauty to my advantage, giving you what you desire." He guided her hand down slowly, seducing her with a naughty spark in his eyes. He stopped the movement when both hands reached his navel, anymore and it would become dangerous.


    It was not his intention to tease her but the opportunity was too good to pass up and that wide eyed scandalized look in her eyes was quite hilarious. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mild laughter escaped his mouth and Phoebe blushed a fierce red.


    "What, should i keep going? I cannot guarantee what you will touch next however won''t scare you." He leaned down slowly as if he was about to kiss her, but he didn''t.


    His hot breath landed on her cheek before his head turned and he brushed his lips on the tip of her right ear. "It is not as flat as my abs."


    Phoebe leaned back, gasped again and struggled, pulling her hand away while trying her best not to look down. David Saxon was really shameless, what kind of things was he saying when his butler was around?


    "Rogue!!" she cried out softly."Let go of me."

 Chapter 209 Kiss, kiss.

    Phoebe really couldn''t believe the nerve of David Saxon to tease her like that. She didn''t care about the sudden slight awakening of desires she thought were long buried. She just wanted to find a hole, jump inside and hide for a while.


    If this butler had a loose mouth, this encounter would reach the ears of grandma Saxon and soon her grandmother''s ears.


    "Reformed rogue." he amended. "I am owned by one woman only now, but if you desire a rogue, i can bring him out for you."


    He let go of her hand and Phoebe thought he would step back and this would be the end of the embarrassing moment. She was wrong!


    As soon as he dropped her hand, his right hand went around her waist and he tugged her closer to his body. In a move to protect herself, both of her hands went up to his chest but they did not push him away as she thought she wanted.


    Her mind and body were not coordinating al all and David did not look like he had good intentions.


    "This is not a good idea."


    He smiled wickedly, one side of his lips curling upwards. "What? Me holding you like this?" He lowered his face to hers, the tips of his nose brushing against hers. "You came to my apartment, looking so beautiful. You drooled at the sight of my chest and looked at me with desire. All i want to do now is untangle your hair, run it through you fingers and run my tongue along your red lips."


    Phoebe parted her lips slightly and run her tongue over them. Her eyes stared into his, nervous but intensely. A big part of her wanted to throw caution to the wind and listen to insensible part of her brain.


    One kiss, just one kiss. What harm could come from one small kiss?


    David didn''t know what was going through her mind, but he was familiar with her needy look. That, plus the clenching of her hands on his chest and how she was now standing on pip toes told him all he needed to know.


    But, with their history, he had some doubts and he didn''t want to scare her away.


    "You should never look at me like that Phoebe, it gives me crazy ideas. It makes me want to cross a line you don''t want me to cross yet. Tell me, should i cross it right now? If i kiss you, will you be scared or turned on?"


    His lips brushed hers and he backed away slowly, like he was giving up, at least that was what Phoebe thought.


    Then he kissed her, surprising her as there was no warning. She was so taken aback that she just stood there as he placed gentle, soft kisses on her lips.


    "Kiss him back." A voice shouted in her mind.


    Phoebe opened her mouth, expecting him to deepen the kiss but suddenly he backed off. Unintentionally, a whimper of disappointment escaped her mouth.


    [Is that it?]


    David dropped his hand and stepped away from her. "I am going to shower, don''t go anywhere."


    The whimper escaped her mouth as he turned around and walked away with firm quick steps. Phoebe covered her mouth, stopping it from making any other shameful sounds. She was mortified, was she really starved for physical intimacy that she could not control herself?


    She looked at the corner where the butler had been standing and he was no longer there. He had left already, probably unwilling to witness the careless display of affection.


    "Oh thank God." she touched her chest and sighed loudly.


    She walked slowly as her legs were trembling, taking her time until she reached the couch at the window next to the door leading out to the balcony and sat down.


    Her mind was still on that kiss, it had been soft, something she didn''t expect out of him. He had kissed her like it was their very first kiss?


    "Wait, this is my first kiss with him in this life." she mumbled. She recalled that she had apparently kissed him at the beach and shook her head, it was the second one.


    Phoebe touched her lips and smiled, this kiss had been a good one, for a man that had been working out, he weirdly tasted of brandy.


    George, the butler walked over, coming from the direction of the kitchen and he put a cup of hot chocolate in front her, it was accompanied by a serving of two cinnamon rolls.


    "Mr. David said you like hot chocolate on rainy days." he said.


    Phoebe pointed to herself, "Me!"


    It was true she liked hot chocolate on rainy days but how...why had the he discussed her with the butler?


    "If you need anything else, use the phone, otherwise, i will be in my room."


    He pointed at the landline sitting on the living room glass stable.


    "Or i could just shout your name." Phoebe countered.


    "Whatever you wish miss Phoebe," he bowed politely and left.


    Alone in the quiet living room, Phoebe brought the cup of hot chocolate to her lips and smiled. It was not plain hot chocolate, there was a hint of ginger that she detected. Only David knew how she liked her hot chocolate, and he certainly didn''t have that information in this life.


    He was not even hiding the fact that he had been reborn from her. Was he deliberately leaving clues to test her?


    She sipped the hot chocolate slowly while watching the rain, falling outside. That''s what David found her doing, and he took her cup to the kitchen and refilled it personally.


    "Why are you sitting so close to the window?" he asked her as he handed her the cup.


    "Why are you barefoot?" she answered with a question.


    He excused himself and returned with two pairs of stockings, two jackets and one blanket. He knelt down and put the stockings on her feet, helped her into the jacket and did the same for himself.


    Done with that, he sat down behind her on the couch, pulled her to sit comfortably between his legs and he covered them both with the blanket.


    "This is far more comfortable, right?"


    "Whatever." she muttered.


    [One hundred percent better, i even like the texture of this jacket, its so soft and warm. These stockings are cute, this much care for me is really surprising. You used to be aloof but it turns out a guys like you also knows how to do things like this, unbelievable.]


    David read her thoughts and he smiled, he did not understand why she could not use her mouth honestly and admit when she liked something. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Why did you come over to my apartment?"


    Phoebe clenched her toes and her eyes moved back and forth, she had come over on a whim and also to charge. Neither of those answers could be given.


    What excuse could she use right now?

 Chapter 210 Two baby toes.

    "Does it matter why i came?" She quizzed.


    After all the thinking she did, the smartest answer she could come up with was to ask a question of her own.


    David folded his lips together and considered it for a short five seconds, he came to the realization that it did not matter why she had come, all that mattered was that she had come.


    He tightened his hands around her waist and smiled. "I always thought i would need a bulldozer to get you in here, i never imagined that you would walk in on your own.


    [Neither did I] Phoebe thought.


    Her phone chosen that moment to ring and Phoebe picked up, when she saw the name of the caller, she slid a finger across the screen and answered lazily.


    "Collin."


    Behind her, David''s eyebrows shot up, which Collin was she talking to, he wondered.


    "Pheebs," her brother responded without a hello just as she had done. "How mad is Shana''s mother, on a scale of one to ten."


    "Initially eight but by the time we bade her farewell i am certain that it was a weak three. Of course, we didn''t reveal the purpose of our little supermarket trip. Tell me big brother, were you in on it with mum? Is that why you got the new look?"


    To her thinking, if he had a heads up, it explained everything easily.


    "I was told to dress up nice, nothing much. As for the new look, i just needed something different, my body still feels contaminated after you know what. If i could change my skin, i would do it in a heartbeat." he replied, earnestly.


    Phoebe did not want to delve into the unmentionable incident again so she just raised a different question.


    "Was Shana really injured?"


    She brought the cup to her lips as she waited for a response.


    "Yes."


    The contents of the cup did not get to enter her mouth. She had been certainly the spraining of the foot claim had been just that_a claim.


    "You don''t say, is it because of mom?"


    "No, no, oh God no!" Collin was quick to defend their mother. "Mom would never deliberately injure someone, Shana has a strained muscle from wearing high heels. It''s a good thing that i actually brought her to the hospital, it turns out she has been in pain all day but her mother had a long itinerary planned out for her for the day and she didn''t get a chance to see a doctor. In the end, i guess i am actually the hero that saved the beauty." He laughed.


    Phoebe leaned forward and set the cup down on the table, next to the base of an umbrella shaped table lamp.


    "So, is there hope?" she asked.


    Collin laughed, again, sounding a lot happier than he had been since the incident. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Fingers crossed, wish me luck baby sister."


    Phoebe rolled her eyes at the baby part by her lips moved up in a big smile. "Alright, good luck. Tell me if you need a charm or amulet to smooth things along. Bye."


    She vaguely heard him say goodbye as she hung up, still with a happy smile on her face.


    "What''s making you so happy?" David turned her head and bent down to look at her closely.


    "My brother might be lucky in love this time round. I don''t know who told my mother about Shana Lee but they did our Mayfair family a favor. I could be getting a good sister-in-law soon."


    "Hmm, the Lee family." David said slowly, like he was thinking deeply.


    Phoebe nodded.


    "So, you sell love amulets too." he mentioned. "You should give me one as well, i have this firecracker of a woman that has only one toe into our relationship and yet i have both feet in. I am uneasy, worried that wise ass with nice golden colored hair will steal her from me."


    She snorted in response and rolled her eyes.


    "It''s not even a big toe, she has only a baby toe into the relationship. She is such a cruel woman, a cruel, cruel woman." he lamented, playfully.


    She detected the humor in his voice and again, rolled her eyes in response. "I am in your house, in your arms and we kissed just a while ago, i think it''s two baby toes."


    "Yes!" David celebrated loudly.


    She pulled the hand which was in the middle of celebration down. "What are you so happy about?"


    "Two baby toes is progress, there was a time when you wanted nothing to do with me at all. I have got to say that i don''t miss those days. You tossed my flowers into the garbage, now, you allow them to sit on the tables in the cafe. Soon, they will be in that empty vase on the coffee table in your living room."


    She sneered playfully. "You are getting way ahead of yourself Mr. two baby toes."


    "Hey, i have to celebrate all of our new milestones." He wrapped his hands around her waist again and tightened the hold, lowering his head and resting it on the back of her neck with his chin.


    His hot breath skirted across the skin of her upper neck slowly, evoking a little ticklish sensation within her.


    "Do you want to talk about it Pheebs?"


    "About what?"


    She turned her head but she couldn''t see his face, only some strands of his white hair.


    "About the past, about us, when we were married." he elaborated.


    David had been thinking about it long and hard and he realized that the past would keep them stuck if they did not deal with it. He did not want to open his eyes in the future and suddenly find that they had gone back to square one because of misunderstandings and unresolved issues.


    Phoebe''s body went stiff and briefly, her breath caught in her throat. She exhaled and laughed nervously. "What are you talking about..what past and what marriage?"

 Chapter 211 Little molehills before big mountains.

    David''s hand slowly moved over her right arm, drawing circles, crosses, ticks and all sorts of random things. He knew that broaching this subject would be difficult for her, especially since she seemed to prefer that the past remain in the past.


    He just hadn''t anticipated that talking about it would be like pulling a nail out of a wall with a plastic knife, it was a difficult task, almost impossible.


    "I had a dream." he finally spoke after much thinking, "In that dream, we were married by this time and you lived with me in the Saxon tower. Our marriage was pervaded with many misunderstandings.


    My mother could not get along with you and every time i defended you, she just lost her mind and took her anger out on you. In order to protect you, i stopped defending you in front of her, keeping my silence whenever she berated you." He laughed harshly, a tinge of self mockery in the sound. "I was wrong, the more i remained silent and indifferent, the more i harmed you. I was a coward i think, i should have just taken your hand and run away with you. If only__, if only.." he broke off.


    David didn''t say more and neither did Phoebe, silence filled the room, a spirit of regret lingered agonizingly in the air.


    "We had children." he said, softly, almost as if he was afraid to say it out loud.


    The insides of Phoebe''s stomach clenched but she retained silence.


    "You gave me two beautiful boys, Rufus and Ramy." he continued weakly.


    A soft whimper escaped Phoebe''s lips, and she ripped herself out of his arms. Her breathing was uneasy and she had this lump that was stuck in her throat. Her eyelashes were already damp and tears were threatening to escape her eyes.


    "I need to use your bathroom."


    She run from the living room and found the bathroom in his bedroom. Phoebe could hear the sounds of his footsteps as David followed after her, calling out her name but she didn''t stop.


    Inside the bathroom, she shut the door firmly, locking it behind to stop him from coming inside. She slid down against the door and finally exploded into tears.


    The Saxon spirit, Connie and Sylvester all came out of the space and surrounded her. None of them said a word to comfort her, they could not as it would not ease her pain.


    Outside, sitting in a similar position, David was also sobbing silently, releasing tears that he had been holding back for over a year.


    Both of them were filled with self blame and regret, if only they had communicated better, they would have saved their family.


    Two hours passed slowly and the door was finally opened, Phoebe stepped out and she met David''s hulking frame, waiting just outside the door.


    He handed her a glass of water, painkillers and put her to bed. He figured they had opened up enough of the past and the rest could wait for another time.


    *************


    The next morning, she opened her eyes before David did and quickly slid out of the bed and left his apartment, going to hers in order to take a bath.


    From there, it was business as usual, her plans for the day were many and she needed to get a head start. First, she went to her usual seed vendor, she needed new seeds of different varieties.


    She also needed some herbs that were main ingredients in some of the tonics but to her disappointment the rare herbs had all been purchased.


    "Mr. Alton, didn''t we agree that you save all your Black Cohosh and ginseng for me? I even paid a deposit, this is immoral of you." She huffed and pouted, expressing her unhappiness.


    Even though she was displeased, she could never truly keep her anger when it came to the vendor Mr. Alton. He was a middle aged man, pushing mid fifties. His face was clean shaven and round, marked with laugh lines as he was mostly ever jolly.


    He had a full head of brown hair and was in good shape. He was always neat and his character was excellent. Mr. Alton was one of the people that knew of her occupation and did not discriminate against her. He was even a regular at the cafe.


    "I tried miss Phoebe but an old friend had an emergency, i didn''t sell it, i gave it out for free." He handed her an envelope of cash which was the deposit she had made. "Pure organic herbs are really rear these days, the sun is harsh and unfavorable for us to grow them. As you can see, the quality of most seeds and herbs has greatly declined." Sadness could be detected in his voice.


    His words made Phoebe more determined to grow her own herbs, it was better than depending on others. The land she had been given by her father had been cleared and it was ready for planting.


    All she needed were workers and a farm manager to handle things in her absence. It was her intention to ask Collin for help dealing with this problem.


    She bid Mr. Alton farewell, leaving behind the deposit in case he came across other rare seeds and herbs.


    "Why don''t you try David? He mentioned that he was looking for a herbalist that grows the variant Ivy leaf, maybe he could have some of the herbs you need." The Saxon spirit suggested as they walked casually.


    Phoebe sighed deeply. "I cannot rely on him for everything, i need to be independent otherwise i will be back to my old self."


    Feeling down spirited, Phoebe sighed as she walked out of the mall with her shoulders slumped. She was not paying attention to her surroundings and as a result, three reckless boys on scooters bumped into her. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She lost her balance and stumbled backwards, her bag slid from her shoulder and fell to the ground along with her.


    Without pause and shame, the boys snatched her bag and run towards a small alley. Phoebe quickly raised to her feet and prepared to run after them when a white haired man suddenly dashed past her and followed the thieves into the alley, shouting at them to stop.


    Although he had white hair, Phoebe could tell from his back structure that he was not David.


    As she was still processing that, Pike run past her, following them and Santos caught her by the shoulders. His eyes moved all over her as if checking for injuries.


    "Miss Phoebe are you alright? You shouldn''t go in there, don''t you remember what happened the last time you entered an alley? We''ll take care of it." He assured her.


    Phoebe''s widely open eyes kept looking at him in wonder, she had no idea that the men were still following her around. Not once had she grown suspicious, they were becoming more skilled at the their jobs.


    She had become more wary of people after the Timmy incident, David had been right from the start, it was a good thing to have protection.


    After what seemed like a long wait but was actually a minute and ten seconds, Pike came back. Phoebe stared at him quizzically because he didn''t have the bag. Before she could ask why, the white haired man appeared behind him with her bag in hand.


    He stopped in front of her and held it to her eyes with a charming smile.


    Phoebe on the other hand had a disgusted look etched on her face as she lowered at him.


    [Dickson!]

 Chapter 212 We all hate Dickson.

    Her eyes widened in a mixture of terror and shock, she felt her back stiffen. All she saw was the devil smiling at her, she only had bad memories about the man.


    A smile played on Dickson''s lips, his curiosity shot through the roof when he read her thoughts. He blinked rapidly thinking that he was mistaken and he brushed it off.


    He was more interested in knowing how she knew him as they had never met before. Was David feeding her lies about him or was she familiar with his face because like most Saxons, he had graced the covers of a few magazines, was a familiar face in entertainment news and one of the most eligible bachelors in town.


    "Well hello there beautiful." he drawled out.


    Phoebe''s slightly trembling hand snatched the bag from him. She remained firmly silent, not thanking him or saying another word.


    He seemed to find her reaction amusing and a light smirk formed on his face. He loved the stubborn ones, they were the best to break.


    "My name is Dickson Saxon, I believe the name rings a bell." He unfolded his fingers waiting to hold those of Phoebe.


    Standing next to Phoebe, the Saxon spirit had a deep sneer on its face. Just like Phoebe, it also disdained Dickson greatly.


    "Now walk away Phoebe, walk away now. This lowlife planned all this is, I saw him paying off those disrespectful brats that stole your bag. He must have done this intentionally to meet you and set in motion some evil plan." The Saxon spirit warned lightly.


    It was also panicked because Dickson had seen Phoebe''s inner thoughts. One of the downsides of the pendant was that not just good or redeemable Saxons could benefit from it, evil Saxons too could see Phoebe''s thoughts about them. It was a Saxon pendant after all, a relic whose energy reacted to all humans of the Saxon bloodline.


    The spirit was aware of how vulnerable Phoebe would be in front of Dickson so it vanished into the space and immediately sent an invisible paper man to attach a talisman on Dickson''s back. The purpose of the talisman was to block Dickson''s ability to read Phoebe''s thoughts.


    Dickson, felt a hot sensation on his back and he frowned, but he didn''t think much of it. He was more focused on gaining something out of this encounter.


    "I think that i have met you before but i...."


    Phoebe whirled around as he was talking and she walked away from him, she heard him chuckle which only made her hasten her steps.


    "Young Miss! Young Miss! Are you alright?" Santos shouted only for Phoebe to pause.


    "Why did you walk off like that? That is the boss''s cousin. Do you not know him?" he asked.


    "No! I don''t and I do not want to know who that bastard is either."


    Santos did not buy her words at all, if she did not know him then why call him a bastard? Her answer made no sense at all and just for precautions sake, he updated his boss on the new development.


    She continued to walk, ignoring every taxi that hooted at her until she reached the cafe, still maddened. With her hand clasped on the door handle, Phoebe calmed her nerves before entering the cafe.


    "Good morning." She greeted with fake cheer.


    Her grandmother who was placing a basket of freshly baked cup cakes on the counter spun around and looked at her.


    "Good....are you alright honey? You are sweating!" Her eyes traveled past Phoebe to the door in search of anything suspicious assuming that Phoebe had been chased inside.


    Phoebe wiped the beads of sweat with a tissue before approaching the counter and sitting down in a chair directly below the air conditioner.


    "Oh Nana, I...you have no idea what just happened. I had to walk all the way the way here, the traffic is horrible at this hour." Phoebe shamelessly lied, but with good reason.


    She didn''t want to worry her grandmother who would hurry to tell the family all about Dickson. Her grievances against him were all incidents from her past life, in this one she had not crossed paths with him before.


    "Ohh that''s because the eastern road is under construction. The city sent out alerts didn''t you see any of them?" Grandma Mayfair sat in the chair opposite hers.


    Phoebe shook her head, her grandmother went on to bring up the topic about Shana but Phoebe''s thoughts had traveled far.


    She was wondering why Dickson had approached on purpose, what did he want from her? Just the thought of his evil smile caused her to shudder. Had he come to hurt her on Ruth''s behalf like he had done countless times in the past? Was he here to get revenge because she had made the love of his life mad? She had dozens of questions swirling around in her head. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Saxon spirit was deep in thought as well, she didn''t want Phoebe to get tangled up with Dickson, he was a bad apple.


    She was floating back and forth over Phoebe''s head, the ghost equivalent of human pacing. "You know since the boys were young, Dickson always saw David as competition. What if he wants you because you are important to David? Why else would he plan for hooligans to attack you just so he can swoop in as your savior?"


    Phoebe stood up at once, her hands slapped the table terrifying grandma Mayfair who was still speaking.


    "Grandma we''ll talk about this later." Phoebe began to walk but she paused when the rattle bell chimed because everyone gasped.


    Her eyes followed those of Rossett who almost dropped the plate of pancakes that she was holding.


    "Paula Rorton?" Rosset''s voice sliced through the air. "Oh my God? Why are you here?" She asked the ghost.


    It ignored Rosset and moved to the counter and stood before Phoebe.


    "Are you the ghost seeing lady? I need help." Paula''s eyes expressed desperation.


    Phoebe shut her eyes for a fleeting second and opened them. Paula''s face was very familiar but she couldn''t place where she had seen her.


    Rosset was not to be stopped, she put down the pancakes and approached the ghost. "Yes she is, this is Phoebe Mayfair the great shaman of Fog country, whatever your problem is she will solve it."


    Paula''s desperate eyes shifted to Phoebe who wore a welcoming warm smile. "Paula? That''s your name?" She quizzed.


    "Pheebs! That''s Paula the newest upcoming undercover journalist in the entertainment circle." Rosette stared at her in shock wondering if she was living under a rock.


    Grandma Mayfair adjusted the ghost seeing glasses on her head and brought them over eyes. "Come on child don''t tell me that you don''t know who she is? Paula Rorton was one of the best scandalous news investigators for LBS TV. Her obituary was allover the news a few days ago, she died two weeks ago, i think, but my dear why haven''t you moved on yet?


    Paula''s eyes grew moist. "Because my killers have not been punished yet in fact they have been set free."


    Phoebe was placing one and two together, her eyes lit up when she remembered where she had seen Paula''s face. Before rebirth, she vaguely heard about the name after the woman''s death but she had been caught up in her own problems that she didn''t pay attention.


    Additionally, pictures of her corpse at the crime scene were on an officer''s desk she had glanced at recently. She had seen them the day she escorted Luther to the police station. She didn''t know much about her apart from what she saw. Phoebe requested her to take a sit.


    "Tell me your story Paula."

 Chapter 213 Freezing moon club case at her door.

    Blinking back her tears, Paula swallowed hard. Deep within her heart she hoped that Phoebe would take on her case, becoming a vengeful evil ghost wasn''t on her bucket list besides the ghosts that had directed her to the red headed powerful shaman praised her for being the justice bringer.


    If she could let go of her grudge, she could move one and that was what Paula wanted to do. She was a realistic person in life and an even more realistic ghost. Sticking around and wandering aimlessly from city to city was no way to spend eternity.


    As she organized the story in her head, Rosette placed a plate of food and glass of water before her.


    "You can have this, it''s meant for ghosts."


    "Thank you." Paula smiled appreciatively, her eyes shifted back to Phoebe who sat patiently waiting for her to speak.


    Paula poked at the round rim of the glass, tapping it slowly with her moderately sharp nails. Each tap produced a soft noise.


    She brought the glass to her mouth, took a sip of water and then put it down and started her narration. "I think that it was two years ago when girls between the ages of twenty to twenty five began to die mysteriously after attending mysterious parties, the exclusive__invite only kind of parties. In total, they were about four women at the time and the cause of death in each case was excessive use of pink cocaine."


    Phoebe pulled her brows closer. "Pink cocaine? What''s that?" She jotted down the word in her note book. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Oh sister you don''t know what it is? Rich kids these days take it like its candy." Connie paused on realizing that she was getting judgemental looks from everyone for spilling unwanted information, even Phoebe who shushed her.


    The root cause was because Connie was young, even though she was a ghost. They all wanted her to be as innocent as a new born baby.


    "You guys are too much, hmph!" Connie muttered and pouted. She firmly folded her mouth, planning not to offer any other assistance.


    Paula laughed slightly and relaxed as the last bit of tension left her ghostly body. "Anyway its a pink dyed synthetic drug that causes hallucination, this specific one in circulation has ketamine and MDMA. Some drug users enjoy using it because it sends them to another world, or so say they say." She explained.


    Phoebe nodded continuously, she was familiar with hallucinogens and ketamine.


    Grandma Mayfair''s eyes kept moving from the clock to the door. It was almost rush hour, she prayed that by then Paula would be done with the story.


    "Continue young woman, we are all ears." Her hands gestured that she should speed up.


    "I heard about one case from a colleague at work and it piqued my interest because three years ago, Sydney Marlow went to a party and overdosed on the same drug. TK entertainment spent a lot of money to bribe the police, medical examiner and her employees to keep the cause of death a secret. Imagine my surprise when i discovered more cases and all tied to TK, i just knew that i had stumbled onto something.


    I began to investigate on my own, there is a detective at CPD whom I approached first. He was my go to person when I needed information about cases like these, all I had to do was give him any information that could lead to an arrest as he wanted to be the one to break it wide open, he likes the limelight___" Paula was interrupted by Phoebe who laughed knowingly.


    "Let me guess this detective''s name is Shark right?"


    On hearing the name, Paula''s eyes flew open. "Yes! In fact i was hoping that he took my case but I guess it wasn''t juicy enough for him." She exhaled noisily through pursed lips.


    Inwardly Phoebe chuckled. "In his defense, this wasn''t his case, it was assigned to someone else."


    Paula slapped the table lightly. "He could have stolen it if he wanted to!"


    "You said it yourself lady, your case is not juicy enough, that guy only takes on cases he can close with no screw left loose. Probably your case has some loose screws that are difficult to tighten, ergo, not juicy enough." Connie spoke through a full mouth as she twisted the hand that was holding an apple.


    Her words attracted frowns from the group which caused her to frown as well.


    "Did i say something wrong?" She asked innocently.


    Paula sighed heavily and continued. "Anyway, the detective gave me insider information that had not been made public. The dead girls had invisible tattoos to the naked eye on the backs of their hands. Black light tattoos, like the ones stamped on the body at some exclusive clubs. I persuaded him to tell me where the tattoos where from and he told me that they were from the Freezing moon club.


    Her words elicited gasps from the group, especially Phoebe who had only recently discussed the Freezing moon club case with Shark. She had not known at the time that the case would come knocking at her door eventually.


    "Wait a minute, the freezing moon club? That is where you died, right? I remember it clearly, the news said that you had an accident and died." Grandma Mayfair who was too invested in the case asked.


    Paula wore a mocking smile. "Accident my foot! I was murdered."


    Customers began to flood the cafe, the workers sighed disappointingly as they resumed their duties especially Marianne who was listening from the side, having been inducted wholly into the ghost world.


    Phoebe requested Paula that they shift to her office. "Don''t worry Nana, I will fill you in on the ride home." Phoebe told her sulking grandmother.


    Once they were settled, Phoebe asked Paula to continue from where she had stopped. She now suspected that this had everything to do with the Freezing moon scandal that was all over the news before the Verdemont scandal. "Please go on."


    "After getting that information from the detective, I informed my supervisor. We discussed it extensively and came to the conclusion that someone had to go to the club and find out more information. That''s when I signed my death warrant by going undercover."

 Chapter 214 Deep undercover

    "I dug up more information on the four dead women, especially concerning their work and personal life. They were all college students or just newly employed, from average families and working part time at the club. All of them had specific nights when they worked, mostly theme nights and they worked in the VIP sections."


    Phoebe nodded, Paula was thorough in her work, she had not gone in blindly and yet she still died. No matter how cautious you were, you could not cover the entire sky, just like her when she was abducted despite being cautious.


    "With a relatively popular face like mine from TV appearances, my appearance was changed completely. My hair was dyed and cut, I even got a tattoo on the back of my neck and a day job at Spring mall just like the second victim. The Frozen moon club asks for a CV of your entire life before hiring so i needed to be as similar in every way to the four women.


    Through a connection from my supervisor''s circle, I was employed as a waitress.My supervisor sent in customers that would ask for me, men that pretended as if i was their favorite waitress in the club.


    Within three days, I climbed through the ranks and became a bottle girl. My job was to encourage customers to buy more drinks by acting affectionate and dancing with guests. I noticed that among the bottle girls were those that served the VVIP customers on the top floor of the club. All four dead women had worked the top floor.


    Of course i had to get in there because it was where all the celebrities and rich people partied from. I worked hard to gain popularity and in no time I was noticed by the manager. She called me to her office one day and asked me if I wanted to move up another level. Of course I said yes but nothing on this planet prepared me for the humiliation that happened next." Paula took a sip of the water and gulped hard.


    Phoebe pressed her index finger on her cheek and propped her chin on the rest of her clenched fingers. She wore a curious expression but remained quiet, preferring to save her comments and reactions for the end of the story.


    "That shameless woman ordered me to take off my clothes for inspection." Paula huffed, looking like Connie half the time. "I was embarrassed and ashamed but I was on a mission so i did it anyway. When she was done, I was given an airtight non disclosure agreement to sign. If i revealed the activities in the club, i had to pay one billion and suffer a punishment decided by the club which was death. I was scared, but still, i signed with a stupid pretentious excited smile on my face as the manager convinced me that my life was about to change.


    Then, i was taken to a plastic surgery clinic where parts of my body were altered especially my facial structures. Nothing major, just botox, liposuction, lip fillers and they did my eyelids too. I was even put on a diet and strict exercise regimen. Apparently the important guests liked their women to look at certain way. I handled it all easily, my mind fixed on the end goal which was exposing the dirty deeds and murders in the club.


    After two months, I was finally paraded before the guests on the top floor, presented on stage with a bow tied around around my breasts. My new name was Cherry, and the highest bidder for the night would be the first to get my services.


    You would not believe the caliber people i saw shouting out exorbitant prices. They were some of the most well known celebrities, children of the elites, founding family sons and daughters, sportsmen and women plus politicians who were held in high regard in society for their out standing morals.


    I knew what was going to happen to me if i stayed so i didn''t plan to stick around. The highest bidder for me was Cameron Owell, he unwrapped the bow right there on stage, exposing my barely covered breasts to the crowd and they cheered.


    From there, he took me down and asked me to feed him while he groped me and whispered all the vile plans he had for me for the night.


    Thankfully, he had come with friends and drunk so every chance i got, i sneaked away and transferred the videos i was capturing in a small camera on a nipple ring to a phone my supervisor had bribed one of the cleaners to bring in for me.


    When I tell you that wicked things were done on that top floor, I mean every word of it. From sexual assault to being forced to sniff the pink cocaine. In some cases the women collapsed from too much consumption of it, i didn''t know if they were dead or alive.


    Other girls were locked in cages like dogs for fun, and they even had a live porn show with people shouting tips and taking bets. Honestly it''s like an organized prostitution ring with other bonuses added. By the time morning came, i had gathered enough and it was time for me to pull out, i had drugged Cameron with a sleeping pill so he had not touched me.


    But when i was leaving, I heard the rumor that there was going to be a gold and mask party hosted by King R.I.P. at the club." S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe''s eyebrows shot up. "King R.I.P."


    She was familiar with the name, he was a famous world famous rock star. Phoebe was not a fan of his music but she definitely knew his face, It was because of his arrest that Eliza Grant had been shouting furiously at the officers that day at the police station.


    Nodding her head, Paula wrinkled her nose. "That man is the devil''s incarnate and there have been so many accusations levied against him but Eliza buries them with money or threats. I should have pulled out of the operation that day but I wanted to expose him too. His exposure would push the story far like a cherry on a sundae, it was too much of a temptation to resist.


    On the day of the gold and white party, I was one of the women chosen to entertain the guests and the entire club was locked down for this event specifically. It turned out to be a drug fueled orgy so i directly used my secret phone to record, afraid to miss anything. I moved towards King R.I.P''s section but unfortunately a waiter bumped into me and the phone which was in my bra fell down. I quickly picked it up but King R.I.P had already seen me and i had also noticed that i was caught.


    When he stood up with his eyes focused on me, I rushed out of the top floor but there was nowhere to run because the door leading to the lower floor was closed so I entered the rest room.


    I removed the memory card from the phone and hid it in the decorative dish that was filled with exotic stones. Then, i tossed the phone out of a small window in the bathroom." A tear flowed out of her left eye, she rubbed it quickly.


    "I knew it was over the moment I got caught and in no time I was. King R.I.P grabbed me by the hair and he forced me to drink a cocktail. I started to feel extremely hot and he let me go. I was still a bit sober so i staggered in the bid to run away but i lacked strength and my vision was blurry. King R.I.P shoved me down amd i slammed my head onto a glass table. The next thing i felt was a sharp pain and i lost consciousness. Then suddenly I was standing and staring at my own body." She wiped her wet cheeks.

 Chapter 215 Every loophole was covered.

    Brief silence covered the room, Phoebe applauded Paula''s rationality, she was well composed and had accepted her death quite easily. Most ghosts become confused and resentful after death, especially in the case of a murder but not her.


    Perhaps it was because she was expecting to meet her end after King R.I.P caught her. Whatever the reason was, her demeanor was impressive.


    She was not even blaming the cause of her death on the murderer but herself, aware that her ambitions had laid the path to her grave.


    Phoebe wore a comforting smile and offered Paula a candy from the stash in her desk which was part of the rewards she gave Connie when the girl was on her best behavior.


    "You are really brave and impressive Paula, going through that transition and maintaining your sanity is truly amazing. Very few ghosts maintain sanity the way you have done in the face of their murders. It is not uncommon for them to become resentful evil spirits. Why are you so composed?"


    A smile shone through Paula''s slightly red eyes. "The love i have for my mother is much stronger than my passion for revenge. I have hope that I will reincarnate as her daughter again I cannot put that at risk just to satisfy my urges.


    Besides, i played a role in my own death, i should not have risked my life to that point just for a big story. I already had enough to break open the investigation into the pink cocaine deaths, wanting to take down King R.I.P was not part of my assignment. I was greedy and i suffered the consequences."


    Phoebe nodded in agreement, she could not deny the circumstances leading to Paula''s death were mostly her own doing. She wanted to know about what happened after, it was equally as important.


    "What happened after you died, every ghost i have come across lingers over their body for a while, most until the body is cremated or buried. Why did your case turn into an accident instead of a homicide?" She quizzed


    "My supervisor and I had a daily phone call which i could never miss, like those spy handlers in movies. It was agreed that if I don''t contact him by 1:00 am after midnight then he should call the cops.


    I died at around eleven and my body was stashed in the freezer in the kitchen for a while as they deliberated on what to do with me. Some one suggested that they chop it up and drop it in an acidic liquid, another said they should seal me in a barrel and dump me in the ocean. A fixer, Samson Cutter arrived and he had them retrieve my body.


    He brought a team of forensic cleaners and they wiped down the room, got rid of the table and also wiped my body to get rid of any fingerprints King R.I.P. had left on me.


    When they were finished, the fixer called the police personally, but at this time, it was already past the 01.00 p.m and my supervisor had also called the police.


    Both groups of officers arrived at the same time but two detectives that were chummy with Samson took the lead in the case and sent others away."


    Phoebe smacked her lips interrupting her. "Did you catch the names of the officers?"


    Nodding her head, Paula eagerly named two of the worst cops in the city. "Yeah I cannot forget those bastards faces, everyone knows that they are dirty, they even demand for protection fees from small businesses. Officers__no, detectives Sully and Amaro."


    The pen slipped through Phoebe''s fingers on hearing the names. "You have got to be kidding me!"


    Just like Paula, she was also familiar with those two, and she had assumed that they had been disciplined by Amon when she last saw them.


    "Those dirty bastards, effing fucktwards!!"


    Paula cocked her head to the side, her inquisitive gaze locked on Phoebe who was cursing out loud. "Do you perhaps know them personally?"


    Wrinkling her nose in disgust, Phoebe nodded once. "Unfortunately I do, those two bastards are one of the problems that we have in this country when it comes to the police."


    Unpleasant memories of her arrest returned to her, how could she forget those idiots? The two cops had written apology letters to her promising to change their ways but obviously they learnt nothing from the experience and were still dirty.


    Back then, he had stopped David from using his connections to deal with them, believing that the police could handle it on their own. Now, she guessed she was wrong on that front, those leopards would never change their spots.


    "I am guessing that they tampered with the evidence and took bribes?" Phoebe ''s statement was more of a question.


    "Not out rightly, they arrested the people that were found at the scene. Most of the guests and bottle girls were already gone of course. So it was just the club manager, King R.I.P and his manager. Samson had brought in some random people in the club to perfect King R.I.P''s alibi at my time of death.


    When i saw him being taken in for questioning because a death had occurred at his event, i thought for one small moment that someone would come forward and reveal the truth, especially two of the bouncers that had been reluctant to accept Samson''s bribe."


    She paused and took a sip of water.


    Phoebe flipped her fingers to signal her to continue. "Keep going."


    "When they got to the station, Eliza Grant was already there and performed her magic as usual. That old hag came with a team of lawyers and made sure everyone''s lips were sealed tightly. She added them more money in addition to what Samson had given. As for Amaro and Sully, they had only arrested King R.I.P to bargain for more. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    My supervisor at work was called in and when he arrived, he claimed that I had handed in my resignation months ago and he had no idea what i was up to. He testified that i had loose morals and had probably gone to the club to look for a sugar daddy.


    The coroners report said that I died due to an accident, apparently I was got high on a drug missed a step and hit my head on the glass table. It was a very good story with no loopholes."


    "I have to agree with you on that, no wonder Shark didn''t follow up on it, every loophole was filled." Phoebe leaned back in the chair.


    "My mother is about to cremate my body, she hasn''t shed a single tear since she was notified of my death. It means that she is slowly withering on the inside. I need you to expose the truth such that people can stop calling her the mother of a harlot. I want everyone involved in my death to pay for their crimes but most importantly I want the celebrities of the freezing moon scandal to be exposed." Paula spoke through pursed lips


    Phoebe attached the pen to the note book and closed it. "Your wish is my command."


    She had her own mission now which was to get rid of those rotten two cops.

 Chapter 216 Rushing to marriage.

    When Paula exhausted all that she wanted to say, Phoebe sent her away. She knew the woman would not move on until her body was cremated or certain that her mother had started to mourn.


    Dealing with case took her back to Mason and the mess that followed. Both were single children of widowed mothers that had been murdered.


    She hoped that this case would not end up like Mason''s, if it did.....Phoebe shook her head, erasing all negative thoughts from her head.


    "It won''t happen." The Saxon spirit assured her.


    Phoebe rubbed the back of her neck and sighed, she was still worried that maybe it was reckless to involve herself in the matter. Would she have to involve Amon again just like back then?


    Perhaps she should not have told Paula that her wish was her command.


    "It will work out, we have all learned a lesson with Mason''s incident. This time, we know what not to do, like giving a murderer a warning or a chance. Ease your mind Pheebs, come into the space and cultivate for a while." The spirit suggested.


    Phoebe agreed and she did not step out of the office for the next five hours.


    ____________________


    Meanwhile, in another part of the city, David was on a visit at the Lockler private asylum. His conversation with Phoebe and the subject of their children had resurrected the anger and hatred he felt for Ruth.


    At the moment, he was sitting in front of the tightly sealed cell in which Ruth was being held an monitored by three cameras.


    She was chained to a bed, her body wrapped tightly in a straitjacket. She looked insane, was mumbling to herself while twitching from side to side.


    Next to David was doctor and two nurses, a team that was in charge of monitoring Ruth.


    "Why is she in the straitjacket?"


    "She scratched herself yesterday, almost peeling off the skin of her left arm. She was screaming about having cockroaches in her body." The doctor explained.


    "Take it off, she can scratch herself to death if that is what will relieve her." David said coldly.


    He stood up to leave and the doctor sighed in relief, being around David Saxon was not warm, it was frightening. What kind of person had such a cold beastly look in their eyes?


    What kind of grudge did he have with Ruth?


    "Take it off." he told the nurses.


    *****


    At around five in the evening, Phoebe opened her office and started to see human clients. As if David had a camera on her, he sent over flowers that arrived immediately.


    [I hope your day has been sunnier han yesterday''s weather.]


    She scoffed and put the lilacs in a vase and turned her attention to the client, a man that wanted her to find his missing wedding ring.


    Phoebe wanted to laugh but she didn''t as simple as the task was, to the man it could have been the difference between marriage and a divorce.


    She was busy with such minor cases until time to came close up arrived. Lately, she was rotating her nights, if she slept at the Mayfair manor today then tomorrow she would sleep at her apartment.


    This night, she was was sleeping at the Mayfair manor so she headed home with grandma Mayfair whom she told the rest of Paula''s story.


    "You know my dear, I have come to realize that I knew very little of the real world before I started working at the cafe. This world is full of wicked people, that young woman died so unfairly. The worst part is that the cops that are supposed to help her get justice buried the evidence and silenced the case." Grandma Mayfair shook her head and let out a pronounced sigh.


    Phoebe said nothing about knowing the cops because she wanted to deal with them herself besides her family especially her father would only blame himself after all, he was the one that had ordered for her arrest back then.


    "It''s not all bad nana." she playfully massaged the old woman''s shoulders.


    Grandma Mayfair was worried about Phoebe and all these cases. "Do you only deal with murdered ghosts? It seems like every case you have handled lately is moving in that direction?"


    "Not all the time, i think i see like twenty of them a year, maximum thirty." Phoebe counted them off in her mind and it came down to fifty five cases last year. But she did not want to dwell on it and decided to change the subject.


    "Nana, i had a client that wanted me to heal his dead wife''s favorite pet, he brought it along with him and guess what animal it was."


    "A cat."


    Phoebe laughed and she put her hands together, "A rat."


    Both women laughed and they made their way home with lighter happy conversations. Phoebe took a shower and went straight to the dining table.


    It was a family custom to have dinner together as they talked about the events of the day. On this particular dinner the only conversation that was happening was about Shana and Collin.


    The brothers and even Phoebe were taking turns to tease him endlessly.


    "Your mother tells me that we should speak to the Lee family about your engagement, Collin. I want to hear your opinion about the matter." Edward sliced through the beef steak on his plate and suddenly added a more serious topic to the light banter.


    Collin''s brows shot up and he wasn''t the only surprised person on the table. Phoebe and the rest of the Mayfair boys gasped.


    Grandma Mayfair''s fork fell on the plate as she watched Jennie in surprise. "Already? He has barely knows the girl, they have only been talking for a few days."


    Her eyes shifted to Collin, needing to hear his opinion too.


    "Mother, come on, i told you that i do not want to scare her away by proposing too early. I don''t want to lose Shana or give her a wrong impression." Collin pushed a fork full of food in his mouth.


    Jennie hissed in response. "What do you mean by that? A man can know a woman for a few days and decide that she is the one while another can know a woman for years and still not marry her. Besides your sister confirmed that she was the best woman for you, there is no time to waste here."


    Phoebe cocked her head as she wondered when she told her mother that. "I did?" She quizzed.


    Realizing that she had made a blunder, Jennie scratched her head. "Yes! Don''t you remember? We were at the supermarket."


    Phoebe shrugged, perhaps she just didn''t remember saying it.


    "Well, if he has to marry, she is the best choice, there are very few honest girls with good character left in the founding families of Fog country." she added her honest opinion.


    Grandma Mayfair clapped once after hearing Phoebe''s words. "In that case then there is no need to wait. Marriages of responsible families are decided on by the adults. Old man Lee and my husband Cillian, God rest his soul were good friends. We can start by inviting them over for dinner..."


    She was interrupted by Jennie who mentioned that she had already booked a golf session at the Fog Resort. "We can actually have dinner there after. If things go well which i am sure that they will, then we can go ahead and choose a day to make a proposal. A woman like Shana is the desire of many suitors, we cannot dawdle."


    Edward chuckled and threw Phoebe a glance. "Just like my Phoebe here." His words gained him every one''s attention. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Honey what do you mean by that?" Jennie covered his hand with hers. She still struggled with the fact that he daughter was dating David Saxon.


    The man seemed like he had changed from his play boy ways but who knew? Above all that she wasn''t a fan of Miranda Saxon, in her opinion she was a wolf in Sheep''s clothing. The woman had been calling her constantly trying to form a friendship which barely existed before. It was obvious that Miranda was after Phoebe nothing else.


    It skipped her mind that she was doing the same with Annabelle, Shana''s mother for the very same reason Miranda was coming after her.


    "Woah! My baby sister is a hot cake, many cool actors are asking me for her contact too." Andre ruffled Phoebe''s hair, continuing to tease her.


    Luke laughed as he ordered Andre to leave their sister alone. "It''s not even surprising because Pheebs is very beautiful and kind. The man that will marry her will be truly lucky."

 Chapter 217 Luthers unavoidable death

    Jennie was not surprised that a few young men were interested in her daughter, Phoebe was beautiful, from a founding family, enterprising and an heiress.


    After hearing from Andre she wanted to know if there were any men from the founding families that had approached him husband to inquire about Phoebe.


    She pinched his arm, twisting a little as she questioned him with her curious digging gaze.


    Edward scanned his mind for an answer to give to his overly curious wife who was not about to let up. "All i can say is that there are some young men whose families have expressed interest in knowing more about our beautiful daughter here. I did not make any promises, we will let her lead her life as she wishes and do the choosing whenever she is ready to settle down." Edward jutted his jaw upwards.


    Phoebe had come to them as a grown woman with her own ideas, they could not force the traditions of founding families on her. Edward''s chest tightened a little, wishing that they had found her sooner.


    Jennie beamed with a smile. "Pheebs keep your options open, do not put your eggs in one basket." She winked at her. "Do not rush, sometimes leopards don''t change their spots, i do not want you to be bitten and hurt."


    Phoebe could easily tell that her mother was still having a hard time warming up to David. That was his fault for being a notorious playboy in the past, the consequences were now being felt. Everyone at the table genuinely doubted David''s intentions.


    Maybe i should say something good about him, he sent me flowers today and he helped me with the Verdemont case. He really isn''t all bad, she thought.


    She opened her phone to say something and her phone buzzed so she reached for it and her eyes saw David''s name on the screen.


    Speaking of the devil, she thought.


    Phoebe excused herself from the table and answered the phone privately in the living room.


    "Hey.." she answered softly.


    "Hi, Pheebs." David replied in a heavy tone.


    Immediately, Phoebe detected bad news in his voice.


    "What happened?"


    She heard him draw in a deep breath and she frowned, it was that serious, it seemed.


    "It''s about Luther."


    Phoebe''s left hand folded into a fist, David did not need to say more, she could tell. Her mind recalled the image of the lonely but stubborn old man that had sought justice for his granddaughter against all odds.


    Had he reunited with Linda already? Were they on their way to reincarnation or somewhere in purgatory? Was he happy, finally?


    Slowly, she walked back into the dining room and cleared her throat. "Everyone, i have some news." She adjusted her phone settings and put David on speaker phone. "David my family is listening in repeat what you have just told me."


    David sighed heavily and spoke. "Luther Verdemont is dead." he shared with them the same news he had just broken to Phoebe.


    His words elicited a ''WHAT!'' and gasps from the group.


    Edward''s hands went up to hold his head, he suddenly felt light headed. News about the death of someone was never good, especially when you were unprepared for it.


    "My God! Just when I was thinking of visiting him to console him about Linda''s matter. What happened, do you know how he died?"


    Grandma Mayfair clicked her tongue."What a naive question Edward, you should just jump to the obvious conclusion. It is quite obvious that one of his cruel relatives killed him off. After Luther shaming them publicly, I knew that he wasn''t safe in that damn house. I hope an autopsy is done and someone is arrested."


    "Grandma for that to happen, the family must give its consent in this case i highly doubt that they will. Everyone that hears of his death is going to jump to the same conclusion as you." Luke clasped his fingers together.


    "It could be the wrong conclusion, there is a rumor that he was born with a heart defect." Andre suggested and reminded them all about Luther''s health casually.


    "Ba!! if his heart was so frail, he would have died a long time ago, not lived to his eighties." Grandma Mayfair disagreed.


    They all went on like that for two minutes, disagreeing on the possible cause of death. David waited until they had exhausted their opinions to speak again.


    "Well, Andre is right Luther died of natural causes. One of the security personnel that I sent to his house called me an hour ago and gave me the news. According to him the butler went inside Luther''s study to give him his night time medication and found the old man sitting in the chair unresponsive. The family doctor was called right away and it was he that confirmed that Luther was dead. Apparently his heart gave out, perhaps he couldn''t take the sadness any longer or he just thought the job of avenging Linda was done so he died."


    Edward excused himself for he was receiving a call. When he returned he informed everyone that Ekhart Verdemont had just invited the family to Luther''s burial which was slated to happen the next day.


    Phoebe sneered. "Those shameless people! The man just died and they are already calling on people to bury him. Why are they in a hurry?"


    "Indeed, whats with the rush? It''s like they have been eagerly waiting for him to pass on." Luke pulled his brows together.


    David cleared his throat. "I think that i know why, earlier today I met Mr Cornwell of T&C law firm and I asked him whether old man Luther went to see him. Mr. Cornwell told me that i was right, Luther had gone by indeed. He was worried about Luther because he had made drastic changes to his last will and testament. Of course he could not reveal the changes to me but he mentioned that Luther had ordered him to read the will immediately after his burial."


    Phoebe clapped once as she gained clarity.


    "So they are speeding up the burial such that they can know what he left each of them?"


    Grandma Mayfair wrinkled her nose to express her disgust. "They just cannot wait to get their hands on all that wealth that he left behind."


    "I figured that too." David laughed sarcastically. " Those idiots that call themselves his family had the same idea as me and recently Ekhart and some of the family visited Cornwell to inquire whether Luther had visited him lately. He confirmed it and immediately some of them started claiming that Luther wasn''t lucid and he was suffering from dementia and the new will was not valid.


    They demanded to know the contents of the will and threatened to sue but of course Cornwell didn''t tell them anything because he knew what was happening in the Verdemont household. I hope the old man left them nothing but disappointment."


    Grandma Mayfair nodded continuously. "Those vultures need to be left penniless especially that Ekhart and his shameless wife."


    "Mother you should have listened to how enthusiastic his voice sounded. One cannot tell that his father had just died." Edward shook his head slightly.


    "Thank you for informing us David, say hello to you father for me." Edward gave Phoebe a signal to hung up.


    She did as he desired after thanking David and the family discussed more about the news.


    Phoebe was feeling down spirited so she said goodnight and left for the bedroom. They all knew that she was saddened by the news and nobody stopped her.


    "I know i am selfish but i hope his ghost doesn''t come looking for Phoebe." Grandma Mayfair muttered. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She had seen the toll dealing with some of the ghosts left on Phoebe. They all left a scar on her heart, especially the sad cases.

 Chapter 218 If wishes were horses.

    Unfortunately for grandma Saxon, not all wishes could be fulfilled. When Phoebe went to her bedroom to shed a tear for Luther and pray for his soul, the Saxon spirit appeared and it wasn''t alone, Luther was with her.


    The tears that she had been fighting burst out on seeing him. She knew that the man was going to die but it still hurt, she had not known him for a long time but it hurt. It hurt as if she had just lost her very own grandfather.


    "I am sorry old patriarch, life has been unfair to both of you."


    "Don''t cry dear little shaman." Luther smiled warmly. "You have helped me greatly because I have died with no burdens in my heart. I am ready to move on and be with my granddaughter. I just wanted to see you one last time and express my gratitude. Please carefully utilize the gift that I have left you."


    Phoebe nodded despite being confused about the gift, she wiped tears from her eyes as he moved on to the other side. When his ghost faded away, she recalled the coins and guessed that it was the gift Luther had been talking about.


    She moved from the chair in front of the mirror and went to the bed, falling on it, still sniveling.


    "You can live with ease, he is in a happy place now experiencing a beautiful reunion." The Saxon spirit informed her.


    It could see what was on the other side where Luther and Linda had reunited. Another woman was with them, Luther''s wife.


    Phoebe took a deep breath and smiled, it was all good in the end.


    *******


    The day that followed, Phoebe woke up early for she had a ton of work to do, mainly producing more tonics which she did by hand. First, she moved into the magic space where she harvested herbs and then her production room on the third floor of the house. Her father had created for her a space where she could do some of her work freely.


    Edward had even gone the extra mile to help her in the production process by acting as her assistant which was no easy task because Phoebe moved quickly when she was working, just like a busy bee, she did not stop until a large amount of each tonic had been finished.


    For three hours, they worked non stop in perfect sync, and they were working on the last tonic, a replenishing tonic.


    Edward could have sworn that he was dying and he took a break. He did not understand why Phoebe was filled with strength, not even one sigh of exhaustion had escaped her mouth.


    She was mixing the blood tonic in a very large pot with a keen look on her face like a witch cooking a portion under the moonlight.


    "It''s done." she sniffed the air and declared.


    "Sweet heart aren''t you exhausted? I think that we are going to hire machines for some of this work." He wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead.


    Phoebe agreed with him. "I agree, with these pots i can only prepare tonics in small portions. I want to start producing pills as well, they are easier to sell. Father, thank you for always helping me." She wrapped her hands around his waist and clung to him.


    They walked downstairs like that, slowly as Edward cherished the affection he was receiving. But, as soon as Phoebe spotted Collin who was on his way to work, she abandoned Edward and went running towards him.


    She did not even notice the jealous look on her father''s face.


    "Brother Collin please wait up." She rushed to him and stopped directly in front of him.


    She started by fixing his slightly crooked tie first while standing on tip toes which made Edward and Collin chuckle. When it came to height, nobody could decide whose gene Phoebe had taken.


    "Thank you little sister and good morning, you look better than I expected." Collin arched an eyebrow. He thought that she had bawled her eyes out when she went to her room.


    Phoebe dismissed his words with a wave. "Oh that! Luther moved on already. He''s happy on the other side and that''s what matters. I have no reason to be sad, he has achieved what he wished for deep down for many years."


    "That fast?" Collin''s eyes flew open.


    Nodding her head, Phoebe chuckled. "Yes! He had nothing that was keeping him here. Anyway eldest brother do you remember that you said that if I need your help with work I should come to you?"


    Collin nodded. "Whatever you need."


    "Well i need farm workers and a skilled farm manager. I will not be able to visit my farm daily so I need people that will be dedicated to the job even in my absence. Can you help me find responsible people?" Phoebe bounced on her toes as she stared at him with hope.


    Collin laughed because he found her to be adorable, she looked like a cartoon character with those wide eyes and exaggerated eye movements."


    Well that is very easy, I know someone that owns a job placement company. I will speak to him, i should be able to send you names by the end of the week."


    Without thinking Phoebe jumped up and hugged him, surprising him. Excited, Collin stumbled back and found his balance while hugging her back.


    "Eldest brother, you are the most awesome, just don''t tell Andre i said this." Her words caused both of them to laugh. She bid him goodbye and watched him walk out of the house.


    Phoebe moved to her bedroom and took off the overall work suite and changed to more presentable clothing. Done with that, she got a packed breakfast box to go from Maria and moved to the parking. Her grandmother was already standing besides the car, waiting for her.


    "You are late, I was about to leave without you." She complained.


    "I am sorry Nana, what about the tonics?" She asked.


    Grandma Mayfair pointed at the trunk. "The ones which are ready have been placed them in there and the rest will be delivered later, let''s go." She ordered.


    On the ride to the Cafe, Phoebe called Shark who answered after two beeps. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Fog country''s sharpest detective speaking." He answered playfully.


    "Cut it out Shark! You dropped the ball on this one. We need to talk alone and far away from the station. It''s full of dirty none remorseful cops." Came Phoebe''s stern words, she partly blamed him for not suspecting a thing after Paula''s death yet it was he that gave her the hints on which she followed.


    "What''s going on here Pheebs? What did I do?" Shark curiously asked.


    "Like I said we need to meet in a place that is not swarming with dirty cops." She repeated.


    "The cafe then?" Shark asked.


    "Hell no! I mean we need a private place. This case has a lot of big names attached to it and i don''t want to be tied to it." Phoebe responded.


    "Name a place and time Pheebs, I will be there. My ears are itching already."


    "The Verdemont family cemetery, I believe that you are attending Luther''s burial right?"


    "Yes of course, but cemetery isn''t private." Shark mentioned.


    "Yeah, at night it is." Phoebe ended the call, ready to tackle Paula''s case.

 Chapter 219 Dear diary.

    Grandma Mayfair overheard the entire conversation and deep down, she was troubled but helpless. Other people''s children made appointments in restaurants, cafes, hotels, offices but their Phoebe was different. She made her appointments in cemeteries.


    The old woman sighed and her mind reverted back to all the conversations the family had engaged in over dinner the previous night regarding Phoebe''s relationship status.She came to the conclusion that they had been excited prematurely.


    Which of those founding families would truly tolerate Phoebe''s ghost seeing abilities or her shamanic talents? Many founding families were filled with snobbish people that were very concerned about their status and public image.


    If Phoebe was married into one of them, she would be forced to close her cafe and take up a more normal job. That was not a good thing for Phoebe, she enjoyed her job despite the challenges which came with it. If she was forced to give it up, she would endure misery for the rest of her life.


    Those years of being miserable with the Gabriel''s were sufficient, her only granddaughter could not be caged by any other family.


    The old woman suddenly started to consider David as a serious suitor, he was comfortable with Phoebe''s ghost seeing abilities and often accompanied her on the adventures, providing her with resources for free.


    His grandmother was aware about who the real Phoebe was and she was okay with it, and even the rude snobby Miranda was wagging her tail at Jennie, desperate to tie Phoebe and David together permanently.


    Grandma Mayfair nodded and smiled, yes, David was Phoebe''s best option for lifelong happiness and comfort. Her worries vanished like smoke and she made a plan to get together with her friend Prudence and see how they could help the two kids escalate the relationship. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The car passed over a hump and Phoebe looked at her grandmother, checking to see if the old woman was okay and she was; with a smile on her face in fact.


    "Nana, what are you smiling about?" Phoebe asked curiously.


    Grandma Mayfair shook her head.


    "Nothing you ought to know about right now my dear." She answered.


    Phoebe poked her face closer but the old woman looked away avoiding her gaze. Phoebe was like her mother Jennie in a way that when she wanted information, she pestered you until she pried it out of your mouth.


    Luckily for her, they pulled into the building parking and temporarily, she was able to evade the questioning. She was quick to evacuate the car and hurry to the cafe, meeting David there which was a welcome surprise.


    Grandma Mayfair''s face lit up as she approached him. "Oh, David, how lovely to see you this morning. You must have come to look for our dear Phoebe. Am i right?"


    "Err, yes grandma, good morning to you...." David had a frown on his face and he responded uncertainly.


    In his mind, he was wondering why he was being welcomed by grandma Mayfair with such happiness.


    "Nana, wait up." Phoebe''s voice came from a short distance away from them.


    David forgot all about grandma Mayfair as his eyes were blessed with the beautiful vision of Phoebe running with her red hair bouncing, radiant as always. In his eyes, she was running in slow motion like a heroine in a movie.


    Grandma Mayfair nodded approvingly at David''s besotted look. Indeed, he was the right man for their Phoebe, he was a fool lost in love.


    Phoebe stopped in front of them and she smiled.


    "Nana, why are you literally running away from me?" She turned her eyes to David who she was not expecting to see. "David, why are you here? Are you here to provide free labor again?"


    She crossed her arms on her chest. "How many times must i tell you that it is not necessary? You have just opened your own company and you need to...."


    Grandma Mayfair yanked gently on Phoebe''s arm to stop her from scolding David.


    "Phoebe, David must be here because he missed you and wants to take you on a date. You young people should go and enjoy your day, we will hold down the fort here."


    She pushed Phoebe into David''s arms__, no it was more like a shove. The old woman shoved her to a point where Phoebe crushed against David''s chest and shamelessly took advantage of the opportunity to hug her.


    "Nana." Phoebe cried out as she struggled hopelessly in David''s arms.


    "Bye," Grandma Mayfair waved and entered the cafe.


    The sly old woman went so far as to lock the doors so that Phoebe could not enter.


    David meanwhile did not bother to question the gift from the universe, he had come to spend time with Phoebe after not seeing her face for one whole day. That single day had felt like an eternity for him.


    "I heard that you are going to the Gundam forest to find rare herbs."


    "Your information source is really excellent." She answered. She twisted from side to side until he let her go.


    Originally she was planning to go alone but from the way David was dressed, it seemed like he was planning to accompany her. Why else was he wearing cargo pants, a jacket and military style boots?


    "Let me guess, you happen to have a reason to go into Gundam forest too?"


    David chuckled and lowered his head to look into her eyes from up close. "Oh my Phoebe! how did you know? Did you perhaps read my mind?"


    "Hmph, i think you read mine, that or Rosette''s mouth was pried open."


    David laughed softly. "If only i could read your mind, tsk, tsk, the things i would find out. It''s probably like a diary and you keep information in there like a love struck girl. Dear diary, today i met David Saxon, the hottest man alive. I think he is even hotter than the sun."


    Phoebe scoffed and rolled her eyes, she could not keep from laughing however.


    "Are you nuts? That''s so....cliche, or maybe stupid. Nobody is hotter than the sun okay, you are delusional Mr. two baby toes."


    David put an arm around her shoulders, ignoring that distant flash from the camera of a paparazzo.


    He continued to tease Phoebe in a playful voice. "Dear diary, David Saxon has the yummiest lips i have ever seen."


    "Shut up!" Phoebe hissed and elbowed him in the ribs. She did blush red because that was actually something she did think on the day they kissed in his apartment.


    "Dear diary, i cannot say enough about his biceps and abs, i think i got a nosebleed from thinking about them and wishing i could run my tongue..."


    "Enough!" Phoebe warned him sternly out of even more embarrassment.


    She dived into the car which was going to take them to David''s helicopter. Unfortunately for her, David was not through with the teasing.


    He got in and squeezed next to her as if there was no space in the backseat.


    "Dear diary, he smells so wonderful....."


    Phoebe groaned and regretted getting into his car, the man was going to torture her for as long as he could. Was he always like this?

 Chapter 220 Not a date.

    "Dear diary, his eyes, looking into them is like gazing at the stars. Oh what''s my poor shaman heart to do? I just can''t look away. No man has ever been as perfect as him EMHO."


    Phoebe was feeling slightly vexed and she was seriously considering kicking David in the ankles. He had not stopped his dear diary jokes on the car ride, helicopter ride and now they were walking through Gundam forest and he was still going.


    With the way he was describing himself, she was not sure if he was joking or simply being a big old narcissist praising his own physical appearance.


    "What''s EMHO?"


    "Eating my heart out."


    Phoebe stopped walking, she turned and stared at him, her eyes filled with confusion. First of all, if she had a diary, nothing he had just said would make it onto any of the pages and two, who the hell used ''eating my heart out'' in abbreviation form, especially because it made no sense in relation to what he had just said.


    "Do you even know what that means?"


    Proudly, he nodded. "It means you are so excited that you cannot control your heart."


    "No it doesn''t."


    "Yes it does." he insisted.


    "Who told you that?" she quizzed, a little louder than she intended.


    Behind them, the five bodyguards including Roman that had come along because Gundam forest had some dangerous animals could not believe the ridiculousness happening. Who was this man and what had he done with the real David Saxon?


    Roman cleared his throat but Polly stopped him. "Let it be, trust me, we have seen worse."


    They had witnessed the boss digging while his girlfriend relaxed and commanded him with ease. In the hierarchy of the relationship, Phoebe was the boss.


    "Polly, what does EMHO mean?" David bellowed.


    The bodyguard froze like a stunned gorilla and backed away. He was not getting on the bad side of Phoebe, he didn''t want to be cursed by the shaman. He pushed Roman to the front to take the fall on his behalf.


    Roman shrugged Polly''s hand away. "You big coward, what''s your size for if that tiny five foot one tall woman scares you?"


    "It''s more five foot zero inches." Robb, another of David''s personal bodyguards whispered.


    "I say four feet nine inches." another chimed in.


    Phoebe had them discussing her height and she glared at them briefly.


    "Hmph!" she huffed and resumed the walk, taking a familiar path that she had walked twice before.


    It was not her first rare herb hunting trip and just like on other trips, she met people along the way. Normally she would stop and greet but with all the bodyguards following them, not a single person paused to say hi. In fact, they all went out of their way to avoid the group.


    "Do they think we have come into the forest to bury a body?" Phoebe mumbled.


    David took her hand. "You have said hello to ten ghosts since we stepped into the forest, if i was not your very loving boyfriend on a date with you right now, i would...."


    "We are not on date and i have met more than ten ghosts in this forest, two of them are following us. They are next to Polly." She increased her voice. "One of them is a virgin ghost looking for a man."


    Polly squealed in a girlish way and jumped back, not alone in the fright, even Robb followed him.


    "Wusses." Roman muttered.


    Wholly satisfied, Phoebe giggled, who said shorties could not take revenge?


    David opened a bottle of water and handed it to her. "Drink."


    She took it from him, took one sip and handed it back to him.


    "Are your men married?" she asked, out of the blue.


    David had no idea why she was asking but he assumed she was still going on with the virgin ghost joke.


    "Pheebs, stop scaring the gullible humans."


    David misunderstood her, Phoebe was not asking about their marital status with the intention of scaring them, she simply wanted to find a nice boyfriend for Rosette. They were strong healthy men with a job that payed well and they were not bad looking in the facial department. Of course, they were not as good looking as David.


    [No man is truly as good looking as David.] she looked at the side of his face and sighed.


    David chuckled. "I like this date."


    "It is not a date." Phoebe corrected. It was work, they were here to help her find herbs or protect her while she searched for them. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Boss, watch out." Roman yelled.He pulled out a gun and fired.


    David shoved Phoebe behind his tall frame and pulled out his gun as well, eager to take down the threat which had already been neutralized. Roman''s single shot had taken down a down a big warthog.


    David sighed in relief and put the gun away.


    "Wow, nice shooting." Phoebe gave Roman a thumbs up.


    She stepped out from behind David and looked at the warthog. "Too bad it''s not a wild boar, we could have eaten some tenderloin or ribs after Luther''s funeral."


    As the men moved the body of the warthog from the walking trail, David was looking at Phoebe with wonder. He thought she would fall apart after hearing the news about Luther''s death, it was the major reason why he had sought her out today. His intention had been to distract her all day. She seemed to be doing okay however considering everything.


    "Polly, call Everest and tell him to prepare some pork ribs." David ordered.


    "And some roasted corn." Phoebe added.


    Polly dialled the number but Phoebe was not done making her dinner order. "Masala chips too, and a nice salad plus some onion rings."


    "You don''t like onion rings." David reminded her.


    "But you do." she answered nonchalantly.


    David grinned like a fool, excited that she still remembered something as unimportant as that. A part of him strongly wanted to dance for joy but he remained composed, not wanting to scare her.


    "And she says we are not on a date." he mumbled. They were making dinner plans so how was this not a date? It was like a movie broken down into two parts, this was part one of the date and after Luther''s funeral, they could have part two.


    Phoebe saw something that made her curious and she walked over to some camellia trees. "Look David, it''s Thea Sinensis trees, ten of them. They should not be in the Gundam forest, i wonder if someone imported and planted them for research."


    She lowered her upper body and sniffed one of the plants. The smell was just right so she looked around like a thief and then stole some of the leaves.


    "It''s a free forest, i am not stealing." she whispered to herself.


    She turned and gestured for them to keep going after robbing half of the leaves on each tree. As they were walking away, the Saxon spirit dashed out of the space and directly uprooted five of the trees and took them into the space.


    "It''s a free forest, we are not stealing." It declared.

 Chapter 221 Fashionably late.

    Three hours later, Phoebe and David''s group returned to the cafe, hungry and a bit exhausted. All of the things Phoebe had collected were taken back to the Mayfair manor directly by Roman and one of David''s driver.


    "Nana, we are back." Phoebe announced loudly as she barged into the kitchen. "I am starving." she whined.


    Her curious nose led her in the direction of fresh hot fries that Sylvester had just taken out of the oil.


    "Ooh, yum, yum." Phoebe rubbed her hands and picked up a fork to help herself.


    Grandma Mayfair slapped her hand.


    "These are meant for delivery, we cannot delay our customers." She handed her a small square shaped chicken pie. "Eat this as we go, we need to go home immediately and prepare to attend the funeral."


    Rosette brought over a black and silver food flask. She gave it to grandma Mayfair who handed it to David in return.


    "Here, eat something warm, you must be hungry after protecting Phoebe in the forest. I would have been so worried if she had gone on her own."


    "What protection?" Phoebe muttered.


    Grandma Mayfair pinched Phoebe''s ear lightly. "This girl, be nicer to David." She smiled at affectionately at David, "Will we be seeing you at the funeral?"


    David nodded, he could not miss it, his entire family was going.


    "Good, very good, we will see you there."


    Phoebe was all for the newly found affection her grandmother had for David but she was hungry. The small pie would not fill her stomach.


    "Nana, why does he get a food flask and i get a small pie? Have you forgotten who your grandchild is between him and me?"


    David held the food flask to Phoebe and she extended her hands to take it. Grandma Mayfair was not about to let it happen. She took Phoebe''s hands and pulled her out of the kitchen, dragging her straight to the car which set off immediately.


    For once, Phoebe was pouting, acting spoiled like a true Mayfair princess. Grandma Mayfair found it adorable, she reached up and patted Phoebe''s head.


    "Good girl, Maria already has lunch prepared for you, stop pouting. Now, tell nana what you think about David Saxon."


    "He had a big ego, bigger than a Shoebill''s beak and those brown eyes of his, tch, they are not that adorable."


    Grandma Mayfair leaned back in the chair and laughed. In her eyes, Phoebe definitely liked David, she was just in denial. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ******************************


    Luther was to be laid to rest in the Verdemont family cemetery which was located on the Verdemont estate. Phoebe arrived a little later than other guests. She, together with her grandmother joined the rest of the Mayfairs that had left ahead of them as Phoebe had to finish her lunch first.


    As always, on a trip to a cemetery for a funeral, Phoebe dressed really nicely. This time round, she had chosen a knee length black body hugging turtle neck shaped dress. She had paired it with ankle length boots with a stiletto and sunglasses.


    She was not just late, she was fashionably late to the funeral, dressed better than most of the Verdemont women. She noticed that people were staring at her and she did not care.


    Some young women had jealous looks on their faces, they were the ones that would gossip about her later in the night, in the privacy of their homes. A few men stared at her appreciatively, a beautiful woman was a treat, even at a funeral.


    Of course, the ghost seeing rumors contributed to all the attention, everywhere she turned her head, people wondered if she had seen something. The whispers followed wherever she passed.


    "She''s just too young to be a shaman." One woman expressed her shock.


    "Do you think that she can see the ghosts?" Asked another.


    "Does she see Luther''s ghost here?"


    "She really looks like a witch, all that red hair is like a bright flame."


    One teenage girl bravely stepped up to her. "Hey, miss witch, are there ghosts here?"


    Phoebe smiled at the girl, removed her sunglasses and went ahead to nod. Of course there were ghosts around, this was a cemetery. Dead Verdemonts that had not moved on through the years lingered around excitedly as they watched the humans.


    A dead grounds keeper was sweeping around the old graves, a female ghost in an old 1800''s dress was glaring at Ekhart. She was also yelling, calling him all sorts of names which made Phoebe want to chuckle.


    The ghosts seemed to be harmless so nobody at the funeral was going to be harmed.


    Among the eyes that were fixed on Phoebe were those of Miranda, Phoebe noticed her bothering David about something and pointing in her direction.


    "What is she plotting now." she whispered.


    She pulled her shoulders in a shrug and focused on the priest that was leading the service. Her eyes darted around in search of Shark, she sighed with relief when she spotted him, he wasn''t the only officer around. Jones, Amon and a few others that had handled Linda''s case were present too.


    It was surprising that Amon''s bells were not dancing around. Since when was the tunnel visioned ghost catcher merciful?


    Her eyes were pulled to the Verdemonts that were dry eyed and impatient. The wind carried some of their conversations her way.


    "I cannot believe that some of the founding families shunned us by not showing up? After all the favors that father did for them." Nina complained to Paul who shushed her for her voice was loud.


    For people that had recently been ostracized from the society, the Verdemonts surely held their heads high. Phoebe assumed that it was probably because they still had all their money. At the end of the day they were filthy rich and money moved mountains in Fog country.


    It was a matter of time before they bought their status back. From time to time, Phoebe spotted small smiles on their faces, none of them was grieving for Luther at all.


    After the service, Luther was laid to rest during which time Emilia let out a screeching cry that shocked the mourners.


    "Why is she making a joke of herself? We all know how much she loathed the old man." Grandma Mayfair sneered.


    She wasn''t the only one miffed by Emilia''s performance as other people threw her accusative glances. Some even laughed boldly, finding Emilia''s acting funny.


    After the funeral, Ekhart announced that a dinner had been prepared in the maze gardens to celebrate the life of his late father.


    Phoebe could not believe it, the maze of all venues to hold the dinner!!! The same place where Linda''s body had been buried for many years!! Were all the Verdemonts insane or just stupid?


    "This isn''t a day to cry but one to celebrate, my father has lived a long and fulfilled life so please join us in giving him a proper send off." Ekhart''s eyes glowed with excitement.


    Again, no sadness was detected in his voice or seen in his eyes. He was already acting like the patriarch of the family.


    As her family moved to the reception hall, Phoebe stayed behind with the excuse of making a phone call. It was a lie, she actually had an appointment with Shark. Paula had come with her to the funeral, the ghost was besides her, patiently waiting for the detective.


    Suddenly Phoebe felt a tap on her shoulder, she assumed it was Shark immediately. On turning around however, she saw an unexpected individual.


    [Katherine Saxon! What the hell does she want from me?]

 Chapter 222 We do not like Katherine either.

    Hastily Katherine pulled off the black glasses that she had been wearing. It was late in the evening and it was getting darker.


    Phoebe wondered whether she could even see where she was going. On the other hand, Katherine thought her eyes were playing tricks on her, words had appeared on top of Phoebe''s head but with the shades on, she assumed that she had hallucinated maybe.


    She thought that it was a result of exhaustion, after all she had spent sleepless nights in the laboratory trying to discover the secret in Phoebe''s portions but so far, she had failed terribly.


    On top of that, her work burden from the moment David resigned had increased significantly. David had been taking on a lot of work, much more that anybody realized and his absence in the company was being felt in certain areas.


    But, as she wanted desperately to be the first chairwoman of the Saxon group, complaining wasn''t an option. Katherine wanted to prove that she was fit to hold the position so she needed results, quick ones. The only shortcut to those quick significant results that she could see was by getting a hand on Phoebe''s formulas for the tonics.


    A weary smile formed on her lips. "Hello, Phoebe Gabriel oh wait it''s Mayfair now, sorry. You are a hard woman to come by, I have passed by the black ghost Cafe countless times to see you but I always missed you because you are never there somehow."


    A mocking chuckle almost escaped through Phoebe''s lips. Why was the high and mighty Katherine Saxon looking for her desperately? In the past she treated her like a rug__, no, a housekeeper because she was a paper''s daughter. Had things changed now that she was a Mayfair, she wondered.


    "What for?" Her voice was as sharp as a knife, not ready to entertain whatever rubbish that was going to spewed out of Katherine''s mouth.


    On hearing Phoebe''s unwelcoming tone of voice that was filled with mockery, Katherine''s eyebrows shot up in a mixture of surprise and wonder. They had never met before why was she perceiving hostility from her?


    Was it David? She immediately assumed that he had said something negative about her to Phoebe. They were not that close and they had been competitors at work, it made sense if he perhaps vented his troubles to his girlfriend.


    Katherine decided to introduce herself first and see where things went, it was possible that she was leaping to conclusions, David was not the kind to share his problems with anyone.


    She believed that Phoebe would soften up on hearing her last name.


    "I am a Saxon, Katherine Saxon, the eldest daughter of the current president of the Saxon group." sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She announced herself with pride, like she was a queen or a princess.


    "And?" Phoebe''s eyes roamed over her from head to toe.


    "What am i supposed to do with that information? Should i be impressed?" Phoebe chuckled, "I am sorry but I am not. I am Phoebe Mayfair, only daughter of the chairman of Mayfair Corporation. If you want to impress me, use something else, not your family name." Phoebe stood up and turned around with a deeply satisfied glimmer in her eyes.


    She walked slowly, heading towards the bench under a tree in a spot that was hidden between the maze and the cemetery.


    "Ooh, you must be so happy right now, she is steaming with anger." The Saxon spirit dashed out of the space. "She deserves a lesson indeed if she is going to change her ways."


    Behind Phoebe meanwhile, fury had quickly surged through Katherine''s veins, she hated it when people didn''t give her the respect she thought she deserved.


    She followed and grabbed Phoebe''s hand, putting it in an iron clad grasp. "Where do you think you are going? I am not done talking to you!" Her voice was low but full of energy and authority.


    Phoebe reared her hand back, ready to punch or slap Katherine like she had long desired to do. This plan did not come to fruition as they were interrupted.


    David came out of nowhere and grabbed his sister''s arm, his grasp was so hard that she winced in pain.


    "Ouch David let go!" She twisted her lips.


    "You first!" He jutted his chin to her hand that was still wrapped around Phoebe''s wrist. Katherine let go immediately.


    Out of nowhere, rushed footsteps approached them and Katherine was slapped on the back by none other than her own mother.


    "What the hell Katherine! Why are you harassing David''s future wife? Have you lost your mind, do you know how precious my daughter-in-law is? What if you break her wrist and ruin David''s relationship or ours with the Mayfairs?" Miranda asked


    Her concern for Phoebe was surprisingly genuine. Of course it was only because of Phoebe''s new financial and social status.


    Her words caused Katherine to laugh out sarcastically however.


    "Oh since when mother? A while ago you were so against her marrying David but now that she''s a Mayfair she qualifies?" Katherine spoke through pursed lips.


    Miranda pointed an index finger in her chest and laughed half heartedly. "Me! When did i reject her? Even the money i gave her was a test to see how much she loved your brother and she passed with flying colors. If your brother wants her then he can have her. Who am I to fight against young true love?" She smiled slyly at Phoebe who was massaging her wrist.


    She was also staring at Miranda as if she was seeing a ghost although in her case, she did see ghosts. But, this new Miranda was a surprise to her, catching her off guard.


    "True love my ass!" Katherine whispered and scoffed.


    Suddenly, she didn''t like Phoebe very much, however she still wanted her formulas. "Look, i am not here to fight i just have a business proposal for Phoebe. Anyone in this country would be glad to have a connection to the Saxon group i am going to give that to her on a silver platter."


    "What proposal?" Miranda asked knowingly.


    Having used some of Phoebe''s tonics she too had realized that they were better than the health supplements made by the Saxon group. It was one of the reasons that she wanted to trap Phoebe in a marriage, to get her formulas after which she planned to turn her into a house wife.


    "Mother, you have seen what her tonics have done for grandpa. He is back to normal and even mobile in less than two months. If we can mass produce these health supplements under the Saxon group, we can make money and save lives. Its a win-win for everybody, what''s not to like?" Katherine nearly snarled the words out.


    Her patience was running thin, she thought the deal was a dream come true for Phoebe. She was what they called ''small time'' in the business. This was an opportunity for her to join the big leagues. Wasn''t it why she was dating David in the first place?


    Phoebe sighed deeply. "I am not interested take your proposal else where."


    "Come on child, listen to your sister-in-law. We will pay you heavily for it....." Miranda was interrupted by David who growled.


    "She said that she is not interested! now move it, both of you!" David raised his voice sternly at his mother and sister.

 Chapter 223 There is always drama at a funeral.

    Gnawed by worry, David feared that his mother and sister would wash away the progress he had made so far with Phoebe. How was she supposed to be with him when he had selfish monsters as family, she had already tasted their wrath in the past life.


    He was already resolved to keep them away from Phoebe and their behavior had just cemented his resolution. He did not care how offended they appeared to be right now.


    "She has clearly told you that she wants nothing to do with the Saxon group. If i catch you around Phoebe again, trying to push your desires on her, i will do something drastic and i promise that you both will not like it. " David growled out.


    He was so angry that veins could be seen pulsing in his neck. David gently pulled on Phoebe''s hand.


    "Come on Pheebs, let''s go." His efforts were futile as Phoebe remained standing where she was.


    It appeared she was unfazed by the two Saxon women whose faces where glazed with shock. She wanted to witness their reactions from up close.


    Miranda placed a hand to her chest. "Are you seriously shouting at me because of a woman?" Her wide eyes shifted between them one at a time. "I know that you love Phoebe but no matter what, i am still your mother David. You have to respect me even if you don''t like my opinions, a mother comes before a wife."


    "Oh really." Grandma Saxon''s heavily sarcastic voice broke into the conversation.


    The old woman approached them slowly, she had rushed out of the reception hall when Rose-bell informed her that Katherine was talking to David''s girlfriend at the cemetery.


    She wanted to laugh loudly at Miranda who was getting a taste of payback for all the anguish she had caused her when she tricked her son Robert into marriage. Karma was working through Phoebe.


    It was funny to see her claiming that a mother came first before a wife. Back then, she had sowed discord between her and Robert without a care. Where had this logic been?


    "If you are his mother then act like one Miranda. He said you should leave them alone please respect yourself and stop creating a scene in public. It is bad enough that everyone is whispering about the Verdemonts, if you keep going, we will be joining them as the topic to discuss among the founding families at their dinner tables."


    "Grandma you don''t understand, the future of the Saxon group is the formula of those tonics. We must have them." Katherine tried to reason but grandma Saxon gave her a disapproving look.


    "Just because you want something doesn''t mean that you must have it. Those recipes are Phoebe''s and if she doesn''t want to sell or share them then it''s up to her. You cannot force her to hand them over to you!" Grandma Saxon spoke pointed at Katherine, almost poking her on the head as she emphasized her point.


    "Besides, the Saxon group has survived for hundreds of years without Phoebe''s tonics and i am sure that it will continue to thrive without them. If you continue to grow your greed, our entire family will fall as a result." She cautioned Katherine because of late, she had noted that just like the Verdemonts her family also comprised of some selfish individuals.


    She was planning to weed them out when there was still time. If she waited until the last minute like Luther, the Saxon lineage and glory would die.


    Katherine sneered arrogantly, turned around and walked away. None of them understood what was needed for the Saxon group to thrive beyond what it was. She was the only one that knew what was best for the group and that was the formulas to Phoebe''s tonics.


    Just because she was retreating right now did not mean that she has surrendered. Miranda also followed Katherine, taking the path leading into the maze. Her calmness couldn''t depict the storm that was brewing within her.


    She disliked the fact that her mother-in-law was always defending Phoebe. Now that she was a Mayfair, she was even more valuable and beloved by the old woman. Just like Katherine, she thought the formulas for the tonics were useless in Phoebe''s hands.


    Miranda''s scheming mind never failed her however and she came to another realization. One custom that had been kept in their country was the exchange of gifts when a man and woman were getting married. They could patiently wait for the two families to discuss marriage and when the time came, they could ask for the formulas to be included in whatever the Mayfairs offered.


    While she was plotting, grandma Saxon was apologizing to Phoebe, her apologetic eyes moved between David and her. She hoped that Phoebe didn''t push her grandson away because of what happened. Phoebe could tell that the old woman was deeply saddened by everything so she wore a tiny smile.


    "It''s okay grandma, don''t fret about it."


    [I am not surprised by their behavior, in fact I will teach them a good lesson using the tonics.]


    A soft chortle slipped through grandma Saxon''s lips, each time she met Phoebe she became more certain that she was the perfect fit for the family. She patted the top of Phoebe''s hand and walked away.


    The heavy expression in David''s eyes disappeared and his eyes brightened when he realized Phoebe was not truly angry with him. His heart lightened and physically, his body relaxed.


    "I guess we can stroll to the reception too or we can directly leave because we have dinner plans." His eyes moved around, it was getting dark and the cemetery was empty and dimly lit.


    Shaking her head, Phoebe told him to go without her. "I have business to attend to."


    "Here? Now?" He quizzed.


    "Yes." She reached for her phone and dialed Shark''s number. She couldn''t spot him anywhere, he was running late.


    David wasn''t even surprised that she had business in a cemetery, curious about what business she was talking about, he rubbed his hands and decided to stay with her. There was no way he was going to leave her by herself in the dark cemetery.


    They walked towards a bench and sat down. Just like every cemetery, it was silent and the loudest noise there was that of the light wind.


    "Are you cold?" he asked her.


    She nodded, so David gave her his jacket immediately and pulled her closer to provide more warmth from his body.


    "What food did my grandmother give you?"


    "Yo!" A deep voice came from behind them.


    It startled David who separated from Phoebe heart with a heart pumping fast as if they had been engaged in something illicit.


    "You are late Shark."


    "Pheebs, i was waiting for the Saxons to leave. No offense David....I can call you that can''t i?" Shark smile half heartedly.


    "Yes of course, any friend of Pheebs is a friend of mine." David nodded once.


    Paula kept sighing with frustration as she looked at Shark, not only had delayed them but he was still in a playful mood.


    "It''s okay Paula, Shark here is good at his job but he makes mistakes because he''s human." Phoebe comforted the ghost.


    Her soft voice and words caused the fine lines on its face to disappear.


    "I just always thought that he was sharp but I was wrong, he is kind of a clown." Paula sighed deeply as she gave in Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Wait a moment, Paula Rorton''s ghost is here?" Shark bellowed.

 Chapter 224 Plotting to solve a case.

    Phoebe was stunned that Shark was shocked, wasn''t he used to ghost business by now?


    "Yes of course, it''s her case we are tackling, i think i mentioned it. Don''t you remember?" She elevated her brows.


    Shark nodded continuously. "Can I see her, I mean I want to say something before we even start."


    On his request Phoebe waved and snapped her fingers and just like that their eyes were opened to see the supernatural. They could now see ghosts, not just Paula but the Verdemont lingering ghosts as well.


    "I didn''t think that they would be so many." David mentioned, forgetting again that he was in a cemetery.


    "Focus on only Paula David, the rest of these ghosts are none of our business unless they approach me for help." She demanded of him.


    He sniffed the thick cold air. "Is there a way to force them to move on without useful methods like Amon''s bells?" David abruptly asked.


    David looked at the ghost with pity filled eyes, he could not imagine the possibility of spending eternity tied to a cemetery. It was not living, there was no joy in it, in fact he thought it was a hell of its own kind.


    Phoebe thought back to the beginning of her ghost seeing days when she was still frightened of the new world she had been thrust into unwillingly. She had asked the Saxon spirit a similar question. Back then, she thought if the ghosts could simply be sent away, her life would resume normalcy. It only lasted until she realized that no ghosts could mean there was a possibility of her never making it to the age of thirty.


    Suddenly, she was pro ghost, the more of them there were in the world, the better.


    She sighed, "It can''t be done, they would simply carry their grievances into their next lives. Imagine if a stranger walked up to you one day and forcefully relocated you to the Silver nation, would you like it?"


    David shook his head with a distasteful look on his face.


    "Exactly." Phoebe strongly affirmed. "It''s the same thing for them, this is their home. They are lingering around for various reasons so just don''t mind them and focus on Paula who needs our help."


    Meanwhile Shark''s full attention had already been given to Paula. While David and Phoebe were talking, he had been apologizing for not keenly looking into her death.


    Paula was calm so Phoebe assumed the apology had been accepted and Shark was off the hook. She looked at the watch on her hand and realized she had been in the cemetery for a good forty minutes already.


    "Lets..." she started but Shark was still groveling, cutting her off.


    "I hope you will not hold a grudge against me, I can assure you that i am going to walk the ends of the earth and arrest everyone involved in your death but before we move forward I need to know what the hell happened in that club."


    "Yeah, same here. I want to hear it." David stood in an erect posture. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I already know the story."


    There was honestly no time to go through all the details so Phoebe summarized the story. When she finished, Shark kicked the metallic leg of the bench and winced.


    "Bloody hell! I have had my eyes on Sully and Amaro but i did not see this. I knew something was up when they started acting cagey, running around like headless chicken searching for something in the evidence which was collected at the club.


    Two days ago, Amaro moved into a new apartment in an expensive area of Loopy lane and Sully bought himself a new electric car. Those sons of bitches are not even hiding the fact that they are dirty anymore. It is already an open secret in the station but we lack evidence to prove it. Those two weasels are good at cleaning up after themselves.


    We all know that no one can afford the things they have on a cops salary but the money trail is always perfect like an inheritance from a distant relative or investments. I swear to God that if I put my hands on those two, they are dead." Shark made more verbal assurances that he would right the wrong.


    They all knew how impulsive he was, if he made one wrong move then it could only spoil things.


    "No!" Paula and Phoebe spoke in unison.


    Shark stared at them, one after the other.


    "What do you mean no? Someone has to teach them a good lesson."


    "The legal way Shark, if you rush we will accomplish nothing and Phoebe will be in danger because she is your source of information. First, we have to find a way to get Paula''s case reopened. Two, we need the police Standards Operations Bureau on this which means we need Amon''s help. I don''t like the guy but we have to involve him." David folded his arms and pinned them to his chest.


    Phoebe agreed immediately. "That''s true Amon is high up in police ranks and has knowledge on ghosts. It''s easier to explain our problem to him."


    "Or maybe I should just call in a favor from the chief of CPD, we are friends." David lifted his chin.


    Phoebe scoffed, not impressed at all. "And what will people say if word gets out that a Saxon used money to influence the police chief. I am sure Amaro and Sully will say that you just don''t like them because of what they did to me and you are on a revenge mission."


    "It''s true that i dislike them, i loathe them and i am taking them down permanently this time, with or without using my connections." David avoided her gaze at all costs, hoping that she would not see the bloodthirsty look in his eyes.


    Shark had been listening to the back and forth, he loudly clicked his tongue. "Pheebs has a point. To take dirty cops off the force one must have damning evidence or else they will just be transferred and the cycle will continue. Moreover, if the chief accuses them directly out of the blue, it will raise more questions than anything. Paula we need to get that memory card immediately and start making arrests."


    Paula nodded, she let them know that she had been keeping her eyes on the decorative dish. "The memory card is still there i am certain. Those decorative stones are changed once in three months."


    "I can''t go in directly to retrieve it, its a ladies room and i need a search permit to get in there or the police has to access the club while working on a case which allows us to search the premises without a warrant." Shark reminded them.


    "I will go." Phoebe volunteered.


    "No." Both men yelled.


    Phoebe blinked and looked from one to the other. "I am the only woman here that can get in there without raising suspicion. I saw Amon around here somewhere, we need to brief him." Phoebe''s eyes moved to her buzzing phone.


    It was her father probably wondering where she was, she could not not answer it just yet.


    "No need." Came a voice from behind a large tomb stone. A man stood up and yawned, his arms stretching like a cat.


    Shark panicked and flushed his phone flashlight in the direction from which the voice came. "Deputy chief Amon?"

 Chapter 225 The band continues to grow.

    During the service, Amon had stealthily disappeared from the congregation. This was because he was exhausted and needed a place to rest his head. If it wasn''t for the fact that his parents had insisted on him being at the funeral he would not have bothered. The Verdemonts were not among his favorite people, they were mostly criminals and he abhorred criminals.


    He had moved around the cemetery, ignoring the ghosts that did not even give off a hint of fear when they saw his bell. The calmness made him uninterested in them so he continued on, in search of a resting place, it wasn''t long before he found a good hiding spot behind a big old tombstone.


    It was grey in color with a carving of a baby angel on the sharp tip at the top. The name on the tombstone was Valeria Verdemont who had died in 1902. For an old grave, it was well cared for and happened to be right beneath a big tree, providing shade so Amon found it perfect.


    He had been sleeping until the Phoebe-Katherine and then Miranda, David and grandma Mayfair loud tug of words woke him up.


    He thought silence would return when they left but Shark showed up and things became more interesting. As his name was mentioned, he figured it was time to make a grand entrance.


    "I hope you did not mind me resting here." He spoke to the gentleman ghost that was resting on top of the grave next to the one he had been resting on.


    Under normal circumstances, he would just shake the bell and force it to move on to the other side but Phoebe had made him to see things differently. Of course, he was not as blind as her, giving all ghosts a chance because even a harmless ghost could change and become harmful.


    These Verdemont ghosts were just anchored to the family cemetery, they could not go anywhere even if they wanted to.


    He saw the way Phoebe was watching him with guarded eyes and looking at ghosts as if she was ready to leap to their rescue and protect them from the big bad ghost catcher.


    "Relax, i will not touch them and there is no need to fill me in on your plotting." He stood and straightened out his arms. A weary smile played on his lips as he approached the group. "I heard everything, if you wanted to keep this private then you should have checked the surroundings around you first. Cemeteries are great places for shady business but it does not mean the absence of witnesses."


    David rolled his eyes. "Just tell us if you are in or out." He shifted his weight from one foot to another.


    "Of course i am, anything to help Phoebe." His smile broadened when his eyes shifted to her.


    He was looking at her like he was interested in more than just helping. A loud growl came out of David''s mouth, he felt his position being threatened each time a man showed too much interest in Phoebe especially because they were not exactly exclusive.


    They were still playing relationship chicken, no...she was the one doing that and he was all in.


    Amon chuckled briefly, his smile had been deliberate as he wanted to tick David off. The Saxon needed his ego to be brought down a little.


    Phoebe was not in the mood for any testosterone comparison matches, she just wanted this meeting ended. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What''s the plan? You had those two before so how did they escape being thrown off the force?"


    "They have connections, remember! CPD is a complicated organization, Sully and Amaro are just two small cogs in the machine, an organization of corrupt cops nation wide. We want to capture the entire group so we have been keeping an eye on them but this is a serious case so we can ditch them, we have others anyway."


    His answer made perfect sense to her, indeed those two corrupt cops had been backed by someone high up back then.


    "You need to arrest those two corrupt cops as soon as possible. What if they smell a rat and alert the rest of the group?"


    Nodding in agreement, Amon moved his lips to the side. "I can do it tomorrow but just as Shark has informed you, we need to get the evidence before that so that they can''t escape. My people, Paula and detective Shark here can handle that tonight. You guys can leave that to us."


    David frowned immediately. "No way! We have to come too." He spoke with fervent determination.


    "Are you are cop? Do you even know of the basic requirements for collecting evidence? There are dangerous people at that club and you want to walk in with your screaming famous white hair. Don''t you think that all eyes will be on you?


    You have not been seen in a club in Fog city for over a year now because you stopped partying. If you show up and those two are arrested the next day, don''t you think that it will be suspicious? As soon as Amaro and Sully learn that you passed by the Freezing moon, they will tie this back to you and Phoebe." Amon''s face marred deep lines of worry.


    "And you two won''t be recognized?" David sarcastically asked.


    On hearing his words, Amon chuckled. "And who said that we were going there ourselves?"


    Phoebe''s eyes opened wide as she suspected to understand what his question meant. "Then who? Are you sending someone else undercover?"


    "Yes." Both cops answered almost in unison.


    On hearing their plan, Phoebe shook her head in disagreement. What if what happened to Paula happened again. "You said the people in there were dangerous...."


    "Besides the decorative dish is in the ladies bathroom on the VIP floor, not just any commoner can access it. It would take months before that person gets a chance to upgrade to that floor." Paula interjected. "The club security has been upgraded since my death, they are not hiring any new workers or adding new VIP''s to their list for the moment to avoid another infiltration. It is going to be next to impossible for any undercover cop to make it to the top floor."


    She made a valid point that Amon and Shark hadn''t yet thought about. Usually for such a case, a team had to sit and strategize on how to proceed. But in this case there was no time for that and the less people knew about it the better.


    "Damn it!" Shark kicked the air to express his frustration. Initially this seemed like a piece of cake but it was getting harder by the minute.


    Amon clapped once and blinked frequently when an idea came to him. "There is only one route that we could take, we already know of a celebrity that suits the role perfectly." He elevated his brows and stared at Phoebe who caught on quickly.


    "No, no not him." She shook her head vehemently. "Not my brother, no way."

 Chapter 226 Who will be the rescuer of the day?

    Her refusal compelled Amon to pull his brows together in a frown.


    "Why not? He''s perfect for the job. He''s always jumping from one party to another and let''s be honest, after David Saxon, Andre Mayfair has a VIP pass to every nightclub in the country."


    David laughed mockingly and raised his hands to his waist. Obviously they were quick to hope that Amon would be useful. "Andre? You think that guy can do this, he is just as much of a risk as i am. Are you certain you want him?"


    "Yes, why not? I agree with the deputy chief on this one, we are short on time and racing to the finish line. Did you not hear me tell you that Amaro and Sully have been frantically searching for something in the evidence which was taken from the Freezing moon club? It is obvious that they are looking for the memory card. We have to use the resources we have on hand." Shark''s words earned him a sharp gaze from Phoebe.


    He averted his eyes from hers and looked at Amon, he would not be guilted into changing his opinion.


    "He''s a clumsy young man, a lot of things could go wrong. What would we tell the Mayfairs if he ended up like Paula. No offense ladies." Dread swallowed David''s whole by just thinking of all the things that would go wrong.


    "So do you have any other famous person in mind?" Amon spoke in a raised tone, his frustration very visible now.


    David regarded him with a cold piercing gaze. "Yes as a matter of the fact I do." His voice was equally raised.


    Tempers were beginning to flare so Phoebe chimed in. "Who? Tell us, any option is better than Andre."


    "Me. I will do it." David stated.


    Silence took over, they knew how much David had invested to clean his image yet he was willing to ruin it all to stop Phoebe from entering the poisonous club. Amon knew that he was doing it out of love but this one night could ruin his reputation, the Freezing moon was still hot off a scandal.


    "Listen David, we may not be the best of friends but...." Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Fine, let''s have David to do it." Phoebe announced. David was right about Andre being a clumsy person, what if he drunk heavily and blabbered ever?


    More importantly while they had been going back and forth, it hit her that David did not even need to go into the club and neither did she. One, she had ghosts that could do the job and two, she could even use paper men. It did not matter who brought in the memory card, all that mattered was that it fell into their hands.


    Amon clasped his hands behind his back. "Alright, however if this goes south. I do not want my name brought up."


    Paula raised her hand half way. "There is one problem here, the decorative dish is in the ladies rest room. David is a man, last time I checked."


    Shark sighed in frustration, their woes were never ending, it seemed. David however was unfazed by the revelation.


    "Drunk men enter the ladies rest rooms accidentally all the time, i can fake it for a minute and get the card."


    "I know that everyone is tired so why don''t you all leave this part to David and I, we can tackle it easily without alerting the security." Phoebe tapped David''s back. "You two should go back and start preparing to make some big arrests because some of the names Paula gave me are big, and i mean big."


    Phoebe efficiently closed the meeting and literally shoved Shark and Amon to leave. They all left the cemetery and walked to the maze gardens.


    As they walked, Amon whispered to David. "The feeling is mutual."


    "Excuse me?" David stopped in his tracks.


    "I heard you say that you don''t like me very much. Well that feeling is mutual, if you mess up what you have with her. Then I will swoop in and save her from you." He warned before increasing his pace to meet up with Shark who was walking ahead of them.


    David smirked, it sounded like Amon knew how not to be a third wheel or mistress in their relationship. He was glad that Amon wasn''t going to pursue Phoebe until he messed up. He was never going to mess up however, not in this life. He had done that in the past and he regretted it so much. He put a hand on Phoebe''s waist and walked on proudly.


    On reaching the reception area where tents had been set up for an outdoor party, Phoebe was greeted by more than a few hateful stares from the Verdemonts. They still blamed her for everything that had happened to them.


    "I cannot believe that she is bold enough to show her face here. Why does David even see in her?" Camilla''s words permeated to Phoebe''s ears.


    "Maybe she charmed him, i heard that she sells love portions too." Said the girl that was sitting next to her.


    "Hmph, it must be true, nothing else can explain why David is hooked around her finger like an idiot." Emilia commented.


    They continued to discuss Phoebe but she did not care, she was looking at the place where Linda''s body had once laid.


    The tents in the gardens had been brightly decorated with string lights. The center of the gardens where Linda''s body had been had been renovated rather quickly.


    A marble sculpture of the god of the light faith had been placed there. Phoebe did not even know what to think, she could not even enjoy this celebration of Luther''s life and she was not the only one.


    The mood was dull despite all the food and drinks that were available in addition to the rather cheerful music which Ekhart had claimed were all his father''s favorite songs. Most people were not in the mood to party, after all a funeral was a funeral.


    Phoebe meandered through the crowd and reached the table allocated to the Mayfair''s. She was surprised to find Collin Baltimore sited with her family members.


    Her eyes as always went to his head first, the golden hair on his head was curled more than usual and longer than it had been when she last saw it.


    [Goldie, did you come for a funeral or to walk down a runway?]


    "Pheebs! You didn''t tell us that you knew such a handsome and charming young man. Why did you hide him from us." Jennie gestured for Phoebe to come over and sit down, excitedly.

 Chapter 227 Two Collins in a pod

    David came up behind Phoebe and the ready smile on his face died a little at the sight of his and Phoebe''s landlord. He wondered why the man was at the funeral when he did not even know Luther. He was new to Citrus city so it was doubtful that he had a personal relationship with the Verdemont''s as well. What was he doing here with the Mayfair''s?


    From the look of things, they had already been captivated by Collin''s charm. Unlike Amon, Collin was determined to become a persistent thorn in his journey of the pursuit of his wife.


    Phoebe heard David sighing unpleasantly, and she sighed as well.


    "Why is he even here? Are you here for the food? I didn''t see you at the cemetery." David thought out loud.


    Collin chuckled, he loved to get on David''s last nerves. He had figured out that David lacked control when he was around competition which could work to his advantage.


    "Maybe you should have looked harder, my family was invited to the funeral as well. I was not going to attend but now i am glad that i did, it is such a pleasant experience interacting with the Mayfair''s." Collin Baltimore turned up the charm.


    Jennie giggled and Edward frowned.


    The most pleased person at the table other than Jennie was Collin Mayfair. Not once had he ever seen David uncomfortable around anyone, it was even better because this man was interested in his sister and seemed to be a better candidate than David.


    "I like you Collin, not just because we share a name but we have similar business ideas. Who knows what else we could become in the future, maybe family." He smiled slyly at David, with a deliberately calculated smirk on his face.


    Phoebe gave her brother a warning look. "We are just friends, stop making such jokes eldest brother."


    Feelings could not be forced and as sweet as Collin Baltimore was, she felt nothing for him. Even if David was not in the picture, she would not date him.


    "For now." Jennie interjected in a light manner. "It''s clear as day that Collin here cares for you." She turned to face him. "Are you aware that our Phoebe is a shaman?" She asked, there was suspense in her eyes.


    Nodding his head, Collin Baltimore let them know that he didn''t mind it. "It is just another job like that of a doctor or a teacher, there is nothing wrong with it. Pheebs helped my sister who had constant nightmares and headaches. I don''t think that i will ever thank her enough for the help."


    Phoebe smiled gently. "I am glad to hear that she is much better." She watched the exit as she was extremely tired.


    From hunting for herbs to a funeral and then a planned trip to the Freezing moon club, she did not intend to stay here much longer. Phoebe wanted to escape more now that Collin was buttering up her family and besides, hunger had visited her once again, and she wasn''t going to eat a thing from the funeral. She wanted those pork ribs.


    "Perfect!"Jennie exclaimed, her eyes shone brightly. Not once had she ever looked at David like that. "Collin you are always welcome to our home."


    Phoebe frowned when she heard her mother say that, she wanted to shake Jennie awake. For what reason would he be visiting?


    "Thank you Mrs. Mayfair, please excuse me i should join my family now." Collin winked at David before leaving the table.


    "Skunk." David muttered.


    Phoebe almost chuckled loudly because she heard him vividly. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Grandma Mayfair was watching silently, she had not been as enthusiastic as Jennie and Collin. She already knew that the gold haired man had no chance at winning Phoebe''s heart, she had already given it to David at least half of it.


    In fact, Phoebe had been displeased when Jennie gave Collin an open invitation to their house. Phoebe had not expressed that displeasure and the old woman decided to do it for her.


    "Jennie you need to slow down and stop assuming that any man is good for Phoebe except David. You have no idea about the things this young man has done for our Phoebe."


    Andre raised his hand half way. "Yes granny i am with you on this one and i am rooting for David too." He nodded once at David who smiled.


    There were so many reasons as to why he was in his corner. One being that David was a man of his word. He had promised to invest in Andre''s movie and he had done so. The second being that he had seen David put himself in front a gun, willing to take a bullet for Phoebe.


    Jennie shifted uncomfortably in the chair and she looked down at the plate. It was one thing bad mouthing David in his absence and another to say it to his face but still, she wanted to defend herself and explain her reasons.


    "Mother, we all know David''s character...."


    "Yes, his character is an honest and hard working young man. Don''t hold his past against him." Edward interrupted his wife.


    Jennie went into sulking mode immediately but nobody attempted to comfort her, she had made her bed, she had to lay in it.


    The Saxon spirit huffed. "I am sorry to say this Phoebe but your mother is a busy body. Find her some work or something! Why is she meddling in your love life? What does she have against David? He''s not that bad."


    Phoebe let out a muffled chuckle, the spirit was team David, of course it did not like when it concerned this specific matter. Her eyes moved to her wrist watch. It was around 9:00pm.


    "Everyone, i am retiring now. Don''t worry David will take me home, we have dinner plans."


    Some of the people on the table announced that they were leaving as well. In the end, all of the Mayfair''s decided to go home.


    "David take me home child." grandma Mayfair clung onto David''s hand.


    She had this mysterious smile on her face and soon, Phoebe found out why.


    When they entered the Mayfair manor, they were greeted with a thick aroma of delicious food wafting in the air. Phoebe''s legs increased their pace, carrying her in the direction of the dining room.


    On the table, a hefty amount of food was waiting, it was everything Phoebe had ordered for in the forest. It had been delivered to the Mayfair manor at David''s request.


    "How?" Phoebe wondered excitedly while grabbing a seat.


    Maria stepped forward and asked if they will need anything else other than utensils.


    "Beers, bring out some beers, i want to have cold beer with ribs." Grandma Mayfair''s shoulders danced from side to side.


    David smiled with satisfaction as he sat next to Phoebe, the Mayfair''s would all warm up to him.


    Luke and Andre joined in, hardly had they dug in when the rest of the Mayfairs arrived. They also took seats and served themselves, even Jennie to David''s surprise.


    Only Collin who retired to bed early did not partake in the meal.


    At exactly 10:30pm, David announced that he was leaving. Phoebe said that she had an errand to run and both of them left the house to fulfill their mission.

 Chapter 228 Evidence secured

    This was a mission for only two people, Phoebe and David, to avoid drawing attention to themselves he did not allow any of the bodyguards to follow them. It turned out to be a wise decision because the area around the club was being surveilled heavily by shady looking individuals that appeared to be thugs.


    They were shooting menacing and suspicious glances at anybody that appeared to be out of place. Paula had been right about the tightening of security around the Freezing moon club.


    They were even turning away unfamiliar faces in the long line of hopeful clubbers. What they could not turn away were the paparazzi and reporters that were still interested in the story, hoping to get crumbs that would be the next breaking news in the city or country at large.


    "Where should we park?" Phoebe asked Paula''s ghost.


    "There is a blind spot at the back that doesn''t have cameras. It''s usually used to do illegal activities, that''s the best way in." Paula advised strongly.


    David drove around until he found an available slot in the area Paula highlighted. It was near an alley whose lighting was dim and all sorts of suspicious characters were passing through or lounging in the alley. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A couple of kids that clearly looked like teens were smoking.


    Someone knocked on the window from outside and flashed a pink powder to David. He lowered the window and stared coldly at the drug peddler.


    "Go away."


    His commanding voice and its tone frightened the drug peddler away. David''s eyes roamed around and unease grew in the pit of his stomach. How could he go inside and leave Phoebe here?


    "Pheebs i cannot go in there and leave you behind, this place is not safe. I think you should go in with me, we can find a nearby shop and buy a wig and sun glasses."


    He turned from her but Phoebe pulled on his hand. "No body is entering that dangerous place and we do not need any disguise."


    Paula was confused, Phoebe was deviating from the plan. If David did not go into the club then how would they secure the evidence?


    "How then are we going to get the memory card, I have no ability to hold things." She tried to grab David''s phone to show them what she meant. Indeed, her pale hand just went through, not even causing the phone to tremor slightly.


    "That is because you are a baby ghost that lacks extreme anger so you do not have a lot of energy. Do not worry about how we are going to get the memory card, I have a team for that. Guys it''s time." She summoned the ghosts, further more she returned to David the temporary ability to see them.


    "Oh wow, our ghost team. Why didn''t I think of that?" He elevated his brows on seeing Connie and Sylvester. David couldn''t see the Saxon spirit but he knew Phoebe had another ghost helper she often referred to as ancestor.


    In his mind, he always pictured this ghost an an ancient wrinkly old woman that was related to the Mayfairs.


    Phoebe started explaining what she thought to be the perfect strategy to David and Paula. She was going to summon the paper men who would sneak into the ladies rest room and retrieve the memory card. The ghosts where to escort them to ensure that everything went well. It was a restroom after all, if water was splashed on them even by mistake then they would dissolve.


    "Connie and Sylvester you two should head in and check on the situation, no people should be in there when the paper men make an appearance." Phoebe ordered.


    "Hell no! Sylvester is going no where. Even if he is a ghost, he''s still a dude." Connie pushed her hand forward to stop him.


    "I''ll wait outside the bathroom." Sylvester quickly volunteered to stay behind.


    The Saxon spirit mentioned that it would go with Connie and Phoebe nodded. As long as someone was watching over Connie, she was relieved. Left on her own, the girl had a tendency to wander off.


    Phoebe did not trust her to be on her best behavior inside a club where some of her favorite celebrities could be.


    The paper men where summoned and Phoebe exposed them to David who had never seen them.


    "What are they made of?" David''s index finger moved to touch them but he retrieved it when the one he intended to touch hissed and frowned. "Sorry buddy."


    David was surprised to see that they could react as if they were real. He thought Phoebe had exhausted all of her surprises but apparently he was wrong, she had more in store.


    "They are paper men, so they are made from paper of course." Phoebe spoke gently like she was explaining facts to a young child.


    She left out the part of the ghost energy bringing them to life. She wasn''t about to entertain questions about the ghost energy at least not now.


    "It''s clear." Connie returned with a good report.


    The paper men flew out and climbed a part of the wall like insects. They entered the club through the rest room window. They moved like ninjas and landed in the ceramic bowl.


    Hardly had they began to search through the exotic stones, when two girls entered. Their attention was drawn to the paper men immediately.


    It was hard to miss them when they were so vivid under the bright light. One opened her mouth to scream but the Saxon spirit blew sleeping dust in her face and did the same with the other.


    "Goodness gracious! little ones, please pick up the speed." The spirit laid its hands over the girls in the bid to erase their memories. "It looks like Phoebe will have to feed me new energy again." It muttered.


    One of the paper men squeaked like a mouse, he had found the memory card. He flew in the air and handed it to the Saxon spirit.


    "Oh thank God!" A teary Paula clapped with joy. They carefully positioned the stones as they had been and left through the small window.


    Once they returned to the car, the spirit gave Phoebe the memory card which she gave to David. "It''s now up to you, deliver it to the detectives. And David, please be careful with it, hand it directly to Amon."


    He smiled and started the car. "Your cute but don''t worry about me, I will be fine."


    Phoebe sneered. "It''s not you i am worried about, it''s the evidence."


    His smile only grew wider, he stepped on the gas pedal and drove towards the Cerene Apartments.


    After dropping Phoebe off, David proceeded to the police station directly. He parked outside and called Amon who came with Shark.


    "That was fast." Amon arched an eyebrow as he placed the memory card in an evidence bag.


    "Ghosts work harder than cops these days." David mumbled, his words were not clearly heard by Amon who asked for him to repeat what he had said.


    David chuckled. "I said arrest those damn fools and remember that nothing about this can lead back to Phoebe."


    He sent the cops away and made a call to Roxanne, he was not a fool, he had downloaded the contents of the memory card to a spare phone that he always traveled with.


    "I have something that i need you to look into, tell Roman to categorize it into what we can use and what we can dump."


    With his mission finished, he drove back to the Cerene apartments.

 Chapter 229 Luthers will__1

    11:00PM at the Verdemont family house, all the Verdemont''s from the oldest to youngest including a six month old baby that was sleeping in her mother''s arms gathered.


    By this time, all the guests that had come for the funeral had been thanked and sent away. This was because after the funeral and celebration of Luther''s life, the most important part had come.


    It was the single thing which had been on the minds of the family all day, the reading of Luther''s will. Despite exhaustion and a need to rest, the entire family was sitting in the living room, anxiously waiting for Mr. Cornwell to make his entrance.


    Even the Verdemonts that had been living out of Fog country were back, they had not made it in time for Luther''s burial but were right on time for the reading of the will. Bubbles of excitement coursed through their veins as they calculated what each of them would get. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As they waited for Mr. Cornwell, they discussed this and that but mostly talked about Luther, this was because many were holding grudges against him and needed to vent with those that were as like minded as them.


    "I cannot believe that old man wanted to fuck us over, death couldn''t have visited at a better time." Emilia leaned back in the sofa and crossed one leg over the other.


    She had a glass of strong whiskey in her hands, the third one for the night. Emilia was not a drinker but lately she had taken to indulging because of all the troubles the family had faced.


    She had narrowly escaped being divorced by Ekhart after rumors of an affair with the minister of light plagued her. Her reputation was now similar to Linda''s ill reputation back then. Emilia knew that it was the work of Luther, he had spearheaded the smear campaign to punish her.


    Nina covered her five year old daughter''s ears. "Emilia watch your language! There are children amongst us." She threw her an accusative glare.


    "It''s past their bedtime, all children need to leave the room. It''s adult business anyway." Emilia downed the whiskey and snapped her fingers at the butler, indicating that she wanted her glass refilled.


    Slapping the sofa armrest, Nina felt anger radiate through her. She was tired of Emilia''s behavior, lately she acted like she was in charge and nobody cared to put her in her place.


    "Who the hell are you to say that? You are a Verdemont by marriage and not by birth. I highly doubt that my father whom you slander every chance you get left you anything. If anybody should be in bed, it''s you after all, you caused Linda''s death and angered my father to his death as well."


    Scoffing at Nina''s words, Emilia shot her a venomous look. "Your father? Oh so now you remember who he was to you? I know that old man left me nothing, I am here to make sure that my husband who is the next chairman of our corporation gets what he is owed."


    On listening to her words, Paul let out a muffled chuckle. He knew that there was no way his father had left the Verdemont empire in Ekhart''s hands. He was the first son but the worst person for the job.


    "This is going to be interesting." He whispered to his son who was dressed to the nines, with Brandon out of the way he was next in line as long as the position of patriarch went to his father.


    "Sister-in-law, you can choose other words to insult Emilia, reminding her that she is not a Verdemont by birth is a slap to all the wives that married into this family." Aretha, Paul''s wife said this to Nina.


    The air was loaded with tension as different members of the family eyed each other suspiciously. The longer Cornwell took to arrive, the more the tension grew and the more they traded words.


    Mr. Cornwell walked in with his team of lawyers and technicians who set up the projector screen. The air lightened a bit and some people put on their greed filled smiles.


    "Finally! How dare he make us wait, after today, we will not be needing your services anymore." Emilia muttered.


    Mr. Cornwell ignored most of the remark Emilia had made. It had not been his intention to arrive late, he had returned home after the funeral, skipping the dinner as he could not tolerate the Verdemonts anymore. He had assumed that naturally since it was late the will could be read the next day.


    Imagine his surprise when he got a call at 10 p.m ordering him to report to the mansion and do his duty. Of course it took a while to put everything together and gather his team because they had already retired for the night.


    "I am sorry for the delay." He bowed respectfully as he apologized. "Would you like me play Luther''s video or would you prefer that i read and explain each clause of this will." Cornwell''s eyes moved around, lingering on Ekhart and Paul especially.


    "Read the damn will already."Ekhart rubbed his hands together, salivating for what was to come.


    "Skip the useless parts too." Emilia flipped her hair, she planned to pull some strings and get Brandon a time served and probation verdict first, the moment she got her hands on that fortune.


    "These are your father''s last wishes, why rush it? As his lawyer and that of the corporation i have to do what is best for my client. In this case it''s to make sure that those left behind understand it and also that his wishes are followed to a tee." Cornwell cleared his voice and opened a briefcase, he went ahead to pull out an envelope.


    His little lecture didn''t settle well with Ekhart who agreed with his wife, he needed to get rid of Cornwell as soon as he became boss.


    In the first clauses of the will Luther condemned the behavior of his family members. He blamed many for Linda''s death and others for remaining silent and just watched.


    Cornwell looked around and he took in the frowns of the quiet Verdemonts who were displeased already.


    "It is for this reason that i have been forced to make such drastic decisions." Cornwell read on. "The Verdemont family home will remain as such, all of you are welcome to it and no one will solely own it. As always, the family home can never be sold no matter what circumstances you find yourselves in. The rest of the houses that I own all over the world will not be inherited by anyone as i have sold them off."


    His words elicited a "What?" From the listeners.


    "All of them?" Asked Rumi Verdemont. She had been hoping to get the villa in Magic city. She had often expressed to Luther how much she loved that villa and even lived there every summer.


    "Relax Rumi, what is important is the money. We can buy other houses anyway." Her brother Victor told her.

 Chapter 230 Luthers will__2

    "I own fifteen cars and they will remain in the family, free for use by anyone at home with the exception of my five antique cars, they will be donated to the Citrus auto museum...."


    "What!" Someone exclaimed before Cornwell could even finish.


    The antique cars were worth about two hundred fifty million, how could they be donated?


    Cornwell gestured at one of the junior lawyers at his firm and the man stepped out. "I invited the higher ups of the museum, they are already here to take the cars."


    The junior lawyer stepped out to assist in this process, an action that angered many of the Verdemonts. They were planning to sell off the cars quickly before the museum''s people could show up, now it was not going to happen.


    Clearing his voice Cornwell moved his eyes around in search of something or someone. "Where are the employees?" He asked casually.


    Ekhart who thought that the process was slow asked why he was searching for them. Of what use were employees during the reading of his father''s will?


    "That''s because the next part is about them, i cannot continue without them around. So please, summon them." He opened a bottle and sipped on some water and opened a coffee flavored candy. He needed the caffeine because this was going to be a long night for all of them.


    In a straight line the employees walked in headed by the butler. They stood on the sides far from where their employers sat.


    "To my long serving butler turned friend, I leave you the sum five million. I hope that with this money you will leave the confines of the family and start living your own life with your wife. You stood by me through everything at the expense of your own happiness, I have never taken your kindness for granted." Mr Cornwell read.


    Shaking his head, Ekhart looked at the lawyer as if he was crazy. "Is that even legal? That''s our money that he is dashing out carelessly. How can a servant receive 5 million? Is he even worth it?"


    There were some of course that agreed wholeheartedly with Ekhart.


    Paul dismissed his words. "Oh come on Ekhart, it''s just pennies. What is five million to us? It''s not even a half of my granddaughter''s monthly allowance. Besides, the butler really did take care of the old man so he deserves it. Go on" he jutted his chin at Cornwell.


    "As for the rest of the employees, I have instructed DP holdings to distribute ten million amongst you. The percentage of what each of you will get will depend on how long you have worked in my home." Cornwell paused because Paul kept swinging his hand from one side to another as if he was a concertmaster.


    "Again, is it legal that he gave out our money to servants?" Ekhart wrinkled his nose in disgust. "What is this DP whatever anyway?"


    "Well Mr Verdemont was in charge of everything to do with his will. What he chose to do with his wealth is very legal under the law." Tucker, a partner at T&C explained.


    "I will continue." Cornwell cleared his voice. "Most of the Verdemont assets which i accumulated have been liquidated, the money is stowed safely at Loewe Bank. Minus what I have given to the employees it amounts to two hundred billion, sixty million and seven hundred thousand. This money is to be shared in half, one half is to be given to the Linda Foundation...."


    "Hold up a minute, half! What the fuck is going on here? What the hell is the Linda foundation?" Paul stood up and placed his hands on his head.


    Ekhart leaped up as well and shouted. "This is not true, does it mean he sold the company? I told you all the old man was going insane, we should have tied him up as soon as he started this search for Linda again."


    "Cornwell, did you forge this will? We are going to sue and challenge it." Nina expressed strongly.


    The Verdemonts were beginning to sense trouble coming for them and Cornwell was the singular target of their fury.


    "I know everyone is excited but if you could all calm done, i am not finished. Yes, half of the money is for the Linda foundation which was created by Mr. Verdemont himself." Cornwell calmly explained to an agitated bunch.


    "Half! That''s what one hundred billion? What does this foundation even do and who will be managing it?" Caroline Verdemont asked. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The sharp ones in the room perked up at Caroline''s question. Indeed, who was going to be in charge of the 100 billion dollar foundation?


    Cornwell folded his lips. "I am sorry but I cannot give you anymore information on the manager. Mr. Verdemont chose someone he deemed suitable to head this foundation."


    "And who is that?" Emilia shouted, she couldn''t help but feel like she had been robbed. "Is it someone in the family?" Her suspicious eyes moved around.


    "I suggest that you settle down such that this process can continue and you can all know what he left for you." Cornwell''s words flew right above their heads. The Verdemonts continued to discuss what they had just heard.


    "This isn''t the will that I saw guys, something is definitely wrong here." Ekhart spoke loudly. He had bribed a clerk at T&C who allowed him to take a sneak peak at Luther''s will, he was highly favored in it and there was no such thing as the Linda foundation.


    Cornwell and Tucker traded gazes, they agreed silently to handle the matter lest it grow bigger.


    "What do you mean by that statement Mr Verdemont? What you are saying here is a crime, something illegal. We are going to thoroughly investigate and if it turns out that someone at our offices showed you Mr Luther''s will then he will be terminated and sued." Cornwell spoke decisively.


    "And you too will be implicated for bribing someone." Tucker added.


    Ekhart blinked rapidly, he realized that he had spoken carelessly. "Who said that I saw it from your office? I read through it when it was still a draft, it was in my father''s study." He''s defended himself.


    But the two head lawyers were not convinced, they planned to look into the matter.


    "Tell us what happens to the other half of the money?" Paul perched on the edge of the chair, his hands moved and opened the two top buttons of his shirt.


    Cornwell nodded. "The other half will under the control of DP holdings."


    Cornwell delivered even more surprising news that caused a mixture of reactions. The most extravagant one was Caroline who fainted directly and Nina that started wailing mournfully, a thing she had not done even when her father''s body had been lowered into the ground.


    Others lost their sanity for a brief second. Ekhart leaped at Cornwell in the bid to put his hands around the lawyer''s throat and strangle him.


    Cornwell dodged and Ekhart grabbed Tucker''s hair instead, eliciting a surprised cry out of the lawyer''s mouth.


    "Mr. Ekhart please behave yourself." Tucker said as he struggled against Ekhart''s assault.


    Cornwell had come prepared with security standing right behind the door. On hearing the fracas, they swarmed in to control the situation.

 Chapter 231 Luthers will, conclusion

    Ekhart was like a possessed man and it took five people to pull him away from Tucker and even then, he kicked and screamed as he was led out of the living room to calm down.


    His loss of control and actions left the Verdemonts even more stunned, nobody imagined that a simple reading of a will could end in the exchange of blows. In fact, it had not come to an end yet so perhaps there was more violence to come.


    As for the servants, many of them were hiding their laughter, one had even recorded the scuffle, it could be used to earn some money from a reporter or Ekhart himself.


    "Are you alright?" Cornwell asked Tucker.


    He shook his head, he was not alright, he had lost a few strands of hair and his scalp was on fire. "I guess we are spending the entire night here, what a family of nut jobs." Tucker sat upright and gulped down an energy drink.


    He massaged the side of his cheek that was still hot and painful as a side effect of the punch he got during the scuffle.


    "We should have brought guard dogs too." he muttered.


    "You were wondering why Luther changed his will, i guess you now have the answer to that question." Cornwell laughed slightly as he stood up from the floor where he had been sitting.


    He groaned softly as he felt pangs of pain in his tummy. He too had received his fair share of punches before the security guards got a control of Ekhart. The man had even bitten his arm.


    "Let''s take a one hour break and wait for sanity to be restored and the ones who fainted to be checked by a doctor." Paul suggested.


    Everyone agreed and they dispersed, Emilia had to be carried out as she was half-drunk. They needed to sober her up or she would turn into another Ekhart and initiate a fight.


    The lawyers were left alone in the living room and they could not help gossiping about what had happened so far.


    "It is eye opening to witness their craziness firsthand." One said.


    "Luther was right, they cannot run a business or grow it. They simply want to be hand fed forever."


    "My God, i never thought i would see Ekhart Verdemont biting a person."


    The butler and two servants brought them coffee and pastries because even they could tell that it was going to be a long night.


    "We should prepare for the next part, this was only the beginning. Old man Verdemont really did them dirty, wait until they hear the rest of the will." Tucker chuckled softly, now he believed that the Verdemonts were getting exactly what they deserved.


    "Guard your hair this time." Cornwell joked.


    All the lawyers laughed and Tucker touched the top of his head and winced.


    After exactly one hour, the Verdemonts marched into the living room one by one. The smiles that they initially wore at the start of the reading of the will were completely gone, replaced by frowns. Those that seemed to have fainted came back too. Victoria Verdemont even hand a cannula on the hand.


    Emilia walked into the living room with a cannula as well, she appeared to be sober but she was being supported by Ekhart and Camilla from both sides like she was a very ill patient.


    Before Cornwell could speak, Ekhart beat him to it. He seemed to be in better condition than when he had been carried out roughly.


    "We are greatly appalled by what you have read to us. And just so to let you know, we are going to challenge this will. My father was very sick towards his death, these new changes to his will do not count."


    Paul stomped his foot to assert what he was about to say. "Yes we are. Before you go on any further, you should know that the family doctor is ready to attest to the fact that my father was suffering from depression and other mental illnesses. It was during this time that he made these ridiculous challenges."


    Cornwell let out a muffled chuckle. "Your father knew that you would make such a claim." S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What did you say?" Ekhart cocked his head.


    "I said that your father knew that you would claim he was mentally unsound towards his death, so he visited over five of the best hospitals in Fog country including Lockhart for a mental wellness check up. Each specialist from these hospitals gave the same result, that he was very sane in fact his brain function was like that of a fifty year old despite him being eighty. " Cornwell''s eyes locked on Ekhart with a warning gleam.


    It was not wise to take this matter to court especially with him as an opponent.


    Paul and Ekhart were unhappy to hear this, the old man had really prepared well. Five specialists versus one bribed family doctor, it was easy to tell who the law would side with.


    "What''s this DP holdings? I keep hearing about it, who the hell owns it and what is their connection to my grandfather? What if they tricked grandfather?" Camilla shakily spoke, worry of becoming poor gnawed at her.


    Paul interjected. "Before you answer that, first confirm this. Did that wicked old man really leave us with nothing?"


    Cornwell frowned when Paul called his father wicked but he chose to remain silent, his job was not to trade words in Luther''s defense.


    "Yes, he did but you interrupted me while I was still reading the will. As for DP holdings, the management team will be expecting you at their headquarters. All your questions will be answered there, the important thing that you should know is that the company will be managing half of the Verdemont fortune." Cornwell massaged his neck as his eyes adjusted and fell upon Ekhart who had tried to strangle him. What he was going to say next could set the man off even more.


    "Just tell us what he left us." Ekhart''s hands run through his hair, unfazed by the accusative glare he received from Cornwell.


    "All of you will receive a maximum of ten thousand dollars a month as an allowance with the exception of Nina Verdemont who will receive fifty thousand." Cornwell''s words evoked gasps and cries from the listeners.


    This time, three people fainted at the same time and one teenage boy crumbled to the floor.


    "Ten thousand? Only ten thousand? That cannot even buy a purse! What am I supposed to do with ten thousand dollars?" Caroline lamented, almost chocking on her tears.


    "A lot of people out there are living on a monthly budget that is smaller than that. It is actually a great salary for many people that would kill to receive it free of charge." Tucker tried to comfort them.


    "We are the Verdemonts! Even in the grave that old man is still shitting on us." Emilia punched her chest as she cursed Luther. "I hope that he doesn''t rest in peace."


    Nina meanwhile was crying, thanking her father for his generosity, at least she had not been written off completely. She regretted a lot of things especially not standing up for Linda and not caring for her father more.


    Ekhart stood up to leave, he was making plans to sell the corporation and run away with the money along with his secret mistress.

 Chapter 232 Peanuts left.

    It hit him that he had stood up a little too quickly so he sat down again, he needed to know about the distribution of shares before making any decisions.


    "You have said a lot but we have not heard anything about the corporation, specifically my father''s shares. I hope that nothing funny was written in there, it''s already popular knowledge that i am the next chairman of the corporation so they should all go to me. My inauguration has been scheduled already." Ekhart''s lips danced with a hidden smile that he was trying to hide.


    If he could get his hands on those shares, there would be need to sell company secrets and move abroad. He could stay in the country and continue living large. Unlike his miserable siblings and their offsprings, at least he still had one thing and it was the most important.


    Ekhart could hardly contain the joy and he stood up again, giving Cornwell an expectant look. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mr. Cornwell let out a short heavy sigh. "Mr Ekhart Verdemont please, take a sit." He requested politely but the man only dismissed him with a wave.


    Cornwell shrugged his shoulders and figured he might as well get it over with. "About the corporation, your father ordered that it is managed by DP holdings as well and he gave them his shares, management rights as well as power of attorney."


    Ekhart stiffened, it was like he had been struck by lightning or a bullet that had been fired directly into his heart. All of the sandcastles he had built in the air came crushing as his dream of being a wealthy chairman flew away.


    "What...what do you mean? I am the first son! That corporation is my birth right. I am supposed to take over just like my father took over from his father and so on." He pulled his shoulders closer to his body.


    In denial, he slowly sat down and shook his head continuously, muttering ''impossible'' over and over again.


    "Explain this very well." Paul ordered, he was disappointed that it wasn''t left to him as well. If not him, his son was an option too, his character was better than Brandon''s at least.


    Mr. Cornwell flipped the pages to the clause of interest. "The Corporation will be under the management of DP holdings but not forever. DP holdings, together with T&C law firm will study your behaviors and ways of life to see how you progress on your own This can be considered a test of character.


    After some years the company management rights will be given to the most suitable Verdemont, someone honest and competent. I did this because I want you to be remorseful especially Ekhart, my first son who has disappointed me the most. I want you all to change your ways and nurture a better generation of Verdemonts our ancestors will be proud of.


    Let me be clear, this offer is not extended to my sons and daughters, their chance has come and gone. I want you all to know that i feel no remorse for the drastic measures i have taken for i cannot entrust the livelihood of thousands of our employees in the hands of beasts like you.


    Oh, one last thing, i hired hackers to drain the money in your private accounts as soon as the reading of this will was started. Ten thousand dollars is all you are left with each right now, i advise you to spend it wisely. If you are unhappy, you know where to find me."


    Cornwell''s tongue pressed on the word beasts as he found them to be that, exactly.


    No sooner had he finished reading that clause when Ekhart let out a painful groan. He raised his clenched fist to his chest and fell to his knees.With trembling hands, he checked his phone and realized that he had indeed received a notification from the bank in the form of a text.


    Hundreds of millions from his accounts were gone and it was the same for everyone that was scrambling to call and confirm this with their banks. However, at that time of the night, every bank was closed and they could get no help.


    There was more fainting and more people crumbled and wailed.


    Ekhart''s heart had never been broken like this before. Hot tears fell from his eyes, he could not even hold them back.


    "It''s over," he mumbled.


    "How could he do this to us! his family. Leaving us with peanuts and giving away everything to unknown people including the servants." Emilia wailed, her eyes shut tightly.


    She vowed to fight to the last drop of her blood to reclaim everything the old man had given away. Poverty wasn''t something she signed up for when she married Ekhart. If it came to the worst she planned to divorce him and return to her Lawson family which still had wealth and influence.


    Paul pointed his index finger at the lawyers. "This isn''t over just yet, we are going go fight this."


    Cornwell narrowed his eyes and stared at him. "I strongly advise against that, I''ll tear you to shreds in a court of law. This will was carefully drafted, there are no loopholes for you to contest it. Your grandfather left behind a video recording of himself drafting this will so no judge will rule in your favor. Besides, do you want to waste the little money you have left on lawyers yet you won''t win?"


    "Mr. Cornwell, are there any other wishes he wanted us to fulfill?" Nina asked, she was ready to do anything after all he had showed kindness to her.


    Even her account had one million left, as long as she nurtured her children well, maybe one of them would be the one to lead the company in future.


    "For the Verdemonts that is all, i advise that you do as he requested such that the corporation can return to the family someday." Cornwell advised.


    He handed the copies of the medical forms, the written will and a copy of the recorded will on a flash drives to his assistant who passed them around.


    Some of the Verdemonts rejected them saying that they had no use of the information in there. But others like Paul that still harbored the idea of taking things to court gladly accepted theirs.


    Paul began to read through his copy hoping to find a loophole that he could use to challenge his father''s will.


    "On each of those flash drives handed to you is a special message to each and everyone of you. I know that right now it seems like the old patriarch was unfair to you but with time I hope that you understand that he wanted to save you from yourselves." Cornwell closed his brief case.


    "Phoebe Mayfair? Isn''t that the shaman girl that found Linda?" Paul''s out of the blue question earned him attention from everyone including Cornwell.


    "Seriously Paul how is that important right now?" Ekhart barked like a hungry dog.


    Paul stood up and pointed at the name which was clear in black ink. "Why is Phoebe Mayfair''s name in here on the list of people that must receive a copy of the will?" He quizzed the lawyer who was about to leave.


    Cornwell paused and looked at the curious family. It gave him great pleasure to see them so drained of arrogance.


    "Well that is none of your business, i believe we are done." He excused himself and left.

 Chapter 233 Who leaked the videos?

    It was another day and another scandal was knocking on the doors of the citizens of Fog country. The gossip tabloids in Fog country were on a rampage. During the night, a few clips from a party at the Freezing moon club had been released by an unknown source.


    Faces of idols, celebrities and politicians were seen in the videos doing all things of immoral and illegal things. From drugs to shameless sexual acts a lot was going on in the videos.


    It was unknown who had leaked the videos but the question of the source was on everyone''s tongue. Whoever had done it had to be really powerful or really stupid because these people would be looking for the source of the leak.


    The Freezing moon club which had just narrowly escaped the limelight after Paula''s death was once again in the news for all the wrong reasons. Reporters had descended on the club already although it was firmly closed.


    Its social media pages had been deactivated and the boss was rumored to have escaped the city in the night. Already apologies and statements were being released from those whose faces had been captured.


    As one of the people that was involved in the hottest and latest scandal in the country, Phoebe was keeping a close eye on everything Freezing moon and she was glad to see the direction which had been taken. If everybody was scrambling to cover their ass, nobody would be wiping someone else''s.


    As for the police, they would be scrambling to push out a fall out person for all the poor investigations into the club. Sully and Amaro were going to be dumped faster than a grenade whose pin had been pulled.


    "Hmmm Amon and Shark move really fast." Phoebe scrolled from one blog to another.


    The Saxon spirit turned the TV on, switching to Phoebe''s preferred channel. Their famous cute reporter Heinz who was a pretty boy with a lovely smile and one dimple was reporting the news from outside of the police station where a number of public figures had been detained including two officers whose names had been withheld.


    "Right now we are waiting for the Chief of police to give us more details but what we know so far is that our colleague Paula Rorton was killed while undercover. It is because of her bravery that we have unmasked these shameless people. We expect that her case, and those of the four women she was working hard to seek justice for are going to be reopened as soon as possible. Heinz Benjamin, reporting live from the CPD central head quarters.


    "Paula must be over the moon." Phoebe commented, her fingers pressed the remote changing the channel to one which showed cartoons.


    At this point, her job was done as all the dirt which had been smeared on Paula was being washed away.


    The Saxon spirit sighed. "That poor thing has not left the station. Together with Amon and Shark they worked the entire night. All the culprits have been arrested including King R.I.P his career is over. Not even Eliza Grant is going to get him out of this one, she is going to be busy saving herself."


    Phoebe nodded, in fact Eliza Grant had bigger problems, another one of her celebrities, Shusana a popular young singer had just been arrested at the airport for importing pink cocaine. Apparently her case had fallen down, shattering completely and a brick of pink cocaine flew through the air, hitting a customs agent on the head.


    Phoebe knew that it was the ghost which was haunting Eliza that had done this. Bricks did not have wings, they could not fly unless they were thrown out by someone or something.


    She laid on her bed. lazily texting Evelyn who was furious because her own boyfriend was among that people in the videos. Her friend was looking for a shoulder to cry on and wanted to visit Phoebe.


    Paula appeared in Phoebe''s bedroom, a big smile was on her lips. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "They''ve all been caught! Oh, i am so pumped, all those assholes have been rounded up, Amaro and Sully have been arrested. King R.I.P has confessed to my murder although he is claiming that it was an accident. My boss that slandered me has also been arrested for giving a false statement to the police. I trust Shark and Amon to finish this, i have accomplished my goal, it is time for me to move on but before I do i have to say good bye to my mother."


    Phoebe nodded, she had nothing planned that morning anyway so she could act as a a go between.


    "I will go and dress up, she can meet us at the cafe."


    Phoebe dialed Amon''s number. On picking, she could hear the chaos at the station through the phone.


    Amon spoke first. "Pheebs it''s crazy here, I''ll call you when i am free. But hold on, why did you guys leak the videos without giving us a heads up?" He asked.


    "We didn''t....." Phoebe shut her eyes. She could only speak for herself. Who knew what David had done after he dropped her off.


    She hung up abruptly and dialed his number. He picked almost immediately. "Was it you that leaked some of those videos?" She asked.


    "Good morning Pheebs!" He spoke almost cheerfully. "It''s a good morning isn''t it?"


    Phoebe smacked her lips. "Answer the damn question Saxon, i know it was you."


    "Pheebs, baby, you are really naive sometimes so i have to be the ruthless one. Did you really think that the higher ups that covered up the case would allow it to become public news? The police had closed the case already, freed the criminal and declared that the victim was a hoe that died because of a drug overdose.


    With the big names involved some where bound to escape justice but now, they have nowhere to hide. Besides CPD was never going to announce to the public that they have rotten cops on the force that have covered up more than fifteen homicides in 7 years from what i have gathered. Sometimes the ends justifies the means."


    He had a lot of valid points and he convinced her to see things from his point of view quickly. He was right, a fish rotted from the head, the higher ups in the police were on the payroll of many people that were involved. Of course, they would have skirted away with a tap on the wrist if the case was not blown up.


    "I hope that you were careful, this shouldn''t be linked to us."


    Worry could be detected in her voice.


    "Don''t worry your pretty red head about that. Where are you, i have the best hacker in the world at my service? Look, I am finishing up some work here at the research lab. I will come to the cafe as soon as i am done here." David informed her gleefully.


    She rolled her eyes, the man considered her cafe his second home or something.


    "Pheebs? Are you there?" He asked.


    "Yes...yes i am. See you soon." She hung up abruptly.


    After getting dressed, Phoebe went straight to the cafe. Hardly had she entered when someone grabbed a fist of her back hair.


    "You conniving bitch, today i am going to show you that you scammed the wrong people." The female voice hissed from behind her.

 Chapter 234 Phoebe is attacked, again!

    Phoebe could not believe that she was being attacked again, at the cafe at that. Had all of her enemies agreed subconsciously that this was the place to come when they were looking for a beating.


    When Phoebe got to know the identities of her attacker she did not hesitate to fight back brutally, she had long desired to hit this person. She did not even use her energy and stopped the ghosts from intervening. This was going to be a one on one beat down.


    Outside the cafe, grandma Mayfair heard a mixture of screams and vulgar language. Quickly she pushed the door open only for her eyes to fall on a bunch of women harassing Phoebe. Her eyes bulged and she glared fiercely in their direction. She found it ridiculous that a bunch of blind people could dare to attack her precious granddaughter, the Mayfair heiress.


    Without caring to identify them, her hands clenched the straps of her bag and she unhesitatingly joined in as well. She raised it as high as she could and swung it compelling it to land on one of the attackers head.


    "Ouch!" Emilia let go of Phoebe''s hair and staggered to the side.


    She spun around to face her attacker, brandishing her hands but stopped when she saw who it was.


    "Old lady Mayfair! Why the hell did you hit my head? I am going to press charges." She threatened.


    Even from a distance, grandma Mayfair could smell the booze on Emilia''s breath. She concluded that Emilia was drunk, it explained her stupid actions otherwise why would she be fighting in public? Either way, drunk or sober it was no excuse for Emilia to attack Phoebe.


    "Oh you go ahead you damn weasel, call the cops or do you want me to do it for you? How dare you attack my granddaughter at her work place. Some of you think that the Mayfair''s are toothless tigers since we don''t wield our power recklessly like you Verdemont idiots. You are going to learn the hard way today that you should never wake a sleeping tigress." Grandma Mayfair pointed at each one of them.


    "What can you do? Don''t tell me that you want to engage me in a fight. I don''t want to break your bones old Lady Mayfair, even though this is your granddaughter i am warning you to stay out of this. My fury isn''t towards you but this swindler." Emilia pointed at Phoebe who was placing an ice pack on her head.


    Emilia looked worse than Phoebe, she had a black eye and a few bruises on her arms and legs. Phoebe had even slapped her on the cheek.


    "Are you okay." Rossett asked in a concerned voice only for Phoebe to nod with a smile.


    Rosette could not believe that Phoebe was smiling and had stopped her from intervening in the fight as well. She also could not believe that she had just witnessed Emilia Verdermont, the prim and poised elegant woman engaging in what could have easily been a bare knuckle street fight.


    Phoebe looked at the other Verdemont women that had escorted Emilia but not participated in the fight. They deserved a beating too, they had been calling out insults during the fight. She walked to the door and closed it, whatever was going to happen to these stupid women was not for the human eyes to see.


    "Get them." Phoebe instructed the ghosts.


    They had long been waiting for the opportunity so they leaped into action immediately.


    "How dare you attack our Phoebe!" The Saxon spirit slapped Caroline Verdemont.


    She was standing on the side, not ready to destroy her fresh manicure when she felt a hard blow on her cheek.


    "Aw! What was that?" Her hands raised to her pink hot flushed cheek.


    Grandma Mayfair knew that the ghosts were at work. "That''s the wrong one, this one seems to be the leader. In fact whoop them all." She ordered the ghost.


    Without waiting the ghosts began to launch slaps and punches at the women. Connie was the most brutal of the ghosts, one would think it was her they had attacked and not Phoebe.


    "Please tell whatever is hitting us that i am pregnant." Victoria''s hands moved to protect her tummy. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe stretched her hand forward. "Stop guys that''s enough."


    The Saxon spirit gave Emilia a knock on the head, just like grandma Mayfair, she also assumed that she was the mastermind behind the attack so she had to suffer more.


    What they all didn''t understand was the reason for the sudden attack.


    "If you make one foolish attempt to attack me then I will instruct my ghosts to do worse. You all have nice faces, it would be a shame to have them permanently maimed." Phoebe threatened.


    All four women stepped away from Phoebe, they gazed at her in horror. They wanted to say more but fear held them back.


    Like a boss, Phoebe sat on a chair while the Verdemonts remained on the floor, still terrified by what had just happened to them.


    "I thought that i was done with you Verdemonts after Luther died, why are you bothering me?" Phoebe tugged on her earlobe. It was itchy which was irritating her.


    Emilia scoffed. "Cut out the pretense, from the moment you stepped into our home things started to go wrong. Now tell us why in the God of Light''s name, my father-in-law included you in his will."


    Confusion enveloped Phoebe, she had no idea about what Emilia was talking about.


    Grandma Mayfair was even more perplexed to hear that Luther''s will had been read already. It was just 8.30 in the morning.


    "Luther was buried yesterday, by the time we left the funeral dinner guests were still around and most left towards 11 which was quite late so at what time was the will read? The man''s body isn''t even cold yet, you could have waited for a day at least. Why are you all so impatient to rip through everything he worked hard for?" Her horrified eyes roamed about and met Emilia''s dry ones.


    "That is hardly important, how we deal with our family affairs is none of your business! This grand daughter of yours manipulated Luther into including her in the will. What we want to know is how much or what he gave her." Emilia spoke through pursed lips.


    The ghosts traded gazes as curiosity engulfed. "Ancestor do you have any idea about what they are yapping about?" Connie asked.


    "No idea." The spirit responded with a shrug.


    Phoebe shook head and laughed briefly. "I am certain that this is a misunderstanding. Luther had no reason to include me in his will, i am not a Verdemont. I know nothing of whatever it is that you are claiming."


    Emilia stood up bravely. "So you mean to say that Cornwell and Tucker of T&C law firm have not reached out to you?"


    "No, they have no reason to." Phoebe stated with confidence as it had not happened. "Rosette have i received any messages from T&C?


    Rosette shook her head. "Nothing boss."


    Phoebe looked at the women with an ''I told you so'' look.


    The Verdemont women were more confused than ever.


    "Then why was your name included among the people that were to receive copies of the will?" Victoria asked her while getting to her feet.


    "Perhaps it''s another Phoebe Mayfair." Caroline stated as she raised to her feet just like Victoria.


    Emilia smirked. "Don''t beg silly Carol, it is her, how many Mayfairs do you know of that had interactions with the old man?" She turned to Phoebe again and glared with a sinister look in her eyes. "This is not over." She wrinkled her nose and marched to the door.


    The Saxon spirit waved her right hand, opened the door and flung the women out of the cafe with a blast of wind.

 Chapter 235 Everyone wanted information.

    The Verdemont women were not the only ones on an information finding mission that morning. Paul and Ekhart together with hired private security went to the DP holdings. The moment they identified themselves at the gate, the security personnel let them in.


    Morgan had informed the head of security that he was expecting the Verdemonts, having been given a heads up by Mr. Cornwell about some of the things that happened during the reading of the will.


    When he heard about the possibility of violence, Morgan had ensured that armed security guards were posted on every floor of the building.


    "It''s just men." A security guard at the entrance told Emran through a radio.


    The guards had been told who to expect so the leader Emran found it abnormal that no female had come. They were expecting Emilia, Camilla, Caroline and Victoria


    "Where are the women?" Emran suspiciously studied the second cars.


    "Err, i don''t know sir." The guard answered.


    "Be ready and alert." Emran communicated to all the guards.


    Right from the moment they got out of their cars, the Verdemonts began to yell demanding to see the person in charge as they made their way into the building.


    "Come out of wherever you are hiding! There is no negotiating about this. We are not leaving without what belongs to us." Paul signaled for the men at the back to move forward and begin destroying anything in sight.


    As if they were going for an street fight, they had come armed with big sticks as weapons.


    Naturally, this frightened some of the people that had come to discuss business and the poor receptionists who hid under the desk.


    Emran the head of security approached them, humbly but bravely. He stretched his hands in the bid to calm them.


    "Gentlemen, can you please calm down! You are disrupting on going business."


    Ekhart laughed mockingly. "And you have disrupted our damn lives! Hand over the Verdemont fortune and we will leave without causing any problems but if you do not, you won''t like what happens next." He spat on the ground.


    Among the spectators that were watching in the lobby of the building was Hobbi who dialed David''s number right away and informed him about what was happening as usual.


    David called Morgan and Morgan called Emran instructing him to forcefully throw the Verdemonts out immediately.


    "You are allowed to use violence, show them how DP holdings deals with stupid idiots." Morgan instructed.


    According to the old patriarch''s instructions and wishes, he wanted the fortune to be handed to someone from the next generation. Paul and Ekhart were nothing but clowns that were of no use to anyone.


    Following his boss'' instructions, Emran called on the security guards and told them to escort the Verdemonts out.


    "Listen loud and clearly we are not leaving." Paul shouted. His voice grew weaker when he saw twelve beefy men approaching them with guns in their hands.


    Quickly he turned around, running to his car and he drove off immediately, leaving his brother behind.


    The remaining men including Ekhart were captured, beaten to a pulp and forced into their cars. Theirs too was a failed mission.


    *****


    Sanity had returned to the cafe by the time David got there, grandma Mayfair did not shy away from narrating everything that happened early that morning. When she left for the kitchen, David told Phoebe that Ekhart and Paul had gone to DP holdings and created some chaos.


    "Why?" She pulled her brows closer.


    "The last time we saw the old patriarch, I gave him a business card and told him that if needed any help whatsoever he could contact the company. Well he did, in fact he left half of his assets under the management of DP holdings." David explained


    "It makes sense why they went there but what I don''t understand is why those women came here saying that my name was registered among the people supposed to receive a copy of Luther''s will. "Phoebe glanced at her wrist watch, she was expecting a visitor and it was almost time so she was a little impatient.


    "Should I ask Cornwell?" David asked.


    Shaking her head, Phoebe dismissed his suggestion with a wave. When she closed a case, she rarely went back to visit it and the Verdemont case had been closed. Luther''s death had sealed it so whatever was going on in that family was none of her business.


    Her attention was drawn to the door that had been pushed open. A short and slim woman entered and stood still with a confused look on her face. It was easy to guess who she was, her resemblance to Paula was uncanny.


    "Mrs Rorton, you are welcome I have been expecting you." Phoebe abandoned David and approached her. She led her to her office, away from prying eyes and curious ears.


    Once inside the office, Phoebe smiled warmly but sadly at Paula''s mother. "I am sorry but I lied about being Paula''s friend. In fact I didn''t know your daughter when she was alive." Came her apology which puzzled the woman.


    "My dear I do not understand, you said you were her friend and you wanted to give me something of hers." Paula''s mother widened her sad eyes.


    Sitting at the right side of her mother, Paula could only look on with sad eyes. A tear rolled down her cheek.


    "She has aged since the last time that I saw her."


    Phoebe sighed softly. "I am a shaman and Paula told me that you do not believe in such kind of stuff. So I lied to get you here, i am sorry."


    "But why?" Mrs Rorton asked.


    Phoebe smiled softly. "Its not a coincidence that Paula''s name was cleared and that all the people that were involved in her death were arrested. Someone worked really hard to make sure that it happens."


    Mrs Rorton''s brows shot up. "Who is it? I have to thank her."


    Phoebe pulled out a drawer and took out a pair of ghost seeing glasses. "Wear these and you will see her."


    On wearing them, Mrs Rorton let out a teary gasp. "Paula? Is... Is that you honey?" She shed loud tears that were a mixture of joy and sadness.


    Phoebe heart melted on watching them, she excused herself and left the office. She was planning to visit the kitchen and sneak out something to eat beneath her grandmother''s ever watchful eyes.


    Before she could go far, her attention was drawn to a sniveling Evelyn that was sitting at the counter.


    "Evie! Are you still crying over that boyfriend of yours?"


    The question came from Andre who was another unexpected guest. Andre kissed his sister''s cheek and handed Evelyn a tissue paper.


    "You dodged a bullet, you should celebrate instead." David''s statement was the truth but a little insensitive.


    Through her tears, Evelyn''s red eyes stared at Phoebe. Oliver Rhett has really broken my heart. That bastard, i introduced him to my dad." she cried out.


    "Oliver Rhett the basketball player? Isn''t he one of the people tied to the freezing moon leaked videos?" Andre asked just to be certain.


    Evelyn nodded. "I really thought he was the one." She continued to sob.


    Phoebe sighed heavily. "To be fair, you always think that each guy you date is the one."


    Evelyn glared at Phoebe through her red swollen eyes and Phoebe shut up.


    "Look sweetie, you are likely going to kiss many frogs until you find the one." She was aware of this because she knew about her friend''s love life.


    Evelyn fell in love so easily, and it was hardly with the right man in each case.


    David sidled up to Phoebe and whispered, "You have just one frog. In every life, i am and will always be that frog." S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe smiled coyly and pushed him away.


    Evelyn did not appreciate the public display of affection between the two when her own heart had just been broken.


    She grabbed Phoebe''s hands, and she wailed, disturbing the peace of the customers.

 Chapter 236 Hello Magic city.

    It took forever to console Evelyn and by forever, it was two hours during which time Paula crossed over and her mother left with a lighter heart and smile on her face.


    Phoebe and Evelyn were indulging in the pleasure of ice cream when Rossett informed her that the client that had called the landline wanted to speak with her specifically.


    "Who is it?" She asked Rosette who raised her shoulders in a shrug.


    With a frown, Phoebe took the phone and listened. Her eyebrows went up in surprise and then a smile formed on her face.


    "I will be in magic city as soon as possible." She hung up.


    "Magic city!" Evelyn perked up immediately, one thing about her was that she was a pro at getting over a heart break. "There is a music carnival happening there i am coming too."


    "Me too, it''s been a while since I last took a personal trip."


    Andre rubbed his hands excitedly. "I guess we are all going." He loved Phoebe''s ghost adventures not just because they were fun but also because he got ideas that he turned into movies.


    Soon he was going to realize his dream of opening his own movie production company. He had Phoebe, a heaven sent muse.


    "Okay, it''s a plan."


    All three decided to head home and pack immediately and for once, David did not include himself in the plan.


    *****


    In the evening, Phoebe arrived at the New pearl resort just when the sun was beginning to set. Her reason for visiting the high end resort in Magic city was to do a private reading for Luna Elithera, a wealthy singer.


    Luna was just like all the other wealthy clients that Phoebe had, she scheduled the appointment through an assistant using a burner phone and arranged for a private plane to fly Phoebe from Citrus to Magic city.


    Not that she used the plane as her own family had one which she chose to use given that her grandmother had also tagged along. She was using this opportunity to enjoy a mini vacation with Phoebe and Andre.


    Both of them could not follow her to the meeting with Luna, only Santos did because he was her bodyguard and he was worried about her coming across danger on her own.


    This was because the Elithera family was almost as wealthy as the Mayfairs and one of the top leading families of Magic city. Luna Elithera''s father was the governor of magic city so they had political power. The family owned a number of casinos, hotels and resorts in Fog country and abroad which was the source of their wealth.


    However, with casino businesses came the unavoidable rumored tied to different mafias. It was whispered but unconfirmed that the Elithera family was the the power behind the Void gang, the strongest and largest gang in Fog country.


    Phoebe was not afraid of such rumors, she was here to see a client with heavy pockets, everything else was none of her business.


    Santos pushed the elevator button and Phoebe stepped inside first. It took her all the way to the top floor where all the luxurious presidential suites were. The floor was heavily protected with armed bodyguards and two ferocious looking pit bulls. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe and Santos were stopped as soon as they stepped out of the elevator.


    "Name and ID." A mean looking tall man that spent too much time pumping iron spat out.


    "ID!" Phoebe exclaimed.


    She found it a little too excessive for her identification card to be the prerequisite to access the client.


    "Name and ID." The man repeated coldly.


    Phoebe took a deep breath, keeping in mind that this client had promised to pay as much as ten million if it was successful and even more if it was warranted.


    "The things i do for money." she muttered. She opened her bag and handed over the police consultant badge.


    "You are a cop!" The man exclaimed.


    "Not exactly, i am just a consultant. When they have a tough case i am called in to see if i can find some clues. Look, let''s not waste time on my identity, if the six people in room 110B who are monitoring these cameras are great at their job then you already know who i am. If you have watched the news and seen Mayfair heiress or David Saxon''s girlfriend, then you also know my identity.I am here to see Luna Elithera because she requested for my services." Phoebe amplified.


    "With me, follow me miss shaman." A voice in the silent hallway called out. "Let them through Ambrose, they are miss Luna''s honored guests."


    Ambrose handed Phoebe her badge and stepped aside, however he stepped in front of Santos, stopping him from following.


    "She is invited, you are not so you can handover your weapons and follow or stay here."


    Santos scoffed and then he handed over his weapons, two guns, one knife and a brass knuckle.


    "My body is also a weapon." he whispered to Ambrose. He smirked and followed Phoebe.


    Along the way, they noticed hidden cameras in every potted plant, hidden weapons in the walls and before entering the room where Luna was, they were frisked.


    "Damn, this is some secret service kind of shit, its like they are protecting a president." Connie whistled.


    For once, Phoebe agreed with Connie on something. It was way too much security, Saxon tower kind of security. If the Elithera''s were this paranoid, then maybe there was some truth to the rumors about them.


    When Phoebe entered the suite, the strong smell of burning sage assaulted her nostrils. Normally, when sage was burned, it released a warm, woody fragrance supposed to create a serene and calm atmosphere. This was not the case here, the sage being burnt was more astringent.


    What the sage relayed to Phoebe was that she was not the first shaman or magic affiliated person the Elithera''s had sought out to help them solve their trouble.


    "This sage is impure." The Saxon spirit commented.


    She was in the space but even she could smell something off in the sage.


    "It is not refreshing or grounding but unpleasant, there is no cleansing purpose to it, the quality must be contaminated." It explained i more detail.


    Phoebe did not doubt the spirit, she doubted the intentions of whoever had sold the Elithera''s the sage. She waved her right hand over her crinkled nose as she followed the assistant deeper into the suite.


    She was taken one of the bedrooms and the door was closed behind her. Inside, she finally set her eyes on Luna who was not alone.


    There were five other people in the room, three men and two women. One of the men was on the bed, attached to machines and withering away like a plant that was not meant for desert climate.


    Phoebe had no other way to explain it because the man on the bed was thin, stick thin with hollow eyes and bones that were almost poking through his skin. It was like something had invaded his body and sucked out all the fat and fluids leaving him malnourished. Even a skeleton looked better than he did, he was practically half dead.


    Normal people would have pulled the plug already because living in such a state was in no way worse than actual death.


    "I know a curse when i see one." The Saxon spirit dashed out of the space and stood besides Phoebe.


    Both of them stared at the man and Phoebe wondered who he was. She raised her eyes and turned to Luna, the one in whose name she had been invited.


    "Let me guess, you want me to do a healing ritual."

 Chapter 237 This evil thing again!

    Luna moved away from the window and walked towards Phoebe stopping next to her. She invaded the Saxon spirit''s space and the spirit moved, changing position to the left of Phoebe.


    "You are quick on the uptake." Luna commented.


    "I am not blind, i can see his physical condition with my naked eyes, he is 95% dead." Phoebe replied nonchalantly.


    "How impetuous!!" One of the men exploded.


    "Luna, is this the savior you have brought?" Another yelled.


    As for the woman that had been standing next to Luna, she reached into her purse which had a gun that was pointed in Phoebe''s direction without being revealed.


    Phoebe was not frightened, she simply scoffed and looked around the bedroom. "You sought me out, i did not volunteer for the task. If you want me to save his life, be calm, be wise and respectful. Whatever i tell you to do, you do. Don''t threaten me with your guns, my family is powerful enough to retaliate if you harm me. Can the Elithera''s take on the Mayfairs and Saxons at the same time?"


    Luna turned her whole body to face Phoebe, hope and shock were vivid in his eyes. "You can save him."


    "I would not make such claims if it was impossible, so let''s begin. I do not want us to waste each other''s time." She pointed her finger to the table on which a ceramic bowl was sitting. "Put that out."


    Phoebe was testing them to see if they would be as unreasonable as the Verdemonts or obedient. She could have put the sage out personally but she chose not to. In a way, this was a battle of authority, the one that bent first was the loser.


    "Don''t you...." the woman with the gun started.


    "Mom.." Luna called out to the woman in a stern voice.


    Surprisingly, she kept quiet and obediently walked to the table. She picked up a half empty glass of water and poured it over the sage.


    "Open the windows." Phoebe instructed.


    She got her gloves out and tossed a coin in the air, releasing Yin. "Find me something."


    Phoebe did the same with the black kitty, giving it the same instructions and both animals went through the window.


    Everything that she did was in full view of the Elithera''s. She did not hide it because this was Magic city, the hub of all that was supernatural in the country. They were bound to have seen a lot more than a shaman with two undead pets.


    "You have undead pets." Luna stated in a slightly surprised voice.


    Phoebe looked at the woman in equal surprise. "You have met another person with undead pets?"


    Luna nodded. "The shaman of Bayan lake shrine, he has an undead snake."


    Phoebe approached the bed to begin her examination of the man on the bed, following her usual routine. The Elithera''s did not utter a word in protest to stop her, which made her wonder why.


    When did rich people become so humble, especially those with a reputation like the Elithera''s?


    "Did you have that shaman examine your father?" Phoebe had already determined the identity of the man on the bed.


    He was Duncan Elithera, current chairman of Elithera group and all it''s subsidiaries. If the memory of her past life was not wrong he had five months left to live. She recalled so clearly when he died because that day was declared a public holiday in Magic city.


    Phoebe looked at the soles of his feet and shook her head. "It looks like someone really wants his life."


    "What do you mean?" Luna rushed to ask. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe smiled and shook her head, she would not make revelations without evidence.


    "You didn''t answer my question miss Luna, the one about the shaman. Did he take a look at your father?"


    Luna nodded.


    "What did he say?"


    "That it was a curse but he couldn''t figure out what curse it was exactly."


    Phoebe pointed to the ceramic bowl. "Who gave you the sage?"


    "My sixth uncle, he bought it from a temple in the Holy city."


    Phoebe snorted. "Holy city my ass! There is no temple in the Holy city that sells defective sage like that, not unless the priests are corrupt. The leaves and stems which were used are dry, and unhealthy, i could smell the mold all the way from the door. It is as contaminated as the waters of Luminara river."


    Luminara river in Magic city was one of the dirtiest rivers in the country, this was because a lot of garbage was dumped into it and often, people even did laundry and bathed in it.


    The government wanted to block the people''s access to it but there were some protests going on in the parliament concerning the matter.


    "Second uncle, bring that box of sage." Luna ordered in a cold voice.


    Luna''s second uncle did as she ordered without hesitation and again, Phoebe was surprised. Luna was younger than the people she was ordering around, why did they obey her words without hesitation?


    The box was delivered into the room and put down, it was a mid sized green box. As soon as it was opened, Phoebe put two fingers on her nose.


    "It smells bad, don''t your nostrils work? Instead of healing the patient, you were just making him worse."


    They all moved closer or got some of the sage with their hands to get a closer whiff. Up close, they could really smell something funky.


    Phoebe opened her bag and brought out fresh sage in an evidence collection bag and thrust it at Luna. "This is what pure, healthy sage should smell like."


    Everyone took a whiff and smelled the difference between the two types of sage.


    "I am going to throw it in the trash." Luna''s mother said and she did so immediately.


    Phoebe pulled out the pillow from beneath Duncan''s head and sniffed it. Something smelled off with the pillow and Phoebe could see dark energy being emitted from within.


    "Who brought this pillow?" She asked, as she fluffed it.


    "It is resort property, the housekeeper changes the pillow case every morning." Luna told her.


    Phoebe undressed the pillow and threw the plain black silk pillow case to the ground.


    "Knife." she held a hand out to Luna''s mother.


    Her eyes gestured at her bag and the somewhat befuddled woman opened the bag and retrieved a silver knife with a curved blade.


    Phoebe stabbed it into the pillow and ripped through it from up to down. White and black feathers, stained with dry blood fell out onto the ground, the bed and others floated slowly in the air.


    The gasps in the room were loud and those who could, stepped back, avoiding the feathers. They could also tell that this was nothing good.


    Phoebe ignored them and she dug through the fallen feathers with the knife. The feathers were talismans but there was another thing that had fallen out, a dry human bone being used as a talisman.


    "Damn it, it''s this evil thing again." she muttered in a displeased voice.

 Chapter 238 My part and yours.

    "Is that a finger?" Luna asked, with a gasp.


    Phoebe nodded.


    "A human bone that was used as a talisman, this is the third case i have seen with this kind of thing. I am starting to think that the source is the same. Let''s see what this one is for...."


    She turned the feathers over, looking at them keenly for a good five minutes with a frown on her face. By her side, the Saxon spirit maintained perfect silence, waiting for Phoebe to put the pieces of the puzzle together.


    Just when the spirit was beginning to think that Phoebe would not understand, she figured it out and gasped loudly.


    "Wealth transfer!" she exclaimed.


    On thinking about it even more, the Elithera''s did face significant financial troubles after the death of Duncan. Within three years, they went from a top five family to paupers.


    Phoebe turned her head to Luna as she recalled the images on the news of her pale lifeless corpse that had been found floating in a swimming pool at a dingy motel. Her cause of death was suicide.


    "Hey, does your family have enemies, not just one that would want you all dead but one that wants your wealth too. It has to be somebody close to the family that managed to ..."


    Yin flew in and Phoebe was interrupted. Black kitty similarly returned three seconds after the raven.


    "What did you find?" she asked the pets.


    Both regurgitated and emitted what they had found in Duncan''s house and office. Yin had brought a triangular shaped glass with three coins inside that were attached to each other with a red string that was passing through the middle of a hole in each coin.


    Black kitty had brought something he dug up in the garden of Duncan''s house. It was an old dried up human heart and within was some hair and two different dates of birth on a tiny folded talisman paper plus a small wooden puppet that had been been embedded with silver needles from head to toes. It was dressed in clothes made from silk and designed to look as human as possible.


    There were strands of hair sewn into the top of the head and nail clippings glued onto the fingers. It was an eerie looking doll that gave off a creepy aura, especially around the eyes. Small red rubies had been used, spelled with some dark energy which made it seem as if they were alive.


    "The puppet was made with wood harvested from a tree that was grown in cursed soil. The hair and nails belong to the one on the bed. As long as the needles are stuck in the wooden doll, his own body remain immobile, and it will shrivel and dry up like the wood until he dies." The Saxon spirit shared.


    "Good heavens!" Phoebe exclaimed.


    Her shock was shared by the people in the room that had never seen anything like this outside of a horror movie.


    "Really, so brutal." Phoebe muttered.


    "What is this?" An alarmed Luna asked.


    Phoebe picked up the puppet and faced Duncan who was the bed.


    "This is him, your father, the hair and nails on this puppet were got from him. Even the silk clothes it is wearing were cut from his clothes, you will have to check and see which ones. You will also need to find out who took his hair and nails, it has to be someone close enough to move around your father undetected, like a servant or a relative. I am doing my part, you guys have to be yours."


    "What is wrong with my husband? What does the puppet do? Is it something that is being used to control him?" Duncan''s wife questioned Phoebe.


    She was rather calmer than Phoebe anticipated, no hysteria and panic. What was the deal with this entire family? Were the mafia rumors true?


    "Somebody did all this to transfer wealth from your family to themselves, directly using Mr. Duncan here as an anchor."


    She handed the piece of paper with the two dates of birth to Luna as she seemed to be in charge now.


    "Find out whose date of birth that is, whoever it is, they are responsible for this. Have your companies been experiencing any financial difficulties?"


    Luna nodded.


    "We have already secretly sold off two hotels this year and the Riverside casino is struggling to stay afloat. We were fined one hundred thirty million by the FIRS."


    FIRS was the Fog International Revenue Service, the responsible government organization for collecting taxes.


    "We are also being sued by some suppliers for breaching contracts which is unexpected because we never breach contracts." Luna''s voice thinned as she mentioned some of the troubles the family was facing. "Our sea food suppliers cut us off two months ago and some of the best chefs in our hotels quit. Last week, the hotel we own in Sea city caught fire, ten people died, we spent millions compensating the families and paying off damages."


    "More than three special recipes from our restaurants have been leaked to other hotels." Luna''s second uncle mentioned.


    "The land we acquired in Eagle country, an ancient tomb was found beneath and we cannot use it anymore. We spent one billion on it''s acquisition and all that money is...." Luna broke off and gasped. "It has been one problem after another and each one has drained us financially, we have lost thirty four billion so far."


    Phoebe shrugged, "Like i said, someone has been transferring the wealth of your family out. You should find out who has been benefiting the most from the losses you have been making. It could be a single person or a group of people working together."


    She got a sickness ward paper talisman and placed it on Duncan''s chest. It seared loudly, like something was being fried, it turned into ash and the ash disappeared into his body.


    Not done, Phoebe got the ceramic bowl, poured out the wet sage and tossed everything Yin and Black kitty had brought back.


    "It''s too small." she muttered.


    This was because she needed to burn the feathers as well.


    "Mmm, a talisman will do." She looked at Luna''s second uncle. "Help me pile up the feathers."


    He did as she said, Phoebe dumped the heart, puppets, hair strands and the paper with the two dates of birth on the pile. She threw two fire talismans on the pile and everything was set ablaze. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Her work was still not done, she pointed two fingers of her right hand to her chest and gathered some energy.


    "Heaven and earth gather, let magic slip, break the seal." she yelled, and shot the gathered energy at the puppet.


    Silver needles fell out of the doll and suddenly loud noise came from the heart monitor attached to Duncan.

 Chapter 239 Cash first.

    "Doctor, bring the doctor..." someone shouted with urgency.


    Luna was on the bed already, shaking her poor father with desperation.


    "Dad, dad...." she cried out.


    "Are you trying to kill him when i have just saved him?" Phoebe questioned.


    She moved to the doors and closed them, locking them from the inside. "You want to bring in a doctor, for what reason exactly? How many doctors has he seen ever since he started deteriorating? Why are you all panicking when his heartbeat is simply picking up speed?"


    They all looked at the heart monitor and noticed that his heartbeat had truly increased and so had his pressure.


    "So...but...." Luna''s mother stammered.


    Phoebe opened her bag and brought out one IV fluid which was plain water with a drop of diluted water from the lake of life and death.


    Expertly, she removed the one which had been attached to Duncan and replaced it with hers. Again, none of the Elithera''s attempted to stop her.


    Curious, Phoebe looked around at them. "Aren''t you guys curious at all about what i am administering to him? Your calmness is making me uneasy, are you planning to stiff me on payment?" She backed away from the bed and looked at them suspiciously. "Cash first before we go further."


    Luna laughed lightly and stopped. "Isn''t it your method of working? I heard from Georgina Elroy that you do not like being questioned and only want to be spoken to when you ask a question. She advised us to be quiet and let you do your job without pissing you off because the spirit you have some supernatural abilities and when angered, they flare up in a frightening way."


    Again, the Elroys had found her another client. It was them that sent Luther her way and now the Elithera''s, she needed to thank them.


    "The Elroy''s have been guests of our resort for many years, they come here for a vacation once a year. This year, they suddenly arrived without a reservation, their son looked pale. They booked a presidential suite and stayed in there for a month opening up only for the cleaners and to receive food.


    After a month, they exited and turned into their normal jolly selves. It was Georgina that told me about you when i discussed my father''s strange illness with her. Truth be told, i had some doubts as i have never heard about something like luck borrowing but my eyes have been opened now." Luna explained.


    "Oooh." Phoebe nodded slowly.


    This explained why the Elithera''s had invited her over the hundreds of shamans in Magic city.


    "How much money should i transfer to you? Will twenty million cover everything, including extra talismans for us all and medicine for my father. Georgina said you have tonics that you sell which revitalized her son''s body. Should i pay more?"


    Luna held a bank card to Phoebe. Her hand was suddenly pushed away by her second uncle. He also held out a bank card to Phoebe.


    "There is fifty million in here, twenty would be an insult to you....."


    Phoebe wagged her finger and shook her head. "I want two hundred million."


    Everyone in the room gasped, taken aback by Phoebe''s bold extravagant request.


    "Before you all accuse me of greed, let me tell you what would have become of your futures if i didn''t come today. In a few months, you would bury Mr. Duncan, two weeks later you would follow him to death by throwing yourself off a bridge." she was pointing at Luna''s mother.


    "Me!!'' the woman exclaimed.


    Phoebe did not address her and continued on. "You would be shot to death by an enemy of your family in the winter a few months later. Your body would be found frozen after the arrival of spring."


    She moved to the second uncle. "You would go to jail for for insider trading and selling secrets to Eagle country."


    He laughed and shook his head. "Are you crazy, why would i work with Eagle country?"


    "Don''t you know how framing works?" She retorted. "You, stabbed to death in an alley after attending a boxing match and meeting some old friends from the business circle in the hopes resurrecting the dead Elithera empire." She turned to Luna. "Finally, you sweet Luna. Your cause of death would be drowning and the conclusion according to the police would be suicide."


    Phoebe eyed them one by one. "You are not the only Elithera''s that would die or end up miserable of course. In three years, the Elithera''s would be nothing but history, your hotels and resorts would be renamed. By breaking this spell, i have changed the course of your lives and set them back on their original tracks. Is 200 million too much for a person that has saved your Elithera empire?"


    They all looked at Phoebe with doubt on their faces, they did not believe her words, not that she cared. For her it was simple, if they paid, she would help them again if they ever run into trouble.


    If they did not, she would never assist them in any way, ever again and she had a feeling that they would need her services again, someday.


    "You should also consider the difficulty of the job, i have worked hard to bring Mr. Duncan back from the brink of death." she added. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Luna''s mother scoffed, what hard work was Phoebe speaking of? She barely broke a sweat when she broke the spell.


    "I will pay, Luna volunteered."


    "Luna!" her mother exclaimed.


    "I will pay." Luna repeated firmly.


    She got her phone out and asked for Phoebe''s account number. Immediately, she made the transaction, paying the 200 million Phoebe wanted in full.


    "Thank you." Phoebe patted Luna on the back with a broad smile on her face.


    She went back to work, injecting some medicine into Duncan''s body.


    "Only give him IV''s fluids from me and feed him the supplements i provide. Do it for two months, he is extremely depleted, we must take things slow Make sure that none of these things is contaminated or poisoned."


    Phoebe gave more instructions as she placed the supplements on the table and the IV bags as well.


    "Because you are good clients i won''t eat your money and run, i will provide ten protection talismans for free. If you want more, order from my cafe. I have a variety, you can check my website and see which ones you would like.


    In the meantime, you should exercise caution, a lot of caution. Whoever cast the spell has experienced backlash so they will approach you and try to find out what happened. You should watch out for that sixth uncle that brought defective sage, i don''t think he had good intentions.


    If you need anything else, i will be here for three more days enjoying the services of your resort so you can reach me easily."


    She waved at Luna, turned around and left with her undead animals that had not yet returned to the coins.


    When she was gone, Luna''s mother immediately questioned her daughter. "Why did you give her 200 million?"

 Chapter 240 The price of safety.

    Luna''s eyes which were now frighteningly cold turned to her mother whose lack of foresight in this situation was disappointing.


    "Mother, do you think that somebody who covets the wealth of our family will stop? Uncles, are you of the same mind as my mother, do you doubt the abilities of that little shaman?


    How many doctors, priests and other magic related individuals did we invite over and yet none of them provided a solution to my father''s illness.


    The only one that had an answer said it was a curse but he could not break it. The only one that has found things we all missed is her. If she is not the real deal, how did she know about the pillow? Where did she find the puppet doll which looked like my father? Isn''t that evidence enough to prove that she is not a schemer?"


    None of them could explain those things, there was no logic to all that Phoebe had done.


    "You saw the undead animals, do you want to claim she hypnotized us into seeing them? Look, if what she said about our Elithera empire falling in three years is true then we have more than one enemy.


    We need to find out who brought the land deal in Eagle country to us, i signed off on it but i barely remember the details. Normally, we inspect land before purchase, how did i buy land at such a high price without an inspection? Don''t you find that abnormal"


    The second uncle nodded, "The fire at hotel, i told our people not to investigate further and just compensate victims. Truly, now that i think about it, how did i make such a decision? Were we all bewitched?"


    "I would never commit suicide." Luna''s mother declared. "Even if i did, it would not be in such a violent way like jumping off a bridge. I am Judy Elithera, i have always craved for a peaceful death, i would choose pills if i had to kill myself."


    She was still thinking about the future which Phoebe had predicted for them.


    "And i am an expert swimmer that once represented Fog country in the Olympics so why would i drown?" Luna added.


    The second uncle sat down, deep in thought with both hands clenched, it was obvious that someone was plotting against them. "It''s a conspiracy against our entire family, you are right Luna, this cannot be the work of a single person."


    His phone rung and he scoffed when saw the name of the caller. "Look, sixth brother is calling."


    He put the phone on loudspeaker.


    "Hmm, what''s up?"


    "Second brother are you at the hotel, has something happened to our elder brother?" he immediately asked.


    He sounded frantic, and the people in the room traded knowing gazes, it had been confirmed, the little shaman was right. One of their own was truly involved deeply in this conspiracy.


    "Second brother, i have contacted a great doctor from the South and i am bringing him over to look at elder brother. I need Luna to authorize permission for this to happen..."


    "Sixth, i will have to call you back later, i have to go to the police and ask for a re-investigation into the fire. I think we owe the victims an explanation, as for Duncan''s matters, let Luna handle them for now. We have given up on saving him, in a month, we will hold his funeral."


    "What! wait...no.."


    The second uncle hung up abruptly before hurling his phone at the wall.


    "That ungrateful bastard! The shaman talked about backlash and the culprit making inquiries immediately and look, sixth brother has done exactly that. I am going to kill him right now, i will rip his heart out with my own hands, i do not care if he is my brother. We have no relationship from this day forward."


    As he thought about his death that the shaman had predicted, he was filled with more and more rage. Insider trading and selling secrets to Eagle country!!! how could he set him up to be a traitor to their nation? What a good brother he was!


    "Second uncle, you need to remain rational and capture the sixth uncle for interrogation. Pry his mouth open using every means possible, if he doesn''t talk send him to me.


    Mom, we need to know everyone that he has been in contact in with and all his movements in the weeks leading up to dad''s sickness. For now, i will be staying here permanently until he recovers. Hotel staff and relatives will not be allowed onto this floor, not even you guys. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It will be suspicious if i meet up with you but turn away everyone else, the enemy will see through us quickly."


    Her phone rung and Luna picked up immediately, after ten seconds she hung up with a smile on her face.


    "Uncle, a witness has suddenly showed up with a video recorded on the day of the fire, he wants one hundred thousand dollars. I guess there is something he recorded that we need to see."


    Her third uncle waved his phone from side to side. "Two of our former sea food suppliers have contacted us, they want to renew their contracts."


    Luna smiled, "Things are turning around now that the spell has been broken, the little shaman is really good. Now do you see why i paid that 200 million mother, it was the price of tying her to us. If we cultivate a good relationship with her, we can add another layer of protection to the family."


    All of Luna''s uncles agreed and so did her mother. They dispersed and got to work, now that they knew about the enemy, it was time to launch counterattacks.


    Phoebe''s work was not done either, she was still very much interested in knowing the warlock or witch or perhaps shaman that had made the talisman.


    She gave the job to Yin and Black kitty, if anybody could track the dark magic that had been used, it was him. If the animals found nothing, she intended to contact Luna and see what the Elithera''s had discovered.


    She took a bath, washing away the stench of the rotten sage.


    The Saxon spirit which had insisted on accompanying her as she took the bath was sitting on the toilet with is legs crossed.


    "Are you really going to go after the person responsible?"


    Phoebe nodded.


    "Someone has to eradicate evil from the world, i will speak to Amon first about whatever i find. If the founding sect can settle the issue, i will not be involved. Either way, it needs to be done because eventually the one that cast the spell might come after me."


    "Then you need to train more." It advised.


    Phoebe stepped out of the shower and grabbed the nearest white towel to wipe down her body.


    "I am on vacation ancestor, i need a break." She had zero plans to train for at least two days.

 Chapter 241 To have a famous brother.

    As Phoebe was leaving the ocean view room which Luna had been so generous to give her, she got a phone call from the man most obsessed with her in the world. She had been expecting the call because Santos was bound to have shared the fact that she was doing business with the Elithera''s.


    She slid her finger across the phone and answered the call with a sigh.


    "David.."


    "Baby."


    She snorted in response, when had he started calling her baby? Before rebirth he had never given her a sweet nickname of any kind, not even Pheebs. It was always Phoebe and always in a respectful voice.


    "Are you okay? Did the Elithera''s harm you in any way? I have a business meeting in Eagle country but i am going to wrap it up quickly and return. Tell them that if they so much as harm a hair on your head i will bring their small empire down to its knees."


    "Slow down Rambo, you don''t need to destroy and entire village to rescue me. I earned 200 million dollars on this trip, the Elithera''s will be treating me like a VIP from now on.


    I reckon i will be able to eat for free in their hotels from now on.Tell me if you need to use a Phoebe discount at any of their hotels."


    "A Phoebe discount." he repeated lazily.


    She laughed softly and followed Santos into the elevator.


    "Mmm, that''s what i plan to call it when it is offered to me in about three days. I just saved the Elithera family and all their wealth, it is the same as saving a universe, or maybe a small planet."


    "You have learned how to boast about your achievements." he noted. "It is actually a good thing, i am so happy to see you growing into true self."


    Meaning her previous dull character before rebirth. She had been perfectly happy to surrender all of her accomplishments to David, Katherine or any other Saxon as Miranda commanded.


    She allowed the woman to mold her into a dull housewife whose every word was considered useless. In the Saxon tower, she had lived almost like a mute. David had assumed that she was just reserved by nature.


    "I was a fool back then, i am never going to be that woman girl. Ooh, i am on vacation right now, guess what, i am even wearing a bikini out in public for the first time ever. I am going to join my grandmother and Andre at the pool."


    Far away in Eagle city David was greatly unhappy at the thought of other men ogling his beautiful girlfriend. He had never had the opportunity to see her in a bikini. She was the kind of person that wore long dresses to the beach.


    "Pheebs, that''s not fair." he whined. "I should have been the first person to see you in a bikini. Is there a way i can convince you to put on a dress and save the bikini for when i am around?"


    "Nope." she replied, instantly. "The train has left the station, it is never going back. I am wild Phoebe now, i am off to ogle at some handsome men by the pool..bye Mr. two baby toes."


    She giggled as she ended the call.


    "Miss Phoebe do you realize that he will be on the first flight back home as soon as his meeting ends?" Santos asked as he passed by her, stepping out of the elevator before her.


    "If he wants to establish himself as a serious businessman, he will finish his business first." She answered so casually.


    She unwrapped a lollipop from one of the many treats Jennie had packed for her ahead of her vacation.


    "Mmm." she offered one to Santos as well.


    The bodyguard was not one to eat sweets but he accepted it with a smile on his face. Phoebe was a considerate woman and she always gave the bodyguards food, drinks or candies whenever they were following her.


    She always treated them like humans, not disposable trash like some of the people in the Saxon family.


    The closer they got to the very large swimming pool, the louder it became. Phoebe could hear screams, high pitched excited screams that boarded on hysteria. She was curious but there were those that were even more curious than her like Connie and the Saxon spirit.


    Connie dashed out of the space, joining a crowd of young women that were calling out for Andre''s attention.


    "I had forgotten that i had a famous brother." Phoebe muttered. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Andre had cordoned off a section of the poolside for himself, grandma Mayfair and Phoebe. A full line of bodyguards was standing between that section and Andre, stopping people from approaching him.


    Santos forced a path through those people and he brought Phoebe to the front.


    "We are with them." he said calmly.


    Before they could get a response, someone grabbed Phoebe''s arm and pushed her back. The owner of the hand had sharp nails that scratched the back of her arm.


    "Don''t cut in line, we were here first." A squeaky woman''s voice said.


    Phoebe winced at the pain and she glared at the woman harshly. That nail scratch felt deliberate not accidental, it was possible that this was one of those lunatic kind of fans.


    Santos did not waste time pulling out his gun as soon as Phoebe was injured.


    "Gun.." someone screamed and the small crowd started to scatter.


    Most of them dove into the swimming pool directly and the bodyguards pulled out their own weapons, turning them on Santos.


    The chaos had drawn Andre who rushed when he noticed Santos. He recognized him as one of the two bodyguards David had assigned to protect Phoebe.


    "Nobody shoot, that is my sister and her bodyguard." Andre bellowed.


    He pushed past the bodyguards and took Phoebe''s arms, examining her from head to toe with his eyes. "Sis, are you okay? Were you injured in any way?"


    He turned to the bodyguards that had put away their weapons. "I showed you pictures of my sister so that she would be allowed through without harm. Are you guys blind? Look at her, she has a gash on her arm. Hurry up and call the doctor."


    The bodyguards turned their eyes to the so called gash and they could not believe it. It was just a minor scratch, calling it a gash was an exaggeration. A gash was a deep cut that needed stitches.


    One of them looked at the picture Andre had sent them of his sister. She looked shorter than she did in the picture, it had also been retouched professionally. They had been expecting her to arrive in a flashy manner, not low key, looking like everybody else at the pool.


    "Doctor, now!" Andre bellowed again to the bodyguards as he led Phoebe to the waiting reserved poolside chair he had saved for her.


    As he helped her settle down, he looked at the scratch mark and sighed again.


    "Mom is gonna kill me."

 Chapter 242 The pains of trending, again!

    Andre was worried about Jennie and he had forgotten about a very dotting grandmother that was giving him the ''Jennie glare'' as it was called in the Mayfair house. It was a sharp intense glare that often sent chills down one''s neck just before a sharp pain which was usually a firm slap on the buttocks followed.


    Grandma Mayfair could not maintain the Jennie glare as long as the owner could, her worry was Phoebe''s arm.


    "My child, are you okay?"


    She examined Phoebe''s arm carefully with a look of great worry on her face.


    "Nana, i am okay." Phoebe assured her.


    She was more worried about what people were going to say about this incident. It was likely that she would trend again thanks to her famous brother and Santos.


    Phoebe was not wrong, pictures and clips from the incident were already circulating and the wide spread one so far had labeled her as the arrogant Mayfair princess whose bodyguard had pointed a gun at innocent people that refused to get out of her way. Phoebe was not aware of this yet.


    The resort doctor and a nurse were brought over and when they looked at the scratch mark on Phoebe''s arm, they made a similar expression to that of the bodyguards. Phoebe could only smile guiltily and shoot them apologetic looks while silently asking for their understanding.


    As the identity of the injured party had been given to them before hand, they did not dare to say anything that could make the rich folks unhappy.


    The doctor cleaned the scratch mark, applied some medicine and then wrapped a large area of the arm with gauze.


    Phoebe''s jaw almost dropped at the size of the area the doctor had covered. If it was not her own arm, and she had seen the scratch mark with her own eyes, she would assume that her injury was much worse than it seemed.


    "Crap, my agent''s calling..." Andre groaned and then blew air out of his mouth.


    He stepped away to take the call under a small parasol in the corner.


    "Miss Mayfair, is this satisfactory?" The doctor asked.


    Phoebe pondered on the question for a few seconds because it did not make sense. Wasn''t it the job of the doctor to rate his own work?


    "Err...good." she answered in an unsure voice.


    The doctor''s eyes shifted to grandma Mayfair as Phoebe sounded unsure.


    "Old lady Mayfair, should we make it bigger?" he asked.


    "That''s not necessary." Phoebe blurted out hastily.


    If they made it bigger, wouldn''t her entire hand end up being bandaged? She had originally come down to swim but now she could not do so.


    Thinking of swimming, her woeful eyes looked out at the pool and noticed that people were leaving, being sent away by hotel staff with apologies.


    Phoebe''s head moved from left to right, she was expecting someone to come and send them away as well.


    "Nana, why is everyone leaving?" she shifted like a restless child, moving from side to side because they were exhausted after a long car ride.


    "I don''t know, but you should relax, you have just suffered a scare." Old lady Mayfair forced Phoebe to settle down.


    Hardly had that been accomplished when her phone rung, her dad was calling.


    "Dad..."


    "Are you hurt? How bad is it? Dad is sending a team of doctors out there immediately. I am coming with them....."


    Suddenly there was a scuffle on the other end of the phone and Jennie''s voice replaced Edward''s. She was as equally frightened as her husband.


    "My dear, baby, does it hurt? Listen to mummy right now and go to a hospital. Can you recognize the face of the person that cut you with a knife?"


    "What!" Phoebe exclaimed. "Mom, what knife?"


    "Don''t hide it from us, it is all over the internet already one of Andre''s deranged fans sliced your arm and it resulted in your bodyguard pulling out his gun." Jennie yelled into the phone. "What was your brother doing when this happened to you? What about the ghosts, why have they become lapse in your protection? First you were attacked by Emilia and now this? Can''t you fire them and get better ghosts. We should have told some of those soldiers to stay on and sign a contract back then."


    Phoebe removed the phone from her ear for a moment, her mother had a lot to say it seemed. For a woman that wanted nothing to do with ghosts in the beginning, she sure was ready to use them as long as it was convenient.


    Grandma Mayfair guessed who was on the other end of the phone from Phoebe''s reaction so to save her granddaughter, she snatched the phone.


    "Jennie, Phoebe is fine, it was just a nail scratch which happened when someone grabbed her hand and shoved her."


    She hung up and switched the phone off to give Phoebe a break. After Jennie, Collin and Luke would call and then Rosette, Evelyn and everyone that was familiar with Phoebe.


    "Trust me, it''s better to this way." Grandma Mayfair assured her. "I am going to send out a message to everyone so that they don''t worry needlessly."


    She did so and put her phone on silent mode. The old woman laid back on the pool side chair, covered herself with a blanket and relaxed.


    Phoebe imitated her and she relaxed as well, it was a wonderful night for stargazing. She had come for a vacation, not to be stressed out.


    "Nana, apparently someone is claiming that i was sliced by a knife."


    "On the internet, people can claim anything." Grandma Mayfair laughed. "Ten years ago, someone took one picture of your father with Randa Gilbreith and the following day a divorce certificate for your parents was trending. I live with both of them but even i had doubts when i saw the certificate it looked so real."


    Both of them laughed and glanced at Andre at the same time, he was yelling at his agent. "Just clear my sister''s name, i don''t care what they say about me."


    Once again, he was going out of his way to protect her even at his own detriment. Phoebe wondered if anybody else in the world had a family as wonderful as hers.


    For a mere scratch, they were losing their minds. She recalled a time when she was fifteen years old and got a fever. For two days, she was stuck in her bedroom, battling illness alone. Neither Aaron nor Elizabeth checked on her or cared. Eventually, she dragged herself out of bed and bought medicine for herself at a pharmacy.


    Phoebe switched on her phone and decided that it did not matter how many people called to check on her. It was better than when nobody cared.


    Feeling sentimental, Phoebe reached a hand out and touched her grandmother''s arm. She moved her hand until she located the old woman''s fingers. She intertwined her hand with her grandmother''s.


    "Nana, i am so glad that i have you all in my life."


    Grandma Mayfair squeezed Phoebe''s hand gently and she smiled.


    "Me too, i am so glad that we found you. Now, tell me about the Elithera''s, why did they hire you?"


    Andre appeared in time and he pulled his chair closer. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Sister, don''t skimp on the spooky stuff."

 Chapter 243 Don Luna

    As the Mayfairs gossiped about what had happened in the Elithera house hold, they noticed men in black suits approaching them. They walked in parallel form, one group opposite the other, organized like an army.


    "What is going on?" Asked grandma Mayfair who noticed that they had guns strapped to their belts visible for all to see.


    Connie trembled theatrically. "Are these men from the Elithera family? Are they part of the mythical gang? Look at me i am trembling like a leaf."


    Not one part of Connie was trembling, and nobody bothered to look either. Her questions made perfect sense however when Luna strolled towards them like a predator in the night, exuding confidence and poise.


    The expression on her face was icy, devoid of warmth and piercing. She whispered something to one of the men and immediately, hotel staff started evicting people from the pool area.


    Some tried to quibble but one look from Luna and the men in black stopped them short. Shivers were sent down their spines as they hurried to leave. One sneaky person took a picture of her only for the phone to be grabbed and stomped on by right in font of her.


    She was then handed a bundle of money as compensation, no doubt, it was more money than what the phone was actually worth.


    Two of the Mayfairs found themselves having difficulty in breathing as Luna drew closer, Phoebe and a worried grandma Mayfair that was pulling her precious granddaughter back. She was worried about the reasoning behind this sudden action from Luna.


    Was her intention to harm Phoebe somehow because something had happened to Duncan? Perhaps she did not like what Phoebe had said to her__the whole drowning in the pool business.


    Maybe a second shaman had been hired and they had performed an even greater miracle than Phoebe and the Elithera''s wanted their 200 million back. It was not exactly a small amount of money.


    While the old woman drowned in doubts and fear, Phoebe was mostly holding in her breath because she was fascinated. There was striking contrast between Luna the happy carefree singer and star versus this Luna--possible next in line as leader of the Elithera family.


    Or maybe it was Luna, female gangster and queen of the less savory business side of the Elithera family.


    Her presence was dominant, her gaze was imperceptible and and her lips were neither smiling nor frowning, simply neutral.


    "She has three knives on her body, one in the bra, one in her belt and another inside her sole of the shoe on the right." The Saxon spirit shared with Phoebe. "Not just that but the two pins holding her hair up are stained with poison on their sharp tips, the ring on the left pinky of her right hand has spider venom and she has a gun strapped to one of her thighs. Your Luna, she is a walking death agent."


    Phoebe''s jaw almost dropped to the ground, it was simply amazing. If Luna needed all these weapons to feel safe then what in the world had possessed someone like her to become a public figure, a celebrity?


    Celebrities were followed around all the time, their pictures were taken against their wishes at times. It was next to impossible for them to have a moment of privacy out in the open.


    When it came to Luna, it was even worse because as a singer she had to have concerts and tours. Why risk living in the open if you feared for your life?


    "She is like a don." Connie commented.


    Connie had been pulled into the thrilling wonderful world of crime syndicate movies by Sylvester lately hence her use of the word don. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I guess all those rumors about the Elithera''s and the Void gang must be true. But i gotta say she looks cool, like female badass actress in a movie cool. Look at her in that long black leather jacket, it kinda looks like a superhero''s cape, i can picture her acting as bat woman, or superwoman, maybe cat girl, no it''s better if she is an assassin for an ancient order....so many options, i can''t choose one." Andre whispered to Phoebe who only smiled back, not confirming anything. From everything that she had seen so far there was a lot of truth to the rumors.


    Andre''s imagination was not finished, his eyes lit up and he whispered to Phoebe, "Ooh, I know___, she could be Don Luna, a mafioso queen dealing in all kinds of shady underworld businesses. If you cross her, she sends her men to take you out or she does it herself with one of two special guns that she owns." His imagination pictured the scene of Luna assassinating someone in a high rise apartment so clearly.


    In his mind, she used ropes, adhesive gloves and other equipment to make her way into an apartment in a two hundred meter tower building and carry out the assassination. After the successful mission, she poured herself a glass of wine, stole some confidential documents and propelled herself onto the rooftop of the next building.


    "Maybe there is a government agency like the FNBI watching her and trying to accumulate evidence to make an arrest but they always come up short because she is more slippery than a eel. I can seen myself taking on the role of the male FNBI agent that goes undercover to take her down using a honey trap." He flashed his teeth at Phoebe and smirked. "Look at me, I am eye candy. I can definitely take down a woman like Luna Elithera even if it''s just for a short term."


    Phoebe scoffed in disbelief at his shameless review of his looks which was sadly true, he truly was eye candy but Luna had probably seen a lot of good looking men in her line of work so a simple eye candy trap would not work on her. Besides, half of the bodyguards surrounding her were eye candy to Phoebe at least.


    To use such a trap, a man would have to bring more to the table than a head of good hair, a pretty smile and abs.


    "Forget it Andre, I don''t think you want to get involved with a woman like her in reality or fantasy. Being drawn into her world can be dangerous, the Elithera''s have too many enemies." She said.


    She was worried because she could see it in Andre''s eyes, the spark of interest in Luna Elithera which would probably burn the Mayfairs if allowed to ignite. Those looking to harm the Elithera''s would be tempted to use the Mayfair''s to get to them.

 Chapter 244 Dumb and Dumber

    Also, Andre''s relationships were mostly for PR, none was real. Luna did not seem like the kind of woman that could accept a man with a playboy reputation, not even for a short term. She had never been linked to any man through her career.


    Perched on the armrest next to Phoebe, the Saxon spirit nodded firmly.


    "Your brother is dumb if he thinks he can get Luna, and even dumber if he thinks he can end a relationship with her whenever he wants to walk away. Once you know the secrets of the Elithera family, the only way you are allowed to leave is in a coffin." It commented.


    Luna changed to a friendly smile as she stopped in front of them, right before Phoebe''s feet.


    "I have cleared the pool area such that you can enjoy yourselves to the fullest in private. The only people allowed in here as long as you are around are the people you are comfortable with on the staff and your friends. I saw what happened online, are you okay?


    I was so worried about you, I don''t want anything to happen to the person that saved my family. We are hunting for the person that tried to hurt you and when I get them, whoever they are they will be sorry and so will their family...."


    "You will do nothing!" Phoebe interjected. She was horrified, shivering under the weight of unspoken dread but even then she wore her bravest face as she faced Don Luna. She was not going to allow the Elithera''s take an innocent life on her behalf over a simple scratch.


    "My God! Don''t do anything, this was a misunderstanding Luna. You should worry about finding out the person that wanted to steal your family wealth."


    She was mortified that for people like Luna hurting others was simple like eating cake. For a single moment, Phoebe wondered if she had done the right thing by saving Duncan and the Elithera''s.


    Perhaps whoever was pulling the strings behind their downfall was on a revenge mission. Perhaps they had a loved one whose life was lost because of such careless life taking decisions.


    "Whatever the case is, they used dark magic which is not good so no righteous person was harmed by the spell you broke. Do not worry about it, you have done the right thing." The Saxon spirit comforted Phoebe with these words because it could sense the sudden turmoil within her heart.


    Luna chuckled half heartedly. "If you say so Phoebe but you should know that for the rest of your life, as long as you are in Magic city, you are under the Elithera''s protection. You can do whatever you want and i guarantee that nobody and nothing will touch you."


    Pulling her brows together, Phoebe did not know whether to be happy or scared.


    "Thank you....I...guess."


    It was a big declaration which caused her to set her mouth in a frown. Where was the law in the eyes of the Elithera''s if nobody and nothing could touch Phoebe even if she committed a crime like murder?


    Luna''s lips curved gently upwards and her face transformed. Upfront she was a beauty with angelic features but deep down she was like a steely villain.


    "This must be your grandmother and brother, pardon me please for my rudeness, i should have first introduced myself." She bowed respectfully and exchanged greetings with old lady Mayfair and Andre. For the old lady, she had a genuine smile on her face but for Andre, it was definitely a look of contempt. Clearly, she did not approve of him or his lifestyle which was grossly exaggerated by the media.


    "You can stay here for as long as you like and eat anything you want or enjoy every amenity we have to offer. All expenses covered of course, it''s the Phoebe discount." A self satisfied grin plastered all over her face.


    Phoebe looked left and right in paranoia, were they spying on her? She had made a joke of this kind when she was talking to David in the elevator and only Santos had been with her.


    Had they used the camera in the elevator to spy on her!!


    "I have informed my staff to upgrade your rooms to the secret executive rooms, you are all like family now." Luna added.


    Phoebe and grandma Mayfair felt chills run along their bodies. Neither one was looking to become family with the Elithera''s. Maybe a long distant cousin that they never heard from unless there was a death or a wedding in the family.


    "They are going to cling on to you." The Saxon spirit sighed.


    Phoebe drew in a deep breath and she fake smiled at Luna. It was her vacation, Phoebe reminded herself, no stressful thoughts on the vacation.


    Although she was truly grateful that Luna was overly and unnecessarily protective, Phoebe didn''t like the fact that other guests had been evacuated forcefully from the pool area. If she had been one of them, she would be leaving a bad review for the resort. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Thank you Luna however allow other people to enjoy themselves freely. This place is big enough for all of us and it has suddenly become boring without the little kids running around."


    A soft laugh came from Luna''s lips, she could tell that Phoebe was nice and kind, something she considered a weakness. But, it wasn''t her place to comment, after all, in her eyes somebody that walked between two worlds like Phoebe could not really be considered weak, she had her ways of protecting herself.


    "Whatever you want." She smiled once more at grandma Mayfair and Andre before turning on her heels to walk away.


    Andre sank into the chair with despair on his face. "Why are the most beautiful women so scary, I could not get the courage to ask for her number."


    "Why are you attracted to the wrong kind of women Andre, pick a leaf from your brother Collin."


    Grandma Mayfair''s words had them raising their eyebrows.


    "Like news anchor Kelly? Ohh granny if it wasn''t for Pheebs here Collin would never have been so lucky in love." Andre sipped on his lemon mojito with delight.


    "I still can''t get over how funny his first meeting with Shana was." Grandma Mayfair laughed.


    "I got my hands on a copy of the video if anybody wants to see it, he really kidnapped her." Andre laughed carelessly and he showed them the video which he planned to share with the world on the day Collin and Shana tied the knot.


    "Look, look, see how your mother skillfully bumped into Shana." Grandma Mayfair pointed at the footage on Andre''s phone.


    "And then the fake hero saves the damsel." Phoebe giggled loudly.


    As they joked around the matter, Evelyn joined them. The first thing she did was inspect Phoebe''s banged arm. "My heart almost left my body when I saw what happened. Thank God it''s not serious." She placed a hand to her chest and sighed with extravagant relief that had Andre rolling his eyes.


    "See i told you that it''s nothing." Phoebe massaged one of Evelyn''s tense shoulders.


    ****


    In another part of the world, David quickly finished his business and embarked on plans to fly to Magic city as soon as possible. Even though Phoebe had told him that she was okay, his mind had been racing all through his meetings, spiraling as he imagined the worst case scenarios regarding her injury.


    He could not stop blaming Pike and Santos for their carelessness and they were going to get anything earful from him as soon as he physically got a look at his Phoebe.


    Unfortunately for him, due to fog and low visibility, all flights in and out of Penn city in Eagle country were cancelled.


    Despite this, David stayed on his private plane rather than his newly acquired fully furnished house in Eagle country. He was determined to set off as soon as they got the all clear when conditions improved.

 Chapter 245 Worse than the Saxons.

    So as not to bother others at the pool and because grandma Mayfair appeared to be fighting off the inevitable chill from the cold, Phoebe suggested that they move inside and look for another kind of fun activity in a warmer place.


    Following Phoebe''s suggestion and thanks to Andre''s suggestion they wound up playing mini golf at an indoor venue that was once again cleared out as per Luna''s instructions. Well__Phoebe and Andre played while Evelyn and grandma Mayfair laid back lazily in comfortable soft chairs and cheered them on while nursing spritzers that were definitely alcoholic.


    After playing a competitive game of golf, they went ahead to have dinner, watch a movie and retire for the night just shy of 11 p.m.


    What Phoebe did not know was that as she went to bed, a bloody storm was blanketing some parts of the city. The Elithera''s were already on the move and Don Luna was at the helm.


    **************


    The morning of the following day, warm sun poured into the hotel room through half drawn white lace curtains, turning the air golden and heavy with light. Shadows of swaying palm leaves played on the walls, their movements weaving a silent rhythm.


    Phoebe''s eyelids fluttered lazily, as if unwilling to part with the weightless bliss of sleep. She yawned and stretched, slow but deliberate. Her joints cracked and muscles sighed with relief, she had Luna to thank for the good night''s rest. The secret executive rooms were so much better than she thought.


    The mattress especially had impressed her, it was sturdy and comfortable, relieving all of the pressure within her back as if she was getting a massage. It had a single layer of gel like luminescent materials that kept her cool all night, adjusting to the temperature of her body. More amazing was the ambient glow which it emitted that lulled her to sleep.


    As part of the Phoebe discount, she wanted to kidnap and take the mattress home. In fact, Phoebe thought she needed more than one. She could not understand why such mattresses were on not on sale to the general public.


    "Good morning sleepy head." Came the Saxon spirit''s voice.


    A smile crept on Phoebe''s smile. "Good morning." Her nose sniffed the soft aroma of the coffee which Sylvester had kindly prepared. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As if to let her know that she was starving, her stomach growled in reaction. Without wasting time, Phoebe rose from the bed, wrapped a silk night robe around her body and began to move towards the door.


    "Before you leave, you should know that the Elithera''s have already locked up the sixth brother at their ancestral home. Pheebs, I know these kind of people. They are going to be the judge, jury and executioners, that man is going to die and very soon." Beneath it''s words was a stern warning.


    "I do not think that Luna can allow that to happen." Phoebe spoke with uncertainty, she did not really know her that well but for the little Phoebe had seen Luna was a rational woman. The web which the Elithera''s were tangled in was wide, surely they would not kill blindly before having all the answers.


    "Are you sure about that?" Connie jumped out of the space. "Sister have you forgotten what we saw? Didn''t you notice that she was the one giving the orders to all those men? There was also the way her family accorded her with so much respect almost as if she was their head. In some of the movies i have watched, the gang boss is deep undercover and a fake boss is the one known to the public. What if her being a singer is actually a cover of who Luna really is?" Connie whispered the last words in Phoebe''s ear.


    A similar doubt had crept into Phoebe''s ears the previous night. Suddenly feeling an itch, she scratched the inside of her ear with one of her pinky fingers.


    "Eew!" Connie crinkled her nose.


    Phoebe rolled her eyes, her ears were clean, Connie was just being her usual Connieness.


    Phoebe made a momentous decision to poke her nose in the Elithera business once again. "I need to speak to Luna, i am not even certain that the six brother is the culprit here."


    "Well, you kind of pointed your finger at him indirectly."


    Phoebe opened her mouth to defend herself but the spirit raised and index finger to shush her


    "Not just that but you told them that whoever calls them in a frantic state would be the guilty party and it just happened to be him. Now, it could have been a coincidence but we both know that there is no such thing as two coincidences. Still, life is unpredictable so who knows?" It shrugged.


    The words that Phoebe was about to say were caught in her throat and more doubts flooded into her mind. Was she wrong for speaking up too soon about her personal observations? What if the Elithera''s kill the six brother because of what she had said but it turned out that she was wrong? Phoebe wanted no innocent blood on her hands so she forgot about having coffee, rushed to the bathroom where she cleaned up and rushed out of the hotel room.


    As she was getting out, she caught a glimpse of her grandmother that was making her way to her room. The confused older woman shouted out a question as Phoebe zoomed past her like a bullet.


    "I''ll be back nana, go on and have breakfast without me." She shouted when grandma Mayfair asked about where she was heading off to in such a hurry.


    Getting to the Elithera house was very easy because their family home was located right in the heart of magic city. It was a twenty seven storied private residence, guarded by armed private security.


    As soon as she mentioned her name, she was allowed through and driven up to the entrance. On the way in, Phoebe counted thirty armed men and women and then lost count because it was not even necessary to do so. Even the servants were armed with different weapons, what kind of people lived like this?


    "They are worse than the Saxons." Connie commented.


    The Saxon spirit shoved Connie''s curious head back into the space.


    The spirit did not counter Connie''s words however because they were one hundred percent correct.


    "I think the main qualification for one to work for this family is a background in martial arts and a firearms qualifications test." Sylvester noted.


    Phoebe and the Saxon spirit agreed with Sylvester wholly. As soon as she stepped off the elevator into the foyer, her eyes landed on the face of a familiar woman.


    "You are here, in my house? Do we have more to talk about Phoebe Mayfair?" Judy asked in a not so welcoming way.


    Phoebe had long accepted that Judy did not like her, especially after the 200 million ask. But, she did not care anyway.


    "I don''t think that''s how you should welcome the person that just saved your lives. I am here to speak to Luna, call her out will you?" Phoebe''s gaze was sharp and unwavering.


    Judy took a slow breath, locking eyes with Phoebe. Her lips curled into a small almost imperceptible smile, the kind that spoke of a quiet power.


    "And we paid you extremely well for that." She retorted, her voice smooth but laced with a tone that suggested that she was bothered both by the money and Phoebe''s nonchalant attitude in her presence.


    Was the shaman going to keep undermining them because she did them a small favor? Judy still had her reservations after all jumping from the bridge to die was not her style of doing things. All the things Phoebe had told them, she still found skeptical.


    "Whatever you want to tell Luna you can tell me, i am in charge of things when my husband is temporarily incapacitated." Judy continued to watch Phoebe keenly.


    Phoebe scoffed and Judy clenched her jaw, unappreciative of the scoff. If she was not afraid of what Luna would do if she harmed Phoebe, Judy would have told one of the servants to force her onto her knees and give her a slap or two.


    Judy recalled Phoebe''s Mayfair heiress identity and she took a deep breath, letting go of her pride. It was best not to antagonize the little rich shaman. She was not one of those harlots from the streets of Magic city pretending to have spiritual ties, she was the real deal anyway.


    "Where is the sixth brother? Bring him out here and don''t say that you do not know anytthing because I already know that he is here." Phoebe''s tone was gentle but extremely demanding.


    This time, it was Judy that scoffed.


    "Wait here." she instructed and walked away.

 Chapter 246 Truth and relief

    A female maid in an outfit that looked like blue scrubs used by nurses worldwide pointed Phoebe to a brown leather chair in the lounge.


    Phoebe did as told, and the ghosts sat down as well.


    "Look around, learn some things." Phoebe instructed them.


    Sylvester left first and Connie was the last to go, dragging her invisible ghost feet.


    "Even their home is designed to look like a hotel, so boring." Connie muttered as she left.


    Forty minutes had passed since Judy had ordered Phoebe to sit in the living room and wait after she demanded to see the sixth brother.


    From that time till now, the Elithera''s had showed up one after the other. They watched her like a spectacle especially those that had missed the show at the hospital.


    Phoebe was like a snake in a cage at the zoo, she just watched them without expressing any interest or giving them a reaction. They could look all they wanted, she was unbothered.


    One young woman boldly approached her finally and she sat down besides Phoebe. She held a slight resemblance to Luna but it was not that strong. Where Luna was hard, this woman was soft. Her blonde hair was big and fluffy, the eyes small but expressive and radiant. Despite all that was going on in the family, she was warm like rare sunshine on a rainy day. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Shyly, she giggled.


    "Hi."


    "Hi." Phoebe responded in a neutral tone.


    The young woman licked her lips and smiled. "So...err...miss shaman, i am getting married soon and I would like to know whether my fiance really loves me or he is after our family money." A tinge of fear laced her words.


    A faint smile tugged on Phoebe''s lips. "Does that even matter, i am sure you are marrying someone of equal financial means. What you should care about is if you are compatible. Give me your hand." She requested to which the young woman quickly obliged.


    Phoebe studied it closely for a moment. "I can see a good marriage in your future...."


    The cracking sound of sharp pointed heels approaching diverted her attention and she let go of the young woman''s hand.


    "Finally." She muttered on seeing Luna. The room fell silent that one could have heard a rat piss on cotton.


    The young woman escaped from Phoebe''s side as if Luna was a beast. She took an elevator, following some of the others that were rushing away.


    "Phoebe i am sorry that i wasn''t here to welcome you but imagine my surprise on hearing that you were here and it was not to see me but rather my the sixth uncle." Luna smiled hesitantly, she sat in a single heavily cushioned chair where the young woman had been sitting previously.


    She was not alone, two of her uncles and some bodyguards had followed. They positioned themselves around Luna immediately.


    Phoebe turned and faced Luna with a resolve in her eyes.


    "I am here for one thing only, a clear conscience. I need to confirm that it was he that committed those atrocities, further more i want to know why he did what he did it." Phoebe spoke firmly, her eyes locked with Luna''s.


    The second uncle sneered. "And you think that he will tell you? We have done everything in our power to cajole him into talking but he is one tough bastard. Just concentrate on healing our Duncan, we will decide on what to do to our sixth brother." He spoke through pursed lips.


    His words only caused the tension within her body to swell up. "You mean kill him?" Phoebe asked, her heart pounding in her chest like the beat of a war drum. Had she asked a provocative question? She asked herself when she noticed that all their scary eyes were fixed on her. However she was unfazed, she was not going to let them kill the man on her watch if he was innocent.


    "We believe in an eye for an eye, you have done your part shaman, it''s our turn to do ours. I believe that those were your words so why are you getting involved in our part?" The fourth sister spewed out.


    "Do you think i want to?" Phoebe quizzed in turn. "I don''t want to involve myself in your business as well."


    Luna sat in a straight posture but she shot warning looks to her relatives. "Everyone calm down, Ambrose go and bring sixth uncle here." She ordered.


    "But...." the fourth aunt started.


    Luna sent her blood curling gaze when she tried to loudly protest the decision and the woman folded her lips shut.


    It wasn''t long before the six brother limped in, he had visible fresh cuts, a reflection of the torture he had been through. He was guarded on both sides by two beefy men and one skinny woman followed them.


    Phoebe sighed on noticing that he had two swollen black eyes and a broken arm.


    "Luna, Luna, I am your uncle. Please stop doing this! I am innocent and I do not feel well, at least let me see a doctor." He lamented upon seeing Luna.


    Phoebe wasted no time in sending the Saxon spirit to study the man''s condition. He smelled off, something on him or in him was rotting.


    The spirit hovered around him, sniffing him over and over in search of something like a dog.


    "When the curse was lifted it went straight to him, he is going to die soon." It returned and told Phoebe.


    She clenched the arms of the chair and sighed loudly in relief.


    "It was him after all, thank God i am not wrong."


    Now that she had her answer, Phoebe wasted no time, she pulled out a truth speaking talisman that the spirit put in her jacket pocket.


    "I need your word that if I compel him to say the truth, you won''t kill him. This man is dying anyway, the backlash from the curse which had been put on Duncan went straight to him." Her words were directed to Luna who seemed to be in charge.


    Before Luna could respond, the group murmured relentlessly, a sea of faces caught in the undercurrent of discontent.


    On hearing Phoebe''s words, the sixth brother''s eyes grew widely open. "W...what do you mean? Please...tell me." His hands began to tremble. "What did you do?" he questioned desperately.


    "You have my word." Luna spoke firmly, she wanted to get to the bottom of it.


    "What? Since when do you speak for everyone? You may be Duncan''s enforcer and daughter but he hasn''t named an heir yet."


    Someone shouted from the back. Others shook their heads, lips pressed in thin lines of disagreement. Most of them kept their various opinions to themselves.


    It made Luna all the more interested in hearing what Phoebe could find out. She was suspicious of everyone in the family at this point.


    "Go ahead Phoebe, don''t let these barking dogs frighten you." Luna gave consent.


    Phoebe moved towards the trembling man and placed the talisman on his chest.


    "Tell me all your plans and name your co-conspirators you are working with to take down the Elithera family." She ordered him.


    The six brother''s eye lids began to flicker visibly, only the whites where showing. "I am working with the Soprinos and O''Connor''s. Some people in the family are also part of us, we will not stop until Duncan and all those loyal to him are dead." He confessed.

 Chapter 247 Closing the Elithera case

    It was as if a hammer had been dropped in the midst of the wary group. On hearing the sixth brother''s confession, members of the family started to trade suspicious glances, and a few even moved away from those they thought could be part of the conspiracy.


    As for Luna, she wasted no time in picking up her phone to do the necessary, all traitors were going to be taken down in one swoop.


    "Lock down the compound." she said into the phone.


    Even before she finished issuing the command, two people were already running for the elevators. This reaction resulted in whispers and murmurs that rippled through the room as the two betrayers were captured.


    "So it''s true, ha! no wonder you two were the loudest in rejecting my shaman''s help." Luna lifted her right hand and laid out her black guns for all to see.


    "Swift strike!" someone exclaimed.


    Swift strike was the name Luna had personally given to both of the custom made guns. Anyone that was familiar with them also knew that when they appeared, someone was bound to die. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The appearance of the guns caused inevitable terror in the group. Some Elithera''s audibly gasped while others shifted uncomfortably in their seats as the two obvious traitors were dragged away by two men, to be executed.


    "You...you...." The fourth aunt stammered and shivered but she could not foster energy to rebuke Luna.


    Luna remained unnervingly calm, masking her emotions while stroking her guns, at any moment someone would be struck swiftly.


    "Shhhh." She hushed, the room quickly fell back in total silence.


    The sixth brother continued narrating the story of how the Soprinos and O''Connors offered him a huge sum of money to betray the family.


    "I signed an agreement with each of them which would see to it that the city is divided into three equal territories. If I became the boss, both the normal business and gang related boundaries would be respected, ending animosity and underground gang wars between us.


    I also agreed to hand over forty percent of the family property to them. Tony Soprino also made it clear that he wants Luna to be his mistress, he will put a leash on her and treat her like a dog forever. It''s her punishment for shooting and paralyzing his arm.


    All the women in the family that refused to surrender would be sent to the red district as prostitutes and the men to work in pink cocaine factories at the Northern boarder. The extremely stubborn ones would be killed or framed and sent to prison.


    They used black magic to make Duncan very ill and cripple the financial blessings of the family. The shaman of Bayan lake gave only gave me instructions which i followed, i don''t know anything else about it. If you kill me, they won''t sit back and watch because i am one of them now."


    Again, shared gasps erupted in the room as disbelief swept over them all. They had been living like frogs in warm but boiling water, unaware of what fate held in store for them.


    "You bastard!! you evil..." Judy fell to the ground and cried out.


    The second brother stood up, his eyes burning of a fierce intensity and fixed on the confessor. "And you actually believed them? You stupid ungrateful idiot! Our parents picked you from the orphanage and raised you like one of their own. But you collaborated with our enemies to take over our empire and kill us all." His fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white.


    The Soprinos were the second biggest gang in Magic city and the only surviving rivals of the Void gang, most gangs had been eliminated by Duncan when he took over. In his quest to control Magic city he had stepped on a lot of toes, it wasn''t surprising that people wanted him dead.


    The O''Connors meanwhile were both business and political rivals of the Elithera''s, they had been wanting to take them down for a long time. Their enemies had joined hands to destroy them and the sixth brother had fallen into their trap perfectly.


    Judy''s hand searched under the puffy pillow before she pulled out a gun. She cocked it and pointed it at the sixth brother. "I should just blow up his brains right now." She spoke through pursed lips.


    Out of the blue, more guns were released and everyone was armed including the teenagers and one ten year old boy.


    All these guns were pointing at the sixth brother and many eyes filled with hatred and a single desire to fill his body with bullet holes pierced him.


    "Oh-oh!" Connie exclaimed and vanished.


    Even the ghost could tell that this was not going to end well.


    "No! You promised!" Phoebe quickly stood up, her face was white like as though blood had been drained out of it.


    She had never seen so many guns at the same time, all ready to be used. If one bullet went astray, wouldn''t she be shot as well? Phoebe looked at Luna, begging her to control her crazy family.


    "Everyone please, there is no need for a blood bath, not now anyway." Luna commented nonchalantly but her gaze warned them all not to dare defy her.


    The fifth brother scoffed at Luna''s words. "If you think that you can head the family with a soft heart, then you better stick to singing. We must avenge our elder brother starting with slaughtering this pig right here." He pointed his index finger at the sixth brother.


    "Uncle, aunt Luna is currently in charge, to disobey her is to disobey the head himself." A teenage boy said.


    "No, he has to die, it''s the Elithera way." A woman said.


    Some people lowered their guns but others held firm, determined to kill the sixth brother. It set in motion a debate when the dourth aunt decided that they should vote on the matter.


    As they were still deliberating on what to do, the sixth brother collapsed. Black blood oozed from his nose, ears and mouth. Phoebe moved closer, she lifted his eye lids and studied his eyes.


    The sixth brother was beginning to show signs of physical deterioration.


    "It has started, he is going to go through exactly what he wanted his brother to go through." The Saxon spirit hovered around his body.


    Luna moved and crouched near her uncle''s body. "These symptoms, i have seen them before. Father too had black blood coming out of his mouth, ears and nose before we rushed him to the hospital."


    Sighing heavily, Phoebe explained what was going on. "You don''t have to kill this man, he''s going to die in the way he wanted his brother to die. Slowly but extremely painfully."


    "Sounds like a good punishment to me, don''t you think so fifth uncle?" Came Luna''s triumphant voice.


    "The same will apply to all those that were in cohorts with him and as for your father he must be regaining consciousness right about now." Phoebe stood and cleaned her hands with sanitizer from her bag.


    She looked at the Elithera''s and waved her hand once. "I am done, bye."


    Luna followed her out, matching Phoebe''s pace but maintaining silence until they reached the car which had brought Phoebe over.


    "Thank you Phoebe, if you ever need my help please call me." Luna put a hand on Phoebe''s arm and stopped her temporarily. She wore a grateful smile on her face.


    "Same here, call me just in case you feel that something is wrong with your father." A light smile tugged on Phoebe''s lips, she nodded and entered the car. Hoping that it was the last time she would ever get mixed up with the Elitheras.


    Just as the car was making a turn, Phoebe heard the sound of gunshots coming from the compound and she sighed.

 Chapter 248 2 baby toes arrives.

    As she expected, not every Elithera was willing to let nature take it''s course, they preferred to take justice into their own hands.


    The three ghosts turned their heads around to look at the Elithera compound one last time.


    "Crazy, they are crazy." Connie declared. "Sister, they have a torture room at the top floor of the building. Oh the horror!"


    "Forget it, they are not our business anyway. I am a shaman, my business is the supernatural." Phoebe replied.


    She closed her eyes and leaned back against the head rest. Something came to mind and she opened her eyes immediately.


    "Ancestor, the shaman of Bayan lake, i need to know everything about him."


    The Saxon spirit nodded and vanished from the car to do some poking around. She liked the fact that Phoebe was being vigilant because someday, someone would come looking for her, unhappy about all the dark spells she was undoing.


    *************


    When she got back to the hotel, Phoebe was welcomed by a giant bouquet of flowers as soon as she walked through the main glass doors. Standing besides the bouquet was David who had a relieved smile on seeing her.


    "I am so grateful that you are okay." His arms enveloped her with a gentle yet firm embrace.


    He took her by the hand, pulling her to the nearest elevator with an urgency that she could not understand. The elevator was being protected by his men that were snarling at innocent guests that wanted to use it.


    It was a VIP elevator but not even the VIP''s were being allowed to get on. David pushed her inside the elevator and pushed her against a cold metal wall as soon as the doors closed.


    "Are you crazy?" he questioned her sternly.


    His two hands were tightly holding on to her shoulders.


    "David..." Phoebe winced.


    She could not understand why all of a sudden he seemed to be displeased. One moment he was smiling at her with a bouquet of flowers and hugging her with gentleness and the next he was dragging her into the elevator and looking at her with heavy dark eyes that had a scary look deep inside.


    He let go of her shoulders but before she could sigh in relief, he grabbed both of her hands and imprisoned them above her head with one of his hands. She didn''t know what he was up to but everything in her was screaming run.


    "Let me go.." she struggled, "What are you doing you bastard?"


    David used his free hand to pinch her chin and make her look up at him.


    "You dared to run to Magic city into Elithera territory without informing me. Phoebe Mayfair, have you lost your mind?"


    "I can handle my business." she responded defiantly.


    [Do not even think about controlling me, i can handle dangerous situations perfectly with my ghosts. Dangerous situations, hmph! ] She thought.


    "Not if it means getting yourself hurt." he responded curtly.


    "That''s also my business." she responded pointedly.


    She continued to struggle, trying to free herself from his tight lock and hulking prison that was his body frame. The more she struggled, the more unwilling David was to let her go.


    He had been to hell and back after learning about her being injured and then hearing from Santos that she was inside the Elithera compound.


    On hearing about the gunshots which were fired shortly after she left, he had almost lost his mind. He had no idea what had happened in that compound, he was just glad that she was okay. However, he found it infuriating how nonchalant she seemed to be, unaware of how foolish it had been to march fearlessly into the Elithera''s compound.


    In that family, even five year old children were taught the art of killing. Phoebe had no idea how close she had come to the flames.


    David''s gaze briefly dipped to her lips and he growled. He lowered his head and brought his lips to hers in a kiss that was brutal, delivering a punishment.


    Phoebe was caught off guard and she lost control of the situation quickly. This kiss was just as unexpected as the last one, like a hailstorm on a sunny day.


    David was forceful, forcing her lips open with his tongue before darting inside and exploring every inch of her mouth as he pleased.


    Fight him, stop him, do something....Phoebe''s mind screamed. These thoughts did not take root, especially because she did not resist__, she could but she did not want to. She arched her back instead and encouraged him to deepen the kiss, matching the pace of his fury. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Maybe she was starved for touch, or it was the taste of gin and berries on his tongue, Phoebe could not decide which but she found his taste delightful. She was truly torn between fighting for control and enjoying the kiss. It just felt so good that she wanted more, so much more.


    David let go of her hands, pleased by her pleasure, forgetting that he had initiated the kiss as a punishment. He wrapped his right hand around her waist and moved the other down, cupping her bottom.


    Phoebe moaned softly, the small sound blessing his ears generously. David was ready to lift her up and move his mouth to her neck but suddenly the elevator made a dinging sound and Phoebe pushed him away with so much energy that he fell back against the wall on the opposite side of the elevator.


    The doors opened but nobody got on and they closed quickly, something which relieved Phoebe greatly. Given their physical state, it would not take much for someone to guess what they had been doing in the elevator.


    There was nobody else to blame for this other than the deadly handsome man that was adjusting his pants making his condition very obvious.


    "Rogue!" she whispered an accusation while glaring at him.


    The words barely escaped her mouth as she was panting just as he was. David chuckled and wiped his bottom lip with his right hand thumb. Since he had been called a rogue, he fell into character and winked at her.


    "Shortie, you almost swallowed my tongue and bit my lip but you are calling me a rogue. I should be the one saying this."


    Phoebe hissed at him and folded her arms across her chest.


    "Alright, alright, i am sorry. I was just anxious so i got a little carried away." he approached and put a hand on her waist.


    "Hmph!" she slapped his hand and looked to her left with a sulking expression on her face.


    She was feeling embarrassed more than angry because the darn Saxon spirit was whistling happily in her mind. The nosy spirit really didn''t know when to stay out of her private business.


    If ever she and David had sex, Phoebe would not put it past the spirit to hover and give them pointers to make sure they were doing it right.


    "I didn''t see anything, you old witch how could you blind my eyes?" Connie screamed.


    Phoebe sighed and blocked the voices of the ghosts for a while. Connie would be ranting for a good while and the Saxon spirit would be teaching her about morals.


    Phoebe''s stomach churned loudly it hurt. "I am hungry."


    "Let''s get you fed then." David led her to the exclusive restaurant for special guests staying at the resort. He found a table by the window that had a view of the pool and they sat down.


    "I want to hear everything that i missed. You have been here for less than two days, took one meeting with Luna Elithera and then a bloodbath followed in the night. What did you do Phoebe?"

 Chapter 249 Urgent mission.

    "Me!" Phoebe loudly exclaimed.


    Her eyes were wide open, expressing disbelief at the outrageous accusation.


    "Why do you think i did something?"


    David smirked, he did not believe his shortie one bit. He pushed a glass of wine towards her. "Well, did you?"


    She bit the corner of her bottom lip and considered denying her role in the Elithera bloodbath which she was just hearing about but it was no use. At the end of the day, he would find out anyway.


    "Look, it''s not my fault, all i did was break a spell and save a life. Everything else that followed is not my fault, it''s the bad guys that are to blame."


    "You..." David started.


    He had to pause because two servers brought their food over and given how hungry Phoebe was, he decided to let her enjoy her meal in peace. After eating to her fill, Phoebe narrated all that had happened at the Elithera compound, starting right from the day she met Luna to the gunshots she heard.


    Halfway through her narration, her grandmother had joined them so the old lady caught up on the Elithera gossip as well. One minute later. Andre and Evelyn joined them as well.


    By the time Phoebe was done with the narration, the old lady was shaking her head and smacking her lips.


    "I knew the sixth brother was behind this after all you told us yesterday. He is another ungrateful bastard like Ruth, whenever the heart isn''t contented with the little you have, you end up yearning for what doesn''t belong to you."


    David''s fingers massaged his chin. "The O''Connor''s are such a respectable bunch of people, i am shocked that they resorted to black magic. As for the the Soprinos, i am not surprised.


    It is believed that Duncan''s forces have wiped out almost half of their people, they had to retaliate. I guess bullets, knives and poisons have failed them if magic was their go to this time.


    Knowing the Elithera''s, there is going to be an even bigger bloodbath in the city. They never shy away from using violence to silence their enemies. I don''t think it is the right time to vacation here."


    "Does this mean that we are about to see the biggest gang war in history?" There was a lot of anticipation in Andre''s voice.


    He was all but ready to film and record the live action before turning it into a script. As expected, wherever Phoebe went, inspiration struck.


    Phoebe frowned and looked into his sparkling eyes. "I really hope not because innocent people will get caught in the cross fire." She prayed that Luna would keep her family under control.


    Evelyn waved her hands in the air. "Enough of all of this guys, we are in Magic city! We need to have some fun before we get back to boring old Citrus." She announced excitedly.


    Andre and grandma Mayfair supported the suggestion however Phoebe lazily objected.


    All she wanted to do was stay at the hotel where it was safe indoors. She needed more time with that mattress and even more information on that Bayan shaman.


    "Come on Pheebs! Don''t be a party pooper, listen the Novemberfest music carnival is happening right now. How can you stay indoors at such a time? You need to come out with me and shake your booty." Evelyn persuaded.


    The Saxon spirit appeared wearing an anxious expression. "You must go to Novemberfest."


    It''s voice was shaky but commanding, a sign that something was wrong.


    Phoebe excused herself to her room after promising to think about Evelyn''s suggestion seriously. David wanted to follow but she used the excuse of taking a bath to stop him. As soon as she closed the door, she quizzed the anxious spirit.


    "What is going on? Why do i have to go to the music carnival?"


    "Remember that I told you that one of the reasons as to why you were reborn was to help the Saxons avoid the unfortunate incidents that happened to them. Well today Valarie Saxon is going to encounter the danger which will lead to her eventual death, it all happens at the music carnival."


    The name rung a bell, Phoebe vividly recalled sweet Valerie Saxon. She did not know much about the young woman except for the fact that she was sweet and kind. While most of the Saxons had been contented with ignoring Phoebe, Valerie had always smiled and said a polite hello when they run into each other.


    It was such a shame that the girl committed suicide and she was buried in a rush by her parents without the rest of the family being clued in. A general false announcement was made that she died in a fire. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe was one of five people that knew about the suicide and why it happened. Apparently Valerie had contracted a disease and could not live with the shame so she took her life.


    To hide this secret, she was buried quickly and never mentioned again. Phoebe only knew about this because she was hiding from Miranda, secretly grabbing a bite to eat in the Saxon cemetery and overheard Valerie''s parents discussing her true cause of death.


    Phoebe unfolded her arms, her resistance crumbling into desperation. She liked Valerie and in this life, she was willing to do whatever it took to save her.


    "How do I save her and where exactly am I supposed to find her? What kind of danger is she in?" she asked the spirit.


    "The circumstances are the same as back then, someone is plotting against her and it happens to be her best friend Belinda Kaplan."


    A haughty sniff came from Phoebe''s lips. "Best friends and betrayal, I understand that perfectly. Phoebe''s thoughts run to her once best friend Ruth, it had been a while since she had last checked on her but Luke was doing that religiously and sharing updates with the rest of the family.


    "How did she die in the past and what time? I know it could change but still I want to know what happened in order to eliminate the danger entirely. Why did her friend harm her?" Phoebe quizzed further because she did not have the necessary information.


    In order to convince Valerie she needed to have more than a verbal claim.


    The Saxon spirit suddenly waved her hand, smashing a flower vase against the wall.


    "It''s murder, my descendant was plotted against and infected with that disease deliberately. We don''t have time to discuss the details. You just need to find Valerie now and save her before it''s too late. Remember that saving her will be rewarding because your lifespan will increase depending on how you deal with the entire situation."


    Phoebe literally went flying through the door to handle the urgent task.


    Everyone was still lounging in the restaurant engaging in more Elithera gossip when Phoebe returned, slightly out of breath.


    "Why are you lazing around people, go get ready! We have a carnival to attend to." She clapped her hands continuously in the bid to encourage them to hasten up.


    "Wait a minute, we are going?" David asked as he got to his feet. Initially he was relieved that they were staying in doors because he was tired. Now that Phoebe was going out it automatically meant that he was going too, he was not letting her go without him by her side.


    "Why?" Andre asked.


    He did not think that Phoebe was the ''shake your booty type'' as Evelyn had described. Phoebe was always neck deep in herbs, research, murder cases, ghosts and all things supernatural.


    She loved the beach and sunrise, long walks and star gazing. Reading novels, eating deserts, sipping wine, sleeping like an overfed kitten.


    Andre''s list of things Phoebe loved could go on but none of those things was shaking the booty. Phoebe was not much of a dancer.


    "What changed? A while ago you were adamant to step out of the hotel." Grandma Mayfair asked.


    Evelyn quickly shook her head. "Granny don''t ask. Whatever it was, we should just be grateful. This is going to be so much fun, i can''t wait." she squealed.

 Chapter 250 Saving Valerie__1

    The Novemberfest music carnival was held for three days every year and there was always a specific theme for each year. The theme this year was ''Into the wild.'' All participants were expected to dress up in outfits that embraced nature, adventure and the wild.


    It was one of the biggest events held in Magic city with people coming from all around the world to attend. It was not unusual to see celebrities from all walks of life in attendance.


    First time attendee Phoebe had decided to go with a cat themed look, dressing up in a Halloween costume as she had not had ample time to prepare an outfit. She had let Connie paint whiskers on her cheeks and to finish the cat lady look she placed a black cat ears head band over her hair.


    "All done." Connie brows danced for she was satisfied with her work.


    Phoebe moved to stand in front of a mirror, a smile formed on her face on seeing the simple but cute makeup.


    "Thank you Connie, you can go back home and help Rosette at the cafe."


    "But I thought that i was also going to the music carnival!" Connie made some hesitant moves, it was like as if she was weighed down by inner turmoil. "I will help to search for Valerie please just let me come with you."


    Her pouted lips and sad puppy eyes didn''t faze Phoebe at all. There was no way Connie was going to help with anything when some of her favorite artists were going to be at the carnival.


    She would disappear and they would not hear from her until the carnival was closed. Phoebe did not want to add the search for Connie to the search for Valerie.


    "Let her come and Connie remember that Valarie is the priority. If i notice otherwise, I''ll send you back to the cafe with a snap of a finger." The Saxon spirit''s eyes were glazed with a warning.


    The spirit did not want them to dally as they went back and forth on this matter. Connie was not going back to Citrus city on her own. It was best for the girl to follow and help if she could.


    Connie huffed silently. "You don''t have to threaten me old witch, I know that this mission is important to sister Phoebe."


    When Phoebe came out of the room, everyone was already waiting, ready to go. The most dressed person was Evelyn who was wearing a full tiger jumpsuit with a tail at the back.


    Nothing had changed about her grandmother and David, they were in the same clothes, her a flowy green dress and him, a suit.


    Andre was wearing an overly decorated mask with jungle prints. He was wearing a white tank top and one of Collin''s new cargo pants which Phoebe was sure he had borrowed without informing the owner.


    "There you are....." Grandma Mayfair brightened up. She thought her granddaughter was the cutest thing ever and instantly turned into a camera woman using her phone to capture pictures.


    "Wow shortie! Looking lovely as ever." David interjected, "I cannot actually believe that you are going to this thing." He added.


    Phoebe frowned slightly, he could have stopped at wow, skipped shortie and continued to looking lovely as ever. The man simply loved to push her buttons at every turn.


    "I am not going for fun, by the way do you have a recent photo of Valarie Saxon, your cousin?" She asked David whose brows shot up immediately.


    Grandma Mayfair became interested immediately. "Why? Does your going to the carnival have anything to do with her?" She had come to understand that Phoebe didn''t just change her mind without a good reason.


    She had this nagging sense that Phoebe''s sudden desire to go for the music carnival was for something other than dancing or eating.


    Phoebe nodded her head which compelled Evelyn to sigh in frustration.


    "I knew that it was too good to be true. And to think that i really thought that you wanted to loosen up and go crazy. Please do not tell me that this is a ghost issue and she is the ghost."


    "No it''s not!" David quickly jumped in. "My niece is alive."


    Phoebe swallowed hard. "Not if we don''t save her today, she will not live long if we do not hurry up." She gave David the believe me look.


    His mind flushed back to the time Valerie had died in the past and if memory served him right, it was two weeks from the current date.


    He had been away on a business trip when she died and by the time he came home, Valerie had been buried already. All he was told by his grandmother was that she had died in some kind of accidental fire, nothing more.


    Valerie was from the fifth branch of the Saxon clan and she was only twenty so she and David did not interact much. Still, he knew everyone in the family and Valerie had a good reputation for being kind and helpful.


    It would be a shame if something terrible happened to the girl. David sent Phoebe a picture as she requested and he forwarded Valerie''s phone number to Roxanne for tracing.


    Phoebe sent Valerie''s picture to everyone that was going including the security team Luna had assigned her, they were to help in the search because most of the city was considered to be Elithera territory. With their many connections, perhaps it was possible for them to rescue her much faster than her.


    Once they reached the stadium grounds were the carnival was being held, the group split up and each of them left with at least four bodyguards. David stuck with Phoebe who took out a paper map of magic city. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "David give me your hand."


    He did and Phoebe pricked one of his fingers without warning.


    "Ouch!" He winced.


    Phoebe laughed softly as she dropped a drop on the map. "Sorry I forgot to give you a heads up because i am in a hurry."


    "Pheebs, what kind of danger are we talking about? What is it that happened to Valerie in the past? Didn''t she die in a fire?"


    "No." She answered without hesitation.


    She took a few steps forward to follow the line of those going into the stadium. David however stopped her because he had more questions and a lot of confusion.


    "What do you mean? If she did not die in the fire then what killed her? Why was the family told something else?"


    Phoebe looked him in the eyes and she sighed. "HIV, or as some people say to this day, an unmentionable disease. Look, there is no time to discuss the details. You don''t know about it because her family covered it up.


    Not only did she get such a disease but she took her own life. If such news became public i guess it would have damaged the Saxon reputation." Phoebe twisted her lips as she pulled him to the front of the line. "Let''s hurry, I need to find Valerie, her life depends on it."


    David that was lost in a mild sea of thoughts was dragged along and they were allowed through easily after some of the men Luna had lent her identified themselves.


    Inside the massive stadium however, Phoebe was faced with a new challenge in terms of people. They were too many and they were everywhere. Her eyes focused on the drop of blood on the map that was meant to guide her through an ocean of people that were camouflaged.


    They were drinking dancing, jumping and it was loud with different music booming from six different directions because there were six independent stages.


    Locating Valerie was not the problem, getting to her was. Weaving through the crowds would be difficult.


    "Crap!"

 Chapter 251 Saving Valerie__2

    "Let''s push through with energy." The Saxon spirit suggested.


    Phoebe put her hands out and moved them gently from side to side, forging forward into the massive crowd, creating a path for herself and her group.


    The people in the way were surprised to find themselves being moved by an unseen force but with the size of the crowd, the disguises and music, nobody made a fuss.


    Not even the man whose cup of beer was spilled onto his bare chest complained and when Phoebe apologized, he did not respond as he did not know for what reason she was apologizing.


    The Saxon spirit moved along with Phoebe, clearing a path the same way she was doing. They followed the drop of David''s blood for more than ten minutes but failed to reach Valerie.


    The longer it took, the more frustrated they found themselves feeling. Would they make it in time to save her?


    "This would have been much easier for me if I could fly above the crowds in search for her without freaking the humans out." Phoebe complained inwardly


    "News flash, you are human." The Saxon spirit reminded her.


    It actually thought along the same line as Phoebe, the search would be easier if she could fly over the normal humans without drawing attention to herself. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "It''s so hot." Phoebe whined.


    It could have been the crowd or the blazing hot sun or both. It was also loud, incredibly so that she could not barely hear herself think.


    Phoebe was shoved suddenly, she stumbled and fell into David''s arms.


    "God i hate this place." Phoebe growled out.


    "Are you okay?" David asked.


    She did not hear the words but read his mouth as it moved around and figured out his question for herself. She nodded, righted herself and they continued on. There was no time to waste.


    The Saxon spirit went from gentle pushing to rougher shoving to prevent any accidents. Phoebe made her way through the heavy crowd and stopped finally when the drop of blood on the map came to a stop.


    She looked around just in case Valarie was out in the open. It was wishful thinking of course, Valarie was not anywhere she looked. They were now in the darker section of the stadium which was semi-closed off by part of the stadium roof.


    Phoebe''s ears were assaulted by loud bass deep beats coming from the DJ that was mixing music aggressively on a neon lit stage.


    The poor lighting made the search harder and in every direction Phoebe looked, she saw couples that were making out and having a good time.


    David had no idea why Phoebe had stopped so he tapped her on the shoulder and shrugged, asking her why with his body language?


    "She''s here." Phoebe shouted at the top of her voice.


    Hardly had she announced that when the blood began to move again, this time towards the camping grounds behind the neon lit stage.


    The blood stopped once again, the map didn''t specify where Valarie was exactly. They had to search but everyone that had come with them had normal human vision so Phoebe ordered the Saxon spirit do the rest of the search.


    She even sent out Black kitty and Yin to participate in the search. Phoebe concentrated some energy around her eyes, making her vision better and she gestured at everyone else to follow her.


    Out of the blue she recalled another incident that happened after Valerie''s death. Two weeks after Valerie''s burial, Phillip Saxon had an accident and both his legs were amputated.


    "Oh! looks like i will get to add more months to my life span. She had to save Phillip as well, he was another good Saxon, a little mulish but good at heart.


    Phoebe hastened her pace when she saw a familiar face, not the one she was searching for however as it was her grandmother.


    She had no idea how the old woman had made her way to the same place where they were given the size of the crowd.


    "Nana." she put her hands around the shoulders of the old woman and guided her to a nearby stall that was selling drinks.


    Phoebe bought freshly squeezed juice for everyone because they were all sweating.


    David handed grandma Mayfair a handkerchief to wipe away the beads of sweat on her forehead. "Grandma, you should have remained with Evelyn."


    "I am a lot stronger than I look, i made it all the way here after all. You on the other hand look deranged." Grandma Mayfair''s eyes moved to his disorganized hair.


    He had been running his hands through his hair every few seconds. More than anyone, David was determined to save Valerie, she was his niece after all.


    The ghost pets and the Saxon spirit returned along with Connie and Sylvester.


    "Good news, she has been found, I found Valerie." Connie announced loudly.


    "The bad news is that she is lying unconscious in a tent alone with a middle aged man." Sylvester added hastily. "Follow me."


    Quickly Phoebe dashed forward, following Sylvester to the said tent. As always, she did not explain herself and the others naturally just followed the direction she took.


    Phoebe came to a stop outside a tent which Connie was loudly saying was ''the one.''


    Standing outside was Belinda, who trembled the moment she saw David. The next thing they knew, before a single word could be said, she was running away, trying to get to one of the crowded areas.


    The Saxon spirit swung a rock in her path which Belinda tripped on and fell on her stomach. David sent his men to capture her.


    Phoebe on the other hand rushed inside the tent only to find a half naked man that was just about ready to discard his trousers as he was unzipping.


    She looked at the orange camp mattress and saw a half naked Valerie that showed no signs of consciousness.


    "Is she alive?" She asked the Saxon spirit.


    "Yes, but she was drugged." The spirit answered.


    Anger came over Phoebe and she glared at the man. She held herself back from attacking him before finding some answers. If she had to guess, this was how Valerie was infected with an illness, she was taken advantage of.


    In that moment, she found herself wishing that she owned her own guns like Luna.


    "Who are you? What were you planning to do to my niece you bastard?"


    David walked in just when Phoebe referred to Valerie as her niece. Normally, he would smile, tease her or analyze her words but this was not the moment for it.


    He had come with a long brown trench coat and he quickly went over to Valerie and covered her body. He grabbed a blanket and added wrapped Valerie''s entire body in it.


    Satisfied that she was covered up, he joined Phoebe in glaring at the stranger who looked uneasy and frightened like a deer in headlights.


    "I didn''t do anything wrong I swear, I did not touch her, i swear." He flushed his palms and shook his head in denial.


    "What were you doing to an underage girl?" David growled out like an injured beast and then launched a punch which landed on the man''s jaw.


    He fell to the ground with terrified eyes as more people made their way into the tent.


    "Underage? Belinda told me that she is old enough! twenty one, just like her." He defended himself.


    David growled, his anger surging by the minute. "So that makes it okay to take advantage of her? You are done for, i am going to ruin you for life you motherfucker. I am going to kill you..."


    He pulled out a gun, and his men did the same. No surprise. Luna''s men that she had lent to Phoebe did the same.


    The man found himself faced with more than ten guns and his bladder loosened, releasing a yellow liquid that trickled down his legs.

 Chapter 252 Saving Valerie__3

    Even though she had considered shooting the man and wished for a gun of her own, Phoebe found herself frowning at the sight of all the guns. It was like she was back in the Elithera compound. She was determined to see to it that this situation did not end like that one.


    "Put down your guns." she ordered in a calm voice.


    Surprisingly, her order was immediately obeyed by Luna''s men. David''s men on the other hand hesitated because their boss still had his own gun out.


    Phoebe put her right hand over David''s armed right one and she shook her head.


    "Babe, you can''t kill him, there are many things we do not know yet, like that girl outside and her connection to this. Valerie was set up by her best friend, we need answers. Listen to me and put your gun away."


    David lowered his hand and his men did the same.


    The man loudly exhaled in relief and he sunk to the ground entirely, sitting down on the grass.


    Phoebe did not waste a moment and she started her questioning.


    "Hey, i will not repeat my questions, if you lie to me i will tell my man to shoot you. We will begin with your kneecaps, ears, toes and keep going until we get the answers we want."


    Phoebe paused, opened her bag and gave grandma Mayfair a bottle of water asking her to feed the water to Valerie.


    "Who is Belinda and how do you know her?" she asked the man.


    "She is my sister''s child, i am her uncle."


    "It''s true." The Saxon spirit confirmed. "We don''t need to waste our truth telling talismans on him."


    Shaking her head in disbelief, Phoebe requested Andre to bring Belinda in. Andre was so glad to participate and he did as Phoebe ordered with excitement. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    When he brought Belinda in, he threw her to the ground besides her uncle. The young woman scrambled to get out but one of David''s men pointed a gun at her and she screamed.


    Belinda tried to hide behind her uncle but he was also in survival mode and he would not let her use him as a shield so she ended up beside him.


    "Is this scumbag your uncle?" Phoebe asked.


    The girl rolled her eyes and firmly folded her lips together, exposing her unwillingness to talk. It seemed as if her fear of the gun was now gone.


    "Beat her." Phoebe ordered Sylvester.


    Connie pushed Sylvester aside and she gladly took on the role of punish, giving Belinda three consecutive slaps.


    Belinda screamed in fear, looking around with wide skittish eyes. "What the hell is that?" Her eyes darted nervously to every corner.


    "Ghosts and you if do not answer my question I will let them play with you." Phoebe squatted down, smiled viciously while looking into Belinda''s eyes. She released some of her yin energy, making Belinda physically uncomfortable, doubling the fright she was feeling.


    "Now before i really get pissed off, answer my question, Is this son of a bitch really your uncle?" Phoebe asked through pursed lips.


    Beads of sweat clung on Belinda''s brow despite the cold. She nodded vehemently.


    "Yes he is."


    Her uncle laughed triumphantly. "See, i am innocent in all this and i am willing to tell you everything so please let me go. Belinda brought me here asking me to sleep with her friend such that she can contract HIV but because I am a good person, I deliberated on this and decided not to do it. When you came in, i was about to leave."


    He told a desperate lie to save himself, he regretted not backing away when he saw the white hair. In fact, he asked Belinda about her friend''s hair color and joked about her being a Saxon but Belinda assured him that it was a dyed white for the music carnival.


    Now that David Saxon was here, he could see that Belinda had lied to him.


    "It was this bitch, she planned it all." he pushed Belinda out.


    David''s anger mounted to its peak, he began to punch the man over and over until he saw blood.


    "You bastard! you are brave enough to touch a Saxon. Infect her with HIV deliberately! You are looking for death."


    On the other hand Phoebe could resist the urge to slap Belinda. "Isn''t she your friend? How can you plan to get her infected?"


    Even grandma Mayfair got in a slap because she was so angry and shocked. Never before, had she witnessed such a thing.


    "You want to infect an innocent young girl with an incurable virus Intentionally? My God! you are pure evil, you are crazy."


    Belinda let out an evil laughter. "Innocent? Friend? That evil bitch is not my friend! She stabbed me in the back in the worst possible way!" She lamented


    Every one was alarmed by how brazen Belinda was. Was she shamelessly trying to defend her horrifying actions? No matter what Valerie had done, this was surely not the solution.


    Before anyone could ask her anymore questions, they heard wincing from where Valerie was sleeping. The young woman opened her eyes slowly and David rushed to her side.


    "It hurts so much." She spoke softly.


    "Val? Val? Are you okay?" David called her name persistently.


    Valerie had a a slight headache and her body was feeling unnatural__heavy and unfamiliar. She pieced bits of her memory together but she could not remember her uncle David coming to the music carnival with her.


    She sat up and David helped her take two sips of water from the bottle grandma Mayfair handed over.


    "Uncle David? Why....How are you here?"


    David curled his upper lip, still furious even at his niece but first he had to make sure that she was okay. "Are you alright?"


    "Of course! Why wouldn''t I be?" Valarie responded her curious eyes shifted from one unfamiliar face to the other. She caught a glimpse of some people on the ground but the view was covered by David''s bodyguards so she didn''t pay attention to it.


    "Thank God." David whispered. "Now can you explain what the hell you are doing at this carnival? Does Thomas know that you are here? Where are your bodyguards And why in God''s name are you hanging out with the wrong crowd?" Came one question after the other


    "Uncle I came here with my friend just to have fun, it''s really not a big deal and I promise that I wasn''t doing anything wrong." Valerie smiled innocently. "My friend went out to bring me some fruits, i think i fell asleep...."


    "You poor thing, this girl you call your friend is nothing but a cunning snake that you should stay away from." Grandma Mayfair gave Belinda a venomous look.


    She gestured for the bodyguards to step aside and the two people sitting on the ground were revealed.


    Valarie''s brows shot high up in a mixture of shock and surprise. "Old lady Mayfair, why are saying that about my best friend? Why is she on the ground? I don''t know what is going on but Belinda is a nice person, I can vouch for her."


    She stared apologetically at her friend who looked away in return.


    "Uncle David, i apologize for whatever Belinda had done, she really is nice, i promise. Please, give her a chance to explain the misunderstanding. Bells, how did you offend my uncle?"


    "Val, you are too innocent for your own good. You are so blind that you are pleading for your enemy. You like her so much but i am one hundred percent that she feels the opposite about you." David stated firmly, his eyes shot lasers at Belinda as he spoke.

 Chapter 253 Saving Valerie___4

    Naively, Valerie shook her head, refusing to accept David''s opinion of her best friend.


    "Uncle..." she started in a feeble voice.


    "Dammit it Valerie stop being foolish and just listen to me, i am your uncle, i want only the best for you in life. Look around and ask yourself why we are all here and why we look horrified?"


    Valerie''s eyes welled up and David groaned. The girl was just too weak, it was no wonder someone was taking advantage of her. He would make it a point to speak to Thomas about Valerie, something needed to be done before she found herself in another fire.


    "Tell her." Phoebe ordered Belinda.


    Belinda''s squeaked out a callous laughter that sent chills down some of their arms.


    "I was so close." she muttered and then turned her eyes which had an erratic look to Valerie. "Yes, that''s right, you stupid little cunt, our friendship died along time ago. You are a pretender and backstabber and i have been patiently waiting to get my revenge on you. If they had not showed up and ruined my carefully crafted plan, i would have sent you into a world of inescapable hell."


    Someone gasped, it was Andre. The others just stared back and forth between the two young women. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Valerie blinked a few times and a cloud of confusion settled in her mind on hearing her best friend''s callous words.


    "Belinda what are you talking about? Is it me you are referring to as a cunt? What plan and hell are you talking about? Were you really planning to harm me? I don''t believe it, you are my best friend. Is someone forcing you to say these things?" She naively asked


    Phoebe cleared her throat. "Valarie, this girl isn''t your friend. She planned to have you raped by that man sitting over there." She pointed at him. "You did not fall asleep, you were drugged."


    "Not just that." David continued after her, "This insolent and shameless thing has confessed that he is infected with HIV, your friend here is aware of that and she wanted him to infect you deliberately. We came right on time to save you" David''s forcefully expelled air from his nostrils.


    "WHAT? That cannot be right." Valarie swallowed repeatedly, her chest rose and fell quickly. She shook her head in disbelief, Belinda would never do such a thing to her. She raised her eyes to meet those of her supposed best friend. "Belinda, is this true? It''s a lie, isn''t it?"


    A snigger came from Belinda''s lips. "You seem surprised but you shouldn''t be. I learnt how to be ruthless from the best teacher, you. There is a stone where my heart used to be after what you did to me."


    Valerie stood up unsteadily with David''s support. She had a pained expression on her face as she placed a hand to her chest.


    "Me? What did I do? Even if I did do something to hurt you, couldn''t we talk about it? How could you plan to get me raped and get infected with a deadly virus that has no cure?" Tears sprouted out of her eyes.


    Her reaction only made Belinda more furious, hot tears rolled down her cheeks. "Cut the bullshit Valerie Saxon! Of course you do not remember. You never take accountability for your actions. You always do this! Play the good girl such that the world can take pity on you but i see right through you. I will never forgive you because I got raped and it was all because of you."


    "My God!" Grandma Mayfair''s hand clenched on her chest, she didn''t know what to think. "What is she accusing you of Valarie, explain yourself."


    She was not the only one to be taken aback, everyone else was just the same. What in the world was going on between these two young women?


    Valerie looked really innocent, she seemed to be incapable of what she was being accused of. In fact her eyes became moist immediately and everyone that looked at her felt their emotions being pulled. They wanted to come to her defense.


    "Ancestor, please explain this to me, what the hell have i walked into?" Phoebe was perplexed.


    Belinda had a genuine look of betrayal in her eyes so it was possible she was being truthful and Valerie harmed her first.


    "That girl is lying! You know how sweet Valerie is, she can never do such a thing. Order her to tell the whole story before you judge Valerie. " The spirit hovered around aimlessly.


    Connie and Sylvester had no idea what to do so they just kept quiet and stayed out of it. Valerie meanwhile sought for answers on her own.


    "Yo...you got raped because of me? How? When? I don''t know what you are talking about. And why didn''t you tell me when something so horrible like that happened to you?" Tears rolled down Valerie''s eyes.


    David''s narrowed eyes stared at Belinda who was sobbing too. "Tell us everything and leave nothing out." He crossed his arms. "Valerie if you did something wrong, you are going to face the repercussions, even if i am your uncle, i will not hide your crime." He warned.


    Valerie shook her head in denial. "Uncle I swear, all I have done is be nice to Belinda. After her family went bankrupt, I have been the one paying her tuition plus that of her three siblings, I bought them a comfortable house and give her half of my monthly up keep, I also take care of clothing and all the hospital bills because she is like a sister to me..."


    "This is why I to resent you!" Belinda screamed sharply. "You Valarie Saxon cannot help but brag about the things that you have done for me. Did I ever ask you to do any of those things for me?


    You gave me your used clothes and bags, bought me a cheap house smaller than the one i used to live in. Even though you have millions on your account you never once offered to pay back any loans for my family or give us capital to rebuild our business.


    You are a Saxon, your family could have saved mine if you asked them to. If you had done that for me, would i have to depend on you?


    Do not act like an angel Valerie, you didn''t help me out of the goodness of your heart but treated me like a charity case that you can tell everyone about you maintain your image as a sweet, kind person." Belinda''s tongue dripped with venom with every word she spoke.


    Belinda''s rant was eye opening for everyone that had squeezed into the tent. Of all reasons to hate someone to the point of basically sentencing them to death by infecting them with an incurable disease, this was so stupid.


    So stupid that it made no sense.


    Phoebe was bewildered. "Is this why you did this?" She was terrified as to how some people''s brains worked. Valerie had done her best to look after Belinda and her entire family and this was how her friend had decided to pay her back!


    Even if Valerie had told people about the help she was rendering to Belinda''s family, so what? At the end of the day, she was putting a roof over their heads, feeding and clothing them, taking care of their education and giving them millions.


    Phoebe knew that half of Valerie''s monthly upkeep was at least five million. What exactly was Belinda unhappy with? How many people had best friends that were willing to give them 5 million monthly on top of all the other things she was doing?


    Belinda was insane, nothing else explained it.

 Chapter 254 Saving Valerie__conclusion.

    David looked around for the nearest chair and he sat down after hearing Belinda''s words. He could not fathom just how crooked the human mind could get. However, he still needed to hear more in regards to the rape accusation.


    Andre was getting impatient because Belinda wasn''t answering Phoebe''s question. He was also recording the confession as reference material and evidence if they decided to have Belinda arrested.


    "Answer the damn question! Did you do this because you were jealous of your friend?"


    "Yes!....I mean no!" Belinda''s lips trembled. "I already told you that i got raped because of her."


    Nodding as if he understood where she was coming from, Andre told her to explain how it happened. "Like David said earlier leave nothing out and stop driving us around in circles and tell the story."


    Belinda laughed bitterly and remained silent. The Saxon spirit was fed up so it stuck a truth telling talisman on her back. Immediately, Belinda raised her head and started making an honest confession.


    "Yes i was jealous of her wealthy background and generous reputation. I hated her and I wanted her to feel pain...no a lot of pain for making me feel small so I contacted Arnold." She pointed at her uncle. "He is involved in shady business like selling drugs and sending women to VIP''s at Solar Bay club.


    Two months ago, i found out that uncle Arnold had HIV and that''s when i got the idea to have him infect Valerie. I took Valerie to the Solar Bay club and met up with my uncle who i introduced to her as a friend. I told him that she was interested in him and aware of his health status so he could engage in sexual activities with her freely.


    We had some drinks and danced, that little cunt was having fun so i moved ahead with my plan. I spilled some wine on my dress deliberately and asked Valerie to escort me to a hotel room which i had booked.


    I watched him drug her water and we both sniffed some pink cocaine while waiting for her to pass out. When she lost control of her body, I excused myself for him to do the deed. But, i wanted to capture it all on video and humiliate her even more so i sneaked back into the room.


    When i got there, Valerie wasn''t anywhere to be seen and Arnold was high out of his mind so he raped me instead. I found out the next morning that she had locked herself in the bathroom so when i cried out for help, she could have come to my aid but she did not help me.


    Days passed and I found out that I was HIV positive, I vowed then to make sure that Val pays for what she did to me. She is the one that was supposed to be raped and contract HIV, not me. So, I planned everything that happened today and just when it was about to happen you guys showed up." Belinda iterated everything that happened.


    A wail escaped Valerie''s mouth and the others froze in shock, including Phoebe. Whether it was Belinda''s plans for Valerie or the incestuous incident between the uncle and niece, all of it was shocking.


    However, all of them concluded that Belinda had no one to blame but herself. The universe had saved Valerie and all of Belinda''s nasty plans had backfired.


    Weeping for her kind heart had been ripped into shreds, Valerie reached out to David for a hug. "Uncle, how can she do this? I thought she was my friend. I don''t want to see her anymore, i don''t want to be here. Uncle, please take me away..." she cried.


    David looked at his men. "Take them both to the police along with the recording of the confession. Hand them over to detective Hanna Scorpio, tell her that it''s a favor for the Saxons." sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He lifted a nearly hysterical Valerie and tilted his head, gesturing at Phoebe to follow. Phoebe put one of her arms through one of grandma Mayfair''s, the woman was pale with fright.


    As for Andre, he was shaken and he could not even look at Belinda. Following Phoebe really showed him some of the worst humanity had to offer.


    ******


    When they got back to the Pearl resort, they were all exhausted. Valerie had not stopped crying for a single minute since they left the music carnival. Phoebe was afraid that the girl would fall sick if she continued on like that.


    Amazingly, a team of in house resort doctors was waiting for them in the lobby, courtesy of Luna. They checked on Valerie and gave her a shot then advised her to eat something. David, the very worried uncle immediately carried his niece to the in house VIP restaurant and ordered for some food.


    He was almost like an overly concerned father as he watched over Valerie, ensuring that she ate every morsel and wiping her tears as she sniveled. He ensured that she cleared the plate completely.


    [I forgot that he was a good father to our sons.] Phoebe thought as she watched him.


    He was really a good man in most ways that counted. With him around, Valerie would be carefully looked after from that point on.


    "Uncle am I going to get in any trouble?" Valerie asked David after dinner.


    He could feel that she was scared of what was yet to come, the wrath of her father. David stretched his hand and covered hers.


    "No, you did nothing wrong Val so you will not get in any trouble and I hope that this situation doesn''t change your kind heart, keep helping others just be conscious when doing it so that you do not arm your enemy. Do not worry about your father, i will talk to him personally and explain everything."


    Nodding her head, Valerie launched herself into David''s arms and hugged him.


    "Thank you uncle." she said softly.


    David asked his men to escort her up to her room and ensure that she was safe. Valerie retired for the night so early, leaving Phoebe and David sitted at the dining table.


    It was just them now as everyone else had already retired to their rooms even earlier. Andre and grandma had not even bothered to eat.


    Suddenly, Valerie returned and grabbed Phoebe''s hands.


    "Aunt Pheebs, thank you for your help."


    Phoebe started fake coughing and she sent Valerie away quickly, she had no idea why the girl was calling her aunt. Valerie had certainly not been awake when she referred to herself as her aunt.


    "I cannot imagine what would have happened to her had we reached a second later. Thank God we made it in time."


    A smile formed on her lips. "She is a sweet girl with a big heart, one of the few Saxons that I actually like."


    Phoebe''s eyes shifted to her arm, she had been rewarded with six months of life. It had truly been worth it, saving Valerie.


    "Pheebs," David put his hand over her left hand that was sitting on the table.


    "Mmm." she answered.


    He raised his hand and poked her cheek, right on the spot of the nearly half formed dimple which never took root.


    "Thank you."


    Not finished, he took the hand and brought it to his lips, grazing his lips over it lightly.


    "Thank you, thank you so much." he said, in a deeply emotional voice.


    She opened her mouth to respond but abruptly, he stood up. "Good night Pheebs, i must talk to Thomas immediately and explain what happened."


    Phoebe watched him walk away and then she stood up while dialing her father''s number. She so dearly missed the rest of her family.


    ******


    Unknown to David and Phoebe, the car which was ferrying Belinda and her uncle did not make it to the police station.


    It was stopped on the way, David''s bodyguards stepped out and two of Luna''s men stepped in, driving the criminals away. They would be lucky to keep their lives since Luna Elithera had stepped in.

 Chapter 255 Bodies, bodies, bodies!

    The next morning when Phoebe came out of her room to have breakfast, she found everyone watching the morning news keenly on a big TV screen that was rather high up on the wall of the restaurant, above some decorative plants.


    A news slide at the bottom of the screen was reporting a couple of unidentified burned bodies that had been fished out of a water reservoir.


    More news scrolled by, still another report on bodies. Magic City had been hot in the night, very hot.


    Old lady Mayfair spotted Phoebe before the other saw her and she raised her hand, waving her over.


    "Pheebs, yoohoo!, over here, I was about to come get you. Look at what''s on the news, the FIRS has raided the Kite Heights Foods, apparently they have been evading taxes for years now. It is possible that they are going to be closed down and maybe declare bankruptcy." Grandma Mayfair shared at the top of her voice which was not necessary because she was attracting attention from other diners.


    There were about six people in the restaurant, three were sitting at the same table and the other three alone, at different tables.


    Phoebe wasn''t certain but she could sense enthusiasm in her grandmother''s voice.


    As she pulled the chair to sit down, Phoebe realized why her grandmother could possibly be excited for the downfall of Kite heights foods.


    "Nana, are you that happy that the second biggest competitors of the Mayfair corporation are going down?"


    She poured herself a cup of tea and got some biscuits and jam from the food cart next to the table. Phoebe placed two balls of crystal sugar in her black tea and mixed it slowly while watching the old woman.


    Shaking her head, grandma Mayfair assured her that it wasn''t about that. "Kite Heights foods is owned by the O''Connor''s. This is proof that the reversed spell is working perfectly, the FIRS has suddenly withdrawn all charges against the Elithera''s and they are even compensating them."


    Still, Phoebe doubted her grandmother, her smile was too broad, her mood too chipper. It couldn''t all be about the spell''s reversal.


    David joined them when Phoebe was bringing the cup to her lips for her first sip.


    "Have you heard? The Fog National Guard raided the O''Connor''s last night, apparently they have been trading national secrets to enemy states. In fact they have been labeled as enemies of the state as of last night and many of them are going down for treason." David spoke after getting off the phone.


    Andre who was scrolling through his phone gasped. "The shaman of Bayan lake was found floating on that same lake, he died from drowning."


    "That sounds so wrong." Evelyn commented.


    "I agree, it''s fishy as hell." Andre replied.


    The transparent doors to the restaurant opened and Luna strode in. She ordered her body guards to stay back as she approached Phoebe and her group.


    She pulled herself a chair and sat down a bit behind Phoebe.


    "Hi." she gave a general greeting.


    Everyone responded with a hi or hello with the exception of old lady Mayfair that chose to respond with a proper ''good morning'' greeting.


    "Phoebe have you seen the news? It looks like some people are suddenly encountering bad luck and financial troubles." Luna shared with a mysterious smile.


    Nodding her head, Phoebe smiled. "Yes I already told you that it would happen." She took a sip of the tea.


    Luna received a call which caused her face to go pale. "My God!" She said as she hung up. "Mrs Miriam O''Connor jumped off the Magic city bridge just like....." she broke off and gasped.


    Phoebe raised and lowered her brows. "Everything bad that they wished upon yourself family is going to happen to theirs. That''s how these spells work when they are redirected. The shamans and warlocks that cast them do not tell this to the casters."


    Luna drew in a sharp breath, she had not believed Phoebe entirely, a part of her had held doubts. Now, she was one hundred percent convinced.


    The Bayan lake shaman was known for his special skill of walking on water and yet he had drowned, Miriam O''Connor had jumped off a bridge. Others had been arrested for espionage.


    More and more, their fates were being changed thanks to Phoebe.


    "By the way, my father is awake and he wants to thank you in person for your help." A warm smile curled up Luna''s lips.


    Phoebe was ready to turn Luna down, she truly did not want to be seen hanging out with the Elithera''s more than necessary.


    Before she could respond, grandma Mayfair interrupted quickly, beating her to it. "Ohh no, we are leaving because of a family emergency. Maybe next time dear." She lied blatantly.


    Shrugging her shoulders, Luna maintained the smile. "Maybe next time, Phoebe thank you again. Now that my father is well again, I can go on my music tour in a few months. I will send you tickets, please come, i really want you there." She beamed and looked at Andre who was staring at her, she pulled out a card and handed it to him.


    "Call me, for business purposes only." She flipped her hair and walked to the door.


    Grandma Mayfair wasted no time in retracting the card from Andre. "No blood of mine is getting intimately involved with the Elithera''s." sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If Phoebe said no, she was also on the boat which said no and Phoebe had said no to Luna and Andre.


    "Let''s go home right now." she stood firmly and ordered for the rest of the group to follow her. It was a command, not even a request.


    ****


    A few days had passed since the return from Magic city, Phoebe had spent most her time putting the farm in order. With Collin''s help she had chosen a manager, Mr. Ramon Jives whom she felt was the perfect person for the job.


    His family owned a farm, he had a degree in management, had worked for the Mayfair corporation for twenty years and he was ready to retire and venture into something new that paid well but was also relaxing. He had also requested that his son, Raymond Jives a new graduate that had yet to find employment was given a job as the farm accountant.


    Together, they had selected a team of workers and work at the farm had kicked off. Planting and construction had now started simultaneously.


    Activity of this nature close to the lake was bound to attract attention. It was well known that Edward Mayfair had gifted this land worth billions to his daughter. Obviously, people poked around to find out what she intended to use it for.


    Most people were surprised that Phoebe had chosen to farm on the land. Some people were unhappy about it, and they shared this opinion with others.


    Some of the Verdemonts especially did not shy away from telling anyone that had ears that Phoebe''s farm would ruin the beautiful aesthetic around Citrus lake. Phoebe did not know it but there were talks of a petition being circulated to stop her fro building her farm.


    It was a Saturday afternoon and the elders and Collin were finally going to play a friendly golf game with the Lee family.


    The progress between Collin and Shana was moving positively and the two families had agreed to meet for a friendly meeting.


    Phoebe saw her father in his golf attire and she nodded, approving of the look. His attire had personally been bought by her.


    She embraced her father. "Father make sure that our family wins." Phoebe stepped back, she raised her fists to cheer him on.


    "I don''t think winning is the goal my dear." Edward responded.


    Jennie made the sign of the cross nervously. "I hope we make a good impression on, I heard old man Lee is going to be there as well. Collin''s marriage fate is resting on his attitude."

 Chapter 256 Another invitation to the tower.

    Old man Lee was well known for his bullish temperament. He liked to assert himself aggressively and when his mind was made up about something, it was nearly impossible to get him to change his mind.


    "His temper is as short as he is." Grandma Mayfair joked and chuckled.


    "Nana.." Phoebe whined.


    She did not like short people jokes as she was short.


    Old Lady Mayfair rolled her eyes. "Alright, no short jokes. I just hope that he goes easy on us after all he and Cillian were old friends. A union between our two families will be good for all of us."


    Collin clicked his tongue and adjusted his belt for the third time. "Grandma, Shanna and I have already decided to elope if her family doesn''t agree. I''ll give it all up for her if this goes south, I cannot live without Shanna."


    Both parents and and one grandmother glared at Collin, daring him to repeat that nonsense.


    "Oh come on! You lived fine without her all these years and don''t give me that crap about her being your heart or a part of your rib so you will die without her." Andre laughed mockingly.


    Luke chuckled too. "Yeah it''s not scientifically viable that you cannot live without her, but good luck."


    Phoebe moved to Collin and hugged him. "Brother this is a good luck charm bracelet, the Lee''s are going to be captivated by you, i promise." She tied it around his hand.


    "Thank you baby sister." He ruffled her hair.


    Jenny looked at the time and she gasped. "We are going to be late, move, move, let''s go."


    She herded everyone out like a dog herding sheep and successfully achieved her mission. After the elders and Collin left, Phoebe hung back with Luke.


    "Second brother, i brought you a gift from Magic city. You are always at the hospital so i keep missing a chance to give it to you."


    She rushed upstairs and returned with a big box that she put in his hands.


    "Okay, i am off to work, bye-bye." she rushed out.


    Luke smiled down at the box while Andre glared at it as if it had offended him.


    "She did not give me anything." he muttered.


    "You went on vacation with her Andre, don''t be greedy, she is our sister, not your sister." Luke walked upstairs to store his gift carefully.


    ********************


    When Phoebe made it to the cafe, she was told that she had a guest in her office. Thinking that it was a big shot client, she rushed to her office. On opening the door, her eyes fell on grandma Saxon.


    She was still a big shot and a client but not one Phoebe was expecting.


    Her brows raised high up as she moved towards her chair. "Granny you didn''t tell me that you were coming, I hope that all is well and that I didn''t make you wait for long."


    She sat down and arranged some of the trinkets on the table.


    Grandma Saxon put on a bright smile. "Am I supposed to call you before coming to my dear grand daughter''s office? Don''t worry I have not been waiting for too long, just twenty minutes or so."


    Phoebe''s smile widened. "Is everything alright? Are you here to get more tonics?" She asked.


    In response, grandma Mayfair shook her head. "Not really....i mean yes but that''s not the only reason why i am here. I heard about what you did for Valerie, we all have. My dear child i cannot thank you enough for saving my poor grand child." She wore a grateful smile but her eyes became watery.


    "Well to be honest, it was team work because David, the bodyguards and the ghosts helped." Phoebe smiled warmly.


    Connie twirled around. "And to think that i haven''t been rewarded yet." She huffed.


    Phoebe chuckled silently, she opened the drawer and pulled out exotic rabbit candies. The moment she placed the on the table, they vanished.


    "Ohh my goodness!" Grandma Saxon exclaimed before laughing. "I thank the good ghosts too, I already called Rebecca and thanked her as well."


    The Saxon spirit''s face fell. "Its such a shame that Thomas and his wife have not bothered to thank you yet but i am sure that they will find time to do so. You have no idea what a great favor you have done for us. If my little Valley had truly been harmed, my heart would have been broken."


    [Right, Valerie''s nickname is little Valley. I wonder where it came from, i have never seen an actual little valley. Hmm, maybe i should check the internet and see if there are little valley''s in the world.] Phoebe got side tracked briefly before coming back to the old woman who seemed out of place for once. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Grandma Saxon was shifting uncomfortably in the chair, Phoebe could read the hesitation on her face which surprised her. The woman was comfortable in every place and every situation. What was it that was causing her discomfort?


    "Granny what is it that you want to say?" Phoebe asked.


    A tentative smile grew on grandma Saxon''s face. "I would like you to come over to the Saxon tower for dinner."


    She leaned forward with a hopeful look but quickly noticed that the hesitation in Phoebe''s eyes. Given the resistance she had met when it came to her request for Phoebe to personally deliver the tonics, it was not surprising that she was unwilling to go to the Saxon tower for a meal.


    "Before you refuse, let me clarify why i want you to come over. It is not just to thank you for your help in Valerie''s case but i also want to thank you for helping Rufus, my husband. That old man is back to his old self and he is as healthy as a horse.


    In fact he is intrigued by you and your wonderful tonics and he wants to meet you. He asked me to make this request on his behalf. He almost died you know, we were just a few months shy of ordering for a coffin."


    The old woman dialled up the emotional blackmail.


    Phoebe massaged between her eyebrows as she searched her brain for the right words to say. Normally she would just come out with a flat refusal and move on but this time, she was slightly hesitant.


    Of recent, Phoebe had heard many people saying that David''s grandfather Rufus was in a better state. It was nice to hear especially because in the past life he had died early and she didn''t really know much about him.


    She did hear all these great stories about him however and always thought it was a shame that she never got to know him.


    But still, when she recalled the past, Phoebe was unwilling to walk into the Saxon tower just yet. She was afraid that she would unleash the ghosts on some of the occupants, or maybe set the tower on fire.


    [I am not ready, i can''t go there for now.]


    Her eyes lifted to meet those of grandma Saxon. "I am really glad to hear that your husband is much better, but I don''t think that I will go to the Saxon tower for now." Her voice was soft yet stern.


    A slight frown formed on grandma Saxon''s face. "Why dear? This is the second time you are refusing to go there. Are you and David having problems?"


    [I have my reasons so please do not insist, i will just keep rejecting you anyway. Lord knows i do not want to see Dickson, i might be tempted to do what the Elithera''s do best.] Displayed Phoebe''s thoughts.


    Grandma Saxon cleared her throat and looked away. She wanted to ask about Dickson but if she did, Phoebe would wonder why. She could not admit that she had read her thoughts.


    She reminded herself to look into Dickson''s affairs and also find out what the Elithera''s did best.


    "David and I are fine, I just....." Phoebe was interrupted


    "It''s okay i will not force you to go if you do not want to but i want to make an alternative suggestion. How about we go to a nice restaurant. Will you meet him then?" Came Grandma Saxon''s pleading voice.


    Phoebe thought hard, a restaurant was not the Saxon tower so it was a viable option. She wanted to talk to Rufus and ask him about the founding sect. She wondered if he knew anything about it. Her grandmother knew very little and had revealed that Cillian Mayfair was a very secretive man and he didn''t share such information with her.


    Nodding her head continuously, Phoebe agreed.


    "I would love to meet him."

 Chapter 257 The crazy emergency client.

    It was the answer she had been hoping for and grandma Saxon lit up. "It''s a double date then, I''ll see you and David there."


    She rushed away before Phoebe could change her mind, forgetting to set a date.


    The way she moved when she was rushing was funny to Phoebe. It looked a little bit like a duck when it was awkwardly running from something.


    She did not leave the office, Phoebe stayed and decided to tackle some cases because she had six clients waiting. The first one in was an older gentleman that appeared to be weary. His eyes were red, like he had been crying for hours.


    "Hello, please take a seat and tell me how i can help you." Phoebe said, handing him a candy from one of the good ones meant for Connie. "Did you recently lose your dog?"


    She asked because a ghost dog had followed him. He was not the first client to come to her after losing a beloved family pet.


    "Giggles." The man responded.


    He showed Phoebe a picture of the dog on his phone. It was a beautiful golden retriever with a pink bow next to the right side ear.


    "She was a show dog, won five prizes in her prime. Ever since she died, i have been having a hard time sleeping at night. I hear her barking and whining, it''s like she is right there. People think i am losing my mind but i swear, she is here, i can feel her."


    Phoebe looked at the dog that was laying at the man''s feet.


    "Tell him to burn all of the dog''s favorite toys and pour the ashes in the urn containing Giggle''s ashes."


    As usual, the Saxon spirit was right there to play advisor. Phoebe relayed the same message to the the old man and he left.


    The next client walked in, and the next and soon, she was finished with the human clients, two of whom wanted to speak to a dead loved one. Lately, clients with such requests made up sixty percent of her clientele. Some she turned down and others she accepted, depending on what the Saxon spirit detected.


    Not all spirits were good, sometimes it was best not to wake what was on the other side.


    Phoebe was about to get up and leave the office when the door was opened by a gust of air and a ghost breezed in.


    It was a female ghost in a red suit and high heels, she looked well put together for a dead person. Without waiting, she sat down and crossed her left leg over the right one and then looked at Phoebe with a calm expression.


    The way she was acting, it almost seemed as if this was her office and not Phoebe''s.


    "You do not have an appointment." Phoebe leaned back in the chair and stared pointedly at the ghost.


    "I am an emergency client." she answered.


    On the wall of Phoebe''s office was a round red light that was used to signal emergency client. Usually, Phoebe would abandon her clients human or ghost and handle the emergency when that light went off.


    The light had not gone off, meaning Rosette had not approved of this client.


    "I don''t think so." Phoebe shook her head.


    The door was opened suddenly and Rosette rushed inside, huffing and puffing.


    "Where is she? Boss, I told her that she could not go in but she threw down all the to go coffee cups and then sneaked inside when we were cleaning up."Rosette pointed at the ghost and accused.


    "It''s okay Rosette, you can leave." Phoebe responded.


    Rosette gave the ghost one last pointed glare that communicated her anger and she left, slamming the door shut a little too loudly.


    Phoebe winced slightly and turned to the ghost. The woman still looked unbothered and she was looking around Phoebe''s office casually.


    "I have rules, you broke my rules." Phoebe said.


    The ghost floated up towards the painting of a little girl in a yellow dress, playing with a blue ball with a big grin on her face despite being surrounded by a dark fog.


    "This painting screams isolation, loneliness and emptiness. The little girl looks happy but she is not, you can see the emptiness in her eyes and surroundings. If you own the painting then you must feel a connection to the little girl, you have experienced loneliness, or you are still experiencing it."


    She floated back and sat down, taking the opportunity provided by Phoebe''s silence to study her face.


    "You are quite young for a shaman, how long have you been seeing ghosts and when did you start to accept the fact that you are different from ordinary humans? Is that why you had a possibly lonely childhood? Were you the little freak on the playground that other kids would not play with?"


    Phoebe scoffed.


    "What are you, my therapist?"


    "Bingo! i am a therapist, i am___ or was a doctor, a psychologist at the Sanderson mental wellness institute. I heard that doctors are given priority and i am one. Like i said, i am an emergency client."


    Phoebe sighed, her hands were tied, she had to help.


    "Who are you and what do you need help with?"


    She got her pen and notepad and clicked her recorder then waited for the ghost to open up.


    The woman leaned forward and smiled cunningly, one side of her lips was slightly higher than the other.


    "Have you ever killed someone?"


    Phoebe froze for a second and clicked the recorder, turning it off.


    "No." she answered.


    The ghost shook her head and laughed. "You hesitated, so maybe you have not killed but your actions have resulted in death somehow. Tell me, what is it like, do you sleep comfortably at night? Have you ever wanted to actually kill someone with you bare hands?"


    Phoebe immediately thought about Ruth, her face jumped out so eagerly from her memories.


    The ghost stared into Phoebe''s eyes and a subtle sly expression formed on her lips.


    "There it is, a murderous intent in your eyes. Someone must have pissed you off so much to evoke such a desire in you. What stopped you from going through with it? Is it the law or a sense of morality?


    Phoebe''s face lost all softness and her aura had a sudden shift, becoming frosty. She was not in the mood to play games with the female ghost.


    "I am not in the business of discussing my personal affairs with ghosts and strangers. If you do not need my help, get out."


    The ghost maintained her confident demeanor and she smiled as if all was still okay.


    "I am asking because i need you to do me a favor, i need you to kill someone, one of my former clients."


    Just when Phoebe thought the conversation between her and the ghost could not get anymore bizarre, it did.


    "It''s a child, he is thirteen but i can assure you that he is the greatest evil i have ever come across. If you have a great sense of morality, you will fail and i don''t want you to fail. I need someone that is not afraid of the law either, someone that understands that this death is for the greater good...."


    "Get___out!" Phoebe exploded.


    It was not just her voice that exploded but some of her energy too which brought some things in the office crushing to the floor, including the painting.


    "I...." the ghost continued but Phoebe would not hear it.


    "If you do not get out i will send you to the deepest puts of hell directly right now." Phoebe threatened.


    The ghost floated up slowly, calmly looking at Phoebe.


    "You say no right now but soon, you will say yes."


    She vanished into thin air and Phoebe fell back against the chair. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What a crazy wench." she muttered.

 Chapter 258 A polite Cassie, good heavens!

    It took a while and two glasses of lemon glass iced tea for Phoebe to settle down and put away the unease from the crazy ghost therapist.


    When the Saxon spirit tried to bring her up, Phoebe would not hear of it. She did not want to think about the woman ever again. Killing a child was an abomination to her.


    Slowly, Phoebe and the spirit rearranged her office, putting everything back where it had been. When that task was completed, she left her cafe and took an elevator to her apartment.


    "How do you feel about tomorrow child?" The Saxon spirit asked on their way up.


    Phoebe sighed, it was another subject she did not wish to discuss but also wanted to talk about at the same time. It was her birthday with the Mayfair''s who were quite excited which also kind of made her excited.


    She was aware that her parents especially her mother was planning a surprise for her. Phoebe was anticipating and dreading it at the same time.


    "I am happy and grateful that i have people that love me so i am excited for tomorrow but at the same time, i am scared because i don''t know what to expect. It feels like it''s my first birthday honestly, all the ones i spent with the Gabriels don''t count."


    She stepped out of the elevator and a little boy that was about to get on saw her. His eyes widened, he opened his mouth and let a loud scream before turning around and running away.


    "Oh good lord!" Phoebe exclaimed.


    The Saxon spirit rolled her eyes, every now and then, something reminded them that not everyone was comfortable with the ghost seeing lady in the building.


    "Building management is going to get another complaint about me." she muttered.


    Most of the people with children did not want her living in this building, they claimed she scared their children. Phoebe thought it was ridiculous, it was not as if she had horns and red skin.


    She made her way into her apartment quickly to avoid bumping into more children. Inside, she opened the curtains and moved to the balcony. Her eyes immediately studied David''s apartment, there was no movement inside.


    It was strange that he hadn''t called her since the previous night. Was he in some kind of trouble? She reached for her phone and dialed his number but it was off. The last thing he had told her was that he was traveling to magic city urgently in search of something important.


    "If you are worried, you can look for him using the central map. If you had consummated you would have found him easily since you would be connected." Said the Saxon spirit.


    On hearing it''s words, Phoebe''s eyes flew open. "Consummate? We are not married!" She placed a hand to her chest.


    "Yet" The Saxon spirit added. "You must own him, make him yours. It''s destiny and he is the unlimited charger, remember! if another woman with a yin body like yours gets her hands on him, i am afraid she will not let him go." S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe remained silent picked her bag and left the apartment hoping that she would not run into anyone. As always, she got the opposite of her wish. She run into Cassie Baltimore.


    "Oh crap!" she whispered under her breath.


    Bumping into the girl that loved to give her a tongue lashing was worse than bumping into the children that thought she was the devil.


    Phoebe faced the girl, prepared to hear some insulting remarks and a whole lot of sarcasm. Physically, Cassie seemed more relaxed than the last time she had seen her. It seemed the nightmares were completely gone, the girl had even put on some healthy weight.


    "Hey, uhm, hanks for helping me sleep better and chasing away the nightmares, I heard everything from Collin." Cassie spoke first.


    Phoebe looked from side to side, turned around and finally faced the girl again. She even went so far as to touch her ears because she was surprised. Since when was Cassie Baltimore polite?


    "Wow! it''s a miracle or the world has turned upside down. I take it that I don''t repel you anymore since you are talking to me politely." Phoebe laughed briefly.


    The girl stomped her right foot and blew air out of her mouth.


    "You don''t have to say it like that, i am not bad, i am polite."


    Her actions were so similar to Connie''s, it was not just her physical features but the behaviors as well.


    "Anyway, I am sorry about my rude behavior, I know that I became intolerable from the time my dad died. I am not a bad child." Cassie curled her lip to one side.


    Sadness clung onto Phoebe like a shadow. "I am sorry for your loss Cassie." Her voice was soft and measured.


    Cassie shrugged. "It''s okay, you don''t have to say that, i don''t like hearing it anyway. I have learnt to live with the pain, especially after my twin sister died shortly after my dad.


    In fact that''s when all the nightmares and headaches began but thanks again. Chao." She waved her fingers dramatically and left.


    Phoebe raised her hand and opened her mouth to stop her and say something kinder but the girl was quite fast in her movement.


    "Maybe i misjudged her." she whispered to herself as she made her way to the elevator.


    Obviously, the girl had experienced a lot of tragedy in a short period of time which was why she was the way she was. On the way home, Phoebe only thought of Cassie, thoughts of the girl plagued her mind.


    The poor girl''s eyes spoke of unseen storms, reflecting a quiet ache that spoke louder than any words or shield she had wrapped around herself.


    What would it take for her to heal? Losing a father and a twin sister at such a young age had to be painful.


    "No wonder she is so messed up, poor thing." Phoebe murmured.


    Connie was unusually quiet, deep in thought. "Stop thinking about her, each time i see that girl, anger surges within me."


    The spirit stiffened. "Wait, are your memories back?"


    Shaking her head, Connie said no and vanished.


    "Why won''t her memories return?" Phoebe asked.


    "For many reasons, she is blocking them because they are too painful. And whatever it is, it''s connected to the Baltimore''s." The spirit spoke suspiciously.


    Phoebe thought back to the words Cassie had said, especially the death of her sister. What if, just what if.....


    "Dead twin!" she blurted out. "What if just what if it''s Connie! The girls look too similar and behave in the same way mostly. I think we should investigate this and see if there is a connection. The Baltimore''s are from Eagle country, they moved here after these deaths. I think i will have to ask David for help, he has many connections in Eagle country."


    The Saxon spirit smiled, her descendant was really making progress. He was Phoebe''s go to person now, it would not take long for him to be her full time man.


    At the same time, the spirit was worried about Connie, she seemed to hold a lot of resentment for Cassie. Would it lead her down a dark path in future? What if she turned into an evil spirit?


    "I need to help the girl control her emotions." The spirit muttered and vanished into the space to educate Connie.

 Chapter 259 Happy Birthday Pheebs__1

    That night for once Phoebe did not dream of David, she was not haunted by erotic or romantic dreams. She also did not dream about ghosts despite the therapist ghost crossing her mind twice before she went to bed.


    She had a wonderful dream about a lovely white wedding by the ocean, not hers but that of her brother Collin and Shana. It was probably because when she came home the previous night, the house was brewing with excitement because the elders of both sides of the family had approved of the relationship between Collin and Shana.


    Old man Lee had even voluntarily suggested that they make things official as soon as possible. They had agreed to choose a date for the children''s formal engagement ceremony within a weeks time.


    Phoebe was not new to such arrangements, rushed engagements and marriages within founding families, she had seen many of them in her previous life. The Saxons were famous partakers in this long standing tradition. Even her sons had been betrothed at birth, something she did not approve of but could not reject.


    Normally, all Saxon children were betrothed at birth or during their teenage years. The arrangements could be changed by an individual or the family depending on the situation.


    Phoebe had once heard a rumor that David had been engaged to Moria Mortimer but one of the two broke it off in their teenage years. She did not dwell on it because she was already David''s wife anyway.


    The sweet wedding dream was however interrupted by the delicious smell of strawberry cheese cake that was somehow strong enough to reach her bedroom. Her eyes slowly opened and the first thing she saw was the ghosts standing or floating around her, their smiles broad, from one ear to another.


    They looked positively happy with themselves.


    "Happy birthday!!!"


    They shouted in unison, Connie was very generous with popping the party poppers, over four of them. Phoebe winced when the last one went off and she prayed the girl did not have more in stock.


    Her stomach churned and she took a deep breath, reminding herself not to puke. It was just a day like any other, no big deal.


    Oooh but it''s a big deal, she thought.


    "Thank you guys, finally a birthday where i am not doused with water." Phoebe''s smile widened.


    She remembered the times Ruth woke her up by pouring water on her and claiming it was their birthday custom however not once did she agree for Phoebe to do the same to her.


    The one time she did it, Ruth had sulked and provided her with a bill clearly marking how much the clothes, shoes and bag Phoebe had soaked with water cost. After Phoebe endured public accusations of arrogance, Ruth stepped in and generously forgave her.


    Come to think of it, today is her birthday too, Phoebe recalled. She would have to send a paper man over and give Ruth a gift of at least ten minutes or an hour of lucidity. It was her first birthday in a mental asylum, it would be a shame for her not to enjoy it.


    Sylvester moved over and handed Phoebe a strawberry cupcake with a lot of frosting just the way she loved it. The cupcake had two numbered candles on it that displayed her age, twenty three.


    "Thank you Sylvester, I can see that you guys put in a lot of effort." Phoebe jokingly stated as she took a tiny bite of the cup cake.


    Connie chortled. "Not like your mother, there is no competing with Jennie Mayfair that''s for sure."


    The revelation miffed the Saxon spirit which slapped Connie''s head. "That was supposed to be a surprise! You just ruined it, poor Jennie."


    Phoebe released joyful laughter. "Come on guys, I know my mother. She has been sneaking around asking about my favorite color blah-blah-blah. I am sure she has something up her sleeves." She ate the cupcake rapidly, stood from the bed and moved to the bathroom. "No worries, I will act surprised ha-ha."


    When she stepped out of the bedroom however, Phoebe didn''t see any activity that indicated that a party was about to happen. No decorations or cake, no party music, nothing!


    Her family was sitting in the dinning nonchalant like the day was a normal one just like any another.


    "Good morning." She greeted, they responded without enthusiasm and one by one they left after breakfast was done. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe knew they were pranking her but a small part of her felt uncomfortable. She had endured many unhappy birthdays with the Gabriel''s and the shadow was still chasing her.


    Connie''s brows pulled together. "Not even a birthday wish? They are pretending like they forgot and then later they''ll surprise you, so predictable."


    Hiding a knowing smile behind the cup that she was holding, Phoebe decided to play along. "Good bye mother, have a good day."


    She ate her breakfast while making casual conversation with Maria and then left for the cafe along with grandma Mayfair.


    "Phew!" Grandma Mayfair sighed in relief, she had been holding so much tension within her. "Your mother will not let anyone breathe in that house."


    Phoebe let out a half chuckle. "Why, because she''s planning a full fledged party?"


    "Yes....What? Don''t tell her I told you that otherwise I will never hear the end of it." Grandma warned lightly. "But all in all, happy birthday sweetheart and thank you for returning to us." She kissed her forehead.


    She slipped a pair of gold and silver bracelets with a similar design onto Phoebe''s wrist.


    Sylvester whistled, "Holy crap, it''s real gold and the silver one has diamonds. They are from the Bartier brand, each is worth seventy thousand dollars."


    To Phoebe, it was not the money that mattered but the thoughts that counted.


    "Thank you Nana." she hugged the old woman.


    Again, grandma Mayfair kissed Phoebe''s forehead and cuddled her granddaughter. Twenty minutes later they arrived at the cafe. Phoebe entered like a thief in case someone or something jumped out.


    Nothing jumped out but Rossett and Marianne were waiting for her. The two women wished Phoebe a happy birthday and gave her cupcakes and gifts.


    The cupcakes were also strawberry, one with chocolate and another vanilla.


    "By the time the day ends, your farts will smell like strawberries." Connie giggled.


    "You have a delivery." Rossett pointed at wooden box that had been delivered early that morning.


    Curious, Phoebe opened it. Her eyes landed on a pink gun, pepper spray, two pink knives with butterfly designs and other weapons used in self defense.


    "Who in God''s name sent such an unpredictable gift." Grandma Mayfair pulled her face in a frown.


    The Saxon spirit pointed at the gift card, it had a familiar stamp. "Look!"


    Phoebe took it out and read it out loud. "To my shaman, from the bottom of my grateful heart. Luna Elithera."


    "Of course it''s her." Grandma Mayfair mumbled.


    Phoebe stared at the gun, unsure about what to do with it. It was cute and girly but guns were not her weapons of preference. However, with all that she had seen lately, it wouldn''t hurt to own one.


    "Couldn''t she send you a puppy or kitten? Send it back?" Suggested grandma Mayfair


    Surprisingly, Phoebe refused. "No nana, I like it. In fact I was planning to get one, if you haven''t noticed i am accumulating a number of enemies."


    "Supernatural ones, i doubt a gun can kill an evil ghost Pheebs."


    "I am still keeping it Nana."


    Phoebe carried the package to her office and work started like every other day. She did not forget to send Luna a thank you text.


    Half way through the day, grandma Mayfair told Phoebe that they had to return home.


    "Your mother has asked me to persuade you to go home now because she is not feeling fine. I guess she is done with whatever she was planning. Pheebs whatever you do act surprised in fact shed a river of tears, nothing will make her day like seeing you in tears of happiness."


    Phoebe was aware of how important it was to the Mayfairs that she enjoyed her birthday and she was willing to play along.


    "Okay Nana."


    She would cry so much that a small boat could float on the river of her tears.

 Chapter 260 Happy first birthday Pheebs__2

    The closer they got to the Mayfair manor, the more anxious Phoebe found herself becoming. She was nervous about what her family had planned. Was it going to be one of those big glamorous parties like they used to hold for Ruth?


    Would it be a small family affair like she requested? What if she failed to smile or cry? What if she was so nervous that she puked?


    "You are going to hyperventilate, breathe Phoebe, breathe." The Saxon spirit encouraged.


    But how could she breathe easily when she felt as if she wanted to just turn around and run for the hills? She would rather have faced malicious ghosts than have a birthday party.


    Grandma Mayfair sensed Phoebe''s unease and she squeezed her hand gently, giving her an assuring smile. All Phoebe saw was sharp evil clown teeth ready to gobble her up.


    "Oooh,,this is is so not good." she mumbled.


    The rate at which she was panicking, Phoebe was sure that she would faint before the party even started.


    There was no escape, soon the car stopped and she was forced out of the car by her grandmother. Phoebe clutched onto old lady Mayfair''s arm for her dear life. Every step she took was hard, like she was fighting gravity.


    "Don''t worry dear." grandma Mayfair said.


    "Hihihi...." Phoebe laughed.


    Neither she nor her grandmother made sense of the weird laughter. Upon arrival in the house, they went to the gardens and Phoebe was greeted by warm smiles of her closest friends and family.


    "Surprise!!" They shouted in unison.


    Some people like her mother were teary while others were cheering and clapping. Andre was the exception for he was blowing a whistle continuously. Phoebe was frozen for a while and she just looked around with her eyes.


    The Mayfair gardens had been transformed into a whimsical childish wonderland with bouncing castles, trampolines, toys, balloon shaped animals and all sorts of childish stuff placed everywhere. The balloon shaped like animals were in shades of pink and white and they floated in delicate clusters.


    On a very large screen, pictures of Phoebe from infancy to her current age were scrolling by.


    A ''Happy first birthday banner'' in Golden script that hung between two poles spanning across a great distance caused Phoebe to burst into tears.


    Indeed she had lived through so many birthdays but this was the first time really celebrating one. Her parents had not given her just any birthday, they had given her the birthday she longed for as a child, erasing bad memories and creating new ones. She felt so loved and wanted, the tears she had thought she would fake were more than real, flowing down endlessly.


    Her parents rushed to embrace and console her, their faces wet from their own tears.


    "Ma, Pa...." Phoebe croaked emotionally.


    "It''s okay sweetheart, cry all you want." Edward told her.


    They embraced for at least two minutes, crying and sharing assuring and consoling words. It was a moment which touched everyone and was recorded by Evelyn. Later that night, it would resurrect the almost dead cuckoo scandal among the founding families.


    After the emotional part was over, Jennie rushed Phoebe inside the house. She took her straight to the bedroom where a white and pink princess dress lay on the bed, waiting to be worn.


    Grown Phoebe would have preferred not to wear it but the child in her was giddy, she could finally pretend to be a princess. After wearing it, Phoebe stared at herself in the mirror and admired herself.


    It was ridiculous but cute and held a lot of meaning being that it was her first princess dress. She vowed to treasure the dress forever.


    Jennie did her make-up and hair personally, rendering the make-up artists hired by Andre useless.


    "Here." Jennie handed her a magic wand. "Tonight, you can make as many wishes as you want. They will all come true, just make sure you share them with mommy." There was a lot of certainty in her voice.


    After placing a pink gem studded crown on her head, they rejoined the guests and the princess was shown off. Her brothers loyally stuck to her side, waiting on her hand and foot.


    Phoebe was distracted however because David was not there. A part of her was feeling let down, she had great expressions from him. When she finally saw him, her heart lightened but she did not want to appear overly eager, like she had missed him greatly.


    "You finally show your face, hmph." Phoebe pretended to be angry at David when he finally walked up to her.


    He raised his hands in self defense.


    "Please blame your mother who told us all to act like we forgot about your birthday and my grandmother that could not decide what to wear."


    With narrowed eyes, Phoebe stared at him. "And since when did you start listening and obeying my mother?"


    "She is my mother-in-law, whatever she says is law. The word law is right there in the title Pheebs." David responded.


    A mocking short laugh came from her lips. "I hope that you do not expect me to do the same for yours."


    [She and Ursula the witch have a lot in common]


    David chuckled. "I understand you one thousand percent." David pulled out a medium sized envelope from his jacket and handed it to her.


    "What''s this?" Phoebe''s quizzical eyes shifted from him to the envelope that was now in her hands.


    David jutted his chin at it. "That''s your birthday gift which I prepared carefully and I am not taking no for an answer."


    Phoebe opened it and read the contents of the papers inside. Her brows lifted high up in shock. "My God David why would you? You cannot give me half of your company! I cannot accept this." She placed the documents back inside the envelope.


    A short sigh came from David, he knew Phoebe would reject the shares that he had given her but he was not taking no for an answer.


    "Why do you think I named it DP holdings?"


    Phoebe''s confused eyes suddenly flew open. "Wait.... David and Phoebe?" She asked uncertainly.


    "Of course! You know Pheebs I was reborn to be your helper and protector. I plan to empower you to face your enemies both mortal and immortal even if I lose my life while doing it. I regret the past a lot and this is my way for paying for being stupid and careless in the past. Please allow me to make up for my regrets and pay for my shortcomings.." His voice was laced with deep regret, never before had Phoebe seen such pain and sorrow in his eyes before except when they talked about their children.


    She raised a hand to wipe away a tear that came from his right eye. "David what happened to you after i was gone?"


    Her question caused his face to harden, she could see veins pulsing in his neck. "Whatever it was, it''s not happening in this life, we have already changed things."


    David''s thoughts run to Ruth, she was mad now and couldn''t hurt them. None of the people he had tortured knew who she was in cohorts with not even Ophelia. Still, as long as he prepared for all dangers, they would be safe, all of them. This life had to be different from the past.


    "Come with me." Phoebe pulled him to the trampoline and pushed him down.


    He laughed and got up, both of them started jumping around and laughing carelessly. All the adults were playing one kiddish game or the other. Andre had practically become king of the bouncing castle. He had even changed into a prince outfit to Phoebe''s princes.


    From the trampoline, they zip lined, run a two legged race, engaged in a bubble wrap race, burst balloons and played a paper boat race.


    "Cake time." Jenny announced.


    Phoebe''s eyes were drawn to the towering cake, decorated with intricate patterns and edible glitter. It smelled like strawberries, she had eaten enough strawberry cakes but she did not care, she was still excited for more.


    She moved over blew the candles and cut it amidst cheers.


    "Attention everyone." Edward gently tapped his glass with a spoon. "My dearest daughter, we hope that going forward life will be kind and fair to you. That aside, your mother and I have decided to give you shares in the Mayfair corporation, making you a true Mayfair heiress."


    Phoebe shifted and hugged her parents.


    "Thank you father and mother." She kissed their cheeks. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Her brothers swept in for their own hugs and kisses which were cut short by an uninvited guest.


    "Excuse me Miss Phoebe." Oman''s loud voice cut through the happy chatter. "Mr. Cornwell a lawyer from T&C is here to see you." Everyone traded curious gazes including Phoebe who was not expecting any lawyers.

 Chapter 261 Luther strikes from the grave.

    T&C law firm had very many prestigious clients among them were the Mayfairs. So naturally when Oman announced that the lawyers wanted to speak to Phoebe, she naturally assumed that it was about the shares her father had just given her.


    Imagine her surprise when Edward asked her why the lawyers wanted to see her.


    "Aren''t they here because of the shares that you have just given me?" Phoebe''s face was illuminated by a mix of cautious wonder and curiosity.


    "No, if it was the case, i would not have invited them over on your birthday, not during party time anyway." He cocked his head to look at his mother who was puzzled as well. "Mother, is this you?"


    Grandma Mayfair shook her head, equally puzzled by the unexpected arrival of lawyers. "Well let''s go and find out." She led the way and the rest of the family followed.


    Phoebe walked in between her brothers, they surrounded her as if she was a president in danger and they were the secret service, ready to take a bullet for her.


    The rest of the guests exchanged subtle glances, hesitant yet eager to speak their thoughts aloud. Some of them were already sharing the news of the visit from T&C with their families or friends. Lawyers visiting anyone in the founding family was always cause for curiosity.


    It raised questions like who had died, who had come into money, who had gone bankrupt or who was being sued.


    David was the only one uninterested in the gossip and more worried about Phoebe so he followed the Mayfairs into the house.


    Mr. Cornwell and his colleagues were waiting in the living room, they stood up the moment the Mayfairs headed by the matriarch entered with serious looks on their faces.


    He could sense the hostility from some of them even before they came close and he guessed that they were anticipating bad news. Cornwell was uncertain if what he was about to share was good or bad news. In his opinion, it could go either way.


    "Good evening old lady Mayfair." His voice was gentle but steady.


    Grandma Mayfair nodded once. "A good evening to you too Cornwell. To what do why I owe this unexpected visit?"


    She settled in a heavily cushioned sofa shaped like a throne. She used a stern tone and stared at them pointedly to emphasize her authority.


    Cornwell slightly bowed in Edward and Jennie''s direction. "Mr. and Mrs. Mayfair."


    "State your business Cornwell, who are you here to see and for what reason?" An impatient grandma Mayfair butted in.


    Cromwell held his poise and confidence, he had dealt with many wealthy people, old lady Mayfair did not frighten him like she did many others.


    "No offense old lady Mayfair but I believe that I didn''t stutter when I told the butler that I was here to see Phoebe Mayfair." His eyes moved and paused on Phoebe but immediately shifted to David who was standing behind her.


    Rumors were rampant about David being whipped, it was said that he was a love lorn idiot for Phoebe Mayfair, it seemed like this was a fact. Wherever she was, he was never far.


    Phoebe raised her hand like her name had been called by teacher during a roll call.


    "I am she, why do you want to see me?" She lowered her hand.


    Mr. Cornwell''s eyes returned to Phoebe, he ready had done his research and knew who she was. In fact news had reached his desk that the Verdemonts had attacked her the day after the reading of Luther''s will.


    It was for this reason why he was torn by the news he had come to deliver. It was good but also bad, in a way. Either way, he an obligation to fulfill the wishes of his client, whatever happened after was none of his business unless he was pulled in.


    He cleared his throat. "Miss Phoebe this is a very sensitive issue and I am requesting that we speak privately." His voice was polite yet it sounded offensive to some people especially Edward.


    "What is this about Cornwell? Is my daughter in some kind of trouble? Cut the formalities bullshit and tell me. Whatever it is, i am powerful enough to solve it." Edward''s tongue dripped with impatience.


    Collin took a step forward. "We all are her family and we are not leaving unless Pheebs doesn''t want us here." His eyes traveled around the vast room but stopped when he spotted David. "Saxon! Why are you here? Leave this is a family matter." He spoke through pinched lips.


    In response, David sneered but before he could respond Phoebe intervened.


    "Everyone can stay, it''s fine." She stretched her hands signaling the two men to quiet down.


    Cornwell''s brows rose and fell quickly as he surrendered. He opened his briefcase and pulled out an envelope which he handed to Phoebe but Edward grabbed it instead.


    "What is this? Is someone suing my daughter? What for? I will be ruthless in my response Cornwell, better put down all your business and prepare to counter sue. I can''t believe that you of all people would take on such business, it seems like you don''t want the Mayfair business anymore and we should shop for new representation."


    Cornwell hissed, he couldn''t help but feel like the Mayfairs had branded him as some type of villain that had put Phoebe''s life under a threat.


    "For God''s sake Edward i am not a process server! If I came here personally outside working hours then that means that it''s something important. Your daughter is not in any kind of trouble in fact I have to say that it looks like she won the billion lottery in a way." He threw the formalities out of the window as he addressed Edward directly. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The two had known each other in school and were on friendly terms. There was no need for hostility or threats between them.


    Some eyebrows shot upwards and some foreheads creased in disbelief. Some hands flew to mouths seeking to ground themselves against the jarring surprise.


    "What? What do you mean? Little sister did you use your powers to win a boatload of money?"


    The excitement in Andre''s voice only rubbed Phoebe the wrong way because even if she could do that using the whispering coins she wouldn''t do that. It would be robbing another person of their fate.


    "Andre shush!"


    The Saxon spirit quickly reminded her that Andre was a fool.


    "Don''t mind him." It chuckled.


    Cornwell stared at Edward and spoke. "The lottery is an inheritance left to Phoebe by Luther Verdemont."


    His revelation left them in a mixture of surprise and shock. Phoebe especially was taken aback because she really did think all Verdemont business had been closed. Why was it back again?


    "Why? Why would Luther leave my daughter money?"


    Jennie asked in an alarmed voice, maybe someone else might have been thrilled but not them, they had a lot of money after all.


    To them, it was suspicious that Luther who barely knew Phoebe had left her an inheritance. Everyone knew that the Verdemonts did not like Phoebe and they would go crazy when they heard this news.


    Shaking his head, Cornwell quickly corrected her anyone that was thinking the same. "It''s not money per say, it''s a foundation which has a boat load of money like Mr. Andre said."

 Chapter 262 Making more enemies.

    "A foundation!" Phoebe exclaimed.


    Memories returned to Phoebe, going to the moment right before Luther moved on. He had mentioned that he had left her a gift and he had cautioned her to use it to help others.


    She had assumed that he was talking about the whispering coins back then, now she could tell it was not the case. He had left her a foundation that had billions of money, according to the lawyer.


    Even though she owned land worth billions, Phoebe did not have a billion on her account. It sounded like a lot of money, more than she had ever owned in her life.


    "My God!" Phoebe murmured.


    [Ho ho ho! I am rich! double rich as a Mayfair heiress and Luther''s heiress.]


    All the Mayfair''s saw this thought and they held back the smiles on their faces. Andre wanted to remind her that foundation money was technically not hers for spending as she wished.


    Edward quickly perused through the documents scanning for only the important parts first. He was looking for traps in the clauses or anything that could be harmful to Phoebe.


    It was three pages and he was not in the mood to go through all of them so he decided to take a shortcut.


    "The Linda foundation? What does it do?" His eyes quizzed Cornwell whom he was certain had all the information. It was faster to hear from him than read a couple of documents.


    "I am sure that you know that Phoebe here played a huge role in helping Luther find his grand daughter, Linda. You also know the inner truth about the Verdemont family members that played different roles in her death, some actively while others passively.


    Luther didn''t remain the same when he found out so he used the last days of his life to punish his family members and also put his things in order. He decided that his children were not worthy of his hard earned fortune and decided that half of his wealth will be managed by D.P holdings while the other half went to the Linda foundation which he willed to her." Cornwell''s hand pointed at Phoebe.


    Collin rubbed his chin. "The Linda foundation. Is that the same foundation that he left for Phoebe?"


    Nodding in affirmation, Cornwell answered. "Yes it is."


    Andre blinked rapidly as he made calculations in his head. "And how much exactly is this half?" He wanted to take a guess but he did not know how deep Luther''s pockets run. Cornwell had said billions, he wanted to know how much they were talking about.


    "To be exact the foundation has precisely one hundred billion, thirty million, three hundred and fifty thousand in Loewe bank. All Phoebe has to do is sign a few papers accepting the inheritance and she can access it in a week."


    Cornwell''s eyes were fixed on Phoebe whom he found odd. Ordinary people would be jubilation or at least curious but not her, all she was doing was staring blankly. It was almost as if she had not just received a boatload of money.


    Andre whistled loudly in a dramatic way, drawing images in his head of the ways that he could spend the money. He had so many projects that could use investments and foundations invested in different projects to grow their income and last for many years.


    Perhaps he could convince his little sister to be his permanent backer. When he entered the entertainment industry against his father''s wishes, no Mayfair resource was given to him. He had to start from the bottom to get to where he was now.


    Lately, he was considering moving from acting to film making. He wanted to open his own film making, marketing and distribution company.


    Andre sighed and shook his head, it was best not to make plans with money which did not belong to him.


    "So what''s the catch? My father asked earlier what the purpose of the foundation was but you have yet to answer." Collin asked.


    He was aware that nothing in the world came to anyone freely, Luther must have wanted something from Phoebe.


    Cornwell chuckled and leaned forward, he shrugged and folded his lips for a small moment.


    "There is none."


    "Excuse you? That is not possible! No one leaves that amount of money to a stranger for free there must be something he wanted her to do?" Luke used his hand to emphasize his points strongly. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Agreed! What does the foundation do? Why are you dodging that question?" Collin folded his hands, this was just suspicious at least to him. "Look if he wants my sister to babysit his unruly children, it''s not going to work. Everyone has seen that video of Ekhart pulling hair and we heard that he and Paul attacked DP holdings with sticks, acting like barbarians. We don''t want to deal with those lunatics."


    Cornwell tugged his front hair, he was getting slightly frustrated for he had only but a few answers. "The foundation has no defined purpose, the information is all in these documents and here." He placed a flash drive on the table. "It''s up to Phoebe to decide how to use the money his only requests were that you use it to help others like you helped him and also collaborate with D.P holdings such that you choose the right heir from the next generation of Verdemonts." He let out a heavy sigh.


    "Unbelievable! Rumors are going around that the Verdemonts are flat broke but no one believed it because we all know how much Luther was worth. It seems like he just gave out everything." Jennie shook her head continuously.


    Grandma Mayfair clicked her tongue. "Those venomous snakes deserve what they got which is nothing! The other day they attacked Phoebe at the cafe...."


    "What? Mother why didn''t you say anything?" Edward relaxed face folded.


    "It wasn''t a big deal, the ghosts and I taught them a big lesson. I doubt they can dare to return and if they do, i will break their skulls." Grandma Mayfair assured Edward.


    She did not even hesitate to mention the ghosts in front of Cornwell. The Mayfairs had been pulled so deep into Phoebe''s world that such talk was normal to them. They did not notice the puzzlement on Cornwell''s face.


    The lawyer was wondering how ghosts had taught the Verdemonts a lesson and why they were being mentioned. He was not ignorant about Phoebe being a shaman or her rumored ghost seeing abilities.


    He just wasn''t a believer.


    "Shouldn''t we beef up her security? They will surely attack when they get wind of this news." A worried expression was etched on Collins face.


    "No need David took care of that, he got our Phoebe two good body guards a long time ago." Grandma Mayfair mentioned such that David could score some points


    However Collin wasn''t impressed. "So where were they when she was attacked?"


    His sister was making more enemies than friends, she needed to be protected all day, everywhere and at all times.


    Phoebe intervened. "I don''t allow them inside the Cafe but they are really helpful and i am very comfortable with them." She gave Collin an assuring nod.


    Her eldest brother swallowed hard and gave David a warning stare before returning his attention to Cornwell.


    "So this D.P holdings business, what has it got to do with Phoebe?" Collin''s arm went around Phoebe''s shoulders protectively.

 Chapter 263 Good intentions

    In the business circle, D.P holdings had made a name for itself after collaborating with some of the biggest companies in Fog country. Collin was very intrigued because it had gained momentum at a very fast pace for a new company.


    The real boss behind the company was a myth, a rumored investment genius that had just returned from abroad. He or she did not take meetings with anyone, so the identity was a well guarded secret.


    Many founding families had made visits to D.P holdings, looking to form connections with them. Collin thought that perhaps he could finally unveil the identity of this mysterious boss through Phoebe.


    Meeting geniuses in the business circle was one of his favorite things to do. Collin loved interacting with such people as they discussed the possible financial trends of the future and helped each other grow bigger.


    Cornwell scratched the left side of his cheek and shook his head. It was not that he did not want to share information, he just didn''t have much to share.


    "So this D.P holdings, what has it got to do with our Phoebe?" Collin repeated the question, his face was burning with curiosity.


    Phoebe and David traded gazes and smiled as they were the only two in the room that knew who the actual owner was. Now that David had gifted her with half of his shares she owned it too.


    She tore her gaze away from him and focused on Cornwell. For now, she had no plans to share the fact she was a part owner of D.P holdings.


    "Mr. Collin with all due respect I don''t have to reveal anything to you, only to Miss Phoebe here and only after she accepts the inheritance left behind for her." A smile struggled to form on his lips but it slipped away.


    Cornwell wasn''t a fool, he was aware that whoever was the brains behind D.P holdings, he or she was powerful. They had done a great job at hiding their identity and if they remained on the current path would become a financial giant in Fog country.


    He thought it was best not to speculate on who the owner was or how Phoebe came to cross paths with them. What he knew was that David Saxon was the one that sent Luther to D.P holdings.


    Collin arched an eyebrow, discontent with Cornwell''s answer but it was not like he could cajole him into telling him what he wanted to hear so he gave up with a snort.


    "Phoebe sweetheart you are really quiet and we would like to know what you think about all this." Edward smiled warmly but a little worriedly.


    He feared for what his daughter was about to sign up for in case she agreed. The Verdemonts wouldn''t leave her alone, they would come after her continuously. The evidence was there, after all they had attacked her once before.


    "Mr. Luther Verdemont wanted me to take it so I will. I''ll help as many people as I can with the gift he left me. There are many missing people out there that can''t be found due to lack of resources, impoverished ones that can''t get an education, sickly ones that can''t go to hospitals, old and lonely folks that can''t afford care homes, hungry kids on the streets that are starving and so on.


    I will do charity in Luther and Linda''s names, making sure that they will never be forgotten. The foundation will be put to good use." Phoebe answered, her voice was soft but strong enough to let everyone know that she had made up her mind.


    Collin pulled her closer to him. "That was quick baby sister, i think you should take your time and think about this. While your intentions are good, the Verdemonts are ungrateful wolves that did not hesitate to put one of their own through hell.


    We will protect you with everything we have of course but you need to know what you are signing up for if you accept the foundation. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I also advise that you find out more about this D.P holdings or whomever that you''ll be working with so that they don''t take advantage of you." Thin lines of worry etched on his forehead.


    There were hundreds of billions at stake, he did not want Phoebe to be cheated or accused of embezzlement. Many foundations in the country had come to an end because of such scandals.


    "Oh big brother stop being a wuss! Phoebe is a big girl she can handle this. Besides she has us to watch over her. We should be happy for her not scaring her!" Andre spoke.


    He had seen first hand during Desire Caldwell''s case that Phoebe needed a lot of money to help unfortunate ghosts and although the Mayfair''s had a lot of money to support her cause, it wouldn''t hurt to get more.


    Grandma Mayfair on the other hand agreed with Collin and so did Jennie who nodded continuously as fear gnawed at her.


    "Listen to your eldest brother sweetheart, you said it yourself that you have closed the Verdemont chapter. If it''s a foundation you want, we can start one for you as well." Her pleading eyes stared helplessly at Phoebe.


    They were divided, some supporting her decision and others against it. Phoebe''s mind was already made up however no matter what.


    "Guys come on, i am Phoebe Mayfair. A shaman with ghosts to protect me, you all have nothing to worry about. As for D.P holdings, i am certain that old man Luther thought long and hard before trusting them with his fortune. They must be great people to work with."


    Behind her assuring smile was a nervous person that had no idea what she was signing up for. She had no idea where to start from in running a foundation worth billions.


    Cornwell clapped once. "That''s settled then, Miss Phoebe I''ll arrange for a meeting between you and Mr. Morgan Skesgard, the director of D.P holdings but before that please sign those papers and hand me a copy." A victorious smile made it''s way on his lips.


    Without hesitation, Phoebe took the papers from her father, a gentle smile danced on her lips as she used slight force to pull them from his unwilling grasp.


    "Father it is okay, I know what i am doing, please trust me."


    Edward sighed and surrendered. Rather than fighting against her decision, he decided to help her by finding her assistants and other necessary employees she would need to run the foundation.


    Knowing his daughter, nothing was going to pull her away from her ghost work.


    She signed the forms, retained a copy and gave the lawyer his own.


    "I''ll be calling you soon Miss Phoebe." He nodded once at her, then at grandma Mayfair and finally at Edward before leaving.


    Edward sighed, a loud and long sigh. "Well Phoebe made her decision all we can do is support her." He declared softly.


    "Call me whenever you need me baby sis." Collin finally gave in.


    "Same here." Luke nodded once, shut and opened his eyes.


    Andre''s brows danced. "As always I''ll be at your beck and call. I bet we are about to help multiple ghosts and take on numerous exciting adventures."


    Grandma Mayfair exhaled slowly, silently she prayed that no trouble came to Phoebe because of what Luther had left her. It was truly a big gift but whether it was good or bad, only time would tell.


    They just needed to be ready for the Verdemonts, those evil spawns would be coming for Phoebe.

 Chapter 264 Choosing friendship over love.

    They all returned to the party, played pin the tail on the donkey and danced and feasted like there was no tomorrow. It was the most fun Phoebe had had in a very long time. When the sun had firmly set, the party inevitably came to an end.


    Phoebe and her parents bid goodbye to all her guests, giving out souvenirs that were mostly snacks produced by the Mayfair corporation.


    Not all left of course, some like Evelyn stayed back due to unforeseen circumstances. She was too drunk to go anywhere so she was escorted to one of the guest bedrooms. The Mayfairs were concerned for her well being so they decided to have her stay in their house.


    She used to stay over all the time after Ruth''s parties anywhere so it was not new.


    As soon as she was placed on the bed, Evelyn bent down and threw up, prompting Maria to rush her to the bathroom.


    Phoebe was worried about her friend so she placed a tonic on the table for her. Jennie was displeased meanwhile, glaring at the contents of Evelyn''s stomach which had yet to be cleaned away.


    "She does this all the time, Pheebs, darling, i hope that you don''t follow in her footsteps. Her dating life is a mess and...." S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Mom.... don''t say that." Phoebe said in a low voice.


    She was familiar with her mother''s earnest judgemental ways. Still, Evie was her friend, and she was not a bad one.


    Grandma Mayfair dismissed Jennie''s words. "That Evie girl is a sweet girl, she is a little too free spirited but a good and loyal friend to our Pheebs. Jennie, you should judge people less, who here has not been stupidly drunk a time or two?"


    Edward''s arms were folded to his chest with his narrow eyes staring at his wife. "It''s odd that you are saying this honey, during your era you were worse. The wild parties, non stop drinking, circuit races.... ha! Should I go on?"


    "What?" The Mayfair siblings spoke in unison, shocked by the revelation.


    Jennie good girl reputation Mayfair used to drink and race at circuits? She used to enjoy wild parties!!! Who was that woman and where had she gone? This Jennie was a few marbles shy of becoming as confused as light church obsessed Emilia Verdemont.


    How had the strict grandma Mayfair allowed old Jennie to marry her only precious son?


    The children had many questions for the adults but for now, they just hid their laughter because Jennie''s face had turned ripe tomato shade red.


    Jennie''s shoulder fell inwards, slightly hunched as if trying to make herself smaller, she had changed since then and was embarrassed of such memories. She gave Edward the famous Jennie glare for exposing her after she had worked hard to bury that dark history.


    "I''ll go check on Evelyn." She scurried away from the group that was laughing at her.


    The rest of the group returned downstairs to bid farewell to the remaining few guests. One happened to be Collin Baltimore who started moving towards them as soon as they appeared. He had come at Collin''s invitation as they had become friendlier lately.


    It wasn''t surprising when her brother Collin gave him a side hug.


    "What''s up bro?"


    The two men bumped their fists together and slapped each other on the back. Phoebe snorted and rolled her eyes.


    "Bro? Really Collin? How is this guy your brother, you have known him for less than a month." David appeared out of nowhere.


    He had been keeping his eyes on the Baltimore dude since the moment of his arrival shortly before the cake was cut.


    "I am wanted Saxon, i can''t say the same about you." Collin Baltimore smirked.


    Phoebe exhaled loudly and her shoulders slumped dramatically. In her mind, she pictured them coming to blows for no reason other than big egos.


    It did not help that Connie had scrambled out of the space as soon as she smelled tension and she was loudly chanting, "Fight, fight, fight."


    The girl really didn''t know when to shut up and when to talk. This was not a wrestling arena, Phoebe did not want to see any fighting.


    [I really hope that they don''t choose to fight today, it''s my first special birthday]


    Everyone that was paying attention to her especially the three men saw the thought, they all made a silent agreement to be civil.


    Collin cleared his throat. "Yeah, I may not have known him for long but we are cool. In fact Collin Baltimore and I are about to collaborate on a project together."


    "Is that so?" Edward cocked his head, he wore a wide smile that showed that he approved.


    Collin Baltimore quickly interjected. "We are still in the talking phase but it looks quite promising and fruitful for both companies." He clearly stated, part of him disapproved of Collin''s move, announcing the news prematurely.


    David''s right hand thumb traced over one of his eyebrows, the rage in his nerves slowly surging. He understood that it was just business but it pained him that Collin Baltimore was forming permanent relationships with Phoebe''s family, even if it was just business.


    He strongly disliked Collin Mayfair''s move, it was one made in the effort to link Phoebe to Baltimore.


    "Well good for you both." David forced a smile on his face, playing the jealous lover was only going to be make him look childish and petty.


    Phoebe put her hand on David''s arm and gave him a reassuring smile. That alone was enough to chase away the dark cloud hanging over his head.


    As long as Phoebe was on his side, not even the two Collin''s could separate them. After a little courtesy chat, Phoebe opted to escort Collin who announced that he was leaving.


    David wanted to follow but Collin intercepted him, suddenly acting friendly.He had no choice but to watch her disappear with the hateful Baltimore.


    He had nothing to worry about, Phoebe felt uncomfortable around Collin Baltimore, especially because she knew how he felt about her.


    When they were walking, she remained silent and it was he that finally broke the silence.


    "Happy birthday, it''s good that you came along with me because I wanted to give these to you." Collin''s hand reached inside his pocket and pulled out two tickets which he gave to her.


    She took the tickets and they continued walking at a moderate pace.


    "Annual Citrus antique museum auction and gala?" Phoebe read out loud.


    Nodding his head, Collin''s cheeks faintly tinged with pink. "Yes i was hoping that we could go together, if you are okay with it of course." He lifted his eyes in search for hers but Phoebe avoided his gaze as much as possible.


    [Oh Crap! I don''t want to break your heart or lose this little awkward friendship that we have but i can''t accept your feelings. For heavens sake Goldie, i have given you hints, can''t you see? You are cute, but i don''t feel the same way.]


    Phoebe''s eyes grew dark and heavy with a sorrow that she had not yet voiced. She opened her mouth to speak and closed it again, her breathing hitching softly.


    Collin smiled sadly on reading her thoughts, his smile was a little too bright but it didn''t reach his eyes. He knew who owned her heart but he did not want to give up. He could read her inner thoughts, wasn''t it a sign that they were destined somehow?


    However, he was afraid that if her pushed too hard, she would cut him off completely so as always, he decided to step back.


    "Phoebe don''t think about it so deeply, we are good friends i just thought that you would love to go with me as a friend. Friends do this sometimes, don''t they?" His laughter came easy, a little too easy.


    It was dry however, not that Phoebe noticed. For her, all she felt was relief which washed over her like a sudden summer rain shower.


    "Of course we are friends, i like being your friend. Ha-ha, my friend Collin Baltimore, when i see you from now on, i will call you friend Collin...haha." she answered awkwardly.


    Her answer only made him feel worse, especially because she kept repeating the word friend over and over. Had anyone in the world been friend zoned as much as this?

 Chapter 265 The secrets of dead grandpa Mayfair.

    After an awkward goodbye with no definite answer, Phoebe rushed back into the house. When she returned, she discovered that her brothers had united and sent off David.


    All the guests were gone and servants were cleaning up. The exhausted Mayfairs decided to retire except for Phoebe. Grandma Mayfair asked Phoebe to follow her, denying her the opportunity to sneak off to her bedroom to open her presents.


    "Where to nana?" She yawned for the third time, exhausted from all the partying.


    Grandma Mayfair gestured for Phoebe to just move but, she paused when she realized that Phoebe was bound to be more exhausted than them all. All day long, she had been up and down, jumping around with so much energy like a grasshopper on red bull.


    "There is something that i want to show you but it can wait, you must be very tired."


    She turned to head to her bedroom only to be stopped by Phoebe who pulled on her arm.


    "Nana wait! I don''t like not knowing things, if i go up while wondering what you wanted to show me, the suspense will kill me. I will not be able to sleep, i will keep thinking about it. What is it that you want to show me?"


    Phoebe''s formerly half closed eyes were now wide open and filled with some anticipation. She figured it was another gift, it was not yet midnight so it was still her birthday after all.


    "Come on, follow me then, I wouldn''t want you to stay up all night." Grandma Mayfair spoke as she moved towards the elevator which Phoebe rarely used.


    She pressed a button thrice and it lit a blue color which was odd, normally it lit whitish.


    What is grandma up to? Phoebe''s fingers lightly pinched on the sides of her princess dress. Even in the elevator, she kept looking around like a curious child out in the world for the first time.


    When the elevator came to a stop, Phoebe stepped off following her grandmother into a basement. This one was different from the one she had been accessing almost every day.


    She used it to store herbs mostly. It was also where the wine cellar was and boxes with files on some old projects of the Mayfair corporation that had failed to produce positive results.


    Why do we have two basements? Phoebe questioned herself.


    She thought it was weird and so did the ghosts that went off on their own to look around ahead of her. Only the Saxon spirit lingered by Phoebe''s side.


    "There are a lot of magical items here, i can sense them. Sadly, they are all spell bound to stop people from using them. I guess it was done to protect them from evil hands." It revealed.


    Phoebe''s eyes adjusted, trying to see anything but she could hardly make out a thing. Of course she could use her energy to power her eyes but she chose not to, she was in no rush. Her grandmother switched on the light and finally Phoebe had the opportunity to look around. Naturally, her eyes sought out the magical artifacts first.


    The basement itself was a relic of forgotten time, covered in layers of dust. Everything was shrouded in sheets that were once white but had turned brown with time. The unpleasant scent of mold and aged wood that lingered in the air caused Phoebe to sneeze loudly.


    "God bless you child." Grandma Mayfair said in response. "The dust must be affecting you, no one has been here for years not even to clean. Cillian did not like anyone snooping around his stuff."


    Phoebe''s curious eyes looked at her grandmother who stood with her hands on her waist. She was looking around with a sad expression in her eyes which conveyed deep sorrow.


    "I know that you have heard about your grandfather here and there but I wanted you to have at least have one picture of him. You carry pictures of all of us in your wallet, your grandfather should be added as well. Lord knows he would have pampered you like a precious pearl."


    She handed Phoebe a wallet sized black and white photograph that she pulled from an old reading table.


    Phoebe''s eyes became moist, out of all the gifts that she had received this was closest to her heart. "Thank you nana, are these all his belongings?"


    Grandma Mayfair nodded. "We couldn''t just throw them out." She dusted an old wooden box and pulled out an album.


    She began to flip the pages, the oldest photos which were also in black and white. She told Phoebe stories behind each photograph and allowed her to pick out the ones she wanted.


    Phoebe chose and three black and white ones taken in Cillian''s younger days, and one colored one in which he was middle aged.


    "His hair is like mine." Phoebe laughed. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "He had thick red hair when he was younger, as he grew it thinned out and he became bold eventually." Grandma Mayfair laughed as memories of her late husband returned to her. "He was so handsome, all the girls wanted to marry him but i used my wit and charm to win his heart."


    Phoebe smiled at her grandmother, this was a story she wanted to hear. However, she was not going to hear about it just yet, her grandmother sat down and lost herself in the pictures and memories.


    Phoebe''s attention traveled to what lay under the sheets. Why did her grandfather have magical objects in his possession? They were bound by a spell did that mean that he knew how to cast spells or create them or did he know someone that did?


    She was very curious about him now. What secrets was he hiding?


    "Nana, what did grandpa do for a living?"


    "He was the CEO of Mayfair corporations just like your father although I have to say that Cillian traveled a lot and not just for business. Sometimes he left for days and I didn''t hear from him." Grandma Mayfair rubbed her chin.


    Phoebe cocked head. "And you were not curious at all?"


    "Child in my era, we were taught not to question our husbands. I was okay because he returned to me at the end of the day, until he came home in a coffin one day." Sadness etched on her face. "Let''s leave."


    Phoebe hesitated as she wasn''t done yet but her grandmother''s aura had changed, there was no room for negotiation. She moved, slow and lethargic as though every step required extra effort.


    "Nana how about i clean this place up." Phoebe spoke abruptly, her movements ceased.


    Grandma Mayfair stopped in her trucks and whirled around. "You?" She asked, shocked because Phoebe hated doing chores and besides, her businesses kept her busy enough. There was no way she was suggesting this without an ulterior motive.


    "Yes, it will help me get to know grandpa better." Phoebe answered.


    [I need to know what magical artifacts are in here and why grandpa had them. I also need to know who bound them and what they do. Things that are this precious, sooner or later someone will come looking for them and my family could wind up in trouble. I think there is more to this than what meets the eye.]


    She bit her bottom lip and crossed her fingers, looking at old lady Mayfair with an exaggerated hopeful gaze.


    Grandma Mayfair read her thoughts and for the first time she was curious about her late husband''s belongings. She almost gasped and gave herself away when she read magical artifacts.


    What secrets did her husband keep from her? Was he a shaman like Phoebe? Maybe her ghost seeing abilities were inherited from him.


    She recalled that his secret life led to his death and suddenly she was wrought with worry for Phoebe. What if she suffered the same fate as him?


    Her mind was made up, she had not been able to help Cillian so she would protect Phoebe instead.


    "Okay but I''ll have to help you. it''s a lot of work to do alone."


    Without an option, Phoebe agreed.

 Chapter 266 Luna in Citrus.

    It was the day after Phoebe''s birthday, at night to be exact. David was out and about, minding his business in the The Celestial Lounge, an exclusive club for the creme de la creme of Fog city when he saw a face that he did not expect to see.


    He was having a drink with Thomas, Nile and Arrow, his only true friend in the elite circle when he saw Luna Elithera making her way to one of the private rooms in the club.


    David was not the only one to see her, Arrow Castile noticed her as well. Initially, David thought he was mistaken but Arrow brought it up.


    "Is that Luna Elithera or do my eyes deceive me?"


    The men turned their heads at once in the direction Arrow was looking. They knew he could not be mistaken, his distinctive deep red eyes could see further than most of the human population.


    Just like the Saxons had their read hair, the Castile''s had red eyes. Normally, they covered their eyes with sunglasses or used contact lenses when they were out in public. A Castile eyeball was just as valuable as Saxon hair on some corners of the world.


    So, if Arrow said he had seen something, he was usually 99.99% correct.


    But still, an Elithera in Citrus city was next to impossible. Luna had never even stepped in Citrus city for one of her music tours so why would she be there now?


    The founding families and the Elithera''s were like oil and water. This was because the Elithera''s run most of the founding families out of Magic city a long time ago using despicable means and took over the city. Many years had passed and yet the old grudge still held firm among some families that made significant financial losses.


    A silent pact of sorts had been made between the Elithera''s and the founding families. None would interfere in the business interests of the other. The Elithera''s could not set up shop in Citrus city, if they did the founding families would take their revenge for what happened hundreds of years ago.


    To the new generation, it was a stupid grudge that held no water, in fact many were fans of Luna Elithera.


    "No way." Nile spoke up first.


    Arrow turned his head to Nile and lowered his sunglasses, exposing his red eyes. "Are you questioning my vision?"


    "I know better than to do that." Nile mumbled. "But come on, an Elithera in Citrus city!! It''s ridiculous, not just in Citrus but here in the heart of the city, founding family territory. It''s unfathomable."


    "But not impossible." Thomas mentioned.


    He twirled his wine glass slowly, looking at David that appeared to be tense. Thomas knew that David''s shaman girlfriend that saved his daughter''s life had crossed paths with Luna Elithera in Magic city.


    This was because a picture of the two appeared on the internet for a minute before it was deleted permanently. They had been at a swimming pool with Andre Mayfair and old lady Mayfair.


    The picture had not been deleted fast enough, not for the Saxons who had a team that kept an eye on all potential spouses of their children and grandchildren. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lately, ghost seeing Phoebe was at the top of the list. Anything related to her was monitored be it her name, cafe, pictures, hair or anything about her that appeared online.


    After finding out about the disaster his daughter had almost suffered, he had gone to their security team looking for information on Phoebe and that''s how he had seen the photograph.


    Thomas was no fool, he could tell that something had gone down in Magic city between Luna and Phoebe.


    "Hey, cousin..." he started.


    "Excuse me." David hastily stood up and walked away from the group.


    "Where is he rushing off to?" Nile questioned.


    Thomas shrugged and Arrow took off his sunglasses, concentrating his vision on the room where Luna was. It was a good as an X-ray, and he was bored. He wanted to know what had brought an Elithera to Citrus.


    "He will pluck your eyes out." Niles chuckled.


    "Please, like that scares me." Arrow scoffed.


    David did not like anyone poking into his business and ever since he woke up from his coma, he was quite scary. Still, Arrow had done a few favors for David, he was like his personal spy when necessary. He knew most of his friend''s secrets, if David did not want him peeping on the meeting with Luna, he would move it elsewhere.


    David did not bother to move the meeting because he was not the person Luna had come to meet. He let himself into the private room without asking for permission.


    Luna sent out the man that she had been meeting, he scurried out like a frightened mouse.


    David sat down and gave Luna a stoic intense focused look. Anyone else would tremble, but not Luna, she just smiled calmly, so unbothered.


    "How rude of you David Saxon, at least knock before barging in. It''s says private on the door, did the privileged Saxon education not pay for reading classes?"


    She tapped her index finger against the untouched glass of red wine.


    "What are you doing in my city?" David quizzed.


    Luna threw her head back and she laughed with a touch of mockery.


    "Your city! i had no idea that Citrus city had been renamed Saxon city?" She took a sip of wine slowly and put the glass down. "Or is it David Saxon city, specifically? I think i missed that big egotistic billboard when i flew in on my private jet."


    She chuckled and then cracked her jaw.


    David clenched his jaw, a huge part of him did not like Luna. She always did as she wanted, regardless of the consequences to others. He knew she was here for Phoebe but he did not want someone whose hands were heavily soaked with blood around her.


    "Midnight, that is the name of the new shadow figure that runs sixty percent of the Citrus underground. You would not happen to know him, would you?" Luna quizzed.


    David clenched his hands briefly and he loosened them.


    "I am a Saxon, what would i know of the underground world?" he smiled innocently.


    "Right." Luna responded, that little mocking tone still heavy in her voice.


    "Elithera''s have no business in Citrus, you should know that." David reminded her in a soft but hard voice.


    Luna spread her arms wide. "It''s a free country, i am simply here to visit a friend and take care of some personal things." She leaned forward. "It''s so sad that i did not get an invitation to my friend''s birthday however, i even sent a gift. I hope it''s not something i did because i really__really like this friend."


    She smiled, which should have been harmless but instead David felt more on edge.


    "Get out of my city." He ordered her.


    Luna shook her head. "No, i will not be doing that. Citrus is big enough for all of us. Don''t worry, i am not here for the unsavory side of my family''s business. Rumor has it that TK entertainment is on the way down, i am simply here to speed things along and acquire the company. I am on legitimate business Saxon and i will be setting down roots in Citrus." She looked out of the window and drew in a deep breath. "Even the air in Citrus is cleaner, less polluted. I am going to love it here."

 Chapter 267 Cuckoo for Phoebe

    David looked at the open bottle of wine and he strongly contemplated picking it up and smashing it over Luna''s head.


    There was something about her that most people did not know, Luna Elithera had a mean streak of possessiveness. Be it her toys, friends, boyfriends, weapons___, anything that she marked as hers, she did not want to share.


    It was obvious that she had marked Phoebe as her friend and she was going to do all it took to make Phoebe reciprocate the friendship. She was a lunatic that would not hesitate to get rid of Evelyn if she thought the other was the reason why Phoebe did not like her.


    And when it came to enemies, she would not hesitate to kill for Phoebe and keep her safe, even against her own family if it that was what it took.


    Luna Elithera''s loyalty and love a gift and a curse for the recipient. In David''s eyes, it looked more like a curse than a gift.


    He knew old lady Mayfair was determined to keep Phoebe away from Luna. What if crazy Luna snapped and killed her?


    Phoebe would be inconsolable, she was the one that brought Luna into their lives after all.


    "How much will it cost for you to leave the city and Phoebe?" David asked.


    Luna turned her dark eyes to him and she rolled them. "You cannot afford me Saxon, my love is not for sale. What are you so apprehensive about? It''s not as if i am going to harm her. In fact, i might prove to be more helpful than you in some things."


    With a glint of victory in her eyes, she leaned forward once more. "I heard that you have been digging into Ruth Gabriel and i have information on the Gabriel''s which even your people have failed to find. This information might be useful to you, no__, it will be of great use to you."


    At the mention of Ruth Gabriel, his interest piqued. Not many people knew that he was digging around for such information but it was not surprising that Luna knew. The Elithera''s were in the information trade business, one he had joined after his rebirth.


    As much as she made him feel uneasy, the information was necessary.


    "What is it?"


    Luna wagged an index finger from side to side, slowly she picked up the glass of wine and downed it.


    "I want a deal, you protect me while i am setting down roots in Citrus city and don''t interfere in my business and i will share something with you."


    "No deal." he answered without hesitation. "What if your stay here brings trouble to Phoebe?"


    "Then i will expel myself from the city, like i said, i am here for TK majorly. This information, it is something you really don''t want to miss and i am only offering it this once Saxon."


    She raised her hand. "Five seconds."


    Luna counted the seconds loudly, lowering a finger with each count. Just before the last one fell, David surrendered.


    "Fine, as long as it helps me protect Phoebe, we have a deal. If it''s useless, i will hunt you down and shoot you with your own guns." he threatened.


    Luna touched her pocket, brought out a pen and clicked it. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I have recorded this conversation, you know how it works in the information business, a word is as good as a binding contract."


    "Know...talk." David urged.


    He was impatient that he did not even bother to use a full sentence, picking out words he needed.


    "Once upon a time, the number of founding families was big, much bigger than the ones still standing today." Luna poured herself another glass of wine, taking her time to share the information.


    The more she dallied, provoking David with the satisfied glint smirk on her lips, the more he longed to stuff the wine glass down her throat.


    She was just so infuriating!!


    "In 1799 among the founding families that had traveled all the way from the unclaimed lands was one young man named Othello. I don''t have all the information, some of it is missing but this Othello fellow was apparently a bad egg so his family was expelled from the founding society. Back then, if a family was expelled all information on them was wiped out.


    The family would be executed, from adults to children, they were all wiped out. After the rumored magical wars, Othello committed a crime for which he was imprisoned while his family was erased from the world.


    In prison, he served time with a petty thief named Gabriel. The two men escaped prison at the same time and crossed into Magic city but, only one made it home. Guess which one it was?"


    "Gabriel." David answered.


    Luna gave him a thumbs up. "Wow, you are smart."


    David scoffed. His answer was only obvious because the Gabriel''s still existed while the Othello''s he had never heard about.


    "However, apparently the Gabriel that made it home looked nothing like the original Gabriel. This was something his mother loudly shared with the neighbors and anybody that cared to hear.


    A day after he returned home, all members of the Gabriel family that lived under one roof died suspiciously in a fire. This incident happened a long time ago and the only reason why the information reached us is because mama Gabriel said her son had been replaced with an alien.


    My cousin Lucera keeps an eye on all things alien in Magic city. We all know they are not real but with all the weird things in the world, knowledge is better than ignorance.


    When i looked into Phoebe, i did a deep dive into the Gabriel''s. They are possibly descended from Othello, i don''t know if this information will help you but i believe there is something there.


    I intend to keep digging, this concerns my shaman after all. In order to live a long safe life and avoid early death, she needs to be safe.


    Word of advise, kill Ruth Gabriel, a dead enemy is the only enemy i consider handled. If your enemy is alive, you are not safe, you are only giving them time to resurrect and try again. Be wiser David...think big."


    "You.." David started but the door opened and a familiar face walked into the private room.


    David looked from Luna to the new entrant that happened to be Luke Mayfair. Luke paused in his steps and he looked from Luna to David.


    The two men were definitely not expecting to run into each other.


    "What the hell is going on here?" he blurted out.


    Luke used one finger to push up his round silver glasses, holding the slightly cold look in his eyes steady.


    "I have business with her, why are you here?" he questioned slowly.


    David looked from Luna to Luke, again, uncertain about what business the two possibly had together. As far as he knew, they had never met.


    He recalled Luna giving Andre her business card and now she was meeting Luke privately. Was it her intention to hook up with one of the two single Mayfair boys?


    The phone rung just when David prepared himself to respond.


    "Boss, there is a fire at the asylum, get here quickly."


    He turned to Luke and relayed the message without hanging up. Three people dashed out of the private room and away from the Celestial Lounge.


    All of them had one question, what were Ruth''s circumstances in the fire? Was she dead or alive?

 Chapter 268 The fire at Lockhart__1

    While the three people rushed away from the lounge in their individual cars, the ones David had left behind were rather curious about their reasons for leaving in such a hurry.


    Thomas and Nile could only turn to Arrow, hoping that he could enlighten them on the situation.


    Arrow raised his eyebrows and smirked. He had that smug look on his face which he always had when he knew something other people did not. It was always worse when they wanted to know but couldn''t forcefully pry his mouth open.


    Nile groaned, he could tell that it was going to take some cajoling to open Arrow''s mouth.


    "What will it take?"


    Thomas put down his wine glass. "I recently acquired a few gold leaves that were part of the original window from the original St. Sebastian palace." He nodded.


    Nile scoffed. "Golden leaves from the window which once belonged to Princess Grania of St. Sebastian nation in exchange for some information! wow, cousin, you are generous."


    Nile said so because the entire window was made from precious materials like gold, sapphires and amber. It had been stolen during the second St, Sebastian war.


    The window was considered to be an art piece and a national treasure in their nation. The golden leaves were part of the window and each cost as much as twenty million.


    "I have three leaves, i can give you one." Thomas tempted Arrow.


    Arrow smiled like a carnivore and he nodded. "Luna Elithera is settling in the city and something about a fire."


    "That''s all!" Niles exclaimed.


    Arrow shrugged. "I am only slightly skilled at lip reading. Besides, i was getting a headache from over using my vision. I am expecting my leaf before the sun rises Thomas."


    "What fire?" Nile asked.


    His question would be answered in two minutes as news on the fire started to spread.


    When the group of three reached Lockhart, they were greeted by fire trucks, emergency responders and hospital residents including patients, doctors and workers that had survived and were being directed to sit in an open tent.


    Many were receiving emergency care and attached to oxygen masks.


    It was a mess and chaos reigned everywhere, some people were running towards the fire and others away from it.


    "Holy crap!" Luke took his glasses off as he stepped out of the car.


    Just like David, he had been expecting a small fire, not what resembled a sea of wild forest fire determined to turn everything in it''s path into ash.


    He turned around in circles, slowly taking everything in. Screams pierced the air, mingling with the wailing sirens and guttural roar of fire. Strangers reached out to one another, pulling each other from harms way.


    "Over here! More in coming!" A doctor shouted when fire fighters emerged from the smoke carrying people, what they didn''t know was if they were dead or alive.


    David did not care about everything around, even if the sky fell he would not notice. His mind was focused on only one thing, finding Ruth.


    First, he grabbed the closest doctor he recognized and asked him about Ruth. The doctor shook his head, indicating that he had no idea where she was.


    Luke and Luna followed in his footsteps, questioning the nurses and doctors but it was all in vain.


    "Help, help!" A firefighter screamed.


    He was coming from the Eastern wing of the building which was the most affected one. David moved closer for the woman that the fire fighter was carrying looked so similar to Ruth.


    On looking closer, it was not her.


    "Is that her?" Luna asked.


    Her right hand was in her front pocket and she was already playing with the tip of her knife. As soon as David confirmed that it was Ruth, she would slit her throat and throw her body back into the fire.


    David shook his head regretfully. At this point, he hoped she was already dead. If it was so then the heavens would have done them all a great favor.


    "No it''s not her, I''ll check the dead bodies, you guys check the survivors."


    "I will first check the with EMT''s and see those that have been rushed away to nearby hospitals, David send your people to confirm their identities. After that, i will monitor the survivor''s tent, if she is brought in or has been taken there, i will get to her first." Luke dashed off.


    As he hurried away, Luke called Collin and informed him of what had happened.


    "I have not called Pheebs first because I don''t know how she will react. You are better at delivering bad news, call and tell her." He hung up abruptly. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Collin was about to leave the house and meet up with Shana when he got this call. Immediately, he abandoned those plans and rushed back into the house, knocking on every door and sharing the information with everyone.


    Just like David, their minds all jumped to Ruth, not in worry for her life but worry that she might escape and harm Phoebe.


    Grandma Mayfair reached out to Santos and he assured her that Phoebe was safe, about to leave the cafe. This news brought momentary satisfaction to them.


    "I am going to the hospital." Collin informed them.


    "Me too." grandma Mayfair declared. "I have to make sure that mad woman stays locked up tight and she does not get a chance to escape and harm our family."


    "I am going too." Jennie volunteered.


    "Get Phoebe''s mini van ready, we are all going." Edward told Collin.


    Collin turned to do as ordered but Edward stopped him for a brief moment.


    "Don''t tell your sister just yet, we should first find out the true circumstances of the situation and find Ruth. I don''t want my daughter to be troubled with such things anymore."


    Unknown to him was the fact that Phoebe had already seen the news on the television just as she was closing up the cafe.


    It happened at the very moment when she was preparing to chase away the therapist ghost that had returned with the same request.


    As soon as she saw the news, she had thought of Ruth immediately then got in her car and started driving to the hospital.


    While she was driving, the Saxon spirit looked through the passenger window of the car, gazing in the direction of the hospital.


    "I can see a thick black smoke rising to the heavens. It''s truly coming from the direction of the Lockhart hospital."


    Phoebe chanted some words and used her mind to find Ruth. She had been wise enough to put a tracking worm Ruth''s body but unlike the first time when locating her had been easy, this time she couldn''t clearly pin the location down.


    "I can sense where she is but I cannot find her, it''s almost as if something is blocking the power of the bug i put in her body." Phoebe told the spirit.


    "Keep trying." The spirit encouraged.


    She did, not once but twice. By the time she was on the sixth try, she had arrived on the outskirts of Lockhart.

 Chapter 269 The fire at Lockhart__2

    By the time Phoebe parked her car, the fire had already claimed the western wing of the hospital.


    Of all the Mayfair''s that went to check out the situation, she was the last to arrive. Originally, the fire fighters at the scene refused to let her through but the Saxon spirit charmed them and they blindly let her cross the perimeter.


    The closer she got to the building, the more heat she felt. The wind carried it, just as it had fanned the flames which were still blazing hot in some areas.


    It was loud everywhere, the wind also carried the sounds of sirens from fire trucks and ambulances and wails of families that had loved ones in the hospital.


    "Be careful." A firefighter pushed her away just as pieces of a shattered glass window which exploded and the emergency ladders came crushing down.


    "My God!" Her hands moved to cover her mouth when she saw the inferno spread out of the window with unnatural speed almost like someone was fanning it.


    A hand was placed on her back, helping to steady her because her legs were trembling. When she turned her head, Phoebe saw the rest of her family, some of them anyway. She did not know when they had reached or why but she did not ask and they did not ask her either why she was there.


    "It''s really bad, Luke has said that many people might not make it through the night. He is helping out in the survivor''s emergency medical aid tent, let''s go find him." Collin placed his phone back in his pant pocket.


    His words scared them especially Edward who had no idea that Luke was actually at Lockhart. He thought Luke had seen the news on the fire on television and then informed Collin about it.


    "Luke? Why is he here? Is he hurt?" His hand clutched on Collin''s shirt around the neck, almost strangling him.


    "Let''s find him first." Jennie urged, worriedly.


    They all rushed to the tent which was crowded, filled with patients and doctors plus other volunteers. Phoebe''s eyes searched through the faces and finally she saw Luke. He was pacing around and studying the faces of the survivors in search of something or someone.


    "Over there." Phoebe pointed at him, they all wasted no time in rushing to where Luke was.


    He was holding the arm of an injured woman whose face was bandaged. Luke was reading the names on the silver bracelet on her wrist.


    "Sweetheart are you okay?" Jennie''s hands reached for his face only for Luke to pull away.


    His aura was fierce and in his eyes was a steely look that held some impatience.


    "I cannot find Ruth." He tugged on his front hair. "What if she escaped?" He expelled air from his nostrils which were slightly flared.


    Grandma Mayfair looked through the transparent part of the tent behind them, studying the raging fire.


    "Wasn''t she staying in the eastern wing? I have heard from the firefighters that it was swallowed up and almost everyone that was there died. How do you expect a mad person to run out of that fire? She must be a wandering ghost by now, i hope she is burning in hell. That white eyed wolf deserves to be burnt more than once."


    Phoebe''s eyes shifted around, studying the situation, she was like Luke, unless she saw the corpse, Ruth would be considered alive to her.


    "Where is David?" She asked. Her voice was coated with slight desperation.


    "He''s searching for Ruth among the dead bodies over there." Luke pointed in the direction of an enclosed tent where bodies were being stored temporarily.


    Without waiting, Phoebe ran out and went in search for him. She wanted to confirm that he was safe and then she could join the Ruth hunting party.


    "Ma''am you cannot go in there." A police officer that was guarding the tent stretched his hand in the bid to stop Phoebe from entering.


    She tried to explain that she was searching for someone but all her efforts were in vain. The officer ordered that she be taken away.


    "We will call you to identify the bodies later on, please leave for now."


    Phoebe opened her bag to bring out her police consultant badge.


    "Take your filthy hands off her." Came a stern female voice from behind her, it sounded familiar so Phoebe turned around only to see Luna Elithera.


    She was gobsmacked, unsure on how to react. Never in her wildest dreams did she think that she was going to run into her at Lockhart of all places. In the city, sure, it could happen but here at Lockhart, it was improbable.


    "Luna? Luna why are you here?" Phoebe asked her voice laced with shock.


    The question remained unanswered for Luna''s venomous gaze remained fixed on the officer


    "Do you want me to beat you to a pulp? I said take your paws off my friend!" Her voice was loud, almost thunderous.


    One officer whispered something to the one holding Phoebe''s hand, immediately he let go of her arm and apologized to both women. He then scurried away like he had seen something terrifying.


    "My shaman friend, I didn''t want us to meet again under such horrible circumstances but I guess the universe had other plans." Luna smiled generously.


    There were so many questions in her head but first she wanted to make sure that David was okay, Luna could wait.


    Luna noticed that Phoebe was about to enter the tent and she stopped her by grabbing her hand.


    "David is fine, he''s searching for Ruth your former friend or should I say former sister?" A bitter chuckle slipped through her lips.


    Just when Phoebe was about to ask why Luna was there and why she knew where David was when a loud noise called for both of their attention. Parts of the burning building were cracking, all the firefighters were fleeing for their lives and within a few seconds, the entire building collapsed inwards with a deafening roar.


    Phoebe watched as the ghosts that haunted it were also released into the night. They fled with wails as if the fire was capable of harming them.


    The ones that did not flee hung back and started to gossip about the fire, sharing theories on how it started and planning on where to move now that there home was gone. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Others were already looking for human bodies to invade or those to haunt.


    "God damn it!" Phoebe sighed.


    She thought of all the insane ghosts that were going to flood the city. No good ghost haunted a mental asylum, they were all problematic, 99% of them anyway. She took out her phone and called Amon whom she requested to come to Lockhart and it''s surrounding areas with backup.


    "Bring as many ghost exorcists as possible, it''s a party over here."


    She hung up when David emerged from the tent.


    "Ruth isn''t here either." He announced as he moved towards Phoebe and Luna.


    The Mayfairs approached them, worry for Phoebe in their eyes. It only deepened when they saw Luna Elithera standing next to her. There was tension and everyone could see how disapprovingly grandma Mayfair was looking at Luna.


    The old lady went so far as to put herself between Phoebe and Luna.


    "First you sent Phoebe dangerous gifts and now you are here, it is no coincidence, is it?" Grandma Mayfair narrowed her gaze at her.


    Luna chuckled softly. "No it''s not but your attention should be elsewhere." She answered softly but assertively. "If Ruth Gabriel is not among the dead in here and also not in there being barbecued in the rubble then you might have trouble on your hands. Would you care to guess why?"


    Her ruthless words forced almost everyone to dive into a suffocating silence.

 Chapter 270 Dead or alive

    "How can you say that out loud?" Grandma Mayfair''s expression strongly disapproved of Luna''s choice of words.


    Her eyes rolled upwards. "Oh please you we are all thinking the same thing, if she is not here it''s possible that she survived and escaped. If by chance this happened, we should be coming up with a contingency plan which ends with that bitch six feet under. Is there someone here that wants Ruth to actually survive this fire?" Luna asked but her question was responded by silence.


    Nevertheless, they all shared the same opinion, a dead Ruth was better than a missing one.


    Luna was not finished sharing her opinions on the matter, she put her hands behind her back, tilted her head and said, "No offense to everyone here but keeping her alive was a mistake that needs to be remedied. Evil people never die, they are like worms, they somehow always find a way to escape the net woven around them.


    This fire for example, are you certain that it is not connected to her?


    Where are her parents, perhaps they did it to rescue their daughter? Lockhart has existed for 50 years without a single fire incident and this happens after Ruth moves in___My spidey senses say it''s no coincidence."


    Every word that she said hit a point that was worth thinking over and the Mayfairs traded gazes. Luke knew that David had the Gabriel''s so he focused more on David.


    David meanwhile was already on his phone, reaching out to Roman.


    [Where are the Gabriel''s? What have they been up to today?]


    He received updates on them every other day and normally he would getting one the following day but this was an emergency.


    Roman and some of his people were already on their way to different hospitals, some had already even arrived and they were combing through the patients that had been driven in from Lockhart.


    "Do they know the cause of the fire yet?" Edward massaged his nostrils, the air had been polluted making it a little hard to breath.


    David sighed sharply, a sound carrying the weight of his exasperation into the air.


    "I don''t know, anything could have happened this hospital is really old. Perhaps the wires sorted and started a fire, or someone lit a cigarette." He answered.


    "Or someone started the fire deliberately to help Ruth escape from the hospital." Came Luna''s unpopular opinion which garnered her attention from everyone. "Guys it''s just too convenient that the fire started in the Eastern wing where Ruth was." Luna dug deeper, asserting her observations.


    Luke took a step towards the center. "Luna has a point, we should consider it just as we are considering other options. Has any of you heard from the Gabriel''s ever since we locked Ruth in here? His eyes moved around from one Mayfair to another in search of an answer but they all shook their heads, no one had heard from them.


    David opened his mouth to admit to having information on their latest movements but his phone rung. Rather than texting, Roman was calling.


    "Excuse me." he said, and left the small group momentarily.


    Luna moved turned to Phoebe. "Do the Gabriel''s know about your shaman abilities?"


    Phoebe nodded, even Ruth was aware.


    "I have a way of tracking Ruth but something is blocking me. I want to try again." Phoebe shared.


    She knelt on the ground, put the central map on the grass and cast a location spell again.


    The others hovered around, Luna even squatted down besides Phoebe and she watched in fascination as the drop of blood traveled and stopped on the location of Lockhart.


    "What does this mean?" Edward asked loudly.


    Phoebe frowned. "It means that she is here but this can''t be right...I...." she looked up at her parents and scratched her head.


    The next thing she wanted to admit was kind of weird, and she thought they would look at her in a different way if they knew what she had done.


    "I sort of planted a bug in her bones which i can use to track her anywhere in the world." sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You did what now?" Grandma Mayfair squeaked out.


    Phoebe sighed, it really wasn''t the time to explain her actions. The people with her however were looking at her with a mixture of emotions in their eyes. Most of them were bewildered, having never heard about this kind of thing.


    "Tracker magic..." Luna whispered.


    Phoebe turned her eyes to Luna and she nodded.


    "You have heard about it."


    Luna nodded. "It is considered to be a myth, apparently you can tie a soul seeker worm to someone''s soul. The worm can sense the direction and distance of a person, allowing the owner of the worm to track the one they are keeping an eye on with ease."


    "Soul seeker worms and tracker worms are different but they mostly do the same thing. A tracker worm is attached to the body or bones, a soul seeker worm to the soul. I used a tracker worm which i told Maria to put in her food." Phoebe told her.


    Luna laughed vividly, obviously impressed.


    The two spoke casually but those that were listening felt some discomfort, Jennie especially rubbed her hands against her arms. It was as if she could feel worms in her own body.


    "Err, Pheebs, we did not eat any worms, right?" Grandma Mayfair asked.


    Phoebe shook her head. Jennie made up her mind to keep Phoebe out of the kitchen.


    "If the worm says that she is here, then we should follow the directions of the worm." Luke said brashly.


    He was impatient, this magical talk could wait for another day, dead or alive, they needed to find and capture Ruth.


    The Saxon spirit and Phoebe traded looks. While Luna and Phoebe were talking, it had thought of something.


    "Earlier you said that you couldn''t find Ruth''s exact location even though you can still sense the bug in her body. What if someone is helping her and they found a shaman or warlock that could suppress the worm. What if they cast a veiling spell? You gave her one hour of sanity so that she could suffer through spending her birthday in a mental asylum.


    Who knows what happened during that time? Ruth knows about your shaman abilities, she must have made some arrangements. If magic was used here, we should track the magic. It will surely lead us to Ruth."


    The words from the spirit only pushed Phoebe further off the edge, it seemed like it was possible Ruth''s mystery helper from her last life had made a move.


    A small smile tugged on Phoebe''s lips, the long awaited foe had finally showed up. Things would become even more interesting from now on.

 Chapter 271 Between life and death.

    Phoebe looked at everyone as she started dropping things on the ground.


    "I need some silence to cast a small spell."


    She got a moon crystal, some sage and a drop of water from the lake of life. Then, she sprinkled the water on the moon crystal and lit the sage. She held up the moon crystal and everyone''s eyes followed, looking up curiously.


    "I call upon the ancient magic, open the heavens, reveal the magic that is hidden here."


    The crystal started to glow, just like a bright moon it cast a soft light around them. Phoebe smiled, the spell had worked on her first try.


    "Please, give this to Yin and the ghosts." she told the ancestor.


    It vanished away and returned in less than ten seconds, giving the others no opportunity to question Phoebe about what she was up to.


    While Connie, Sylvester and the undead pets continued the search, Phoebe decided to find the source of the fire. As always, she decided to go the supernatural way because ordinary human means would delay her. Not only would she have to wait for an official report from a fire investigator but it could also be wrong.


    Out from her bag, she pulled out a big book, one which the Saxon spirit had taken from grandpa Mayfair''s basement.


    It was a book on runes, how to draw them and their purposes. From the side of her right eye, she peeked at grandma Mayfair to see if the old woman realized where the book had come from.


    Her face did not show any signs of recognition and Phoebe was relieved.


    [I did not steal the book, i only borrowed it. It belongs to my grandfather so technically i sort of own it. I hope nana won''t be mad, I will put it back eventually.]


    Her secret was not a secret much longer after grandma Mayfair read her thoughts. She glanced at the book and wondered when Phoebe had "borrowed" it.


    As long as the book was helpful to Phoebe, she did not mind.


    Phoebe found the rune she was looking for and she picked up a stick. Using some of her energy, she started drawing symbols into the ground, combining elements of fire and detection.


    Because she was in a hurry, she was not meticulous and some of the lines were crooked. In the middle of the lines, she drew a flame icon and then placed a fire talisman on it.


    "Hear me earth, hear me wind, ignite the flame, show me the path." She chanted.


    Nobody had a clue what she was doing and they just watched in silence, trying not to disturb her. Edward was even breathing as slowly as he could, afraid that his breath would break her concentration.


    They all watched in memorization as the rune activated and it began to glow brighter. Blue flames rose from the center and the talisman was consumed. The flames started to move, pointing to the Western wing of the hospital and marking out a path.


    Suddenly, Phoebe recalled that building had collapsed and she sighed in frustration. All she had done was in vain. This was further cemented when the flames returned to the center of the rune.


    Just as she was about to give up hope. the flame carved a number and a letter into the ground, 17B.E


    "What the hell!" Luke exclaimed. "That''s Ruth''s room number, 17 B, Eastern wing."


    "In that...." Edward started.


    "The Gabriel''s have not been here." David brashly cut in.


    There was a moment of silence, everyone was wondering how to proceed. All hospital staff that were not injured were looking for Ruth, all the people they had in the city were doing the same thing and they were on ground, doing the same thing.


    "I think she is dead." Jennie said calmly. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Let''s not jump to that conclusion, we should wait for conclusive evidence. For now, let''s disperse and search. We can reconvene here in an hour unless someone gets new information." David suggested.


    Once again, they split up and the search continued. After an hour they met up at the dead where dead corpses were being taken out by staff from the coroner''s office.


    "Anything?" Luke asked.


    The response was similar, negative.


    Just then, Yin returned to Phoebe and he came baring gifts. The bird threw up some things on the ground and Phoebe gloved up and went in to take a look.


    There was a butterfly gold necklace that Ruth never took off and three teeth.


    "These belong to Ruth, all that''s left where her energy is are ashes." Yin dived back into the coin as his job was done.


    His findings left Phoebe even more perplexed. If Ruth was dead and her body burnt to ashes why could she still sense her?


    They all heard what the bird reported back and some were relieved.


    "She''s dead, finally we can all stop worrying about that crazy bitch, thank God." Grandma Mayfair made the sign of the cross.


    Jennie''s brows pulled together. "It''s over, unless she comes after Pheebs in ghost form. Honey, be careful, i should buy you some protection talismans."


    Phoebe''s upper lip twitched. Where was her mother going to buy those talismans? She was a shaman that sold talismans, in fact she was the one that gave Jennie protection talismans!!


    "I can handle her, human or ghost." Phoebe answered confidently.


    She did not want to tell her parents that Ruth was not really dead, no matter what the evidence said, the worm said otherwise.


    Even with all the evidence that proved that Ruth was dead, David preferred to wait before getting excited. He had noticed that Phoebe still retained her apprehension.


    [Anything?]


    He sent a text to Roman and his team.


    Two fire fighters passed and one took his protective helmet off.


    "Man we have fought a lot of fires but I have never seen anything like this!"


    "Same, the more we put it out the angrier it got." The other shook his head in disbelief.


    "It just kept coming after us as if it had eyes, i hope i don''t get to fight another fire at a mental asylum, ever. These places are haunted dude."


    Phoebe and company eavesdropped until the firefighters faded away. Then, they looked at each other, pondering on the words they had just heard. A fire that had eyes, how peculiar!


    Connie returned with the moon crystal, from white, it was now red, resembling a blood crystal. The Saxon spirit sniffed the crystal.


    "What is it?" Phoebe asked curiously.


    The spirit let out a short frustrated sigh. "Magic, old magic. Whoever cast it is between life and death, they cast a veiling spell to confuse us, Ruth is long gone. This makes no sense at all, how does she tie in with someone like this?"


    David moved near her. "Phoebe what do you think? Is she really gone for good? I think a lot of things are suspicious, starting with the fire itself."


    All Phoebe did was stare at him blankly, before she could share her opinion, a bus arrived along with other cars and not surprising, what looked like soldiers.


    She knew that the members of the founding sect had arrived. They stepped out of the vehicles, Amon among them.


    Immediately, they started clearing out everyone from the grounds of Lockhart, Phoebe and her group only stayed because Amon allowed to.


    It took fifteen minutes for the Lockhart grounds to be cleared and then the ghost catchers got to work. A middle aged man crouched and cast a spell, he raised his hands and created an invisible dome covering at least 100 square miles.


    "What the hell is that?" Phoebe whispered.


    She could see it but the others couldn''t because they were ordinary.


    "What are you looking at?" David asked her.


    All of them were looking up but there was nothing but smoke and stars.


    "You don''t see it?" Phoebe asked him.

 Chapter 272 Revenge time was coming.

    He shook his head as did the rest of the Mayfairs and Luna that said no. They knew something extraordinary was happening, but they had no ability to peek. Not unless Phoebe cast her spells and opened their spiritual eyes like she did sometimes.


    Phoebe did not explain, it was not something important to them anyway. They stood in place like Redwood tress in a forest and watched the ghost catchers engage various ghosts that had not escaped fast enough.


    Just like the last time in Iborg city, the ghost catchers were impressive showing off their skills and talents as if they were competing with each other for the most kills.


    It almost looked like they were playing a game which they were enjoying because quite a few of them were laughing. They brandished their various weapons with ease, gaining the admiration of the few Mayfairs that were watching.


    Even though they could not see the ghosts they could picture what was going on.


    Two ghost catchers that were carrying a black metallic net with bells run past them.


    Everyone turned and followed the two ghost catchers. They watched as they leaped high, then walked in air and caught something in their net.


    A howling nightmarish sound was heard and the bells rung, the sound reverberating for miles. It was the sound of torture and pain.


    "No wonder they are called ghost catchers, they actually catch ghosts with nets." Edward commented.


    "They are like fishermen." Luna added.


    Her hands were on her guns, itching to get in on the action but sadly, she could not because she was not a ghost catcher.


    "Damn! Andre would have loved this." Collin laughed softly.


    He was going to rub this story in his youngest brother''s face and watch him roll around on the floor in agony as regret washed over him.


    "For once, we are the ones on an adventure with Pheebs." Luke chuckled.


    Usually they heard to hear all about the wonderful ghost adventures of Phoebe from Andre. It felt good to witness one for themselves without Andre.


    Phoebe waved her hand and opened their eyes in the last two minutes so they were able to witness the ending of the battle between the ghost catchers and the ghosts.


    When they were done, the middle aged man approached them. His eyes fixed on Phoebe, ignoring the rest of the people in the group.


    He paused in front of Phoebe and took in her physical shape from head to toe with curiosity in his eyes. Phoebe was equally studying him.


    He was an older man, probably in his sixties she guessed. He was of average height and build, had thick grey hair and an interesting tear shaped mole below his left eye.


    She sensed strength and danger from him, and she was glad the ghosts were in the space, including the Saxon spirit. Phoebe knew that she could not intimidate him or win in a battle against him, not now anyway.


    "You must be the infamous Phoebe Mayfair, Citrus''s self acclaimed great shaman." His eyes narrowed. "I noticed that you can see the dome, but I don''t understand how that is possible, not even the greatest shamans can see it. What are you?"


    He raised his right hand to touch her face and Phoebe took a step back.


    Edward moved to stand in front of her, switching to protective dad mode. "Morrell, thank you for what you do for Fog country but leave my children out of it! Do not think of recruiting my daughter." He spoke through pursed lips.


    Luna''s brows rose. "Is he a threat to Phoebe?" She asked.


    Grandma Mayfair sneered just a little bit, she found Luna ridiculous. The Mayfairs had not moved but an Elithera was ready to jump in. Wasn''t this a case of an eunuch panicking when the king was calm?


    The man called Morrell laughed. "You know me Edward, the recruit i want must be inducted into the sect, there are so few of us left. I am unwilling to give up a good seed. I will see you around Phoebe Mayfair." He gave Phoebe one last glance and walked away.


    "Father who was that?" Phoebe asked.


    Edward hissed. "Someone that you should stay away from, let''s go." He ordered.


    Phoebe''s eyes kept shifting back to Morrell who was giving orders to the members of the founding sect to spread out and continue the hunt.


    "He is the leader of the founding sect." David whispered.


    "Hey guys, what is the conclusion before we leave, is Ruth dead or alive? Do we trust that these teeth and necklace are all that is left of her in the world?" Collin asked.


    He had doubts which brought all of their attention back to the matter which had brought them to the mental hospital in the first place.


    The ghost catching had been an entertaining distraction but they needed to get back on track.


    It was getting darker and colder, they all smelled like smoke and wanted to go home but they could not just leave without concluding Ruth''s chapter.


    "What does the worm say?" Edward asked Phoebe.


    She was a little surprised by the question, she thought he would be like Jennie and grandma Mayfair, assuming Ruth was dead and all was well.


    [No wonder my father grew the Mayfair corporation into a gigantic company, he is smart He must have figured out the truth.]


    Edward''s lips rose slightly and he patted his chest with his right hand. A big part of him wanted boast but common sense rode over that part, ensuring that his mouth remained sealed.


    "Just tell them, it will be better this way so that they can all be on the look out at all times." The Saxon spirit told Phoebe.


    "She is not dead." Phoebe announced.


    "What?" Jennie exploded. "Fuck! fuck! fuck! ooooh....." she groaned.


    It was an outburst that was unexpected, particularly the swearing which took all of them by surprise except for Edward.


    "Honey...not in front of the kids."


    The kids just traded gazes in wonder and saved whatever they had to say for later.


    "What do we do?" Collin asked.


    "Nothing, i have been waiting for so long for this day to come, for the puppet master to come out of hiding. So we do nothing for now but wait, she will be back, not for us but him." Phoebe turned to David. "And when she does, i will be waiting to unleash hell on her." sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    All along, she had simply been toying with Ruth, waiting for the right time to begin her real revenge. The time had come, finally.


    David was Ruth''s obsession, in this life or the previous one, she would never give him up and Phoebe was banking on it.


    Moreover, no matter how many warlocks or shamans intervened, that worm would not die. It was still a baby but it would grow slowly, eating away at Ruth''s body and soul.


    No matter where she run to, she was and would always be in the palm of Phoebe''s hand.

 Chapter 273 Luna and Luke.

    An unspoken decision was made for them all to go home, staying on the grounds of the ruined Lockhart asylum was not helping anyone.


    They all had a lot on their minds and all the Mayfair''s in the group kept looking at Phoebe''s head, hoping that she would think about Ruth and this day that she had been waiting for.


    From the bitterness and anger in Phoebe''s voice, they guessed that something really bad had happened between Phoebe and Ruth, something she had not shared with any of them.


    "Let''s talk." David took Phoebe''s hand.


    He wanted to discuss the hidden enemy, all along he thought Phoebe had no clue about the person that had helped Ruth destroy not just them but the Saxons. What she did not know was that the Mayfair''s too had been ruined after her death.


    If Phoebe knew something, then it was best to put their heads together and figure out the next step. He decided that it was time to dredge up that dreaded conversation.


    "Not now." she answered. She took back her hand and looked at the undead pets.


    In her mind, she communicated with the Saxon ancestor. "Send Black kitty and Sylvester to follow the weird magic smell on the moon crystal. They should place tracking talismans on any vehicle she is in. I need to know where she ends up."


    "Pheebs...."


    David and Collin called out at the same time. They both looked each other, exchanging similar looks of displeasure.


    "David, you must have a lot to do in relation to the fire. You own Lockhart so there is a lot to handle, starting with handling the families of the deceased, figuring out what caused the fire, dealing with the press and so on. We will talk later."


    She decided to send David away first. He was reluctant to leave but she was right, his phone had not stop vibrating for a single minute since the fire started, he had simply been ignoring it mostly.


    "Alright, i will see you later."


    He left and the Mayfair''s moved their feet to do the same. Grandma Mayfair noticed the excess addition to the group that was following them.


    "Ahem!" she stopped, looked at Luna and cleared her throat.


    "I will leave now." Luna waved goodbye.


    She walked fast, leaving the strolling Mayfair''s in the wind. But when she got to her car, she paused and sent a text.


    [Let''s meet at Caesar''s bar along the high way.]


    The message was sent to Luke and he read it after closing the door of the van and sending his family off. He escorted Phoebe to her car and watched her drive off as well.


    Then, he moved to his car and looked at the text again, drumming his fingers against the door. Luke didn''t know why she was hellbent on talking to him. He had been surprised to get a call from her inviting him for a drink at the Celestial lounge.


    He had turned her down initially but she had insisted. He figured that it had to be something important and curiosity got the better of him since Luna Elithera didn''t pick interest in just anyone.


    Luke contemplated for a few more seconds and he sighed.


    "I might as well get it over with." he mumbled.


    He got drove straight to the bar, the road was clear as a result of the diversion of traffic going towards Lockhart. He arrived earlier than anticipated and he was not shocked to find a welcoming party of armed men that worked for Luna. He was escorted into the empty bar which Luna had cleared out.


    She was sitting by herself at a table in the center, sipping wine slowly while moving her head along to the old music coming from a jukebox in the corner.


    "I didn''t think that you were actually coming." A wide smile formed on her lips.


    Luke''s face masked indifference as he pulled out a chair for himself opposite her.


    "What are you playing at? You knew that I was coming so cut the crap and get to the point." He leaned back in the chair.


    "A drink perhaps?" Luna snapped her fingers summoning a waitress.


    "No thanks, I don''t drink with strangers." Luke''s suspicious eyes remained fixed on her. "You have five minutes of my time and if you waste them, i am not afraid to waste you."


    Luna''s heart fluttered, She liked the fact that he wasn''t doing much to please her besides she liked ruthless men. A tingle of excitement traveled down her spine, Luke Mayfair was a wolf, Andre a puppy. She liked wolves, they were vicious but could be loyal.


    "What do you want from me Luna?" He shifted forward.


    Luna crossed one leg over the other and placed the glass of wine on the table.


    "Friendship." she leaned forward as well.


    It was a small table so the distance between them was not very big.


    "Is this a joke?" A shaky laugh escaped his lips.


    Luna licked her lips slowly, her eyes met Luke''s and she shook her head. Even in looks, Luke was far more handsome than Andre, why people were blind to it, she could not understand. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Initially, she just wanted to play around, he was her easiest link to the Mayfair''s after all. The more she looked at his face however, the more she liked it.


    "I would never play with you Luke," she answered in a soft sultry voice. "I am setting up shop in Citrus and I need connections to live here comfortably without some stupid founding families getting involved in my business. Be my connection Luke, be my friend we can both benefit from this."


    A faint, dry smile curled up Luke''s lips. "What could I possibly benefit from being your friend? Find someone else." Luke shifted forward further as if he was going in for a kiss.


    Just when his nose was an inch from Luna, he stood up.


    "The black opal, floral bomb, candy bloom." Luna blurted out in a steely voice.


    Luke stopped in his steps, his face froze for a second and he turned around and sat down.


    Luna giggled. "That''s more like it or should I keep mentioning all the poisons that you have been buying from the Elithera camp under pseudo names?" She initiated and maintained eye contact.


    "Shh! keep your bloody mouth shut!" Luke spoke through gritted teeth. "You cannot out me, that would be breaking a confidential agreement with a client. If you do that then you won''t have any clients to sell to."


    "I didn''t say I was going to tell on you but my words might slip when your grandmother forbids me from going near Phoebe." Luna crossed her arms.


    "So it''s Phoebe you want? What the hell do you want from my sister?"


    "I want to protect her, your sister saved my family and for that I owe her for life." She leaned back, creating some space between them. "Truth be told, after everything with my father, i have become paranoid. Who knew that chicken feathers, nails, hair and a small puppet doll could be used to steal wealth and kill?


    Your sister said something about my death, now when i close my eyes, i see it in my mind. I have a feeling that without her, i might die an untimely death. She is useful to me and I want her to live a very long, peaceful life so that i can do the same." Luna''s eyes remained on him. "I am too hot to die in my prime."

 Chapter 274 Deal.

    Luke held a moment of silence, pondering on Luna''s words. In fact, he had the opposite opinion to the rest of the family, he thought that Phoebe having the protection of an Elithera wasn''t such a bad thing.


    Her line of work was dangerous, no matter how many precautions they took, something could always slip through the net.


    She had been attacked in or near her cafe a number of times, three if he remembered correctly. One attacked led to her strangulation and another her kidnapping, which happened despite her having ghosts, magic and bodyguards.


    Now, with Ruth on the lose with the help of an unknown enemy, nothing could be left to chance. The more eyes he had on her, the safer she would be.


    If Luna wanted to use Phoebe, why couldn''t Phoebe do the same and use Luna?


    While he was thinking, his fingers were drumming against the solid brown table top. Once he came to a decision, they stopped.


    "Is that all?"


    Nodding her head, Luna smiled knowingly, she had won him over.


    "I like Phoebe but she has made a lot of enemies. I heard the Verdemonts are unhappy about the foundation and they are planning to take back their fortune from her. They recently reached out to the Dohwa family of Silver nation, they are looking to hire assassins. Your sister is in danger, she just doesn''t know it yet."


    Luke clenched his right hand into a fist and slammed it down. His entire aura changed, his eyes became intense and danger emanated from him.


    "Those damn Verdemonts, i think Citrus city is becoming too small to contain our two families. I am going to handle them personally."


    Luna felt her blood stir, the attraction she felt towards Luke grew a little more. This was a side of him that his family was not familiar with, and she felt giddy being the only one clued in on his secrets.


    "I am here, i will help you deal with them. Luke, you have a partner in me if you desire."


    Luke sneered. "I am nothing like you. I will try to speak with granny and the whole family about your matters. We can be cordial or friends or whatever but don''t you ever threaten me again. I never killed anyone with those poisons....."


    His speech was interrupted by Luna. "Oh I know that you only used them to torture those that hurt your sisters by making them hallucinate or suffer immense physical pain but there are those for whom hallucination is not enough."


    Luke let out a heavy sigh. "How did you know about my private business?"


    "I was investigating about Ruth, i discovered that the men that once kidnapped her as a child had suddenly regained full health after a Dr. Luke visited them, this was after Ruth was discovered to be a cuckoo.


    They were not the only ones, a few other people that harmed Ruth in the past and fell ill miraculously recovered recently.


    The detectives that assaulted Phoebe fell sick, their bodies show signs of radiation but it''s not radiation.


    Last but not least, while in the asylum, Ruth exhibited side effects of floral bomb poisoning, she must have scratched her skin off.


    You did it, you poisoned all those people. When you decide that they have suffered long enough, you provide an antidote, your own concoction that is not on the black market."


    She studied his handsome face, beneath the kind mask was a cruel man that knew his limits, he was not a blind killer even though he could be. He was her exact type in every way.


    Luna lifted her chin, proud of herself.


    "You are impressed, right?"


    "I should be more careful going forward." Luke rubbed his chin. "I should also do less business with your family, i should have known better than to trust information peddlers."


    Luna laughed slyly, she was confident that he would not stop doing business with her family. She stretched her hand forward, requesting for a handshake to close the deal.


    "We are partners now, or avengers for those that hurt our girl."


    Luke nodded and accepted her hand. "Agreed."


    *********************


    It had been two hours since Phoebe went back to the Mayfair mansion. She had eaten, bathed and settled in her bedroom but Black kitty and Sylvester were yet to return.


    She was growing antsy, the longer they were apart from her, the more worried she became. What if they encountered danger?


    Unable to stand the waiting, Phoebe picked up a time keeper''s pocket watch and looked at it. She wanted to go back to the five minutes before the fire at Lockhart started but they did not have a specific time yet.


    She did not want to waste using energy and go to the wrong moment in the past.


    "They are back."


    Suddenly the Saxon spirit gasped and shared.


    Phoebe rushed to the window and opened it, then it hit her that they could move through objects like walls and windows which made her feel silly.


    She closed the window and turned around, seeing the black cat and Sylvester.


    "How are you guys? Is anyone harmed?"


    "You would know if they were harmed, you would feel it." The Saxon spirit reminded her.


    Phoebe slapped her head lightly. "I feel like i am becoming dumber." she mumbled. Then loudly, she asked, "What did you find? Where is that bitch hiding?"


    The Saxon spirit did not wait for enlightenment from the cat and ghost, she pulled out the central map and put it on the bed.


    "If they put a location talisman, we can track the path of her movements."


    Connie dashed out of the space with a bigger world map and she put it down as well.


    "Sylvester told me that Ruth has been flown out of the country." she loudly shared.


    On the world map, they saw that it was exactly as Connie was saying. A line which represented the talisman was moving at an incredible speed, departing from a private airfield.


    Phoebe noticed six dots on the map, identifying the people on that plane.


    "What is this?" she asked.


    "She was taken by a group of unidentified men onto a private plane. One of them knows magic, the others were normal. I put upgraded location talismans on the normal men, we can track their movements for at least one year as long as the warlock doesn''t sense it." Sylvester beamed.


    The Saxon spirit jutted her jaw forward with a look of pride in her eyes.


    "Of course he can''t sense it, those talismans are some of my finest work."


    Phoebe smirked. "Great job Sylvester, Connie, ancestor, Kitty and Yin. Everyone has done a good job. Now, we just need to know where the plane lands. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I will share the location with David and he can send his men to keep an eye on our enemies. It will be better if we infiltrate them, ancestor i need you to teach me the art of puppetry. "


    The Saxon spirit flexed its hands, eager to get started. Nothing motivated Phoebe faster than the desire for revenge.


    It felt slightly sorry for Ruth, she had no idea the pain that Phoebe had kept in store for her and her warlock assistant.


    Phoebe looked at her phone and she smiled out of the blue. "By the way ancestor, i hope you don''t mind but i am now ready to go after Dickson."


    "Why would i mind, destroy that evil thing. I will lend a hand if you need it."


    Phoebe approved of the ancestor''s attitude, she thought that the spirit would harbor some sentiments of love towards Dickson since he was her descendant. She was wrong, the ancestor wanted him to suffer even more than she did.


    "Do you plan to kill him?" The spirit asked.

 Chapter 275 Sleep did not come easy.

    "Kill him, why would i do that? Quick death is an easy way out for that evil incarnate. He was Ruth''s co-conspirator inside the Gabriel house and he plotted against David over and over to the point where he sold company secrets and accused me of being the leak.


    I tried to defend myself but the evidence was overwhelming, if it had not been for Polly, i would have been arrested.


    He also tried to molest me three times, i narrowly escaped his evil schemes. He set me up every time he got an opportunity, his mother even accused me of theft at a party and humiliated me."


    What?" Connie exploded. "Sister, where was David when all this was happening? Ancestor, you see now why i do not support sister and David getting together again. He failed to protect and stand up for her."


    Sylvester opened his mouth to agree with Connie but the warning glare which the the spirit was sending them both encouraged him to keep his opinion to himself.


    "He was not around when most of these things happened." Phoebe moved to the bed and sat down.


    They always targeted her when David had traveled for business, never touching her when he was around__and he traveled a lot during the years in which they were married.


    In a twelve month year, David roughly spent a maximum of three months at home. These three months would be divided up in weeks and days, never an actual whole month. He was always away on business, and he never had about her suffering because she never complained, being the good wife that she was striving to be.


    When grandma Saxon died, Miranda became the matriarch so no servant could divulge any information about Phoebe''s struggles to David. If they did, they risked being fired so a lot of things were swept under the rug. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The theft accusation at the party for example, it was seen as an embarrassment to the family and nobody mentioned it. It was hard to suppress it however, David did hear of it eventually and he punched Dickson, breaking his nose.


    "I will make him my puppet in this life, it''s how we will get information on the enemy. We are in the light, they are in the dark, we have to take advantage of the knowledge of the past in order to fight back."


    Phoebe planned to make them all turn against each other, in the end they would kill each other.


    "Let''s go into the space and begin your lessons." the Saxon spirit put a hand on Phoebe''s shoulder and both of them vanished.


    In the house, in their different bedrooms, the Mayfair''s were thinking about the fire and the things that followed. Collin was uneasy, tossing and turning under the thick duvet, unable to close his eyes.


    The thought of Ruth being a free woman, out and about made him unsettled. What if she tried to take advantage of him again?


    He got out of bed, and dressed up slowly. While he was doing so, he called Shana and invited her out. He needed a distraction and the beautiful smile of his almost fiancee seemed like a good idea. Maybe he would even get lucky and not sleep alone tonight.


    He just needed to feel safe somehow, as crazy as it seemed because he had only known Shana for a short time, she made him feel safe.


    In the bedroom of Edward and Jennie, they were similarly awake and uneasy. They were laying in bed, eyes wide open, staring at the white ceiling.


    "What are we going to do Edward? How are we going to protect our daughter? She has to deal with the Verdemonts and now this....why does this only happen to our daughter?" Jennie lamented.


    Edward''s hand moved around slowly, searching for Jennie''s. When he found it, he held it firmly and squeezed it.


    "Don''t worry Jennie, everything will be alright. When i looked at Phoebe, she did not look scared, in fact, she looked resolute. For a second there, i saw traces of my father in her, she is just like him. Whenever his mind was made up, nothing could convince him otherwise, especially in times of danger."


    Jennie drew in a long breath.


    "I should have killed that bitch, instead of doing as Phoebe wanted and letting her handle things. I should have wrapped my hands around Ruth''s neck and squeezed the life out of her when we found her trying to commit that abomination."


    "You don''t have a murderous bone in you Jennie." Edward sighed. "Maybe it''s a good thing that Elithera girl is here, it might make whoever the puppet master Phoebe mentioned think twice. Who in this country does not think twice before touching an Elithera or someone protected by one?


    People have no qualms about attacking someone from a founding family but it''s different when it comes to an Elithera. After the recent blood bath in Magic city, people are even more frightened of them."


    Jennie snorted. "We can protect Phoebe as much...."


    "No we can''t." Edward cut in.


    In some aspects, he was aware of the shortcomings of his Mayfair family and the strengths of the Elithera one. Much as he did not approve of some of their businesses and practices, they were better when it came to some things.


    He turned his head and looked at his wife hoping to meet her eyes but Jennie was still looking up. "We are wealthy and we have a couple of bodyguards but we are not like the Saxons, surrounded by mercenaries everywhere. Ours is a small family with no complications or scheming relatives so our lives have been relatively peaceful.


    We can hire mercenaries to guard Phoebe but we can''t just bring in anyone when we don''t know who the enemy is. We need to go with a source we can trust, like the Elithera''s or the Saxons. I can go to some of the best security firms in the country."


    "Ruth is insane, maybe we are all stressing over nothing. Just because someone got her out of the asylum does not mean they can cure her madness." Jennie turned to her husband.


    Her eyes met his that were already waiting.


    "I am afraid it is not that simple, someone that blocked Phoebe''s worm has to be as powerful as she is, maybe more. Instead of looking for bodyguards with guns maybe we should look for supernatural ones."


    "Like ghosts?" Jennie asked.


    "Maybe, i don''t know. My father was involved in the supernatural world, he did not talk about it much but i knew some things. I will reach out to some of his friends and see if i can find help."


    In Luke''s bedroom, he was thinking about the day as well, just the part where he met Luna. It was the first time in his life that someone knew about his secrets and he did not like it one bit.


    He had to keep an eye on Luna Elithera, a very close one.


    "Keep your enemies closer, right?" he mumbled.


    He could not sleep, so he gave up on the attempt, dressed up and left the house as well. He would just sleep in his secret private lab at the Mayfair free clinic.

 Chapter 276 Eliza in labor.

    In the morning, Phoebe went to work as usual, she was planning to stay at the cafe for three hours and then make her way to her farm for the rest of the day.


    She did not expect to meet Eliza Guzman inside, clutching her stomach with one hand and grunting in pain. She was tightly holding on to a gobsmacked Rosette with her other hand.


    She had not come alone, her husband had come with her. Phoebe recognized the man from all the pictures of him which she had seen in the newspapers often in her past life.


    "Boss...." Rosette cried out in a very whiny voice when she saw Phoebe.


    Phoebe did not respond to Rosette, she just rushed towards Eliza and squatted before the woman. She put her hand on Eliza''s stomach and felt some fetal movement. The child was restless, as if it was fighting an invisible force in there.


    "Help..." Eliza croaked out.


    She winced and moaned in pain, clutching Rosette''s hand tightly. Poor Rosette screamed out in pain as if she was the one in labor.


    Eliza''s husband was pacing impatiently from side to side, he was very confused. If his wife was in labor, why not go to a hospital? Why did she make him drive her to cafe, was her plan to eat first and then visit the hospital later?


    "Liz, we need a hospital." he told her.


    It was the tenth or eleventh time he was reminding her and he had a feeling that it was useless.


    Phoebe meanwhile was making calculations on her fingers and something was not right. In her original calculation, Eliza had at least one more week before the baby was due to be born.


    "Liz...."Mr. Guzman started.


    "Shhh!" Grandma Mayfair stepped in and pushed him back. "Let her work."


    Mr. Guzman was even more confused, what work was old lady Mayfair talking about? Her granddaughter was known for being a shaman and selling coffee, what did she know about childbirth?


    "You are in labor, it''s too soon, you should not be having your baby this quickly. What happened?"


    Phoebe looked up at Eliza''s neck and she noticed that the necklace talisman she had given her to protect mother and child was dull. It looked like the exact one she had given Eliza but it was fake.


    It was just as she suspected, Eliza''s problem was in-house. She had an enemy close by that was harming her children somehow just after they were born.


    "Who the hell switched out your talisman? The necklace around your neck is a fake, it''s not the one i gave you." Phoebe bellowed.


    Liza shook her head but her eyes shot to her husband. Inevitably, Phoebe and grandma Mayfair did the same thing. The ghosts were no different, they looked at Mr. Guzman as well.


    "Oh my God! it was the husband, is he the one killing her babies? Does he have a mistress?" Connie gasped. "I can determine what happened, the husband and the mistress...."


    "It''s not me, i did not do anything to the necklace. What the hell are you talking about...what talisman?" Mr. Guzman vehemently questioned. "Look, i don''t know what''s going on here but i have called for an ambulance. We have lost enough children Liz, i don''t want us to lose this one because of carelessness. I can''t do this anymore Liz, my heart can''t take it."


    He started off strong and finished off weakly in a small voice. He was convincing and appeared to be genuinely frightened and sad, even the presumptuous saw a crack forming in her husband and mistress baby murder theory.


    Eliza screamed in pain and all eyes moved to her. The physical signs of pain could be seen on her face.


    "Toilet, i need a toilet.." she whispered.


    "No she doesn''t." The Saxon spirit pinned Liza down, stopping her from getting up. "She is about to give birth, we need...." It stopped and looked around.


    Grandma Mayfair had put on her ghost seeing glasses as soon as she stepped into the cafe. She had recognized Liza whose peculiar case she had heard about from Phoebe.


    Like the good Black Ghost cafe worker she was, she wanted to help if Phoebe needed anything and she also didn''t want to miss a single thing.


    "Hot water."


    The doorbell chimed and three people looked it''s way, ready to tell the potential customer or client to go back. The cafe was empty, having been emptied out by Eliza bodyguards so they did not expect anybody coming in.


    The person that walked in was a woman that bore a remarkable resemblance to Liza. They could easily have passed for twins were it not for the difference in their height. The woman was short, compared to Eliza.


    "Rosette send the guest out." Grandma Mayfair ordered.


    "Sister...she is my sister." Eliza bit out.


    She screamed again as another contraction hit, worse than the previous one. Once more, poor Rosette was on the receiving end of pain.


    "Mr. Guzman, i think you have forgotten what your duty is." Phoebe kindly reminded him.


    Mr. Guzman was another poor individual because he had no clue how to handle the situation. What was expected of him in this situation when all he wanted to was carry his wife to a hospital?


    "Take your wife''s hand, relieve Rosette so that she can help out. The baby is coming right now, we cannot go to a hospital." Phoebe told him. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I will handle the birth." Grandma Mayfair gently nudged Phoebe aside and took her place.


    While Rosette and the Saxon spirit took Liza to the back room which had been turned into an employees lounge, Phoebe sealed off the cafe, stopping humans and ghosts from entering.


    She moved in the direction of the lounge from where more urgent screams were coming.


    "I can help too." a woman''s voice came from behind.


    It was the voice of Eliza''s sister that had not said a word since she entered the cafe. There was something about her which Phoebe couldn''t put a finger on. However, she was in a hurry to help Eliza safely deliver the child so she just kept moving.


    The lounge had been turned into a birthing suite not like a hospital birthing suite but a home birthing suite. There was one gray fold out couch in the lounge and Eliza was laying on it.


    The ghosts had brought out the towels, hot water, gloves, blanket and tonics, one of which Grandma Mayfair was helping Eliza drink. All these things had been prepared by Phoebe in advance and they had been in the space.


    "Phoebe, where, Phoebe..." Eliza questioned between deep breaths when the glass with tonic was taken away.


    "Here." Phoebe raised her hand.


    She moved closer and peeked to see if progress had been made and if any supernatural activity was taking place. Everything was normal so far, so she took a small towel and dabbed at Eliza''s sweaty forehead.


    Rosette was the temporary acting human nurse but she was pale as though she would pass out at any moment.


    "I see the head," the Saxon spirit announced.


    That was Phoebe''s cue to begin her magic, ensuring the safety of mother and child. It was time to find the real culprit behind Eliza''s plight.

 Chapter 277 A most malicious sister.

    Since she already had all that she needed, Phoebe started with sage, burning some to cleanse the air. A physically clean area would have been the best choice but there was no option, childbirth was not exactly a clean activity.


    After that, she started drawing a circle by placing stones from the space on the ground around the bed. To reinforce it, she put in place an anchor talisman.


    This was something she had created after the witnessing how close the stalker malicious ghost had come to blowing the salt away when she was helping its victim.


    As a firm believer in most superstitions, Phoebe added a four leaf clover to the circle. If it could help with bringing luck to Eliza, that was a bonus.


    "What are you doing?" Mr. Guzman asked.


    "Building a protective circle." Phoebe answered.


    She continued with her task, lighting candles that she placed around the perimeter.


    "Candles!!" Eliza''s sister squealed loudly. "What are you doing?"


    She grabbed Phoebe''s arm to stop her from putting down the last candle.


    "You are going to kill my sister and her baby, don''t you know that smoke is harmful? Why do you want my innocent nephew to inhale smoke as soon as he is born, this is going to lead to his death. Brother-in-law, we need to take Liz to a hospital. I came in an ambulance from St. Roman''s hospital..."


    "Shut up." Grandma Mayfair shouted.


    Coincidentally, thunder struck outside but the reflection flashed in the windows and on the old woman''s eyes. As if that was not spooky enough, it became darker inside the lounge.


    Outside, the world was bright and sunny, but in the lounge it was cold and dark.


    Phoebe shrugged away the hand which was holding her back and she placed down the last candle.


    "The baby is half-way out, you need to speed up." The Saxon spirit shared.


    The energy in the room changed, those that could see the changes noticed that the stones were glowing, giving off a white light. Even Liza was doing better, she was not screeching in pain anymore.


    Phoebe chanted a prayer loudly, asking for the heavens to reveal what has hidden. As soon as she finished, a babies loud cry filled the air.


    "It''s out," The Saxon spirit told Phoebe.


    She nodded and moved closer to the child, keeping her focused eyes on the child. The moment of truth was upon them, if it was as Liza described, the child would breathe his last at any second.


    The heavens did not disappoint, a thread of black smoke in a thin line wove it''s way towards the child, aiming for the umbilical cord which had yet to be cut.


    "What is this?" Phoebe whispered.


    She twirled in a semi circle and placed a yellow paper talisman on the baby''s chest. As soon as she did, the baby stopped crying. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "How brave of you to do your dark magic in my cafe?" Phoebe barked.


    Once again, loud thunder exploded outside.


    Eliza suddenly turned hysterical, "My child, what is wrong with my child? Phoebe, you promised....."


    "The child is fine." Grandma Mayfair told Eliza.


    She placed the child in the arms of the anxious mother and got a surgical clamp from the items that had been prepared to cut the umbilical cord. Her attention however was diverted, caught between Phoebe and Eliza.


    She wanted to see who was doing dark magic in the cafe and know why the ghosts were all on the move.


    The ghosts assembled in the protective circle behind Phoebe who had turned to face Eliza Guzman''s sister. She was pale, a hand clutching on to the pendant around her neck.


    There was a trace of blood on the corner of her lips, she was shaking as if her legs were to weak to keep her up.


    Phoebe took two steps forward and the woman took two steps back.


    "Mackie Shuman," Phoebe said the name very slowly. "With a sister like you, who needs enemies? I would have doubted your relationship if i had not looked into you two siblings. Now why in the world would you harm your sister''s new born child?"


    She waved her hand and commanded the ghosts to move. Connie and Sylvester dashed out like ninjas and they each grabbed one of Mackie''s arms.


    Mickie looked like a cornered rabbit, her head moved from side to side, seeking for a chance to escape. She struggled against the hold the ghosts had on her, but no matter what she did, she could not get loose. She might as well have been chained to a pillar.


    "What are you doing? What do you mean by harming my sister''s child? Have you seen me do anything to harm the child?" she questioned. "I have not even come close to the baby, if you want to accuse me of something, call the police."


    "Phoebe, what is going on?" Eliza asked in alarm.


    She was nervous because the life of her child had still not been guaranteed. Even if this baby had lived for a minute longer than the others, she was too scared to hope.


    Her husband was by her side, ignoring all the blood he was holding her and the baby in a semi protective hug. Just like Eliza, he was looking back and forth from Phoebe to Mackie.


    Just like his wife, he was puzzled by the words he had heard. It sounded like Phoebe was accusing Mackie of wanting to harm their baby.


    Phoebe turned her head around. "I just found out what has been causing your plight, it''s your precious malicious little sister Mackie."


    Eliza shivered and one of her hands slipped.


    "What are you talking about? Mackie.....no way."


    Phoebe of course did not expect Eliza to believe her blindly, after all you did not break sibling bonds with just a single accusation. It had to be backed by hardcore proof, she had experienced it with Ruth.


    If she had not allowed the Mayfair''s to see her true colors little by little, they would still be living blindly, forcing the two enemies to play pretend sisters.


    "I see that you are not going to confess easily and i have no desire to waste my time."


    Phoebe swiftly reached Mackie in just a single step and she put her hands on her neck. Roughly, she ripped off the baby shaped pendant around her neck.


    Because she was rough, a part of the pendant sliced Mackie''s neck and the woman winced. Phoebe had no mercy for the woman.


    She looked at the pendant and sneered. "Hmph, you won''t confess until a gun is put to your head. You must have thought that i am a quack to walk in here brazenly and try your sloppy dark magic. I have met many fools but you take the top spot. You harmed your sister, her innocent babies, yourself and those empty husks you call children."

 Chapter 278 All rationality gone.

    "I didn''t do anything, give me back my pendant, what are you doing?" Mackie screamed but Phoebe did not respond to her.


    In fact, she tuned out the screams of the woman completely. All the threats she was making about the police and begging Eliza to stop Phoebe fell on deaf ears.


    Phoebe turned around and exposed the pendant to Liza,


    "Give me a few seconds and i will explain this to you."


    She wanted to study the talisman first as it was new to her eyes. it was one of those that could be opened. The baby trinket itself emanated evil, intricate small lines were drawn into its surface.


    It was golden in color but the runes were red, and under the candle light, glowed eerily.


    The Saxon spirit hovered over Phoebe''s shoulder, taking a closer look at the talisman. "I never thought i would ever actually see a surrogacy talisman, not just that but this is a talisman within a talisman."


    Normally, in such a pendant you would find a picture of a loved one but in this case, there was a talisman inside. It was a paper talisman with some symbols written in red and black.


    Phoebe could still smell the faint scent of dry human blood. While the paper talisman looked old, the blood had been recently reinforced.


    "What is a surrogacy talisman?" she asked the Saxon spirit.


    The spirit moved away from Phoebe slightly, a book appeared in its hands and the pages turned on their own. It was the book on talismans which Phoebe had been familiarizing herself with.


    The right page was found and the spirit showed it to Phoebe.


    "It has another name, a womb of shadows. It is said to possess the power to transfer the essence of an unborn child from one womb to another. The little lines on the pendant are actually threads that have traces of children''s umbilical cords."


    The pages turned again and the spirit showed Phoebe a different page with symbols familiar to those on the paper.


    "I am more familiar with this one, it''s a life transfer, she basically used two talismans to steal the life of Eliza''s children, one must be a back up. That''s how determined she was to get her way. I thought demons were disgusting but she is so much worse."


    Phoebe blinked at the mention of demons and chose to skip over it as it was not the matter at hand. Rage swelled up within her as she looked at Mackie that was still screaming.


    Raising one hand, Phoebe slapped her across the cheek. She put a lot of energy into the slap, almost breaking Mackie''s jaw.


    The slap stunned Mackie into silence, but for Phoebe, a single slap was not enough. She raised her hand and slapped her again, taking turns between hitting the left and right cheek of the woman.


    After ten slaps, Mackie''s cheeks were red and swollen, blood was pouring from the sides of her mouths.


    Phoebe pulled one of her arms, the one which Connie was holding and she looked at her palms. Mackie tried to pull the hand away but it was useless, Phoebe was just as strong as the ghosts.


    A voice emerged from Phoebe''s mouth, it was deep and guttural, loud and explosive. It echoed through the room, adding an air of spookiness to the dimly lit room. The shadows of the candles dancing on the walls and the powerful overwhelming smell of incense, together with the voice sent chills down the spines of the humans in the room.


    "You are barren, your womb is empty, you should not have children. You have used dark magic to change your destiny, death should be your punishment. Go to hell and spend the rest of your life atoning for your sin."


    Phoebe dropped Mackie''s right hand and grabbed her throat, squeezing really tight.


    "Pheebs." Grandma Mayfair shouted.


    The Saxon spirit moved faster and it shoved Mackie away, liberating her from the enraged murderous Phoebe. The spirit slapped Phoebe''s chest, arousing pain from inside. It was similar to throwing a basin of cold water in her face and it was enough to wake Phoebe up, returning her sanity.


    "Have you lost your mind?" The spirit questioned.


    Phoebe looked through the spirit and she set her eyes on Mackie. The woman was now sitting on the ground, her hair was disheveled and her face pale white. She had a big bump on her forehead that had formed when hit the wall after the spirit shoved her away from Phoebe.


    "She killed children." Phoebe conveyed.


    Her voice was raw, packed with so much emotion. All of the anger she had been saving to deal with Ruth and her helper just rushed out of her in waves.


    "What gives her the right to live after killing my children?" She questioned harshly.


    Her utterances surprised those that were listening, puzzling them. Whose children was Phoebe talking about? Their simple minds chalked it up to a mistake, it was not her children but Liza''s children.


    The Saxon spirit put her hands around Phoebe''s shoulders and shook her with strength.


    "Wake up!" she ordered.


    The voice of the spirit was soft but it had strength, like a thunderstorm. The Saxon spirit sent Phoebe into the space and imprisoned her in there momentarily. When it came to children, Phoebe always lost rationality.


    The spirit approached grandma Mayfair.


    "I am going to borrow your body for a moment, will you give you permission?"


    Old Lady Mayfair opened her mouth to respond and before she could even approve, the Saxon spirit did as it wanted.


    She found herself feeling abnormal, as if she was there but not all of her. She could feel another consciousness inside her and it was weird.


    The Saxon spirit took control of her mind and she turned to Eliza and her husband.


    "I will explain this briefly, your sister here is not destined to have children."


    Liza shook her head. "But she has three."


    Her husband nodded, Mackie indeed had three children.


    "They are not her children, they are yours, well the essence or life force inside Mackie''s children belongs to your dead children. If you carry out an investigation, i am sure that you will find out that she has a hospital record and a diagnosis declaring her incapable of having children."


    Eliza was even more confused, nothing was making sense to her. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Your sister always gives birth exactly seven months after your own children die, right?" The spirit asked.


    Eliza and Mr. Guzman looked at each other, and they nodded. Such a pattern had not been hard to notice, her sister always gave birth months after their own children were buried.


    Mackie had even joked once that she should consider her children to be hers. That her dead babies had reincarnated into Mackie''s babies.


    Eliza dotted her two nephews and one niece, giving them everything she had prepared for her own children, loving them as if they were her own.


    What she was hearing now, was horrifying to imagine.

 Chapter 279 Confession time for Mackie.

    "It''s true." Mr. Guzman said.


    He thought back on all the moments Eliza threw baby showers for Mackie, it was always three months after their own child had been buried. He never approved of Eliza throwing the baby showers but Mackie always insisted.


    "If Liz doesn''t do it, i don''t want it." were Mackie''s words.


    He had watched his wife put aside her pain, force a brave smile and celebrate Mackie''s good fortune. After the baby showers, Mackie would shamelessly take away even the things they had prepared for their babies.


    "You are the godmother and aunt to my babies Liz, my children are yours. It makes no difference who gets to use these things, it is just better not to waste them. I am sure that your babies are smiling in heaven, approving of this." Mackie always said.


    Mr. Guzman chuckled, harsh broken sounds coming from his throat. If it was true what the shaman and old lady Mayfair were saying then Mackie had been mocking them. Not only had she taken the lives of their children but she had also taken their property, tortured her own sister with snide remarks and pretended to be a good sister all this time.


    "You....you...." he pointed at Mackie. "Liz always goes into labor before the doctor''s specified date and it always happens when you are around. You are always with her when she gives birth, even when i would insist on going inside, you would make me stay out with some clever words...." he gasped.


    He held Eliza and their newly born thriving with life baby closer. The baby was nursing, this was their first child that had survived long enough to feed.


    It should have been a happy moment but it was tainted by terror. anxiety and disbelief.


    Eliza was crying, tears of relief and anguish simultaneously running down her eyes. The words of the shaman and old lady Mayfair were credible, she had no doubts anymore.


    In fact, she recalled that Mackie was the one that touched her pendant. She had found her holding it when she stepped out of the bathroom after taking a bath.


    Mackie had complimented the pendant and said she wanted one. She must have switched out the real one for the fake.


    The more Eliza recalled the events leading up to this day, the more she noticed a few more abnormal things. Mackie always cared more about her pregnancies, even more than her and her husband. She would take care of the diet, encourage her to exercise, even going with her to yoga and Lamaze classes.


    Eliza recalled the angry look on Mackie''s face the first day she saw the protective talisman pendant. She had said she was not feeling fine and rushed away from the Lamaze class quickly that day.


    "She was the one that switched the pendant." Eliza sniveled.


    "She has been manipulating you." The Saxon spirit told them.


    "Why?" Eliza questioned in a teary voice. "Why, Mackie, why?"


    Mackie did not verbally respond, she just stared at the ground.


    "What did she do to my children?" Eliza asked the spirit, or old lady Mayfair.


    "Like Phoebe said, she put a curse on them and stole life from your children transferring it to the lifeless children in her womb.


    She is incapable of carrying a child past three months, so she deliberately targets yours and gets pregnant towards the last four or three months of your pregnancy.


    She uses her evil talismans to induce your labor just in time to save the dead fetus in her womb."


    Eliza put a hand over her mouth as a loud harsh pained cry escaped her mouth. The faces of her three dead children flashed through her mind. Were they in pain as life was forcefully stolen from them, she wondered.


    When they were crying out as they took their last breath, were they calling out for her to save them? She had been so close, how could not know that they were in danger?


    Were they blaming her for failing to protect them? Was that why she sometimes heard the cries of children even in her sleep?


    Mr. Guzman was torn between staying by Eliza''s side and comforting her or moving to Mackie and twisting her neck. No wonder they could never find a scientific cause of death for the children, the trouble was magical, evil magic.


    Never had he considered that magic was the root of their problem or his sister-in-law was the source.


    If he had known that it was an option, he would have saved his children by finding Phoebe earlier.


    "I know that you want an explanation for her actions but i cannot give you one. The answers to the question why can only come from her." The spirit told the Guzman''s. Sylvester, use a truth telling talisman." She ordered.


    Connie beat Silvester to it like she did sometimes. She practically slapped the talisman onto Mackie''s back. It was such a hard slap that Mackie was shoved forward and coughed blood out of her mouth.


    "Hmph, baby killer." Connie muttered.


    She had no mercy for Mackie and if she could, she would beat her up some more. This was not the time as the talisman took effect, controlling Mackie completely.


    She looked at Eliza and her husband and a creepy smile formed on her lips.


    "Liz, you want to know why, the answer is simple, your husband was supposed to marry me. No...it''s you, everything comes so easy in life to you.


    We are both born to the same parents but look at yourself and look at me, you are the beauty and i am the beast.


    When it comes to love, or parents made it abundantly obvious that they love you more than me. Heck, they love all my siblings more than they love me. Nothing i did was good enough for them but you could take a shit on their bed and they would applaud you.


    In school, your grades were better than mine, you had so many friends and admirers. You had all the talent, dominating every school play and sports event.


    I remember the day you played a violin at the founder''s ball and butterflies flocked to you. Everyone started calling you a fairy. You became the most sought after woman of our time, the most desirable bachelorette in Citrus.


    Eliza Shuman, the head cheerleader, you even dated a Saxon back then."


    Connie rolled her eyes. Why were the Saxons everywhere and in everything?


    Mackie''s confession continued. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I have always hated you, if i could kill you, i would have done it but i was so afraid. I did not want to end up in jail or even more of a pariah than i already was so i decided to just live in your shadow. I was comfortable there until he came along." She pointed to Mr. Guzman.


    Her voice became more desperate and she jumped up and down. "He was supposed to be my husband, i met him first, i loved him first. Why did you have to show up and snatch him from me just like you snatched everything else? We were happy before you came along, why did you show up, why, why?" She screamed loudly.


    Eliza looked at her husband, asking for an explanation. Mr. Guzman shook his head, he was just as bewildered by these claims. He had never engaged in a relationship with Mackie Shuman.


    "I don''t know what she is talking about." he defended himself.

 Chapter 280 The deepest grudge.

    "I didn''t, i really don''t have anything to do with her." Mr. Guzman insisted again.


    This was because none of the women looked like they believed in. Mr. Guzman groaned, and the baby fussed so Eliza gave him all of her attention briefly.


    Mackie continued talking because the truth telling talisman was still active.


    "I met him at the Sunflower ball at the old Grata gardens. I did not have many friends and none of the young men was eager to dance with me. I am not even ugly but they just wanted Liz, not her uglier photocopy.


    I went to the bathroom and hid in there for two hours, waiting for the ball to enter its last thirty minutes and i could finally show my face.


    When it was time, i made my way out of the bathroom quickly and happened to bump into him. I thought that i would go crashing to the ground but he caught me." Mackie''s voice softened. "I looked up at him and found myself drowning in the most beautiful brown eyes i have ever seen.


    I will never forget how he smiled at me and apologized for bumping into me. He took my hand and escorted me back to the gardens.


    I thought that would be the end of it but the last song was playing and he asked me to dance. He was not like the others, he was kind and nice. When we danced under that soft glow of the moon, i knew it was love immediately."


    Mr. Guzman choked on his breath and he started coughing, beating a hand on his chest.


    "Shhh!" Connie hushed him.


    The story was just getting good, the girl did not want to miss a single word.


    "I don''t remember this.." Mr. Guzman mumbled.


    "Shh!" Connie complained again, glaring this time.


    Mr. Guzman could not see Connie but he could hear the shushing. He detected the irritation in the tone of the invisible ghost so he sealed his lips.


    "He even escorted me to the drinks table and got me a lemonade." Mackie smiled. "We talked about the yellow carnations which had been used to decorate the gardens. He said it was ironic how flowers that symbolize rejection, sorrow, disappointment and apologies had been used as part of the theme.


    I told him that sunflowers were out of style, even though it was the Sunflower ball, they were not using sunflowers anymore."


    Mackie tilted her head. "There were a few sunflowers mixed in the carnations, he picked one up and gave it to me. He told me that they symbolized admiration, loyalty, positivity and nourishing. He said every beautiful lady deserved one sunflower a day."


    Eliza turned her head and she glared at her husband. That particular line about one sunflower a day was very familiar. Her husband also gifted her one sunflower each day, when they were out of season, he would give her a dried one.


    "I don''t remember this!!" Mr. Guzman groaned.


    Mackie''s smile dimmed. "That''s when my parents showed up, it was time to go home. They met him and introduced themselves, they were so excited to meet the next Guzman family heir.


    On the way home, they talked about bringing our families closer and mother proposed marriage.


    My heart almost flew out of my chest, i was so excited.


    For a month mother met up with mama Guzman and courted her. The Guzman''s finally came over to our house for dinner, i heard whispers that it was because our two families were preparing for an engagement.


    Obviously, it was my engagement, i was the one that had met the Guzman heir.


    I was the one that danced with him, I laughed with him. We both liked sunflowers and we found founding society balls ridiculous. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I was so giddy at the aspect of becoming his wife. I put on my best dress and went downstairs for dinner. But, when i got there, i saw a most horrific sight"


    Mackie pointed at Eliza. "You, Eliza, you homewrecker had somehow returned early from college and you were sitting next to my man. You were smiling at him, batting your seductive lashes and charming him. He is a fool like all those other men that chased you because he was eating it up.


    All through dinner, he did not look my way and aside from the briefest head nod of acknowledgement when i greeted him, he did not attempt to communicate with me.


    The next day, an announcement was made, a match between the two families had been confirmed and you my sister were to be the bride."


    She laughed, the laughter high pitched and shrill__, a cackle that was sharp and made Mackie look insane.


    "You stole him from me and married him, the Guzman heir and I..." She pointed to herself, "I married an ordinary no name doctor from a family of commoners because none of the sons of the founding families wanted me, not even the useless ones.


    And then it became worse, even though i married two years after you, we both somehow got pregnant at the same time. The universe was not done with torturing me because i lost my child, the doctors said i had a medical condition. I could not carry a child in my womb to the end, they even suggested that i get a hysterectomy.


    My poor baby was taken from me and


    while i was still wallowing in misery two months later, you were glowing. You threw a big baby shower and got all those great expensive gifts.


    I will never forget how you put your hands around my shoulder Eliza and you whispered, "It''s okay, i have a feeling that your baby is watching over mine. You can consider my child yours, we are sisters after all, what''s mine is yours."


    Mackie snorted and laughed wildly.


    "You were clearly mocking me. You went on to cut your big cake and kiss your husband then continued to live your happy lives while I lived in darkness alone. That''s when i realized that you Eliza, were my nemesis. Everything in my life that had gone wrong was because of you.


    My misery always leads back to you so i made my mind up to ruin you. I had to do something that would torment you forever while tarnishing your image in society. People needed to point and whisper because finally, you had failed at something.


    All those suitors you once had needed to feel lucky because they did not marry you. Your husband needed to regret his choice in taking you as his wife.


    I got pregnant again the next month later and i started looking for a way to save my child. Lindsay Vulcan recommend a warlock in Magic city. I flew all the way there and he told me about magical surrogacy.


    He asked me if i had any close female relatives that were pregnant and naturally, my mind went to you.


    He used our dates of birth and predicted dates of birth for your children to swap the fates of our children. Then he gave me a talisman and also some snake blood that i fed to you in a strawberry drink.


    I waited for three months while playing the role of a good sister. Finally it happened, you had your first child and he died, but mine lived. After that, all your other children provided life for mine."


    Unsettling laughter fell through her lips. It echoed through the silence in the room, provoking the couple that was teetering on the edge of control.


    "How do you like it Liz? What''s yours really became mine. I technically have three Guzman heirs that you nurtured for me. They may not be your husband''s children biologically but spiritually, they are his. I guess in the end, i got a piece of him too."

 Chapter 281 What to do with such a sister?

    There was silence in the room after Mackie''s manic laughter. Even the Saxon spirit did not know how to proceed, she left grandma Mayfair''s body however because they had a confession.


    The question now was what they would do with the confession. Technically, they could not send Mackie to the police and report the crime.


    Things like magic and witchcraft were not exactly outlawed, heck, only one percent of the population believed in that kind of stuff. The rest considered it nothing but superstitions and fraud.


    Unexpectedly, Eliza placed the baby in the hands of her husband and attempted to get up. Powered by rage and adrenaline, she stumbled in the direction of Mackie.


    "Kill you,,i am going to kill you." she said hoarsely.


    Phoebe suddenly returned to the room again, she was calmer now and she stopped Eliza. She put herself between the two sisters, holding Eliza''s hands.


    "You have just had a baby, you should not be up and about like this. Someone like this is not worth wasting your time on, giving her a few slaps is not going to quench the anger inside you."


    Her wise words were surprising for someone that had rained slaps down on Mackie minutes ago only.


    "She killed my children..." Eliza wailed.


    Phoebe felt a tremor in her heart, the demon of anger in her wanted to rise again but Phoebe chose to remain rational.


    "I know, believe me i know the pain you are suffering but like i said, slapping her will not vent your anger. If you truly need it however, i will step aside..."


    Hardly had she finished when Eliza tore herself out of Phoebe''s light grasp, stepped around her and scratched Mackie''s face with her nails.


    Mackie screamed loudly, Eliza''s nails were quite sharp so it was as if she had been scratched with a nail.


    "How could you? They were just children,,,they were innocent, you are a monster." Eliza screamed.


    Eliza was not finished, she slapped Mackie twice, scratched her face again and went for her eyes, planning to dig them out with her bare hands.


    The sharp cry of a baby filled the room cried Eliza''s hand froze. She was breathing heavily, a little exhausted from the beating she had just given Mackie.


    Eliza grabbed Mackie''s chin really hard and in a scary soft voice she said, "I will deal with you later but by the time i am done Mackie, my God, you will be begging me for help. I hope you said goodbye to your children when you left home because you will never see them again."


    Mackie''s eyes widened and Eliza smiled in satisfaction. Those three children had always been Mackie''s greatest pride, there was no greater punishment for her than something related to them.


    "No, don''t touch my children, i worked hard to have them." Mackie shouted and begged. "Eliza, i am warning....."


    Eliza slapped Mackie with the back of her right hand, making sure to scratch her with the large diamond ring on her middle finger.


    "Maybe i should kill them." Eliza suggested.


    Phoebe turned her head sharply and she frowned while Mackie shook her head wildly.


    "On second thought, i won''t do that, i am not like you after all. So i am going to take those children, I will remold them and erase their memories. I will make sure that they forget you, i am going to ruin your name and reputation to them. When we bury you Mackie, those three children will spit on your grave and curse your name."


    "Stay away from my children.." Mackie screamed.


    She wanted to stand up and fight or escape and hide her children. To her, they were her greatest revenge, the one thing she had over Mackie.


    "As for you, you little bitch, i am going to have my men break your legs, take away your vocal abilities and sell you to the red light district. There are many men that will pay a lot of money to sleep with a woman from a founding family."


    Mackie slumped, losing all energy in her bones. It was true that Eliza was no killer but she could be cruel in her own way. She was also the kind of person that always went through with her plans.


    There was no changing her mind since she had come to this decision, Mackie knew that it was over for her. Her parents would not come to her aid once they found out what she had done.


    As for her husband, he was a commoner and he had no power to fight against the Shuman''s. All Eliza had to do was forge some DNA tests proving that he was not the biological father of the children and then they would be taken from him.


    Grandma Mayfair looked at Phoebe, the Saxon spirit and Mr. Guzman. All of them had heard the plans Eliza had for Mackie. Were they okay with it?


    Phoebe read the question in her grandmother''s eyes and she shrugged. Her own plans for Ruth were even worse so whatever Eliza chose to do to avenge the death of her children was her business.


    At the end of the day, no matter what Eliza did, she would forever be haunted by the injustice which had been done to her babies. She would never forget their untimely death. No punishment given to Mackie would satisfy her.


    With Phoebe''s help, Eliza was escorted back to the bed but it was a mess and they could not put her down on it.


    "You should go to the hospital now, everything is over." Phoebe told Eliza. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She paused and looked at Eliza and her husband. "About those three children, they are short lived. The life they have was stolen, the moment i destroy the talismans, their time on earth will be limited."


    Mackie opened her mouth and screamed in terror. The Saxon spirit waved her hand and shut Mackie''s mouth.


    Eliza was torn, on one hand she loved those children but on the other hand, they were abominations living on the stolen essence of her dead children.


    "They survived because of dark magic, believe me, their future is not good. Even if they get to live, they will be criminals, killers. They will be haunted by ghosts, other people will reject them. They will be plagues to society and will die horrible deaths.


    Nothing that is done with dark magic has a good ending. I am going to destroy the talismans, i just wanted to give you a heads up."


    Eliza took a deep breath, looked at Phoebe with firm eyes and nodded.


    "Do it, burn them."


    Mr. Guzman handed Eliza the baby and then wrapped a coat around her. He knew his wife was exhausted so he lifted her off her feet.


    "I just want to clarify one thing" he said, looking at old lady Mayfair and Phoebe. "I now recall the ball she was talking about. The only reason why i was nice to her is because she is Liz''s sister and Liz had asked me to be nice to her sister if i met her.


    Liz and i met at college and we fell in love but never went public about the relationship. I came home because my grandfather was ill and happened to attend the Sunflower ball. I recognized Mackie as Liz''s sister and recalled her request so i showed Mackie some kindness. Nothing ever happened between us, i have never for a single second loved her."

 Chapter 282 A bonus for all.

    He strolled past Phoebe, kicked Mackie on the chest and walked out of the door which Rosette was holding open.


    Mackie watched with despair in her eyes, unwilling to believe that he did not love her even once. She felt like a fool, all along she had been jumping around, holding on to the belief that Liz had stolen her man.


    As it turns out he only smiled at her because Eliza told him to. At the end of the day, she was still in her sister''s shadow.


    Mackie laughed at herself, but no sound came from her mouth as the Saxon spirit had sealed it. More hatred for Eliza surged within her heart. Her hateful sister had taken away even the most precious memory she had in her life. To her, it was even more precious than the birth of her children.


    I should have killed her, Mackie thought. She recalled the day Eliza fell down the stairs when they were children. Back then, only the two of them had been at home and Eliza had almost bled out from the injuries she acquired.


    Mackie, had called the servants who rushed Eliza to the hospital.


    I should have let her bleed out that day, Mackie screamed in her mind.


    If she had not saved her, all of Eliza''s glory would have been hers. Mackie shook her head, cursing her sister in her mind.


    More tears run down her eyes and she started to hyperventilate. Within a few seconds, she fainted, going completely limp and the ghosts let go of her finally.


    The candles snuffed out on there own and normal lighting returned to the room. Connie and Sylvester opened the windows, sending out the smell of the burnt sage into the streets.


    Two of Eliza''s bodyguards came in and took Mackie with them. Just like that, everything was over and the mystery of Eliza''s dying children was put to bed.


    The shock from what they had witnessed was not gone yet and it would take a month or more to fade from their memories. In fact, they would forever remember it just as they remembered the stalker ghost.


    All these cases could be used for reference in case they ever came across another like that. It gave the Saxon spirit an idea.


    "Pheebs, you need to start writing a journal, note down all these cases and everything you noticed. Describe the runes, talismans, smells, aura and anything else that you noticed.


    Do not forget to include the mentality and reasoning of the the offender and offended. Someday, these things could be helpful to the next inheritor of the space pendant."


    Phoebe nodded, she saw sense in what the spirit was saying.


    Some like Rosette were all but ready to get back to work. "Are we cleaning up ourselves or hiring a cleaning service?"


    Some things, she guessed could not be saved like the pull out couch.


    "I will get right on it." Sylvester volunteered.


    "I have to study." Connie vanished.


    It was a fib, she was just escaping what she considered to be hard labor.


    "I can''t believe that such a thing is even possible, surrogacy, transferring the essence of one child to another. What kind of world are we living in? Who gives these people such ideas? Why does magic even exist in the first place if it''s being used for evil?" Grandma Mayfair asked, trembling. "Not only is what Mackie did unthinkable but it''s also demonic. This stupid girl, instead of bettering herself and her strengthening her mind, she chose to hate her sister who was simply living her life. And the sister, she was busy pouring love on the one that was killing her children."


    She did not understand Mackie''s reasoning or her hatred for Eliza. The two women looked alike, both were beautiful, and if Mackie had been a bit more cheerful and outgoing, she could have lived a happy life. Instead, she wanted Eliza''s life, not her own. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Old lady Mayfair was so shocked that she sat down on the couch, accidentally staining her expensive silk dress with blood.


    "Nana..." Phoebe winced.


    Grandma Saxon was absent minded, not realizing that she was sitting on a towel soaked blood.


    "Nana." Phoebe called again. "You are sitting on blood."


    Old lady Mayfair jumped up, making a small squeal of surprise. She tilted her head and looked behind, trying to to see if her dress was stained.


    "Nana, i think you should head home, don''t worry about the cafe, we will put up a board indicating that we are not serving meals today.


    I am not staying either, there is somewhere i must be, i have another case to handle."


    From Phoebe''s phone came a bird whistle sound, the notification that she had received a text. When she looked at it, it was a notification from the bank, Mr. Guzman had sent her sixty million."


    She gasped in shock.


    "Holy wow!" she exclaimed.


    The amount surprised her, she had not been expecting another payment from Eliza outside of the one they agreed to on a monthly basis.


    Phoebe looked at everyone with a smile.


    "Guys, you are all getting a big bonus, one million per person. As for the ghosts, make any requests you want, as long as it''s within a one million budget, i will provide it."


    Rosette almost fell down when she heard the amount Phoebe was giving away.


    "Boss!!" she exclaimed and opened her arms, wanting to give Phoebe a hug.


    Connie beat Rosette to the punch, the ghost that had gone to study had somehow managed to overhear that benefits were being distributed.


    She literally shoved Rosette out of the way in order to get to Phoebe.


    "Sister, i want chocolates from indulgence, the golden phoenix cupcake, a box of Oui Chocolat..."


    "Connie a box o Oui Chocolat costs 1.5 million. It is called the worlds most expensive sweet for a reason. You have a one million budget, let''s try to stick to it." Phoebe reminded her girl.


    Not surprising, the girl pouted and let go of Phoebe.


    She started making the transfers immediately. She made puppy eyes at Phoebe and looked like she was just about ready to bawl.


    "Give her half of my bonus." The Saxon spirit said.


    Grandma Mayfair sighed. "Mine too."


    "And me." Sylvester added.


    Altogether, 1.5 million was collected, and Connie still had a lot of money from her original bonus.


    As for the three volunteers, they did not have much use for the money anyway. Old lady Mayfair was rich, Sylvester had no earthly desires except for redemption and the Saxon spirit.....she had never asked purchased anything before.


    Connie squealed and went around the room hugging everyone except for Rosette that had not given her a penny.


    She even grabbed a broom and a mop. "Uncle Sylvester, i will help with the clean up today. I just remembered that i do not have to study today."


    In a cheerful mood, she started cleaning up using her ghostly energy, moving all the bloody rugs out of the way.


    "You guys are spoiling her." Phoebe complained.


    "She is just a child." Grandma Mayfair waved her hand, dismissing Phoebe''s words.


    Phoebe escorted her grandmother to the car and she got in her car, driving in the opposite direction.


    Old lady Mayfair could not wait to get home to share Eliza and Mackie''s tale of the devilish sister. She called Jennie and Prudence immediately.


    "Drop everything and come to the house, you will not believe why Eliza Guzman''s children have been dying."

 Chapter 283 The hunt continues.

    Phoebe stepped out of her cafe, the jingling of the bell marking her departure. Strands of red hair once meticulously pinned by Jenny had come loose. A brush of red on the side of her dress stood out like a sore thumb, her were clothes ruined.


    ''I need a change of clothes.'' She thought, a quiet sigh that seemed to carry the burdens of the day left her mouth.


    It was just a half past midday but to say that she was exhausted was an understatement. She would have taken a one hour nap but she had something urgent to deal with that could not wait.


    Luckily for her, she had a place to go to in order to change and wash the stench of blood out of her hands. There were days like this one where she was grateful that the cafe and the apartment were on the same building. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Once in her apartment she cleaned up, went to the parking lot and drove out. A couple of cars followed her, some more obvious than others, especially the young driver in the blue jeep.


    "Is he new? He doesn''t even know how to tail someone."


    Even the choice of color for the car he had picked was too obvious. Phoebe rolled her eyes upwards, stepped on the gas pedal and drove straight to Alfa security firm. There, she was let inside the heavily guarded gates without a security check. She was David''s girlfriend, the lady boss as most of the employees called her in their private discussions.


    A thing that they rebuked David over in secret was the large framed picture of Phoebe on his office wall right between the current president of Fog country, Jimmy Inglewood and Grant Saxon, his favorite ancestor.


    Obviously, his number one priority was right there on the wall, shouting for all to notice.


    "Boss lady." Roman said, with one of his eyebrows raised.


    He had come down urgently when Santos called ahead to give him a heads up about her arrival.


    "Good afternoon Roman, tell him that i am here." Phoebe settled in one of the seats positioned in front of the reception desk.


    "Sure." Roman arched an eyebrow once again, wondering what else his boss had told Phoebe about concerning his affairs apart from the fact that he owned Alfa security something he had stressed was super confidential.


    "I guess there are exceptions to every rule." he mumbled.


    Phoebe, he assumed, was David''s exception. When they were in bed together, he probably spilled all of his secrets.


    Roman''s presumption was wrong because David had never told Phoebe about his security company, it involved a darker side of him that he never wanted her to come close to in case things ever blew up.


    Without knocking on the door, Roman entered the office and immediately announced that Phoebe had arrived to see David.


    David was on the phone and typing into his laptop at the same time. The phone fell and his fingers froze.


    "Who did you say is here to see me?" David blinked once, then twice. His image struggling to comprehend what he had just heard.


    He really thought Roman was playing a prank on him and he observed the man''s face but it was apathetic as it was usually.


    "I said, Phoebe Mayfair is here to see you. Should I bring her to you or send her away because..."


    Roman''s words were cut short by David. "No need, I''ll go to her."


    He rushed passed Roman and the door flew open with a violent clutter, slamming against the wall as he burst through as if on an emergency evacuation.


    Roman shook his head slightly, he had noticed that Phoebe was David''s Achilles heel. She could be used by his enemies to get to him. His friend and partner did not even hide his weakness from the public, it was a terrible thing to have a known weakness in such a business.


    If it was up to him, Phoebe would be shipped off to some unknown location__, a nice residence and David would meet up with her there. She would be given a fat monthly allowance and all the wealth she desired to live comfortably forever. The only condition was that she keep the relationship private. It was a simpler solution to removing her from the world, permanently.


    "Then again, he is a Saxon and he must marry, his wife has to be in the public eye. It cannot be helped....." Roman thought.


    Downstairs, David found Phoebe waiting just as Roman had said.


    "Pheebs?" David struggled to smile, he was delighted to see her as always but this was just the wrong place. "Why are you here? How...how did you know that i was here?" He asked as he took a seat next to her.


    He did not miss the pretentious curious looks of the two receptionists that were pretending to be busy but eavesdropping.


    "I put a tracker in you." Phoebe joked, her words however caused blood to drain from his face.


    David thought about the bug or worm in Ruth and he felt creeped out. Had she really put something like that inside of him?


    "I am kidding," She rectified with a laugh to put him at ease. "I cast a spell." She delivered in a deadpan voice.


    Old David would have been skeptical, new David was a believer in all things Phoebe the shaman. A spell definitely sounded better than a tracker.


    It was also a lie however, the Saxon spirit was the one that had revealed David''s location to her.


    "I don''t want you here Pheebs, some of the things that go on here are.....not so nice, they are not for you to see or hear. Let''s go talk else where, like a restaurant or gardens. Maybe a children''s playground." he rambled.


    He was short of saying anywhere but here.


    "I understand that you are doing whatever you are doing to protect me. I get it David, you don''t have to treat me like a fragile child. I walk between two world, you have no idea what not so nice things i have seen." She smiled a little when his face transitioned to show curiosity.


    "What have you seen?" he asked.


    Phoebe didn''t answer, he would not understand anyway. She had her own darkness inside, a part that was not so nice which she was saving for Ruth and her hidden enemy. When the time came, he would understand


    "That''s not why i am here, the ghosts put talismans on the men that took Ruth. I need you to send some men to search this location.


    "Phoebe changed the subject, further more she checked her bag and pulled out a map with some moving dots. It looked like a live GPS tracker on a screen but it was on a paper.


    Not even technology could do this, it was very impressive.


    "I got information that Ruth was taken to Silver nation. I have already sent some the best men i have to begin gathering information. When we know enough, they will capture her dead or alive." His words were firm.


    What he left out was that when they knew enough, Luna planned to get rid of Ruth___permanently.


    "In case they fail to find her but find the men, then they should bring them to me or at least one, I''ll force the truth out of them. I doubt that they would just open there mouths and spill where that bitch is.


    If she cannot be brought back and the matter is urgent, i will give you some truth telling talismans, you can fly or ship them out. Better yet, they can be used for information gathering. I should go work on that." Phoebe got on her feet, she had a new mission.


    David kissed her on the cheek before rushing away to tackle on the assignment she had given him. In this life, they would turn the tables and their enemies would pay with blood.

 Chapter 284 Welcome to a society of gossip.

    To accomplish her task of upgrading the truth telling talismans, Phoebe did not need to return to the cafe. She simply packed her car at a rest stop, rolled up the tinted windows and vanished into the magical space.


    The Saxon spirit was waiting for her and both of them got to work, making one hundred eight talismans by hand; Phoebe''s hand to be specific. The spirit was responsible for infusing them with energy.


    By the time she was done and on the road once again, day was transitioning into night. Birds were searching for comfortable places to spend the night and children were going home from school.


    The roads were congested with exhausted people trying to make it home in time. Phoebe was one of them as she had driven all the way from the outskirts.


    She could feel even more exhaustion on the way as the evening rush hour had already began to unfold with cars stretching in endless lines.


    "Oh crap!" A tired sigh made it''s way out of her lips. She parked on the side of the road and called Santos who appeared besides her shortly, parking his dark sedan besides her car.


    "I cannot drive anymore can you take me home?" Phoebe rolled down the window and asked politely.


    Santos nodded once and he moved from his car. "Of course boss lady please move to the back, I''ll make sure that you get home safely."


    Phoebe smiled warmly and obliged, after settling in the back seat she took a deep breath, leaned back in the chair and shut her eyes.


    ****************


    Citrus city''s best flower cafe was rather packed to the brim on this evening. It was a whimsical wonderland of beautiful flowers and floral scents that was dedicated to the admiration of some of nature''s finest creations.


    The wonderful world of beauty as it was named was owned by the wife of Cane Jewel, a member of the Jewel family, one of the most wealthy but reserved founding families in the country. He was the third son of the current patriarch Lazarus Jewel.


    Margot Jewel had turned the once struggling cafe into the hottest spot for enjoying barista brewed coffee with homemade snacks while indulging in the latest even more delicious gossip in the city.


    Normally when the ladies of the founding families, young and old, met up at the flower cafe, they would sit in groups, keeping to themselves most of the time. The criteria was simple but also complicated at the same time.


    While they all belonged to the founding families, some families were wealthier than others so some ladies considered financial strength first when deciding who to sit with.


    To those that came from families which wielded political power, that was the consideration they took when joining a particular group.


    For some, it was marital ties which brought them together, relationships formed because their children, sisters, fathers and other relatives were bound by marriage.


    Others were friends, genuine and true so they sat with their friends, sharing laughter and treats.


    The last group was the stragglers, those who were slow to mingle, moving from one group to another without a clear alliance.


    This norm was broken however on this particular evening because old lady Mayfair was holding court in the flower cafe, sharing the woes of Eliza Guzman. It was her third time repeating the story but none of the listeners had moved, in fact more had joined and the cafe was packed to the brim.


    A few exaggerated additions had been made to the story especially the part where Mackie confessed. Old lady Mayfair had described her as unhinged and demon like with long nails and snake like eyes. With every confession that Mackie made, the sound of ghosts and growls was heard. She even claimed that babies were screaming when Phoebe destroyed the talismans.


    After the third narration, she took a small sip from the glass of peach iced tea. She faced her audience and drew in a deep breath.


    "Wait, so you mean that Mackie Shuman has been using witchcraft to kill her sister Eliza''s babies?"


    Old lady Mayfair nodded.


    "I heard it straight from the horse''s mouth."


    Missy Castille, Arrow''s sister moved her hips from side to side, trying to create some space between herself and Angie D''eluna that was suffering from a very toe curling cough.


    Every time she coughed, it sounded like a rocket was being launched.


    "Old lady Mayfair," Missy shouted. "Did you say that Lindsay Vulcan introduced Mackie Shuman to the shaman that cast the evil spell?"


    She had to shout because many others were shouting out questions as well. Mrs. Jennie Mayfair was acting like the press secretary, choosing who got to ask questions at what time.


    Grandma Mayfair nodded.


    "That''s right, i heard it..."


    "From the horse''s mouth." the crowd erupted at the same time.


    Old lady Mayfair had used the line one time too many and they were ready for her to use a new one. Even though Missy had spoken out of turn, they were rather interested in the question and amazed at the answer.


    Whispers started going around, echoing through the room, over the vapor of all the cappuccinos, frappuccinos, milk tea and other teas that the exhausted baristas were preparing.


    "Does it mean Lindsay Vulcan has done something like this before?"


    "Has anyone in the Vulcan family suffered a similar fate?"


    The ladies looked at each other and their eyes traveled around the room.


    "Quinn Vulcan lost a baby two months ago, does anyone think....."


    This suggestive statement from someone resulted in the ladies forming their own think tank. Whispers and loud voices went around, women agreeing or disagreeing with the outrageous suggestion.


    "Women lose babies, let''s not be too quick to point fingers and accuse someone innocent..."


    "Innocent." Someone else jumped in with rebuke in her voice. "If she introduced Mackie to the evil warlock then how can she really be innocent?"


    "She could have simply passed on the knowledge."


    "Why did she have such knowledge in the first place?"


    "Knowing is the same as doing in this case."


    Old Lady Mayfair listened to the arguments, nodding or shaking her head depending on what she heard. It was all simple until Dorothy Cook made a suggestion that had some people holding their breath.


    "We need to involve the founders council and deal with this matter the old way. I have lost a baby as well, if it''s because someone used witchcraft, they should be burned at the stake. I am warning you all, if anybody stole the essence of my child, they will burn, you hear me, b-u-r-n, burn."


    Old lady Mayfair batted her eyelashes. "Wait, what?"


    Everyone turned to Dorothy Cook, the proverbial teachers pet or in this case, founding council president Rex Cunningham''s pet.


    This was because she was always snitching on others to the council, Rex in particular about who had broken a law or who had forgotten to pay a fine. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Dorothy was the head of the home owners association in the founding council and since her two year tenure begun, she had brought misery to so many by enforcing every law to the maximum.


    Old lady Mayfair did not like Dorothy Cook, the woman had seen to it the previous year that Cillian''s intertwining twin fish fountain two inches from the Mayfair land and one inch into the common road was taken down.


    Cillian Mayfair loved that fountain, he had built it himself and taking it down had been like erasing another piece of him from the world.


    She had pleaded and begged but Dorothy had refused to listen or understand. She had smiled as the wrecking ball crushed the fountain into smithereens.


    Old lady Mayfair hated Dorothy Cook with a fire that burned hotter than a new couple in the throes of a passionate night.


    Noise in the flower cafe went out, voices screaming, insults being hurled and a whole lot of confusion.


    "Mother, we will not be the reason as to why the old witch trials are restarted, right?" Jennie whispered to grandma Mayfair.


    Old Lady Mayfair was still glaring in Dorothy''s direction. "I hope that bitch goes to the wooden stake first." she mumbled.

 Chapter 285 Oh goodie! Assasins in the city

    From the flower cafe, the word started to spread among the founding families, there were witches among them: witches that were stealing the lives of their children and doing all sorts of other nefarious stuff.


    The further the story spread, the more it was twisted. Some heard that the witches were cutting out children''s hearts and eating them. Others heard that the witches were bathing in baby blood.


    Within an hour, the witches were rumored to have found an elixir for immortality and babies were connected. At the center of the conspiracy, Lindsay Vulcan and Mackie Shuman reigned strong.


    Lindsay was captured by disciples from the founding sect before the hour was up but Mackie was nowhere to be seen.


    The founding sect and council intervened, sending out a communication banning all founding families from discussing the matter in public or sharing it with ordinary people. They threatened grave consequences to those that did.


    But a fire had been lit and putting it out would not be so simple. Suspicions boiled beneath the surface, especially for those who happened to have a baby months after another in the family had lost a child.


    Suddenly, everyone that had lost a child rushed to the Mayfair house, hoping to get an appointment with Phoebe to confirm whether their children had been plotted against or they had died a simple natural death.


    Phoebe had no idea about the fire which her grandmother had started, she was snoring softly, dreaming of her twins at their first birthday. It was a good memory so she was smiling even in her sleep.


    Unknown to her was that in that same city, four Dohwa family assassins that had been hired by a Verdemont to eliminate her had just been apprehended at a private airstrip by two groups that were protecting her in the shadows.


    These hidden protectors were hiding so deep that even with all her abilities, Phoebe had not noticed them.


    Two of the assassins had been captured by the Elithera men and the other two by Midnight''s men. There was a scuffle between the groups as Midnight''s men didn''t want the Elithera''s to take the captives while the Elithera''s were determined to prove why they were the best in the business.


    The scuffle had been going on for a few minutes and it seemed as if there would be no end to it. The assassins were stuck in the middle, being pulled, shoved, pinched and slapped before the real torture could begin.


    Even the assassins were confused, hoping they could escape but that was impossible as they were surrounded. They could only wait for the outcome and endure more pinches and slaps.


    All sides were masked and armed, the only difference between them was in the color of their outfits. One side was in black and the other green.


    "There is no more time to waste, this is Midnight''s territory, hand them over unless you want to start a war with him." The masked leader of the group in black spoke, his voice was deep and threatening.


    "We are only here to help, I need to speak to Midnight. He needs to know that i am here as a friend not a foe, tell him to come by Nouvre apartments, i am sure he will know which room." A fully camouflaged Luna raised her hands in surrender, she also ordered her men to hand the two captives over.


    "I will deliver your message to him, if it pleases him then he will meet you." Midnight''s men and his group vanished with the captives.


    Luna''s people were surprised, it was unlike her to surrender easily. Was she doing it because they were like fish out of water in Citrus or she was afraid of Midnight?


    "God damn it!" Luna stamped her left foot, it was going to be hard to carry out operations in the city if she and Midnight didn''t make some sort of agreement. Why was he even interested in the assassin''s? Was it because they were operating in his territory? She wondered.


    She was treading carefully because she had no idea who the true Midnight was. She was 90% certain that he was related to David Saxon, which was the only reason why she had actually surrendered the assassins for now.


    Luna wasted no time in calling Luke to inform him of the new developments. There plan had been to eliminate the assassins and send a warning to the Verdemonts whom they were sure had sent them but it was now ruined.


    She had no plans to give up however, there were other ways to skin the rat.


    "Maybe we should kill the Verdemonts." Came Luna''s suggestion.


    A brittle silence hung on the other end of the line, so profound it seemed to stretch the seconds into hours.


    Then came Luke''s sharp intake of breath, a sound barely audible yet brimming with disbelief. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Luna I have told you i am not in the business of killing people! More so carelessly. Which of the Verdemonts are you going to kill then? One? Two? We don''t know which one put a hit on Phoebe."


    Patience was not something that was taught to her but Luna planned to learn it if she was to win Luke over. He was a calculating man unlike her that was impulsive.


    As for his question, Luna was thinking of eliminating all of them but she kept that to herself.


    "How then do you suggested we proceed?" She asked


    "Let''s investigate and find out which of the Verdemonts made the order. You have connections in the Dohwa family use them." He went silent for a fleeting second. "And Luna, don''t kill indiscriminately, the last thing you want is for ghosts coming after you."


    In response Luna smacked her lips. "Each person that I have killed deserved it trust me."


    She had a rule, no innocents, no children and no women unless they deserved it. Luke hung up because he felt like she was never going to understand until it happened to her.


    Luna on the other hand was confident, she had Phoebe, which ghost would dare to touch her?


    She got her phone and looked at a moving tracker that she had secretly planted in one of the assassin''s neck. Her intention was to see where they ended up and if her intervention would be needed again.


    It was yet to be determined on whose side Midnight was, and until she learned who he was and what his intentions were towards Phoebe, she would not surrender.


    "Midnight, Midnight....i will uncover your identity." she whispered into the night.

 Chapter 286 Burn what now?

    On the Mayfair manor grounds was a group of tall deciduous trees, under those trees was a set of swings that had gone untouched for a long period of time. The swings had been built for Ruth as a young girl and she loved them.


    When she was expelled from the Mayfair family and everything to do with her erased, all that remained were the swings. This was because Ruth had not used them for a long time so nobody thought of them anymore.


    Phoebe had never paid attention to these swings but on this night she did and it was for two reasons. One was the soothing symphony of crickets chirping and hiding under the trees.


    Two was that under the glow of the moonlight and light wind, the swings were slowly moving. To the normal human eye, the wind was pushing the swings, to Phoebe''s shaman eye, two little ghosts were sitting on the swings and the therapist in her red attire was pushing them.


    "Crickets..." Phoebe whispered.


    Here eyes and those of the female ghost met, the ghost smiled, Phoebe did not.


    "Messengers of good fortune, transformation and spiritual guidance." The Saxon spirit spoke up. "Pheebs, it is important to listen to your inner voice."


    Phoebe and the Saxon spirit were both looking at the therapist ghost. She in particular was more interested in the two little girls, innocent ghosts that had accompanied the therapist.


    What was their story? How had they died? Why had they failed to move on?


    Her inner voice was telling her not to dismiss the therapist ghost so quickly. Even though her request was a taboo, it would not harm her to listen.


    "Tomorrow." she whispered into the wind.


    The wind carried her voice and promise to the adult ghost. She nodded and vanished along with the children.


    Connie chose that moment to pop out of the space. "Sister, i would say that she found your weakness. If every ghost learns that children are your weakness, they will blackmail you."


    "Boss lady..." Santos called out with uncertainty in his voice.


    He was unsure why Phoebe had been standing still for so long and just gazing at the creepy swings that were moving on their own. Obviously, something was there, he had come to pick up on little clues in Phoebe''s body language whenever she saw a ghost.


    Santos was uneasy and shivering, with one hand on the butt of his gun. The cricket sounds, the howling of the wind and the swings moving formed a combination that made him uncomfortable. If anything moved in that direction, he was shooting.


    "Let''s go." Phoebe told him.


    The closer they got to the house, the more puzzled Phoebe was by the sheer volume of cars parked near the entrance of the house. Some were organized carefully and others had been left with doors open.


    Different drivers were working on assisting the Mayfair servants to move the cars.


    "Are we having a party?" she asked herself.


    She added some energy to her eyes and peeked inside the house.


    "If only you had Castille eyes." The Saxon spirit said.


    Phoebe did not dwell on the so called magical Castille eyes that could peek beyond the sky, or so people claimed. She was more troubled by all the guests inside the house and in the gardens.


    Most were women, it seemed and her parents and grandmother were navigating through them expertly. Drinks and snacks were being served by servants, she could smell the cheese even before entering the door.


    She could also hear the sobbing from some corners of the house which conveyed pain and trouble.


    Phoebe stopped at the open front door and faced the butler.


    "Don''t tell me that someone has died." she sighed.


    It felt like Luther had just been buried yesterday, Phoebe was not eager to attend another funeral.


    "Its...." the butler started.


    "Pheebs, my good goddaughter, thank God that you are here." A deep voice bellowed.


    "Oh no!" The Saxon spirit exclaimed.


    It was too late to save Phoebe from the tenacious claws of Army general Drusus that grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into the house.


    He had cookie crumbs on his collar and cheek but seemed not too eager to wipe them. In his eyes was a very excited sharp glint and he started questioning her immediately.


    "Is it true that Mackie Shuman ate Liz Guzman''s children?"


    Phoebe planted her feet down and frowned, very puzzled. "Wait, what?"


    General Drusus pulled her along forcefully, taking her deeper into the house, thrusting her in the midst of all the unexpected guests. As soon as they saw her, they pounced on her like hungry lions, shouting for her to help them in various ways.


    Phoebe''s head started to spin as she could barely understand what they were all struggling to shout over each other.


    The news of Phoebe''s arrival spread to the gardens and all those outside rushed inside, growing the crowd in the hallway and living room by leaps and bounds.


    Phoebe was caught in the middle of the crowd, reminding her of the situation at that music carnival when they went to save Valerie.


    She did not like crowds so she did not like this one bit.


    Suddenly, the sound of a gun being fired was heard and for a moment, silence captured the room. Uncertainty filled that silence as everyone wondered who had fired the gun.


    Some people hid behind chairs, others squatted down and some squealed softly but the desired intention of Santos was achieved, they all calmed down.


    "Okay, we will have order or everybody will be evicted." Andre showed up like a hero and made his way through the guests with a megaphone in hand. "My sweet little sister has just returned home after a long day of work, let''s begin by giving her some space and moving to the parlor."


    The servants were already prepared to act and they led the guests away quickly, giving Phoebe room to breathe. General Drusus was like a mountain, he would not be moved and he stuck to Phoebe like glue.


    "General...." Andre started.


    The general responded by dismissing Andre with a gesture of his hand.


    "Boy, if you think you can move me try your best and i will show you why i earned all of my stars and stripes." he threatened.


    "Okay.." Andre muttered and backed off.


    Edward, Jennie and grandma Mayfair showed up, breathing in relief when they saw that Phoebe was okay. Jennie hugged Phoebe, as did Edward.


    "Sweetie, you have no idea what kind of chaos has erupted." Jennie said. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "It''s the Guzman issue." Edward said and he lowered gently at his mother.


    Grandma Mayfair looked away from them, hiding the embarrassment on her face. This mess was her fault after all.


    "Pheebs," she turned her head back. "I am sorry, i told a few people about Mackie and Eliza and the story spread. More people just kept showing up and things spun out of control and now that wretched Dorothy Cook wants to burn people at the stake."


    "I am sorry, burn what now?" Phoebe''s jaw almost dropped.


    "Burn the witches at the stake." General Drusus shared eagerly. "They want to begin with Mackie Shuman and Lindsay Vulcan. Dorothy Cook is not even sure if her child was killed as a result of this essence, surrogacy whatever magic." He put a hand on Phoebe''s shoulder. "Girl, even president Inglewood wants to know more about this matter. His Iona sister recently lost a baby and the cause of death was undetermined. With all these rumors circulating now, let''s just say shit is about to hit the roof."

 Chapter 287 To burn the witches or fight.

    Old lady Mayfair and Jennie sat Phoebe down, narrating to her all that had happened and what had led to the uninvited guests in their home.


    She did not forget to talk about Dorothy Cook and conveniently drop in the fact that she had destroyed grandpa Mayfair''s beloved fountain and laughed like a demon while doing it.


    By the time Phoebe and the rest of the Mayfair''s joined the guests in the parlor, she was on team we don''t like Dorothy Cook.


    The guests had been arranged to sit while facing the front as if they were in a meeting or an auction. The parlor could fill up to one hundred eighty people and it was full to the brim.


    Phoebe went all the way to the front, and she stood close to the center, next to the seat of the family matriarch. Her expression was clam and her gaze unwavering as she looked out at the guests. Her eyes were between gray and black, lending her an air of mystery, like she could see beyond the physical realm.


    All of this was deliberate, an air of mysticism lent to her by the Saxon spirit so that she could command respect from all of these guests who came from affluent founding families.


    It worked because many people felt uneasy just by looking into her eyes. It did not help when the lights in the room flickered and the windows opened without being touched.


    Phoebe snapped her fingers and candles were instantly lit, then she and old lady Mayfair lit some sage as well. She went around the room, placing down stones and salt, to create a protective circle. Their movements were deliberate and graceful each step imbued with purpose.


    They returned to their positions and Phoebe sat down in the chair which was meant for the matriarch at her grandmother''s insistence. In this moment, she was the ultimate authority in the house.


    Something else shifted, an aura of authority surrounded Phoebe, inspiring fear and awe from the guests. They could tell that she was different, miles beyond them.


    Edward and grandma Mayfair could not have been more proud, even the Saxon spirit and grandma Saxon that had come for the fun of it were feeling the same way.


    "I have heard about why you all are here, the first thing i am going to clear up is the burning of the witches. There will be no such thing."


    Her voice was soft but powerful, carrying a punch that shook many. There were those however that only saw her as a young woman that had no authority and chose to challenge her standing to make such a decision. Dorothy Cook was one of them.


    "Who are you to make such a decision on behalf of the rest of us?"


    "I am a shaman, and a citizen of Fog country. The witch trials are a thing of the past, many innocent men and women were killed as a result of hysteria and baseless accusations."


    Dorothy stood up and pointed at Phoebe. "But this is not baseless, you yourself found Mackie Shuman guilty of stealing the life of her sister''s children. She even admitted it and said Lindsay Vulcan introduced her into witchcraft. Everyone hear heard it from your grandmother, straight from the horse''s mouth were the words she used."


    "I said no such thing..: grandma Mayfair denied strongly.


    A few whispers started to move around the room.


    "Is it true or false?"


    "Are they changing the story now?"


    Old lady Mayfair banged her walking cane on the ground twice. "To be precise, i said that Mackie Shuman confessed that Lindsay Vulcan introduced her to an evil shaman in Magic city that cast the spell. I did not call Mackie or Lindsay witches, you did that Dorothy Cook."


    Once again, whispers went around and a lot of the women nodded, agreeing with old lady Mayfair.


    "I can testify to that." Missy Castille shouted, with one hand raised up.


    "Me too." someone else said.


    More women confirmed what old lady Mayfair had said, including grandma Saxon.


    Phoebe smiled. "You are too presumptuous Mrs. Cook, be careful or someday your tongue will be ripped out if you offend the wrong person."


    Dorothy Cook''s eyes bulged and she glared at Phoebe. "You are threatening me, don''t think that i am a fool. The old one has recruited the young one to fight her battles." She pointed from old lady Mayfair to Phoebe. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Old one! I am physically more attractive than you Dorothy Cook and i will die with my tongue in my mouth." Old Lady Mayfair scoffed.


    Despite the fact that this was not the reason for gathering, many ladies still found themselves enjoying the exchange of words.


    "Are you calling me ugly?" Dorthy questioned.


    "If the shoe fits." Old lady Mayfair turned her nose up pretentiously and responded.


    Everyone could easily tell that the relationship between the two women was simply irreconcilable.


    "Enough!" general Drusus exploded.


    He was here to get answers and nothing else. For heaven sake, his men were disguised as servants and live streaming the meeting to the president of Fog country. The president was certainly not interested in the squabbles of the wealthy wives of the founding lane.


    General Drusus was wrong, the president and his wife were very much enjoying what had the makings to be a reality TV show. They were even eating ice cream and giggling.


    President Inglewood''s wife Lauren did not like Dorothy Cook and she was so much enjoying her take down and cheering on grandma Mayfair.


    She took the phone through which the president was communicating with general Drusus and gave her own order.


    "Let them fight for another minute, it''s fun."


    General Drusus chuckled, it was fun indeed. "Go on old lady Mayfair, i believe that you were at the part were the shoe fits which means Dorothy Cook is indeed not as beautiful as you and she hit on Cillian three times but he rejected her at all turns because he was already married to you."


    Connie burst into laughter, her clear voice stunning everyone in the room while Phoebe''s jaw dropped. Was Drusus helping or throwing oil onto the flames?


    Even Amon that was disguised in the back groaned. He knew it, his uncle was here to create trouble.


    Grandma Mayfair glared at Dorothy and Dorothy glared at the general.


    "She hit on Cillian when he was married, oh my gosh!" someone exclaimed.


    "Ho-ho....Mrs. prim and proper has dark secrets, i should hide my husband from her."


    Dorothy opened her mouth and screamed, "I was drunk....i was drunk..."


    "All three times." General Drusus questioned. "Wow, Dorothy, i did not expect you to have a taste for the bottle. You realize that the excuse does not make you look any better, right?"


    A few chuckles went around the room.


    "I knew i didn''t like you for a good reason, i will deal with you later Dorothy. No...we should burn you first you witch." Old Mayfair suggested.


    Dorothy gasped and threw her purse to the front, aiming for old lady Mayfair. It hit sixteen year old Sarah Miller on the back of her head. She cried out loudly and her mother Ashley Miller who was famous for her quick throw downs when angered turned around, fists clenched.


    "Don''t come, don''t come..." Dorothy nervously said.

 Chapter 288 The fifteen.

    Some people started to make way for Ashley while others looked around for nearest safety zone. Ashley was a two time boxing champion, you did not want to be in her way when she was looking for a fight.


    "Okay, enough, as much fun as this is, i would rather know what is going on, how true it is and what can be done about it." the first lady told the general.


    Obeying the words of the first lady, general Drusus stepped in and stopped the fight. With one glowering from him, Mrs. Ashley Miller settled down but she still sent a sharp look to Mrs. Dorothy Cook, a look that promised the fight was not over.


    As exciting as the little exchange was, everyone was ready for the real thing and Phoebe went straight to business.


    "I will repeat myself, there will no burning of anybody, our Mayfair family will not be involved in such actions. What will the rest of the world think of the founding families when they hear of such things?


    We live in a civilized world, one monitored by CCTV''s at every corner. Most people do not even believe in magic and witchcraft anymore, how do you plan to explain your actions if you burn those two women? Not only will you end up being branded as a murderer but you will also spend the rest of your life in an insane asylum."


    Phoebe paused and looked around, meeting some of the uncomfortable eyes in the audience. There were those that agreed with Dorothy Cook, they were just too afraid to share their opinions.


    "Do not use fears of the past to muddy the present, it is not worth it. Moving on, Mackie Shuman and Lindsay Vulcan are indeed guilty of partaking in evil. I cannot speak for Lindsay but Mackie confessed and i personally solved Eliza Guzman''s trouble. For those that do not believe you can visit the Guzman''s and witness for yourselves that her new born baby is alive and healthy."


    Wondrous whispers went around and some people made a note to visit Eliza. Some had tried but the Guzman''s and Shuman''s had sealed off an entire floor in the hospital to keep out visitors.


    "Some of you here are believers, others are not." her gaze pierced some of the people in the room. The faint hearted ones could not take it and they looked down or away. "I do not care if you believe or not, it neither adds nor takes anything away from me. Now...." Phoebe stood up. "I have only an hour to offer help, i am exhausted and you have imposed yourselves on my family without a proper appointment so let''s move fast. Those that need my help, move to one side of the room, and approach one by one. The non believers, that are here for fun, don''t interfere."


    The Mayfairs and their servants got to work with surprising help from general Drusus. A line was formed with Quinn Vulcan being pushed to the front. It was no surprise that she had come to the meeting, she was the biggest spectacle of the night.


    She approached Phoebe and lowered herself to her knees, which shocked those that were waiting. Phoebe too was surprised, there was a chair, why had Quinn chosen to kneel?


    "Two children, i have lost two." Quinn said softly with tears running down her eyes already.


    Quinn had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, one that had been growing with every passing minute since the news about Mackie and Lindsay spread.


    Phoebe took Quinn''s palms and looked at them. Then, she looked at her face and her stomach. A dark cloud had amassed, coming from within.


    She nodded and a gut wrenching cry burst forth from deep within Quinn. It was filled with raw motion and pain that resonated with some other people in the room.


    The whispers started to travel and an odd excitement filled the room.


    "Come and see me at my cafe or i can come to your home, you need a cleansing ritual." Phoebe told her.


    Jennie helped Quinn up and the next person approached. For that one, it was a false case.


    "Your child was born with the umbilical cord wrapped around the neck. There was no foul play."


    She moved away and the next stepped in.


    "Your baby was still born, and you already knew that." Phoebe sighed.


    She looked at the line while scratching the lobe of her left ear.


    "If your baby has a defined cause of death, please don''t waste my time and that of others."


    She did not want to spend more time that necessary so she got up and decided to walk, picking out those that genuinely needed help. The Saxon spirit also volunteered to be helpful.


    Phoebe started separating people, creating a third group, some even found themselves being pushed into the third group by an invisible force.


    The third group was eventually made up of fifteen people.


    "What''s up with the third line?"


    "What is going on? What is shoving people?"


    "This is freaky, i am going home."


    "Everyone else can leave, only they get to stay." Phoebe announced, pointing to the fifteen.


    It was obvious that everyone that had been asked to stay behind had a problem of some kind. They were all women and Sarah Miller was the youngest.


    What they all did not understand was why Sarah Miller had been included. She was only sixteen and as far as they knew she had never been pregnant.


    Why then was she among the fifteen? They started jumping to conclusions immediately and only stayed silent out of fear for Mrs. Ashley Miller.


    While the guests were sent away, general Drusus was communicating with the president who was fuming. His sister Iona that was in disguise was among the fifteen and he wanted answers. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Who was brave enough to harm the sister of the president?


    "Drusus, i think it''s time we form a new supernatural government aided hunting team like the one Cillian Mayfair used to run.


    You know the details better than me, i am commanding you to draw up a plan immediately. Oh...rope in the shaman, she is good at sniffing out the evil done by her own kind."


    General Drusus looked at Phoebe with anxiety in his eyes. She was sending off the fifteen after telling them about a cleansing ritual.


    Drusus was well aware that Cillian never wanted his family involved in the supernatural world, especially not as hunters. If they dragged Phoebe into that world, wouldn''t that old vengeful bastard reach out from the grave and strangle him?


    ****


    Dorothy Cook was not among the fifteen and she was unwilling to accept the results. The only acceptable cause of death for her daughter was the witches and she guessed that Phoebe was being deliberately unhelpful because old lady Mayfair had instigated her.


    She didn''t care about the law or modern society, the witches had to be burned. Even that Phoebe Mayfair was a witch, she was just in disguise.


    Dorothy Cook left the Mayfair grounds and went in search of President Rex. Phoebe did not get the final say on the matter, the founding council did.


    The witches would burn no matter what the Mayfair''s said and if they got in her way, they would burn along with the rest.


    The wind howled strongly and the sky got darker, there was a heaviness in the air. Rain was coming, it would be a long night for the founding families. Embers of the past were flickering.

 Chapter 289 An unusual arrest.

    Elsewhere, inside Alfa securities, in the room where Elizabeth and Aaron Gabriel had once endured torture, new guests had arrived.


    Roman and his knife were ready and eager to get to work, he was being assisted by Arrow Castille whose turn up had been unexpected.


    The red eyed man was simply bored and Luna''s arrival plus the assassins had provided a new entertainment source.


    In the monitoring room, David was quietly observing with a unfathomable look in his eyes. On the keyboard at the desk where he was sitting lay a book on the different ways to torture a human being.


    David had read the book from front to back, at the back Roman had added some creative torture methods he had come up with.


    "Bring the chains and string them up." David spoke into a microphone. "Let''s begin." he added.


    Roman and Arrow, aided by three other men got to work and soon the screams started, but beyond the walls of Alfa security, nothing was heard.


    ******


    The next morning as Phoebe prepared to leave for work after filling up on a milkshake which Maria delivered to her bedroom, she was sent for. Edward sent Maria to escort her downstairs.


    Maria waited patiently outside the bedroom door after knocking twice. She always respected Phoebe''s privacy and never wantonly barged into the bedroom without permission.


    "I''ll be down in a minute." Phoebe responded from inside in a breathy voice as she struggled to put on her tight jeans.


    The ill fitting jeans were a reminder that she had gained about 4 to 5 pounds, a thing that delighted Jennie so much.


    Jennie was on a mission to fatten Phoebe up because she thought her daughter was unfashionably skinny. Words that she had used which confused Phoebe very much. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But these pounds that she had gained were a reminder that she needed new clothes, better fitting ones.


    "Phew!" She wiped invisible sweat and sat on on the bedside stool for a minute before rushing downstairs while shouting for her father.


    "Dad, daddy, father, papa....."


    When she found him, he wasn''t alone, the entire family had gathered in the foyer with a team of three police officers including Shark.


    She had not seen Shark in person for a while, he had been busy with other cases that did not involve ghosts. Phoebe wondered why he had come to her home. It certainly wasn''t to ask for her help because he would not have come with other officers if that was the case.


    Her second suspicion was that he was there because one of the fifteen ladies had perhaps reported the baby killing surrogacy matter to the police but as far as she knew the founding council had put a ban on the matter, stopping them all from taking it public.


    There was no way somebody had gone to the police to report a crime of witchcraft when it could not be proven. They would be risking having their family punished or even removed from the founding families.


    "You have no idea how glad I am that you are okay Pheebs. I have been calling your phone but its unavailable. " Shark''s formerly tense face relaxed.


    "Why wouldn''t I be? My battery died yesterday night but i am charging my phone right now. What''s going on?" She moved to stand in between her brothers, she felt safest with them.


    If the officers had come to condemn her about something or take her away they wouldn''t let them do so, especially Collin. It wasn''t a figment of her imagination, former police officers Sully and Amaro had once arrested her illegally.


    "There was an attempt to hurt you last night dear." Came Grandma Mayfair''s almost inaudible voice.


    On hearing her grandmother''s words, Phoebe took a step forward. "What do you mean? Was it one of the ladies that were here last night?"


    The Saxon spirit shook its head. "It cannot be, those poor women were too devastated all they did was cry."


    "No not them." Jenny became hysterical immediately. "It''s because of that damn foundation! You shouldn''t have taken it."


    Edward moved to calm her by holding her trembling hand.


    Phoebe put one and two together and figured out that it was the Verdemonts. "Was it Ekhart and Emilia? They hate me the most."


    Shaking his head vehemently, Shark said no. "It was Gloria Verdemont and her eldest son, Peter. They hired assassins from the Dohwa family. The four men walked into the station freely and confessed."


    "What?" Luke couldn''t contain his shock. According to the information Luna had shared, Midnight had taken the assassins. So how come the men had willingly walked into a police station and confessed their crime? "Are you sure it''s the assassins from the Dowha family?"


    He suspected that Midnight had maybe swapped the assassins, it was simply impossible for them to voluntarily turn themselves in. Dohwa assassins all took vows to die if they happened to be arrested, they had poison capsules in their teeth to ensure this.


    Luna had injected them all with something to neutralize the poison when they were captured. But with their training, they were the kind to throw themselves off a building, stab themselves, smash their heads into walls. They would do anything as long as it resulted in death.


    Shark looked at his phone, he was receiving regular updates on the case.


    "Yes i am certain, they told us so themselves. Mr. David pulled some strings and got general Drusus involved. Politics has intervened in the matter and as of this morning, pressure is being applied on Silver nation authorities to step in and do something about the Dohwa family.


    It will not be easy of course because the Dohwa''s are almost as strong as the Elithera''s. We have to wait and see how things progress."


    Phoebe tried her best to recall Gloria and Peter Verdemont. Out of all the crazy bunch they were the most quiet and barely submitted anything. To think that the rabbit was biting before the lion!!


    "What happens next?" she asked.


    "We need you to come with us and make a statement detailing any fights and disagreements between you and them. Also the commissioner was suggesting that you are given police protection but...." Shark''s lips curled to the side


    "I already have enough of that, believe me." Phoebe interjected. "What about the Verdemonts? What if they try to hurt me again or my family?"


    She watched Andre squeezing the protection ring that she gave him. His jaw was clenched so hard, he was really angry.


    "We are going to deal with this our way." The Saxon spirit told Phoebe.


    She could not agree more, it was time to put the Verdemonts to bed.


    Shark scratched his head, his eyes were suddenly laced with confusion. "That''s the bizarre part, on our way here a frantic Paul Verdemont personally delivered his wife and son to the station. He strongly claimed that he knew nothing of what they had done."


    "Why? That''s very unlike him." Collin''s brows pulled together.


    A sigh came free from Shark''s mouth. "I was as confused as you are, he said something about how it''s the only way the rest of his children can stay alive. In fact as we speak the most of the older generation Verdemont''s fled Fog country during the late night. It''s almost as though something is chasing them out."


    Phoebe chewed on the insides of her mouth and laughed on the inside. Who else but Luna was crazy enough to go after the Verdemont''s without a second thought?

 Chapter 290 No such thing as a coincidence

    The Saxon spirit had the same guess as Phoebe and it approved of Luna wholly.


    "I guess we don''t have to do anything anymore, the younger generation of the Verdermont''s is willing to kiss your ass. Those older ones were the problem, however no matter where they run, that Luna girl will not let them live peaceful lives."


    "They cannot hide anyway, they have to report to Mr. Cornwell in person or through a call in order to receive the monthly allowance Mr. Luther left them." Sylvester dropped in a reminder.


    Shark looked at the time and the door, he appeared to be impatient.


    "We should go now, the deputy police commissioner general is waiting and so is an aide from the Fog national presidential palace. I have been told that general Drusus might be joining us as well. Like i said, the matter has grown big, beyond a simple assassination."


    With all the new parties involved, Edward decided that Phoebe''s business could not be delayed anymore.


    "Go with Collin."


    "I..." Andre started.


    "Not you." Edward and Jennie spoke up together.


    Both parents had not forgotten the little mess in Magic city which resulted in Phoebe''s hand being bandaged.


    "You are a public figure, the moment you are photographed at a police station and word gets out, your fans and paparazzi will rush over. Your sister doesn''t need that kind of trouble." Edward added.


    Andre was reluctant but he did not have much of a choice.


    "My princess, be careful," Edward gently ruffled Phoebe''s hair.


    Without hesitation, Phoebe and Collin followed Shark and the other detectives to the police station.


    Outside the station, on arrival Phoebe noticed that reporters had already gathered. Some were waiting inside their vans, others were loitering outside and a few were hurdled in a circle, eating some pastries and drinking coffee as they discussed the issue which had brought them.


    She hesitated to step out of the mini van because in her mind, she could picture the headlines in which once again she would no doubt feature. Hastily she took the black sunglasses which Andre had given her and placed them over her eyes.


    "You don''t need to worry Pheebs, the press doesn''t know the details about you being the target of the assassins. They just caught wind of some arrests made and the Verdemont name. Most of them actually think that it might be related to Linda or Brandon''s case." Shark spoke after noticing her fidgeting with her fingers endlessly.


    "Nothing sells more news than a founding family scandal." Collin muttered.


    A small, unbidden smile tugged at the corners of Phoebe''s lips. Her eyes that were clouded with worry now shimmered with a quiet calm. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The electric door of the car slid open and Phoebe sighed.


    "The last thing I want is to be back in the news." she whined.


    "That''s wishful thinking dear, you are a powerful shaman, a Saxon''s woman and above all a Mayfair. Even what you wear makes headlines." Grandma Mayfair said.


    Her presence was unexpected as only Collin had been allowed to come with her to the police station. But then again, Edward could not control his mother.


    Shark snapped his fingers once. "Old lady Mayfair is right, if they see you here then they will automatically pounce on you. Let''s use the back entrance." He suggested.


    Grandma Mayfair stepped into the van and it went around to the parking which was reserved for police cars and VIP''s. Like thieves in the night, they moved subtly towards the back door but after just a few steps they heard a camera click with a crisp and mechanical sound followed by the faint whir of the shutter resetting.


    "What the hell!" Phoebe spoke as her head bobbed strongly. She whirled around just like everyone else only for her eyes to fall on the famous reporter Heinz.


    "Dude delete those pictures right now." Shark requested politely but sternly. He had known Heinz for years in fact their relationship had transitioned into a friendship.


    They had a cordial working relationship, each using the other to get what they needed. However, in this case, it was an agreed upon plan. Shark knew better than to mess up national affairs.


    A victorious smile formed on Heinz''s lips." So you guys are really hiding from those reporters at the front. Anyway let''s not complicated matters, just give me something juicy. Why is Phoebe Mayfair here?"


    Shark ordered the officers to escort the Mayfairs inside, they obliged but the Mayfair''s would not budge.


    "You know that she is a consultant here, nothing special is going on here." Shark took a few steps closer and made an attempt to grab the camera.


    "It''s nothing special yet she is here with Collin and the old lady? Seems like something extremely special to me." Heinz laughed mockingly.


    The Saxon spirit sneered, it was done with listening to the persistent journalist. "Let me get some sleeping dust."


    "Wait! that''s a bit of an extreme measure? Heinz is one of the most intelligent and quick-witted journalists in all of Fog country. It''s best not to arouse his suspicions for such small matters." Phoebe stopped the spirit.


    "We can just knock him out with a punch, we are ghosts, he won''t see us anyway." Sylvester suggested.


    "No, he will surely become more curious about me." She argued.


    Connie hovered to where Heinz was. "So what if he becomes curious?"


    "I know people like him, he will start stalking me, investigating me deeply for an expose and that''s not good for business." Phoebe made a warning signal at Connie who was about to tickle Heinz.


    Collin meanwhile stuffed a wad of bills into Shark''s hands. "Come on Shark just give him something, why are you behaving like an amateur? You know how these things work, right?" Collin gave Heinz a side eye.


    Heinz overheard and he shook his head vehemently. "No way! The name Phoebe Mayfair brings in some of the highest ratings and payday lately." He said, his words caused Phoebe to curl her lips upwards and he noticed.


    "Okay fine I know that you are here because of the bones that were found in Molding kids playground, isn''t that right? Did you help the police to find them like you found Linda?" His curious eyes met her surprised ones.


    Shark spoke first, he had no clue as to what Heinz he was talking about. "Bones at a children''s play ground? What are you talking about Heinz?" He scratched the top of his head.


    Frown lines formed on his forehead as he had not yet heard of anything of the kind.


    "Come on Shark I already heard from my source that the police found small bones this morning. Don''t tell me that you don''t know? You look like you have no idea about this, i thought that''s why the shaman came here, to speak to the ghosts or something." Heinz right brow shot up as his eyes shifted from a clueless Shark to a stunned Phoebe.


    "Listen dude, I already told you Miss Mayfair is here on official police business. So delete the picture and I promise that I will give you an exclusive on that bones story." Shark made a good bargain which Heinz agreed to.


    They entered the station and once inside, Phoebe spotted a red suit that she could identify miles away. It was the psychologist from the Sanderson mental wellness institute that she had promised to talk to today.


    "She wants to kill a child and bones were found at a children''s playground. This can''t be a coincidence." The Saxon spirit sighed heavily.

 Chapter 291 Did she call the president crazy?

    Whatever was going on with the ghost sounded a lot more interesting than the statement she was required to make. Phoebe''s right leg turned and her whole body pivoted in the direction of the ghost.


    She did not make it far, not even a single step was taken.


    "This way." Shark nudged her gently to gain her attention.


    Phoebe had no choice but to stop and follow the detective.


    "Like I said earlier, in there waiting is the deputy police commissioner general, general Drusus and an aide from the Fog national presidential palace." He spoke as they walked towards an office. "Pheebs, i know that you are normally blunt and out spoken but try to be polite in there. Do not antagonize the aide, i beg you."


    Phoebe was only partially listening and her eyes kept shifting back to the ghost, it was now following a female detective that was rushing into another conference room with a set of pictures in her hand.


    Phoebe wondered what was in the pictures for the ghost seemed anxious.


    "Do you think she has something to do with the case?" Phoebe communicated with the ancestor.


    Both of them saw the ghost vanish into the conference room. It settled the matter for them both from a coincidence to a confirmation.


    The Saxon spirit studied the ghost as well. "I still cannot sense anything sinister coming from her but go in there and deal with the Dowha assassins situation. I will follow the ghost and find out more." It abandoned their group and vanished into a wall.


    "Are you okay?" Collin asked.


    Phoebe nodded, her eyes hid a storm of worries however. Dead children__ she hated such cases and avoided them as much as possible.


    The faces of her sons were conjured up in her mind, prompting her to dig her nails in her palms in order to stay sane.


    The door of the office opened and Shark pushed Phoebe inside. The people they had come to meet were waiting, two older men and a woman. Some Phoebe knew by face and others by reputation. All were sitting around a round table except for David who was standing and beckoned her to go to him.


    Phoebe was pleasantly surprised to see him and she went towards him without hesitation. He pulled out a chair for her while making introductions.


    After the greetings and introductions were made, they got down to business but it was not in the way Phoebe expected.


    "For a young shaman, you have surely attracted the attention of powerful people. You must be something if Dohwa assassins were sent after you, what exactly did you do to the Verdemont''s?" The aide from the presidential palace smiled curiously.


    She was a woman in her late forties pushing to the fifties. Phoebe had seen her on TV maybe once or twice. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I did not do anything that is worth being assassinated for. What we have are disagreements, it comes with the job, unfortunately some powerful people do not want to use their brains to think." Phoebe let out a jagged laugh, deep down she was a little nervous.


    The people in the room with her were powerful after all and the deputy police commissioner general was lowering at her like they had a personal grudge.


    David squeezed her shoulders to remind her that she had nothing to worry about. "Inhale deeply and exhale." he whispered.


    "Mr Mayfair." The aide nodded once in recognition of Collin. "Your father just called me, he is worried about this little shaman here. You all have nothing to worry about, we are not going to eat her. In fact I have some good news."


    Her words caused their eyes to flicker over her, some quick and darting others bold and steady.


    "Already? You already heard back from the Silver nation? How come I have heard nothing yet, this is a matter of national security." General Drusus sounded a little displeased.


    "National security?" Phoebe thought out loud, since when had this escalated to that level?


    General Drusus nodded. "Yes it is! Assassins from the Silver nation sneaked into our country to harm a citizen. A lot of international laws were undermined by this act. What was done can end the cordial relationship of the two countries maybe even cause animosity which can lead to a war."


    "What!" The Mayfair''s and Shark said in unison.


    Phoebe chuckled in disbelief. "A war! Have you lost your minds? Are you all nuts, war is not child''s play."


    Shark''s head darted to Phoebe first and he wished to silence her. This was the kind of outspokenness he had warned her about. You did not call the army general, presidential palace aide and deputy police commissioner general nuts!!! Hell, matters of war were related to the president so in a way, Phoebe had called the president nuts.


    "Err.. Pheebs let''s not push it." Collin tugged on his sister''s arm.


    Phoebe slapped it away. "Big brother, are you hearing them? You also think it''s crazy, right? Who advised the president on this insanity?"


    "Pheebs!" Collin called out in a raised voice.


    "I think it''s crazy." David agreed.


    Collin glared at him, his eyes told David to keep quiet and stop overly indulging Phoebe.


    "He does not speak for all of us but my sister does not mean it an insult, just an expression of shock." Collin clarified.


    "Yes, that one." Shark emphasized loudly.


    The aide raised her arms to calm everyone.


    "It will not get to that folks so everyone calm down. We are not crazy or nuts, we just applied a lot of pressure to the Silver nation to make sure that the guilty party which is the Dowha family in this case suffer the consequences for their actions. It''s not necessarily because of you Phoebe, the Dohwa''s are getting too arrogant recently because the first lady of Silver nation is from their family. They made a move on our submarines in the West sea recently, this was a chance for us to retaliate."


    "And?" General Drusus interjected, he was very eager to hear how the Silver nation had decided to deal with the situation.


    "Well they agreed to our terms which include arresting whom ever gave the assassins instructions to attack Phoebe Mayfair and that is Kim Dohwa who has been a pain in our ass for so long. Also we were given rights to imprison the assassins who are Silver nation citizens. Believe me, this is a humiliation for them."


    David snapped his fingers. "So that means that they will be tried by our courts along with Gloria and Peter Verdemont?"


    "Yes. That''s why we need Phoebe Mayfair to make a statement on the matter. Leave nothing out for it could help in getting them a heavier sentence and prevent any extraction deals."


    "Phew! I have never felt more relieved." Collin leaned back in the chair. "I wonder what they gave the Dowha family in exchange of them taking on such a risky deal. The Verdemonts are dead broke."


    "A kidney." Came David''s shocking revelation. "Gloria Verdemont promised to have one of her kidneys extracted once the job was done." He added.


    "My God! She''s insane." Phoebe''s hand moved to cover her open mouth.


    "No she isn''t, a kidney on the black market can go up to around a four to five hundred thousand Fog dollars. It was good business." The deputy chief exhaled loudly.


    Collin frowned at David. "How did you know that?"


    David''s face remained blank. "I just do." He shrugged, his eyes bored into Collin''s.


    "That''s it then, I''ll get going, we all just wanted to meet you and see where your head was. Since you are willing to press charges and testify then everything is good." The aide raised to her feet and was escorted out by the deputy chief and general Drusus.


    "Pheebs, let''s get started on that statement." Shark escorted Phoebe to the victim interview room where Phoebe surrendered all the details and answered all the questions which were asked by four different detectives. She even took a polygraph test.


    "I guess that''s it." Shark closed the laptop and switched off the camera.


    The Saxon spirit had been waiting in the corner for them to finish up. It rushed to Phoebe immediately with a very grim expression on the face.


    "It''s worse that we imagined, we have to take the case."

 Chapter 292 Hanna Scorpio, Sharks nemesis.

    Phoebe judged from the eyes of the Saxon spirit that it was bad; bad enough to make an already pale centuries old ghost even paler.


    The spirit did not stick around and it left again which added more urgency to the problem at hand. She turned her head to the detective that was on his phone texting.


    "Shark, that case Heinz was talking about, steal it, it''s ours so go grab it now using any means necessary and let''s get started."


    His eyes widened for about five seconds as processed what she meant. The case Phoebe was talking about had already been assigned to another detective but if weird spooky stuff and ghosts were involved, it would end up a cold one. The case had already caught the eyes of Heinz, it would likely evolve into something big.


    "Understood." He struggled to hide his smile but he could not even stop his carnivorous teeth from showing through the small groan.


    He knew that by the time he closed it his face would be on the front page of all news papers and he would be rewarded with a heavy bonus. He moved ahead quickly in search of the detective that had been assigned the case and to find out more details about the case.


    Phoebe returned to the interview room and sat down because she knew that he would be back soon. While she was waiting, she replied to the texts from her parents and brothers that wanted to know how things had gone.


    Her father wanted to know if the aide had given her trouble and her mother wanted to know if she had pissed off anyone else.


    "Who does she think i am?" Phoebe muttered.


    "I don''t think her question is far fetched considering the reasons why we are here." Connie said.


    The teenage ghost was looking over Phoebe''s shoulder at her texts.


    "So, what do you think happened? I am dying to know what this case is about." Connie asked.


    The door opened, hitting the wall with a thud and making Phoebe jump up slightly. In walked David and Collin, grandma Mayfair followed a little slower. Three seconds later, a fuming Shark walked into the open room.


    "What is it?" Phoebe asked, from the look on the detective''s agitated face she could tell that something was wrong. It was 80% likely that he had failed.


    In response, Shark twisted his lips. "The case was assigned to Hanna Scorpio, there is no way that competitive witch is going to hand it over to me. Maybe we should let this one go Pheebs."


    It was surprising to hear Shark give up on something. It was very unlike him.


    "So steal it then! Shark it''s important you take the case because it''s ghost related." Phoebe stared at him, her eyes laced with a mix of shock and surprise with a little annoyance.


    Stealing cases from other detectives was his thing, his trademark for heavens sake!


    Shark winced. "If it was any other detective, then it could be an easy steal but not Hanna. The moment she knows that I have interest in the case she won''t let go. She is as stubborn as a mule, in fact she has stolen several of my cases since she was transferred here a few weeks ago.


    That witch stole my chicken sandwich and my yogurt, worse though, she stole my official police issued vehicle and cheated me out of my opportunity to throw out the first pitch at the Green tiger''s baseball match next month. I have never met a glory hound like her, she is my nemesis. I hate that witch...ooooh."


    Shark complained vehemently and groaned, he seemed like he was reporting Hanna to Phoebe with the expectation that she would do something about the matter.


    "So what do we do?" Phoebe asked.


    "We can put a spell on her, or use a forgetfulness talisman. We have never made one but it''s in the book." Connie made a suggestion.


    Collin sighed softly, his eyes shifted to look at the time on his wrist watch. "Let us wait for the deputy commissioner, he owes me a favor. He will transfer the case to Shark no questions asked." He lifted his chin, believing that he had saved the day.


    David let out a sharp and jarred laughter, he was about to become the bigger savior. "Hanna, do you mean Hanna Scorpio?" He asked although he knew the answer already.


    "Yeah, you know her?" Shark asked, his brows pulled together.


    "Of course i do, as a matter of fact let me just text her right now." David pulled out his phone, typed and sent the message.


    While they were waiting, Connie started to giggle as if she had discovered a secret. Phoebe did not even bother to ask and let the girl chuckle as she pleased.


    Less than a minute later, a pixie-faced appeared in the open door way and scoffed the minute she set her eyes on Shark.


    "Hello Hanna." David greeted her with a brief wave of his hand.


    The pause was very brief because of the glare Phoebe shot him. Just like he had retrieved his wave David did the same to his smile. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Hanna Scorpio stepped inside, unknown to her a ghost was right on her heels, one which smiled in relief on seeing Phoebe.


    Hanna first looked around the room, observing everyone inside briefly. She was like Shark, familiar with the faces of the big wigs in the city so she recognized them all.


    She nodded at them briefly before turning to David.


    "Mr. Saxon, how can I help you sir?" Detective Hanna smiled.


    "I will go straight to the point Scorpio, it''s about the case that you have been assigned, can you give it to Shark? I will owe you one."


    Shark snorted, he was ready for her to say no.


    "Sure, nothing beats owing a Saxon in this country. It looks like it''s about to be a cold case anywhere, there are no leads at all. An accident if you asked me." Hanna spoke nonchalantly.


    Amazed, Shark''s jaw dropped on the floor. "Just like that? You are not going to make any demands, make smart remarks or brag?"


    "No, a Saxon owes me a favor, the way i see it, i have been rewarded." Hanna turned and left them as suddenly as she had joined them.


    She left them all baffled, especially Shark. Even though they had got what they wanted, he felt like he had been played. The Hanna he had come to know would ask questions before surrendering. Wasn''t she curious about why he wanted the case?


    David meanwhile was not baffled, he was smiling like a fool as a rush of triumph enveloped him. In the battle to show off influence between a Mayfair and a Saxon and he had won.


    "This is nothing to brag about, either way Shark was getting the case, you just got lucky Saxon." Collin wasn''t about to accept defeat.


    The initial rush of triumph that David felt quickly faded and he sneered lightly.


    Phoebe was too busy engaged in a conversation with the psychologist that she hardly noticed the battle for power between her boyfriend and her brother.


    Grandma Mayfair was the same, her ghost seeing glasses were already in place and she was watching Phoebe question the ghost.


    "The bones found at the play ground was that your work? Did you kill that child too?" She questioned, her narrowed eyes suspiciously studied the shocked ghost.

 Chapter 293 A ghost commissioned a murder!

    "Me! What are you accusing me of?" The psychologist ghost pointed an index finger at itself. "Why in God''s name would you think that? Do I look like a psycho child killer to you?" It continued to ask.


    Phoebe scoffed. "What do you mean by why? I have every right to suspect you because you walked into my office a few days ago and asked me to kill a child. If I recall correctly, you said that I would regret chasing you away. It is not far-fetched for me to think that you did something to make good on your words."


    Because the conversation could be heard on Phoebe''s end, the men turned their ears to her. They were all wondering if they had heard the same thing. A ghost had tried to commission a murder of a child!!


    "What...." David started but Shark pulled him back.


    In the heat of the moment, the detective lost all the reverence he had for a Saxon. If ghosts were commissioning murder, they had entered new investigation territory that was far beyond the scope of what police officers learned at the Fog National State Police Academy.


    The therapist was now floating back and forth, the ghostly way of pacing. "So, you thought that I killed a child because of what I said? You got this all twisted my dear ghost seeing lady. The boy I want you to kill is a psychopath, a born killer. The bones discovered today belong to one of his victims."


    Phoebe''s eyelids flicked. "One of his victims? There is more than one dead person?"


    The anxious ghost nodded. "Yes, those ghost kids you saw me with yesterday are victims too. I have been keeping my eyes on him he is up to no good. I am afraid that he already has his eye on his next target."


    The words troubled Phoebe and made Grandma Mayfair gasp.


    "I need to hear all the information you have on this kid." Phoebe''s lips trembled.


    Fear gnawed at her and regret knocked on the gate of her heart. If she had not been too quick to dismiss the therapist maybe there would be no new target. Her eyes, wide and glassy, darted about as though searching for a way to escape the truth.


    "I was wrong. This woman wasn''t the killer. Why did I just brush her off and not listen to her at the very least." Thoughts run wild in her head.


    "Pheebs! Pheebs!"


    She heard someone call her name and jolt her out of the half trance like state that she had dived into.


    "Pheebs there is an emergency at work, I have to leave are you okay with that or do you need me to stay?" Collin asked, there was a lot of uncertainty in his voice because she looked so out of it.


    "I am okay, you can leave. There is more that I need to find out about this case. You can''t help me even if you stay back anyway." Phoebe sank into the nearest chair.


    Collin hesitated for he didn''t know why she was acting weird and he didn''t want to leave her in that state, his eyes shifted from her to David.


    "Don''t worry man, I will look out for her." David nodded once to assure him.


    He normally accompanied Phoebe on ghost adventures, Collin did not, he had a company to run.


    "I need a private place." Phoebe stood up.


    She could not keep the interview room indefinitely occupied and also didn''t want the conversation to fall into the ears of outsiders.


    The closest place she could think of was the office of the medical examiner, Claire'' office to be specific. Besides the body had to have been taken to the medical examiner''s office and she wanted to know the cause of death. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Shark gather all documents, pictures and everything related to the case and bring it to Claire''s office. Nana, David, let''s go."


    She rallied everyone and they left through the back door, exiting the main building without press interference this time. They got into the van and were driven to the medical examiner''s office.


    Claire was inside her office studying an x-ray with one hand while biting into a muffin when the door to her office was pushed open and Phoebe walked in.


    "Pheebs!" Claire spoke through a full mouth; she placed the muffin that she was holding on a saucer. She smiled slyly like a child caught stealing sugar, put down the picture and wiped her hands with a white tissue.


    "I thought you were on a diet?" Phoebe arched an eyebrow.


    "Look at me, do i need a diet." Claire opened a canned soda.


    Shaking her head, Phoebe dismissed Claire''s excuse and focused on why she had come. "I need to borrow your office; I have a ghost client....."


    "No need to explain, I get it." Claire pressed a remote button and blinded the windows.


    Phoebe waved her hand and invited both ghosts and humans into the office. Once everyone was settled, she cast a visibility spell and all ghosts in the room could be seen by the human eyes.


    They were familiar with Connie, so all of them looked at the psychologist ghost. The ghost stared right back, observing them even more than they were doing to her.


    "This is not natural." the ghost said.


    The humans wanted to tell her that it was just the same for them. Seeing ghosts was not natural after all and they should have been the ones to say what it had just said.


    Grandma Mayfair cleared her throat "You must be our new lovely client; I promise that whatever it is we are going to do our best to help you."


    She was dying to know more about the woman and the dead children.


    "That''s right so begin by introducing yourself, I don''t even know your name." Phoebe sat in a chair and leaned back.


    Claire tapped the table continuously; her eyes were glued to the phone. "I do...I do! At first i wasn''t sure so I had to check. She''s America Slater." She announced like everyone was supposed to recognize the name.


    All she received were blank stares. "Come on guys she won multiple awards in her field including a the Komunga grant and the field medal for outstanding achievements in psychology."


    "Nothing, I haven''t heard of her until today but no offense it is still nice to meet you." David stretched his hand forward a shake but retrieved it on remembering that America was a ghost.


    Shark scratched his head. "I think that i may know her, but I can''t remember.... ooh that''s right. You''re the dead lady that rolled down the stairs accidentally and died at the Sanderson mental wellness institute, right?"


    "That''s one shitty way to die." Connie commented a carrot in her hand. She chomped on it with abandon, each bite a noisy collision of teeth and the carrot that echoed through the office.


    The Saxon spirit gave her a warning gaze. "If you want to stay then stay quiet girl."


    The corners of America''s lips tilted just enough to form an amused smile. "You are right detective I did roll down the stairs and die but it wasn''t accidental.


    I was pushed down the stairs by an eleven-year-old kid. Pushed is a simple way to put it, let me rectify it. I was murdered by an eleven-year-old client of mine."

 Chapter 294 The case of the therapist.

    The room fell in stunned silence, as if the very air had been stolen. Some clutched at their chests or mouths, as though physically bracing themselves against the weight of the revelation while others stood statue-still.


    To most, it was unthinkable that a child of eleven could do something so horrific.


    "What do you mean by saying that an eleven year old child pushed you down the stairs and murdered? Did he really do it intentionally? We are talking about a kid, right? I have so many questions racing in my mind." Grandma Mayfair blinked rapidly.


    "It''s exactly like I said before, I was murdered by a child." Doctor America spoke with firmness, pressing firmness on the word murdered.


    "Goodness gracious! Was he mentally ill or something?" Claire leaned forward.


    This was her conclusion because doctor America was well known for her work with troubled teens. She had a good reputation in her ability to reform them.


    America let out a pronounced sigh. "It''s a long story maybe I should start from the beginning."


    "I agree." Phoebe nodded once.


    David sent Roxanne a text, instructing her to look into the dead doctor America''s young patients and their parents. Grandma Mayfair steeled her heart for yet another story on another horrible human being, Shark sent Jones a message telling him to find the case file on America''s death and Claire grabbed her muffin.


    America floated to Claire''s desk and sat down.


    "Throughout my career, I have seen a lot of disturbed clients especially adults, the children and teenagers most were just impulsive and acting out. With some guidance, structure and boundaries, they were reformed easily.


    One hot afternoon a couple, Mr. and Mrs. Whitlock walked into my office, seeking for my help. Initially I thought that one of them was the client but I was wrong. They were worried about their nine year old son that was acting odd. Apparently he was anti social and had no friends.


    He had quite the temper and once angered, he would act out in the most violent ways. His mother had a bruise on her left eye and a broken arm. She had a lot of the signs of domestic violence but rather than the husband being the abuser it was the son.


    The father was hesitant to admit these things but i have a one hundred percent open policy rule with any potential clients. If they hide important secrets from me, i refer them to someone else.


    They had no choice but to tell me everything about their son. He was erratic at times and struggled to maintain any form of a social relationship because other kids were afraid of him. They arranged play dates, camps nothing worked.


    At the play ground, he would just sit and watched other kids without playing and if he played, his games were violent or high risk often resulting in the injury of other children.


    Instead of cartoons he liked to watch adult content, especially violent programs and even his choice of games was the same.


    His favorite TV shows were those documentaries about murders. The sight of blood excited him greatly to the extent that he cut his younger sister on the arm just to see her bleed."


    Not unexpectedly, there were gasps around the office.


    "Yeah, okay, he is a weirdo alright." Connie interrupted only to be shushed by the adults in the room.


    "Keep going miss America." Grandma Mayfair told the ghost she was already invested in the story.


    America moved from the desk and hovered just above it. "You should understand that I had dealt with antisocial kids before but not with one that was interested in murders, I certainly didn''t think things would escalate.


    I knew that the child had a problem right away so I agreed to see him and make an assessment, I even freed my schedule just to squeeze them in the following day. The Whitlock''s came back to my office with the boy, Humphrey Whitlock.


    Mind you I did my own digging after meeting them and it turned out that i was not the first psychologist that they had gone to, they had been to see two other psychologists that i called up. They could not reveal his information of course but one did tell me that it was a case of a child that was acting out and overly worried parents. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    According to him, the father was simply on a mission to pump the kid with mood stabilizers. In his words, boys would be boys, Humphrey Whitlock just needed a firm hand and more physical activities to keep him away from television.


    I listened but i prefer to make my own judgements. On seeing Humphrey, he was the exact opposite of what his parents had described him to be. He was sweet, charming and very likeable. He wore clean clothes with nothing about his appearance out of order.


    He appeared to be very normal and simply curious about the world. He even addressed his parents worries about his taste in TV shows, claiming that he wanted to be the world''s greatest detective.


    As we talked i gradually started to realize that Humphrey was very cunning, he never said anything without thinking of how it would be perceived. He was cautious and his answers were too perfect like they had been rehearsed.


    I discovered later on that he has an Intelligence quotient of 214, one of the highest in the world.


    On that day however, i realized why to others he was a normal kid, he was a well practiced liar putting up a show.


    Through the evaluation his eyes remained fixed on me, with a plastic smile on his lips like it had been planted there. At that age, the kid was trying to manipulate me." America paused and swallowed deeply.


    "He already sounds dangerous." Grandma Mayfair made the sign of the cross.


    America nodded "More than dangerous I can assure you, when I finished evaluating him. I explained my concerns to the parents and advised that he be committed to the institute for a while.


    Humphrey looked fine on the outside but their was a darkness lurking inside him. He clearly displayed a lack of empathy, manipulative, risk taking behavior and behaving erratically. I was all but ready to tell the parents that their son was a psychopath.


    His mother insulted me and called me all sorts of names but his father on the other hand agreed with me, Mr Whitlock went ahead to reveal that their livestock was dying mysteriously and they looked like they had been tortured.


    Mrs Whitlock argued that it wasn''t Humphrey, she went on to say that it had to be the wild dogs in the area. In her opinion all he needed was socialize with other children and be normal.


    They had a heated discussion during which time Mrs. Whitlock shed many tears and accused her husband of wanting to ruin their son''s future. If people heard that he had mental issues or if he ended up with this on his record, his life could be considered to be over.


    I on the other hand was more worried about other people than Humphrey."


    Phoebe pulled her brows together. "The killing of animals?" She asked.


    "Yes, but not just that, during the argument, Mr.Whitlock reminded his wife that the boy started by killing roaches, then birds, then his sister''s cat, then their livestock. To me it seemed like his urge to kill had grown bigger after every kill.


    It was almost as though he was graduating from smaller prey to bigger one How long then would it take until he progressed to humans?"

 Chapter 295 Humphrey Whitlock, thriller chess wizard.

    The deeper America dived into the details of the story, the more the sensitive people in the group recoiled. Grandma Mayfair''s face had long gone pale with a quiet horror, imagining how many victims had become Humphrey''s prey and feeling sorry for the poor helpless animals that had fallen prey to him.


    Connie leaned forward, captivated by the macabre twists, her curiosity outweighed the unease. "Here comes the interesting part."


    Her words earned her judgmental glances from some of the people in the group, this was not exactly a sweet tale.


    David clicked his tongue. "Let me guess, he graduated from killing animals to humans?"


    "Yes, but no one knew that and it did not happen immediately. On that day, Mrs. Whitlock won the argument and they took their son home. After the first meeting the Whitlock''s never returned to see me for a long while and i carried the haunting tale and fear of what Humphrey would do if he ever got the opportunity. I was really surprised when after three months Humphrey Whitlock came to my office."


    "What for after all that time?" Grandma Mayfair asked.


    Shark cracked a finger joint. "Something must have happened that triggered him to return, isn''t that right?"


    America nodded continuously. "Indeed, I welcomed him and asked how and why he had come by himself with no guardian. The boy only smiled, studied my office and asked for a cup of tea and biscuits.


    As a responsible adult i of course reached out to his parents immediately and informed them about this development. They were shocked to hear that he was at the hospital, they sounded hysterical to me, especially the mother. She made it abundantly clear that if i spoke to her son without them or a lawyer, i would be sued.


    As curious as i was, i knew better than to cross legal boundaries so i backed down, he drunk his tea as we waited for them together. While i could not question him about his mental well being, i could ask general questions so I repeated my question about why he had come but the boy maintained his silence.


    I waited patiently until he was done, you see Humphrey is not someone that you rush into doing anything, he takes his time pushing you to the edge, building your desire to engage with him in a battle of wits."


    She pointed to the roughly put away chess board and piece in an open drawer in the desk that was standing in the corner of the office.


    "It''s like a game of chess, he is always trying to prove that he is more strategic, clever and ahead of you. That''s how he let''s you know that he is the one in charge, he is a small boy that can manipulate and gaslight an adult.


    I must admit that he did make me interested, the more he acted like that is the more i desired to explore his mind. I was slightly fascinated, i had never met a child like that." She whispered.


    America sighed and raised her voice. "When he finally spoke, he told me that his parents had been fighting a lot and it was because of what I had told them about him.


    His father was threatening to divorce the mother if she did not agree to have him committed. My name had apparently come up in many of their arguments.


    A creepy smile formed on his lips as he politely blamed me for causing chaos in his family. Then he asked me why I thought that he was crazy and advocating for him to be admitted.


    I did not hesitate to tell him that I believed that he had some problems and if he took the right treatment he could over come it. I asked him how often he had got the urge to harm others. He did not respond but the flicker in his eyes told me what i needed to know.


    He told me i was wrong and I insisted that I was right. I bluntly told him that he was a danger to others and himself and the safest place for him was inside the walls of the institute.


    I told him that I understood what he was going through and I could help him. Out of all the doctors that he had been to I was the first to tell him all this. I also didn''t display any fear of him and I think this fascinated him and annoyed him at the same time.


    Unknown to me was that Humphrey had marked me, he did not like the things I had said, I made him unhappy and uncomfortable." A small regretful smile formed on her lips.


    "You saw his hidden personality he had learned to hide, a darkness in him that others couldn''t see. I took a course in psychology at the police academy, people that behave like this kid attach themselves to people like you who can see through them because they want to pull them into their world or get rid of them." Shark interjected.


    America''s brows rose and fell. "You are correct because he told me that he wanted me to treat him, in fact he volunteered to be admitted and go through the full course of treatment."


    "He did?" Phoebe asked "Just like that? How calculative." She added. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Shaking his head, David scoffed. "I agree."


    America concurred with them all, "the boy had calculated every step like a criminal mastermind, i was just glad that he would be off the streets for a while. When his parents arrived, they were shocked to the core when I told them about Humphrey''s decision.


    His father was slightly hesitant-more afraid and worried but the mother she was against it completely. Just like the last time in my office, she said the same things. She was worried about his future and all that.


    Mr. Whitlock surprised me by suddenly taking his wife''s side and it made me curious because he had been all about admitting his son for treatment just three months back. Something had changed in those three months but I could not put my finger on it at the time.


    I also couldn''t insist on making Humphrey a resident of Sanderson if the parents were against it. Aside from a court order I could do nothing even if Humphrey wanted to be admitted, at the end of the day they were his guardians and I needed their consent.


    Their son however was determined to have his way and he stood his ground, unfazed by his parent''s opinion. Unlike in the past meeting where I could see worry etched on their faces, this time that worry had transitioned to fear.


    Mrs. Whitlock flinched each time Humphrey spoke, and Mr. Whitlock avoided his son''s gaze altogether. When he moved close to them, Mrs'' Whitlock trembled so much that i was worried i would hear her bones rattle.


    It was more than fear, she was horrified and it made me worry even more. They were both hiding something and I was determined to get to the root of it.


    That''s why when Mr. Whitlock suggested that I treat Humphrey from home, I agreed before they could change their minds." America inhaled, looked at the ceiling and exhaled loudly then turned to the listeners whose full attention she held.


    She was like a movie star and they, her die hard fans that were holding onto each and every of her words.

 Chapter 296 Poor parenting=monsters.

    "So did you go to the Whitlock ranch?" David asked.


    He knew were the Whitlock''s lived because Roxanne had already sent him a file with information on the family. They were relatively wealthy and owned a large cattle ranch. In the last three years, at least thirteen cattle had gone missing.


    America was quick to notice that David was already aware about of Whitlock family residence and she wondered how but she did not ask, she needed to finish her story.


    "I did, Mr. Whitlock personally drove me to ranch on the edge of the city near Coracora falls. As soon as in entered the house, i looked at pictures of the family first. You learn a lot about a family or a person from the pictures they choose to display."


    She briefly glanced at Phoebe and continued. " At first glance, the family appeared to be normal and they looked happy in the pictures. The Whitlock''s are a small family of five, Humphrey has two sisters, one older than him and the other younger. She is around five years old, the one he cut with that knife when he wanted to see blood." America wiped a tear that came out of the corner of her right eye. She sniveled which only only increased the listener''s fear and worry.


    "It started off well, I would go there twice a week,Tuesdays and Fridays. We would talk and i made Humphrey keep a journal of his feelings and thoughts which I would read and make assessments on our progress.


    He continued to lie in all of our sessions and even in the journal but once in a while he would let something slip and when he did, he would lose it. In those moments I would catch a glimpse of the monster beneath the surface.


    One day I went to the ranch earlier than usual and I found out what i was not supposed to." America''s dry lips trembled.


    The listeners faces were a group of kaleidoscope expressions. Wide eyes brimming with wonder, furrowed brows hungry for answers, lips slightly parted as though on the verge of asking questions they dared not to voice.


    "What did you find out?" Shark perched on the edge of his sit, his body angled forward.


    "I want to know that too, we all do." Grandma Mayfair nervously tapped her feet, her curiosity palpable.


    America cleared her hoarse throat. "From the time I saw the timid Whitlock daughters, I always wanted to interact with them. If anyone knew about Humphrey''s true face and would be willing to open up, it was his sisters.


    I believed that they had to know something but their parents never let me get close to them, it was almost as if they were intentionally hiding the girls from me but that day I found them feeding some cows in one the bullpens by themselves.


    I grabbed the opportunity and spoke to them. The older girl whose name is Diana went pale the moment I mentioned Humphrey''s name, the vibrant color drained from their faces. The younger child run away screaming like she had seen a predator. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Diana on the other hand began to cry, she told me that her brother was the scariest person she had ever met. He had taken her cat to his play house and killed it, she also confessed that it was her brother that pushed Kendall Smith at the play ground at the time i didn''t think much of that at the moment.


    i just let her talk some more she went on to tell me that he liked to torture them and when they cried he laughed. Even when they reported to the parents, they only told them to reconcile and forgive their brother because he had a bad temper." America paused and took a deep breath.


    Claire banged the table loudly. "Kendall? Kendall Smith?


    That''s the name of the kid whose bones had been found! All the medical examiners had received the notice because it was a child, so all hands were on deck to ensure that nothing was missed. Was it a coincidence that a child with the same name that had been pushed by this Humphrey had died?"


    America nodded once, she had already seen the name of the victim.


    Shark hurriedly checked through the documents and confirmed it. "It''s him, she''s the victim. So that means Diana is a witness!"


    "Not necessarily, we must depend on science to examine evidence. Did Kendall die on the same day he was pushed?" Claire asked.


    Grandma Mayfair smacked her lips. "Those poor Whitlock kids are they safe? Safe from that monstrous kid I mean, if he knows that she witnessed him murdering someone then...."


    Claire wanted to repeat her words but she let it be, the evidence would do the talking later.


    Shaking her head, America wiped another tear. " I am afraid not, both Diana and i never realized that Humphrey had already returned from school. As we walked out of the bull pen, he saw us from the a library window when I went to see him he asked what Diana and I were talking about.


    Of course i answered his question with a lie but the frost in his eyes let me know that he did not believe me and he was pissed off as hell. I was worried about the girls so I didn''t leave early, I decided to wait until the Whitlock''s were back.


    I informed them about what had happened, they were furious and berated me for interrogating their daughter in their absence. They asked me to leave their home and never return, I apologized but warned them that their girls needed to be removed from that ranch. I told them their daughters needed counseling for they were traumatized, I also advised that they should never allow Humphrey to mingle with his sisters, ever."


    "I hope they listened." Shark interrupted.


    "Unfortunately not." Answered America.


    David stamped his foot. "God damn it! They never easily do."


    "To an extent you cannot blame them, no parent wants to admit that there is something wrong with their children, until it''s too late." Grandma Mayfair spoke softly, putting herself in the Whitlock''s position.


    She also recalled the many times they made excuses and offered apologies for Ruth. In the end, it was parents that often made monsters out of their children.


    America nodded. "When I went back home, I called a friend in child protective services and reported the bruises I had seen on Diana''s arm. I spoke to a lawyer and I was warned that I would lose my license if I over stepped my boundaries or shared confidential client information.


    Diana''s words kept ringing in the back of my mind however, she had mentioned a play house, I wanted to check and see what was inside. Most kids keep their most treasured belongs in play houses or tree houses.


    So the next day when the Whitlock''s weren''t expecting me, I went back to the ranch under the guise of wanting to apologize to them. They were not home, the house keeper told me that Diana had been rushed to the hospital, she fell and rolled down the stairs in the night."


    "Same M.O, he did the same thing to the both of you." Shark arched an eye brow.


    "Luckily Diana had survived the fall, I took my chance then and searched Humphrey''s play house. There was nothing suspicious until I checked the medium sized box that was stowed under the extra large bean bag. I opened it without a second thought, guys i wish I could unsee what I saw in there." She broke down and cried

 Chapter 297 The birth of a child killer.

    While they were touched by the tears, the listeners were swollen with curiosity and a desire to know what America had seen in the box.


    Connie was rather impatient, and she could not stand the curiosity as always, her lack of manners poured out of her mouth.


    "What, what did you see, tell us quickly."


    Normally, someone....an adult, would say something but nobody did this time round. They were too drawn in by the story to do so.


    "Hair bows for little girls, strings of hair attached to black tape and three polaroids, pictures of Humphrey with boys whose faces I had seen on the news the previous year. They had all died as a result of freak accidents on the playground."


    Those that watched the news regulars thought back to any child they had seen on the news in the previous year. Phoebe could not recall any as it had been a different year for her, she was struggling with her ability to see ghosts. Grandma Mayfair only had vague memories, David only recalled one boy. Shark and Claire recalled all three boys, for Claire it was because she had autopsied one of those boys.


    In Shark''s case it was because he investigated two of the cases, the death of a child at a public playground which was city property was a serious matter. This was done to ensure that the playground was safe and other children and because there were adults at playgrounds.


    Parents over their children, nannies on the job, strangers with pure or nefarious intentions.


    "The Fog Bureau of Investigation took over the investigation of those cases after the third death. I remember this because for a while whispers about the deaths possibly being linked were going around.


    There was a budding theory that a serial child predator was on the loose because the deaths were all two months apart....fuck!" he run a hand through his hair.


    "Nobody ever considered the fact that a child was killing other children." David said.


    Phoebe could not sit anymore, she pushed her chair back and moved towards the wall, she found a spot next to the skeleton and leaned against it. If she was a smoker, this would have been the perfect time to smoke.


    "What is the world coming to?" Grandma Mayfair removed the ghost seeing glasses and wiped her eyes, she was crying like America.


    Claire was hesitant to agree on the child killer theory as the body she autopsied did not show evidence of foul play. She was raking her mind, thinking back on the autopsy and wondering what she had missed.


    "I just knew.." America squeaked out. "As soon as i saw those things, I knew. Humphrey Whitlock had come to me as fully grown killer, not a budding one. He had long progressed from animals to people, he was just good at hiding it.


    I was in shock, i froze for a moment because I could not fathom what I was looking at. I also had no idea what to do with the things I had found. I could not go to the police because I was on the property illegally and all I had were suspicions. I needed to find more evidence that could be used to nail him and put him away for life.


    He was only eleven years old, he had started killing at ten but he is a minor. If he was arrested on circumstantial evidence and my testimony, he was likely to be sent to a juvenile facility for troubled children and teens and he would be released at eighteen."


    Grandma Mayfair gasped, she was the only one in the room surprised by that fact, everyone else was familiar with it, even Connie.


    "If he can kill at the age of ten with a small body imagine what he will do at nineteen, twenty or thirty in the body of a full grown man with the strength to match?" Grandma Mayfair asked.


    "And he mainly targets women." Connie reminded them.


    She had heard this little tidbit when America was talking to the Saxon spirit, apparently, Humphrey killed more girls than boys. It was not hard to guess why; girls were weaker and easier to target. His own sisters were the perfect example of this.


    "I noticed one of the books that I had given him to use as a journal." America said and they all turned their attention to her. The story was incomplete after all, they still had to find out how she died.


    "I put down the box and picked up the journal, in it I found the true inner thoughts of Humphrey, the things he dreamed of doing like cutting his mother''s stomach open the next time she got pregnant so that he could see what was inside.


    His favorite sister was Diana because she screamed the loudest when he hurt her. Her blood was beautiful and he dreamed of it often.


    I skipped most of the first parts and went straight to the latest entry, it was about a little girl whose nanny was irresponsible.


    She often left the girl on her own on her own at the playground and sneaked away with her boyfriend for an hour at least.


    He wrote about her bright orange hair and how he wanted to yank on it until the girl cried out for her mommy. He talked about her chubby cheeks that looked big enough to bite off with his teeth...."


    "Stop!!" Phoebe suddenly screamed.


    The lamp on Claire''s desk shattered with a sound of glass breaking. Everyone else was startled and they jumped back to get away from the lamp.


    David rushed towards Phoebe, she had her hands on her eyes, unwilling to listen to the rest of the horrible details of Humphrey''s journal.


    "Stop...please stop." Phoebe begged in tears.


    Nobody cared about the lamp anymore, not when Phoebe was crying. Obviously listening to a part of this sordid tale had overwhelmed her emotionally.


    David wasted no moment to embrace her as he was the only one that truly knew why she was crying. It was not just about the innocent children Humphrey had killed, it was also about their children.


    The statement about the girl crying out for her mommy when she was being hurt was the one that triggered her the most. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I think we should take a break." Shark suggested.

 Chapter 298 Americas death.

    "Come on." David led Phoebe outside. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They walked all the way to the cafeteria, he sat her down on a chair and went to buy some coffee, water and fruits. The only available fruits were apples and grapes, indecisive her got both and joined Phoebe at the table.


    "Thank you." Phoebe said.


    The cafeteria was empty as it was not breakfast or lunch time, there was a smell of food in the air however because lunch was being prepared in the back kitchen.


    Phoebe''s stomach turned at the smell of the food, it made her want to vomit.


    "How are you feeling now?" David asked.


    "I don''t know." She replied slowly with a low drawl. "It''s kids, I hate it when it''s kids. What am I supposed to do about that child? I can''t...." she looked around and whispered, "off a kid. Yes, he is evil, but he is a child, even as I say this, I know he cannot be showed mercy because he is a monster."


    David slowly moved his hand over and touched Phoebe''s. "Don''t think about it right now, and don''t think about our boys. The past is gone Pheebs, it pains me to say this, but you have to accept it. Both of us are still here, we are live, as long as we are together, our boys will come back to us someday."


    Phoebe pulled her hand from his, picked up the red apple and bit into it, taking one large bite. David''s words, she heard before from the Saxon spirit, she was dealing with things in her own way, slowly.


    "I know, I am handling things my own way. Something in me just broke when I heard those words about the child crying for her mommy.


    I am not interested in dragging this case on, i want to wrap it up today and cleanse my mind, body and soul. I don''t know why but my heart feels like it''s breaking."


    A lone tear slipped out of her right eye, she wiped it away and continued munching on the tasteless apple.


    David knew that she would not say anymore on the matter, he could not find the right words to use to comfort her. Of what use would it be when America''s story was unfinished?


    Shark came looking for them after five minutes and they returned to Claire''s office for the finale. Everyone looked somewhat better after all the crying and sharing of sorrow. They gave one another comforting smiles as they returned to their seats.


    The room felt a bit lighter, their breaths steadier as if the pain and sadness had poured out leaving behind an emptiness waiting to be filled with something. They were all dreading what was to come next however, in Humphrey''s story.


    Some of the listeners couldn''t take anymore of Humphrey''s evilness so Phoebe requested America to summarize the story.


    Shark however wasn''t amused by the suggestion; he was a detective after all and to get a top reward at the end of it all he needed to know everything.


    "But how will I investigate if I only get only bits of the story, it''s not rosy but the job is the job."


    His words earned him a glare from Phoebe, she knew that the glory hound in him wanted every gory detail such that he would later narrate it to Heinz and sensationalize the serial murders.


    "Shark are you that selfish that you cannot think about the distress this whole situation is creating? Look at America she''s distraught reliving this entire thing! Nobody needs to know Humphrey''s darkest thoughts, I certainly didn''t need to know about what he dreamed of doing to his pregnant mother. I can''t get it out of my head, it will haunt me forever."


    Grandma Mayfair nodded and even Claire whose job was to work with dead bodies concurred. That statement, the image she had drawn up in her mind, she would never forget it.


    America shuddered and sighed loudly, attracting attention to herself.


    "Alright I will only tell the parts that will help, all I want is for you to capture Humphrey before he hurts Janet Shumer."


    "Who is that?" Phoebe asked


    "The ranch foreman''s daughter, I have been stalking Humphrey as a ghost ever since my death. Janet suggested to Mr. Whitlock that Humphrey''s playhouse be transformed into a brooder for little chicks. Humphrey was unhappy about the suggestion; he marked her I am certain."


    David excused himself, he called his men and asked them to stealthily head to the ranch and capture Humphrey Whitlock.


    When he returned, America had already resumed telling the story.


    "I took pictures of everything that I saw in the box and the journal, then made sure to return it where I had found it. I exited out of the house and drove off, I honestly didn''t know what to do my mind was messed up.


    I was afraid of everything including my shadow, I stayed in my house for two good weeks without getting out. During that time, I made my research about the kids that died on playgrounds in the most gruesome ways, especially if blood was involved. I found ten that I was certain of, there are five others, but I am uncertain about those ones.


    I realized that all the playgrounds where these accidents happened where close to the Whitlock ranch or Humphrey''s school.


    There was no doubt that it was him, he had killed those kids and managed to make them all look like accidents. He switched playgrounds after every kill. He even changed schools three times which is why I think his parents know what was going on.


    They must have suspected something at least, that''s why they brought him to me, I believe. After doing my homework, I went to work to compile a file which I planned to give to the police.


    On the night I died, right before I left work, I received a call from Humphrey. Although I was terrified, I answered the call and tried to sound as normal as possible. A whistling sound was what greeted me from the other end. It sent chills down my spine, something in me told me I was in danger.


    When he finally spoke, he told me he was outside the building and asked to see me, but I refused and hung up. I peeked through the window and saw him; he was truly waiting for me.


    It was late, I had worked overtime so I was alone, the building was empty with the exception of a single security guard that was conveniently missing from his post.


    I panicked and decided to use the emergency stairs, there was a door leading out to an alley. I believed that it was the safest route to exit the building without running into him." America paused.


    "Did you say that you were pushed and rolled down the stairs?" Connie interrupted.


    America nodded. "That cunning monster was waiting for me on the third floor, and I never saw it coming. He tripped me with his foot, I felt his tiny hands push me down the stairs. I didn''t die immediately but I could barely move, and I was bleeding.


    He squatted over me, sniffed my blood and taunted me by revealing everything that he had done, Humphrey knew that I had searched through his playhouse, he grabbed my phone from my bag and took it.


    Furthermore, he told me that Diana had died, and it was my fault for making her open her big mouth. As I lost consciousness, I heard him laugh."

 Chapter 299 Solutions to a monster.

    After my death I was furious, so much so that I wanted to kill him, but I couldn''t touch him physically. I gave up when I saw all the ghost children that were hovering around him. Most I recognized from all the research I had done and poor Diana, she clung to me as soon as she saw me.


    I felt...feel responsible for her death, there was only one way I could think of to make up for it and it is to get rid of Humphrey permanently so that no child would ever fall prey to him again.


    The only solution I could think of was to have someone kill him."


    She stopped and accepted a glass of water from Connie; after gulping it all down, she looked at Phoebe. The story was done, now everyone knew how she had died, why and who killed her.


    Phoebe buried her head briefly in her hands "So that''s why you came to me." Her voice was soft but loud enough for all to hear.


    America nodded vehemently. "I went to one shaman and two seers before you, but they were fake. I heard about you through the ghost grapevine, so I found my way to you.


    After everything that you have heard, I am sure you agree with me, this monster cannot be left out there. He needs to die, Humphrey Whitlock will never stop killing, he enjoys it too much to do so. No amount of therapy, medicine or rehabilitation will fix him."


    Phoebe started scratching the top of her ear, she just didn''t know what to do. Nobody in the room was being helpful, they were all unnaturally silent as if they had heard nothing.


    A message came to David''s phone informing him that Humphrey Whitlock wasn''t home, so he responded and told his men to escort Janet Shumer to a safe place and also keep an eye on the place. Their orders remained the same, they were to grab Humphrey as discreetly as possible when they saw him.


    He was determined not to put Phoebe in a hard position of having to make the decision about Humphrey''s fate.


    "Alright what''s the plan?" David asked as he placed his phone back into his brown woolen jacket pocket.


    He looked around too, especially at Shark who was on his phone. Grandma Mayfair was just sighing, and Claire was on her computer checking something.


    Before anyone could respond, Claire announced that the results of the autopsy where back.


    "Kendall Smith died from internal bleeding, in a layman''s language, her skull cracked open after a hard fall. She must have been pushed with a lot of force; the poor kid had no chance."


    "Well, we already knew that." Grandma Mayfair shifted in the chair, it was wooden and uncomfortable causing pain to her rear end. It was starting to make her cranky.


    Shark shook his head, his eyes closed. " We need to search the play house and find the evidence, the trophies that he keeps. There is a possibility that he is still holding onto them and keeping them in the same place since America''s death made him feel safe. We might also find her phone there, my partner has told me that it was not discovered at the scene of her death."


    "Even after all you have heard you are clearly still underestimating this boy. He is very smart; he must have destroyed all the evidence by now or moved it. You also don''t have reasonable cause to search that playhouse, no judge is going to sign one for you basing on the words of a ghost.


    You are impulsive at times Shark; I can help you get the search warrant that you need but what if you find nothing incriminating enough to arrest him on? Then you will have warned him that someone is watching him." David curled his lips upwards.


    America saw the point in David''s words. "And his parents will claim that the police is persecuting their family, his mother especially. If you muddle up the investigation at the beginning, even if you find evidence later on, you might not be able to arrest him. My worry is Janet Shumer his supposed next victim."


    David raised his hand to dismiss her words. "She is at a safe house, he cannot get to her."


    A sigh of relief left America like a soft gust of wind through trees after hearing David''s words.


    "I cannot tell you how relieved i am to hear that."


    Phoebe clapped once. "This kid is only eleven years old, which means that if we hand him over to the police. He will be taken to a juvenile center and will be released when he turns eighteen! Who knows what kind of monster he will have evolved into by then?" She spoke through pursed lips.


    "We could argue insanity and have him locked away for life." Shark countered, he really was hellbent on getting a reward after putting the case out there.


    Grandma Mayfair''s eyes flew wide open. "You want to put him in a mental hospital? Are you insane? That kid is not mentally challenged, his brain is twisted in an evil way! He will manipulate some people and escape from there or kill other patients, we already have Ruth wandering out there we do not need another monster on the loose. No!"


    "I second that." Connie raised her hand.


    "Insanity won''t work, you need an expert to sign off on that. Unless you bribe that expert, the kid will get away with it. He has already fooled two psychologists according to America so what''s to stop him from fooling another?" Claire raised a point.


    David perched on the edge of his seat. "Then perhaps i could have him kidnapped and sent to a far away place where he can be locked up forever. He will never see sunlight again, a prison in Iceland."


    Iceland was a different country, one where winter lasted all year round. There was a prison there that served as a dumping ground for the Saxons.


    "Like you did with Ruth? Look where it landed us?" Grandma Mayfair twisted her nose.


    "And that is illegal, Humphrey is a human...." Shark began but his words pissed some people off.


    "Shut up Shark! One more word from you and I will make you dumb. You just want to arrest the child serial killer and have pictures of yourself bringing him in on the front page of every newspaper. Oh look! he solved the case the FNBI failed to solve, what a genius detective." Phoebe said sarcastically.


    Shark grunted but he did not defend himself, it was like Phoebe had read his mind.


    "One more thing, the Whitlock''s have another child, Harry Whitlock, Humphrey''s twin brother." David shared. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "No way," America said. "I have been to their house and seen the family pictures; they have three children."


    "No..." David insisted. "Mrs. Whitlock''s birth records that she gave birth to twin boys." David was reading from his phone information that Roxanne had just sent. "Apparently they sent the child to Mrs. Whitlock''s parents five years ago, but it is highly doubtful since there is no record of the child anywhere currently, no school registration, no hospital records, no communication between Mrs. Whitlock and her mother about a child."


    "I bet that was his first victim." Grandma Mayfair muttered.


    Phoebe groaned and she put her head on the desk, she just couldn''t take it anymore. Someone needed to do something about that kid.


    "The Whitlock''s went camping in Gundam forest five years ago, right around the time when the child disappeared. Lets see...this is a picture of them in the car and i count three children and two adults." David continued relaying information as it came in.


    Shark was curious to know where it was coming from as was Claire.


    Grandma Mayfair huffed, feeling a whirlpool of anger within. "Hmph! the parents must have gone on the fake camping trip to bury the child, I knew they were in on it. They are protecting their monster; I just knew it."

 Chapter 300 Not my problem.

    Grandma Mayfair''s loudly spoken words were similar to what everyone was thinking, especially because America had described their meek mouse like behavior around their son when he talked.


    Their fear was because they knew who he was--- what he truly was. When the fact that they did not want him speaking to Humphrey alone was factored in, it became even more obvious that they had secrets they did not want him to share. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Lunatics, bad people, they are harming others." Grandma Mayfair beat the ground with her walking cane, unleashing her fury on it as though it were Mr. and Mrs. Whitlock themselves.


    "If the Whitlock''s really knew that their son was a dangerous killer but allowed him to mingle with other children then they need to be charged and arrested." Shark announced, he stood with his hands clutching onto his belt, ready to challenge anyone that thought otherwise.


    To him, he could not touch Humphrey, but the parents were a different matter. As long as he could find evidence linking them to the crime, the end result would be the same.


    "I agree they should be punished; however we need to know about what we are going to do with their son first." Phoebe run her fingers through her hair.


    A frustrated sigh came out of David. "So far all suggestions made are not good enough, we cannot hand him over to the police neither can we lock him up in a mental hospital....."


    "Just kill him, kill him already kill him." America interjected in a loud near hysterical voice.


    The ghost couldn''t believe that these people still didn''t understand the gravity of the situation. Humphrey would keep hurting people as long as he had breath in him.


    The hum of the room dissolved into silence, as if the air itself had been sucked out.


    Shark raised his hands in surrender. "Guys! I cannot condone that; I am an officer of the law and....."


    "Oh yeah and what are you going to do, arrest your friends?" Connie laughed sarcastically.


    "No; of course not but I cannot be here if you plan to kill someone, a young child for that matter. It doesn''t matter how big a crime he has committed, Humphrey Whitlock is still considered to be a child under the law. And we will get caught, darkness always comes to light. No crime can be hidden forever, eventually someone will notice something." Shark responded, his voice a little raised.


    "Not if we do it my way by locking up in a prison in Iceland. He will never be able to leave that place alive, believe me. But if death is what it what it takes....."


    David lowered his eyes, avoiding Phoebe''s gaze as much as possible. Part of him worried that he might seem ruthless to her but the other part knew that he was the only one with the connections and balls to make Humphrey disappear without a trace permanently.


    It felt wrong that they were discussing potentially ending the life of a child, but it felt like their hands were tied at the moment.


    The Saxon spirit looked at David sadly, suddenly it came up with a brilliant idea which it told Phoebe.


    "That leaves us with one option, we can involve the founding sect."


    Phoebe repeated the words of the spirit to the group immediately. Those that had no idea about what Phoebe was talking about traded gazes.


    "What''s that?" Claire asked.


    "You do not need to know what it is, in fact it''s better that you do not know but all I can say is that it''s related to the founding council." Phoebe responded in the politest way possible.


    "I don''t know about that Pheebs, he is human, do you think that they will take on such a case? From what I know about them, they only get involved when it''s ghosts or black magic." David stared at her quizzically.


    Phoebe sighed warily. "I am not certain but after we tell them everything that we know I am positive that they will want to be involved. Humphrey is worse than some malicious ghosts that I have encountered. We can ask Amon about it first."


    "It''s worth a try, I''ll call Amon. He must be close by at the station." David stepped out of the room to make the call.


    Phoebe turned her attention to Shark. "Listen Shark, you have a part to play in this too. Do not resurrect any old cases just because you want a photo op, we cannot reopen closed wounds that have possibly been healed.


    It won''t do anyone any good anyway, you are going to bury the truth about this Kendall case too. Let the parents know that it was an accident, that''s far better than telling them that their child was killed by a serial psycho killer. Humphrey is going to disappear, one way or the other."


    "The autopsy results have been amended, Kendall Smith''s death has been concluded as an accident as a result of a fall from a swing, it looks Humphrey has won again." Claire said.


    Grandma Mayfair threw her walking cane at the wall, Connie groaned, and Phoebe sighed.


    "Why is this kid so bloody lucky, is he being helped by the devil?" She muttered.


    "Take him, let the founding sect deal with him, I don''t want to listen to this anymore. I don''t even want to ever hear the name Humphrey in my life." Grandma Mayfair declared.


    "Are they going to kill him? What will they do when they take him?" Shark asked, he was always intrigued by the founding council and sect but he found nothing on them.


    It''s like it didn''t exist at all, no known location or information on its members, the group was a mystery. The little information he knew was as a result of Phoebe mentioning them once in a while.


    "I don''t know, I don''t care and it''s not my problem anymore. At the end of the day, what we want is for Humphrey to be gone, right?" Phoebe''s quizzical gaze traveled around the room.


    In response they all nodded, especially America. "They can use him as a lab rat or whatever as long as he disappears for good."


    "And his parents? What do we do with them if we don''t find the missing son''s body?" Shark sat back down just as David was rejoining them.


    "Then I will deal with them, they have to be punished too." David was very resolute in his determination to see to it that they paid the price for every life Humphrey had taken while they covered his and their asses.


    "Before that we need to find a home for their remaining daughter and put her in counseling. We should do whatever it takes to see to it that she lives as good a life as possible. She is going to be the first person to receive help from the foundation.


    I don''t think she should continue living at the Whitlock ranch, too many bad things happened there, if the grandparents are good, maybe she can live with them." Phoebe''s eyes moved to stare at the opening door.


    Amon walked in; one eyebrow arched. "A meeting comprising of ghosts and humans but you saw it fit to invite a ghost catcher, this cannot be good. However, you can color me intrigued." He leaned against the wall, his eyes fixed on the ghosts that didn''t seem to be terrified of him.

 Chapter 301 Phoebes inherited troubles.

    "Oh, look it''s the big bad ghost catcher." Connie played around with her fingers, making ghost sounds and laughing.


    It was in the teenage girl''s nature to provoke Shark and Amon whenever she was around them.


    "Aah, the annoying one." Amon said, borrowing Shark''s description of Connie.


    "Not now child, you should know when to pick your moments." The Saxon spirit chastised the teenager softly.


    Connie backed off and the floor was given to Phoebe. In the minutes that followed, she narrated every important detail that Amon needed to know about Humphrey.


    By the time she was done narrating the tale, most of the humans in the group had excused themselves mostly because they were unwilling to relieve Humphrey''s bad greatest hits, and they were also exhausted yet it looked like Amon''s part had just started.


    David remained because he had to support Phoebe and as for the rest, only Shark had remained, he was very intrigued now that Amon, a member of the founding sect had been brought in.


    "I think I might know what this is...." Amon started and looked at Shark.


    The detective''s curiosity was etched all over his face and even though he was involved, he was not from the founding families. Knowledge about the sect or its business was not exactly allowed to be dispensed to outsiders easily.


    "Shark, can you excuse us." David requested.


    "What do you mean that I should leave? Why? I am part of this since I am the leading detective on this case. I already know everything, is there anything you are all leaving out? Aren''t we all co-conspirators?" Shark''s voice was loud enough for Amon to hear.


    Connie was eager to say something snarky because moments ago, Shark wanted to abandon the boat and now he was eager to get back on it. The Saxon spirit was wiser and she had blocked Connie''s mouth.


    "Not anymore you are not, I am taking over. You can go work on other cases, there is a brand new one about the Skull Lord artist from TK entertainment he broke his security guard''s foot by running over it with his car. It''s flashy, more like your cup of tea. There will be a nice big picture of you arresting Skull Lord on the top of every newspaper." Amon cracked some jokes, but he wore a serious look on his face.


    Shark''s eyes widened, sparkling like sunlight on water and a grin spread across his face before he could contain it.


    "I will always say yes to any opportunity to make Eliza Grant''s life even harder. She must hate me now; I have been bursting so many of her celebrities of late...."


    Phoebe folded her arms; she was aware that this was the work of the ghost that was tied to Eliza. "You don''t say, it looks like her time is running out even faster." She spoke indifferently after all she had warned Eliza Grant multiple times but the woman was too stubborn for her own good.


    Shark handed the files to Amon. "Sir, about the founding sect..." he began.


    "Walk away Shark, things are now beyond where your badge can go." Amon commanded, there was a hint of superiority in his voice.


    "Yes sir." Shark scurried away; the last thing he wanted was to get on the wrong side of his superior. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I must see the boy." Amon stood up.


    "We must go to the ranch then." David told him.


    The three humans along with the team of ghosts left for the Whitlock ranch. On the way there Amon let Phoebe know that she had made an enemy out of Dorothy cook.


    Phoebe''s eyelashes flickered. "Who?"


    "Dorothy Cook." Amon released some laughter on seeing her reaction. "Don''t tell me that you do not know who she is? She is the head of the homeowner''s association in the founding council. "Your grandmother started an argument with her during that impromptu search for victims of surrogacy talismans at your house.


    Ashley Miller beat up Dorothy Cook this morning; she surprised her when she stepped out of the gates of her house to jog. Dorothy reported the assault to the council, and she is laying the blame at your feet, claiming that you sent Ashley to her, and you are a witch."


    The memory of the Dorothy Cook returned to Phoebe. "Oh her? I know who she is but what do you mean by saying that she is my enemy? I have nothing to do with her or Ashley Miller''s assault on her. But one thing I am certain about is that she is my grandmother''s enemy that''s for sure. If there is anybody nana would gladly string up from a tree, it''s Dorothy Cook."


    "Meaning?" David asked.


    Phoebe dismissed the question with her hand. "They have a feud, something about Dorothy destroying grandpa''s fountain."


    Her response elicited laughter from the men for some reason and Phoebe had no idea why.


    David and Amon were laughing because when the fountain was constructed Grandma Mayfair had curved the words, "Dorothy stinking Cook pooped her pants in 3rd grade," onto one of the fish immortalizing Dorothy''s humiliation.


    Everyone knew this, the fish was one of the biggest attractions on founding lane, teenagers especially used to love taking pictures of themselves standing by that fountain.


    The feud between the two women had started a very long time ago, it was a childhood rivalry that did not get better when they fell in love with the same man.


    Amon narrowed his gaze. "I doubt that''s the reason as to why, she wrote up a petition to stop you from farming on the land your father bought from the founding council."


    "She did what?" Phoebe asked, her wide eyes, unblinking seemed to search Amon''s face for an explanation.


    "She wouldn''t dare." David spoke through tight lips.


    Everyone in Citrus, no Fog knew that Phoebe was his woman, to mess with her was to mess with him, how dare that woman! How dare she? His hands folded into tight fists.


    Amon scoffed. "Oh she did dare, she has collected a reasonable amount of signatures too. The members feel that such land even though it''s owned privately should be used for aesthetic purposes and farming is taking it backwards not forward. Soon you will be invited by the council and a vote shall be cast, if you get majority of the votes then you can go ahead with your farming projects but if you lose....."


    "Ownership of the land will be taken back by the council and your father''s money shall be returned to him. I will never let that happen Pheebs, be rest assured." David squeezed her hand.


    "I am rooting for you." Amon raised a folded fist to assure her.


    A tired sigh escaped from her lips. "Like as if I don''t have enough problems. I inherited some from granny."


    She would dig up her own dirt on Dorothy Cook and return the favor, perhaps it was time for a new head of the homeowner''s association.


    The van continued on and came to a sudden stop outside the gate of the ranch. It was so abrupt that it caused one car to collide into another.

 Chapter 302 An empty body.

    The surge pushed them all forward, if they were not safely secured in their seats with seat belts, they would all have been thrust to the front.


    David''s first instinct was to protect Phoebe, he turned to her immediately like a mother worried for her baby.


    "Pheebs, are you okay?"


    She was okay, more than okay in fact because she had already moved on from the minor car crush. She was already seeking for answers.


    "What''s happening?" Phoebe asked.


    Her head was moving from side to side, pressed up against one of the tinted windows that she was intently trying to peek through.


    Amon''s bells suddenly began to shake by themselves, rattling so loudly as if a ritual was being performed. The noise was so loud that the occupants of the car winced and David even covered his ears.


    Amon reached into the pocket of his jacket and took out a small water bottle and rock salt. It was never a good thing when the bells went off on their own.


    "Damn it! It is just as I suspected, that kid has something evil inside him." Amon explained briefly.


    The Saxon spirit was hovering above them, frantically floating from side to side and the place sniffing the air over and over


    "Why are you so unsettled?" Phoebe asked it.


    "I stopped the cars Pheebs, there is something on this ranch, something sinister and evil. I can smell the rotten energy, the kind that emanates from a demon. I do not want you to go in there." It warned strongly.


    "A demon?" Phoebe''s eyes flew wide open, she had heard of them but never seen one. The spirit had told her once that it was not easy to come across demons. Phoebe did not think that her first encounter with one would be on the Whitlock ranch.


    It was as scary as it was exciting, her legs danced with the desire to run out of the car and take a look for herself.


    David hung up the call the moment he heard Phoebe''s words, he was talking to his men who were already inside the ranch. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "My men had the kid but they say something is wrong with him, his parents have been locked in an empty room in the house. Pheebs what do you mean demon." He quizzically stared at her, he wasn''t the only one Amon too was more than curious.


    "I suspected that the kid was possessed after everything I heard but how did you know that it''s a demon?" Amon studied his restless bells. "Never mind, I am going in."


    Amon pushed a button and the car door slid open, he ventured out fearlessly without hesitation. Ignoring the Saxon spirit''s words, Phoebe run after him, shouting for him to wait for her.


    David could not stay behind obviously, his long legs caught up with Phoebe rather quickly and he grasped her hand firmly. If the situation was dangerous, he planned to take her to safety first.


    Just as they entered the gates of the ranch, one of David''s men sailed past them in the air like a rocket. All of them turned their heads and wide eyes to follow him, his life was in danger.


    Phoebe waved her hand to remedy the situation but the Saxon spirit was faster. It saved the man from hitting a tree, but that was not end. Two more men flew past their heads and the Spirit caught them.


    Amon broke into a run and Phoebe followed, dragging David with her. They stopped just when they reached the first open pasture because something unbelievable was happening.


    Dead cows lay everywhere and Humphrey was on a rampage, battling against David''s men that were determined to capture him. The boy looked so different, inhumane, his eyes were blood red. Black veins were running through the parts of his body that were visible, he was making growling sounds from his mouth and his nails had turned into claws.


    Phoebe wrenched her hand out of David''s grasp and threw out five paper talismans, she slapped her hands together and a large gust of wind carried them directly in Humphrey''s direction.


    The ghosts were not idle, they joined the battle, Connie was pouring salt around Humphrey while Sylvester dropped crystals around them to form a protective circle.


    Phoebe raised her head, faced the sky and yelled powerfully, "By the power of the earth and air, I call upon the ancient heavens, bind this evil, let it be felt no longer."


    As the spell started to take hold, the demon inside Humphrey did not take it kindly and it roared. It was stronger that ordinary ghosts so the sealing spell Phoebe had used was not going to last long.


    Already, some of the salt was flying wildly in the air.


    She turned her head to Amon that was running to Humphrey. "Hurry, it won''t hold for long."


    Suddenly a deep voice came from Humphrey''s mouth. "You cannot stop it Zephyra, Ravana is returning, we will be free again."


    Amon flung the bells at Humphrey directly and they hit him on the head, immediately the boy lost consciousness and fell to the ground.


    He used two other talismans to seal the demon within the boy and put him in a coma state.


    The wind settled down, all the things that had been flying in the air settled down. Phoebe''s nervous legs could not hold up much longer and she collapsed to the ground in a sitting position.


    "David..help your men." she croaked out.


    She gave him some of the new powdered medicine for healing wounds in her bag. He put away his guns and checked on her first, after ensuring that she was fine, he went to check on his men that had been injured. Luckily, there were no permanent injuries.


    "He...he..he kept chanting some strange words and his eyes turned black and then red and his, it was not human boss." Sean, one of David''s men explained the situation, struggling to make sense of it.


    "I know." David answered.


    He moved on to the others and told them to go to a hospital or back to their base for treatment.


    Amon walked over to Phoebe and dropped Humphrey''s unconscious body down.


    "It''s a demon alright, a lesser demon."


    "But how? This is a child, how is this possible? From the little knowledge that i have on this subject, a human must accept a demon to possess them before it can take control of their body. This is a kid, I find it hard to believe that at the age of six he invited one into his body.


    "This child was unlucky to be born without a soul, he didn''t need to make a deal with the demon for him to get possessed, his body was empty. The demon just entered and took over his entire being, hiding inside like a parasite and doing evil." Amon explained.


    A part of Phoebe felt relived, greatly. It was not really a kid that was behind all that evil, it was a demon.


    "Poor child, so what happens to him after the demon gets out of him?" David asked.


    "There is a place where he can live a normal life without anything evil possessing him and do not ask because I won''t tell. Anyway, great job Pheebs, we might make a hunter out of you."


    Amon picked up Humphrey''s body and he joined a group of new arrivals, four people from the founding sect. He handed the boy to them and returned to Phoebe and David''s side.


    "Where is the other daughter?" Phoebe''s eyes darted around in search for her.


    "She has been escorted to the hotel where Janet Shumer is staying." Sean shook his head.


    "Bring the Whitlock''s to me." David ordered his men. There was some unfinished business to handle.

 Chapter 303 Coming clean.

    The Whitlock''s were sniveling and shivering when David''s men brought them over and forced them onto their knees. Immediately, before being questioned they started to deny having any knowledge of Humphrey''s crimes.


    This was because David''s men had identified themselves as police and grilled them for a while before Humphrey went berserk.


    "Cut the bull shit! We know everything that your son has done and we also know that you knew everything but despite that, you did nothing about it." Amon retorted.


    Mrs. Whitlock whined. "We tried! I swear to God."


    "No, you did not! Instead, you covered up his crimes and put the rest of your children in danger. "Phoebe reared her hand back and slapped Mrs. Whitlock. "This slap is for Diana, she would be alive right now if you had protected her as you should have done as a mother."


    She slapped her again. "This one is for your other daughter; imagine what kind of pain and nightmares she is going to live with for the rest of her life?"


    She clenched her hand into a fist and punched Mr. Whitlock right on the nose.


    "This is for your dead son; you buried him in the Gundam forest to cover up Humphrey''s first crime."


    Sill filled with anger she backhanded him. "This is for America, if you had not invited her to your ranch while knowing fully well what Humphrey was doing, she would not have died."


    Phoebe went back and forth between the two Whitlock''s slapping and punching them on behalf of all the victims whose lives Humphrey had taken.


    When she exhausted the last slap, she wound her hand because it was tired.


    "You better be prepared for what''s coming because the body of your son which you buried is being retrieved as we speak. Humphrey will not be going to prison for the murders he committed but you two will go in for abandoning a corpse and a few other crimes.


    If I were you, I would shut up and accept whatever punishment that comes my way because if you try to dodge it, I will open Pandora''s box and pin all of Humphrey''s crimes on you.


    At the end of the day, you were his partners in crime because you covered up for him. If blame is being assigned, you take 50% for all the murders." Phoebe hissed, she wanted to them again but looking at them disgusted her.


    "Take them to the station, I will come up with heavy charges that will get them punished severely and ensure they are locked up until their hair is grey." Amon shoved Mr. Whitlock towards the men.


    "I am sorry, i truly am." Mr. Whitlock mumbled as he was dragged away.


    Mrs. Whitlock was just crying loudly, and her cries were annoying those that were present. It took a few more minutes for the unsettled trio to get their bearings again. Around them, almost everything had been flattened, the buildings Whitlock house had been flattened, the once green pastures had dried up, not to forget the dead cows. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was a good thing that most of the ranches were far apart so there were no nosy neighbors to ask questions and all the workers had been sent away by David''s men.


    "You two should leave now, the sect will take care of the aftermath." Amon told Phoebe and David.


    "Mmm." Phoebe answered. "Thank you for the help."


    "Go, go." Amon waved outwards, gesturing for them to leave.


    The couple left, driving out as a bus drove in, bringing in members of the sect that had come to cleanse the land and get rid of everything that had been contaminated by the demon.


    "Do not be surprised if the news tomorrow announces a fire at this ranch." David told Phoebe.


    "Why?" she asked.


    "Do you really think that will leave any building standing? The sect leaves nothing behind when they cleanse, sometimes they even go so far as to buy a building just to demolish it." he shared.


    The two were sitting at the back of the van, far away from the driver so their conversation was private.


    "You seem to be quite familiar with founding sect, are you a member?" she quizzed.


    "No, but I know a member." he answered. "I asked my grandmother about it when I found out that the founding families are related to it. According to her, I almost joined when I was younger but coming from the first branch made it impossible. My father expects me or one of my two brothers to inherit Saxon group, you cannot be president of a mega company and ghost catcher. The company comes first before everything else."


    "You are not part of the company anymore, you can join now if you want." Phoebe looked at him with interest.


    He seemed to enjoy dabbling in the ghost world after all, and he had not expressed any fear after an encounter with the demon. If she didn''t know better she would assume that he had done it before.


    David laughed lightly. "I only do this for you, if you were not here I would be slaving away behind my desk like every other ignorant person in the city."


    The distance between them was small but he disliked it so he moved closer to her and rested his head on her shoulder.


    "Is it weird that I am exhausted?" he asked.


    "No, I am exhausted as well and it''s only...." she looked at her watch. "It''s actually past one, how did time run so fast?" She looked at the empty van which had just he two of them now, not even the ghosts were around. "I kind of feel like we have all forgotten something, or perhaps missed it."


    "We have forgotten to eat." David slipped his right hand through hers, interlocking their fingers.


    Phoebe sighed, that was not it, something was nagging at her but she couldn''t put a finger on it. She sighed again and decided to let it go, it would come to her later.


    "It feels wrong to be thinking about food after all that has just happened." She said softly as Humphrey''s original face from the picture David had showed her on his phone came to her mind.


    In the picture, four or five year old Humphrey looked normal and happy, smiling in the embrace of his mother. How had things gone from that to what he had become?


    "This whole thing makes me a little scared to have children again. How does someone give birth to a child without a soul?" she shivered.


    An empty body, as Amon had called it. Wasn''t it the same as a still birth?


    "People die everyday, the rest of the living go on however. You do not give up on living life just because you know that you will die somewhere down the road. You cannot decide not to have children just because you have met one child without a soul." David replied.


    Phoebe sighed loudly again. "Our boys were beautiful, i miss them."


    He let go of her hand and put both of his hands around her rest, leaving his head where it was on her shoulder. "I know, I miss them as well, are you ready to discuss our similar dream now?"


    Phoebe scoffed. "Right, the dream, it was a long dream, too long. How did it end for you?"


    David closed his eyes for a few seconds as he recalled the last seconds of his life, there was nothing good there, just images of blood and dead bodies.


    "A whole lot of dead Saxons and a bullet to the back of my head when I was trying to avenge our family and protect what was left of the Saxon group. My mother led the wolves right to our door and opened it wide for them."

 Chapter 304 Deep talk on the past..1

    Phoebe pushed David''s head off her shoulder, she turned her body and faced him.


    "No way, I find it hard to believe that miss Ruth plotted all her life to marry David Saxon ended up killing him." she shook her head. "David, she killed me because she wanted to be your wife and happened to be pregnant for you.."


    "Hell no!" he bellowed like a bull out on the grassland in the wild. "I never touched that bitch."


    "Right, I remember you told me this." Phoebe winced..."Or did you, I am not sure. Nevertheless, she had a small protruding belly when I last saw her in that dream. Oh what the hell...let''s call a spade a spade and stop beating around the bush."


    She threw her hands out as if she was about to engage him in a fight.


    "I fell in love with you first, I chased you and you agreed to date me and them we got married, you experienced this, right?"


    He nodded.


    "I won''t go into details into our marriage, you were there, you know how it went. What I want to us to do is fill in the gaps for each other starting with Ruth''s pregnancy, if it was not you then who was responsible for it?"


    David raised his right hand pointing finger and replied. "Dickson."


    Phoebe drew in a sharp breath, her eyebrows shot up.


    "Really!"


    David nodded.


    She scoffed. "I should have known, he was always lusting after her and willing to do all of her bidding like her good faithful little slave." Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "She needed children with white hair and because I never touched her, she borrowed sperm from the next best thing. In the end, he died at her hands so karma prevailed."


    "He died too.." Phoebe gasped.


    David nodded.


    "She slit his neck open in the presence of his mother, I remember the screams and the blood, it was terrible and shocking. At the time, most of the remaining Saxons had been turned into puppets or imprisoned in the tower.


    The person that Ruth is working with, he is just like you, he can see ghosts and do magic. That''s why I failed in the end, I was using mortal means to fight the supernatural."


    [No wonder my ghost seeing ability does not scare you, I have been waiting for the day when you run for the hills.]


    "I would never." David took her hand and said.


    She frowned, "What are you talking about? Just tell me what else happened, how did your mother lead the wolves to the door?"


    He let go of her hands and sighed loudly, recalling memories of a time that he preferred not to remember, a time of death and misery.


    Now that they were being open and laying it all out on the table, he decided to reveal it all, everything that he had been bottling up inside.


    "After you and the children died, I was lost for a while. I fell apart, I could hardly function and alcohol became my best friend. I was drinking in the morning, afternoon, night and when the sun came up I would repeat it all again. I could not run the company anymore which inevitably led to my termination and Dickson took my place."


    "A dream come true for him." Phoebe muttered.


    He changed his sitting position, laying down on her thighs with his head facing the roof of the car.


    "My mother," he growled out with some anger in his voice, "I don''t know what or who convinced her that another marriage and new children to replace my dead ones would be the thing to save me. She took my ID and registered marriage for me and Ruth."


    "What?" Phoebe loudly asked. "Is she crazy? Is that even possible, don''t you need two people to appear in church or before a judge to get married?"


    "Apparently not." he answered in a sort of amused voice. "You just need to have enough money in order to accomplish anything in this country. I was in a drunken stupor for three months, by the time I came to my senses, Ruth was already publicly acknowledged as my wife.


    Pictures of us in bed together had already been spread on the internet and believe me Pheebs, I never touched that bitch, not even when I was drunk.


    I tried to deny the marriage because I didn''t marry her but there was a certificate proving otherwise and when I mentioned divorce, I was accused of being heartless. The damn pregnancy made it hard for me to get rid of her. I had no option but to do a DNA test to vindicate myself."


    Phoebe twisted her lips and crossed her arms across her chest. "What were the results?"


    "They were mine." he admitted.


    Phoebe uncrossed her hands and started to push his head off her thighs.


    David resisted, moving his head around from side to side. "It was fake Pheebs, she faked them, I managed to find out at least that much. I even found out that she paid off and threatened different doctors in order to fake the DNA tests for our sons, all the five tests which I had done in different hospitals."


    "Oh look who believes me now, too little too late." Phoebe muttered.


    He had divorced her so coldly, the children had died and so had she.


    David heard the anger in her voice and it prompted him to sit up. He put his hands around her shoulders and turned her to face him.


    Looking into her eyes he said, "I am sorry, I just..." he broke off and sighed.


    A wave of anger of frustration took over him and he punched the seat in front before running a hand through his already messy hair.


    "We were just so damn unhappy Pheebs, you especially. Marrying into the Saxon family had brought you misery and I was always gone so I was unhelpful.


    I tried so hard not to believe it but the doubt crept in after every test came out with the same result.


    Ruth, she came to me in tears and apologized on your behalf before revealing the secret.


    She claimed the boys were Dickson''s, I did not believe her of course but somehow the rumors had made it into the ears of some of the elders in the family.


    I wanted to vindicate your name so I did a DNA test secretly..." he looked at her and sighed. "You can guess what happened."


    "It was negative." she said in a flat voice.


    He nodded slowly, "All of them, one after another. Every one of those tests broke my heart, but what finished me were the pictures of you walking into an abortion clinic when you were pregnant with our first child. It destroyed me Pheebs...."


    Piak!


    Out of the blue, Phoebe raised her hand and she slapped him.

 Chapter 305 Deep talk on the past...2

    David winced and touched his cheek, his wide unbelieving eyes steadily held on Phoebe. He saw rage in her eyes, a storm that she was going to unleash on him.


    "Babe.." he called her in an unsure voice.


    "You thought i aborted our child!" Phoebe snarled in a deep angry voice. "I used to think that you were brilliant but I was wrong, you..." she growled like a wounded animal. "I cannot even look at you."


    David grabbed her hands, "I am sorry, I was wrong."


    "Too little too late," she wrenched her hands from his hold. "I cannot believe this, do you know how hard it was for me after I had a miscarriage? I had not told anyone about the pregnancy so I mourned the loss of the child alone, not wanting to burden you but you on the other hand thought that I walked into an abortion clinic and terminated our child. I can''t ..."


    The car came to a stop in front of the cafe and the doors slid open. Phoebe marched out in anger, forgetting to take her bag and phone.


    David picked them up and run after her, calling her name loudly as they both entered the cafe. She ignored him and furiously walked all the way to her office.


    "Phoebe, David...." grandma Mayfair called out.


    She had been refilling a customer''s cup of coffee when Phoebe marched in and David followed. Phoebe appeared to be angry and David looked desperate.


    The old woman wondered if it had anything to do with the Humphrey case, had they discovered something even worse at the Whitlock ranch? She wanted to know more but at the same time, did not.


    She had listened to enough evil lately to last her at least a year.


    David followed Phoebe inside and locked the door.


    "Babe..."


    "Oh don''t babe me." She picked up the client book sitting on the table and hurled it at him.


    He ducked down, the book fell to the floor with a thud.


    "You dare to dodge?" Phoebe questioned.


    David blinked and he sighed, he was carrying around a lot of guilt and he was willing to do anything to atone. Like an obedient child, he picked up the book and handed it to her. Then, he returned to where he had been standing across from her on the other side of the table.


    "Babe, throw it again, I promise not to avoid it this time." he said softly.


    Phoebe picked up the book and raised it as if she was going to throw it at him. David flinched but he did not move an inch.


    The book did not hit him, it landed on the desk with a loud bang.


    "I can''t even beat you up." She muttered.


    A large part of David was relieved, this was a sign that it was not all bad and he was not in the dog house.


    America popped into the office suddenly, uninvited. "Hey guys....." she waved and laughed. "So, I have been told that you might be in need of my services."


    "Get out!" Phoebe screamed.


    "Okay." America vanished quickly.


    She went into the space where she and the children, Humphrey''s victims were spending time with the permission of the Saxon spirit.


    "Yeah...I would not advise you to get between them now." She told the Saxon spirit which was nervously hovering in the air.


    The spirit was worried about the consequences of this conversation, the direction it took would make or break the couple.


    The ghosts were watching the fight or confession from the space as if they were viewing a movie.


    "He should not have mentioned anything to do with children." Connie said.


    The girl was enjoying her expensive chocolates as much as she was enjoying the fight. She had been the most excited when Phoebe hurled the book at David''s head.


    "You are wrong, children are the most important part of this conversation between them because it''s Phoebe''s trigger. The only way she will accept him fully is if she can get past the fact that his actions played a role in their bad ending." America replied.


    The Saxon spirit floated down and sat between Connie and America by the lake.


    "I hate to be that guy but she was wrong too because she kept secrets, no marriage cam hold if two people are keeping secrets." Sylvester said.


    All three females turned their heads to him.


    "She did not tell him about her first pregnancy or the miscarriage, he heard about it from Ruth and she brought pictures of Phoebe going into an abortion clinic. Put yourselves in his shoes, wouldn''t you have questions and doubts about Phoebe''s motives?"


    He believed that he was the only one seeing the issues of the couples with a clear head, everyone else had picked sides.


    The Saxon spirit was obviously on team David, Connie was team Phoebe and America was undecided. She kept going back and forth, forgetting that she was a psychologist and supposed to be neutral.


    "In that case he should have gone to her and asked the question directly, not sneaked around with that fox bitch Ruth, doing DNA tests on the sons." Connie argued.


    Oddly enough, Phoebe was making that same argument, using Connie''s exact words with the exception of the words fox bitch.


    "Pheebs, she brought medical records with your signature..." David answered in a weak voice.


    Phoebe sunk into her chair, weak and more than exhausted from everything that had happened and this news which was unexpected.


    Ruth had really played her like a fiddle...not just her but both of them. Her mind traveled back to that day, Ruth was the one that had an abortion and all she had done was escort her to the clinic.


    Phoebe had signed documents for Ruth as the family member willing to take responsibility if something went wrong during the surgery.


    She had no idea that she had been setting herself up, playing into Ruth''s schemes.On that day, she had drunk juice which Ruth had given her and she had a stomach ache that was followed by bleeding.


    While Ruth was having a procedure, she also had a miscarriage and ended up being treated in the clinic. Who could have known that it would have been re-arranged and turned into an abortion?


    It had happened in the first year of her marriage with David. This proved that Ruth had been scheming against them for so long and they never knew.


    Phoebe had long had doubts about Ruth and the role she played in the loss of her first child, she just didn''t think David knew about it.


    She also didn''t expect Ruth to use it as a means to drive a wedge between them.


    "She told me that you aborted my child but chose to have Dickson''s children. It killed me Pheebs, it really did kill me inside, slowly by slowly, one day at time until I couldn''t take it anymore. I thought I was setting you free when i asked for a divorce, sending you off to your happiness, I didn''t expect what happened next." David said slowly.


    He sunk into the chair opposite of hers and looked at her with apologetic eyes, praying on the inside that they could survive.


    "It was her, she put something in my drink and our baby...." Phoebe broke off. "I am going to kill her David, I am going to kill that bitch."


    "And i will hold your hand as you pull that magic bullet." he answered.


    His answer a promise which he intended to keep. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 306 The invention of magic bullets.

    In the magic space, the ghosts were having a mutual moment of realization formed from David''s simple words. Lately, they had been pondering on what weapons would suit Phoebe best in her battles against ghosts, demons and other things that went bump in the night.


    Guns had been out of the question since they could not kill immortal creatures but now, suddenly it did not seem to be too impossible.


    "Magic bullets!" Connie gushed.


    The teenager lost interest in David and Phoebe''s fight, she had more interesting research of her own to do.


    Out in the real world, David and Phoebe were finally calming down. Both could tell where they had gone wrong and see what they had missed. Each had been busy hiding their own pain and trying to keep the lonely distant marriage together while impressing the family and in the end, they lost everything.


    "I am sorry, I should not have kept the secret about our first child from you. At the time, the Saxon group was facing pressure from The Dranger Eco research group, you were out of the country for over six weeks"


    "That''s when I went to the Sunderland forest research base and we came up with the flu vaccine for infants." he said softly.


    Phoebe nodded slowly. "Mmm, your father had put too much pressure on your shoulders and I did not want to add to your troubles."


    "What about when I returned?" he asked in a hoarse voice.


    "You slept for one day straight and buried yourself in paperwork for the next two weeks, I saw you a total of three times, for less than five minutes. Two months later, the Saxon group broke ground on the sister hospital with Sam Health Corp in Silver nation and you were gone for three months. Let''s be honest, we barely had a marriage, we just had a certificate of marriage."


    80% of their marriage had been nothing but dreams she built in the air.


    David opened his mouth to defend their marriage but he couldn''t come up with a good enough explanation, work was the best and honest excuse but the word failed to come out of his mouth.


    "I am sorry, I should have done better."


    A knock on the door interrupted the conversation, providing a moment of relief from the heavy emotions they were both feeling.


    "I brought food." Grandma Mayfair''s voice came from the other end of the door.


    "Should I open?" David asked Phoebe.


    She had chased America away, he did not want to put her in an uncomfortable position, if she said no, he would send the elder away with a few cajoling words. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe waved her had, the knob turned and the door opened.


    "Well, that''s convenient." David muttered.


    Old lady Mayfair walked in empty handed, behind her, Rosette followed and she brought the tray of food and two glasses of fresh passion fruit juice.


    Old lady Mayfair was wisely observing the couple, she could detect something off in the air, sparks of an argument that had yet to fizzle out. The old woman though back on the way the couple had stomped into the cafe, all that shouting and angry marching was something else clearly.


    "Are you two having a fight?"


    "No." They both denied.


    "Then why the long faces?" She frowned and reluctantly asked the question that she had been determined not to ask. "Is it Humphrey again, what did the little freak do? I don''t want to know the details, just nod once for yes or form an ''x'' with your hands for no."


    "It''s personal stuff nana." Phoebe replied.


    [I don''t want to scare you by telling you that there was a demon living in Humphrey''s body and it was the one doing all the killing. If you knew, wouldn''t you faint nana?]


    Old lady Mayfair read Phoebe''s thoughts, her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she fainted.


    Phoebe and David jumped up and rushed to the old woman''s side. Phoebe''s quick reflexes and use of her ghost energy saved her grandmother from hitting the floor.


    She levitated her in the air before lowering her into the chair gently.


    "Nana, open your eyes, what is wrong with you?" She asked.


    Phoebe got some water from her desk and poured it into the her grandmother''s mouth, she pinched her nose and the water went down the throat.


    David was already on the phone calling for an ambulance and Rosette that had heard the scream Phoebe was unaware she had let out came rushing into the office.


    "What happened?" she frantically asked, approaching old lady Mayfair.


    "I don''t know, she just fell down." Phoebe answered in a slightly panicked voice.


    She placed her hand on her grandmother''s forehead and then her neck, checking her body temperature. Then, she felt her pulse, it was steady, nothing to cause to alarm over.


    "She is fine." the Saxon spirit declared.


    "I agree." Phoebe replied.


    She took a deep breath, relieved largely that her grandmother was in no danger, however it still left the question of why she had fainted.


    The fainting spell lasted for less than a minute, old lady Mayfair opened her eyes and they all calmed down.


    "Nana, what happened?" Phoebe asked her.


    Old lady Mayfair shook her head, "Did you say that Humphrey was a demon?"


    "A what now!" Rosette exclaimed loudly.


    "Who said it?" Phoebe quizzed.


    Her eyes traced David and he shook his head, going so far as to lift his hands.


    Old lady Mayfair was quick in her thinking. She could not let Phoebe figure out how she had known what was clearly a secret. "One of the men you went with mentioned it, they are inside the cafe having lunch. If you don''t believe me, you can come out and confirm with your eyes."


    The answer was plausible and Phoebe believed it.


    "Nana, don''t think about such things, just forget it, the matter is being handled by the founding sect. Why don''t you go home and get some sleep..."


    "As if I can sleep after finding out about this, I am going to church." the old lady said firmly.


    She gestured for someone to help her up and David did so, escorting her all he way to her car which set off for the nearest church which was, The church of saints and angels.


    When David returned to the office, Phoebe was already working on her lunch, eating slowly.


    "Do you think that I should wipe her memory?" Phoebe quizzed, sharing a question that had been on her mind.


    "Is that a thing you can do?" he responded.


    She nodded, "There is a talisman for forgetfulness, I read all about it in the book. It has the ability to help someone forget unwanted memories. It''s supposed to be a good thing."


    "Depending on the intentions of the one that makes the talisman." he said.


    Phoebe recalled the stalker ghost and the misused talisman which bonded it to it''s victim. Indeed, all talismans were two sided.


    "That''s true."


    "Do you have something to help me deal with my mother by making her reasonable?" he asked.


    Phoebe tapped the plate with the fork in her hands, she thought about the talismans she had read about, there was nothing of the sort. Just when she was prepared to say that much to him the Saxon spirit provided an answer.


    "An amulet of serene thought."

 Chapter 307 The founding lane gossip mill.

    Phoebe repeated after the spirit, relaying its words to David.


    "I have never made one personally, but I have heard a story of such a talisman being crafted. It was a bracelet made on the order of Brian Castille of the red eyed family for his wife that was suffering from an illness of the mind.


    This was long before the founding families traveled to Fog country and settled down here, I think the year was 1695, a time when it was not safe to be a woman with a troubled mind.


    Witchcraft was highly frowned upon in those days, one wrong move and you would be burned. Brian''s wife had what you people call bipolar disorder in these modern days but back then it was known as possession by a demon. She would become angry and hostile suddenly, talk to herself, cut her wrists and problems like that.


    A woman like that would have been abandoned if it was any other man in those days but she was lucky, she had a face that no man could resist.


    Brian was the town lord''s son and he was madly in love with her. At the height of the witch hunts, he provided protection, food and asylum to some witches in exchange for an amulet that would keep her clear headed all the time.


    The witches made him a bracelet which was named the amulet of serene thought and it was passed down in the family. It worked like a charm, I remember that girl was not troubled ever again, she was always sunny and calm until the day of her death.


    If you need to take a look at it, I suggest that you visit the Castille family."


    Even though David could not see the Saxon spirit, he heard the story loud and clearly.


    "I have a friend from the Castille family, I will make a call." David said.


    "You have friends." Phoebe snorted. "Never mind," she turned to the Saxon spirit. "How old are you?"


    From the way the story had been narrated, the Saxon spirit had personally witnessed the changes in Brian Castille''s wife. It had even described her beauty like it had seen her in person.


    "Who cares, age is just a number." It answered and vanished.


    "And you are a liar." Phoebe said to the air.


    If she assumed that the Saxon spirit had been alive since 1695, she would be at least three hundred thirty years old. But, she was not human so did it even matter?


    "I have sent Arrow a message, he will find out more about the bracelet and bring it to me if he finds it. If he does not....." he broke off and looked at Phoebe with hopeful eyes.


    "I will look into it, but you should know that I will be charging highly."


    "Yes madam." he answered.


    She sneered. "Who is your madam?"


    "It''s what your brother calls Shana, I am just borrowing his words." David chuckled.


    Phoebe put a hand over her mouth and she laughed. "Madam, really!"


    David nodded. "I heard about it from Valerie who heard about it from Natalie Chapman and she got it from Lisa McNewie ."


    "Oh my God, the founding lane gossip mill moves really fast. "Speaking of my brother and his girlfriend, I cannot believe that he has not introduced her to me. I am the only one in the family that is yet to meet her."


    "He is probably traumatized from the complications which arose from his mixing Ruth and his girlfriends together. I heard Kelly accused him of having an inappropriate relationship with Ruth and this was around the time when it was discovered that she was not a Mayfair." David reminded her.


    "Ooh, I heard about that," she leaned closer with a big smile on her face. "How did you hear about this? It happened in the gardens of my family home and it doesn''t sound like something that would fall into the ears of outsiders easily."


    David leaned closer too and he whispered, "Your grandmother talked to my grandmother about her worries, my aunt Zoe happened to overhear and she told Dickson''s mother who supplied it to everyone else."


    Phoebe moaned, "Ooh, the cursed founding lane gossip mill strikes again."


    "There is nothing secret on founding lane." David said.


    Phoebe agreed. "Nothing at all, not even bedroom affairs are sacred anymore, I heard that Helian Darling was caught cheating on his wife with the girl that works in the pharmacy down the lane. Apparently, Mrs. Barbie Darling dragged her husband to the car with his pants down." She bent and lowered her head even more. "They say he had a leash around that part."


    She pointed her finger in the direction of his crotch. "Evelyn says that the Darling''s are swingers in some sort of arrangement with the girl and her boyfriend but Mr. Darling has been showing a little too much interest in the girl."


    David choked on the juice which he had just taken, he coughed a few times and put down the glass.


    "Swingers!" he exclaimed.


    "Mmm." Phoebe nodded.


    "Where in the world did Evelyn hear this?" he quizzed.


    Phoebe shrugged, she did not know, she was just doing her part as a member of the founding families which inevitably gave her a membership in the founding lane gossip mill.


    "It''s too bad nobody got pictures, I would have loved to see that." Phoebe chuckled.


    "Absolutely not, you do not need to look at any other leashed men''s privates. If that''s what you are into, we can discuss it and..."


    "Eew." she said.


    "It''s a suggestion." David laughed.


    "And I will probably have to wash my mind with bleach to get the image out, thanks a lot Saxon." she joked.


    They continued to laugh and joke, sharing things that they had heard from here and there about different people on the lane. Slowly, with one laugh at a time, all the tension of the day melted away from their shoulders.


    In the space, America was watching them, she was the only ghost still interested in the progress of their affairs.


    "What do you think?" The Saxon spirit asked her.


    "I think they balance each other out, both understand that they need each other and deep under the surface, the love they have for each other is strong.


    From what you have told me about their story, she understood his burdens in the past and chose to support him, in this life, he is doing the same for her while choosing to give up the things that weighed him down previously.


    There is pain and hurt which they need to work through but as long as they get past it, there is a large possibility that they will be happy." America looked at Saxon spirit and she reminded her of an important fact.


    "I am not a god of course; I cannot accurately predict the momentum of their relationship or the future. They have just gone from fighting to talking and laughing without coming to any clear conclusions about where they stand now.


    At some point, they might pick up this fight from where they left off or just ignore it and move on completely. I guess they will only know where the relationship stands after destroying their mutual enemy."


    "In that case, I am going to give you an open invitation, please stay with us longer, the two cannot separate or else they will be destroyed once again and so will their loved ones." The Saxon spirit requested of America. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 308 The petition.

    America gazed at the lake, her ghostly eyes perfectly still. She thought about what she had experienced in the months leading up to her death, the choices she had made and the consequences of those choices.


    She wondered if Diana''s life would have been saved if she had acted sooner, if her own life would have been kept if she ignored Humphrey the first time he was brought to her.


    America thought about her unfinished research and the papers that she had left behind, her life''s work. It was all she had to show for her life, her parents were long dead, she was unmarried and had no children.


    "I haven''t lived much, have I?" she said to herself.


    She had lived for her work, helping others and forgetting to just stop and enjoy the sun, go on dates, travel for leisure. She truly wanted to stay behind and help because Phoebe had helped her too but she was ready to move on and hoped to reincarnate soon, maybe she would live for herself in her next life.


    "The children are moving on." Connie announced loudly.


    America and the Saxon spirit whirled around, they saw the children disappearing into bright lights. It was quick, they hardly got to say goodbye.


    Diana however was not among the children that left, she was left behind, there was no bright light around her.


    "That child has no happy memory right now, she is plagued with shadows and fear even as a ghost. She is also worried about her sister, it will take some time for her to heal and move on." The Saxon spirit sighed.


    America floated to Diana and took the little girl''s hand.


    "I guess I am staying as well."


    She could not move on and leave Diana behind, nothing would ever convince her that she had not fast tracked the girl''s death. If she had not talked to her, the girl would be alive today, perhaps. America was determined to be responsible for Diana to the very end no matter how long it took.


    "In that case, I will prepare the contract, staying on as a wandering ghost that has failed to move on is different from staying on under Phoebe''s employment. In this place, you and Diana will be safe from ghost catchers, evil witches and warlocks and other malicious ghosts which prey on the weaker ones. Is that okay with you? S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    America looked at the blank faced Diana and she nodded. It was important to keep Diana safe, if working for Phoebe was what it took, she was also willing to do it.


    The Saxon spirit watched America leading Diana into the cabin and she shook her head, feeling pity for America. Even though she wanted to move on, she had her own anchor of guilt tying her down.


    Even if she tried to move on now, it would not happen, she would not see the light. She had to first let go of all her regrets in order to move on.


    In the evening, as the clouds started to darken and the wind picked up speed, David and Phoebe decided to take a walk around founding lane.


    Hand in hand, they walked slowly while discussing anything that crossed their minds. Mostly, they giggled because other joggers or residents were sneakily taking pictures of them.


    Phoebe even saw Bertha Chapman, the wife of Rex Chapman, president of the founding council taking a picture of them and then she made a phone call. She was one of the women with the biggest mouth''s on founding lane in terms of gossip.


    "We are going to be part of this week''s gossip mill I guess."


    "Week! that''s too far, I bet everybody will know by dinner time." David laughed.


    He stopped her and pulled her close. "You know we can actually make the gossip count."


    "What..." Phoebe started.


    Out of the blue, David leaned down and placed a light kiss on her lips. He did not move his mouth in an attempt to deepen it.


    Phoebe smiled against his lips, raised her right leg up and put her hands around his neck.


    Both of them could hear the clicks and even saw a few flashes of cameras out of the sides of their eyes. Not only would they be a topic of conversation, their would be evidence of their relationship.


    "We are so bad." Phoebe giggled.


    "So bad." he laughed.


    Phoebe''s phone rung and she separated from him.


    "It''s my dad." she said happily as she answered. "Pa...." she started.


    "If you are not home in ten minutes young lady I will ground you, I don''t care how old you are, no kissing boys before marriage." Edward said and then he hung up.


    Phoebe looked at the phone and then David, she burst into unexpected laughter suddenly.


    "I think my father has seen the pictures and he just scolded me."


    David''s phone rung and he looked at the caller and rolled his eyes. For Collin Mayfair to be calling him, it was nothing good, he was probably looking for a fight.


    "I think your brother wants to have a word with me about your honor."


    Phoebe snorted, what honor, was this the 1700''s?


    "If you have a duel, don''t shoot him in the face or the legs, his wedding is coming up."


    David took her hand and they turned around, walking in the direction of the Mayfair manor with big grins on their faces.


    ********


    Two days after being told that Dorothy Cook was plotting against her, the petition arrived, Phoebe was served with papers at the cafe.


    The grim faced council attorney announced that she was expected to appear before the council in four days. Never before had Phoebe experienced something like it, not even in her last life had she attended a council meeting or been tried before one.


    It was all official, it felt like she was being sued and had been ordered to make a court appearance.


    "What does this even mean? Do I appear with a lawyer? Where do I even go to meet this council?" She queried the man who only pointed at the brown envelope and left.


    Phoebe went behind the serving counter and shared the unfortunate news with her grandmother.


    "Dorothy Cook really has bitten more than she can chew this time around. I suggest that you send a team of ghosts to whip her behind." Grandma Mayfair smacked the table, veins pulsed in her neck. "Never mind, she is not worthy to be lashed by our ghosts, your father will take care of this, Do not worry about it." She added.


    [That''s what David said and yet the petition has still been signed and I have been served, I guess it''s not going to be an easy fight.]


    Phoebe''s thought came to be displayed. It made old lady Mayfair think that Phoebe had no faith in the abilities of the Mayfair''s.


    Phoebe was more worried about her plants that had already started growing, so far things were moving on smoothly at the farm, the thought of shifting it made her upset. Finding unoccupied very fertile land in Citrus was extremely hard to find, the Saxons had gobbled most of it up.


    "Pheebs, you know what, I have changed my mind." Her grandmother called. "I think you should send Sylvester and Connie to beat some sense into her empty head."


    Phoebe laughed dryly. "And add onto my woes by cementing my reputation as the founding lane witch, no grandma that will not work but what I can do is make use of a secret that is damaging enough to make Dorothy lose her position in the council. I already have someone working on digging up the information. Meanwhile, Connie can go and keep an eye on her."


    Connie vanished, she was determined to find out everything clean and dirty about Dorothy Cook.


    "Ha! I tried my child, she''s as clean as spring water but you can try, maybe you will have better luck than I did. If we damage her reputation she will stop stepping on people''s heads that''s for sure." Grandma Mayfair rubbed her chin.


    The rattle bell chimed attracting attention, Phoebe eyes narrowed the moment Dickson walked into the cafe.

 Chapter 309 Shameless Dickson.

    A flicker of disdain laced Phoebe''s eyes which intrigued old lady Mayfair. Phoebe was a warm person even to people that she didn''t know so why was she so unwelcoming to Dickson yet he was David''s family.


    Grandma Mayfair did not like Dickson either, she had always thought him to be a lustful gold digger and opportunist with the way he was always panting after Ruth when everyone knew his mother was shopping around for a rich match.


    Old lady Mayfair was interested in knowing the story behind Phoebe''s loathing for Dickson, her granddaughter was looking at him the way she looked at Dorothy Cook.


    Dickson strolled to the counter with a grin like that of a smiling Cheshire cat.


    [How dare he be so brazen enough to bring his stick like legs inside my cafe with that disgusting smile on his face. I guess today is the day my grandmother will witness me commit murder.]


    Grandma Mayfair blinked a few time rapidly, had things gotten to a point of murder? What had happened between these two?


    "Hello beautiful ladies!" He cheerfully greeted the nearest female customers as he walked past them, Unlike the regular ghosts that were in on some of Phoebe''s life story that sneered, the women in the cafe smiled at him.


    Dickson was a master of trickery and weaved charm like a spell, no wonder the ladies seemed to like him.


    Phoebe glared daggers at the flowers she believed were meant for her, immediately she wrinkled her face ready to reject them.


    "Here you go granny." He handed them to grandma Mayfair. "I also brought with me tickets to the annual Citrus antique museum auction and gala, I want to attend it in the company of the most beautiful ladies in Citrus."


    His compliment only angered Phoebe, she knew quite well how he treated beautiful ladies.


    "No thanks." Phoebe stated and began to walk away but her movements came to a stop when he said that she owed him. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Come one Pheebs, you do owe me, don''t you?" he repeated again.


    [What is he playing at? He must think that i am naive or something.]


    Phoebe''s thoughts were only seen by her grandmother again.


    "And how exactly am I owing you?" Came Phoebe''s sharp question.


    "I helped you get your bag back from those thieves and your problem with the petition, I have been persuading Dorothy Cook to let it go. In fact she has promised to think about it." Dickson''s smile crooked just enough to hint at mischief.


    Phoebe sarcastically laughed. "I can fight my own battles, you are a knight whose wearing a dull armor."


    Her curt response caused his smile to fall instantly.


    Dickson was not prepared to have another Mayfair woman undermine him. He didn''t love Phoebe he only loved what she would bring with her if he married her.


    He faked a smile again, thinking to himself that he would deal with her after marrying her.


    "Are you sure that you will not regret those words darling." A bitter smile returned to his face


    Him calling her darling had goosebumps grow on Phoebe''s body. "If I were you, I would worry about your company. You are about to enter into an agreement with Halstead but it will not work out.


    I see black shadows all around you which signify misfortune. I say go with D.P holdings. You will thank me later." Phoebe planned to use D.P holdings to seize Dickson''s company.


    If he went with Halstead, his company would grow to become one of the biggest companies in the country, she couldn''t allow it.


    David had told her that Dickson had used his company D.C pharma to impress the Saxon clan elders and become chairman of the Saxon group.


    At the moment, D.C pharma was a fledgling company, a seed that could be crushed before it could get a chance to bloom.


    Phoebe did not want to deal with Dickson anymore, she had other things to do, one of which was the cleansing ritual for Sarah Miller.


    She stepped out from behind the counter. Hastily, Dickson stood in her way, blocking her path. Phoebe could see the unhappiness on his face, he was not a man that liked to be outsmarted.


    His D.C pharma was a secret company just like David''s D.P.


    "You are truly impressive, I have heard of your amazing supernatural abilities for a while now but never thought I would witness it for myself. Are you sure about what you are telling me right now?"


    His eyes narrowed to study her face. He was emotionally intelligent and didn''t trust easily.


    Phoebe''s lowered eyes lifted to stare at him, she wore a warm smile one that was well rehearsed.


    "I am certain, your business won''t last a year if you don''t do as i say but feel free to do as you please." Phoebe made a move to by-pass him but he caught her by the arm.


    "Do you really think that I believe you? You don''t like me, I can tell for i am not a fool, so why are you helping me?" His dangerous dark eyes dug into hers.


    Disgust crawled allover Phoebe''s skin where Dickson touched her, it was better to hug a snake than to feel his touch.


    A history of his wrong doings against her in the past life returned to her, to control her raging emotions Phoebe''s fingers came to form a tight fists.


    [Get your filthy paws off me before I punch that plastic face of yours. If I did not need to keep you a live for a while longer, I would dig your eyes out with a spoon.] Phoebe yanked her arm away from him.


    "You are not wrong about that, I do not care at all for you. However, you are still David''s family therefore it''s sort of my obligation to warn you." Phoebe sneered and turned to walk away. "Oh, remember to pay the consultation fee, nana, make sure that he pays no less than ten thousand dollars, if he doesn''t, report him to the police."


    To Dickson, the more Phoebe showed her disinterest, the more he wanted her. He would tame her later on but for now he loved the fire on her, his imagination run wild to how passionate she would be in his bed.


    His greed for her grew even more, burning hotter than hell fire.


    "You must hate me because of the past friendship between me and Ruth, I know everything darling but you should know that I was never interested in her." His words forced her to pause in her steps, it was a thunderclap that attracted grandma Mayfair''s attention as well.


    "My oh my, you must be the ninth wonder in the world. You followed Ruth around for years like a desperate puppy and now suddenly you are denying your interest in her?" Old lady Mayfair laughed dryly.


    Dickson clicked his tongue. "Granny did i ever once come to the elders of your family and confess my feelings for her? No! I did have a childhood crush on her to an extent at some point but as we grew up I realized that she was using me so I out grew that crush.


    She was like a sister to me, remember the man she adored with all her heart was David, my cousin. Those two had a very special bond but David being a play boy and all, he gets bored easily." His eyes met those of Phoebe as he spoke his last words.


    Phoebe laughed, so loudly that she held her stomach for it hurt. "Did you say that you didn''t love her? Oh come on Dickson I am a shaman. I can see things that are written deep within your soul. You would have given her even the last drop of your blood if need be but since she isn''t a Mayfair you lost interest didn''t you?" She teased knowing very well that she had hit a nerve.


    "Aah..that''s not right, you still wanted her even though she was not a Mayfair. You want to live like an ancient emperor, a queen in one hand with the right connections to safeguard your interests and a favorite concubine in the other to lavish with your love. What was your plan, to marry two sisters?"


    It skipped all of their minds that there were customers around that were quite interested in the back of forth, some that were residents of the founding lane.


    The gossip mill was about to go wild again.

 Chapter 310 Grandma shames Dickson.

    Dickson clenched his jaw and his hands, inside, he struggled with the desire to wrap his hands around Phoebe''s neck and squeeze it until she dropped to the floor, lifeless. What right did she have to run her mouth off in front of him acting like she was all that when she was nothing more than a sewer rat that got lucky because she was born with Mayfair blood?


    She was lucky that a man like him was interested in her, she was hardly his type. At least Ruth had been drop dead gorgeous, charming and tall with big breasts that he liked. Phoebe was short and average with a big attitude which did not match her size.


    But still, she was a challenge, and he loved that, easy things didn''t interest him. She had even managed to catch David''s attention so that made him want her all the more.


    He raised his hands in surrender. "You do not need to be crass; I am not a player like David, I would never date two women at the same time.


    Like I said, Ruth Gabriel was a passing fancy, she was fake, a liar and manipulator. When I found out who and what she truly was i cut off all ties with her. However, I had lost interest for her a long time ago my darling."


    "Stop calling me that!" Phoebe barked; her body flinched each time he said the word.


    A pronounced sigh came through grandma Mayfair''s lips, she had browsed through her memories and not once had Dickson professed his love for Ruth publicly. But still he followed her around for years like a lovesick dog, his actions spoke louder than his words she was no fool and could tell that Dickson wasn''t being truthful. Since Ruth was out of the picture, he was after Phoebe.


    "Well, whatever the case maybe, you dodged a bullet by getting rid of your feelings for Ruth. Good thing is that the Sunflower ball is around the corner, hundreds of young beautiful single women will be in attendance, hopefully you will find a nice girl to marry. You are past the age of chasing skirts Dickson" Grandma Mayfair cheered him on.


    "Oh, there is no need for that I already found her." Dickson winked at Phoebe leaving her more disgusted than speechless.


    She scoffed and walked to her office without looking back, but it was not before instructing Sylvester to stick a bad luck talisman on Dickson''s back. She wanted him to encounter as many disasters as possible.


    "Granny here." Dickson stretched his hands respectfully, the auction tickets lay in the palm of his hands, displayed for all to see especially the female customers that were part of the commoner''s population.


    For many women, going to such an auction was a dream come true for them. First because the tickets cost an arm and a leg, so they were a means of showing off and secondly because you had to be a member of the founding families, vastly wealthy or a prominent figure in society to attend. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    For those looking to score a rich husband, the auction was a safer bet in comparison to the balls which commoners hardly got a chance to attend.


    "Thank you for the generous offer, dear however we already received our invitations to the auction, we didn''t even have to buy them like you had to." Said grandma Mayfair very loudly, deliberately. "Also, watch your language when you talk to my granddaughter, she is not your darling, she is David''s darling. Do not do things that might cause people to misunderstand my granddaughter and besmirch her flawless character."


    If she was going to stop Dickson''s hideous plans of pursuing Phoebe then she had to do it as soon as possible. She was also resolved to have a conversation with her friend Prudence about this new development. Dickson was like a pest; he did not understand the word ''no'' when he was pursuing a woman.


    If this continued, not only would he damage Phoebe''s reputation, but he might endanger her.


    Shock etched on Dickson''s face, not because old lady Mayfair had rejected his thoughtful gift but because he heard a hint of mockery in her voice. Was she indicating that he wasn''t good enough for Phoebe because he didn''t match the Mayfair status?


    It also seemed like she was resolved to see to it that Phoebe did not get involved with him, going so far as to declare her as David''s woman as if he had received approval from the Mayfair''s.


    It seemed like the old woman had already picked David''s side. This was a big problem that was going to hinder his plans of marrying Phoebe since grandma Mayfair made the final decision on all marriages in the Mayfair family.


    It was time to come up with a different plan, for now he would gracefully back off to avoid further embarrassment.


    "That''s too bad, you can give them out to any lucky and loyal customers. It will boost sells i believe." He wore a defiant grin, one that told Grandma Mayfair that he wasn''t giving up easily, he bowed respectfully and left the cafe.


    His face grew cold the moment the door shut behind him.


    He spat on the ground, in front of the entrance to the cafe. "That foolish old hag, how dare she imply that i am a low born Saxon just because my family wasn''t invited to the auction and had to buy tickets." Dickson scoffed. "By the time i am done with all of all this, you will be begging for scraps on the street."


    His hands slid slowly to his sides, his fingers clenched on the edges of the trench coat. He pushed the fabric back, revealing his expensive custom tailored suit.


    He raised his foot to walk and it slid, throwing him off balance and he fell down to the ground, landing on his buttocks.


    Curse words exploded from his mouth as the pain from the scratches on his hands irritated him. As he started to stand up, he heard the sound of something being ripped, it turned out to be his pants.


    "What the fuck!" he exclaimed.


    He checked and indeed, he felt a hole in the back of his very expensive trouser.


    "Shit!. what a bloody shitty day." he muttered.


    He took another step and once again, he slid, falling to the ground again. When he looked down, he saw a banana peel that was out of place on the very clean side walk.


    A call from the Halstead came to his phone causing him to cuss. He deliberated on what to do, today was the day to sign the deal with Halstead investments but Phoebe''s warning kept ringing at the back of his mind.


    She was not a fake because she even knew that D. C Pharma was his and also about Halstead, on top of that bad things were happening to him suddenly which lent volume to her prediction.


    He was still sitting on the ground, a taxi swept by at incredible speed, passing over a small puddle of water that had pulled together as a result of the light rain the previous night.


    The water splashed on Dickson with the force of a water being pumped at an incredible speed and strength. The force was equal to that of a slap.


    Dickson wiped his face and groaned, he picked the call while he was still burning hot with anger.


    "I have changed my mind, you imbeciles will ruin my business." He rudely spoke before hanging up the call abruptly.

 Chapter 311 Nana suddenly likes Luna.

    Back at the cafe, a curious grandma Mayfair was pushing the door to Phoebe''s office hesitantly. She was afraid that Phoebe was in a terrible mood after what had just transpired between her and Dickson.


    Her brows shot up in surprise however when she found Phoebe humming as she put herbs in a bag.


    "You seem to be in a jovial mood, I was expecting the opposite, where are the broken cups or spilled tonic? Pheebs I must warn you about Dickson, I think that he is a little too interested in you if know what I mean." Grandma Mayfair sighed, exhausted mentally, she sank into a chair.


    "There are rumors about him..." she said hesitantly, "The things he likes to do to women in bed, they say he burns them with candles and whips them with ropes that have sharp barbs. Whatever he says to you, do not believe it no matter how much he professes his undying love."


    [Ha-ha interest in me my ass, he''s interested in the property he would get by making me his wife and the humiliation David would endure if he succeeded in his evil plot. If he ever lays a hand on me, I will make him a eunuch in the blink of an eye.]


    A chortle slipped through grandma Mayfair''s lips on reading the thought. She was glad that Phoebe was not naive, no one could take advantage of her, especially not the scum Dickson.


    "Nana do not worry yourself, I know Dickson better than he knows himself. I am aware of what his plans are for me but unknown to him, I am many steps ahead of that shameless man.


    Even the advice I gave him about his company is a trap, on top of that I paid off his secretary and two employees in his company."


    [I will sabotage all of his plans, he will forever and always be a worthless Saxon and the debt he owes me, I will collect it all before sending him to hell.]


    In as much as she wanted to ask more questions about this debt and why Phoebe harbored so much hatred for Dickson, grandma Mayfair only shrugged and dropped the issue.


    She planned to find another way to dig up the information and if she found anything that proved he had harmed Phoebe, she would be the one to send him to hell.


    Luna''s face came to her mind and old lady Mayfair sat up, this was the kind of task that girl could take on, maybe it was time to have a conversation with her. The girl was not so bad, it was her background that was a bit messy.


    Connie appeared just when Phoebe was about to sling the bag on her shoulders and leave for the Miller house.


    "Guys! Guys! You will not believe this. All this talk about swingers in town just got interesting. I have heard that Dorothy Cook, and her husband are among the couples involved in a secret swingers club." She bounced excitedly, for bringing such news she expected a great reward from Phoebe.


    "What?" Grandma Mayfair exclaimed. "Dorothy prim and uptight poopy pants Cook, no way."


    As for Phoebe, her jaw had dropped open and the bag that was on its way up to her shoulder, dropped on the floor.


    "Connie you have to be joking! That woman looks and acts like she is a moral compass, there is no way she would do something like that." Phoebe''s eyes widened, searching for confirmation from Connie.


    "I swear on the church of saints and angels, that I am telling nothing but the truth. I was on my way to the Cook manor when I overheard the Darling''s arguing in their car.


    Mrs. Annie Darling said that she had proof, recordings from their meet ups. She mentioned Lina the girl that works at the pharmacy and Mrs. Cook and she said that she would out everyone if her husband dared to mention divorcing her ever again."


    Connie''s body floated in the air like a bubble, she twirled and somersaulted.


    The revelation hit grandma Mayfair like a cold gust announcing the arrival of winter, she had long searched for something to destroy Dorothy and Connie had given her a bazooka.


    "This is it! We could spread this news around, once her reputation is destroyed, she will lose that position on the council." Grandma Mayfair squirmed. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Her quick fingers were already reaching for her phone, ready to set the gossip mill of the founding lane on fire. This, would be even more explosive than the Shuman sisters and their witchcraft, after all who did not love a good sex scandal on founding lane?


    Phoebe''s excitement didn''t last long when she realized that even if they spread the gossip, it wasn''t going to stop her from appearing before the council.


    On voicing out her concerns, grandma Mayfair told her that at least Dorothy would have been taught a lesson.


    "She has for long been misusing that position for so long, she keeps acting like the queen of Fog and that Rex Chapman is to blame, he keeps entertaining her rubbish, I bet he is somewhere in those recording too." She leaned forward, not feeling the rush of excitement anymore. "But....I just don''t understand this at all. It''s just not possible for her to garner a ten thousand signatures that fast. Most members of the founding families are cordial with us, they would think twice before signing something that would work against us....."


    "Not if someone catalyzed the situation." Came a voice as the door opened, David''s head popped in." Hello beautiful ladies, can I come in." He asked.


    Grandma Mayfair sneered. "You are already in; David you promised to handle this situation. Had I known that you would move at a sloth''s pace I would have intervened earlier." She curled her lips to the side fully aware that it was wrong of her to blame David for any of this but venting on behalf of Phoebe anyway.


    The founding council was never to be influenced by families lest it lose its power and become corrupted, that was the law, or it was supposed to be.


    "Nana come on, if anyone could have done something, it would have been dad, and I did not tell him for this very reason. Isn''t he a member of the council? He knew about this and said nothing, in fact if Amon wasn''t my friend I never would have known anything until the papers summoning me were brought." Phoebe''s hands slapped her thighs, but she felt no pain.


    "Your father is sworn to an oath of secrecy! He wouldn''t say even if he wanted to besides, Edward already promised to get you bigger and better lands even if you lose this one. To be honest, its not really a big deal, the whole thing stems from a personal vendetta Dorthy has against me and...." Grandma Mayfair explained but Phoebe only twisted her lips.


    In her mind, she was conflicted, her father was right to respect the laws that governed their families. Sometimes, breaking one small law could get a family removed and banned from the founding families. However, on the other hand she still wanted her father to put her first, family before others and everything else.


    Was she wrong? Was it selfish of her, was she being unreasonable?


    "Ladies, didn''t you hear me earlier? The situation escalated because a Saxon was involved. Dickson cajoled some brainless people into signing with a bunch of promises, some threats and pay offs and that''s why Dorothy got the numbers so quickly."

 Chapter 312 The scummiest of them all.

    On hearing David''s words, the two women stared at each other in disbelief, Grandma Mayfair was outrun by a mixture of emotions mostly shock and surprise.


    Phoebe surprisingly burst into laughter when her eyes met those of her grandmother, her reaction startled David the most.


    "What am I missing?" He asked as he perched himself on the edge of the chair.


    Pulling her brows into a frown, grandma Mayfair wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Child did you say Dickson was involved?" She queried.


    David nodded; his face still shadowed by confusion. "Yes! My cousin Dickson. He used his Saxon influence to persuade people into signing that damn petition. When I see him, I swear to God...." His palm met his fist to express what he intended to do.


    The two had not had a fight in a while___years actually, six of them and it was the intervention of their grandmother and clan elders that ended their physical fights. It was high time Dickson was reminded of the taste of a fist to his face.


    "I ask because he was just here about an hour ago, claiming to be in talks with Dorothy in order for her to drop the stupid petition. In fact, he said that Phoebe owed him and also about him saving her from some thieves." Grandma Mayfair spoke through pursed lips, she had actually believed his lies.


    He was a bastard that much was true but not everything that came out of his mouth was false. Old lady Mayfair was still displeased, how could be brazen enough to lie to her without batting an eye?


    To think that he was colluding with the enemy in the dark! No wonder Phoebe hated him so much, he was a hyena__no, a weasel, scrub that, a fox was the best description of the man.


    Stretching his hand, David stole one of Connie''s expensive candies from the bowl on Phoebe''s desk, asking them to explain everything that had happened down to the very last detail.


    Grandma Mayfair beat Phoebe to the punch, narrating the story with great vigor.


    "I know Dickson, he is as cunning as a fox. About him helping you get your purse back; I was not happy that you didn''t mention it to me, but I did not dwell on it. Pheebs I was skeptical about it being a coincidence then, but I am certain that it''s not! That piece of shit is planning something, he is not nice to people for nothing, he must be scheming."


    Phoebe chuckled but the moment she did, she covered her mouth and lightly giggled.


    "I am sorry, he is just too predictable. David, I didn''t tell you about the bag thieves because honestly there was nothing to tell, you know very well that I know what he is up to." She winked at him, and he nodded in return. "The whole rescuing thing was a facade, he sent the thieves and pretended to save me so hearing that he did something to get people to sign the petition doesn''t surprise me at all." Phoebe continued to laugh softly. "He is only capable of this much; he is a loser."


    David bit his lower lip and run his fingers through his hair. "I bet his plan was for you to be grateful after he came out of nowhere and save you. It''s you.... it''s you he wants; he has always wanted everything that I had since we were children." He pressed his lips tightly together.


    Even his ex-girlfriend''s, Dickson always tried so hard to woo them, so the two cousins had dated some of the same woman through the years.


    David had of course dumped them the moment they involved themselves with Dickson, he found those women too disgusting to so much as touch. They were obviously after the Saxon fortune, and they didn''t care which Saxon they had to ride to get a foot in the door.


    "I came to the same conclusion, now that Ruth is out of the way he wants to cling onto Pheobe. Only after I die will that happen!" Grandma Mayfair stamped her foot. "No, even after my death I will stay behind as a ghost to make sure that he stands no chance. Can you imagine that he brought auction tickets with him and demanded that my granddaughter attends it with him, and he kept calling her darling in a sleazy manner." She added oil to the fire.


    David boiled with anger the more that old lady Saxon talked. she banged her fist on the table. "I will kill him this time, he''s overconfident for a reason I am yet to know about....."


    "D.C. pharma." Phoebe announced, David stared at her knowingly, he already knew about Dickson''s company, and he was waiting for its crowning moment to swoop in like a vulture and destroy it.


    In his last life, after Phoebe''s death, Dickson and Ruth had worked together to gobble up the Mayfair fortune and got rid of the Mayfair''s.


    In this life, he would never allow Dickson get access to it, especially not through Phoebe.


    It looked like his cousin was still on the same path, he had just changed a target.


    "D.C pharma will be on the ground soon, I already have a plan in motion." She smiled reassuringly at him.


    "Still I am going to punch him, right now as a matter of fact." David glared at the door.


    "No!" Screamed Phoebe taking them by surprise, Dickson deserved the beating but if he got one, her plans would be ruined. "Leave him, let him think that he is winning, there is no greater pain than the one you experience after tasting victory."


    She knew that quite well because she had fallen to the bottom and to her death after tasting a sweet victory.


    Grandma Mayfair nodded. "The higher the climb the greater the fall."


    "Exactly," Phoebe''s phone rung, she remembered that she had a client waiting and she was late. "It''s time for me to go do that ritual at Sarah Miller''s house, it''s nothing complicated so no worries and about the Dorothy Cook situation, let''s spread the gossip. Since she decided to sink so low we will sink lower." Phoebe rubbed her hands together.


    "Roxanne told me that you asked her to do research on Dorothy, but I was one step ahead of you. I have information on her getting bribes from someone in Jitz hotel that has been buying up land around the lake. They want yours too so this petition has a monetary motive as well. I am planning to use that against her, a sex scandal may not completely ruin her." David sneered. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe smiled, her information sniffer or David''s information sniffer had actually managed to find something on Dorothy Cook.


    The rest of the battle would be much simpler moving forward. She picked up her bag, bid her grandmother farewell and walked out of the door with David and the ghost team following behind.


    Once outside, David pulled on Phoebe''s hand. "I came here purposely to tell you about the men that went out in search of Ruth."

 Chapter 313 Nothing learned.

    Time was not on her side, she had only forty minutes to get to the Miller''s house. However, she was very interested to know what David''s men had discovered. "I highly doubt they found her or anything useful." She spoke with indifference.


    The person that had taken Ruth had knowledge of magic and was very meticulous, Phoebe was certain that there were little or no clues that had been found, nevertheless it was better to listen because sometimes, people could surprise you.


    "Tell me." She studied his face that wore a defeated expression, conveying what he was about to say before he could even do so.


    "I am sorry babe, she wasn''t there. It seems like whoever took Ruth realized that those men had magic trackers."


    David sighed and rubbed his eyes, it was obvious that he was hesitating on giving her any more information.


    "What is it? Tell me." She used her hand to assure him to hurry up.


    "I think you already know about this, but just in case you don''t..."


    "David, babe, speed this up because I am time bad." Phoebe shuffled her feet.


    Her tone held an urgency and he decided to kill two birds with one stone, have a long conversation with an opportunity to spend time together while telling her about what his people had found.


    "I will drive you there, on the way we can discuss this and more." He


    slid his hand into hers, which Phoebe appreciated. She needed to charge as much as possible for she had no idea what she was about to encounter at the Miller''s residence.


    On the road, David explained to Phoebe the gruesome details of the scene his men had found at the location she had given him.


    "All that was left were mutilated dead bodies."


    "Show me." she said.


    "Pheebs do you really want to look at this, the scene was very bloody, it''s terrible to even look at. I don''t want you to have nightmares."


    She persistently shook her hand, gesturing for the phone to be handed over and he did so with a long suffering sigh. An intrigued Phoebe took the phone from him to have a better look, she had seen countless dead bodies before, there was no such thing as gruesome to her.


    David knew this but he was reluctant, his fingers trembled as he handed the phone over. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Oh my goodness!" She screamed on seeing the images of the bodies, the phone slid through her fingers and fell on her lips.


    David was driving so he could not hug her, instead he reached his hand out and firmly clutched her arm.


    "I told you that it was bad." he said softly.


    Phoebe swallowed, resisting the minor urge to vomit. She had seen a lot of horrendous things but this was something else, the bodies had been cut up, eyes ripped out and hanging from eye sockets, blood was everywhere, limbs were littered around.


    What she was used to were dead bodies, cleaned up and laying on the coroner''s table or old pictures of crime scenes, none this bloody or vivid.


    "Phoebe pick up that phone, I need to see more." The Saxon spirit requested.


    She picked up the phone, her hand still trembling and showed the images to the spirit. The men that had died with their eyes intact looked like they had died from fright as if they had seen something incredibly scary.


    "What did that to them? How...what happened for them to seem this way." Phoebe asked.


    Some of the bodies looked like they were thousands of years old or as if they had been put out in the sun and dried until nothing but skin and bones remained.


    Again, there was so much blood around, puddles of it which sent chills down her spine.


    The first response came from Connie who clapped her hands once like she had remembered something important. "I know what this is! Guys it''s vampires. I knew they were real."


    "Vampires? Have you seen one with your ghost eyes?" Phoebe asked, the fear exiting her body.


    "She''s not wrong, this land had all kinds of creatures crawling in it however, if it were vampires then we would she fang marks some where, I don''t happen to see any." The Saxon spirit continued to study the pictures, from it''s expression Phoebe could tell that it was nothing good.


    "And it doesn''t account for the eyes that have been ripped out of their sockets, the blood or dry flesh. What is it then?" She asked.


    "Vampires drink blood, duh!" Connie said with an attitude of a high school queen bee.


    "This is dark magic, not vampires." The spirit announced, it seemed unsettled just like Phoebe was.


    "Dark magic? It was banned in Fog country. If you are caught practicing it the founding council literally makes you disappear." David blurted out.


    Phoebe had an entirely different opinion on the subject of dark magic being banned, with all the things that she had been discovering lately, it seemed to be more on the rise than ever before.


    "Well, this is not Fog country, perhaps that''s why this group opted to go to Silver nation. I don''t mean to scare you but this is nothing like those clown shamans in Magic city practice. This is the real deal, it''s the kind of dark magic that was practiced in the olden days. There is no way some one in this day and era knows how to completely absolve the life force of another human in one sitting, it''s too much power that needs months and years to eat up." The Saxon spirit explained more.


    "Please explain more." David requested politely.


    "Hmmm how do I explain it for you to understand....it''s like going to a cafe and you sit down, order for a glass of juice and use a straw to sip it all in one minute." The spirit explained the best way she could. "These dry corpses, someone sucked life out of them in a very short period of time, destroying even their souls."


    Phoebe blinked rapidly; she had never heard of such a thing before. " Why would anyone do a thing like that? At what cost?" She had so many questions lingering in her head.


    "To prolong the life of another." the Saxon spirit whispered. It recalled something and made a few guesses as to who had done it.


    "Isn''t this similar to what Mackie Shuman did to Eliza''s children?" Connie asked.


    "No, this is worse. In Mackie''s case, life essence was stolen but the souls of the children remained. This is worse, it erases a person from existence completely, there is no chance of reincarnation. No heaven, no hell, nothing.... you just cease to be."

 Chapter 314 Sarah Millers troubles [1]

    For a moment, there was silence in the car, so much quiet that one could hear a pin if it dropped on the floor of the car. The words of the Saxon spirit albeit calmly delivered were very frightening. How could one just cease to be? What happened to them? Where did their soul go?


    "That doesn''t sound right..how...it doesn''t." Connie muttered in a small voice which held more fear than they had heard before.


    The Saxon spirit waved its hand and sent the girl into the space.


    "You are weak Phoebe, to go up against someone with magic of this kind, you will need to be two times more powerful. If this is the same person that is not dead but not alive either, then we need to step up your training.


    You should begin learning combat spells, runes and talismans, forget the ones that you are learning just for the sake of making money."


    "I..." David started.


    A loud hoot behind their car declared the urgency of the party behind them, breaking the conversation for a moment.


    "Is that your grandmother''s car behind us?" David asked.


    Phoebe looked back and she saw it for herself, her grandmother''s car with it''s shiny gold frog decoration at the front.


    "Is that my nana?" Pheebs asked.


    David turned a corner and drove up to the Miller manor, parking the car next to the carousel which had been built in the early 2000''s.


    "This is a bold choice for a decoration." Phoebe said, as she stepped out of the car.


    She thought the Miller family had quite the odd taste in decorations, especially as the carousel was so close to the path leading to the main entrance of the house.


    "Imagine a ghost riding around on this in the middle of the night, I bet everyone would abandon the manor very quickly." She giggled.


    The carousel or merry go round was a ride that reminded her of an amusement park, she did not like amusement parks anymore, they were habitats for ghosts.


    "Or they would just have the carousel removed." David suggested.


    They leaned against the car and eyed the carousel, wondering why it had been built, was it for the Miller children? Did a crazy architect suggest that it would look good on the compound?


    "Does it work? Have you taken a ride on it before?" Phoebe quizzed.


    "I don''t know babe, this is my first time visiting the Miller manor, just because I grew up on the lane does not mean that I have been to every house."


    Founding lane was not a small territory, there where at least one thousand houses in the lane occupying both sides of Citrus lake.


    At the meeting point where the two sides connected was Council hall, a very large building in which the founding council conducted there business. It also had gardens and a large hall in which balls and parties were held.


    The front doors of the house slid open and Mrs. Ashley Miller came bounding out with very eager steps and an impatient look on her face.


    "I am late, I apologize." Phoebe immediately said, before the woman could say anything.


    Ashley Miller exhaled and smiled. "That''s not an issue, we were just getting antsy and doubtful about your arrival. We have prepared everything that you requested, please come in..."


    "Wait." Old lady Mayfair crept up on them.


    Ashley Miller''s smile dropped on seeing her, she was not pleased to see the old lady. With her here, how could they keep the secret of whatever was troubling her daughter? She would hold another gathering at the flower cafe and blast everything out there for everyone to know.


    "Old lady Mayfair, I do not recall sending you a calling card this afternoon. If you...."


    Old lady Mayfair moved her hand, gesturing for Ashley to step aside. "Ashley, I am here because I know how hot your blood boils unnecessarily, I do not want your fists to land on the precious body of my only granddaughter and.."


    "Yo! sis, you guys are really fast." Andre''s voice broke into old lady Mayfair''s explanation as to why she was at Miller manor.


    Phoebe, David, grandma, the ghosts and Ashley all turned their heads in the direction of Andre''s voice. He was approaching them quickly as he was jogging, very noticeable in a bright red velvet tracksuit and black sunglasses.


    "Why is he here?" Ashley questioned under her breath.


    Andre Mayfair was a bit of a loud mouth, as a kid anyway, as an adult he seemed to be more hyper. It was no surprise that he had gone into the entertainment business.


    Andre put an arm around Phoebe''s shoulders when he reached them.


    "Sis I am here, what''s the case?"


    "Why are you here?" Grandma Mayfair asked him.


    "Nana," he said, adopting Phoebe''s way of addressing their grandmother, "I am here to help out. Filming for my movie has officially wrapped up so I will be available to take on more cases at the cafe from now on."


    "You are not the shaman." David reminded him.


    "Neither are you but here we are." Andre retorted with as much sarcasm as he could pack into his voice.


    He removed his sunglasses and looked at David with a clear challenge in his eyes, daring him to do something if he thought he had the ability.


    David scoffed, "I..."


    "Mrs. Miller, can we go in now? I think enough time has been wasted and the more we delay, the more Sarah''s troubles grow." Phoebe stepped in.


    Of the group, she was the only one that was actually there to work, grandma had come for the gossip, she just wanted to know what trouble the 16 year old Sarah had got herself into.


    David was there to protect Phoebe, if things went south he would pull her out of Miller manor without looking back.


    Andre was there to gather more materials for his scripts which he was writing. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mrs. Miller shot the group one reluctant look and then she led them into the house where to their surprise, many other Miller''s were waiting.


    It seemed, everyone''s mouth was itching to know what was troubling Sarah. Some just wanted confirmation of a possible pregnancy despite the fact that Sarah had already taken a test in the hospital proving that she was not pregnant and had never been.


    Poor Sarah was sitting in the center of her relatives, chewing on her bottom lip and wishing that she could just disappear into the ground.


    "Everyone that should not be here should leave." Phoebe told Ashley.


    Ashley Miller looked at her daughter and the relatives that were already spreading ridiculous rumors about Sarah, if they were sent away they would only assume the worst and ruin her daughter''s reputation even more.


    She could see the cruel smiles and taunts in the eyes of some, especially the ones she had engaged in physical alterations with.


    "No." she said, "We are doing this in the presence of everyone, since they all want to know, just tell them what''s wrong with my Sarah."


    Mr. Brock Miller nodded and he put a hand on Sarah''s shoulder, showing his unwavering faith in his daughter''s character.


    Phoebe shrugged and looked at the Miller''s.


    "Her shadow, her trouble is her shadow."

 Chapter 315 Sarah Millers troubles...[2]

    The answer Phoebe gave was not what anybody in the room expected to hear, even the ones that believed Sarah''s troubles were not pregnancy related did not think they would hear that there was a problem with her shadow.


    The sun was shining brightly outside, through the open windows, it''s rays had made it into some parts of the house and where Sarah was sitting, a silhouette of her shadow was reflected on the tiled floor.


    Some of the Miller''s and other relatives looked down at the floor around Sarah, gazing at the reflection of her head. One of Sarah''s cousin''s Amy, a three year old was the closest to the reflection.


    Her mother grabbed her back with quickness as if the shadow would eat her child. As the child broke into a piercing cry, other relatives, the ones that felt uncomfortable the most backed away from Sarah as well.


    Even Sarah was uncomfortable and scared of her shadow suddenly, she raised her feet from the ground and tucked them in the chair, as she moved around seeking for a comfortable position, her shadow also moved and in every direction it extended, people hopped away or screamed.


    "Err..Ashley, I left food on the gas." One of the women said.


    She scrambled out of the house in a hurry and some did the same, running away with one excuse or the other. They figured that they would hear about the details from those that stayed behind.


    "Sis," Andre whispered, he pointed at his shadow. "Is it fine?"


    "You are fine." Phoebe rolled her eyes.


    He sighed in relief and took two steps back, he did not want the Sarah''s shadow coming for him.


    "What..what is wrong with her shadow?" Ashley asked, trembling as she did so.


    Old lady Mayfair had never seen Ashley Miller tremble, she was one of those fist first think later kind of people and she always dived head first into every situation.


    Phoebe did not answer, she just walked towards the Sarah, she opened her bag and poured salt around the single sofa in which the girl was sitting.


    When she was finished, Connie and Sylvester placed black candles in a circle around the girl, trapping both Sarah and her shadow within the circle.


    "Don''t move." Phoebe told Sarah.


    Sarah Miller''s eyes were red as a result of crying so often ever since she was picked by Phoebe and included in the fifteen. She had not gone to school ever since that day and her grandparents had insisted she switch off her phones and stay home.


    They had not said it to her face but the unsaid message in their actions was essentially "stay home and don''t embarrass our family."


    Even now, the available Miller elders were sitting the furthest away and peeking from a distance as if they didn''t want to catch an infection.


    "How have you been feeling lately, in the last three months at least? Have there been any changes in your behavior and emotions?" Phoebe asked her.


    Sarah looked up at her father and he nodded with a reassuring smile.


    Sarah looked at her hands and then Phoebe, "I feel out of control, my body, it feels as if it''s not mine. I sometimes do things that I would not do normally."


    "Like what?"


    Sarah looked at her father and again he nodded.The girl looked at Phoebe and she bit her bottom lip again, scared to say what she had done.


    "It''s okay sweetie, none of it is your fault." Phoebe coaxed her using her mommy voice.


    Ashley Miller who was at the end of a very thin rope could not take it.


    "She has been stealing things." she blurted out.


    Collective outraged gasps went around the room at Ashley''s revelation, the older Miller''s all glared in Sarah''s direction, very displeased obviously.


    "It''s worse than a teenage pregnancy." One of the older woman said.


    "This is terrible, a thief in our manor, Oh...what will we do when people hear about it?" another person asked.


    Ashley glared in their direction and every mouth that was mumbling quickly folded, nobody wanted to fall victim to her fists after all.


    "Are you stupid or deaf?" Ashley loudly barked. "The shaman has just said that it''s not my Sarah''s fault, are you all so impatient that you cannot wait for an explanation before pointing fingers? If I hear one more word about reputation I will start breaking necks."


    Brock Miller''s mother gasped, she put a hand on her chest and looked at her son, imploring him to do something about his wife.


    He ignored his mother and squeezed his daughter''s shoulder, she was sobbing softly and his heart was breaking for her.


    "It will all be okay." he told her.


    "Tsk, tsk, some old people did not brush their teeth today." Andre loudly said.


    When they glared at him, he looked at the wall and whistled pretentiously.


    "What else?" Phoebe asked.


    "There is more!" someone exclaimed.


    Ashley answered in Sarah''s place. "Sarah told me that she has been finding things in one place after leaving them in another, especially at night. It''s as if someone sneaks into her room and deliberately moves things around. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She used to be popular at school, a cheer captain but suddenly other kids stopped talking to her gradually, treating her as if she was invisible. There was no rumor about her that caused it, no scandal, nothing that would explain the weird behavior.


    It also happened her at home last week, she asked for breakfast and the maid just walked by her as there was nothing but air where Sarah was sitting. It was very disrespectful, I had to fire her.


    Oh, three days ago, she started sleep walking, the police brought her home yesterday in the morning. I personally tucked her in to sleep in her bed but somehow she ended spending the night up on the lawn of the Gianis family with their dogs. One of then bit her on her left ankle, they are lucky that I have not broken its neck." she sneered and punched the nearest chair. "Show them the bite mark Sarah."


    The girl stretched her foot out, Phoebe noticed that her shadow was also stretching, moving while Sarah''s upper body remained still.


    If she stretched her leg out, it would go beyond the protective circle, something that the shadow was looking to take advantage of.


    Those that had been keeping an eye on Sarah''s shadow noticed what Phoebe saw and once again, there were gasps in the room.


    "It moved, sis, it really moved, I have seen it, sis..." Andre shook Phoebe in either fright or excitement.


    David pulled him back because he was using a lot more force than necessary.


    "Don''t move, take your leg back." Phoebe loudly ordered.

 Chapter 316 Sarah Millers troubles...3

    Sarah pulled her leg back at incredible speed, fear crept even more in her heart and she clung onto her father, holding his hand with all of her strength. She had seen it as well, her shadow moving on it''s own.


    Others in the room looked at their own shadows, they were wary of them, if they could, some would have run away and left their shadows behind but they were filled with a gripping desire to see where things would lead that kept them rooted where they were.


    "I fear the trouble you have encountered is the doing of your mother." Phoebe said.


    As expected, every eye in the room turned to Ashley Miller who had a befuddled look on her face. Phoebe wanted to wrap things up as quickly as she could so she opted to be direct.


    "You are a strong woman that has trained her body in martial arts which makes you arrogant."


    Ashley frowned, a low growl came from her mouth, normally this was a sign that she was about to leap into action and pummel someone into the floor.


    Phoebe was not intimidated, she just kept going, "You use your abilities to settle every minor and major dispute despite the fact that in today''s world you do not need to fight physically in order to settle your troubles.


    Your fiery uncontrolled temper is what brought disaster to your daughter, someone that you beat up decided to wreck her life as revenge on you. They used a talisman of shadows to steal her shadow temporarily and when it was returned to her, it was under someone else''s control.


    It is being used to manipulate her emotions, that''s why she feels invisible and when she feels that way, she actually becomes invisible to others, she is there but they cannot see or hear her."


    "Someone can do that!" grandma Mayfair exclaimed.


    Phoebe nodded.


    Andre looked at his shadow, he moved to the left and right and it responded accordingly, allowing him to sigh in relief, he owned his shadow.


    Of all the cases Phoebe had worked since he knew her, this was the creepiest to him, far worse than the Eliza Guzman case.


    "This makes no sense, how can someone steal a shadow?" Macy Miller, Sarah''s cousin of the same age asked.


    "I did not say that it was stolen, I said separated, returned and manipulated." Phoebe explained. "I cannot break down the process but that is what I have found, I noticed it on the day I met her, her shadow was moving around independently."


    Murmurs went around in the room, whispers of doubt mixed within. Phoebe was not vested in their belief or lack of, she just wanted to get her job done.


    She lit a big black candle and handed it to Sarah Miller.


    "Which of your closest friends has fallen ill in an unexplainable way since you started feeling weird?"


    Sarah shook her head, she bit her bottom lip as she thought back on the state of all her friends recently but none came to mind because she had not been spending time with them since she was struck with the unexplainable condition.


    "I don''t know." she answered in a soft voice, with tears running down her eyes.


    "You, do you know anything?" Grandma Mayfair pointed her walking cane at Macy.


    They were the same age and went to the same school so odds were that they had the same friends or crossed paths often.


    "Leslie Howard." Macy answered.The young girl shot a look of accusation at Sarah. "At the last parent-teacher conference, Leslie and Sarah got into an argument over Mike Darling in the bathroom. Leslie shoved Sarah into a locker and something cut her on the back."


    "Mom was furious when she saw the wound on my back and she beat up Leslie''s mom, Mrs. Marissa at school, in full view of the other parents. Mrs. Marisa''s skirt was ripped during the fight, it was..... " Sarah finished the rest of the story but left out some bits. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Marissa Howard''s undergarments had been exposed, the small red lace panties she had been wearing had left very little to the imagination. It had not been deliberate on Ashley''s part but the damage was done anyway.


    It was not a new story to the Miller''s they were all familiar with it, Ashley''s reckless fights were popular subjects of discussion on the founding lane. It was rare for a full week to go by without Ashley beating up someone.


    "Leslie had a hard time at school after that, everyone was talking about her mother, Sarah apologized to her in the cafeteria but it didn''t help the situation.


    She and Sarah used to be very close, after that incident they became enemies to Leslie at least. She quit the cheer squad of Founding Mountain high school.


    She stopped eating at the popular kids table, hanging out with them or even talking to them. She cut everyone off and turned into a loner but it didn''t help, pictures of her mother were shared by some of the kids. They photo shopped her..." Macy shook her head, she could not reveal the rest it was just too disturbing to reveal.


    "Anyway, I saw her two weeks ago in the girls bathroom and she was very pale, she even threw up blood and washed it away quickly. She is the only person from Leslie''s circle that I can think of that happens to be sick right now. But, miss shaman, why do you want to know this?" Macy looked at Phoebe curiously.


    "If my deductions are correct, Leslie is the one that did this to you although how a sixteen year old girl managed to go to such lengths for revenge is beyond my comprehension." Phoebe shook her head.


    Ashley pulled up the sleeves of her shirt, "That little bitch dared to use magic on my daughter, I will teach her mother another lesson today...."


    "Mom!!!" Sarah half-screamed and sobbed. "Enough with the fights, I am already like this because you beat up and humiliated someone, why do you want to go and start and another fight when I am this way


    What happened to Leslie anyway, it was our fault, I knew that Mike was playing both of us but I still foolishly clung on to him. It was what led to the argument and the fight, I have been riddled with guilt ever since that happened and I have tried to fix the problem but nothing I do can make it right."


    Ashley rushed to her daughter but Phoebe stopped her and David pulled her back.


    "Do not ruin the protective circle." Phoebe told her. "I have already told you that Sarah''s problems are your doing. Mrs. Miller, if you had controlled your temper, you would not have ruined Leslie''s life or her mother''s and that of Leslie''s siblings for that matter."


    "I heard that Jack Howard is divorcing Marissa." someone said.


    "As he should, she has become a joke." a man answered.


    Even though Macy had not said it, they had all seen a few of those photo shopped pictures of Marissa going around. She might as well have been a nude model at this point.

 Chapter 317 Fixing Sarahs troubles

    The news about the divorce was like a punch in the gut to most of the people in the living room, the news had not yet hit the founding lane gossip mill yet.


    For some like Andre, this was the first time he was hearing of the fight between Ashley and Marissa and the dominoes that collapsed after, he wanted to ask questions but the timing was wrong. He was sharp however, and he deduced some things from what was said. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ashley Miller had gone pale, Sarah was gripped with guilt, Brock Miller was lost, they were all caught up in a situation that they did not know how to handle. Who could have predicted that one little fight could snowball and lead to such devastating results.


    "I did not mean to rip her skirt, it was short and the material of poor quality, and I did not start the fight, she shoved me first." Ashley mumbled.


    "What are you quibbling about? I have warned you many times about your quick temper but you never listen, now you can see where your fists have landed us, Ashley you have destroyed one family and almost destroyed this one in the process. Hmph, I think it''s time for Brock to divorce you." Brock''s mother said.


    "Ma, it''s not happening." Brock immediately said.


    "Are you going to wait until Sarah or another of your children is destroyed thanks to her?" His mother questioned. "What if I become the target of such twisted revenge next time?"


    The Miller''s started mumbling, opinions were thrown around, some in support and others against.


    Phoebe did not care about their family disputes, she instructed Connie to light the black candle in Ashley''s hands.


    "Stand straight look at the flame and repeat after me." she ordered the girl. "Focus on me, not the noise around you."


    Andre and grandma Mayfair were trying to quieten the Miller''s but it was proving to be an impossible task, Brock''s parents were all but ready to throw their fists and get him to divorce, he was defending his wife while keeping an eye on Sarah.


    There were two children crying, Sarah''s siblings and a dog was barking. The dog, Phoebe guessed was barking because it had sensed evil trying to escape, animals were sensitive to such things.


    Phoebe pricked her finger and a drop of her blood fell on the shadow, a sizzling sound was made and a loud howl followed.


    The shadow started struggling, and those that were closest to Sarah moved even further away, the entire thing was like a nightmare, or a horror movie.


    Sarah''s hands trembled, and the candle started to slip out of her hands because of fear.


    "Up here." Phoebe snapped her fingers at Sarah, "Do not look at the shadow. "Repeat after me, with this light I command the heavens, bind this shadow, end its reign."


    In a timid trembling voice, Sarah repeated after Phoebe, word for word. A sudden gust of air invaded the room, causing the fire on all eight candles around Sarah and the one in her hand to move up wards, burning with vigor and melting at a quick rate.


    The wax of the candle in Sarah''s hand started to melt, some falling on her hands and more on the shadow. Pain, deep enough to be felt in the bones invaded her body.


    She screamed and her shadow did the same thing, both in excruciating pain. Sarah fell to her knees, the candle in hands started slipping.


    "Don''t let go of the candle." Phoebe ordered.


    Sylvester got onto his knees and he lent strength to Sarah, ensuring that she held onto the candle.


    The house was dead quiet, with the exception of the screams coming from Sarah and her shadow, none of the Miller''s was talking, and more of them had left the living room but they were squeezed in the door leading out of it, peeking from a distance.


    Their hearts were racing, some had even closed their ears and Macy had closed her eyes as well.


    "It''s burning her, please, the candle is burning her hands." Ashley cried out.


    She could see the wax melting as quickly as cake being crumbled, most of that wax was landing on her daughter''s hands.


    "That''s not what''s happening." Phoebe told her.


    The wax was harmless, the pain that Sarah was feeling was coming from the talisman being forcefully pulled out of her body.


    It went on for five minutes and then the screaming stopped, the candles had melted completely and the salt had evaporated. Sarah Miller fell to the floor, unconscious.


    "It''s done." Phoebe said, "She is fine, but the one that did the spell is in trouble. A talisman of shadows can only be effective by offering one''s vitality." She looked at David, "Let''s go to the Howard house, I am not willing to let a girl so young die."


    She did not plan to stick around to watch the fight that she was sure was coming.


    Brock carried Sarah and placed her on a sofa, shouting for someone to send for a doctor.


    "She is fine, she is just sleeping." Phoebe told them. She took a few steps forward and turned back, "Oh, who will be paying my bill?"


    Phoebe received strange looks from the Miller''s and she guessed what most of them were thinking, that she was money minded and other things in that line. But, she did not care, she had done her job.


    "How much?" Broke asked.


    "Ten million." She answered, no hesitation at all, exuding confidence.


    The elders of the Miller family frowned, they found the price ridiculous and they were unwilling to pay.


    "Do not bargain, do not argue, do not waste my time. Without me, Sarah here would have eventually died, within a year at most. I should be asking for more but I am in a generous mood." Phoebe looked at the time.


    She needed to get to the Howard house soon.


    "I will pay." Brock said.


    He ignored the disapproving looks from his parents and approached Phoebe, phone in hand as he planned to wire her the money.


    They were all surprised when Ashley moved to stop Brock, all of them assumed that she too had a problem with Phoebe''s pricing.


    Phoebe''s eyebrows shot up, if Ashley Miller complained, she would not argue but later, she would send Luna to collect the debt. Nobody, was allowed to play around with her money, she worked hard for it.


    That single drop of her blood that she had used was precious, worth at least one hundred million in her opinion. The energy she had used in the spell was worth one hundred more.


    "No, I will pay. It''s my fault that this happened, I will give you twenty million, save Leslie Howard if possible. I will come with you and apologize to Marissa in person."


    They left the Miller house and drove to the Howard house, the two families were not far from each other. Only five houses stood between their homes.


    When they arrived, it was no surprise that they were not welcomed, especially when the Howard''s saw Ashley. The air charged instantly; a fight was looming on the horizon.

 Chapter 318 Sabrina Spellcaster, terror of founding lane.

    David read the situation very quickly and he got in front of Phoebe, Andre stepped in front of grandma Mayfair and Ashley Miller was left out in the open.


    "I guess I will be protecting myself then." she mumbled.


    "Others are the ones that need protection from you." Andre mumbled a retort.


    Ashley glared at him and grandma Mayfair pinched his waist, he was not making the situation better with his smart remarks.


    Brock Miller showed up just in time and he pulled his wife back even though she had not done a single thing wrong.


    "I apologize, Clarisse, we are here for Leslie." he said.


    Clarisse Howard, the woman that had opened the door for them was Leslie''s aunt and also a one time victim of Ashley''s fists. The look in her face was nothing but pure unfiltered rage as she looked at Ashley.


    "Leave now or else I am calling the police." she said.


    "No, no police." Phoebe shouted from the back. She jumped up and down twice before deciding that she had waited long enough so she shoved her way to the front.


    They could all hear the agonizing screams from inside the house, coming from upstairs. It sounded like a girl that was in pain, the screams were accompanied by worried loud voices of adults.


    "I am here to help, Leslie did something stupid and now she is paying the consequences. Has she been ill for a while now but no hospital has been able to explain what ails her?"


    Clarisse kept her glare on Ashley as she nodded in response. "It''s all because of you Ashley, you just had to fight my sister-in-law and humiliate her to a point of destroying my brother''s marriage. Leslie fell sick a few weeks after that day, we found out about the bullying at school, you are the one to blame."


    Ashley bit her bottom lip in a fashion that was very similar to that of her daughter.


    Phoebe walked around Clarisse and said, "We are losing precious time, I am going in alone, the rest of you can stay here."


    She knew that it would be difficult for the Howard''s to allow Ashley anywhere near Leslie and she was worried about the push and pull that would follow.


    "Wait." Clarisse followed Phoebe. "You are that shaman aren''t you? I saw your pictures, what are you doing here?"


    Phoebe did not answer, she just increased her speed, passing by the servants of the Howard house that were peeking upstairs curiously.


    She took two stairs at a time and arrived on the third floor of the house, going directly to the room where the screams were coming from. It was Leslie''s bedroom. Phoebe smelled the horrible stench of rotting blood before stepping inside. She turned the doorknob and walked in, there was a girl on the bed, a pail of dark blood was next to the bed.


    Phoebe wasted no moment, she approached the bed.


    "Hold the others back." she instructed the ghosts.


    The Saxon spirit waved a hand, sealing the mouth of every human in the bedroom other than Phoebe. There were three people, Leslie''s parents and a priest.


    Phoebe did not look at them, she reached into her bag for a potion to restore vitality, opened Leslie''s mouth and slowly fed it to her, emptying the entire bottle. That was not all, she got a sun shaped pendant which was a vitality talisman meant to restore her life force and put it around her neck.


    Leslie Howard opened her eyes and sat up with a gasp, she turned over and vomited into the pail. As soon as she raised her head, Phoebe slapped a truth telling talisman onto her back.


    "Give me the name of the person that gave you the talisman of shadows."


    "Sabrina Spellcaster." Leslie answered.


    Phoebe turned on her right foot, her job was done. The Saxon spirit waved it''s hand and returned the vocal abilities of the Howard''s and the priest.


    "Sorry, I had to be quick or there would be a disaster, anyway....err...bye." She waved at them awkwardly and quickly started to exit the room.


    "Wait." the priest called out.


    Phoebe did not wait, she increased her speed, running all the way to the car, she did not want to deal with the Miller/Howard drama. While it was fun to speak on the gossip on the lane, she preferred not to be a participant in the drama, she had her own.


    David had broken into a run after her, he entered the car at the same time as Andre.


    "Grandma has said that she is going to explain everything to the Howard''s."


    "Explain what! she just wants to enjoy the drama." Connie snickered.


    They all looked back at the Miller house, indeed grandma Mayfair had not followed them out. Phoebe was unsure what her grandmother intended to explain, was it the actions of Leslie? If it came from the mouth of the Miller''s the Howard''s would definitely not accept the truth, they would accuse the Miller''s of slandering Leslie on top of Ashley''s actions.


    "Take me home David." She said.


    David started the car and Andre''s driver followed them, they were heading to the Mayfair home. Andre saw this as a good opportunity to ask Phoebe about what had transpired upstairs.


    "Nothing much, I just used a vitality talisman and a potion to restore a little bit of her vitality. It will take her three months to make a full recovery." She looked back at the house. "I forgot to tell them that, she needs to wear the talisman for three months at least, longer if she wishes to."


    "I will tell nana to relay the message." Andre said.


    "Does any of you know a Sabrina Spellcaster?"


    Andre and David both groaned and Phoebe looked from her brother to her boyfriend, wondering what the big deal was.


    "You never met her when we were married?" David asked.


    "Wait, what? What marriage?" Andre leaned forward, occupying the space between Phoebe and David who were sitting in front.


    Phoebe looked at David with wide eyes.


    [2 baby toes, do you want everyone to know about our past?]


    "What marriage?" Andre asked again.


    "Not marriage, relationship." David lied with ease. "In my head, Phoebe and I have lived many lives in which we were married."


    Andre snorted, he did not buy it, the two were sharing furtive glances as if they had a secret. He looked above Phoebe''s head, sadly there were no subtitles, they had been getting less and less lately. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Sabrina Spellcaster is the teenage daughter of Rosario Spellcaster and a nightmare, I cannot tell you how many times that brat has caused trouble on the lane." Andre groaned, expressing just how much he couldn''t stand the girl.


    "She burned down my car because I would not sign an autograph for her, she broke into our house and rifled through our garbage looking for things that I had touched or used so that she could curse me."


    David giggled. "She poured soda all over him at the last sunflower ball."


    "She stole a dog from the Saxon tower, one of their imported exotic ones and shaved all of its fur." Andre said and once more, he groaned.


    "She dyed Brinna Cook''s hair green using permanent hair dye." David giggled even more, recalling the scene.


    It had also happened right before Brinna''s wedding, the poor bride had to cut her hair and wear a wig.


    "She released piglets that were painted on side of their bellies with names of everyone on the founding council at the last founding council meeting." Andre groaned.


    "She sounds like a nightmare." Phoebe responded.


    "I think I like her." Connie said.


    "Why don''t I know her?" Phoebe asked.


    "Just be glad you don''t she holds grudges, you don''t want to be on her bad side." Andre shook his body as if a chill had passed through him.

 Chapter 319 Double date.

    "Listen to me Pheebs, if you meet Sabrina, turn around and go back home." Andre advised. "Why are you asking about the terror of founding lane anyway?"


    "She gave Leslie Howard the shadow talisman." Phoebe told them.


    Andre groaned and this time, Phoebe rolled her eyes, her brother was simply exaggerating. "As someone that has been on the receiving end of such treatment, I cannot do something like that."


    How many people in her apartment building turned and walked the opposite way when they saw her coming? How many had called her names like demon, black cloud, witch, crazy and so on.


    "Who treated you like that? Name them, I will go and beat..."


    "What have we just learned about beating up people?" Phoebe interrupted him.


    Andre folded his arms across his chest and pursed his lips, he was like a child that had just been scolded by his mother.


    "That it sometimes has consequences." David replied, like a good boy.


    Phoebe rubbed the back of his head with a smile. "Good boy David."


    "Teacher''s pet." Andre whispered.


    Phoebe handed him a candy, "Stop sulking, tell me more about the Spellcaster''s, I want to know if there is anything different or special about them."


    "Do you even have to ask, for starters their family name is Spellcaster, duh!" Connie very loudly reminded everyone. "It''s literally there, spell and cast. I bet they are a family of witches and warlocks, oooh wizards." She gasped. "Dark wizards."


    "Okay, you need to do more studying, I will look into the Spellcaster''s." The Saxon spirit took Connie into the space.


    Andre used the rest of the time during the ride to fill Phoebe in on Sabrina Spellcaster''s mischief, all it did was make her want to meet the girl all the more.


    When they finally arrived at her family home, she went directly to her bedroom and fell asleep, she had a double date planned for the evening, it was finally time for her to meet grandpa Saxon.


    ****


    In her bedroom as Phoebe contemplated on what to wear for the double date, Oman knocked on her door.


    "Miss Phoebe, your father is requesting your presence in his study, he has some things that he would like to talk to you about before you leave." S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Okay Oman, tell him that I will be there." Pheobe shouted back a response.


    She settled for a short lilac sequin dress that was the opposite of what Maria had suggested she wear, a long evening gown.


    Maria dropped the black long dress that she was holding on the bed.


    "It is not my place but I still have to give you my opinion Miss Pheebs, you are about to meet your in-laws and the first impression matters the most. That dress you have chosen is too short, the Saxon''s are keen on such things." She pointed at it as Phoebe slid it onto her body.


    "See! Knee length it''s perfect. Maria we are not in the 1600''s were women were judged by what they wore, you need to loosen up a little." Phoebe''s eyebrows danced playfully. "Besides, they are not my in-laws."


    She was not David''s wife, or married to any other adult male of the Saxon clan.


    A sigh of defeat echoed through the room. "I hope old man Saxon loves you as much as his wife does." Maria raised her hands half way up, with her eyes to the ceiling, she prayed to the heavens.


    She cared about the success of the dinner even more than Phoebe because she wanted Phoebe to have only the best in life and on founding lane, when it came to men, a Saxon was prime catch.


    Phoebe had no idea what Maria was thinking, she applied lipstick, smacked her lips loudly and picked up her heels.


    "Maria help me clean up, I''ll go see dad as I wait for David to pick me up." Phoebe shut the door behind her.


    She made her way straight to the study, knocked once and went in. Her father was in his chair, rocking back and forth, reading the day''s paper. He lowered it upon seeing her, a smile replaced the frown on her face.


    "You look beautiful my child." Edward complimented her, he quickly raised to his feet and kissed her cheek.


    "Thank you father, Oman said you wanted to see me?" She lowered her body to sit in the chair opposite his.


    Edward rubbed his right brow as he pondered on how to broach what he considered to be a sensitive subject. His mother had called him earlier in the day and shared with him the troubling news that Phoebe was unhappy because he had not said anything about the petition.


    He wanted to explain it all in person and eradicate any misunderstandings she had.


    "Pheebs," he said after a short measured sigh, "I am truly sorry about this whole petition thing and I hope that you do not resent me for it."


    Multiple frown lines formed on his forehead head, he worried about what Phoebe thought of him. What if she hated him now? What if he lost the bond they had created? Questions like these kept popping in his mind.


    [Oh papa how can I ever resent you?]


    Phoebe smiled warmly at him, she could see that his eyes were coated with worry. "Dad, I know that you were put in a difficult position because of this issue, nana already explained everything to me. Ease your mind, you duty to the council has to come first, you swore an oath to secrecy and if there is anything I understand, its the importance of an oath." She moved to embrace him.


    Edward''s eyes brightened immediately. "No worries, I am hunting for the best land in the city just in case...."


    "It won''t come to that father" Phoebe interrupted, she wasn''t going to allow land that she had already planted her crops on to be taken from her easily, if Dorothy was looking for a fight, then that''s what she was going to get.


    Edward stared at her quizzically, waiting for an explanation but it never came not even through her thoughts.


    There was a knock on the door and Oman informed them that David was waiting down stairs.


    "You guys have gotten so serious lately, I heard that you are meeting old man Rufus, he is not a terrible person but he is very observant. If you are considering a future with David then he is the one to look out for." Edward tapped her shoulders and wished her luck.


    Phoebe nodded once. "Thanks for the tip dad, love you." She kissed him on the cheek and left the study.


    Without wasting time, both her and David left thanking the heavens that Jennie wasn''t around to ask dozens of questions.


    "Nervous?" David when she settled in the car.


    She shook her head, "Excited, actually."


    She put a hand on his shoulder and left it to rest there, stealing some energy to replace all that she had lost while handling cases during the day.


    They drove to Papa Jang''s restaurant, it wasn''t what Phoebe was expecting at all. She expected the Saxons to opt for a fancy place but no they had gone for simplicity.


    Papa Jang''s was located in the heart of Citrus near a large mall but it was in a hidden corner and only noticed by those who were looking out for it specifically.


    On entering she realized by the delicious aroma that was wafting in the air that she had discovered a treasure chest. The food smelled amazing, her stomach even let out an embarrassing growl.


    "Phoebe, David!" Grandma Saxon smiled as they approached the table.


    Phoebe sighed softly, it was never a good thing to arrive after the elders.


    [I really wanted to make a good first impression but we are late, strike one for Pheebs.]

 Chapter 320 Meeting Rufus Saxon.

    Rufus Saxon was a man that had some experience in the supernatural world, there many things he had seen and much he had read about or heard of. Phoebe Saxon''s peculiarity was not one of those things.


    He had never seen the inner thoughts of someone show up on their foreheads their head like movie subtitles, or news headlines perhaps, he could not decide which it was.


    His eyes grew so wide that his whites showed, he blinked rapidly trying to process what he had just seen. His wife, Prudence had told him that Phoebe was a special girl, but she had not explained the basis upon which the judgement was made.


    He had assumed that she was kind, well mannered, educated, had integrity and such other values but his mind was quickly changing, Prudence, his wife obviously had a different meaning for special. This was probably what she meant, the kind of unexplainable special which was used with air quotes.


    Honestly, he was a little bit excited, he wanted to clap his hands and ask her to do it again, but if he did, how would he know what she was thinking?


    His eyes shrunk back to their normal size as they shifted from Phoebe to his wife and his eyebrows moved up.


    "Sorry we are late there was a situation that we had to deal with." David spoke as he pulled out a chair for Phoebe to sit.


    "Yes, we are sorry for the tardiness, it wasn''t intentional at all. I am glad to see that you are healthy and hearty elder Saxon, I have been looking forward to meeting you so much." Phoebe added, the warm smile that had grown on her lips remained there.


    [Wow! did my tonics do this, I practically resurrected him, I think that I should increase the price, he looks closer to seventy than eighty..or is it ninety? Hmm, I can''t tell. But, even at his age, you can see that he was handsome in his prime years. His eyes are not as fierce as they look in that picture of him at a hunting cabin.]


    There it is again, grandpa Saxon stared for a while at Phoebe, wondering what triggered the exposure of her inner thoughts. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Now that he is back, maybe he can nip Katherine''s theft in the bud before the Saxon group is hit with a lawsuit.]


    Grandpa Saxon blinked, where was he back from? Also, what had Katherine stolen?


    "Ahem!" grandma Saxon cleared her throat and pinched her husband''s thigh, breaking him out of the daze he was under.


    He smiled gently at Phoebe. "Oh no dear, you cannot call me that when you are going to marry my grandson in future! Call me Grandpa or gramps or one one those fancy names you young people use these days."


    He was very welcoming, something Phoebe never expected. She never got to meet him in the past life but she heard people describe him to be an uptight and reticent person. Something felt off to Phoebe, the call me gramps part, she had never once in all the years she spent in the Saxon tower had one person refer to him as gramps when they talked about him.


    [Did my tonics alter his stern personality, I did not fry his brain, did I? Wait, have I made him fun? Why does he think that I am marrying David, do they want to kidnap me the way Collin kidnapped Shanna?]


    Grandpa Saxon chuckled softly, he found Phoebe both adorable and ridiculous in her thinking.


    "Pheebs?" David placed his hand on top of hers and squeezed her hand a little, his move brought her back to the real world.


    "I am sorry am I wrong? David''s mother told me that you two are getting married anytime soon." Grandpa Saxon''s quizzical eyes studied both of them.


    "Gramps we are only just started seeing each other....." David began to speak but was suddenly interrupted by his grandmother.


    "But they are so compatible and we believe that their relationship is heading in that direction, right my dear?" Grandma Saxon winked at Phoebe, she made other signals to deter her from saying otherwise.


    "If everything goes well then I do not see why not." Phoebe lied blatantly as she raised a glass of water to her lips. She decided to play along because Grandpa Saxon had just recovered from long term illness, any unpleasant news might affect him in an unknown way.


    David on the other hand went dead silent, Phoebe had already mentioned that marriage in this life wasn''t part of her plans, he knew she was saying this for his grandfather''s health.


    "Prudence here tells me that we should give you time to get to know each other but you can still do that while married." Grandpa Saxon coughed and sipped on some water. "I will wait but not too long, soon I will have to meet with the elders in the Mayfair family to discuss this properly."


    David almost chocked on a salad, his response got Grandpa Saxon suspicious. "You better not play with this girl David, I was very disappointed when you broke off your engagement with Moria, that poor girl had to leave the country because of the solo decision that you made. The Mortomers who were once our good friends now turned into enemies!" Grandpa Saxon hissed through pursed lips.


    He had heard about a lot of things that had occurred when he was bedridden, among which was the fact that David had become a playboy, that would never have happened if he was healthy and well. Now that he was back, David was to settle down whether he wanted to or not.


    "Gramps Phoebe is the only woman for me, marriage or not. As for Moria, she was not the right woman for me, she went around using the Saxon name to bully others. I do not regret breaking off that engagement which I never agreed to by the way and I am glad that circus ended." David''s eyes met those of his grandfather with familiar stubbornness.


    Grandpa Rufus reached in his pocket and pulled out a small box. "Phoebe....Pheebs is it?" He asked as he placed it on the table on her end. "I cannot thank you enough for those tonics and herbs, they are something else. Are you sure that you do not want to join the Saxon group? Was the offer too small, I can increase it." His hopeful eyes stared at her.


    Phoebe''s eyes brightened when she opened the box, inside was a set of pink diamond studs.


    [Oh my! These are gorgeous]


    She thanked him for the gift. "Grandpa the recipes to my tonics are not something that can be bottled and produced easily in a factory somewhere. Moreover, they are an inheritance for my children, as for working for the Saxon group I will decline again."


    Her answer only made him laugh. "But my dear, those children will be Saxons, you are only delaying the inevitable in my opinion. I don''t understand your thinking but I will not pressure you, I am just grateful for your help, this is a small gift from me to you.


    I intend to send more and I hope that you do not reject them. If I count Valerie, you have saved two Saxon''s so far so you deserve this and more."

 Chapter 321 Rufuss relationship with the founding sect.

    [Even if the children will be Saxons, those recipes are never going to be owned by the Saxon group, the waters there are too deep and the people too greedy. In fact, only the child that follows my path should inherit them.]


    The Saxon spirit had told her that there was ninety percent possibility of one of her children being a shaman as well, it was a natural gift from her Mayfair side of the family. Why this gift never presented itself in her last life, she had no idea.


    Phoebe casually raised a forkful of spaghetti to her lips as the thought about never handing over her recipes to the Saxon group planted itself on her forehead for all the Saxon''s at the table to see.


    No amount of money could tempt Phoebe to join Saxon group, she was already part owner of D. P holdings and they had research labs too. If she decided to mass produce some of the recipes that''s where she intended to go. Even their children would decide for themselves between D.P and the Saxon group. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Grandpa Saxon cleared his throat although it wasn''t itching at all.


    "Tell me, why did you choose to become a shaman? It is a job that most people consider to be....." He searched his head for the right words but Phoebe beat him to it.


    "Uncouth?" She spoke with indifference, she had been called a lot of distasteful names and she was used to it now. She was not ashamed of her job, it fed her, clothed her and satisfied her soul.


    The best part of it all was that she worked part time, deciding her own hours and which cases to take on. She was living a much better life than she had when she was working in the Saxon group.


    Rufus pulled his brows together in a frown. "That is a very ignorant thing to say, only people that have not seen the evils in this world can come to that conclusion. I hope such words do not discourage you from helping and healing people." He raised his fists to cheer her on.


    Grandma Saxon chortled, she gently adjusted the napkin before her. "Our Pheebs is stronger than you think Rufus, she may be young but she is a force to reckon with. She fights ghosts and the like...."


    "No grandma, Phoebe protects them and helps them move on to the other side. She only fights with the evil ones that are hurting humans or other ghosts." David corrected, there was pride in his eyes but quickly it transitioned to a mix of fear and worry.


    "Then what are you worried about son?" Rufus asked David who let out a pronounced sigh.


    From the moment the Saxon spirit had told them about the enemy Phoebe was bound to face, David''s worries had grown. What if that enemy appeared and Phoebe was not prepared enough? What ties did he have with Ruth who was their arch enemy?


    Who the hell was Ravana, he had watched dash cam footage of the fight between his men and the demon and he finally found what he and Phoebe had forgotten. He had shared it with her on their way to this dinner double date. Another deep sigh came from his lips.


    "Lately Phoebe''s job has become very dangerous, we encountered a demon some days ago." He wiped a hand over his face.


    "A demon!" Grandma Saxon''s loud raised voice surprised everyone in the restaurant, they shot uncomfortable glances their way and she lowered her volume. "Demon," she whispered.


    Phoebe shot one icy look at David before rolling her eyes to the roof, why was his mouth loose? Had he forgotten how old his grandmother was? What if she fainted like her grandmother had done?


    More importantly, news of demons did not need to hit the founding lane gossip mill, the rumors of witches and warlocks were enough to make everyone uncomfortable and uneasy.


    "David you cannot go around scaring people with such revelations! What if you shock grandpa back into his previous condition?" she pinched his arm.


    He winced and pulled his arm away.


    Grandpa Saxon dismissed her words with his hands. "I am not shocked...."


    His words raised eyebrows because it seemed like he was but he was saying the opposite.


    "What I mean is that I am not that shocked by David mentioning demons, I am more surprised that they are back." He wheezed lightly as if he was having an asthma attack.


    His restless breathing worried them, especially his wife who touched his back.


    "Rufus are you alright? You seem a little pale dear. Maybe we should go home." She pushed back her chair but grandpa Saxon shook his head vehemently.


    "I am fine woman! Stop treating me like a baby, if I was feeling unwell I would let you know, so do not spend every second worrying about me. I am happy to be on two feet and capable of chewing my own food after many years of being bedridden. I would not risk the second chance at life that has not come so easily by pushing myself beyond what my body is capable of."


    Rufus shifted his eyes from his wife to David and Phoebe.


    "You two tell me everything about this demon encounter and leave nothing out." He commanded.


    The Saxon spirit nodded at Phoebe. "Tell him everything, if anyone can help in this fight it''s Rufus."


    Phoebe cleared her hoarse throat and told the story, leaving nothing out. When she was done, grandpa Mayfair wiped beads of sweat from his forehead. Phoebe could clearly see the horror in his eyes, she wanted to ask him why he seemed terrified but she held back.


    "So you are sure that the founding sect took this boy?" Grandpa Saxon narrowed his eyes.


    David nodded. "Yes grandpa, Amon Drusus a friend of ours called them. We saw everything, he said that he took him to some place where the boy would be safe."


    Grandpa Saxon nodded. "The Moldove founding Academy."


    "The what?" Came Phoebe''s question that remained unanswered.


    "Why has that fool Morrell not sent word about demons returning to Fog country? He forgets that I am the real man in charge of all the sects." Grandpa Saxon spoke through pursed lips.


    "Grandpa why are you rattled up? What is it?" David asked, frustrated that his grandfather seemed to be keeping important information to himself.


    "The demon you encountered was a small one, Ravanna''s minions. If they are appearing, it''s because she is coming back or at least she is trying to."

 Chapter 322 More information on Ravana

    Ravana, this was the same name the demon inside Humphrey had mentioned before Amon sealed it. She had been planning to have a conversation with the Saxon spirit at night about this Ravana character.


    The demon had said Ravana was coming back and Zephyra could not stop it, Zephyra was the name of the Saxon spirit, this was something Phoebe had heard from Connie but she did not make it a big deal, it was just a name anyway.


    But now that there was a connection between Zephyra and Ravana, Phoebe was even more intrigued to know more about the past. Elder Rufus was a more likely candidate to pry information out of than the Saxon spirit.


    Phoebe dug a small spoon into the hand sized slice of cheesecake sitting on a white plate. "Grandpa you said those demons are Ravana''s minions, does that mean that something is sending demons to roam around in the human world?" Her eyes were laced with curiosity, she could not wait to hear more.


    Everything sounded like a scene straight out of a fantasy movie.


    Grandpa Saxon sighed exasperatedly. "Ravana is a queen demon, she can be considered a mother to a selected group of demons. She is the true definition of evil with ultimate power, to take her on, you need at least twelve strong witches or supernatural guardians, the best of the best.


    Very few people in this day and age even know about her, but if demons are going around spreading the news of her return then something must be in the works." He sighed again. "I guess Fog country will have another war just like back then, who knew that I would encounter something like this in my lifetime?"


    The Saxon spirit waved it''s hand such that it''s voice was audible to all.


    "It is not possible for Ravana to return unless there are humans helping her." Came it''s voice that startled those that had never heard the voice before.


    Grandma Saxon jumped back in her chair. "Who said that?" She swallowed deeply. Rufus did not even quake, he just put a spoonful of cheese cake in his mouth as if nothing abnormal had happened.


    "An ancient spirit that has been around for a long time." Phoebe answered, she signaled grandma Saxon to calm down as there was nothing to worry about.


    Elder Rufus looked at the empty space next to Phoebe where the voice had come from. An ancient spirit! he wondered exactly how ancient Phoebe was talking, was it hundreds of years or thousands? Now was not the time to ask such questions however, he figured that he could get some answers out of this ancient spirit while the opportunity was still present.


    "What the ancient spirit has said makes sense but it is also troubling. Information on Ravana is hidden deeply, nobody in the generation of your parents or yours should know about her. Even those that sit on the founding council are not privy to this information unless they are on the board of the Moldove founding Academy." Grandpa Saxon explained.


    Phoebe wanted to know about this academy but she was more puzzled by humans that would be stupid enough to help a demon.


    "After a while in this job I have to state that some humans and sense are parallel to each other." She leaned back in the chair.


    David nodded. "I agree! Nobody in there right minds would want to help a demon that would bring so much havoc not just in Fog country but on earth. I just don''t get it, what would they get out of this." He clenched his fingers.


    "Money, power, youth..." grandma Saxon contributed her opinion to the conversation.


    "Faith." elder Rufus said, "My children one of the most delicate things in this world is called faith, once it sticks one cannot easily break away from it. The humans helping this monstrous demon have been hoodwinked into believing that she will change the world for the better. According to the knowledge passed down back then, this was the case, as for these new followers we have to do some research to understand their motives but I doubt that it is any different." Grandpa Saxon sighed heavily.


    "Yes perhaps the founding sect has more information on this. If Ravana has believers, they must have formed some sort of religion or cult, the sect collects such information." David rubbed his chin.


    The Saxon spirit clicked its tongue. "Still humans are safe as long as Ravana''s believers do not have the mystic keys."


    Mystic keys? Phoebe arched an eyebrow. "How do you know that they don''t? And what are these keys?" She asked. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Grandpa Saxon tilted his head, weighing Phoebe''s words. "The war to seal Ravana was fought by our ancestors and it was how they came to be the founding families of Fog country. After they won the war and Ravana was sealed away in a hidden location the keys that were used as seals to lock up could not be put together in one place for safety reasons.


    It is said that these keys were distributed by Pius, the leader that led those that fought in that war. He gave them to those that could be trusted to take the secret of Ravana''s true location to their graves. These people and Pius took their own lives after hiding the keys, they died without revealing to whom they had given them or where they had hidden them."


    "Woah!" David exclaimed, it all sounded so mysterious and tragic at the same time. Who knew that the true history of the founding families contained erased interesting stories like this.


    "So these keys are the ones that unlock the place where Ravana is?" Phoebe asked.


    Grandpa Saxon nodded. "From the books magically stowed away at the Moldove founding Academy in the secret library, the keys unlock a special chest. Inside that chest is a living spell that was used to lock up Ravana. If her minions get their hands on it, they can reverse it and use it to summon her as long as they find her location."


    "Why didn''t they just burn the the spell after locking her up? I mean then her minions would not be able to have access to it if the people who knew about it died with all of their secrets ." David spoke in a lightly frustrated voice. To him it was stupid to keep the spell.


    A bitter laugh came from the spirit. " I wish it was that simple, they tried to kill Ravana but failed and in the end they could only seal her. Many shamans and witches participated in that battle lost their lives in vain. The spell was left behind just in case Ravana ever escaped, so that she could be sealed away if killing her failed again." It''s eyes met those of Phoebe before it quickly pulled away.


    Immediately she knew, there was something it wasn''t revealing as usual.


    "Yes the books say the same thing, let''s just hope that the keys are still hidden. But if these demons are starting to resurface then it means at least one key or more has been found. It also means that we need to seriously prepare for a supernatural war." Grandpa Saxon expelled air out of his nostrils.


    "My God Rufus you are scaring us!" Grandma Saxon placed a hand to her chest.


    "You should be my dear, from the things that I have read, dealing with Ravana is a matter of life and death. I hope that I am wrong and over thinking this." He responded.


    Phoebe leaned forward. "Grandpa can I have access to these books?"

 Chapter 323 Guardians of the supernatural.

    Phoebe''s question hovered in the air, not quite heavy to her because she didn''t think that it was a big deal, they were just books at the end of the day and already, grandpa Saxon had revealed more information than she expected.


    Grandpa Saxon looked at the plate in front of him which had only half a cheese cake slice left. He wished he could just avoid the question altogether because Phoebe was bound to be disappointed by the answer but he did not want to let down her enthusiasm.


    David read his dilemma so he patted Phoebe''s hand, prompting her to look his way. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Pheebs those books cannot be accessed by just anyone you need to be pretty high up in the academy to get the opportunity to look at them. Besides, they are kept in the secret compartments in a secret library of the Moldove founding Academy and it requires special skills of magic to summon them." He tried to explain as best as he could but his words only got more questions lingering in her head.


    Why were there so many secrets? Secrets about Ravana, secrets about her location, secrets about the spell which was used to seal her away, a secret library and now a secret compartment. For a group of people that were living on founding lane which was the hub of gossip in the city, they sure knew how to keep their mouths shut when it was required.


    The Drusus family was an example, the general loved to indulge in gossip but he knew what not to share about the supernatural affiliated members of his family or secrets of the country.


    She cocked her head, her overly curious eyes staring at him.


    "Okay, let me put that aside for a minute. What about this Moldove school, what do you know of it? It''s been mentioned a couple of times tonight but you didn''t expand on it. What is it anyway and what does it teach?" Phoebe''s eyes shifted from David to grandpa Saxon.


    Grandma Saxon saw that the two men were hesitating, she couldn''t understand why. "Gentlemen have you forgotten that Phoebe here is a Mayfair, it''s her birth right to know about this Academy." She pulled her brows into a frown because they were still slightly hesitating.


    "Pheebs, it''s really not as easy as grandma says but yes to answer your question. I do know this school, it''s the place where Amon took Humphrey." David stopped speaking when be noticed that Phoebe was starting to curl her lips upwards.


    In her defense, it was because it had already been mentioned that night that Humphrey was taken there so there was no new information in his response.


    "David, you are just going round and round in circles, let''s pick a spot and stand on it..or is it in it? I don''t know, just pick something and expand on that instead of taking twists and turns just to end up in the same place."


    David scratched the back of his head and laughed lightly but nervously. It was not that he did not want to share what he knew, it was just that the circumstances were a bit more complicated than it looked.


    It was obvious to the elder Saxons that Phoebe had the upper hand in the relationship, clearly, if they got married she would be the boss.


    Grandpa Saxon decided to come to David''s help, he cleared his throat and took a sip of water first.


    "Listen my child, you cannot condemn David. He swore an oath to keep to himself what he knows about the Academy."


    [Aaaargh! here we go again, what''s with everyone and swearing oaths as if they are in a cult or coven? First my father, now David? Who else is under oath on the lane? At this rate even the cooks in my home are about to take oaths not to reveal their secret recipes. I think the founding lane gossip mill is doing a half-assed job.]


    Phoebe sneered inwardly as she complained in her mind but she remembered her manners and tucked away the complaints in her heart.


    [Thank God they cannot read my mind or the elders would think that I am crazy, pushy or ill mannered.]


    Three people at the table maintained their smiles while thinking, too late, you can''t hide anything.


    "I am sorry grandpa I didn''t mean to be pushy or rude especially in your presence but David and I share bigger secrets than this I believe so it hurt that he didn''t want to tell me about the academy." An apologetic smile grew on her lips.


    Grandpa Saxon let out a measured sigh. "If you are interested in knowing about this school then you have to be tested for eligibility and granted access to the school as a student. Not all children from founding families are eligible to attend this academy."


    [Student! school! Oh crap...I really don''t want to go to school again. One degree is enough for me in this lifetime, thank you.]


    Phoebe''s lips fell as she imagined herself back to school in a uniform attending classes all day. The thought that David seemed to be connected to the school crossed her mind, if he was studying there, she believed that she would know.


    "So I take it that David wasn''t eligible?"


    A chuckle slipped through David''s lips, he could tell what she was thinking even without reading her thoughts. "It''s not what you think Pheebs, actually it''s the other way round."


    "David was an exception, he passed the test at fifteen and he was offered admission but it was he that refused to join the academy, family obligations had to come first. If he had joined he would have become the youngest guardian of the supernatural wall.


    Back in my days it used to be compulsory to join an academy or a sect but the laws were changed because some people just didn''t want to join in the fight against the supernatural.


    Besides, most supernatural beings disappeared or were wiped out, all that were left were ghosts because they cannot be done away with so there was no need to have a huge army of guardians anymore."


    "Guardians of the supernatural wall." Phoebe repeated, it sounded so cool and she felt the urge to know more about them. "So if I am understanding this correctly, everyone born from the founding families lineage can become one if they want."


    Grandpa Saxon laughed lightly. "Not really my dear, there is a process through which children from the founding families undergo when they clock eighteen.


    It''s believed that at that age they are old enough to handle the knowledge on the reality of our world. However, not all these children are selected, it''s the power in the blood and magic in crystals that decide who is chosen or who isn''t.


    You need to have talent first, and talent is inborn, its in the blood, like you becoming a shaman, it was in your blood and something or someone awakened it. If you decide to become a guardian you will experience everything I am telling you right now.


    Grandma Saxon sneered. "Oh I highly doubt Edward will let that happen. He wants none of his children near all this supernatural fighting stuff."

 Chapter 324 Another invitation to the Saxon tower.

    "Mmm." Phoebe frowned because this was not something she had heard about.


    Her father had never insinuated anything of the like, in fact if anything he had been supportive towards her career as a shaman, going as far as assisting her in cooking tonics. Although, he had not stepped foot in the cafe since he helped out with the dead soldiers.


    Still, it could not be assumed from this that he didn''t want his children involved in the supernatural world, if that was the case he would have ordered Andre to stay away.


    Even though Phoebe was unwilling to be a student, she had this urge to visit the school. If she wanted to harness her power to face her enemy she believed that perhaps she could learn much faster from the Moldove founding Academy. She could be a part time student and as for being a guardian, it had to be optional, she doubted that anybody was forced to do it against their will.


    "Grandma you are wrong about that, my father is supportive of me helping ghosts. He has never complained about my chosen path." She assured the old woman.


    Grandma Saxon shook her head. "It''s not like he had a choice as regards to your profession since you were already grown when when he found you. How is he supposed to risk telling a grown young woman what to do when he is heavy laden with guilt for not raising you.


    He could end up shooting himself in the foot if you alienate yourself from him for this reason, besides you sit in your cafe and help good ghosts not run after evil supernatural things from one city to another. A guardians career involves a lot of travel all around the country and sometimes beyond the boundaries of Fog country.


    You don''t even know if you will make it home safe when you go out for a mission, a few guardians have died out there and their bodies were never found. Can you imagine the pain their family members suffer when they are notified out of the blue that their loved one is gone, no cause of death is given and at times there is no body to bury."


    She sighed as she recalled the tears her good friend Rebecca had shed after Cillian''s death. It was like a bullet had been fired directly into her heart out of nowhere.


    "Pru here is very right, all your brothers were selected by the crystals to become guardians but your father refused. He accepted to join the founding council under the condition that no other Mayfair was involved with it especially that academy. So, it will be difficult for you to convince him especially after what happened to his father, your grandfather Cillian." Grandpa Saxon''s eyes took on a mysterious look.


    Just like his wife, he was recalling that very incident, Cillian''s abrupt death.


    "What happened to my grandfather?" Phoebe arched an eyebrow, her eyes laced with anticipation.


    Her grandmother had out rightly refused to talk about his death and she had no plans to force her to open up the wounds. If she could get the story from another party however, there was no harm done. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Grandpa Saxon swallowed deeply. "That''s not my story to tell, ask your father if you want to know more but I doubt that you will get the truth out of him. Cillian''s death to the Mayfair''s is like a coffin that was sealed tight with nails and buried beneath ten layers of concrete."


    Phoebe''s eyes shifted to David who shrugged, he knew nothing of what his grandfather spoke of. "I heard he died in an accident."


    On hearing David''s words, grandpa Saxon forced his lips into a thin line as if to stop himself from blabbing something. His reaction was all Phoebe needed to know that there was more to the story than a simple accident especially as he had all those magic artifacts hidden away.


    [Ha! Even if you do not tell me, I will surely find out what happened to my grandpa using magic, I can even summon him from the other side and speak to him.]


    Grandpa Saxon shifted in his seat. "How is that possible?"


    His index finger pointed at Phoebe''s head. David and his grandmother stared at him and immediately realized what was happening to him. The three Saxon''s traded gazes on realizing that they could all see Phoebe''s thoughts.


    "What do you mean grandpa, what is possible or impossible?" Phoebe turned her head to see if something had happened behind her, she saw nothing which confused her.


    It was in that moment that David realized that reading Phoebe''s thoughts was a gift as much as it was a curse. He thought that only he could read her thoughts but if other people could too then it would put her in danger or make her vulnerable especially before her enemies.


    "Uhm nothing my child, I am still wondering about a lot of things that I have learnt tonight. I want to implore you that if you encounter any other strange things like demons or gremlins, creatures of the night and stuff like that. Do not hesitate to inform me immediately. It''s clear that Morrel has been very incompetent at his post, I feel strong enough now to take back my position as headmaster of the academy and sects."


    Phoebe''s mouth formed an ''o'' shape, David''s grandfather was the original headmaster of the academy and sects, why was she just hearing about this?


    [How many secrets are there about the Saxons that I don''t know about?]


    She nodded meanwhile, "Yes gramps, I will be on the look out but in return I want to visit this academy and also those books." Her eyes pleaded with him.


    He still rejected her, shaking his head slowly. "Even if you are an adult that can make her own decisions, I do not want to make an enemy of Edward so please talk to him first." Grandpa Saxon pressed a button to push back his electric wheel chair. "Thank you for having a meal with me my dear, it''s strange that I feel a special connection to you already. I want you to visit the Saxon tower and please do not say no. I have a good reason as to why I am asking this."


    He was obviously in a hurry to end the dinner and Phoebe''s pleading gaze and requests to visit the academy.


    "Do not say no to him, it''s time you overcame the past." The spirit encouraged her, there was more for Phoebe to discover that was hidden at the Saxon tower.


    "Yes gramps." she answered softly.


    Rufus nodded, he found himself liking Phoebe even more. Grandma Saxon got up as well, she hugged Phoebe and told her how excited she was for her to visit the tower.


    After the Saxon elders left, David drove Phoebe to the Cerene apartments. He had mentioned that he wanted to tell her something but he didn''t know how she would take it.


    "Okay spill it, what did you want to tell me about and be fast because I am exhausted." Phoebe kicked off her shoes and sank into the sofa.


    David''s finger''s toyed nervously with the edge of his jacket. He was scared about what he was about to say to her.


    "Pheebs I...I. " The words got stuck in his throat. Suddenly he heard a light snoring sound, Phoebe had already fallen asleep in a way that was not natural at all.

 Chapter 325 An orphanage in the works.

    David checked her pulse; it was okay, and she was breathing just fine. Since she had no live in maid at her apartment, he carried her into the bedroom and called for Connie or the ancestor spirit to help change her into her nightdress.


    There was no response, so he took it upon himself, he wiped her body with a warm towel, changed her into a nightdress and put her in bed.


    He went to his apartment and picked up some clothes then returned to her place, took a shower and laid down next to her in the bed. David did this because he was worried about her, she had fallen asleep in a very abrupt manner so he wanted to watch over her.


    Before closing his eyes, he made a call to Roxanne and asked her to dig up anything she could find on Cillian Mayfair''s death.


    ****************


    In the morning, when she opened her eyes, Phoebe was surprised to find herself in bed and in a nightdress. The pillow next to hers smelled like David, as did the empty place which showed signs of having been slept in.


    "David." she called out.


    There was no response, he was gone but out of familiarity from the past, she looked at the bedside table lamps and saw a sticky note.


    [I was in your bed last night, you clung to me like an octopus and drooled on my chest. Call me when you wake up. Love you shortie..fat kiss.]


    She smiled, folded the note and kept it away safely in a drawer just as she used to do in their past life. He used to leave sticky notes for her beside the bed, on the bathroom mirror, closet doors, jewelry table and other places in their bedroom.


    In the past they used to be more formal, in this life, they were more playful.


    She sighed, fell back in bed and thought about her itinerary for the rest of the week. Tomorrow was the day she was to appear before the council but Phoebe had no feelings about the trial. She was neither worried nor excited, she just hoped that nothing went wrong.


    Phoebe lifted the bed covers off her body and stepped out of bed quickly, took a shower and dressed up. She then walked to the kitchen as she browsed through her phone.


    She wasn''t surprised to find that once again, she had graced the internet, people were talking about Dickson Saxon visiting her cafe.


    "Pheobe Mayfair is entangled with two Saxon men. Click to find out more."


    She sighed and rolled her eyes to the ceiling as she pressed the power button on the phone, turning it off.


    "Have you seen the blogs?" Came David''s voice that nearly startled her, he was sitting at her dining table, having breakfast.


    [I thought he left.] she thought.


    "Dickson must be behind all this gossip about you and him. He even took an interview with a popular celebrity buzz reporter in which he was asked if he was interested in you and in response he said no comment, Ha! no comment is always a comment, it leaves people guessing." David squeezed the bread in his hand until it almost returned to dough form.


    "That poor bread, if it had life it would be gone." Phoebe chuckled as she joined him, totally unbothered by the gossip of Dickson''s schemes.


    There was a knock on the door and Sylvester like a good helper, moved over and opened it. Evelyn came rushing inside like an unexpected tornado, if Sylvester was not a ghost, she would have sent him flying into a wall or hitting the ground.


    "Have you seen it? Pheebs, its everywhere! That little dick is out there on a mission to destroy your relationship." Evelyn flashed her phone such that David and Phoebe could see the contents.


    Phoebe only raised and lowered her brows. "Breakfast Evie? Maybe some iced coffee will calm your nerves." She ordered Sylvester to make Evie a cup.


    "Dickson is honestly not a problem that''s bothering me at the moment. I am going to deal with him in a way that he will regret ever crossing paths with me."


    David nodded. "You are very wise Phoebe, Dickson reached out to Morgan. We are drafting a plan to take D.C pharma away from him." A bitter smile returned to his lips as he lifted the coffee cup to his lips, he still didn''t want Dickson and Phoebe being lumped in the same sentence together.


    "D.C pharma belongs to Dickson? That''s news to me. According to the Economic digest magazine it belongs to an Asian national, Mr. Khan something." Evelyn had a faraway look in her eye as she tried to recall, she dismissed the thought. "Anyway how are you holding up Pheebs? I heard that your land is being taken from you?" Evelyn asked as she gobbled on the baked egg toast like she hadn''t eaten in a long time.


    David snapped a finger. "About that, grandpa said that he will be in attendance to see those that will try to vote against you, his presence will surely help things."


    A loud sigh came out of Evelyn''s mouth. "It must be nice having connections to the most powerful Saxon. Anyway, I have to go now, I will go greet granny at the cafe first I am certain that she has some not so lovely things to say about little dick." She took one last sip of the coffee before rushing out of the door the same way she had come in, quickly.


    David chuckled. "I wonder where she''s rushing off too?"


    "To some boat cruise with her new boyfriend i believe, I think he is tennis player or badminton, I don''t know. It''s a little hard to keep up with Evie''s dating life." Phoebe laughed softly.


    David''s eyes lit up. "Oh by the way I wanted to tell you something."


    "Yeah sorry I slept off before you told me last night, what is it that you wanted to say." Phoebe asked, her question however caused him to sniffle and rub his nose.


    "Well, it''s about the younger Whitlock daughter, the grandmother cannot take care of her and other relatives refused to take her in because of the crimes the parents committed. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I knew you would not rest until she ended up someplace nice so I set up an orphanage where such disadvantaged children can stay. Hobbi has worked hard to set the whole thing up and find kind people to look after the children, the girl, Arabella Whitlock moved in and says that she loves it there." David had a gleam in his eyes as he told her more about the orphanage.


    "I am going to have a big playground constructed, a school and a swimming pool. I think a clinic on the grounds is a good idea as well, I don''t want the kids to lack anything. When you have time, maybe you can pass by and tell me what else you think is needed."


    Phoebe''s heart was filled with joy to the brim, this man was always full of surprises. David was such a kind and loving person; he had done all this such that the little girl could have a place to call home.


    She got up, walked over to him and hugged him from behind, wrapping her hands around his waist.


    "Thank you, David, I will use the foundation resources to help the orphanage as much as I can. Together, we can help so many helpless children out there."

 Chapter 326 When a ghost cries.

    In the afternoon of that same day, Phoebe run into Collin Baltimore, on one hand she tensed up as soon as she saw him, worried that he would say something leaning in the direction of his interest in her.


    But, on the other hand, she wanted to talk to him about Connie''s affairs. Unfortunately, or fortunately, he was about to attend an important seminar, so he did not have time to speak to her.


    He showed excitement at her willingness to have a conversation with him and promised to visit the Cafe when he was free.


    "Are you seriously going to ask him about Connie?" The Saxon spirit watched Collin enter an awaiting Bentley.


    "Well, I won''t ask him directly, but I need to know why Connie reacts negatively each time she sees a Baltimore, especially Cassie. There is a connection there and we need to unravel it if Connie is ever to move on." Phoebe responded as she counted the last of the boxes of finished pendants and bracelets that Lorraine had sent over.


    The way Phoebe figured, she would not live forever and when she was dead, Connie would most likely be evicted from the space bracelet and return to the life of a wandering ghost. She did not want that to be the fate of the girl as she had come to care for her.


    "Perhaps we should ask Connie...." The spirit was interrupted by Connie who flew out of the magic space.


    "Ask me what?" The teenage ghost chewed and rolled gum on its finger. It''s overly suspicious eyes looked at Phoebe and the spirit.


    "Maybe later." Phoebe told the spirit inwardly before telling Connie to go back to the space and concentrate on the tasks that were given to her like harvesting herbs and making those magic bullets. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Once all the boxes had been transferred from the delivery truck to the cafe, Phoebe paid the delivery men and headed back inside.


    She settled in her office and took on the task of turning the pendants and bracelets into lucky charms and talismans. She did this task uninterrupted for three hours, it was a slow day on her end with no ghost clients.


    She took a break and attended to the few humans which took her only thirty minutes. Tired of being stuck in her office, she carried some bracelets to the counter and sat beside her grandmother.


    Old lady Mayfair was watching a ghost movie, a passion she had picked up after Phoebe came into her life. After hearing about demons, she planned to watch more supernatural related movies and educate herself as much as she could.


    Without looking away from her movie she said, "Mmm, Pheebs, come home tonight, Collin is bringing Shanna to the house for dinner because he wants to introduce her to the family officially."


    A smile played on her lips. "One brother down, two to go." She mumbled as she swung from side to side in the adjustable bar stool.


    "Add yourself to the list, I don''t think that your parents will be happy if their daughter doesn''t marry." The Saxon spirit that was sitting on the stool by the window reminded Phoebe.


    "In this life Zephyra, no one is going to pressurize me into marriage and that includes you and my parents." Phoebe clicked her tongue and moved the chair back to its original position.


    Phoebe stood up stretched and returned to her office, forgetting to take with her the bracelets that she had placed on the counter.


    Sylvester was the one that noticed and he brought them into her office before moving away to join a table of regular ghost customers that were playing cards.


    It was a group of four old men that treated the ghost cafe like a regular bar, and they always ordered for beers and wine when they came over. In them, Sylvester had found friendship.


    Phoebe meanwhile decided to read a novel, she figured she had worked hard all day, she had only read one page when someone knocked on the door and entered.


    "Phoebe I know that you have said that I shouldn''t accept any ghost client for the rest of the day but this one is so sad and he says he won''t ask for much, can I send him in?" Rossett asked, she pouted her lips making clearer her sad face.


    "Oh come on Rossett, there is nothing as simple as a ghost case and they are all sad." She sighed and put the novel down. "Send him in the least I can do is hear him out."


    Phoebe waved her hand and signaled Rossett to escort the ghost in. Her eyes were pinned to the open entrance leading into her office, she studied the ghost as it floated in, deep lines of sorrow etched on the face. It was a young man in his thirties, the moment he saw her he began to cry and apologize as if he had wronged her.


    "I am sorry, I truly am." The ghost sniveled and wiped mucus away from it''s nose with the back of its hand.


    "Here." Phoebe handed him a tissue, she had never seen so much ghost snot. "Start by telling me your name."


    The ghost blew its nose. "Xavier Waterhouse."


    Phoebe nodded. "Okay Xavier, what is troubling you? What are you sorry about?"


    "I committed suicide." He began.


    Phoebe exhaled loudly; suicide ghosts were never easy to convince to move on. Because of their selfish acts of suicide no matter the cause, the god of death punished them for taking a life even if it was their own.


    Furthermore, many of them regretted taking their lives after the act was done because they realized they had loved ones that were in pain, so the guilt kept them on earth. She assumed that he was there for one of the two reasons.


    "Listen Xavier, you must be scared about what is going to happen to you. But do not worry, whatever punishment the god of death gives you just accept it such that you can atone for the sin of taking a life, the punishment lasts only for a few years and then...."


    Xavier''s tears dried up. "I do not care about that!" He wiped his wet face with a tissue.


    Phoebe was puzzled. "Okay then what''s the problem here?"


    The tears that had stopped returned. "It''s my brother, he is currently protesting in front of the company that I used to work for because he believes that I was thrown off the building, but he is wrong I jumped. I was tired of this life; my girlfriend left me for a richer man, so I became depressed.


    My depression affected my work, so I was demoted even though I was doing my best, my house was taken by the bank because I failed to repay a loan and then I was diagnosed with second stage lung cancer.


    I am...was thirty five years old, still young but nothing in my life was going well for me. I believed that I would be better off in another world. I feel so guilty because my brother is blaming himself and the company foolishly. I need you to explain to him why I did what I did and tell him that I am sorry, but I had to go." He let out a weary sigh.


    Phoebe wiped a tear away from her face. "Okay Xavier, let''s go find your brother."

 Chapter 327 A lottery win that was late.

    It had been a while since Phoebe handled a case on her own without her grandmother, David, Shark, Andre or even Amon involving themselves.


    For Phoebe, being on her own with only her ghost companions for company like this felt like old times, before she became a Mayfair or David''s girlfriend.


    "We are here ma''am." Santos announced as he turned off the engine.


    Right, Phoebe recalled that she was not completely alone, she had another human companion that often went places with her, her bodyguard/driver on some occasions, Mr. Santos.


    She looked out of the window, searching for someone holding up a large signpost and chanting justice related slogans alone or with some supporters. Xavier had explained everything in detail, and she had been in a hurry to handle the case and close it so as not to give Xavier another reason to stick around.


    Ghosts of those that committed suicide easily became resentful and a resentful ghost could quickly become malicious which was not good for anyone.


    Phoebe looked at the piece of paper where she had jotted down the address. "This is it right? But I cannot see your brother." She poked her head out of the window.


    Everything appeared to be normal in front of the building. Xavier moved out to search for him, the other ghosts went with him to help out as well.


    The Saxon spirit returned first. "I found him, he is seated in a nearby park eating something." Prominent lines formed between its eyebrows.


    Phoebe stepped out of the car just when the other ghosts were returning. They all followed the Saxon spirit to the park where they found Xavier standing over his brother. He was eating a sandwich and crying unabashedly at the same time. He was clearly having a hard time swallowing and Phoebe''s soft heart went out to him.


    A deep sigh came from her. "Could this get any sadder?" She strolled to where the man sat.


    "Mr. Waterhouse?" Phoebe called his name.


    He looked up, looking at Phoebe through his clear blue eyes.


    "I am not leaving; you can go back and tell your superiors that." he said as he wiped away tears with the back of his hand.


    "I am Phoebe Mayfair a shaman, I do not work for the company, I was approached by your dead brother, he has a message for you, he wants you to stop torturing yourself. This wasn''t a murder, there was no foul play involved...."


    The man stood up and raised his hand to stop Phoebe from talking. "Of course it was! My brother would not have taken his life voluntarily, I am certain of it. They must have sent you here to mess with me, but I won''t fall for it. You say that you are a shaman, and you have spoken to my brother, prove it then! Let Xavi show his face." Tears sprouted out of his eyes and this time; he did not bother to wipe them away.


    Phoebe reached for the ghost seeing glasses in her bag and handed them to him.


    "Here wear these and you will be able to see him."


    Her words caused him to stare at her in disbelief, he chuckled sarcastically thinking that Phoebe was joking around but he realized that she was more than serious because she was not smiling.


    "Lady are you for real? Because i am not in the mood for any stupid jokes."


    "Take it and see if I am joking or not." Phoebe jutted them towards him.


    Connie clicked her tongue continuously. "He is a doubter this one, not a believer in ghosts."


    "Xander please." Xavier begged.


    The man whose name Phoebe had now come to learn was Xander took the glasses and wore them. He gasped for breath after he saw his brother standing in front of him. He took off the glasses and put them back on, the same sight befell his eyes. He did it three times to confirm whether he was being lied to.


    "Xan, It''s me Xavi." Xavier said softly.


    Xander sobbed loudly and moved his hands to hug his brother, a mission that was futile because even though he could see him, he could not touch him.


    "Xavier my God! Is it really you? What happened, the police say you took your life, but I know you would never do that. I am not going to rest until those coworkers that bullied you to death are exposed and punished. I do not believe the autopsy report..." Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Xander stop." The ghost raised its hand to stop him. "Nobody pushed me, yes they berated me a little after my demotion and I hated working there but those people, as horrible as they were, they didn''t kill me, I jumped. I was tired brother; this life I hated it, and I wanted to leave.


    I am so sorry that I left you behind, but I had to go, I was sick Xan, cancer got me. I was evicted, sick and broke, everything felt like a dead end, and I did not want to burden anyone.


    If you want to be angry at someone, be angry with me, I am the one that made this decision. I do not want you to dwell on your anger and become lost like me, you have a wife and children that love you, I had nobody." The ghost smiled through its tears.


    "But you had me!" Xander exploded, "You had me you bastard, and about that loan." Xander checked his shirt pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. "See that lottery ticket we bought together a week before you died, I got the news last night that we won! Brother, we won! Imagine I called to tell you the news only to be told that you had jumped from a building. I couldn''t believe it; you were so happy when I last saw you the day before and we made so many future plans."


    "We won." Xavier whispered in disbelief.


    "We won." Xander repeated, "Ten million, we finally won, so why didn''t you wait a little longer?"


    "When I saw you last, I was saying goodbye Xander, I wanted you to have one last memory of me. Listen brother it''s not your fault but mine, use that money to better the life of your family. I on the other hand must move on, I will always watch over you I promise." Xavier''s lips were covered by a sad smile.


    Phoebe felt sorry for the two brothers, life was really funny. How could a lottery win come so late? Had it waited for Xavier to die?


    She watched the two brothers sob their hearts out and she wiped her own tears.


    "Such is fate." The Saxon spirit sighed.


    After the two brothers said their goodbyes, Xavier thanked Phoebe before vanishing.


    Phoebe patted Xander''s shoulder. "You will be alright, if you miss him too much then take flowers to his grave and do some good deeds in his name to earn him merit so that he can be reincarnated sooner."


    Xander promised to do so, he thanked Phoebe and left. He even took his posters with him and apologized to the guards whose work he had made difficult with his protests.


    "What a good man." The Saxon spirit sighed


    After handling the case quickly and efficiently, Phoebe went to the hair saloon where she had her hair washed and styled nicely, then she headed home to prepare for dinner.


    The dinner was arranged in the gardens rather than inside. Phoebe had invited David being that he was her boyfriend, and he came in time. It was done because her father had requested that they invite their partners.


    David had just taken a seat when Luke appeared arm in arm with Luna Elithera.

 Chapter 328 Two brothers, one Luna.

    It was as if everything came to a standstill as soon as they saw Luna, the servants that were pouring wine in glasses suspended their actions.


    Jennie''s butt that was about to touch the chair paused where it was in the air as if she could not decide whether to sit or stand. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe''s hand that was on the back of David''s chair slid slightly; her father''s words rung in the back of her mind. He had told them to bring their boyfriends and girlfriends to the dinner, Luke had come with Luna.


    What did this mean? Her mind was jumping around, trying to make sense of this new unexpected development. Connie sensed the tension from the space, and she came out with an eager look to gossip on her face.


    "I smelled tension." she said, nearly breathless as if she was from running a marathon. "Luna is here, oh goodie!" she exclaimed and looked at Andre.


    Andre''s lips that had initially curved into a smile had quickly transitioned into a frown when he noticed how familiar Luna and Luke seemed to be with each other.


    Even though Phoebe and his grandmother had said no, he still held hopes of dating Luna especially when he heard that she had moved to Citrus. However, his efforts to reach out to her had been futile and he had been on the verge of giving up when she showed up in his family house.


    It seemed she was not as interested in him as he was in her, she had already been occupied by another man, by his own brother no less. A feeling of betrayal coursed through his veins, why was it a no to him from everyone but Luke got a yes?


    He told himself that maybe she was there as a friend, just because she had come with Luke did not mean that they were involved. He was an actor; he knew how complicated relationships between two people could be and that what you saw was not always the truth.


    Without thinking he walked to where they stood and smiled.


    "Luna! It''s lovely to see you again." Andre spoke his eyes never leaving Luna''s arm which was clasped around Luke''s arm. She was clinging to it like it was her lifeline or something.


    The warm smile on Luna''s face grew wider. "Oh, Andre hello, I hope you are well." Her tone was nonchalant.


    There was no indication in her tone of voice that she was excited to see him like he was to see her.


    Andre curled his upper lip upwards. "How do you guys know each other? He''s a doctor and you are a singer that has not been in Citrus for long.... how did you even cross paths?" He folded his arms as he questioned them like a husband that had found his wife with another man.


    "Jeez little brother, you are asking a lot of questions that are none of your business." Luke chuckled; his hand moved to pat Andre''s shoulder.


    Andre reacted in an unexpected way; he swerved Luke''s hand away. His narrowed ice-cold eyes let Luke know that there was a problem between them.


    Jennie scurried close to where they stood, her husband followed right behind her. "No, no, no. Answer him, i too would like to know. Did you bring Luna here as a surprise for Shana because she is her favorite singer? If that''s the case then why is she holding you like you two are an item, Luke? You are confusing everyone dear." She laughed halfheartedly and nervously.


    After all the things grandma Mayfair had said about Luna before, she had a very biased opinion about Luna, and it was not a good one.


    Luke held Luna''s arm tighter. "Mother there is hardly any confusion here, father asked us to bring our partners, and I came with mine." His words came out with so much ease but shocked the listeners especially Jennie who placed a hand to her head and stumbled backwards.


    Edward caught her right in time to prevent a fall. "Honey now is not the time, here come Collin and Shanna so let''s schedule this for later." He walked her to her seat and handed her a glass of water.


    Phoebe meanwhile had to pick her jaw from the floor when her senses returned, so many questions where twirling in her mind. When did Luke and Luna begin to date? Why were they dating, they hardly seemed to have anything in common.


    As far as she knew, they had only met once on the day of the fire, she was somewhat sure that they hardly knew each other! Did Luke even know who the real Luna Elithera was?


    "This is so good," Connie moaned.


    She rushed back to the space for drinks and snacks, and she invited all the other ghosts out to watch the drama unfold.


    Apart from Phoebe, the rest of the Mayfair''s and their companions did not even know that they had become entertainment to the ghosts.


    A nervous chuckle slipped through Phoebe''s lips when Luna and Luke took the seats directly opposite to her and David.


    She groaned when Andre made sure to take the empty seat that was close to Luna and shoot Luke a challenging gaze.


    "Uh-oh, I think that your brothers are interested in the same woman, it''s going to be a blood bath. My money is on Luke, see how he has changed his fashion style just to impress her....." David


    "David, not now." Phoebe hissed. She felt like it was her fault Luna had put the Mayfair''s in her sight.


    It was certainly her fault that Luna and Andre had met, however she had clearly warned Andre to stay away from Luna. A relationship between the two was impossible, the end would be miserable.


    David chuckled and sipped some wine, with the Mayfair boys dealing with their own relationship troubles, they would not make it difficult for him to build a relationship with Phoebe.


    "I can see that that you are enjoying this very much, aren''t you?" Phoebe narrowed her eyes at David.


    In response, he brought his thumb and index fingers to his lips and signaled that he was sealing his lips.


    The food and drinks were served, then the servants stepped away to give the family some privacy. During the course of the dinner, Shanna Lee was introduced to the family, they unanimously welcomed her with kind words.


    "We met in passing at the supermarket." Phoebe told her.


    Shana blushed at the memory, "I don''t really recall."


    "Yes, Collin stole you away so quickly that we did not get to meet each other." Phoebe said.


    Everyone laughed, and Shana almost buried her head in the plate, at her home she was teased about this incident, and it was no different at the Mayfair house. She had been nervous about the dinner, especially when it came to meeting Phoebe.


    It was widely known that Collin used to pamper Ruth, he was a sis con. He dotted on Phoebe as well, and if Phoebe didn''t like her, the relationship could develop some complications.


    To her relief. Phoebe was funny, talkative, friendly and they even exchanged phone numbers and Phoebe promised to buy her dinner sometime.


    Shanna felt even more secure in her choice for life partner, especially as she would be moving in with the Mayfair''s after marrying Collin. It was a small happy family that lacked pretentiousness.


    The dinner went well for the most part except for Andre whose friendly gestures kept getting snubbed by Luna. The awkwardness there was hard to cover up and everyone was pretending not to notice.

 Chapter 329 The art of eavesdropping.

    After the dinner, they all moved into the house, the men moved to the dining room and the women sat down in the living room. Grandma Mayfair and Jennie stepped away to have a conversation, leaving Phoebe, Shanna and Luna alone.


    Shanna moved to sit close to Phoebe because she felt closer to her than Luna. Even though Luna was her favorite singer, the relationship between her, Andre and Luke was complicated.


    As the future sister-in-law of the two men, she decided to play it safe and not be too cozy with Luna until the awkward situation was remedied.


    "I was so nervous when Collin told me that I would be meeting you, I hope that we can become close friends, Pheebs." Shanna said the name awkwardly like as if she wasn''t sure about calling Phoebe by her petname. "Can I call you Pheebs?"


    Phoebe chuckled lightly and held her hands. "I think that we will become closer than that, I have always wanted a sister, and I am glad that I now have one."


    "Two actually." Came Luna''s voice as she approached them, squeezing closer to Phoebe on the opposite side.


    Phoebe''s wide but shrewd eyes stared at Luna unsure about what to say. "About that we will have to talk for there is a lot that I do not understand about why you have become entangled with my brother deliberately."


    Unfazed by the threat that harbored under Phoebe''s words and gaze, Luna smiled, added a shrug and sipped on some wine. "Sure, I am an open sincere book."


    Shanna''s bright face suddenly was covered by mild worry.


    "Pheebs the vote on the petition is scheduled for tomorrow, right? I hope it goes well. My entire family is going to be there to support you, even my grandfather. I am unsure how it will turn out however because Dorothy Cook has been working hard on convincing people to vote against you." Shanna''s head cocked to the side. "Speaking of Dorothy, she has been really silent today, nobody has heard from her" She added.


    Lately Dorothy Cook was everywhere spamming people with phone calls to vote against Phoebe and urging them to protect the environment of the founding lane. But today, there had been nothing from her and the gossip mill had people asking others why she was quiet.


    Her words caused Luna to chuckle, the wine in her mouth spilled back into the glass. "Who knows she might never make it to her own petition hearing, I bet it will be canceled if the complaint doesn''t appear."


    Phoebe smacked the table lightly. "Luna what did you do?" Her horrified face stared at Luna''s uncovered one, the laughs that came from her lips only worried Phoebe.


    "Shanna please excuse us, I need to speak to Luna privately." Phoebe caught Luna by the hand and dragged her out, back into the gardens.


    Grandma Mayfair and Jennie were coming out of the kitchen when they saw Phoebe dragging Luna away.


    "Go to Shanna, I will follow them." Old lady Mayfair said.


    Slowly, she walked in the direction they had gone but she was not the only one to follow, David and Collin did the same. Both men had just stepped out of the dining room when they saw Phoebe dragging Luna out.


    With Luna''s identity, they did not feel safe letting her and Phoebe be alone for a single second.


    Outside, when the two women reached a point Phoebe felt was private enough, she let go of Luna''s arm and immediately quizzed her.


    "What the hell did you mean by that statement that you made back there? Do you think that this is Magic city where you commit crimes without anyone stopping you? You will get yourself and me in trouble and that trouble will come knocking on the doors of my family." Phoebe leg stamped a couple of times.


    Leaves rustled in the distance and the two women turned their eyes, expecting company. Luna even drew her guns which she had come with for the dinner. A cat cried out and leaped onto a hedge.


    "Oh my God! put your guns away before you shoot Maria''s cat. Why are you even armed? Please don''t tell me you killed Dorothy?" Phoebe groaned.


    Luna put the guns back in her pockets and run her fingers through her hair. "Relax Pheebs! I have not touched Dorothy Crook yet. I am planning to abduct her tomorrow morning. If she''s a no show, then that damn hearing won''t go on." She studied her nails as she spoke, she couldn''t see any reason as to why Phoebe was angry.


    She chuckled at her own joke, calling Cook into Crook.


    "Are you crazy?" Phoebe hissed. "Everyone will suspect me."


    "Do it, make sure that you do it right on time." Came Grandma Mayfair''s voice as she appeared from nowhere.


    "Nana!" Phoebe gasped. She didn''t know whether to be shocked because her grandmother had sneaked up on them or that she was in agreement with Luna.


    "Are you both insane! I am sorry granny but what are you saying right now?" David''s frame became visible, next to him was Collin who was staring at his grandmother like he couldn''t recognize her.


    [Oh great! is everyone here to eavesdrop?]


    She had just finished the thought when Luke appeared out of the shadows where the cat had leaped out from, he had a smile on his face.


    "Grandma, are you sure one of Phoebe''s ghosts hasn''t possessed you? Back then you would never harm anyone! not even when Dorothy destroyed grandpa''s fountain. I must say that i approve of the new changes."


    Luke''s words compelled David to lightly nudge him, now was not the time to praise the old woman.


    "Guys think for a fleeting second, who do you think will be the first person to be blamed if Dorothy disappears? Me! Everyone will know that I did it such that the hearing about the petition is canceled." Phoebe shuffled her feet for she was frustrated, besides this would ruin her plans for Dorothy totally.


    David stretched his hand. "Not just that but that will make Dorothy Cook even more aggressive once you release her. And above all that guys stopping the hearing will not end it but rather post pone it. We need a permanent solution." He tried to reason with them.


    Grandma Mayfair''s shoulders slumped dramatically. "You are right, i just want to get rid of her badly! She messed with me, now she is after my granddaughter when will she stop?"


    Luna smacked her lips. "We kill her then."


    Luke pulled Luna away from Phoebe and held her in his arms tightly. "Luna what did I tell you about killing people? No more! Are you even listening or are you deaf, Pheebs will be the first suspect."


    Luna wrinkled her nose. "Then David should do something about that Dick guy! He''s behind all this, I really want to break his neck, but I am a little afraid of what the Saxon''s would do to me."


    Luke turned to face David. "You heard her, the mastermind is Dickson.....


    "We know, even granny knows, and we have a plan. Phoebe has more Saxon''s supporting her including my grandfather and as for Dorothy, her reign ends tomorrow, in a legal way that will ensure she never rises again." David assured them.


    "Are you sure?" Luna''s narrowed eyes studied him, she wished that she could be there but unfortunately, she couldn''t as she was not from the founding families.


    Nodding his head, David placed his hands on his waist. "Yes I am."


    "I am going back inside." Old lady Mayfair gave her hand to Collin.


    They left the gardens, and four people faced off. Phoebe turned her attention to Luna and Luke.


    "I need to understand what''s happening between the two of you. When did this start?" She crossed her hands.


    Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 330 Pretend girlfriend.

    As if he had magically overheard the question being asked, Andre suddenly showed up. He was the one person that was most interested in hearing Luna''s answer.


    He stood with his legs wide apart and his arms crossed like a gym trainer observing the movements of his client, or a detective waiting to catch a criminal in a lie.


    "Yes, answer the question Luke, what is going on between the two of you? " He narrowed his eyes as he studied his brother who seemed uncomfortable.


    Luke shrugged and followed it up with a small chuckle. It was cute, what his siblings were doing, he found it both amusing and ridiculous that his younger siblings were putting him on the spot.


    "Andre is there something you want to say to me. I can swear that you have been pointing daggers at me since I came home." Luke arched his left eyebrow


    In response, Andre sneered. "Of course we have a problem, I saw Luna first! I hate to be childish but I called dibs." He spoke through pursed lips.


    "Dibs!" Luna exclaimed.


    Phoebe moved over to Andre and slapped him on the back of the head, he was truly foolish. Luna was not a toy or a passenger seat in a car that he needed to call dibs on.


    Luke quickly stepped away from Luna, when she brought up the suggestion of being his pretend girlfriend to have better access to Phoebe, she had left out the part about her being his younger brother''s love interest. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Wait, what? Luna god damn it. What the hell is he talking about?" Luke glared at her, a look one wouldn''t give to a woman he was in love with.


    "Babe no! I have no idea what he is talking about?" Luna pulled her brows closely together, she sized Andre from head to toe. He was cute like one of her puppies at home but she could never date him. She was very interested in Luke and hoped that she would graduate from pretend girlfriend to a real one. "Do you really think that your soft as a marshmallow brother is my type?"


    Andre drew in a breath and touched his chest, his eyes were drawn to his muscles, especially his biceps. They were the opposite of soft, he even had abs, eight of them for heavens sake!! His stomach was rock hard, he could crack a walnut between the cheeks of his ass!


    "I am not soft." he defended himself. "You are the one that is soft." he said to Luna.


    Phoebe scratched the back of her head, she was beginning to get bored from the back and forth which offered no explanations so she cleared part of the misunderstanding quickly.


    "Andre, come on we know that you have a little crush on Luna but she has never been your woman and calling dibs on her does not count. I do not know why you are making a fuss over her, she''s not worth the trouble."


    "Excuse you?" Luna''s eyes widened, did Phoebe have any idea about how many men slid into her inboxes asking her out? She was every man''s type including her brothers.


    Phoebe rolled her eyes to the star lit sky. "You know what I mean! First my brothers are fighting over you, second you having anything to do with them could put them in grave danger because you have accumulated thousands of enemies." she paused and sighed heavily. "Luke, I can assure you that Luna is not as simple as she seems, she is dangerous and you are sweet, kind and innocent."


    Her words caused Luna to let out a haughty cackle. "Innocent my ass, you have no idea." She mumbled under her breathe, her words not so clear.


    Luke put a hand over Luna''s mouth to keep her from exposing his secrets which he believed were not his family''s business.


    "I beg your pardon?" Phoebe asked, She wondered what was so funny that Luna had laughed in such a sarcastic way.


    She also wondered why Luke was covering Luna''s mouth, they certainly appeared to be closer than she imagined if they were keeping secrets already.


    Luna bit Luke''s hand and he dropped his palm from her mouth.


    She shook her head. "Its nothing, you wanted to know how we met and I was telling you that. To be exact we have not known each other for long, we met on the night of the fire and we liked each other. It was love at first sight. Phoebe I promise that your brother is safe with me....."


    "And it''s not that serious yet anyway so do not worry, its not like i am going to marry her tomorrow or anything like that. So, make sure to tell our mother that because we are leaving, we have a party to attend." Luke gave Andre one last glance and signaled Luna to follow him.


    He put one hand around her waist and led her away, ignoring the childish ire of his younger brother. Luke knew Luna, she was not the type to date two brothers and she was right, Andre was not her type.


    Phoebe scoffed. "A party? Luke!" She wondered why he was going to a party because he hated gatherings that had a lot of people.


    A party was more of Luna''s style, if he was going it was because he was escorting her, she rolled her eyes to the sky and scoffed again. He was already doing things that were unlike him and yet he was claiming that it was a fling.


    "Fling my ass." She mumbled, shook her head and shifted her eyes to Andre who was now squatting on the grass like the world''s saddest man.


    She went and squatted down beside him. "I cannot believe that even after everything that you know about Luna, you were still considering dating her. Both grandma and I told you to drop that idea, I will be honest the two of you do not have a marriage fate together.


    Even if Luke was not in the picture, she would not date you. I am happy that she''s not interested in you but now i am worried about Luke." Phoebe ruffled his hair.


    She moved her fingers, calculating the possibility of a marriage between Luke and Luna.


    "Oh crap, it''s possible." she muttered.


    [What the hell, why are they compatible? Luke and Luna...this is crazy!!! My mother is going to go insane, what the hell! I don''t even know what to think anymore, anyway compatibility does not necessarily lead to marriage.]


    She had no plans in intervening in Luke''s fate unless it was necessary, if Luna was the right woman for him, who was she to say otherwise?


    Still, the thought of Luke and Luna as a couple was disturbing, one took lives and one saved them. They were the opposite of each other, what made them compatible? Phoebe''s mind screamed the question again.


    For someone that had been heart broken Andre didn''t seem too sad all of a sudden when Phoebe looked at him, there was a smile on his face.


    Andre chuckled and stood up. "Never in a million years did I ever think that a girl like Luna would choose a nerd like Luke over a hottie like me? Have I lost my charm? Perhaps you should get me something that makes me more attractive."


    "You are silly Andre, we need to talk about this dibs thing. What else or who else have you called dibs on?"


    "Your first daughter, she should be named after her favorite uncle aka me, we can call her Andrea."


    They both laughed as they moved back to the house with David. He was thinking about digging more into Luke, there was something unnatural about his pairing with Luna, it just made no sense.

 Chapter 331 The day of the hearing.

    Close to midnight when the rest of the Mayfair''s had gone down to sleep, David Saxon sneaked back to Mayfair manor and climbed a ladder, making his way into the house through Phoebe''s open window. He lost his footing and almost fell down which made Phoebe open her eyes.


    She sat up and pointed one of her pink guns at him. "Who is it?"


    "Come on Pheebs, you know it''s me." he answered with a laugh while taking off his shoes.


    "You sneaked into my house!" she exclaimed. "Are you crazy, my dad will kill you if he finds out that you are here."


    "Don''t worry, I will leave before the sun comes up, nobody will ever know that I was here." he answered softly.


    He took off his shirt and slid into the bed, pulling her close.


    "Hmph! you must have done this a lot as a teenage boy, how many times did you sneak into your girlfriend''s bedrooms?"


    "I can assure you that you are my first, I was a good boy." He put his hand around her waist and pulled her even closer.


    She had her back to him, and it made him unhappy, so he turned her over so that they were face to face. "Don''t good boys get kisses?"


    Phoebe rolled your eyes, "It''s a good thing that you built that orphanage, so I am in a good mood as well. Come on."


    She put her lips on his, initiating the kiss and chuckling at the same time.


    Five minutes into David''s sudden trip to the Mayfair house, Edward Mayfair was called out by Mark.


    "Sir, Mr. David Saxon sneaked into the house, I believe that he is inside miss Phoebe''s bedroom. Should we catch him and throw him out."


    Edward was both sleepy and annoyed now, he wanted to punch David in the face. How dare he sneak into his precious daughter''s bedroom?


    "What is it?" Jennie came up behind him while tying a belt around the night gown.


    "It''s the Saxon boy; he sneaked into our house. I cannot believe the guts on him! I am going to catch him in the act and..."


    Jennie pulled him back. "Goodnight Mark." she said with finality.


    Edward blinked, puzzled especially when his wife started to chuckle.


    "You never did anything when Andre and Collin sneaked out to see their girlfriends, you even shrugged when the fathers of those girls complained. Now that it''s your turn to experience it, you are ready to start a war." Jennie pushed him back onto the bed.


    "Look, Phoebe is an adult, if you do something like that, she will move back to her apartment because she is uncomfortable."


    Edward snorted. "I don''t like it." he muttered. "It feels like we are raising a teenager, and I am worried about a teenage pregnancy or STD''s." he groaned.


    He got into bed and laughed, it truly felt like they were raising a teenager, now that he thought about it, it was not funny when the shoe was on the other foot. He finally understood what all those fathers had felt.


    **********************


    In the morning, Phoebe woke up and her bed partner was gone, just as he had said. While she was brushing her teeth, she got an update on Dorothy Cook from Sylvester, the woman was okay and annoying as ever.


    She sent him back to watch over her just in case Luna went off script and took matters into her own hands.


    After her bath, she received more updates from the ghosts on different things.


    "Before I forget, how is my mother? Did she get any sleep last night?" Phoebe asked the Saxon spirit.


    The spirit let out a measured laugh. "Unlike yesterday where she was worried for Luke, she is now pleased that he has finally began to date. Her fear of him dating Luna disappeared when you told her that it was a fling and nothing serious, I just hope that that''s what it is." It shifted its lips to the side.


    Phoebe draped the coat over her shoulders as she whirled around to face it. "Meaning what exactly? Did you see something that I didn''t"


    "Just." it stated


    The word compelled Phoebe to pause painting her lips red. "Just what? What is going on in that head of yours? Tell me Zephyra I need to concentrate on this damn hearing and not worry about what you are holding back."


    The spirit sighed, a low sigh. "People do not just wake up one day and change their ways of life unless there has been a shift in their lives. Did you see how he was dressed, in designer clothes. Before meeting Luna, Luke only cared about his white hospital gown and scrubs. I just hope he''s not falling for her because I doubt Luna will leave the Elithera family to be with him."


    Connie jumped out of the space. "I smell a heart break people, a big one."


    Surprisingly, Phoebe laughed. "You are both wrong, to me it seemed like the other way round. Luna is more interested in my brother, the way she was clinging onto his hand like he was about to run away. Oh, and you should have seen how she quickly denied having anything to do with Andre, hilarious."


    "Sister, don''t you think that you are applying way too much makeup?" Connie pulled her brows to form a frown. "You should go with a natural face and look as distraught such that people can take pity and vote for you."


    Phoebe shook her head. "Hell no! I am going to walk in there and show those people that i am not easily intimidated by anyone, not even by that so called council."


    "Good, I like how courageous you are my dear." The spirit cheered her on. "Good luck, you will need it."


    Phoebe nodded once and walked out of the door, she went straight to the dining area hoping to have some food, but she felt nauseated right away. Although she wore a brave face, deep down she worried about what was to happen. That morning, she even thought of using one of the whispering coins but then again, she was afraid of the price she would have to pay to use that kind of magic.


    "Good morning." She greeted and announced her arrival with fake cheer in her voice.


    Her stomach turned; it didn''t help that they all stared at her with sympathetic eyes.


    "Miss Pheebs why don''t you just take this." Maria placed a cup of warm water in front of her.


    "Thank you, Maria." Phoebe drunk it in one go and handed the cup back to her.


    When breakfast was done, they all departed for the founding council house building. On the way there, Phoebe asked her grandmother and Andre what it was like to appear before the council.


    "Well we wouldn''t know because none of us has had the pleasure of standing before the council. You my darling are the first Mayfair to do so, you have broken that record so you will be telling us what it feels like." Grandmother Mayfair responded.


    Phoebe was surprised. "Not even Andre?"


    "Why me?" Andre placed a hand to his chest as his eyes flew wide open.


    "Because you are our beloved black sheep." Phoebe laughed as he spoke. "I have heard about all your notorious and rebellious deeds as a teenager. "You and Sabrina Spellcaster have a lot in common, you just changed as you grew." S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Her words elicited laughter from everyone including Andre himself. "Oh, come on, I wasn''t that bad." From that point on he made sure that the conversation in the car had nothing to do with the hearing which eased Phoebe''s nerves.


    Of course, she had no idea just how big of a deal this hearing was.

 Chapter 332 The hearing...[1]

    The happy chatter inside the van died down when it came to a halt on arrival at their destination. Immediately, tension began to run through Phoebe''s veins especially when Santos announced that they had arrived, cementing firmly what Phoebe was already aware of.


    One by one, they exited the van, Phoebe was the last to do so and immediately the surprises started, the venue was quiet which wasn''t what she expected. She thought that she would be welcomed by flashes from the cameras of the paparazzi but no, the place was rather thinly crowded by founding families that had come to participate in the hearing.


    Where is everyone, she asked herself. These were the founding families for crying out loud, a hearing before the council was a big deal. Where were the sneaky individuals with their sneaky phones that were ready to keep the founding lane gossip mill active?


    For a moment there her eyes moved around to observe the place where power in Fog country originated.


    "Do you know that before elections, the three political parties of this country send resumes on their choices of presidential candidates and the different families choose who to back? Those whose candidate wins, enjoy more benefits for a period of four years, until the next election and the cycle is restarted.


    It all happens right here, in a hearing like this one, the patriarchs and matriarchs of different families come in person to cast their vote.


    Oh, the presidential candidates even come over, they are brought in through secret tunnels. When they arrive, they present their manifestos before the families decide." Grandma Mayfair told Phoebe.


    It was an odd thing to mention at that moment, especially as Phoebe had not asked about it, but it gave her a picture on just how important this council house was. Her mind started to travel, and she suddenly got the idea that the hearing was maybe a bigger deal than she originally thought.


    [Okay now i am scared, thanks nana.] Phoebe thought as her eyes continued to roam around.


    The architecture of the founding council house was a true testament of authority and tradition. It was a six storied building in the shape of an inverted pyramid that was held up by structures that looked like gigantic steel palms. At the very top of the building was was a statue of a heroic woman holding a shield and a sword, Phoebe shuddered on seeing the marble statue.


    It was quite funny to Phoebe that in all the years that she had been married into the Saxon family, she never took time to appreciate this building. She had only been there twice for different balls and after the death of grandma Saxon, she never got a chance to visit again.


    Miranda had kept her tethered to her office in the lab like a good working dog, if she was not in the office, she was in the Saxon tower like a prisoner.


    "Who is that?" Phoebe pointed at the eye-catching statue.


    Grandma Mayfair followed Phoebe''s hand to the statue. "Hmmm do not even get me started, apparently it''s the grand guardian of the supernatural. The one who saved us all during the supernatural war, many years have passed since this war that many of us have only heard about. It seems like it was all a myth, I don''t not know." She whispered the last words.


    The spirit chuckled. "Whoever molded that had no talent at all, there is no resemblance."


    "You knew this grand guardian?" Phoebe asked inwardly but her question was left unanswered because the Spirit refused to answer.


    She did not push it, her father approached her with a serious frown on his face. "We should go in now." His eyes moved to look at his wristwatch. "The hearing will begin in about forty minutes. You need to be briefed about the process."


    As soon as they walked into the foyer, Phoebe''s eyes landed on Dorothy Cook, she was talking to a group of people.


    Old lady Mayfair''s face immediately soured in anger, "Ooh, speaking of demons, where is the holy water when you need it." she mumbled. "That Dorothy Crook is probably still soliciting for votes even up to now, I really hope that this plan of yours is airtight."


    Phoebe was torn between laughing and assuring her grandmother that she had a fool proof plan. Surprisingly, Dorothy Cook abandoned the group she was talking to and marched towards them with her index finger pointed at Grandma Mayfair.


    "I know that it was you that spread the gossip about me and my husband being in the swingers club, but the joke is on you Prudence. I am not ashamed for seeking for sexual pleasure, something that you have been starved of because you are a widow. We have open spots by the way, you should try it sometime maybe then you will stop being so uptight....."


    Edward stepped in between the two women; his move was to thwart his mother''s hand from coming in contact with Dorothy''s cheek.


    "Stop it!" He barked at Dorothy Cook. "If you insult my mother one more time or mention my father''s death so help me God I will break your neck. Word of advice Dorothy, you better control your emotions unless you want to be kicked out of this hearing." Edward shoved her away and signaled for the security guards to come over.


    The Saxon spirit was holding Andre back meanwhile, he was ready to kill someone.


    A sarcastic chuckle came from Dorothy as she raised her hands in surrender. "Alright, Alright. Let''s see who gets the most votes at the end of the day." She smacked her lips and marched away. Her index finger signaled the group to follow her, it was obvious that they were her supporters.


    As they reduced in number, Dickson and his mother came into view. He smiled slyly and winked at Phoebe before heading inside.


    "Pheebs sweetheart don''t worry about anything, we will deal with whatever the outcome will be." Edward jolted her lightly by the shoulders.


    Phoebe nodded once. "It''s okay dad, I am fine." S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    David showed up and he immediately made a beeline for her, separating from his family. Not even a second later, everyone else was instructed to go inside and sit, except for Phoebe that had to stay behind until she had been summoned.


    It wasn''t long before she was called upon, on entering inside, Phoebe''s eyes open widely as they shifted from one corner of the room to the other. The hall was densely populated with members from the founding family seated on rows of wooden polished benches facing each other. Phoebe was led to stand at the center, surrounded by the seven throne like empty chairs. Before she could process what was happening, the big wooden doors at the fore front opened and seven people entered lead by Rex Chapman.


    "Those are judges of the founding council, there are ten but you need seven for a hearing." The Saxon spirit explained as they walked through the central aisle and settled in their seats.


    Murmurs echoed softly when the last member of the council appeared, it was grandpa Saxon. Nobody thought that he would be attending the hearing, he had not been at a founding council related event in years.


    Phoebe sighed in relief when she saw him. Her eyes moved to David who nodded once and smiled faintly.


    "You have got this." He mouthed at her.

 Chapter 333 The hearing....2

    In the blink of an eye, some unexpected guests joined the hearing, ghosts! There were eight of them by Phoebe''s count and they were very noisy, excited it seemed.


    "A hearing, how wonderful, we have not had one of these in five years Charlotte."


    "The last one ended in a brawl I believe."


    "Is that general Drusus?"


    "It''s him alright, and he came with popcorn. My good man, I do believe that he is breaking the rules that govern this scared court. I shall tell president Rex about this."


    Phoebe put her head in her hands and sighed as that ghost persistently called Rex''s name even though the human did not respond.


    One of the ghosts, a woman dressed like she was alive in the 1600''s appeared before Phoebe.


    "You are going to lose; everybody loses these hearings, and you have the face of a loser."


    "Oh great, you are not just dead, but you can predict the future as well." Phoebe mumbled.


    The ghosts shrieked and floated away, "Did you just speak to me? Everyone, she just spoke to me, she can see us."


    Like babies that had just seen as shiny new toy the ghosts all flocked towards Phoebe, squeezing around her, each talking over the other in excitement.


    "Don''t talk to me, don''t bother me or else prepare to move on with or without the intent." Phoebe threatened them.


    The fact that she was speaking to the air of course drew attention and a whole lot of murmurs around, it was already known that she could see ghosts. Suddenly everyone started to wonder what she was seeing or who and it made more than a few people uncomfortable.


    "Stand for the anthem." a clerk announced.


    Surprisingly, the ghosts quietened down and floated to the floor, standing as if they were alive and part of the proceedings.


    After the anthem was sang and everyone settled down, maintaining silence with the exception of a newly arrived ghost that sat down beside Rex.


    "Awesome, Pete the commentator is here." One of the ghosts said sarcastically.


    Dorothy Cook raised her hand for she had an issue that she wasn''t comfortable with. As the complainant, the council had to hear her out before proceeding with the hearing.


    Rex Chapman raised his brows, of late there had been rumors that he favored Dorothy. His wife had gone an extra mile to insinuate that she suspected that their relationship was more than friendly. He did not want to associate with her but there was no choice at the moment, so he pointed at her and gave her permission to speak.


    "My Lord, on the list of council members to preside over this hearing, Mr. Rufus Saxon wasn''t included, I was told that Robert Saxon would be on the council so it''s only fair that Robert takes a council seat and not Mr. Rufus." She spoke with a lot of confidence without any atom of fear.


    Her words caused a ruckus in the hearing hall with most people shocked that Dorothy was not well versed by the rules that governed the founding council.


    Before Rex could respond to her, Rufus gestured at him not to bother as he planned to personally counter Dorothy''s argument.


    "I have been away for a while and a lack of common sense seems to have befallen this council." Rufus responded, eliciting a number of chuckles from the spectators.


    Rufus continued, "Young woman I am ashamed and embarrassed on behalf of my ancestors that you are working for this founding council, yet you have little knowledge of how things work.


    And on that note let me educate you, a council judge can choose a replacement when he or she is indisposed. It was I that chose Robert to stand in for me while I was sick and bedridden, and now that I am healthy and hearty, I have decided to take back my role as a judge."


    Rex nodded in agreement. "That is right, can we move on to the agenda...."


    His eyes raised again only to see Dorothy''s hand up again. Dickson had informed her earlier that old man Saxon was going to be among the council judges and that it would be a disadvantage to her. She was determined to get him kicked off at least for today.


    "Yes, Dorothy." Rex sighed, frustrated. Dorothy was testing his patience. Even the blind could see that old man Rufus had every right to be on the council.


    "Mr. Chapman, I know for a fact that Mr. Saxon''s opinion on this matter is already biased. Just like Mr. Mayfair was told not to preside over this case because of family ties to the defendant, so should Mr. Saxon. He and Phoebe Mayfair have a very close relationship and here is the evidence."


    Dorothy handed in a flash drive which Rex accepted, it was connected and on the large screen on the wall, pictures of the elder Saxon couple, David and Phoebe having dinner at Papa Jang''s restaurant were shown to all.


    Unknown to Dorothy was that she had shot herself in the foot, a good number of her supporters switched sides in fear of going against the Saxons. If Phoebe had won the favor of Rufus Saxon, then they wouldn''t be stupid to be on her bad side. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "This seems like that prick Dickson''s work." Connie clenched her fists.


    "Yes, I am certain, it''s too well planned with pictures too." The spirit narrowed its eyes at Dickson.


    Sylvester let out a short sigh. "It''s probably because Phoebe rejected his help, so he wants to make her regret it."


    Grandpa Saxon laughed haughtily, David had told him everything about Dorothy and this was his chance to end her.


    "I will step down for this case but before we go any further, we must handle the first agenda on the council''s itinerary, a small change which was made a few minutes ago.


    As a judge, I have the right to decide on what should be heard in our founding court at my discretion. I would like to bring up a few recent discoveries about the malpractices of Mrs. Cook as the council appointed head of the homeowner''s association. Like I said, a lack of common sense seems to have befallen the council in my time away because you should not be where you are."


    A smack on the table attracted everyone''s attention towards Dorothy''s direction. "That is slander! And that is not the reason as to why we are here, we came to handle Phoebe Mayfair''s misuse of founding land, President Chapman say something." She chewed on her bottom lip hopping that he would come to her rescue.


    Rex Chapman was stuck between a rock and a hard place, Dorothy was his loyal minion but on the other hand, old man Saxon had the power and influence to get him ousted from his position as President. It was safer to side with him, he could always get another minion.


    "Go ahead Mr. Saxon." Rex wiped his mouth and stared at Dorothy who sank into her seat, she knew that it was over for her and so did the people that were seated close to her for they shifted from their seats like Dorothy had bedbugs.

 Chapter 334 Dorothys dismissal.

    The ghost commentator that all the other ghosts hated was having the time of his life up on the bench besides the judges.


    "Ooooh, I smell a betrayal, Rex Chapman just turned on Dorothy Crook, what we are witnessing here ladies, gentlemen and ghosts is a sumo slam."


    "What the hell is a sumo slam?" Another ghost asked.


    "Will Dorothy somersault and rise or tap out, it''s an exciting moment, one for the history books." Pete continued.


    Phoebe would have told the Saxon spirit to stop Pete if she was not enjoying herself at the sudden unexpected turn of events. She thought that she would be on trial but suddenly Dorothy was the one about to be on trial.


    It looked like she did not even need to deploy Connie to whisper into the ears of the judges their hidden secrets to prompt them to vote wisely. Blackmail had been her big plan; Luna had provided information not just on Rex and Dorothy but the other judges except for Rufus whose turn up was unexpected.


    Phoebe carefully removed her six-inch heels and gave her feet the chance to be comfortable as she settled in her chair to enjoy the free drama. She even shot Pete a thumbs up for the great job he was doing in describing the atmosphere as it was.


    Those who did not know that she was acknowledging Pete assumed she was acknowledging Rex who was closest to Pete.


    It raised questions among the spectators, some wondered if Rex had been bought off by the Mayfair''s, others wondered if they were blackmailing him because he had turned on Dorothy so quickly.


    There were those like Dickson that frowned, things were not going as they expected.


    Poor Rex Chapman was just confused, he had no idea what Phoebe was up to and he hoped that she would not implicate him in whatever she was plotting.


    Phoebe turned her head around and looked at Dorothy, she looked like a sad wet dog. Phoebe couldn''t contain her laughter when she noticed that all of Dorothy''s cronies had abandoned her, and she was sitting alone with her shoulders slumped.


    "For a woman as tenacious as she is, she has given up too soon." The Saxon spirit commented.


    Phoebe thought so as well, she had been expecting to see Dorothy put up a fight, now she just looked defeated and pitiful.


    "You, Mrs. Cook are guilty of conniving with the Gianis family to steal land from the council." Grandpa Saxon''s words elicited gasps from the listeners.


    "What?"


    "My God!"


    "That can''t be right, Dorothy is as upright as a pole, she would not engage in theft."


    "Mr. Rufus Saxon is even more upright, he wouldn''t say it if it wasn''t true."


    Dorothy stood up hastily to say something but there was nothing she was going to say was going to convince the people who had already believed Rufus Saxon. It didn''t help that Rufus was holding up papers that looked like evidence that could not be denied. She stammered and the words got caught in her throat.


    Rex hissed. "Sit down if you have nothing to say."


    Dorothy wrinkled her nose and glared at grandpa Rufus, the dog in her refused to back down easily. "Ha-ha, it''s quite shameful that a man of your age has resorted to fabricating lies against me." She turned from side to side, looking at the spectators, "You all know how powerful the Saxons are, they could have fabricated that evidence easily to pin a crime on me!" She shuffled her feet.


    Murmurs went around but not one person expressed support for Dorothy.


    Grandpa Rufus clicked his tongue and shook his head in disbelief. "So are you saying that you did not take bribes from Saul Gianis the director of Jitz hotels in exchange of him cheaply buying land around the lake? Deny it let me see how brazen you are."


    He scanned her face, waiting for her to deny what she knew to be true.


    Dorothy felt her legs go weak; she never thought her deals with Saul Gianis would come to light. If they had, it could only mean one thing, they had done a very deep dive into her.


    The money from the bribes she had received were not in an account under her name. She had met Gianis in a remote fishing town, far away from Citrus or anywhere they could be seen together. How had they found out her secret?


    As Dorothy was still trying to understand her situation, Saul Gianis was summoned by grandpa Rufus.


    "I am finished." Dorothy whispered, she regretted messing with Phoebe Mayfair.


    Saul Gianis explained that everything grandpa Rufus had said was the truth.


    "I have all the evidence including recordings of her specifying the amount of money she wanted from me. I want to make it clear that I did not intend to flaunt council law, the Jitz hotels application to buy or lease land from the council was genuine. It was Mrs. Cook that came to us with this deal, I am ashamed that we fell for it and to make up for our mistake, we will back out of the deal and pay a fine to the council." He bowed in Rex''s direction and stepped on the side to wait for judgement.


    He was polite because the families the people in this hall came from could cripple the business owned by his family. It was better to atone and lose one hand than be stubborn and lose an entire body.


    Grandpa Rufus clapped once. "Ladies and gentlemen, the only reason Dorothy Cook brought up this petition in the first place was so that Phoebe could unfairly loose the land so that she could sell it to Saul Gianis to build another Jitz hotel. This hearing should not even be happening in the first place."


    Murmurs arose from the congregation as they discussed the issue.


    Blair Lee judge on the council and Shanna''s father cleared his throat. "On that note, I move a motion to dismiss Mrs. Dorothy Cook from her position." His threatening gaze moved to watch Rex just like the rest of the members of the council.


    Rex had no choice but to call for a vote, within thirty minutes the votes were in with majority seconding the motion.


    "Henceforth, Mrs. Dorothy Cook is dismissed from her position as the head of the homeowner''s association and her activities while she held the position will be investigated thoroughly. If any misconduct is found, she will be punished according to the laws of the council." He struck the gavel once.


    Grandma Mayfair stood up and cheered at the top of her voice, she even set off a popper which startled everyone.


    "What a sweet outcome." The Saxon spirit twirled around.


    Connie copied the spirit and she twirled around as well. "We have grandpa Saxon to thank for that, it''s because of him that all this went too quickly and smooth."


    Meanwhile Dorothy was dragged out of the hall screaming her neck off as she swore to revenge against Rex whom she claimed betrayed her.


    Rex asked sanity to return to the hall. "Mr Saul Gianis, you hereby ordered to return all the land that was sold to you by Mrs. Dorothy Cook" He pointed at Saul, "You should be grateful that we did not send you to prison or get your family involved in all this, besides the council will not return any penny that you used to buy the land including the bribes and you must pay a six million dollar fine." He signaled at the guards to escort him away.


    His eyes moved to Phoebe who was in high spirits. "The hearing is dismissed, Miss Phoebe Mayfair we apologize for the inconvenience caused."


    S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 335 The new Luke Mayfair.

    It took less than an hour for the hearing which had been both dreaded and anticipated to come to an end. Phoebe was quite disappointed that she had not had the opportunity to detonate the bombs in her arsenal. She had been looking forward to it, but still she had won so that was amazing.


    She was about to turn and leave when one of the female ghosts stopped her.


    "Might I trouble you for a second, can you deliver a message for me to that elderly gentleman over there?"


    Phoebe turned to her left and she saw Eldrine Greer, the patriarch of the Greer family, their family owned a food company and had the largest green fruit and vegetable farms in Fog country.


    They had a cooperative relationship with the Mayfair''s, providing raw materials for them.


    "Sure, why not?" Phoebe said happily.


    "It will be best if I talk, and you repeat it to him." The ghost said.


    Phoebe shrugged, she found her way through the spectators that were on the move and approached Eldrine who was thankfully still sitting next to his wife and youngest daughter.


    "Hello patriarch Eldrine, I am Phoebe Mayfair. Uhm...I don''t know if you have heard but I see ghosts and your mother is here and she wants me to relay a message."


    Eldrine Greer laughed, he figured he could humor Phoebe, there was no harm in it anyway. "Go on."


    "My boy." The ghost started.


    Phoebe frowned and looked at the ghost, it urged her to say it.


    She sighed and winced, reluctantly she said in a hesitant voice, "My boy."


    Eldrine''s face fell immediately as if he could see his mother right there and predict what she was going to say, "Don''t say it." he told Phoebe.


    "I did not approve of you giving your muddleheaded wretched wife my snake coiled jade bracelet. If you do not give it to Maisie I will haunt you forever, you hear me Eldrine, forever." The ghost exploded.


    Right after saying those words, it calmed down and smiled at Phoebe who looked horrified. "Tell him."


    Phoebe shook her head and laughed, there was no way she was calling the wife of one of the world''s wealthiest men muddleheaded and wretched.


    "Uhm, she says she misses you and urges you to give the snake coiled jade bracelet to Maisie." Phoebe said.


    She darted away from the Greer''s as quickly as she could and found her family that was waiting for her with smiles. After they left the hall, Phoebe together with her family moved to grandpa Saxon''s office. It was on the topmost floor, although he was no longer the president of the council, he had the office with the best view.


    His eyes lit up the moment he saw the Mayfair''s. "Edward! How lovely to see you again. Prudence told me that you often called to check on my condition, you don''t know how that gladdens my heart." Grandpa Saxon shook Edward''s hand firmly and gave him a side hug.


    "I was pleased to hear that you have regained your strength, seeing you so robust is delightful." Edward''s warm smile continued to exist.


    He had grown up calling Rufus uncle, seeing him was the same as seeing his father.


    Grandpa Saxon laughed lightly. "We have your daughter to thank for that, what a gem eh, Eddie boy!"


    Edward laughed boisterously, scratching the back of his neck, nobody had called him Eddie boy since his father died.


    Grandma Mayfair moved a step forward. "Rufus, I thank you for what you did in there especially for destroying that witch Dorothy ha! She used to think that she was invincible just because she had Rex''s support. Now that you are back, maybe sanity will finally return to this place." She turned her mouth upside down in an exaggerated frown.


    Her facial expressions made every one laugh.


    "You are always one to blow things out of proportion as always." old man Rufus commented.


    They engaged in small talk for a few more minutes and would have kept it up for hours but grandpa Rufus had a lot to do now that he was back, his eyes moved to the clock.


    "Alright folks, thank you for passing by and I will see you at the auction, right?"


    "Yes, of course we would never miss it for anything." Grandma Mayfair raised to her feet. "We hope that you will give us a visit, I will roast an entire goat to thank you for getting rid of that pathetic Dorothy Cook."


    Again, they laughed, it was obvious that they old woman was not going to quit talking about Dorothy anytime soon.


    As they walked to the parking lot, the Mayfairs were greeted and congratulated by various people, among them were some of the members from the Saxon family. The elders formed a group to discuss the events that had just occurred leaving their children to socialize.


    Rose-bell stepped forward to block David''s path. "Well, well brother finally I get to see you since you barely come home, I am beginning to think that you are David Mayfair not Saxon." She nudged his ribs.


    David only laughed. "Each time I visit the tower you are busy shopping or gossiping in the neighborhood."


    A few more jokes all relating to the same subject were made garnering a lot of laughs until Katherine stepped in.


    "No, no Rosie is right, one might think that you already married to the Mayfair girl. Speaking of when is this marriage happening my success story depends on it." Katherine blurted out the last words unintentionally.


    Everyone stared at her especially Phoebe''s brothers who dived into protective mode.


    "Who said Phoebe is marrying David? I don''t remember giving them my approval, I am just adjusting to the fact that they are dating....." Collin was interrupted by David.


    "Kathy what do you mean by saying that your success story depends on it? I hope that you have dropped that stupid idea of getting your hands on Phoebe''s recipes because you won''t have them. I have already spoken to grandpa and he feels the same way that I do." David''s face was etched with a mix of suspicion and worry, his sister was not someone that easily let things go. It was very much possible that she was plotting something to steal those recipes. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You fool! Why did you get grandpa involved in all this? Did you think that will stop me? Ha! We will see how this ends." She turned on her heel and matched away.


    She did not go far before someone pulled on her arm. "Let go of me Luke, you are hurting my arm." She winced.


    Luke shoved her gently into a car. "Katherine, I know vultures like you, so greedy for things that you don''t own. That''s how you have lived your life since you were a child but let me warn you, if you dare get your filthy claws on anything that belongs to my sister, you will regret it I assure you."


    A bitter laugh came from Katherine''s lips. "Who do you think you are? I am a Saxon! meaning that I am up there, and you are down here. What is so special about Phoebe''s recipes, I will get my hands on them in fact she will hand them over to me and willingly. You just wait i will have the last laugh."


    Luke shoved her head and then lowered his voice. "You must have a death wish, Next time I will not be so nice. There are a lot of dangerous people looking out for Phoebe, I am warning you only because grandpa Saxon will be heartbroken if hypothetically you turned up dead somewhere in a ditch." He chuckled dryly and left her speechless.


    "Was Luke always this scary?" She shuddered

 Chapter 336 Aunt Maureen returns.

    "I apologize for her, she is...." David could not find the words to describe Katherine, the only one that rung in his mind was crazy.


    "A fool." Rose-bell suggested, "Ignore her, let us chat and catch up, is it true that the Cooks are sharing fluids with other people?"


    Some of the men groaned.


    "No, talk about something else, nobody wants to imagine Dorothy Cook like that, she is grandma''s age for crying out loud!" Newton Saxon wrinkled his nose.


    "But it''s all anyone is talking about," Rose-bell whined, she looked at Phoebe and smiled. "No offense but your trial has not exactly made sweet waves. All anyone is going to remember is Dorothy''s ousting."


    The conversation moved to the bribery and suspicions about who else had possibly participated in it. Rex''s name came up a lot and it was not surprising because Dorothy was his minion, it was doubtful that he was not aware.


    "Are you guys going to the auction?" Miley Saxon put her arm around Rose-bell and asked.


    Her question was met with a positive response all around, all the young men and women were going, it was one of those must attend events.


    "Does anyone need a dress, I want a shopping partner?" Miley followed up with another question specifically for the ladies.


    Every hand went up, including Phoebe''s.


    "Didn''t you just buy new dresses yest....." David put his hand around Nile''s mouth.


    "Do not say a word unless you want to incur Rose-bell and Miley''s wrath."


    They both recalled that their sister''s acted as if they never had the right outfit for any party or occasion despite having closets full of clothes that were regularly donated.


    The women were already excited, talking about which boutiques and high end shops they wanted to visit. Phoebe had never participated in a group shopping event with other wealthy young ladies and she was all in.


    David smoothly retrieved his black card and put it in her hands, he did not forget to trail his fingers over her hand lightly.


    "Your bill is on me." he told her.


    The others laughed, coughed and teased them, Phoebe blushed and she accepted the card. When other men saw this, they copied him, handing out cards to their sisters, cousins or girlfriends.


    The Mayfair brothers were some of the few that found themselves with idle banking cards, they couldn''t stuff Phoebe with more, it was useless.


    Collin saw Shanna and he waved her over eagerly, "Madam, do you need a dress for the auction?" He eagerly stuffed a black card into her hands, "The bill is on me."


    "I have a dress." Shanna replied.


    "Buy another one, use my card, buy ten dresses if you want." Collin insisted.


    Shanna was reluctant but she was pulled into the group that was going shopping. Andre had no idea who to give his card so he shrugged, he was about to put it away when he saw Sabrina Spellcaster.


    The two exchanged very hostile glances before her eyes fell on his card. To Andre, the girl appeared to be plotting to steal his black card. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Not going to happen." he muttered and put it back in his wallet.


    ********


    Two days passed and the long awaited auction came closer, it was scheduled for the next day and Phoebe found herself shopping again with her mother, grandmother and aunt Maureen that had just returned home, she traveled a lot and her business was in Hartoum, a small town in Magic city.


    By the time they made it home, Phoebe was so tired that she did not want to see the inside of a mall anytime soon. She locked her door and went into the space to recuperate at her personal beach, besides the lake of life and death.


    Rather than recuperate, she opted to train, cultivating all the ghost energy she had collected in the last three weeks. For four hours, she trained hard until sweat dripped from her body.


    "I am exhausted, I swear to God that all that i want to do is sleep the entire day." Pheobe fell back on the sand.


    "Well if you continue to train hard and push yourself, you will be very strong in no time and have no need for training."


    The Saxon spirit joined her, holding a cup of tea in her hands.


    Phoebe flipped over to lay on her back. "If only grandpa Rufus accepted to take me to the Moldove founding academy, I believe that I could train better there, no offense Zephyra. But have you seen those guardians from the first sect in action? They fly like birds as they wave their weapons it''s amazing."


    A chuckle slipped out of the spirit''s lips. "That''s only because it''s the first sect, the tenth is not so impressive. Your strength is equal to that of a member of a tenth sect currently."


    "Seriously? I can slice a tomato seed into two with my energy and I belong to the tenth sect? That''s not possible!" Phoebe propped a hand under her head. "Ahh, I want to go to the academy."


    The spirit moved to sit beside her. "You could but you are too afraid to ask your father about it. You haven''t even asked him about your grandfather."


    Phoebe sat up like she had been shocked by electricity. "I am not afraid! He has been preoccupied since aunt Maureen returned." She lied blatantly, each time she wanted to talk about it with her father words caught in her throat.


    "I am surprised that your aunt Maureen isn''t here bugging you to tell her ghost stories." Connie pouted her lips in a pronounced way.


    It was clear that she did not like the new resident that Phoebe seemed to adore.


    A measured laugh came from Phoebe. "And you say that you are not jealous, Connie? No one is here to take your place, definitely not aunt Maureen."


    "It would be fun have her around permanently." The Saxon spirit''s words were not welcomed by Connie who sneered.


    There was a gentle knock on the bedroom door, Maria informed Phoebe that it was time for dinner.


    "I''ll be there in a minute." Phoebe shouted.


    Meals in the Mayfair house had become more enjoyable lately, aunt Maureen was so funny and had a lot of amazing stories to tell about her travels and more than anything she dotted on Phoebe.


    Phoebe found her wrapping up one such story as she sat down.


    "I am sad that after the auction I have to go back to the town of Hartoum. I wish I could spend more time with my niece, perhaps you could visit me sometime Pheebs. It would be great to have you over, I have invited Edward here time without number but he has never come even once." Aunt Maureen gave her brother Edward a side eye.


    Grandma Mayfair swallowed the liquid in her mouth hurriedly. "And with good reason! Hartoum is infested with all kinds of witches. What if he is hexed or something, I do not understand why you just don''t settle down my child, the Sun flower ball is coming up, stay and attend it who knows you could get a suitor or two."


    "Mother please enough of that, Marriage is not an achievement! I have a booming business of selling magical artifacts and relics. You do not know how many people come to Hartoum just to buy such things, I am doing well for myself and as for traveling, i will only stop when i get tired of it." Aunt Maureen turned her attention to Phoebe. "Since you are a shaman you might find something that could interest you at my shop." Aunt Maureen winked at her.


    "Phoebe don''t even think about it." Grandma Mayfair warned but she could see from the eager puppy expression on Phoebe''s face that it was too late.

 Chapter 337 Strangers with secrets.

    "Phoebe, Hartoum is the place where all the families that were exiled by the founding council run to. They created their own founding lane and society, but they cannot be compared to us for they were, are and will always be evil." Grandma Mayfair mentioned.


    She was afraid that if she did not, Phoebe would be on the next flight to Hartoum with Maureen and who knew what trouble her daughter would get her granddaughter into?


    "Your grandmother is right, despite its grand and beautiful appearance, Hartoum is a city that succumbed to decay and corruption on the inside. Sometimes I think the army should just invade and flatten it." Edward spoke his mind calmly.


    "With or without the civilians?" Andre asked as his stretched his hand out for a slice of garlic bread. Collin tapped his arm and asked for a slice as well.


    "With." Grandma Mayfair answered without hesitation.


    She was so nonchalant about it, not even bothered by her family members that were looking at her as she sliced into her medium rare steak with a sharp knife, dipped it in gravy and brought it to her mouth with a fork. The dark brown gravy might as well have been red blood to Collin.


    "Do you see this dad? She is spending way too much time with Luna Elithera which is screwing...."


    "Don''t say screwing at the table." Jennie jumped in.


    "I have not spent anytime with Luna, a couple of hours to talk about a few important things but that''s it." Grandma Mayfair defended her relationship with Luna.


    She deliberately looked at Luke as did the others when Luna''s name was mentioned.


    "It''s nice to see you boys starting to settle down." Aunt Maureen said.


    Jennie''s right hand that was bringing a piece of meat to her mouth paused. She raised her head and looked at her sister-in-law.


    "Luke has not settled down, he is having a fling, right Luke?"


    "Wrong." Luke answered calmly.


    Jennie whimpered as if she was a puppy in distress, she looked at Edward and he shrugged. If his mother was not intervening, neither would he, at the end of the day Luke was an adult, they could not control him.


    "Maybe we should just eat and talk later." Aunt Maureen suggested.


    So the dinner proceeded but it was not quiet, aunt Maureen had a lot more stories about Hartoum to tell and all of them were ghost or supernatural related.


    *******************


    Just like she did sometimes, Phoebe waited until everyone had gone to bed before sneaking into the hidden basement. She had gone there a few times with her grandmother to clean the place, and always acted as though she was not curious about the magical artifacts.


    This time she went on her own, it was better that way not just because she was looking into the circumstances surrounding her grandfather''s death and didn''t want to arouse any suspicion from her grandmother and father. but also because each time grandma Mayfair went there she recalled heartbreaking memories of her husband and became emotional.


    When she was emotional, their time in the basement was cut short and Phoebe did not want this to happen.


    "Oh, someone is in there already." Connie pointed at the slightly open door.


    "Your grandmother must be in there already." The Saxon spirit told her as it floated in.


    Phoebe let out a short sigh. "Damn it! Phoebe cursed under her breath, it would be another wasted night and chance after all." She walked in casually ready to greet her grandmother but paused when she saw her aunt Maureen instead.


    She was standing near her grandfather''s reading desk staring at the small box in her hands intently.


    "Auntie?" Phoebe startled her causing the globe to fall. Aunt Maureen quickly picked up what Phoebe identified the small box that looked somewhat familiar.


    "What are....." Phoebe''s words trailed off, She was beginning to ask what she was doing there but she suddenly remembered that Aunt Maureen had the right to be there after all Cillian Mayfair was her father. "I thought you would be in bed by now." she changed the direction of her words.


    "Pheebs! you startled me, I didn''t expect to see anyone down here, especially not you." Aunt Maureen picked up the small box and quickly shoved it back inside the drawer which made Phoebe all the more curious about it but she held back so as not to give herself away.


    A half hearted laugh came from Phoebe. "I couldn''t sleep so I came here to do some cleaning and maybe learn more about grandpa." Phoebe scratched her eyebrow.


    The Saxon spirit scanned the place, it cocked its head and laid out it''s hands as if to feel the energy of the place. "Something has changed, it''s almost like as though someone has tampered with the magic that was used to bind these items."


    Aunt Maureen cleared her throat. "I miss papa so much so I came to visit the place he loved the most. I wish that I could just see his face one more time." She wiped a single tear.


    Phoebe took a few steps and moved closer to her. "Auntie could you tell me more about him? A therapist I know said talking about your dead loved ones can help you deal with grief and keep their memories alive." Phoebe


    took the gamble betting that if anyone in the family would tell her anything it would be her aunt who talked a lot.


    It worked because aunt Maureen sunk into a chair behind the desk and opened her mouth.


    "He was a well respected man who loved us so much, he loved fishing so much. He was always out on Citrus lake with uncle Rufus..."


    Aunt Maureen spoke for a full hour and a half but nothing she said was anything the Phoebe wanted to hear.


    A loud yawn eventually came out of Phoebe''s mouth, it was intentional as she was bored and tired.


    "Sorry aunt, I am a little exhausted. I am so glad to hear all about grandpa''s fishing and life but could you skip to the part about how he died? I heard it was an accident and asked what kind of accident it was but it''s a sour topic that no one wants to talk about." sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Aunt Maureen arched an eyebrow and then broke eye contact. "It was an accident, he had traveled for business and he had a car accident and died."


    "That''s it?" Phoebe unintentionally voiced her disappointment.


    But her words got her aunt curious. "Why do you say it like that Phoebe?" Her tone was stern, a curious gaze focused on her Phoebe whose face face showed he disappointment clearly.


    "Well nothing, I just hoped that perhaps you would tell me more details about how he died then maybe I would summon his ghost from the other side. It would be nice to see him." Phoebe avoided making eye contact as much as possible.


    Eyes wide open that the whites showed, Aunt Maureen''s jaw almost dropped to the floor. "Wait a minute you can do that? Can a low level shaman do that?"


    Phoebe chuckled inwardly, [Low level! Ouch that actually hurt my feelings.]


    Connie sneered. "Who is she calling low level?"


    Aunt Maureen shook her head regretfully. "I am sorry, that came out wrong. What i mean is that I did not know you could do that. I thought that you only do simple spells and make some common talismans but I guess I misunderstood."


    She was also very mesmerized that she could see Phoebe''s thoughts, a thing that she had noticed through dinner. This niece of hers was more interesting that she had heard.


    "Well I can if I know the actual way he died." Phoebe lied shameless, she wanted to cajole her into telling her what she knew.


    "Perhaps she doesn''t know much either, i am more interested in how the magic in this place shifted." The spirit continued to move around.


    "Not tonight." Phoebe told the spirit inwardly. "We cannot find out anything with my aunt here."


    "Pheebs i wish I knew more my dear, let''s just retire for bed." Aunt Maureen urged her and led the way out.


    Nodding her head, Phoebe followed her but her eyes glanced back once at the drawer.

 Chapter 338 More badluck for Dickson

    When the sun lifted the following morning, the air on founding lane was sizzling with excitement. Even though it was scheduled to begin in the evening, servants of founding families were running up and down the lane with dresses, shoes, cars, jewelry, flower petals, make-up, coffee and whatever else their bosses needed.


    It was always like this when the founding families were preparing for a ball, party or event that concerned them all. Everyone would run around like chicken that had lost their heads.


    Unlike most households that were unsettled, in the Mayfair house, it was calm and everyone was relaxed. Grandma Mayfair even suggested that they go to work and have their hair done later in the afternoon.


    Phoebe was more than willing, she followed her grandmother to the cafe taking the scenery route of the apartments which they rarely got to see as it led to the backdoor of the cafe.


    "Nana the weather is so beautiful today, don''t you agree?"


    Phoebe shut her eyes and inhaled the cool but soft breeze. She could smell the strong scent of full grown roses and jasmines, Collin Baltimore had done a great job with the gardens behind the apartment buildings.


    It was not just Phoebe and grandma Mayfair enjoying them, other tenants and their families were doing the same. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A group of children was playing football, some people were taking pictures and others were enjoying breakfast outside.


    They went around the building to use the front entrance and grandma Mayfair stopped walking. "It was perfect until I saw that scare crow." Her lips moved, pointing in the direction of the cafe.


    Phoebe''s eyes followed the direction of her grandmother''s mouth and that''s when she saw him; Dickson. He was standing outside next to the third window, his hands fixed inside his long black trench coat.


    Phoebe couldn''t fail to capture the pleasure on his face just because women kept gawking at him as they walked by,


    "He is like a bad penny, he knows that he is unwanted and yet he still appears often when you least expect it and never for a good reason. It looks like I have to send out some more bad luck talismans." Pheobe began to walk towards the cafe with the intention to by pass him.


    A smile formed on Dickson''s lips when he saw the two Mayfair women walk up to him, that same smile quickly faded when they by passed him like they had never seen him before and went into the cafe.


    In response to their actions, Dickson laughed a short mocking smile and followed them inside but he did not get far, he was stopped by Rossett who had her hands spread out.


    "We are not open yet, so please wait outside or come back later." Rossett announced.


    She had read the memo, her boss didn''t not like Dickson and that meant that he was not welcome.


    In a derisive way, Dickson gazed at Rossett, his eyes sizing her as if to weigh her worth, which was zero to him. "How ill mannered of you? I am here to see your boss...."


    "And what do you want to see me for? I helped you out of the kindness of my heart and gave you guidance on your business but you went and repaid me by spreading fake news about us. You hardly cared that you were damaging my reputation and that of your cousin brother David." Phoebe spoke through pursed lips.


    She did not mention the petition hearing whose flames he had flamed by egging on Dorothy Cook.


    "The lighting that is going to strike him is still charging, just wait Dickson, you just wait." Connie hissed.


    The Saxon spirit wrinkled it''s nose. "It better hurry, it''s hard to defend some Saxons."


    When Dickson spoke he defended himself. "Pheebs...."


    Phoebe pointed at finger at him. "Don''t you dare address me by that name."


    Dickson raised his hands up in surrender. "Okay I''ll do that for now, Listen Phoebe I never told anyone that we were dating. I said no comment because I love you but obviously you need time to get on board. I can wait for as long as you want, soon you will come to me." He smiled slyly.


    His words made Connie burst out laughing. "Love? Just like that? What''s this pest really after."


    Grandma Mayfair placed her bag firmly on the table creating a loud thud. She was bored of his love talk already and wanted to bash him on the head with her bag.


    "Dickson Saxon we know that you were the invisible force that was backing Dorothy Cook! A friend to my enemy is my enemy so leave before I use a knife to rip you apart and become an enemy of your family."


    Dickson''s face paled a little, he tried to laugh but paused, he could see that grandma Mayfair was very angry with him, her eyes that once looked at him with warmth were now as cold as ice.


    "Granny I could never! I am sure that it''s David that told such lies against me but it''s because he knows that I can make Phoebe happier than he ever will, please I tried to persuade Dorothy to let go of that damn petition!" His eyes grew wider with every explanation.


    Phoebe let out a guffaw, joining the ghosts that were cackling.


    Grandma Mayfair arched an eyebrow and folded her arms, was he really taking her for a fool?


    "Why do you want to see my grand daughter Dickson, I cannot leave you alone with her even for a second."


    Dickson cleared a non existent cough. "I came here with good intentions to thank Phoebe for recommending D.P holdings." He smiled and rubbed his hands together. "I couldn''t have chosen a better partner, I received the investment sum in full, so i want a good luck charm or talisman or something."


    Phoebe wanted to smack the stupid smile off his face, she did not know why Dickson was always smug and arrogant as if he had the advantage over everyone else. The man had to be insane because he expected the entire world to make way for him and everything he desired to fall into his palms."


    The Saxon spirit huffed and slapped around ten bad luck talismans on Dickson''s back.


    "Sorry good luck charms and talismans are out of stock, try another shaman, one you did not offend." She clutched her bag and left.


    "You heard her, leave!" Grandma Mayfair pointed at the door.


    "I will leave for now." Dickson bowed slightly to show his respect, a smug never leaving his face. Soon all the Mayfairs would lick his feet.

 Chapter 339 Opening old wounds.

    The cafe door had barely closed when it opened again and Collin Baltimore entered. He had his brows pulled together in a frown as he looked around as if he was in search of someone or something.


    "Was that Dickson Saxon outside? He looks furious as hell, what the hell happened in here." His thumb pointed back at the door.


    He strolled in further with an air of lightness looking like the boss of the cafe, which he nearly was as he was the landlord.


    Grandma Mayfair was already in a bad mood so she hurled out a response. "Pay no mind to that idiot, he comes in here every once in a while to annoy us." The folds on her face disappeared as a welcoming smile formed to replace them. "Collin, my dear you have become a stranger so much so that when I see you I want to hide in the corner as you might be making a rent run. Nevertheless, it''s lovely that you have decided to come visit." She offered him a seat and requested Rosset to get him something to eat and drink.


    Collin laughed lightly at the rent run joke, would a Mayfair hide from a landlord for fear of paying rent? They had enough money to buy an entire building for Phoebe to run her cafe out of.


    It was actually surprising that the Black Ghost Cafe was still in it''s original location, he thought Phoebe would have moved out by now.


    He had no intention of asking anymore about Dickson, he had seen the gossip on the internet and fake news that linked him to Phoebe.


    Collin hated messy situations and the war between David and Dickson for Phoebe''s heart was rather messy, it had compelled him to bury his feelings for her. That intention however wavered the moment he set his eyes on her for she was looking as gorgeous as ever.


    He forced himself to look away from her and kept his eyes on old lady Mayfair. "Grandma, I have been so busy lately but I think about you from time to time, how can one not miss a beautiful woman like you?"


    Grandma Mayfair played with a lock of her hair, twirling it around one finger as she batted her eyelids in a playful flirtatious response.


    "Oh Collin, you flutter me, but I am not interested in becoming your sugar mummy."


    Everyone in the cafe laughed, even the ghosts. Phoebe almost choked on her iced latte, witnessing a playful side to her grandmother which she had never seen before.


    Collin put a hand over his heart and faked a pout, looking heartbroken.


    "I am afraid I will never recover, my heart is shattered."


    Grandma Mayfair flipped her hair back and smiled, "As expected, nobody can recover from me, look at me, I was miss Fog country in 1971."


    Phoebe''s mouth fell open. "Are you actually serious nana, you won a beauty pageant!"


    Old lady Mayfair nodded. "Is this the first time I am mentioning it? That can''t be right, how could I have forgotten to tell you about it? I will show you pictures when we get home, let''s tend to the customer first."


    She and Phoebe plus a few other nosy ghosts turned to look at Collin, eager to hear what he had to say. The regular ghosts were certain that he had come to profess his love for her which was affirmed by what Collin said next.


    "I actually came because Phoebe wanted to talk to me about something."


    The ghosts became excited, some could not wait to see Phoebe turn him down and others were curious to see if she would accept him.


    "You wanted to talk to me." Collin finished the rest of his sentence.


    Phoebe sat in a chair opposite his. "Yes i...I did." Her lips turned down, unsure about where to begin the discussion about Connie.


    Grandma Mayfair was not about to miss anything so she sat in a empty chair. "Oh, is that so?" Her quizzical eyes shifted from Collin to Phoebe.


    Connie came out of the space, chomping loudly on a carrot. "Sis these veggies are ready for harvesting..." her eyes fell on Collin. "What''s Goldie doing here and why is everyone so serious?" She floated over near to where Phoebe was.


    The Saxon spirit sighed, it was time to tackle this issue. If really the Baltimore''s were Connie''s family then it was time she faced that.


    "Connie let me ask you something, when you look at Collin do you feel something? Anything at all?"


    Connie shrugged. "I mean I like him and I wanted him to end up with Pheebs but you influenced her to choose David."


    The spirit gasped in surprise." I did no such thing! Those two have intertwined destinies, one cannot live without the other but that''s not the answer I want to hear."


    Blinking rapidly Connie clicked her tongue. "Why would I feel anything special for him? He puts a lot of perm in his hair."


    "My God, the way your head works amuses me." The spirit lightly shook its head.


    Phoebe was sipping on her latte as she waited for a response and when she saw no hope in getting answers from Connie, she cleared a non existent cough and gestured for them to stop. There was so much talk and the conversation was an unhelpful distraction. Connie was being her usual silly muddleheaded self.


    "Collin forgive me for prying but by any chance did you ever have another sister other than Cassie?"


    The coffee cup that was on its way to Collin''s mouth paused midway, after which he slowly put it back on the table. Phoebe''s question hovered in the back of his mind, memories of the time his second sister passed away returned, enveloping him in grief. Unintentionally his eyes became moist.


    "May i know why you ask?" He leaned forward and stared at Phoebe with slightly narrowed eyes. "Please don''t tell me that my sister has never moved on since her death and you have met her, that would be horrible!" He buried his head in his hands and prayed that his imagination was far from the truth.


    Shaky breath came from Phoebe''s lips, her eyes shifted to the spirit, they both realized that that their suspicion about Connie being a Baltimore was about to become a reality. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe stretched her hand to touch his, she could she that she had scratched an old painful wound. "Collin, there is a ghost that has been with me for a long time, she has come to be a little sister to me, she is sweet and smart with very many similarities to Cassie. She lost her memories and doesn''t remember her past at all."


    Connie pointed an index finger at herself. "Is it me? Is Phoebe talking about me?"


    The spirit nodded. "That''s why I asked earlier if you feel any connection to him."


    "I do not feel a thing whatsoever." Connie used her hand to dismiss the idea.


    "What about Cassie then? Each time you see her your attitude changes." Asked the spirit


    Connie sneered. "That''s only because she''s an asshole to Phoebe, she just gives me bad vibes." She wrinkled her nose.


    Meanwhile Collin slipped on the ghost seeing glasses handed to him by Phoebe.

 Chapter 340 A sibling reunion with questions.

    Phoebe gave him the glasses because she figured the moment of truth had come, if the Baltimore''s were not Connie''s family, then they could drop the assumption and ask David to look for Connie''s real family.


    Her assumption turned out to be the right one as Collin Baltimore let out a yelp and jumped from the chair and grabbed the air in an attempt to touch Connie.


    "Co-Connie....?" His voice cracked greatly, he tried to hold back his tears but instead they pushed out like a waterfall. "Connie my God, have you been here in the cafe right from the beginning? What didn''t you recognize me, why haven''t you moved on this whole time?"


    His fingers rubbed away tears, behind the wet glasses. Collin couldn''t see anymore so he took them off and dried them with the bottom sleeve of his shirt.


    Everyone in the cafe knew what was happening except for one ghost; Connie. She had been engulfed in confusion when Collin called her name in a shaky voice, his tears perplexed her. He seemed happy to see her but at the same time sad which made her heart quiver in a way she could not explain. She floated closer to the table, particularly his side.


    "Hey goldie, do you really know who I am? Was I really rich or famous, I don''t think that I was an ordinary person." She cocked her head and watched him quickly put the glasses back on.


    All she knew about herself was that she was named Connie and nothing else, her mind always drew a blank when she tried to remember things from her human life. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Collin chuckled shakily through his tears, his sister was still as conceited as ever. "Yeah, I do know you very much actually. Too bad that you cannot remember me but I am your older brother. You have a twin sister and a mother too."


    Connie''s eyes widened and she laughed in disbelief, for a moment she eyed Collin as if he was insane.


    "Holy crap! does this mean that the very supercilious girl Cassie is my sister? I find it hard to believe, she behaves as if she is the queen of the world, she is the opposite of me. Is there a mistake, I really cannot remember anything at all." Connie slightly tapped on her head, now would be a good time for her memories to return to her but it was just as empty as ever.


    The others listened to Connie judging Cassie and their jaws almost dropped, they were experiencing their own shock. Connie and Cassie were two sides of the same coin, how did she not see the resemblance?


    Sylvester chortled. "Did she just call someone supercilious? Ha! the irony in that." He continued to fill up the snack display counter.


    Collin''s hand hovered in the air where Connie''s head was, his eyes became moist again as he gazed at his little sister that died without a chance of bidding anyone farewell, her death had been unexpected.


    "You are the sweetest girl in the world." He told her. "You were certainly famous in the rich girl circle of Eagle country."


    Connie snapped her fingers and laughed, "I knew it, I have an air of wealth around me even as a ghost. All my candies are the most expensive kind and my clothes are from high end brands. Brother, was everyone sad when I died? I bet you all miss me."


    Collin nodded.


    Phoebe rubbed her chin, it was a beautiful reunion to watch but there was one thing that she didn''t understand and needed to know.


    "Collin did Connie die here in Fog country, I found her ghost wandering near the police station last year and she followed me. I am confused because you guys used to live in Eagle country and only moved here two years ago, correct?"


    Nodding his head, Collin''s eyes remained fixed on his ghost sister, he was still attempting to touch and hug her despite his mind telling him that it was impossible.


    "That''s right, we thought that a change in environment could help with Cassie''s nightmares and headaches, it was a suggestion made by a shaman my mother visited when were still in Eagle country. He said that Cassie would be healed if we moved here and she was because we found you here and you solved that problem for us."


    Phoebe shook her head lightly and looked at the spirit, confusion plastered allover her face. "Okay, tell us about Connie''s death, it makes no sense because ghosts don''t move so far away from the places they died. Even when they do, they don''t travel hundreds and thousands of miles crossing oceans from one country to another. The only logical explanation is that Connie died here."


    "Well that makes perfect sense because Connie died here, her body was found floating inside one of the historical caves of the salt lake." Collin''s tone was very unsteady, almost like as though the tears would sprout out of his eyes at any time.


    Everyone turned to Connie, they thought that she would be sad but the girl looked excited as if she was watching a movie.


    Connie sat close to him, there was great expectation on her face. "Goldie, I mean brother, forget the tears and tell me what happened exactly. This story better be good, I hope my death was legendary not something lame like tripping over a stone and falling to death because if that''s what it is them I want a do over."


    Collin couldn''t help himself but scoff, even as a ghost Connie still found a way to be funny. "You drowned."


    "Just like that?" Connie asked, she curled her lips to the side, displaying her disappointment publicly.


    To answer her question, Collin nodded. "That''s what all the witnesses said. You had come on a trip to this country arranged by your school for rich students. One of the activities was scuba diving and exploration in the caves of Salt lake, everyone that went for that activity came back except for you which they only noticed hours later.


    There was a search for you which was intense because we pressured the our government and it pressured Fog country''s government. The search lasted for two days and a coast guard later found you floating face down miles away from where your group originally was."


    His voice was raw, he had not told the story in a long time, the last time was at Connie''s funeral service.


    There were parts of the story that made no sense to Phoebe, after working on solving cases with Shark for a year, she was as good as any other trained detective.


    "I smell a rat, everyone that went came back, how come no one realized that Connie wasn''t with them? Wasn''t a tour guide or teacher with them?" Phoebe had a lot of questions about this.


    Collin scratched his head. "Well it was a group of ten girls including Cassie, they were all friends to both Connie and Cassie. Those poor girls were shocked when the news of your death broke, they cried a lot at the funeral, some even fainted."


    "Friends? Ha! Even her own sister didn''t notice? Perhaps we could talk to Cassie about this, I suspect that Connie is blocking her memories because they are too painful." The spirit explained.


    Collin let out a short but heavy sigh. "I do not think that asking Cassie about this is a good idea, she was traumatized by her Connie''s death. That''s when all the nightmares began, followed by the headaches."


    "See! And you think this isn''t strange?" The spirit asked


    "I agree, something happened inside those caves." Phoebe voice was quieter than usual.

 Chapter 341 Playing matchmaker for her aunt.

    The suspicions which the Saxon spirit and Phoebe were mentioning were very worrisome, the allegations quite serious especially when the two seemed to be hinting at Cassie having a secret that was related to Connie''s death.


    Collin was unwilling to hear of it, he had lost a father and then a sister in a space of a few months. He had almost lost Cassie too as those nightmares almost drove her insane. Their lives were finally normal again, he did not want to go dredging up the past. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Sweet, potential murder, I will take it." Connie blurted out giddily.


    Everyone frowned or reacted in another way that expressed shock. Connie had to be mentally screwed up to see her potential murder as something to be excited about.


    "Cassie could not have murdered you." Collin refuted the words immediately.


    "We will know if we speak to her." Phoebe said.


    Collin clenched his jaw; he was ready to turn her down again. Lucky for him, the doorbell chimed, and he saw an opportunity to make a quick exit.


    "Connie, I have to go but I will be back with mom, she will be so happy to see you." he said as he rushed to stand up.


    "Brother, wait, give some money for candy, a couple of millions, you have no idea how horrible it is to be a hungry ghost. I, a wealthy girl was reduced to begging, my boss pays me pennies...." she started fake sobbing.


    In the end, Collin transferred twenty million to Phoebe before Connie allowed him to leave, Phoebe still followed him out and said a few things to him before he left. For the next few hours, they opened the cafe doors and got to work, mingling with humans and ghosts.


    ****


    Later, on the way back home, the affairs of the Baltimore''s were all Phoebe and grandma Mayfair could talk about. They were trading theories on how Connie died, talking freely as she was not around.


    "There are too many ifs, we need to get to the bottom of this matter quickly." grandma Mayfair sighed.


    She was feeling sorry for Connie which was funny as the girl was not bothered by anything that they had learned, she had no memories of it anyway.


    "Collin has promised to make arrangements for me to have a chat with Cassie however he requested that I tread carefully, and he wants to be there when I talk to her to control the direction of our conversation."


    "That poor guy, he wanted to keep the ghost seeing glasses such that he could see his sister as much as he could but he did not dare to ask under those circumstances." Grandma let out a pronounced sigh.


    Phoebe took her hand and patted the top of it. "Grandma why do you think Connie isn''t here, she followed her brother. When I followed him to the door, I gave him a temporary talisman that gives him the ability to see ghosts."


    "Oh! Pheebs that was so nice and thoughtful of you, at least they get to see each other some more." Grandma Mayfair chimed, the folds on her forehead disappeared.


    The spirit arched an eyebrow. "Hmmm, I think that he will come back soon and ask you to destroy that talisman, just wait and see." It spoke with indifference.


    "Why do you say that?" Phoebe asked.


    Clicking it''s tongue, it looked out of the window as they entered the Mayfair drive way. "Apart from Connie, he will be seeing other ghosts. Some are not so pleasing to look at and besides, if ghosts realize that he can see them, they will seek him out."


    Phoebe''s shoulders moved to shrug. "He wanted this, if he is scared then I will destroy the talisman, simple."


    "Look America and Diana are here to play again." The spirit pointed at the swings that were moving on their own.


    Phoebe followed the spirit''s hand, the corners of Phoebe''s eyes crinkled as a rush of joy coursed through her veins. "That little girl is so happy here."


    "And so is America, she has dedicated most of her time to watching out for children at the orphanage, she even gives me updates regularly, there are thirty three children now. Most of the older ones have sad stories to tell, it''s a good thing that I fed her some energy which allows the children to see her, she is continuing her work as a psychologist but solely for children now." The spirit waved at America and floated over to join them.


    Phoebe and grandma Mayfair continued into the house, inside, Phoebe found her aunt and Luna had already become acquainted with each other judging from the way they were laughing and chatting like longtime old friends.


    "Pheebs!" Aunt Maureen gestured that she should come over.


    Her eyes came in contact with those of Luna. "You might as well move in seeing as to how you are frequenting my home." Phoebe''s eyes narrowed as she made a sarcastic joke.


    Luna sat up straight. "Really can I do that?" The glee in her voice alarmed Phoebe not just her but Jennie too as she walked into the living room slowly.


    "Hell no you can not, Phoebe please tell me that you are joking dear." Jennie placed a hand to her chest.


    Aunt Maureen placed the glass of wine on the marble table. "I do not see why not! She is a sweet girl and Luke''s girlfriend. He introduced her to me herself, that boy is in love I am telling you. When has he ever introduced a girl to you?"


    Phoebe scoffed. " I was kidding guys and aunt, watch out for her she is sweet but deadly."


    Jennie could not agree more. "Yes, tell her Pheebs, Maureen I am sorry to say this, but you are a poor judge of character, maybe that''s why you fall for the wrong guys. " Jennie rolled her eyes, she knew that she was rude, but she didn''t care because she and her sister-in-law didn''t have the best taste in men.


    She had dated a few gold diggers, pretty boys and celebrities, most were not even from the founding families.


    Aunt Maureen let out a guffaw dropping her elegant lady act. "You are one to talk Jennie, you dated more than a few of the riffraffs on founding lane and only got lucky that my brother fell for you. My dear you cannot judge me at all, besides I still believe that my soul mate must be out there waiting or searching for me." She had a faraway dreamy look in her eyes.


    Phoebe clapped once and drew all the attention to herself. "That''s it, there is someone that I think will be a perfect match for you. He is a very nice man, runs a seed and herb store, he lives a simple but enjoyable life. I have already made the calculations and your stars align."


    "Really?" Grandma Mayfair exclaimed, overjoyed. She didn''t have to worry anymore about her daughter growing old alone.


    Nodding strongly, Phoebe smiled widely however her aunt Maureen was skeptical even at that age of forty-seven she was still very picky.


    "Set them up and i don''t want to hear a negative word from you Maureen. Phoebe creates the best matches, Shanna and Collin for instance." Grandma Mayfair spoke with a lot of enthusiasm.


    Luna clapped her hands eagerly like an excited kid. "Me and Luke." Her words had people rolling their eyes.

 Chapter 342 Faking it excellently.

    Phoebe wrinkled her nose and excused herself, obviously she could not stop Luna, when the woman was being created, shamelessness was added into her DNA in large doses.


    "Nana, when did I bring Collin and Shanna together?" Phoebe poked a pillow as she went through her memories, trying to recall any moment when she suggested Shanna as Collin''s match.


    "Didn''t you do a reading for them and said their stars aligned or something like that? You said they were ninety nine percent compatible and all most couples need for a good marriage to work out is seventy five percent." Old lady Mayfair reminded her.


    Phoebe winced, she did say those things but this was after Collin and Shana got together, in fact the elders of both families had already met when her grandmother brought Collin and Shanna''s dates of birth and asked her to do a reading.


    "I did say that," Phoebe said after a moment of short thought, she stood up with the intention to leave. "Alright, I am going to take a bath and then dress up."


    Quickly, Luna stood. "I will go help her since I am already done, grandma you should go and change into something nice too even though you already look amazing."


    Aunt Maureen''s nail clicked on the wine glass she was holding. "Keep it up young lady, flattery will get you everywhere." She chuckled and watched Jennie with glee.


    Jennie looked like she had swallowed a fly and Maureen loved it. The more that Luna got under Jennie''s skin, the more she approved of her.


    "Grandmother? Really mother, you are already letting her call you that?" Jennie said unhappily "Need I remind everyone of what her name is; Elithera, she is an Elithera, they manufacture and sell weapons, they run drugs, they kill for heaven sake! and they are not welcomed by the founding families. She is not good Mayfair daughter-in-law material."


    Grandma Mayfair waved her hand to dismiss Jennie''s words. "I can name five founding families that are in the making and selling of arms including the great Drusus family.


    They sell drugs.....have you ever seen Luna personally selling drugs? As for killing people, if she is killing bad ones then the consequences are between her and God, not me.When it comes to not being welcomed by the founding families, that''s also her battle, not mine. Besides, those families neither feed, clothe or pay her salary so why should she care about them?


    We are Mayfairs, we are not obligated to lower our heads before other families we are one of the top five founding families, others bow to us.Jennie I held prejudice against her originally but I am changing my mind slowly so why can''t you?


    Luna is not that bad, she looks out for Phoebe in ways that we cannot and she is Luke''s girlfriend, the only woman he has ever dated that we know of, are you really going to keep condemning her? If yes, then prepare to lose a son. Calm down and let things take there course, nobody knows tomorrow." She bypassed a sulking Jennie and entered the elevator because her old legs did not want to climb the stairs.


    She left Jennie speechless and irritated, she was unwilling to allow an Elithera sink claws into her son.


    Inside Phoebe''s room meanwhile, Luna waited for Phoebe to finish her bath and then took on the role of personal designer, first she rejected the dress Jennie had chosen calling saying that it was a vintage and that wasn''t the theme.


    She ransacked the entire closet of expensive gowns but complained that she couldn''t find one that would cause David''s jaw to drop.


    "I don''t need to do that, David is already my boyfriend." Phoebe picked the gown her mother had chosen from the bed, she didn''t quite like it but she had accepted to wear it nevertheless.


    Luna placed both hands to her waist. "Phoebe you seem to be naive in this dating world, listen every time you get an opportunity make sure that you change your looks such that he doesn''t get bored with one. Why do you think I changed the color of my hair? To be appealing and always interesting in my Luke''s eyes. Do you know how many nurses are hitting on him? I have watched those medical dramas, I know what doctors and nurses and other doctors do in their break rooms."


    Phoebe''s eyes shifted from the dress to Luna''s hair, it was a pale orange which resembled a carrot, it was a good thing that Luna was beautiful enough to pass it off.


    "I heard you but if I do not wear this my mother will be heart broken and dislike you more for influencing me to change my mind."


    Tapping her index finger on her red colored lips, Luna thought about it. "Then by all means wear the dress because I want your mother to like me." A smile of defeat came to form on her lips, she didn''t want to make her relationship with Jennie any worse than it already was. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "For the Sunflower ball, I am going to take you to this new place in town, it has the best ball gowns. Your family will get a lot of marriage proposals the next day." she said.


    Phoebe chuckled, she strolled into the large bedroom sized closet, changed and stepped out a minute later. She had donned on a long sleeved black body hugging gown with a sweetheart neck line. In her opinion it was a bit modest for her style but quite nice.


    "Wow, okay it''s alright I admit that its gorgeous but probably because you are beautiful, not the dress." Luna commented.


    Her reaction caused Phoebe to laugh for Luna''s eyes stared at her with admiration but her mouth said something totally the opposite.


    Phoebe added a luxurious looking talisman pendant made by Lorraine from her stones. She knew a lot of pictures of her would be taken which was a good way to advertise her business.


    Maria knocked once and entered. "Miss Pheebs forgive me I wanted to help you dress up but.....oh my goodness." her words trailed off when she saw Phoebe looking so gorgeous. "You look so beautiful Miss Pheebs, I guess you will be going home with Mr. David tonight." Her eyebrows danced dramatically.


    Phoebe''s cheeks turned red, as red as those of a Victorian bride on her wedding night. "What are you talking about Maria, I am coming back home."


    "Aha! If you say so." Luna laughed and Maria joined her as they all walked out of the door too join the rest of the family downstairs. Phoebe got a lot of comments praising her looks from her family.


    "We have to thank Luna too, she assisted in helping her put the look together." Aunt Maureen stated.


    [That is funny because she hated the dress until it put it on.]


    Luna''s eyes adjusted and fell upon Jennie who seemed disturbed by Maureen''s comment. "Actually aunt, mother is the one that chose this beautiful gown, her fashion test is top notch."


    "At least you are not shameless to steal someone else''s credit, let''s go." Jennie raised her nose in the air.


    Luke roughly grabbed Luna''s arm and held her back while everyone left ahead of them. "Mother? Aunt, you are beginning to sound as if you have already married into my family."


    Even Shanna was still calling Jennie, Mrs. Mayfair not mother despite being engaged to Collin.


    "You know what they say Luke, fake it until you make it, we must make it look as real as possible for them to believe we are together."

 Chapter 343 Auction night

    The venue of the auction was the founding museum and gallery, one of the multiple properties owned jointly by the founding families and managed by a committee selected by the founding council.


    All the families contributed famous antiques, art and various crafts to be placed in the museum all year round, those things were exchanged once a year, usually at the beginning. If a family wished to retrieve whatever they had placed in the museum, they had to bring a replacement of the same value.


    The preference for the art and various antiques was simple; old, rare, with historical meaning and worth a lot of money. All this information was shared by Aunt Maureen. She was doing most of the explaining to Phoebe who didn''t have the heart to tell her that she was familiar with the information.


    Visiting the founding museum was a must do activity for all junior students in high school for history class. Aunt Maureen passionately expressed her opinions on the policies of the museum.


    "What pisses me off is that they display a lot of outstanding works but mostly auction off dull ones that cannot be compared however, we still bid and buy them at ridiculously high prices because we want to show off our wealth." Aunt Maureen commented,


    Grandma Mayfair scratched the lobes of her ears wishing she could close her eardrums for a while, her daughter Maureen was quite a chatterbox.


    "They should rename it ''we have stupid money to burn on crap auction night.''" Aunt Maureen chuckled.


    "Oh my, you are quite zealous about the issue." Phoebe said.


    Aunt Maureen did not deny how much the museum policies vexed her. "I have attended these auctions time without number in the last few years but I still do not understand what the council is thinking. Although unproven some of the items auctioned off are said to be magical and if they end up in the wrong hands they could be dangerous.


    Word on the street is that some of the people that attend buy these items and sell them off at higher prices to shamans and witches who know their true value. It''s like they don''t care to vet what they are selling off anymore." Aunt Maureen leaned in and whispered.


    Grandma Mayfair pulled her brows to form a from. "Maureen are you certain? If that''s the case then we have to inform the council, where did you hear this?"


    "Mother remember I live in Hartoum, I know people that sell information on ancient relics and magic trinkets. Some of the things being auctioned off in the last few years are part of the items captured from the expelled families that moved to Hartoum.


    It is not surprising that they would have relics that are magic affiliated, it was why most of them were expelled in the first place, they were consorting with demons and dark witches and warlocks.


    Expulsion does not necessarily mean that they stopped or mended their evil ways." Maureen pointed her lips and chewed on the inside of her lips. "Of late those families have become more organized, it bothers me a little." She shrugged.


    Grandma Mayfair sighed deeply. "Yes we have heard, it''s bothering all of us. I fear for what they could be planning. Maybe they are the ones stirring up all the trouble in the founding families lately with all the bad things happening to us which are magic related." She sighed, "Anyway let''s just focus on tonight and discuss this later."


    Phoebe had a lot to think about regarding her grandmother''s theory, if it was true then she suspected the expelled families might be the ones working with demons to bring Ravana back to life.


    Phoebe pressed her fingers and decided that she would think about it tomorrow and hear what the Saxon spirit had to say.


    "I cannot wait to see what will be displayed off today, I am going to show off my Mayfair heiress power tonight." Phoebe rubbed her hands excitedly.


    Her grandmother chuckled. "You should not bid carelessly, some people just keep raising the prices maliciously to trick others into losing money. You have made yourself some enemies on the lane, one of them might decide to be smart."


    Phoebe nodded like a well behaved child, "Yes nana, I will be wasteful but wise."


    Grandma Mayfair laughed loudly, impish Phoebe was kind of cute.


    Aunt Maureen stared at Phoebe meanwhile, she was still trying to understand this niece of hers that seemed to have more to her than her simple appearance. What was it that made the girl special?


    She was special indeed, she even had two Saxon''s and one Baltimore panting after her, even her dating life was entertaining and special. "I thought that your Saxon boyfriend was picking you up, I have not seen that boy in ages, I would like to meet him again."


    A little smile grew on Phoebe''s lips. "He will be waiting for me at the venue, I guess that you will get to meet him there."


    "I am still amazed at how you managed to bag a high born Saxon....not that you cannot but from the story I heard you guys got together before you found out that you were a Mayfair. Did you use a charm on him or something?"


    Phoebe arched an eyebrow. "A charm? No dear Aunt, I do sell love true finding charms but they only help lead you to your true love not guide the relationship or anything."


    Phoebe knew first hand that just because you loved someone and they loved you back, there was no guarantee that you would be happy together, life was more complex.


    "My friend Prudence told me that after David came out of his coma, he began to search desperately for Phoebe and calling her his wife. Funnily, Phoebe also went into a coma a few months before David and when she woke up, she run from Citrus to Magic city as if she was being pursued.


    I have never heard something more bizarre than their experiences. The story was very strange honestly but, I am happy that the two finally found each other." Grandma Mayfair recounted the extremely brief summary of how David and Phoebe came to be with a smile.


    "Strange indeed." Aunt Maureen raised her eyebrows and continued to study Phoebe who shifted uncomfortably.


    That was a story she didn''t want people prying into for there were too many loop holes.


    "Oh look we are here." Phoebe pointed at the procession of the luxury vehicles that was moving slower than a turtle, it seemed endless.


    Their car broke out of the long line and moved to a VIP line, within two minutes, they arrived near the entrance but it was also crowded, some people were hugging each other, others were in conversation. Some were standing outside, waiting for friends or family to arrive.


    Those that liked to show off were taking pictures on a red carpet.


    "So many people are in attendance today, I heard from Edward that they would be auctioning off old things that were found on a wrecked ship in Cantana Bay. Apparently they are switching things up this time, everyone will be seeing what''s inside for the first time including the members that sit on the council." Aunt Maureen watched the Saxons walk quietly but with authority.


    Grandma Mayfair gasped. "Isn''t that dangerous? Why would they do that?"


    "To spice up the auctions, the monotony was getting boring which had led to a reduction in numbers of notable influential people willing to attend. I guess a lot of people heard about the rumor, even that witch Miranda graced us with her presence today."


    "Humph!" Phoebe stepped out of the vehicle and flashes began to blind her. She positioned her necklace well such that good pictures of it would be taken.


    David who was among those waiting by the bottom stairs leading up to the main entrance rushed to join her and put his arm around her waist.


    This was his opportunity to send a clear message, Phoebe Mayfair was his woman, only his.


    Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 344 In the museum.

    The reaction was as he expected, flashes of cameras and shouts of their names were heard coming from the lips of desperate press.


    "David, Phoebe look this way."


    David turned Phoebe in various directions, smiling proudly as he showed her off to the whole world. He even sneaked in a kiss on her cheek that made a few women squeal in glee.


    "That will be a front pager for sure." David whispered to her as he whisked her away.


    "Well you made sure of that now didn''t you?" Phoebe patted his chest as she responded lazily with a smile,


    David caught her hand, looking into her eyes with a smirk on his face, "You are no better, these little love taps you are giving to my chest will be short videos for sure, you look very lovely by the way."


    She flipped her hair back as she had seen her grandmother doing in the cafe.


    "Of course, don''t you know whose daughter I am? My grandma is a former miss Fog, you should know what that means." S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    David laughed, "That she has long legs while you...."


    Phoebe''s eyebrows short up, her entire demeanor dared him to complete the statement.


    "Look good in heels." he finished off. "Come on, let''s head inside and look around before the auction begins."


    As he led her away from the red carpet, she complimented him on his looks, the white suit he had chosen matched his white hair which he had grown out. The medium two golden chains on the coat and red ruby jewel on the dress shirt inside made his outfit very eye catching, all together he looked dashing.


    "Did you choose white to match my black dress?" she asked.


    "But of course I did." he answered.


    The two breezed right past the rest of the Mayfairs, Saxons and everyone else that was standing around the entrance. They moved in sync, hand in hand with eyes only for each other.


    "Aah, a grown girl really cannot be kept at home." Edward said with a sad sigh. His daughter had not even noticed the hand he held out for her.


    Old lady Mayfair was of the same opinion but she also kept in mind Phoebe''s opinions concerning marriage. "Don''t worry, she is very reluctant to marry."


    Inside of the museum, David took on the role of tour guide but the Saxon spirit jumped in and took over, not that David had a problem with it because the spirit explained things in a fun way and happened to be far more knowledgeable than him.


    It even shared secrets and corrected the false knowledge that they had concerning some of the artifacts behind the glasses, like the fact that the eighty million dollar painting donated by the Darling family was actually stolen from the Spellcaster family a long time ago.


    It was like a fun gossip session and some of the things Phoebe heard, she could not wait to share with her grandmother. She saw various magical items among the relics on display like a crystal blade crafted from magical crystals made by the seven powerful witches during the supernatural war.


    It looked so fragile as if it was made from glass, it was so beautiful that Phoebe felt the urge to touch it, surprisingly it began to glow when she came close.


    "Phoebe stepped back before someone sees you, there are so many sharp eyes here today." The spirit warned strongly.


    David moved closer to the glass, he went as far as to touch it but the blade didn''t react. "What is Phoebe''s connection to the blade?" He asked the spirit but in response it remained quiet.


    He got no response, even Phoebe that was hoping for one got none.


    "Oh you dropped a bomb and now you are giving us the silent treatment." Phoebe complained.


    "All in good time, first focus on your training and widening your knowledge." The spirit answered.


    As they toured more, David suddenly brought up Cillian Mayfair, telling Phoebe that Roxanne had found nothing unusual about her grandfather''s death. If there was a secret it was not in any police file or records from the office of medical examiners.


    "I will ask my father about it tonight, I will also tell him about my desire to see the Moldove founding Academy."


    Phoebe let out a tiny sigh, it was going to be a long night, her father was bound to berate her for once.


    David parted his lips as if to say something but he pressed them back together. He was hoping that they would spend the night together but she had other plans, his words wouldn''t change a thing.


    He gestured for a waiter to come over with the tray of wine glasses in his hand, he picked two and handed one to Phoebe.


    "Is something bothering you?" Phoebe accepted the glass and immediately took a sip.


    "It''s Ruth, have you felt anything from that worm?" He lied blatantly


    First, she chuckled. "The worm doesn''t talk David." She curled her lips to the side for a tiny second. "Whoever is suppressing it is doing a semi good job but it''s growing steadily, about to enter the second phase of growth and then I will surely find out where she is exactly but we have to tread carefully. Whoever is helping her has knowledge of strong magic. Unfortunately they know us but we don''t know them."


    He appeared to be stressed so she slipped an arm through his and smiled at him.


    "Let''s just enjoy the night, at least today let''s forget our worries." Phoebe cheerfully requested.


    "Okay babe." He lowered his head and kissed her lips briefly.


    Hardly had they taken two steps when they heard a female voice behind them.


    "Ohh aren''t you two cute! I still think that it''s a waste of time."


    The two love birds whirled around only to see Margaret Saxon. The Saxon spirit placed a talisman on her back preventing her from seeing Phoebe''s thoughts immediately.


    "Another Saxon that I cannot stand." It wrinkled it''s face.


    "Who are you?" Phoebe acted like she had no idea who the woman was.


    David''s face turned gloom as if he was deeply unhappy. "Aunt Maggie, I cannot say that I am happy to see you here."


    Margaret laughed, a haughty and wicked laugh. "David, darling the feeling is mutual, I have never liked you because you find it hard to see my baby Dickson happy. Now you want to toy with the woman that he wants to marry." She boldly claimed.


    A bitter laugh came from David. "That''s the joke of the century, it was actually the other way round. Your son has always felt inferior to me and he loves to steal everything I have. Now he is boldly claiming my girlfriend in public and pursuing her even though she has rejected him time and time again. If that''s not loser behavior, I don''t know what is."


    Margaret inhaled deeply as she fought the urge to smack David across the face. "If you are trying to get me mad, it''s not working my dear." She turned her attention to Phoebe. "You are riding with the wrong camp, my Dickson will make you the happiest woman in the world if you marry him."


    "No thanks, I would rather marry a tree?" Phoebe stated curtly.


    David covered his mouth with the back of his hand and chuckled.


    Margaret''s nostrils flared. "Did you just reject me?"


    Phoebe looked her straight in the eyes. "You heard me, I am fine where I am, go and peddle your son elsewhere."


    Margaret scoffed. "Is it because of the money? My Dickson made a break through, he is about to become one of richest men in Fog, richer than unemployed David, I assure you."


    "Oh I doubt that but when he does, tell him to come find me, maybe then we will have this conversation again." Phoebe held her wine glass tightly, fighting the urge to splash the contents on Margaret''s face.


    "Pheebs you cannot be serious!" David''s eyes opened widely as he struggled not to laugh, Dickson was about to loose everything to them.


    "Alright then." Margaret flipped the lower end of her gown. "I will start making the wedding plans." She walked away.

 Chapter 345 New rules and guidelines.

    "There is seriously something wrong with Dickson and his mother, its more than narcissism, I don''t even have a name for it." Phoebe shot David a probing gaze. "There is no lunacy gene in your family, is there?"


    "No." he answered in a slightly outraged voice, "Those two are just crazy, aunt Maggie is greedy and vain, she raised Dickson to be exactly just like her, he is a mama''s boy with a big ego and even bigger imagination and persecution complex. How is that puppet coming along?"


    "Seamlessly, by the time Ruth returns Dickson will be under our control." She waved her empty wine glass, gesturing for a new to be brought.


    Once she had it in hand, they moved to the actual venue of the auction which was a hall adjustment to the museum and art gallery.


    It had been redecorated to match the planned event for the day, some art pieces were on the walls, most were eerie, the artist had used a blood and death theme.


    Other than that, the lay out of the hall was meticulously planned, the chairs faced a sleek podium at the front. Behind the podium was a large high-definition digital display screen that would showcase the items up for bid with details like history and real time bidding information. For now, it was showing a documentary on a new artist whose works the museum was promoting.


    Soft rays of light that emanated from the chandeliers cast a warm glow over the main auction area. As for the silk clad fancy looking chairs, touch screen pads were placed on each for those that wished to make their bids anonymously or read up on the items available for auction.


    "Oh, wow they went all out in creating a lovely atmosphere, it feels like I am attending an awards show." She sniffed the air softly. "I can smell a lot of money."


    David chuckled; in this life he had never met a person that loves money more than Phoebe. "That''s because the richest people in Fog are in attendance tonight, these people have old money that has been in their families for generations." He led her to the Mayfair table ignoring signals from his mother who wanted them to sit with the Saxons.


    "Sit, sit it''s about to begin." Aunt Maureen waved the auction puddle as the light grew dimmer. She scanned David, he had matured and become a fine man, the last time she had seen him in person, he was half her height and stubborn to boot. But he had matured into a handsome and elegant man that was very protective and kind of obsessed with his girlfriend. Her niece had really outdone herself by nailing him, she thought.


    "I can''t believe she has the guts to show up." David whispered to Phoebe.


    She looked in the direction he was pointing and saw Dorothy Cook.


    "Well, corruption is not reason enough to be banned from the founding families or exiled from functions related to the society. But I agree she has guts." Phoebe eyed Dorothy with disdain. "If I was her, I would be out of the country and on my vacation home somewhere on an island, surrounded by hot cabana boys."


    Somehow, Phoebe''s words reached Jennie who bent forward and hissed at her.


    "I am kidding mom." She laughed.


    Edward shivered, "I am living in a nightmare, we should reverse time and make you a baby again." he joked.


    "What the hell is a cabana boy?" David asked.


    Barely had the question left his mouth when aunt Maureen and Luna showed everyone images of hot cabana boys on their phones.


    "You should really visit...." Aunt Maureen started.


    "No." Grandma Mayfair and Jennie both said at the same time, startling aunt Maureen whose phone fell down.


    While the guests settled in and chattered with excitement, the auctioneer who was dressed in an immaculate tuxedo like most of the men in the hall, moved to the fore front and stood behind the podium.


    His gloved hand pointed at the screen, and he briefly explained the history of the wrecked ship which had been retrieved from deep in the ocean on the island of Cantana Bay.


    The screen showed footage of the excavation of the shipwreck, it was a ten-minute video, and everyone maintained silence as they watched. Their hearts picked up speed when they saw old boxes being removed from the remains.


    "Here we go." Aunt Maureen whispered loudly as she leaned forward.


    The auctioneer clapped once. "You should know that no one, not even the members of the council have seen the contents of the shipwreck. It should be noted that going forward all relics and items sold cannot be resold without permission from the council. For this reason, once a year, experts will visit the lucky winners of the bids to inspect and ascertain that these things are still in your possession."


    Murmurs of disagreement rose from the congregation that didn''t like the fact that they needed permission from the council to sell their legally acquired belongings.


    "Furthermore, going forward, if at any point an item is sold and later the council realizes that it is related to any of the expelled families or has unsavory history then the council will be obligated to collect it back and your money will be returned."


    The sharp minds realized by unsavory history he meant magic kind of history. The auctioneer''s words were meet with slight resistance, but he stressed that those were the new rules and guidelines.


    Rex Chapman walked to the pulpit. "Ladies and gentlemen those that feel uncomfortable with the new rules can march out smartly. If not, then please maintain order such that we can proceed." His words elicited silence as the disgruntled murmurs died down.


    The chests found on the ship were brought in one by one, five in total.


    David leaned towards Phoebe and whispered. "Baby if you like anything just tell me and I will buy it." A sweet smile grew on his lips.


    Phoebe nodded; the one thing she liked better than making money was spending someone else''s money.


    Five world renowned experts in different field like archeology, geology and mythical studies joined the auctioneer. The first chest was opened, there was nothing special apart from dump papers clamped together. The ink had almost vanished and there was no way of knowing what was once written on them.


    The auctioneer called for the bidding for them to begin. " The bidding for these old texts will begin at 100,000 Fog dollars." He said as the helpers carefully placed them on a silver tray.


    "Is he serious?" Phoebe chuckled.


    The auctioneer''s words had people laughing including Andre.


    "Who would buy that garbage at that price." Hardly had the words left his mouth when grandpa Saxon raised his paddle. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "One hundred thousand."


    Murmurs shadowed by curiosity came from the crowd as they began to make their own bids.


    "If Rufus Saxon is interested in them then they must be important." One said as he raised his paddle.


    The Saxon spirit winced, "Something is very strange about those chests. I do not know what it is but I find it odd that I cannot see through all the contents inside."


    The damp papers were taken by a man that was familiar to Phoebe, she had met him once. He was Dean Morrel, the acting headmaster of the Moldove founding Academy. He bought them at the price of two million fog dollars.


    Next the auctioneer revealed a hat, it was long and sharp tipped like one worn by old witches in movies.


    "The bid starts at 200,000." He showed all sides of it and even flipped it to show the insides of it.


    The Saxon spirit narrowed its eyes and said to Phoebe. "That''s the sleeper''s hat, it''s a magical object but I feel no magic coming from it."

 Chapter 346 More bound magical items.

    Phoebe sat up stiffly like she had been shocked by a stun gun, she touched her paddle and gripped the wooden handle firmly.


    "Sweetie, are you alright?" Jennie asked.


    Nodding her head, Phoebe asked the spirit to explain more. "A sleeper''s hat? What does it do?"


    "In the 1600''s, there was an epidemic of sleepwalkers finding their way into children''s dreams, causing them nightmares that led to sickness and death. A witch named Ronda created the first sleeper''s hat as a solution. It can allow one to have full control of their dreams as long as they fall sleep with that hat on.


    Let me put it in Gen Z terms, you get to view your dream like a game meaning that you can slow your dreams, kick out what you don''t like and kill what frightens you. You can choose to see only what makes you happy in your dreams." The spirit explained. "You don''t need it, but you should get it anyway because its magical, I don''t know why it''s magic was bound as it''s not a deadly magic object."


    "Three hundred thousand." Phoebe raised her paddle, increasing the bid from one hundred thousand abruptly. Nobody else was interested so Phoebe won the bid immediately.


    She left both her family and other people shocked that she has bought an old useless hat so expensively. She had even increased the price even though she had no determined competitors.


    "Honey what is that even?" Her father asked as he shook his head.


    [It''s a magic hat.]


    The Mayfair''s gasped, they looked at the hat again and saw nothing special. Aunt Maureen gasped; she made a momentous decision to get everything that Phoebe picked interest in.


    Next was a backpack, it was black in color and appeared to be old, for something that had stayed in water for a long time, it was in good condition.


    The spirit pointed at it. "Where did these things even come from, Phoebe get that too. It''s the hunter or traveler''s backpack."


    "What now?" Phoebe asked inwardly.


    "Inside that backpack is a space equal to one hundred hectares of land. It is big enough that you fit everything in your apartment and cafe inside, furthermore a humans or humans can fit in there, alive or dead." The spirit explained.


    Phoebe gasped on realizing that it was similar to the magic space. Odds were, someone that had been on the ship owned the bag, she couldn''t wait to find out what was inside. She raised her paddle, so did her aunt.


    "Aunt, what are you doing, I saw it first?" she asked, with a look of betrayal in her eyes.


    "Money talks." her aunt said.


    They competed fiercely, raising the price to six million fog dollars and once again, stunned a lot of people. It was just an old empty bag, what was special about it?


    "You win; I cannot compete with Saxon money." Aunt Maureen sighed.


    She gave up because she had no idea what the bag was or why Phoebe wanted it and she figured this was her niece, if the bag was special, she could just borrow it. They would send it back and forth, they could be the sisterhood of the traveling bag pack.


    Next was a water can, old and rusty. Upon seeing it, the spirit told her to buy it as well.


    "What is that, Zephyra? Seriously it looks useless."


    The spirit shook its head. "My dear, that''s a bottomless canteen, with its magic revived it can be very useful. You can fill it with infinite and different types of liquids, and they will never go bad, so when you are stranded on a desert or some forest and dying of thirst, it comes in handy. You get to have soda, water, juice, tea, alcohol, whatever you stock up."


    The competition to bid for the bottle was tougher than that of a golden necklace. The two Mayfair women went neck for neck with neither surrendering.


    The price went up to eight million and Phoebe smirked at her aunt. "All day aunt, I can do this all day with the support of my baby David."


    David shrugged and laughed, "Aunt, surrender."


    Aunt Maureen huffed and bid nine million.


    "She wouldn''t even know what to do with it if you handed it to her." The spirit spoke through pursed lips.


    "Twelve million." Phoebe raised the bid exponentially.


    Phoebe won once again but everyone thought that buying an old useless bottle at twelve million was a waste. Then again, they were all there to show off so maybe she was just showing off. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In their eyes, she was new to money an event of this caliber, so excitement was her motivation.


    "It''s nothing personal aunt Maureen." She laughed triumphantly.


    The Saxon spirit that was beginning to enjoy itself suddenly lost its spark when a reddish object in a perfect sphere shape was pulled out. "Bloody Hell! That thing should not be out here among the people, it''s a very dangerous magical item that went missing many years ago when a corrupted guardian stole it from the hidden coffers of the Moldove founding Academy hundreds of years ago after the supernatural war."


    Phoebe noticed that Morrel was standing, shocked by what he was looking at. Grandpa Saxon took his glasses off like as though he could see clearer without them.


    "What is that thing?" Phoebe asked


    "It''s called the orb of judgment; it lets you see inside a person''s soul. In the wrong hands it could be very dangerous, lucky for us it''s magic was bound just like all the items in there otherwise that man holding it would be crying tears of blood." The spirit explained, it watched as Rex Chapman read the contents of his phone and moved to the pulpit.


    Phoebe looked at the spirit quizzically. "Why would he cry tears of blood?


    "Because he would get to see the inside of the souls of everyone here, it''s a lot to handle for an ordinary human, using it means that you experience every painful emotion and regret that the target has ever felt in seconds and their multiple targets here.


    It can also assess the moral integrity of a person, when one stands before the orb, it can judge their actions and intentions giving guidance on the righteous path. It can warn you if someone is straying towards harmful or unethical behavior, so it was to ensure bad students or teachers were kicked out of the academy and sects.


    It also possesses knowledge of past events that are lost or hidden, whatever it has witnessed stays with it, that''s why it used to be a great tool for conflict resolution because it made fair judgements basing on what it had seen.


    Only the grand guardian of the supernatural wall had the ability to use it and her heart was pure, if an evil warlock gets their hands on it then it can be used to fulfill evil desires. Now I am curious to know who was on this ship?"


    "Ten, no thirty million." Phoebe raised her paddle. "Dad, I want this thing." she leaned forward and asked her father for help in case others tried to outbid her.


    "Forty million." Edward said.


    "Fifty million." someone called out from the back.


    A figure of two hundred million appeared on the screen behind the podium, the bidder was anonymous.


    "Five hundred million." David bellowed.


    One billion, the figure on the screen changed.


    "What the fuck!" The Saxon spirit exclaimed.


    Phoebe was too stunned to react to the spirit cursing for the very first time ever, she was just worried because the auction was heating up. Suddenly, it was as though everyone had come to life.


    The people were certainly excited, it was barely an hour in, and someone had made a bid of a one billion for a red crystal ball.


    "Five billion." a new voice jumped into the mix and everybody gasped.

 Chapter 347 The ever bendable Rex disappoints.

    The gavel slipped and fell from the auctioneer''s fingers, his eyes moved to where the voice came from. It was Rufus Saxon, he sat lazily like he hadn''t just raised the price to a very large amount of money which 99% of the population could never make in their entire lives.


    It was from his personal savings, not even five percent of what he had in terms of private money. Even the founding families knew that if the citizens of the country truly knew how much money they had, there would be a riot that would bring the country to its knees.


    The auctioneer adjusted the microphone. "Anyone countering the offer? Five billion going once...."


    "Six billion." Miranda Saxon raised her paddle.


    The Saxon spirit groaned painfully. "Why would Miranda Saxon even go that far? I highly doubt she knows the purpose of the orb!"


    On the screen, the price was raised to seven billion, and people gasped.


    "Eight billion." Eldrine Greer called out.


    All the Greer''s in attendance frowned, even if they had the money, the orb did not seem to be that special.


    "Pa..." his son Aldrine called out. "Why do you want that thing?"


    "Because everyone wants it." he answered with an shrug, just like Rufus Saxon, he was comfortable with the amount he had offered.


    "Nine billion." Nile Saxon shouted.


    David and Phoebe looked in his direction, he shrugged, he was bidding because it was fun. Some of David''s cousins were laughing, his brother Ian was raising his paddle ready to jump in.


    "Ten billion." David spoke with indifference, from the money he had he had accumulated recently, this was just pocket change. He squeezed Phoebe''s hand lightly and gave her assurance. "Whatever you want, you will get."


    Phoebe shuffled her feet softly, she wanted to scream for joy but she saved that for later. "Having a rich boyfriend sure did come in handy."


    The crowd meanwhile went wild, and everyone suddenly picked an interest in the orb, more paddles went up and the price reached twenty billion, frightening everyone in the room. The president and his family were watching the auction from the presidential palace, his jaw dropped.


    He wondered if the people in that room even knew what twenty billion could do for the economy of Fog country if it was donated.


    "They are bloody mad." His daughter commented.


    "Twenty one billion." General Drusus bellowed, he took it so far as to stand and glare at everyone, threatening them with his piercing eyes.


    "Twenty five billion." Luna said, and she giggled.


    "What the hell! she is not even one of us." A voice came from the back.


    "Rex! Why the hell are you just standing there like a statue?" Dean Morrel yelled. "Cut it now."


    Rex Chapman took a few steps forward, pushed the auctioneer aside and tapped on the microphone. "Ladies and gentlemen I regret to inform you that we are moving on from this chest to the next items. This orb is not available for bidding."


    A group of people behind Rex started closing up the chests.


    Rex''s words were met with resistance from the crowd that was having the time of their lives, they wanted to see what else was locked away in the chest, it did not seem to be empty yet.


    "You cannot do that! Why are you closing up the chests, we came here specially to buy what is inside those damn old boxes." Someone shouted, murmurs in support followed.


    Rex''s hands gestured for all to calm down. "Like it was communicated to you earlier, some of these things will be stored and protected by the council and that includes this orb." He watched it being placed back in the chest.


    "That is fine but we have to at least see the rest of the stuff inside, you cannot deny us that! Unless you are taking everything back that has been including those won by Phoebe Mayfair and Mr. Morrel." Dorothy Cook spoke through pursed lips.


    Rex sneered, he wondered when this vendetta of Dorothy''s against Phoebe Mayfair would come to an end. It had already cost her a position on the council, she was being investigated and if found guilty she would be facing criminal charges. She should have been laying low but no, her she was working to antagonize Phoebe again.


    Everyone was being careful because Rufus Saxon was back but Dorothy was still being careless and she was going to end up putting all of them in trouble.


    Rex gestured at the men moving the chests to put them back down.


    "Alright let''s continue however, not all items will be up for bidding." He eyes met Rufus'' disapproving gaze.


    "That wuss! He has grown too soft for the job." Grandpa Saxon hissed, this was not child''s play, he was afraid to know what else was inside those chests, his gut told him more trouble was lurking in there.


    A crown with expensive stones was pulled out next, gasps of surprise came from the audience, its beauty was nothing like many had ever seen before.


    "The crown of the lord of the night." The Saxon spirit identified.


    Phoebe pulled her brows together, worry began to surge in her veins, anybody that called themselves lord of the night did not sound like a good person.


    "Who was that? Another person that I have to fight with?"


    She watched Arrow Castille raise his paddle, she knew who he was from the past life but in this one she hadn''t yet had the opportunity. He was first to raise a paddle before details on the crown could appear on the screens.


    "Wow, so eager, but the crown is too pretty, I want it." Phoebe hummed.


    "Do not get ahead of yourself, it belonged to Hansel Castille, in the old days, before monarchies were abolished the Castille''s used to be royal. The crown was handed down in their family, there is a rumor about it....but I will tell you that another time."


    The patriarch of the Castille family suddenly stood up and waved his hand, the spotlight fell on him. He looked at the crowd through his unnatural red eyes.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, this crown is an old family heirloom passed down by my ancestors, we Castille''s would appreciate it if you all allowed us to take it without a struggle."


    He bowed and sat down, for a moment it was quiet and then Elias Spellcaster raised his paddle.


    "One hundred million." he said, slowly and provocatively.


    The Castille''s glared at him but a few other people followed up Elias''s bid, some families like the Mayfair''s and Saxons stayed out of it.


    Suddenly David joined the competition for the crown, most people had opted out because the price was now at five hundred million.


    The bidding turned into a game between Arrow and David. His interest made people wonder because even though the crown was beautiful, it was not worth half a billion or more, at most, it was worth two hundred million.


    "Like I said, we have stupid money to burn." Aunt Maureen whispered.


    Phoebe tapped David''s shoulder. "Babe that''s Arrow''s family heirloom, he is your friend, you should let him have it."


    A small smile curled up David''s lips. "Really? The more reason I should have it then." David planned to trade it for the amulet of Serene thought that he wanted to give his mother. The Castille''s didn''t need it and all he wanted to do was borrow it until his mother''s problem was fixed but they were very uncooperative. The crown was simply leverage to him.


    "Trade." David mouthed to Arrow and tapped his wrist, "You know what I want."


    Arrow whispered to his grandfather and they stopped bidding, so David won.


    "Yes!" He cheered when he won, Arrow on the other hand glared at him.


    A handheld mirror was pulled out of the chest, surprisingly Dorothy Cook raised her paddle even before the auctioneer said what the beginning auction price for it was.


    "One hundred thousand." She shouted. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Grandma Mayfair raised her paddle. "I will die first before she gets it." She whispered. "Five hundred thousand." she shouted like vendor in a market.

 Chapter 348 A sky high price.

    "Nana!" Phoebe''s eyes flew wide open, her grandmother clearly wanted to put Dorothy in her place, she did not even know what she was buying.


    "There is nothing special about it." The Saxon spirit told Phoebe.


    It was just an ordinary vintage mirror but there was no stopping grandma Mayfair, she was determined to frustrate Dorothy Cook.


    "All night Dorothy, we are going to do this all night and when it comes to money you can''t beat me. I hope you have paid off those fines you embezzler." Grandma Mayfair looked back and Dorothy and cackled.


    Not unexpectedly, people looked at Dorothy with frowns, for someone that was in the middle of an embezzlement scandal she sure was spending money recklessly.


    Edward wanted to melt into the chair, where Ashley Miller used fists for revenge, his mother used her mouth, and she did not care who heard her or what they thought.


    Gasps were drawn as another orb was pulled out of the chest; this one was blue in color. Excitement brewed in the air as they anticipated another bidding war, they quickly forgot that the last orb had not been taken by anybody.


    The excitement died down because the orb did not make it to the silver tray.


    "What does that orb do?" Phoebe asked the spirit inwardly; she was just as curious as the rest of the people were.


    Many were sneering, frowning or pouting as the orb was taken away and placed in the chest where the first one was stored.


    "That''s the eye of the earth, it has the ability to foretell the future of the natural world, it alerts its possessor to any threats, especially supernatural ones.


    It can detect dark magic, harmful creatures and unnatural disturbances, while it''s a great magical tool the orb only works for a single person that it chooses which makes it valuable but not very highly sought after if there is no grand guardian attached.


    If you are chosen by it, you become known as the grand guardian of the eye. There hasn''t been one of those for centuries, I would know if there was." The spirit squeezed its lips tightly shut.


    It was obvious to Phoebe that the spirit was stopping itself from blabbering something. "Why hasn''t there been a grand guardian? Where did the last one go? I want to know more about this guardian, it sounds like an important person."


    "The coming of the grand guardian is not necessarily a good thing. It only means that a supernatural war is on the brink for he or she appears to guide the war, stop being curious and buy that painting." The spirit pointed at the front.


    It was a painting of an old town with nothing special apart from a quill attached on its side.


    Phoebe raised her paddle. "Six hundred thousand." She stated.


    Her words miffed a few who were tired of the Mayfair''s as she and her grandmother who was out to torment Dorothy had gained the most from the collection.


    "Haven''t you bought enough?" Yelled a man''s voice.


    "You can take one out of the ghetto, but you cannot take the ghetto out of someone, she is showing off how new she is to wealth by buying everything she sees. At this rate, the Mayfair''s will end up broke." A woman that sat on a table close to them loudly spoke.


    Luna who couldn''t let go of the insult, she looked back and threw a knife out before anyone could stop her. It landed on a table, directly in front of the woman missing her by inches.


    The woman, Agatha Diggens screamed loudly, she turned pale with fright and held her bag out to protect her face in case Luna decided one knife was not enough.


    "The next one will separate your head from the rest of your body." Luna threatened.


    When Luna turned around, she looked at Jennie first, expecting to meet anger but instead she met a smile of approval.


    Sabrina Spellcaster raised the bid to one million. "I want to see you counter that." She tauntingly looked at Phoebe.


    "Two million." Andre called, attracting a sneer from the Spellcaster''s especially Sabrina.


    She and Andre had their little feud going on, so they competed until Andre won at a whopping ten million.


    He wiped the beads of sweat and smiled triumphantly, the smile however faltered quickly when he realized that he had let his emotions get the best of him. "Bloody hell! What did I just do? That''s an ugly worthless painting and I just spent ten million on it." He swallowed deeply.


    Sabrina raised a glass towards him. "Good to know you are still a fool, I could never but that worthless painting at that price." She laughed victoriously.


    "What were you thinking Andre? Why would you let that girl get under your skin?" Jennie condemned him.


    "She is an annoying creepy brat; how dare she compete with my sister!" he answered.


    Phoebe shook her head, she had already looked into her brother''s fate, searching for his future wife and she happened to be none other than Sabrina Spellcaster, the terror of the founding lane. In future, she would actually be a presidential palace press secretary, a responsible and influential young lady.


    She was still seventeen, a few months shy of eighteen, so Phoebe saw no need to tell Andre about it. From what she could see, Andre''s future would be filled with a lot of groveling because he always had a reason to antagonize Sabrina.


    Or maybe it was the other way round, she kept finding ways to torture him for some reason. Either way, both seemed to hate each other a lot.


    "Pheebs, why do you want the painting?" Andre asked.


    She asked the Saxon spirit the same question and it responded immediately.


    "Pheebs that''s not an ordinary painting, the piece of paper which was used, and quill are enchanted items. If you draw anything you desire on the paper using the quill and your blood as ink, it comes to life. For instance, that town, it was once as real as any place on earth, a world inside a drawing.


    If magic is returned to the painting it can come alive. If you don''t want the town, you can use the feathers as an eraser wipe it out and a blank canvas will be restored.


    You can also use it to go back and forth from one place to another, passing through the painting, ten million is a small price to pay for it."


    Phoebe''s eyes widened. "You mean that I can draw a place and go to it through the painting? Like teleporting?"


    The spirit nodded. "Yes, that''s right." S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe looked at Andre and squealed, "Brother, I love you. You have done something great, when we get home, I will show you why."


    Andre looked at Collin and Luke and he laughed, "She loves me, our sister loves me. Has she ever told you that she loves you?"


    His brothers sneered in response, they called him an idiot in their minds, but deep down they also wanted to hear it from Phoebe.


    The auction went on just fine until a small sized wooden box was pulled out of the chest. Phoebe''s eyes narrowed as she came to realize that it was very similar to the one the spirit had kept at the cabin.


    The spirit floated towards the front and came back quickly. "Bloody hell! Another key? This cannot be good. Why are they showing up everywhere?"


    It was as if a shift of energy happened in the room, Phoebe noticed that blood had drained from some people''s faces, like her aunt and Rufus while others suddenly started exiting.


    "What key?" she asked the spirit.


    Grandpa Saxon moved his electric chair towards the front, Rex and Dean Morrel didn''t stay behind.


    "Fifty billion." Margaret Saxon shouted.


    A collective gasp went around the room, the auctioneer''s hand trembled, never in the history of the auction had something been taken at such a sky high price.


    "No." Grandpa Saxon commanded.


    "One hundred billion." Margaret increased the amount twice the original offer.


    "What the hell!" Phoebe blurted out.

 Chapter 349 Drama at the auction.

    From the determination in Margaret Saxon''s eyes, it was clear that this wasn''t something she was going to back down from.


    "What is going on with her?" The Saxon spirit asked Phoebe.


    Phoebe had no answer, she was just as puzzled as the rest of the Saxon''s especially David that thought he did not understand his aunt anymore. For a moment, he could have sworn that he saw a look of ruthlessness in her eyes.


    "Is that not enough?" Margaret questioned Rufus, her eyes blazing with a fire that would not be quenched easily.


    Grandpa Saxon stared at her, his eyes reflected a mix of shock and surprise. He wondered when the woman whose talent was to backstab and plot against others became a woman with a strong will. It puzzled him why she was hellbent on purchasing the item when she hardly knew what it was.


    Lines formed on his forehead as he frowned, did she actually know what was in the box? sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I can go higher if you want but I must have that box." Margaret stood from her seat and made an attempt to move towards the front, she was stopped by her perplexed son.


    "Mother what are you doing? What the hell is in that box that you are willing to pay a fortune." Dickson pulled tightly on her arm. "That money is important to me, it must go into my company, don''t ruin my business for unknown trash."


    His mother however yanked her arm free and hissed at him. "This is not something that you can understand, I am doing this for our survival." Margaret faced Rex who was standing next to the auctioneer that was holding the silver tray on which the small box sat.


    "Why the hell did you invite us here without carefully planning this entire thing out?" She waved the auction pamphlet. "According to this we are free to buy everything in those chests so why are you keeping those items?


    Ha? Is it that the council wants to share these rare extremely expensive treasures by themselves? Is there any proof that they are dangerous or is it an excuse the council is using?


    One of you was already caught with hands in the pot, stealing from all of us right beneath the careful watch of all of you. Clearly, you have become lax in your duties over time, give us all one good reason why we should continue trusting the council?"


    She spread her arms out like the wings of an eagle and looked around, encouraging others to stand with her. It was hard to tell what everyone was thinking, some were shifting uncomfortably in their seats, some were nodding in agreement with Margaret and others were watching with smiles, waiting to see how the council members would respond, especially Rufus that was not just on the council but also her uncle-in-law.


    "Margaret Sanderholm! How dare you speak such rubbish words about the council? Even if it has not been perfect lately, you are in no place to pass down judgement on them." Grandpa Saxon yelled; he made it a point to call her by her maiden name.


    It was an open secret that the old man was never in support for Margaret joining the Saxon family. She had been a terrible influence on his nephew Adrian Saxon, and it was believed that she frustrated him to his death.


    She was the most unpopular woman in the Saxon family, and she was almost thrown out once, but it didn''t happen because Rufus fell ill suddenly and everyone abandoned the issue.


    Margaret let out a bitter laugh as if to challenge him from denying the accusation. "Uncle, you know that I am speaking the truth! I heard a rumor that a lot of magical items that the council is supposed to protect are circulating out there. Someone is selling these things, just go to Hartoum a lot of people from expelled families are working as brokers dealing in those items."


    Her words caused discontent murmuring to erupt among the audience that were still around. For some, it was new information but others, it was old news as they had heard the rumors.


    While they did not concur one hundred percent with Margaret for, she was being disrespectful to old man Rufus, they did believe that it was time for someone to check the council''s dealings in recent years.


    Grandpa Saxon wrinkled his nose. "For your information, a very thorough investigation is being done, I personally advocated it when I started handling council affairs again. I am the one that found out that Mrs. Dorothy Cook was embezzling and accepting bribes, I also happen to be the one that made up the new guidelines.


    If somebody is messing around, they will be found but like I said, it is not your place to decide on how the council handles its affairs." He pressed his lips tightly together.


    His reassuring words made everyone feel at ease, if one person could be counted on to run the council, academy and sects, it was Rufus. He was very strict when it came to management, hardly anything got passed him.


    He had only returned and already he was overhauling the system, it was amazing.


    "That''s good to know."


    "We can leave it to Old Rufus."


    Whispers like that and more which expressed how excited people were for others like Dorothy to be exposed traveled around making Rex particularly uncomfortable.


    "She is telling a big fat lie! The Council coffers are still intact, nobody is stealing. There are books in which every item is recorded before being safely stowed in the coffers." Rex blinked rapidly, was this what Dorothy meant when she said that she was going to take revenge? Had she told Margaret?


    She knew his weakness that he had sold off a few things. But he often took his share before the items were registered so he was not very worried, there was no conclusive evidence.


    Dorothy took the opportunity to cause more commotion she stood up and pointed at Rex. "Well since I was fired from the council, I will not go down alone." She cleared her voice. "What Margaret Saxon speaks of is the truth, not just a few have gone missing from the private coffers but the museum and gallery as well.


    I know that most of you don''t like me, and I do not give a flying fuck, but you can check if you like. Most of the art pieces in the gallery were swapped for fake ones." Dorothy sneered and sat back down.


    Phoebe slapped her forehead, "Well that secret is out." she mumbled.


    The Saxon spirit had pointed out all the fakes to her and David, he had been planning to share this with his grandfather Rufus later.


    An uproar rose in the room, some people scrambled out, rushing to look at their donations to the museum, others picked up their phones to call appraisers.


    Behind the podium, Rex wiped sweat from his forehead and looked around nervously as if he was about to escape.


    "See? Who is monitoring the work of the council? No one! So, I am taking my share of our ancestor''s property and mine is that box." Margaret began to walk towards the stage.


    "No one is taking that damn box! Do you even know what is in it? I cannot allow you to take it." Rufus'' eyes challenged Margaret to take another step.


    His threatening words didn''t stop her though, she continued to walk as she figured that she would fake some tears and apologize later but as for now she was taking the box with her.


    "Guys excuse me, all this chaos just gave me running stomach." Aunt Maureen stood and left.


    Phoebe stood up as well and her eyes darted around, wondering what she had to do next. "Margaret Saxon has clearly lost her damn mind."


    "We cannot let her take that key, I''ll swoop in and take it." The Saxon spirit floated towards the stage.


    Phoebe knew the spirit could handle it well so she went to the bathroom such that she would not be in the room when the box disappeared.


    Just as she was about to enter it, everything went dark.

 Chapter 350 Phoebe is blindsided.

    The entire building was plunged into a darkness, no matter how much she tried, Phoebe couldn''t see anything. Her fingers fumbled through the purse in search of her phone. Unfortunately, she had left it on the table back in the auction hall.


    "Shit!" she hissed.


    Her eyes darted around in the pitch-dark empty hall, goose bumps covered her skin she just felt like someone or something was watching her.


    "H-h-hello? Is someone there?" She spoke as she entered the bathroom slowly. She figured it was good place to ambush anyone that tried to get smart with her.


    She used some of her ghost energy to make her eyes more powerful, she could see better, but it was still dim. In the back of her mind, she berated herself for forgetting to stock up flashlights in her space.


    A slow creak forced her to pause in her steps, someone was definitely there, her instincts told her to do one thing only; run.


    Even though she had talismans and some special abilities, Phoebe knew better than to be arrogant. The Saxon spirit had told her not to engage in any battle if she was unsure that she would win, there were far more powerful things in the world than her.


    It had also told her that if her mind screamed run, she had to turn tail and run. She made a mad dash out of the bathroom but didn''t make it far before her foot caught on something, tripping her and causing her to fall down.


    Before she could get her bearings and rise up, something was slapped on her back, pushing her down. It felt heavy, like a tanker was sitting on her back.


    Footsteps came closer, through the peripherals of her eyes, she made out two pairs of men''s shoes before another talisman was slapped on the base of her neck. It made her feel weak, as if all the energy had been locked away or sucked out.


    "What have you done to me?" She whispered and struggled to raise herself to her feet, but it was a battle, she felt weak like a newborn kitten that did not even know how to walk.


    Dim lights came on, the backup generator of the museum had kicked in. The florescent bulbs in the bathroom flickered as light returned to them.


    Phoebe raised her eyes and looked around, she could now see the faces of her attackers, two people, one at the front and the other at the back unfortunately they were covered in black masks and she could hardly identify them.


    The weight of the talisman on her back started to lighten, she moved backwards using her hands, her eyes did not leave the two men however.


    "Who the hell are you? What the hell do you want?" She questioned as she squeezed herself into an open stall, figuring the two men could not fit in there at the same time.


    If she could take them on one by one, even if she was weak the odds of winning were on her side. More importantly, she could trick them and maybe take them into her space, in there she had absolute control.


    One hissed and the other laughed dryly. "Are you sure that this is the girl that reversed the spell on the Elroy boy? She''s just a little too young and weak."


    "Shut up and do your job, the master ordered us to slit her throat, perhaps whatever she did to him will die along with her." The one at the back spoke, he seemed to be the one in charge.


    The Elroy boy? She knew that reversing spells would land her in trouble with warlocks and witches because they would suffer backlash, but the Elroy case was so old that it had molds on it, why did the warlock take too long to take revenge?


    Phoebe decided to pry some answers out of their mouths and buy more time for her strength to continue recovering. She moaned and clutched her chest as if she was so weak.


    "Is that why you are here?" she asked and coughed. "What kind of backlash did he suffer? I can help revive that warlock, there is a way, but I won''t be able to do that if I am six feet under the ground.


    Why don''t you give your master a call first, I am sure that we can come to a compromise." A rueful smirk curled on her lips.


    The man at the front blinked frequently, buying what Phoebe was saying. "Let''s take her to him perhaps she could heal him..."


    "Shut up Alonso! If you cannot do it then I will." The man at the back took four steps and swung a knife in Phoebe''s direction, she dodged it narrowly.


    Both men were surprised, they realized that she was not as weak as she was acting. They also realized that she was more energetic than she was when the first talisman had been slapped on her back.


    "I''ll be damned if I let you harm her." Came a voice from the toilet stall which was directly opposite that one. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The door of that stall suddenly flew open, a flying punch swung across the air and landed on the face of Phoebe''s attacker. He staggered backwards and fell on the floor unconscious.


    Phoebe gasped. "Aunt Maureen?"


    Of all people she ever imagined coming to her rescue, aunt Maureen never made the list. The power she had just displayed was extraordinary, not something an ordinary human could do.


    "How did you do that with just one punch?" Phoebe quizzed?


    She sat on the floor as her legs were too weak to support the rest of her body.


    "Ever heard of Kitty knuckles?" Aunt Maureen twisted her clenched fist as she displayed the metallic weapon with two sharp cat ears. "Every girl should have one."


    Her narrowed eyes stared at the trembling man whose name Phoebe had come to learn was Alonso. His eyes darted around in search of an escape route, he dropped the knife and run off, leaving his friend behind.


    Aunt Maureen chuckled. "That''s right cowards live longer."


    She moved and crouched next to Phoebe. "Wow, you look terrible, let''s remove the talisman." Aunt Maureen yanked it off the talismans on her back and neck. She chanted some words, the talisman caught fire and burnt to ashes.


    Phoebe watched her in disbelief as she did it all with ease and then started searching the unconscious man''s body of the man that had been left behind.


    "What are you searching for?" Phoebe pulled herself to her feet, her body was normalizing fast now that the talismans were gone.


    "Anything that will tell me who he is, some warlock minions tend to have markings like slaves had in the olden days."


    She looked at the base of his neck and saw a tattoo of a triangle with three circles. She stood up, lifted the unconscious man with one hand and tossed him inside the bathroom stall. His head landed inside the toilet bowl.


    "I know the warlock who sent them, and I am going to hurt him really good for trying to kill a Mayfair." She locked the toilet.


    Phoebe chuckled dryly, she wanted to clap her hands, her aunt was impressive. "Aunt, I saw you chant a spell! Who the hell are you really?"

 Chapter 351 Aunt Maureens secret identity.

    From everything that Phoebe had seen and noticed, she had drawn the conclusion that her aunt Maureen was not someone ordinary.


    She had started to suspect this when the Saxon spirit told her that the magical artifacts in the basement had been tampered with. For years, they had gone untouched and had been collecting dust, after aunt Maureen''s visit, some of them came back to life.


    She looked at her aunt through narrowed eyes, perhaps she was a shaman like herself, the spirit had indicated that she came from a lineage of shamans on the Mayfair side. It was in her blood; aunt Maureen was of that same blood.


    In fact, Phoebe thought her blood was diluted in comparison to Maureen''s, after all, one was a granddaughter and the other a daughter.


    Maureen did not answer the question; she was texting someone.


    "Aunt! Are you going to leave my question hanging in the air? Tell me what are you? Why are you super strong? And I clearly heard you chanting a spell, are you just like me?"


    Phoebe''s brows pulled together on noticing the unyielding resolve of Aunt Maureen not to say a word.


    "Aunt, you know that I could just slap a talisman on your back which will force you to tell me everything that I need to know." She twisted her lips and whined, "Come on aunt, it will be awesome if I am not the only freak in the family. There are some things that I cannot talk about with the rest, but I think it could be different with you."


    A chuckle escaped Aunt Maureen''s lips. "You could but you need special skills to make a talisman that could affect the mindset of a guardian." She rubbed her left eyebrow. It wasn''t her intention to let Phoebe know her real identity however the situation called for it. Besides, Maureen had come to learn of her niece''s tenacious nature, the girl wasn''t going to stop until she found out the truth.


    If she didn''t get it here, she would run to David for help and have him dig into her. David would go to Rufus or someone else and eventually her identity would come to light.


    The words rung in Phoebe''s mind like a bell, over and over again. "A guardian? Wait, aunt you are a guardian? Like guardian of the supernatural wall. Guardian like Amon and Rekha?" She mentioned the only two guardians she was familiar with.


    Phoebe blinked rapidly, never in a hundred years would she have ever guessed that aunt Maureen was a Mayfair in the supernatural business, the hunting kind at that. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A lot of things now made sense to her like the fact that her aunt disappeared for months at a time without sending word or missed spending holidays like new year''s with the family. It kind of also explained why she was unmarried; she probably didn''t have time for a family. Lastly, it explained why she lived in Hatoum and why she was in the magical artifact business, she was probably undercover.


    Come to think of it, she had returned after Rufus appeared in public and he was a man of great importance in the supernatural world. So, was it a coincidence that she showed up when she did? Had he summoned her, was she in the city on a job?


    Phoebe''s eyes widened; she wondered if it was the demon in Humphrey that had brought her aunt home. Rufus had said a supernatural war was in the works, after all. Her lips parted slowly, and she gasped, it had to be Ravana, that was the only answer that made sense. Maybe Rufus had summoned all the guardians for some kind of meeting, her aunt had been doing a lot of unnecessary shopping since she came home.


    She had many questions but before they could dissect the issue at hand, Luna stormed into the restrooms. Her orange hair seemed a little out of place, stray strands were sticking out in all directions.


    When she saw Phoebe and Maureen, she placed a hand to her chest, inhaled and exhaled deeply.


    Phoebe knew that something had happened, Luna Elithera did not run without good reason and most of all, she did not go around with messy hair, not even in the privacy of her own home. She guessed that maybe the box with the key had gone missing.


    "What''s wrong?" Phoebe asked as she and her aunt moved closer to the restroom door.


    Luna released a short laugh, there was relief on her refined facial features. "Everything is good now that I see that you are okay, you have been gone for a while."


    Aunt Maureen bypassed Luna. "What a sweet friend you are but nothing happened here, Phoebe and I just dived into a conversation, but we are ready return to the hall now. Who knows what we have missed out on." She reached Luna and took a left turn but paused at Luna''s next words.


    "You missed a lot actually, but I guess that you two are in the clear since you were here when the small box disappeared." Luna spoke with indifference.


    She honestly believed that the theft was none of her business especially since Phoebe had nothing to do with it.


    Back tracking her steps, Aunt Maureen came to stand in font of Luna, her hands moved to grab Luna''s arms.


    "What do you mean that the box is gone? I need you to be very specific? Who the hell took it?" She jolted her as she bombarded her with questions.


    Luna''s wincing sound brought Aunt Maureen to a realization that she was holding the girl''s arms a little too tightly, so she let her go.


    "Sorry, now tell me what happened?"


    "The small box bitchy Margret wanted is gone, nobody knows how it disappeared but if I am to guess, the power outage has everything to do with the box''s disappearance. If I was going to steal something, I would kill the power first too." Luna explained and gave her opinion on the matter.


    Phoebe''s first thoughts ran to the spirit, she had not heard from it since it said that it was going to retrieve the box. Was the mission successful if yes, where had it disappeared to.


    "In the space." Connie announced her arrival, popping out for a second, exposing a wide grin to Phoebe and vanishing. It seemed like she was enjoying her time with her brother given all the smiling she was doing.


    Nodding her head, Phoebe followed the two women back to the hall where she knew drama has erupted. It was happening just like she had thought it would. Accusations were flying around, people were pointing fingers at one another, Margaret seemed to be the most famous suspect in the room, and she was defending herself to a point of her eyes bulging.


    "If I was going to steal it then why the hell would I offer billions of Fog dollars to buy it?" Margaret Saxon spoke through pursed lips. "To be frank with you all I am the only person in this hall that shouldn''t be a suspect." She sat and draped her fur coat over her shoulders.


    Dorothy Cook pointed at Rex. "This is just too convenient; the council must have a hand in this because how else with all this tight security did a small wooden box disappear."

 Chapter 352 A thief at the auction.

    Dorothy Cook was a mission to ruin the council, if not the council, then at least Rex. Someone had to be as miserable as she was in order for her to find some satisfaction. She did not plan to end there, the Mayfair''s too had to pay for the humiliation she had suffered, especially that little witch of a daughter that called herself a shaman.


    The main goal of Dorothy''s words was to add fuel to the fire, she succeeded because nobody believed that the box had magically disappeared into thin air.


    "Give us a good explanation Rex or else resign from your position right now!" Bellowed someone at the back.


    "Yes, resign and return the money you earned from selling off our family heirlooms."


    Dorothy Cook stood up and raised her one hand that was folded into a fist, she heroically started chanting the words resign, pulling others into following her. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The auction that had started out so glamorous had descended into a near riot or demonstration. All that was lacking was fire, posters, press and police.


    Rufus wheeled himself to the stage and got a microphone. Without a word from his mouth, people started to lower their voices, a thing that angered Dorothy. She hated Rufus as much as she hated everyone else that had contributed to her misery.


    Rufus moved his left hand up and down which prompted people to return to their seats. "Everyone please settle down, what has happened here today is actually more frightening than you can ever imagine. There is no satisfactory answer to give you right now, but I promise to get to the bottom of this.


    What I promise is that within a week, there will be answers for you, we are planning to bring back the old weekly council newsletter. The very first issue will come with an explanation of what has happened here and an update on the missing artifacts."


    He offered a bow and wheeled himself away, he did not return to his seat but made his way out, heading in the direction of the security room. He planned to take a look at the security footage to see if anything suspicious had happened moments before the lights went out.


    His words left majority of the audience numb, they didn''t know how to feel about the situation but one thing was that many still trusted the old man to handle things, so it helped put them at ease.


    Most were not very invested, they did not know what was in the box or care but theft at the auction coupled with the accusations Dorothy had made was a big deal.


    Phoebe scratched the back of her hand as she looked at the Saxon spirit, a part of her was feeling sorry for Rufus.


    "That poor guy I just landed him in hot soup but at least the key is safe, so far we have two of them." The Saxon spirit smiled ruefully.


    Phoebe raised and lowered her brows. "It had to be done, grandpa Rufus will find a way out of this. If he doesn''t pay him a visit in his dreams and tell him to remain calm, that the key is safe and to search for other keys." She communicated inwardly.


    Rex Chapman announced regretfully that the auction had to come to an end because of what had happened. "All those that won bids will receive their items as soon as payment is made. Other than that, all of us are going to go through security checks just in case someone here is trying to act smart."


    The words from his mouth earned him curses and heckles.


    "Are you calling us thieves?"


    "He''s got some balls I''ll give him that."


    They complained but did as told, one by one they passed through the millimeter body wave scanners and talking about how much they hated it.


    "This is ridiculous! What would the commoners think if they saw how the mighty of Fog are treated?" Margaret had flashes of lightening sparking in her eyes. If looks could kill none of the security guards would be left standing on their feet.


    Dickson stepped on a guard''s foot deliberately, unlike most he was a Saxon, so the poor guy feared to retaliate. "I agree mother, this is the most dehumanizing thing I have ever had to experience other than that good for nothing Phoebe Mayfair rejecting me." He whispered the last words.


    His mother waved her hand dismissively. "I told you mummy will fix everything. "She smiled slyly and hooked her left arm into his right arm. "It turns out that village bumpkin is more interested in David''s money, once I told her that you had hit a jackpot, she didn''t shy away from saying that you could go to her. Can you imagine? Ha-ha this is way easier than I thought." Margaret''s smile became less pronounced when she saw Miranda trying to talk to Phoebe.


    She hurried her feet over, taking Dickson with her and when they were close, she sort of shoved Miranda aside.


    "Miranda what are you and my daughter in law discussing? I hope that she has made it clear that she is dumping David in the garbage can and marrying my son." She jutted her chin upwards as if to brag.


    [This woman is a nut job; her brain is always on leave Does she forget her common sense at the door when steps out of her house?]


    Phoebe scoffed; her thoughts were displayed clearly which compelled Miranda''s anger to subside quickly.


    "She is indeed a nut case that should be in a mental institution." Miranda spoke with indifference.


    Margaret''s face twisted to show anger. "How dare you call me a nutcase Miranda?" Her breathing changed to fast and sharp, she was already having a terrible night for she didn''t get what she had come for and seeing Miranda and Phoebe getting along made it worse.


    More annoying was the arm which David had around Phoebe''s shoulders; he was clinging on to her like as if he owned her.


    David chuckled, "So tell us aunt if you are of mental sound mind, why did you want to take a box that the council said was dangerous? Did you know what it was? What are you cooking up? I am sure that it''s nothing good."


    "Good question David." The spirit murmured, Phoebe was just as interested in hearing the answer to those questions.


    Before Margaret could burst like a volcano erupting, Dickson took a step forward and partially blocked their gazes from his mother, taking a protective stance.


    "Cousin, if you insult my mother indirectly again then you will have me to contend with."


    David snorted and made exaggerated ghost noises. "Yeah, I am scared, you cannot do anything you little dick." He finished off with a sneer.


    Dickson growled and made a move forward as if to attack David, but his mother held him back.


    "Today is your lucky day." he told David.


    Phoebe let out a small bitter laugh. [I want to burst his teeth for trying countless times to molest me in the past.]


    David saw it, he growled and wasted no time in raising his clenched fist. Before anyone could process what was happening, the fist collided with Dickson''s face splitting his lips and bursting his nostrils.

 Chapter 353 A fight between two Saxons.

    A white but blood-stained incisor made a tiny but sharp clinking sound as it bounced and finally settled near Phoebe''s feet. She struggled not to laugh but gave up and let out a guffaw, she had no idea whether her boyfriend was a mind reader or wizard, but boy had he satisfied one of her greatest desires. If people were not watching, she would jump into his arms and give him a thousand kisses.


    One punch turned into two and then three, within a few seconds, David had his hands wrapped around Dickson''s neck.


    "I am going to kill you." he was shouting. "Do you hear me, I am going to kill you, you are an animal." David pummeled Dickson and three bodyguards had to intervene to pull him off of him.


    While they blocked him, he still roared like an angry lion and kicked out with his legs, not satisfied with the beating he had given Dickson.


    The Saxon spirit intervened and put a talisman on David''s back to calm him because people were watching and many had phones, this fight was surely going to make the news.


    Miranda screamed and they turned their heads to her, she was pointing at Dickson''s mouth, it was open and there were more than a few gaps where teeth had once been.


    "Oh, good Lord! are those my son''s teeth on the ground?" Margaret gasped and inspected Dickson''s mouth; he had lost four teeth.


    She fished out her handkerchief from her purse and tried to wipe away the blood stains from his nose and around his mouth, some blood had trailed down and formed and stained his expensive white shirt.


    It was all effortless, the blood she wiped away was replaced so she shifted her anger from the shirt to David, her eyes burning with endless fury.


    "You stupid boy! We are going to sue you; how dare you damage my son''s perfect set of teeth?" She crouched and used the hand kerchief to pick them up, she stowed it carefully in her bag like they were very valuable treasures.


    David snickered; his face etched with extreme disappointment. "Just four? I wanted to knock out the whole set but those four will do, for now. Dickson, face me if you are a man, stop hiding behind your mommy like a scaredy cat." He laughed tauntingly, urging Dickson to get out of his mother''s wings and fight him.


    The Saxon spirit noticed that the talisman she had placed on David''s back was losing power, so she added two more. His rage had truly been murderous for a moment, and nobody needed to see David killing Dickson, not in public anyway.


    Miranda noted that people were recording videos of them, so she begged David to control himself. "Jesus David people are watching, calm yourself down." She patted his back.


    David swerved her hand away. "I will stop only when that douche bag keeps his lingering eyes and clawlike fingers away from my woman. Do you know what he did?" He grimaced and pointed at Dickson who was being dragged away by his mother.


    Miranda had also seen the thought on Dickson''s attempts to molest Phoebe continuously, she was planning on telling Rufus about it. How could they live with a person of such character under the same roof? He was beast, a wild beast that needed to be thrown out.


    Meanwhile Dickson was not done, despite the bleeding and injuries he was shouting out misguiding words. "This is not over! Phoebe is not your wife; she is a free agent. Pheebs keep your word and come to me baby, I''ll treat you like the queen that you are." He made sure the spectators had the words loud and clear.


    His scheme was working, everyone assumed the two brothers were fighting for Phoebe''s affections. Among them were women who vowed to go to the black ghost cafe to buy love portions or charms if they were available.


    Phoebe could hear what they were thinking about her loud and clear because they were not whispering.


    "That little shaman is really skilled; two brothers have turned against each other for her."


    "It must be a powerful charm that''s the only way two Saxons are captivated by her." Sabrina Spellcaster spoke carelessly, without a care for who might be listening.


    Agatha Diggens shook her head slightly. "I don''t know about that, but those Saxon boys have been fighting over the same girls for the longest time. Isn''t that why David cancelled his engagement to Moria?"


    "I am still going to get that charm." Sabrina flipped her hair and strolled away like a runway model sparing Phoebe a quick glance.


    Miranda touched Phoebe''s arm, only enough to attract her attention to herself. "These rumors are going to grow from what just transpired a few minutes ago. It is going to tarnish the image of a beautiful young woman like you, you should at least get engaged to David to put all of them to a stop."


    "Mother I think that the rumors will be about what happened inside the auction hall, very few people will be talking about Dickson, Phoebe and I because it''s stale news. As for the videos, I have already warned my team, and they are prepared to stop them from making the rounds online." David waved at his grandmother who was approaching them in the company of grandma Mayfair.


    "David, you used to be intelligent, but you have lost your edge now. My suggestion is for your good, what I am saying is that Phoebe here should not be too greedy as to allow two of the most eligible bachelors to fight for her. They say a bird in hand is better than two in the bush." Miranda continued to speak, unaware that the two older women were now standing not far behind her.


    Grandma Mayfair''s patience had worn out fast, she knew that Miranda had to be bothering Phoebe about the marriage issue. "And what does that even mean Miranda? My granddaughter is a young lady with impeccable character, she could never play with people''s emotions, but I cannot say the same about some Saxon''s whose choices change like seasons of the weather." She struck her cane on the ground.


    "Old lady Mayfair! I do not believe that I said anything wrong. I was only advising Phoebe...." Miranda defended herself before she was rudely interrupted.


    "A while ago Ruth was your chosen bride for David, you forced her down his throat he wished to vomit. Now suddenly you are persuading my granddaughter to marry him to save their reputations. Since when does a Mayfair need a marriage in order to maintain her image? sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    So, what if people talk about her? Even if they talk until the sky falls, her father and I will hold it up for her. There will be no family interference in her relationships, if she ever decides to marry David it will be on her own will.


    Oh! and do not forget that sons of other families can marry into the woman''s family, David could marry into the Mayfair''s rather than Phoebe marrying into the Saxon''s. Our Mayfair family can afford to raise him, if you keep pressuring Phoebe, I will do something drastic." Grandma Mayfair''s narrowed eyes warned her.


    "I second everything Rebecca has said, I have told you Miranda this is not something that you have to handle. It''s almost like as though there is something for you to gain out of the children''s marriage. Are you plotting to ask for her recipes as a marriage gift?" Grandma Saxon''s stared at her curiously.

 Chapter 354 Even the ghosts were scared.

    Miranda''s face turned red, "Mother, what are you talking about? I was just worried about the children''s reputations. It is obvious what Margaret, and her slimy son are plotting. They want to ruin her so that no side wins if they don''t get her. If she is seen as a cheap immoral woman, father won''t let her marry David."


    "He already approves of her." Grandma Saxon informed Miranda. "We all know that David and Phoebe are a couple, Dickson is trying to be a mistress. Even the three-year-old babies in our clan know this, don''t use talk about reputation to push for your own agenda."


    Phoebe chortled at the reference of Dickson as a mistress, it could not have been more accurate.


    They were joined by other Mayfair''s and a few more Saxons, David pulled Luke and Luna to the side for a word.


    Phoebe wanted to follow but her father held her back. "We heard that David and Dickson fought, what happened?"


    "It''s Dickson being up to his usual mischief, but David taught him a lesson. That sly boy is trying to ruin Phoebe''s reputation but no worries my in-laws, David will not allow it to happen." Miranda hurried to answer, propping her son up while pushing Dickson into the mud.


    Jennie rolled her eyes, "Who is your in-law?" she muttered. "Sweetie, are you okay?"


    Phoebe nodded, "Just hungry."


    "Let''s go home then." Collin suggested, "I will send Shanna back first."


    The couple left at the same moment as Luke and Luna and then David and Phoebe followed them, leaving their parents to follow slowly. The adults shared their thoughts on the auction, it had been more drama filled than they thought and ended in a fight between two Saxon brothers. The gossip mill was going to have a field day for sure.


    In the car, David and Phoebe were also discussing the auction, the theft specifically.


    "What do you think happened to the box?"


    He asked and casually kissed the back of her hand for no reason. She noticed the bruises on his knuckles which were reddish purple.


    "Why did you beat up Dickson all of a sudden, I don''t think I have ever seen you this angry?"


    "He...." David opened his mouth and closed it. If he told her the truth, she would know that he had read her thoughts. He couldn''t risk it yet; her thoughts were the only way he got clues to what happened in their past.


    He did not know that while he was away working to build and sustain the family business, his own cousin had been busy trying to prey on his wife. How many times had it happened? Why hadn''t anyone protected Phoebe if it was in the tower?


    "Babe, I think you are going to break my bones." Phoebe winced.


    He noticed that he was squeezing her hand a little too tightly and let go. "Sorry, I was just thinking about something unpleasant."


    Phoebe massaged her hand, her stomach growled, and she moaned. "I am hungry." she muttered.


    David drove straight to the supermarket because Phoebe''s hunger could not wait until they arrived at the Mayfair house. Inside she moved straight to the snack bar and picked out a beef burger with extra cheese and a canned soda which David paid for.


    On her way out she noticed a ghost that she had seen a couple of times when she visited the place. It was the nearest supermarket to funding lane so a lot of residents of the lane visited it often.


    The ghost was that of a young man ranging in the ages between twenty to twenty-four, he was sitting on the top of the large display refrigerator, his blank eyes staring helplessly at the customers that were busy shopping.


    Phoebe always ignored him because he never asked for help but for some reason, she decided to do so today.


    "Hello, shaman here, I can see you. Are you alright, why do you seem so sad? Is there something that I can help you with perhaps to help you move on or at least make you feel better?" She said, "Are you hungry?"


    The ghost''s eyes shifted to look at her, a tiny spark returned to his eyes. "Can you see me lady? Is it me you are talking to?" He floated down and came to face her, his eyes became brighter by minute.


    Nodding her head, Phoebe smiled compellingly at him. "Like I said, I am a shaman, i see ghosts so yes I can definitely see you." Her smile widened when the ghost made the sign of the cross and thanked the heavens.


    "I have been here for a long time hoping that someone would see me but it has been so long, so I was beginning to lose hope." The ghost bounced repeatedly. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A tiny frown came to form on Phoebe''s face. "Why didn''t you go out in search of someone to help you, there so many shamans that have the ability to help you."


    The ghost shuddered at the thought. "And run into a ghost catcher? No way! This place felt safe besides, I do not know what is out there what if I left and forgot where my body was? It doesn''t seem safe out there with all these demons lurking around."


    His last words caught Phoebe''s interest. "What do you mean demons?" She arched an eyebrow. "Have you seen any around here?"


    "One and it was in human form, I do not understand how that is possible, but I am certain it was a demon." The ghost moved its hands to hug itself. "I am not the only scared ghost around, I don''t want to stay here anymore but for that to happen I need my family to bury my body." It cast a desperate gaze towards Phoebe.


    Her heart sank for him, although it was late and both she and David were tired, she wanted to hear him out.


    "Babe, I think that we have a ghost situation." Phoebe told him


    "It''s okay, I am good as long as you are." He wore an assuring smile. As they moved to the supermarket lounge area, David reached inside his tuxedo coat and scooped out a pair of ghost seeing glasses that Phoebe had gifted him.


    "Okay tell me more." Phoebe took a deep bite into the burger.


    The ghost belched; all he had been doing was eat since the snacks were always available. "Please excuse me." It begged before beginning to narrate. "Reid Fisher is...was my name, as you can tell from the vest coat that I am wearing, I was an employee at this place, I dedicated my entire life to ensure that I make my boss happy but that ungrateful man replaced me one day after I did not report to work. He did not bother to find out why I had not come to work yet I had never taken a day off in five years"


    David folded his hands and leaned back. "You cannot blame him for that, business is business but still he should have at least cared a little."


    Reid nodded. "I eventually understood that people at your workplace are nothing more that work mates." He added a scoff. "You should have heard the disgusting things the rest of them said about me and yet I was the one that covered for their shifts in their absence. They said that I worked hard just to discredit them and make them look lazy so that I could be employee of the month all the time." He shook his head, his mind still in disbelief.


    Phoebe sighed softly, unsure about what to say to him, she figured the quicker she sent him off, the better. "Where is your body?"


    "Behind the freezers." He spoke casually, there was no emotion in his voice at all.

 Chapter 355 Weight of regret.

    His words left the listeners speechless; they exchanged quizzical glances and thereafter shifted their curious gazes to the said freezers. They were not hidden in some mystery location; they were right there in plain sight near the stock room.


    Pointing her index finger at the freezers that everyone could see clearly through the enormous glass windows of the supermarket, Phoebe asked. "Those freezers? Are you sure?"


    The last question came because she couldn''t figure out how a human being could fit back there; she had to check with her own eyes. There was hardly any space between the freezers and the wall.


    "It''s true there is an almost mummified body back there, I am not sure how long he has been back there or how come no one noticed. Don''t they do major cleaning in this place?" The Saxon spirit confirmed the ghost''s words after poking around.


    Phoebe continued chewing on her burger as she pondered on the same question while hoping that it was not a murder case, she needed a break from those. A one-year break preferably, but even she knew that she was deceiving herself.


    "Did nobody smell the stench, I mean bodies give off an odor when they are decomposing." The Saxon spirit said.


    Phoebe made a face of disgust, slowly she placed the remaining half of the burger on the paper plate, her appetite gone completely. In the back of her mind, she was thinking that nobody should be talking about rotting flesh in the presence of someone that was eating meat.


    People with strong stomachs like Claire could stomach it but she could not. Bones and ghosts, were a yes, but rotting flesh was a no.


    "Who did that to you? Was your death natural or was it an accident?" Her eyes glinted with an expression of mistrust; she began to scan around for suspects among the employees that were roaming around.


    Some of them had passed by more than a few times, peeking curiously at the couple whose identities they were familiar with. They were also familiar with Phoebe''s ghost seeing abilities, she regularly bought drinks and placed them on tables in the lounge claiming they were for hungry customers, but those customers were always invisible.


    Reid waved his hand dismissively at the question. "Nobody killed me, I guess you could say that i did it to myself, Tom my co-worker and I, usually sat up there during the night shift." He answered casually, pointing to the space above the freezers.


    "Why would anyone sit up there? It''s very dangerous and stupid." David stated, the young man had caused his own death.


    Nodding once, Reid clicked his tongue. "I can see that now considering that I am dead and all but back then, it seemed harmless. Do not blame it on the boss, he is a major ass, but he was not at fault, the truth is that we used to sit up there and eat the snacks that were about to go bad. It''s against the workplace policy to do so, we are supposed to throw them out.


    The boss did not want to be hit with a lawsuit in case someone ate something and fell ill. We decided to break the rules, and that place felt safe because it''s a blind spot." His face was washed in regret.


    He had died just because he wanted to eat some nearly expired yogurt and cakes, how ridiculous!


    "I see." Phoebe''s voice was barely more than a whisper. "So, what happened on that unfortunate day then? Did you fall?" The question was met by a nod from Reid.


    "I was unlucky that day, we ate some yogurt and cakes...oh and we had a few beers. Tom left me up there and went to the back of the store to get more beers, he took a while, so I decided to go check up on him. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Thinking back to that day, I realize that it was the wrong decision because I felt lightheaded and nauseous, I was probably starting to get drunk or at least I think that i was already.


    When I stood up, I lost my balance and fell backwards. I lost consciousness for a while and when I woke up, I was feeling sore. I think that I broke something, breathing was hard since I was hanging upside down." His lips trembled; his dying moments were still horrifying to date.


    Phoebe commiserated with him. "I am sorry but didn''t you yell for help? The supermarket is always filled with people at least half the time. There are security guards outside as well." She tried to wrap her mind around the story.


    "I screamed as best as I could until my voice got hoarse, but it was futile." He pointed at the freezers. "These industrial freezers make a deep symphony of different sounds, I guess it was hard for anyone to hear me and to make matters worse, I became weaker by the minute, and I felt like my body was being drained of its energy until I lost consciousness again.


    When I woke up again, I moved out of there with ease which was odd but still I was happy that I had escaped death. I tried talking to Tom, but he couldn''t hear me and everyone else that I tried to talk to. It dawned on me that I was invisible, instinctively I checked behind the freezer and there I was, dead as a door nail." A lump caught in his throat as he blinked back the tears.


    The spirit scratched the back of her ear. "What about the smell? They didn''t notice at all?"


    "I guess not." David flickered his fingers. "I think maybe his body froze and the place where he fell is kind of closed off so nobody can see there really. You have to pull the freezer to the front to see what''s behind clearly."


    They all noticed what David was explaining, there were five industrial freezers, Reid''s body was behind the very last one. which was partially enclosed by a wall.


    Phoebe remained silent for a short while. "It''s late right now Reid but I promise that the police will be here tomorrow or tonight possibly to get your body. I also need to inform your family, how long had it been since you vanished?"


    "Two years, three months and four days." Reid shrugged. "All I could do here was count, I had a lot of time."


    Phoebe smiled warmly to put him at ease. "But I cannot leave you here though, I own a Cafe which is a sanctuary for ghosts in need of help like yourself. Do not worry, nothing will happen to your body while you are gone, I will put a talisman on it so that we can keep track of it." Phoebe told him.


    The Saxon spirit flashed away and did so within three seconds.


    "See, now your body will never be lost." Phoebe told him and turned to Sylvester who had been quietly standing by. "Sylvester take good care of the guest, he should have a chance to say goodbye before moving on."


    She looked at Reid, "Would you like to say goodbye to your family?"


    He nodded and then left with Sylvester while Phoebe made a call to Shark, informing him about the body. It was not a juicy case; she was not sure if he would show up, but she was certain he would send the police and coroners over.


    From there she and David drove back to the Mayfair house.

 Chapter 356 Mine...no, mine.

    Ideally, Phoebe should have rushed to the dining table when she reached home but instead, she rushed to unveil the items she had acquired from the auction. Whoever was in charge was really quick because the items had been delivered really quickly.


    She found Andre and aunt Maureen pocking them, looking over them very curiously. Andre was studying the painting, aunt Maureen had the sleeper''s hat on her head.


    "Yippee, they have come." Phoebe eagerly reached her hands out to the painting.


    Andre was quick, he pulled it away and removed it from her reach.


    "Not before you give up the knowledge sis, what''s special about this?"


    Phoebe jumped, trying to snatch it away from him. "You will know after I perform my magic on it." she told him. She continued jumping from side to side and he continued to keep it out of her reach. He was snickering like a brother that was enjoying torturing his younger sibling.


    "That idiot." Collin shook his head, but he did not intervene, just like Edward and Luke they sat down and enjoyed the show.


    David and aunt Maureen couldn''t take it however, they intervened, one caught Andre''s arms and the other grabbed the painting.


    Phoebe laid it down on the ground and the Saxon spirit used the feather to erase the image of the old town.


    "Woah!" Andre exclaimed.


    Phoebe stuck the sharp tip of the quill in her hand and drew some blood, it made everyone stand or rush to her as if she had cut off a limb.


    The Saxon spirit took the quill from feather while Jennie was screaming for the first aid kit to be brought. They all watched as a painting of the cafe was drawn by an invisible hand.


    "I have finished." The spirit told Phoebe.


    She squealed, grabbed Andre''s hand and funneled some energy into the painting and then the two of them disappeared into the painting.


    The Mayfair''s and David leaped away from the painting and then after two seconds, approached it.


    "What has that idiot done again?" Collin groaned.


    They all assumed Andre had done something, or he had followed Phoebe like he did when she used that watch.


    "I can''t believe it, these kids actually stumbled on a living portal canvas. I have heard of these but never seen one with my own eyes, holy crap! do you know how much this is worth?" Maureen picked up the painting with wide eyes and trembling hands.


    While she was still expressing her excitement, Phoebe and Andre returned, they came through the painting and fell directly on aunt Maureen. She screamed as she fell back on a chair that saved them all from hitting the floor.


    "Get off me you two, you are so heavy. What are you feeding the kids Edward?" Maureen complained and then gasped, "My portal, ah! my portal." S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    David picked up the painting, "I think you mean Phoebe''s portal."


    "Nope, no way!" Andre raised his head. "You mean my portal." he corrected David.


    "What do you need it for?" Maureen and Phoebe quizzed at the same time as they all stood up.


    "To go back and forth from the set of a movie, I could sleep at home while working across the country. " Andre answered with a shrug.


    Aunt Maureen and Phoebe shared a mysterious look and then both of them leaped out.


    "My portal."


    "No, my portal."


    The rest of the family groaned, Maureen was competitive so was Phoebe and so was Andre. They argued until grandma Mayfair confiscated the painting, and everyone moved to the dining table. They didn''t see the painting for the rest of the night and went off to bed feeling aggrieved.


    ************************


    Quiet whispers traveled throughout the Mayfair house the next morning, the servants gossiped about how permissive Jennie Mayfair had become to allow David Saxon and Luna Elithera to spend the night.


    "I know something more interesting." One of the maids began. "Mr. David sneaked out of the guest rooms and stealthily entered our young Miss Phoebe''s bedroom!" She shuffled her feet excitedly.


    "I do not think that Mrs. Mayfair will be happy about that." Said another.


    Maria dropped the knife, it''s sound loud enough to call for attention. "Not that it''s any of your business but Madam Jennie already knows, it''s not even the first time it''s happening. All of you get back to work, this food is not going to serve itself." Her head moved back to its original position; her lips grew into a small smile.


    Back in the dining room, there was happy chatter as the family joked about the previous night''s events.


    Phoebe''s shoulders danced; she was in a happy mood after seeing the trending news of her. "Have you seen the news! Everyone is talking about the necklace that I was wearing."


    "As they should, you looked like a goddess my princess." Edward stared at her admiringly.


    "I have to admit that Uncle Rufus still has a lot of influence in the society, can you believe that nothing about the auction is written anywhere! Not the TV, internet or radio it''s incredible." Maureen dropped two sugar crystals in her tea, she appeared to think about it and added another.


    Andre waved the small knife in his hand. "Even the Saxon boys fight is nowhere to be seen, I concur with you aunt, old man Rufus is no joke. I bet Dickson must be pissed off as hell, it would benefit him the most if word about the fight spreads." His perfunctory movements worried Luna who kept her eyes on the knife.


    He was waving it carelessly, so much so that someone might lose an eye accidentally.


    She let out a soft sigh. "Andre careful with the knife." Luna shifted her chair closer to Luke''s side.


    In response Andre rolled his eyes, Luna''s rejection had washed away the little crush he had on her, with that orange hair on her head he could hardly see why he found her insanely attractive in the first place. "Of course, sister-in-law."


    The statement shocked many but mostly Jennie who almost chocked on black tea. "Sister-in-law? Who said?"


    Andre shrugged not forgetting to chuckle when Luke growled quietly. "Well since she spent the night here and in Luke''s room, I believe that she now owns that tittle."


    "My thoughts exactly! It''s been the topic of gossip in this house, the servants are wondering if they should prepare for three weddings." Aunt Maureen''s eyebrows danced, she loved weddings or was it the wedding food and endless drinks.


    Jennie scoffed. "Cut it out! It was late that''s why I suggested that David and Luna spend the night. The only wedding to prepare for is that of Collin and Shanna."


    "From now on, David is free to come here and spend the night as much as he wants to. If he ever marries Phoebe he should consider moving in here, it''s way better than staying with that Viper Miranda." Grandma Mayfair''s night had barely been peaceful because of the fact that Miranda had become a problem to Phoebe.


    On hearing her words, all the Mayfair men''s eyes shifted to stare at David. None of them would even consider moving in with their wives'' families, the thought of it alone was scary, every family had its traditions after all, and the Mayfair''s were happy go lucky kind.


    "I think it''s a brilliant idea, I do not want Phoebe to suffer at the hands of my family especially my mother but just to put it out there, you don''t need to worry about her, I found a solution to calm her down." David calmly stated, unfazed by the shock on the Mayfair''s faces.


    Collin realized that David was truly loyal to his sister, nothing mattered to him than Phoebe''s comfort and happiness. "You would really move in here permanently? Do you think your parents would agree to that? You are a Saxon, have you forgotten your identity?"

 Chapter 357 About the box.

    David leaned back to rest on the chair back rest. "My parents have no hold over me anymore since I quit the Saxon group, and I already moved out of the tower. I will move in here in a heartbeat if Phoebe wants us to live here."


    A Saxon willing to leave the tower and live with his wife''s family!! It was unheard of, and it was proof of just how determined David was to win Phoebe over and prove how much he loved her.


    Luna, Andre, Luke and Jennie all had one question on their minds, what kind of portion had Phoebe fed David to make him that crazy about her? A Saxon moving in with another family was a big deal, even their daughters and granddaughter''s husbands moved into the tower.


    It was a privilege to live in that tower, every year the Saxon tower was voted most beautiful place to live in Citrus city.


    "He is insane." Aunt Maureen muttered as she looked at David through bewildered eyes.


    Collin just nodded, accepting that David had changed into a better man. It was time to give him a chance and forget the past and besides, at the end of the day it was Phoebe''s decision.


    Grandma Mayfair sighed heavily. "I do not think that Rufus would even care since he is going to be preoccupied with finding that box that disappeared." she released another sigh.


    The teacup that was on its way to David''s lips only came halfway before he gently placed it back on the table, it was bothering him as well and Roxanne, as good as she was could not find anything wrong in the footage they had acquired.


    If a human had snatched the box, Roxanne would have made out their shape on that stage but there was nothing, the box just vanished in the midst of the darkness.


    "The thief was very strategic, all this seemed to be meticulously planned out, the people were not wrong to suspect that it was an inside job. I think Rex did it, no one fits the bill better than him." David suggested.


    Phoebe let out a tiny dry cough, all this talk about the stolen box was bothering her.


    [I feel terrible too especially because I know who took it but I can''t tell.] She raised her brows and lowered them.


    She drunk her milk tea preferring not to give her opinion on the matter.


    Her thoughts were seen by Edward and David who were looking at her, they both said nothing at that moment, but Edward wanted to know more while David felt a tinge of betrayal that Phoebe had not told him, it was not like he was going to run to his grandfather and tell him.


    Did she not trust him still after all this time? On the other hand, he wondered who could have taken the box, obviously it had to be ghost related. Was it Zephyra, she was his number one suspect because Phoebe did not seem to be panicked when she heard that the box had disappeared at the auction.


    In fact, if anything, when she heard about it Phoebe seemed relieved, she had not mentioned the box at all since that auction, not even once which was unusual because she was the curious type. The normal Phoebe would be sniffing around like a dog, looking for clues.


    The talk about the disappeared box continued with everyone airing out their opinions except for the one who knew where it was and those that now knew about the one with the true knowledge.


    Once breakfast was done, David left for the Saxon tower but first he told Phoebe that he was going to meet Arrow such that he could exchange the crown of the lord of the night for the amulet of serene thought which he planned to give his mother.


    Even though his heart was uncomfortable, still he said nothing about the box but only kissed her lips lightly and left the Mayfair house.


    Phoebe had plans of her own too but before setting off she went to her father''s study; he had requested to have a word with her before she left the house.


    The door of her father''s study was partially open, so she let herself in. As she entered Oman was leaving, the butler gave her a smile.


    "Have a good morning young Miss." Oman offered a light bow


    "Good morning to you Oman, did you get a haircut?" She stopped and smiled back at him.


    Oman''s face turned red which surprised Phoebe, he touched his head and nodded.


    "Wow, no wonder you look extra handsome today Oman." She teased.


    The butler laughed and walked away; he was actually pleased by the interaction. In the whole family, Phoebe was the only one that ever noticed little things like this. She cared about the servants in her own way, lately Maria''s cat was gaining weight because she was buying it expensive cat food.


    All the maids had received secret bonuses from her, she had even given them clothes and shoes and peace pendants and amulets.


    Every once in a while, she gave them spiritual advice, she had even reminded Rita, one of the maids to take her mother to the hospital for a full body exam. As it turned out, her mother had cancer, first stage and she now receiving treatment.


    It was safe to say that she was everyone''s favorite in the house.


    Phoebe closed the door and looked at her father, she was prepared to act coquettish as usual until she noticed that his face was slightly more stern than usual.


    "Bad news?" She asked as she settled on the couch.


    Edward pushed back the office chair and moved to join her on the couch, a soft smile making sure to grow on his lips to replace the frown.


    "Nothing for you to worry about." he scratched the front of his hair, hesitating and contemplating on how to deliver his question.


    For a quick-witted person like her, it didn''t take her long to notice that something was bothering him. "Father what is it, if you are hesitant then I know the matter concerns me. Have I upset you perhaps?" She replayed the memories of the past few days, there was nothing there that she had done that could upset him.


    Phoebe reached to touch his hand. "Is it the Dickson issue? Do not worry father I will handle it....."


    Her words were cut short when her father shook his head. "No sweetheart that''s not it....I wanted to ask you about this missing box." Edward paused to scan her face.


    Instinctively she pulled her eyes and hand away from him, giving herself away immediately that she knew something however she was planning to deny having knowledge of anything because the truth was complicated.


    "Father why would you think that I would know anything about that box, I was in the rest rooms when it disappeared." she replied, her defensiveness giving her away again.


    Edward was not expecting her to come out clean out rightly, but neither was he expecting her to lie so naturally. He figured that she had important reasons as to why she had decided to protect whoever stole the box. But who was this thief that his daughter needed to protect them so much?


    He was part of the council, and the council was under fire regarding this theft, he was torn between his duty and his desire for the truth.


    sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 358 Father and daughter with secrets each.

    He could not come outright and tell her that he had figured out her secret from reading her thoughts, he decided to play pretend.


    "Oh no is that what you thought? I am not saying that you know who took it, I just wanted to ask if perhaps with your special abilities you saw something odd or maybe you could even help old man Rufus find it." Edward patiently studied his daughter as she crafted an answer to give him.


    He had a feeling that she was about to lie to him even before she opened her mouth, and he was helpless in that matter.


    She scratched the back of her neck and smiled stiffly before responding. "I see.... well father i am sorry to disappoint you but I didn''t see anything suspicious at all because I was in the bathroom. The only suspicious thing I can recall is the power going out which everyone noticed of course."


    Phoebe lied with a straight face, she did not even break a sweat and if Edward had not seen her thought she would have fooled him perfectly.


    He lowered his head to hide his smile, he could see that she was struggling to tell the lie and was very uncomfortable that she had to do so. He decided not to push anymore, the council would figure out how to handle the matter.


    Nobody knew what was inside the box at the end of the day, they would find something similar to fool people and calm the storm. Rufus would secretly continue digging into the case of course.


    Edward sighed when he looked at his daughter that was smiling at him with a sweet innocent look on her face as if she was a perfect little angel that could do no wrong.


    He tapped her nose with a finger, "That''s okay, sweetheart if you can think of anything, you can always come and talk to me. But meanwhile, have you maybe thought about joining Andre in the field of acting? I think that you would do an amazing job and win yourself a lot of awards." He raised himself to his feet and went to sit in the office chair.


    A small chuckle came from his throat because he figured she would be confused, and he was right. Cocking her head, Phoebe''s eyes followed him. She couldn''t understand why her father was saying what he was saying.


    "Me! Oh, come on dad I would suck at it. If there is an award to win, I would win the worst actress of the year award. No, not year.... century because nobody is as bad at acting as me." She leaned back in the chair and laughed, "Back in school I tried it because acting is one of those jobs where you are guaranteed wealth if you hit it big and I wanted to become as wealthy as quickly as possible


    You should have seen me trying to act as Juliet in the Romeo and Juliet play, I thought I was awesome but everyone that watched me was horrified. The drama teacher said that if I ever became an actress, everyone would gouge out their eyes and shoot their ears and the entertainment industry would be closed down for good."


    Both of them laughed loudly at the review which crushed Phoebe''s acting dreams.


    Subsequently, she added between laughter, "Besides, I have a lot on my plate with the ghosts and the cafe, my job is not the kind anybody can do."


    They laughed and jested some more on Phoebe''s short lived acting attempt, soon a shaky smile made its way to her lips as she made a momentous decision to ask about her father and also permission to visit the Moldove founding Academy.


    "I would have loved to see it." Edward said sadly.


    Each time Phoebe spoke of her life before becoming a Mayfair, regret sank heavily in Edward''s heart. He had missed out on a lot and although he managed to conjure a smile when she told the stories, beneath it all his mind lingered with ''what ifs'' especially because the Gabriel''s had been shitty parents to her.


    "I think my teacher kept the tape; she uses it to show others what not to do." Phoebe said.


    Edward made his mind up to get a copy of the tape for his private viewing.


    "I missed out on a lot so please do not hesitate to tell me more stories about your school days." His face relaxed as the frowns disappeared.


    There was brief silence as Phoebe toughened up to open the can of worms, she decided to be very direct about it. "Just like I missed getting to know grandpa, Nana has told me a little about him, but I want to know more about him. I feel like the two of us would have best friends if he was still with us."


    Edward ran his fingers through his hair, his father Cillian''s face came to him and his mind was filled with bittersweet memories.


    He poked at the papers on his desk, moving them around aimlessly, he knew where this conversation would lead, just as she had her secrets, so did he.


    Slowly he replied, "Mother told me that you two took on the task of cleaning up his things in the basement. It was nice that after years of locking it up like an invisible prison, you came along and somehow convinced her to confront her grief and go in there. I don''t know what she has told you, but my father was devoted to us although he spent a lot of time traveling. You are right, he would have loved and adored you daughter."


    Edward''s tone was a little defensive, it was because he knew his mother, despite her love for his father resented him for staying away from home often and keeping secrets. Some days or nights, she allowed that resentment to seep through, so he did not know if she had said something to Phoebe.


    He went silent, pulling the room into a quietness that only made Phoebe uncomfortable even though her father appeared to be smiling.


    "How did he die? I was told that it was an accident, but no one is giving me any details. I cannot help but feel like there is more to that story, father please tell me." Came Phoebe''s question but she regretted it almost immediately for the smile on her father''s face faltered fast, a frown replaced it.


    Never had she seen frost in his eyes, the spark was gone and replaced by a glint of anger. "Why are you asking? Is he still lurking around here somewhere? Have your ghost friends seen him in this realm?"


    Edwards voice was grave and curt, the warmth had vanished, it was clear that this was a sour topic, and she was not going to get any answers from him. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "He moved on I am certain because otherwise I would feel him, but I just feel like it''s suspicious since no one is willing to talk about the story. " Phoebe avoided his cold gaze at all costs.


    Her words were met by silence, she wanted to escape out of the room immediately. Phoebe decided that she would not ask this question again, she would just conjure her grandfather''s spirit.


    "Well, there is nothing more to that story, if your grandfather moved on so should you. Some things should be left buried Phoebe, your grandfather is one." Edward''s mildly sharp words were enough to tell her that he would never discuss his father''s death.


    Phoebe could have sworn that she felt a chill travel up her spine. What in the world had her grandfather done for everyone to be like this? Was it something bad?

 Chapter 359 More secrets on top of others.

    Phoebe thought that she was the only that had noticed the fact that there was something deeper to her grandfather''s death but she was wrong.The Saxon spirit pointed it out as well.


    "He or they are hiding something." It said.


    "You usually know everything, why haven''t you figured it out? She quizzed it. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I have been sleeping for close to a century, I don''t truly know what has been going on in the founding families in the last few years. The only person who will probably tell you anything no matter how small will be his sister, your aunt." The spirit communicated inwardly.


    Phoebe''s mouth twisted and she shook her head, when she thought about her aunt, she thought about the strength she had displayed and her job as a guardian. If anybody had lips that were sealed tighter than a bank vault, it was her aunt. otherwise the rest of the family would be in on her guardianship.


    "I doubt that, remember that I already asked and she didn''t tell me anything of substance." Phoebe quietly responded, her face marred with disappointment.


    The spirit''s eyes locked in contact with those of Phoebe. "That was before you had leverage, use what you have to get what you do not have."


    It''s words had Phoebe blinking rapidly, she scanned her mind in search of the leverage but it dawned on her that it was aunt Maureen who actually had something that she could use against her. "I cannot push her because she could tell everyone that I was attacked by men that worked for a warlock that harbored a grudge against me, everyone including my parents would dive into a frenzy and wrap me in a bubble called Mayfair manor."


    It dawned on Phoebe that overtime, she had truly changed after her rebirth. Her original self would have said no to the blackmail suggestion, now she was the kind of person that did not mind a little blackmail as long as it got results.


    The spirit pushed its mouth to one side, it couldn''t stop blaming itself for what had happened in it''s absence, luck was on their side because aunt Maureen happened to be there but if she had not, who knows what would have happened.


    It was time to put physical training on the menu for Phoebe, she could not just train spiritually.


    "I am sure she knows the truth, her eyes were just like dad''s when I asked." Phoebe said.


    "All the more reason to press her, yes she may tell everyone about the attack but we will do damage control if she does but as for now you hold a higher bargaining chip. She would not want anyone knowing that she is a guardian, use that." It''s face transitioned to become more serious.


    Phoebe''s eyes widened as an exasperated sigh escaped her. "I really can''t believe that I am considering this and you are seriously advocating it. I don''t know if using the weakness of a family member against them is the right thing. This guardianship thing is very sensitive, do you remember what old man Rufus said about Mayfair''s becoming guardians, he said grandpa Cillian did not want his descendants involved."


    "And yet you want to associate yourself with them." The spirit raised its brows, before meeting her real family Phoebe was unstoppable and cold as long it concerned her job and her life. Nothing stood in her way then, but now, she had to put a lot of people''s feelings into consideration.


    Old Phoebe before the Mayfair''s would be in Moldove academy by now or she would be a member of a sect. Hell, se would be a guardian in training.


    A sigh of frustration came from Phoebe. "Aah! I really want to know what''s in that school, I want to take their blood line crystal whatever test. Even if the crystal rejects me, I would have tried at least and I would not live my life wondering what if.


    I want to become as strong as those flying guardians that look like superheroes. I need to be stronger than the strongest guardian, who knows when Ruth and her helper will pop up? I have to learn to use my powers to the fullest potential before then and yet I am weaker than aunt Maureen." She sank back in the chair and released a weary sigh which drew her father''s attention to herself.


    "Your aunt has been at this job for at least twenty years and in training for longer, since childhood if I have to take a guess. You have been training for less than a year, you cannot expect to catch up to her in an instant." The spirit consoled her. "If we take short cuts, you will get there faster."


    Phoebe moved her body and she laid down on the couch sighing sadly, continuously. She had forgotten that she was still in her father''s office.


    "Is something else bothering you?" Edward asked. His voice jolted her quickly out of her thoughts.


    She turned her head his way and sighed again. [I don''t think you would want to know, it will only make you angry. I might as well keep it myself.]


    She shook her head and smiled but her thoughts as always were visible, the words cut Edward like a knife, he wanted to be close enough for her to confide in about anything no matter how inconvenient it was.


    He could not help thinking that she was drawing the line between them because of the way he had spoken to her earlier. He had not meant to be so stern and cold with her, it just came out of him when the subject of his father''s death came up.


    Edward took off his rimless glasses and rubbed his closed eyes with his fingers and then wore them again while making an apology. "Listen sweetheart, I must have sounded rude earlier yet you were only worried about your grandfather and I apologize for the way I came off. However, please lets leave grandpa to rest, it will be better for all of us, I am trying to protect you. I hope you can understand me." A rueful smile tugged on his lips.


    He watched her with apologetic eyes but there was not much he could do, he didn''t want his daughter to dig deeper into the issue, God forbid if something terrible happened to her like it had done to his father. Magic was good, but it was also bad and dangerous, he could handle Phoebe helping ghosts but the rest like guardians, Moldove academy, sects and the rest, it was a no.


    She and the spirit exchanged gazes, unintentionally Edward had given her a hint by saying that he was trying to protect her. It made her even all the more curious, what had her grandfather done or what was done to him that warranted protection from? Phoebe wanted to dig deeper even more into Cillian Mayfair.


    A joyful smile grew on her lips, she turned her body to face him.


    "I totally understand father, I will not ask about grandpa anymore, I want to talk about something else, Moldove founding academy?" Her pretend clueless eyes stared at him innocently like she didn''t already know that he did.


    Edward''s index finger moved to pull the glasses forward, they perched at the bridge of his nose, and he clenched his jaw. The relief he had felt when she said she would not ask about her grandfather anymore faded and anger returned like a punch to the gut. It was not directed to her but whoever had brought this information to Phoebe.


    "Who have you been talking to? Did someone tell you all this nonsense? Was it uncle Rufus? You recently had dinner with him, and it cannot be Maureen she wants nothing to do with that school just like me." His overly suspicious eyes demanded for answers.

 Chapter 360 Edward hated the academy.

    Phoebe swallowed hard when she heard his thoughts about Aunt Maureen, it was obvious that he had no idea what she had been up to and that she was probably a former student of the academy, or maybe a current one.


    So, using aunt Maureen as a scapegoat would not work, and neither would it help to give up grandpa Saxon. Telling her father the truth about how she knew about the academy seemed to be out of the picture. There was only one place she could run to when she needed an irrefutable excuse.


    "Father no one told me anything." Her voice came barely more than a whisper, no matter what she made sure not to meet his narrowed eyes that were scanning her face for any trace of deceit.


    Edward''s face relaxed a little, perhaps he was wrong for old man Rufus knew where he stood when it came to that academy.


    "Then how do you know about that damn academy?" He pressed, determined to find out everything she knew so far. "My good daughter do not hide these matters from your father, they are very serious. The academy may sound like a noble place but it if full of dangers, whoever is whispering information about it into your ears can be considered our enemy."


    Phoebe wanted to roll her eyes; the use of the word enemy was a little too strong. If Dickson or Dorothy or any of the warlocks and shamans she had pissed off had been the one to bring up the academy sure, but it was not.


    "It''s the ghosts." Phoebe blurted out. "There has been a lot of talk about the academy in the ghost world so I became curious about it, and I figured that since you are on the founding council, you would be the best person to give me answers about it."


    Phoebe lied for the better, if her father ever found out that Grandpa Rufus told her anything about the academy their good relationship would surely break.


    "God damn it!" Edward cursed; he applied so much force on the pencil he was holding that it broke into two with one piece falling to the floor.


    Edward knew he could not stop the ghosts from talking, he could not even forbid Phoebe from listening to them, they were not human.


    Phoebe noticed that her father''s face had turned into stone, he was hardly blinking or moving. A mix of confusion and fear laced his eyes, so she decided to offer an explanation. She believed that maybe if he heard of her reasons as to why she had to know more about the academy, he would understand her position a little bit.


    "Dad, yesterday I encountered a ghost that told me that it once saw another demon roaming around the supermarket and it was apparently in human form.


    I have encountered one demon in my line of work, and I am likely to encounter more. In fact, I heard from the demon I dealt with that more are coming, and it seems Citrus is going to be their meeting area or home as they prepare for whatever nefarious plot they have.


    I have heard whispers of a supernatural war, and the name Ravana has been mentioned. I have also been told that my role in this war is quite important, dad, the ghosts are scared, and you know that my work is to help ghosts.


    I need to build my strength fast and I believe that the academy can help me in that regard which is why I want to take a look and see how it can help. If they cannot help me, I will naturally abandon my interest in them."


    Her words only made the air even more tense, it''s like she had dropped a bomb containing Edward''s worst fear. His hands made their way to his chest where a knot of despair tightened. "This cannot be happening." His voice whispered.


    The mention of demons took him back to his father and all that led to his death. The supernatural world was not satisfied with taking one Mayfair, it wanted to claim another.


    He shook his head frantically and put his foot down, he was determined to deter his daughter from associating herself with the academy and whatever war she was speaking of. However, he also knew Phoebe, she was not the type to back down from a fight, especially if ghosts were involved.


    He wilted like a balloon that was running out of air very fast and sunk into the chair with his hands on his head. He was like a defeated man that had aged overnight.


    "Dad..." Phoebe called him in a soft hesitant voice.


    He raised his eyes to her and sighed. "Pheebs, I cannot forbid you from hearing about these things from your ghost clients or companions however I can strongly advise as a father that loves his daughter that he never wants to lose ever again that you should stay away from that academy.


    You have been doing so well for yourself so far; you do not need it for anything not even to build your strength. That place, it will suck everything out of you until there is nothing left, not even your sanity." His elbows rested on the table, and he lowered his head in hands again, praying that she listened to him lest she end up like her grandfather.


    "There is so much anguish in his voice, and I believe that it''s all connected to this academy, don''t push the idea for now until we find out what this is all about." The Saxon spirit sympathetically stared at Edward with a hand on Phoebe''s shoulders.


    Phoebe had so many questions about why her father harbored so much negativity about the academy but nevertheless she took the spirit''s advice. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Dad, it''s not a must that I should join the academy, like you mentioned earlier I am doing well on my own and I, Phoebe Mayfair will continue to do so." A big reassuring grin tugged on her lips which gave her father comfort.


    He raised his head to meet her eyes, he thought that this would be a subject that they would argue about, but he had been able to change her mind easily, warmth returned to his refined features as he returned a smile to her.


    He even sighed before he replied, "Thank you my daughter for a second there I was beginning to worry that you would persist on attending that academy.


    I am so glad that you understand your father''s worries, but I won''t make you give it up for nothing. If you need to build your strength, I will find teachers for you. I know some people that will be willing to train you." His finger''s drummed lightly on the table then he shut down his computer and stood on his feet. "I am late for a council meeting, I am sorry, but I have to leave but I can drop you and mother at the cafe if you want."


    His suggestions gladdened Phoebe''s heart, but she turned him down when it came to dropping her off for, she was not heading to the cafe just yet.


    They both left the office, him faster than her as he was in a rush. As she walked through the corridor, Phoebe called Shark to get updates on Reid''s case.


    Shark apologized for not attending to it yesterday for a big case had come up.


    "Let us meet there in thirty alright? Sorry again, Pheebs." His voice didn''t sound like that of a person that regretted nothing, and it wasn''t surprising.

 Chapter 361 Teaching a lesson.

    It was business as usual at the supermarket which gave Phoebe a hint that Shark and his team were not there yet which was not a surprise because she lived close to it compared to where Shark was coming from.


    For a while, Phoebe hung around outside, waiting impatiently but her patience run thin and eventually, she decided not to wait. Rather than wait, she figured there would be no harm heading inside to do her own investigations. Even though Reid had said his death was an accident, the police would have questions.


    They would have to ensure that he was not pushed deliberately or poisoned or even tricked into climbing to the top of the refrigerators. The supermarket itself would probably be closed for a while because a dead body had been in there for so long, who knew what other health risks were hiding inside.


    Phoebe looked at the glass doors and she sighed; a lot of founding families were going to be very unhappy if the closest and most convenient supermarket was closed.


    She opened the doors and looked around, there were countable people inside being that it was a Monday morning. She made a beeline for the closest check-out counter which Reid pointed her to.


    Sylvester and Reid were moving with her, one ghost at each side. Connie was still spending time with Collin, her brother, America was at the orphanage with Diana and the Saxon spirit was in the space.


    "Good morning." She greeted politely although the young man behind the counter barely gave her any attention.


    "That''s Tom, he is naturally rude especially on Mondays so do not mind him." Reid shook his head; he had warned Tom countless times to work on his attitude towards customers but obviously he was still the same.


    Tom could be a bit of a drama queen, especially when he was getting over a hung over after drinking a little too much over the weekend.


    Phoebe''s lips made a sarcastic sound. "He won''t have a job for long if he keeps it up."


    Her words caught Tom''s attention as he heard them as clear as a gunshot. "What did you say lady?" Tom eye''s glared at her, daring her to repeat what she had just said.


    Now that she had his attention, she introduced herself in her full glory. "I am the shaman Phoebe Mayfair; you are probably familiar with my face unless you do not follow the gossip blogs in Fog country." She waved her hand in a dismissive way. "Where is your manager? Is he in and if no, what time will he be arriving?" She quizzed.


    Tom let out a short laugh, one intended to mock Phoebe. "I know who you are I just do not care, why do you want to speak to the manager? You can tell me." His fingers positioned the plastic name tag that was attached to his T-shirt. "I am the supervisor, I basically run the entire supermarket now." He lifted his chin proudly and folded his arms. "If you are here to complain, fill out a form and leave your phone number, we will get back to you as soon as possible."


    "Since when? He doesn''t deserve that position." Came Reid''s submission of shock, he was clearly disappointed by the development.


    "Miss shaman the manager''s office is over there, just ignore him." He pointed at a blue door that was positioned at the extreme corner behind the diary aisle. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe flicked her fingers. "Thanks for nothing Tom, I have a feeling that I will not be seeing you here next month. It was nice knowing you." Her voice was laced with loud sarcasm.


    She successfully infuriated Tom and made sure to ignore his threats as she made her way to the door. To refrain him from stopping her the ghosts held him in one place.


    "What is going on? what''s happening to my feet." Tom yelled drawing attention to himself, the louder he screamed the crazier he looked.


    On reaching the office, before she could knock on the door or attempt to go in the door swung open. Phoebe saw a bold, short man in a green sweater vest with the tag that had the word ''manager''. He faced her and stared at her quizzically, his hands fondling the bunch of keys in his hands. She could tell that he had been about to go, and she was bothering him which made him unhappy.


    "Great, you must be the manager." Phoebe pointed at the name tag.


    "Can I help you with something?" The manager shifted his attention from Phoebe to a screaming Tom. "Oh, for God''s sake, what the hell is going on!" He excused himself so as to sort out the situation.


    Phoebe followed after him, she gestured at the ghosts to let him go, he had embarrassed himself enough. Sylvester made sure to push Tom forward, he stumbled and tripped over his feet, falling down.


    "Tom, what the hell are you doing? You better give me a good explanation as to why you are creating a scene or else I am firing you right now?" The manager''s displeased eyes looked at him.


    He looked around at the customers that were looking their way curiously and smiled, trying to assure them that all was well.


    "Why are you making a scene you idiot?" he hissed at Tom.


    Tom had just picked himself up and he was looking around with a look of confusion in his eyes. "I...I do not know, I couldn''t move my feet."


    He tried to explain but the manager only sneered, he was not Tom''s biggest fan.


    "I cannot believe that the boss made you a supervisor, you can hardly handle yourself let alone handling other workers. I will write a report about this." The manager spoke with pursed lips.


    A chuckle came from Phoebe. "I told you that you won''t keep a job for long." She commented.


    Her words only infuriated Tom who pointed at her with accusing eyes and anger. "You did this!" His eyes searched for the manager whom he reported to. "That lady interrupted me when I was working, she said that she is a shaman, and I told her that I know but I need to work. She did this to me because....be...be..." Words failed him, he could not say that he was rude to her otherwise he could be in more trouble.


    He also didn''t want to say that she had said he would be fired which infuriated him and resulted in his first scream. His manager was a deeply superstitious person, if he heard that he would definitely act on it.


    "Cat caught your tongue?" Came a voice from behind Phoebe.


    She knew the voice, so she didn''t turn around unlike everyone else, the police had arrived, and Shark was on the scene.


    "Detective Shark, CPD." He flashed his badge for the manager to see.


    "And I am detective Phoebe, CPD." Phoebe flashed hers for a fleeting second.


    "D...detective?" Tom gasped for air.


    What the hell were two cops doing in the supermarket so early in the morning? Both Tom and the manager knew for sure that it was nothing good.

 Chapter 362 Gone and forgotten.

    Phoebe gave Tom a deliberate smirk and evil grin, she pointed to her eyes with two fingers and then turned them to him. It was the world famous ''I have got my eyes on you'' sign.


    Confusion engulfed Tom''s entire being, was he in trouble for insulting a detective? What was going to happen to him now? Was she going to write his name in her little notebook and blacklist him? Perhaps she would craft up some fake charges on him just to teach him a lesson.


    Did she know that he had smoked some weed the night before, would she put handcuffs on him and drag him to a police station where he would have to pee in a cup? The more he conjured up wild scenarios, the more panicked he became.


    Within seconds, the back of his shirt showed wet stains, he was sweating. His shoulders shrunk and since he couldn''t vanish into thin air, the least he could do was humble himself and scoot to hide behind the manager. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You should have told us that you are a cop." The manager pulled his brows together to form a frown as he looked at Phoebe warily, wondering if someone had made some kind of health code violation report.


    He also thought about the rest of the complaints that they had received lately, and he picked one that stood out from the pile of thirty.


    "I hope that this has nothing to do with Mrs. Gwyneth Rowland''s death, the police have already been here, and the investigation was closed. We were cleared completely, if you want to re-open the case, my statement and those of the employees are not changing." He stated furiously.


    The woman had passed by the restaurant section of the supermarket an hour before her death and there was a lot of speculation about what caused her to die. She was healthy, a faithful daily jogger, she had attended the auction last night, bought some food in the restaurant and when she reached her house, she fainted and died suddenly.


    The police had been to the supermarket restaurant, and they questioned the employees on what she bought and anything she could have eaten. They even took food samples to ensure that she had not been poisoned.


    That was not enough, they wanted to know who she talked to, what she said, if she got any phone call that they happened to overhear and took security footage for the entire day as if a hidden killer had been laying in wait and struck when she was relaxed, doing some shopping.


    The name sounded familiar to Phoebe''s ears; she knew just one Rowland family in the neighborhood. They were a self-made powerful political family in Fog country, from that lineage alone had come a few ministers and governors even the current presidential secretary was a Rowland.


    Phoebe had heard about the death through Maria, she looked at Shark knowingly, if she had to guess, it was probably a case that he was working on, it was his cup of tea.


    Shaking his head, Shark looked around and replied, "We are not here on the Rowland case, we won''t be back unless there are any new developments. Is there something about that case which you wish to add?"


    His words put the manager at ease for he wiped away perspiration from his forehead and shook his head, he had nothing to add.


    "Then what is this about?" Hardly had the words left the manager''s mouth when sirens and honking sounds were heard outside. They could all see from inside that more police officers had arrived plus a team from the medical examiner''s office.


    It was no surprise to Phoebe to see that it was Claire, they always worked together on cases.


    "What the hell is going on?" The manager asked, his eyes laced with worry.


    To answer his question, Shark reached inside his coat pocket and extracted a folded paper. "Here, you will understand more when you read this, it is a search warrant granting us access to every inch of the supermarket."


    He gestured at the police officers to escort the nosy customers out, some had their phones out recording whatever was happening while others asked various questions to the workers, the bold ones asked the officers who responded by pushing them out as gently as they could.


    Claire and her team entered, they were already dressed and prepped to start work.


    "Okay! Show me where the dead body is Officer Pheebs." Claire wore a wide grin on her face, she could hardly contain her excitement.


    Nobody loved a crime scene like Claire, especially one with decomposed bones which provided a mystery. Sometimes, Claire could be a bit of a ghoul, and to some people she was considered to be insensitive because she smiled over dead bodies.


    This was one such moment, even though she was not standing over a body, she was loud enough so the customers and employees that were yet to be evicted heard her and frowned.


    Phoebe moved over to where she stood. "Could you maybe not smile so much?" She whispered and watched as everyone dive into shock.


    "D-dead b-body!" Tom screamed on top of his voice, his face became pale white, drained of its color just like the rest of the employees.


    The manager''s breath hitched, unsure about what all this meant. "What does this mean? Are we going to close up shop? How am I going to survive in this economy? Wait, do I have to tell my boss about this?" His questions seemed to be all the wrong ones and not just selfish.


    Detective Jones wore protective gloves as he approached the freezers. "Sir you are asking the wrong questions, wouldn''t you like to at least know who died? And how or why there is a dead body in your supermarket in the first place?" His voice was curt and intended to show his displeasure.


    Shark expelled a sharp sigh. "Behind those freezers is the body of Reid Fisher. Does any of you remember him? He was your co-worker, won employee of the month more that everyone else."


    Murmurs erupted among the employees; the manager''s hand rose to touch his forehead. "Reid is dead?" The weight of Shark''s words pressed heavily on his chest. "How? When? I thought that he probably found something better after he disappeared.


    Look is there some kind of mistake, I mean I would know if he was here, I am going to tell you the same thing I told his parents when they came here in search of him, he isn''t here." he said slowly.


    Phoebe let out a short sigh. "They came to the right place because Reid died, and his body has been behind those freezers all this time." She stated.


    "My God!" Tom''s knees became watery, he crumbled to the floor. "Behind the freezers, how?" He added a question.


    "You know everything exactly how Tom, the night the two of you last sat up there, he accidentally fell and got trapped behind the freezers. Didn''t you hear him screaming at all?" Phoebe narrowed her eyes at him.


    Tom was really shocked, his horrified eyes stared back at Phoebe.


    "No...I... it''s not my fault, okay. When I came back from the store he was gone, so I moved to the counter and wore my headsets. I never heard from him since then I just figured he left the job." Tom stammered as he explained.

 Chapter 363 Bearer of bad news.

    The manager transitioned from shock to anger, his eyes glared at Tom. "Why the hell did you go up there you dumb ass? What were you thinking? Do you not think at all because we could be looking at a bloody lawsuit here from Reid''s family. You have eyes, couldn''t you see that it''s dangerous?" He berated him through his questions.


    "It was Reid''s idea, I swear he suggested that we lounge up there." Tom lied blatantly after all the dead couldn''t speak. It was better to lie against Reid than to be fired.


    Reid only shook his head and rolled his eyes, something that he did a lot. "It''s a lie but I don''t even care, he has always been a selfish lying prick."


    "Do not lie against the dead Tom, both of you made the stupid decision to go up there whenever you got the chance. Just because he is dead does not mean you can dump all the blame on him." Phoebe was not going to let it slide.


    The manager''s chest heaved. "You are fired!" He placed his hands on his waist, heaving as if he had just finishing running two miles.


    "Wait, he has to answer my questions first. Until the coroner gives us an explainable cause of death this is still considered to be an open case." Shark pulled on Tom''s collar. "Now tell me, did you have any grudges against Reid?"


    "No." Tom responded loudly, very agitated.


    He was feeling so stressed that he wished he had some weed and a couple of beers to help him sail through the moment.


    "Who brought the drinks that night?" Shark quizzed Tom. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Both of us grabbed them from the storeroom." Tom mumbled.


    The manager groaned like an angry dog, "You were stealing from us."


    "No, it was from the bad batch." Tom whined.


    The manager was about to dig more into Tom, but Shark stopped him, there was only one detective with questions, and it was him.


    "How many beers did Reid drink?" he asked and narrowed his eyes at Tom, intimidating him with his gaze.


    "Three, four, five...it was so long ago, I don''t remember." Tom winced.


    Shark asked a couple of more questions not just to Tom but the other employees, from the responses Phoebe realized that Reid was an introvert who barely had any friends at least according to his workmates.


    It was quite sad on Reid''s end because he held them in high regard and considered most of them to be his friends.


    "How mean of them to say that they barely knew me? I worked with these people for close to six years." A lump caught in Reid''s throat.


    Sylvester rubbed Reid''s back in comfort, there was nothing he could say to comfort him.


    Shark closed his notebook and gave all of his attention to the manager. "What about the smell? I do not understand that part, are you saying that the foul smell didn''t affect you?"


    The manager shrugged, "To be honest, there was a time when customers complained that there was a bad odor coming from the freezer areas but one of them had an issue at the time and some meat had gone bad. Turning off those freezers is a no since the perishables have to be kept at certain temperatures at all times.


    We threw out the meat, activated charcoal was poured below and around the back of the freezers and in no time, things were back to normal." The manager explained, he figured that he couldn''t be blamed because he knew nothing.


    "Seems like there is no foul play." Phoebe rubbed her chin.


    Claire came up from behind her. "You cannot say that until a proper autopsy is done but from looking at things, there is a high possibility that it was the injury to the back of the head and spine that resulted in death, but it was not just that.


    I think there was some internal bleeding too, I am guessing he choked on his blood. poor guy that was a horrible way to die." She took off the gloves and sprayed her hands with sanitizer. "We are done here, see you later Pheebs." She saluted dramatically and left.


    Detective Jones tapped the manager''s shoulder. "You will have to close this place for a while." He told him.


    The news was expected but nevertheless, the manager was unhappy with it. "I guess that was expected." Deep lines marred on his forehead.


    "Its not like you will be having any customers here anyway when the news gets out that there was a dead body slamming it up in here." Phoebe pulled her lips to one side.


    Shark nodded once Phoebe had a point, none of those high and mighty ladies from the founding families would be setting foot in there. The supermarket was going to become one of those places that was given a judgmental side eyes for a while.


    There was a possibility of the supermarket being boycotted altogether which would put it out of business.


    "She is right, and besides you have to clean that area, maybe throw out the freezer altogether, I know for sure that I would not ever eat anything from there. In fact, I might suggest finding a new location altogether, that''s if you still want to stay in business." He looked around and pinched his nose.


    Shark imagined the press that was going to follow when word about the body in the supermarket where the high and mighty liked to shop go out. He gestured at Phoebe to follow him, the other cops would wrap up, his job was done.


    On reaching outside, Shark told Phoebe that he was returning to the office to follow up on the Rowland case.


    "You haven''t seen her ghost anywhere, have you? It will boost my career if it turns out that this is a murder case which I solve gloriously. It''s the Rowland''s, apparently the next president could be from their family. I have a chance to get in with the next first family before they take leadership of the country, it''s the big leagues Pheebs." He blew air into his hands and rubbed them continuously.


    It was a bit frosty outside, the wind was strong, and the clouds were gathering like it was going to rain.


    His words had Pheobe sneering. "Your greed truly has no bounds but no, I haven''t seen her, and I hope that she moved on swiftly. I will go with Jones for the death notification, at least he won''t hound me, asking if I have seen any famous ghosts that were killed." She began to walk away towards her car.


    Phoebe drove straight to the area suburbs where Reid''s family home was. It was a humble home tucked between two bigger and more refined houses. She parked in the open compound near Jone''s car, he was already standing next to his car, waiting for her. He walked ahead of her and pressed the doorbell; his face was grim as it always was when he had to deliver such news to a family.


    A middle-aged woman opened the front door and looked at them curiously. "Hello there, how can I help you." A welcoming smile tugged on her lips; she wiped her hands on the apron that was tied around her waist.


    Phoebe wished that she wasn''t the bearer of bad news, it was obvious that she was going to ruin her day, and that smile would fade from her face in a minute.


    Jones took the initiative to introduce himself and Phoebe. "Good morning, ma''am. I am detective Jones, and this is officer Phoebe of the CPD. Is this Reid Fisher''s home??"


    The smile on the woman''s face quickly vanished into thin air. "Oh God." She whispered.

 Chapter 364 Operation matchmaking.

    Under normal circumstances, Phoebe was usually happy and glad when a ghost moved on especially because she was rewarded with more days to live, and her body gained more ghost energy but not this time. Reid''s case was another sad one, a young man gone too soon and undeserving of death considering the fact that evil creeps like Dickson were still walking.


    Santos took over the driving while Phoebe sat in the back drowning in thoughts, her mind was replaying the moment Jones had informed Reid''s family that their long-lost child was gone.


    Some members of the family sighed knowingly while others, particularly his mother wailed as she clawed on her chest like as though she could reach inside and pluck out her hurting heart. She had lamented and cursed, wondering why such misfortune had to befall her son.


    "I prayed so much for his safe return, why weren''t my prayers answered? I really hoped___,thought that he was out there somewhere living a good life even though we didn''t know where he was.


    We are good people, we go to church, we donate to the unfortunate even though we are not wealthy so why us? Why my son? He did right by everyone and now he is good for good, why? Someone please tell me why." Reid''s mother''s words were accompanied by tears of anguish and despair.


    She had sobbed to a point of passing out and Reid decided not to say goodbye, it would just make his mother sadder anyway. He had been anchored to earth because he wanted his body to be found, with that accomplished, he had moved on.


    Phoebe let out a long sigh. "It is always the good people that die in the most painful and pathetic ways." She voiced quietly.


    The many why''s that Reid''s mother had uttered danced in her mind, making her question why certain people died and others lived.


    She sighed sadly as Reid''s face faded from her mind like mist. It was sad but at the end of the day her job was done, and the ghost had moved on. Perhaps his next life would be much better than this one.


    The car drove to the mall, a place that she was visiting with a mission that had been given to her by her grandmother, matchmaking her aunt Maureen.


    She stopped by the herb shop in a bid to speak to Mr. Alton about going on a date with aunt Maureen. He was not filthy rich like them nor was he a member of the founding families, but he was calm, well-built and always wore a comforting smile each time she saw him. After fighting evil in the day, aunt Maureen needed someone as calming and uncomplicated as Mr. Alton to go home to.


    The mall was busy as always, crowded with shoppers going in and out of different shops, many heavy laden with bags in their hands.


    Phoebe had been to most of the shops in this mall, not to buy things but to familiarize herself with the owners and drum up some business for herself.


    She did not branch anywhere else but went straight to Alton''s shop, on pushing the glass door that led inside, she was welcomed by a bright smile as usual.


    "Good morning young shaman." Mr. Alton cheerfully greeted; he was extra bright today. "I have not seen you in so long that I was beginning to think that you abandoned your business, or have you found another herb vendor that you prefer to me? You cannot believe it but that black pearl tree seeds that you were so badly in need of, I got my hands on some." He immediately ordered one of his employees to bring them out. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe pretended to be impressed by the news however she had previously sourced out for black pearl tree seeds and had planted a few in the space and at the farm.


    The seeds were used in her high-end exotic pendants and charms which were sold for a lot of money, twenty thousand dollars and above. She liked to use them because of their unique appearance and the trees themselves were beautiful. The species however did not grow in Fog country, only on Turtle Island, on another continent.


    "What would I do without you Mr. Alton." She exclaimed; her eyes opened widely like she was looking at one of the gold deposits in the Silver nation.


    "I will buy everything!" Her hands rifled through the small round pea sized seeds which were a deep blue-black, almost like tiny pearls. "Truly beautiful." she whispered.


    She was an expert at separating real from fake, there were a lot of fake black pearl tree seeds on the market. Mr. Alton was a good man, he never sold fake things but that did not mean someone else could not fool him or his employees.


    "Are you serious? If so, then I will give you a big discount." Mr. Alton''s eyes sparkled as he spoke.


    By the time the packing was done, Phoebe had bought not just the black pearl tree seeds but also black cohosh, white cohosh, sativa, saffron, vanilla and truffles. Her bill was quite enormous, close to one hundred thousand fog dollars which did not bother her at all.


    "You should be careful with the white cohosh because it can be poisonous if not well prepared." Mr. Alton warned as he swiped Phoebe''s card in the machine. "And don''t touch it with your hands, it can cause inflammation and blistering when it comes into contact with the skin. Oh, and remember, no pregnant or breastfeeding women around it."


    "I will be careful do not worry and please deliver these to the cafe. Now that regular business is done, can I talk to you privately?" Phoebe requested.


    Mr. Alton granted her request and led her to his tiny office. "I hope that everything is okay?" His statement came out as more of a question, Mr. Alton''s brows pulled slightly together, worried about what Phoebe wanted to say to him.


    Phoebe smiled and waved her hands dismissively. "Oh yes everything is fine however I was wondering if perhaps you would like to go on a blind date with my aunt."


    Mr. Alton was quite the catch, so many single older women had been passing his information around, and Connie had told Phoebe all about it. He was a widower for over fifteen years, his wife had died during childbirth, the baby did not survive either, so the man had dedicated the rest of his life to his work.


    A guffaw came from Mr. Alton. "Young shaman, look at me? I am an old man now, way past the dating era. Also, I do not want to replace my wife with another woman, and I don''t want to make another woman feel like she is a substitute."


    Phoebe appreciated the devotion that he had for his dead wife, but the woman was gone, he had mourned her long enough and it was time to find happiness, with her aunt.


    "Who said anything about replacing your dead wife? It''s just a date besides I already told my aunt, and she really wants to meet you, please just one date." She pouted her lips and made a cute face that was hard to say no to.


    Mr. Alton chuckled. "But I am not of your status, I come from humble beginning....."


    Phoebe raised her hand to stop him. "Nobody cares Mr. Alton, just say yes. You just meet her at a nice restaurant, eat some food, drink some wine and that''s it, there are no obligations expected of you." She persuaded only to convince him.

 Chapter 365 Tension between nana and Phoebe.

    After so much whining, Mr. Alton could not take it anymore and he agreed to Phoebe''s request and then sent her away. She left with a victorious smile on her face.


    When she reached the cafe, she was met by a huge number of customers inside, more than the usual noon crowd which made her wary. People did not gather in such large numbers unless something had happened.


    Murmurs erupted the moment she entered as the customers secretly pointed at her. Phoebe noticed that these were not ordinary customers judging from the designer clothes and expensive jewelry that they wore. She made a beeline for the jewelry counter where Rosset was, she was wrapping up a protection talisman, a necklace pendant which was expensive.


    It sold for one hundred fifty-five thousand fog dollars, she had some that were worth even more expensive than that.


    "What is happening here? Is it the necklace that I wore last night?" Phoebe smiled from ear to ear.


    Rosset chortled. "That''s out of stock and it''s good that you are here. You see those uppity women that your grandmother is serving various types of lemonades and low carb scones and croissants which are not actually low carb?"


    Phoebe chuckled, Rosette did not like customers that added words like low carb and non-fat this or that to their orders. They were quite complicated to deal with and they always sent their orders back to be redone, but it could not be helped, this was a rich neighborhood after all.


    Rosette swept her hand out, her eyes roamed over the heads of all the women. "Well, they are here to purchase love portions and happily ever after talismans." A sarcastic short laugh accompanied her words.


    Phoebe''s eyes studied the group, although many were wearing various types of disguises and being discreet, Phoebe could identify at least one; Sabrina Spellcaster.


    A sigh of frustration came from her, Phoebe did not think that Sabrina would actually keep to her words to come to the cafe in search of a love portion. Who was she even planning to use it on?


    The bigger question was, should she interfere, after all Sabrina was destined to be her brother''s wife.


    "There is another problem." Came Rosset''s word''s that pulled Phoebe''s attention back to her.


    "What is it this time." She asked, slightly perturbed. It was five minutes to midday, but she was tired, Reid''s situation had drained her vigor to seize the day.


    "The part timer quit, apparently her family was not so pleased to hear that their daughter was working with ghosts. She apparently narrated the tale of Humphrey and the demon to her younger brother, and he has not been sleeping so they ordered her to quit. You need to hire another human employee full time, someone that understands our work preferably." Rosset advised.


    Phoebe nodded once. "Will do." She personally began to help the customers until the number reduced greatly. Her grandmother was invested in a gossip session with Sabrina and four other women. Once in a while she waved her hand invitingly at her, but Phoebe only smiled and continued to work.


    When she was done, Phoebe moved to her office, kicked off her shoes and sank into the sofa. Hardly had she shut her eyes when the door opened. Obviously, it was her grandmother, she was the only person who dared to enter without knocking first.


    "Nana whatever it is, can it wait thirty minutes to an hour?" Phoebe''s voice was low as it was exhausted. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Grandma Mayfair moved to sit in the couch opposite to the one Phoebe slept in. "Not if it concerns your mental health, you seem sad, don''t you have a personal ghost therapist? I noticed that you look dejected today, what is it? Where did you go this morning?" She quizzed.


    Phoebe reached for the ginger lemon tea on her table and took a sip first.


    "Forget me, what about you nana, I noticed that you slacked off even though we had very many customers." Phoebe responded in a dull voice.


    Grandma Mayfair pressed her lips tightly shut, she wondered who or what had driven her granddaughter into this state. Not only did seem less cheerful than normal but her words also lacked energy, and she sounded displeased.


    The old lady wondered if she was bothering Phoebe or being a nuisance as she once heard a maid say about her. That maid had been fired but her words had never been forgotten.


    A stone sat on grandma Mayfair''s chest as she looked at Phoebe, some tension grew in the room which made both of them uncomfortable.


    If it had been anyone else, old lady Mayfair would not have surrendered but it was Phoebe, the granddaughter she would move heaven and earth for. She did not want to alienate their relationship which was not even half a year old, so she decided to bend first.


    "I only came to inform you that Sabrina Spellcaster wants to have a word but since you are in an unpleasant mood I will tell her to come back later." Grandma Mayfair stood up to leave.


    Regret was already gnawing at Phoebe; she sat up quickly and gave her grandmother an apologetic look. "Nana I am sorry for my words, truly I did not mean to come off as rude or sharp. I know how hard you work here; the cafe would fall apart without you. I am just having a bad day; I had another case which twisted me up on the inside. "


    Phoebe apologized and told her grandmother about Reid which ended in both women wiping tears from the corners of their eyes. This was because Phoebe describe Reid''s mother''s grief in great detail and shared her lamentations.


    "Losing a child is a different kind of pain, it happened to me too a very long time ago. I remember the grief and the darkness which hit me when I gave birth to a stillborn baby. I cried so much and spiraled into depression for an entire year which was made worse by the absence of your grandfather for six long months at my most difficult moment.


    No parent should ever have bury their children, that poor woman, she will never be the same." Grandma Mayfair shook her head gently. "I understand where your misery is coming from, let me inform Sabrina that you cannot meet her today. You stay here and rest, I will turn away all the walk ins that want readings." She shifted forward to stand.


    Phoebe shook her head. "About Sabrina did you not emphasize that we do not sell love portions here?"


    "Oh, I did but that young woman is quite persistent." Grandma Mayfair answered.


    "Kindly bring her in, oh Nana by the way Mr. Alton agreed to go on a date with Aunt."


    Grandma Mayfair clapped once excitedly. "Really! We thank the heavens. I just pray that she doesn''t ruin it by dashing out half-way through the date. I swear, that girl works for the FNBI or something, maybe she is a spy." Worry came to form on her face.


    "It''s now in her hands; Mr. Alton is a good catch." Phoebe drew a smile, amused at the reference of aunt Maureen as a girl. Apparently, no matter how old you were, in the eyes of your parents you were nothing but a child.


    It didn''t not take long after her grandmother had left to come back and this time with Sabrina Spellcaster and some of her companions.

 Chapter 366 Meeting a future sister-in-law.

    As the other women sat down and minded their manners, Sabrina remained standing, her crossed arms pinned to her chest as if they had been glued there. Respect for others was a word that was foreign to her, and she liked to show superiority, because she believed herself to be superior to most people around her.


    This did not make her a bad person, it just made her unlikable to most people that met her, not that she cared much.


    Phoebe''s eyes roamed over the young woman, she was undeniably striking, you could see it at first glance that she had the kind of beauty that was written about in songs and poems. Her long flowing hair, which was dark blonde shimmered like molten gold, cascading down her shoulders in straight lines.


    Her eyes were a captivating shade of emerald, gleam with sharpness and intelligence. Her skin was flawless, but she had a few faint freckles around her cheek bones, other than that it was like porcelain.


    Going by looks alone, Phoebe could see that the three children Sabrina and Andre were destined to have would be very good looking. Their personalities however, she could not begin to guess, after all, the mother was a menace and the father childish.


    Sabrina spoke before Phoebe or any of the other ladies did, her voice had a natural quality of arrogance that was either in born or well-practiced over the years.


    "Since I have been to almost all the shamans in Fog country, I can tell a quack when I see one, you have some talent." Her wandering eyes continued to move around the office as if in search for something.


    Phoebe leaned forward. "Yes, I am aware of your interest in shamans, after all it was you that gave Leslie the spell of shadow manipulation that almost killed two people. You should not dabble in things that you don''t understand." Her voice was smooth but laced with accusation. She did not care if Sabrina''s companions heard what she said.


    Sabrina unfolded her arms and snapped her fingers. "Leave." She ordered the young women with impatience in her voice.


    Missy Castille took off the veil from her head exposing her face. "Come on! We want the love portions too you cannot command us to leave like this is your father''s compound."


    "She is right!" A brunette spoke. "What Miss Phoebe has said is not even a secret everyone knows. Ashley, Leslie''s mother told everyone that has an ear."


    A chuckle escaped from Phoebe on seeing Arrow''s sister. "Missy Castille, does your brother know of these extracurricular activities of yours? Or do you want me to tell David to inform him that you are going around in search of love portions?"


    Fury etched on Missy''s face. "You cannot do that! You would be breaking customer confidentiality and if word spreads, no one will dare set foot in here."


    Phoebe lowered her head and pointed her lips. "Imagine if someone used such kind of magic to take away your will to love willingly, or if say someone used it to snatch your boyfriend or husband.


    Would that be fair to you, do you know how many lives you can destroy? I do not sell love portions however I have ornaments and talismans that could help direct and lead you to the man that could be your soul mate.


    Also, everyone has more than one potential soul mate so if it doesn''t work out with one person, you can find another. If you use a love potion however, you are trapping someone else to love you while you freely move on if you don''t like them anymore.


    What will it be ladies, should I call your brothers and mothers to tell them what you are up to or will you be good girls and just buy some talismans and charms which are helpful but not dangerous?"


    Phoebe raised her eyebrows and looked at them sharply. The young women looked sullen, but they were smiling.


    "I want one of each and everything that will lead me to my soulmate. It will be so magical if I can meet him at a ball, like the Sunflower ball, we can dance all night, have a magical romance and our story can be turned into a movie." Missy Castille fidgeted with delight.


    The Saxon spirit sneered, "This one has watched way too many fairy tales."


    "Me too, my heart has been broken way too many times, I also want to meet my future husband at the Sunflower ball. If he can get down on one knee and give me a sunflower it will be dreamy." Said another.


    The women squealed and Phoebe scowled, they were all ridiculous. And what was with this fantasy of meeting men at balls, was there a lack of restaurants, mall, sidewalks, parties and other places where normal couples met?


    Phoebe waved her hand, sending them out. "You can go get whatever you need from Rosette, however you should know that not everyone gets to meet their soulmates immediately or at a ball. It depends on what destiny has in store for you." She gestured for them to leave.


    They squealed their way out of the office and the Saxon spirit closed the door.


    Sabrina rolled her eyes and sneered, a loud condescending sound. "At first I was skeptical about these abilities of yours but now I am certain that you are not that talented. How can a young woman like you know anything about true magic, even I am better than you."


    She snapped her fingers and the lights came on, she snapped again, and they went out. A triumphant chuckle escaped her because Phoebe seemed amused.


    "How did you do that?" Phoebe''s widely open eyes narrowed and studied her. "Sabrina by any chance are you practicing magic?" She added to ask.


    From the information she had gathered so far, Phoebe was aware that Sabrina was only seventeen which meant that she had not yet been indoctrinated into the world of magic. This only meant that she was practicing magic on her own which was illegal according to the laws that governed the founding families.


    "What a sneaky little young woman this one is." The Saxon spirit hovered over Sabrina. "How did she even discover that she had traces of magic flowing in her veins? I am impressed."


    Sabrina was yet to answer Phoebe''s question, she had no answer for she had used her magic blindly. "I do not know what you are talking about." She denied strongly, if Phoebe opened her big mouth then her chances of becoming a guardian could be ruined.


    Phoebe gave her a villainous grin. "What if I told my father who by the way is a member of the council."


    Her words caused Sabrina to stiffen. Her sharp eyes stared threateningly at Phoebe. "You could but I will deny everything." Sabrina wrinkled her nose.


    "Then I will slap a truth telling talisman on your back, you know what that is, right?" Phoebe responded.


    Sabrina leaned back; her shoulders hunched. "That would be mean of you, there is no difference between what I am doing and what you are doing. Why has the council not shut you down? You are from the founding family, and you have no license to practice magic."


    "That''s because I started practicing way before I knew of my origins besides you just called me a fake a few minutes ago. But worry not, I will keep your secret if you share some information with me." Phoebe propped her clenched fist under her chin. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Okay what do you want?" Sabrina fidgeted with her fingers warily.

 Chapter 367 Involuntary part time work.

    The air of arrogance in Sabrina dimmed a little, she could see that Phoebe was not as soft as she imagined.


    "The manipulation of shadows, where did you get the spell?" Phoebe asked.


    "Every founding family once had a witch or witches in their line, before everyone decided that they were too modern for ancient practices and locked away the grimoires of their ancestors. I am a Spellcaster, look at my name, it could not be more obvious that our family chose not to abandon the ways of our ancestors.


    Someone needed to teach the Miller''s a lesson, what I did was for the benefit of everyone. As for death, you cannot blame it on me, the caster of the spell was willing to use her vitality to destroy her enemy. Why is that my fault?


    It''s like blaming a gun vendor for the actions of a gun buyer. If I sell the gun legally, I am not liable for any of the actions of the buyer.


    Ashley Miller has not beaten up anybody since that incident, I believe that I did a great job. You should be rewarding me with flowers and dinner at a seven-star hotel, not accusing me." S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She answered so calmly, the arrogance in her voice came back with a vengeance. Sabrina was not unapologetic about her actions, which deeply frightened Phoebe as the young woman would be a Mayfair in future.


    "Ooh, this one is going to be trouble." The Saxon spirit whistled. "I can''t decide if she is evil or simply too righteous to a point of being blind to her own faults." It gasped. "Sanctimonious, I believe that word describes her perfectly."


    Phoebe agreed wholeheartedly and she decided to tackle the matter immediately. If Sabrina was to marry her brother, Phoebe wanted to do everything in her power to help her straighten her path.


    She raked her mind for solutions on how to humanize Sabrina more and it hit her, there was only one place and one job that affected people''s attitudes: the cafe.


    "I want you to work here part time." She looked at Sabrina calmly and suggested.


    This was killing two birds with one stone, Sabrina would become more sensitive to other people''s pain and emotions, and also, she and Andre would run into each other often. Even though they hated each other now, in future, they would get along better.


    The additional bonus was the fact that Sabrina was already in tune with the supernatural world, she would not be afraid of ghosts, demons, witches, warlocks and all that came with this job.


    Sabrina stomped her foot and blew out a sharp breath; her unhappiness was very plain to see. "You have to be kidding me? First of all, I am a minor that would be child labor and secondly, I have never worked a day in my life." She flashed her newly manicured fingernails. "These hands do not do hard labor; hell, I have a masseuse that massages my hands regularly on weekends while another works on my back." She added with pride.


    She was a pampered daughter of a wealthy family; she could live her whole life without working and die a billionaire. Why would she need to work?


    The Saxon spirit scoffed. "What a brat? Are you sure it''s a good idea to keep her around. She going to be more of a headache than help."


    "All the more reason to keep her here where we can keep an eye on her." Phoebe answered.


    Phoebe pushed the chair back and got up. "Yes, you are a minor but according to Fog laws, you are over sixteen which means that you can work for four hours and more on the weekend as long as you have your parents'' consent. If you do not know how to work then you will have to learn, no one is born with a skill to work we all just learn." She walked and stood to face her.


    Sabrina waved her hand dismissively. "You cannot make me, and my parents would never agree to this shit!"


    "Then you have to make them agree or else I will go running to my father and report to him that you have been practicing magic illegally since you were what...ten years old. You already have a terrible reputation as the terror of founding lane, adding this will not do you any good, who knows what opportunities you will lose with such a reputation?


    Which founding family will allow their son to marry you, you came looking for a love potion which means you do want someone to love you in future, right? Will they love you if they know you did something that almost led to the death of two teenage girls?" Phoebe''s eyes challenged her, she had trapped her and there was no way out.


    Sabrina''s eyes watered and she shuffled her feet. "Why are you doing this to me? I am going to lose my reputation if anyone sees me working and here of all places."


    "Ouch! It hurts when she says it like that, I work here too and I used to be richer, prettier and more popular than her." Connie appeared eating an expensive gold coated jellybean. When Phoebe looked at her, she could swear that the girl had gained some weight.


    Phoebe cleared her throat. "Sabrina you can go and think about it. You have two days after that I am telling my father everything. Two days is all you''ve got, decide wisely." She tapped on her left temple.


    Whether she wanted to or not, Sabrina was going to change for the better, if she stayed on the same path, she would be a danger to others. Phoebe watched the girl stomp out of her office.


    Sabrina''s face was washed in regret, if she hadn''t gone to the cafe in the first place, none of this would be happening.


    Turning her attention to Connie, a smile returned to Phoebe''s face. "See who we have here, Is Collin finally tired of your expensive appetite that he sent you away?" She jokingly asked.


    Connie floated and sat on the couch. "My big brother would never get tired of me, but I cannot say the same for yours." Came her words that earned her Phoebe''s famous side eye.


    "I am living like a princess, if I want it, he gets it for me." Connie laughed loudly. "Anyway, Collin left for a business trip, so you have me all to yourselves. I wanted to stay longer and be with my mother, but she cannot see me and my heart breaks each time I see her, she is so sweet and kind unlike Zephyra here who always condemns me."


    The spirit scoffed. "I am not your mother."


    "This is why we need to hasten the process, has Collin said anything about allowing me to meet the other Baltimore''s?"


    Phoebe asked, she had not heard from Collin at all, in fact he had not even attended the auction.


    Shaking her head, Connie filled her mouth with another jellybean.


    "And your memories? Have you remembered anything from that trip?" The spirit asked, it''s face etched with concern.


    The door opened abruptly, grandma Mayfair''s head popped in. "You have unwanted Visitors, I tried to chase them away, but they insist on seeing you." She reported.


    "Who are they?" Phoebe asked.


    Grandma Mayfair''s lips tightened. "Miranda and Katherine Saxon, should I bring them here? I will be present so worry not." She assured.


    Phoebe shook her head and slipped on her shoes. "No Nana I will come out and face them in the open." Whatever problems they had brought to her they were going to see the worst side of her.

 Chapter 368 A changed Miranda.

    As she shut the office door behind her, Phoebe made up her mind to meet Miranda and Katherine on the same level. If it''s war they wanted, she was ready to pick up her gun and empty every chamber.


    Her immediate assumption was that they were there to persuade her to marry David as soon as possible so that they could get their hands on her recipes. However, she planned to extinguish their hope by telling them that she wasn''t planning on getting married, not now or anytime soon.


    If they kept up the pressure, never. In this life, she would never allow her feelings for David to cloud her judgement and direct the path of her life. Stupid blind love was for fools and Phoebe Mayfair was no fool. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She spotted them from a far sitting at the same table where Sabrina and company were sitting earlier. Most of the wealthy ladies were gone, they liked to move in groups like wolves that were hunting or just interacting socially. This was because many of them were rich and unemployed, which gave them a lot of time to make many cafe owners frustrated when they showed up.


    "You missed all the fun with the wealthy size zero women of the rich and entitled society, today''s orders were two non-fat fruit and yogurt smoothies with no pineapples because pineapples are too smelly, one non-fat hot chocolate, not too hot or too chocolatey and five non-fat iced coffees with room temperature ice." Rosette cut in Phoebe''s way and said, sarcastically.


    Sylvester guffawed loudly behind Rosette.


    "Mind you, ice cannot be room temperature and pineapples are not smelly. Also, chocolatey is not a word, I swear the more the money, the less they make sense."


    Phoebe rolled her eyes; Rosette was always ready and armed with something to say about the wealthy clientele that visited their cafe. She couldn''t blame her; they brought it on themselves.


    It lightened her mood a little as she approached the table with two Saxon women but that fizzled out because even before she sat down, they started with the drama.


    Katherine met her eyes. " With all the money the Mayfair''s have, can''t you find a better space than this? Your mind is too small when it comes to making business decisions. You obviously have a successful business, why don''t you have a vision?" She flatly commented, her eyes moved from Phoebe to Grandma Mayfair who sneered.


    "Kathy watch your words and be respectful." Miranda voiced out a sharp reproach, surprising everyone.


    Phoebe scoffed and sat down to face them, her grandmother sat beside her, her face darker than usual and unwelcoming. She had more than a few words of her own to share.


    "Katherine Saxon you were nasty as a child and that has not changed to date, my granddaughter has not asked for your unsolicited advice. If you were so good at making business decisions, the Saxon group would be far ahead, but we all know that your own work has been lagging behind since David left. If you are so great, why haven''t you picked up where he left off?" Grandma Saxon was determined to humiliate her, she was not going to be one of the people that walk on eggshells around her.


    Katherine''s face paled, she clenched her hands, digging the sharp tips of her nails into her own flesh to a point of drawing blood.


    "I am very sorry for her rude behavior old lady Mayfair; I did not raise her right and her arrogance has escalated over the years. Please understand that her attitude does not represent that of the rest of our Saxon family." Miranda apologized, her eyes were laced with genuine shame and remorse.


    Anybody that knew Miranda would faint at her new attitude; it was like an alien had invaded her body. Phoebe for one had never seen Miranda Saxon humble herself for anything or anyone, she and her grandmother exchanged glances uncertain as to why her behavior had drastically changed.


    "Mom what the hell are you apologizing for? What''s with this good girl act that you are parading around now?" Katherine pressed her lips into a thin line.


    "It''s the amulet." The Saxon spirit pointed at Miranda''s arm. Phoebe''s eyes followed its hand but she couldn''t see it because it was hidden underneath the coat''s arm. She also had no interest in wasting her energy on improving her eyesight to peek at the amulet, it was enough to know that it was there.


    It seemed to be a myth initially when she heard of the amulet, but it seemed that it truly worked, Miranda''s behavior had actually changed drastically overnight. She was nicer, her face more relaxed and seemed even warm and motherly in a way that gave Phoebe the shivers because Miranda was looking at her with what looked like love in her eyes.


    Phoebe cleared her throat and rubbed her hands against her arms for a moment as if she was cold. "Listen Mrs. Saxon, if you are here to cajole me into marrying your son my answer is a no. I have explained that to David and he understands it...."


    Waving her hand dismissively, Miranda chortled. "Oh I know dear, David explained to me in great detail this morning. What matters is that the two of you love each other, who cares if you get married now or at the age of ninety. It''s your life so live it the way you desire." She sipped on the non-fat iced coffee Rosset placed before her.


    It had caught Miranda''s eye that Rosette had rolled her eyes as she put the coffee down, but she was at peace, so much so that even something like that did not bother her.


    Katherine shoved back the chair which made a harsh screech on the floor. "Mother? What do you mean?" She tugged on her front hair. "I...we need those recipes! She has to hand them over as dowry if she wants to join the family, you suggested that. Those recipes are mine, why are you siding with her?"


    Her cheeks burned with fury, what was she supposed to do now? She needed to make progress before her position was taken away and given to someone more qualified.


    Sighing softly, regret fell on Miranda''s face, and she looked down for a moment. "I know what i said and I am truly appalled that I had such evil thoughts." She raised her eyes and glanced at Phoebe. "I apologize for that, those recipes are yours and I advise that you guard them jealously otherwise, who knows what my greedy daughter will do in an attempt to get them." She threw Katherine a quick sharp glance.


    Without waiting to be embarrassed any further, Katherine''s fingers clutched on her purse, and she stomped out of the cafe hissing curses.


    Grandma Mayfair laughed loudly and snapped her fingers, her face washed in disbelief. "Miranda are you alright my dear? You seem like a completely different person!" Her eyes continued studied Miranda momentarily.


    The old woman was not sure what was more disturbing, a predictable rude and selfish Miranda or this unpredictable soft spoken one.


    A peaceful smile formed on Miranda''s lips. "Honestly I do not know but since this morning after meeting my son. I began to feel a certain level of calmness and happiness deep within, it''s hard to explain but I think that I have found serenity."


    Serenity! grandma Mayfair mouthed out silently. Was Miranda on drugs, was she high? She did not want to share these assumptions, so she just put on her best fake smile. "I am honestly glad to hear that, serenity looks good on you."


    Miranda''s gaze shifted to Phoebe, worry replaced the gentle gleam as she took Phoebe''s hand in a gentle hold. "My dear there is something that I have been meaning to ask you, it''s about Dickson." Her voice quavered a little.

 Chapter 369 Unmasking a psycho.

    A topic about Dickson was never a good thing, even hearing his name was enough to give her nightmares. Phoebe wondered what he had said about her this time that had managed to get Miranda worried and bothered, she could see the hesitation expressed on Miranda''s facade, whatever she wanted to ask seemed to be a difficult question.


    She decided to nip the conversation in a bud by getting directly to the point.


    "Mrs. Saxon, there is nothing going on between me and that psycho, I can assure you that whatever he feels, says or thinks is one sided. Even if I was not dating David, I would not pick Dickson, heck, if the entire world was hit with a meteor and only two people remained, me and him, I would off myself." Phoebe said with a lot of contempt.


    She hoped that this would be enough to make not only Miranda, but every other Saxon involved in the matter comfortable. She curled her lips to the side and thought that perhaps what she needed was to open one of those social media pages and write in bold letters that she had nothing to do with that creep.


    Grandma Mayfair sneered; her lips curled to one corner. "He is really a disgusting leech that one, how you all manage to live with him amazes me. Dickson is a horrible human being, I do not know why it took so long for me to see it. There has been talk in our house about decapitating or castrating him so warn him to stay far away from any Mayfair. " She gulped a sip of water and slammed the glass on the table with a lot of strength, nearly breaking it in half.


    "Phoebe pardon me for asking but has Dickson ever done anything unmentionable to you? Has he tried to hurt you physically?" Miranda''s words came out in form of a whisper, from the moment she had seen her thoughts of him attempting to molest her, she had failed to move past it. "I have heard some rumors about things he has done to women and the way you reacted last time, I just don''t know what to think." she added.


    Grandma Mayfair''s walking cane dropped out of her hands, she knew what Miranda meant by unmentionable, it was a reserved way of referring to sexual assault in their society. Now that she thought about it, there was a certain way Phoebe reacted around Dickson, the revulsion on her face whenever he came close to her and the intense unexplainable hatred she had for him. All of it pointed to some kind of past trauma, was it really just as Miranda was asking?


    Phoebe''s face went still, blood drained from it. The horrible memories from her past life returned, Dickson had really tortured her in many ways, psychological and physical.


    "He is a beast, but he is going to pay for everything that he did to me, not even his Saxon identity will stop me." Hot tears lingered at the back of her eyes.


    Her words were confirmation to the listeners that Dickson had indeed hurt her. Grandma Mayfair furiously slammed the table. "I will tear him apart." She swore, her fingers moved slowly to form an iron clad fist.


    Miranda''s shivering hand on the other hand raised to cover her mouth.


    "I...I have to tell my father in-law! We cannot live with that monster at the tower." Miranda fished out her phone, but it slipped through her fingers like water, settling in her laps.


    Phoebe waved her hands in a dismissively way, if anyone was going to deal with Dickson it was going to be her. "Forget that both of you, David and I are going to end him. Do not worry he cannot hurt me now."


    She had no idea that the two women were assuming Dickson''s disgusting groping and his many attempts to molest her had been successful, and the incidents had occurred in this life.


    Although Miranda hated the idea of not reporting, she also wanted to respect Phoebe''s decision, and she felt better knowing that David was aware, and he was going to do something about it.


    No wonder he had beaten Dickson and broken all of those teeth; he was on a revenge mission. What people didn''t know was that David had gone back to the tower and attacked Dickson again this afternoon. It was part of the reason why Miranda had brought up the question.


    "Please hurry up with whatever plan you two are having. This morning, he announced to the family that he is the sole owner and founder of DC Pharma. He has good financial strength now my only relief now is that he and his mother are no longer interested in the Saxon group." Miranda sighed in relief.


    A dry chuckle escaped Phoebe, obviously Miranda undermined Dickson''s greed. "Mrs. Saxon, I am sorry to inform you, but Dickson is still very much interested in the Saxon group. Not just it, he wants to marry me such that he can take over Mayfair corporations and swallow it, becoming the richest man in the world probably."


    Hiccups erupted from Miranda; it happened only when she was extremely nervous.


    "That will never happen as long as I am still alive, I will kill him before he ever succeeds. I am not afraid to go to jail, just wait and see." Grandma Mayfair''s face hardened; she had her own suspicions, but she only thought that Dickson was interested in what Edward would give Phoebe as a wedding present.


    She was dead set now on getting rid of Dickson, whether it was in line with Phoebe''s plan or not. In fact, she was going to tell her son and grandsons about what that monster had done to their beloved Phoebe.


    Phoebe''s hand moved to cover that of her grandmother while her eyes laced with assurance met those of Miranda. "We need to take down Dickson in a way that he can never raise to his feet again otherwise, short of death nothing will stop him. Right now, we can''t even go to the police after all there is no evidence of what he did to me and many others, but you can be sure that I will not let him succeed in destroying our families." Came her words that were coated with confidence.


    Although the ladies wanted Phoebe to share the plan, she requested that they stay out of it further highlighting that this was hers and David''s fight.


    The conversation transitioned to a lighter note when Miranda invited the Mayfair''s to a thanksgiving celebration at the Saxon tower that weekend. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "It is to thank the heavens for restoring my father in-law''s health. He would be very happy if you attend since it''s your tonics that healed him." Miranda smiled invitingly; she hoped to build a better relationship with Phoebe going forward.


    Although she wasn''t married to David, she was still considered as her daughter in law because David had said it was either Phoebe or he died single and childless.


    "Of course we have to be there." Grandma Mayfair''s voice was laced with glee. It was an opportunity to poison Dickson, the old lady thought.


    A short sigh came from Phoebe, her mind run to Phillip Saxon. It was at about time for him to get into that accident that resulted in the loss of his legs. In this life, it was on the same day as the thanksgiving which had not happened in her last life. Would things change because of this party or would they be the same as the last life?


    "I have to be there." She nodded once. Besides grandpa Saxon had invited her to visit, and she and Miranda were now on good terms which was weird to even think about.


    Anyway, she needed to save Phillip and get a few maids that put her through hell in her last life fired.

 Chapter 370 A good cheating scandal.

    Old lady Mayfair was faking her smiles, she kept looking at Phoebe with sad eyes that made her comfortable.


    "I will get you another coffee." Phoebe told Miranda and she stood up abruptly.


    "Excuse me." Old lady Mayfair quickly followed Phoebe and caught up to her by the counter. "Pheebs..." she started.


    Phoebe shook her head, focusing intently on the coffee machine and pushing the buttons with vengeance. "Nana, no, we are not having that conversation. I do not want to hear anything like I am sorry, I understand, I want to know exactly what happened, it was not your fault.... none of that."


    Phoebe''s finger paused and she frowned, come to think of it, why had Miranda asked her such a strange question, Dickson had not succeeded in laying a hand on her in this life. Something was wrong and she couldn''t figure it out.


    "She must have assumed that he did something to you because he has been coming after you so desperately and there have been rumors about him molesting other women." The Saxon spirit filled in the gaps quickly.


    Phoebe hissed slowly and scratched her head; the explanation made some sense, but she still felt as if something was off.


    Old lady Mayfair saw the frown on Phoebe''s face deepen and she assumed that it was the memories of the assault coming back to her.


    "My baby, oh my baby." she cried weakly and hugged Phoebe from behind.


    Phoebe did not know why she was being hugged or why, she twisted back and forth.


    "Nana, you are going to spill the drinks, people are looking at us and Sylvester wants to use the espresso machine, we are in his way."


    "Don''t hold it in, just cry with me." Grandma Mayfair sobbed louder, and Phoebe rolled her eyes, could her grandmother be any more dramatic? S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She finished making Miranda''s drink and then slowly made her way back to the table with her grandmother hanging on to her the way some children held on to their mothers and had to be dragged forcefully.


    "Old lady Mayfair, what happened?" an astounded Miranda asked.


    Old lady Mayfair put her head on the table and sniveled. Phoebe had to wipe her grandmother''s tears away while engaging in a conversation with Miranda about the party that was planned for grandpa Saxon like gifts and a dress code.


    As the ladies were talking, a new ghost with a familiar face floated into the cafe. Phoebe had a very bad feeling the moment she saw Gwyneth''s face; she had seen her sometimes on TV in the company of her husband. She always dressed elegantly, reflecting sophistication like most wives of rich politicians in Fog country did.


    Her outfits were trend setters, even though half of the population could not afford to dress like her.


    "Gwyneth Rowland, in my cafe." Phoebe''s chuckled in wonder as she watched the ghost float gracefully towards her.


    This was the kind of woman that would never step foot into the cafe while she was alive. If she needed the services of a shaman, they would be brought to her and not the other way round, death had a funny way of balancing the scales.


    Her companions'' eyes darted around, unlike Miranda, grandma Saxon wore ghost seeing glasses so she could see the ghost.


    "As I live and breathe." Grandma Mayfair scoffed. "Were you murdered? Your husband has been on every TV loudly demanding for a detailed investigation into your death."


    Miranda leaned in grandma Mayfair''s direction. "What''s happening, who are you talking to? Is Gwyneth Rowland really here?" Her whisper was loud, enough to attract the attention of some customers in the cafe.


    They all knew the deal, if you see the owner or employees talking to the air, mind your business.


    In order to satisfy Miranda''s curiosity Phoebe waved her hand giving Miranda ability to see the ghosts in the cafe. She jumped out of the chair, her eyes so wide that her whites showed.


    "Gho...gho..ghosts, are all these people dead?" Goosebumps enveloped her body when she saw Gwyneth and all the ghosts in the cafe that were acting like normal humans, eating and conversing as if they were alive.


    She knew what Phoebe did for a living and also knew that she was not ordinary but seeing ghosts in person was very unsettling, but she put her fear and other feelings aside quickly because of the ghost that had joined them.


    "Gwyneth? Oh my God, I cannot believe what I am seeing, Is it really you? What happened after you left the auction? You seemed so healthy how could you die like that?" Miranda couldn''t hold back the sadness in her voice.


    She and Gwyneth had been friends since high school, the news of her sudden death had come as a shock to their group of friends.


    Gwyneth smiled sadly. "Mira, I told you that I do not want tears at my funeral. I am too furious to care about your emotions." Anger glazed over her eyes as she shifted them to Phoebe.


    "Furious, were you murdered?" Phoebe couldn''t help but imagine Shark''s wide grin when he found out.


    "Was it Theo, did he kill you?" Grandma Mayfair asked. When a someone dies, the first suspect is always the spouse; Theodore Rowland was the spouse in this case.


    Waving her hand dismissively, Miranda used her other hand to summon Rosset and make another order. This conversation was only going to get sweater with hot cinnamon buns and a cola.


    She turned to the rest of the group after making her order, "Theo would never do that to her! That poor man has been distressed. He just won the card to represent the Liberty party in the presidential race, but he hasn''t celebrated or talked about it since her death. We all know how much he loves Gwyneth, he is destroyed, okay, destroyed."


    Miranda was very passionate in her defense of Theodore Rowland. It was almost easy to imagine that she knew him better than Gwyneth.


    Phoebe sort of agreed, but at the same time she had learned in her line of work that a lot of people were not what they appeared.


    "A detective friend of mine told me that Mr. Rowland has asked the police to investigate the circumstances of your death Gwyneth. They are following every clue and visiting every place you were seen before you died. Do you really think he would rally all that press and put pressure on the police to investigate your death if he was responsible? Only a fool would do that so...is he a fool?"


    All the women looked at Gwyneth, awaiting her response eagerly.


    Gwyneth slammed her fist on the table, because she was an ordinary ghost, it had no effect. "I wish that he had killed me, at least then it would have been easier for him to get arrested and sent to prison. Nothing would have given me more pleasure as a ghost than to watch him suffer behind bars forever." Veins pulsed in her neck.


    The listeners exchanged gazes laced between confusion and curiosity, their eyes lit up as they realized that they were about to come into some delicious gossip. A dead wife of a prominent politician wanted her husband destroyed, there was really only one thing that brought most politicians down.


    A good cheating scandal!!!


    "Oh my God he fucked a bimbo!!" Miranda shouted loudly and gasped.

 Chapter 371 Revenge or justice, choose one.

    Phoebe and Grandma Mayfair drew back and gasped, looking at Miranda in surprise. It was not just them; the few human customers and many ghosts were also looking their way.


    "Shhh!" Grandma Mayfair hissed at Miranda.


    She was too invested in the gossip to put it to a stop however and she asked Gwyneth vigorously, "So, did he have relations with a bimbo, or did he kill you?"


    "He did not kill me," Gwyneth groaned, she did not know how many times she had to repeat herself. Residents of the founding lane liked to blow things out of proportion. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    No doubt, her death would be a bigger scandal if her husband had cheated and killed her, but that was not the case. "I had a cerebral aneurysm that ruptured and caused bleeding in my brain which led to my death, the medical examiner confirmed it. My death was straight forward I don''t know why anyone would claim murder." Gwyneth turned to Phoebe. "Can I have a glass of the strongest stuff that you have here."


    Phoebe stood up and brought the order herself, she was so fast that it took her about forty seconds to return with a tequila bottle and a glass. "Gwyneth, do you want me to show you how to move on?"


    She knew that it would be better for the woman to move on than to stay around harboring resentful feelings towards her husband. She poured tequila in the glass and pushed it Gwyneth''s way.


    Shaking her head strongly, Gwyneth gulped the tequila shot in one go. "Oh no honey I want you to help me get my revenge on Theo. He does not deserve to enter that presidential palace as president of this country. I will not rest in peace unless I know that his political career has been buried with me."


    "But you are already dead, no matter what he has done, do you have to see him destroyed?" Miranda''s words earned her side glances from everyone, she had to apologize for talking recklessly.


    Phoebe waved both her hands dismissively. " I do not do revenge Gwyneth; my job is to help ghosts move on or fulfill their last wishes."


    "This is my last wish!" Gwyneth exploded and gulped her fourth shot of tequila. "I do not want to become a vengeful ghost but if you do not help me then I will be left with no choice but to use any means necessary to snap his neck and I will do it when he''s on national television. Guess what everyone will then know of the existence of the supernatural which the founding families have been hiding from everyone for ages." Gwyneth''s gaze was coated with determination, she meant every word of what she said. "I will bury everyone with me."


    With a threat made, suddenly the gossip did not seem so delicious anymore.


    Phoebe could not believe that she was being threatened by a ghost, she had two options, help or forcefully send it to purgatory, a thing she did not want to do if a ghost was not evil.


    "What am I supposed to do in this kind of situations?" She quietly voiced asking for the spirit''s guidance.


    The spirit appeared, tapped its cheek with its index finger as it pondered on the matter, and it came to a conclusion within seconds. "This is the first time a ghost is asking you to take revenge on its behalf. I think that it''s interesting, let us hear the story first and then we will see how to help her.


    Revenge is not what we do normally, but we do not want Gwyneth to become a vengeful spirit, it will endanger more than just her husband. If we cannot help her, you can call in Amon or inform Rufus, they will handle it." It sat on one of the empty chairs, waiting to hear the story.


    While Phoebe was talking to the Saxon spirit, the two ladies at the table were also talking to Gwyneth.


    "Gwyneth, revenge and justice are two different things, if you go down the path of revenge you will become a malicious spirit. Do you even know what happens to malicious spirits? They become evil and have no chance of reincarnating; I advise that you leave Theodore alone and move on." Grandma Mayfair urged.


    "I know that already, I am a strong believer in the afterlife. I am a regular attendee of mass in the church of saints and angels, you don''t need to tell me all about reincarnation. However, my heart is burning with rage, that bastard must be destroyed for what he did to me. Taking revenge personally will be my last option, I will only do it if she refuses to be my knife." Gwyneth''s tone came in a dead pan tone.


    This sounded so familiar to America''s request that she kill Humphrey for her, only America wasn''t after revenge, she wanted to protect others.


    Miranda''s eyes drifted to Phoebe who sighed over and over like all the problems in the world rested on her shoulder.


    "Phoebe dear what do you plan to do?" She quizzed; she wore a sympathetic expression because it was obvious that Phoebe was at crossroads.


    Phoebe looked up and groaned softly and then gestured at Gwyneth to open up. "Go on, tell me what Theodore Rowland did, and we will join heads to come up with a solution that will leave you satisfied." Phoebe made a smooth proposal.


    Gwyneth chuckled dryly and took another shot of tequila. Old lady Mayfair was topping the glass up whenever it emptied as if she was on a mission to get the ghost drunk.


    Gwyneth slammed the glass down and wiped her mouth before beginning her tale, she believed that no woman seated at the table would have any mercy for Theodore after listening to her story.


    "Alright....you all know our love story...." She began but paused almost immediately because Phoebe raised her hand halfway.


    "I actually do not really know, so please share something, make it brief." Phoebe requested politely.


    Grandma Mayfair smacked the table lightly. "That''s right, this one must have been a baby when your reverse Cinderella romance took the country by the storm." She giggled a little.


    Miranda added to that. "A lot of people still call Theodore ''the male Cinderella'' or was it Cinder-lad. It doesn''t help that he is blonde and blue eyed."


    "Who can forget the drama and scandal which swept through the country, it was the princess and the pauper. poor small town boy Theodore Baggins had gotten a once in the lifetime opportunity to marry the daughter of the richest politician in Fog country, the great granddaughter of a former vice president." Grandma Mayfair had a faraway look as the memories returned to her.


    Gwyneth''s face flushed with exasperation. "I should have listened to my father then, he warned me not to marry a man that was below my status, but I didn''t listen because I was truly captivated by his charm, it was almost like as though I was under a love spell." Her eyes moved to meet those of Phoebe who stared at her with an expression of confusion after all she didn''t understand the story quite yet.


    "I was twenty-one when I met Theodore Baggins at Berkley University, he was one of the students sponsored by my father. We were both studying political science, he was a double major, taking law as well.


    I would not have noticed someone like him normally, but he was a star student, charming and kind. He saved me and my friends from some drunk hooligans once when we were coming from a bar and that was the beginning of our entanglement, the making of Cinder lad." she laughed sarcastically.

 Chapter 372 A cheated life.

    Gwyneth looked so bitter but the ones those that were listening did not, they looked almost mesmerized as they held on to her words.


    "He was the kind of guy that any woman would be proud to date, he was the university champion of animal rights and the environment but mainly, he fought majorly for women''s rights.


    Although he came from an underprivileged background, he had the zeal and determination to make it in life. I myself was involved in politics because it''s the family business so we usually met each other because we had to organize events related to women''s rights and other political rallies.


    Somehow, we bonded and became friends, because of his looks he was what they call a chick magnet: tall and handsome but he paid no attention to women and his reputation was stellar, he was the perfect gentleman with no rumored flings or exes which i found even more attractive.


    In no time our relationship blossomed one thing led to another, one year of dating turned into three and a year after we graduated, he popped the question, and we got married amid so much controversy." Regret filled her eyes.


    The whiskey bottle was now halfway, it was a good thing ghosts couldn''t get drunk because if it was possible Gwyneth would be drunk by now. She paused, took another shot and continued. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "On the night I died, I found out that Theodore had made a fool proof plan to advance his life by marrying a wealthy woman. He targeted me deliberately and looked into me before we even met at the university, hell, he specifically came to Berkley for me.


    He had corrective surgery and changed his features to resemble my first boyfriend Orion Darling, that baby face of his is as fake as he is. He hired the hooligans that harassed me and my friends so that he could swoop in and play savior."


    Miranda gasped loudly and she downed a shot of tequila that old lady Mayfair had poured out for Gwyneth. Phoebe could not tell what had Miranda shook between the fake baby face and the fake savior.


    "Baby face." The Saxon spirit said to her.


    A lot of women in Fog country were in love or had crushes on Rowland because of that face.


    Gwyneth did not pause to take in anyone''s reactions, and she was still talking. "He joined politics just so that he could draw my attention to himself and get me to marry him." She let out a loud belch.


    Miranda pinched her nose needlessly. "This is unbelievable! This is like watching one of those documentaries of women that have been cat fished and swindled out of millions. Wait, it''s called a romance scam, but I don''t even understand how it''s possible. Theodore loved you religiously, he even changed his name to Rowland just to show his dedication to you." She freed her nose, her eyes stared at Gwyneth in disbelief.


    "It was all a lie, that son of a bitch never loved me! Not even for one day. The worst thing he did to me was destroy my womb such that I could not have children." Gwyneth''s eyes shone with unscheduled tears.


    Miranda grabbed the tequila bottle and drunk straight from it, what she was hearing was so unthinkable. It was worse than a romance scam.


    "No wonder she wants revenge." The Saxon spirit said slowly, and Phoebe agreed wholeheartedly, she would be the same if she was in Gwyneth''s shoes.


    Grandma Mayfair brows knitted together; a rush of betrayal run through her spine. "How could he? My God just how?" She twisted her lips wishing that she could punch Theodore in the face.


    Having been a faithful supporter of Theodore Rowland for years she was horrified to hear that he actually abused his wife in hidden ways, violating her rights and freedoms yet he claimed that to be one of the strongest supporters of those same rights.


    Phoebe run a hand through her hair, she was starting to feel the need to actually accept to revenge on Gwyneth''s behalf. "How did he do it?" She quizzed through pursed lips.


    "On our way back from our honeymoon, we had an accident. A sharp glint of glass pierced through my stomach and entered deep inside my belly. I lost consciousness, when I woke up the doctor told me that due to the damage of the accident, my uterus had been removed.


    Theodore who gave the consent for the procedure to take place convinced me that he had to do it to save my life and then he emphasized that he did not need to children to be happy as long as he had me." A sharp exhale came from her.


    Confusion came to settle on Miranda''s face. "You cannot blame him for that though." She defended, not because she was still a blind supporter of Theodore but because the accident and what happened after was just bad luck.


    Grandma Mayfair nodded. "I agree, in fact another man would run to marry another woman such that he can continue his blood line. He is a bastard, but I guess even he has some shame."


    As the two older women gave their submissions, Phoebe remained silent from her experiences for such stories there was always more. "Continue." She gestured at the ghost.


    A bitter laugh escaped Gwyneth. "Initially I felt the same way as the two of you, I felt indebted to him for saving my life and staying by my side even though I could not give him children. I was racked with guilt every time I saw him carrying other people''s children and dotting on them, I knew deep down that he wanted kids, but he was stuck with me, a damaged woman.


    After about a year, I started to get depressed because of this and my mental health was not the best at the time. My family was worried about me and that was when Theodore suggested that we adopt a child. It was surprising but I was over the moon especially when we took Kevin in.


    I would have preferred a newborn, but Theo said he already had a child in mind, the orphaned son of a soldier. He was a little older than I expected for he was seven but that didn''t matter, he was our son, and I vowed to love him.


    Theo took care of all the paperwork, I did not even need to go the orphanage, he brought Kevin home personally Around the same time, he hired a female tutor for him, someone from the orphanage he said, a familiar face that would make it easy for Kevin to adapt. It was after my death that I found out that the so-called tutor is actually his secret high school sweetheart and original wife. Kevin is their biological son."


    "What?" Echoes of shock rippled through them.


    Phoebe lowered her eyes and shook her head, she was expecting a twist, but this was just unthinkable, it was simply sinister.


    "Evil, this is evil! how could be so brazen to bring in his wife and son in your house?" Grandma Mayfair fingers tightened around the empty to go cup of coffee Miranda had drunk earlier.


    Miranda''s eyes flew wide open, lit like an idea had come to her. "Wait a minute does that mean that you two were not married at all?" She paused and moved her hands around as if she didn''t have the slightest clue what to do with them. "I mean that son of a bitch how could he marry you, yet he was already married? Shameless!"


    Gwyneth laughed, a cold bitter laugh. "He cheated me out of a good life, you all do not know how much I have invested in that man, physically, emotionally and financially. I raised their son and all that time he and his wife mocked me!" She sniveled.

 Chapter 373 Web of deceit.

    "He deceived me, even the hysterectomy was not needed, he had paid the doctor in advance and engineered the accident in advance. He had no shred of love for me so he did not want me to bare him children. The only woman he loved is that tutor, and if I had his child, her heart would be broken."


    The spirit moved to comfort Gwyneth who was now crying, she released all her frustrations that she was harboring deep within her heart. "That''s not even what hurts me the most in all this."


    "Its your son." Said Phoebe, her voice soft and soothing. It was not hard to guess, she had seen the softness when Gwyneth talked about Kevin.


    "Right, she raised that child with so much love, no wonder she wants revenge that man played with her emotions and belittled her in a grave way. For most women, their children are the bottom line, if you cross it you become an enemy." The spirit sharply pointed out. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Gwyneth slammed her fist on the table as anger swirled, renewed within her. "I am dead, I do not care about his lack of love for me or how he conned me but I truly loved Kevin like he was my own flesh and blood. Not even once did I ever treat him harshly, I gave him the best in life, he lives a better life than some of my cousins.


    But imagine the shock when I heard him ask his father whether he will be inheriting my wealth now that I am dead. He said that they could finally reunite and live as a happy family now that I, the homewrecker was gone.


    He wondered how much I had left him in the will and if it was enough for him to open a casino. My body was still lying on the floor and that stupid boy could not even wait for my blood to run cold before measuring what he was to get." Her sharp tone laced with anger.


    "Its not fair, I am not contented to be buried like this. Those thieves cannot get my money, they cheated me. Father and son are all inhumane and they deserve nothing but death." Gwyneth heaved and ranted in a deep scary voice.


    The table trembled slightly, she was closer to becoming a malicious ghost than Phoebe had realized.


    Continuously clicking her tongue, grandma Mayfair was lost for words, she shook her head over and over but remained silent, lost for words.


    For a while, Phoebe and Miranda were the same, speechless, this story was full of twists and turns and each was hard to comprehend. How did one even begin to convince Gwyneth to move on and forget everything when he entire life had been stolen?


    The air was tense as the women looked anywhere but at Gwyneth who was on her way to finishing the contents of the tequila bottle.


    "Honestly he was just too perfect, his looks are top notch, there is no single bad picture of him out there. He goes to church every Sunday and kisses baby''s cheeks and shakes hands with large smiles.


    He works at a soup kitchen that feeds the homeless twice a week, is a judge at the annual Newcastle dog show, he recycles and works out. He cooks and cleans at home, his political career is centered around his respect for women.


    Majority of his supporters are female, he is so much revered among his peers with some calling him a moral campus for all husbands." Miranda broke the silence when she couldn''t take it anymore. "Oh and let''s not forget how he saved that kitten from being run over. That picture of him cradling the kitten in his shirt with his abs on display is the third most liked picture on the internet."


    "Indeed, he was too perfect, truly all that glitters is not gold." Grandma Mayfair finally spoke.


    Gwyneth''s eyes drifted slowly to look at Phoebe. "After everything that you have heard, do you still think that i can just move on? Even in the afterlife I cannot forgive that shameless man! He played me like a puppet, pulling the strings such that I dance at his tunes.


    Mariska his so called true wife, she is at my house right now because she started out as a tutor, turned nanny and finally family because Theo suggested we let her stay. I wonder how many nights he sneaked into her bedroom while I was sleeping like a fool. She is in almost all of our family pictures standing next to Theo on his right while I am on his left with one hand on Kevin''s shoulder." She closed her eyes, mortified by the imagination.


    "My God!!" Miranda exclaimed.


    Flicking her fingers, Phoebe caught her gaze with Gwyneth''s, her eyes were apprehensive and her mind made up. "You are right, he is and evil liar and loser and he cannot be allowed to get away with what he did to you. You will have your revenge but let me think about it tonight, I need to find the best way to deal with him."


    "I have a few ideas." Miranda voiced out.


    Miranda and grandma Mayfair exchanged glances, apparently they had the same idea and Miranda vocalized it out loud first.


    "Old is gold, nothing hurts a politician like a scandal, as long as we spread the rumor about this Mariska and the origins of the boy, in no time your family will take care of the rest."


    "I couldn''t agree more..... what the hell!" Grandma Mayfair broke off, her eyes were drawn to the door.


    All the women looked in the same direction, their attention was drawn to click-clack sound of tapping heels in the nearly quiet cafe.


    "That''s her." Miranda whispered.


    The universe was quite funny because to their terrible surprise it was Mariska the tutor from Gwyneth''s tale. She had a smile on her face and was looking even more sophisticated than ever, dressed similarly to Gwyneth when she was alive.


    Of all the cafes which the wealthy liked to frequent, she had walked into the Black ghost cafe, on this day of all days. They all watched her as she approached the beverage counter to make an order.


    Grandma Mayfair sneered. "She really is a cunning fox, she pretends to be someone elegant yet she schemes to steal from another woman, ha!" She suppressed her desire to walk over to Mariska and pull out as many strands of hair as she could.


    "You were much prettier than her, she has a rat face." Miranda commented.


    "There are a lot of things that make sense now, Mariska always brought me chamomile tea before bed and I loved it because i slept throughout the night without waking up but now I believe that she did it so that she and Theodore could have uninterrupted time to them selves." Gwyneth''s cold eyes followed Mariska until she disappeared out of the cafe.


    Miranda sneered. "No worries friend, by the time we are done with them, they will crawl back to whatever small town hole they came out of."


    The two women got their phones out to begin operation bring down Theo and Mariska as Phoebe invited Gwyneth to stay in the cafe or the best ghost hotel in the city as Sylvester called it lately.


    She was confident that with the gossiping talents of the many members of the founding lane rumor mill, her involvement in Gwyneth''s revenge would be minimal or unnecessary.


    What she knew for sure was that the Rowland''s would either use this disaster for public relations or cover it up. Whatever they decided to do, Theodore Rowland would soon be Theodore Baggins, a man with zero money and zero political career.

 Chapter 374 Fun before trouble.

    Phoebe left the cafe at around five, three hours earlier than the usual closing time. It was because she had plans, she was meeting Luna and Evelyn at the La Belle boutique. It was a bit hard parting ways with her grandmother that had been acting clingy for the most part of the day.


    She only escaped successfully because the old lady was going to help Aunt Maureen prepare for her date with Mr. Alton which she emphasized over and over could not go wrong for any reason.


    Phoebe had the feeling that besides spreading the news on Rowland''s deceit, her grandmother was going to follow the couple in disguise to keep an eye on them.


    Phoebe''s destination La Belle boutique was a high-end fashion boutique that catered to the wealthy. It had just the one branch in Magic city and finally the mysterious owner had decided to open a second branch in Citrus city.


    To say that the wealthy residents of Citrus were excited was an understatement, the ladies especially were ecstatic. From the moment Phoebe stepped out of the car at the high-end mall where the boutique was located, she was given VIP treatment.


    A manager was waiting for her outside with champagne, her bag and phone were carried by assistants that escorted her inside. She believed that she was being given preferential treatment because she was a Mayfair until she met her friends, and Luna dropped the bomb that she was the owner of the boutique.


    Phoebe shook her head, wondering why she had been slow at piecing the facts together.


    "I opened this branch just for you Pheebs, so that you can come in here and pick whatever you need in comfort. You complained about other places being too crowded, too noisy, too unappealing and so on and so forth."


    Evelyn mumbled. "I am jealous."


    "It all makes sense." Phoebe commented, her eyes raised as the manager assistants and manager brought another guest into the boutique which was pleasantly quiet and devoid of other people. "Shanna? What a coincidence!" she exclaimed.


    Luna raised a finger. "It''s not, I invited our sister-in-law so that she too can select a gown for the Sunflower ball."


    Shanna greeted them with a warm smile as she came closer. "Hello ladies, I cannot believe that La Belle has been opened in our city. It is the one high end go to place for the most exquisite dresses in the country and yet they won''t expand. This is exciting, everyone I know is trying to book an appointment but apparently, they have no open spots. How did you all get in?"


    "You should thank Luna for this, she owns La Belle." She raised to her feet to greet Shanna.


    As they sat down, Shanna gasped and peeked at Luna, "Wow, no wonder you are always dressed in style. Why don''t you endorse your business?"


    Luna was a brand representative for at least ten big businesses in the country, one a clothing company.


    "Because they pay me, if I endorse La Belle, I have to pay myself and that makes no sense." Luna answered confidently.


    Shanna did not really see the sense in the response, after all if Luna advertised her business, she would have more clients. But then again, La Belle was not suffering from the lack of clients, it was thriving. A single dress could fetch up to thousands of dollars, the most extravagant ones even went into the million-dollar range.


    "Guys have you received an invite to the Saxon party this weekend? We should get outfits for that as well because Saxon women always overdress, they don''t want to be out shined on any occasion." Evelyn rose to her feet when two salesgirls arrived with a clothing rack full of dresses that were new in style.


    Luna pointed at it. "Ladies this is the Lohan Collection for the next season, these clothes have not even been showcased at the upcoming fashion week. Feel free to get whatever you like and don''t worry, what you pick will not be showcased as long as you are willing to pay top dollar for it."


    Evelyn clapped her hands together and rubbed them, "We are young, rich and famous, we can afford top dollar." Her hands reached for the ethereal flowing chiffon in a soft blush hue. "Now this will definitely get me a Saxon and a happily ever after."


    The other women laughed; Evelyn was as ever true to her romantic dreaming nature.


    "Girl, you are not the only one attending that party with that goal." Luna told her.


    Phoebe was not afraid of bold choices or drawing attention to herself, so she gravitated to the striking red gown with intricate diamonds and a daring neckline. "This will keep my Saxon''s eyes on me." she declared, winking at her friends.


    "Damn, she is trying to give poor David a heart attack." Shanna giggled.


    The women got busy with the shopping, changing into whatever clothes caught their attention. Phoebe''s world turned into a blur as she exhausted herself until her fingers drifted over a dress that she felt would be perfect for the Sunflower ball. She didn''t even notice someone approach her.


    "Are you Phoebe Mayfair?" A young woman''s voice pulled her back to her senses.


    Phoebe''s eyes roamed around, her friends were not in near sight, but she could see three other shoppers, she drifted her focus on the woman who asked again.


    "Are you dumb or are you pretending to be? Are you that so called shaman Phoebe Mayfair?" The young woman asked, this time her voice was louder as it was authoritative.


    "Yes, I am she, is there something I can help you with?" Phoebe answered as politely as she could.


    Hardly had the words left her mouth, when a hot slap near landed on her cheek, her quick reflexes had set in and saved her. Without thinking Phoebe raised her hand as high as it could go and slapped the woman.


    "Are you crazy? Is something wrong with you? How dare you walk up to me and try to slap me when I don''t even know who you are."


    Her eyes burned with fury, she was tired of random people waking up to her and assaulting her just because they had an issue to address, couldn''t they talk it out like normal human beings?


    "Oh yeah? How can you be shameless? You should be on your knees apologizing to me but instead you do this? Ha!" The aggressor laughed bitterly, she reached inside her purse and retrieved one of the bestselling necklaces sold at the cafe. "There." She hurled it at Phoebe aiming for her face.


    Phoebe''s hand waved, she swatted it back into the attacker''s direction, one of the stones on the necklace scrapped her face. Upon landing on the floor, the stones shattered into tiny pieces which surprised Phoebe.


    How was that possible? The stones from the space were ancient, resilient and strong, they would never shatter from a mere fall. There was something wrong somewhere and she had to get to the bottom of it.


    Luna had not been far away, she rushed to stand protectively next to Phoebe. "Do you have a death wish?" Her barking voice resonated in the now quiet boutique; the commotion had attracted other people.


    The three shoppers that were unrelated to the group of friends had gone as far as to pullout their mobile phones to record however Luna''s bodyguards knew the drill, they began to take away such phones from their owners and even went on to request the customers to leave while making sure to compensate them heavily.


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 Chapter 375 The return of the past.

    Luna was ready to attack, her body language said so, but Phoebe was holding her back, she did not want bad publicity for La Belle on its official opening day. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Meanwhile the attacker was holding a white handkerchief to her bleeding cheek. "I am going to report this to the police, every news outlet will know what type of fraud and malicious businesswoman you are Phoebe Mayfair." Her cold dark eyes brooded a mixture of hate and contempt.


    Judging from her words, the woman seemed to be a customer of her cafe, so Phoebe really wanted to settle the misunderstanding. She pulled Luna back just as her friend''s itchy fingers started moving to the waistband of her trousers in obvious search for a gun or a knife.


    "It''s okay Luna, let me handle it."


    The Saxon spirit appeared from the space. "I heard a commotion." It dusted away a mixture of gun and star dust powder from its apron, it was busy trying to create the magic bullets that they had once discussed about. I


    Phoebe''s focus remained on the attacker. "Listen lady, I do not know what this is about, but I am willing to listen. As for reporting things to the police, I find it rather funny because you attacked me and yet you say that you will make a report, I should be the one doing that, don''t you think?"


    The aggressor scoffed. "See how brazen you are after selling this fake thing to me! I want a refund. I am going to tell everyone that those precious stone pendants are actually fake, just wait and see! You think that I will be scared because you are a Mayfair dating a Saxon, but I won''t back down."


    "Is that so?" Came a soft female voice from behind one of racks. A gorgeous red head stepped out; her striking beauty had all the eyes drawn to herself. "I have one just like it and do some of my friends."


    "Moria!" Evelyn exclaimed.


    She could not believe that she was seeing Davids'' ex... well she was not an ex because he did not date her, but she had been betrothed to him as a child. David ended the betrothal in their teenage years, Moria left the country, and she had not been seen since then.


    "Moria, as in Moria Mortimer?" Luna mouthed silently; her fingers pressed her mouth as if to stop herself from speaking.


    Evelyn and Shanna''s eyes stared wildly at Moria, almost like she was a dead person that had come back to life.


    "Fuck me! When did you come back to the country?" Evelyn blurted out.


    "It really is her." Came Shanna''s tiny voice. "Pheebs, i think that we should leave, or you should leave, I will handle this matter for you." She proposed.


    She did not want Phoebe to exchange words or get into a fight with Moria, it had not been a secret back then among the girls that Moria was very much looking forward to being a Mrs. David Saxon someday.


    Shaking her head, Phoebe shrugged away Shanna''s hand, she was not going to run with her tail tucked between her legs. She wanted to get to the bottom of the issue at hand lest it affect her business. As for the pretentious red head whose mannerisms reminded her of Ruth, she would see to that later.


    "No way, this lady must explain to me what she is talking about. I personally get these stones from a valuable supplier, so they are one hundred percent genuine!"


    "I believe that since I actually have one just like it." Moria came to Phoebe''s defense, she took off the necklace and hurled it on the ground, it remained intact. "See! Where did you buy this necklace really? Was it from the black ghost cafe or was it a copy from one of those downtown shops." She waved her hand dismissively. "You know what, never mind. Let me call the police commissioner and I will request that he personally handles this." She reached inside her purse and fished out her phone.


    The attacker fell on her knees, and she rubbed her hands together repeatedly. "Please, do not involve the police i beg you. All i wanted was the compensation money to pay for the hospital bills for my sick father who is dying at the hospital."


    Moria sneered; her thumb hovered over the police commissioner''s private number. "Well, I will leave that decision in the hands of the person that you aggressively attacked." Her eyes shifted to Phoebe. "What do you want to do?" She asked.


    Phoebe looked at the woman, a sad expression laced on her features. She made a momentous decision to help her, was this not why she had the foundation? "What is your name?"


    "Gemma, Gemma Michelson, please forgive me. I bought that necklace from a vendor downtown, like I said, I have been defrauding people to pay for my father''s hospital bills but it''s a bottomless pit and I am out of a job. I rented my house, sold my car and everything worthy that I own."


    Phoebe stretched her hand to her and helped her stand. "Do not worry Gemma, I will help you pay for your father''s hospital fees, whatever the cost." She promised. "On the condition that you would never think of committing crimes like this again."


    "Really?" Gemma mouthed in disbelief, tears of joy fell down her cheeks as she thanked Phoebe over and over.


    Moria scoffed; she continued to study the woman that she had been replaced with. She came to a conclusion that Dickson was right, she was a village bimbo and not much of a competition, getting David back was going to be easier than she thought.


    "Wait, why are you showing her mercy?" The Saxon spirit held a displeased quality in its tone. "Even though she has a sick father, this is an obvious plot that has been hatched by someone. This Luna''s exclusive boutique that caters to the wealthy on appointments. How can a someone with weak finances get through the door unless she was brought in by one of the three clients that came in while you all were still shopping."


    "I know that, but I am going to let things play out and see where it will lead. Moreover, doing good deeds is a great thing. The money paying the hospital bills is going to come out of Luther''s foundation, not my pocket." Phoebe replied.


    In the meantime, Luna was grilling the boutique manager while keeping an eye on Phoebe.


    "How did these people get in?"


    The nervous manager twisted her fingers as she replied, "Three people had appointments today, they are all gold card holders of La Belle. According to the rules you set up, old card members are served at any time with or without an appointment."


    Luna looked at Moria Mortimer and she shook her head. "Yeah, that rule is no longer effective for Citrus city customers and also from now on, I will be approving all gold card holders in this city. Remove Moria Mortimer from the list of approved clients in both cities. She is as fake as that fake red hair on her head."


    She touched her pocket and felt the brand-new knife that she kept in there, there was a chance Moria Mortimer''s blood would be the first it would taste.

 Chapter 376 Why had she returned?

    The two women that were already familiar with who Moria was were already engaged in a quiet conversation, keeping their bewildered eyes on her as if she would vanish at any moment, or maybe throw out a punch and they would need to intervene quickly to save her not Phoebe.


    Phoebe had ghosts, talismans and supernatural strength on her side, unless Moria had similar means, she would be eviscerated in the fight. Shanna listened more while Evelyn did most of the talking.


    "Why do you think she is back after all this time? It can''t be good, I mean look at her, she is looking at Phoebe the way a hawk looks at fish. Wait, do hawks eat fish?" Evelyn asked, her brain spiraling with multiple questions. "You know what, I think they do because I saw it in a documentary once that was shot by an ex. I used to date a guy that takes wildlife pictures and videos for a living. I can''t remember his name, anyway, I swear to God that I already have a blood curdling feeling about this." She chewed on her thumb nail nervously.


    Shanna''s hands clutched nervously on the handles of her bag as she soaked in all of Evelyn''s relevant and irrelevant words. "Ooh, you are not alone on that blood curdling, I hope that it''s not what I am thinking, perhaps she just returned to check on her family. Old man Mortimer is very ill apparently, rumor had it that he won''t see the year''s end."


    A scoff loudly came from Evelyn. "Shanna, she has been gone for over ten years and when she returns the first thing she does is bump into Phoebe and they both happen to have red hair, hell no, she is not back to visit her grandfather. She is probably looking for an opportunity to become Mrs. Saxon, the Saxon in particular being David." She continued to grumble.


    Unbeknownst to them was that Moria with her sharp hearing was listening in on the conversation. She turned to face them after sending away the manager.


    The three women were taken back when Moria waved at them and smiled. The smile so warm and welcoming that it confused Shanna and Evelyn, Moria was a bully in the past and treated everyone like they were below her. She was the founding lane''s original bad queen bee, especially when she was still David''s publicly acknowledged fianc¨¦e, a lot of people had been happy when she left the country.


    "It was nice to see you ladies, I hope that we can meet and catch up, I am going to be around for a while." She scanned all of them, her eyes sizing them up and down and then she looked at Phoebe and said slowly, "A very long while."


    Luna laughed; the sound was as loud as it was sarcastic. "Cut the bullshit, I know who you are and if you are here to mess with Phoebe then you have me to contend with. I will advise you to think twice before you do anything, guns and knives don''t have eyes."


    Luna was very direct when she gave the strong warning, from the background research she had done on David, this Moria was a rejected fianc¨¦e that left because she was scorned and now, she was back for revenge or to reclaim the position Phoebe now occupied.


    Flickering her eyes like a confused little girl, Moria offered Luna a faint smile. "Oh, you must be the Elithera woman, the big bad wolf, I have heard everything about you." Her laugh transitioned to a dramatic one. "I am not here to cause any trouble and despite what you might have heard, I am not a bad person. You have seen me all defending Phoebe, would I do that if I had some vendetta against her? Ladies, we are grown-ups, let''s try to be civil." She turned on her heel and began to stroll away.


    She did not buy a single thing from the shop, which cemented Luna''s thoughts that she had come to size up Phoebe even more.


    Slightly baffled, Phoebe''s eyes remained fixed on Moria''s back. "Luna what is going on? Why would she mess with me?" she asked, looking baffled.


    Moria- the woman''s name seemed to ring at the back of her head but nothing came to mind, she had definitely heard of it but she couldn''t remember where. What she could guess was that the woman did not have the purest intentions in offering her help.


    Evelyn and Shanna moved closer to Phoebe with Evelyn spinning Phoebe to face her. "Are you pretending to be naive or you really do not know who that is? I assume that you have done your research on David''s exes to know who matters and who doesn''t." She arched an eyebrow, mesmerized that her friend was so trusting that she did not do a background check on her boyfriend.


    All the women looked at Phoebe, Evelyn and Shanna had the same bewildered look in their eyes, Luna just looked curious. The reason for Shanna and Evelyn''s looks was because background checks were not unusual in their society. A lot of people were looking to marry up and they told many lies to achieve their goals.


    Phoebe shrugged. "Why would I dig into his past women, he is with me now and that''s all that matters. If he wants to go, the door is wide open." Her response was colored with indifference. Even in the past life she never cared to know about David''s women and not once were they a problem in their relationship.


    Suddenly her eyes lit up like a great idea had popped in her head. "Wait a minute is she one of David''s exes? Is that why all of you were hostile to her? Come on, who here doesn''t have an ex?" Phoebe chuckled, she couldn''t help but feel like her friends were only being childish and foolish. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Oh, you poor naive thing, your innocence at times irks me." Luna''s moved her hand to pat the top of Phoebe''s head.


    "Same here." Evelyn snapped. "That woman was not just David''s woman; she was betrothed to him since they were babies." Her tone was effortlessly harsh. "When they were in diapers they used to have play dates, Moria practically grew up in the Saxon tower. She was the high school queen bee and he the heartthrob, they were like couple royalty on founding lane. Well...they didn''t really date because David was not into her, but she was into him and they were engaged."


    With furrowed brows, the dress which Phoebe had just picked up slipped through her fingers. "What? Moria, you mean that Moria!" She now recalled the name; David had mentioned it once in the past life.


    He had told her in passing about a childhood engagement that he called off which earned him a lot of criticisms from the elders. They were still dating back then, and she did not know any of the founding families, so Moria Mortimer never stuck in her mind. That''s why neither her face nor her mind struck a chord in her until now.


    "Do you get it now Pheebs?" Luna twirled her around to face her. "From everything that skunk Moria has said she is back only for one thing: David. So, what are we going do about her because Luna is ready to do what Luna does best."

 Chapter 377 A secret is exposed.

    "Ladies, in my opinion, relationships are an open-door policy, you cannot force things. If he decides to leave, I won''t hold him back and cry." She shrugged.


    Apparently, that was not the response her friends wanted to hear because they looked at her as if she was no better than a fool. They shared glances of amazement and decided silently that they would deal with the problem on her behalf.


    "Okay, she is talking crazy, and I have the urge to slap her." Evelyn commented.


    "You might need to get in line because I am willing to do the same if it will make her come to her senses." Shanna said.


    "Nobody is slapping her," Luna came to Phoebe''s defense. "But I am willing to watch you kick her butt." Looking into Phoebe''s eyes with confusion, she asked, "David is crazy about you, he lowered himself to wait on other people in your cafe, you are shopping with his black card right now; he has good looks, and he is apparently great in bed."


    "Woah.....ho ho!" Shanna squealed and then honked like a duck.


    "That...I want to talk about that." Evelyn shouted eagerly.


    Phoebe was exasperated and her face turned quite red in embarrassment, "Where in the world did you get that review?"


    Luna shrugged; her background check had been very detailed.


    "Look, I am not saying that I am going to give him up without a small fight if it comes down to that, but I am not going to lose my sanity over a man. Why are we discussing my relationship, anyway, aren''t we supposed to be holding a funeral for Evie''s latest failed conquest?" she changed the topic and turned to Evelyn.


    Every time one of her flings ended, they had to light a candle, say a short prayer and burn anything the ex-had left behind or given her. In addition to that, she had added a cleansing with sage ritual lately.


    Phoebe cleverly slipped away from Luna''s arms and sat down to enjoy some more champagne while Evelyn found herself to be the new center of attention under Luna''s questioning.


    "You dumped another one!! do you pluck them like flowers in a garden?"


    Moria''s return was forgotten and shopping turned into a girls'' night out. It was around eleven in the night when Phoebe separated from the others.


    On her way home there were a lot of questions swirling in her head. Her friends had come up with various scenarios as to how she could go about the situation if Moria decided to become a stone in her relationship. Phoebe had decided to take Shanna''s advice to wait until they were certain about why Moria was here.


    When she was with her friends, she was distracted so she did not think a lot about Moria, alone, it was harder to avoid the thoughts.


    "There is always something or someone trying to separate me and David." She voiced quietly.


    The Saxon spirit clicked its tongue. "Do not even think about backing out, that crazy woman cannot come back after all these years to claim him when he did not want her right from the beginning. I wish I knew more about their story at least then you would know who you are up against." It pulled its brows closely together in a frown.


    "One thing is for sure, that woman is truly cunning. I am not saying this out of jealousy, but I could see that her meeting me was a calculated move. Only one person can confirm this and that is Gemma." Phoebe rubbed her chin; it was why she had not let the woman go.


    At the right moment, she would bring her out and use her to expose Moria.


    Nodding in agreement, the spirit handed Phoebe a bullet that it had created. "In other news, we have succeeded in creating magical bullets. This is the first sample; all we need is a test subject."


    It was a very light silver bullet with intricate runes running from top to bottom.


    "I doubt any ghost or supernatural something is going to offer itself as a test subject." Phoebe laughed knowingly.


    "What about Sylvester?" The spirit tugged on its ear; it''s face very calm which made Phoebe realize that it wasn''t joking.


    Her eyes widened in disbelief. " You cannot believe serious! Sylvester is our ghost! He is one of us." She tossed the bullet back to it.


    A measured laugh came from the spirit which was studying her expressions. "He won''t die; it will weaken him for sure but that can be fixed by you transferring some energy to him. As long as David is around you have an endless source of energy. You have accumulated over ten years of life from him by kissing, cuddling and heavy petting, more is to come as your relationship develops so you are good to go." It made a reasonable proposal.


    Phoebe twisted her lips to hide her embarrassment, she just knew that nosy spirit was watching over them.


    "Do they hurt, the bullets?" Phoebe voiced her concern, Sylvester had been so good to her, always taking care of her like a brother, she had grown to become so fond of him.


    The spirit shrugged for it still had no idea about how the bullet worked. "This is like a prototype; I believe that we will have to make many more samples before we actually come up with the final product."


    "If this actually succeeds, I can sell these bullets to the ghost catchers." Phoebe closed her eyes and leaned back, counting how much she would make.


    The spirit sighed heavily and shook its head. "Oh, my dear I did not realize that you were considering selling these. If those are your plans, I will go and have a chat with Sylvester about his role to play in this because there will be a lot of testing." It vanished.


    Phoebe nodded, if Sylvester was hurt even once, they would have to capture an evil ghost and use it as a test subject. The conversation with the spirit helped Phoebe to take her mind off of the Moria saga.


    When the car came to a halt, a smile grew on her face for it was always comforting to come home to her lovely family that was always happy to see her. She was excited to hear about how her aunt''s date had gone.


    However, on this particular day she found no welcoming noise at home, it was all quiet as if everyone had gone to bed which was unusual. They rarely went to bed before she returned, upon stepping into the foyer, Omar requested her to go to the living room where her family was waiting.


    "Is something wrong?" She asked only for Omar to lower his head and disappear as soon as he had finished delivering the message.


    The tension was even thicker inside the living room with the air wafting with grief and heavy with words that were yet to be said, her mother was crying silently with her aunt and grandmother comforting her. The three Mayfair brothers seemed furious; some had their fists clutched. Her father had his face drawn tight with fury, his eyes colder than a winter night.


    Collin stepped forward first, grabbed and embraced her tightly, taking her by surprise.


    "I c-canot b-breath." Phoebe struggled but managed to say, her hands lightly pushed against her brother''s chest.


    Collin pulled away from her, his eyes flashed with unscheduled tears. "I am sorry baby sister, I truly am, I should have found you faster." The tears came rolling down his cheeks.


    Phoebe wore a perplexed expression, a lump formed in her throat on seeing her brother cry. She was certain that something terrible had happened.


    "Wh..what''s going on? She stammered, very nervous.


    Her father exhaled sharply. "We know everything that Dickson did to you sweetheart." He spoke through pursed lips.


    "And I am going to kill him." Collin growled out. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 378 A Mayfair foe.

    The unexpected words that came out of her father''s mouth caused panic to surge in her bones for one, it seemed like pretty soon, it was possible for this news to hit the gossip mill and she would become a woman to be pitied because Dickson had harassed her and two, never before had she seen her father''s eyes glint with a murderous intent.


    Furthermore, fear than worry spread through her veins, she was worried about what her brothers would do, one had already declared that he was going to kill Dickson, what if he made good on his words. Phoebe did not want them to become murderers, after all her harassment had happened in another life, not this one. They did not need to go to battle for her.


    She could feel their furious gazes looking at her as if in search of unsaid answers. She opened her mouth to say something but quickly closed it for she wasn''t sure about what to say, what if she aggravated the situation.


    "Tell us what happened and leave nothing going out." Edward''s voice was low but commanding, his accusative eyes laid upon Phoebe. "How could you keep something like this to yourself? Do you even consider me to be your father at all? You have men in your life that are willing to die to defend you, this is something you should always remember.


    No matter how small a grievance you suffer, we want to know about it. Your grandmother said that that bastard molested you countless times...." he paused and shut his eyes, there was pain etched on his forehead.


    His eyes were red, whether it was from tears or anger, Phoebe could not tell. Her mind delved on the fact that her grandmother was not using her gossip talent to take Theodore down, she was spreading unnecessary information.


    [Of course, grandma had to open her chatty mouth even though I pleaded for her to leave this matter alone. Now look what has happened, I should have said nothing when Miranda asked me. How the hell did she even know?]


    Her eyes which were sharper than scalpel moved to meet those of her grandmother who was already looking at her.


    Grandma Mayfair did not quiver but rather twisted her lips to the side, she hardly regretted anything. Dickson had harmed her precious granddaughter; he had to pay.


    "I am sorry Pheebs, I know you wanted to keep this to yourself, but this is not something that I could keep away from your father. My lips were on fire, I wanted to run and tell him the moment you confirmed my suspicions.


    I had made a painful decision to shut my mouth to give you time to deal with Dickson as you and David saw fit, but it didn''t help when that shameless Margaret showed up at our house today, all I wanted to do was break her shameless face."


    Collin''s eyes flickered with a thousand questions. "David knew!" He shouted; his eyes fixed on Phoebe waiting on her to confirm his words. "You trusted him but not us! I am your older brother Pheebs, if someone has hurt you, I should be the first to know." he banged his fist on the pillow furiously a few times as if it was Dickson''s face and stopped only when Luke urged him.


    "I knew that son of a gun David couldn''t be trusted, how could he keep something like this from us, at the very least he should have told me!" Collin hissed as he moved towards the window, he fidgeted with his phone.


    Phoebe cared less about that she was more interested in why Margaret Saxon had come to her home. She was truly as shameless as her son, showing up where she was not wanted all the time.


    "Why was she here?" Phoebe quizzed. "Why did that woman Margaret come here." Phoebe asked this time her voice came in a demanding tone.


    A scoff came from Jennie. "Margaret was shameless enough to come here with an official proposal of marriage between you and that molester! I had to be cordial with her because I did not know, why didn''t you tell me this? I should have slapped her face and gouged her eyes out." She lamented, as she punched her clenched fist on her chest.


    Phoebe felt sorry for her mother, but she also didn''t know how to comfort her when she was going through her own motions after hearing why Margaret had come over. "How brazen of her." She whispered. "So, does she know now? Did you confront her grandma?" She prayed not because otherwise all her plans were going to be washed down the drain.


    "She should have, if had known about this, that bitch would not have walked out of here with both legs intact. I don''t give a fuck about the Saxons, they can all rot in hell if they decide to protect that witch and her son." Aunt Maureen boldly claimed.


    She pointed at grandma Mayfair, Edward and Jennie, "Because you are all known out there to be such virtuous people, everyone thinks that the Mayfair''s are weak although we are one of the most financially strong families and have very powerful connections. We have no need to fear anyone, not the Saxon''s, police, president or press. With our power we can cover the skies in Fog country, and nobody will dare to say a word but instead look at us.


    The Gabriel''s hurt Phoebe, Ruth hurt Phoebe, Dickson hurt Phoebe, Katherine insulted Phoebe and you all just folded your arms. It''s because of you that she has a bullseye on her back that has made her a target." She spoke through pursed lips, throwing her brother scathing looks because he was in charge of making big decisions in the family.


    She harbored slight resentment inside her heart that Edward to date had refused to fully investigate the circumstances of their father''s death, instead he had banned any talk about guardians or a Mayfair becoming one. He was also the one that stopped all of his sons from being involved in the supernatural world, now they were weak and fragile.


    Edward was riddled with guilt, his sister''s words did not make him feel better, only worse. He was regretting the fact that he had ever welcomed Margaret into his house. It was her fault that she had raised a monster for a son. There were countless rumors about the horrible things that Dickson did to the young women from ordinary families that he seduced with false promises of making his wife.


    "That imbecile! He dares to walk around freely; he takes us for granted. Do you know how many girls he is rumored to have dishonored? And he even dared to lay his hands on my child! I am going to end him." The steely look in his eyes was all that Phoebe needed to know that her father was not going to just sit back and watch.


    Collin hammered his fist on the sofa armrest. "I swear to God that the next time I see that Dick one of us will be going to prison and the other will be leaving in a body bag and it will not be me." Large veins pulsed in his temple.


    S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 379 In the race to become murderers.

    Things took a turn when suddenly, Edward picked up a steel sword from down and laid it on the table with a slam. He did it with a lot of strength that the glass table cracked.


    "I will have his head for dishonoring my child." he declared, in a very serious voice.


    Phoebe''s eyes widened in surprise; her eyes shifted from the sword to her father. [Wait, what!! Is my dad crazy? Who beheads someone in this day and age? Someone should tell him that its crazy.]


    Phoebe looked around for another person that thought Edward was crazy, but they were nodding.


    "I will do it dad," Andre volunteered, "A brother defends his sister''s honor, it was the old way. Just like Collin, I am not afraid of prison."


    The look on his face strangely reminded Phoebe of one his characters, a villainous alien lord, he looked just like he had done in that movie, terrifying.


    Luke who was the only calm person in the room stood up, he had heard enough of the self-sacrifices. "None of that will be necessary, put away the sword dad. I will do it and make it look like a ghost did it, not one of us needs to go to prison. As a doctor, I know which areas to target without anyone noticing and besides killing him off swiftly would be a gift to him, I want to make him suffer first, very slowly. When he dies, it should be in agony, great agony that he begs for death to come quickly." His voice was carefully measured.


    Unlike everyone else that acted on their impulses, he liked to plan meticulously which made him the most dangerous one out of all the Mayfair brothers. A thing that Phoebe was just coming to realize and suddenly it hit her; no wonder he was a great match for Luna.


    "That is if I do not poison him first." Grandma Mayfair had already laid out a plan of her own, there was no way she was going to let Dickson roam around freely while Phoebe was haunted by the memories of what he had done to her. It was either he died or every bone in his body was broken, leaving him a paraplegic and was refused from their society.


    Aunt Maureen patted her mother''s shoulder. "Count me in mother, we do not even have to look so hard to get rid of him. We can put a contract on him, that is the Elithera business, and we have one in our pocket so word will never get out that we put out the contract." She went on to squeeze the shoulder reassuringly.


    "He is a Saxon, it will cost us, but we can afford it." Jennie stopped her crying and contributed to the conversation. "How much do you think it will cost, I know that Luna will not do it personally to avoid suspicion, she might send one of the highest unknown lieutenants from their gang. I would like to pay for this one personally."


    "I can pay, if this is ever traced back to us, I will take the fall and I still want to participate, he should know who wants him dead and why." Collin said through clenched teeth.


    Phoebe wanted to pull all of her hair out because she had never witnessed anything more amazing..or disturbing, she could not decide which. Her family was sitting around the table, discussing how to murder someone, had they turned into the Elithera''s?


    "Ah-ah-ah....." Phoebe crossed her hands and shook her head. "This is one of the reasons as to why I told grandma not to say anything, you are all now in a bid to become murders and I am not going to allow that happen, nobody is killing anyone." Phoebe''s voice cut through the tension.


    Andre''s fist thumped his thigh, he had run out of tears since he had been crying from the time, he heard the news and all that was left in him was rage. "Can you blame us? Father asked you earlier about how it happened, when did that beast put his hands on you?" He paused to think. "Hold on, does that mean that you and Dickson knew each other before you became a Mayfair or did he molest you after you became one." His mind sifted through the pieces of the story, but it was a jigsaw puzzle with missing fragments.


    Silence covered the entire room, they all stared at her waiting for her to say something. "Yes, sweetheart was this before? I doubt he has the nerve to do that to a Mayfair, he is too cowardly to even try." Stern curiosity lingered in Edward''s eye.


    In that moment Phoebe felt the room grow smaller which was suffocating, she wished that the ground would open up and swallow her. How was she supposed to explain this? Just how?


    [This happened in my past life, one in which you all never met me thanks to Ruth''s plots, I can''t explain, It''s complicated]


    The Mayfair''s had their eyes on Phoebe, but they were waiting for subtitles from her inner thoughts because they knew she would probably not say a word.


    Luck was on their side, but what they saw was not what they expected, they did not get an explanation, just more confusion. Grandma Mayfair was more expressive than others, she gasped in shock, her face mirroring the confusion of the rest of the family members. However, no one dared to ask a thing.


    Aunt Maureen took the initiative to speak. "Listen everyone, I do not think that we should press Phoebe for answers. She will reveal everything to us when she is comfortable." Her narrowed eyes remained fixed on Phoebe''s forehead just in case she dropped another bombshell.


    Letting out a small exhalation of pent-up breath, Phoebe gratefully smiled at her aunt for coming to her rescue. "Aunt is right, I do not want to talk about this, and I do not think that I ever will. I will handle Dickson, none of you should get blood on their hands." Her low tone turned dismissive as if to lightly warn anyone that would want to bring up the topic again.


    "That is not a decision only you can make, I personally want to know what that prick did so that I can have it done to him." Countered Collin. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe glowered at him slightly before responding with undisguised unhappiness in her voice. "Collin, I don''t know how to put this softly but among the people here, I expect you to understand me the most especially after what Ruth tried to do to you. If I remember correctly, you never wanted to talk about that incident, and we all respected that so, please respect my decision too."


    Aunt Maureen''s eyes opened slightly wider. "What did Ruth do to Collin?" Her eyes pierced her brother Edward for answers.


    Her question earned her side glances from multiple people in the room.


    "Nothing." Came a collective response.


    Edward''s fingers drummed dramatically; it dawned on him that even the CPD would not be able to get any information out of Phoebe if she did not want to disclose what happened. Things were even more mysterious with this past life that she had thought about.


    "It''s okay let''s respect Phoebe''s wishes." His eyes drifted to Phoebe. "Forget about me leaving Dickson alone, he has to pay the price whether you and David have your plans or not. If only there was a piece of evidence against him that could get him locked up for life, no matter how small."


    It was either death or prison, and as it stood now, all the Mayfair''s had voted death.

 Chapter 380 Nobody liked their plan.

    Hardly had the situation began to calm down when David arrived. Phoebe was taken aback because David had told her that he was very busy since the cough outbreak was already on the brink.


    The countdown into the three months of coughing and sneezing was now in its last hours, because the cough was deadly to children, David was working day and night, only taking small breaks between in order to ensure that there were enough vaccines to go around when the time came.


    The last place she expected him to saunter into as if he owned the house was Mayfair manor.


    "David?" Her voice cut through the weak tension, she rose to her feet and quickly moved to stand by his side, currently the Mayfair''s were not fans of his especially Collin who was giving him a scathing look. "Why are you here? I thought that you are extremely busy at least that is what you told me." She continued to ask.


    She put both hands around his waist and gave him a side hug, he looked very exhausted, as if he had not slept in days.


    David planted a small kiss on her lips then he shifted his attention to the rest of the Mayfair''s before finally settling on Collin.


    "Good evening, everyone," he greeted slowly with some hesitation in his voice. He could see that something had happened, something not good. "I heard that there was an emergency so I dropped everything that I was doing at the lab and came home as soon as I could." His eyes continued to move around, it came to his knowledge that the Mayfair''s seemed very unwelcoming.


    He frowned and looked down at Phoebe that was rubbing little reassuring pats on his back. "Did something serious happen?" His voice harbored great concern.


    Even in the midst of all the tension, Phoebe smiled genuinely, she was the only one whose mind was stuck on the fact that David had just called Mayfair manor home. If her friends heard this, she knew that they would scream and jump around just as she wanted to do.


    Collin expelled air out of his nostrils. "Why didn''t you do anything when you found out about what Dickson had done to Phoebe? For God''s sake why didn''t you tell us? You had no right to keep that information to yourself even if Phoebe asked you to!" His eyes bulged in disbelief, just when he was beginning to trust the guy, he had quickly become a disappointment.


    He was probably protecting his own perverted brother or the reputation of their Saxon family. Collin made up assumptions that stirred his rage anew.


    As his brows rose up, David''s inquisitive gaze moved to Phoebe who bit her bottom lip, her eyes looked everywhere but at him.


    "You told them?" he whispered.


    They both knew that Dickson had harassed her in their last life, not this one.


    He wondered how she had explained what had happened and came to the conclusion that she had not told them about the rebirth. It was not something someone easily explained to others after all.


    David recalled the few times he had seen the Mayfair''s react in unexpected ways while looking at Phoebe and a suspicion that had been growing in his mind for a while came to him. What if the Mayfair''s could see Phoebe''s thoughts like he could? What if that is how they found out, it was a thought that was not so farfetched, otherwise how else would they have found out something that had happened in Phoebe''s past life?


    "My sweet Nana decided to tell everyone here, something that I begged her not to do. Oh, and by the way your mother knows too, in fact all this began with her questioning me about Dickson." Phoebe briefly explained to David. "I did not exactly deny when I was faced with the question. I let my anger get the best of me."


    Grandma Mayfair pointed at finger at herself. "Are you really angry with me? Pheebs, I have already explained the reasons why I had to reveal this. I am sorry, but justice must be sought, you are my precious baby. You should be blaming that succubus Margaret and her beastly son, not me." She came to her own defense.


    David sighed, a soft sound came with it, his attention returned to Collin. "Who said that I did nothing? Have you seen Dickson lately?" His eyes narrowed at Collin.


    A sneer let Collin''s mouth. "No, I haven''t but the news is everywhere that he is soaring in the business world like an eagle, I believe that you have heard that he is the president of DC Pharma.


    While you were sitting on your hands, he was becoming richer and expanding his resources. A family with a large clan like yours does not get rid of useful children. Even if you reveal his crimes, odds are that some people will want to protect him. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    You both should have come to the family earlier, I don''t know what you two were thinking." He pressed his lips tightly shut.


    "Of course I am aware, in fact Phoebe and I put him there. You all know DP holdings, right? Well, it belongs to us, this is information that only a few people have, and we would like to keep it that way. We plan on taking everything away from Dickson, crippling him financially and ruining his reputation in a way that he cannot raise to his feet to hurt anyone else." David told them about some bits from the plan that they had.


    He left out the fact that Phoebe was turning him into a puppet to be used against the supernatural enemy behind the scenes.


    Their plan was a good one only that none of the Mayfair''s were convinced. They were out for blood, a plan in which Dickson lived was not good, it was similar to Ruth being allowed to live and look how that turned out?


    "That''s it?" Luke asked, a glint of disappointment lingered in his eyes.


    Aunt Maureen scoffed; her head moved in disbelief from side to side. "I was wondering the same thing! At the end of the day Dickson is a Saxon, he will never be as ruined completely as you both are imagining, he has the support of his mother. He is not a complete idiot; he must have money reserves somewhere and people will still be willing to do favors for him disgraced or not. Hell, some smaller founding families will still be willing to marry their daughters to him because the Saxon name opens doors. I think you two should sit this one out." Her face flashed with exasperation.


    An unnecessary cough came from Edward, he wanted everyone''s attention. "There is a way to make him lose his financial and social status plus family ties, I will have to talk to uncle Rufus about this matter during his thanksgiving party. With all the council members present, I doubt that he will blindly support Dickson''s evil deeds. I plan to make a spectacle, one that he will never forget." he stood up because he did not want to be convinced otherwise.


    As he left the room, his eyes drifted to David, in them lingered a warning not to divulge his plan, not even to his grandfather.


    Even with all the solutions presented, some of the Mayfair''s were still not convinced they planned to stick to their original plans, death to Dickson.


    "I have a date, please excuse me." Luke calmly spoke, he spared Phoebe one last glance and walked away.


    The dark look in his eyes made her shiver and wonder what he was planning. That was not the look of a man going for a date.

 Chapter 381 Pampered with more love and gifts.

    There was nothing she could do about him, so she turned to everyone else, planning to make a quick exit with David but Collin stopped them, he had a different look on his face, like a cat that had chanced upon a saucer of milk.


    Phoebe took a step back and hid behind David, "He looks like he is going to eat us." she whispered


    David could not have agreed more, Collin was like a man looking at a tasty morsel of food and it was unsettling.


    This was because from the moment Collin heard that his sister and David owned DP holdings, the long elusive answer he had been looking for was answered. He never thought the mysterious big shot that everyone was hunting for was under his very own roof.


    There were countless thoughts running through Collin''s mind at the moment, covering up the dark topic which had been the subject of conversation a while back. A very big smile lay upon his lips for he just couldn''t control his excitement.


    "Okay, is he going to fight me or hug me?" David asked Phoebe.


    She shrugged, how could she know the answer, he had gone from being surrounded by darkness to glowing light in a heartbeat. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You two, why didn''t you tell us about that you owned DP holdings? How did you even do it?" Collin asked back-to-back, looking from Phoebe to David.


    "Luck i guess." David remarked jokingly, no one would ever believe that within two years he had built a company from scratch, and it had grown to become one of the strongest companies in Fog country.


    Many people thought DP holdings had connections in different government agencies which was how the company had managed to grow rapidly. In a way, it was true that they had inside information, it was just inside David''s mind.


    Collin chuckled decisively. "Ha luck! that is not possible, I am not a kid that will follow you because you have offered me cheap candy." He raised his hands in surrender. "Alright, you don''t not need to reveal such valuable information, I understand the need for secrecy however sweet Pheebs this is not fair.


    Why don''t you assist Mayfair corporations that same way that you do for DP holdings? It will be nice having another sibling that is interested in the company for once." His eyes stared at her with newfound respect.


    "Wow, you are really good at hiding secrets, little sis, from now on I am bringing all my movie projects to you for investment. My money God, make me as independently wealthy as you are." Andre put his hands together and bowed while laughing lightly.


    He was still angry about Dickson, but he could see that Phoebe was happier when they were not talking about that creep.


    Phoebe waved her hand dismissively. "Brothers, you have everything mixed up, I don''t do anything for D.P holdings. On my birthday, David here gave me half of the shares in his company which is why it is our company." She jutted her chin upwards.


    "What?" Came a collective question from the ladies that were listening in on the conversation.


    Aunt Maureen staggered a little like a drunkard as she approached them. She put a hand in Phoebe''s shoulder and looked into her eyes.


    "Baby, you mean that this man who is not even your husband gave you half of his booming company, why? And do not say love because I will not believe it."


    [Well, we were married in our past life, technically I was his wife, or I am his wife. Does it even count anymore? Whatever, we are together again anyway.]


    There was silence and confusion again, which were the common reactions to seeing her thoughts.


    David slipped his fingers through Phoebe''s hand and held it with confidence and a smile.


    "I may not be Phoebe''s husband yet, but she is my life partner, these shares are not even half of what she is worth. I am willing to give her the whole world if she asks for it." David''s tone was laced with certainty.


    This time, he was the one that surprised everyone with his bold statement. How many men would give up half of a company worth a few billion to a woman they were not even married to?


    "Bro, have you heard of a prenup?" Andre asked.


    Collin punched Andre''s shoulder, and he winced.


    "Ohhh." Jennie let out a small dramatic cry. "I thank the heavens that my daughter found a man that is worthy of her, they have compensated her for the pain she suffered. David my son, I appreciate everything that you do for our Pheebs." She sniveled.


    "Son!!!" Andre and Collin exclaimed.


    It was official, their mother was one hundred percent team David.


    Grandma Mayfair clapped once. "See i have an eye for these things, I always told you that David was a good match for Phoebe, now see how he is loving on her by the way if you must know he keeps buying her lavish gifts like diamonds, luxury jewelry, a yacht, perfumes and many more. I have even heard something about a private plane." There was a tinge of pride in her voice. "Show me a better addition to the family." She flipped her hair back.


    It almost seemed as if those things had been bought for her and not Phoebe.


    Collin sank into the chair, he would do anything for Shanna, but David was not someone to contend with, he was over the top. "I have nothing to say, David today you officially become my only recognized brother in-law. Yachts, a company and a plane!! damn, he is one lovesick puppy." He sighed theatrically eliciting laughter from the group.


    David was beaming with pride and smiling, if he had known that revealing such information would get him accepted faster by the family, David would have done so earlier.


    "I have to leave now." He announced.


    Jennie waved her hand. "Of course you are such a busy man, go on. From today on, I will be sending you meals at your lab, make sure you send me your schedule and inform me if you will skip any meal." A warm smile continued to exist on her lips.


    "Thank you, mom." David boisterously answered.


    Collin offered to escort David to his car leaving the women alone.


    Phoebe stopped smiling as she met the renewed pitiful gazes of her mother, grandmother and aunt. "Not one word and not one tear unless you don''t want me to talk to you again." she announced very seriously.


    They all nodded and held in the emotions; to divert their minds they had dived into a different conversation on the latest topic that had taken the founding lane gossip mill by storm.


    "Guess whose ghost was at our cafe today?" Grandma Mayfair started the conversation.


    She exaggeratedly told the sad unbelievable story of Gwyneth and Theodore, leaving Jennie and Aunt Maureen stunned. They had heard snippets but Grandma Mayfair tied everything together with a neat bow.


    "My goodness! So, it''s all true? Miranda posted parts of the story in the fabulous ladies chat group, but she left out the names of the parties involved." Jennie browsed through her phone and displayed the chat conversations.


    A dry laugh came from Phoebe. "Leaving the names out was pointless, from the reactions here everyone knows that it''s Theodore that they are talking about. Which other politician in the country rescued a puppy shirtless?" Her dry laugh transitioned to a real one.


    It was ridiculous, Miranda had literally given away the identity of the involved parties in the headline which read: Exposing a fake women''s rights activist and shirtless puppy rescuing scumbag named TR for bigamy and a romance scum.


    Who else could the puppy rescuing scumbag named TR be? The options were not many.

 Chapter 382 Whose gold if not hers?

    Gwyneth''s story had been spread rather far, in the group, thousands of people were commenting, and the issue was just gaining heat.


    With or without the Rowland''s stepping out, the matter would surely hit the news the following day and it was going to be bad__, for Theodore mostly.


    "Soon he will be thrown out with nothing which is deserving of him after all, he was dirt poor when he joined the Rowland family." Jennie continued to scroll through the chat page. "Let me just say that I am so relieved that our Pheobe has David, and she will not fall prey to bastards like these."


    Aunt Maureen slammed the sofa armrest lightly. "That bastard! he should end up in prison, there has to be a charge that can be levied against him. Something like walking around with a fake face which he used to defraud us all. I cannot believe that I once thought he was my ideal man. That heifer of a tutor he had an affair with should be punished too. I just cannot fathom the fact that her son knew everything and remained silent." Disbelief etched on her face


    Raising an eyebrow in disdain, grandma Mayfair laughed dryly. "My dear an apple does fall far from the tree; a crooked mother birthed a crooked son. This will surely make all the founding families screen spouses of their children more carefully." Her face lit up suddenly as she turned her head to her daughter. "Speaking of spouses, Maureen you were yet to tell me about your date before that demon Margaret interrupted us. How did it go, should I start booking a wedding venue." She raised a question.


    Maureen pulled her head back; her face was filled with alarm. "Mother, one date, I went on one date!!"


    Grandma Mayfair was not deterred. "So...Allie Darling knew her husband for thirty minutes before they got married and they are forty years into that marriage. Your date lasted two hours, that is enough time to know if you want to spend your life with him."


    Maureen groaned; she had heard the Allie Darling story at least one hundred times.


    "Mother, how did you know that my date lasted two hours?" she questioned.


    Jennie gestured at Phoebe that they should disappear, this argument between mother and daughter would go on for a while.


    ***************************


    Later at night, Phoebe laid in her bed wide awake. She sighed and pushed the bed covers back because she was restless, it was another night of sleeplessness. Her eyes moved to the clock for the tenth time, it was some minutes after midnight, time was really moving at a snail''s pace.


    The Saxon spirit could not stand her endless sighing, so it suggested that they move to the space to train or better still experiment with the magic bullets and Phoebe agreed.


    When they entered the space, Phoebe noticed that it was bigger and lusher with matured herbs and trees of different varieties. The air was fresher, with the fresh herb smell which was only second to that of new money.


    "Boss," Sylvester called out.


    She turned her head and saw all of the ghosts, including Connie and America who she did not expect to see.


    "Hello America, is everything going on well at the orphanage?" Phoebe asked casually as she studied the space some more.


    A mineral deposit had appeared, her eyes widened on seeing the huge gold mountains.


    "I have my own gold....haha, I am rich!" She exclaimed abruptly; her eyes glinted with dollar signs. How much would be in her bank account after selling all that gold.


    She would become Fog country''s richest person; she was lost in dreams and her shoulders and feet danced for joy.


    [Take that founding families]


    The spirit was already in the know of what she was thinking. "Ha! You cannot sell as much as you want at will.


    Even though it is sitting on an eternal vein and will never run out, there are still rules for its use, you can only take as much as it decides you need, no more and no less."


    Her happy expression turned into ine of confusion. What the hell did that mean? Did it translate to she could not take the gold out whenever she wished. Of what use was it then? Was it ghost gold or something?


    "Pheebs, are you still here or are you floating on a cloud?" Connie''s fingers rummaged through a cup of caramel popcorn.


    Phoebe shook her head lightly as her senses returned. "What? I mean where were we?"


    "You asked America about the orphanage and then quickly shifted your attention to the gold without even listening to her response, how rude!" Connie commented, her tone was slightly berating.


    America let out a light chuckle and waved off Connie''s words with a flicker of a finger implying that she was not offended at all. "Anyone would be dumbfounded to see a mountain of gold. Imagine what would happen if some of the greedier founding families found out about this space? They would kill to own and control it." She sipped on the churro frappuccino that Sylvester had served her. "Oh, this is so good."


    In response Sylvester twirled around happily, he had spent a lot of time perfecting the taste. "Boss Phoebe you should try some as well, we cannot introduce this to the beverage menu without your approval." He handed her a cup from a tray which had three more similar drinks.


    With all eyes upon her, Phoebe couldn''t help but feel pressured, she only hoped that she liked it as much as America did. Her nostrils caught the cinnamon smell, it was strong


    "Goodness!" Her eyes flickered brightly. "It''s very delicious and the aroma is mind blowing." Phoebe asked. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Sylvester squealed with glee. "It''s the cinnamon, it comes from the space here."


    Phoebe nodded slowly as she sipped through the large black straw. It was delicious, she was sure that it was going to be a best seller.


    "I just know the richies as Rosette has taken to calling our wealthy clients are going to find a way to ask if there is a non-fat, sugar free option that tastes exactly like this but with less calories."


    Connie and Sylvester laughed, they could already hear Rosette''s voice and imagine the horror on her face when someone did actually make such an order.


    "Does this mean that you approve?" Sylvester asked eagerly, his eyes shimmered with anticipation.


    Phoebe smiled warmly and nodded and so did everyone else. "You have outdone yourself once again Sylvester, I don''t know what the cafe would do without you."


    He beamed with pride, and got himself a drink as well, he could not be the only one not enjoying his own creation.


    Phoebe meanwhile turned to America. "So, how is the orphanage, is there anything lacking that I can contribute?"


    A small hesitant frown appeared on America''s face. "Honestly everything is good, but half of the kids are sick, they have come down with this cough, it''s like a croup but worse.


    The stay in doctor said that there is nothing to worry about but patient zero now has more symptoms like fever and labored breathing." She explained her observations as the frown deepened. "He now thinks it''s a variant of whooping cough, but he has to conduct more tests."


    Phoebe''s back stiffened, could it be that the cough outbreak had already began and they had no idea?


    "Does David know about this?" Phoebe asked, genuine concern laced her voice

 Chapter 383 Caught in the act.

    Shaking her head, America sighed heavily. "About that, I think that the current orphanage manager is overwhelmed since the administration team is yet to be made.


    Mr. Phelps is very good, but he has a lot on his hands, he should have informed David a long time ago, but I think he has forgotten or most likely, he is waiting to assess the situation further before involving him, after all the doctors said there was no reason to panic. I think Mr. Phelps should be given an assistant to help him."


    Phoebe nodded, she had the perfect people in mind for the positions, people she had met in her last life. "I will inform David of this, treatment for the children should not be delayed. When you leave, go with some tonics and feed them to the children, it will help."


    "Shoot." Came Connie''s voice right before the gun was fired and a loud yell made everyone turn around.


    Connie looked panicked, her hand trembled and the gun fell out of her hands. "I am so sorry, my finger slipped are you okay Sylvester?"


    Sylvester did not look okay, he had fallen to his knees in a weakened state, groaning in pain. Everyone rushed and hovered above him, studying his situation. His body was faint, looking like it was about to fade away.


    "I imbued the bullet with magic, you can all see that it works, it drains the energy from any supernatural creature. This ladies and gentlemen is a success!" The Saxon spirit announced excitedly.


    She was jubilant, everyone else was horrified and Sylvester was scared, death felt so close, and he was not ready to die.


    "Boss..." he whispered.


    His voice was weak, he almost sounded like he wanted to cry and he was pleading to be saved. Guilt and despair filled Phoebe''s heart, she crouched near Sylvester and moved her hand to his forehead. She wanted to transfer some energy to him and heal him quickly, but the spirit thwarted her move.


    "Do not touch him, we need to know how long the spell on the bullets lasts or how it even works. I will not let him die, trust me, also Sylvester signed up for this willingly. Even though he is scared, he understands the need for the experiment. He will also earn a lot of merit if this is successful because the bullets will save many people, do not ruin this opportunity for him. Let''s go it looks like he will be here for a while." Came the spirit''s order.


    Phoebe shot it a piercing unwilling gaze, but she knew that it had a point and if it was for merit, she could not interfere. Sylvester needed all the merit he could gather in order to move on.


    She backed away and stood up. "Sorry about the pain." She quietly voiced before leaving the space.


    Phoebe could not bring herself to stay, she could not stand to watch Sylvester suffering. If she still couldn''t sleep, she would find other ways to keep herself busy.


    The spirit and Connie stayed behind to study Sylvester''s reaction, America also left because she had to tend to the sick children at the orphanage.


    As soon as she came out of the space, Phoebe called David to let him know about what America had told her.


    "Are you serious? I was there five days ago, and all the children seemed fine. They ate all the candy and ice cream that I took for them except for one kid that was coughing but the doctor assured me that it was an ordinary cough. Dammit! I should have suspected." David hurriedly spoke, his voice was coated with fear even though he had succeeded in creating a vaccine and medicine.


    "Its not on you, we did not see it coming." she consoled him, sure that he was racking up guilt points by the minute.


    "Pheebs i have to go, patient zero will not make it if his or her treatment is delayed." He hung up the call before she could respond.


    Phoebe put down the phone, she was aware of the severity of the situation, so she planned to send more tonics to the orphanage. In the past life a few hundred children had died during the outbreak.


    It was so bad that schools were shut down and so were playgrounds, there were lock downs in some districts and the government imposed a curfew. Even though adults were not affected as much, they played a great role in spreading it to their children.


    "I hope that David''s vaccine and medicine actually save those little lives, it will be horrifying to see another pandemic." Phoebe massaged her chest which fluttered with unease just as it had been back then.


    With no atom of sleep in her, Phoebe moved to the secret basement. She had long wanted to come back after the night she had accidentally found aunt Maureen in there. Rather than twist around aimlessly in bed, this was a better use of her time.


    She was like a thief when she sneaked inside successfully. "Now let''s see, what did you hide in here aunt?" Phoebe reached inside the drawer and pulled out the small box.


    It was very identical to the one that was displayed at the auction and the one that was found among the treasures in the cave under the Dewayne stadium. Both of those boxes which contained mystic keys she had never seen were now safely stowed in the space.


    She already had suspicions about what the keys were and what they opened.


    Instinctively, Phoebe tried to pry the box open knowing fully well at the back of her mind that it was an impossible task. She had tried it with the first and second boxes, but her efforts were unsuccessful.


    "Third times the charm." she muttered as she forced her energy into the box, hoping to find an opening.


    Surprisingly this box opened with extreme ease, for a second Phoebe was jubilant until it dawned on her that there was no key inside. The glee that had consumed her heart burnt out, like a candlelight that was snuffed out by the wind. She thought that perhaps she had discovered a third key out of the six. She even thought that the odds were in her favor, but she was wrong, apparently.


    She rummaged through the rest of the drawers, banging things around as she searched in frustration.


    "Where the hell is it?" Came her perplexed voice. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Unbeknownst to her was that Aunt Maureen had been watching her for a while now. She had always retained a feeling that Phoebe would return soon so she usually sneaked down at night to see if something had been touched.


    Her efforts had paid off, Phoebe had showed up tonight, Maureen pushed the door open slowly and walked into the study.


    "You know about the key, ha! I got you today." Aunt Maureen smiled like a cannibal as she moved closer to study Phoebe''s face.


    With Phoebe''s subtitles, if she told a lie the truth would plaster itself on her forehead.


    Startled, the box glided from Phoebe''s hands and fell to the floor. Her hand moved to touch her chest; she could feel her heart hammering against her rib cage. "Aunt, you frightened me, My God!" Phoebe inhaled deeply and calmed herself.


    Playful curiosity lingered in aunt Maureen''s eyes. "I am sorry that wasn''t my intention dear niece but imagine my surprise when I saw disappointment etched upon your face when you found nothing in the box. That could only mean one thing, that you know about the mystic keys but how?" She paused her movements and fixed her eyes on her.


    [That is classified information my dear aunt.]


    Phoebe''s thoughts announced themselves as she bent and picked the box. "I do not know what you speak of aunt, I just noticed that it was very similar to the one that went missing at the auction." She lied blatantly as she cracked her knuckles.


    "You even know that the box is the same, you little liar. Just be honest, do you or do you not know about the mystic keys?" Aunt Maureen continued to press her.


    Shaking her head, Phoebe swore that she didn''t know anything. "I have never seen one."


    She smiled mischievously. [Hehe..I have two in my possession as we speak.] Her thoughts betrayed her.


    A chuckle came from Aunt Maureen, her niece whose smile gave her an impish adorable look. "My dear niece, you are still lying to me."


    Phoebe scoffed. "So were you when you said that you had no idea about what happened to grandpa Cillian. If you want information we should swap." Her tone harbored a slight accusation.

 Chapter 384 Niece and aunt bonding

    The accusation that came from Phoebe did not faze her aunt at all. Instead, she lazily sat in a chair next to the table, a smirk curled on her lips as she continued to study Phoebe who looked at her through narrow slitted eyes.


    Maureen was very comfortable, she could so easily do this all day and run circles around Phoebe until she broke. However, she was also quite aware that Phoebe''s mouth was hard to pry open when she didn''t want to talk. After pondering for a while, she decided to bow first, after all their goals were aligned.


    "You are like a hungry hippo, chomping down and you just won''t let go. What is your obsession with my father''s death?" She asked curiously, but knowing that she would not get an answer, she just sighed. "Hmmm, I see that you are hungry for answers just like me and you will not end your search for the truth until you find it, indeed you have Cillian''s blood running through your veins. He was as stubbornly persistent as you are, God he was a bullheaded man." She raised her sad eyes to the roof.


    Phoebe''s face lit up, as bright as a morning star, to her ears it seemed like her aunt was cracking, she just needed to chip a little more at the shell and it would open. " Aunt, a past door which is not firmly closed can reopen in the future and you never know what will come out of it. I have this feeling that I need to know what happened to grandpa, I don''t understand why everyone walks on eggshells when it concerns his death. You have to tell me the truth about what you know aunt." Her tone was low but demanding.


    "Mmm, I don''t like your tone my sweet niece, it sounds a little like you are threatening me. The only thing missing from the end of your statement are the words ''or else''. Tell me my baby, will you run to your father and tell him that I am a guardian?" Aunt Maureen leaned forward and smiled.


    Her smile was a little too wide and unnatural, it made Phoebe uncomfortable, it was no wonder her aunt was a guardian, she had a dangerous quality that slept deep beneath the surface, but she was letting a glimpse through. She felt the urge to cough, she did plan to black mail her with that, but she would never tell her father.


    "From reading your silence, I believe that was your plan. You do not have to do that I plan on letting Edward know very soon." Aunt Maureen spoke casually like what she was about to do was a walk in the park.


    Shock enveloped Phoebe''s face. "Why would you do that? You know how he feels about this issue; he will freak out." Her tone was laced with fear and uncertainty, would her aunt''s revelation divide the family? Whose side would she have to choose, she loved them all.


    "Someone has to find out about what happened to father, there so many loopholes in the story, the cause of the accident is not even clear. The higher ups are tight lipped about it, it''s frustrating. If your father doesn''t have the balls to investigate our father''s death, then I will continue to do so." Aunt Maureen spoke through thin lips.


    She stood up, walked to an old cabinet, got a whiskey bottle and a glass. Half of the whiskey in the bottle was gone; it had been drunk by Cillian when he was alive. There were ten more bottles of the same brand in his study.


    Phoebe listened attentively and watched, waiting for her aunt to settle down. "Aunt, I can help you; I have ghosts that can search for information but first, we need to form some sort of trust between us. You have something I want, and I have something you want, so I suggest that you tell me what happened to grandpa first, then I will tell you of what I know about the keys." She made a smooth proposal


    The spirit jumped out of the space. "Are you insane? You cannot go around revealing information about those damn keys." Its tone came out slightly berating.


    "I second that, even a preschooler can tell that it''s dangerous, how do you know that we can trust this woman." Connie leaped out of the space and chimed in with her own opinion.


    Aunt Maureen''s eyes followed Connie around, she had seen her and other ghosts around her niece a couple of times. There was another one she had never seen but every once in a while, she heard its voice. In her opinion, this young teenage ghost was the most annoying and gluttonous ghost she had ever seen.


    "What, you think that I am going to go running to Ravana''s disciples and reveal this information to them?" Her eyes remained fixed on the teenage ghost.


    Her words caused Connie to pause. "Y-you can see me. How?"


    "She is a guardian; it skips my mind sometimes that they can see you." The spirit explained to Connie who had missed a lot during her absence.


    Connie floated to hide behind Phoebe. "Soooo, is she a guardian like the ghost catching kind?" Her voice quivered.


    Connie knew that this aunt Maureen was stronger than Amon, if she was caught by her, it would be disastrous.


    Waving her hand in a dismissive manner, Aunt Maureen smiled warmly at Connie. "I prefer hunting for the bad boys, you know like gremlins, demons, wendigos, zombies, vamps, shapeshifters, hellhounds and the occasional fallen angel." Her eyes drifted around in search of the owner of the other voice. "Where is the other one, why can''t I see her?"


    Phoebe''s jaw had already dropped, demons, shapeshifters gremlins, vampires and such creatures, she had heard about but a fallen angel!!!!


    She wanted to ask the Saxon spirit about it but the spirit was only focused on Maureen.


    "Stop looking around for me, I can only be seen by a chosen few." The spirit folded its arms. "All this time you could hear and see the ghosts, but you pretended not to, why?" Its suspicious eyes roamed all over her.


    Aunt Maureen smirked. "I like to mind my business; it is a habit that has saved me from a lot of trouble. Besides, you didn''t seem harmful at all if anything you guys help Phoebe and protect her. Thanks for your hard work by the way." The warm smile continued to exist.


    "You are welcome, it''s not easy being Phoebe''s employee, we have to farm and if you look at Sylvester now..." Connie paused when she noticed that Phoebe and the spirit had fixed her with a steely gaze.


    Connie recalled that the space was a secret which she was not supposed to reveal.


    "But she rewards us well, Phoebe is the best." She offered a wry smile.


    Returning her attention to her aunt, Phoebe pulled a stool along with her and sat directly opposite to her. "Aunt I honestly cannot tell you where those keys are, but I can assure you that they are safe, now let''s get down to business." She nodded her head in assurance. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "So, at the auction that was you?" Aunt Maureen quizzed.

 Chapter 385 Opening up on Cillians life and death.

    Phoebe hesitated slightly; her fingers nervously danced on the edge of the stool. She glanced up at her aunt and saw calm on her face. It seemed her aunt had already made up her mind on what the answer was.


    Since the secret was out anyway, it was best to admit it all, Phoebe figured.


    "It had to be done aunt, you are a guardian which means that you know about how disastrous things will become if these keys land in the wrong hands." Phoebe''s voice came out, carefully measured.


    Aunt Maureen sighed heavily. "I cannot lie, I am somewhat shocked by this revelation, but I am glad that you nabbed them. First of all, you are the last person anyone would ever suspect to have then and secondly, you managed to get away with it in the presence of so many people with makes it so much more fun." Her heart fluttered with glee; her niece was finally beginning to open up to her.


    They could now start getting into trouble together, going on hunting trips and training. Phoebe had said that she could help so perhaps by working together they would find out sooner what happened to her father.


    "I promise that you secret is safe with me, cross my heart." She mimicked the gesture with a wide smile on her face, "But, what are you going to do about old man Rufus, if he finds out that you are in possession of the keys, he will demand that you hand them over. I advise that you keep this information to yourself for now for everyone''s safety."


    A light smile tugged on Phoebe''s lips; she was thrilled that they were on the same page. "I have not revealed this information to anyone aunt and until the moment is right, he will never know." A frown replaced her smile. "Aunt it''s your turn now, please tell me what you know about grandfather''s death." Her expression taunt with unspoken fear.


    Aunt Maureen''s face flushed red, deep inside she felt embarrassed that after all this time she no answers that explained the situation but nevertheless she decided to tell her what she knew.


    "There is not much to tell, and I am probably going to disappoint you, but I am going to share what little I know. My father, your grandfather was a guardian, one of the greatest that ever lived. He was strong and fast, as powerful as uncle Rufus at their peak." Her voice was filled with awe and her eyes shined at the memories. "He was revered among his peers and loved by all his students at the Moldove founding academy."


    "Grandpa was a teacher at that school! What did he teach?" Phoebe interjected excitedly, this was the first time that she was hearing new information about her grandfather and already he sounded like an amazing man. Her eyes darted around, no wonder there were so many books among his belongings.


    Maureen was pleased by Phoebe''s excitement at the smallest of knowledge on her father. Her heart felt lighter; it felt good talking about him. "A professor actually, father was among the special guardians that harbored the knowledge on the old magic that was practiced in the olden days. He was an ancient magic history and spells professor."


    Phoebe''s toes danced and she vibrated.


    [Woah! spells, my grandfather taught magic spells at a magic school! I feel like I am living in a fantasy world.] S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Aunt Maureen continued her narration. "When he was not traveling, he spent most of his free time learning about the seven witches that interlaced the spells that were used in the battle that led to our victory in the supernatural war. To date among the guardians are people known as the spellweavers, their primary role is to weave together various components of magic to craft complex and effective spells. Although of late, there has been very little progress in their kind."


    The spirit sneered. "This can only mean that there has not been an actual true spellweaver in years. Lack of progress means lack of knowledge and skills, it also means that those at the academy currently would not be able to help the guardians fight in a supernatural war, let alone winning it. What is going on at that academy lately?" Worry laced its voice.


    Aunt Maureen sighed in frustration. "The Spellcasters are supposed to take the lead in that department, but Enron Spellcaster has failed. He does nothing but blame their failure on the fact that the grand guardian has not shown his or herself.


    It is frustrating because the grand guardian is not a spellweaver, he or she uses the spells, tools, sigils and weapons the spell weavers craft, it is not the other way round." She waved her hand to dismiss that conversation, but Phoebe was too interested to let it go.


    "The Spellcasters?" She asked, her eyes widening that her whites showed.


    This was a bonus, she had come to know more about her grandfather, learning about the guardians and spellweavers had not been in her expectations. How could the Spellcasters be poor at their job when Sabrina was talented at magic? She had the foundation, but she still lacked training and empathy.


    Her aunt nodded in response. "The very ones that you know, our families crossed paths in the past, we used to be on friendly terms with them. Old man Enron was pained so much when my father died, he was the one person that gave me clues when I asked him about father''s death." She twisted her face to express frustration. "Even old man Lee who was father''s other best friend held his tongue. To date, I will never understand why he chose to do that, he never really came around to Mayfair manor after we buried my father, and I don''t know why."


    Old man Lee was Shanna''s grandfather, Phoebe had heard about his friendship with her grandfather. Was he a guardian too? He had once offered to tell her stories about her grandfather but she did not take him up on it. Perhaps it was time to pay him a visit and hear what he had to say.


    "What clues did Enron Spellcaster give you?" Phoebe''s narrowed eyes stared at her aunt.


    Shifting uncomfortably, aunt Maureen leaned forward, time had come to get into why they were really there. "You cannot divulge this information to anyone, ever. Do you understand?" She looked at Phoebe with eyes that were a whirlpool of grave seriousness. She was not even blinking, and her gaze was unwavering. "Old man Enron could get in trouble if anyone found out that he told me something, so keep it to yourself like the secrets of the keys." Her words came out more like a stern warning.


    Phoebe nodded her head continuously. "My lips are sealed." her index finger moved to meet her lips and gestured as if she was closing a zipper. It was a promise that she was willing to take whatever secret she heard to her grave.


    "Old man Enron told me that father was given a mission by the Moldove founding academy, one that no guardian in his right mind would accept. He was told to go and investigate The Island of no return." The words escaped her lips, but they were barely audible.

 Chapter 386 Fragments of the story.

    The words spoken by her aunt hovered in the air like thick smoke, ringing in her head over and over. From her aunt''s revelation, she didn''t know anything more than that. The level of secrecy at the academy was top notch, so much more than any government institutions.


    "The island of no return." Phoebe''s eyes moved upwards as she repeated the name.


    "Oh crap." the Saxon spirit mumbled.


    Connie raised her hand as if she was in a class. "Ooh, I know this place, it is some sort of mythical island where no one ever returns from. It makes you wonder why people still go there despite knowing that they might not return. Humans are idiots, what kind of fool goes to a place like that?"


    Everyone looked at her with glares and she twisted her mouth nervously. "Sorry, I don''t mean your father..grandfather..Mr. Cillian. I am talking about other humans, not guardian humans that have the ability to protect themselves, just normal humans. You know, like the kind that go there as tourists and...." S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Connie, stop." The Saxon spirit said sternly.


    She did, but that did not save her from Maureen''s glare, so she turned and looked at the wall for a few seconds as Maureen continued her tale.


    "I wanted to know about the mission so I did a lot of begging and bugged old man Enron Spellcaster as much as I could to tell me more, but I got nothing, he scolded me and ordered me to leave him alone or he would tell my family that I had become a guardian. I never questioned him about the incident ever again." Aunt Maureen sighed and ended her very short tale with a shrug.


    She could see the disappointment in Phoebe''s eyes and the spark disappearing as her niece came to realize that there was not much else to tell. It was obvious that Phoebe was anticipating hearing a lot more than she had been told.


    Connie chortled decisively. "You have got to be kidding me, that''s it? Knowing how tenacious you are, I am sure that you secretly continued to search for the truth. You have spent years in the supernatural world, do you have no clue at all?" She voiced words that the rest were thinking.


    Crossing one leg over the other, aunt Maureen''s eyes got covered with a faraway look. "Of course, I didn''t give up, but every angle was a dead end, the academy had sealed every corner. Nobody knew about this mission and none of the other guardians I knew had been to the island, so they were unhelpful.


    Besides, other than that, I had nothing to go on, I didn''t know where else to take my search and I could not go to the island myself, I am strong but not invincible. I was young and scared so I turned to the one other person that I knew could help, uncle Rufus.


    He could not help me either, he told me that he had no idea what happened because he had not been around when my father died. He had gone on a mission in the Silver nation only to come back after father was already dead.


    But he must know something because he was the head of the Moldove founding academy although during the time of his absence, when my father died, Dean Morrel was in charge. Still, he is Rufus Saxon, I know that he knows something, I just don''t know why he won''t talk." Her face flushed with mild exasperation.


    Phoebe cracked a finger, sat up straight and crossed her arms. "Oh, he definitely knows more, a lot more because when I had dinner with him and his wife, he held back from revealing anything, but he concluded by telling me to ask my father about it which means that there is something they are hiding." Phoebe''s lips curled to one side.


    A contemptuous laugh came from Aunt Maureen. "Of course, Edward knows a lot, he was a dedicated student of the academy, one of the best but after father died, he suddenly dropped out, told me to leave the school as well and commanded that no one in our family should ever speak about that place ever again.


    Everything he did and all that preceded it was very suspicious, for example our father''s coffin was sealed and nobody, not even his family members were allowed to view his body for the last time and Edward himself stood guard by the coffin to make sure that no one disobeyed his orders."


    Her index finger tapped on the side of her cheek slowly. "In fact, when the entourage from the Academy headed by Morrell came to pay their respects, Edward forced them out disgracefully. I had never seen your father so angry like he was on that dark day, his eyes were so red with fury and hatred. He came so close to bringing out that sword of his and killing them." She shuddered from recalling the memory.


    Phoebe nodded knowingly, his father''s hatred for the Moldove founding Academy could not be hidden, he made it obvious. The source of the hatred was now beginning to make sense to her, it had all started with her grandfather''s mysterious death.


    Why had they closed the casket? Why had nobody been allowed to see the body, even his wife? What secrets had Edward been guarding? Why had he thrown out some of the guests at the funeral, prestigious ones at that? Why quit the academy? Did he blame them for sending his father on the mission or was there more to the story?


    "Recently I asked father to tell me about grandpa''s death and he vehemently refused to talk about it. He was angry that I brought it up and it only got worse when I told him that I wanted to visit the Moldove founding Academy. Aunt, you should have seen the scathing gaze he shot me with. He commanded that I never speak of the matter ever again. I saw a lot of pain in his eyes, not just anger." A sad expression marred on her features.


    Aunt Maureen nodded once. "I am not surprised by his reaction but why are you interested in the school? Are you planning to rebel against your father to become a student or a guardian?" She studied Phoebe, he eyes laced with more worry than excitement.


    Maureen hoped it was the former rather than the latter, the path of a guardian was forged in loneliness and sacrifice.


    Phoebe was lost in thoughts of her own. [There are dangerous enemies that I have to face very soon people that harmed me and my children, I need to strengthen my body and soul as soon as I can.]


    Aunt Maureen stiffened, what enemy was her niece speaking of? What children, was it something to do with her past life? Was this enemy in the supernatural world?


    Shaking her head, Phoebe denied flatly. "Becoming a guardian is out of the question however ghosts have become more aggressive and now we have demons roaming around, I just think that it would be nice to get training from the best teachers, father had offered to get me a teacher but who knows how long that will take." She rubbed her brow.


    Clapping once, Aunt Maureen stood up from the stool. "You are in luck; I am a guardian, and I am willing to train you until you reach your fullest potential." She offered.

 Chapter 387 Another family employee.

    Before she could get any more excited than she already was, Phoebe retained composure. Knowing humans, there was something they always wanted in return for their help.


    Despite the fact that this was her aunt, Phoebe still had reservations, she wondered what had prompted her aunt to make the offer. Was she planning to leave her guardianship work and this was a way to pass time?


    Was she moving back home, after all she had a life in Hartoum so would she put it on pause just to train her? Was it because of the mystic keys that she had made such a decision?


    Phoebe stretched her hand forward, gesturing for her aunt to stop. Her facial features adjusted to show all the doubts she was having. "Aunt hold on, as grateful as I am for this opportunity there are some things you should clarify. I need someone that is going to dedicate a lot of their time to train me until I am confident in my magic skills and skilled in physical combat.


    How are you going to do that when you have other things shackled to you. You have a life in Hartoum, a business and other guardian duties. How will you balance all these things, my training needs to be hands on, we cannot do it over a video call" Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A knot of despair tightened in her stomach, there was no one better to teach her than aunt Maureen. She was part of the family and therefore would be patient with her and dedicated. She would also be genuine and not hide any skills that she had, most people that were in the supernatural world did not like to share skills and spells.


    Phoebe was just the same, it is why her grimmoire was locked up tight in the space where no thief could get their hands on it.


    With a light wave of the hand, aunt Maureen chuckled softly. "I know what you are worried about, but you do not have to. I was planning on moving back home permanently, honestly the shop in Hartoum was a cover for my guardian work but I am thinking about retiring now.


    After returning home I have come to realize that there is a lot I am missing out on. Mother is getting old, Collin is getting married, Luke is dating, and you are obviously not far from marriage yourself. I don''t want to be like my father anymore, missing out on all the important events.


    I don''t want to sacrifice anymore needlessly and someday be brought home in a coffin and vague cause of death, I want more for myself now, a somewhat normal life." She paused, measuring whether that answer was convincing enough.


    It was not all lies; she had thought things through after coming back this time round and hearing about most of the things Ruth had done. That fake cuckoo had almost killed her mother, if Phoebe had not discovered it, she would have returned from her mission to find her mother long buried. Also, after seeing Phoebe''s thoughts about having an enemy, how could she just leave like that.


    They were family, an enemy of one Mayfair was an enemy to all the Mayfair''s.


    "My dear niece after seeing how those two warlock minions incapacitated you, I realized that you needed to up your fighting game and I will help you do that. Think about it, where can you find a better teacher than me?


    I am now ranked the third strongest guardian of the supernatural wall and that is only because the top two are Saxon''s that probably started training in their mother''s wombs. Anyway, do you want me or not?" She offered and left the final decision for her to make.


    Still with such a good explanation Phoebe couldn''t help but be suspicious, there was definitely something her aunt wanted. "And what is it that you expect of me in return?" Her narrowed eyes studied her aunt.


    "Easy, you said that you could help me find out what happened to my father, your grandfather, or were you bluffing around?" Aunt Maureen quizzed, she still had her reservations, wondering what time of trick she was going to use that she a first-class guardian didn''t know about.


    Phoebe shrugged with indifference. "There is something, but I guess we will see when the time comes. I have tried to summon grandpa''s spirit from the other side twice, but I got nothing. We have to speak to old man Lee again, he once told me to meet with him if I have any questions about my grandpa." She cocked her head. "Aunt, is that it, just information?" She continued to ask, she wanted to know how soon they couldn''t start.


    Aunt Maureen nodded, "Of course you are my dear niece, even though I am a calculating person due to the nature of my job, I will not calculate you. I propose that we start your training soon, which reminds me that I need a job.


    Since I am going to be here for the foreseeable future and do not like to sit idly around, I will need to find some worthwhile work, maybe at the Mayfair free clinic or at the corporation.


    But first, I need to go to Hartoum to bring back all my important things." Her demeanor changed, becoming more serious as she gave Phoebe a thoughtful gaze. "I have to tell your father about this."


    The last words sent shivers down Phoebe''s spine, her father would lose his mind after hearing about Maureen''s guardian duties, if Maureen added on that she was teaching her everything a guardian knew and did, he would punch some walls.


    "Aunt why would you even consider telling him when you know how he will react? Do not bother for now, let''s keep our secret for a little while longer and train secretly. As for finding something to occupy your time, could you consider working at my cafe? It is not free; I will pay you handsomely of course." She hoped that her aunt accepted, customers had doubled, and Rossett was getting overwhelmed since there were no other employees.


    She needed at least three employees, Sabrina as a part timer, her aunt full time and another person that she was yet to find.


    "Oh, baby you want to pay me, I am afraid that you cannot afford me!


    I am a Mayfair with a heavy trust fund which is in the billion range." Aunt Maureen released a mocking chuckle.


    Phoebe''s lips curved up and she smirked. [Ha! I have an eternal gold mountain and a trust fund too plus shares in three different companies worth millions and billions, no one is richer than me in this country.]


    "I told you there are rules to that." The spirit chimed quietly.


    On the other hand, aunt Maureen was flummoxed, either her niece had a mental problem, or she truly had a wild imagination. Which gold mountain did she have? Whatever it was, she needed to find out more about her and this past life of hers and why she could project her thoughts out to some people but not others.


    "I will work at the cafe." She agreed mostly because she wanted to keep Phoebe close.


    If Phoebe was her enemy, she would consider it keeping her enemy close, but they were not enemies, they were family. She was keeping her niece close for her own protection and to uncover her secrets.

 Chapter 388 Discoveries in the basement.

    Having come to terms, the two women got down to business immediately, aunt Maureen suggested that perhaps there were clues among her father''s belongings which was where they had to start. Over the years, she would come by whenever she had the chance and rummage through some of the things in the basement.


    She had looked over them with keen eyes, hoping that there was a piece of paper, a magic artifact, a book...anything really that could help guide her search, but she had found nothing so far.


    It was like digging for a well in a desert, Maureen figured that maybe Phoebe could find something that she had missed.


    It was very late in the night, around 2:00am to be specific but none of them was ready to go to bed.


    "Don''t you have work tomorrow? We can do this some other time if you want to." Came aunt Maureen''s calm voice, her hands played with a short stick which she announced was a magical wand, something Phoebe had not seen before. The more she waved it, the more it sparked.


    "Is this a wand...like magic wand?" Phoebe''s eyes sparked like the wand.


    Maureen nodded, "Every guardian has one, they are created by spellweavers."


    Phoebe almost drooled, wishing she could snatch it and try it out, but she was not a guardian and the wand, she figured only responded to its owner.


    "You have a magic space, stop drooling over a stick." Connie projected into Phoebe''s mind. She turned to the Saxon spirit and added, "Our space is so much cooler than the stick, right?"


    The spirit did not care much about the wand and more about what Maureen was using it for, she was unlocking the magic which bound the artifacts.


    "I suspected that it was her that tampered with the magic in this place, but I did not want to assume without evidence. It looks like I was not wrong, your aunt is talented. Phoebe you should pay attention and acquire her skills; they will be useful for you." It voiced quietly.


    Phoebe listened while looking around, her hands found an ancient broom black broom, it seemed too worn out to sweep anything.


    "This seems useless." She shoved it to the side, and it fell to the ground.


    "Only if you do not know it''s real purpose, that is a magical broomstick, it''s used by witches to fly and sweep away the magic of evil talismans." Aunt Maureen explained. "It was a method used a very long time ago, before the witch hunts. These days, we don''t need brooms to fly, we have private jets for that." she smirked.


    The spirit nodded, a smile tugged on its lips. Normally it did all the explaining but this time aunt Maureen beat her to it, and she even added humor to her explanations.


    Maureen saw that Phoebe''s eyes were as round as saucers and she laughed, her niece truly had so little knowledge on the world of magic and the supernatural. Then again, she only dealt with ghosts, so it was not surprising that everything else was new to her.


    "Judging from your expression you must have thought that witches flying is a myth. You have probably seen movies where witches with long noses and pointed hats in long robes fly across the moon while cackling at night. It''s not always like that, trust me but it''s also not totally wrong. Since you are from a witch''s bloodline you can try it." S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe picked up the broom eagerly, forgetting the reason why they were searching in the first place. Aunt Maureen gave her instructions of how to wake the broom with a spell.


    "Now sit on it and transfer your energy into the broom, do not forget to make a connection with it, you need to be in sync as if you are driving a car. Remember to maintain your balance as you clutch onto it, then order it to fly."


    Phoebe whose eyes had been closed this whole time opened them only to find herself hovering in space. She was not so high up, simply levitating a few feet from the ground, it was exhilarating as minor of an achievement as it was.


    "Oh, my goodness! I am flying! look at me aunt, look, look." She called out like an eager child and let go of the handle to spread her arms out like a dare devil only to fall, luckily the spirit caught her right on time.


    Laughter bubbled collectively; the loudest laugh came from Connie who found the entire thing to be extremely amusing. The teenager was already planning to steal the broom and take it on a ride.


    Aunt Maureen was recording with her phone, she knew how much her brother regretted missing out on many of Phoebe''s firsts. This was a first too, the first time she was flying.


    "Are you alright Pheebs? You were supposed to steer the broom in whatever direction chose you wanted it to go, after connecting with it, your mind becomes one....." Aunt Maureen was interjected by Phoebe who waved her hand strongly.


    "Thank you but no, save the broom flying lessons aunt, I am not using that thing ever again, sitting on it sucks."


    Phoebe wiped beads of sweat from the top of her brows, what would become of her if she went flying and the spirit was not there to catch her? She shook her head to extinguish the images of her lying there with broken legs and arms. One plunge down when she was forced to death by Ruth was enough.


    "Ha-ha alright but you need as much information as possible, you can never know when a magical broomstick might save your life." Aunt Maureen helped Phoebe to her feet.


    Phoebe nodded absent mindlessly and pointed at a large vintage wooden box, it was black in color. "What is in there?" She asked curiously.


    Narrowing her eyes, aunt Maureen quickly glanced to where Phoebe''s index finger was pointing and pulled her eyes away. "Probably some old photos, you should check and see. Although I have to inform you beforehand that your father was not a cute baby, he only got finer as he grew." A sly smile curled up her lips.


    Most of the old boxes she had rifled through always had the same thing, old business documents and photo albums of the Mayfair''s.


    Brushing off her words with a smile, Phoebe went on to open it. The first thing on top was a green woolen cloak, from its texture and appearance, Phoebe could tell that it was not made in the recent years.


    "Did this belong to grandpa as well? It looks to be so old fashioned even for him." She pulled out in a display motion such that her aunt could see it.


    Aunt Maureen dropped the forgotten letters that she had been reading and scurried towards Phoebe. "That cannot be what I think it is!" She chimed; her eyes alighted with a smile as she continued to study it.


    "It''s exactly what you think it is although I am sure that there are better ones at the academy of late." The spirit confirmed aunt Maureen''s suspicions.


    Phoebe was lost, nobody was sharing what the cloak was, and she was dying of curiosity.


    Connie could not take the suspense anymore, so she stamped her foot. "Just tell us what is instead of talking in parables." Her voice was as loud as it was demanding, mirroring Phoebe''s exact feelings in that moment.


    "It''s an invisibility cloak." Aunt Maureen responded.

 Chapter 389 A horrible listener.

    From the curious look in her eyes, Maureen could see that her niece wanted to try it on, and she was right because Phoebe swung it backwards to drape it over her shoulders in a heartbeat.


    It came to Maureen then that Phoebe was a lot like Andre, they rushed into things like idiots without thinking twice. Why the hell would her niece be quick to put on an old seventeenth- or eighteenth-century invisibility cloak without checking it out first?


    Where was her sense of danger?


    "Do not even think of wearing that thing! Are you just crazy? That cloak has been around for years, centuries in fact which means that we do not know it''s true magic, it looks like a prototype which could malfunction." She paused and took a deep breath to reduce her volume and the alarm in her voice.


    As her voice returned to its normal tone she added. "First lesson to learn Pheebs is that you should always be in the know of the kind of magic items that you are dealing with, or you could end up trapped inside one of them." Maureen patted the top of Phoebe''s shoulder. "Baby, you are too new to this, I feel like an infant was suddenly dropped in my hands."


    A derisive laugh came from the spirit. "You have no idea how many times that I have told her that but obviously her ears are only for decoration." It spoke in a frustrated voice.


    It had Phoebe the curious one and Connie the arrogant one, together they were a pain in the ass. Maureen was yet to understand that training or teaching an overly curious person was not a a stroll in the park. Like a baby, Phoebe wanted to touch, taste or play with whatever she got her hands on.


    "Oh come on, you guys make a big deal out of everything. If it is an invisibility cloak like you say then it won''t do anything other than make me disappear and when I take it off, I reappear. This will surely come in handy." came Phoebe''s flippant submission, confirming the spirit''s earlier theory about her ears.


    Connie shook her head, personally she was a more calculative risk taker. "It''s clearly worn out, look at the holes in it, either something made them, or the cloak just fell apart but please go ahead and wear it by all means, perhaps you will turn into a toad, and we can all get a good laugh. I have always wondered what that feels like to be an animal." She pulled her shoulders up and down, laughing loudly.


    Phoebe pulled her mouth to the side and carefully folded the cloak, returning it back to where she had found it. "It''s not like I know the spell to activate it anyway." Her lips stretched forward to form a dissatisfied frown.


    She moved on to the next item, the standing mirror which was whispering in a weird foreign language.


    "Okay, is it just me or is this thing talking?" she asked, puzzled.


    Just as she stretched her hands to pull a drape away from the mirror, aunt Maureen waved her hands and chanted a quick spell to bind the magic of the items which she had previously lifted.


    She was beginning to think that maybe she needed to teach Phoebe a few things first before she truly got herself locked away in something or ended up possessed.


    "Dear niece, did you really not understand when I said that with magic items you should trend carefully? You heard a mirror talk gibberish and you just made a dangerous momentous decision to remove drape and talk back to it. I don''t know if I should applaud you for being courageous or if I should slap the back of your head for being a horrible listener." Maureen''s tone came off slightly berating, dealing with Phoebe was going to be a battle of its own.


    Flickering her eyes unfazed by her aunt''s berating, Phoebe was even more intrigued, and she wanted to take a look at the mirror. If it tried anything, she would just send it into her space where it would be suppressed.


    She cocked her head and lightly touched the drape covering the mirror. "It was really talking, why is that aunt? What kind of mirror is it?" Curiosity lingered in her voice; she was not going to give up until she told her something. "It is better for you to tell me than leave me to my own resources because we both know that I will find a way to activate the mirror on my own."


    Aunt Maureen groaned, she was beginning to learn how tenacious her niece was but the spirit which knew that fact answered.


    "It is called the Aeloris glass, and it is both good and bad. Good because it was crafted by a sorcerer in the fifteenth century who sought to rid the world of dark creatures. He created a prison world in there, those voices that you heard are of supernatural creatures that were trapped inside.


    The bad part is that they continue to live in there without dying and they can seduce humans to release them. Leave the mirror alone, you don''t need it for any reason." The spirit threw Phoebe a warning stare.


    Phoebe waved her hand lightly. "I would never be fooled by one of those monsters." Her tone suggested that she was offended that the spirit made her look like an easy target.


    She was more alarmed by the fact that they were living with monsters in the house, one mistake and they would all be in danger. Whose bright idea was it to just put the mirror here, why not shatter it or toss it into purgatory? S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Maureen had no idea what Phoebe was thinking, and she settled for adding a word of caution to what the Saxon spirit had said.


    "You should not be too cocky, ghosts are on the bottom of the supernatural food chain, your expertise only takes you so far. Those things in there could actually seduce you because the strength of your magic is slightly above the red line. Some of the things in there can easily control your mind subconsciously and make you free them without you knowing." Aunt Maureen explained further. "That''s it for today, let''s call it a night or morning." She announced, her leg brushed aside a book that was in her way.


    She gestured for Phoebe to leave ahead of her, afraid of what else she might touch if she was left alone down there.


    Phoebe yawned loudly as her hands stretched lazily to the heavens. "Goodnight aunt....oh by the way you said nothing about the date, what do you think about Mr. Alton?" Her eyes suddenly struggled to stay open, she rubbed them lightly with her fingers.


    It was weird that a few minutes ago she was wide awake and now she was so sleepy, but she did not even think about it.


    Shaking her head, Maureen clicked her tongue continuously, then she let out a deep sigh. "I was actually meaning to talk to you about that, he talked about his dead wife a lot. Never in my life have I seen a man so committed to a woman that is already dead like that, and I don''t know if I am attracted to his faithfulness or weirded out."

 Chapter 390 Theodre Rowlands fate.

    Phoebe was rather intrigued but mostly, she found it to be a little odd. Mr. Alton had said that he did not want any woman to feel like they were living in the shadow of his dead wife, why talk about her continually on the date?


    "What was weird about it?" she asked and yawned.


    "There is something about her death that clouds his eyes with a darkness only a person that has experienced pure evil would have. I need to know what really happened to his wife before I make a decision." Maureen narrowed her eyes and stared into space.


    Phoebe frowned, her eyes were coated in disbelief, she had never seen any darkness in Mr. Alton''s eyes if anything he was always smiling, and his eyes brightened each time he spoke about his dead wife. "Aunt I think that this is a figment of your imagination, what happened to his wife is not a secret I told you the story before." She reminded Maureen, tilting her head slightly.


    "You are a baby at this my dear niece, I am a guardian with more than two decades worth of experience in dealing with darkness, death and the effects after. I once saw a man leap from a building with the corpse of his dead wife that had been possessed by a demon which made her take her own life when it was cornered.


    He kept screaming about how he could not live without her and blamed us for trying to save her. All he wanted was his wife alive, he did not care if it was a demon in her body, he would love it as long as it looked like her.


    When a person meets darkness, some switch off and become crazy, others become paranoid, afraid of their own shadows and then you have those like Alton who pretend to forget and bury things away. They would rather be anywhere in their minds as long as it is not reality.


    Some do it with work just like he has done, and they live their lives in denial. But it does not always work and what they want to forget becomes an obsession and at every given opportunity, they think and talk about the victim without realizing.


    Some are racked with guilt, so they go as far as to idolize the dead and make them out to be like saints. They devote their whole lives to them living in a two-person world; human and ghost." She offered Phoebe an uneasy smile. "Does that sound familiar?"


    Maureen asked, she had described Mr. Alton''s behaviors perfectly, she patted Phoebe''s shoulders and gestured that they walk towards the elevator rather than use the stairs.


    "In my opinion, Alton''s obsession with his dead wife is not normal, and neither is his memory of her death." Maureen tapped Phoebe''s shoulder and sighed. "Or maybe he is a sad man who desperately misses his dead wife, who knows? Goodnight Pheebs, see you tomorrow."


    As she walked through the corridor that led to her bedroom, Phoebe thought about her aunt''s words. What could have happened to Mr. Alton''s wife? What darkness had he encountered that had left him traumatized? Was there something abnormal about his wife''s death? She added that to her to find out list.


    It had been a long day, and an even longer night, with only a few hours left to sunrise, she closed her eyes as soon as her head touched the pillow and went into a dreamless sleep.


    *************


    While she slept, the Rowland''s were busy handling their own problem. First, an emergency meeting of the Liberty was called, Theodore was invited to explain himself. The most he could do was claim that it was all slander and someone from an opposition party was out to ruin his name.


    The claims were swept away when his father-in-law presented a DNA test secretly done between Theodore and his son was presented.


    He also presented text messages between Theodore and his mistress and pictures of his before and after surgery. Even a confession from the doctor that illegally gave his wife a hysterectomy was brought.


    The Rowland''s had moved so fast, and the party saw Theodore as a liability, which woman or man would vote him now? Not even animals would accept him as president. Everyone in that meeting knew that come morning, Theodore would be arrested and taken in for questioning on a number of charges including embezzlement of campaign donations.


    It was over for him, his wife had stretched her hand and got her revenge, her husband would not even be at her funeral, and neither would the ungrateful child that she had raised.


    ****************


    Phoebe woke up later in the morning just a few minutes to breakfast, after taking her bath, she walked down the stairs and scrolled through her phone. It was no surprise to see the news of Theodore Rowland having lost his seat as the presidential candidate of the Liberty party.


    Many organizations for women, animals and the environment were already rushing to cut ties with him. His condemnation online was brutal and the picture of him saving a puppy had been doctored to look like he was strangling the puppy.


    Pictures of him and his mistress together over the years with their son were rampant, all along nobody thought twice of it when they were seen together but now, it was all they could talk about, wondering how they had missed the signs.


    "Wow the Rowland''s sure work fast." Phoebe spoke up as she entered the dining room and joined the other Mayfair''s.


    Every one present seemed to be in a good mood apart from her father who was a dedicated member of the Liberty party. He knew that this scandal would deal a blow to the party in the coming elections.


    "I cannot believe that the rumors were actually true. Initially I thought that the Republicans were slandering him but no, that idiot Theodore was a fraud." Edward smacked the table lightly. "Elias Rowland told me himself right before he called for the emergency party meeting late last night.


    Now we are scrambling to find somebody to replace him, someone that is expected to perform a miracle, that bloody fake idiot has ruined a lot of things." He continued to levy curses on Theodore.


    Phoebe decided to skip on the greetings and signaled at Maria to get her something to eat.


    "Thank you, Maria." She smiled when a plate was put in front of her.


    Phoebe began to dig into her food immediately, she was very hungry. "So, what is going to happen to him? Will he be spending some time in prison?" She covered her mouthful with the back of her hand.


    "Of course, the Rowland''s are determined to see him burn. Genevieve Rowland is up in arms claiming that her daughter died because she found out about the fraud and affair. They are going to cripple him financially and socially that even if he survives prison, he will never show his plastic face in Fog country, if I was him, I would just flee the country.


    I don''t think they plan to let him live, what if he writes one of those tell all books and exposes their secrets? Lord knows there is so much scheming in the Rowland family, it is the way of politics. I will say this for sure, if they off him, he deserves it." Grandma Mayfair had no kind words for the swindler.


    Jennie placed her phone down with a light thud. "It is because of incidences like these that the council had created a law enforcing that founding families had to intermarry, I propose that we Mayfair''s maintain that tradition in this family just to avoid such ridiculous scenarios." She rubbed her temples; she had a budding headache from lack of sleep having spent a big part of the night gossiping in the fabulous ladies'' chat group. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 391 An epidemic.

    Phoebe was ready with the retort, which was to loudly oppose her mother, but her grandmother beat her to it.


    "Your proposal is denied." Grandma Mayfair shot Jennie a stern gaze. "My Maureen''s boyfriend is an ordinary man that is not from our families. Phoebe vetted him and he is a good man who will make her happy. I believe that they will be married soon." Her eyes leveled to meet those of her daughter who almost chocked on a cookie on hearing her mother announce that Mr. Alton was her boyfriend.


    "Mother!" came Maureen''s surprised outcry, her exasperated facial expression mirrored that of the rest of the members of the family except Phoebe who only chortled.


    Maureen sighed, "Mom, could you please stop with the crazy talk. How come I wasn''t aware that Mr. Alton is my boyfriend. We have only gone on one date, don''t rush things. If he is not right for me, we will find another match, at most I will settle for an arrangement with someone from the founding families." Her eyes drifted to the television. "Pheebs is that not your company they are talking about? Someone increase the volume." Her eyes drifted to Oman then back to the television.


    It looked like there was an ongoing press conference the minister for health was making and announcement that presently in Fog country and its neighboring countries there was a notable increase in persistent cough infections. He mentioned the figures which had been recorded by hospitals and informed the public that the cough was extremely deadly to children below the age of ten.


    He urged the public not to worry and encouraged parents with children below the age of ten to have them vaccinated with the Ivy vaccine that had been purchased from DP research laboratories. It was being supplied to all hospitals in the country, but the quantities were not many which is why children would be prioritized first, followed by sick adults.


    Everyone turned to Luke as the press conference drew to a close and the normal morning new resumed.


    "Is it an epidemic?" grandma Mayfair asked.


    Luke nodded, it could be considered that since the hospital he worked in had received over thirty sick children, all with the same cough. "It has been two weeks since some of us noticed that there was a problem.


    Some of my seniors in the medical world suspected that there was more to this cough than what met the eye but people don''t like to hear words like epidemic so it was kept hush hush by the government until it could not be hidden anymore because it is spreading too quickly."


    "Pheebs, how in the world did you guys do it? Damn, you are going to be rolling in money." Andre chimed in with some excitement.


    A scoff escaped from Phoebe''s lips. "Are you seriously mentioning money when there is an outbreak that could possibly kill many children?" A note of disappointment crept into her voice. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The smile vanished from Andre''s face mostly because of the disgusted glances that were thrown his way, he waved his hands in denial. "Oh my God, I am not such a monster, you should all not look at me that way. What I mean is that I am happy that DP research made a vaccine which is going to save many lives.


    The money is a welcome bonus, come on, when has making money, the right way ever been a bad thing? The researchers that made the vaccine need to be paid, you need to buy herbs and equipment to make medicine. It is only justified that you make money from your research." He echoed with seriousness and dry honesty.


    Even though Phoebe did not approve of his initial words, she could not blame him because there was no death yet as a result of the cough. She recalled that she had good news to share.


    "Everyone, my plan with David was successful and right now, Dickson must be furious." She saw the questions in their eyes and expanded on her words. "There has been talk about the cough in some medical circles, so everyone has been improving their medicine or researching something new.


    We deliberately leaked the trial results and a fake recipe of the Ivy cough vaccine to a person that Dickson bribed at DP labs. Apparently, he used all the money he got as an investment from DP holdings to mass produce a cough vaccine using that recipe.


    He tweaked it by changing a few ingredients, but fake is fake, and this is going to be huge loss for DC pharma. We told you that we would cripple him in all ways and now you can tick financially off the box." Phoebe jutted her chin upwards as Andre clapped dramatically.


    Grandma Mayfair coughed dryly. "It was a very good plan; his company cannot recover from such a hit. When word gets out that his vaccine is fake, he will be done in the medical research field, nobody will ever trust him again. You laid down a trap and he fell for it like the idiot that he is." she smirked


    "Still, one cannot cripple a Saxon financially at least not completely, they get millions of dollars monthly from their family vault." Aunt Maureen extinguished the happiness in the room.


    Edward raised his hand and called for everyone''s attention. "No, we should give Phoebe and David credit, this was a good move, even if he gets money from elsewhere, he is not as financially strong as he was before and he will not be able to sit on the board of the Saxon group. They will kick him out to avoid being included in a fake medicine scandal and Like I said last time, by the time I am done with him, uncle Rufus will take him off the family register."


    Luke laughed, the sound had an edge and mockery to it. "That''s not enough but we should all do our best to end him. The best part of this is that Katherine will be mad as hell too when she realizes it''s David and Phoebe''s product. I want to be there the day she finally learns to whom DP holdings belongs."


    "She will explode." Andre snickered.


    They made jokes for a while and then Luke excused himself, the hospital was about to be flooded with patients sick or not with cough related symptoms.


    "Mother what do you think about working at David''s orphanage?" Phoebe suddenly raised a question which was unexpected.


    Jennie frowned, no surprise to Phoebe at all. Her mother was like Sabrina, she was not built to suffer, she was born for the soft life. Phoebe was suggesting this because her mother was not employed, and she had a big and kind heart.


    "Do not worry mom, you won''t have to strain yourself physically just do what you can, and David is going to ask grandma Saxon to help out too so you won''t be bored and alone. All you have to do is make sure that things are in order, you do not have to be there all day. Its temporary, just until we find suitable replacements. Please, please, please." She pouted her lips in a cute fashion, but her eyes glistened with desperation.


    "Alright but only until you find a replacement." Jennie''s lips twisted to form a smile, she couldn''t say no to her pleading daughter, not when she was acting cute.


    Phoebe clapped triumphantly. "Thank you, mother, I am sure that those cute children will warm your heart that you will not want to leave them."


    Jennie laughed with unease and hoped that Phoebe would find a replacement for her much sooner than later, she did not really like to work. "If you say so." came her voice which had traces of uncertainty.


    "Mom, let''s go to the orphanage now and assess the situation, David is already there." Phoebe pushed her chair back and stood; her eyes moved to stare at her aunt who was still sitting. "Aunt you can go and start your duties at the cafe, Rosette will teach you the ropes." Phoebe ignored the echoes of gasps that came from some family members.


    "No way!" Andre whispered.


    It seemed Maureen has not told everyone that she was sticking around for a while. To Phoebe, it was good news so why was everyone gasping as if the grinch had come to town?

 Chapter 392 Here for the long haul.

    Confusion settled on everyone''s face especially grandma Mayfair, this was the first time that she was hearing of this. It raised the question of what Maureen meant by working in Phoebe''s cafe. Was she serious about it or was this being done on a whim to kill boredom?


    The old woman''s eyes widened a little as she considered another possibility, was Maureen trying to stay close so that she could be near Mr. Alton? His shop was not very far from the cafe after all, it was within driving distance.


    Since Maureen was unwilling to admit, she decided to play it carefully and see what going on. "Phoebe what do you mean? Is Maureen going to work at the cafe with us? She was afraid of ghosts as a little girl this is not the type of work that suites her." Her grandmother''s eyes kept darting between her and Maureen.


    Phoebe had to bite her tongue lightly so as not to laugh about her grandma''s claim that her aunt was afraid of ghosts. The woman that had basically called ghosts boring and hunted monsters would fit right in with the cafe.


    She chose not to mention aunt Maureen''s special job however, "Nana you know that we are short staffed and finding people that are trustworthy and comfortable around ghosts is really hard. I believe that aunt can fill the gap for now and she agreed to the suggestion, I hope that you are okay with that." She finished uncertainly.


    In case her grandmother wanted aunt Maureen at Mayfair Corp, Phoebe did not want to get in the middle of that.


    Old lady Mayfair was not as troubled as Phoebe thought she was, she was cooking up ways of having her daughter and Mr. Alton meet up as much as possible. But she did not want to give herself away, so she acted nonchalant. "Of course not, I do not mind, as long as she is comfortable with seeing ghosts float around." Grandma raised her hands in surrender as if it was Maureen''s business and none of hers.


    Edward who was standing placed his hands on the table and leaned forward towards his sister. "If I say that I am not confused, I would be lying. You could not get away from Citrus fast enough back then and now you are suddenly working for my daughter! Aren''t you going back to Hartoum? What about your business? Maureen are you finally listening to me and giving up on your aimless travels around the world?"


    His voice tinged with great expectation, even though it was a sudden announcement that he was skeptical about, he welcomed it. Edward thought that it would be nice if Maureen finally decided to move back home. He couldn''t help but worry each time she called to tell him that she was on the road hunting for this or that special artifact.


    "Oh, was mother right about you and Mr. Alton, have you finally found someone worth settling down with?" Jennie voiced an unpopular opinion.


    Maureen stood up rapidly at Jennie''s wrong insinuation, she did not want it to excite her mother wrongly. "I can see that a lot of you are eager about this so I will answer only what you need to know." She turned her attention to her brother. "Brother you are right, I have finally decided to listen to you which means that I am here to stay, I am moving back home permanently.


    I am closing up shop in Hartoum, I will not miss it much, I hate that place anyway, but I will be going there to pick my stuff and that''s it." She offered a firm nod which gestured that she was done talking.


    Jennie was not about to let Maureen leave her question hanging. "So, it''s really Mr. Alton..."


    Interjecting with a dismissive hand wave, Maureen turned on her heel, her sister-in-law was nosier than her mother. It would not surprise her to learn that Jennie had shared the news of her date with the other gossipy women of the founding lane. "Someone needs to close that stupid chat group." she muttered.


    "You are still as rude as ever, just so you know you can''t ignore me forever." Came Jennie''s voice that was sharp with irritation. She was unhappy because only her question had gone unanswered.


    Phoebe shook her head, the relationship between her mother and aunt changed often like a chameleon changes color. One day they were the best of friends and the next they were acting like foes.


    She had also realized that it was best to stay out of their dysfunctional relationship, if it was good for them, who was she to question it.


    "Do not worry about them, it has always been this way between them, they don''t really hate each other their personalities just clash occasionally. Do not mind their childish behavior." Grandma Mayfair whispered and gestured that they should leave.


    It was drizzling when they left the house, the weather was changing fast, winter was about to arrive, and Phoebe could not wait. She also couldn''t wait for founders'' day and Christmas, she had plans to decorate the cafe and make theme related drinks.


    Those were the thoughts on her mind as they were driven to their destination. They went straight to the orphanage which was as busy as Phoebe had guessed it would be. White tents set up outside in the main compound. Masked health care workers were busy vaccinating the children, checking their temperatures while isolating the sick ones from the healthy ones.


    The number of children in the compound was higher than Phoebe expected, it seemed others had been brought over from elsewhere. It was either that or the orphanage had taken in a larger number of children recently.


    When they looked around in confusion, wondering where to start. Phoebe saw David. He waved as he approached them and when he came closer, she saw that dark circles had formed under his eyes, a sign that he was tired and barely had any sleep the night before. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "My poor babe." she hugged him tightly.


    "Ladies, good morning, it is lovely to see you here. I wish the circumstances were better though." He was respectful when he greeted and spoke to them.


    Jennie raised her hand to massage one of his haggard cheeks. "My dear son you look horrible, have you had any breakfast? I brought some for you, let me go get it." She moved quickly back to her car before he could respond.


    The three people that stayed back exchanged glances and laughed, Jennie was really taking her mothering duties very seriously.


    "I have to admit that I like how mother is treating me, I actually feel like I am her real son, I bet she adores me more than Phoebe." David voiced playfully.


    "I am glad that you said that because she will be helping here starting with today." Phoebe announced, she had sent him a text about it earlier, so it was no surprise, all that was left was for him to convince his grandmother.


    "How are the children." Grandma Mayfair asked David who nodded continuously.


    "The situation is under control here, we have tested and vaccinated most of the children. More were brought in from other orphanages around. This will be a vaccination station now for all the schools around so the tents and doctors will be around for a while." He turned to Phoebe; a devious smile lay upon his face. "We got Dickson babe; he is done for."


    Phoebe returned his smile. "It was your idea; you are really the smartest man I know. By the time our plan is completed, he will be begging for mercy."


    They shared a mutual thrill because they had taken down a foe together, if they had champagne glasses, they would be toasting to their victory.

 Chapter 393 The fragility of intimacy

    "Come on," Phoebe tugged on David''s arm and pulled him into the car. She put her hands on his cheeks, looked at his sunken face up close and sighed. "You look like a zombie, no even a zombie looks better than you. How many hours of sleep are you getting?"


    She opened her bottle and put it to his mouth. "Drink, you need fuel before you collapse and become one of the people in the tents on the beds with IV''s attached to their hands."


    He managed to take two sips of a liquid that tasted like water but had a hint of sweetness, like strawberries and honey had been added.


    After drinking, he yawned and put his head down on her chest. "Let''s go on a date, I feel like we haven''t been on one in ages." he croaked out tiredly.


    She flicked his forehead, "Look at you, you can barely stand but you want to go on a date."


    "It can be a sleeping date." he suggested. He smiled as he felt his energy being renewed thanks to the water Phoebe had given him. "We can book a restaurant and turn it into a sleeping restaurant."


    "That is a hotel." she chuckled.


    "Great, that sounds like a plan, I will pick you up and if I fail to make it, I will send someone." He kissed her on the cheek and stepped out of the car.


    Phoebe followed him, she saw him take a medium sized bag from her mother and then he excused himself, leaving an assistant to show them around. She wanted to stop him and suggest he get some sleep first, but it was a suggestion that would fall on deaf ears.


    She vowed to make sure that he got to rest on their date or after. Perhaps when he was well rested, they could enjoy a more passionate time together. Each time she felt like they were going to have sex, David held himself back, he treated her like something fragile that he was afraid of breaking. The best way to change his reluctant attitude was to take charge of the situation.


    She pictured herself dressed up in leather with a whip in hand while David was tied to the bed, and she chuckled. For sure, such a thing would probably surprise and frighten him.


    "What is making you so happy?" Grandma Mayfair asked as the car pulled up in front of the cafe.


    The question could not be answered, she could not say I am considering having sex with my boyfriend, even if she used the softest words, her grandmother would clutch her chest dramatically, Also, her chatty mouth would probably inform the rest of the family about it.


    Phoebe waved her hand lightly. "This whole Dickson being ruined thing couldn''t make me happier. I just need to see him crumble with my own eyes and gloat in his face." She lied easily; she had grown to become accustomed to the habit.


    Technically it was not a lie because she was truly happy about Dickson''s troubles, Phoebe thought.


    Nodding in agreement grandma Mayfair sneered. "If he shows his face here again, I will pour hot water on him. I don''t care if I will go to jail for it." A bitter smile curled on her lips. "Damn bastard, he should burn in hell."


    "Just be careful not to burn yourself, see you later Nana." Phoebe kissed her grandmother''s cheek.


    Her grandmother returned the kiss. "Be careful my girl, we do not know what that scumbag is up to so make sure that you are never caught alone with him." Worry etched on her face; she threw a glance at Santos who nodded on understanding the silent order.


    If he saw Dickson around Phoebe, it was shoot first and ask questions later, everything else the Mayfair''s would handle.


    "Do not worry ma''am, Pike is right behind us and the Elithera boys that work for Luna are always lurking around somewhere." Santos adjusted the rear-view mirror.


    It was hard telling who around them was working for the Elithera''s, they were truly the best in the business. Sometimes, it could be the policeman controlling traffic at a random corner, or two teenagers on a bike, a mother pushing a bay in a stroller. It was hard to know who they were, their disguises were flawless.


    After dropping her grandmother at the cafe, Phoebe headed to the Mayfair free clinic. It was different from the last time she was there, the money she donated from the foundation was being put to good use. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With new buildings being constructed, there were fewer patients waiting because more doctors had been employed to hasten the speed at which patients were seen She had also donated a lot of money to the hospital to help the poor and elderly patients get necessary surgeries.


    Seeing what was changing, Phoebe smiled, she was sure that Luther would be proud.


    She ventured into the hospital, eyes peeled for any sighting of her brother, and she found him easily. He was talking to a nurse in the large waiting area.


    "Luke!" Phoebe raised her voice and waved. She covered her mouth because she was in a hospital, excitement had got the better of her because it was always nice to see any of her brothers, it didn''t matter if they had been separated for a minute or ten hours.


    Luke looked Phoebe''s way and smiled, he concluded his conversation with the nurse and excused himself, rushing to Phoebe.


    "Baby sister, are you hurt?" he asked first, worried.


    She shook her head. "I am fine, I just came for an update."


    His eyes widened a little in realization and he smiled again, "Just that! You did not need to come in person, I would have given you an update at home. I have already worked on the patient that you asked me to look after, he has received the best services from the best doctors that we have here." His voice was smooth but tinged with curiosity. He wanted to know what her connection was to the patient. "Is this ghost related?" He continued to ask, he stuffed his hands inside the doctor''s gown pockets.


    "No." Phoebe shook her head lightly; she opened a candy as she responded and fed it to Luke. "It''s just someone whose relative I know."


    Luke led her to the patient recovery room; he made sure to explain the patient''s condition as they strolled slowly. "Mr. Michelson''s surgery was a success, and he is expected to make a full recovery."


    He stood outside of the recovery room with her, and they looked at the sleeping patient for a few seconds in silence until Luke''s pager beeped.


    "Pheebs, I have to go now." Luke''s eyes shifted from the pager to her, he planted a small kiss on her forehead and disappeared.


    Phoebe opened the door and went in but hesitated when her eyes fell on Gemma whose head turned to face her. She had been standing by the window which is why she was unseen earlier.


    "Miss Phoebe..." Gemma moved from the window and approached Phoebe, her eyes were red and swollen, her countenance soft and almost defeated. "I thought you were lying to me; I didn''t think you would actually help us after what I did. I am forever indebted to you, the doctors said that my father will live a healthy life from now on." Tears sprouted out of her eyes.


    "It''s alright Gemma, to repay me for this favor I request that you do good for others. You cannot go around defrauding people, what if you end up in jail? What then will happen to your father?" Phoebe tapped her back to sooth her.


    Gemma wiped her tears with the back of her hand. "I only did it because I was desperate, from now on I will live an honest life. I did not mean to blackmail you; never would I target someone like you in a million years. It was that woman that made me a tempting offer, she promised to change my life by finding me good employment and pay me a huge sum of money after the job was done." She confessed.

 Chapter 394 Eye opening discussion.

    The answer could not be any more obvious to Phoebe, she had already figured out who was behind the silly blackmail ploy, in fact it was a test. Still, she wanted Gemma to admit it verbally as she was recording. In future, this recording could come in handy.


    There was also an option of leaking online and just sitting back and enjoying Moria''s embarrassment.


    "Let me guess, it''s the woman that appeared to be defending me, Moria Mortimer." Phoebe said in a bored voice, and she sneered afterwards.


    Nodding her head slowly, Gemma sniveled. "Yes, she is not someone that i could say no to. I did not want to assault you, but she said that if I failed to do as I was instructed, she would pin a crime on me and throw me in prison for the rest of my life. She comes from a power family, I come from....a poor one. Poor people do not really have the privilege of saying no to rich ones." Her voice quivered, there was a tinge of fear in her voice.


    "You are ridiculous, she comes from a wealthy family but so do I, what she threatened you with, I too could do easily. If my family finds out what you did to me, they will make sure that you pay for it." Phoebe sighed heavily. "But I know now that you were only trying to save your father, so I am not holding it against you. Besides, I have also heard that Moria can be persuasive and a bully, so I understand the position you were put in." Phoebe studied her.


    The fact that Gemma had been instructed specifically to slap Phoebe, opened her eyes and confirmed to her that Moria had returned for her. She was not the kind to fight head on, so she was going to use others to do her dirty work while pretending to be incident.


    "Your family was already here, one of the women that was with you in the boutique, the mean looking one. She grabbed my throat, I went on my knees and begged for my father''s life, but that crazy lady wanted to pull off his breathing mask!" Gemma face flushed with a mix of mortification and exasperation.


    Surprise was not an emotion that Phoebe felt in the moment, it had to be Luna.


    "Was it the orange head that you saw at the boutique?"


    Nodding continuously Gemma sniffed. "That''s her, she looks like the singer Luna Elithera but Luna is sweet, I doubt that she is the type of person to go around strangling others."


    Phoebe coughed thrice and looked away from Gemma. The woman was dead wrong, the person she was speaking of was Luna the singer. A question crossed her mind, if Luna had paid a visit to Gemma, what about Moria?


    Phoebe fidgeted to fish out her phone from her bag, she dialed Luna''s number, but it was unavailable which was weird. Her heart pounded in her chest; she could hear the hammering sound in her ears. If Luna did something to Moria, the Mortimer''s would not sit back. They would strike back with vengeance and the Mayfair''s would get caught in the crossfire.


    She decided to leave the hospital and try seeking for her friend. "Gemma, I have to go but after your father gets discharged you can visit me at the cafe, I may be able to get you a job." Phoebe hurriedly spoke; she was skeptical about employing Gemma but it seemed like she had learnt her lesson.


    Luther''s foundation still needed employees, as someone that had benefited from it, perhaps Gemma would be of help to others.


    Gemma''s face lit up with surprise. "Miss Phoebe you would really do that? You don''t have to; you have already done more than enough for me by saving my father." Her eyes glistened with tears. "I will work to pay back this debt and if you have to report Moria Mortimer, I am ready to confess to the police, in fact i have a recording of her giving me instructions on what to do." She painfully promised, it didn''t seem to be an easy decision to make.


    Phoebe''s eyes brightened with a smile, perhaps having Gemma on her side was more beneficial than she had initially assumed. "Really! give it to me." She met Gemma''s eyes.


    Gemma returned her gaze with apologetic sincerity. "It''s saved on my phone, and I left it at home today, I will send it as soon as I can." She smiled warmly; the guilt that weighed heavily on her heart lightened a little.


    Even after leaving the hospital Phoebe continued to call Luna''s cell, it was still turned off, she let out a weary sigh. The more she failed to reach Luna, the more worried she became, and, in her mind, she was drawing up some very ugly scenarios.


    Maybe Moria''s headless body was somewhere in a forest, or perhaps she had already been cremated, and she was nothing but ashes now. Or maybe her body was riddled with bullet holes.


    "I need to stop overthinking but what the hell is she doing?" Came a quiet question.


    "Ask Luke, he is her boyfriend so he could have an idea." Connie suggested.


    It was a brilliant idea; Phoebe called and asked her brother about his girlfriend''s whereabouts, but he had no idea.


    "Well, you better find out because I think that she kidnapped Moria Mortimer! I will tell you more later." Phoebe''s voice quavered.


    There was dead silence. "I will find her, do not worry." Luke hung up without saying another word.


    "Let me try and find that out, but I think that you could be imagining what''s not there. I doubt that she has already kidnapped Moria because as careless as she is, she knows better than to attack a member of a founding family." The spirit said to Phoebe, pulling out a map and preparing to do a spell.


    "Need I remind everyone that this is Luna we are talking about." Connie said loudly.


    They all frowned because they knew that Luna was a person who acted and thought later, her impulsiveness worried them.


    "What about Sylvester? How is he now?" Phoebe asked, guilt enveloped her for not checking up on him.


    "He is slowly regaining his energy, I did not think that the bullet would be so deadly to him but worry not, he is recovering fast because the environment in the space is a healing one. He is sleeping near the lake of life and we put healing stones around him, he will be up and about soon. We need a specimen out here in the real world to try the bullets on, I think that you should ask your aunt to take you hunting."


    "Hunting!" Phoebe exclaimed.


    The Saxon spirit nodded, "There are more dangerous things than ghosts out in the world that need to be put down. In order to know how strong the bullets are or what limitations they have, they need to be tested on different monsters. It won''t stop you from doing your ghost work, ghosts are everywhere you look."


    It gestured outside and they noticed more than ten ghosts on the road, some were standing idly, others were hailing cabs, others floating aimlessly.


    "Think about my words, it will be fun." The spirit disappeared, leaving Phoebe with some things to think about. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 395 Dicksons failed kidnapping attempt.

    She did not hear from the spirit for the rest of the car ride and so, Phoebe put Luna at the back of her mind. At this point, if she had done something, it was too late. Also, a part of her figured Luna was a big girl, whatever decisions she made, she was ready for the fall out.


    From the hospital, she stopped by the farm, she had not been there since the failed hearing. She had been told that lately, Dorothy was trying to rally people to sign a petition for the council to root out evil witches in the founding families.


    Nobody was backing her up, at least no one important and Rufus was not going to allow such a nonsensical petition pass.


    Dorothy''s former supporter Rex was currently on suspension, a Vice President who was a Castille was now running the founding council, but everyone knew who was in charge, Rufus Saxon.


    Phoebe did not dwell on the thoughts about the council, she walked through her herb plantation with pride on her face. Rows of vibrant herbs with unique fragrances filled the air were thriving.


    She had planted lavender which had a glow and stood tall, its scent was soothing. Near the lavender was the rosemary with its shimmering leaves like tiny diamonds in the weak sunlight.


    In another section, she could see the golden sage with leaves whose golden color was like that of the sun, The further one walked, the more herbs they found like mint, thyme, aloe vera, ginger, chamomile, echinacea, peppermint, turmeric, garlic. Additionally, the trees were growing steadily like willows, ginkgo, elder trees, neem tress, eucalyptus, cinnamon, tea trees, pine and hawthorn.


    Everything was taller or larger than it should be, they had grown in a miraculous way in that Mr. Ramon Jives the farm manager was intrigued to how it was possible.


    "Boss I have been a farm manager at some of the biggest farms in and out of this country, but I have to confess that I have never seen anything like this! The speed at which these plants are growing is not natural, is there a secret about this land that I have no i do not know about?" His eyes shimmered with curiosity, a smile continued to exist on his lips.


    Phoebe leaned forward as if to spill the beans. "A secret is called a secret for a reason Ramon." Laughter came bubbling from her. "But for me, it''s no secret that I am a shaman, I prayed to the deities to make my land very fertile and my seeds very productive, so they answered." Came a lie, the spirit had added the water of life into the irrigation tanks.


    Slowly nodding his head, Ramon asked Phoebe to follow him to the accounts department, which was headed by Raymond, his oldest son. On the way there, Phoebe stopped now and then to chat with the workers. They seemed contented and happy which brought her joy and satisfaction because as long as their needs were met, the workers would work with undivided attention.


    She made sure to give them bonuses every now and then especially during the holidays. Three cabins had been built on the land and the workers slept in one, like a staff dormitory, meals were provided, and salaries were high. Life at the farm was good.


    When it came to the books, everything seemed to be as it should be, the accounts were neat, and everything was accounted for. Phoebe rested there for another ten minutes and decided to leave as her work there was done.


    "Prepare for harvesting before winter comes, the drying and processing factory on the grounds is ready." she told Mr. Ramon before leaving for the cafe. with a satisfied smile on her face.


    The spirit appeared with information about Luna''s whereabouts. "She is at the cafe eating cinnamon buns and fat free coffee." It announced. "I followed Luke, apparently Luna has a tracker in her body, and he can connect to it. If this is not love, I don''t know what it is because there is no way anybody in the world would be allowed to track me, not even my husband." It''s voice harbored judgement.


    "I guess it''s a good thing that he is keeping tabs on her, it is possible that she did neutralize Moria permanently. I cannot tell you how relieved I am to know that." Phoebe leaned back in the car seat.


    Connie curled her lips to the side. "How do you know that and what do you mean by relieved? The woman came here to steal your boyfriend and harm you! If Luna beat, her up it''s only in retaliation for her coercing Gemma into attacking you." She folded her arms. "And if she kills her, it''s a win for the world, one more bad person has been eliminated." sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe could not respond to that, she was neither on board nor off it. As the car turned to settle into a parking spot, she heard tires screech.


    "Fuck!" A sharp exhale came out of Santos, he had managed to stop the car in time right before it could collide with the black sedan that came out of nowhere.


    Phoebe''s eyes darted around, she saw the Elithera boys as Santos called them and Pike run towards them. She slowly stepped out since they had arrived already, and no sane person would attack her with all the guards around her.


    No sooner had she stepped out when Dickson came out of the luxury sedan, his left hand held a gun which he pointed in Phoebe''s direction. He had not come alone; he had four armed bodyguards. In the parking area, people started to scatter, screaming because they were terrified.


    "Stop right there you bitch." He ordered her, he took a few steps only to be stopped before he could reach her.


    Pike, Santos, the Elithera boys and three masked individuals that Phoebe had not seen before all surrounded her. Santos tried to shove her back into the car, but Phoebe was immovable, like a mountain.


    Instead of moving back, she pushed all her bodyguards aside with her ghostly power and came forward. Dickson laughed happily and he put the gun to her head.


    "She is coming with me, the rest of you, step back or I will blow her brains out." He threatened.


    The men only came forward calculatingly which compelled Dickson to cock the gun. "I am not playing here i will shoot her." He hissed; his face flushed with fury as his fingers tightened around the gun.


    "Oh God this is boring, this idiot does not even have bullets in the gun. I am going to put him to sleep, I hope that you don''t argue about that." The Saxon spirit did not wait for an answer, she sprayed sleeping dust in his face, within two seconds Dickson was lying on the ground.


    His bodyguards were taken down by the three masked men who rushed away without saying a single word.


    The Elithera men nabbed Dickson quickly. "Do you want him dead; he has become a menace."


    Phoebe shook her head. "Beat him up but do not kill him, he needs to live for a while longer." She adjusted her clothes to their original position. "Make sure that he suffers, remove his teeth that he just put in, hell, take all of his teeth. He should be alive and feel the pain, and guys make sure he knows that I instructed you to do it." She ordered.


    Pike and Santos exchanged gazes." Madam Boss perhaps we should take him with us to Alfa security." Pike proposed, worry laced his eyes after all Dickson was still a Saxon.


    "Those men do not seem to care about who Dickson is, but you seem to be worried about that so leave it to them and do not inform David, I will do that myself." She turned and walked towards the elevator leaving them puzzled.


    What was the difference between them reporting it to David and him hearing about it from her?

 Chapter 396 The unwanted part timer.

    Dickson was gone, but the feeling of disgust in Phoebe remained because he had touched her. Even though it had been her clothes, she wanted to change them immediately, so she decided to visit her apartment first.


    "I can''t believe that that fool wanted to kidnap you in broad day light!'' Connie exclaimed. "It was like I was watching a movie, but it was not really movie, it was live action. He came with armed goons, wow, he is an embarrassment to the Saxon''s.


    As the elevator ascended, Phoebe wished that she could shut Connie up. She kept dwelling on what had happened, narrating it as Phoebe had not been there for it. "Imagine what would have happened supposing Zephyra was not there? S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Wait, you have magic, ghost magic, were you planning to catch the bullet between your fingers? I tell you for sure, Dickson was like a madman, not thirsty for water but blood." She shuddered on recalling the memory.


    The Saxon spirit rolled its eyes at that because it was certain that Dickson had not been thirsty for blood, if he was, his gun would have had bullets. He had been there to kidnap Phoebe, as for the reasons behind his actions, it could name a number.


    Phoebe believed that even without the help of the spirit she had everything under control, one she had a stun gun which she was prepared to shock him with, and the Kitty knuckles that aunt Maureen had gifted her with, she wished that she had used it to take out his eyeball.


    Her self-defense claim would have been unquestionable, after all he had attacked her, held a gun to her head and tried to kidnap her in broad day light,


    "Guys come on, it was obvious that after his misfortune, Dickson was going to blame me for it after all I was the one that told him to choose D.P holdings over Halstead." She stepped off the elevator and moved towards her apartment. "But that fool is a fool indeed, because he got an investment from D.P holdings and stole the formula for the vaccine from D.P research. What kind of idiot does such a thing? How do you steal meat from your own pot?" She winced, unsure if she was even saying the right thing.


    "CEOs embezzle from their own companies Pheebs, ugh I cannot believe that I have to be the one to teach you this." Connie sighed. "So, if a CEO can steal from his company, why can''t Dickson steal from a company which is not his?"


    "Point for Connie." Phoebe laughed.


    The spirit rubbed her chin. "We should just kill him and change our plan; he is an evil that we need to rid the world of." It paused to hear Phoebe''s response, but she remained unresponsive, punched in the code and entered the house. From the frown on her brows, she was not in support of the idea.


    "Dickson will die eventually but he must suffer first, death is just a punishment that is too easy for him." Phoebe poured water from the jar into the glass.


    "His attempt to kidnap you must be one of two reasons, either he thinks that you are a fraud, or he believes that you set him up to fail. This is not the end, after he recovers, he will be back for you, that is for sure. You must be on guard at all times, I cannot be with you all day." The spirit warned, not entirely surprised by her reluctance to just kill Dickson quickly.


    As Phoebe walked to the fridge and poured herself another glass of water, the spirit made a plan, if it came down to it and Phoebe''s life was in real danger, it would snap Dickson''s neck even if Phoebe wanted him alive.


    "And l will be waiting for him." Phoebe finished the last drop of the water in the glass.


    She wanted to taunt Dickson, punish him, give him ten folds of the pain that he had given her before ending him for good.


    Her phone was buzzing nonstop with continuous calls, first Luna, then her grandmother, Rosset, aunt Maureen and now David was calling. She let each one know that she was fine and there was nothing to panic about.


    While she was changing, her father called, then her mom and her brothers one after the other. She made the same reassurances. After changing her clothes in a haste, Phoebe went straight to the cafe.


    Unexpectedly, when she arrived, she found Sabrina, in a deep conversation with aunt Maureen. One would think that they had known each other for long by the way they were laughing, which was not the case, the two hardly had anything to do with each other.


    Phoebe wondered if they were talking about weaving spells or something else, she could see the spark in Sabrina''s eyes from a mile away. Not many things sparked Sabrina''s interests outside of magic, she certainly wasn''t that much interested in other people''s lives,


    "Phoebe my child!" Grandma Mayfair pulled her into an embrace and gently patted her back, from the moment Luna had told them what had happened with Dickson outside, her nerves had gone haywire.


    If it was not for all the girls in the cafe stopping her, Grandma Mayfair would have run off to find her precious granddaughter.


    "Are you alright? I heard that bastard roughed you up a little." Luna spoke through pressed lips. "Phoebe I am going to smash those filthy hands that he put on you, nothing you say can stop me." She added without giving a care in the world that there were people listening.


    Upon inspecting Phoebe''s body, grandma Mayfair''s heartbeat returned to normal when she saw no injuries. "If your parents hear about this, they will be furious." Her arms flailed angrily.


    "They are already aware, I have three different groups of bodyguards protecting me, I think the third one was assigned by dad. Don''t worry, I am fine Nana that bastard cannot do anything to me." Phoebe patted her grandmother''s shoulder reassuringly.


    She drifted her attention to Sabrina. "You are here on this gloomy afternoon; I take it to mean that you have accepted my proposal to work here." Came her lazy statement which shocked some of the listeners especially Rosset that had no idea the arrogant Sabrina was a potential co-worker.


    Sabrina had always been a menace as a customer and now Phoebe wanted her to work here! It was truly alarming. One needed patience to serve others, Sabrina lacked patience, she was more likely to pour coffee on an annoying customer than respond politely.


    "Come on Phoebe, this princess has never stirred her own tea talk about making a cup of coffee!" Rosset could not believe her ears; this was a mistake one that was going to cost them all.


    Sabrina gave a small wave. "Believe me when I tell you that I was coerced into this, your boss knows that I am not waitress material, but she insists on having me here." she rolled her eyes.


    Grandma Mayfair raised her hand. "I agree with Rosset; we do need workers but Sabrina Spellcaster of all people! Why Pheebs?" She shook her head disapprovingly.


    Phoebe thought about the calculations she had made, and the answer was simple.


    [Because she is Andre''s future wife!]

 Chapter 397 Grandaughter-in-law; undesirable.

    As always, Phoebe''s thoughts never failed to shock her relatives, whatever she thought was always unexpected, not something they would guess in ten lifetimes. Like Sabrina being Andre''s future wife, it was simply unimaginable, grandma Mayfair had to blink a few times to be certain that she was reading the right thing.


    Future wife! Andre''s future wife!!! Grandma Mayfair''s rubbed her eyes and saw the thought one more time before it vanished. Her disbelieving widened eyes turned to Sabrina Spellcaster and she felt a strange pang in her chest. It was similar to a bloating feeling one experienced after they had eaten too many beans.


    The brat that was standing before her was to become her granddaughter in law, how did this happen? Everyone knew of Sabrina''s horrifying reputation, as a prank she had penned several love letters to different boys leading to a series of confusing and embarrassing confrontations as different boys believed they had a secret admirer in school. When she was caught, she shrugged and said she thought it was funny.


    She had replaced real sunflowers at the Sunflower ball with baguettes which created a spectacle when nobody had sunflowers to give their dance partners. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She had unleashed frogs in a council meeting causing chaos as they jumped between tables. She did it again at the annual founding dinner and the frogs had jumped on food and caused guests to leap out of their seats.


    When the last presidential candidate visited founding lane, she gave him a flower bouquet filled with itching powder. The president and other representatives of the founding families had been very uncomfortable and itchy at the reception.


    She was known to make false calls, her ability to mimic other people''s voices was excellent and she used it to start trouble, fuel rumors and make the most same people question their sanity.


    All this and more, her antics painted her as unpredictable and other founding families were wary of her becoming part of their lineage. For once, grandma Mayfair wondered if Phoebe''s readings were off, there was no way the menace of the founding lane was her granddaughter-in-law to be.


    "Pheebs follow me." She spoke through tight lips, from the frown that had formed on her brows Phoebe could tell that her grandmother was unhappy about something. She obediently followed the older woman who was striding quickly towards her office. Aunt Maureen had seen Phoebe''s thoughts as well, she only followed them because she believed that her niece needed a lawyer. Once her mother thought poorly of someone it was hard to change her mind, case in point was Dorothy Cook.


    When the door to Phoebe''s office was closed, grandma Mayfair who had her back turned to them, spun around. "I cannot pretend that I do not know what is happening here, I have noticed keenly that you are fascinated by that girl, and I want to know why that is the case. Why do you want her here? She is a bad girl, she will not help us, she will only get in the way." She bit her bottom lip, if not her mouth would betray her and reveal what she had read.


    Wondering what she had done that had given her grandmother that impression, Phoebe let out a measured sigh. She made a momentous decision to tell her the truth, it would only be for the better for her grandmother would help straighten Sabrina''s character.


    She blew warm air into her palms and rubbed them thrice. "Nana, I peeked at Andre''s fate, that girl Sabrina is his perfect match, of all the women in the world she is the one that will make him a great wife and give him happiness."


    Grandma Mayfair clutched her chest and closed her eyes.


    "If Phoebe had seen it in his fate, then I am on board, she maybe a little bit troubled for now but she is actually not all that bad, the only problem is that she was raised like a princess by servants. Her parents are very hands off, they are always on vacation so nobody really took the time to mold her which caused her to become too entitled but that does not mean that she is bad." Aunt Maureen gave her opinion, she also offered a faint smile.


    "Mother before you say that Sabrina is not good enough for your precious grandson, you should remember that his reputation is not perfect either. He had trouble keeping his trousers buttoned around gorgeous women for the longest time, he has only settled down in the last year. " She sat in one of the sofas, draping her legs over one of the arms.


    A loud wince came from Grandma Mayfair on hearing Maureen''s words. "Fair enough but still, I am sure that there is another option, right? The Montgomery''s have a beautiful daughter that I think would make a better wife to Andre than that troublesome Sabrina. Did you hear how arrogantly she spoke to us earlier; she did not care that I am an elder and she rolled her eyes twice when I commented on her behavior. Hmph, she thinks I did not see it but I did." Her eyes darted between the two listeners and finally settled on Phoebe.


    Phoebe in turn sighed, she had long known that the battle of getting the Mayfair''s to open up to Sabrina would be a long one. Her reputation was not as easy to overlook as that of the Elithera''s. There was no bad news about Luna out there unlike Sabrina Spellcaster, one question about her in the fabulous ladies group chat would prove that. Still, fate was fate.


    "Nana, do you think that I did not do my homework? I was flabbergasted when I found out as well. I mean, look at them, they have nothing in common, in fact they loathe each other but who are we to change their fates. Sabrina has a bright future; she will become the presidential palace press secretary and an influential young lady which means she is going to change for the better. When the time is right, they will get together naturally." Phoebe ran her fingers through her hair, and she sighed tiredly.


    Her words however had left her grandmother, and her aunt intrigued. She had met seers at the academy but even they left room for doubt, but Phoebe was very certain about what or who Sabrina was to become.


    "Are you a seer now? How do you know that about Sabrina, did she come to you for a reading?" Aunt Maureen cocked her head, raising her right brow quizzically.


    The spirit whispered to Phoebe. "Maureen is as curious as a cat, you have to watch what you say around her especially with things related to the space, magic stones, star dust and the magic books in the space." Its tone harbored a warning.


    Maureen further analyzed the details, "From her words, she comes in here for drinks and snacks often but only once has she talked to you and that''s when she was in search of a love potion which you denied her. It''s impossible for you to have read her future through her which means....." she winced, "Did you see snippets from Andre''s future? Even the most talented seers I have met are not this good, they just see intertwined fates and skim over the top. They do not see detailed things like this, baby, how did you do it? What exactly is your talent?"


    Phoebe shrugged, "I don''t know, I am a shaman that is all I know." Came Phoebe''s short response

 Chapter 398 Suddenly on board.

    She looked at aunt Maureen neutrally, not admitting or denying anything. When her aunt realized that she was not going to get anything out of Phoebe, she gave up. But it strengthened her determination to get closer to this niece of hers, if she could see the future accurately, it was possible that she could see the past too.


    If she could see the past, maybe she would be able to see what exactly had happened to her father on the island of no return.


    Old lady Mayfair was also deep in thought, pondering on what she had heard about Sabrina, if you took her future into consideration, things were not all bad. She would have a respectable career and become an influential young woman worthy of everyone''s admiration. In the grand scheme of things, Andre could do much worse than a presidential press secretary, his past girlfriends were proof of that.


    He never dated women from founding families, always ordinary women in the entertainment business. Sabrina would be a welcome change despite her shortcomings. Grandma Mayfair started finding herself on board the longer she thought and when she made her mind up, she smiled.


    "Well, I guess she can stay." she said. She looked at Phoebe and asked, "How many children will they have?"


    Phoebe grinned widely, "Three, one named after you."


    Grandma Mayfair was even happier, and she laughed brightly. "Really! well, I guess that we cannot come in between their destiny of becoming man and wife. I have to help both of those children to become better people whether they want to or not." She said, playful curiosity lingering in her eye, suddenly Sabrina did not seem so bad at all, and she could not wait to brag about her granddaughter in-law when she becomes the presidential palace press secretary.


    Phoebe hugged her grandmother''s arms and kissed her cheek. "Thank you, Nana, I knew that you would eventually understand." Phoebe''s voice was filled with relief.


    Grandma Mayfair patted Phoebe''s cheek gently and then she stood up. She walked out determinedly to go and begin her mission of turning Sabrina into an upright young woman.


    Aunt Maureen laughed, a loud sound that had a tinge of mockery. "Believe me when I tell you that this has nothing to do with mother''s understanding nature. It is all because of what she has heard about Sabrina''s future, all the ill feelings she had about the girl went flying out of the window when she heard her granddaughter in law will be a presidential press secretary and continue the family lineage. Prepare to see Sabrina at family events and all dinners." She leaned forward; her face adjusted to become more serious. "Outside of this, you look somewhat agitated, and I am certain that it''s because of what Dickson did this morning, are you sure that you are alright?" Worry laced her tone.


    Phoebe rolled her eyes dismissively. "Aunt that roach does not have what it takes to scare me anymore. This time it will be I that will torture him and send him to his final resting place. I am bothered by something else....." Moria''s face flashed in her mind, and she went silent, contemplating on whether to confide in her aunt or not.


    Aunt Maureen was not that experienced in the dating field perhaps she was not the right person to talk to about her boyfriend''s ex suddenly appearing with the intention of getting him back.


    Having read the hesitation in her eyes, aunt Maureen suggested that they go for a walk at the avenue street. "It will be good for you." She proposed as she stood, leaving no room for protests.


    Phoebe followed her and they embarked on a slow walk with her aunt holding one of her hands as if she was guiding a toddler that was unable to walk on her own. Avenue street led straight to the mall where Mr. Alton''s shop was located and as they came closer to the mall, Phoebe had an idea which made laugh.


    "Aunt you do not have to meander around it, if you want to see Mr. Alton, I am happy to go with you."


    Phoebe''s playful comment made Maureen pause in her tracks. Now, she could see the similarities in Phoebe and Jennie''s characters. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Wipe that sly smile off your cheeks baby, it is not what you are thinking, I do want to see him, that you are right about however I am genuinely concerned about him as a guardian first. I want to know what happened to his wife, if nothing happened then my mind will be put to rest and maybe we can go on another date." She wiped invisible sweat away from her forehead and pushed her hair back.


    The truth was that Maureen had liked Mr. Alton upon setting her eyes on him but the man seemed deeply troubled.


    Maureen pulled Phoebe to sit down under the chairs and umbrella of a cafe near the mall.


    "Anyway, forget me, tell me what is bothering you, if it is not Dickson then my suspicions run straight to David. What has he done to bother you other than give you queen treatment." Maureen rested her hands in her trench coat, the rain had come to a stop, but it was still very cold.


    A young waiter stopped by and they made a coffee order to go, which Phoebe found silly as she owned a cafe. Uncertainty pooled in her eyes as the waiter pulled away and she found herself alone with her aunt.


    "It is about him, his ex I mean I don''t know if I should call her that but anyway, she is back in town." Phoebe voice was calm although deep down worry was beginning to gnaw at her, not because she did not trust David but because she worried about the havoc Moria was about to cause. Havoc often left victims in the way, victims like Gemma.


    "Moria Mortimer is back?" Maureen posed a question, her right hand came out of the pocket and pulled on Phoebes hand that was resting on the black table.


    Blinking rapidly, Phoebe asked if her aunt knew her, it was not bad to gather information about her. "You know Moria!" she exclaimed, "Have you had an encounter with her in the past?" She queried.


    She had assumed that her aunt maybe didn''t know Moria, she had left the founding lane as soon as she could and rarely came back over the years.


    In response, Maureen nodded. "Most people from the founding families tend to know each other, we socialize a lot because of the social functions. Thank God the balls and parties have been cut down, there used to be two each week when I was growing up." She shivered as if she dreaded them. Anyway, I know that skunk. She was always acting high and mighty because she was betrothed to David.


    To date I still do not understand parents that think that it''s okay to make deals on their children''s futures just to strengthen their power and financial stability. Betrothals were common among the Saxon''s until uncle Rufus fell ill and aunt Prudence took over leadership of the family. If Moria is back, then she must be bothering you. Is my guess correct?"


    Phoebe did not have to admit it, Maureen read it in her eyes, and she sneered.


    "I will pluck that skunk''s eyes out if she dares to harm you. I am not kidding; I will ruin her and nobody will touch me." She narrowed her stern eyes, she was not joking about her threat.

 Chapter 399 Prisons close to hell.

    For a moment, Phoebe regretted sharing the little she had given away, one maniac like Luna who was itching to dispose of Moria was enough, she did not need aunt Maureen to join the lunacy team and do something dangerous.


    She was a shaman, she had the ability to deal with Moria, she just needed to know where David stood. Also, if Moria came after her, she would retaliate in worse ways. The attempted assault she had tried to accomplish through Gemma would be paid back in kind.


    Phoebe sneered. "If I fail to handle her, I will be a shame to my mentor and all shamans. Be reassured aunt if I fail, you will be the first person that I turn to. Which reminds me, I forgot to warn Luna not to mess with her. I don''t mind if Moria is slapped around a bit, but I don''t want her face ruined or something like that. Everyone will point at me directly because it will be obvious who wants Moria''s pretty face ruined; the woman David is dating also known as me." She paused speaking to send Luna a message.


    Their hot coffees were delivered while she was typing, out of the peripherals of her eye, she saw her aunt slip the waiter a roll of cash that he put in his pocket. It had to be at least five thousand dollars; it reminded her that Andre had said their aunt over tipped cute waiters.


    "So, Moria, did she do something? Luna Elithera wouldn''t be targeting her if she did not make a move on you. What are you leaving out?" Aunt Maureen asked, her eyes fixed on Phoebe''s forehead just in case she said one thing and thought another.


    Phoebe chuckled, a small derisive sound. "She threatened someone to attempt to blackmail and slap me. I guess that I should arm up to battle with a crazy ex-girlfriend. I don''t think she understand the power a shaman holds; I can give her nightmares for a year and drive her insane. I can give her bad luck for the rest of her life, steal her beauty, send a ghost to kill her. I am not in danger, she is." She sniffed in ice cold air.


    The tenacity in her voice was all Maureen needed to extinguish her worries. Her niece was not easily bullied, she was not one of Moria''s boot lickers. "I am here if you need me, we can throw her in one the brothels in Hartoum, you have no idea how vile those places are." She assured Phoebe.


    They stood up and Maureen wrapped one arm around Phoebe''s shoulders, going ahead to pull her in a small embrace before freeing her. They entered a taxi because Phoebe complained about the bitter cold temperatures, it warmer inside the taxi.


    Phoebe recognized the taxi driver; he was one of the Elithera''s and so was the person in the passenger seat. They were really efficient at their job; they had anticipated that she would use a taxi and somehow acquired on quickly. She had stopped a random taxi not knowing that it would be two of her many bodyguards.


    "That is better." She happily chimed as the heat of the warmth in the car swept over her. " Mr. mister, please circle the block and drop us off at avenue mall." She instructed the taxi driver and then turned to her aunt. "Oh, that reminds me aunt, did you find that warlock that sent his lackeys to attack me?"


    The Saxon spirit had suggested that she and her aunt go on a hunting trip, if the warlock had not been dealt with, maybe it was something they could do together.


    Nodding her head, Maureen pressed her lips in a thin line recalling the moment she had captured the warlock. "He was in the city which made it easy. After a good beating from me, I delivered him to Moldove academy where he is being held in prison, he will never bother you again. Alonso testified against him, he confessed to some of the warlock''s other crimes. You can guess what the confession detailed, a lot of crime steeped in dark magic, he won''t be coming out of that prison ever." Her voice came with undeniable assurance.


    "A prison at the school! What kind of school is this academy?" Came Phoebe''s question.


    Her tone came off as terrified, but her face however showed intrigue, it did each time the Moldove founding academy was mentioned.


    Maureen let out a short laugh knowingly. "Yes, there are five prisons actually not just one, anyone that commits crimes related to the supernatural is send to a different prison depending on the gravity of his crimes.


    All of the prisons are an imitation of hell recreated by an alchemist, a sorcerer, a pyromancer, a necromancer and a cryomancer a very long time ago. It is an icy cavern of endless cold and despair, the air is so frigid that it turns breath into shards of ice.


    The chill is so unbearable that it turns one mad, and upon death the soul is frozen in an eternity of isolation and frostbite."


    Phoebe rubbed her hands together, a chill crawled over her spine, that was not a prison she wanted to visit.


    There is the abyss prison, a dark bottomless swirling vortex filled with endless storms. It has pulsating walls of flesh that close in on the prisoners, suffocating them, leaving them in an eternal free fall and agony, The pyrehold prison is the one with fire, it is a fortress encased in molten lava surrounded by fire breathing gargoyles. The heat is unending, the prisoners withstand eternal flames, they suffer in the unending inferno as penance for their crimes.


    We have the shadow prison, a maze of impenetrable darkness where shadows come to life and torment prisoners. The walls are covered in shifting, whispering forms that amplify fear and despair. That is where the warlock is, it is the place where those who are arrested for delving into forbidden magic are held. They are haunted by their own misdeeds forever.


    Last is the venom pit prison..." She paused because her niece loudly interjected.


    "Oh, my goodness aunt please that is enough, I could have lived the rest of my life without knowing what happens to those who go down the dark path." She trembled again. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The two men in front agreed wholeheartedly, and they were glad that they only knew about the supernatural and were not involved in that world. Human prisons sounded like five-star hotels in comparisons to magic prisons.


    "But how big is this school, where is it even located? I must have my magic wrong because all my location spells show that it''s located at the Salt Lake." She took a moment to stare at her aunt. "But as you know already, there is nothing at the Salt Lake" Phoebe drew a breath in, she would be lying if she said that this was not frustrating. She had better luck finding Ruth than the school.


    The Saxon spirit blocked the men from overhearing the moment Phoebe started asking about the location of the academy.


    The composed outward appearance on Maureen''s face could not reveal the panic on that surged her veins. It was impossible for a non-student or guardian to know the true location of the school, one had to reach to be one of them before such information was revealed to them. So how did Phoebe know?


    It was not information that she had received from Edward nor was it a guess because Phoebe was certain that the location spells had led her to the Salt Lake.


    "How did you do the spell?" Maureen calmly asked, she could shake the answer quickly out of her niece if she could.


    Phoebe pulled her shoulders up and down, a body movement that was nonchalant. "Initially I tried by myself and failed, then I tried using the location spells that were used in the olden days to find a place near founding lane where great magic was centered and Voila! I found it only that there was nothing on Salt Lake when I drove by, so I gave up momentarily." She innocently answered.

 Chapter 400 Locating the academy.

    A haze of confusion took over Maureen momentarily, she could not fathom what her niece was talking about. She wasn''t certain that Phoebe even knew what she was saying, ancient ways ha! even she a first-class guardian barely knew anything about that kind of magic.


    Knowledge on ancient magic was limited, most of the spells were lost over time, the remaining grimoires about the magic that was used in the olden days were locked away in a vault that only those at the highest level at the academy could access.


    So, how could she, a girl that could barely catch a baby demon know of ancient magic? It made no sense and yet she had managed to bumble her way through and locate the school. The mysteries of Phoebe Mayfair multiplied quickly, fascinating Maureen. She decided to indulge in the topic further and see what she could snatch out of Phoebe''s mouth.


    "Ancient ways? how did you come to possess such a strong spell? Don''t tell me you stumbled on it accidentally, if you did, I need some of your luck so that I can stumble in the same direction." Came Maureen''s question which had drops of curiosity.


    She tried to make it light by adding all the stumbling mumble jumble and laughing. Phoebe pulled her eyes away from her aunt, her body language indicating that it was not an answer that she was ready to give, at least not yet.


    "From the internet." she lied, a slight high pitch in her voice. She did not regret the lie, after all the spells were not hers to give, they belonged to the Saxon spirit.


    Suddenly she turned to face her aunt, this time she was the one that was curious. "Strong spell? Aunt does it mean that I found the school or was I close? I must have otherwise you would not be asking me all these questions. So, which is it?" Her brows danced dramatically.


    Phoebe intended to sneak into the school somehow if she had truly located it. Not that she planned to share this with her aunt who would definitely disapprove if she knew.


    Aunt Maureen''s eyes instinctively shifted to the rear-view mirror; she could feel an intense gaze burn looking at her. Her eyes met those of the taxi drivers concerned who looked like he was listening in on their conversation keenly.


    She could not answer the question if someone else was eavesdropping, as for all the magic prison talk, who would ever believe it anyway? It would be just another wild supernatural rumor out there with all the others which people did not believe.


    "We are here." The driver informed them, he stopped the taxi, and they jumped out. Maureen paid in cash, giving money to both the taxi driver and the passenger who was puzzled to be paid for no reason. The car drove off speedily and aunt Maureen guessed that they had freaked out the driver and the other passenger with their conversation.


    "I saw what you did." Phoebe said with a naughty smile.


    What?" Maureen pretended to have no clue.


    "You stuck paper talismans on the money so that they could forget what they heard."


    Maureen nodded, "Some information does not always need to be spread out."


    Phoebe didn''t bother to tell her about the spirit blocking the sound.


    "So did I find it?" Grabbing onto her aunt''s arm, Phoebe quizzed, she was not about to drop the subject.


    The spirit appeared from the space. "From her expression I guess that you found its current location, the academy keeps shifting positions but it''s only a security measure, the last time I walked the human world, it was stationed at Creedmore.


    It has portals like the painting which you found, so one can access it from different authorized places. Your aunt may not be in position to tell you where it is. This is one of those oath situations that you don''t like so ease up." The spirit silently communicated, only then did Phoebe drop the subject after squeaking victoriously of course.


    Maureen was surprised when Phoebe stopped pushing the matter and they walked to Mr. Alton''s shop. He was not expecting to see Maureen so soon. When he saw Phoebe, he figured that the ladies had come to his store to purchase more herbs which was a surprise as Phoebe had purchase a large quantity recently.


    He put on a smile and approached them, "Good evening, ladies, I did not expect to see any of you so soon but nevertheless, I am delighted to see you both." His eyes alighted a smile, they shifted from Phoebe to Maureen who had hers pinned on him. His smile quivered when he looked at her and he diverted his eyes to Phoebe. "What brings you by on this cold day?"


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    It was not Phoebe that responded but her aunt, Maureen so he had to look at her again.


    "Unfortunately, Boyd we are not here to buy anything, we are here to talk with you privately." The sternness of Maureen''s voice weighed enough to let him know that whatever it is that they wanted to talk about was a serious issue.


    Boyd! The name rang in Phoebe''s mind, she did not realize that she did not even know the man''s first name, yet she had set him up on a date with her aunt. A small chuckle escaped her lips as her eyes returned to him.


    Mr. Alton''s eyes moved around; the store was almost empty save for the few lingering souls that had completed their purchase. "Please follow me." He began to move towards his office.


    Upon entering the office, Mr. Alton offered them two seats and requested that they get comfortable, he sat in the office chair behind a desk that was occupied by various herbs, and potted flowers. His office was the same, it was like a small indoor garden.


    "Okay ladies, If this is not business related then what is this about? Please do not tell that it is about my date with Maureen, I may not have shown the best side of myself I am afraid and again, I apologize Maureen. Is there anything other than that?" He cocked his head as he questioned, there was nothing else linking them together other than that.


    Phoebe cackled awkwardly. "Actually Mr. Alton that is why we are here...." She hesitated briefly because Mr. Alton raised his hand to gesture for silence.


    "I think that we are way past you calling me Mr. Alton, please call me Al or just Boyd. And also, I do not mean to come off as rude, but Maureen and I can handle our own matters, she does not need a chaperone Phoebe." His words came out as politely as they could.


    Shaking her head, Phoebe swiftly cleared the misunderstanding. "Uncle Boyd, I came here today in the capacity of a shaman." She drew in a breath, unsure about how to proceed.


    Her aunt beat her to it. "We are here about your wife." Maureen''s voice came carefully measured.


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 Chapter 401 What happened to Altons wife?

    The room plunged into an uncomfortable silence; Maureen was aware that they had no legitimate reason to ask Boyd about his wife. If he threw them out like an unwanted guests, it would not surprise her.


    Phoebe was feeling awkward as well, after all, Boyd had never asked for help in dealing with the matters concerning his dead wife. This was similar to an ambush, and she did know anybody that liked to be ambushed.


    Alton Boyd secretly clenched his fists, his usual sunny smile faded, and his face became frosty. He had no idea why the two Mayfair women had picked interest in his deceased wife. It was not a chapter that he liked to divulge into.


    "With all due respect, I do not think that you two have anything to say about my wife." His tone was polite but less than friendly. Obviously, he wanted the conversation to be concluded even though it had barely just begun.


    Maureen was not very good at dealing with grieving people, she was more of a woman of action and her response was quite direct. "No offense Alton but your wife is dead. Why are you still holding on to her like she might just walk through the door and fall into your waiting arms." She waved her arms with a flailing motion. "You set a place for her at our table when we were having dinner as if she was there with us."


    Phoebe wished that she could fly over and zip her aunt''s mouth, her reckless words were not going to get them the desired result. Alton was going to throw them out if it continued like this.


    Alton did not hide the anger in his eyes and voice, he saw them as busy bodies that were prying into the deepest and most painful parts of his life.


    "Maureen like I told you last night, I am not going to explain to anyone about the matters which concern my wife, ever. They do not concern you or anyone else, I met you because of Phoebe''s insistence and I apologized for what happened at the date.


    Just because we ate one meal together doesn''t mean that I owe you any answers. So, if the reason why you came here is to pry into my personal affairs, I am sorry to inform you that it is a wasted journey." He spoke through clenched teeth, when he was done speaking, he leaned back and folded his arms.


    Just when her aunt was about to counter his words, Phoebe lifted one hand to stop her, she had already done more than enough it was her turn to take the wheel.


    "Uncle Boyd, forgive my aunt''s delivery approach on such a sensitive matter, to be honest we are not here to pry because we want to gossip or make you uncomfortable. You are a good person, you deserve to be happy, all I want.... all we want is to help you recover from this heart break but first we have to know what happened to your dead wife." Phoebe paused and looked around as if in search of something.


    She suspected that his dead wife''s ghost could be lingering around here since Boyd Alton was clinging on to her like a mad man. "This is not just good for you, but it is also good for your wife. You know that I am a shaman, and I can help her move on, I need to check your home maybe she is stuck there, I heard from someone that she fell sick and died from home.


    If you are okay with it, we can go there and see if her ghost is still around. I am not doing this so that you can date my aunt, I am looking out for you." Phoebe chose her words carefully, the last thing she wanted was to rattle him or have him shut down.


    "My wife cannot be a lingering ghost; it is not possible!" He protested strongly, his voice quavered. "Not the way she died! It just was not normal; I watched that thing destroy her until it just was not her anymore." He laughed lightly, then the laugh transitioned into uncontrollable sobs.


    Maureen and Phoebe exchanged knowing gazes; he wouldn''t have said those words if his wife had died a natural death. Their suspicions about his wife''s death could be considered to have been confirmed. Read new chapters at My Virtual Library Empire S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He had his head lowered in his hands so they could not continue questioning him for a while, they decided to wait for the tears to dry up temporarily.


    Connie jumped out of the space while they were waiting. "My brother is back with so many goodies." She flaunted the freshly opened candy packet.


    "Not now Connie!" The Saxon spirit yelled, waving its hand and sending Connie back to wherever she jumped out from.


    Phoebe and Maureen had their undivided attention on Boyd Alton. He had gone from loud sobs to sniveling, it seemed like he was about to compose himself and they could finally have a good conversation. When he seemed to be returning back to his calm self, Maureen spoke first.


    "Boyd, I know that it''s hard, but you have to deal with the past so as to move forward, please tell us what happened to Hattie." Maureen had learned the name on the date as Boyd mentioned it every other minute, telling her all about the things his wife loved.


    She looked at the only thing on the table, which was not a plant, it was picture of a couple, Boyd and Hattie. Her eyes lingered on the beautiful honey blonde haired Hattie. In the picture the couple and their dog were on a yacht, they looked very happy together.


    He laughed dryly, " There is no help that you two can give to me now, any help I needed was before my Hattie died in Hartoum." He muttered slowly.


    Alton''s voice was raw with pain, and his words sounded harsh, he looked angry and Phoebe could not understand why. Instead, she lingered on the where Hattie had died.


    "Hartoum?"


    Phoebe shook her head slightly in disbelief, what were the odds. " You lived in Hartoum? So did aunt Maureen!" She exclaimed.


    Nodding his head, Boyd sank back in the chair, allowing it to swing back and forth. "Yes, she mentioned it last night, all the memories from that place good but mostly bad came flooding back." He leaned forward and looked at Phoebe, the expression in his eyes was unreadable.


    "You are a shaman, I have heard people praise you, some say that you have enabled them talk to their loved ones beyond the grave. Is it true?"


    Phoebe nodded eagerly, if that was what it took for Boyd to move on, she could do it. All she had to sacrifice was some of her energy.


    "I can help you with that, we can go back to my cafe and do it immediately." she offered with happiness.


    Boyd shook his head, dampening Phoebe''s enthusiasm. "That is not what I need, I do not need to talk to her, I need her back. Can you bring her back to life?"


    Phoebe froze, and so did Maureen, what Boyd was asking for, she could not do. There were some people in the supernatural world that practiced necromancy, they could bring the dead back to life. However, what came back was never truly the original person.


    Boyd cackled and stood up, "As I guessed, you cannot help me, please show yourselves out. Let''s not meet for this reason ever again."

 Chapter 402 A lost cause.

    He waited for the two women to leave but they remained where they were, showing no indication to leave which agitated him a little. Alton''s fingers drummed on the little space on his desk impatiently.


    "Is there something else? If you are not going to leave now, then I genuinely hope that you will give my request some serious thought. Help me by returning my wife to me and I will be considered a satisfied customer." His voice was low but very authoritative.


    Maureen''s anger climbed up a notch, she could not believe that the man making this request of Phoebe was the same man that was described as nice. Nice people did not ask such heaven defying requests which led to deathly consequences.


    She snapped,"You cannot seriously be asking that of my niece Boyd! Do you know the consequences of bringing someone back to life? Hattie will not be the woman you knew, for fucks sake a dangerous and evil supernatural being would come back from beyond in her form which would put other people in danger starting with you." Maureen gave him an education of something he obviously knew nothing about, she wanted to jump over the desk and jolt him back to his senses.


    His obsession with his dead wife had crossed from the normal boundary into a sick one.


    As she spoke, Boyd''s neutral eyes remained fixed on her. "So, it seems like you know a lot about this supernatural word, are you a witch? A shaman like Phoebe or an exorcist?" He asked, there was no trace of curiosity in his eyes nor voice to accompany his question. His voice was flat, almost robotic and devoid of emotion.


    Letting out a frustrated sigh, Maureen shook her head. "What or who I am is not important at this moment, I just want you to understand that your request is unnatural. I am more interested in helping your come out of that dark hole that you have buried yourself in. Tell me more about the thing you said destroyed Hattie."


    Her question only compelled him to raise his guard up. "I have nothing to say, it is obvious that you are stopping Phoebe from helping me. You heard her loud and clear that there is a way for me to talk to Hattie which means that there is a way I can bring her back. You have lived in Hartoum and I am sure that you have met people that have been brought back from the other side, everyone that has been to the right places knows it is not impossible."


    Maureen became a little wearier, it seemed like Alton Boyd had done his research on the matter, but something had not worked in his favor. Perhaps the right places he had been to had asked for a hefty fee, or he grew cold feet and didn''t dare to do it. Either way, as a guardian she wanted to see where this led.


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    "Oh yes I have been to some of those places and believe me when I tell you that most of the people that engaged in such practices met their doom. I implore you Boyd that you refrain from seeking out the same thing from those sorcerers in Hartoum, nothing good will come out of it. You could even lose your life." She warned, her desperate eyes looked at him.


    He laughed, a cold humorless sound which made Maureen uneasy. "You said that they met their doom, how do you know that? Was it you that brought the doom? Which identity do you have, some kind of protector of humans? I didn''t know that you had a funny side to you Maureen." Boyd''s lips turned into a smile. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was not an honest smile, his quizzical narrowed eyes remained pinned on Maureen. To her ears, it almost seemed as if he was digging for information subtly just as she was doing.


    "I was not trying to be funny, believe it or not dark magic is dangerous for everyone involved. Don''t go down that path Boyd, it is not a pretty end." She harshly warned, she couldn''t believe that her warnings had come off as a joke to him.


    As a guardian she knew well what happened to humans that involved themselves in dark magic practices, they were killed or taken to one of the five prisons.


    Boyd cleared his throat and touched the leaves of a potted fairywand herb, "Don''t worry, I would never go down such a path, if I was to do it, I would have done it a very long time ago. I certainly wouldn''t have moved away from Hartoum where sorcerers promise to make such a thing possible.


    We would not be having this conversation for sure because she would be with me somewhere in a place where we can be away from the prying eyes of others. This whole resurrection thing was a stupid idea from the start, someone mentioned it to me, and I was tempted to look into it but eventually I was sane enough to understand that it was dangerous." He lowered his head as a disappointed sigh escaped his lips. "If you have nothing more to say then you can leave now, I want to be alone." He rotated the chair until he faced the wall.


    A short sigh came from Phoebe, Boyd was not going to the dark side, for now anyway. She also realized that Mr. Alton was more complicated that she originally thought. Their conversation had taken many turns, it escalated and ended on a sad note. There was nothing that she could do for him unless he was willing to accept his help.


    Sometimes. it was not just ghosts that were unwilling to move on, humans too could be the same way.


    "Uncle Boyd, I apologize for dropping in on you the way we have and resurrecting sad memories. I am going to send you some tonics to help strengthen your body and mind, a talisman to catch bad dreams and a good luck charm. If you ever need to talk about this with anyone, I hope that you will take me and aunt into consideration." She humbly spoke and waited for a response which never came.


    Alton Boyd''s attention was no longer on them, it was on the picture on the desk, he was smiling at it.


    "Let us go Pheebs." Maureen stood up and began a slow walk out of the office, as soon as they stepped out of Alton and sons herb store, she snorted. "There goes a chance at love." She pointed a finger at Phoebe. "You can stop calling him uncle, I am not getting involved with him romantically, I would be crazy to. He is a damaged man and a lost cause as he wants no help from us. This one is not fixable Pheebs, whatever happened to him broke him." She touched her pocket and brought out a cigarette.


    Shaking her head, Phoebe snatched it and tossed it in the nearest trash. "Aunt don''t be sad at the lost chance at love, you know very well that there are more matches for you, better men than Mr. Alton." She said in a comforting voice. "I feel so bad for him; he is not living he is simply existing."


    A sad expression marred her features, Mr. Alton had been so helpful to her when she started her business and always welcoming, it was a pity that she could not return the favor.

 Chapter 403 A fictional altercation.

    Before leaving the mall, her aunt stopped by a restaurant that sold soup curries and roasted chicken. She ordered enough to feed everyone in the cafe, over tipped the waiter and then they left with three bags of food in hand.


    They stood at the side walked and hailed a taxi which would take them back to the cafe, right when it stopped for them to enter, Phoebe got a phone call that made her sigh.


    A call from Shark was never a good thing, he was not the kind to call to check on Phoebe with no reason.


    "Please don''t be some high-profile murder case." she muttered and answered the call as while shoving the bag of food inside the waiting taxi, and then she followed.


    As always, she looked at the driver first and noticed that even in this case, it was the Elithera boys were inside, one in the passenger sit and another in the driver''s seat. Had they been circling the mall, waiting for them or had they parked the taxi nearby and waited?


    They were really good at their jobs; she had to give credit where it was due. She smiled at the driver and answered the call reluctantly.


    "Hello Shark, I am keeping my fingers crossed for good news, please don''t tell me something unpleasant, my day has been rough enough as it is already." Read exclusive content at My Virtual Library Empire


    Even as she said, this, she had a feeling that it was useless.


    "There is a problem alright, drop whatever it is that you are doing and get your butt to the station right now. It''s serious business Phoebe, personal business so hurry." Shark ordered; he hung up the call without saying another word.


    Phoebe pulled the phone away from her ears and stared at it in a haze, she added one and two together and figured that it had to be an important case, usually Shark had to first grovel and plead with her to take a look at his cases but this time he had commanded her to go to the station.


    The frown on her face alarmed her aunt whose sharp ears had managed to hear Shark''s words.


    "Is there a problem?" she asked.


    In response Phoebe shook her head. "I do not know but I am heading to the station, Shark has asked that I see him urgently. Usually that means an important person has dropped dead. I will drop you off at the cafe and then head there." She rested her phone back in the bag and rubbed her neck with one hand.


    Maureen rolled her eyes, got a paper talisman and stuck it on Phoebe''s neck. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What is this, amateur hour? Don''t you know about amethyst talismans which soothe sore muscles and reduce tension?"


    Phoebe shrugged, "I usually give my time to the ones that help me make money or provide protection."


    As the car traveled, Maureen introduced her to talismans that were capable of making life easier. The education lasted until they arrived at the cafe, and she bade Maureen goodbye.


    After dropping off her aunt, Phoebe went straight to the station, she went in the taxi, but a convoy of expensive cars traveled with her. Two were at the front and two were at the back, in addition to this, five motorbikes guarded the sides inconspicuously.


    When she entered the police station, she was enthusiastically greeted by other policemen and detectives. Many of them had benefited in different ways from the presence of a wealthy heiress that worked as a police consultant, the Mayfair''s had given them benefits so that they could look out for her in the field. She gave back the same energy as she responded until she reached Shark''s desk and paused for a moment.


    Phoebe could not believe her eyes when she saw Moria and Luna sitting at Shark''s desk and she knew in that moment what the important personal matter was all about.


    "I should have known." she mumbled and shook her head.


    A loud amused laughter came from Connie who appeared out of nowhere. "I knew that Luna would not disappoint me, I was rooting for her. Look at Moria''s face, Luna beat that boyfriend stealing skunk black and blue, ha-ha." She continued to bubble with laughter.


    This time the spirit did not reprimand the teenage ghost for using unseemly words like skunk, it wore an amused expression too, holding back laughter. In as much as Luna had created trouble for Phoebe, the spirit also believed that Moria deserved the beating. It was payback for the slap she wanted Gemma to give Phoebe.


    Upon getting a closer look at Moria, Phoebe fought to suppress her laughter, it took all the courage in her to maintain a straight face. The skin around Moria''s eyes was puffy and blue, one of her eyes was swollen almost shut, her cheeks were enlarged and her lips swollen and split.


    She put a hand to her chest and pretended as if she was overcome with some fright. "Holy cow Moria where you stung by a swarm of bees, you look...." She stopped and bit back a laugh.


    A woman who sat closely next to Moria sneered. "Stop pretending, do you think that we believe you?" She spoke through an angry snarl. "Detective, go ahead and charge them, we have told you that we do not want to negotiate or settle this! I can go above your head; do you want me to call the commissioner?" She harshly spoke, her glare shifted between Phoebe, Luna and Shark.


    She was a beautiful middle-aged woman, plump and dressed in very expensive clothes. "This must be the mother, aunt or something. You can tell by the way her hands are protectively wrapped around Moria''s." Connie suggested.


    Moria pulled on her mother''s arm. "Mother, I told you that that I do not want to pursue this any further, besides Phoebe did nothing wrong. I do not know why you want to involve her in this." Her voice quavered, then she winced suddenly because she was in pain.


    "Oh, come on you faker! I did not do that to you, I only gave you one slap, the same one that Gemma Michelson tried give Phoebe in my boutique. You are the power behind Gemma." Luna looked between Moria and her mother. "I do not know why she is swollen like a pregnant kangaroo. Did you beat yourself up such that you can fish for sympathy? It is not working." Luna let out a derisive laugh, she cared less whether the Mortimer''s tried to force her out of town, she had Mayfair''s and Saxons in her corner.


    "Are you suggesting that my daughter assaulted herself?" Moria''s mother stood up and shouted.


    "Yes." Luna replied confidently.


    Her answer and attitude angered Moria''s mother and she screamed, clenching her fists.


    Shark raised his hands to calm them down, luckily the station was almost empty but even then, anyone could be recording the altercation.


    "Ladies please let us keep our voices down." His voice was barely audible over the ongoing argument.


    A smirk came from Moria at the same moment, running her fingers through her red hair, Moria sneered. "Fishing for sympathy? You are the one that attacked me with some goons and commanded me to stay away from David and Phoebe, who is your friend I believe."

 Chapter 404 Who will get dragged?

    That sounded to Phoebe like something that Luna would do, but she also believed that her friend would not leave behind any evidence. The Mortimer women clearly did not understand the Elithera''s well because if Moria was at the police station, it was something Luna had possibly anticipated.


    Moria''s mother nodded continuously in support of her daughter speaking up against the injustice that had been done to her. "Reveal everything honey, tell the detective how you were threatened never to approach David Saxon, yet he is your fianc¨¦. Hmph, a mistress is attacking the owner of the house in broad daylight, what has the world come to?"


    Luna leaped up to attack, the Saxon spirit quickly pushed her back down. As she figured one of Phoebe''s ghosts had intervened, she stayed down but she growled like a pit bull at the Mortimer women.


    Moria''s mother was busy patting the back of Moria''s head as if her daughter was still young, innocent and scared.


    "Fianc¨¦ you said?" Shark''s eyes widened; he shifted them to Phoebe. "Mistress!!" he exclaimed.


    Phoebe shrugged and laughed in an indifferent manner. Nobody in the police station or Fog country at large was not aware that she was David Saxon''s girlfriend.


    "Does David know that he is still engaged to you? If we bring him here, are you sure that he will identify me as the mistress?" Came Phoebe''s taunting question.


    Moria''s eyes sized up Phoebe, her expression reflected that of her mother, they were nervous and did not want David to show up. Their claims would fall apart faster than a deck of cards under an air conditioner. Just when she was about to say something detective Jones interrupted by announcing that there were paparazzi outside.


    "They are looking pretty hungry Shark." he whistled and laughed.


    Shark sprang to his seat. "What? Why are they here? How did they know about this?" He slammed a hand on the desk.


    He liked press but this had to do with Phoebe and Luna Elithera, he did not want Phoebe''s name to be tarnished or the Elithera''s to exterminate him in his sleep.


    In response to his reaction, Jones laughed louder, it was funny to see Shark genuinely worried about press presence.


    "They came here following Alena Cupid, the movie director from TK Entertainment. She was brought in on charges of sexual harassment, the victim is a teenage boy, sixteen!!!" He pointed at the desk of a Sergent where the victim was advocating that Alena is released because he consented to whatever they did, and they were in love.


    "He says they are planning to marry, and age is just a number, His parents and the law have a different opinion. This is a messy one Shark, do not bring it to us because I will knock Alena''s teeth out and hand in my badge." Jones''s eyes trailed over the women in front of Shark. "I am just cautioning you about the press because I do not think that it will do you ladies any good if this ends up on the news." He glanced at Phoebe with a worried gaze before walking away with two files.


    Phoebe''s eyes lingered on detective Jones back and then the boy who was still loudly resisting his parents'' control.


    She felt sorry for the parents and the boy, TK Entertainment was at it again! It was not even surprising seeing their people involved in another scandal. In the past months the netizens had cancelled twelve idols from that company and more than a few had been arrested on different charges.


    Phoebe''s eyes fell on Luna who once said that she wanted to buy the company, there had been no movement on that front which made her wonder where that had ended. TK was too hot to touch at this point, the name alone was enough to chase away potential investors and wannabe idols. Experience more tales on My Virtual Library Empire


    She turned back and saw Shark folding the incident report paper while addressing the Mortimer''s. "Madam Celine Mortimer, I cannot proceed to press charges if the said victim does not want to do so. Even if you go over my head, the police chief, deputy chief, superintendent and even the president of the country will tell you the same thing. I strongly suggest that you settle this before the hungry press out there has a sniff of what is going on." Shark advised, he did not want another scandal about Phoebe out there.


    Moria''s mother held up her hand to shut Shark up. "This is just perfect, my daughter is adamant to press charges, therefore I will go out there and tell those eager news bottom feeders everything, I will get better justice with them than here in this corrupt station." As she stood, she turned slightly to give Phoebe a death stare. "Enjoy being dragged through the headlines." She pulled her daughter''s hand.


    Moria winced, her eyed held some regret and it seemed like she was being forced to follow her mother. Actually, she was mostly resistant because she did not want to be seen by the press with her face looking so ugly, in her opinion.


    She was Moria Mortimer, a former Miss Teenage Fog, how could she show this face to the public?


    "Mom please! I neither wanted to be here, nor do I want to make this issue bigger so no press, okay. We can come to an understanding after all, this is a misunderstanding between acquaintances." Her sympathetic eyes looked back at the on lookers as if she was begging to be rescued. She clutched onto a table and refused to budge.


    "Could it be that she was really dragged into this?" Luna asked, she stood and perched at the edge of the desk. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    One of her arms pulled on Phoebe''s arm so that they could whisper.


    Phoebe shrugged, "Who knows? It could be possible if she knows that we have already spoken to Gemma and acquired evidence against her. If she goes through with that whole press thing, I am leaking the evidence that she attacked me first, let us see whom the media drags through the headlines." She chuckled bitterly.


    Shark sent them away without settling the case, they used the back door from which they rushed to enter Luna''s car. Together they took a moment to look at Moria and her mother who were milking the situation for sympathy. The mother and daughter even went ahead to twist the story before the reporters by saying that Phoebe had sent goons to attack Moria leaving Luna''s name out.


    "Unbelievable!" Phoebe scoffed and knocked her knuckles on the back of Luna''s head. "You need to stop involving me in your messes, if you wanted to beat up Moria then you should not have mentioned my name." She leaned back in the seat and folded her arms.


    Luna held up three fingers as a gesture to show that she was telling the truth. "That skunk is insane; I did warn her and gave her a few slaps but not more than four and not enough to do that much damage. She did the rest to herself, believe me, that bitch is crazy." She defended herself; the last thing she wanted was for Phoebe to push her away.


    On recalling a similar incidence with Ruth, Phoebe''s face relaxed. "I believe you Luna I have been exactly where you are. Moria has very may similarities to Ruth, those two could pass for sisters." Phoebe stated.

 Chapter 405 Two faced, like a coin.

    "Oh my God, I heard everything about that lunatic cuckoo," Luna gasped and expressed herself melodramatically, rolling her eyes and throwing her arms out while grunting. It was so over the top that Phoebe managed a laugh and Connie snorted derisively.


    "She is just like you." The Saxon spirit whispered to the teenage girl.


    Connie pouted and vanished into the space; she was in one of her sulky tantrum moods suddenly, so the spirit followed in order to coax her.


    Phoebe sighed, "How did this become my life?" she mumbled. She had a moody teenage ghost, a mothering one that was always in her business, a happy one that was obsessed with food and America, the intellectual one.


    Then she had friends like Evelyn the scattered one who could not settle, Luna the maniac and Shanna the intellectual.


    She laughed silently; it looked like Luna had a lawyer in Shanna at least. Her phone buzzed for the third time; she was receiving a call from Andre which she chose not to answer. Instead, she sent a message to the family group chat requesting everyone to ignore whatever things they read about her or saw on television.


    She also urged them to refrain from worrying about her as she was fine. Phoebe also mentioned that they do not wait for her for she was not returning home, and she was spending the night at David''s lab.


    She took a picture of herself holding two fingers up to assure them that she was okay. When she was done, she switched off the phone, the last thing she wanted were persistent calls from the press bombarding her with questions of why she attacked Moria.


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    Done with that, she swiveled to look at Luna. "By the way Luna it has been a while since I last heard about your father''s health, how is he doing of recent?" her voice that harbored genuine concern.


    Luna was always touched each time Phoebe asked about her father, for her it was a sign that her friendship was evolving.


    With a wide grin, she replied, "He is still faking his ruse of being bound to a wheelchair for the rest of his life appearance seriously. He wants to use the opportunity to uproot all of the enemies of the family before this year ends. But other than that he is very fine thanks to those miracle tonics that you send to him weekly. He wants to meet you one day and thank you in person, apparently the money I gave you was not enough in his opinion, he wants to give you more." She spoke with glee. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I doubt your mother will like that very much, that woman can execute a perfect round kick, carries a gun in her purse, and she has poison in all of her jewelry, I do not want to cross her." Phoebe snorted.


    Her words prompted laughter from the both of them.


    "So, have you given up on your music to become my personal bodyguard? Last I heard, you were planning to go on tour, has that changed lately? When you moved here you wanted to buy TK Entertainment, did you give up on it?" Phoebe put forward multiple questions however she was most interested in the last one.


    Luna let out a light sigh. "I am taking an indefinite break from the music, as for the tour it''s cancelled for the time being unless Luke agrees to come with me which I know he will not do." She stilled her words and sat up straight. "I did want to buy TK Entertainment, in fact I wanted to rescue it and rebrand it, but I am not sure that a rebrand can save it. From the look of things, it is going downhill quicker than I anticipated and everything is rotten. If nothing is done, that company is going to collapse completely especially because the owner is crazy." She clicked her tongue.


    Phoebe was intrigued on hearing the last words. "What do you mean?" She probed.


    Shaking her head, displeasure engulfed Luna''s face. "That woman is two faced, like a coin with two different sides, or faces. One is bad and the other is worse, I do not have any other way of putting it. I went to her with a great offer, one that she cannot get anywhere else because TK is now a bomb waiting to explode and nobody will touch it.


    She wanted more, a whole billion and I laughed, I told her the truth which is that I was not buying it to make profits. I just want to add it to my collection of toys to play with, the only valuable thing about the company is the building. Their celebrities are now tainted, even the innocent ones.


    I am not desperate to own TK, I have so much money lying around that I do not know what to do with it. I am sure that you can relate." She gazed at Phoebe quizzically.


    "I am not sure that I do." Phoebe cackled, she had a lot of wealth, but she would never buy a company as a toy, that was just wasteful at least in her opinion. "Go ahead tell me about the two-faced coin, how did you come to that conclusion?"


    She looked in her eyes in search for answers, sure that this was related to the malicious ghost haunting Eliza Grant.


    "Out of the blue, the look on her face changed, she accepted my offer, and she was delighted. It looked to me like she was more than ready to sell off the company__, no, get rid of it. She called her lawyers who came in thirty minutes, and I took a bathroom break before they arrived.


    When we went back to the boardroom to finalize the deal with signing of the contract of sale the woman had changed, not just her mind but her looks too. Her hair was tied different, I can swear that she had changed her blouse and shoes although I am not one hundred percent certain. But not just that her aura was just different, even the way she talked. It was all confusing, before the lawyers came, she used her left hand....."


    "Yes, Eliza Grant is left-handed, I know that for a fact." Phoebe cut in.


    Nodding vehemently, Luna ran a hand across her forehead. "I knew that I was not delusional, someone like me does not miss even the smallest details. Anyway, when the lawyers came, she was right-handed and she had changed her mind about selling the company.


    She rejected the offer and told me sternly that she was not selling. In fact, she highlighted that I should never return to her company with that stupid idea and petty cash."


    Luna leaned back and shook her head, her eyes expressed exasperation. "I offered her one hundred ten million for a dying company, how is that petty cash?"


    "Well, at its prime, TK was valued at seven billion Fog dollars." Phoebe shrugged.


    Luna raised her head and groaned, "At its prime! right now it''s not even worth fifty million. Anyway, after a few days she called asking why I had changed my mind about buying her company, according to her, I went to the bathroom and never returned, isn''t she insane?" Luna looked at Phoebe, hoping to hear her friend agree with her.


    Phoebe''s finger tapped her thigh, what Luna had told her was strange, so much so that she had to visit Eliza Grant. It seemed the malicious ghost was possibly possessing her now.

 Chapter 406 Past insecurities

    She had to put Eliza Grant''s business at the back of her mind, she had a date for which she needed to look her best, so she went directly to her apartment.


    Her plan was to take a shower and dress up but when she opened the door, she noticed the lights were on. She believed instinctively that David was the person inside because other than her, he was the only other person that knew the code, not even her family members had that information.


    The first surprise that was waiting for her inside was Sylvester, he had made a full recovery, and he was cleaning the house. From the thick aroma of delicious food that wafted in the air she figured that he had prepared a delicious meal as well


    The second surprise which was not so much of one was David, he was standing not so far from the door with a bundle of nicely designed flowers; Lily''s breath in the colors of red to symbolize love, pink for romance, purple for beauty and yellow for happiness. He had clearly put a lot of thought in the floral arrangement, she wondered whether the compliments were his or the florist.


    Seeing him standing there brought happiness to Phoebe, it was like a warm hug on a cold day. Her feet carried her to him before she could string her thoughts together and she rushed into his arms.


    He had to raise them to keep her from squashing the flowers and when they separated, he handed her the floral bouquet.


    "These are gorgeous babe, I love them. Where did you even get the time, you have been extremely busy today?" She took a moment to deeply inhale the fragrance that emanated from the flowers, appreciating the pleasant aroma. "What a silly question, you are a Saxon, they can be delivered to you, or you can send someone for them. I really, really love them."


    A smile decorated her lips, she closed the small gap between them and planted a hot steamy kiss on his lips. Her hands went around his back and the flowers dropped to the floor, like a needy cat, she rubbed herself against him as the kiss deepened.


    David pushed her away gently and stepped back, his eyes darkened with desire. "If you keep this up, I will not be able to restrain myself Pheebs." he warned.


    The warning did not frighten her, it sent excitement through Phoebe''s veins instead. She wanted him to lose control and just do what he wanted, what they both wanted.


    "Please I would like that very much." She twisted her waist and body in an arousing way to entice him but to her disappointment, David pulled even further away from her.


    His action miffed her slightly this is what she disliked about him, treating her like butter that was about to melt. Did he not know that it made her feel undesirable or that it took her back to all the times in their marriage that she initiated intimacy, and he turned her down?


    She clenched her hands, turned to Sylvester and asked about his health, it would be a good distraction and keep her from exploding. "Sylvester, you look better, your color has returned which means that you are fine, am I right?" She queried.


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    She waved her hand and the flowers which had fallen to the ground were elevated, flying straight to Sylvester.


    He put them on the table next to the crystal vase while answering her question. "Yes boss, I am in perfect health now and I will not be volunteering to be a lab rat ever again." Sylvester let out an uneasy laugh. "That bullet almost ended me, I think I saw the light and it terrified me. I almost died boss." He shuddered at the thought.


    Phoebe''s upper lip curled upwards, she looked at the ghost and nearly laughed. He was already dead; he could not die again.


    David who was pouring champagne into a glass, pulled his brows together. "Did I miss something?" Why had a ghost been shot by a bullet and almost died when it was already dead? He raised the glass to meet his lips, his eyes went straight to Phoebe, the only other human in the room.


    She cleared her throat and sat on the edge of the table. "A lot actually but you have been saving the world from disease so I will catch you up to speed. First, we successfully made magic bullets and Sylvester here was the test subject." She paused and bit back laughter when David gasped loudly. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Magic bullets!" he exclaimed.


    Phoebe nodded, they can kill humans and supernatural creatures, it will save me from having to pull out talismans all the time when I am in a fight with a monster.


    David''s champagne holding hand moved in the direction of Sylvester, "You tested them on him, that sounds very dangerous to me."


    "I was not on board, he volunteered for it to score merit points and yes it was dangerous but look at him now, he is the same old Sylvester. He survived it, you do not need to worry about now. Second, or in other news, your ex is back in town." She casually spoke like she was not bothered about it at all.


    Perplexed, David rested the glass on the table, he wondered whom of the women he had dated in the past had made it onto Phoebe''s radar to be recognized as his ex. She once pointed out that she disregarded all of them and she saw herself as his first woman. "Ex?"


    Flipping her hair, she smiled wryly. "Moria Mortimer." She made her fingers dance and said the name dramatically as if it was the name of some mysterious ghost.


    She laughed, to ease whatever tension that was developing rather quickly. Her boyfriend was not too happy to learn that Moria had found a way to reach Phoebe.


    David waved his hand in a nonchalant way. "Oh her? So, what if she is back that has nothing to do with me. That one barely qualifies to be my ex, I never dated her or did anything to make her think that I was interested in her ever." His nonchalant tone made her happy deep within. "I never held her hand, kissed or hugged her."


    "She was your publicly acknowledged fianc¨¦, David." Phoebe stated, her brows lifted, and her eyes remained pinned on him.


    In response he shrugged dismissively. "A fianc¨¦ that was not my choice but that of my grandfather. It was a choice that I believe was very selfish of him because you cannot decide such things for other people.


    They did not know how I would turn out, or how Moria and what Moria would grow into, and she grew into a horrible person. Anyway, I decided to end the engagement, and she begged me to let her be the one to do it because she did not want her dignity to be trampled on." He smiled reassuringly which was obvious to her that he had no idea what Moria was planning.


    "Anyway, forget Moria and everything else, I switched off my phone an hour ago and I suggest that you do the same because we are going on a staycation, just you and I." He announced.

 Chapter 407 Staycation at a hotel.

    Stay-cation? the term which was not new to Phoebe lingered on her mind, it was one of those vacations that people spent at home or near their home rather than traveling.


    Was this the date he had planned? Just the two of them alone somewhere in Fog country where they would not be bothered? A grimace crossed her face, for her not being bothered was impossible, ghosts would find her. Still, the idea of time away or time alone was exciting.


    Phoebe wanted to ask where exactly they were going but she held back and decided not to ruin the surprise he had for her. "I will pack a few things and then we will...." She was interrupted by the spirit and Connie who declared in harmony.


    "No need."


    Phoebe''s brows rose in question as to what they meant, suddenly a medium sized black suite case came floating out of the bedroom and gently rested beside her feet.


    "We have packed everything for you, all you have to do is enjoy your time together and Pheebs, make this one count." The spirit explained, when it was done it winked at her.


    She wanted to barf or roll her eyes___, or do both at the same time because the spirit was like a third parent to her.


    A radiant smile spread across the Saxon spirit''s face because finally Phoebe was ready to completely bond with David, this was beneficial to both of them in ways, a lot more than they both thought.


    Nodding her head, Phoebe''s face glowed with delight. "You packed heavily yet we are going for a few hours, I presume." She knew that David could not stay away with the ongoing epidemic, he had to be at the front line as the manufacturer of the Ivy vaccine. "I do hope that you all my lovely ghosts will give us some privacy." She loudly voiced as she walked alongside David, hand in hand.


    The ghosts she wanted to keep away floated after them as if they had not heard what she said.


    "Oh, come off it," She heard the voice of the spirit in her mind. "There was a time when it was compulsory for family members to witness a couple''s first time together to make sure things were done right. I cannot miss this for anything in the world, you have never consummated before which means that I need to be there to give you instructions on how to please your man. You may not know this but to some men this can be a deal breaker. There is a sex manual in the space cabin, I will go and fetch it." It twirled and disappeared.


    Connie giggled and followed.


    "I will stop Connie." Sylvester sighed and followed.


    Phoebe let out a sigh in embarrassment and frustration, she was so grateful that Connie was a teenage ghost not a real girl otherwise they would be horrible people or ghosts for exposing her to such talk.


    She hoped that Sylvester kept her locked away because things were going to get spicy, unlike in the past life where they had a boring sex life, she planned to have an eventful one in this one. She had been reading and learning a lot about this topic thanks to Luna and Evelyn.


    Your adventure continues at My Virtual Library Empire


    "Is something wrong?" David asked as they entered the car, he chose to drive and further instructed the bodyguards to stay behind or at least stay invisible.


    The drive lasted nearly an hour and they arrived at the Zeus hotel, a seven-star hotel, one of the best in the country. Since they had arrived at night, they could see why it was praised for its beauty. It was a stunning symphony of lights that twinkled like a translucent rainbow. A man-made waterfall spat out water from the top floor to the ground, it shimmered with lights and reflections of bobbing boats.


    Upon stepping out of the car she inhaled deeply. "Wow, the pictures that I have seen of this place on the internet do not do it justice at all. I have long wanted to take a swim in their rooftop infinity pool, it has been described as heavenly. Ooh, Evie is going to die of jealousy, she has not been here yet." She made a squeaking and cheerful sound as she turned in a spin.


    David''s lips came to form a smile, nothing pleased him more than seeing a happy Phoebe, especially when he was the bringer of said happiness. It looked like he owed Arrow a thank you because he was the one that suggested this hotel.


    The Zeus hotel was not open to the public just yet, only the creme de la creme of Fog country were allowed to access it and they paid top dollar to get in. Many people wondered why it had received seven stars being new to the scene, some though they had bribed someone but the rich spoke up for it.


    As he took out her handbag from the car, a book fell to the ground, the breeze stirred, causing the book pages to reveal themselves one by one, in it were explicit images of couples having sex in different positions.


    The pages turned so smoothly; it was almost as though the wind was on a mission to show him the contents in the book. He thought right because it was the spirit''s doing, it wanted to get him on the same page as Phoebe.


    David could not tear his eyes away for a moment, it was as though his body and eyes were being held captive, forced to look at the content of the book. The wind even paused on some pages to let him take a longer look.


    "Holy smokes!" David''s face flushed with embarrassment as the book was closed. He quickly picked it up and tucked it beneath his shirt which proved useless, so he folded it in half and put it in his back pocket. An awkward giggle came from him as he rubbed his flushed cheeks.


    "Phoebe, what dirty thoughts are running through your mind, how can you carry around such an immoral book!" His voice was barely audible.


    He looked around like a thief hoping that nobody had seen what he had seen.


    Unknown to Phoebe was that the book that the spirit had gone to fetch from the space cabin had landed in David''s hands. She did not know that David thought the book was hers.


    She was busy taking in the scenery as they walked past the lush greenery on the path to the entrance of the hotel. Her nostrils were flared, deeply inhaling the strong scent of thriving blooming winter roses.


    It was David''s touch around her waist that brought her out of the reverie just before the temptation to cut and carry a few of the beautiful roses away grew inside of her mind.


    "Let us go in." He firmly said.


    ***************


    Back at Mayfair manor, Edward was looking at his phone, his eyes were very unhappy and there was a pout to his lips. He was looking at pictures of his daughter being led into a hotel by her boyfriend.


    "What has made you unhappy tonight?" his wife asked.


    He handed her his phone and she laughed, a reaction which he did not appreciate.


    "She said that she was going to the lab!!!!!! I am getting my sword."


    Jennie rolled her eyes, lately her husband liked his sword a little too much. She tugged on the tip of his ear. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You are following me to bed."

 Chapter 408 The bees and birds.

    The presidential suite of Hotel Zeus offered utmost comfort and satisfaction, and Phoebe was definitely a satisfied customer. First of all, it was very clean and spacious, the foyer was large and elegant with beautiful artwork, the floors sparkling.


    The sofas were lush, the entertainment system could be described as state of the art, and the windows were the kind that went from floor-to ceiling, providing a breathtaking view of the waterfall.


    The suite was the size of an apartment with a living area, dining space. two bedrooms; one a master bedroom and the other a guest bedroom. It also had a spectacular bathroom, private office space, private balcony and a personal butler that was available around the clock to cater to every need of the guest.


    Phoebe did not think she had ever wanted to leave the hotel; it was just so comfortable and romantic thanks to all the arrangements David had made. From the flickering soft candles whose dancing shadows reflected on David''s face, to the scent of freshly assembled flowers arranged in towering vases that were spread in all corners and tables of the room, it was all impressive.


    Rose petals lined the path leading to the master bedroom where a beautifully decorated canopy king sized bed waited. Chilled champagne and gourmet chocolates, the expensive kind Connie liked were waiting to be devoured.


    The cozy fireplace flickered, perfect for snuggling up together on the plush sofas. A table set for two waited, adorned with elegant flowers and a meal that being heated up by blue flames from below. The food had been prepared by the hotel''s top chef.


    Phoebe moved to the windows and took in the breathtaking unbelievable, listening to lullaby of ocean waves coming from the waterfall.


    "This is absolutely breath taking, it feels like I am in a fairy tale and an ocean side at the same time." She said in low and soft voice.


    David joined her and he hugged her from behind, his head leaned on her shoulder and his eyes like hers were on the waterfall.


    The spirit jumped out of nowhere. "There is no time to delay, the opportunity has come. Now follow my instructions word for word, turn around, grab him by the waist, pull him close and plant a kiss on his lips, let us see how he will resist that. The atmosphere has already been set for sex."


    "Oh God!" Phoebe groaned in her mind. The Saxon spirit sounded like a drill sergeant in the army telling soldiers, go, go, go.


    Phoebe fake coughed. "Can I at least wash up first?" She voiced quietly and went ahead to excuse herself before disappearing to the bathroom.


    Once she was certain that she was alone, she opened the tap of water and left it running. She wanted to have a conversation with the spirit, a loud conversation.


    "Zephyra! You have to stop this nonsense, how are we supposed to do anything when we are fully aware that someone or something is watching? This is not a show!" Phoebe ripped off her clothes and began to exfoliate her body, she wanted it to be softer and smoother than that of a baby.


    Raising up its hands in defense, the spirit placed a sugar scrub on the sink.


    "This is a product of sugar I processed with magic in the space, it will also help with giving you a smooth body and leave a strawberry scent on your body. Listen Phoebe I only want to help, if you two follow the manual that I gave you guys you will have a wild night, one that you will never forget. This is a special night; you need to remember it fondly for the rest of your lives. Do I need to have the bees and birds'' conversation with you again?"


    "No!" Phoebe blurted out, rejecting that offer again. One unwanted demonstration with bananas, cream and round doughnuts had been enough to scandalize her for life.


    The spirit was applying a lot of pressure on this one night. The situation almost had Phoebe laughing and rolling on the floor.


    "This is not sex between a prince and princess of enemy empires who need to do it for the sake of upholding a peace treaty between their nations. You need to relax Zephyra and allow things to take their natural course, the fate of the world does not depend on my sex life. Now scoot before I change my mind."


    Phoebe gave it a small dismissive wave, suddenly she remembered something it had mentioned. "A manual? whom did you give it to? I haven''t seen one."


    The Saxon spirit chuckled, giving away the fact that it had done something naughty.


    Phoebe wanted to groan again, her eyes marred deep suspicion. "Where is the damn manual!" She crossed her fingers and prayed that David had not somehow got his hands on it, or lord knows what he would think of her.


    "Well about that, I may have wanted to give him a few pointers as well, so I did something." The spirit said in a nervous guilty voice.


    "What did you do?" Phoebe asked in an exasperated voice.


    The spirit shrugged. "I may have put the manual in your bag and made it fall down deliberately." It explained all that had happened, leaving nothing out. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    There was an abrupt knock on the door. "Pheebs are you okay in there?" David''s loud and slightly worried voice came from the other side of the door.


    "I am fine, I will be out in a minute." She shouted in response, pacing back and forth on the bathroom mat. "My goodness Zephyra what have you done? What if he thinks that I am loose?" Phoebe fidgeted with her fingers. "Maybe you need to revisit our past in which he was misled about my morals." Read latest chapters at My Virtual Library Empire


    The spirit moved its lips in a dismissive way. "What do you mean by the that? You should not be modest with him in fact be like a streetwalker, he is your man after all. I propose that you drop the good girl act, go wear the cat lingerie that I packed for you and get down to business. David is not shy either, he is just afraid that you are not ready so show him that you are. I am leaving now, don''t let me down." It spun around and vanished.


    Phoebe felt like the captain of a football team; a lot was riding on her first time with David apparently. She studied her frame in the mirror and shook herself like a dog shaking water out of its fur. "Come on Phoebe just go out and enjoy yourself, it is not like you have not done this before." She bolstered her confidence.


    When she was done with the pep talk, Phoebe stepped out of the bathroom with only a very short towel covering her body, leaving very little to imagination.


    "You called for me?" A seductive murmur came from her, she walked to where he stood, speechless and his eyes fixed on her wet smooth legs.


    David shook his head as if to disperse the explicit images that were running wild in his head. "I will go take a shower as well." he hastily moved to the bathroom. "I need a cold shower, very cold."

 Chapter 409 A night that was.

    As he stepped out of the bathroom in his briefs, David could not believe what his eyes landed upon, Phoebe standing at the center of the room dressed in a sexy cat cosplay lingerie which consisted of a short transparent black silk dress, a thong that covered just enough of her lower private part. To finish off the costume she wore a lace cat ears and a short faux leather whip.


    He gulped and shook his head, the sight before him was unbelievable, the old Phoebe would never have worn something like this, she was a prude.


    "Well do not just stand there I hope this costume is proof that I am more than ready to be with you." Came Phoebe''s sultry voice.


    The small towel that David was using to dry his hair, slipped through his hands and fell on the floor.


    He chuckled nervously. "Are you serious babe, I hope that you do not think that my bringing you here is for us to have sex, I am okay with kissing and holding hands. I will not apply any pressure on you to do something you are not ready for." David chose his words carefully.


    Unease shadowed his face; he never wanted her to do something that she could regret later on. Sex had been one of the parts of their married life which they failed at because he was always tired and overworked and she never showed passion when they were doing it. Eventually, it started to feel like a chore, and he figured it was better for them both to live like those sexless couples.


    When he was convinced that she was cheating on him with Dickson, he became insecure. It was not that she did not like sex, she just didn''t want it with him.


    Phoebe approached him, took his hand and squeezed it gently. "Babe why would you think that I would be forced into doing this? I want us to be together intimately, I want to do this because it''s with you and there is no man in the world that equals to you in my heart.


    I want to feel your touch on my skin, I want to be kissed senseless that I do not know East from West. Stop treating me like some fragile egg and make love to me or come out and say that you don''t want me....." Phoebe failed to complete her words because David leaned down and covered his lips over hers.


    Like an unleashed beast after years in a cage, he showed no tenderness in his kiss. He kissed the way he had wished to do many times in their last life, demanding and possessive, filled with desperation to own a part of her.


    He shivered with delight when she kissed him back, opening her mouth willing and surrendering to his plunder. So quickly, he felt a stirring in his manhood that rose eagerly. He had desired to make love to her for the longest time, thousands of times he imagined stripping of her clothes and taking her as he desired yet he had held himself back out of concern for her.


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    He touched her arms, rubbing his hands up and down over them, before lowering them to her perfectly round ass. A fire erupted between them as their limbs entwined, his lips traveled from her mouth to her neck and then her chest.


    He heard a moan slip from her mouth and he kissed her again, if it was possible he was even more desperate than before.


    "I want you baby, you do not know how long I have waited for this day." He whispered to her, his hot velvety breath on the top of her ear.


    Phoebe looked deep within his eyes in search of a connection with him, a look of need which she had always wanted to see in him. She saw what she wanted, and her knees trembled, in his eyes was a fiery intense need that was unmistakable.


    There was a wildness in his expression, his pupils were dilated, his lips parted, he was on the verge of gasping.


    David pulled her up with strength and pressed his manhood against her, letting her know just how much he wanted to consume her.


    Excitement burned within Phoebe, everything that Saxon spirit had told her was thrown out of the window. There would be room for exploration of other styles later, right now she just wanted her needs to be satisfied.


    "Then do not hold yourself back." Her voice had a seductive undertone to it. "Tonight, I want you to make passionate love to me David, like we have never done before." S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She licked her bottom lip and exhaled, a shaky breath which was because he was caressing her through the silk of the cat lingerie she was wearing. There was something gentle and exciting in the simple touches.


    He could hear the hammering of his heart against his rib cage, his pulse quickened with every gasp she took because of his touch. The burning look on her face was like the burn in his manhood, hot and eager.


    There was no room for hesitation for she had given him the green light, his head swooped down and he kissed her. He lifted her in his muscular arms and laid her gently on top of the bed.


    Both of their hands were roaming hungrily all over each other''s bodies, it had been so long since they made love, even longer since they felt lust, love, want and desire all at the same time. It was wonderful, simple and pure with the right person.


    David pulled his lips from hers, he wanted her to look at him as he removed his briefs, as he took off her lingerie and they saw each other naked in every way, physically and emotionally.


    Her gaze burned into his as he undressed her leaving only the cat ears. His hands skimmed over her body with such grace and care. He was still afraid to hurt her. after all it was her first time in this life. He hesitated for a moment and looked into her eyes, as deep and endless as the sea yet filled with desire and hunger for him.


    Inside, he found assurance, it was like a wave of calm washed over him.


    "It is okay David." She said softly with a gentle smile.


    Her hands roamed all over his bare chest, drawing the lines of his muscles, each trace sending shivers down his spine and finally she gripped his hard manhood with her soft hand.


    "I was made for you, born for you. I am yours David Saxon, only yours." she said in a low whisper that caressed his ears like a gentle kiss.


    He finally gave in and continued to explore every inch of her body, every touch subtle yet it made her moan with pleasure and command him to continue. At last, they joined bodies, bonding like they had never done before in this life, they felt a warmth explode in their chests and suddenly felt a connection that was unbreakable. It was like a string, one so light was tying their souls together for eternity.


    David was sure that this was more than love, but what was more than love, he wondered before all though and reason faded from his mind, and he lost himself in pleasure.


    To Phoebe it all felt like a dream, one that she did not want to wake up from-ever.

 Chapter 410 Sowing seeds.

    It was not David that woke Phoebe up in the morning but the sound of the waterfall which traveled in through an open window. The weather was not gloomy as it had been the day before, the sun though not strong had made an appearance.


    Its rays radiated through the white curtains of the suite, filling the room with its glow, bringing a smile to Phoebe''s face as she opened her eyes slowly. A serene smile came to her lips as the events of last night came rushing back. David had made love to her again not once, but three more times and each time had felt like the first-amazing than the last one.


    She was not keeping score but if she was, their sex life now kicked the sex life of their last life. She could not believe what had happened, they had gone from him showing hesitation to losing control. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He had definitely used some of the ideas from the book the spirit had showed him. Her hand rustled through the sheets to his side of the bed, it was warm but empty. ''Is he gone?'' Phoebe''s head jerked up in search of him


    She sat up and finally saw him, David was sitting in a single chair that was positioned beside a coffee table that had breakfast on it, a generous number of diverse pastries and fruits. He was focused on whatever he was seeing on his phone, his furrowed brows warned that it was nothing good.


    "Good morning sunshine." She picked up a pillow and threw it at him. Amazingly, without looking up, he caught it and threw it back on the bed rather than aiming it at her.


    An amused chuckle came from David. "I think that I am the one that is supposed to say that good morning to the most beautiful woman that I know and love." His tone was effortlessly smooth and playful. "Breakfast or should I say brunch has been served. How are you?" His cheeks flushed, when she shyly smiled at him because his question held a double meaning.


    Phoebe rolled her eyes, pointed at the boiled eggs next to the bread and said, "Egg" then she pointed at herself, "Not egg."


    It meant she was not fragile; a few rounds of great sex would not break her. In fact, she felt stronger than before. as if her energy had rapidly increased.


    Phoebe''s eyes moved to the moved to the clock, it was almost midday. She could not believe that she had slept for so long that half of the day was already gone. Just as she had that thought, she recalled that she was supposed to be on vacation, so she relaxed.


    "What has you occupied? Let me guess, Moria and her mother?" She asked knowingly.


    It was easy to assume that it was them after all, they had run to the press to cry about the fake assault.


    In response, David assured her calmly, "I will handle it she will not bother you anymore. If it means running her out of the city, I will do so. But a few threats will work as well, either way I will put the fear of God in her again." He spoke as he filled a plate with Phoebe''s favorite snacks, after to which he took the plate to her.


    It had some mini pancakes, a strawberry rhubarb muffin, two cinnamon rolls and Sylvester''s fruit parfait which she had no idea how he had acquired in the hotel.


    "Have a bite, after last night you must be hungry." he gently instructed, his thumb brushing her cheek. "Why did you not tell me that she attacked you? I heard to hear it from Luna, I want to know such things the moment they happen babe, I am never busy to handle such issues." There was a tinge of disappointment in his voice.


    Phoebe raised her hand to touch his cheek. "You have to allow me to handle some of these things on my own otherwise I will remain weak, and I do not want to be weak.


    I am not a canary in a cage David, I am the eagle that is flying freely and capable of hunting. I am not intimidated by Moria or her mother, they are making fools of themselves. What I am doing is allowing them to bark like crazy dogs and then I can slap them with the truth, and they will be too ashamed to step out of their house. I request that you focus on more important things like saving the sick in the world with your medicines." She pinched his cheek lightly until he dramatically winced.


    She started eating, he stayed beside her watching her devour the breakfast with a smile on his face. Eventually, he had to stop with the gawking and smiling, the real world was calling. David''s eyes moved to the clock, he had been away from work for a while, and he needed to go back and monitor things.


    "Unfortunately...." he started, giving Phoebe an apologetic look.


    The spirit appeared and interjected. "Do not tell me that you are going to run away after planting your seed in her?" Its tone came heavy, loaded with berating.


    David raised his eyes instinctively only to see an old woman with long white hair, he lurched up to stand on his feet. It took him a while before he figured who it was. "Z-Zephyra, am I right?"


    He was familiar with the voice, the woman behind the voice had been a mystery until now. She looked nothing like he had imagined, she definitely did not have white hair when he pictured her.


    "Zephyra Saxon in the flesh or ghost, I do not know what rhymes better, you can choose which pleases you." The spirit smiled warmly and twirled for some reason Phoebe couldn''t fathom. Continue your journey on My Virtual Library Empire


    David was still staring at it in disbelief. "Saxon? Like Saxon, like me?" He asked pointing from Zephyra to himself and her again. He could not make heads or tails of it.


    He was not the only puzzled person in the room, Phoebe was shocked but not because David could see the spirit now but because it said that he had planted his seed in her. There was only one type of seed planting which was not related to plants.


    "Yes, David that is your ancestor, get with the reality but ancestor what seeds are you talking about? You cannot mean that kind of seed planting, this was our first time, I cannot be pregnant!!" She exclaimed.


    The Saxon spirit shrugged. "You should have thought of that before forgetting to use rainy day umbrellas last night. You my dear are as fertile as a mouse."


    Phoebe put a hand on her head and her head fell back on the pillow. "Oh, I must be dreaming." She sat up with wide eyes and a smile. "I know the science of how a normal woman gets pregnant and it''s too soon to tell." She immediately dived into denial.


    "A normal woman, are you one? My dear you are a magical being, a cheat of nature. You are not even supposed to exist, both of you. So, are you ready to get with reality?" It laughed with mirth.


    Connie appeared from the space with her hands covering her eyes. "Are they dressed? Can I look?" She voiced innocently; she tittered playfully. "We are having babies." she squealed.

 Chapter 411 It was worth it.

    It was troublesome enough when the spirit said it but knowing that Connie was aware almost made Phoebe faint for real.


    "Oh my God, you also know! How do you know? What were you up to Connie? Were you guys spying on us this entire time even though I specifically told you not to? I should have known better, after all I know how naughty you can be Connie." Phoebe''s face flushed with embarrassment, was the word privacy foreign to ghosts.


    The mere fact that the Saxon spirit was aware that they had not used protection was proof that one or all of the ghosts had been peeking. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Connie hurriedly denied the accusation. "I was not peeking; do you think that Sylvester or this old witch would let me? They tried to get me to study mathematicians, so I run away and spent the night with my brother, we went to a concert. As for how I know, it''s from the changes in the magic space, I instinctively knew that you guys had done the deed when I saw them. Great job Pheebs, you have outdone yourself." She burst into lighthearted amusement.


    Changes! Phoebe was puzzled and she recalled that sex between her and David could also bring rewards to her lifespan and the space. Looking down at her hand, she saw that she had been rewarded with thirty years of life, and she gasped.


    "Holy shit!"


    "I know, right." The Saxon spirit laughed.


    This unexpected windfall made her intrigued know had happened in the space, the changes that Connie was talking about. Phoebe saved the curiosity for later however because this was not the time. She was still held captive by the spirit''s former words about a pregnancy.


    When she looked at David he seemed to be lost in another world, he appeared to be in a daze, standing still and thinking about all he had heard. He snapped back to his senses when he heard Phoebe call his name and the Saxon spirit knocked him on the back of the head.


    "David?" Her eyes met his. "Your Phone." She jutted her chin towards his ringing phone.


    His eyes moved to her stomach, and he looked like he was about to go into that daze again, the Saxon spirit had to knock him on the head again.


    "Move it." she said.


    He wanted to talk about what was going on, but a disheartened groan escaped his lips when he took just one look at the caller. "It is the minister of Health, there has to be something going on, perhaps a shortage, hopefully not a sabotage of the drugs or a theft." David voiced apologetically. "Babe I might have to leave even though I do not want to."


    "Go, it is okay. I am going to be occupied anyway; I have a full schedule too." Phoebe kissed his lips lightly; she understood the nature of his work especially during an epidemic like this one.


    Nodding his head, David chewed on his upper lip. "I have a lot of questions about what is going on here, me planting seeds in you does that really mean that...." He paused, his lips hesitating to say what he wanted but he did not have the time either. "And these blinking numbers on your arm, that pendant around your neck and also why I see glowing current leaving me and entering your body. I want to know everything." He emphasized the word everything. He wanted her to reveal the truth to him.


    He had long sensed that she was hiding things from him which is one of the reasons as to why he had been holding back from making love to her. Since it was already a done deal, then they just had to go with the floor.


    Phoebe blinked a few times as he saw through all of her secrets like the numbers on her wrist and the mark of the space. Would he be angry if he found out that she had been using him as a charger, initially?


    Well, she would have to wait and see how things proceeded after everything was laid out in the open.


    "I promise, whatever it is that you need to know I will tell you." She promised him and encouraged him to leave.


    After he left, her attention then turned to the two non-human beings in the room. The Saxon spirit looked proud and happy, Connie looked silly and excited.


    "I do not even know where to begin." Phoebe''s eyes rested on the numbers on her arm, but she did not dwell on them, there were much more pressing things that needed her attention.


    "Soooo" she started, "Pregnant, it was just one night, people spend months or years trying and a goal was scored on my very first night." Phoebe stared blankly, she did not know how to feel about this.


    It was exciting to know that she was expecting, her children were coming back to her but at the same time, she was terrified. One, she was not ready to be a mother, especially now that she had knowledge about the supernatural world. It was dangerous out there, what if a ghost followed her child to school?


    What if it was eaten by a skin walker or.....there were many monsters, but she could not string her spinning thoughts together.


    Secondly, after tasting the pain of losing her children, she was afraid of encountering such a thing the most in her life.


    Phoebe touched her stomach and sighed; she wondered if this was possibly the first child that she had miscarried thanks to Ruth.


    "What''s done is done, now you must protect this new life and handle other problems like your reputation which is being dismantled as we talk." The Saxon spirit handed Phoebe her phone.


    Connie chuckled quietly. "As you think about life as a new mommy, or old mummy since this is your second life keep in mind that in a few months you will be showing, and you don''t want what is being said on the internet to ferment or people will point at your baby."


    Phoebe''s back stiffened, she suddenly had more to consider, her troubles with Moria did not concern her alone now, she had a child on the way. A child that did not need the label of a mistress''s child.


    She switched her phone on, ignored the dozens of missed calls and went straight to the internet to see what was trending online.


    #Police consultant assaults civilian.


    # Mayfair heiress fights dirty for Saxon''s bed.


    # Wealthy shaman Phoebe Mayfair attacks David''s betrothed.


    They were so many that she gave up after the fourth one claimed that David had run back to his fianc¨¦ and she Phoebe was licking her wounds in despair.


    "They are truly disgusting and not afraid of the consequences. None of the mainstream media is reporting these false claims, it is those faceless blogs that post anonymously." The spirit complained


    Among the missed calls was reporter Heinz, Phoebe opted to deal with him because she knew him to some extent. Without wasting time, she sent him the recording that she had received from the Gemma plus the full confession.


    She also sent a video Luna had acquired of Moria hitting herself and instructing a friend of hers to slap her until she was swollen. Continue reading at My Virtual Library Empire


    "You want to play, let''s play then." She erupted in amused chuckles.

 Chapter 412 Three wishes.

    The spirit let out a mocking cackle, it could already the picture the look on Moria''s face when her plan backfired. "They are going to regret the decision of involving the press, it will be their downfall. Why is it that coquettish bitches never learn, I swear they are all molded from the same clay, or they are reading from the same script.


    They attack first and cry foul first and they are always pretentious it''s disgusting to watch. I used to know a witch like that, if a man was wealthy, handsome and powerful, she wanted him whether he was married or not.


    She would use her magic to seduce and charm them, I have never seen another so skilled in the art of hypnosis and entrapment like her. Funny enough she kind of looked like Moria which I guess makes sense because she was a Mortimer, dirty blood that whole lot." It sailed towards Phoebe that was dripping blood and sending energy into a paper man.


    "What are you planning to do?" it asked curiously.


    Phoebe handed a paper talisman to the paper man. "I am going to send her nightmares for two weeks and some bad luck. She won''t have to go out looking for injuries, the universe will punch, slap and kick her for me."


    "Oooh, devious." The spirit laughed.


    They paper man disappeared and Phoebe smiled, Moria would learn not to mess with a shaman.


    "Do you want to go and take a look at the changes in the space? I have to tell you that it will keep expanding and growing as your connection to David grows. Even the birth of a child will come with its own rewards, aren''t you excited?" Its eyes twinkled with enthusiasm.


    "Sure." Phoebe answered, unsure of it all. She was still digesting the news of the pregnancy; it was still too early to dance for joy. "Let''s go."


    They both found their way into the space and Phoebe gasped, gushed and experienced a lot of emotions all related to excitement.


    Just like Connie had said the place had drastically changed, it was filled with intangible spiritual energy that she could not see but feel. The size had doubled to that of a small island with a forest which was home to some wildlife. She could hear birds singing, the sounds came from that forest.


    "The veil woods," The Saxon spirit pointed to the dense forest with trees that appeared almost alive, they were ancient and eternal in the space. "The creatures in there are otherworldly like moonlit stags with glowing antlers, twilight owls, ghostfire foxes, spectral beasts with no shape. You will read all about them in the library." S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At the edge of the forest was a pond of still water, the water in the pond was imbued with pure energy.


    "The water in the pond can be used to purify cursed artifacts and trap restless spirits. This water is a ghost catcher''s dream." The Saxon spirit shared.


    Phoebe spun around and her eyes widened more, another mountain had been added, it was higher than the others and a colossal waterfall was spilling from it.


    "That''s just for beauty, it''s not special." The spirit told her.


    The cabin had also been transformed, it was now a colossal building, a solemn sanctum. The spirit took Phoebe inside and she saw statutes of the past owners of the space.


    In the hands of the last statue was round green orb with flames inside, within it was a chain, an artifact.


    "That is the chain of eclipsed souls, a weapon that subdues even the most malevolent of spirits. It was forged by the former owner of the space."


    "The ghost catcher." Phoebe whispered in awe.


    The spirit floated in front of Phoebe and looked at her with an intensity that was rare. "At some point, you will have to bind your soul to the space if you want to be one of us...." it pointed to the statues, "An eternal protector of the space, I was the first, but I will not be the last. Someday, you will be me, doing what I do."


    Phoebe drew her head back, "Whoa! this is far from what I anticipated."


    The spirit nodded, "Everything is changing Phoebe, you are entering the big leagues, but we can discuss it slowly. For now, just enjoy the new changes."


    It swept one hand out and from the pond flew a bottle, it was not taller than a hand, crafted from translucent crystal. Its surface was etched with swirling patters that moved and entwined, whispering in a forgotten language.


    This is the Phantom wishing bottle, it is tied to the space and will grant your wishes." A gratifying smile grew on its lips when Phoebe hopped with delight like a little girl who had been given her favorite candy.


    "Like a genie in the bottle type of wishes? What is the catch, are there limitations to these wishes like something I can wish for?" Suspicion appeared in her eyes suddenly, the space had so many rules that she had to follow, for instance she was happy to see the gold but suddenly she was told that she could only take what she needed in the moment and nothing more.


    Shaking its head, the spirit announced that this was a gift from the space to her. "There are no limitations to this, you can ask for anything that you want however...."


    "Here it comes." Phoebe chimed in, rolling her eyes to the sparkling clouds.


    "For now, you have only three wishes, I implore that you use them very wisely, because once a wish is made, things change for a lot of people. It is best for your wishes to be pure, free of greed or harm. They should not be tainted with selfishness or greed, if the wish is tainted, it will be granted but with a cruel twist, ensuring the fulfillment leads to suffering." It cautioned her.


    "Can I bring back someone to life?" Phoebe asked with Boyd Alton in my mind, she still had the urge to help him.


    Her words rendered the spirit speechless for a fleeting minute. "Here comes another limitation, you have to use the wishes for yourself. Like ask the space to bring back someone you want back like your grandfather, although I would advise you not to do it because that would totally mess with a balance of nature. Read exclusive content at My Virtual Library Empire


    Secondly, my dear girl why would you go that far to bring back that man''s wife? Would he do the same for you if given the opportunity? You must learn to prioritize yourself in some cases, especially now that you have a child to protect. I have told you times without number to detach yourself emotionally from these cases. Stop going above and beyond for everyone, you are not God." Its words sounded reproachful, but they were laced with nothing but the truth.


    Nodding her head gently, Phoebe pushed her mouth to one side. "I Understand what you mean."


    She touched her stomach and recalled that she still had dangers to encounter, Ruth was still alive. If she had killed her children once, what would stop her from trying again? It was best to save the wishes for a rainy day.

 Chapter 413 Motherhood and magic.

    The spirit put a hand on Phoebe''s arms, and they floated up to visit the new expanded library. Apart from the difference in size from the old one, there was another change, a phantom outside the door keeping everything and everyone out.


    It was a spectral figure; one Phoebe had read about. It had no permanent shape, often changing shape depending on the observer''s deepest fears. To temporary visitors of the space, it looked like a faceless humanoid creature cloaked in flowing red robes whose edges dissolved into mist.


    "This is the keeper." The Saxon spirit introduced to Phoebe "It is a sentient and intelligent being that knows all the secrets of the space. It was once a mortal that married a guardian if the space and surrendered his soul to stay with her forever here, living as the library''s eternal guardian."


    When Phoebe tried to go in, it stopped her.


    "Password." It demanded.


    Phoebe looked at the Saxon spirit, her eyebrows shot up as she was confused. The spirit rolled its eyes and sighed.


    "Ask the question." It told the keeper.


    A whisper like voice came from it. "I am boundless but can be contained. Without me, all is lost, what am I?"


    "Knowledge." Phoebe blurted out.


    Suddenly, an axe appeared in the keeper''s hands, Phoebe got the message immediately; her answer was wrong. What the spirit had not told her was that being cut with a curse was a consequence of one giving the wrong answer.


    "Err, time." she squealed out.


    The axe vanished, as did the keeper and Phoebe marched into the library freely.


    "Will it be like that all the time?" she asked the spirit. "I am not good at guessing games."


    "No, he just likes to tease the newcomers." It answered.


    Phoebe frowned, "Hey, I am not a newcomer."


    The spirit floated high up but Phoebe could still hear its voice. "In the new space, you are. This is the real space Phoebe, not the old one, now you can even see and speak to the old guardians of the space if you wish. Be warned however, they don''t like to be disturbed so it is likely that they will not respond to your call unless the space is endangered."


    She directed some energy to her feet and followed it, floating in the air with ease. From above the library was even bigger that she imagined, it defied every sense of space and time.


    Towering shelves made of starlit obsidian spiraled endlessly into the boundless sky, the edges of the shelves glimmered faintly as though carved from stars. An ethereal mist traveled above, carrying the smell of aged parchment and ink, with other aromas Phoebe could not place.


    She glided in the air like a bird, moving from one shelf to another, most of the books were dedicated to ghosts, spirits and supernatural phenomena. Their titles glowed softly, and books whispered as if they were alive. Many were bound in materials the seemed impossible to fold like crystals and barks of ancient trees.


    A few books were related to musical spells, they put a smile on Phoebe''s face as they hummed softly, their pages vibrating with energy. There were other books which she noticed were eerily silent, their content hidden behind enchanted locks.


    Phoebe picked up a few books, reading each title loudly.


    "Journals of ghostly histories, Manual of spirit catching, Guide to otherworldly beasts, Forbidden arts and how to counter them, Spirit contracts and their making, Philosophical thoughts on the afterlife. The troubles of reincarnation. How to survive a witch hunt. Love spells and happily ever after."


    She looked at the Saxon spirit and shook her head, "Wow, who collected some of these books?" Phoebe picked up one that was moaning lewdly in a disturbing manner, "The key to magical seduction and enchantment. Who the hell wrote this?"


    "Take a look at the back, there is always a name." It answered.


    Phoebe flipped the purple book over, "Janice Mortimer," She put it back on the shelf with a look of disgust on her face. "First of all, gross and secondly, this book was written in 1656. What in the drunken mead were witches drinking in that year?"


    The Saxon spirit laughed, "I told you that Moria has an ancestor like that, I just didn''t expect you to find her book in here. I did not collect it for your information, it was another guardian, and he collected it because it is too dangerous to be out there. Imagine the damage Moria Mortimer would do with such a book, David would be bewitched."


    "Then I am glad that it''s here and not out there." Phoebe shot the book one last sneer and moved along.


    Surprise fell on her face when she found a section on pregnancy and motherhood which made her gasp as the books ranged from human to supernatural.


    "Eternal bonds, a guide to raising the mortal and immortal. The moon''s blessing, a werewolf mother''s journey through pregnancy." Phoebe frowned at the Saxon spirit. "How is this even real, I feel like I stepped into another dimension."


    She wondered how people would react if they got their hands on these books.


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    "Look at this one." She pulled out a book with fangs, "When your baby eats moonlight, survival tips for vampire moms!!!" Phoebe loudly exclaimed as she read the title, her exasperation deepened as she continued on to other books, "So you''re growing a tail, strange side effects of supernatural pregnancy."


    That book made her chortle, she would probably need it too if she got pregnant and grew a tail out of the blue.


    "Soul thread, maternal love across reincarnations. From flame to flesh, a Phoenix''s guide to parenthood. Cursed cravings, how to satisfy a pregnancy appetite for stardust. My baby eats souls, but that''s okay!" She shoved the book back, shaking her head. "No, it''s not."


    The Saxon spirit highlighted a picture on the book. "It is for specters." S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe was so intrigued that she continued, "Ghost babies don''t cry but they do float." she chuckled loudly. "How to stop your dragonling from setting the nursery on fire." She looked at the Saxon spirit. Her eyes were asking, is this even real?


    "Dragonlings are children of dragon shifters." It said casually.


    Phoebe did not even know how to address it, so she just continued rifling through books. "Tentacles, wings and everything in between, a monster mom''s guide to parenting. From fangs to first words, vampire toddler tales." She paused and frowned. "There are a lot of books here on vampire babies, one in particular is a guide on how to disguise them as human babies. Now I am scared of taking my kids to daycare because some vamp baby will snack on them."


    She saw a book that made her eyes light up and she picked it up. "Check this one out. Mama needs a spell, self-care for witches expecting magical offspring." She opened the book and perused through the table of contents, there was information on building a magical nursery, potions for pregnancy glow, dealing with magical cravings, soothing hexes for hormonal mood swings, wardrobe enchantments, preparing for a supernatural birth, postpartum potions and spells."


    Her finger stopped and she raised her head in shock, "When your baby casts their first spell, what to do when your unborn magical offspring suddenly charms your broomstick or teleports your cat to a parallel dimension!!"


    She had a great desire to say, oh crap!!

 Chapter 414 Longing to stay.

    "What is it that worries you?" The Saxon spirit asked her.


    Phoebe looked at her stomach, "You said my pregnancy is magical which makes my babies magical." She frowned, "Will my child send my cat to another dimension?"


    The Saxon spirit was rather confused, it seemed Phoebe had forgotten reality for a moment. "Dear, you don''t own a cat."


    "Maria has a cat." she replied instantly.


    "It''s not your cat." The spirit emphasized. "Look, the pregnancy is not even a month old. Do not worry about nonexistent cats being sent to another dimension."


    Phoebe was not convinced but she let the matter go and they left the library to have some fun and explore the water fall and the forest. She took a swim in the lake beneath the waterfall, playing with small glowing fish which the spirit told her were called Luminax.


    She played with Yin and black kitty too, later Connie joined in the fun and the Saxon spirit dipped its toes in the water as well.


    They ate some fruits from the ancient trees in the forest and eventually, Phoebe rejoined the real world. When she came out of the space, she enjoyed a lot of the amenities that the hotel had to offer, starting with a dip in their roof top swimming pool.


    She visited their aquarium and swam with dolphins, played with the rainbow fish, got a massage, played water sports golf and finally took a luxurious bath. There was a lot to do, and the time was so little although she did not want the day to end, evening arrived soon,


    She had to leave because the following day she had to prepare for with Gwyneth''s funeral in the morning. The Rowland family was powerful and after the scandal, all the founding families would be in attendance.


    and Rufus Saxon''s thanksgiving dinner later that evening.


    "I wish that I can stay here a little while longer, it''s so peaceful, no ghosts asking for help, no monsters lurking in the shadows, no evil human beings like Dickson, Ruth and others. No stress, just fun and good food." Her remorseful eyes gazed at the spirit which was packing her belongings using magic.


    Phoebe actually found it soothing watching the clothes fold themselves and deliver themselves to the suitcase. If everyone could use magic, how simple would life be!


    "Is this anxiety coming from the fact that you are now pregnant? Do not worry yourself my dear my little Saxons that are forming in you can actually protect themselves and their host when it comes to it." It zipped the suitcase and held onto the sex manual.


    "Host? That sounds like they are aliens hitching a ride inside of me against my will. The fate of hosts is usually death after the alien rips the abdomen apart with tentacles and makes its way out. I am his or her mother not a host." Phoebe''s voice came laced with displeasure.


    She trembled extravagantly as she recalled a movie, she had watched whose plot was exactly what she had just described.


    An apologetic smile formed on the spirit''s lips. "Pardon my choice of words then." sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The apology barely crossed Phoebe''s ears as she looked at her stomach with a frown. "Magic baby won''t rip me apart during childbirth, right?"


    "No, it will be born like a normal human baby, but I suggest a home birth. I once saw a witch''s baby teleport itself out of the womb. One minute it was inside and the next it was out, and the mother freaked out because she thought it could teleport back inside." The spirit laughed, relishing the memories of its life.


    It did not see the look of horror on Phoebe''s face, magic baby to her sounded like a troublesome baby that would keep her on her toes. She took a deep breath and calmed her mind, there were other things to think about for now.


    "Have you heard anything about Dickson since he was dragged away?" She asked the spirit.


    Shaking its head, a faraway look formed in the spirit''s eyes. "Actually no, last I heard of him, Luna had handed him over to David after he was beaten brutally. David then took him to Alfa security where I suppose the beating continued." It responded, a thoughtful wince left its lips as it stretched its hands in search of Dickson''s energy. "He is alive for now." It mentioned.


    "Oh, I know that David would not be foolish to kill him off easily, not without giving me a heads up. I do think at times that he has come so close to ending Dickson, but he holds himself back because an easy death is giving mercy to Dickson." She touched her stomach and sighed. "I worry though about the fact that both of us are slowly coming to terms with shedding blood of others, even though they are evil."


    She was comfortable with supernatural related killings, humans on the other hand however evil they were made her hesitate.


    "Don''t be merciful, there are psychopaths in this story, and it is not you and David but rather Ruth, Dickson and the people that helped them. Destroy whoever you have to as long as you feel that they are a threat to you and your loved ones.


    I will tell you from personal experience, you may hesitate, but the enemy will not. So, I will be in your corner rooting and helping you, if you cannot pull the trigger, I will possess your body and do it." The spirit covered its hand over Phoebe''s, there was a connection.


    It was almost like as though Phoebe could feel the spirit''s hand and it was warm and soft, like that of a human. With wide eyes, Phoebe gazed at the spirit which was equally astonished.


    "Now this is new, do not ask why it is happening, I guess that it''s one of the changes that came about after last night." It laughed, a pleased sound.


    Phoebe wanted to try again but she did not want to make the spirit uncomfortable, she laid back on the bed and checked the internet for the latest developments in the war between her and Moria.


    All of the latest trending topics which were slandering her were gone. She took time to watch reporter Heinz''s famous celebrity expose podcast, he had not only exposed Moria''s lies but he had dug up dirt from her past.


    All of her bullying in school, maltreatment of employees in her family company, her use of pink cocaine five years ago. All the information he released with evidence painted Moria in a bad light.


    "Serves you right Moria." Phoebe let out a derisive cackle.


    "Packing is done, let''s go." The spirit told her.


    Checking out of the hotel was smooth, she was given no trouble because David had taken care of everything. Her bags were taken from her, and she was escorted to her convoy which was waiting.


    "Good evening boss, welcome back from your staycation." Santos welcomed her by offering a small bow. Find your next read on My Virtual Library Empire


    "Good evening, Santos, I am glad to be back." Phoebe replied, a small smile tugged on her lips as she entered the backseat of the car.


    When all her belongings which were not many had been loaded into the car, Santos drove off.

 Chapter 415 A closed chapter for Maureen

    On the morning of the following day, the sky was overcast, casting a somber, grey hue over everything. The heavy clouds hung low, as if mourning for the dead Gwyneth whose burial Phoebe and the rest of the family would soon head to.


    Phoebe was still stuck in bed, looking at the clouds through Yin''s eyes. The raven was perched on the sill of the wide-open window.


    The Saxon spirit floated closer and waved a hand, removing the bed covers, opening Phoebe up to the cold air which woke her up completely. "Good morning, Phoebe. Are you ready for another funeral?"


    Phoebe sighed, "You are too cheerful for someone heading to a funeral. Is there good news? You know what, don''t answer that, I had forgotten that funerals actually entertain you." She got up unwillingly and flew to the bathroom, now that she had to ability to fly in the air, she found that she enjoyed it more than walking on the ground.


    The spirit followed her to the bathroom, she took a quick shower and immediately dressed up. As always, she donned an expensive short black dress, and boots because of the weather.


    "A fifty-thousand-dollar dress to a funeral, you my dear know how to live." The spirit commented.


    Phoebe admired herself in the mirror, admiring her look.


    "It was worth it, just as all my other funeral dresses."


    "No hat today?" It asked.


    Phoebe picked up the sleeper''s hat on the vanity table. "I am going as the resident witch." She put the hat on and beamed proudly.


    "You just love to make an entrance." The spirit chuckled. Experience tales at My Virtual Library Empire


    "I attend more than fifty funerals a year, I have to find some joy in it and being over dressed and late is how I stay sane. Instead of people discussing the freaky shaman, they discuss my inappropriate outfits." Phoebe shrugged.


    Sylvester came in with a glass of an elixir from the space. "This is a magical elixir for pregnant women, it has a pure water collected under the light of a full moon, lavender, rosemary, two drops of unicorn tears and a pinch of star dust, all are products for the space, now drink up it will be good for the niece or nephew." He placed it on a bedside drawer.


    Phoebe pinched her nose because she was afraid that the taste would be disgusting, when she tasted it however, it was familiar to milk which made her relieved.


    "Where is Connie?" Phoebe asked, the last drop of the elixir fell into her mouth.


    A low chuckle rumbled from Sylvester''s chest. "In the space, enjoying all the amenities that it can offer. I don''t think we can pull her away from the forest and the cave under the waterfall where she is annoying the creatures which dwell there. If you want to see an angry unicorn you can head inside the space now."


    Phoebe chuckled, she could only imagine what the teenage ghost was up to. Either she was chatting too loudly, asking too many questions or trying to ride the unicorn.


    "I own a unicorn!" Phoebe sighed.


    She experienced another moment which made her want to question how this was now her life. She had gone from helping ghosts move on to owning a forest with otherworldly creatures.


    She left the bedroom and headed downstairs to the dining room, where most of the family was gathered around the table. Her eyes lit up on seeing David, he was sitting in between her mother and aunt.


    Both women were laughing, hanging on to his words which made Phoebe roll her eyes.


    [Tsk, tsk, look and my mom and aunt, they are like teenage girls in love. Mom, dad will kick my boyfriend out if you treat him so well. I should have come down early and sat next to him so that I can charge before the funeral. I just know there will be ghosts there needing favors.]


    She pulled out a chair to sit next to her brothers and looked around with a smile. "Good morning, everyone, I would say it''s a lovely day, but it is gloomy out there. Perfect funeral weather in my opinion."


    Nobody laughed at her joke, they were busy trying to analyze what they had just read. Phoebe''s thoughts were like difficult jigsaw puzzles that were too hard to piece together. What did she mean by charge and what did David have anything to do with it.


    Some like her grandmother automatically thought that she wanted to have sex with him which was weird because they were at the dining table, and it was inappropriate.


    Her father loudly cleared his throat. "Pheebs, you came home late last night, you must have worked so hard at the research labs."


    Edward''s eyes laid accusation at David whom he was looking at deliberately.


    Phoebe was absentminded as she was picking out what she wanted to eat for breakfast, so when she responded it was without thought,


    "Research labs, what lab?" Phoebe''s mind was so scattered that her face had a blank expression, forgetting that it was she that told her parents that she was going to David''s research labs.


    David on the other hand changed seats with Luke and moved closer to Phoebe. The moment he sat he took hold of her hand, he knew what she meant by wanting to charge. He had pieced some things together on his own and also asked his grandfather a couple of questions which cemented his theory.


    He watched in awe as waves of what looked like light funneled out of him and went into her. It is exactly what I thought, he laughed softly in disbelief. According to his grandfather, it was likely that Phoebe had a yin body while he had a yang body, they had a symbiotic relationship, exchanging energy to support and sustain each other.


    Her yin body was siphoning energy from his yang body, using it to enhance her powers and abilities. She had really kept many secrets from him, but he was not so angry, back then she did not have any reason to trust him with those secrets.


    While the couple exchanged shy glances, Edward watched them like a hawk. Jennie knew that her husband wanted to taunt the children, so she changed seats too and moved closer to her husband.


    "Oh honey, let the children be, Phoebe must have changed her mind about going to the research labs and went on a date with David instead. They are young and crazy about each other, let them enjoy their youthful love." She tapped his hand.


    Edward cracked a few knuckles of his hand, no matter how he looked at it, Phoebe was a little girl who was not ready for adult activities. What if she got pregnant, she was still a baby?


    Collin strolled in with a small glass box that looked like a large frozen ice cube, inside was a sunflower. "Good morning, everyone." sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Whoa! That must be for Shanna, I never took you to be the romantic type my brother." Andre teased and laughed.


    Grandma Mayfair clapped once. "Oh, it is that type of the season again, it is raining Sunflowers. Maureen, I hope that you are going to receive one from Mr. Alton." Her statement was more of a question.


    Maureen looked physically sick at the suggestion; her face turned a little pale. "Never!" she loudly burst up in opposition. "No thank you mother, Alton Boyd will never see me ever again. That chapter is closed forever. Now, let us go for the funeral." Maureen shattered her mother''s hope into a thousand glass pieces.

 Chapter 416 A political funeral.

    During the drive to the cemetery, Gwyneth''s ghost traveled with the Mayfair''s, she wanted to witness her funeral and then move on. Gwyneth was so grateful to Phoebe for how things had turned out, the outcome was even better than she had anticipated.


    Multiple charges had been laid on Theodore, the Rowland name stripped from him. As for Mariska, her son, they had been cast out of the family empty handed, every bit of the Rowland money had been squeezed out of them.


    Rumor had it that they had been put on a plane and sent off to another city or another country, but they were not in Citrus anymore. No matter how hard reporters looked for them in order to get exclusive interviews, they could not be found. It was like they had vanished off the surface of the earth.


    Soon, they came to the church which was in the heart of the bustling city of Citrus, a somber atmosphere enveloped the grand cathedral where mourners had gathered to pay their respects. The daughter of an important politician had died, she came from a prominent and influential family. Her tragic passing and the rumor that she had died of a broken heart was still circulating.


    Wealthy elites and dignitaries had come to honor Gwyneth''s memory, her kindness, grace and charity had touched the lives of many. Her funeral was attended by all the wealthy in the city, business magnates, foreign ambassadors and even the president and his family. All these people were dressed in black as a sign of respect.


    Gwyneth''s parents were beside themselves, tortured by the pain of the untimely loss of their daughter. Where her father was more stoic, her mother cried openly, the weight of the loss of her daughter was palpable.


    The prayers for the deceased began a hush fell over the crowd. A priest from the church of saints and angels spoke of Gwyneth''s virtues and the impact she had made in her life. One by one, somber faced dignitaries approached the casket to pay their final respects and the press which could not be avoided caught it all.


    After that, a procession of black carriages carried Gwyneth to her final resting place and hundreds of expensive cars followed the road which had been cleared out because the president was among the mourners.


    In the car, Phoebe shifted restlessly in the back seat, her hand tapped on the sleepers'' hat that her grandmother had refused her to wear to the cathedral. A choice that was understandable because of the quality of mourners at the funeral. A ceremony where a president, foreign ambassadors and other dignitaries attended was not a place to mess around.


    "Nana, can I wear it now?" Phoebe''s persistent voice echoed, she was already aware that her grandmother was totally against the idea, and she was going to reject it again but still, she figured she would push her luck. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Grandma Mayfair rolled her eyes dismissively. "Child, can you not see how inappropriate it is? You look ridiculous with that thing on your head." She sneered; her eyes drifted to the hat.


    "I have to agree, it''s not haloween or 1660 something." A familiar voice emerged as Gwyneth appeared once again. They had not seen her since her during the prayer session in the church or when her body was taken away. "Phoebe, there is nothing keeping me here any longer. My heart is contented enough for me to move on, I do not need to watch them lower my coffin down in the ground, see you when I see you." A smile of gratitude lingered on her lips as she vanished.


    Phoebe only smiled; she could feel a surge f of energy fill up her body. No matter how many ghosts she helped and got rewarded, the feeling of gaining new energy was always new each time.


    "Goodbye Gwyneth." She whispered.


    Grandma Mayfair looked around, "Is she really gone?"


    Phoebe nodded.


    "Just like that." Her grandmother said, surprised that Gwyneth had not said one last goodbye to her mother.


    "It is as painful for her as it is for her family." Phoebe muttered.


    The car soon came to the cemetery and that''s when Phoebe started to sigh. There were so many ghosts around, she had to put on her sunglasses and pretend that she could not see them.


    Just as funerals of the rich went, most of the mourners broke off into groups after the coffin was lowered and they started to whisper and judge each other. Some whispered about Theodore Rowland actually wanting to attend the funeral, but he was under arrest and the Rowland''s had forbidden it.


    Others gossiped about their outfits, who had worn a similar dress better than the other. Those that were eager to make connections shook hands with the ones they wanted to be connected with.


    Phoebe interacted with Miranda who couldn''t help but express her displeasure about Moria and her mother. It was the latest big gossip on the founding lane.


    "How could they be so brazen! Honestly, I was not even shocked because Celine has always been a schemer. She wants to weasel her daughter''s way back into David''s life but that will only happen when I am dead." Miranda pressed her lips into a thin line.


    It was a surprising change because she was one of the people that strongly disagreed with the engagement of David and Moria being broken off. At the time, she only cared about him marrying the daughter of another wealthy family which would help him secure his position as the next Saxon patriarch.


    Now, she was contented with Phoebe being David''s choice, it was a love match which made David happy and her being a Mayfair was a bonus.


    "I am going to deal with them for trying to mess with you two. In fact, I heard that the Mortimer''s were invited to the thanksgiving party tonight, I will give them a piece of my mind." She arched a brow in mild disdain.


    Rather than being at odds like they were in the past life, Phoebe was actually glad to have Miranda in her corner, especially now that she was expecting.


    "Miranda, there is nothing those two can do to get between me and David, our relationship is built on a solid foundation." She responded, all she had was confidence now.


    Miranda blinked rapidly; her gaze fixed on Phoebe. "Miranda, oh dear! You cannot call me that anymore, you are the only woman that I will ever recognize as David''s wife, married or not so please call me mother." A reassuring smile formed on her lips.


    Phoebe''s eyes increased their size by two. [Wow! Seeing this version of her truly shocks me. Who knew that Miranda Saxon could be sweet. I can''t believe it, but she is actually kind of adorable.]


    Tears pooled in Miranda''s eyes on seeing the thoughts. " Oh my goodness, look at me crying for no reason. I wonder who is cutting onions." She waved her hand over her eyes and blinked back the happy tears. It seemed Phoebe was growing to like her.


    David came up from behind Phoebe. "Mother is everything alright here?" His arm wrapped around her waist.


    "Yes...yes everything is perfect." She patted Phoebe''s shoulder.

 Chapter 417 A funeral and then a party.

    Later that evening, men and women of the high class in society, adorned in expensive attires and shiny jewels arrived in large numbers at the Saxon tower to attend Rufus Saxon''s thanksgiving dinner.


    The timing could have been better given the fact that in the morning, they had attended Gwyneth''s funeral. Rufus himself had been there; some people had wondered if the thanksgiving would be cancelled out of respect for the Rowland''s given that one family was mourning the death of a daughter, and another was celebrating the return to life of their patriarch.


    The thanksgiving was not cancelled and all the families that lived on the founding lane showed up, including representatives from the Rowland family. The Mayfair''s were also among those that were in attendance, they could not miss it given the close relationship they had with the Saxon''s.


    The lavishly decorated ball room on the fifth floor of the tower had been transformed from a dull enormous plain room to a warm and cozy hall displaying photos and mementos that highlighted the sick journey and recovery of Rufus.


    They had also included never before seen pictures of Rufus''s growth from childhood to adulthood and pictures of the founders of Fog country. Some were hand drawn portraits, others black and white pictures.


    Some guests were viewing the pictures and discussing them while others feasted on nutritious meals. Those that were not standing around were dancing along to the slow music which was being played by a live orchestra.


    David was religiously sticking to Phoebe''s side at the Mayfair''s table, if they were not dancing, they were chatting, eating or flirting. At the moment, they were both whispering about some unwelcome guests that had shamelessly showed up despite the controversy surrounding them.


    "How embarrassing!" David''s lips jutted towards the Mortimer''s table, Moria had actually showed up, black sunglasses sat on her face which was covered with heavy layers of makeup. Her body was tense, and she was avoiding people, it was obvious that she did not want to be there.


    Her mother on the other hand sat up straight, unapologetic about what they had done. At one point in the night, she tried to speak with Miranda, but the woman dismissed her without a care of who was watching which had made a lot of women laugh or sneer at Celine Mortimer.


    His whisper was not so lower which resulted in some people at the table overhearing them and looking the way of the Mortimer''s as well.


    "Well at least the chat group is going to have a lot to gossip about." Grandma Mayfair raised a glace towards Miranda who nodded with a knowing smile. "Donald Mortimer looks so angry, he doesn''t want to be near Celine. Heck all the Mortimer''s are feeling out of place."


    Jennie''s lips came to form a curl. "Those two are not the only shameless people here." She spoke loudly; her words coated with contempt.


    Everyone''s eyes followed her gaze only to see Dickson who was walking in with the help of crutches, arriving in the company of his mother. His presence was not unexpected given the fact that he was Saxon, so he did have the right to be at the party.


    Dickson looked at the Mayfair''s and waved as if he was on friendly terms with them. Suddenly, cutlery dropped on plates as some people lost their appetite. Luke went as far as to excuse himself; he had quit smoking years ago but suddenly he had the urge to do so.


    "Crap!" Luna cursed; her sharp displeased eyes turned to David who she thought had finished the job. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She did not think that he would kill Dickson, but he could have been injured enough not to show up at the thanksgiving.


    Maureen chortled, a short but derisive sound. "I do not know why all of you seem surprised. Dickson is a Saxon, and this is a Saxon party. Uncle Rufus has just recovered, he does not need one grandson killing another before his big party. Now when the party is over, that''s a whole different story." She sipped on her wine, fixing Dickson with a steely gaze.


    "Did he get in some sort of accident? Why is he walking on crutches?" Andre innocently asked, his gaze moved to David whom he expected to know the answer because he was Dickson''s cousin.


    Jennie waved her hand lazily. "Do not even get me started, I did not want anyone to know this because he has been marked by everyone in the family but yesterday while I was at the Maddie lady''s spa, I run into Margaret who told me that Phoebe had instructed some goons to beat up her son and she was going to sue us. In response I hailed my daughter for what she did after all, he attacked her with a gun." She signaled the server to fill up her champagne glass.


    "And what did she say when you told her that?" Edward asked


    "A flicker of alarm crossed her face, Margaret seemed genuinely ignorant about what her son had done. She staggered backwards and hurried off to God knows where. I guess Dickson forgot to update mommy dearest on his latest crime."


    He was already facing legal troubles for selling a fake vaccine and he had attempted to kidnap an ordinary citizen. Dickson had more problems than he imagined.


    Edward sneer. "I have requested Rufus for a meeting between us and the Saxons in which we will settle this issue. I have also invited a few other people that will put the nail in Dickson''s coffin. All will be revealed later on tonight, so stay around the real fun will begin after this thanksgiving party ends." His eyes moved to see the time on his wristwatch.


    "I just want to break his neck." Collin muttered.


    "Get in line." Phoebe mumbled.


    The number of people at the party that wanted Dickson dead was staggeringly alarming; he just didn''t know it.


    He was busy putting on his charming act, speaking to a few of the young women that had come to the thanksgiving in the hopes of netting a Saxon as a husband.


    Evelyn came to the Mayfair''s table and for a moment, everyone pushed Dickson aside and went back to smiling and interacting with other guests.


    Through the party, Phoebe kept getting cold and fierce glowers from Dickson that sent mild shivers down her spine. He was like a demon, just waiting for an opportunity to kill and possess the body of a helpless victim.


    Given the chance, he could hurt her again and now she was pregnant. These were the thoughts on her mind when David escorted her to the bathroom.


    When she came out, she turned to David feeling the urge to say something, deep lines of worry marred across her forehead.


    [I don''t think he should stay anymore, what if he hurts the baby?]


    The thought hovered over her head, causing David to clench his jaw tightly.


    "Nothing bad will ever happen to you or anyone that I care about. I will take care of Dickson, I promise." He assured her by squeezing her hand.


    When the main party was done, the guests left except for the Mayfair''s and Saxons who were guided to the large living room of the main house. Edward was ready to end Dickson''s Saxon privileges forever.

 Chapter 418 Too many thoughts.

    Low whispers erupted among the people that were confused about why they had been gathered in the living room. Apart from those that actually knew about what was going on, all the rest could do was to speculate.


    During that time, Phoebe found the opportune moment to talk to Phillip Saxon, she asked him a couple of questions about his cars and who would want to tamper with the brakes of the car.


    Intrigued as to why Phoebe whom he really did not know was asking such questions, Phillip turned to David.


    "Dude what is going on? Why is she asking about my cars? Did someone really tamper with my brakes! Is she sure about me having an accident and the fact that it''s going to happen tonight?"


    David let out an apprehensive sigh, Phoebe had told him that she was not certain about the precise time, but she was sure that Phillip Saxon was going to have an accident in his blue sports car.


    If she saved him then she would be rewarded with more energy and if she did not, then Phillip would get into an accident which would cause him to lose both his legs and his life.


    "You know that my woman is a shaman, she cannot be asking all these things without good reason. So, are you at loggerheads with anyone that would want you dead in the family or out? Probably in the family because this is the only place where someone could have possibly tampered with your car." He probed; it was in Phillip''s best interest that he answered their questions.


    Nodding his head, Phillip winced lightly. "I do not really know, I mean we are all family but if I am to suspect anyone then maybe Dickson. When he came out to reveal himself as the real owner of DC Pharma, I proposed to the board to dismiss him from the Saxon group." A frustrated sound came out of his lips.


    "The other board members were in support because he is now a direct competitor of the company. What if he stole recipes from the lab, or exposed company secrets for the benefit of his company? I was not coming from a place of malice; it was the right thing to do for the company." He rested his hands in his pant pockets.


    "Dickson was furious, he and his mother promised to kill me for even suggesting such an idea. I called their bluff thinking that it was a threat that they could not actually act upon it. My God! I cannot even begin to imagine it. Did they really do something to my brakes?" He cleared cold sweat from his brow, his eyes drifting between Phoebe and David.


    [Yes.]


    Philip blinked a few times; he wondered if his eyes had deceived him, or he really saw yes above Phoebe''s head.


    "I am not one hundred percent sure, but you can never be too cautious, just don''t drive the blue Bugatti until further notice and have all of your cars checked thoroughly. Heed my advice if you do not want to end up dead." Phoebe cautioned.


    Phillip shuddered like a gust of wind had coiled around his frame. "I promise not to drive any of them anywhere. In fact, let me call the towing company to come and pick it up. If any of this is true, I am going to kill Dickson I swear to God." He released sharp breath, casting a piercing glance at Dickson.


    With that warning delivered, Phoebe started looking around to see which other Saxon''s she could help.


    Just as she was looking around, many of the Saxon''s were doing the same, looking at the Mayfair''s and Phoebe in particular. For most, it was the first time that they were meeting David''s girlfriend. What happened next, they were unprepared for.


    [Hmm, Nancy Saxon, she is so pretty but so foolish. How blind does she have to be not to notice that her boyfriend is sleeping with her best friend, and they plan to kill her soon. She has wasted almost five hundred million on that fool.]


    [Ooh, is that Dean Saxon, he is so cute. He looks a little like David. It''s too bad he doesn''t listen to his father and has the wrong friends that will take him on a gambling trip, and he will disappear never to be seen again.]


    [Quentin Saxon, your wife is sleeping with your butler, you will be the first Saxon to have a black-haired baby...hehehe]


    [Let''s see, who else is in trouble? Nini Saxon, that jade bracelet around her hand is emitting some very dark energy. If I am not mistaken, it was taken from the hand of a dead woman.] S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As her eyes moved away, she did not see Nini Saxon quickly removing the jade bracelet and throwing it to the ground with panic in her eyes. The bracelet was a gift from Margaret, Dickson''s mother, she found it hard to believe that her aunt would harm her, but Phoebe had a good reputation as a shaman. It was better to believe her and ask questions later.


    [Oh great, it''s the bitch Katherine...K to the a to the t... what the hell what am I thinking. That thief really pisses me off, when that lawsuit comes down and she is dragged through the media I will be so happy. Hahaha, look at her eyes, why is she glaring at me so fiercely?]


    [Come to think of it, many of the Saxons are looking at me weirdly. It''s probably because I am David''s girlfriend or maybe because I am so pretty, yeah, it''s definitely because I am pretty. My red hair beats their white hair any day of the week. If this was a fight, my red hair would drag the white hair around and mop the floor with it.]


    A whole pack of bamboozled Saxon''s did not know what to think anymore. They traded gazes, wondering if they were alone in seeing her thoughts. The last one left them a little disturbed, who the heck thought about hair getting in a fight?


    "Can you see this?" Nile poked David''s back and whispered the question. He did not want to admit, and he turned to Phoebe instead. Explore hidden tales at My Virtual Library Empire


    "Stop thinking." David whispered to Phoebe.


    Suddenly the double doors that led into the living room were opened, revealing Rufus Saxon who wheeled in with a sober expression on his face. It was glaringly obvious that something was wrong, not just wrong but bad. Bad enough to ruin the patriarch''s happy mood from earlier.


    The murmurs in the room died down, those standing in groups dispersed in search of their seats.


    "You all must be wondering why I invited you all here." A bodyguard pushed the wheelchair to the front where he was in a position that was facing everyone. "I am equally clueless, Edward here requested that I call for this meeting which he said would shape the image of our family for the next few years. So, Edward my dear nephew, you have the floor." He leaned back to rest his back on the chair backrest.


    Edward made a subtle sound to divert the attention to himself, he did not have to though because everyone had their focus on him.

 Chapter 419 Chaos from the start.

    Before he could say anything, Margaret extended her arm upwards, signaling that she had something to say. Her face was awash with fierce determination, it seemed she was going to have her say with or without permission to speak. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rufus could tell that it would be impossible to move on before her saying what was on her mind given by the unyielding gaze that she cast upon him. He stretched his hand forward to stop Edward from saying anything.


    "Edward please allow Margaret to speak, it looks like whatever she wants to address is very important." His tone was as polite as he made the request.


    Margaret wasted no time at the given opportunity, she did not even wait for Edward to consent or reject the request.


    "Uncle in-law, you already know that it pains me to the core that you decided to invite the Mayfair''s into our home knowing fully well that they have fueling animosity between two Saxons." She looked from her son to David. "David and my son had a very public fight on the night of the auction and ever since then David has assaulted my son on various occasions and the problem all started with that little Mayfair whore." Her finger pointed at Phoebe.


    Her eyes were burning hot, if they could set Phoebe on fire, she would be ashes already.


    Margaret''s derogatory comments were met with disapproval especially from the Mayfair camp. Luke and Luna were ready to act, one feeling the needle filled with poison in the breast pocket of his jacket and the other feeling her guns.


    It was Miranda that stood up first to defend Phoebe''s honor. She was two seconds quicker than Jennie, grandma Mayfair and Maureen.


    "How dare you say that about my daughter in-law? Margaret you better take that back. Everyone knows that my son David is Phoebe''s man, all the Mayfair''s have already approved of the relationship just as the elders of our family have done. It''s your stupid son Dickson that doesn''t know how to keep his greasy paws to himself. He is shamelessly panting after his own brother''s wife, who does that? Father this meeting cannot continue after what she has said about David''s wife unless she apologizes." She pressed her lips tightly together.


    More than a few eyebrows went up in surprise at Miranda''s passionate defense of Phoebe and her reference to Phoebe as David''s wife.


    "I will do no such thing." Margaret turned her nose up.


    Rufus sighed loudly; the drama had already started yet the meeting had barely even begun. "Everyone should settle down." He ordered; however, the two women had their eyes locked on each other in a death stare, Rufus'' words only flew above their heads.


    A haughty cackle intentionally came from Margaret. "Me! apologize to that whore? Over my dead body." She rolled her eyes to dismiss the idea.


    "Then you and your son will die today." Grandma Mayfair unfolded her walking cane and tossed it towards Margaret. Dickson jumped and caught the cane, taking everyone by surprise. All this time he had been acting like he couldn''t even stand without the help of his crutches but here he was standing erect without them.


    Phoebe looked at David in wonder, hadn''t Dickson been beaten black and blue? Hadn''t his legs been broken? How was he capable of jumping and moving around?


    The other onlookers reacted with audible gasps of disbelief, some went as far as to point at Dickson and put their hands over their mouths. The guesses, questions and whispers about his intentions went all around.


    "It''s Dickson, he is a habitual liar, so this is not surprising at all."


    So, if he could walk then why has he has been pretending to be in excruciating pain....."


    Viola Saxon snickered; Dickson had done well to pool a good number of enemies even among his family. Viola had been present when he threatened to kill her brother, Phillip.


    Phillip had whispered to her before the meeting begun that Dickson had messed with his car to make good on his threat. For that, she considered him to be an enemy now.


    Using a book, Rufus smacked the table with the intention of bringing all the attention to himself.


    "What do all of you think you are doing? How dare you display your rude behavior even with the adults and guests here?"


    He was not berating only the Saxons, Rufus cast a disappointed look at grandma Mayfair, she was not behaving like the adult that she was supposed to be. But who could blame her, Margaret had insulted her beloved granddaughter.


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    Even though it was understandable, he did not think that her throwing a walking cane was the answer.


    "Margaret, for the demeaning words that you used against Phoebe Mayfair, I want you to apologize right now before you say anything else. This is not a request, and I will not be repeating myself." Rufus commanded; his cold voice showed that he meant business.


    Upon opening her mouth to decline yet again, Margaret met Rufus'' hostile glare, her shoulders fell as she conceded defeat. "Fine." She spun around to face the Mayfair''s. "You are not a whore, I should not have said that." She turned away from them.


    "Apology my ass, you are just stating the fact. Save your fake apology Margaret, we don''t need it but believe me, a day will come when you fall on your knees and apologize." Grandma Mayfair scoffed and sat down.


    Rufus knew that he was not going to get a better apology, but he planned to squeeze it out of Margaret later. "Going forward, no one here is allowed to insult anyone or else I will kick you out." His authoritative voice resonated through the room.


    "Margaret why are you claiming that Phoebe Mayfair is the reason for the conflict between those two boys? It is common knowledge that David and Dickson barely get along since childhood. If we are to make a list of all the reasons why they have been fighting since childhood, Phoebe Mayfair will not even make the top three." His words elicited nods from the Saxons especially.


    Margaret twisted her lips, her venomous eyes stared at Phoebe. "That wh... girl was two timing both of them. She was dating David but promised to marry my son." She thumped her chest. "She confirmed it to me herself; I am not lying to you. That is the reason as to why Dickson dived into a raging spree and almost attacked her. He was just feeling wronged and betrayed." Tears sprouted out of her eyes; they seemed genuine.

 Chapter 1 - 1: Its always good in the beginning.

    "Ladies and gentlemen let us give a big round of applause for the vice president of the Saxon group, David Saxon." Announced the master of ceremonies who clapped continuously.


    These were the words which Phoebe Gabriel a simple red haired beauty had been waiting for five years to hear and to her it was the equivalent of an eternity.


    She was David Saxon''s wife and the mother of his two sons. Her husband''s rise to glory in the Saxon group automatically meant her own rise and that of her sons so her heart was swelling with joy.


    "Woo, go David." She cheered loudly as she fought back tears of joy that still made their way down her cheeks, quickly she wiped her wet cheeks with the back of her hand, a smile never leaving her lips.


    Standing next to Phoebe was her best friend Ruth, looking completely glamorous as always. She was wearing a tight long golden dress that showed off her cleavage a little too generously.


    Although, compared to Phoebe who was wearing a plain brown dress long dress with no shiny jewelry to accompany it, one could easily mistake Ruth for David''s wife because she was the extravagantly beautiful one.


    Ruth tugged on Phoebe''s arm, leaned down and whispered, "Phoebe, don''t cheer so loudly in public, it''s really embarrassing and most of all it''s not proper behavior for the wife of a Saxon."


    "You are not a Saxon Ruthie, relax." A tiny chuckle escaped Phoebe''s pink lips as she resumed on cheering for her husband who had just achieved one the greatest milestones in his career.


    Ruth''s stiff face turned ugly and angry for a second. A cold look passed through her eyes but it disappeared before Phoebe could notice.


    She was still caught up in the excitement of David''s latest victory.


    "This win is mine as well, you know how hard I have worked behind closed doors to make this happen. Besides, if I don''t cheer my darling husband on, then who will?" she went on to ask.


    Ruth did not respond. She lowered her hands that had been clapping repeatedly and clenched them tightly in a fist. She wished she could launch a punch at her friend''s smiling face.


    Phoebe put a hand over her mouth and called out ecstatically, "You are the best David, you deserve it!" Came her comments of praise that forced Ruth to roll her eyes towards the ceiling.


    She didn''t care if it wasn''t proper Saxon behavior especially at a lavish event of this kind. All she cared about was that their hard work and sacrifices had paid off.


    She, the mediocre Phoebe Gabriel from a third class university with no prospects had married David Saxon of the Saxon group and secretly played the largest role in his success propelling him to the top of the company.


    David had promised her a surprise after the ceremony and she couldn''t wait. He had probably planned something romantic, her mind was running wild with imaginations of what the surprise could be.


    It had been a very long time since they did anything romantic, even something simple like going on a date. And when it came to sex, he had barely touched her in the last three years, not since the birth of their sons.


    Each time she tried to initiate sex, her husband''s manhood failed to salute because he was always exhausted.


    She had been worried about the unexplained distance that had taken a hold of their marriage but now, but not anymore.


    He had kissed her passionately in the morning and told her everything would change and all she had to do was to wait a little more.


    After his inauguration ceremony, David led her into his new office. It had already been prepared, completely set up inside and the door already had his name on it.


    It had large windows through which one could see the biggest park in Citrus city. It was a view that many in the company were envious of, especially those who worked in closed offices with a full view of plain walls.


    "What is this surprise baby? Am I taking the office next to yours?" she joked as she giggled like an excited little girl waiting to receive a large gift.


    She took a small leap and wrapped her arms around his waist. Her head leaned against his sturdy back and she drew in the familiar sandalwood scent of his cologne.


    David laughed softly but he didn''t answer. Forcefully he tore her hands away from his waist and pushed her away with a little too much force that she stumbled backwards.


    "Ouch" Phoebe winced as she rubbed her hip that had come into contact with the sharp edge of the table.


    Puzzled by his sudden change of attitude, she frowned and asked him if something was bothering him.


    To her surprise, David walked to his work table and searched through the middle drawer. He pulled out a medium sized envelope and handed it to her.


    "Sign it." he said to her, so coldly. "That''s your surprise, I advise that you do it for your sake and that we do not prolong this issue. This is the last act of mercy i am showing you as your husband." David stormed out and made sure to slam the door behind him leaving his wife more confused that ever before.


    Hastily, she opened the envelope and pulled out the set of papers that were inside. Holding her breath as she read the details, a shaky sigh escaped her lips when she read the word ''DIVORCE''.


    Phoebe sank into the chair behind her as she perused through the divorce letter over and over again wondering what had gotten into her husband.


    The man had given her no explanation whatsoever but rather he had handed her divorce papers and left. What baffled her even more was the fact that he spoke about this being his last act of mercy towards her. Did it mean he planned to be ruthless from now on? S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The hot tears that were brimming at the back of her eyes came forward and rolled down her cheeks as she continued to mull things over.


    Today was supposed to be one of the happiest days of her life because finally her husband was now the Vice president of Saxon group, meaning that everything was supposed to fall into place. From there, it would be an easy ride to president and finally chairman.


    Holding her breath for a second she questioned herself whether this was truly the surprise David had prepared for her. Her hand made its way to her chest which was becoming tighter.


    "What about the steamy kiss they had shared that morning? What could have occurred for him to be this way? This cannot be the end, I need answers." Phoebe got up from the chair and made a beeline for the door.


    Before she could open it, someone else beat her to it, opening it from the other side. Ruthie stood there with a frown on her face, her face was enveloped with concern.


    "Is everything alright? I saw David march out and he seemed very furious. What''s going on?" She lowered her face as she covered her sly smile.


    Because this was her best friend, Phoebe didn''t hold back but upon explaining all that had transpired between her and her husband, her best friend let out a guffaw. The blonde haired woman laughed so hard that she dabbed the tear at the corner of her eyes with a tissue.


    "Well, well how does it feel not to be a Saxon anymore Phoebe?" Came her mocking comment that caused blood to drain from Phoebe''s face.

 Chapter 2 - 2: The new lady Saxon.

    The glint of malice in her best friend''s eyes sent shudders down her spine. It almost felt like she meant her venomous words.


    However because it had become the norm for the two women to throw jabs at one another, Phoebe brushed it off thinking it was a joke.


    "Now is not the time to mess with me, this is serious. I think i am loosing my marriage Ruthie!" Phoebe''s voice was so loud that it reverberated in the vast office.


    Tearing the papers in her hands, Phoebe vowed not to divorce her husband.


    "There so many reasons as to why I cannot divorce David. First he is the father to my babies, second he is the love of my life and lastly I made a promise to the late grandmother Saxon never to leave his side. Besides, that man wouldn''t be where he is right now if not for my dedication and now he wants a divorce!


    The least he can do is tell me why." Phoebe continued to lament to her friend who was chewing on her bottom lip and trying so hard not to laugh.


    The ingenuine concern she wore couldn''t show the happiness she had on the inside. The blonde woman couldn''t remember how much Phoebe who was a pauper had mocked her for not being a Saxon despite her coming from a wealthy background


    Phoebe began to walk away in a bid to find her husband whom she said owed her an explanation over what she considered to be madness.


    But before she could take another step, Ruthie grabbed her hand. "Hold your horses Phoebe, you do not need to ask that heart broken man why he''s divorcing you because I know exactly why."


    The words that came out of Ruthie''s mouth caused the desperate red haired woman to walk a few steps back until the two women were facing each other.


    Phoebe''s face was covered in both confusion and curiosity. "What in God''s name are you talking about? Did David tell you something?" A frown came to form on her face.


    The frown became deeper when Ruthie laughed maniacally. "Ohh it''s not about what he told me but rather it''s about what I told him." She reached inside her bag and pulled out two white papers that were stapled together.


    Without hesitation, Phoebe accepted the papers and read through them, however she barely understood any of the information that was written on it.


    "DNA.....what has this got to do with me and my husband. Whose DNA results are these?" Phoebe carelessly held the papers in her hands.


    A triumphant smile came to form on Ruthie''s lips. "Well my dear friend those are the results of a DNA test that was done between David and your bastard kids." The smile only grew wider as her friend became even more confused.


    "What rubbish is spewing out of your mouth, that is not possible. David is the father of my children, I was a virgin when we married, I have never slept with any other man except my husband. And don''t you ever call my children bastards..ever!" The anger in Phoebe''s blood dripped off her tongue.


    Unapologetic about what she had said, Ruthie continued to point out that Phoebe''s twins were bastards that she conceived after sleeping with another man.


    "David knows everything, this is not the first test he did, poor guy couldn''t believe it at first. After a few more tests, he finally accepted. And lucky for me he drunk like a fish and we ended up sleeping together and now am carrying a bun in the oven. A real Saxon baby, his heir." Ruth''s hand moved to her belly and she massaged it lightly.


    "I...I. Don''t understand. What are you saying exactly? This is all a lie. I need to find David, I have to explain myself....you cannot be pregnant for him....David doesn''t fancy you, he never has....I...I..." Phoebe began talking gibberish as she walked out the door.


    With her eyes on the floor, she bumped into a beefy man whom she knew quite well because he was Ruthie''s driver. On his boss'' orders the man carried her to the rooftop against her will.


    Like a sack of potatoes, he dropped her on the wet floor. Snowflakes fell on her body which caused her to shiver for the coldness entered her bones.


    "Ruthie what the hell? Why did you order your minion to bring me here? Wait a minute, did you come up with these lies such that you can take my position as David''s wife? Because you want to become a Saxon?" Phoebe''s condescending look only made her friend furious.


    "Yes." Ruthie answered curtly without delay, a victorious smile still playing on her lips.


    "I am going to make that man to marry me after all am carrying his true heir, the news is already out there and you have been branded as a cheater, your reputation is ruined, now sign the divorce papers, I warn that if you tear them like you did earlier, there will be serious repercussions." She handed her the papers and a pen.


    She had prepared more copies because she knew just how stubborn Phoebe could be.


    To Ruthie''s disappointment, Phoebe folded her arms and sneered. Her actions compelled Ruthie to pull out her phone, she made a video call and showed her friend the video of her kids bound by ropes in a filthy tiny room with a big gas pipe.


    A loud groan escaped Phoebe''s lips as she covered her lips. She couldn''t believe what she was seeing. "Please Ruthie for the sake of our friendship please don''t harm my kids." She pleaded as she reached for the phone unsuccessfully.


    "Friend? Ha-ha that''s hilarious. You are wasting precious time, that room is being filled with carbon monoxide, those kids are dying as we speak, so sign the damn papers." Ruthie spoke in an unbothered tone.


    To her surprise Phoebe asked for proof of life to which Ruth ordered the kidnapper to increase the gas.


    In fear of her children dying, Phoebe quickly picked up the papers and signed them.


    "Now please where are my babies, please release them." She pleaded to the merciless woman she once considered a friend.


    Ruth ordered the man to release the kids but unfortunately the man informed her that the kids were dead.


    Oh hearing the terrible news, Phoebe went into a state shock as she wailed and made a move to attack Ruthie only for Viper the driver to hold her back.


    "I cannot let you go now because if you open your mouth about what I have done, David and his soft weak heart would never marry me, Viper, carry her close to the edge of the building." Ruthie ordered. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Once again, Ruthie flashed the phone screen at Phoebe, her mother''s bound body was dropped near her dead children.


    "Now jump or I kill your mother too." She ordered without batting an eye.


    "Everything is over. You know the rigid ways of the Saxons. If you don''t kill yourself, they will do it for you to save their stainless reputation and i can guarantee you that the pain they will put you through will be much worse to this. Think of your suicide as an act of mercy. Isn''t it better to be with your children?" Ruthie smiled slyly.


    Phoebe shook her head, very reluctant to do as Ruth wanted. What she needed to do was find David.


    "David will believe me. I just need..."


    "Aaah! this muddle headed bitch. Why can''t you just do what''s good for everyone? After your mother, it will be your father and then your brother."


    Phoebe whimpered and looked at Ruth with pleading and sorrowful eyes.


    "Please Ruth, i don''t know when things got to be this way but we are friends. We can talk this out. I have signed the divorce papers. I will take my children and my family far away from Citrus city." She begged.


    She still didn''t believe that Ruth had really killed her sons. This was like a dream__, a nightmare and she just needed to open her eyes.


    "You are delusional, those kids are dead, Kill the mother." Ruth ordered through the phone.

 Chapter 3 - 3: Death and rebirth.

    There was no time to think anything over, Phoebe had nothing left, she had lost her husband, kids, and her reputation. It was better for her to die than her family. She was a failure as a wife who failed to see trouble brewing in her marriage.


    She had failed as a mother because her children had just died before her eyes. She was a failure as a human for not seeing the mask her best friend had worn for years, plotting against her.


    As a daughter, she couldn''t be a failure too and cause the death of her parents. Her brother was expecting his first child. Wouldn''t she be a sinner if she made that child fatherless?


    "David Saxon." She said the name in a whisper.


    She wet her dry lips and laughed. After all she had done for him, how could he have believed the lies and abandoned her?


    She wondered how often he had looked at her with disgust. How he refused to kiss or touch her, pretending he was exhausted or busy.


    She remembered how he barely spent time with their sons and finally, she pictured him in bed with Ruth, whispering sweet words of love and making promises, the same ones he had once made to her.


    Her heart broke with every image she imagined, shattering into millions of little pieces like broken glass.


    With the speed of a snail she walked to the pavement and lowered her tear filled eyes to the ground where she was about to fall. Her hands moved to the half pendant stone she was wearing around her neck as she closed her eyes right before she jumped off the building.


    "David Saxon." She whispered the name again and laughed softly just before her body hit the ground and her head shattered like a soft watermelon on the cold hard ground.


    _______________________________________________________________________________


    Once upon a time, Cinderella took off her glass slippers and run away from the castle.


    It was the tallest tower in Citrus city, known as the ninth wonder of the world. One hundred floors high, sitting on three and half million square feet. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With two thousand rooms, two hundred bathrooms and eighty kitchens. It had eight swimming pools, two hundred car garage and a church where prayers were held every morning.


    On the grounds were air conditioned stables big enough to house three hundred horses and ponies.


    Uphill was a horse racing track, a car racing track, a helipad and hunting grounds that were patrolled by one hundred ten dogs. Not to be forgotten were its glamorous gardens that often appeared in ideal home magazines.


    It was a castle, in its own right, a house meant for a king and also known as the house where dreams were fulfilled.


    Two billion dollars was how much had gone into the building this tower that was designed by world renowned famous architect Alonzo Cusco in 1991.


    Many famous people had been inside this house, presidents, foreign dignitaries, even kings and queens from different parts of the world.


    It was indeed the ninth wonder of the world, with its beautiful gold statues owned by the most envied family in Fog country, the golden family, the Saxons.


    Everyone was dying for an opportunity to crawl through the small gaps of the main gates and live on the grounds of Saxon tower, everyone that was except for Phoebe Gabriel.


    She was standing in the midst of the awe filled crowd of tourists from other countries that was here to take pictures and create memories outside of the Saxon tower.


    "Ladies and gentlemen the Saxon tower has one hundred floors. I know some of you are wondering how many cleaners it takes to keep this behemoth mansion clean. I will save you the wondering and give you an answer, one thousand and three maids."


    The tour guide was as clich¨¦ as one of his kind could get. A bright charming smile and an I heart citrus city cap on his head. He was wearing shorts and a shirt that similarly declared his love for Citrus city.


    He had a small earpiece through which he was talking and brochures advertising the tour bus company for which he worked in his hands.


    Without pause, kept handing out the brochures to the tourists while divesting information about one of the world''s greatest cities. For every question that the tourists had, he had an answer.


    "Each of the servants is rumored to earn no less than twenty thousand dollars a month, a lot more than most of us make in three months. Who knew that a fancy degree in art history would pay a lot less than moping some floors for rich folks?"


    Some people chuckled, highly amused by the mix of self-loathing and dry humor of the tour guide. Phoebe didn''t laugh with the others.


    "It''s ten thousand dollars actually." She said loudly.


    "Well, it looks like I have a competitor ladies and gentlemen. How do you know how much they earn gorgeous, do you work inside or do you perhaps know someone that does?" His amused eyes were pinned to her face


    Phoebe looked at Saxon tower with a wistful look in her eyes. She was still struggling with the memories of the life she had lived before.


    A sad smile formed on her face and she said.


    "I used to live here, among the cold hearted untrustworthy, prestigious monsters."


    After saying those shocking words, she turned around and started walking away, well aware of the confusion her words had probably created.


    Some people believed her but many did not after all a lot of people came out claiming to be part of the prestigious family which claims eventually turned out to false.


    Every member of the Saxon family was well known to the public. They were not shy about using their name to enjoy the privileges it offered them. Even the reclusive members of the family were known and famous.


    They would have to come out of hiding for birthdays, weddings and other important events during which their pictures would be taken and shared on their socials that had massive following.


    "Wait, as a servant or a Saxon?"


    "She can''t be a Saxon, her hair is red." A woman said.


    It was settled then, that she was the child of a servant that grew up on Saxon grounds perhaps.


    The Saxons were not just famous for their insurmountable wealth, they were also famously known for their snow white hair.


    Rumor had it that one of their ancestors was a witch that made a deal with the devil to keep the Saxons in wealth forever and so the devil took all color out of their hair as a price.


    It was often said that you couldn''t see a Saxon if they were hiding in the snow because they were snow monsters.


    As stupid and ridiculous as the rumors were, people seemed to enjoy them, spreading and whispering about it as if it was the concrete truth.


    The white hair of course was another thing the Saxons took pride in and they never dyed it. In fact, it was forbidden to dye hair as a Saxon. Every string on their heads had to be as white as the clouds.


    Phoebe wanted to remind the tourists that Saxons married people with all other kinds of hair colors but she figured, why bother. It wasn''t as if she had any intention of sharing the story of her life with them.


    Her story was even more ridiculous than the white hair and witch rumors, for she had died once, and been reborn.

 Chapter 4 - 4: A narrow escape.

    What kind of odd luck was this? Phoebe''s intention was never to set foot near the Saxon castle. She had boarded a tourist bus just to pass time after doing some shopping and somehow she ended up there.


    But in all honesty she was curious whether the place was still the same. It was now a full year since she had been reborn and not once did she ever set foot at that house, if anything she was actually hiding from the Saxons especially her husband.


    In this life, it was not her intention to become entangled with him. She felt like she had done enough for him in her last one. Still, thinking of David Saxon caused a dull ache in her chest.


    She had been reborn with the love and anger and grief he caused her. Even now, entering into his world to save her own life was not a thing she could avoid due to the rules of her rebirth. Had her rebirth been a gift or a curse?


    A black Porsche that she clearly remembered drove past her causing her to quickly turn around such that the driver couldn''t see her face.


    Inside the gorgeous car was a handsome white haired man whom she hoped never to see ever again.


    The two hadn''t met yet in this life time but nonetheless Phoebe wanted to leave nothing to chance.


    "Do not remember, do not smile, do not miss him." she whispered to herself.


    Everyday, it was a battle between her mind and her heart to keep the good memories at bay and remember only the grief.


    Phoebe closed her eyes and let out a huge exhalation of pent -up breath when the car continued to driveway because the last thing she wanted was to run into her husband.


    The sound of screeching brakes from the car however compelled her eyes open.


    "Why is he stopping?"


    Phoebe hoped that she wasn''t the reason why.


    Her hope quickly faltered when she heard David''s familiar voice call her name. For a second there it felt like she could hardly breathe.


    How in God''s name did he know her name? If she remembered correctly this wasn''t how they met in her past life. They had first met when she went to Saxon group in search of a job, so how did he know her.


    Without a pause, she began to walk as fast as she could sparing a quick glance behind her, on noticing that he was following her, Phoebe''s pace increased as her walking transitioned into running.


    "God darn it! Why does he keep following me?" Her hands clenched on the straps of her bag.


    Lucky for her was that a tourist was exiting a taxi to which she jumped into and ordered the driver to drive away.


    "No problem, I will do that as soon as the previous passenger pays me in full. This is not the amount we agreed upon." The old man expressed his frustration on the woman who was claiming to have run out of cash.


    Looking at the direction from which David was coming from, it was just a matter of seconds before he caught up to her.


    "Drive I''ll pay whatever she owes you." The patience in her voice had clearly run thin. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    On hearing her declaration, the driver set off just when David and her eyes met.


    "Phew, that was close." Phoebe let out a sigh of relief, she continued to blame the red hair on her head which she blamed for giving her away.


    "You should have spoken to him, do you think that it''s a coincidence that you guys were there at the same time? I have told you times without number that your destinies are intertwined."


    The words came from the mouth of the spirit that was sitting right next to her. It''s statements caused Phoebe to scream angrily.


    "Shut up! Just....please keep quiet." Phoebe''s words caused the old driver to adjust the rear view mirror so as to look at her.


    "Ma''am, I didn''t say anything." He defended himself, a worried look enveloped his face because the passenger he was driving appeared nuts.


    "Am not talking to you." She leaned back and shut her eyes tightly.


    Her response had the old man swallowing excessively as he searched the vicinity before asking whom she was talking to.


    "Focus on the road." She ordered curtly


    Since Phoebe was reborn, she was yet to live a day without hearing about the Saxon pendant and how it had saved her life.


    The ghost of the Saxon ancestral spirit was the first thing she saw when she was reborn and according to the nagging spirit it was because of the magic of the Saxon pendant that she got to get a second chance at life although she was taken back ten years in time.


    However according to ancestor Saxon, all magic comes at a price and in this case Phoebe had to live the rest of her life seeing ghosts. And she had to help the ghosts so as to give the pendant energy which would then keep her alive.


    Ancestor Saxon had also been insisting that Phoebe reconnects with David, however after everything that he had done to her it was going to take something more than just their destinies being fated to get them together.


    "Don''t do that again ancestor, I know that you pulled some strings to get us to meet. If this happens again I will stop helping those ghosts that you care for so much." Phoebe issued a warning that caused the fat spirit with white hair to laugh.


    "Young lady, I think that of the two of us you benefit more by helping the ghosts." Ancestor Saxon lied blatantly.


    Although Phoebe didn''t know it just yet, her being alive was more beneficial to the Saxon spirit. In fact to the Saxon empire as a whole.


    The taxi came to a stop in front of the Cerene Apartments. The terrified taxi driver asked the young woman at the back to step out of his vehicle.


    He was visibly horrified because the young woman had been talking to herself since she entered the car. Without waiting for her to pay for the ride, the man sped off like he had seen a ghost.


    A tiny chuckle escaped her lips because she was used to getting that kind of reaction from people, most times they called her weird especially because she was the owner of The black ghost Cafe and she never made it a secret that she could see ghosts or that her business was to deal with the dead.


    Majestically she moved to the tiny Cafe that was located on the ground floor of the Cerene luxurious apartments.


    As usual the Cafe was almost full of customers but these were not the usual customers who went to a Cafe to enjoy a cup of coffee.


    Most were people that desired to talk to their family and friends who were on the other side, others wanted solutions because they believed that they were haunted and some were actually ghosts that needed to make contact with humans.


    Phoebe had made quite the name for herself with some some people calling her a Shaman and others a witch. None of that bothered her after all with each ghost she helped more energy was funneled into the pendant and above all she had made quite a fortune for herself.


    It was not so bad being the ghost seeing lady, as the little kids around often called her.

 Chapter 5 - 5: You have no wife.

    Back at the Saxon mansion, David was being held back by bodyguards of the family who had to herd him into the house since he had evacuated the car and caused quite the ruckus.


    The tourists, reporters and other by standers had been so excited to be up and close with a real life Saxon.


    One of them had even yelled, "Get a picture of me with the white haired freak."


    Out of excitement, they had practically attacked him with their cameras, forcing him to take pictures with them or just trying to grab his hair.


    A genuine strand of Saxon hair could be sold for as much as one thousand dollars online or a genetics lab. Sometimes, it was even higher.


    One time, Nile Saxon, a member of the fifth clan of the family and a professional nutritionist and life style influencer had put up his hair for auction. It sold for three hundred fifty thousand dollars.


    From then on, some people lost their minds occasionally and tried to rip hair from the heads of the Saxons. Since then, grooming services had been moved in house.


    That was why the bodyguards had to act quickly like a trained swat team, move in and take David inside quickly.


    He was put inside a golf cart and driven up to the main house then sent to the first floor of the tower where members of the first Saxon family lived.


    The entire time, David was struggling against their hold and insisting that they let go of him.


    "I have to follow my wife. Do you hear me, i have seen my wife."


    Those were the words he was yelling when he was shoved into the living room in his grandparents place. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Grandma Saxon was reading a hardcopy of a newspaper when David was brought in. It was not the first time that her favorite grandson had been dragged home like a run away teenager infatuated with a girl thanks to hormones and stupidity.


    It was also not the first time that he had yelled out this nonsense about his fictional wife, Phoebe and how he needed to find her.


    A year ago, David had come down with a serious fever which could not be explained. He even went into a coma and had to be in the hospital for a good four months.


    When he opened his eyes, he had immediately started talking about this mythical woman that he was supposedly married to.


    "David, i hate to remind you of this again for the hundredth time but you are not married child. You have no wife." She spoke to him softly, the way a grandmother would to a five year old.


    She dotted on David a lot because he was the grandchild she raised personally since his parents spent a lot of time away in their independent research labs.


    His two sisters and older brother had been born at a time when his parents were not so busy. He was the unfortunate one to be born late and he didn''t get as much love and attention from them.


    So, in turn, she gave him triple the love and attention to make up for that gap.


    "Should i arrange another blind date for you?" she asked him.


    David glared at the beefy bodyguards who were blocking the door before slowly moving towards his grandmother and sitting down.


    Even though he longed to escape and find Phoebe, they would not move unless his grandmother ordered them to.


    "I don''t need another blind date with another doe eyed daughter of a wealthy family looking to become a Saxon. I just need my Phoebe."


    Grandma Saxon sighed. The way David talked about this Phoebe, you would think she was more important than oxygen.


    She had looked high and low among David''s circles and the women belonging to the elite first generation families of Citrus city and there was no Phoebe Gabriel.


    Even in Fog country, she couldn''t find this woman.


    A close friend had suggested that David had encountered one of those dirty ghosts from his long stay in the hospital which had charmed him.


    She had even suggested that she visit a shaman to find a way to break the spell on David.


    That friend had even gone so far to suggest that he had been enchanted by a nine tailed fox or a siren.


    There was no absence of rumors about creatures like those in Citrus city, not that any had ever been seen publicly. They were just rumors just like the witch of the Saxon family.


    Grandma Saxon sighed again. What had started out as silly talk with an old friend was now quickly becoming a thing to consider seriously.


    David had been to church and the priest said he was okay. In fact, they had been to different priests of various religions and nothing helped.


    They had gone to a temple and nothing came out of the ghost chasing talismans. Now, she was seriously considering the shaman. She would do anything to save her grandson.


    The rumors of his assumed lunacy were already travelling fast among the elite circles. If something was not done quickly, David''s reputation would be ruined and he would have to take retreat from the real world.


    A forced break according to the rules of the family in order to avoid staining it''s good Saxon name.


    "Did you see anybody Edgar? Any woman with flaming locks of red hair like red wine." she turned to his bodyguards.


    She used the words that David had used personally to describe Phoebe''s hair. She left out the extravagant parts about it being similar to silk that had been woven by the gods themselves. Of which Gods David had spoken of, she had no idea.


    Edgar, the beefiest of the bodyguards who looked like he ate iron for a living judging from his behemoth size alone shook his head.


    "There were so many people outside the gates matriarch. I am not sure if i saw anything. Perhaps we can look at the security footage from the cameras monitoring the front gates for certainty." he responded in a raspy deep voice.


    "I saw her." David sat up and emphasized. "She was there and she turned around when i called her name. She is here, in the city somewhere and i am going to find her with or without help."


    Grandma Saxon sighed and nodded at the bodyguards.


    They stepped aside for David to leave. He kissed his grandmother on the cheek and left immediately.


    "What about you Polly, did you see any red haired woman?"


    The bodyguard that was standing next to Edgar with his arms crossed across his chest got this look of unsureness across his face. He had seen a flash of red hair when a woman jumped into a taxi.


    But, that was around the time when the crowd went crazy and he had to go into guard dog mode for his young master David.


    "Maybe, but i am not sure." he answered.


    Grandma Saxon sighed again and opened the diamond studded black purse which had been sitting next to her the entire time. From the bag, she retrieved a white business card and looked down at it skeptically.


    It was the business card of the so called extraordinary shaman her friend had recommended. There was no name on the card, just a name and an address.


    "The Black Ghost Cafe,"

 Chapter 6 - 6: The black cloud in the building.

    The black ghost Cafe had a warm and inviting ambiance, with wooden furniture, dim lights and relaxing music. On one side was a section where antiques and relics that Phoebe had collected over time with the help of the Saxon ancestor spirit were displayed.


    From time to time, the Saxon spirit had directed her to areas that were rich in antiques which had increased the number of guests at the Cafe. This was because antique collectors would come over, authenticate and acquire the antiques.


    Recently, she had even sold a small old porcelain vase from the sixteenth century for two million.


    Some of the relics were personally made by her like charm bracelets that she gave to the customers which were believed to be good luck charms because people often said that their luck changed when they wore them.


    It was not random good luck of course, it was part of the energy she got from helping ghosts. It is why she had a glass box of unused charms at her desk.


    They had also contributed quite nicely to the rise in her financial status. The charms she sold had different prices. Some went for as much as Twenty thousand dollars.


    It wasn''t all roses for Phoebe however as there were people that were still uncomfortable with the existence of that type of business at such a prominent place.


    Many wondered how Phoebe had been able to secure a space at the Cerene Apartments. First because the monthly rent alone was $15,000 and two, because it was a place that only the rich frequented. She was like a black cloud hovering over the building.


    "I am back." she announced loudly.


    This was meant for the only human employee in her store.


    Phoebe had employed Rosset a girl she had known for a few months, having met her only after her rebirth. She was the only human in this town that associated with her where others avoided her like a plague.


    Once Phoebe announced her presence in the Cafe, the brown eyed girl raised her head and smiled at her. "Hey Phoebe, we have a full house. Most of them are here for those bracelets and healing herbal tonic, in fact that liquid is running out of stock." Rosset pointed at the ten remaining bottles that were placed high on the shelf.


    The herbal tonic had gained popularity for its unexplained healing ability for minor illnesses, body aches and some unknown conditions. Phoebe had gifted hands with making healing herbs, that''s how she had managed to head the research department at the Saxon group in her past life.


    The tonic was not all her work however. Ancestor Saxon had contributed a great deal to making her herbal tonic better and more effective because she was very generous with sharing recipes to medicine herbs and tonics that had been long forgotten for thousands of years.


    Nodding and smiling with delight, Phoebe assured her friend and Cafe manager that she had more stock of the herbal tonic in her apartment which was situated on the fifth floor.


    "Tomorrow, I''ll bring more tomorrow. I have also created new herbal mixtures and tonics. I have one for cleansing the kidney."


    That being said Phoebe made way to her office which was by the corner of the Cafe. It was a medium sized glass cubicle with black curtains which were put there intentionally to create privacy.


    Since she had more ghost clients than humans, the last thing she wanted was for people witnessing her talking to her self. It was already hard enough making friends with her neighbors.


    On the day she moved into the Cafe, she had come up with a kind gesture of offering rice cakes to her neighbors. Out of the twenty delicious rice cakes, the poor girl was only able to give out three, the balance was rejected.


    Till date many of the the owners of the neighboring stores avoided Phoebe as much as possible to the point of not using the elevator if Phoebe was already in it.


    Letting out a loud sigh as she sank into one of the couches that was placed in the open area of the office, Phoebe shut her eyes when the Saxon spirit appeared. It pointed to the corner and Phoebe sighed. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Can''t I have some privacy?" Phoebe''s quizzical gaze was directed at the teenage female ghost that was chewing gum loudly over there.


    "Am hungry, am craving candy, give me candy. I want orange flavored tofee." Came it''s words that caused Phoebe''s eyes to open hastily.


    From the moment she had moved into the Cerene Apartments, the ghost had made it a routine to bother requesting for sweet treats, mostly lollipops, gum and chocolates.


    What infuriated her was that at times it requested for rare sweets which required her to drive all the way to the other side of town.


    It wasn''t entirely pointless because pleasing the ghost meant that she was rewarded with a little energy which increased her life line but still it was exhausting at times.


    Phoebe''s eyes met those of the Saxon spirit which was blaming her for putting up with the teenage ghost''s behavior.


    "Give her whatever is available, candy is candy You should put in mind that teenagers can be bullies whether human or ghost, they are all the same."


    Shaking her head in disbelief, Phoebe pointed her index finger at the teenage ghost. "Is it normal for a ghost to have cravings? I mean I fed you strawberry yoghurt this morning. Going forward you young lady are going to eat whatever is available."


    Without pause Phoebe tossed the sandwich Rosset had placed on her desk earlier into the fire. That''s how she fed it and it was for that same reason that the fire place never run out of fire because she had to feed the ever hungry ghost.


    Although it was unhappy with what it was given, the hungry ghost quickly consumed the sandwich and as soon as it was done it began to complain that it wasn''t pleased.


    "A sandwich is not candy. Aren''t you supposed to do everything I ask? The white haired witch says you are rewarded for helping us ghosts." The teenage ghost was so entitled in the way it reminded Phoebe of this fact.


    However Phoebe was unfazed, she stretched her hand and stared at the small black diamond shaped tattoo that had implanted itself on the back of her hand.


    Slowly it became darker than it was and the number written at its center increased which only meant that the energy of the pendant around her neck had increased.


    The mark had appeared after her rebirth and she had quickly come to understand it''s meaning thanks to ancestor Saxon. The number in the center stood for how many days she had left to live.


    Currently, it was at seventy one days. Phoebe should have been panicking more than keeping calm because this meant she would die once those days elapsed.


    However, she chose to remain calm because there was a more permanent solution to her problem. A solution in the name of Saxon. As long as she helped the Saxon''s face whatever imminent peril was heading their way as ancestor Saxon said, the days would increase much more rapidly.


    Still, she was reluctant to meet David or any of the Saxons again. The memories of the past were still fresh like a raw wound that refused to heal.


    "It''s rude not to talk back when someone is talking to you." The female teenage ghost complained, drawing Phoebe out of her thoughts.


    In line with it''s rudeness, it blew a loud bubble from the gum, popping it next to Phoebe''s ear, agitating her incredibly.

 Chapter 7 - 7: Ghost seeing lady doesnt want attachments.

    A slow sly smile formed on her lips as her attention was drawn back to the ghost.


    "If you don''t like the new rules then by all means find some else to feed you."


    She didn''t plan to comment on the poor manners of the female ghost because she was not her mother or sister. The teenager simply stuck around because she couldn''t remember why she was stuck and she was lonely.


    The teenage ghost quickly humbled itself for it was aware that without Phoebe it would not be able to feed. It had taken it years before meeting a medium that could actually see it.


    "Fine."


    It curtly spoke before it vanished.


    The Saxon spirit that had been watching was amused by how far Phoebe had come. From being a timid girl that was petrified of ghosts to someone that was now setting terms and conditions that they had to follow.


    A broad smile came to form on its wrinkled face, Phoebe who had noticed the wide grin asked what was so amusing.


    "Well, am just very proud of you my dear, very soon you will become a master at this. But you know, you should learn the girl''s name since it looks like she might be here for a long while. You can''t just keep calling her you, her, or it."


    "Knowing names forms attachments. I don''t want unnecessary attachments in this life." Phoebe answered.


    At the end of the day, the girl was a ghost and she would leave. Of what use was it to attach herself to someone who would leave?


    She opened a cabinet and took out six envelopes. These were clients looking for the best days on which to hold weddings or funerals.


    "Let''s get to work." she told ancestor Saxon.


    The Saxon spirit''s smile became wider. "Now, should we discuss real business?"


    Phoebe frowned at the white haired spirit.


    Despite it''s youthful face and drop dead gorgeous looks, it was a being that had existed for thousands of years.


    That was the information Phoebe knew about it. Everything else, it promised to share after she returned to the Saxon family.


    "You have a sly look on your face. Whatever you are going to say, don''t." she told it.


    "You can''t avoid him forever." Ancestor Saxon laughed, a loud shrill escaping her mouth.


    It was as if she was deeply amused and entertained by Phoebe''s life.


    Phoebe snorted and opened the envelopes.


    Of course, she couldn''t avoid him forever. He had even shouted her name so loudly and called for her desperately.


    When had David ever called out for her so desperately like that during their marriage? He used to be cold and unreceptive often. Why had he called for her?


    She sighed and stuffed those memories into a compartment in her mind.


    Then, she locked it and threw the keys away. She couldn''t afford to think about him because it was causing her turmoil again.


    She took a calming breath and settled on her work. With it, she could forget everything.


    In the evening, when Phoebe was done with her work at the Cafe, she bid Rosset goodbye and headed for her apartment.


    Phoebe had a lot on her mind because the Saxon spirit had just given her a herbal tonic recipe which helped in bringing back someone''s lost beauty.


    Of course, it was not for free. She had agreed to help one of the Saxons in turn, but she had also proposed that it be one of her choosing.


    There had been so many misfortunes during the years she lived with them. Now, she knew that they were not coincidences. The Saxons had an enemy whose invisible hand had crawled into their family and started breaking them, one by one.


    Little things that went unnoticed, like someone falling off a horse and then becoming paralyzed. Or being caught in a scandal that ruined their reputation. Then there were the accidents, car, motorcycle, bikes, yacht and even simply walking.


    Even the deformities in the new born Saxon children. Phoebe remembered how grateful she had been that she didn''t give birth to deformed children like other women in the family.


    A random thought crept into her mind. They were not David''s children in the first place. Maybe that''s why they were born normal.


    She groaned when she recalled that mystery. If not David, then who was the father of those twins?


    She groaned as the frustrating question passed through her mind again. Everyday, she wondered about it.


    "Forget it, think about how to make money for now." she convinced herself.


    Soon enough, as long as she kept an eye on Ruth, the truth would come to light.


    As she walked through the corridor that led to the elevator, she came up with the idea of starting up a small farm to grow the herbs for herbal tonics on a large scale.


    Lately the customer base for her products had increased which also meant that demand was high. The products were running out on a daily and she needed to keep up with the demand.


    The Saxons were the biggest land owners in Citrus city. Was it inevitable that she would have to go them if she wanted the most fertile land near a water source? She couldn''t help thinking that this was a trap ancestor Saxon had laid out for her.


    Inside the pendant around her neck, ancestor Saxon was resting with a comfortable smile on her face. Of course it was part of her plan.


    Two fates that were meant to be couldn''t be broken so simply.


    Absentmindedly, she reached a finger out to push a button but another finger beat her to it.


    "Excuse me, a smooth voice said."


    Phoebe looked up, attracted by the smooth voice which was rich and deep.


    She looked up and gasped. Staring at her was a tall handsome man with dark chocolate eyes. He had thick golden brown curly hair which looked like the fur of a golden retriever.


    He smiled and Phoebe blinked twice, unsure if she had seen the sun rising or an ordinary smile.


    [Wow, so handsome. So so handsome. Is he human or ghost?]


    "What?" he asked.


    Phoebe shook her head and she smiled back at him before looking away from him. He was human, definitely not a ghost but no matter how good looking he was, it was no use talking to him. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He wasn''t the first handsome man she had met after her rebirth but, all of them turned and run after finding out what she did.


    Shaman abilities or seeing ghosts was not at the top of the list of qualities most men had when looking for girlfriends.


    If golden hair lived in the building, he would soon come to know who she was and what she did and he too would fly away like a bird.


    Phoebe and the man entered the elevator at the same time, not saying a word to each other.


    Soon the elevator stopped and they got off at the same floor. As she walked to the right, so he followed, almost like he was stalking her.


    The slight clicking of his shoes against the floor freaked her out a little bit in the empty apartment hallway. She had learned that humans were worse than ghosts after all.


    When she increased her walking speed, his footsteps increased as well, making it obvious that he was after her.


    [Pervert, he is probably a handsome pervert. Oh, why do i have to be the one to run into him?]


    With her heart beating fast, she quickly jumped to a conclusion and hastened her speed even more.

 Chapter 8 - 8: Davids abrupt decision.

    Gold hair as Phoebe referred to him or Collin Baltimore couldn''t believe what he was seeing, for some unknown reason he could see the thoughts of the pretty woman rushing to get away from him as fast as she could.


    They were right there above her head, in a text like box, clear as day. He had never encountered anything like this in his life. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He shook it off and tried to convince himself that he had seen wrong. It was exhaustion that was bothering him perhaps. But the thought of being called a pervert stayed with him, nagging at him like an itch between the buttocks.


    "Pervert? Did she just....Pervert?" He mumbled as he rushed to meet her because she had dropped her wallet in the elevator.


    For all the years that he had lived on this earth, this was the first time someone was calling him a pervert. Usually he was referred to as Mr. Dreamy or Mr. handsome because he actually was most women''s dream man going by looks alone.


    Before he could get the chance to hand over the pink leather wallet that had floral drawings on it, the pretty woman quickly opened the door of an apartment and quickly jumped inside with a little squeal.


    A muffled chuckle slipped through his lips as he wondered why she would think of him to be a pervert.


    And what was even more puzzling was the fact that he could see her thoughts. It was still stuck with him.


    "Was I mistaken?" He asked himself.


    "Her mouth was definitely closed, am not delusional or anything like that."


    The poor guy kept doubting himself something that he rarely did. Was he loosing his mind?


    Quickly he walked to his apartment and once inside Collin looked at his teenage sister who was sitting on a couch by the window scrolling through her phone.


    "Do i look like a pervert?"


    His question caused her to look up and let out a chortle. It was quite funny to see her normally well put together brother looking a little frazzled.


    "Yes, did you not know that? Why?" She spoke with nonchalance which compelled him to ask her to get serious about the issue.


    "This is important Cassie, am not joking around here." His sober tone was enough to let her know that he was indeed serious.


    The Baltimore siblings were fond of joking and pranking one another hence the initial response. Some people found their pranks to be extreme because they sometimes went out of control. A perfect example was their mother who absolutely loathed their jokes after that one time when Cassie shaved off Collins eye brows in his sleep.


    Cassie sat up straight and stared at her brother. "Who called you a pervert and what did you do to warrant someone to call you that?"


    She asked a question to which he had no answer.


    Shaking his head silently because he still couldn''t fathom what had just transpired between him and the pretty woman, Collin dismissed her question and retired to bed.


    "This early? What about dinner?" Cassie''s questions fell on deaf ears for her brother continued to walk away silently.


    ****


    Back at the Saxon mansion, David who was still convinced that the woman he had seen was the same woman that he had been looking for had all the security team on their toes.


    "What''s taking so long Polly? I need to review that footage myself...in fact forget it, let''s go the surveillance room." He stood up from the chair from which he had been nervously sitting waiting for Edgar the head of security to bring the surveillance footage.


    The two men briskly walked to the surveillance room which was situated at the basement floor of the castle. Although Polly was in very good shape, he had a hard time keeping up with his boss who appeared to be running instead of walking.


    Without announcing his arrival, David asked Edgar who was looking through the footage with squinted eyes to move over.


    "Mr. Saxon,,,," He said and paused. He wanted to advise David to slow down in case it wasn''t this mystery woman.


    "Have you seen her? Have you seen my Phoebe?" David asked impatiently.


    Edgar sighed and shook his head. There was a lot of footage to go through since thousands of people visited the Saxon tower every day.


    Just to be fair, it had only been a minute since the man had come down to the surveillance room before his boss barged in.


    "Move over." David ordered as he shoved the man aside unintentionally. If not for Polly who supported Edgar''s back when he stumbled, he would have fallen to the floor.


    Slowly and meticulously, David began to scroll through the footage. Since he knew the person he was searching for it was way easier for him to identify the woman.


    His finger pressed the pause button hastily when he saw the red head, then he went on on to play the video until Phoebe''s face came into view.


    "Yes! That''s her, that''s Phoebe Gabriel. The woman that I have been searching for all this time." He raised his hands to his head and let out a triumphant laugh.


    The two security guards stared at the flat computer screen in disbelief. David had been right all along however the question was, if that was Phoebe Gabriel how come she didn''t exist anywhere? She had no phone contact, social page on the internet, even the connections in the government couldn''t find her.


    "Find out everything about that woman, I want to know where she stays, where she works, where her family moved to. Bring me everything you can get on her, today." David''s tongue pressed on the word today.


    He even pushed his right hand pointing finger on one of the keyboard buttons continually as if he was pressing a demolition button to blow up something in a game.


    They excused themselves and got to work because whatever a Saxon wants a Saxon gets especially those that come from the first branch of the family like David.


    It was just a matter of time before Edgar came back with the answers that David had been searching for. This was possible because the 200 security personnel at the castle had to pause their tasks and focus on finding Phoebe Gabriel.


    David was briefed immediately about the new findings.


    "Mr. Saxon, the woman that you have been desperately searching for changed her identity from Phoebe Gabriel to Phoebe Hopkins, she lives and works at the Cerene luxurious apartments in this same city." Came Edgar''s words that compelled David to rush out without waiting for the remaining information they had found out on Phoebe.


    He met his grandmother in the foyer, the old woman was coming out of the dinning area and she was about to retire to bed.


    "Why the rush dear?" She blocked his path using her foldable walking stick.


    It was a chilly but perspiration ran down his forehead and his crystal blue eyes held excitement as he replied.


    "I am moving out."


    His response elicited a strong ''WHAT'' from his grandmother because none of the Saxons were allowed to live outside their family homes.


    All members of the Saxon family remained together and David knew that so why in God''s name was he moving out.


    Before she could ask her excited grandson follow up questions, he dashed out. He jumped into an elevator, went all the way to the garage, jumped into his car and drove off leaving the old woman puzzled.

 Chapter 9 - 9: Restless night.

    Phoebe was flushed and out of breath from being kissed as she fell back on the mattress. Her body was trembling as those big familiar hands trailed from her thighs to her stomach and then pulled her down abruptly.


    She opened her eyes suddenly and gasped. It was the same dream that she had every other night. She struggled to keep her breathing under control and forget all about the hot passionate kisses which occupied her lust filled dreams.


    "Sleep, just sleep." she told herself.


    But it was all the same when she closed her eyes, David''s sultry voice called her, enticed her and seduced her.


    The following morning, Phoebe woke up exhausted because she had barely slept through the night. Her mind for some reason had been drifting back to the handsome pervert that had been following her.


    Between him and the spicy dreams about David that had been conjured up by the Saxon ancestor, she was exhausted.


    "Are you still thinking about the one you called pervert?" Ancestor Saxon asked her.


    "I am beginning to think that this place isn''t safe at all." She answered. "I need to talk to the landlord about this after all his apartment is just opposite mine." Phoebe stretched like a cat and rubbed her eyes.


    The ever present Saxon spirit laughed softly. "I think you should spend more time around more humans and less time watching those murder shows and.....


    Without letting the spirit complete its submission, Phoebe emphasized that she knew what she had seen.


    "Having been around ghosts for the past year, I know that when a human makes the hair at the back of my neck stand then it''s definitely an evil human. Anyway let''s get to work."


    Phoebe walked to the vanity table a picked off the green book. She and the Saxon spirit had a morning routine of writing recipes, techniques and other things into the book.


    Shaking it''s head with displeasure, it pointed it''s slender long index finger at the book.


    "Child, I have told you times without number to protect the book. It''s not for everyone''s eyes, humans have greedy hearts they may use the knowledge in there to do evil."


    Rolling her eyes to the ceiling, Phoebe highlighted on the fact that she lived alone.


    "Don''t worry i am going to get a better hiding place for it just for your peace of mind."


    She went on to note down a spell on how to expel out evil and another on how to get external wealth.


    The last spell intrigued Phoebe who asked the Saxon spirit whether she could just cast it and become rich.


    "You keep forgetting the most important thing, all magic comes at a price. What if the price is for you to lose your life such that your family can enjoy eternal wealth and to top it off you would become a wandering spirit forever." Came the spirits words, underneath the statements Phoebe detected some sort of sadness.


    She wondered whether that''s what had happened to the Saxon spirit. There was very little she knew about it except the fact that it was one of the first Saxons.


    Without bothering to ask because she knew that she wouldn''t get an answer to the question, Phoebe moved from the writing table and stowed the book in the safe that was hidden behind an art painting of nature.


    After washing up, she picked up a box of herbal tonics and headed for the Black Ghost Cafe.


    The box she was lifting was somewhat heavy but she was determined to take it with her, as she got off the elevator that had arrived at the first floor where her place of work was, Phoebe heard a voice of a teenage girl lamenting to someone to return a wallet to her.


    Her eyes drifted to the direction from which the sound came from. The moment Phoebe''s eyes saw the pervert, she gently but hurriedly placed the box down and began to walk towards the man that seemed to be harassing the young girl.


    What irked her even more was the fact that he seemed to be getting pleasure and satisfaction from toying with her. Phoebe marched majestically, jumped and slapped the man on the back of his head.


    "Ouch" He winced and turned around immediately only to spot the red haired woman whose name he had come to learn was Phoebe Hopkins.


    Last night when he entered his room, Collin had searched through the wallet he had picked up in the elevator because he was curious about the woman whose thoughts he could maybe read and above that she had labeled him a pervert.


    From the information he had gathered, the woman was named Phoebe Hopkins aged twenty three years, blood group O.


    Without checking the rest of the contents in the wallet, he placed the identity card back to where it was before.


    He had vowed to meet her the next day because he had to correct the misunderstanding she had on him. Collin''s plan was to make a better impression on her than the first however here they were.


    "Why the hell did you hit him lady? What right do you have to do that?" Cassie''s questions to Phoebe pulled Collin out of his reverie.


    Because he was startled, he hadn''t noticed that people had began to gather around them.


    "I am trying to help you here, wasn''t this pervert harassing you?" Phoebe was puzzled by the rudeness of the girl, if anything she was expecting a thank you.


    Collin knew that his sister was lacking in the good manners department so he pulled her to his side because she was visibly furious, it was just a matter of time before she slapped Phoebe in retaliation.


    "Help me? Lady you are crazy. This is my brother!" Came Cassie''s shocking words that kept ringing at the back of Phoebe''s mind. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "See, I tried to tell you he isn''t necessarily a bad guy." Bragged the Saxon spirit.


    Phoebe who wasn''t in the mood to listen to it gloat asked it to shut up.


    Her voice was so loud it left those that were watching in shock, they were expecting her to apologize but instead she had told the Baltimore siblings to shut up.


    Forgetting to carry the box that she had placed on the ground earlier, Phoebe hurriedly walked away from the clamoring crowd.


    By the time she entered her cafe, Phoebe was clearly distressed, she couldn''t believe how wrong she was but still the man had followed her last night just like a pervert would.


    "Uhm, boss, tonics."


    She only remembered the tonics when Rosset asked her about it.


    "Shit" Phoebe cursed out loudly before moving towards the door. Suddenly it burst open and the golden haired man and his sister stood there.


    The man who was lifting the box that she had forgotten behind placed it on one of the round coffee tables. A closed smile never leaving his handsome face.


    "Miss, you forgot this box and you dropped this in the elevator last night." Collin stretched his hand and handed Phoebe the wallet.


    Shutting her eyes tightly because she felt embarrassed, Phoebe sighed softly and apologized immediately. Everything made perfect sense now, the man wasn''t a pervert but a good Samaritan.


    "Am Collin by the way and this is Cassie." He tapped his furious sister on the shoulder before she brushed his hand away as she blamed Phoebe for traumatizing her brother by calling him a pervert.


    "I am sorry once again, I was clearly mistaken. Please tell me how can I make it up to you?" Phoebe asked the duo.


    She was smiling politely but her thoughts were very different.


    [Or you could just go away and let me wallow in my shame alone. Aaah, this is embarrassing. I made a fool out of myself in front of the golden haired pervert.]

 Chapter 10 - 10: Frenemies.

    It was truly unbelievable, Collin couldn''t believe that it was happening again and he could see Phoebe''s thoughts.


    Since he had walked in, he hadn''t taken his eyes off her, not just because she was one of the most beautiful woman he had ever seen after his mother but also because he wanted to confirm that he wasn''t running crazy and he had seen something on her last night.


    But why was this happening? Where they connected in some way? He didn''t know her until recently. Unintentionally he gasped and spoke out his thoughts.


    "Unbelievable!" His hand moved to cover his open mouth.


    Others didn''t understand what he found so unbelievable so his sister frowned and so did Phoebe.


    While Phoebe who was praying that the two siblings disappear stared back at the man. She wondered innocently why he was gazing at her but then again she was used to men hawking at her since she made a few changes after her rebirth.


    [Please don''t pick interest in me Goldie, I already have enough chaos in my life besides am sure that you will run away the moment you find out that i see ghosts.]


    A soft chuckle escaped through Collins lips on reading her thoughts. At least he had been elevated from pervert to just Goldie. He lifted his head and began studying the Cafe. It was the first time he was visiting the place since buying the building.


    "This is a unique place, I love the set up. It''s amazing that you are using your unique talents to help people spiritually." His eyes moved to study her surprised face.


    He didn''t believe in ghosts and shamans, psychics, or supernatural things but seeing her thoughts was sure to turn him into a believer.


    Phoebe''s eyebrows shot up at his reference to her unique talents.


    Very few people appreciated her business in fact if anything they called her weird. Still, a tiny smile formed on her lips after all she was getting a compliment from a good looking man.


    "Thank you." she replied flatly.


    "Take me to school, I don''t want to be late besides I think that I have watched enough of you flirting with this lady." Cassie began to walk away.


    The teenage girl''s words caused Phoebe and Rosset to raise their eyebrows as they couldn''t believe how discourteous the girl was.


    On seeing the two women''s reaction Collins apologized and ran out after his sister, his attention kept going back and forth causing him to hit his head on the door.


    "God darn it!" He cursed because he felt embarrassed for the most part.


    Rosset couldn''t help but laugh at the man who was clearly smitten by her boss.


    "Well at least this admirer doesn''t find your job scary." She continued to chuckle repeatedly.


    "They all run away eventually wait till he finds out I talk to ghosts." Phoebe who was standing on a short ladder began to place the herbal tonic bottles in the shelves in an orderly manner.


    Rosset who was leaning over the counter staring out of the window suddenly wore an unpleasant face. "What the hell is she doing here? It''s been a while since she came here." She went ahead to roll her eyes.


    Following her employee''s cold gaze to the window, Phoebe coldly watched Ruth Mayfair walk towards the entrance of the Cafe.


    Until recently, Phoebe had learned to control her emotions around the the malicious woman.


    Initially being around Ruth was hard, all Phoebe wanted to do was to wrap her hands around her throat and strangle her.


    She could remember vividly how Ruth had killed her twin sons, taken her husband, destroyed her reputation and forced her to her untimely death.


    If it wasn''t for the help of the Saxon spirit which had played a major role in training her to put a leash on her fury, Ruth would have been a dead woman.


    There was a lot Phoebe needed to find out before destroying Ruth''s life like why the woman hated her so much. There had to be a reason other than just wanting to become a Saxon.


    The door bell rattle chimed and in walked the blond haired tall woman dressed to the nines. She loved to flaunt her wealth because she knew that Phoebe came from a poor family.


    "That bitch again, its been a while since she showed her face here." The Saxon spirit sneered, it was well aware that Ruth was an evil human because it knew what the cunning woman had done to Phoebe in her past life.


    "I have missed you my friend, how is this tiny place doing. You know if you like, my offer still stands. You can move this thing you call a business to one of my father''s buildings in Magic city and you don''t have to worry about the rent." Ruth gagged the Cafe, her condescending look had become normal to the two women.


    For some reason unknown to Phoebe, Ruth was determined to get Phoebe out of Citrus city. First she had offered her a job overseas which Phoebe turned down, then came this offer of transferring her cafe to another city with so many privileges.


    Knowing Ruth, she wasn''t doing this because of the goodness of her heart. There had to be a reason behind it.


    "I don''t need your help with anything Ruth, Am not poor like you like to believe. In fact Evelyn our friend is back in town and am hosting her at my parents house. You know the house I recently bought for them. If you want to help someone, go feed the homeless." Phoebe spoke in a cold sharp tone which left Ruth shocked.


    The blond woman could still not understand her friend''s sudden change in attitude and character in the past one year.


    Before then Phoebe was someone that always answered ''how high'' when Ruth said jump but now her best friend answered her rudely and barely hung out with her. Even her way of dressing had changed. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Old Phoebe used to dress conservatively and frumpily, like an older woman. Make-up was practically a foreign concept to her. But now, she dressed beautifully, applied some make-up.


    Ruth had always loved hanging out with Phoebe because she considered her to be inferior. With her, she didn''t have to compete for men''s attention because she believed that she was prettier and wealthier.


    Besides that Ruth was convinced that she was a good friend after all once in a while she threw Phoebe pieces of meat now and then like a dog and she had always picked them up willingly but not anymore.


    Letting out a pronounced sigh, Ruth wrinkled her nose and looked at Phoebe.


    "Who is the wealthy man you are sleeping with because there is no way you are making all that money from just selling this old junk and useless tonics."


    She made her voice light and coquettish, as if she was making a joke. To sell it further, she even chuckled as if this was an old way of teasing her friend.


    Phoebe knew it was all pretend and she chose to ignore Ruth''s demeaning question.


    "Okay answer this, have you been around the Saxon tower of late? I need you to answer that quick." Came Ruth''s demanding question but before Phoebe could say anything the door bell rattle chimed.

 Chapter 11 - 11: Grandma Saxon meets Phoebe

    The chime always signified that a visitor had arrived and it drew the attention of Phoebe and Rosette to the door. Business came before pretentious fake friends like Ruth.


    In walked an elderly woman, dressed in a nice black suit and short black pointy heels. She had a yellow floral scarf tied around her head and a pair of black sunglasses.


    She was walking with the help of a fancy walking cane but she was steady and didn''t seem to need it so much given that she was not leaning on it heavily.


    As she walked in deeper, two men in black suits followed her at a respectful distance, not too close to make her uncomfortable but also not too far so as to be delayed in case she was in trouble.


    Instantly, Phoebe recognized her. This was none other than grandma Saxon in the flesh and blood. It was quite weird to see her alive given that by the time Phoebe died, the old lady had already passed away.


    The question however for her now was what the elderly woman was doing in her cafe.


    Grandma Saxon''s focus was almost entirely on the red headed Phoebe. This was because for an entire year, she had paid a lot of interest to all women with red hair since that was the color of the hair David''s mysterious wife had.


    However, her focus broke momentarily because she saw another familiar face, that of Ruth Mayfair.


    "Ruth..." she called the other woman uncertainly. "What are you doing here?"


    Ruth was unnerved and worried. She looked from grandma Saxon to Phoebe, worried about what the old woman was doing here.


    Could it be that it was true what she had heard from one of her little spies in the Saxon tower about David finding his mystery woman? Could that woman actually be Phoebe?


    Her very own friend, stupid easily led by the nose Phoebe!. Anger boiled inside of her at the thought that Phoebe could yet take away another thing that she desired.


    No, never, Ruth thought. Even if Phoebe was the mystery red head, she would never allow her to be with David. There was only one woman in Fog country worthy of David and it was her.


    Ruth clenched her fists, sinking her well filed pink nails into the flesh of her hands. The pain served as a means to ground her and make her clear headed. She drew in a long breath and smiled at the elderly woman. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Her lips moved upwards, curving into a smile and she suddenly grabbed the arm of the elderly woman.


    In a coquettish voice she spoke to the elder. "Grandma Saxon, it has been so long since i last saw you. I believe that it was my own grandmother''s birthday last month when we last met."


    Grandma Saxon nodded. The timing was indeed correct. Old lady Mayfair and her were good friends that had been close for over fifty years. They met when they were both newly married and become members of a cooking club for the wealthy wives of Citrus city.


    Over the years, their friendship had deepened so Ruth was always in and out of the Saxon house as she pleased.


    Grandma Saxon smiled at the mention of her old friend. "Mmm, how is your grandmother dear, has she recovered from that cold yet? I want to go to Magic city next week for a holiday and i was hoping to take her with me."


    Ruth shook her head and batted her eyes unnecessarily. "Grandma will be happy to hear that you are thinking about her. She has been complaining about being forced to stay indoors by my first brother while she is recovering. I am sure that she will say yes to your invitation the moment i inform her about this."


    Cleverly, Ruth tried to turn grandma Saxon away from Phoebe and towards the door. She thought that if she could distract the old woman just enough, she could take her out of the cafe and then Phoebe would be forgotten.


    Of course, she underestimated grandma Saxon''s worry for her grandson David. She was not leaving without talking to the shaman about her grandson.


    Putting a hand on one of the tables, she halted her body from moving forward. Ruth was not to be stopped and she applied a little more force.


    "Grandma, why don''t we go to a better cafe, one with a brighter environment. This kind of place is not good for your health."


    Phoebe guffawed when she heard those words.


    "We have passed all health standard checks and as you can see, we don''t have a speck of dust in here. My cafe may be a little old in appearance but that''s the way i like it. It''s called artistic choice Ruth, maybe you should draw some inspiration from it."


    Phoebe rolled her eyes, looking Ruth up and down. Ruth was a perfect magazine cover imitator. She chose her clothing according to what was trendiest, was most expensive and could be styled to match the model on a billboard or the magazine pages. She had no personal sense of style.


    Ruth glared at Phoebe, not even bothering to hide her displeasure this time. In turn, Phoebe smiled and shrugged.


    Grandma Saxon was unaware of the silent unannounced battle between the two women. However, Ruth''s hold on her had loosened up and she got the opportunity to turn around.


    "Phoebe, where do you want me to put this?"


    Rosette was holding up brown envelopes, newly arrived from clients looking for auspicious dates for various reasons. Every morning, the envelopes would come in and every evening or the following morning, responses would be mailed out.


    Without realizing what she had done, Rosette broke open a can of worms for two women. One was Phoebe with the red hair and right age as that of the woman grandma Saxon was looking for and two was Ruth who didn''t want the old woman learning Phoebe''s name.


    "Phoebe!!" grandma Saxon exclaimed.


    She pulled herself away from Ruth completely and walked towards Phoebe with focused eyes.


    "Your name is Phoebe." she said___, more like questioned in fact.


    "Yes." Rosette answered for her boss. "She is Phoebe, Citrus city''s best ghost catcher, exorciser, matchmaker and shaman. If nobody can solve your problem, come to Phoebe."


    Rosette was the type not to miss an opportunity to promote the cafe and it''s business.


    "Red hair, name Phoebe, looks like the right age." Grandma Saxon muttered.


    In her muttering, she came to a realization that brought a frown to her face. All this while, she had been searching for someone like this and almost everyone in their circle was aware.


    How was it possible then, that Ruth knew of a possible Phoebe matching the description of the woman David was searching for but she never said a word?


    "Ruth, how...." she pointed from Phoebe to Ruth as her words slowly trailed off without being completed.


    Ruth bit her bottom lip anxiously and her eyes darted around rapidly. She was searching for an explanation which would have her coming out as honest but also helpful and not deceitful at all.


    Ancestor Saxon was standing beside Phoebe, highly amused by the drama. "Look, look, the white lotus has been trapped."

 Chapter 12 - 12: The liar and her lies.

    It was for this exact reason that Ruthie wanted to send Phoebe as far away as possible. She knew that although the red haired woman had changed her last name, it was just a matter of time before a Saxon discovered who she was. Her only prayer was that Phoebe insisted that she wasn''t the woman David was obsessed with.


    "Child please am still waiting to get an answer from you and it better be convincing. How long have you known about this Phoebe?" Grandma Saxon was not backing down.


    The old woman''s frown only got deeper with each passing minute. She was beginning to realize that Ruth Mayfair had been lying to her about something important for a while now.


    "Liar, liar pants on fire." The teenage ghost sang repeatedly as it twirled gum around it''s finger.


    Scanning her head for a believable answer, Ruth opted to bury herself deeper.


    "It''s not her grandma. I too thought that she was the woman David was searching for until I found out that her last name is Hopkins and not Gabriel.


    But I come here often to buy herbal tonics for my parents and grandmother who has become more frail recently which is why you have met here." Ruth lied through her teeth.


    Phoebe watched Ruth lie shamelessly with an amused face, she weighed on whether to just tell grandma Saxon the truth that the two of them knew each other or let sleeping dogs lie.


    She was in a semi trance as she wondered why David was searching for her. He didn''t even know her personally in this life so why was he interested in her.


    Now it made more sense that time when he came running after her. What also made perfect sense now was that Ruth knew that David was looking for her and that''s why she wanted to send her to the Magic city so desperately.


    The old woman whose hopes had gone up because she thought that this time she had found the mystery woman stumbled back a little because she began to feel dizzy.


    Fortunately, one of the body guards rushed to her side and helped her sit in one of the wooden chairs that was close by.


    With her hand raised to her head, grandmother Saxon let out a soft painful groan. It was obvious that her head was hurting and causing her great discomfort.


    Phoebe quickly filled a glass with a tonic that helps to alleviate stress and dashed towards the direction of the old woman.


    "Please drink this guest." She acted as she would with another stranger or guest in her cafe.


    Grandma Saxon was hesitant at first because she rarely ate or drunk anything that wasn''t prepared by carefully chosen chefs back at home.


    In fact the old woman had a nutritionist who was in charge of coming up with her meals that''s why even at the age of eighty, the old woman was still as strong as an ox with all parts of her body still functioning properly except for her leg that bothered her some times.


    Phoebe could see that the old woman was questioning the usefulness of the contents in the cup.


    [She must be worried about the contents of the tonic. It would be ridiculous of me to give an obviously wealthy client something bad because my own reputation would be ruined. I charge at least two hundred dollars for a sip of this tonic, grandma but i am giving it to you for free. This is two hundred dollars, the cost of a plate of grade B beef at King''s hotel.]


    Phoebe''s thoughts displayed clearly at her forehead and the old woman read each and every word.


    The old matriarch was more than shocked that she inhaled sharply, her narrowed eyes never leaving Phoebe''s face.


    She had blinked a few times but the words were there for everyone to see. When she looked around at the others however they had normal expressions on their faces.


    Grandma Saxon controlled her excitement because she had met an extraordinary woman and she had to be the one.


    It was in that moment that she came to a conclusion that this Phoebe was not an ordinary girl. No wonder her grandson was having dreams about her and was obsessed with finding her.


    "Thank you dear," she reached her hand out for the cup.


    Ruth who hated seeing grandma Saxon accept something from Phoebe. For all she knew, this small gesture could be the key to Phoebe crossing the threshold of Saxon tower.


    She moved her hand and tried to push the cup away but Phoebe maintained a strong hold on it.


    Dissatisfied, Ruth complained loudly, "Phoebe how can you suggest that grandma drinks that shit, even the cup is old and dirty." She wrinkled her nose in disgust.


    The old woman looked her quizzically. "Didn''t you just claim a few minutes ago that you came here to pick tonics for your parents and grandmother? Or was that a lie?"


    The question forced Ruth to fold her lips and squeeze her eyes shut, she could blame no one but her big mouth. "Well.... what I actually meant was that..." she stammered as words failed her.


    With her hand on the cup, grandma Saxon raised the cup to her lips and swallowed the contents that were in the cup ignoring Ruth''s meaningless warnings.


    The moment she put the cup down, she began to feel relaxed immediately and all discomfort in her body vanished. It was truly mesmerizing, her eyes moved to the cup as she tried to figure out the ingredients that were used to make it.


    Even with all the stress reliving supplements she took on a daily that were manufactured by the Saxon group nothing came close to what this young woman had given her.


    "Thank you. Is it possible for you to tell me what ingredients you used to make this?" She asked innocently, a small smile made its way to her lips.


    "That''s a secret." Phoebe commented as she smiled back at the only Saxon who adored her in her past life.


    Even though Phoebe adored the old woman too, sharing the recipe was out of the question despite the fact that the Saxon ancestor spirit gave her the recipe.


    Her eyes moved to where it was sitting, right next to its relative. Phoebe assumed that it would urge her to share the recipe but it didn''t.


    She turned her attention to grandma Saxon who was looking at her with a glint of curiosity in her eye.


    [I wonder what she''s doing here? Did she come here purposely to see me?]


    "Sit down dear." Grandma Saxon instructed politely with a big smile on her face after reading Phoebe''s thoughts. "Maybe you can help me. I am looking for a red haired woman, twenty four years of age and named Phoebe Gabriel."


    On hearing that, Phoebe swallowed hard but remained composed because she had to maintain the fa?ade. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Crap! oh crap! Why?]


    In her mind, Phoebe panicked. With the resources of the Saxons, even if she denied her true identity, the truth would be revealed in no time.


    Grandma Saxon chuckled. She was more than confident that this was the right one and she couldn''t wait for David to bring her home. For now, she decided to act like a fool since Phoebe was not ready to reveal her identity.


    "But unfortunately, you aren''t the person I am looking for but am fortunate to have met you. From today I would like you to deliver tonics of my choosing to the Saxon tower." That said the old woman stood up to leave.


    [What? No, no way.]


    Phoebe''s thoughts puzzled the old woman who wondered why she was so alarmed. What was so scary about the Saxon tower?


    Ruth hurriedly walked to the old woman and intertwined her arm into the old woman''s.


    "Grandma I told you that woman doesn''t exist." She triumphantly stated and she rushed the elderly woman out of the cafe.

 Chapter 13 - 13: A love rival on the horizon

    By around midday, the clouds had began to change from snow white to darkish Grey which symbolized that it was about to rain at any given time.


    A camouflaged man that had been spying on the black ghost cafe for a while was wondering why his grandmother and Ruth who was a close friend to the family had visited the cafe.


    He recalled then that Ruth was friends with Phoebe and he clenched his fists. All this time, she had even known where Phoebe was and claimed she didn''t know a Phoebe with red hair.


    Even though Phoebe had changed her name from Gabriel, as her close friend, Ruth knew about this. So, she was keeping them apart deliberately as he had guessed.


    She was so careful not to visit this cafe often because he had his people watching her most of the time. She also worked with the enemy, he just didn''t know who the enemy was and so far, no matter how much he dug, he kept coming up empty.


    As for his grandmother, David suspected that one of the security personnel may have told her about the location of the cafe because he was their too. That or she had come over accidentally. Of course there was also the possibility that she had come looking for a Phoebe with red hair whose family name was Gabriel.


    The reason as to why he hadn''t approached Phoebe just yet was because he was afraid of scaring her with his stories about them being married before and him being reborn. Also, the last time he had seen her, she run away from him like she was running away from a plague and he didn''t know why.


    "I should have approached her more naturally she must think that am some psycho, I hope grandma doesn''t tell her that I have been searching for her." He sighed deeply and pulled his dark glasses closer to his face.


    He had been sitting at the bakery opposite to the black ghost cafe since morning observing whatever was going on in the other store.


    Earlier that same morning, he had almost intervened in the altercation she had with some man and his sister. It took him a lot of effort to hold back, in fact it was he that told the golden haired man that the box belonged to the owner of The black ghost Cafe.


    A wave of jealousy had swept through him when the man''s face lit up as he walked into the store to save the day yet it was he that had found the box.


    Later on he saw Ruth Mayfair walk into the store with a big fake smile on her face, judging by her happy demeanor, she had been here a few times before.


    David couldn''t help but think of Ruth''s behavior as suspicious. "That cunning snake is always up to no good." He muttered.


    He would have to warn Phoebe about her but he didn''t know if she would trust him.


    His grandmother and Ruth came out of the cafe. Phoebe who was carrying a paper bag followed them and handed it to one of the guards. David watched the black Cadillac in which his grandmother arrived leave.


    After a few minutes, Ruth who had remained outside for a while walked back to the store and it wasn''t long before she stormed out, her face was angry like as if she had quarreled with someone inside the store. In fact he had noted that some customers run out of the cafe earlier like it was on fire. It was obvious that Ruth had started some trouble. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    David decided that today wasn''t a good day to approach Phoebe, if he was going to meet her again, then it had to be under circumstances that favored him.


    He spared a last quick glance at the store and left the bakery with a heavy stomach after having eaten four cinnamon rolls and two glasses of passion fruit juice.


    Making his way to the landlord''s office because he wanted to purchase an apartment, David was surprised to find a familiar face. It was the golden haired man who had a confrontation with Phoebe in the morning.


    "Ohhh it''s you! The box guy right?" Collin''s face lit up. Unknown to him was that David was irritated by his dimpled smile. What bothered him most was that it was the same smile he gave Phoebe, if he''s instincts were right, this man had a crush on her.


    Hmm box guy? I wish I could wipe that irking smile off his face. You were clearly trying to flirt with my wife, David thought.


    "I want to see the owner of the building."


    Unfazed by his attitude and unfriendly tone, Collin kept the smile on his face. "You are speaking to him, I am Collin Baltimore. The landlord you are looking for." He stretched his hand for a shake but was puzzled when the man in front of him gave him an angry look instead.


    David couldn''t believe his bad luck, why was this man the landlord of all people. Now that he knew who the landlord was, he developed the intense desire to purchase the entire building.


    With his wild imagination, he assumed that Collin was going to use his position as the land lord to woo his woman.


    "I want to buy it." David''s statement was brief and left Collin confused, if only the man who hadn''t introduced himself yet elaborated on what he meant by it.


    "Pardon me? Do you mean an apartment?" Collin raised his brows in excitement. Since renovating the unoccupied parts of the buildings, tenants had been flowing in like water.


    David removed the black bucket hat from his head revealing his white hair and took off the shades. He expected Collin to be startled by him because he was a Saxon.


    However it was the opposite as the man remained composed and he stared at him like he had no idea about who he was.


    And he was right because Collin and his family had been living overseas, it was only recently after his sister developed a strange illness that they had moved back because she asked them to.


    David sneered and introduced himself like a famous television hero, beloved by all because he saved the day everyday.


    "I am David, David Saxon."


    Under normal circumstances, at the mention of the name Saxon people trembled but not this man.


    "Okay David...." Collin began to speak but was interrupted him and told him to call him by his sur name.


    Collin sighed, a little miffed by David. The last thing he wanted was to become familiar with this man who was a little too arrogant for his liking.


    "Okay Mr. Saxon, these are the apartments available. You can choose one of you liking." Collin spread the layout of the apartments on the vast office table.


    Curling his upper lip upwards, David looked the other way. "The whole thing, not just an apartment. State a figure, I will give you as much as you want, just name a figure."


    His arrogance could be heard in the words that came out of his mouth. Collin who was dumbfounded let out a guffaw, when the laughing ceased, Collin who wasn''t offended told David that he wasn''t selling his investment now or in the near future.


    Displeased by the answer because he was expecting Collin to jump up at the offer, David inhaled and exhaled deeply. It was astonishing because it wasn''t every day that a man rejected a lot money.


    "I''ll buy apartment 303D, I already paid the previous tenant to move out, Send your account details to my email address and the money will be deposited immediately." David stated curtly.


    Without wasting time, the white haired man carelessly dropped his business card on top of the table and walked away leaving the land lord in shock.

 Chapter 14 - 14: All roads lead to David.

    It was a somewhat busy day at the black ghost Cafe, from finding auspicious dates for couples to helping ghosts move on Phoebe needed a break. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Rosette i am taking a break after this client.]


    She sent a text. While she was putting her phone down, a client walked in. He was a young man who had covered his head with a thick black scarf and eyeglasses.


    "What''s wrong with this one? He looks more like a ghost than an actual ghost." Ancestor Saxon hovered over the man from side to side.


    Phoebe cleared her throat and smiled. As long as the money was good, it didn''t matter if the client walked in wearing a full mermaid costume or had ten arms.


    "How can i help you sir?" she asked.


    "You are a supposed to be a shaman of some sort, can''t you tell?" he responded rudely.


    "I am not a god, i don''t see all." she replied.


    The man stood up and walked out of her office without an explanation. Phoebe scoffed and she laughed a little bit. He would not be the first to walk out because she didn''t magically discern his mysterious problem.


    "We should really start screening for weirdos." the teenage ghost said.


    "A ghost calling a human weird, how ironic." Phoebe chuckled.


    She looked at the packed herbal tonics for grandma Saxon which she had requested that Phoebe personally drops off the to the Saxon tower herself. There is no way she was ever going to go there willingly, the good thing was that she had given the old woman a few products to use as she prepared her delivery.


    "I am in a crappy mood." she croaked out.


    Letting out a tired sigh, Phoebe stared at the hungry teenage ghost which was scared to ask for a snack since she was in a terrible mood.


    Even the Saxon spirit which was usually bubbly was quiet, it almost seemed like they were all walking on egg shells.


    "There, enjoy till you get high on sugar." Phoebe tossed a full packet of sugar coated candies into the fire causing the flames to flare up.


    "What''s your name?"


    Since the girl helped her run some errands and she would be around for a while, she figured that the Saxon spirit was right, and she should learn her name.


    "Connie, it took you long enough." The teenage spirit answered with it''s usual rudeness as it chewed more candy loudly.


    Phoebe went back to work but she could barely concentrate. She placed the celestial calendar on the table and lowered her head. She could hardly concentrate because her insides were turning with fury.


    Her fury was the reason for the crappy mood she was in which refused to go away like a cloud of rain on a cold day. The words Ruth had told her kept ringing at the back of her mind.


    "How did grandma find me?" she asked the spirit.


    "This was purely coincidental, I don''t know why she came to the store. I wasn''t involved in any way." The Saxon spirit lied through it''s teeth because it had pulled some strings to get the old woman to go to the black ghost Cafe. "I do hope your anger is not directed towards me."


    Even the spirit could see that Phoebe was in need of an outlet for an anger.


    "My anger has nothing to do with you. The nerve of that spiteful demon in human form to ask me to stay away from David. Ha!" Phoebe expressed her anger by banging the table.


    Earlier that day Ruth had left together with grandma Saxon but surprisingly, she had returned to the shop furious.


    Before Phoebe could ask what was wrong, Ruth had unleashed her fury by blaming her for going to the Saxon tower without informing her.


    The woman was obviously crazy, did she think that Phoebe needed permission before going anywhere. It was because of her childish attitude that Phoebe had admitted that she had gone there.


    "I went there because I wanted to know what the fuss was all about. All you have done is to warn me never to go there but you couldn''t tell me why, I was curious. What are you going to do about it Ruthie?" Phoebe lied blatantly, she had mistakenly gone there but she wanted to become a thorn in Ruth''s flesh


    The blunt response made Ruth shudder in fear, she was afraid of what was going to happen now that her little birdie had informed her that David had found the woman he was searching for, in fact he hadn''t slept home last night.


    Her angry wondering eyes moved around among the customers that were alarmed, most knew who she was, the pampered princess of the rich Mayfair family.


    She was known for her impulsive behavior especially when she was angry. There was a time she made headlines in the celebrity news that she had slapped someone just because he was staring rudely at her.


    No charges were pressed on her simply because her decent and kind parents came out publicly to apologize to the public and went as far as to apologize to the victim in person.


    People often wondered how nice people like the Mayfairs had given birth to a beast for her a daughter.


    The waiting clients in Phoebe''s shop had lowered their gazes to the floor as some went as far as to leave the Cafe because none of them wanted to fall victim to her wrath.


    "Where is he?" Ruth had asked after searching the vicinity. She was seriously looking for someone.


    Like a mad woman, she moved to Phoebe''s office and moved inside with Phoebe following right behind her as she asked whom she was searching for so desperately.


    "David Saxon, where is he? Have you been playing innocent all this time yet you were meeting up with him? Is he the man that is financing you?" Came Ruth''s questions that barely made any sense.


    "What? What are you ranting about? Who the hell is David Saxon? What would he be doing here?" Phoebe feigned ignorance because she didn''t want Ruth to know that she knew the man and she wasn''t planning on knowing him.


    If the pendant required that she bonds with a Saxon, then she was going to find one that gave her peace of mind. The last Saxon on the list was David in fact he wasn''t on the list at all.


    The blond haired woman''s venomous eyes glared at Phoebe. "Now listen to me Phoebe, David Saxon is my man, he''s mine and only mine. I don''t want you around him, even if he somehow comes to you chase him away."


    Without waiting for a response she marched out of the office and slammed the door of the Cafe on her way out.


    Till now Phoebe hadn''t yet recovered from the shock. It was clear that Ruth more obsessed with David than she thought. It wasn''t about becoming a Saxon because she could get any if she wanted. In fact David''s cousin Dickson Saxon followed her around like a lost puppy yearning for love but Ruth never gave him the time of day. She wanted David and only him.


    Phoebe began considering the option of using David just to vex Ruth but she was afraid of the past fate, would it be the same this time as well?


    But if she wanted revenge on Ruth, to cause her the most pain, wasn''t David the answer? In the end, was it inevitable to go to him?


    She buried her head in her hands and groaned loudly.


    "Let''s go and do some fieldwork. We have a simple haunted house cleaning out job. That ought to improve your mood." The Saxon spirit made a good suggestion.

 Chapter 15 - 15: Proving her abilities.

    Phoebe, the Saxon spirit and Connie arrived at the house which she had been assured was haunted. It was a medium sized mansion in the downtown area of the city.


    It was in a residential neighborhood that was rather quiet. Phoebe had learned to observe her surroundings when it came to haunted house affairs. Often times, one haunted house usually meant an entire haunted area.


    Sometimes it was because the house was built on top of an old cemetery, an old public burial ground, a cursed land where many terrible things had happened and the like. A haunted house was rarely a simple matter.


    That''s why she charged no less than five hundred thousand to take on such a job. It was because the scope often widened as she went along.


    This seemed to be an affluent neighborhood, judging by the sizes of the houses and the mostly expensive cars parked along the road. She couldn''t sense any dark energy in the immediate area, which meant there were no malevolent ghosts around.


    While she was looking around and observing the surroundings, Connie rung the door bell.


    "Who is it?" a voice came from inside, the house.


    "The shaman." Connie answered.


    Phoebe touched the back pocket of her jeans and retrieved a gold coin in the shape of a hexagon. There was a picture of a black raven with red eyes on the coin. She poured some of her energy into the coin and threw it up into the sky.


    The red eye of the black raven blinked, and the bird came to life. It flew out of the coin and the coin fell back into Phoebe''s hand.


    The raven flew down and landed on Phoebe''s shoulder in a comfortable move, one that it had done many times. She moved her right hand and rubbed the head of the bird in an affectionate manner.


    "Go, Yin, find what''s hiding here." she instructed the raven.


    The bird opened its wings and flew away, going over the house directly.


    "Using the bird takes up half of your energy. Do not do things like this if they are not necessary. Look, even the days you have left to live have reduced." The Saxon spirit reminded her in a disapproving tone.


    Phoebe didn''t look at the diamond shaped mark to see how many days she had left. This was the nature of her life and business now, so she couldn''t help it.


    "I can''t sense any ghosts, can you?" she retorted.


    The front door was opened by a maid in a blue dress who looked out curiously. She had never seen a shaman like Phoebe before__, one who was dressed in jeans and a small tight white shirt with white sneakers on her feet.


    She looked no different from a young woman of university going age that was about to go on a date or grab lunch with her friends.


    Figuring that Phoebe couldn''t possibly be the shaman, the maid moved her head from side to side, in search of an older man or woman in long robes with beads, or a staff. She conjured up images of different ghost fighting masters she had seen in movies and none of them looked like Phoebe.


    On seeing nobody else, she looked at Phoebe.


    "Are you the shaman?" she asked uncertainly.


    "Yes." Phoebe answered.


    Connie chuckled and said, "Sister, this is why i told you to dress like a monk or something. People think you are normal when you look like this."


    The maid heard Connie''s voice and she screamed. She turned and run back into the house.


    Phoebe on the other hand was surprised to hear Connie calling her sister. By learning the girl''s name, the girl had become attached and slowly, she too would be the same. What would they do when time to part ways came?


    Sighing internally, she walked into the house, following the path that the maid had taken. She found her way to the living room where a scared maid was explaining to her boss who was at the door.


    When the maid saw Phoebe, she turned and run again.


    Phoebe didn''t dwell on that and she looked instead at the people sitting in the living room. It was a couple, a man and a woman who had gloomy looks on their faces.


    She raised her hand and waved at them.


    "Hello, you called for a shaman."


    "Or an exterminator." Connie chimed in.


    The woman gasped at the second voice which seemed to be coming out of nowhere as it''s owner was invisible. She scooted over, distancing herself from Phoebe.


    Phoebe glared at Connie meanwhile before turning back to the couple.


    "That''s my assistant who talks too much. But, i don''t know why you would be so frightened of her when you apparently have ghosts in this house and yet you are still living here." she finished off unsurely.


    Even her voice was light at the end because she still hadn''t managed to sense any ghosts.


    "You are the ghost seeing lady." the man spoke up slowly.


    Phoebe nodded.


    The man''s eyes moved over her, trailing from head to toe as he studied Phoebe.


    The wife turned to the husband and said in an outraged voice, "She can''t be a shaman, she is young."


    She had forgotten that only a few seconds ago, she had heard an invisible ghost talking and Phoebe had said that was her assistant.


    "I don''t think you can help us, you don''t look like you have any experience. We thought you were an older experienced...."


    "My physical appearance has nothing to do with my talents." Phoebe cut in and said quickly.


    The couple would not be the first to doubt her abilities basing on age, appearance and other personal prejudices. There were many people like that in society.


    Phoebe''s mother was the type to ask for a middle aged doctor when she visited the hospital because they were not too young to be inexperienced and not too old to have memory problems and shaky hands.


    To further prove her abilities, she looked at the couple with seriousness and her whole demeanor changed. Her red hair suddenly flew up as if a fan was blowing hair through it. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    This was actually almost the case because the Saxon ancestor was the one blowing Phoebe''s hair to lend her and appearance of an otherworldly master.


    "You are Georgina Elroy, forty eight years old, born in Magic city on 9th April I9** at night. You are the third daughter of your parents, your second brother died last year from a drug overdose but your family tells everyone he died in his sleep.


    You are allergic to diary products but this doesn''t stop you from sneaking a bite of ice cream every once in a while, cheesecake flavor is your favorite.


    The ring on your hand is not the wedding ring your husband gave you on the day he married you which is 16th December 20**. You lost the original one on a cruise ship two years ago when you were dancing how low can you go.


    You have a scar on your inner wrist which you tell everyone was a result of your sister scratching you but you lied, you scratched yourself to get back at her for....."


    "Stop, stop!" the woman yelled desperately.

 Chapter 16 - 16: No ghosts here.

    "Are you sure that i should stop?" she responded.


    The woman nodded.


    "I believe you, okay, i believe you so you can stop now." she said softly.


    Phoebe''s hair stopped flying around aimlessly and slowly came back down. Ancestor Saxon, was wheezing surprisingly, seeming to be exhausted from the small task of acting like her fan.


    Phoebe wondered how the two humans would react if they could see an immortal spirit hunched over in exhaustion as if it had been engaged actively in a sport.


    Turning to the husband, Phoebe spread her arms out and eyed him curiously.


    "Should i do you next?"


    The man shook his head vigorously. He didn''t want his secrets revealed but he wanted his family to be helped.


    "Please, help us." he begged. "Something has gone wrong with our family, especially our son. All sorts of weird things keep happening in the house.


    First, our daughter died suddenly a few months ago, and then our son became weird. He walks around at night, screaming weird things.


    He cuts every part of his body when he gets his hands on something sharp. His hair has fallen out and he makes these weird monster like noises...."


    Phoebe raised her eyebrows at that part, monster like noises.


    The man noticed her frown and he said, "Before you tell me that i should go to a doctor, let me save you some time. We have visited more than ten hospitals and his condition has not changed. We even had him committed for a while in a psychiatric ward and nothing changed. "


    He pointed to a picture high above the fire place. It was a picture of a young teenage boy holding a trophy in his hands. He was a good looking boy, with a wide smile on his face.


    There were more pictures on the wall, all of the family but most of the boy on different occasions. Phoebe studied the pictures, learning what she could from them.


    He seemed to have been popular and smart. He also thrived physically, engaging in sports like basketball. From all indicators, this was a happy family, wealthy and perfect.


    "That was our son, our Michael. But, if you see him now....." the father broke off.


    "Take me to the boy." Phoebe commanded.


    The parents that had solemn looks on their faces stood up and led the way to the bedroom upstairs. The mother was trembling as she opened it, seeming to be afraid to enter.


    The father shoved it wide open and led Phoebe inside. A boy was sleeping in the middle of the bed in the large bedroom. Phoebe could see the difference between the boy in the pictures and the boy on the bed.


    The one on the bed was hairless and skinny, basically skin and bones. His arms and legs were bound and she guessed that this was done to protect him. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She didn''t need to see ghosts in order to tell that something had gone wrong with the boy. A child didn''t become this malnourished naturally when he came from a wealthy family that pampered him.


    His bedroom had an entire shelf with expensive toys and car models. He had different expensive electronics and designer shoes and clothes.


    "Something is eating this child." the Saxon spirit said.


    "He stinks." Connie added.


    Phoebe didn''t want to roll her eyes but seeing a ghost pinching it''s nose with a look of disgust on its face was quite comical. You are dead, how does the smell affect you?


    "What was the first thing that you noticed which told you that something was wrong?" she asked the father.


    The father turned back to look at the mother as if she had all the answers. From where she was standing close to the doorway the mother opened her mouth and responded.


    "His grades started slipping."


    Phoebe frowned and shook her head. His grades were not exactly the answer she wanted.


    "He lost his appetite." the mother gave another answer. She tried hard not to look disgusted but her face betrayed her. "He stopped eating cooked food and he developed an appetite for insects."


    Connie made gagging sounds and Phoebe glared at the ghost.


    "I want to know about the physical changes, did something on his body change?"


    As she asked, she got gloves from her back pocket and put them on. When she was finished, she tossed another gold coin in the air and caught it.


    This coin had the image of a cat, a black cat. She looked at the coin and saw no change.


    "No ghost." the Saxon spirit declared.


    Phoebe frowned and looked at the boy on the bed. She touched the pendant and communicated with the spirit using her thoughts.


    "Have you ever seen anything like this?"


    "I am not sure, maybe you should first check his body."


    Phoebe was already moving as she intended to check the boys body indeed. If the answer was not with a ghost, then it was with the boy himself, or the parents.


    "Has anything changed in your family situation. anything at all?" she asked them.


    She checked the boys feet and noticed that they were awfully white, as if he lacked blood. They were also unnaturally cold, which was weird.


    She turned him slowly and looked at his back, then his stomach and she opened his mouth. That''s when the boy opened his eyes, and she saw nothing but emptiness in them. It was if he wasn''t there.


    Phoebe looked at the worried parents who were watching her every move and she gestured for them to hurry up.


    "You haven''t answered my question, has anything changed in the family situation other than your son''s physical condition?"


    The father shrugged and he looked at the mother.


    "Nothing that i can think of. My husband and i are both fine and so is our business. The only one that is ill is our son." She answered.


    Phoebe turned to the invisible ghost assistant and gestured her head in the direction of the window. Connie went over and opened it.


    The raven Yin flew in immediately and landed on Phoebe''s shoulder. In it''s mouth were a few strands of brown hair. Phoebe took the hair from the bird and she looked at it.


    She didn''t know whose hair it was so she showed it to the couple. The father had black hair which was short, cut in a military fashion. The mother had brown hair, but it was longer than the one in her hands.


    "Where did you get this Yin?"


    The bird answered. "The energy of someone in this house is on this hair and i found it buried in the backyard of another house."


    Maybe it was because the couple had heard an invisible ghost talking so seeing a bird talk did not shock them to the extremes. In fact, it grew their hope in the young shaman.


    "What else was there?" she asked.


    The bird opened its mouth and made regurgitating noises. Then, it threw up on the pristine floor of the bedroom.

 Chapter 17 - 17: Borrowed luck.

    Among the things Yin had spit up were finger nails and a piece of paper wrapped in a cloth. Phoebe opened the white cloth and inside were two pieces of paper with different dates.


    She put all these things down and studied them with apprehensive eyes. Hair, nails and two dates of birth.....wasn''t it some kind of magic spell?


    Spells sometimes involved hair, nails, blood and dates of birth. It was important to have the right date of birth and time.


    The Saxon spirit laughed dryly in a soft voice. "I think this is a luck borrowing ritual, no....not borrowing but stealing and not just luck but it looks like the boys life force is being drained as well. Damn, i didn''t think people who practiced this kind of dark art still existed. This smells like the work of a very bad warlock."


    "Magic city." Phoebe whispered.


    Fog country was not a place without whispers about abnormal things, especially in Magic city. That was why it had been named magic city after all, because of the rumored magical past and creatures that went bump in the night which supposedly thrived there.


    Still, none of things had ever been proven but the city thrived on this reputation. Magicians were common on the corners of every street. They were not real magicians but performers....illusionists. Sooth sayers, psychics, warlocks, witches and more also set up shop in the city.


    Ever since her rebirth, when this magical thing happened to her, Phoebe had been researching these rumors. She had come across a page on the internet of a fortune teller that claimed to change the luck of others.


    As someone that sold trinkets that gave her customers good luck, Phoebe had scoffed at the prospect of changing one''s luck entirely. If it was that easy, everyone in the world would do it. But, if someone could steal the luck of another and transfer it, then it wasn''t impossible to change one''s luck completely.


    "What is it?" the father asked. "What is wrong with my son?"


    Phoebe stood up and took off the gloves. She looked around the room, searching for somewhere to dump them and she saw a waste basket in the corner.


    She walked towards it, and threw the blue gloves inside. Then, she turned back to the parents with a grim look on her face. They too were staring back at her with equally grim looks on their faces. The mother looked like she had aged ten years in only a few minutes.


    "I have bad news and good news, which do you want first?"


    They didn''t respond so she decided to give them the news in the order she wanted.


    "It''s not a ghost."


    A small cry came from the mouth of the mother. If it wasn''t a ghost and it wasn''t a medical issue then what were they to do for their son? Her legs gave up and she collapsed to the floor.


    "The good news is that i know exactly what is wrong with your son." Phoebe told them.


    The father slowly approached the bed and he sat down.


    "What is it?" he asked in a small voice.


    The young shaman had just said she had good news and bad news. If the good news was that she knew what the problem was then the bed news had to be that she didn''t know how to fix the problem.


    "One million is the price i want. I do not work on credit, you should pay me now or after i finish the job. Which will it be?" Phoebe asked.


    "Huh!" the mother exclaimed.


    "Do you...can you fix it?" the father asked.


    The mother scrambled to her feet and she rushed over to Phoebe''s side.


    "Our Michael, can you help him?" she loudly asked.


    Phoebe nodded. She looked at the gold watch on her wrist and then the parents.


    "We are losing auspicious time, hurry up. Will you pay now or after?"


    "After." the man responded in a firm voice.


    He was a businessman and he never signed checks without being sure about where the money was going and if there was value.


    "Very well."


    She put on a new pair of gloves and reached her hand out to touch one of the boy''s hands, the left one. He had a bracelet made out of gold threads with a basketball shaped charm. The energy coming from the bracelet was the same as that from the items the Raven had brought.


    She ripped the bracelet off of the boys hand and tossed it onto the other things. She got a small pocket knife from the side pocket of he jeans and started separating the gold threads. In there were dark threads of hair that she held up for the parents to see.


    "The bad news is that someone close to your son did this to him, whoever gave him this bracelet."


    She looked at the mother as she took a lighter out of her bag.


    "Whoever it is, they were born on the same day as your son. This person either knowingly or unknowingly involved themselves in a luck stealing ritual. Your son is fated to live a long wealthy happy life and someone saw this and wanted it for themselves."


    Phoebe gathered all the items and put them out on the balcony. Then, she set fire on the items before turning around to face the two frightened looking parents that were following her.


    "Now, whoever did the ritual is a warlock from Magic city i presume because this is the kind of magic they advertise over there. That warlock is the real deal, not like most who are fake and said warlock is stealing the lifeforce of your son. That''s what has been killing him slowly."


    She walked past them and returned to the bed. The boy''s eyes were beginning to clear up. She touched his head and transferred some of the energy she got from helping ghosts to him.


    That was not enough and she opened her bag and removed a tonic. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "This will help him rebuild his body and strengthen it. The road to recovery is going to be a month long, thirty days to be precise. During this time, keep him away from the public. In fact, you should all disappear for those thirty days because the one who did this is going to face a backlash and they will come looking for your son, to repeat what they had done."


    The father cut her off first. He had a frown on his face as if he didn''t understand what was going on.


    "Wait.. first explain this again. I don''t think i understand what you are talking about. Someone gave my son a bracelet through which they have been stealing his luck and life force."


    On the bed, the boy made a small croaking sound which brought his mother running.


    "Michael" she called his name desperately.


    "Mom." the boy replied.


    His voice was rough and it came out in a whisper. It was the first time however in so long that it had been heard saying something sensible.


    "Baby..." she croaked out and broke down, crying while she grabbed him in a tight hug.


    "Mom.." the boy called again. "What''s wrong?"


    He was becoming more lucid which was proof that whatever Phoebe had done had worked.


    Phoebe put the rest of the tonics on the table before tossing the coin up for the raven to return to it''s resting place.


    "I believe my work here is done." she said.

 Chapter 18 - 18: 18. Consequences of helping.

    Phoebe handed the man a card with her account number.


    "Bank transfer or hard cash, i am good with both."


    He looked at the card and then at her, surprised with how prepared she was and how cold she seemed. It was all business to her, even though she had just displayed the most amazing and unbelievable things he had ever seen, like the talking bird which had disappeared into a coin.


    Still, he was very confused by all that he had heard and witnessed. If possible, he wanted her to sit down and explain everything slowly once more, very slowly.


    "I need to understand this..."


    The impatient teenager floated next to the man and cut him off. "Mr. are you trying to stiff us? If you don''t give us our money then we will..."


    "Connie, don''t threaten the clients." Phoebe jumped in.


    "I will pay."


    The man cleared his throat and said. He got his own phone and immediately transferred one million.


    "Pay for the tonics too mister." Connie reminded him.


    Phoebe stopped him however.


    "It''s okay, you can consider it goodwill from me. I feel bad for your son. He encountered such misfortune at such a young age because someone was greedy for things that don''t belong to them. I know what it''s like."


    She got one of the good luck bracelets from her bag and she tied it around the right hand of the boy who was staring at her in wonder. He had seen the bird going into the coin.


    "What is that?" his mother was now wary of all bracelets.


    "It''s a charm to help him restore his good luck. I sell charms and talismans that ward off evil too. If you ever need one, visit our Black ghost cafe."


    Phoebe let go go of the boys hand and she picked up her bag. She stood up and started walking in the direction of the door. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Don''t forget my instructions, start packing up and leave right now." she shouted to them from the doorway.


    She walked slowly and found her way out of the house, walking into the night. The diamond mark indicated that she had twenty nine days to live.


    "You have used so much energy. You keep forgetting that energy keeps you alive. Getting rid of stolen luck has not given you any energy, helping humans is not the same as helping ghosts."


    The Saxon spirit harped on and on, complaining about the wasted energy and also encouraging her to go see David.


    "One hug from David would give you so much energy." It reminded her.


    Phoebe ate a protein candy bar and she sighed. It wasn''t as if she could refuse to help the boy. She also had no plans of hugging David, not tonight anyway. What she needed was food, a hot shower and some sleep.


    As for the unknown warlock that did the luck stealing ritual, he didn''t even cross her mind. Perhaps he should have because in Magic city, soon after Phoebe broke the spell with her energy and burned all the things used in the spell, a certain warlock had suffered backlash, spitting up blood even.


    Someone that had suffered like that was sure to come looking for the one that had caused them trouble.


    **********************


    It was 8:00 am in the morning but Phoebe felt exhausted right to her bones. A deep groan slipped through her lips as she turned to the other side of the bed.


    "Good morning sunshine, Have you decided on going ahead with what you thought about yesterday?" A raspy voice interrupted Phoebe''s dreams.


    She was now well conversant with the Saxon spirit''s voice. Even in her sleep she could easily identify it, after a whole year of seeing ghosts, she wasn''t horrified by being woken up by ghost voices or weird noises anymore.


    However today she wanted to sleep in because she slept late after helping the boy. If not that she had been paid a hefty sum of one million, she would be even more unhappy.


    The Saxon spirit had been right in warning her not to take on such tasks often because since Phoebe had finished it she felt extremely weak, her face was pale and if she wasn''t mistaken, when she looked at her frame in the mirror last night she had lost some weight in a few hours.


    She let out a weary sigh and pulled the bed cover to her waist. Then she raised her hand and stared at the back of her hand. The numbers in the middle of the diamond shaped tattoo were the same.


    "So does this mean that I lost energy that''s equivalent to two months?" Phoebe asked the spirit which was now lying with her on the bed.


    Nodding it''s head, the Saxon spirit let her know that it was because humans and ghosts were different.


    "Look at the bright side you made a good amount of money. I have told you before that when you gain something, you loose something in return."


    Phoebe sat up straight and complained that she felt like she lost more than she gained.


    "You need to connect me to more ghosts because I need to replenish the energy I lost."


    The Saxon spirit said that it would do that as soon as Phoebe answered its question which she had ignored on purpose. It had been more like a middleman between Phoebe and the ghosts because it had sent a lot of ghost clients to the Cafe.


    Phoebe who was genuinely confused asked the spirit what it was talking about.


    "Yesterday you briefly thought about using David to irritate Ruth. I personally think that it''s a brilliant idea....."


    Before it could lay the idea on the table, Phoebe jumped out of bed and began to walk away from it. Her efforts were all in vain as it hovered over her, there was no running away from it.


    "Not a chance, I don''t want your relative in my life and I don''t care what the consequences are, I will have to change my destiny if I have to."


    The earnestness in her voice made it laugh as it stated that no one has ever avoided their destiny before.


    "There is always a first time for everything." Phoebe stated stubbornly as she pulled out the grimoire from the safe because as usual she was going to write some spells in it, especially luck related spells.


    Next time, she wanted to be better prepared if she run into such a case.


    "Tell me everything you know about luck." she told the spirit.


    She concentrated on that task until her stomach complained, demanding for food.


    After she was done with breakfast, Phoebe prepared to leave for work. As she passed through the corridor, Phoebe stared at the next door and wondered why she hadn''t met the occupant yet. She had been told by the property manager that the new land lord had moved into the apartment that was next to hers.


    She shrugged and began to walk away but before she could enter the elevator, Phoebe remembered that she had forgotten herbs that were used in burning sage and a client had asked for a delivery of those particular herbs.


    Since she hadn''t gone far, Phoebe walked back to her apartment. Once inside, she walked to the table where the two medium sized boxes sat.


    The table was close to the doors leading out to the big balcony. A white lace curtain hang from top to bottom.


    Phoebe who had forgotten to open the curtains did so and on opening the balcony to allow fresh air into the house, she noticed movers bringing carrying in furniture into the apartment on the next block directly opposite hers.


    She wondered who it was because only celebrities and extremely wealthy people lived on block D of the Cerene Apartments and judging by the quality of the furniture alone, whoever it was a money bag.

 Chapter 19 - 19: Goldie/pervert/landlord.

    All the apartments from A to D were luxurious but block D took things to a whole new level. Everything a human needed from the gym, pool, theater and more were built inside the houses yet tenants from other blocks had to share these privileges.


    "What happened to the previous tenant?" The Saxon spirit smiled slyly, it was already aware who the new tenant of apartment 303D was. Things were unfolding in its favor however it wasn''t about to ruin the surprise.


    "There is a rumor in the group chat that the new tenant of that apartment paid triple the current market price for it, I don''t know him but I already don''t like him. I suspect he''s a braggart." Phoebe carried the boxes and walked out.


    The moment she stepped out, she noticed the rude teenage girl whose name she recalled was Cassie. She wondered why she was coming out of the land lord''s house.


    "Oh its the ghost lady." Cassie commented just as her brother stepped out of the house.


    [Why are they coming out of there? Did this girl do something naughty once again and now her brother has to apologize on her behalf?]


    She gave Collin a sympathetic look. He had told her the last time they met that Cassie had taken money from his drawer that''s why he had taken the wallet from her hence the misunderstanding. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Collin quickly stepped forward and greeted her, he had read her thoughts therefore he corrected the wrong narrative Phoebe had about his sister.


    "I think that I may have forgotten to inform you that am the land lord of this place." He casually spoke like it was a simple thing.


    The boxes in Phoebe''s hands fell to the floor as her mouth grew wide open. "Land lord? Am sorry did you say land lord?"


    The red haired woman was more than surprised because she was expecting the owner of The Cerene Apartments to be an older man maybe even with a potbelly because there is no way this handsome young man standing before her had that much money unless of course it was inheritance.


    [He must think that am some kind of nut job judging by how I treated him, first I called him a pervert, then I slapped him,,,,,]


    She bit her bottom lip and lowered her head.


    "Landlord?" Phoebe whispered but her question was loud enough for Cassie to hear. The teenage girl''s curt look never once left her shocked face.


    Cassie rolled her eyes and shouted as she began to walk away. "Yes lady, He just told you that he''s the landlord. Don''t tell me that you are our next door neighbor? What kind of terrible luck is this? Collin you need to relocate her, what if one of her pet ghosts escapes and possesses one of us?"


    The girl began to march away with folded arms, her pronounced lips high up in the air.


    "Pets! Did this mannerless child just call ghosts pets? I advise that you keep your distance from this young man otherwise you have to deal with that insolent brat for the rest of your life."


    The ancestor spirit gave its unsolicited advise, it had noticed that Phoebe blushed each time she saw the handsome young man and it would be a huge disadvantage to David if Phoebe caught feelings for him.


    Collin shot Phoebe an apologetic look, the closed smile that had formed on his lips when he read her thoughts was still present.


    "Please don''t mind her, she is always in a grumpy mood. I guess it''s a teenage thing but overall am glad that we are neighbors and I hope that we become friends as well."


    He spoke before racing after his sister whom he was taking to school. He left behind a stunned Phoebe that was thinking about the day she thought her landlord a pervert. Boy had she been wrong about things!


    She was just glad that he couldn''t hear her thoughts or he would have thrown her out of the building.


    Also, this Cassie and Connie, she wondered if the two rude teenage girls were sisters in another life.


    When she got to the Cafe, the smell of English roses was wafting in the air. The smell was so strong that Phoebe began sniffing them right before she entered.


    The dim Cafe had brightened up by the pinkish flowers, the entire room was filled with baskets of them.


    "Woooo" Exclaimed the Saxon spirit, a wide smile showing all it''s teeth formed on its lips. "What is going on here? It''s not even your birthday yet darling." It went on to hover each and every basket while appreciating the sweet smell.


    Phoebe was very nonchalant about the situation because she was certain that Rosset who was bouncing on her feet while smiling from ear to ear was the recipient of the flowers.


    However when the woman saw her, she hurriedly rushed to her side with a basket that was bigger than the others. "This... I mean all this is for you." She handed it to Phoebe who was reluctant to take it from her.


    Blinking continuously because she knew of no one that would send her so many flowers, not even her mom whom she loved so much, Phoebe asked who they were from.


    "They were delivered but you can check the card." Rosset pointed at the tinny paper card that was stuck in between the petals.


    "For the most beautiful woman in the world."


    Her brows pulled together as she read out loud. It had no name therefore she couldn''t tell who it was from.


    Phoebe reached for her phone and called her mother who denied having made the sweet gesture.


    Upon hanging up, Phoebe asked Rosset to call the delivery company that had dropped the flowers to pick them. "This has to be a mistake, no one I know would do this for me."


    "NO!" Shouted the Saxon spirit shocking Phoebe who was staring at the old cut diamond necklace. It looked extremely expensive but she didn''t want it.


    Phoebe''s eyes met those of the spirit that had become speechless all over a sudden.


    "Do you know who sent these? Do you sense something?"


    Shaking it''s head, the spirit denied aggressively. "How would I...I mean no." It lied blatantly and vanished into the pendant.


    *********


    Saxon Tower.


    It wasn''t normal for grandma Saxon to be quiet when having meals. Usually it meant that something was seriously bothering her. The old woman wore a deep frown on her face and she hardly touched her breakfast as the porched eggs and bacon the chef had served her were still the same, untouched.


    The family members that were present had noticed because she was usually the conversation starter during dining hours.


    Sighing for what seemed like the a hundredth time, grandma Saxon laid the cutlery she was holding down on the table.


    Robert Saxon who seemed to have had enough of seeing worry form on his mother''s face asked the old woman what was bothering her.


    "Mom, just tell us what has caused that big frown on your beautiful face." Robert gave his mother a quizzical gaze.


    There was no one on planet earth that Robert adored more than his mother. He loved and paid attention to her so much so that it some times created tension between he and his wife.


    Katherine Saxon who was the most blunt and first born child in the family smacked her lips before speaking. "This has David Saxon written all over it. Am certain because grandma only gets this way when her beloved grandson is in some kind of trouble, I wonder what he has done this time round."

 Chapter 20 - 20: Strong cautioning.

    She took a big bite of a granny Smith apple and chomped on it only to get a disapproving glance from her mother.


    "Maybe he has dived back into his old reckless ways." Mentioned the second born female of the Saxon children, Rose-bell or Rosie as most people called her. Rose-Bell had long hair unlike Katherine who preferred hers short.


    Her words gave them all something to think about. In the past David was a known casanova who lived an extravagant careless lifestyle. He was a popular customer of most of the high end bars in Citrus city.


    Unlike his siblings, David had refused to join the Saxon group because he claimed that he was born with a golden spoon and there fore there was no need for him to work.


    However his position as the Director of Saxon pharmaceuticals remained open because his grandmother believed that he would come to his senses one day.


    The Saxon family especially his parents condemned his never ending childish behavior especially because it was dangerous hanging out with the wrong crowd but he listened to no one, not even his grandmother whom he adored.


    They never understand why a boy that used to be so docile had suddenly become so wild but his grandmother suspected that it was because David felt that he wasn''t loved enough by his Parents who always compared him to his older brother.


    Like a miracle, one year ago when he woke up from a coma, David turned a new leaf instead he became obsessed with finding his so called wife.


    What was even more alarming was the fact that David joined the company and not only did he excel at work but he had quickly garnered respect among the staff who initially doubted his capabilities.


    No one in the family wanted to believe that David could suddenly spiral out of control like he did in the past but they still had some reservations about him.


    "I heard he spent the night out the other day, am telling you something is up." A smile grew on Katherine''s lips, she prayed and hoped that it was so, that way she could take over Saxon pharmaceuticals.


    "What! Mother is this what''s making you so gloomy? Did you know about this?" Robert asked his mother who rubbed her temples continuously with her lips sealed.


    "Where is he? I told you to keep an eye on him." Robert Saxon threw Edgar a quizzical look. It was his job to keep tabs on the youngest Saxon of the first branch of the family.


    "W...well.... sir..." Edgar stammered only for grandma Saxon to ask him to call the head maid.


    As soon as he did, the plump woman came rushing into the dinning area.


    "Yes ma''am" Maria announced her presence politely.


    Grandma Saxon requested Maria to bring her the revitalizing herbal tonic she had come home with the previous day.


    Like as though she was already aware that grandma Saxon would make the request, Maria had placed a tray with the tonic and short glass on a consolation table close to the dinning after all it was the fourth time the old woman was requesting for it.


    Quickly she fetched the tray and placed it in front of the old woman after clearing the dirty plates.


    "Won''t you give me an answer?" Robert asked Edgar who confirmed that David did spend the night out but it was because he had found the woman he was searching for.


    "What?" The females except the grandma answered in unison. The old woman already had the information, in fact she had visited the said woman and found out that she wasn''t the one David was searching for.


    "Poor boy must be disappointed." She mumbled to herself.


    "Explain without leaving anything out." Miranda a beautiful brunette who was also David''s mother ordered.


    Without wasting time, Edgar narrated everything he had discovered. "Further more the woman changed her name from Gabriel to Hopkins that''s why it was so hard to trace her." He cleared his voice and went silent.


    The group of people were left in awe, however grandma Saxon was in complete shock. The young lady that she had met yesterday had completely fooled her.


    A lot was beginning to make sense to her now. "I knew there was something special about the girl, no wonder David is obsessed with her. There is more to this than what meets the eye." She chuckled as she poured the liquid in the glass.


    Rosie a doctor by profession asked her grandma what kind of medication she was taking and where she got it from.


    "Doctor Mayers and Nile said nothing about giving you supplements, where did you get that?"


    She went ahead to read the label on the silver bottle. "Black Ghost cafe?" Her statement was more of a question.


    "Hmmmm." A sly smile formed on grandma Saxon''s face but she remained quiet. It was better that they didn''t know much about the girl. Thank God Edgar didn''t mention anything about the cafe, grandma Saxon was aware that her family was not very receptive.


    The moment they heard about Phoebe''s identity and what she did for a living, they would frown their noses up at her and threaten the poor girl or God forbid run her out of the city.


    "What is this weird stuff?" Rosie sniffed the top of the bottle and looked at the label. "Revitalizing herbal tonic."


    She frowned greatly, and a disdainful look came over her face. "Which crook did you buy this from grandma? This is the kind of stuff they pedal around in Magic city promising longevity and youth. You should not be taking it." S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rosie looked up and called out. "Maria, Maria, come and take this to the trash right...."


    "Put it down." Grandma Saxon commanded.


    She used her stern tone, the one which normally told everyone to sit up, shut up and pay attention. It was the same tone that she also used when she was reproaching any member of the family that went astray.


    Rosie put the tonic down unwillingly and looked at her parents for help. Surely, they would not approve of her taking this quack medicine that was acquired from this weird place called Black ghost cafe. Who in the world named their place of business Black ghost cafe?


    Was it a cafe were ghosts where served drinks and food? Did they meet their ghost friends over there and have a chat over some ice cream?


    "None of you should interfere in David''s business. Whatever he does and how he chooses to handle his love life is his business. I will not have you lot terrorizing that poor girl with your nosiness and rudeness."


    "Mother!" Robert exclaimed.


    He was all but ready to order his men to bring the girl to the tower for questioning. If she was deemed not worthy to marry into the Saxon family, she would be paid off.


    "I will not repeat myself." Grandma Saxon said calmly.


    This was the most she could do for David and Phoebe now. While she had ordered others to stay away from Phoebe, she had no plans to do the same. The girl was simply too interesting to stay away from.

 Chapter 21 - 21: Saving whats meant to die.

    At the cafe, Phoebe was facing another client, a weird one too according to Connie. This was because she had paid the other few human clients in the cafe to leave.


    Then, she had bodyguards stand outside and inside, before asking for the doors to be locked. From her actions, Phoebe could immediately see that she was wealthy.


    She was also the type to use money to get her way. The minute she sat down before Phoebe one of her bodyguards opened a briefcase full of cash, brand new notes straight from the bank which had that new smell money.


    This was the kind of woman that would not be taking no for an answer.


    Phoebe liked money, the more, the better. Each little note in the briefcase was a note that would bring her closer to her goal, buying land from the Saxons. Still, before the woman explained why she was there, Phoebe did not intend to touch the money.


    "How can i help you?" she asked the woman.


    The woman was wearing sunglasses and she took them off. Her face became much more clearer and familiar to Phoebe. She recognized her from her past life. Her name was Lizzie Guzman, wife of Jack Guzman, the president of Guzman oil and petrol.


    The Guzman family was one of the first families of Citrus city, elite like the Saxons. Phoebe was familiar with Lizzie''s face but not her personal business.


    She didn''t know why the woman was there.


    Lizzie Guzman looked around the cafe. She had refused to sit inside Phoebe''s office, preferring to talk out in the open. Her eyes held more curiosity than disdain as she observed the now empty cafe.


    Despite it''s emptiness, Rosette was putting down cups of coffee, tea, juice and other edibles on tables as if they were occupied. Lizzie had heard about the owner of the cafe seeing ghosts and having ghost clients. She just didn''t think that the so called ghosts were also fed and treated as if they were still alive.


    She turned to Phoebe and moved her eyes over her face before sighing and stating why she was there.


    "I have heard that you solved a problem for Georgina Elroy."


    Phoebe''s eyebrows moved upwards and she frowned. News apparently travelled so fast in this city. She had only helped the Elroy''s the previous evening but word was already out. In that case, she had no reason for deny it.


    "I did."


    The Saxon spirit hovered over Phoebe worriedly. "Not another human case, Phoebe dear this is not good for you. Turn her away."


    Phoebe looked up and put a finger over her mouth.


    "Shhh!"


    She turned back to her client and nodded.


    "Go on." she gestured.


    Ignoring the fact that Phoebe had shushed the air or a ghost which she couldn''t see, Lizzie gulped and took a deep breath.


    "I need you to save my child."


    Phoebe''s eyes trailed to the woman''s obviously heavy stomach. Lizzie Guzman was obviously pregnant and about to give birth. Dredging up the memories of her last life, Phoebe realized that she couldn''t remember hearing anything about Lizzie Guzman having a child.


    Of course, the Guzman''s had not been her concern so she didn''t keep up with their lives. What she remembered was that there was a rumor about Jack Guzman having a mistress who had two sons for him. Back then, Phoebe practically lived in the lab working on experiments to further David''s career so she didn''t pay much attention to useless gossip.


    Phoebe stood up and walked towards Lizzie.


    "May i?" she asked.


    She was holding her hand over the woman''s stomach but she had not touched it because some woman didn''t want strangers touching their pregnant bellies. It was even more so when it was someone like Phoebe who associated with ghosts often.


    Some people saw bad luck when they met her and others didn''t want her so called dark energy around them. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The woman nodded and Phoebe placed her hand on the pregnant belly gently. She injected some energy into her hand and searched for traces of life or abnormalities in the child.


    "It''s a boy." she said.


    Lizzie''s eyes widened a little as she was surprised, pleasantly so. The woman felt like she had made the right choice in coming to see the little shaman. Nobody but her and her doctor knew that she was having a baby boy. Even her husband was not aware.


    Phoebe frowned and took her hand away from Lizzie''s belly.


    She looked at the woman and said directly, "It''s not meant to live. I can see a date of birth for him but it''s also the date of death."


    "There, see, you cannot save what''s meant to die." The Saxon spirit said righteously.


    Lizzie Guzman didn''t react when Phoebe told her that her child was not meant to live. For a woman that had just received bad news, she was amazingly calm which told Phoebe that she was expecting this news.


    Either she had been to another shaman that told her this same news or the child in her womb was somehow sick which was impossible. The baby was healthy right now, very healthy and fully formed.


    Phoebe couldn''t predict the future accurately so she didn''t know why the baby would die.


    "Do you know this already?" she asked the woman.


    Lizzie nodded. "What you just said doesn''t surprise me because in the last five years, i have lost three babies, all on the day of birth. They are healthy during the pregnancy and i carry them to term successfully but they only live for an hour at most and then they die with out a cause or an explanation.


    You told the Elroy''s that someone was stealing luck from their son which was killing him. Is it the same as my situation?"


    She out her hands on the table and desperately sought for an answer from Phoebe.


    "Is someone stealing luck from my children? They were born into a wealthy family and they would be meant for greatness if they lived. Or maybe it''s me whose luck is being stolen. Please, you have to help me."


    Her voice turned a little hysterical the more that she talked. However, it was firm and she believed strongly that this was the problem which was plaguing her.


    "Calm down." Phoebe told her.


    She gestured to Rosette to bring over a calming tonic which was handed over to the woman.


    "Drink this first and then i can calculate your fate and see if you are truly meant to have children or not. As for borrowing luck, it is not the case, not with you anyway."

 Chapter 22 - 22: A bunny out of a hat

    After Lizzie calmed down, Phoebe asked her for her date of birth and that of her husband. Then, she calculated the fate for the two. Things like marriage, death, children and big events were easy to see with the help of the skills the Saxon spirit had taught her.


    When she was finished making her deductions, she looked at the woman and sighed.


    "There are children in your fate, or there should be. I can''t see where the problem is coming from right now so all i can do is guess that it is a human fault, not supernatural."


    "Human..." the woman whispered.


    Her face morphed from despair to confusion at Phoebe''s words. A spark of hope had been lit inside when Phoebe told her that she was destined to have children. But then, quickly, a bucket of cold water had been poured on her, dimming the spark.


    If the fault was human, then did this mean someone was deliberately harming her children immediately after birth? A myriad questions rolled through her mind, each without an answer. Why would someone be killing her children and who was it? What were they gaining from it?


    How could she stop them?


    She latched on to Phoebe''s arm and cried out, "Little shaman, what do i do? You must save my baby, you have to."


    Her grip was so tight that one of her medium length sharp light blue nails scratched Phoebe''s hand.


    "Let go." Phoebe ordered.


    Lizzie was unwilling to do as phoebe commanded. Her desperation had taken control of her entirely and she did not intend to let go of Phoebe unless she agreed to help.


    Ancestor Saxon opened her mouth and blew air out of it. The air travelled straight to Lizzie Guzman and encased her. It was cold, freezing cold wind like that emitted from the inside of a refrigerator.


    Because it was summer, cold like this was unnatural and it became even more unnatural when frost appeared on the cup in front of Lizzie. Between the weird cold and sharp glint Phoebe was giving her, the woman''s heart trembled and she let go of Phoebe.


    The little shaman was actually scary and she had abnormal powers__, supernatural powers.


    Subserviently, Lizzie repeated her request.


    "Please, i need your help. I have searched for answers all these years but the doctors said it was natural causes. What you are saying means that there is more to my plight than meets the eye." She rubbed her hands along her arms because she was still feeling cold but the child in her belly was more important than the cold.


    "There is five million in there." She looked at the briefcase of cash. "I will pay five more if you can save my child. as long as you keep him alive, i will pay five million every other five years until he makes twenty five." She shook her head...."No, i will pay you until my son has his own child. Call it a retainer fee if you want.


    We retain lawyers all the time so i want to retain you as my personal shaman. Every year, i will pay you one million and this is outside of the five million."


    "Oh crap!" Ancestor Saxon muttered.


    The spirit could see that Phoebe was wavering and she was going to say yes. Money was her love language lately when it came to working with humans.


    She was right because Phoebe held her hand out and shook Lizzie Guzman''s right one.


    "It''s a deal."


    Eager to start working, Phoebe turned her head to Rosette. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Bring a talisman that wards off bad luck, a good luck charm bracelet, every supplement we have for pregnant women and the new beauty cream."


    She then turned to Lizzie Guzman with a broad welcoming smile on her face.


    "You can rest and leave everything to me. I will handle it all and make sure that the little master in your stomach dies at a ripe old age. Under my care, you will even have the chance to have another child if you desire, after all, your fate shows that you were meant to have five children.Three might be dead now but we can save two."


    Phoebe who had told Lizzie to let go of her hand voluntarily held the woman''s hand now instead and she even patted it gently.


    "Madam, i will be by your side in the hospital on the day you give birth. In fact, i think it will be better if you give birth at a hospital or venue of my choosing.


    You have been using the same hospital, same doctors and doing the same thing which has also given you the same results, death of your child. It''s time we switch things up.


    How do you feel about a home birth?"


    "She looks like she is going to swindle the poor woman?" Connie whispered to the Saxon spirit.


    Phoebe heard the teenager and she shot the girl a sharp glare. After glaring, she turned back to her big shot of a client who would be filling her pockets with millions for years to come.


    "We should notarize our business madam. There are things i am unwilling to do as a shaman. I will not be killing anyone for you through curses or physically, not unless someone is trying to kill you.


    Also, i am not your personal maid, assistant or anything of the sort so do not expect me to run errands for you. You cannot call on me to do petty magic tricks to entertain your friends at a party. I am not the pull a bunny out of a hat kind of magician."


    Connie leaned down towards Lizzie and said loudly for the woman to hear, "She can totally pull a bunny out of a hat for the right price."


    Lizzie squealed and put a hand over her heart in fear and shock.


    "Connie i swear....." Phoebe groaned.


    The girl had a bad habit of getting on her nerves so often because she liked scaring the human clients.


    The teenager whistled and shrugged before laughing as she backed away.


    "Ignore Connie please, she likes to make jokes."


    Lizzie looked around, searching for the owner of the voice but all she saw was empty space. How was she supposed to ignore something she couldn''t even see?


    "So, as i was saying, we must both have rules before entering this kind of long term transaction. We should also put in place terms for exit. If either one of us violates those terms, we can end the contract without a big fuss.


    Think about what you expect of me when you get home and discuss it with your lawyers and i will do the same and discuss with mine. We can meet up again next week and make things official."


    Phoebe and Lizzie talked for a few more minutes before the woman left with all the items Rosset had prepared.


    As soon as the cafe door was closed, Phoebe opened the briefcase, picked up a bundle of money and sniffed it.


    "I am rich." she squealed.


    "If you call this rich then the whole world must be poor." the Saxon spirit mumbled.


    Of course, in the Saxon empire, this five million did not even cover weekly expenses. She put a damper on Phoebe''s excitement. The spirit waved her hand, collected the money and vanished with it into the pendant.


    "Ho!" Phoebe exclaimed in surprise.

 Chapter 23 - 23: Hello magical space.

    The reason for her surprise was because never before had anything physical gone into the pendant. The pendant itself was invisible to others and only she could see it. She always figured that this was because it was a magical pendant.


    The Saxon ancestor spirit slept or lived in the pendant and she was always telling Phoebe to transfer energy to it. Phoebe always did so reluctantly because the spirit had never offered an explanation for this before.


    She took the pendant off her neck and spoke directly to it. "Come out, come and explain where my money has vanished to."


    She walked to her office as she addressed the spirit in the pendant because there were some secrets that even Rosette didn''t need to know. The pendant, her ties to the Saxons, her rebirth and the like were secrets meant for herself.


    In her office, she firmly locked the door and stared intensely at the pendant which was now glowing green.


    "Repeat after me." The voice of the Saxon spirit came from inside the pendant. "Touch the pendant and say the words transfer or just think about that word."


    Phoebe did as the spirit said and she felt herself fading away. Her entire body was transferred somewhere else, an unknown place.


    "All this while, did you think that i was telling you to transfer energy into the pendant for no reason? You are such an untrusting child."


    While the spirit harped on, Phoebe was looking around to see where she was. It was obvious that she was no longer in her cafe. For one, her cafe did not have a mountain.


    "Where am i?"


    "Inside the pendant, it''s obvious. Why are you so slow to understand?" The impatient spirit replied.


    "Oh my God!" Phoebe exclaimed.


    Never in her wildest dreams had she ever dreamed that the pendant was not just useful in bringing her back to life but it had another function.


    The spirit flew over head and laughed loudly. Her laughter was like the ringing of a bell__, a high pitched bell.


    "You are impressed, right? You feel like falling to your knees and calling me master, i know. This is the true inheritance of our Saxon family." It boasted.


    "This place has existed before me so it''s older than you definitely. All the treasures here are things that were collected for millions of years by the ones that were blessed to own the pendant through the years. Of course, just owning the pendant doesn''t mean that it''s power can be activated. You have been the first to activate it in over two hundred years." It explained.


    It pointed to a wooden cabin and sighed.


    "The last owner was not very diligent. He built that small cabin, didn''t collect any treasures and hated his ghost seeing abilities. It''s a relief that you were not so freaked out when we met."


    Phoebe pinched her arm just in case she was imagining what was happening. All the pinch did was cause her pain and give her fair skin a red bruise.


    "Do you see that mountain? It''s filled with layers and layers of aura stones."


    Phoebe turned to the Saxon spirit and she shook her head.


    "I am not a Saxon."


    The spirit had called it an inheritance of the Saxon family and she wasn''t one. If the pendant''s abilities were triggered by blood, it had made a mistake.


    "You are one by marriage." The spirit reminded her.


    "I am not married to a Saxon."


    The Saxon spirit waved her words away as if they were nothing but gibberish. "Technical differences, let''s call it that."


    Phoebe put her hands on her head and she laughed softly. She wondered how many more magical things were in the world that people didn''t know about or simply laughed away as fantasy.


    After her rebirth, she had read many books about rebirth, transmigration, systems, magical space, cultivation, werewolves, vampires and the like. Basically, she drowned herself in as many fantasy novels as often as she could because she was living a fantasy.


    Who knew that the fantasy could become even bigger?


    "A magical space." she whispered in disbelief.


    The Saxon spirit ignored her look of disbelief and continued sharing information about the space.


    "Ghost energy keeps this place alive and functioning. The more energy, the more functions you unveil and the more life like it becomes. Now, you don''t need to keep your ghost pets like Yin, the cat and others which you collect in the coins. They can live in here with me."


    The spirit recalled the teenager and she clapped her hands excitedly.


    "Connie too and any other ghost servant that you acquire along the way. But, if you get any more ghost servants you must control them. This space is a place that many humans and magicians would kill for. It''s a secret that is even bigger than your rebirth."


    Phoebe nodded, agreeing with the spirit about the need for secrecy when it came to the space. She also came to realize that she had been very lackadaisical in collecting ghost energy.


    In order to keep herself alive, power the trinkets she sold, use in her tonics, feed the Saxon spirit and keep the magical space functioning, she needed so much energy, a lot more than she had currently.


    "You can grow herbs here that you use for your tonics, store important things and hide in here in case you are in danger. Also, there are books inside the cabin on cultivation of magic to help you become a real mage.


    With time, even the ghost lake will open up. It''s water can help purify any ghost or human. It can heal and hasten the growth of herbs.


    Most of these functions are still sealed off of course because the energy is not enough. Now you know why i keep telling you to take on more ghost clients than humans."


    There was a trembling in the ground suddenly and the Saxon spirit sighed.


    "Energy is not enough to sustain us all right now. It''s time for you to go."


    She waved her hand and Phoebe left the space. She found herself back in her office.


    "Where have you been?" Connie practically assaulted her with her voice, demanding for answers.


    Phoebe winced and pushed the girl away.


    "Inner voice Connie, you don''t need to scream."


    Besides Connie screaming, her phone too was ringing, loudly. When she looked at it, she noticed that she had five missed calls, all from her father. The thought of answering that call almost gave her a stomach ulcer.


    After her rebirth, she had noticed many strange things about her family which she never saw before, like the way her father talked to her.


    He was stern and cold, always forceful. It wasn''t the same as when he talked to her brother. With him, he was kind and soft. Still, Phoebe didn''t read too much into it.


    She picked up her phone and took a deep breath before calling him back.


    "Dad, hello I..."


    "Did you steal Ruth''s fianc¨¦?" he shouted at her angrily before she could say more.


    Phoebe clenched her jaw and her left hand as well. It looked like Ruth had paid her home a visit and as usual, her parents were already on Ruth''s side, believing her over their own daughter. Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even in her last life, before rebirth, it was this way. Sometimes, she used to joke around that Ruth was more of their daughter than she was. Every day that passed, it felt more like a truth than a joke.


    "Come home right away." her father ordered and hung up.

 Chapter 24 - 24: Always the white lotus.

    There was laughter coming from inside the house, cheerful laughter. The strong smell of turkey meatloaf had escaped through the front door and made it outside. Phoebe smelled it before turning the lock to let herself into the house.


    If she needed further proof that Ruth was there, in the house, this was it. Turkey meatloaf was one of Ruth''s favorite meals, one that her mother had signed up for a cooking class to learn.


    Phoebe swallowed her anger and took a deep breath before going in. Her anger was because of the obvious favoritism her parents displayed for Ruth over her. They always believed Ruth and even cooked her favorite food.


    Meanwhile, she was forbidden from visiting the Mayfair''s because their two families belonged to different classes and her father didn''t want her embarrassing them in front of the rich people.


    She adjusted her thoughts and stepped inside.


    "I am home."


    Loudly, she called out as she changed from her boots to indoor slippers and took off her coat. The first person she saw was her brother, who had earphones in his ears and a plate of food. He smirked at her and continued walking to the living room.


    "What a rude little shit he is." The Saxon spirit complained.


    Phoebe took another deep breath. Over and over, she reminded herself to calm down and not kill anyone or unleash Connie on them.


    She followed the sound of the cheerful voices to the living room and there, she found her parents, Evelyn and Ruth. Her parents were both looking at pictures on Ruth''s phone and laughing happily.


    The way the three were hurdled together, one would think that they were a happy family especially considering the fact that her parents both had blonde hair like Ruth.


    Phoebe''s red hair always made it obvious that she didn''t look like her parents. Because of this reason, Phoebe''s mother used to dye her hair in her childhood and it went on for a long time. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In the past, she returned to her natural red hair after marrying David. In this life, Phoebe stopped dyeing it immediately after her rebirth, something which made her father blow up.


    They had a big fight and didn''t talk for two months. He started talking to her again after she bought the new house for them.


    Phoebe gagged when she heard her mother paying Ruth a compliment.


    "You look really good in orange dear, you should have seriously taken on modeling as a career."


    "Thank you aunt. I have the looks of a model but my father won''t let me get into the entertainment business. He says that others won''t stand a chance if i join because i am too beautiful and too talented." Ruth giggled.


    Phoebe rolled her eyes and cleared her throat.


    "I am home." she announced again.


    The happy people went silent and her parents leaned away from Ruth. They all stopped smiling and these grave looks came over their faces. It was like Phoebe was the grinch and all the christmas lights and cheer had gone out with her appearance.


    Only Evelyn seemed to be happy to see her and the woman gave her a hug.


    "Hey, Pheebs, finally you have come. I thought i would have to come and drag you out of that ghost shop of yours with chains. How are you doing sweetie?"


    Phoebe opened her mouth to reply but hardly had anything come out of her mouth when her father jumped in, shouting at her with so much rage.


    "You are such an embarrassment to the family. How can you seduce your best friends fianc¨¦? Phoebe, is this the way we raised you, to behave like a common street whore?"


    Phoebe gasped and she took a step back in surprise.


    "Honey..."


    A surprised Mrs. Gabriel gasped too and she grabbed her husband'' arm. She shook her head wildly, pleading with her eyes for him to stop.


    Phoebe looked at Ruth and she saw the sly small smile on her face. Clearly, she was enjoying this greatly.


    Rather than address the white lotus of a friend she had, she chose to confront her father. "Wow, i am so glad to know that you think so little of me, your own daughter that you compare me to a street whore."


    Her mother turned her head around and shook her head.


    "No, Phoebe, your father doesn''t mean what he just said. He is just angry with you because you have done something unethical. Stealing Ruth''s fianc¨¦ is a big betrayal, something embarrassing for all of us. How will we explain ourselves to the Mayfairs?"


    "I am your daughter. You could have asked me how i am first, offered me something to eat or drink or asked me to sit down before raising this issue. You haven''t even asked for my side of the story and already you have all declared me guilty."


    Phoebe ignored her mother who was trying to explain away the cruel words her father had just lashed at her. Words that stabbed her like knives and broke her heart.


    Mr. Gabriel sneered at her, and replied arrogantly. "If you want to behave like a slut then i will call you one."


    Ruth, who was always the white lotus made an appearance in her coquettish voice. "Oh, uncle don''t be so harsh on Phoebe, she didn''t mean to seduce David i am sure. Calling her a slut is too strong."


    Phoebe lowered her head and she laughed. As expected of Ruth, she was playing the nice person card.


    "I am going to my room."


    She didn''t want to discuss the matter because they wouldn''t believe her anyway. In this house, whatever Ruth said was gospel truth. In a way, Phoebe compared their relationship to that of step sisters. One was loved and one was tolerated and in her case, she was the tolerated one.


    The Saxon spirit was so vexed on Phoebe''s behalf and she was screaming but the humans couldn''t hear her. "I can''t believe this. What father talks to his daughter like this?


    Are you even sure that this man is your father? No, even the woman, is she your mother?"


    Meanwhile, Phoebe was dodging her mother who was on her heels, begging her to stop, return and discuss the matter. When she reached her bedroom however, she stopped short because there was another surprise waiting for her.


    The entire room had been transformed and her brother was inside, eating and playing games at his desk.


    Phoebe turned around, and looked at her mother with a piercing accusatory gaze.


    "What''s this?"


    Her mother looked around nervously before answering in her commonly used soft apologetic voice.


    "It''s just that you are rarely home and this room is big but stays empty. It also has a beautiful view of Citrus lake and the Salt gardens. We figured that rather than leaving it empty, it was better for your brother to use it. But don''t be angry, i moved all your things to his former bedroom. It might be smaller but at the end of the day, the only use of a bedroom is for one to sleep, right?"

 Chapter 25 - 25: The war at home.

    Before she could even process the fact that her bedroom had been given to her brother Ruth was right there, bringing her opinionated self into the conversation.


    "Phoebe, don''t be angry with aunt. It''s not as if you are still living here anyway. Isn''t it better for Nick to have the bedroom?"


    "Oh shut up Ruth, for once in your life shut your big mouth and stay out of my family business." Phoebe exploded.


    She couldn''t hold her anger in anymore. It seemed like she was being taken for granted and used as a punching bag by everyone. At that very moment, her brother stood up, walked in their direction and stopped at the door. Then, he banged it shut as if their noise was interfering with an important task he was doing.


    Phoebe moved her tongue up then to the side as she laughed. It seemed like this was all the thanks she was going to get for buying her family a nice house. Her mother''s harping in defense of Ruth did not make things any better.


    "Did you just tell Ruth to shut up? Phoebe, you can''t be so rude to your friend. She suggested that your brother move into the room because....."


    Phoebe ears started ringing and she missed the rest of the shitty explanation her mother was giving. All she heard was that Ruth was the one that made the suggestion about her room being given to her brother Nicholas.


    In a deep angry voice that carried rage equal to the sound of thunder on a rainy night, Phoebe pointed at Ruth and gave her the most malicious stare she could muster.


    "You.....you did this."


    Ruth bit her bottom lip and made her usual innocent frightened face. She hid herself behind Elizabeth Gabriel, Phoebe''s mother. She started acting like a frightened little chick looking for safety.


    Right on cue, Elizabeth came to her rescue. She even moved her right hand out to stop Phoebe from physically assaulting Ruth in case her anger got the better of her.


    "Phoebe, Ruth was just looking out for Nicky because she is your best friend. Why can''t you be more understanding of the situation?"


    "Understand what?" Aaron Gabriel barked as he came upon them with an angry look on his face. "Do you want to beat up Ruth just because she is looking out for your brother?


    When did you change into such a person Phoebe? You do not appreciate the kindness of your friend. You refused to find a proper job and decided to work as trickster like those freaky people in Magic city. For that reason, Ruth got you a shop in magic city where you can work rent free but you refused it. Instead you paid her back by stealing her fianc¨¦.


    Let me tell you right now, we are all moving to Magic city. Ruth helped me get a job as a manager for one of the Mayfair properties. I will be able to earn three hundred fifty thousand dollars a years. The benefits are great like health insurance, a yearly paid vacation to any country i desire.


    Free university tuition for your brother, an apartment and a company car. How many people at my age can get such a good opportunity?


    You should be on your knees thanking her right now for saving our family."


    Phoebe scoffed and she laughed out loud, just once.


    "Ha!"


    Only a fool would be so blind not to realize that this deal was too good to be true. Indeed, at his age, what had Aaron Gabriel done to deserve that job? Such a job with such benefits was given to someone with many years of experience or an expert in their field.


    All his life, Aaron had worked as a guard at a hospital How could someone go from security guard that earned around fifty thousand dollars a year to manager earning over three hundred thousand dollars?


    Of course, the one to thank for all this was none other than her so called best friend.


    Phoebe looked at Ruth with eyes filled with mockery and she sneered. "You must be so desperate to get me out of the city if you have gone this far."


    "No, Phoebe it''s not like that.." Ruth cried out in a small voice.


    "Don''t bother explaining anything to her. Our whole family is moving to Magic city next week." Aaron assured Ruth, beneath his words was a command.


    "I am not going." Phoebe declared boldly.


    She was looking straight at her father when she said those words firmly and she saw the ugly twisted look he returned to her. It was the opposite of the softness with which he looked at Ruth.


    It had been a while since that joke crossed her mind, the one about Ruth being treated more like a daughter than her. That doubt creeped up on her again but it didn''t make sense because when Ruth killed her children, she had said she would be killing her mother next.


    Even if Ruth was a terrible person, there was no way she would kill her own mother. Besides, the Mayfairs would know for sure if Ruth was not their child. Families like that often did DNA tests on their children. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Still, the difference in treatment between her and Ruth was so plain to see that the holes continued to be poked in Phoebe''s mind, screaming that something was off. It had started during her teenage years, after Ruth came over for a visit the first time.


    Phoebe, the new scholarship student at Elton private high school had just met the beautiful rich Ruth Mayfair and she was taken in by her kindness and generosity.


    She brought her home to meet her parents. In the beginning the favoritism was subtle, like her mother celebrating Ruth''s achievements in school more than hers. She would often make Ruth''s favorite snacks and Phoebe would act as the delivery woman. Her parents always remembered Ruth''s birthday and they would buy her expensive nice gifts.


    On her own birthday, Phoebe would be given cheaper things.


    On her graduation celebration from college, Ruth took the middle position in-between her parents while she was placed at the extreme end while cutting the cake.


    What hurt even more was the fact that the picture was nicely decorated and placed in the living room event though Phoebe was barely seen, it almost seemed like she had been cropped out of it.


    Her parents would claim that they were doing this to create opportunities for her. Having a rich friend would help her succeed in life.


    While that excuse was perfectly believable, the happiness with which they did these things for Ruth left a lot to doubt.


    "How dare you defy me?" Aaron spat out.


    Out of the blue and unexpectedly, he raised his hand and brought it down.


    The Saxon spirit roared before the hand could land on Phoebe''s face.

 Chapter 26 - 26: A case of tit for tat.

    The lights in the house flickered, and there was some trembling. Pictures fell from the wall and in the kitchen glasses shattered. The Gabriel house alone was experiencing it''s own earthquake.


    Phoebe remained steady and unaffected because she knew what was causing the house to shake but her parents panicked and screamed. In a move that did not even surprise her anymore, both of them rushed to protect Ruth, covering her with their bodies.


    Their actions served to anger the Saxon spirit all the more. In a time of danger, instead of protecting their daughter, they were choosing to protect someone else. What kind of parents were these?


    The spirit was about to increase her power when Phoebe shook her head, stopping her. It was no use scaring them because nothing was going to change. Her broken heart would not be mended this way.


    "What a ridiculous pair you two have become?" she said sadly. "I bought you a house worth so much money, almost half of a million but you cannot even allow me have the bedroom i wanted. I came home but you did not cook any food i like but you cooked for Ruth. I said i didn''t steal Ruth''s man but you called me a slut and a whore.


    You want to force me out of the city and now, in a time of danger you are protecting Ruth while i, your biological daughter stand here, out in the open. Who has changed, you or me?"


    The lights went out as soon as she aired her thoughts. Phoebe took advantage of the darkness to walk away while her parents came back to their senses.


    Her father started shouting in the direction where he thought Phoebe was standing. "The Mayfairs will not be happy if Ruth is injured while she is here. Why can''t you be more understanding of the situation? Ruth is not like you, she lives in a wealthy family and she was raised like a princess. Even one small cut on her body is a big deal."


    Phoebe walked past Evelyn who was hiding behind a couch. Her friend tried to convince her to stay such that the family can iron out their differences but Phoebe continued to walk towards the door, she found her shoes and walked out of the house. She didn''t bother to wear the shoes and she walked out in the slippers.


    Although darkness had fallen as the night had arrived, it was brighter outside than it was inside the house. The reflection of the moon and stars plus the street lights and the lights of the neighboring houses enabled her to see clearly.


    She walked as quickly as she could to her car, opened the doors and sat inside, staying still for a while. The Saxon spirit sat in the passenger seat and it didn''t say a word. It could tell that she was in a terrible mood and it was understandable why. The things that had transpired in her home were unbelievable.


    It wanted to suggest that Phoebe do a blood test but it wasn''t sure if this was the right moment to make the suggestion.


    Phoebe moved after five minutes, she rested her entire body against the steering wheel of her car and started crying, soft little sobs to ease her broken heart.


    "Child..." The spirit called slowly, "Maybe they...."


    It stopped, clammed up and disappeared into the bracelet.


    Phoebe in the meantime screamed and slammed her right hand against the steering wheel over and over, taking her rage out on the poor inanimate object.


    When she started feeling better, she took a deep breath and got her phone. She opened a dashboard and got a business card with a phone number which she had been hesitant to use for a while. It was the number belonging to a detective that she often gave clues which she got from ghosts whose death had not been natural.


    The problem with him was that he was too arrogant and overly eager to climb the ladder. He had started relying on her too much to help him with his cases so she stopped going to him.


    "Hello, this is detective Shark, who am i speaking to?"


    "Its me, Phoebe." she answered coldly.


    "Well, well, well, if it isn''t my favorite ghost seeing partner that abandoned me after accusing me of using her. I knew you would be back one day. You cannot avoid me forever Phoebe, after all, you owe me one."


    "I paid back my debt Shark. You have solved at least thirty murders and received two promotions thanks to me. It''s your turn to do me a solid. I need a favor, a big one."


    "You always need big favors, like erasing all your records or a fake identity, surveillance footage, information on others, all things which can result in my demotion or termination if i am found out. That''s why you are still in my debt. You may have stopped helping me but you still owe me Phoebe, big time."


    "Tit for tat Shark, i know how you work. I need you to investigate me."


    "Do you mean investigate something for you?"


    "No, I mean me."


    "Who?"


    "Me, Phoebe Gabriel. I need you to investigate my life right from my birth. Investigate my parents too and Ruth Mayfair, plus her parents." S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Why?"


    "If i had the answers i would not be coming to you now, would i?" she retorted.


    He snorted. "I have a case that i am working on, a high profile one which is giving me a headache. If you agree to help me then i will take it as the go ahead to begin on your problem."


    "What case?"


    "The death of Susie Isles, the lead singer of Dear girls, that girl group. If you watch the news, i am sure that you have seen it. It''s everywhere and on every tongue. The public has put us all under pressure and my superiors are on my ass to solve it as soon as possible.


    I am burning the candle at both ends but getting nowhere. The thing is, i have about sixteen suspects, many stalkers and many angry anti fans but no conclusive evidence that points to someone specific and i can''t speak to the dead so i am stuck. If you promise to find me some answers, i will do the same for you."


    "Deal."

 Chapter 27 - 27: May the best woman win.

    Phoebe figured that she had played the dumb game long enough. If tonight had strengthened anything, it was the doubts in her mind which she had about her family. Before rebirth, she had been the good daughter that always did as her parents asked and the things that were happening now did not happen then.


    She never got to see the extremes to which her parents adored Ruth to the point of dying for her voluntarily in a dangerous situation. Phoebe figured either she wasn''t their biological daughter or Ruth was their real daughter. There was also a possibility that maybe she was their daughter but so was Ruth and somehow she ended up with the Mayfairs.


    It could also be that all three of those things were true. The one possibility she didn''t even consider was that maybe she was a Mayfair. This was because the Mayfairs had black or blonde hair. Her red hair did not fit in with their family''s physical appearance.


    She had never met any of the Mayfairs in person before or after rebirth. Ruth had always made sure not to invite her to the Mayfair house.


    The Saxon spirit appeared next to her with three silver needles and three paper men. Phoebe had seen the paper men before. They were exactly that, little paper men who were infused with energy and sent to do some tasks.


    "I overheard you telling that detective to investigate your family . I think it''s a smart idea. Those people are too biased, and their love for that Ruth is too abnormal. The paper men will go and get some blood samples. Let''s do a bloodline spell and see if you have blood ties."


    She waved her hand and the car window was lowered. The little paper men jumped out and used the wind to fly all the way to Gabriel house which was still dark.


    "You are pale." Phoebe was looking at the Saxon spirit and she couldn''t miss the fact that it looked drained, more than usual. "It''s the spell to give life to the papermen, isn''t it?"


    "I will be fine...." the spirit had a second thought and shook its head. "I mean, i am nearly drained. Why don''t you....."


    Someone knocked on the window of the car, drawing Phoebe''s attention and she looked away from the spirit. It was Ruth, at Phoebe''s car, knocking on the window with one hand while trying to open the car door with another.


    "Seriously, this pretentious bitch..." the spirit groaned.


    Phoebe raised herself and opened the car door. She stepped out with a cold attitude. Her face was so tight and stoic that even someone living on the moon would be able to see that she was unhappy.


    Ruth grabbed her arm while saying coquettishly, "Pheebs, i am sorry."


    Phoebe raised her hand, preventing Ruth from touching her. Ruth in turn reacted as expected. Her eyes welled up automatically and she lowered her head.


    In a small voice, she explained herself. "I didn''t tell aunt and uncle to give your bedroom away. Aunt sent me pictures of your room and I only said that it was a shame that such a big beautiful room with a great view was unoccupied all the time since you don''t live there.


    She raised her eyes up and batted her eyelashes extravagantly. "As for the stealing my fianc¨¦ thing, uncle also misunderstood. I came over to see Evelyn and aunt noticed that my eyes were swollen from so much crying. When she asked me what was wrong, i told her that we fought over a man. Everything that happened after is not my fault.


    You heard me back there in the house, i tried to stop uncle from calling you those horrible names."


    "He is not your fianc¨¦." Phoebe stated coldly while Ruth was still directing and acting in her own drama.


    Ruth clenched her hands ans smiled stiffly.


    "It''s a joke between our grandmothers, his and mine. But our families are seriously considering..."


    "David Saxon has been on the front page of every newspaper, on social media and different magazines as the face of playboys in Fog country up until last year. If your two families were talking marriage, those pictures of him with different actresses, models, singers and other beautiful women would not have reached the public.


    The Saxons literally have every media house in this country in their pockets."


    Ruth''s face fell because her lies were not being believed. "You speak as if you know the Saxons."


    Phoebe shrugged.


    "You are not throwing yourself at David, are you? Let me warn you right now, his family will never accept you. You seem to be forgetting your place Phoebe. You....''


    A loud and unexpected slap fell on Ruth''s face before she could finish giving her warning. It took both Ruth and the Saxon spirit by surprise.


    "You...you slapped me."


    Piak!!


    Another slap landed on her other cheek before she could finish processing the shock of the first one.


    Ruth''s eyes teared up, bringing forth real tears this time round. She had met an unexpected challenge in Phoebe. Never did she imagine that the little worm she had stepped on would find the guts to squirm. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe wasn''t done and she shoved Ruth, pushing her down onto the ground. "It''s you that happens to be forgetting your place. How dare you make suggestions about my life, in my house?"


    She scoffed and sneered at Ruth. "What, I am being funded by a man! You said that to me in public, when my clients could hear and then you laughed it off as a joke. How stupid do you think i am?"


    Phoebe flipped her hair back and she added, "I have been thinking about things for a while and i have decided to make your wishes real. Since you think that i am seducing him, a man i have never met by the way, then i might as well do it. I will seduce David Saxon. You can seduce him too, try your best to win his heart. Ruth, may the best woman win."


    She opened her car door and started it, almost running Ruth over and the woman had to crawl to get away from Phoebe who was suddenly acting crazy.

 Chapter 28 - 28: Meeting David, again.

    The first thing Phoebe did when she got home was to feed Connie some white rabbit candy because she needed to charge the pendant with ghost energy, no matter how little it was.


    "Thank you." Connie said.


    It was a rare kind of politeness which surprised Phoebe and the Saxon spirit, stunning them into silence for a little while. Phoebe had no idea what had entered the girl for her to suddenly become nice to her.


    Was Connie still scared because she had disappeared into the pendant for a little while?


    "That''s much better." The Saxon spirit''s color began to return slowly.


    Phoebe was so relieved because this was the first time she was seeing it look too drained and pale. This was a lesson however, for her not to push the limits. If the spirit went back to sleep just as it had been doing before she activated the pendant with her blood, who would help and guide her?


    Connie who was enjoying the treats asked why they both looked like they had fought with mountain lions. "What did I miss? Sister did something happen at home?" Asked the teenage ghost.


    "Mountain lions!" Phoebe exclaimed.


    She didn''t think she looked so bad. Some of her hair was out of place but that was it.


    "Ha! Home? I beg to differ. That place cannot be called a home. Those people are monsters and all of them, especially that man that calls himself Phoebe''s father." The Saxon spirit sank into a cushion chair.


    Phoebe wasn''t in the mood to narrate what had transpired back at home and besides that she was used to her parents being dramatic lately. However today she felt a certain sense of relief that she had finally stood up for herself, the Saxon spirit was beaming with pride.


    "It''s about time you told those people off, all they do is leech off of you, asking for this and that but they never appreciate anything you do for them. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    And that skunk Ruth, she will never be a Saxon, i don''t know what her obsession is with my family but i will not let her have her way. Those slaps you gave her, she had it coming.


    David Saxon is your man and no one else''s. This time be intentional about getting him back, what you think you know in your past life is only your version not his."


    Connie who was still in shock on hearing that Phoebe slapped Ruth finally spoke through a mouth full of candy. "Phoebe slapped Ruth? How did I miss that? I wish I had been there, I would have given her invisible slaps as well."


    The two ghosts continued to discuss the issue and plotted on how they were going to torture Ruth, the woman whom they labeled to be the enemy.


    Phoebe who had been perched in the single chair stood up because her stomach churned for the third time. She was hungry, starving in fact as she had not eaten all day. Besides, that little fight at home had drained some of her own energy.


    Lazily, she walked to the kitchen and made herself a fruit salad and sandwich.


    Connie moved to where she was with a bottle of red wine. "Sister, after the day you''ve had, you need this."


    The Saxon spirit excused itself and informed them that it needed to sermon the paper men. "We need to do that bloodline spell, I cannot shake off the feeling that something is terribly wrong with your family." It vanished into the pendant.


    Phoebe carried the wooden food tray that had the food and glass of wine to the balcony. It was big with the floor covered by a green grass carpet with cute flowers pinned to imitate a garden.


    Flower pots sat at all four corners, a white swing chair at the center and small wooden table in front of it.


    She placed the tray on the table and let out an exhausted sigh before sinking into the fluffy pillows in the swing chair, with her eyes closed, Phoebe inhaled and exhaled deeply with her eyes closed.


    She took a big sip of the wine and opened her eyes which directly moved to the direction of the opposite neighbors house and that''s when she saw him; David Saxon.


    He stood there, watching her unwaveringly. Phoebe who had been sitting outside for about twenty minutes wondered how long he had been standing there.


    Like a statue, Phoebe remained silent, it''s like she froze in the moment. She wished for the ground to open and swallow her but all she could do was stay still and stare right back.


    [Bloody hell! What is he doing there? Is he the new neighbor? How? Why?]


    Phoebe''s head was bombarded with questions she had no answers to.


    David was more than dumbfounded, this wasn''t how he had planned to meet her but when he saw her he just couldn''t resist looking at her.


    What was more astonishing was the fact that he could see her thoughts and according to what he had seen, It''s like Phoebe knew who he was but then again who didn''t in Fog country.


    Having experienced a rebirth, he was not very shocked when he realized that he could somehow read her thoughts. He figured that it was one of the perks of being reborn.


    Phoebe was still panicking.


    [Of all places to move to, he chose this place. Is this what they call fate or a coincidence?]


    This wasn''t how they had met in the past life, Phoebe was an intern researcher at the Saxon labs when she met him. She had developed a massive crush on him the moment he joined the research team. From that moment on, Phoebe had made it her life''s mission to woo him despite knowing that he was a play boy, until one time he agreed to date her casually but fell for her hardworking and kind personality.


    Although she had told Ruth that she was going after David, Phoebe wasn''t ready to face him yet however it seemed like fate had other plans in stock for her.


    "Hi there, am your new neighbor. David Saxon." David introduced himself casually with a smile playing on his lips.


    Connie who was blushing and smiling non stop sighed. "6''5, blue eyes and rich. He''s perfect, if you don''t want him you can just toss him over to me." She continued to admire the man.


    "Phoebe." She spoke with indifference, her ice cold eyes fixed on him. This man had caused her a lot of pain because he easily fell into Ruth''s trap.


    She now planned to use him against her, falling for him wasn''t an option.


    [Why is he staring at me like that?]


    Phoebe shifted uncomfortably in her sit, she picked up the tray and began to eat slowly. Stealing a glance once in a while to look at him.


    David read her thoughts again and realized that he was making her uncomfortable and that''s the last thing he wanted. Seeing her beautiful face was enough for the day.


    "Have a good night, I hope to see you often Pheebs." The nickname came out easily from his lips which caused her to spew the wine that she was about to swallow.

 Chapter 29 - 29: Blood and ties.

    As David''s frame disappeared further into his house, Phoebe picked up the tray and entered the house. She couldn''t believe how brazen David was to call her by her nickname.


    Only people that were closest to her called her by that name, she wondered what he was playing at because they were practically strangers.


    "Why of all houses did he have to move into the one opposite to mine? And there is that matter of his grandmother looking for me plus Ruth''s wrong assumption that i know him somehow. It''s all driving me insane. If i didn''t know better i would assume that he is here for me." Phoebe told Connie whom she had ordered to do the dishes.


    With a Sassy attitude, Connie agreed with her. "He paid a hefty price for the previous tenant to leave am sure he did it to gain access to you. You are so lucky that you can date." She wrinkled her nose as jealousy sparked in.


    Shaking her head continuously, Phoebe didn''t want to over think things but on second thought this could actually work to her advantage.


    If he was coming after her, then she wouldn''t have to work too hard to get his attention. She would dangle him in front of Ruth like a sweet treat she could only see but not touch or taste.


    "I would love to see the look on Ruth''s face when she finds out that the man she longs for now sleeps a block away from me." She laughed maniacally.


    "She''ll want to kill you for sure." Connie commented.


    Phoebe''s phone began to ring and on checking the caller ID, she picked immediately.


    "Pheebs? Are you alright? I was worried about how you left things here, your father is a raging lion and everyone is walking on egg shells around here." Evelyn informed Phoebe.


    Not that she was interested in what was going on at home but she worried for her mother whose pressure would spike.


    For the most part, her mother treated her nicely from childhood. She was the only person in that house that ever treated her nicely. She was genuinely a nice person. Her brother changed for the worse when he entered his puberty years. Once clingy and sweet to her, he became distant, rude and insensitive.


    "Is mom alright?" Phoebe''s voice was coated with genuine concern.


    "Well....I mean your father was really furious when Ruth run back in crying profusely accusing you of beating and tearing her clothes. But that can''t be right Pheebs, is it?" Asked her friend.


    Phoebe''s head drew back at the mention of torn clothes.


    After a minute of silence, Phoebe admitted to giving Ruth two slaps.


    "I cannot tolerate that pretentious bitch any longer, she''s such a hypocrite, Evelyn you will only believe it when she stabs you in the back."


    "Slaps? Just two?" Evelyn asked to which Phoebe confirmed.


    "Then how come her dress was torn and she had scratches all over her neck. Ruthie also had a big bruise on her forehead the size of a small potato." Her friend continued to wonder.


    Phoebe chortled. "I''ll send you the dash cam footage, she must have done that to herself and lied against me again. What did my father do?"


    Evelyn hesitated but finally told Phoebe that the man broke everything that was breakable. "I don''t think I can stay here any longer, in fact I believe that if I wasn''t around he might have harmed your mother whom he blamed for your poor up bringing.


    He went on and on about how the Mayfairs are going to be mad when they get to know that their daughter was assaulted. And I agree with him, unless Ruth let''s things settle down, the Mayfair boys will be coming for you." Underneath her words was a warning.


    As the only sister they had, the Mayfair brothers dotted on Ruth. She was their baby sister who was fragile. Everything she wanted, they gave and if anyone so much as harmed her, they always avenged her.


    Phoebe wasn''t bothered by the warning. She would not be running like a frightened little lamb. "Let them come, Ruth thinks she''s smart because she hadn''t met her match before me."


    "And David? I cannot believe that you two are fighting over a man, you two are best of friends so give up on him, I mean both of you." Evelyn made an impossible suggestion.


    "Never!" Came Phoebe''s stern voice before she hung up abruptly.


    Now more than ever, she needed David because he was the weapon fashioned against Ruth and she was going to use it.


    The Saxon spirit was back in time and the moment it appeared Connie opened her big mouth to narrate what had happened in its absence.


    "Shut your damn mouth Connie." Phoebe threw the alarmed ghost a warning look.


    The Saxon spirit was even more curious but it wasn''t about to ask. It seemed that whatever it was, Phoebe didn''t want to talk about it.


    She placed the small paper men on the table. "We need a bowl, a piece of paper, a needle and a pen."


    Connie who was in hurry to know what was going on, quickly fetched the items and placed them near the paper men. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Saxon Spirit also told them that they need blood crystals which were in the Magic space. "I''ll take Connie along, it''s better to show her the place just incase you need to send her there." The two ghosts vanished into the pendant.


    "Tell me everything." The Saxon spirit ordered Connie and without wasting time, the teenage ghost told the story that David and Phoebe had met.


    "Ha-ha-ha finally." Everything was working in its favor especially the incidents that had occurred at Phoebe''s home.


    Because of Ruth''s stupidity, Phoebe who was hell bent on never getting involved with David was now open to the idea.


    "What took you so long?" Phoebe asked when the two ghosts returned, judging by the big smile the Saxon spirit wore, it was obvious that Connie had spilled the beans.


    "Let''s begin." The spirit ordered Phoebe to kneel before the table. "Now write your family names on pieces of small paper, fold them and place them in the bowl.


    Place the four blood crystals gently inside the bowl. From here on, the paper men are going to vomit the blood of each person and if it mixes together then that''s your family, if it doesn''t then...."


    "They are pieces of shit." Connie interrupted only to get scolded by Phoebe who told it to watch it''s language.


    "Aaron." The paper man carrying his blood spilled it into the bowl and disappeared afterwards.


    "Elizabeth." The second paper man did the same when the Saxon spirit called for it.


    "That brat Nicholas." Same thing, so far all the blood had mixed perfectly.


    She paused and looked at Phoebe who nodded giving her a go ahead.


    "Phoebe, use that needle to prick your finger and put a few drops in there."


    Phoebe did as asked, she barely felt any pain from the prick. She squeezed as much blood as possible into the bowl.


    They all watched as Phoebe''s blood seated itself like oil and water. Connie who was in disbelief stirred the blood with her finger but the results were the same.


    "Holy shit." Connie covered her mouth with her hand.

 Chapter 30 - 30: Who is Phoebe?

    When Phoebe woke up the next morning, she sat up, folded her legs and buried her head in her thighs. She was still puzzled and in shock over the results of the bloodline spell. Over the years she had suspected something like this but it being actually true hurt like hell.


    Her night had been restless, she had twisted and turned. Tears had not stopped pouring from her eyes for majority of the night. For her, it was if the whole world had suddenly turned gray.


    Minutes passed and she remained like that, in a near catatonic state. All she was doing was thinking of everything she had experienced with her family, especially the day Ruth Mayfair stepped into her house. That was the moment when everything changed.


    Had the Gabriel''s always known that she wasn''t their daughter? Was this why her mother used to dye her hair blonde?


    "She has refused to eat anything." Connie told the Saxon spirit as she pointed at the wooden tray which had a cup of coffee,, two slices of toast and two boiled eggs sited on it.


    "No one would have an appetite after finding out that the people you call family are practically strangers. Just take the tray away and give her some space." The Saxon spirit frowned slightly and sighed heavily.


    However it''s last remarks didn''t settle well with the teenage ghost which sneered.


    "Keep that advise for yourself, you have been hovering over Phoebe all this time and am the one that should give her space." Connie smacked her lips and vanished with the tray.


    Unbothered by Connie''s Sassy attitude, the Saxon spirit continued to stare at Phoebe sympathetically. She had barely said a word since last night.


    "You need answers child. Snap out of this pity party and get to work." the spirit told Phoebe.


    She reached for her phone and made an appointment to meet with Detective Shark. The two of them had a deal and if she wanted to know how she had ended up with the Gabriel''s then she had to quickly full fill her end of the bargain.


    When she hung up the call, a thought crossed her mind. What if Ruth was actually a Gabriel? She had suspected it all along what if....just what if she was their real daughter? Their love for her was too real for her not to be.


    "It''s a possibility, I mean the way they protected and shielded her last night. It wouldn''t make sense if she wasn''t." Said the Saxon spirit after reading her thoughts.


    Phoebe''s face lit up. "I can do the bloodline spell, sermon the paper men and send them to bring Ruth''s blood. That''s the easiest way to know."


    Shaking it''s head, the Saxon spirit hated to burst her bubble. "The papermen have a one time use and then they burn away. I used up a lot of energy creating them yesterday. I don''t have enough in me to create more for now. Besides, we also poured out the blood of those horrible people last night. We have to do it another time, when the energy is enough."


    As her shoulders fell because she was disappointed, Phoebe walked to the bathroom because she was to meet detective Shark in about thirty minutes. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ***


    The mood was gloomy at the Mayfair residence which was one of the most beautiful luxurious mansions in the city. Them being one of the first families of in Citrus city, the Mayfairs had vast properties all around fog country.


    The family comprised of three boys, Collin who was the first son and vice president of Mayfair corporations, Andre who was a famous and successful actor and Luke who was a doctor.


    Ruth was the last born and princess of the family, she was spoilt by her parents and pampered by her brothers who loved her a lot.


    All the Mayfairs sat around the vast oval shaped dining table that was made of marble, waiting for breakfast to be served however none of them seemed to be in the mood to eat anything.


    The reason for the foul mood was because the baby of the house had been assaulted the previous night. When Ruth went home after she left the Gabriel house, her mother who was coming from the elevator had let out a shrill on seeing the condition in which her daughter was in.


    "My baby girl! What the hell happened to you? Who did this to you? Tell me and I''ll kill them this minute, just say the name." Jennie Mayfair cuddled her crying daughter.


    Her voice was so loud that it attracted the rest of the members of her family. They all demanded for Ruth to tell them what had happened.


    After she calmed down, Ruth began narrating a story that she had rehearsed over and over while driving home.


    "My friend Phoebe attacked me because i gave her some advise not to seduce David. Look at my neck mom, see my expensive clothes." She leaned backwards such that they could have a clearer view of her injuries.


    Luke quickly fetched the first aid kit and began to attend to her injuries, the braveness on his face was enough for one to know that he was angry and so were the rest of her brothers.


    "Friend? Did you call her a friend? How can someone you call a friend do this to you when you were simply advising her for her sake? You should get other friends dear, this Phoebe or whatever her name is, isn''t your friend." Anthony Mayfair, her father stated.


    Because she didn''t want them discussing the matter any further, or pry into Phoebe, Ruth had excused her self claiming to be in pain.


    However the family wasn''t done talking about it because today at breakfast, it''s all they could talk about.


    "Who is this Phoebe anyway? It''s odd that you have talked about her for years but none of us has ever set eyes on her?" Andre pointed out.


    "Well that ends today because she has to tell me why she did that to you. No one bullies my sister and goes away scot free." Collin clenched his hands into a fist.


    Ruth who was already nervous, interrupted and told her family to let things be because Phoebe had apologized to her. "We already sorted out our differences, you don''t need to get involved. And about meeting her, you will at the right time."


    Never, she thought.


    "Are you sure dear?" Asked Grandma Mayfair, she loved her grand daughter more than anything.


    Nodding her head, Ruth asked them all not to worry.


    Not everyone from the Mayfair household let the issue go, when Collin got to his office, he called for his personal assistant.


    "Yes sir?" She asked respectfully.


    "Have you found anything about the person I told you to search about earlier?" Collin quizzically looked at her.


    "The black ghost Cafe, she''s the owner of the place. You can check it''s socials." The assistant excused herself.


    Collin switched on his computer and searched for the place. He already found the name odd, he snickered when he read about the services offered by the Cafe.


    "How is my sister involved with this little trickster?" Collin mumbled as he wrote down the address.

 Chapter 31 - 31: Visiting the dead again.

    CITRUS CITY MEDICAL EXAMINERS OFFICE.


    Phoebe raised her eyes and read the banner as she parked her car, it had been a while since she had been to the place. It was not far from the police station and it was where most corpses that needed investigation ended up.


    The large five storied building was no different from a graveyard to Phoebe because ghosts were always roaming around. Aside from the ghosts, there were the loud and sad family members of the dead who were usually in tears. It was a place that smelled of disinfectant and death.


    "I like it here if anything maybe you will meet some wandering lost ghosts searching for the light, show them the way and gain energy." Connie placed her hands in her crop leather jacket.


    The reason why the girl was harping on about energy now was because she wanted to live inside the pendant.


    The Saxon spirit agreed. "If this case has nothing to do with helping a ghost then let it go but am excited that it''s a murder case." Came it''s words that caused Phoebe to pause midway her step. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Your excited that someone was murdered? That''s cruel even for you." She continued moving forward.


    The Saxon spirit gasped because it had been misunderstood. "What I mean is that if it''s a big case, then you will get a lot of energy after solving it."


    Phoebe gave it a quick glance. "If you say so." She shrugged and pushed the door that led to the morgue.


    Security didn''t stop her because she was a familiar face because detective Shark had introduced her as his partner. He even gave her a consultants badge in case she run into other police officers that had questions about her presence in the morgue.


    The medical examiner stood up the moment she saw Phoebe, a slow smile formed on her face. The woman who was in her mid twenties expressed her joy as she went in for a hug.


    "My ghost seeing friend, finally you have decided to visit us." Claire beamed. She said us because Phoebe had informed that the place was always filled with ghosts.


    It was surprising that Claire wasn''t afraid of them, not that they were the evil kind. Most of the ghosts at the mortuary were confused souls that didn''t know that they were dead yet.


    "Am a busy woman Claire and as you know I only come here when Shark needs my help. Where is he anyway?" Phoebe''s eyes moved around, she spotted two ghosts one a kid about five years and a woman in her late thirties.


    "He''s not here yet but he must be on his way....." Claire''s eyes followed Phoebe''s. She recognized the look in her eyes because she was familiar with it.


    "It''s a ghost isn''t it?" She continued to ask


    "Two actually." Phoebe shrugged and moved close to the ghosts. They both looked confused, they seemed to have no way where to go.


    Connie smiled at the kid. "You don''t have to be scared, we all must leave this place to go to a better one."


    "So why are you still here?" Asked the woman.


    As a ghost, she could recognize a fellow ghost.


    "Because I have a job, I help ghosts like you to move on. Lady am not an ordinary ghost" Connie spoke with indifference.


    It wasn''t a good idea for confused ghosts to wander around for so long. Usually they became bitter and eventually evil.


    Phoebe directed them on how to see the light. "Place a hand over your heart and think about the happiest place you have ever been to."


    They both did as asked and with a whoosh, they were gone. Phoebe felt the energy get funneled into her body as they left.


    "Easy peasy." Connie flipped her hair causing Phoebe and the Saxon spirit to shake their heads.


    Claire who had been watching Phoebe talk to an empty space sighed. "Fascinating, I''ll never get used to that, so which case is it this time anyway?"


    "Susie Isles." Phoebe spoke casually because who didn''t know the pop star.


    Her girl group had sold out stadiums. They had over thirty songs as number one on the bill board charts through the years and endorsements with the biggest companies.


    "Yeah, it''s terrible, that poor girl''s life was cut short so unexpectedly and its odd that we couldn''t find a cause of death. Is she here?" Claire''s face lit up which confused Phoebe because it''s not like she was about to get an autograph. "Tell her am a big fan."


    Phoebe chortled. "Your insane." She told Claire. The young woman was on a different level of weird even for her.


    Connie moved closer to Claire and whispered "Thank you." Spooking Claire who bobbed her head in search of the owner of the voice.


    She run out screaming when she saw no one.


    "I thought she wasn''t afraid of ghosts." Connie laughed


    "And I thought I warned you about spooking people." Phoebe spoke curtly because she wasn''t amused by Connie''s silly act.


    Detective Shark barged in with two cups of coffee. "Sorry am late but since am a cop, I can get away with it." He handed Phoebe a cup which she took.


    He was a very tall man about 6''7 and slim but powerful. Shark was arrogant but clever and he loved fancy clothes especially flashy watches. He was widely known as a celebrity detective who often took on high profile cases, even going so far as to steal them from other detectives.


    He earned himself the name Shark because like a shark smelling blood in the water and going in for the kill, he could smell big cases and ask the superiors to assign them to him.


    "Is she here? Can she just tell you which of the suspects murdered her?" Shark used his tongue to twist the wooden toothpick that was always present in his mouth.


    Shaking her head, Phoebe asked him to brief her on the suspects he had. Shark reached inside his Jean jacket pocket and pulled out his phone.


    "There are a lot of people that wanted the pop princess dead, so far I have over sixteen suspects starting with the members of the singing group, Dear girls." He showed her picture of the girls together.


    "What impossible! They could never." Connie vouched for the three remaining girls like she knew them personally.


    Detective Shark was familiar with Connie''s voice because it was not his first time working with Phoebe. He was quite well acquainted with the rude teenage girl who had called him a lazy glory hound.


    "You brought the annoying one i see." he said unhappily.


    "Hey, lazy shark, who is annoying?" Connie screeched.


    Claire returned and again, she heard Connie''s voice.


    "Holy crap, i heard it again." she exclaimed.


    She looked around widely, in search of the owner of the voice. "Is it a ghost? Is it her, Susie Isles."


    For someone that had been frightened less than a minute a go, she was looking a little too excited.


    "No, it''s the annoying one." Detective Shark shared with Claire.


    Before Connie could make another fuss, Phoebe waved her hand and sent her into the pendant. She had work to do and she was not going to play referee between these two for the rest of their time together as usual.


    "Tell me about your suspects and Susie''s favorite places."

 Chapter 32 - 32: Die Susie, die.

    Aside from the information on his phone, Detective Shark also had pictures of his suspects, physical photographs that he had come with and he showed them to Phoebe, one by one.


    "Pinky, the girl on the right had a motive for murder because Susie seduced her fianc¨¦ last year and slept with him just to prove a point that she could. She has hated Susie since then and this could be why she killed her.


    Lucy, the one in the green dress was originally supposed to be the lead singer of Dear girls but Susie apparently seduced the son of the company CEO who helped her secure the spot. The two have always had animosity for this reason. If Susie is out of the way, she can secure her position as lead singer of the group.


    Jillian, the one on the far left was injured last year, poisoned more like. She secured an endorsement for Yuza beauty brand but on the day she was supposed to sign the contract, her face broke out in a a rash and her throat swelled up. She is allergic to peanuts and someone spiked her drink with peanut oil."


    Phoebe scoffed because more and more, Susie Isles was beginning to sound like a bad character. "Let me guess, Susie ended up signing the contract and becoming the brand ambassador."


    Detective Shark nodded. "It was not the first solo endorsement she stole using shady means. Susie was also planning to leave the group to pursue a solo career which would lead to termination of their the contract. No Susie, no dear girls, basically the group was disbanding and let''s just say the three other girls were not happy about that."


    He put down a picture of a man. "Then there is her personal manager whom she was abandoning because she was switching companies."


    Detective Shark run a hand through his hair, he bent down and put both of his hands against the steel bed and continued to share frustrating details with Phoebe.


    "There is also a video trending on all social media platforms of her calling her fans fools. Although she apologized, she got some anti fans. Add to that the ones who blamed her for being selfish and destrying Dear girls after announcing that she was going solo. Some of them have been threatening to kill her.


    They created pages online which were dedicated to sharing deep fake videos of Susie being killed in different ways.


    We had arrested some of the people that created the pages and those who made suggestions but we were forced to release them.


    Susie had stalkers too, they sent her gifts like flowers and money, one was actually arrested for breaking into her house two weeks ago. He was found sniffing her underwear."


    His face appeared to be disgusted as he mentioned that little tidbit.


    "The company CEO hated her the most because Susie was the money maker of the Dear girls and he had invested a lot in her in order to boost her fame and now that she was famous, she wanted to abandon ship.


    Then lastly, Susie recently cut off her family financially and that wasn''t received well especially by her gambling brother who roughed her up in public a few days ago."


    He looked at Phoebe, hoping that she could see why he was frustrated by the case. Too many people had something to gain from Susie''s death or they just simply wanted her to die. "


    Each of them had a motive and questionable alibi." He placed his phone back in his jacket.


    "As you can see, Susie Isles is probably the most hated woman i have ever come across and i can''t say for sure that she didn''t deserve that hate."


    "Hey..." Claire called out unhappily. "She may not have been nice but she had the voice of an angel and she was generous with her money. She has helped thousands of people financially. She wasn''t perfect but she didn''t deserve to be killed."


    "You don''t have a cause of death Claire so you cannot say for sure that she was killed. We are investigating a mysterious death right now because you haven''t given us anything." He retorted.


    "I am a medical examiner who speaks for the dead no matter how they lived, good or bad. I only speak the truth, with science and facts. I can''t just declare this a homicide without being sure. What i can tell you is that she was too healthy for her heart to give out. It''s not a natural death."


    Detective Shark groaned.


    Phoebe pulled out a pair of gloves from her pocket. "Let me see the..."


    "Body, i know how you work." Claire jumped in.


    She walked over to where the bodies were stored before or after autopsies and with detective Shark''s help, retrieved the dead body of Susie Isles.


    Claire stripped it bare and looked at it sadly.


    "I never thought a day would come when she would be laying on my table, so pale, so lifeless and naked."


    Phoebe didn''t respond to Claire and she started her examination of the body, beginning with the head first. She parted the black hair and observed parts of the scalp she could see.


    The Saxon spirit appeared next to her and sighed. "You are not a doctor or an ME, why are you doing this? Let Yin look at the body."


    Detective Shark meanwhile was looking at the sealed door of the autopsy room and frowning.


    "I heard that someone tried to break in and steal the body."


    Claire who was observing Phoebe nodded. "Rumor has it that someone is offering a great deal of money for the body of Susie Isles, three hundred thousand dollars. We have had three attempted break ins since it arrived. At this rate, i am afraid that another ME might be tempted to let them in directly."


    Phoebe listened to them discussing better security measures casually as she slipped off one glove and removed a gold coin from her pocket.


    Both the detective and the ME were familiar with what she was going to do. It was not the first time Yin would be making an appearance in the morgue.


    As soon as Phoebe tossed the coin up, the bird came to life and flew out of it.


    "Come, tell me if you see anything on this body."


    The bird wasn''t simply good at finding curses, it also had sharp eyes that could catch anything that had been missed and it didn''t necessarily have to be magic related always.


    They watched the bird fall on the body and then walk over it, up and down for a few seconds. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I could be fired for this you know." Claire said. "But i don''t care because it''s awesome."


    She moved her fingers stealthily, with a desire to pet the bird but it stopped moving and gave a sharp warning glint. Claire retrieved her fingers and laughed. The darn undead bird had still refused to warm up to her.


    Yin stopped by Susie''s left hand next to the armpit and crowed. Phoebe sent it back into the coin while Claire hurried to have a look at that part of the body.


    "What did i miss?" she asked loudly in a shocked voice.

 Chapter 33 - 33: Hungry but not for food.

    Shark scrambled as well, getting as close to Claire as he could in order to see what she had missed. He was so eager that he accidentally bumped Claire out of the way and the medical examiner glared at him.


    "Are you trying to do my job Shark?"


    He stepped aside and pretentiously played around with the toothpick in his mouth. Phoebe on the other hand decided to save them all some time and share what Yin had told her.


    "It''s an injection or needle mark, so small that it''s easily missed. Yin said that place smells like poison." She raised her hand before any questions could be asked.


    "He doesn''t know what kind of poison it is and neither do i. I am sure you took some blood samples from her so do the tests and see what you find. Check for rare toxins too, nothing can be dismissed easily at this point." Turning to Shark, she said, "She is not here...Susie. Let''s go and start the search beginning from the places she was fond of the most."


    "It''s officially a homicide, right?" Shark asked Claire.


    Claire nodded.


    "Yes!"


    Excited, Shark pumped his fist into the air. The two woman were so familiar with his insensitiveness at such a time that their faces did not register any reaction.


    The detective headed for the door in a rush, jogging away from the table quickly.


    "Let''s go, hurry." he yelled out to Phoebe who was still saying her goodbyes to Claire.


    Shark started making calls as soon as his feet stepped out of the autopsy room.


    "Chief, the medical examiner has just declared Susie Isles death a homicide. It''s a case of murder by poisoning, there is an injection mark under the armpit. I am requesting for your help in acquiring warrants for the homes of all the suspects and....."


    He babbled on into his phone while Phoebe shook her head. Once they found Susie, if she hadn''t moved on yet and her ghost was still around the case would be solved easily. However, Shark was a slimy detective, a trickster and attention hog. In order to blow up the case, he would search all those houses and reporters would get good pictures of him carrying boxes of items from different houses.


    She didn''t need to have special abilities in order to know that he would also handcuff the other members of Dear girls or the company CEO unnecessarily while declaring everyone a suspect.


    He was going to create a mess in the city..., no the country with this one case.


    On stepping out of the building, Phoebe walked smack dab right into David, unexpectedly.


    She was taken aback on seeing him, so much so that her eyes widened in horror.


    [What the heck? Why is he here?]


    Phoebe stared at his face quizzically, the only thing that made sense was that the man was following her.


    "Oh fancy seeing you here Pheebs." There was an element of surprise in David''s voice which was funny because he had followed her to the medical examiners office.


    He was on his way to work when he saw her getting into a cab so he followed. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Detective Shark quickly took the opportunity to introduce himself, he couldn''t miss this opportunity of shaking hands with a Saxon. The man made sure that he took a selfie which he planned to post later on all his socials.


    Unlike Shark, Phoebe considered this to be an unpleasant surprise but either way she managed to let a smile grow on her lips.


    [As expected of Shark, i am surprised he is not asking for an autograph as well. By the way, why does David keep calling me Pheebs like we are close acquaintances.]


    Phoebe''s eyes narrowed before she asked if he was following her.


    "There is no reason for you to be here unless a Saxon died." She spoke with a lot of resentment which confused David. It was clear as day that Phoebe had some kind of grudge against him. What was even more puzzling was the fake smile she wore.


    Before he could respond to her heartless comment, the Chief medical examiner walked up to them and stretched his hand towards David.


    He didn''t walk in fact, he run as if David was escaping after commiting a crime.


    "Mr. Saxon? Thank God you hadn''t left yet. I want to thank you for the generous donation that you have made towards the office of the medical examiners. You do not know how much we needed it, thank you sir. I can promise you right now that it will be put to good use." The chief held onto David''s hand tightly, shaking it continuously.


    On hearing this, Phoebe''s eyes widened again, this time due to a different kind of surprise.


    [Unbelievable! And I just assumed that he was following me. Dang it Phoebe, you and your big mouth will really land in hot soup one of these days.]


    Phoebe shut her eyes tightly, she could feel the shame envelope her entire being.


    David couldn''t help but chuckle on reading her thoughts, he was aware that she was embarrassed so he didn''t rub it in instead he said goodbye and left.


    "This is how you plan to woo the man? Asked the Saxon spirit which was very disappointed, it wanted Phoebe to utilize such moments to bring David closer.


    Shark pulled on her hand as he questioned Phoebe why she never told him that she knew David Saxon personally.


    "I do not know the man." She spoke with indifference


    "Come on, you are talking to a detective and the man called you Pheebs, how do you know him? What is the nature of your relationship? He looked at you with hungry eyes and not hungry for food, if you know what i mean."


    Shark made his eyebrows dance up and down while smiling lewdly.


    Phoebe entered his black G- wagon and gave him a pointed look. "Am sorry detective, am I under interrogation? Keep this up and i won''t be helping you anymore."


    Shark cleared his hoarse throat and began to drive to the Citrus grove water garden.


    "I have a list of all the places Susie liked to hung out from, this was top of the list. She loved spending time at the Citrus grove water garden mostly because it''s a private place and they have an orange orchard which happened to be her favorite fruit." He shared with Phoebe as they pulled up to the place.


    There was no need for Phoebe and Shark to search the area, she ordered the two ghosts and Yin to do it because it was faster.


    After waiting for about six minutes, those that had gone to search for Susie returned with bad news, she wasn''t there.


    "Next is the TK Entertainment, the company she worked for. Susie spent a lot of time there, it''s possible that she went there." Said Shark as he ignited the car.


    "Maybe she moved on?" Connie mentioned and further complained especially about the fact that Susie had moved so far away from her body, searching for her had become a chore.


    "It''s not possible that she did since she died so unfairly, it''s possible that she''s wallowing in self pity. I hope that we find her in time before her sadness turns into vengeance. Besides we have searched only one place so far, it''s too early to complain, you lazy ghost." Phoebe gave Connie a sharp look but the ghost pursed it''s lips in return.


    "Like i said, annoying." Shark commented.

 Chapter 34 - 34: Detective Phoebe

    TK Entertainment had one of the grandest buildings in Citrus city. In fact the company in itself was a tourist attraction because it had made many celebrities. Usually tourists and fans camped outside the building hoping to have a chance to see one of their idols but today, the situation was just insane.


    The number of people and press outside was quite larger than usual. It was almost like there was an event they had come to attend.


    "What has happened for these people to be back here? I remember watching on T.V when the police was clearing the area after Susie''s death, something must have happened for her fans to be back here." Phoebe lowered the window of the car as she tried to study the situation.


    After Susie''s death, her die hard fans had camped at the company for days which was at first understandable because they brought flowers and gifts, then held a memorial for their dead idol.


    However the situation had gone out of control when a group of anti fans showed up at the company gloating and expressing happiness that the star had died. This caused friction between them and Susie''s loyal fans which lead to fights and a stampede because people were so many.


    The police was forced to intervene, they ordered everyone to vacate the company premises if they didn''t want to be charged. They all obliged and luckily no one died but some were seriously injured.


    Shark chuckled. Phoebe knew immediately that he had something to do with what was happening.


    "Well I posted on my socials that Susie was murdered. In my defense I was just confirming one of the theories already out there and emphasizing that we are doing everything possible to solve the case." Shark had a glint of excitement in his eye.


    His words made Phoebe shake her head, she always knew that Shark was careless in his actions but at times it was too much. It was no wonder his phone had been ringing off the hook, his superiors were probably very angry. One of them was probably going to address the press on the matter before Shark stole the spotlight.


    "For a detective, I have to say that he is very stupid." Connie stated, this time she wasn''t scolded for disrespecting an elder because she had a point.


    She used her inner voice, one that only Phoebe could hear.


    "Shark, did you for one second stop and think about the danger you are putting these people in? Look at how desperate and confused they are? Now they are demanding for answers from the company CEO.


    Am certain that they all suspect that she killed Susie because she was leaving the company. Your superiors need to keep you in check because you are out of control." Phoebe continued to stare at the mass of people, some were holding placards condemning the CEO and the company, others were wailing like they had lost their immediate relatives.


    "I never told any of them to come here and the police is here already so the situation is under control. As for my superiors, they are familiar with my orthodox methods. I close more cases than any other detective in Citrus PD.


    Besides i sent officers to follow all of the suspects before sharing this fact deliberately in order to see what they will do. No one can beat a murder charge if they are caught disposing of the weapon or other evidence." He smirked and got out of the car.


    Phoebe wore Shark''s cap and followed him into the building. Once inside, they flashed their badges at the security that almost denied them access because they were not in official police uniform.


    "We would like to talk to the CEO unless you want me to cuff her and take her to the police station. Am sure that would make national news don''t you think?" Shark told the beefy man, it seemed like he was the head of security. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Slowly, the man gave up because having the detective speak to his boss here was a lot better that dragging her to the police station.


    "This way." The security man led the way.


    Yin and the ghosts had already vanished because Phoebe had told them to search for Susie. She on the other had went with Shark to talk to the CEO.


    With one brief knock on the glass see through door, they all entered. The moment the woman saw Shark she rolled her eyes with displeasure.


    "After the chaos you have created, you have the balls to show your ugly face here. I have already been to the police station, there is nothing else to talk to you about." She strolled to the big window and stared at the commotion on ground.


    Eliza Grant was a beautiful fifty year old woman, the photos didn''t do her any justice.


    She had sole handedly grown her company from a fledgling one to one worth million. From a single room to a seven storied building she owned.


    She was about to leave the entertainment business when she discovered Susie Isles, forming Dear girls and since then it had been success after success.


    Shark made himself comfortable in a single chair and signaled Phoebe to take a sit as well. "You did come to the station but that was before we made new discoveries. This is now officially a murder case but if you don''t want to talk to us then I''ll just go out there and tell those desperate people that you won''t cooperate with us.


    Am sure you understand what that means for you and this company that you have painstakingly built." He placed the toothpick back in his mouth.


    At the mention of her company, Eliza gave in and Shark told Phoebe to go ahead with the questioning. She cleared her throat and asked boldly.


    "Why did you murder Susie Isles?" Phoebe didn''t bat an eye.


    "What?" Shouted Eliza who was alarmed by the question.


    The toothpick in Shark''s mouth fell to the ground. "So it was her?" He got to his feet ready to cuff her only for Phoebe to ask him to sit back down.


    Eliza chuckled, she was shocked because no one had directly accused her of the murder before. "Listen detective..." Eliza raised her eyebrows inquisitive because she didn''t know the young woman''s name.


    "Phoebe...detective Phoebe." She lied blatantly because it wasn''t the first time to introduce herself that way.


    "Listen detective Phoebe, Susie was more valuable to me alive than dead. Yes I was beyond livid that she had decided to leave this company despite the fact that it was my blood and sweat that made her but I own the rights to all her music. Whether she stayed or left, i would be making money off of it forever.


    Moreover, i put together contingencies in place for this kind of thing.


    She smiled arrogantly and told them, "With all the dirt i had on her and the people who owe me favors, let''s just say that nobody in the entertainment circle of Fog country was going to give her a chance.


    Am not your murderer detectives. I would have preferred for Susie to live because i wanted her to crawl back here on her hands and knees, begging me to take her back."


    She spun around in her chair, so unbothered.

 Chapter 35 - 35: The ghost of Susie Isles.

    "Would you have taken her back?" Shark asked.


    The question was not relevant to the investigation and both women had no idea why Shark was asking.


    Eliza stopped spinning and she smiled, "This business is all about money detective and as much as i didn''t like Susie, she was a money maker. I would have taken back but this time round, it would be on my terms and not hers. It''s too bad that i will never get the opportunity to own her arrogant ass."


    "Did she have any friends? A boyfriend perhaps that she had a falling out with? Or maybe it was the the other girls, rumor has it that they were on bad terms?" Phoebe asked.


    "Ha-ha friends? Susie Isles wasn''t a friend to anybody and she had no boyfriend, she didn''t want to loose her male fans by having one. The other girls would not have killed her as much as they loathed her because like i said...money, this business is all about money. Without Susie, Dear girls is not the same and they would earn less.


    I am already receiving cancellations for their endorsements and concerts now that she is dead." Eliza shook her head and wiped a hand over her face. "That bitch! Even in death she''s still fucking me up."


    Yin and the ghosts informed Phoebe that Susie wasn''t at the company either and without wasting time, she told Shark that they should leave.


    But before leaving, she turned around and said to Eliza, "You should come and see me at the Black ghost cafe."


    After saying that, Phoebe looked at the malicious ghost standing behind Eliza before leaving. The woman was in danger and it was probably of her own making.


    Phoebe didn''t enter the car but rather, she watched Shark address the desperate people that wanted answers on the murder of Susie. He went on to boast and send a message to the murderer that his or her days were numbered.


    "You guys know what am capable of, go home and be rest assured that am going to take care of this. Give me just two days, if I fail then the case can be re-assigned." Came Shark''s convincing words.


    The ultimatum that Shark gave himself managed to cool the angry masses because people began to leave the company premises, however he had riled up his fellow detectives. This was a high profile case and anybody would be glad to take it. There was bound to be a promotion or cash reward waiting for the one who successfully saw it through.


    "He''s doing all this such that he can soon be promoted to lieutenant, this was even my case not his." Another detective pointed out.


    There were a few detectives present and some were hurdled together, discussing Shark.


    "We all know he is good at solving cases but this arrogance and time line is extreme, even for him."


    "Well i hope he doesn''t solve it. CPD has other capable detectives. It''s high time others got some publicity too."


    Shark heard them and he scoffed. "When have i ever failed to close a case, they should be thanking me for convincing these people to leave, such an ungrateful bunch of people."


    "That man is insane! What if...just what if we fail to find Susie. That lunatic has given himself just two days!" Connie shuffled her feet because she was frustrated, this meant that they had to work harder.


    Phoebe let out a frustrated sigh. "Of course he''s insane, he believed me right away when I told him that I talk to ghosts, forged my ID and had me solve his mysterious cases, lets bear with him as usual." She entered the car and answered her phone.


    "Hello? Rosset what''s up?" sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Phoebe, there is a gentleman waiting here to see you, I have told him that you''ll be here later in the day but he said that he''s not leaving without seeing you." Rosset informed her.


    "If it''s a client, then tell them to make an appointment. I don''t know what time I will be back." Phoebe unwrapped a coffee candy and put in her mouth only for Connie to salivate.


    "That''s the thing it''s not a client...."


    Phoebe interrupted and asked who it was, she suspected that it had to be David.


    "Tell David Saxon, that I will not be coming to the Cafe today." Phoebe was about to hang up when Rosset called her.


    "Phoebe, it''s not Mr. Saxon. It''s Mr. Mayfair....Collin Mayfair."


    She knew that one or all the Mayfair boys would come to threaten her. She was anticipating their visit because she had dash cam footage of what transpired between her and Ruth. Whatever the Mayfairs would throw at her, she was ready.


    "Don''t tell him anything, just let him wait. When he is tired, he''ll leave on his own."


    Shark entered the car and they drove to the Sheraton Villas where Susie lived. As usual the ghosts and Yin went on to search for her on the premises while she and Shark went to the dead girl''s apartment.


    The manager of the property opened Susie''s house which had yellow tape marking it as a crime scene.


    It was vast and decorated with all things expensive. Phoebe wondered whether Susie had not felt lonely living on her own. She searched the house but their was no ghost, Shark sank into the sofa, frustrated because he wanted to solve the case as soon as possible.


    "That''s what you get for yapping too much, two days? Maybe you should have said that after we had found the ghost. "Phoebe couldn''t help but laugh mockingly.


    He groaned like an old tired car whose engines were on there last life. "I was relying on the fact that in the past we have solved cold cases in twenty four hours. Come on, hire more ghosts to search for her. Remember that i am also looking into your birth."


    "Have you found anything odd? Especially about my family?" Phoebe folded her lips because she didn''t want to be tempted to say more. She didn''t want to give him any leads, he had to do this solely.


    Shark shook his head. "It''s too soon, I''ll tell you when I do."


    Yin flew in, through the window and told Phoebe that they had found Susie. "She''s on the roof top but you have to hurry because she''s beginning to emit a dark energy."


    "Meaning what?" Asked Shark


    "She''s getting more furious by the minute, if that anger takes over her, she could become an evil spirit." Phoebe run out followed by Shark.


    When they got to the rooftop, Phoebe saw her. Susie stood near a water reservation tank, banging it with a clenched fist and Yin was right because dark energy was beginning to shroud around her.


    "I wish I could see her." Shark stated as his eyes darted around. Phoebe reached in her tote bag and pulled out special black eye glasses that enabled an ordinary human to see ghosts. They functioned using her energy and a spell.


    He stumbled backwards on wearing them because he could suddenly see not just Susie but three other ghosts. "Bloody hell! This is all real?"

 Chapter 36 - 36: Who killed Susie?

    Phoebe ignored him and approached Susie, on calling her name the girl turned around. Her angry eyes stared at them, at this point Shark was hiding behind Phoebe which was a funny sight because he was much taller than her. He couldn''t hide, no matter how much he wanted.


    Phoebe should also have known that Connie would not lose out on the opportunity to mock Shark.


    "Tsk, i thought you were the big bad brave loud mouthed detective who solves all cases and is willing to talk to ghosts. When it comes down to it, you are just a frightened little girl."


    Shark finally got a chance to see Connie whose snarky attitude and voice he was familiar with. As expected, she was just a girl, a teenage girl.


    He was not afraid of her ghost so much probably because he was used to her presence. But, he wondered if he had seen her somewhere.


    "Hey, Shark face, i know that i am pretty but love between a ghost and a human is impossible."


    Shark flinched and looked away from the girl with the poisonous tongue.


    "What love between a human and a ghost? He was not crazy to date a girl of her age, human or ghost.


    "Who are you?" Susie''s ghost looked confused for a little bit because there were humans and ghosts in the group. "You can see me."


    Phoebe nodded and confirmed. "Yes we can and we have been looking for you."


    "What do you want from me? Everyone always wants something from me and after using me they dispose me off. It looks like even in death i am still of use to someone." Susie laughed maniacally.


    Connie and the Saxon spirit appeared next to Susie. Connie as usual felt like she had to say something.


    "We are ghost police...."


    "Shut up Connie." Phoebe ordered


    "We know that you were murdered and we are here to help you." Phoebe spoke softly, this was a ghost she had to handle with care so as not to infuriate it the more.


    When Susie heard Phoebe''s words, it began to calm down immediately. The dark energy around it began to disappear.


    "How did you know that i was murdered?"


    "We are detectives, the special kind who help the dead to move on." Phoebe replied.


    "I was about to say that." Connie mumbled.


    The girl was still angry with Phoebe for telling her to shut up in front of her idol Susie. Besides, what was difference between special detectives and ghost police?


    "Ghost police, are you here to catch her?" The Saxon spirit asked the girl.


    What Connie didn''t know was that ghosts that had been around for long enough knew about ghost catchers. They were a section of humans who caught ghosts that refused to leave the human world without a reason. It didn''t matter if it was a wandering ghost that didn''t know why it was stuck or a malicious ghost whose anger had chained them in the human world.


    Whatever kind of ghost you were, a ghost catcher didn''t care.


    Phoebe was different because she didn''t simply trap ghosts and send them out of the human realm forcefully. She helped them fulfill their last wishes and then they would go willingly, happy and at peace.


    If the ghosts thought she was a catcher however, they would run away at the sight of her. Rumors travelled fast among ghosts from city to city. If a ghost catcher was seen somewhere, all the ghosts in the city would know before the day ended.


    Phoebe in the meantime was slowly approaching Susie, giving the same speech she usually gave the ghosts she helped. It was revised of course, always adjusted according to the situation of the ghost she was trying to help.


    "Can you tell us who killed you? We want to see to it that that person is arrested and punished for their crime. You are filled with anger and stuck because you feel it''s unjust. You died so soon before you could fulfil your goals and live your best life. But death is not the end, there is another...."


    "Why should i tell you who killed me?" Susie asked.


    She stunned Phoebe into silence. Not just Phoebe but everyone on the rooftop as well. What kind of victim refused to tell you who was responsible for their death?


    Phoebe had never experienced such an obstacle before so she looked at the Saxon spirit.


    The spirit in turn looked at Susie and asked, "Don''t you want justice? Don''t you want your killer to be punished?"


    Susie crossed her arms across her chest and tapped her right foot on the ground with that annoying sly look on her face.


    "How will it benefit me to share that information with you?"


    "What?" a surprised Phoebe blurted, bewildered completely.


    Behind her, detective Shark muttered, "I can see why people hated her."


    "You want me to believe that you have been looking for my ghost ever since i died simply because you want to give me justice. Why, are you my fans?"


    "Yes." Connie agreed eagerly.


    The girl literally had stars in her eyes while staring at Susie.


    "Oh yeah, which one of my songs is your favorite?"


    "When i loved that boy, Mine all mine, Souls on fire, liberty, Bring me Alex, Merry go round, Oh my mother, sunset sweethearts, Boy i love you, The girl from...."


    "Connie, enough." Phoebe commanded.


    The rate at which she was going, she would name every song sung by dear girls and she had a job to do here. Connie could fangirl on her own time.


    She removed the honey and softness from her voice and decided to be tough. "If you do not move on Susie you will become a malicious spirit. Your eyes are slowly turning red already and the energy around you is becoming black. When you become a malicious ghost you are considered to be an evil spirit.


    I do not deal in the business of evil spirits, they have exorcists and ghost catchers for that. If you are caught by them, you will end up going to a bad place, a very dark bad cold place.


    Unlike the people that pampered you in real life, i will not do any such thing by lying to you. Your life is over, no matter what you do. You are dead and that''s final. Your last act on earth should be to screw over the person who killed you. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Are you going to let them live a good life after ruining yours? This person cut your dreams short, you should be a bitch to them like people have been saying you are.


    We don''t gain anything if you tell us who killed you and we don''t lose anything if you become a malicious spirit. So, decide right now, are you going to tell us who killed you or not?"

 Chapter 37 - 37: Farewell Susie.

    To prove how serious she was and how little time she had to waste on the matter, Phoebe looked at the watch on her wrist, sighed and turned, as if to leave.


    It was true that she had other tasks to accomplish, having spent close to four hours tracking down Susie''s ghost. She had not eaten breakfast and she had an appointment waiting at the cafe. It wasn''t Collin Mayfair but a ghost client.


    Without turning back, she gestured at Connie and the Saxon spirit. "Let''s go, we have more ghost business to handle."


    Detective Shark''s heart almost gave out when he realized that Phoebe was dead serious about giving up on pulling the answers out of Susie. Where would he be left if she walked away? If he didn''t solve the case, he would become a national joke.


    He tugged on her jacket and pulled her back.


    "We have a deal." he hissed.


    "The deal was to find the ghost and i found it. If she doesn''t want to talk then what am i supposed to do? I have never personally seen a ghost willingly throw away it''s one chance to reincarnate. Anyway, you know it''s a murder so interrogate the suspects. I am sure that you will find something."


    "I would rather take the shortcut." he whispered.


    "That''s your weakness." she murmured in his ear. "You become lazy when you hear the answers from the mouth of the ghosts directly. Try asking personally and see if she if she will respond accordingly."


    Shark growled, a deep growl that came from his throat. After everything he had learned about Susie, he knew that she was a stubborn individual. She was the type to always take the hard way out. It was possible that she would choose to become a malicious spirit to look for a way of avenging herself.


    Still, he was unwilling to surrender easily and he clutched onto Phoebe''s jacket harder.


    "One more time, try one more time, please." he requested.


    Phoebe was about to shrug his hand away when the plea in his voice made her stop. She turned back, completed surprised because Shark had never once pleaded with her for anything.


    "Did you actually say please?"


    He clamped his mouth and refused to respond. His face however was all red like he was embarrassed. The red was like that of a tomato or hot red coals and all that was missing was smoke coming out of his ears.


    "Oh my gosh, it''s a miracle. If your fellow officers could see you now they would demand for a dna test so that you can prove that you are the real shark and not an impostor."


    While all this had been happening, Connie was begging her favorite star to reconsider and telling her all the horror stories she had heard about the place where malicious spirits were sent to. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Sister Susie, maybe in your next life, you will get to be a famous singer as well. You could even be more famous than you were in this life. Isn''t that much better than becoming an evil spirit?"


    "Your killer will not just steal this life but your next one too." The spirit rotated around Susie and threw it''s opinion on to Connie''s. "From everything i have heard about you, you are not the type to allow anyone take advantage of you. Do this and let go of this world. There is nothing left here for you anyway."


    If this was a good cop bad cop tactic, the bad cop was Phoebe while these two were the good cops. The more they talked, the softer Susie seemed to become.


    The black energy around her faded more and more until she started to look like her old self.


    "Blake Don." Susie surprised everyone by responding unexpectedly.


    Her voice was loud enough to be heard by Phoebe and Shark. It was a new name to their ears, one that had not shown up on the list of suspects.


    Shark, on hearing the name of the killer quickly lost interest in Phoebe. He even forgot that Susie was a ghost and he activated his detective mode. Shark grabbed his tools, a pen and a notebook from his front pocket.


    "Who is that and what is your relationship with him?" he questioned.


    "My lover." Susie replied softly. "He gave me a glass of water and then i became dizzy so he escorted me to bed. The next i knew, i was feeling a sharp pain here."


    She touched her heart to indicate where she had felt pain the most. "That bastard whispered to me that i should not have been too greedy and just continued on singing with dear girls. We had been fighting a lot lately over my decision to strike out as a solo artiste. I couldn''t understand why he was so against it when it wasn''t even his career.


    I already knew that Eliza had reached out to all her contacts in the country to freeze me out of the industry so i was planning to sell everything and try my luck in Eagle country.


    I just didn''t think that he would kill me over a disagreement about my career." She scoffed lightly and shook her head. "I made so many enemies while desperately trying to crawl my way to the top.


    I was always afraid to eat or drink anything i was offered while at work because others were capable of doing to me what i did to them but i never once put my guard up with him because i loved him. How foolish?"


    "How long have the two of you been dating? I checked the security footage and i didn''t see anybody leaving after your time of death so how did he leave after killing you?. Where does he live, is there evidence of your relationship because no pictures of you and your boyfriend were found in your apartment. Why is it that nobody seems to know about your relationship?"


    Detective Shark fired off many questions one after the other without pausing. His reason for doing this was because on two occasions, ghosts had gone into the light without giving him all the necessary answers.


    Unfortunately for Shark, this became one of those occasions. Susie suddenly vanished away, fading into nothingness. He turned quickly to Phoebe and noticed her the movement of her head. Anytime she looked at the sky with a sad expression or a smile during a conversation with a ghost then it meant the ghost was gone.


    Connie looking at the sky, the same as Phoebe and yelling goodbye at the top of her lungs further proved that it was officially farewell for Susie Isles, forever.


    "Fucking shit." he cursed.

 Chapter 38 - 38: Phoebe and Collin Mayfair meet.

    Even though he had a name, he was going to have to find the evidence on his own and fill in the missing gaps and that made him frustrated.


    For Phoebe however, this was a happy ending. The energy Susie released went directly to her body and the number of days she had left to live doubled. There was nothing left for her in that place anymore.


    "My glasses." she held a hand out to Shark expectantly.


    The detective handed them over reluctantly. He would have preferred to keep them because they would make it easier for him to see ghosts without calling on Phoebe every time. When he imagined the case load he could clear if he could speak to the victims, his greed grew by leaps and bounds.


    He grabbed on to her arm desperately. "Can''t i hung on to them for a while?"


    Phoebe put them in her pocket. "No, they are more useful to me than you. Our business is done for now Shark, I have fulfilled my end of the deal, it''s your turn."


    "What are you hoping to find anyway?" he asked her curiously.


    Phoebe raised her eyes up briefly before finding the right answer which she thought most suitable.


    "Myself."


    She walked all the way to the road and hailed a taxi because Shark couldn''t drive her back. He had to go to Susie''s apartment and start searching for clues leading him to the murderer.


    After parting ways with Detective Shark, Phoebe went straight to the cafe to resume her work, it was around 2:30 in the afternoon. When she walked in, she was surprised to see that Collin Mayfair was still waiting for her apparently.


    It was obvious that he was agitated judging by how he had furrowed his face. He stood up the moment she walked in because she fit the description of his assistant perfectly.


    He raised his hand and gestured at her to come over and talk to him.


    But to his greater shock, Phoebe walked past him like she hadn''t seen him. It was intentional because she wasn''t planning on giving him an audience.


    Phoebe watched the man get gobsmacked by her behavior as he sat back down. She totally ignored him and moved to the table where her ghost client was waiting. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    There was no need for introduction because she and the ghost had met once before. He was a man in his thirties who had died in a fatal car accident leaving his only sister behind. They were orphans and he had single handedly raised her, doing all it took it to send her to school. Unfortunately misfortune struck and he died before witnessing her graduation from the university.


    His ghost had stayed behind, reluctant to move on because he wanted to watch over her and because he had made a promise to her which he had to fulfil.


    Fortunately, she was graduating and already had a job offer. He didn''t have to worry about her anymore but he wanted to fulfill his promise of celebrating the milestone with her.


    "I have failed to move on because she cries herself to sleep every night calling for me. She is now alone in the world, the least i can do is make sure she gets to celebrate her graduation with me and know that i am proud of her. Please buy her cake, invite her and let me talk to her through you, maybe then I''ll find peace." He had begged Phoebe who agreed to help.


    She had called his sister and the girl had agreed to come to the cafe reluctantly.


    "She''ll soon be here." Phoebe assured the ghost although she wasn''t certain because his sister was late by thirty minutes.


    When the rattle bell chimed, Phoebe and the ghost looked at the door and there she was. She looked alot like her brother only that her face was slimmer.


    "Sandra Tete, am Phoebe Gabriel,we talked over the phone, am shocked that you came here, most people do not believe in ghost stories..."


    Phoebe was cut shot by Sandra who made it clear that she wasn''t there because she believed her. "Am here because if this will let big brother rest in peace, then I''ll try it. I don''t believe in this ghost nonsense and am not paying a dime like I told you earlier. " She sat in the chair opposite to Phoebe''s.


    A loud chuckle slipped through Collin Mayfair''s lips, he had been watching what he had concluded to describe was a freak show. He was glad that the young woman that had walked in didn''t fall for Phoebe''s tricks either.


    His reaction miffed Phoebe so she pulled out the ghost seeing black glasses and handed them to Sandra who wore them hesitantly.


    A loud gasp escaped her lips, she raised her hand and covered her trembling mouth. She couldn''t believe that she was actually seeing her brother.


    She did the same thing most humans did, stood up, stumbled backwards, took the glasses off and put them on again. She expressed her disbelief and finally sat down after becoming a believer.


    Phoebe excused herself and left the two siblings to catch up. She watched them cry and laugh for about twenty minutes. She then asked Rosset to bring the rainbow cake which she carried to the table on which the siblings were sited.


    "Your brother asked that we deliver this to you, apparently you like rainbows so we bought you a rainbow cake." Phoebe handed her the knife to cut into the cake.


    After congratulating the her, the three women and the ghost enjoyed a piece of cake each while Connie complained that she hadn''t been given any.


    "Make sure that you save a slice for me sister." She fluttered her eyelashes like those of a doll.


    Rosset handed Phoebe a small black box which Phoebe placed on the table. The two siblings stared quizzically at her because they didn''t know what was in it.


    "Open it." Phoebe softly asked Sandra and winked at the ghost because he hadn''t planned anything else other than the cake for his sister.


    Inside the small box was a car key. "It''s not a celebration without a gift. Your brother asked me to get you a car, it''s your dream car. I hope that you think of him happily each time you drive it. He is going to a better place now so you should stop crying for him and let him find peace." Phoebe told the girl who was crying but only this time it was tears of gratitude and happiness.


    One of the reasons as to why Phoebe needed a lot of money was because helping some ghosts came at a monetary price.


    The ghost was more than grateful for her kind gesture that it couldn''t stop thanking her. After the two siblings said their last goodbyes, the ghost slowly vanished and Sandra left.


    Collin who hadn''t shifted his eyes from Phoebe let out a guffaw.


    He clapped his hands repeatedly and thanked Phoebe for the show.


    "Phoebe is it." He said with a look of unhidden disgust on his face. "You really enjoy playing mind games with people''s emotions and manipulating them. How are you benefiting from all of it? Wait...wait I do not actually care anyway.


    Whatever you do just stay away from my sister Ruth Mayfair because obviously you are a bad character judging by how you are tricking people for a living and chasing after men that don''t want you. As for the matter of you beating her up, i expect an apology from you to her as soon as possible or you will not be able to con anyone in this city ever again."


    Phoebe who was about to answer him closed her mouth when he raised his hand and signaled her to shut up because he was about to answer a call.


    "Yes Father?" Collin answered only for the person on the other end of the line to shout at him.


    "I''ll be there in a few...." he walked out of the cafe after giving Phoebe one last sharp glance.

 Chapter 39 - 39: A shrew behaves like a shrew.

    At around 7:45pm, Phoebe left the cafe still bummed that she hadn''t been able to give Collin Mayfair a piece of her mind. She wished she had gotten the opportunity to show him the dash cam footage and she also wondered if he would have said all those cruel things to her on finding out that his sister is a liar.


    She wasn''t the only furious being around, the Saxon spirit and Connie mentioned that they couldn''t stand the man''s arrogance. All day long, the spirit had been bad mouthing the Mayfairs and it had yet to stop.


    "The Mayfairs have clearly failed as parents, I mean look at Ruth and now that poor mannered excuse of a man." The spirit sneered as they stepped out of the elevator.


    "I don''t think they are that bad or failures. If you think about it from a different angle, Collin was defending his sister who went home with bruises in tears and a story about being beaten up. If only Nicky was half the brother t me as Collin is to...."


    She stopped talking because it came to her that Nicholas Gabriel was not her biological brother. It also reminded her that she needed to do an actual scientific dna test which she would slap in the faces of the Gabriels before cutting them out of her life.


    Phoebe wondered if she would have to throw them out of the house, after all she did pay for it with her money.


    "Why are you defending the Mayfairs suddenly?'' The spirit asked her. "You don''t think they are your true parents, do you?"


    Phoebe who didn''t want to discuss the issue at all remained silent with her eyes pinned to the floor. As she moved through the corridor that led to her apartment, she raised her eyes and saw David standing by her door.


    Phoebe paused, she wanted to turn back and walk away. Every bone in her body was urging her to run. For a woman that was supposed to seduce him, she was truly reluctant to associate with him. More than that, right now she was tired and hungry what if he said something that caused her to snap at him.


    "Go to him, remember Ruth is doing whatever she can to have him. This evening she asked him out to dinner, infact as we speak, she is waiting for him outside his apartment. If you push him away, you''ll be giving him to her on a platter of gold." The Saxon spirit blocked her path forgetting that she could walk right through it.


    Connie who agreed, blew Phoebe''s hair which was in an updo. It came flowing down as it cascaded down to her back. "You look much better, now go."


    A smile formed on David''s lips when he saw her looking pretty but also a exhausted. It reminded him of her, before rebirth. Even when she was tired, she would have a smile on her face for him and a plate of hot food waiting when he came home. He was an idiot not to have appreciated her kindness back then. But he would repay it all, he promised himself.


    When Phoebe approached him, she noticed that he was carrying flowers. The same old English roses like the type that had been delivered to the cafe.


    "Is it you that sent me flowers the other day?" She stared at him quizzically.


    He nodded. "Unfortunately, they were rejected but please accept these ones and also I apologize for my presumptuousness but i brought you dinner." David raised his left hand which held a big paper bag.


    [Dinner! why, is it poisoned? Why are you doing things you never did before? Seriously, what is wrong with this man?]


    David chuckled and she frowned.


    [Why is he laughing? Oh God, is there something on my face?]


    "This is a sealed delivery, you don''t have to invite me in or anything. Today am just your delivery man."


    "Oh boy." The Saxon spirit was clearly disappointed. It wanted Phoebe to invite David inside the house, maybe even share a kiss if things go well.


    Before Phoebe could answer him, the landlord''s door opened and Collins head popped out.


    "Phoebe, I thought I heard your voice..." His words trailed off when he saw David standing there with flowers. He knew those English roses, they were rare and only imported from abroad. If the man had gone through the trouble of flying them in for Phoebe, it was because he liked her.


    Phoebe smiled innocently and greeted him. Her eyes moved to David who growled silently because the man had popped out of nowhere to ruin his moment.


    Collin smirked when he noticed that David was unhappy to see him. "David? What are you doing here?"


    "I could ask you the same thing." David wrinkled his nose and narrowed his suspicious eyes at him.


    "I live here, Phoebe and i are next door neighbors." He raised his chin as if to brag.


    This was was precisely why David wanted to buy the building. It would have been easier to get rid of this roach.


    "Oh, I am her neighbour too, apartment 303D. You know the next building, i happen to be in the apartment opposite hers." David smiled slyly. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Nodding his head continuously, Collin chorted. "Oh I know, it seems like it''s far away am just near here. So did you pay the original occupant to move out so that you could be near Phoebe?"


    "WHAT!" Came a voice from the end of the corridor. David and Phoebe knew who it was, so they all watched Ruth rush to approach them.


    Shaking her head, Phoebe excused herself so as to get away from all the madness but was suddenly stopped by Ruth who roughly pulled on her hand.


    [How did she reach me so fast, did she fly?]


    Only David saw this thought and he chuckled softly.


    "Explain yourself, what is he talking about?" Ruth demanded only for Phoebe to throw her a warning look.


    "Let go of me before I slap you once again, your question is directed to the wrong person. Ask David that''s if he will give you the time of day.


    "What did you say to me you...." Ruth raised her hand to slap Phoebe but the move was intercepted by both men leaving Ruth shocked.


    The door to the landlord''s apartment opened once again and this time a woman in her fifties'' with golden hair came out.


    "Collin dear, I heard voices." Her eyes moved around and paused when she saw Phoebe.


    She recognized her instantly because of her red hair which her daughter Cassie had mentioned more than a few times.


    "You must be our neighbor Phoebe, it''s lovely to finally meet you. We are having a housewarming dinner, please join us. Your friends as well." Lydia Baltimore pointed at Ruth and David.


    There was no time to turn down the invite because Lydia had already moved back inside the house.

 Chapter 40 - 40: Me, you and your crazy stalker.

    For a housewarming, there were no other guests present. Cassie stood up immediately when she saw Phoebe, she was clearly unhappy that she was there.


    "Collin! I told you to get rid of her not to invite her into our house. What if one of her ghost pets came along with her." She shuffled her feet the same way Connie did when she was mad.


    Phoebe stole a look at Connie who happened to be in a trance like state. Indeed she had brought ghosts along with her, but nobody knew.


    The Saxon Spirit nudged Connie out of her reverie. "Hey girl, what''s wrong? You look so out of it."


    Connie shook her head but she continued staring at the three Baltimore''s with a frown on her face.


    "See, she is looking at the wall like an idiot to make us think something is there." Cassie accused Phoebe.


    "Come and eat." Their mother called out.


    They all moved to the medium sized dining room, each lost in their own thoughts. Somehow, Phoebe found herself between David and Collin but not even the tension between the two men could stop her from enjoying the delicious home cooked meal.


    She was eating in peace until Collin decided to trample on that peace by talking to her.


    "How do you know David Saxon?" He asked


    "I don''t, I mean I have met him before but i don''t know him personally." She continued to eat the creamy lemon pie slice which she had just been given.


    [I just want to eat in peace Goldie, please, let me eat before i die of hunger.]


    Collin swallowed and turned his head to look at Ruth, the unwanted stranger here. Ruth initially had been clinging onto David who kept chasing her away and avoiding her.


    He didn''t want to annoy Phoebe but he was curious about her relationship with the woman that had tried to slap her.


    "Who is that?"


    "An annoying fly," she responded and stuffed a pie filled fork into her mouth before smiling deliberately at Ruth.


    At the moment Ruth was sitting across her at the dining table, clenching her hands around a glass of wine with her vicious stare focused on Phoebe.


    She thought that Phoebe would eventually cave in, go to her and beg for forgiveness for slapping her but it looked like she regretted nothing.


    David lowered his head to talk to Phoebe as well.


    "Are you full?"


    Phoebe nodded and sighed.


    "Do you want more pie?" Collin asked her.


    Phoebe wanted to groan loudly because the two men were determined not to let her rest. From what she had noticed the men had already met and it seemed like they didn''t get along. If she stayed any longer, they would keep trying to outdo each other and she would be like a bone being dragged between two dogs in their fight.


    Phoebe stood up, thanked Lydia for dinner, bid her a goodnight and left the Baltimore apartment.


    She had just taken two steps out of the apartment when the sound of someone running after her in high heels reached her ears. Phoebe slowly turned because she was certain that it was Ruth.


    Right she was, and the woman also grabbed her arm, just as she had done before.


    "You never learn do you? This time I will make sure that you lose a tooth or two." Phoebe got into combat mode.


    Ruth laughed mockingly. "No problem and this time I''ll make sure that your father disowns you, your family already doesn''t like you after that little lie that I told." She spoke thrusting her jaw forward.


    She was expecting Phoebe to fall on her knees in regret after making the threat because usually Phoebe pleaded with Ruth to soothe her father''s anger and it usually worked like magic.


    But instead, Phoebe laughed like she was a mental patient, non stop that Ruth began to get freaked out by her behavior.


    "That''s the funniest thing that I have heard in a while. You have this all twisted, I am the one disowning them because I don''t need them but they need me. I do everything for them and what do I get in in return? Disloyalty and disrespect, next time you see my father especially, tell him that am cutting ties with him."


    Ruth stared at her in shock because she didn''t understand this version of Phoebe. It was like she was possessed, the old Phoebe never had the guts to challenge her, let alone talk of disowning her family.


    Ruth realized that the hard way would not work so she had to take the soft path. She softened her tone and switched to pitiful mode as if she was switching a light on.


    "Pheebs, i just love David so much. Have you ever seen me this crazy about a man before? I know he seems like he is interested in you right now but that''s just his playboy nature. We shouldn''t be fighting over a man, one you don''t even like. You shouldn''t stay here honey or he will use and dump you. Get another place, I will pay you a fortune.


    In fact move back home, you have a room there, please Pheebs." Ruth tried play her adorable act but Phoebe wasn''t buying into it.


    "Please Pheebs." Phoebe mimicked her in a squeaky high pitched voice. "I don''t believe you Ruth. If he is such a big bad playboy then why are you telling me that you love him? If you can see good in him, then why can''t it be the same for me? Oh and by the way, your brother came to my shop."


    Her words caused Ruth to freeze, she couldn''t believe that even after warning her brothers, one of them had gone to see Phoebe.


    ''God damn it!'' Ruth thought before asking which of her brothers she was talking about.


    "Collin, the older one. There is something about him...." Phoebe broke off mysteriously.


    Her face turned venomous as she watched the expression on Ruth''s face change. It was just a test to see how she would react and Phoebe was now certain that she had the answer. All those times that Ruth had refused her to visit the Mayfair house, how she had shoved Phoebe into the bushes one time when they bumped into her brothers.


    Why Ruth claimed that Phoebe was her best friend but never invited her to any of her birthdays or parties at the Mayfair house but their other classmates got to go. This was a duck situation, if it walked like a duck and quacked like a duck, then it was a duck.


    "You need to go." Phoebe told her.


    "I want to sleep over at your place." Ruth said softy.


    Phoebe was not having it and she shoved Ruth away. The only reason for her to sleep over was to ensure that David didn''t spend the night at her place.


    Because Phoebe used a lot of strength, Ruth stumbled and fell right at David''s feet. He had just left the Baltimore''s and he was planning to see Phoebe.


    Ruth began to cry hoping that David would feel pity on her and reprimand Phoebe but it was the opposite. he stepped around her, almost stepping on Ruth''s feet as he rushed to Phoebe''s side.


    "Pheebs are you alright? Did Ruth do something to hurt you?" His voice was coated with great concern.


    "David! Am the one she pushed to the ground, why are you asking her?" Ruth lamented but all her cries were ignored.


    To add salt to the injury, with a coy look on her face, Phoebe opened her mouth and asked David a question that caused all the blood to drain from Ruth''s face. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Do you want to come in?"

 Chapter 41 - 41: Kiss me, David.

    It seemed like a nightmare but it was all happening to Ruth in real time. She watched Phoebe lead David into her apartment by hand and close the door.


    The sound of that door closing was like a wake up call which pushed her to rise to her feet and scramble after them but it was already too late so she ended up stuck outside and resorted to banging on the door like a crazy person while calling out for Phoebe desperately.


    The loud noise attracted other tenants who came out to see what was happening. Some were annoyed by the nuisance of the noise while others had come to enjoy the drama. Gossiping about each other was one of the favorite pastimes of the residents of the Cerene apartments.


    Some were already on their phones, texting friends and other residents. The ones who had quick fingers were sharing pictures of Ruth already.


    Because she didn''t want embarrassing photos of herself to end up on social media, Ruth stood up, arranged her clothes, smiled weakly and left while cursing the nosy residents in her mind.


    Inside of the apartment the atmosphere was rather awkward. Phoebe had invited David inside just to taunt Ruth but now that he was there and they were alone, face to face, she had no idea what to say.


    [This is what i get for acting on impulse, me and my stupid mouth.]


    She groaned internally while pretentiously looking around.


    [Come on, the banging has stopped and Ruth is gone. Get out, shoo, shoo.]


    David smiled and turned his right leg as if he was about to head for the door.


    [Yes, yes, yes.}


    Phoebe punched her right hand in the air and celebrated. She didn''t even have to vocalize her needs.


    David saw her from the side of his right eye and he laughed softly. He made a beeline for the wall where she had a library of pictures of photographs of herself.


    He concentrated particularly on one in which she was eighteen years old. She was on a picnic with her friends, Ruth inclusive. Those were happier days, before she discovered that her friend was her biggest enemy, the one that was setting her up for failure at every turn.


    In that picture, Phobe in a white and pink sundress with a wide brim hat on her head was wearing a big smile.


    "You look so happy here." David commented.


    [Because is was an ignorant fool], she thought. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She stood on her tiptoes, reach up for the picture and tried to pull it down. Because she moved hastily, she lost her footing and started to fall backwards.


    [Shit, oh no, shit, shit shit]


    She kept cursing, using the same word over and over, closing her eyes as she prepared herself to fall and be embarrassed in front of him.


    Like the hero that arrives just in time to save the helpless damsel in distress, David caught her. He wrapped his hands around her small waist and pulled her up, trapping her against his own chest. One of his hands slipped up to her upper back as he held on to her firmly.


    Inside, he was excited, deeply. This was his first form of physical contact with her. It was also the perfect setting and position for a kiss.


    Many days and nights, he had imagined what it would be like to embrace her, kiss her and smell her lovely scent again and now, here she was, finally in his arms.


    His heart was beating faster than normal, his body was tingling with excitement. He couldn''t help himself and he lowered his head with a hopeful glint in his eyes that were set on her lovely full lips.


    Phoebe''s heart too was racing and it was not just from the near miss of her fall. While she was quite determined not to fall in love with this man again, her body had other plans and it betrayed her. Just the feeling of his large hands on her waist and back got her heated up.


    Her thoughts started running wild before she could stop them. And when David leaned in for a kiss, she froze. Her brain seized to think like a television experiencing static.


    Her mind filled up with images of the wild dreams she had been having about him night after night. Foolishly, because she was tempted, she closed her eyes and parted her lips slightly.


    [Kiss me, kiss me David.]


    As the warmth of his breath fell on her, she clenched her hands tightly and closed her eyes.


    When David''s lips landed however, it was not on her mouth but her cheek and then he righted her up and let go. Phoebe opened her eyes, surprised that he had not done as she thought.


    She looked at him quizzically and asked the question why with her expressive eyes.


    As if he read her mind, she put a finger on her cheek, trailed it downwards and touched her bottom lip lightly.


    "As tempting as you are Pheebs, I would like to take you on a date first before kissing you."


    He dropped his hand and stepped away from her. "I will see myself out, thank you for inviting me into your home."


    He turned around and walked out, leaving her behind, completely dazed. He also left behind a Saxon spirit that wanted to rip him to shreds.


    After all it had done to create the little accident which led to the perfect romantic moment for a tv worthy kiss, how could he peck her cheek and leave?


    The spirit was not in the mood to tease Phoebe so it groaned and vanished out of the window. It was better to work the anger off like Phoebe often did.


    It did not forget to drag Connie out as well before the girl could say anything. As for Phoebe, after regaining her senses, all she could think was that it was such a shame that Ruth had not witnessed the moment.


    "It''s too bad i didn''t get a picture." she said to herself as she walked to the bathroom.


    Phoebe didn''t need to worry about Ruth however because she was filled with rage. When she got home, she was furious and needed someone on whom to vent her anger. The first person that tasted her fury was the valet who she kicked on the knee and then the maid that welcomed her home who she barked at. The rest of the servants run away because they knew better than to cross her path when she was angry.


    "Where is brother Collin? Where?" She shouted as she searched for him. Her mother and grandmother tried to calm her down but it was all in vain, she was like a charged bull watching a red flag.


    The Mayfair men were watching football in the theater, unaware that the house was on fire. Just when the team they supported was about to score, Ruth whom they hadn''t noticed walk in unplugged the cord.


    "Fuck! What happened?" Andre''s wide eyes stared at his sister who was unrecognizable. She had cried so much that her face was smudged in make up.


    "What will it take for you to understand me? I told you to let me handle the situation. Why in God''s name did you go see Phoebe?" Ruth shouted and glared at Collin.

 Chapter 42 - 42: Phoebes bad character.

    Her parents looked at each other with confused faces. "What is she talking about?"


    Collin confessed immediately, seeing as to how he had nothing to hide.


    "I did go to Phoebe''s cafe but we barely talked. What''s so wrong with it Ruth, i was there to demand that she apologize to you. You came home looking like a mess last night, all bruised with torn clothes. Did you expect me to let that go?"


    "Yes." Ruth shouted angrily.


    Everyone was stunned by her anger and yelling. Grandmother Mayfair expressed her disappointment in Ruth.


    "Even if your brother did see that girl, what is so bad about it? He did it for you after all."


    "Yes! What is the farce about? I don''t see a problem here. Honey I honestly think that you are overreacting." Jennie Mayfair defended her first son.


    Even though they often pampered Ruth, this situation was entirely different because she was disrespecting her elder brother that had gone out of his way to seek justice for a wrong done to her.


    But her statements only angered Ruth the more as she let out a shrill. It was so loud that they had to cover their ears.


    "If any of you meets Phoebe again, i will take it that you don''t love me anymore." She stormed out in tears, leaving them confused.


    Jennie rubbed her temples because her head was pounding so loudly that it hurt. She couldn''t understand why her daughter''s character was just worsening by the day.


    "Ophelia! Ophelia? Where in the world is this woman when you need her." Jennie yelled as loud as she could, agitated.


    Ophelia rushed into the theater fortunately she had been close by because she suspected that she would be summoned.


    She was a short and fat woman in her mid fifties with a short blond pixie cut. When she appeared, Ophelia stood before the Mayfairs like they were of equal status and unless you knew the history of the household, it wasn''t easy to tell that she was a mere servant.


    "Yes madam." she spoke, respectfully.


    "What is going on with my daughter these days? I told you to report to me if something was bothering her so why have you not said anything about this Phoebe? Is she a friend or and enemy? What is it about her that makes Ruth act so unlike herself?" Jennie used her index finger to point at the woman who looked somewhat pale.


    Ophelia worked for the Mayfairs since she was twenty two. Initially she came to work as a personal maid for grandma Mayfair.


    Years down the road after Edward and Jennie were ecstatic to have a baby girl after three boys she was appointed by Jennie to be in charge of Ruth''s welfare afterall, she had meticulously taken care of her and the pregnancy and was considered a trusted friend of the family.


    Ophelia took her responsibility very seriously, caring for Ruth like she would her own child even though Ruth looked down on her.


    "Speak up? No in fact go and check on her first then return and tell us all about this Phoebe." Edward ordered Ophelia who trembled and quickly scurried away.


    Everybody turned their attention to the trouble causer, Collin. His father spoke first.


    "Why did you go see the Phoebe girl knowing truly well that your sister would get to know?"


    Collin shrugged. "I had to warn her to stay away from Ruth and after what i saw personally I am glad that I did."


    His words grabbed Andre''s attention for he sat upright. "Why? What is she like?" He arched an eyebrow.


    Collin chortled sarcastically and shook his head. " She is eccentric, a con woman, in fact a trickster and she''s a pro at it. She has this cafe where she cons people out of their money. I was shocked by what I saw and at the same time I was truly disappointed that Ruthie can have someone like her in her circles."


    In great detail, he went on to describe all that he had seen and heard. The one thing he didn''t mention was the car which Phoebe gave her client.


    When he was done, everyone especially their parents and grandmother were horrified by the character of Ruth''s friend. She was obviously someone who dabbled in the fake supernatural arts common in magic city.


    People like Phoebe were not very common in Citrus because they were not so popular or welcomed there.


    One person however was intrigued by what Collin had narrated. It was Andre whose lips curved to one side.


    "Sounds like a script to me, I have to see this to believe it." Andre leaned back in the chair.


    "Don''t you dare go close to that fraud, first because she''s obviously a bad character and secondly because your sister and her have a bad relationship now." Jennie warned her son sternly.


    "Mom is right, stay away from her because that redhead has a way with words. We don''t need you falling for her or her tricks only to turn around and cause more strife at home." Collin warned Andre.


    Grandma Mayfair who had been listening quietly sighed and shook her head. "What is this world changing into? Instead of working, a strong young girl has decided to dupe people for a living? What about David? How does he know her?"


    Her question was directed at Collin whom they believed now had information on Phoebe but he shook his head and shrugged.


    "I don''t know grandma we didn''t get that far." He yawned to show that he had no interest in the matter.


    "I ask because it''s obvious that our girl is still over heels in love with him. It''s a pity that he hasn''t reciprocated her feelings." Grandma Mayfair exhaled loudly.


    It was like Collin was jolted by electricity because he stood alert quickly. " That playboy is not good enough to be with my sister, it''s better he dates that trickster than Ruthie. I don''t know why she is so intent on being with him when he doesn''t want her.


    Mother, you need to talk sense into Ruth before her obsession results in her doing something stupid which will put us on bad terms with the Saxons." He stormed out of the place after giving his opinion on the matter.


    The adult Mayfairs believed that the two children matched perfectly and they had tried on various occasions to pair the children even the Saxons were on board but David had never showed interest in Ruth.


    "I have to tell my friend Prudence Saxon about this, she has to know what her beloved grandson is up to. It''s obvious he''s hanging out with the wrong crowd again." Grandma Mayfair weakly stood up with the help of her walking cane.


    "Please do mother, I really hoped that since David had changed so much, he would finally give our baby a chance, she adores him but why is he taking so long to see it." Jennie blinked back her tears, she hated to see her daughter hurting.


    She excused herself because she wanted to check on Ruth''s condition before she retired to bed.


    One after the other, the adults left and only two brothers remained in the theatre.


    "So, you are going to see her, right?" Luke inquired.


    Andre turned his head to Luke and he smirked.


    "Of course i am. You can come with me if you are interested." The more Ruth wanted them to stay away, the more he wanted to go and meet Phoebe.


    "Tell me when." Luke confirmed. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 43 - 43: Ghost ambush.

    Deep in a slumber, Phoebe felt a sudden coldness enveloping her body which caused her sleepy state to fade away slowly. Then she heard unfamiliar voices in her house. Slowly she opened her eyes and let out a loud scream as she jumped from the bed and run to the nearest corner in search of a weapon or anything she could use for self defense.


    "Haha, It''s been a while since we last saw this scene." Connie placed her hands to her waist and laughed at Phoebe.


    Initially when Phoebe had just been reborn, she would scream each time she saw a ghost especially in her house which was supposed to be her private sanctuary. Slowly by slowly and day by day she had grown used to them but not today.


    Her eyes darted around as she rubbed them aggressively because she thought her sight was playing games on her mind. No matter how many times she opened and closed them, the sight remained the same. There were ghosts everywhere in her bedroom, taking up all the space. Under her bed, some hovered above it while others had joined her in bed.


    "What the hell is going on here? Why so many ghosts at once? I know that i have to mingle with them daily but this is a little too extreme."


    The Saxon spirit snickered. "Well, i didn''t know where else to send them. There was an accident on Darwin street, all these people have things holding them back from moving on so I brought them here.


    Phoebe threw her hands up in defeat and then back down. "I understand but bringing them to my house? That''s what the cafe is for so please Connie do your job and take these people there I''ll be there in a few minutes."


    Connie did as asked because she too saw this as an invasion of their privacy, her entitled self believed that she was the only ghost allowed to roam around freely in Phoebe''s apartment.


    "Not cool, Ancestor." She pursed her lips pronouncedly to show her dissatisfaction. Slowly the ghosts vanished and followed Connie.


    The ancestor spirit stared at her, the chest area in particular. Phoebe noticed and frowned. "What are you staring at so intensely?" She followed its eyes to the pendant.


    It was still glowing, after Phoebe and David had body contact, it''s like the pendant had gained more energy. Phoebe had realized last night that David was like a human charger, giving off the same energy she got from ghosts.


    Even the number of days on the diamond tattoo had increased too, she had gained a full two months to live.


    "If you had kissed him maybe you would have gained a year who knows, plus the magic space has had some changes as well."


    Phoebe who couldn''t wait, rushed to enter the pendant.


    Once inside, she noticed that there were ancient books that had magically appeared in the wooden cabin. There were a few books before that had been collected by the former masters of the space over time. Majority of the books were old judging by their appearance.


    She stared with a mixture of amazement and shock, the spirit wasn''t lying about the place changing with an increase in energy.


    "These are grimoires written by the real original witches, they are both useful and very dangerous. The spells in there can be used to even bring someone back to life but like I emphasize all magic comes at a price. A spell like that would easily drain half of your life force.


    Some of these books like the Philosopher''s manuscript contains unlimited knowledge and experiments.


    It shouldn''t land in human hands because too much knowledge in the hands of humans is dangerous. I tell you this from experience so be careful with it. Whatever you desire to know it will tell you as long as the knowledge exists." The spirit blew dust off the book and put it back down and picked another.


    "This one on the other hand is called the ghosts notebook. You can talk to the spirits on the other side by writing questions. The spirits can even appear in front of you if you ask them nicely. Come here anytime you like and read as much as you want." The spirit thrust it''s jaw forward.


    Phoebe moved around touching the top books, she was now very much interested in meeting David again because he was proving to be more useful to her than she thought.


    When she thought about him, she recalled that almost kiss and she was filled with embarrassment. However, looking around the cabin made her greedy.


    [What do I have to lose? Besides I want to see more of what this magical space can bring]


    When she came out of the space, Phoebe dressed up and stepped out of the apartment. In her hands was a dish and inside were baked cookies that she baked the previous evening with the intention of giving them to Lydia Baltimore as a thank you gift for inviting her for dinner. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    When she rang the bell of the Baltimore apartment, Lydia opened almost immediately. Phoebe handed her the dish and thanked her for the meal, Lydia was overjoyed by the gesture.


    "Oh what a wonderful surprise Phoebe, this is really nice of you. I don''t usually like people upfront but I have to say that I like you alot and am not the only one." Her eyes moved to Colin whose smile widened the closer he got.


    "Pheebs? I can call you that right? I think that we are close enough." Collin asked. He had heard David call her by the nickname last night and had vowed to do the same.


    Phoebe chuckled. "It''s fine because I believe that we are friends." Came her words that made him scratch his eyebrow.


    ''Friends?'' Collin didn''t know whether to be happy or sad because of what the woman he liked had just called him, it seemed like she had just friend zoned him.


    He took a cookie from the dish and tasted it, Collin''s eyes flew open immediately as he couldn''t believe it.


    "This is amazing Phoebe! They taste as wonderful as they look."


    Other than her good looks, Phoebe Gabriel was an amazing cook. However she had come to hate it because of the Saxons, especially Miranda who was her mother in law. The woman had made it her mission to frustrate Phoebe through cooking just because she never once considered her a worthy daughter in law.


    She always tasked her with cooking memorial meals, party meals, breakfast and dinner which had to be done meticulously. If it wasn''t because she wanted to be nice and repay Lydia''s kind gesture, she wouldn''t have baked the cookies at all.


    After her rebirth, she had an ongoing enmity with all kitchen utensils.


    "Thank you." Phoebe responded to the compliment, her eyes moved around in search of Cassie. She expected the girl to be around somewhere throwing daggers at her but she was nowhere in sight.


    [Where is goldie''s sister, that rude brat?]

 Chapter 44 - 44: Davids cunning pays off.

    Collin almost choked on the cookie when he read her thoughts. He also answered her unvoiced question rather quickly without actually intending to.


    "Cassie isn''t here, you don''t have to worry.


    Phoebe''s fluttered her eyelashes because she hadn''t asked him about his sister. How did he know that she was looking for the young girl? She was about to say something when Lydia spoke.


    "Humph, my poor girl." She sighed worriedly, "She barely slept because of those nightmares that she gets....wait a minute, Phoebe do you have something that could help alleviate some of her stress?"


    Phoebe nodded but didn''t ask alot of questions, she bid Lydia goodbye and left with Collin.


    When they got to the cafe, Phoebe greeted everyone including the ghost clients that Connie had brought in. She didn''t care if Collin could see her talking to empty space. She had made peace with her uniqueness and in her place of work, she would never hide it.


    "Good morning Rosset, please give me that tonic plus that talisman and a dream catcher." Phoebe pointed at two different bottles.


    Rosset was quick in bringing them over and then Phoebe packed and handed them to Collin.


    "This tonic will help calm and soothe her nerves. She lifted the yellow talisman with red drawings and writing which nobody but her could understand. "Hide this under her pillow to chase away the bad dreams. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She touched the silver dream catcher and held it up. " Hang this up by the window or above her bed. It will capture any bad dreams or energies passing through, leaving her to have sweet dreams from on. No charge for you since we are friends." Phoebe smiled warmly.


    He insisted to pay for the items even though Phoebe had told him that they were on the house.


    "That''s bad for business." He advised before leaving.


    Phoebe turned to her ghost clients. "Okay, everyone get a number from Connie and sit down. We will be taking down your information in an orderly manner. If you have messages to relay, we can start immediately through phone calls."


    Knowing that they had many clients, Rosset made use of the ghost seeing glasses reluctantly and she also joined in. Besides that, she distributed drinks and snacks to those ghosts that were hungry. The activity took almost two hours to be completed.


    After jotting down all the information she needed from the ghosts plus their requests. Phoebe immediately began to fulfill them, some were just written messages that they wanted to give to their loved ones so she left Rosette to handle that task.


    "As usual, don''t forget to leave a logo of our ghost cafe. As for the ones you need to call, if they have questions of any kind let them make appointments to see me, am heading out." Phoebe told Rosset as she left.


    One of the ghosts had a more urgent request than the others. This ghost client was a thief that had stolen money from the CEO of Ruptin chemical industries driving the company to bankruptcy. The poor CEO had been sued and arrested. His family had lost everything and the CEO eventually died, taking his own life after only two weeks in prison.


    The thief on learning of the CEO''s death was unable to enjoy the money he stole. He lived in hiding and shame, carrying the guilt from the knowledge weighing on his shoulders that he had been responsible for the death of another human being.


    At the moment, riddled with guilt, the ghost was pleading for Phoebe to deliver a message in person to the family and also return the money he stole, which was cash, buried somewhere.


    While listening to the story, Phoebe couldn''t help being angry with the ghost whose name was Sylvester. What he had done in a moment of greed had destroyed a family and resulted in death. He should have done the right thing while he was still alive by turning himself in and apologizing to the family.


    Even Connie and the Saxon spirit were glaring in judgement at the ghost.


    Phoebe sighed and opened the trunk of her car. Before going to dig for anything, she had to make sure that all of her tools were there, especially the shovel. This was not her first rodeo in burying or unearthing certain things.


    She then entered the car and started it. The car however made a coughing like sound and died. No matter how many times she pushed the start button, it remained silent.


    "Dang it." she slapped the wheel.


    "You are always slapping that poor wheel, maybe that''s why the car is rebelling." Connie suggested.


    "It''s a machine Connie it has no feelings." She bit back.


    She removed a talisman from her bag and stuck it on the wheel. "If it won''t start manually, perhaps it will move with magic."


    The talisman was suddenly blown by wind and it flew out of the car window, flying through the air. Phoebe groaned unhappily and opened her car door planning to run after the talisman but she had to stop when she saw it falling into someone''s hands.


    It of course just happened to be none other than David. He was leaning against his car like he was just about to go somewhere. Her face lit up as soon as she looked at him as if she was looking at a delicious snack. She even went so far as to lick her lips, expressing her hunger.


    [Energy, energy, hmmm, i just want to throw myself into his arms and suck it all up.]


    In as much as she wanted to jump and hug him because he was her charger, she held back to avoid embarrassing herself. Her thinking was still rational and she wondered why he was standing there.


    [Look at that silly grin on his face. Why is he everywhere lately?]


    David grinned even more, exposing his perfect teeth. Phoebe scoffed because his smile and perfect white teeth reminded her of those toothpaste tv adverts. All that was missing was a shiny little star glint and a woman or two that had been charmed.


    "Are you having car trouble?" he asked her.


    "No."


    [Yes.]


    Her mouth said one thing and her mind another. David was glad that he could read her thoughts or he wouldn''t know what to do with her most of the time.


    He had been given a cheat in this life, the ability to read her thoughts and he intended to use it to his advantage fully.


    "I am going your way, perhaps i can give you a ride."


    He looked at her face, specifically her forehead with focus while trying to appear nonchalant.


    She frowned, wondering how he knew where she was going. If he was going to work, he would be going in the opposite direction of where she was heading.


    [Does he really know that i am going to the old river town?]


    David''s lips curled upwards. Got you! he thought.

 Chapter 45 - 45: All romance, everywhere.

    David stretched his arms as he watched her staring at him with wary eyes like a suspicious and untrusting cat. He chuckled as he walked around to the passenger side of the door and opened it.


    "Get in, i am going towards the old river town for business. If you happen to be going in that direction as well then i am your man."


    She scoffed silently.


    [You are my man!, are you crazy? Do you think i cannot hear that double entendre in your voice? Seriously, this man is confusing me]


    In her mind, Phoebe groaned. She just really couldn''t understand what the man was up to. Was he actually trying to woo her for real? Why?


    "We are losing daylight Phoebe, move." The Saxon spirit shoved her.


    It shoved her using magic, and she forward herself moving against her will and that''s how she found herself in David''s car.


    "This is not my will." she blurted out when she saw that smile of pleasure on his face. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She couldn''t explain anything about the spirit of his ancestor which was doing some serious matchmaking but she felt the urge to say this to him.


    He didn''t react to her denial and instead, suddenly bent down and invaded the little space she had. He brought his face as close to hers as possible and looked into her eyes.


    The unexpected move caused Phoebe''s already unsettled heart to jump up and down. It was just like the previous night, he was looking at her as if he wanted to fill himself up on her lips. It was the look that Shark had described....hunger.


    Just as her thoughts were preparing to run wild because his hands brushed against her stomach, something clicked and she looked down.


    "Seat belt."


    He smiled slyly, pecked her cheek out of the blue and moved back. Phoebe gasped and touched the place he had kissed, shock on her face.


    She maintained that look when David entered the car and started it. He was still smiling, looking pretty proud of himself.


    [This lecher!]


    David chuckled. He didn''t care if she thought of him as a lecher, as long as she let him into her life and world. Phoebe folded her arms across her chest and looked out of the window, refusing to face him.


    In turn, David didn''t attempt to talk to her. He didn''t want to push her too far. He had already accomplished two major things today, the peck and the ride.


    However, the Saxon spirit was not satisfied. If the two were playing hide and seek, she would speed things along by leaving crumbs and clues to ensure that they found each other. She snapped her fingers and the radio suddenly came on, filling the silence.


    "I knew i loved you from the first day i saw you so baby say yes."


    Phoebe gasped loudly, turned her head, frowned at David and scoffed.


    [What is this? Is he trying to confess to me after knowing me for only a day? That''s it, he is crazy.]


    David read her thoughts and thought about defending himself but he was puzzled for a different reason. He had not touched the radio and he had no idea why it had been turned on. He smiled awkwardly and changed the station to the next one which also happened to be playing music.


    "In the middle of the night, in my dreams. You should see the things we do, in my dreams."


    Again, Phoebe scoffed. She turned away while blushing red feeling as if the song was speaking directly to her, after all, she did have spicy dreams about David often at night. If he saw the things they did in her dreams, he would be scandalized.


    David tilted his head, puzzled and he changed to the next station. That one too happened to be playing music, and it was also a romantic song.


    "Kiss me baby, kiss me."


    He tried another radio station and it was the same thing.


    "I just called to say, i love you."


    David continued searching from station to station but somehow, all he was coming across was music, the romantic kind. At the last one, he gave up because even he tried to put the radio off, it didn''t do as he wanted. In fact, one of the most popular songs in the country by no other group but Dear girls started playing.


    "Dearest, darling, my universe."


    In the back of the car, Connie squealed and started singing along loudly. At some point, the girls voice cracked and the Saxon spirit laughed. Somehow, Connie had ruined the romantic environment she had tried to build.


    Phoebe made a small snorting noise, finding the situation very funny. In her mind she told the Saxon spirit that she deserved it for pulling silly tricks.


    The spirit gave up on the tricks as well for the moment so when the song ended, the actual program with radio hosts talking resumed. Of course, they just happened to be discussing dear girls and the tragic death of Susie Isles.


    Listening to them made Phoebe curious about the case and whether or not Shark had solved it. So far, there were no updates anywhere about the progress on the case.


    She got her phone and dialled the detective''s number. It took about seven rings for the detective to answer.


    "Hey." he answered casually. "I was just about to call and tell you i have cracked the case. I have finished interrogating the suspect and i am sending you a video of myself in action."


    "Isn''t that against the rules?"


    "You won''t leak it and steal my thunder will you?"


    She shook her head and sighed. One day, one day Shark would get unlucky and land himself in trouble if he continued throwing the police rule book out of the window.


    "Any updates for me?" she asked.


    "I have a list of all the women that gave birth in the hospital where you were born. This would go faster if i knew what i was looking for."


    She clenched her phone a little more tightly and took a deep hopeful breath.


    "Jenny Mayfair, find out if she gave birth in that same hospital or a nearby one. Also, find out if anybody quit or happened to be fired around that time, like a nurse a doctor or a cleaner, anyone. If anybody moved abroad or received any unexplained cash infusion at that time, find out."


    She said a perfunctory farewell to the detective and hung up.


    Even though she wanted this information, she kept in mind that there was also a possibility that she simply ended up with the Gabriel''s through a simple mistake made by a nurse or doctor. Such stories were commonly seen in dramas or real life on television when a hospital was being sued.


    However if there was a possibility that it wasn''t an accident, she wanted to compile proof and then make the criminals pay.

 Chapter 46 - 46: A reason for murder____1

    After making the call, Phoebe was silent for a while which intrigued David. Her silence was not like the previous one where she was guarded because she had assumed that he was hitting on her.


    This silence was tense and dark, like the clouds which covered the sky before a storm hit. David couldn''t maintain his silence fifteen minutes more into the ride. Her unhappiness caused him unhappiness too and aroused the sleeping knight in him.


    Whoever or whatever had made her unhappy, he intended to slay to the very death.


    "Is something bothering you?"


    "No." Phoebe answered without turning.


    He couldn''t read her thoughts from the angle where he was and he sighed. It was obvious that something was bothering her but she didn''t want to admit it. It was something related to the Mayfairs and birth of a child.


    He put the few things he had heard her saying together and filed them away, intending to have Polly look into the matter later. He already a starting point anyway.


    Phoebe meanwhile decided that she needed to do something else to make her forget about the troubles of her birth. Now was a good time as any to watch the video which detective Shar had sent.


    She got her phone, searched for it and hit play. It started with footage of detective Shark and another detective, his partner detective Johns questioning the suspect.


    Detective Shark had some pictures which he thrust in front of a stoic young man with medium length black hair which was tied back exposing two small silver rings in his ears.


    Shark took the lead in questioning the young man. "Blake Don, why did you kill Susie Isles?"


    "Who says i killed her?" the young man blurted out.


    Detective Johns banged a bundle of papers on the table. "You are so eager to confess that you haven''t even asked why we think you know Susie."


    He touched the pile of papers and smiled. "These are financial transactions which prove that she has been wiring money to you for the past five years, two million every month."


    Blake opened his mouth and detective Johns held a hand up.


    Shark leaned back in the chair and put his hands behind his head with a confident look on his face. "Let me save you some time. You know me, right? I am celebrity detective Shark who closes every case i take on. I do not go in for the kill unless i have everything necessary to take my suspect down. I have all the evidence and i don''t even need your confession.


    What we are doing here is giving you a chance to tell your side of the story. A judge will be more lenient if you can explain why you did it."


    "Yes, maybe you were in distress." Detective Johns suggested.


    Detective Shark nodded continually, "Heat of the moment. Both of you are a young couple so maybe things just went out of hand."


    The car turned abruptly and the phone fell out of Phoebe''s hand. David had swerved to avoid hitting a dog that suddenly run into the road.


    "Sorry, sorry, are you okay?"


    He parked the car by the curb next to a bus stop and turned to her. Phoebe was already picking up her phone, unharmed since she was wearing her seatbelt.


    "I am okay." she answered slowly. "Are you....." she shook her head. "Let''s keep going."


    [That was a close call, I almost gave myself away.]


    Since he was bending forward, David read that thought and he smiled. She was worried about him but she didn''t want him to know. He restarted the car and decided to ask her about something else.


    "Is that the interrogation of the suspect who murdered that female singer?"


    Phoebe nodded.


    "Mmmm."


    He raised his eyebrows at her confirmation of this fact. Did she know how weird it was that she had a video of the interrogation? This was something which was not revealed to the public. It was for the eyes of the police only and in rare cases, the judge and jury in a courtroom when a prosecutor was trying to make a case.


    "May i ask why you have that?" he asked.


    "I am close with the detective." she answered. She turned her head in his direction and said lazily, "Stop asking questions."


    "Okay." he told her. It didn''t stop him from wondering about the kind of relationship they had for him to be giving such information to her.


    She went back to watching the video, forwarding all the unnecessary back and forth until Blake Don started confessing. At this point, he was angry and shouting.


    "Do you know how i met her?"


    "You were working as a nightclub host at a bar." Shark answered.


    Blake Don laughed maniacally. "I used to make two hundred dollars a day dancing and flirting with patrons of the club. I am not educated, have no parents and no skills. Except for my handsome face and good body, i have nothing else.


    That bitch, she came to the club one night and i was one of the hosts that served her. You should have seen her spending over one million on drinks and other crap as if it was nothing." S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    His voice deepened, laced with so much hatred as he continued explaining.


    "I would work hard like a dog day and night and never make that kind of money in my life but there she was, throwing it away so easily. I don''t know if i was lucky or cursed, but i caught her eye and do you know what she made me do?"


    Shark and Johns shook their heads.


    "Strip naked." Blake laughed. "That bitch asked me if i wanted to make one hundred thousand dollars and of course i did and i said yes so she made me take off all of my clothes, right down to my underwear in front of her friends and bandmates.


    As if that was not enough, she made me dance naked, groped me, touching my....."


    Phoebe turned around and yelled, "Cover her ears."


    The Saxon spirit was the one she was shouting at to cover Connie''s ears because she could what Blake was about to say. Her shout stunned David who briefly looked back as well, wondering who she was talking to.


    It was the barest of glimpses before he turned and looked at her phone, more interested in hearing the rest of the confession. Even though he didn''t know the singer personally, he knew of her.


    She was all the news was talking about ever since her death. Millions of her fans around the country had travelled to Citrus city to mourn for her. However, the truth about her character was so much more sinister than they knew.


    She reminded him of Ruth Mayfair, another woman who was pretentious and deceitful. It looked like Phoebe had seen through her fake facade however and that was amazing.


    He shook his head and his thoughts returned to the confession of Blake Don which Phoebe had paused. What had Susie touched?

 Chapter 47 - 47: A reason for murder____2

    The Saxon spirit did not even argue with Phoebe and she sent a very loudly resistant Connie into the pendant. She had no plans of following the girl because she also wanted to know what followed. What had Susie done to Blake Don that prompted him to kill her? From the way he was talking, it also looked like he loathed the woman so why had he involved himself in a relationship with her?


    Phoebe un paused the video and Blake''s confession became even more disturbing. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "She took off her shoes, her manager poured wine on them and then she told me to lick her toes. As if that was not enough, she made me bend and bark like a dog." He screamed.


    He waved his hand and swiped the pictures of Susie in front of him, sending them to the floor.


    "You must have hated her so much for humiliating you like that in front of those people." Detective Shark suggested.


    "I did." Blake admitted.


    "So how did you go from that situation to becoming her boyfriend of many years?" Shark asked.


    Blake placed both of his hands on the table and held his head between his hands. Even Phoebe could see the shame in his eyes before he revealed the answer.


    "She bought me."


    The two detectives shared a look of surprise and then they looked back at Blake.


    "She bought you. Were you selling yourself?" Shark asked curiously.


    "No." Blake shook his head. "She made me an offer, two million every month and all i had to do was be her man. She promised that she would take care of everything in the world that i need and all i had to do was cater to her needs all day. It wasn''t just sex, i had to cook her food, wash her clothes, clean her house, give her baths."


    "It sounds like you sold yourself." Detective Johns suggested. "Even if she made you an offer like that, you could have turned her down."


    Blake banged his fist on the table suddenly. "Nobody said no to Susie or you were finished. That''s something everyone related to the entertainment industry knows. Over the years, she sabotaged so many other singers in order to get ahead. She used the power of her fanbase to ruin the lives of those that spoke up against her or displeased her in any way.


    Investigate and find out for yourselves how many women she got fired from different boutiques. The bakeries that were closed because she got a fake allergy after eating something from there. How many brands lost a large number of customers because they didn''t pick her as an endorser.


    Susie Isles was the kind of woman to destroy anything she couldn''t have. Ask the people that used to work for her or with her and they will all tell you that she used to say if she cannot have something nobody could."


    "So you gave in because you were afraid she would ruin you. It must also be why you killed her." Detective Johns said definitively.


    Blake raised her head and chuckled. "No detective, i gave in because of two million. I was a man with nothing so what was there for her to ruin? I killed her because she sold me a dream and suddenly decided to take it back on a whim.


    Three years into living together, i decided to end the relationship and start my life anew elsewhere. She suddenly confessed her love for me, begged me to stay and said that she wanted to change the status of our relationship. She promised me that we would live together happily forever and she would retire at thirty and we could start a family because she knew how important that was to me.


    I believed her and went from being her boy toy to her boyfriend."


    Phoebe saw Blake wipe away tears from his eyes suddenly and his voice even softened.


    "For a while, we were happy but i should have known better than to trust her words. As soon as that bitch turned thirty, she started selling off her assets secretly. I found out and confronted her so she came clean and admitted that she wanted to start over indeed, but not in the way we had talked about.


    She was starting over as a solo artiste in a new country. We fought about the issue for months and one day she said she would have a rethink. The next day, she announced on all her social media pages that she was about to begin a new chapter of her life as a solo musician and she wanted her fans to encourage and support her.


    Once more, i confronted her and she said bluntly that she had no plans to sacrifice a lucrative career for something of no benefit like marriage and childbearing.


    That even if she decided to get married or have children right away, it would not be to a former bar host like me that cannot help her career. She would only marry a man that would elevate her further in society, like a Saxon."


    David started coughing suddenly and Phoebe glanced at him briefly.


    Blake''s confession was not paused so she looked at her phone.


    "You should have seen the look on her face when she told me that she picked me up in a bar and suggested that maybe i should go back to my former job as a host if i didn''t want to support her dreams."


    He laughed, broken little sad laughs. "She was so shameless to call it freedom after saying such ugly words to me, that she was returning my freedom to me because she loved me. What kind of love is that?"


    Phoebe sighed and stopped playing the video. She didn''t need to hear the rest to know why Blake Don had killed Susie. The answer was simple, Susie was a bitch. She said and did as she pleased, making enemies everywhere and her own actions had led to her untimely death.


    She felt the need to discuss the content of the video with the only other human being in the car so she turned her head and looked at David. Not surprising, he was looking at her too.


    "What do you think, is this a tragedy that could have been avoided? I don''t know if i should pity Susie for being murdered or Blake for..."


    She sighed and left it at that for she didn''t know why she had to pity Blake. Was it for his sad life or for meeting Susie?


    "If you don''t know who to pity then pity the dead. Susie Isles sounds like she was a very horrible person but killing her was not necessary.


    That man could have ended the relationship and walked away from her at anytime but he didn''t. She had not chained him to a bed or chair and unless he is an invalid, he could have walked out of the house and start over.


    I noticed a tremor in his voice when he talked about her selling off her assets to fund her solo career. He seemed to be more angry about that than anything else. In my opinion, he was just greedy for the good life that she could give him and when she made a move to take it away, he killed her."

 Chapter 48 - 48: The phone and her charger.

    She mulled over David''s words silently until they reached their destination, an old town which was about to be redeveloped. She pointed the rest of the way without saying a single word until when they came to an old abandoned empty building.


    David came around and opened the car door for Phoebe. She undid the seatbelt quickly before he could pull one of his quick cheek kissing stunts. She was absent minded however and he noticed it easily.


    "Is that murder still on your mind?"


    She looked up to him with unsure eyes and replied, "She said she loved him, i was there when she said it."


    She sounded so innocent and hopeful, so neglectful of the ugliness of the world and he felt the need to remind her of reality.


    "I hate to break it to you Pheebs but people lie, humans or ghosts. From the little i have heard about the woman it sounds to me like she liked controlling people.


    When he decided to leave her the first time, she must have been angered because she was essentially being dumped. To avoid that from happening, she declared her love for him and changed in the way she treated him but as you can tell, made plans for her life that didn''t include him.


    It was always her plan to leave him behind, love or no love. The only person Susie Isles loved was Susie Isles."


    Phoebe remained silent because to a larger extent David was right but still she maintained her stance on the fact that Susie had loved Blake Don. There had been a sadness in her eyes, hidden behind the wall of pride she had put up.


    A person or ghost could lie with their mouth but their body couldn''t. It was just like her and how she kept denying having any feelings for David but her body gave her away each time he was close.


    She stepped out of the car and threw a quick glance at the black range rover that had been following them. It was David''s private security, no less than two bodyguards at a time.


    She feigned ignorance and said, "I think we are being followed, that car has been tailing us since we set off. I think i should call the cops before we end up being murdered and buried somewhere in one of these unoccupied buildings."


    "Don''t bother calling the cops. It''s my personal security, one of the privileges of being a Saxon." David lifted his chin as if to brag.


    A loud scoff came out of Phoebe''s lips when she noticed the smug on his face.


    [Like that''s something to be proud of. No wonder you lot are targeted by women of bad character like Ruth and Susie.]


    She further wrinkled her nose as if being one was one of the most unpleasable things on the planet.


    David was taken aback by her thought, he was now aware that maybe Phoebe disliked the Saxons. It would have been understandable in the past life but she didn''t know them in this one, or did she? Had she met another Saxon besides him?


    He watched her walk to the back of the car and quickly rushed to assist her. He was determined to score a lot of points today.


    "I need my tools, they are in your trunk." She told him.


    David quickly opened the trunk of the car and watched her pull out a big tool box that he hadn''t seen Phoebe transfer from her car to his earlier.


    "How...." he muttered, confused.


    He offered to carry it for her and she accepted. One lift and he realized that it wasn''t light at all. He wondered how Phoebe who was smaller and shorter than him managed to lift it on her own.


    Phoebe who was watching him almost choked on her laughter because she knew how heavy the tool box was. The Saxon spirit always helped her lift it so to outsiders it looked light.


    After throwing it to the ground, David stared at her quizzically but Phoebe only shrugged because she wasn''t about to explain anything.


    With her soft thin and slender hands, Phoebe reached for the box only for David to assure her that he can carry it. His hand which was on top of hers remained there for a few seconds and Phoebe could feel energy get funneled into her just by a single touch.


    David moved his hand away from her only for Phoebe to grab it.


    [Ha-ha-ha this feels so good.]


    She closed her eyes and tightened her grip as she shuddered like electricity was coursing through her veins.


    In a mixture of delight and confusion, David stared at her. To him, it was obvious that Phoebe was beginning to like him which made him happy. He just didn''t know what to make of her body expressions because she was shuddering like a leaf being blown by the wind but she had a smile of enjoyment.


    "Ah...Pheebs? Are you alright?" His words interrupted her blissful moment and quickly pulled her out of her reverie.


    Phoebe opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was his broad smile. Then she noticed that she was holding his hand tightly, immediately she let go of it at once like she had been burnt by it.


    [He must think that am into him or something, darn it, my greed will get me into trouble. I should just think of him like a phone charger and i am the phone. I am just charging, nothing more.]


    ''Charger? What is going on here? David frowned slightly because he couldn''t understand her thoughts at all.


    He signaled Polly and Martin the other security guard to come lift the tool box because as much as he wanted to impress Phoebe, he wasn''t going to break his back in the process and humiliate himself while at it.


    Connie came out of the pendant and the amused Saxon spirit narrated what had just occurred between Phoebe and David. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "He must think you are creepy or something of the sort." Connie chortled continuously.


    Phoebe who wasn''t finding their conversation funny paused her movements and stared at them. "I talk to ghosts, i am the creepiest creep."


    Her voice was so loud the body guards halted their steps and stared back at the woman who was talking to space. Shaking their heads they continued moving to the back of the abandoned building.


    On the other hand, David was now used to this new Phoebe and found her to be very interesting. She was busy quarreling with invisible people without a care about what he thought about it.


    Phoebe glared at the amused Saxon spirit which was laughing.


    "Couldn''t you have brought me back to my senses?" Phoebe tucked her red hair behind her ears.


    "Hell no! I loved whatever was going on besides you enjoyed it too. Check how bright the pendant is glowing." The spirit used it''s index finger to point at the pendant.


    Phoebe''s fingers made their way to the pendant which was brightly shining, just like last night when she and David''s bodies came into contact.


    "Nice necklace you''ve got there." David mentioned abruptly. His words startled her but what surprised her further was the fact that he was staring at the pendant too.

 Chapter 49 - 49: A rich man in the dirt

    Too stunned to speak, Phoebe looked at the Saxon spirit which owed her an explanation if it had one. It had told her clearly that only she plus the ghosts can see the pendant, so what the hell was going on.


    "I guess he''s experiencing some changes as well, since David gives the pendant energy just like the ghosts it only makes sense that he can see it." Came the spirit''s explanation that made perfect sense.


    Phoebe stared at David with quizzical eyes. "Are you telling me that you can see this pendant?" She asked just to confirm.


    He shrugged and nodded. "Yeah, how does it glow like that sometimes do you charge it or something?" Came his nonchalant question which caused Phoebe to laugh maniacally


    "This is truly Unbelievable!"


    Was this another coincidence? He knew her before she met him, he had moved into the apartment opposite hers, physical contact with him gave her energy and he could see the pendant which was invisible to other humans.


    Was he truly human? Maybe he was a ghost too. That didn''t make sense since humans could see him. She looked at his chest and wondered if she could feel his heart for a heartbeat without making it weird.


    "What is Pheebs?" He asked, concerned.


    "Nothing, just...nothing." There was no need for him to know.


    [I don''t know who is more weird between me and you. Heck, the entire city is really weird lately. Whatever, i can''t think about it right now.]


    He didn''t know what it was but he could see that she was disturbed. Phoebe smiled briefly and walked ahead of him, following Sylvester who was silent the entire time.


    David placed his hands in his pockets and followed her footsteps because there were mud paddles everywhere since it had rained the previous night. Finally they arrived at the place that Sylvester confirmed was the spot where he had buried the money.


    It was the backyard of one of the old houses. Since it was abandoned a long time ago, overgrown weeds were flourishing everywhere. The smell of sewage was also strong, coming from a broken pipe that run through the property. It was off putting but she had a job to do.


    Phoebe pulled out a key from her pant back pocket, crouched down and opened the tool box.


    "Wooo." David moved closer to study the items that were now on display. ''No wonder it was heavy'' he squatted down and began to inspect them.


    The red box was full of all tools one can think of, axe, rake, spade, k2 meter, arrow and bow, hammer, smoke gun, maglite flashlight and many more.


    His hands moved to the k2 meter and without pause he switched it on because part of him wanted to confirm that Phoebe wasn''t crazy but could actually see ghosts.


    The little lights on the K2 meter moved from green to red in a split second confirming that there were indeed ghosts present in the area. David was startled but not scared because he had come to understand after being reborn that the world was not just black and white. There were grey areas too.


    "Ghosts." he said.


    Phoebe chuckled and took the little devil from his hands, she placed it back in the box and handed him a spade.


    "Let''s start digging, you said you wanted to help."


    Polly who wasn''t far away rushed to his boss'' side and tried to take the spade from him but David refused because he was eager to impress Phoebe. He went as far as to ask her to let him do the work all by himself. For a person who had never lifted a finger in his life, he was quite confident so Phoebe let him be.


    He walked to the spot, folded his sleeves, lifted the spade and dug. The ground was muddy but he didn''t care about mud messing up his expensive clothes and shoes as long as Phoebe saw how macho he was.


    After about fifteen minutes, David was already regretting his decision. He wanted to reverse it but didn''t want to get embarrassed.


    "How much further did that ghost hide whatever we are searching for." He paused and wiped his face with the back of his dirty hand leaving dirt on his forehead.


    "Keep going." Phoebe told him.


    Polly and Martin couldn''t believe their eyes, their boss who was usually cold and intolerant was being ordered around by a small red headed woman.


    Grandma Saxon had ordered Polly to spy on her grandson and report back to her whatever he was upto especially when it came to Phoebe.


    He had obliged and had secretly reported everything from David being her neighbor to Phoebe dragging him into her apartment.


    Pulling out his phone, Polly took pictures of David digging while Phoebe sat in a portable folding chair with a Coca-Cola can in her hand. It looked like she was sun bathing and enjoying herself while his boss did all the dirty work. He sent the pictures to the old matriarch.


    The digging went on for twenty more minutes and David started sweating profusely.


    "Keep going." Phoebe lifted the black shades from her eyes and studied him.


    "If you don''t help him, he''s going to pass out in the next few minutes I can assure you." The Saxon gave Phoebe a tight lipped smile.


    "He offered to help so, let him." Phoebe opened her phone and began to scroll through her phone lazily. This was a little payback for all the weeks and months she spent wide awake doing his research while he slept in bed and ate good meals.


    Suddenly blurred lines in green and red appeared on the phone before it blacked out.


    "Hey!" Phoebe stared at the Saxon spirit, she was certain that it was it''s doing because she had fully charged her phone that morning.


    "Am a lot stronger now with all that energy in the pendant. If you don''t get up from your sit am going to make it rain hard on you and only on you." To add to its threat, the spirit caused only the clouds above where Phoebe was sited to darken and rumble, the rest remained clear.


    Phoebe stood up reluctantly and went to join him, surprisingly David refused.


    "Am almost there, you don''t need to mess up your pretty hands." Came his words that made her laugh because he had no idea what kind of tougher things her hands had done.


    "I want to get this over with, we need more hands on deck." Phoebe gestured at Polly and Martin to take over. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The two men gladly pulled their boss out of the hole and began to dig.


    "You didn''t have to call them, I was perfectly fine on my own" David swallowed hard, he was sort of embarrassed.


    [Yeah right.]


    Phoebe smacked her lips and offered him some tissues and towels to clean himself.


    After a short while of Polly and Martin digging, they found something.


    "Found something!" Came Polly''s yell which had both David and Phoebe rush to them.


    There was a foldable ladder in the toolbox which Phoebe grabbed and sent down. The two men climbed out of the hole with the bag and David took it. He placed it on the ground and opened it without waiting for Phoebe.

 Chapter 50 - 50: Whose money is this?

    "Bloody hell! Pheebs? Where did you get all this money? And why did we have to dig for it?" David''s eyes widened as he stared back and forth between Phoebe and the bag which was full of money.


    Digging for large amounts of money was normally something crime related.


    "Why did you open it? Oh wait I forgot you are a Saxon which makes it okay to touch other people''s belongings without permission." She pulled the bag''s straps away from him.


    David had no idea how being a Saxon was tied to touching other people''s belongings without permission. He tried to speak but words failed him as he was at a loss.


    "I...it wasn''t intentional....I am just trying to protect you Pheebs. We had to dig for a bag in the ground. There could have been anything in there. You can be angry with me but i am partner and i intend to protect you." he said strongly.


    [Partner! Partner! when did we become partners?]


    "Ha-ha-ha wait what? Ha-ha-ha did you say partners? Mr. Saxon you''ve got it all twisted here. You offered to give me a ride and I said yes, I don''t know how that makes you my partner." Phoebe went ahead to pour the money on the chair she had been sitting on.


    As the cash bundles came rolling down, David folded his lips and watched her eyes widen at the sight of money. He chuckled when she took a bundle of the old notes and sniffed it.


    The money had been in the ground for so long that it smelled funky. There was a lining in the bag which had protected it from being destroyed by the rain.


    [Darn it, it has lost it''s new money smell.]


    It was unfortunate because she loved the smell of new money. It was better than any perfume man had ever created. Phoebe lowered the bundle and told David to help her count it.


    "Let''s do this quickly I want to close this case by the end of business today." She signaled Polly and Martin to join.


    The two men were reluctant because unlike their boss, they weren''t planning on being ordered around by Phoebe.


    David noticed that they hadn''t budged so he gave them a curt look which compelled them to join him.


    "Okay partner, let''s do this." He spoke enthusiastically and clapped once.


    Phoebe rolled her eyes, she then squatted and joined David quickly counting the money. He was much faster than her as he was so good with numbers, it was one of the reasons as to why she fell for him.


    He was a brilliant man, just lazy because he was a Saxon and like many of them, wealth was a right from birth. Even before a new baby Saxon was born, an account would be opened for the child and no less than fifty million dollars would be deposited into it.


    There was a saying among people in the country that to be born a baby Saxon was to win a lottery.


    "There is no reason for you to count it, it''s fifteen million dollars." Sylvester told Phoebe.


    Phoebe ignored the words of the ghost however because she was hellbent on counting it. There was no way she was going to trust the word of a thief.


    After about thirty minutes, David announced that the money amounted to fifteen million.


    "Am impressive aren''t I?" He stood and placed his hands on his waist. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe for the third time in an hour rolled her eyes. The man''s extreme confidence never failed to shine in any situation.


    "Let''s pack it up, we need to leave right now. I need to find the Ruptin family." She raised her hand and tugged on her front hair.


    This was the kind of favor that she normally asked detective Shark for.


    "I got this." David said confidently.


    He excused himself and made a call to the Saxon security team. "I need you to find out where Ruptin''s widow and children are staying, this is an emergency." He hung up and walked to the car with a little smile on his face.


    "I can ask Shark you know." she told him.


    "Well that''s not necessary Pheebs." David flashed his phone screen at her. It was a message from the security team showing the current location of Ruptins.


    "Oh thank God." Sylvester spoke as he raised his hand to his chest. For a second there he was nervous, he didn''t want to drag this, the ghost wanted to seek forgiveness and move on.


    David''s phone began to ring but by the time he saw who the caller was, Phoebe had already noticed that it was Ruth.


    "Why does she keep calling me, one might think i owe her money. I might as well just block her right now." He went ahead to take action as said.


    "So your not interested in her in any way?" Phoebe asked because she was aware that David had gotten Ruth pregnant in the past life. She also recalled that Ruth said David was drunk and that''s how she got him into bed. However, he was also planning to marry Ruth. Wasn''t that indicative of some affection?


    "Hell no!" His tone was stern and loud. Judging by his facial expression, it seemed as though Phoebe had just offended him greatly.


    David felt his heart ache just by the question Phoebe had asked. He hadn''t given her any reason for her to doubt his intentions towards her. He wished that he could tell Phoebe everything he knew about Ruth but he held back. The woman had lied and tricked him in his past life, used him to get pregnant, got married to him, lied to him and caused his death.


    In this life he was determined to protect Phoebe and their love.


    Phoebe shifted her eyes from him to the road. She wasn''t certain but it seemed like David was pained by something however she didn''t intend to ask.


    "My poor boy." The Saxon spirit mumbled. Phoebe who heard turned her head and stared at it but still she didn''t ask anything.


    They drove to the Saxon private airport because David insisted that they fly to the Moblin city where the Ruptin family had moved to.


    "Show off." Phoebe spoke under her breath although she agreed with him, flying there was much faster than driving there.


    When they reached in the Moblin city, cars were already waiting. Without wasting time, they drove to the Ruptin house. The once rich family now lived in the ghettos, they were now staying in a rickety building that was not fit for humans to stay in.


    David''s security personnel initially tried to refuse him from going with Phoebe but the man insisted. "We are partners, if she''s going then am going. You on the other hand can stay if you like, I''ll see you when we get back." He smiled excitedly and followed Phoebe.


    Polly let out a frustrated moan and followed after his boss. This was a dangerous place for a Saxon to freely loiter around. Still he took a couple of pictures and sent them to grandma Saxon who was demanding for updates.

 Chapter 51 - 51: Returning what was stolen.

    Back at the Saxon family home, grandma Saxon was in a terrific mood since morning. During breakfast, she kept checking her phone and laughing. However she wouldn''t share what had gotten her so amused not even with her son whom she adored.


    Even after breakfast, she continued to laugh while looking at her phone. She seemed to be highly entertained by whatever she was watching.


    This got Dickson Saxon very curious because there were very few things on planet earth that made his grandmother laugh to the point of dabbing tears from her eyes.


    Dickson who hailed from the second branch of the family was visiting after returning from a trip to a holy city. With him he had bought so many gifts to impress the family his grandmother especially.


    However he was disappointed when grandma Saxon barely paid attention to them but rather focused on her phone.


    "I haven''t seen David around, why isn''t he here. I got something for him as well." Came Dickson''s words that raised eyebrows especially those of grandma Saxon.


    It was common knowledge that the two young men competed over everything. They were cousins but far from friends, in fact they almost seemed to be enemies so how come Dickson was now carrying gifts for David?


    He saw the was they were all looking at him with skepticism. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Oh come on! We are grown men now and we have grown much closer than you think. The days of silly competition are over and long gone." Dickson who had read the room spoke with laugher in his voice as he defended himself.


    "That brat moved out to God knows where, how can a son abandon his mother because of a woman and not bother to call me once." Miranda let out a muffled sob.


    Grandma Saxon didn''t react, knowing well why David and his parents were not close.


    "Sorry, he what? Aunt, who gave him permission to do as he pleases?....." Dickson''s stared at each one of them in disbelief.


    "I did and that''s that. If any of you wants to go you can move out as well, after all we have enough security to protect you all. You are all coddled enough as it is." Grandma Saxon stood up and wobbled away leaving them mesmerized.


    "How is mother walking without her walking cane?" Miranda looked at her husband in shock.


    Robert stared back at his wife in utter disbelief, moving his head from side to side.


    "Come to think of it, she looks more energetic today."


    "And her skin is glowing more than usual." Rose-Bell stated as a frown grew on her face.


    Katherine clapped once and pointed at Rosie. "Must be that new tonic which she drinks like juice or wine every other hour. The one she got from that place...hmmm...I don''t remember the name....."


    "Black Ghost cafe!" Rose-Bell stood up abruptly on remembering the name that was written on the bottle.


    "Hmmm interesting." Katherine took a big bite of the pear in her hands and smiled like she had won a lottery.


    She looked like she was scheming something.


    After catching up with everyone, Dickson bid them goodbye and headed to grandma Saxon''s bedroom to do the same. His fingers that was about to knock on the door paused when he heard loud laughter resonate in the room.


    "Ohh David that silly child." He heard her say when he pinned his ear to the door.


    He knocked twice before he was told to go in.


    Grandma lowered her phone in a sneaky way as if to hide whatever was in it which only made Dickson eager to know what she was looking at.


    "Grandma I brought these items, it seems like you forgot about them or didn''t you like them." Dickson wore a sad expression which caused his grandmother to hurry and hug him.


    "Of course not dear, I love them. Give those to me." She took the oil and wrapped gifts from him and walked to her study where she intended to keep them.


    While she was gone, Dickson took the opportunity to look through her phone. He saw photos of David and Phoebe whom he knew was Ruth''s friend.


    "Well, well. Look who we have here." Dickson sent the photos to his phone and placed Grandma Saxon''s phone back to where it was.


    When his grandmother returned, he bid her farewell and left with a sly smile on his face.


    *******


    In Moblin city meanwhile, those who had gone in search of the Ruptin''s arrived at their door.


    Before Phoebe could knock on the door David stretched his hand and banged on it and since it was already weak if just fell backwards, scaring the occupants who were inside.


    "David! What is wrong with you? You can''t just go around banging on people''s doors like that. Do you even know how to knock?"


    [Of course not, you are a Saxon. People open doors for you guys.] She kind of answered her own question.


    She glared at him but quickly calmed herself and apologized to the woman and two children who were glaring at the intruders while protecting their mother.


    "Please I apologize for the intrusion and we come in peace. We are looking for Cynthia Ruptin and her children, I believe that''s you." Phoebe smiled at them just to reduce the tension.


    She nudged at David who quickly apologized and introduced himself. Polly handed the skeptical mother a business card, after reading the information on it she made the sign of the cross and gave David a tentative smile.


    "Of course forgive the fact that I couldn''t recognize you, I thought that it was the money lenders but Mr. Saxon why are you looking for us?" Sally signaled her children a boy and a girl in their teenage years to feel at ease.


    "Well....uhmm..." He stammered and looked at Phoebe who quickly jumped in.


    "Miss Cynthia the thing is that we brought this for you and your children." She signaled the two men to place the bag on the floor.


    With a quizzical look, Cynthia bent down and opened the bag. On seeing the money she gasped and stared at them.


    "This...this is money." she croaked out.


    "Duh!" Connie rolled her eyes.


    "Yes, and it''s yours." David told her.


    He said it with showmanship in his voice like he was Santa Claus and he had come carrying gifts. His tone and confirmation made Cynthia believe that the money had come from him.


    "Mr. Saxon I know that your family is very rich but I didn''t expect you to give us all this money. Even though it''s charity, isn''t it a little too much?" Cynthia wiped a tear from her cheek with the back of her hand.


    Shaking his head, David told her that the money wasn''t from him. "This is the fifteen million dollars that was stolen from your husband."


    "What!" The Ruptins shouted in unison, the children who were far behind came closer to see it with their eyes.


    "How? My husband searched everywhere but that thief Sylvester was never found. Did you catch him?" Cynthia blinked rapidly with her gaze fixed on David.


    "Well yes and no. Sylvester is dead, he died in an accident and he came to me with a request that I bring back this money back to you." Phoebe choose her words very carefully.

 Chapter 52 - 52: To earn forgiveness

    Cynthia shook her head because it all sounded unreal. "He''s dead and he came to you that makes no sense at all." She looked at David as if searching for an explanation.


    "I am sort of a shaman, I see and help ghosts move on which is why I am here. Sylvester cannot move on because he is burdened by the guilt of what he did. He''s here right now to return this money, do what''s right and also request for your forgiveness.


    He is deeply ashamed and remorseful. You may not be able to see him now but i can and he is on his knees in front of you. He wants you to know that he has lived in regret all his life after what he did." Phoebe explained the best way she could.


    She spoke softly in voice that expressed Sylvester''s remorse while also expressing understanding with her eyes for what the family had suffered.


    Letting out a painful moan, Cynthia touched her chest and started wailing loudly. Bitter ears fell from her eyes continuously like a newly formed spring as she cursed Sylvester for what he did.


    "Hell no! No one is forgiving anybody. That thief caused my father to take his life, we were thrown out of our home, we lost all our properties and ended up in this ramshackled place with no food. We have to beg for scraps on the streets. Recently mother had to borrow money to treat my sister who almost died and now the money lenders are harassing us and what! He wants forgiveness?


    Where does he get the audacity? How can he ask for it? That shameless evil man. We don''t need this money, take it back." The boy kicked the bag only for his sister to grab it.


    "No! Father worked hard for this money. This is almost his entire fortune, we cannot reject it just like that. Just because we accept the money doesn''t mean we will forgive him." She tightened the hold around the bag. "Where has he been all this while and why didn''t he come sooner? If he was so regretful of his actions, he should have showed up before daddy died." She screamed.


    Sylvester who was truly on his knees before the family, bawling his eyes out like a baby begged Phoebe to plead with the Ruptins on his behalf. The ghost was truly remorseful so she continued to do as it requested.


    "I understand why you are angry and don''t want to forgive him. Yes he was a terrible person that caused you a lot of grief however he is now dead and most importantly, he has returned the money. Forgiving him is not just for his sake but yours as well. This is an opportunity to untie the knots in your hearts and find peace.


    I have to be honest and tell you that if you don''t forgive him, he will wander for the rest of eternity. In fact worst case scenario he may turn into an evil ghost and cause harm to other innocent people. Please find it in your hearts to forgive him."


    Phoebe was sure that these words would at least prompt them to forgive even if they didn''t want to. All Sylvester needed was to hear the words, however perfunctory they may be.


    "That''s a well deserved punishment. Let him wander the entire universe if he likes, he should repent his sins forgiving him is not possible at all, please all of you should leave immediately." Cynthia responded coldly and pointed her index finger at the door.


    David and Phoebe both read the situation, there was no room for negotiation, not right now. The family was still in pain as if their misfortune had only occurred the day before.


    So, they humbly left but on their way out, David told Cynthia to contact him in case she needed anything.


    He also told Polly to contact someone in the city to come and fix the door. They returned to the car, setting off for the airport to return to where they had come from.


    Sylvester wailed all the way to Citrus city as he lamented that he didn''t want to become an evil spirit.


    "What they don''t understand is that my resentment could be aimed at them. I understand their pain but I regret all that now and wish that I can atone for my sin and move on." He sniffled


    Phoebe let out a frustrated sigh which gained David''s attention.


    "Is the ghost still crying? What happens to him next? Do you banish him to some dark place because he shouldn''t stay here, there are enough evil humans in the world and we don''t need to add evil spirits." He added a shrug to his thoughtless words.


    "What? What is he talking about? Please Phoebe you cannot do that after all I haven''t turned into an evil spirit yet." Sylvester threw David an icy glance.


    "I don''t know what to do with you, the problem is that you are too desperate and you could become an evil spirit much faster." Phoebe spoke through tight lips.


    She had done a good deed for a ghost but was not rewarded with energy.


    That''s when the Saxon spirit jumped in with a solution. "There is a way for you to maybe avert your karma. You can do good for others and that way the regret will slowly go away. The more you do good the more you balance the scale of good and evil."


    "I will do anything." Sylvester responded eagerly. "But how do I help anybody when i am a just ghost?" Sylvester looked at the Saxon spirit which was looking at Phoebe.


    "Phoebe needs servants, you can help her as you repent for what you did to that man." Came the spirit''s words that caused Phoebe to flinch.


    "You want me to employ a thief! If it''s about getting servants I will but not Sylvester, he may be sorry today but we don''t know what he may do tomorrow." Phoebe was genuinely concerned.


    It was with good reason because she occasionally collected relics and some had magical powers, others were cursed objects that needed to never return among humans, having a former thief snooping around was a bad idea.


    Isn''t that why they said once a thief always a thief?


    "Phoebe please, I have learnt a big lesson from this. When the guilt goes away I will move on to the other side. Please give me a chance." Sylvester folded his hands and begged.


    "Sister we will be watching him don''t worry." Connie assured her. It was three against one, there was no way she was going to refuse at the moment so she agreed. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Fine, you can work for me but....you my friend are on probation. If I sense any thing foul coming from your end I personally will call a ghost catcher who will send you off to a very bad place." Phoebe warned.


    David frowned his brows. "Pheebs! You cannot make that decision without involving me, am your partner remember? I vote no to you having a male ghost servant that was a criminal."


    Shaking her head Phoebe laughed only because she was too tired to have an argument with him.


    Sylvester squealed and thanked Phoebe for giving him a chance. He further threw David a cold stare because so far he didn''t really like him.


    By the time they got back at the Cerene Apartments, they were hungry so Phoebe invited David to the cafe because he had helped her a lot that day.


    He accepted and followed her, as they walked discussing Sylvester''s role at the cafe. David paused his movements however stared because there were two men that were suddenly approaching them.

 Chapter 53 - 53: The uncanny resemblance.

    "Luke? Andre?" David asked casually because he knew the two men. Other than Collin Mayfair, he had a cordial relationship with the two brothers.


    [Oh great, more of Ruth''s saviors to the rescue. I am getting a lot of unwanted visitors lately]


    A sharp wince escaped Phoebe''s lips when she saw the two men, she assumed that the Mayfair boys were here to warn her to stay away from their sister but if they tried her patience today she was ready to show them what a phony their sister was.


    Connie let out an excited scream. "Oh my God Andre Mayfair! He''s my dream man, I have a super crush on him, look at his fair skin, pink lips he''s gorgeous. Sister please get me an autograph please." She fluttered her eyelashes continuously but Phoebe remained unfazed afterall she had never been his fan.


    Phoebe who was uninterested in taking to the Mayfair boys assuming that they would be just like Collin. She moved passed David and continued walking in the direction of the cafe. She however noticed that Luke was gawking at her, if she wasn''t mistaken she thought she saw his jaw drop.


    She wasn''t wrong because Luke continued staring at Phoebe until her frame disappeared. He shook his head in disbelief, wondering if he was seeing things. Being a doctor, he didn''t believe in things like reincarnation or doppelgangers and other mystery stuff but what he had noticed melted his knees.


    "Who the hell is that?" He asked David who was chatting with Andre.


    "Oh, that." David smiled broadly. "She is my very good friend, partner, and so many other things."


    His voice held a double meaning, not saying things outright but implying them. This was because he had seen Luke gawking at Phoebe and he wanted to draw a line quickly.


    The two men put one and two together and concluded that David''s friend had to be the infamous Phoebe.


    Andre smiled knowingly at his brother but the smile quickly fell when he saw the confused expression on his face.


    "What is it? You look like you have seen a ghost." He nudged him using his elbow.


    "More like a clone of sorts." Luke whispered and looked at the cafe, his curiosity about Phoebe at its peak. His stomach growled loudly attracting attention from David and Andre.


    "Hey i am starving, I barely ate anything today because I had a lot of patients to see today." He informed the two men that were sort of curiously looking at him


    David slapped him on the back once. "You my friend are in luck, let''s get you something to eat." He pulled on his hand.


    He was at ease with the Mayfair boys because they had all grown up together, were close in age and went to the same schools.


    Luke and Andre who wanted to turn down his offer because they had other plans in mind, plans of talking to Phoebe. They were stunned when David took them directly into the Black ghost cafe, the same place that they were going to.


    "Hold up David, This is Phoebe''s place....Ruth''s friend I mean. It''s the ghost place, right?" Andre asked only for David to nod.


    "Ruth said that this woman was throwing herself at you....." Andre was interrupted by David who spoke loudly.


    "What? That''s not true. If anything am the one throwing myself at her. Listen boys you know that your sister has had these feelings for me for the longest time but I have never led her on. I made it clear to you all that whatever she is hoping for is never going to happen.


    All i have ever seen her as is a little sister, basically one of the guys." He grimaced, not wanting to tell them that he didn''t even consider her as a little sister anymore, much less a friend. "I am sorry but your sister is crazy."


    "No offense taken." Andre sat in the chair and leaned back. In as much as he loved his sister, he had his fair share of crazy fan girls swooning over him, he understood where David''s point was coming from.


    It was true that Ruth was obsessed with David and no matter how many times she was told to let it go, she wouldn''t. Whatever pain she was suffering now was a self inflicted wound.


    "But still I heard she''s a trickster." Andre mentioned.


    "And i am a playboy." David shrugged. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He and Andre laughed, even sharing a fistbump because they were birds of a feather. Ande too was a playboy, a famous one who delighted in his wayward ways.


    "Not anymore though, i am officially reformed." David added.


    "Your family won''t accept her." Luke reminded him.


    "Let me worry about that." David received a call from his office and excused himself to pick the call.


    Phoebe on the other hand stood behind the counter making coffee for David. She noticed the Mayfair boy come in and sit down like customers. Pretty soon she started to feel uncomfortable because Luke kept gawking at her.


    [Is this their strategy, to stare at me to death?]


    "Maybe you have charmed him too." Connie added giggles to her words.


    Phoebe snorted, "Yeah right."


    The Saxon spirit was also interested in the Mayfair boys. "Let me go over there and listen in on whatever they are talking about."


    Within a split second, it was hovering over them.


    "Luke? Luke? LUKE!" Andre raised his voice startling his brother whose entire focus was on Phoebe.


    "What?" Luke rubbed his eyes and shook his head.


    "You are staring, it''s kinda awkward and rude."


    "Don''t you see it, Andre?" Luke whispered furiously.


    "See what?"


    "That Phoebe girl looks exactly like grandma in her younger days, the only difference is that she has red hair and grandma is blond."


    Andre waved his hand to dismiss his statement. "Grandma was an unmatched beauty, i am not saying that Phoebe isn''t but I see little to no resemblance."


    Luke insisted that the resemblance between the two is uncanny. "How is this even possible? Maybe she''s a long distant cousin or something. I am telling you Andre, there is something here, I can feel it."


    Andre nodded his head and laughed. "I''ll need to see old photos of grandma to believe it."


    David joined them again just when Phoebe and Rossett were bringing the coffee and snacks to the table.


    "Join us, I would like to introduce you to my friends." David requested nicely but Phoebe only accepted because the spirit told her to.


    "I need you to distract one of them because I need a piece of his hair, you need to do a DNA test or blood spell whatever works for you." She pointed at Luke and said, This one thinks you look like their grandmother."


    Phoebe was already suspicious about the connection between her, Ruth, the Gabriel''s and the Mayfairs. Hearing that one of the Mayfair boys had noticed something too sparked a fire in her heart and she sat down quickly.


    [Could it be?], she wondered.


    When she sat David introduced her to the Mayfair boys, she was surprised to see that they were polite to her unlike Collin. Phoebe took a liking to them immediately, especially Andre. He was funny and somewhat adorable.


    Luke was more quiet and also seemed to prefer looking at her more than talking to her. If they happened to be her brothers, Andre was definitely gunning for the position of favorite brother.

 Chapter 54 - 54: Ghost catchers are not welcome.

    For a while, everyone just remained silent, fixating on their coffee and snacks because they were all hungry. There were no new clients in the cafe because a closed sign had been put up. Phoebe didn''t want any human client for now and the ghosts, they could also wait.


    When they were finished, Rosette cleared the table. Phoebe was thinking about getting up to leave when Andre said something which made her stop.


    "Are you really a ghost seer or something like that? Can you do one of your little tricks, i could use them in one of my movies" He leaned forward and narrowed his gaze which was upon her.


    [Just when i was beginning to like him.] she thought.


    Andre gasped and jumped up, pointing at Phoebe''s face.


    "What was that?"


    Unaware that he had seen her thoughts, she gave him a confused look.


    "What?"


    Andre looked at Luke and David and they were curious but only because of him, not her.


    "Did you guys not see it?"


    "What?" They responded together?


    "She...her....she..." he huffed and sat down. "Did you really not see it?" he asked them.


    "Have you seen a ghost in here? If you have, don''t be afraid. They won''t hurt you, they are here as clients looking for help. Some of them are even more afraid of you than you are of them."


    Andre shook his head. "No..."


    The door of the cafe was suddenly flung open, banging against the wall and startling everyone. Andre even jumped up, slightly terrified.


    None of the humans saw the two ghosts which came floating inside quickly, shouting for help. They all did see the human man who entered the cafe, however. He was dressed in a yellow jacket with a cap on his head and he looked like a delivery man but he didn''t have anything he was delivering.


    "We are closed." Rosette shouted from behind the counter.


    The man didn''t respond but he pulled a short silver rod out of his pocket. The head of the rod was surrounded by small golden bells and red threads.


    "Ghost catcher." Connie squealed.


    She hid behind Phoebe who stood up the moment she heard the words ghost catcher. There were three ghost clients in the cafe and they hurried to hide behind the counter where Rosette was.


    "That''s Amon, the ghost catcher."


    When Phoebe stood up, the air became charged and everyone could sense that something was wrong. It was like that moment just before a sudden fight when everyone was tense about what was going to happen next.


    David touched Phoebe''s hand but she shrugged his hand away and kept her eyes on the man.


    "If you move your hand Amon and ring those bells even once in here, i will cut it off." Phoebe said coldly.


    The ghost catcher whose face was hidden tilted his face and looked at her. sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Two ghosts just run in here, a man and a child. All i am seeking is them and i will...."


    She raised her arm, holding her hand out to stop him. "Ghost catchers are not welcome in my shop, this is a sanctuary for ghosts looking for a way to move on, leave before i become angry."


    "Those two ghosts have been living with a human woman and playing house. She is almost at death''s door because the man has been feeding off her energy. He is practically an evil spirit."


    Phoebe pointed up to the ceiling of the cafe.


    "Inside and outside, i have active talismans and no evil spirit can come into my shop."


    Amon chuckled. "You insist on protecting them."


    "I am not a protector, i am just a lowly shaman that offers help to stranded ghosts. You are a ghost catcher that will shred them into many pieces and send them to purgatory. You don''t care to hear their side of the story and understand why they are stuck."


    "The dead have no story to tell." He answered.


    "You are wrong." Phoebe answered strongly. "The ones that died an unfair death have a story to tell. The ones who want to attone, the ones who want some simple wishes fulfilled and..."


    "Life is for the living." Amon jumped in. "When you die, your story is over. Those two are criminals, a human and a ghost cannot live together as a family."


    "That is your opinion." Phoebe answered calmly.


    Amon sneered and raised his hand out of the blue with the intention of shaking the bell. It was a weapon that affected ghosts, taking them off balance and then sucking them inside. It was a prison of sorts.


    Before his hand could come down, it was stopped by none other than David. Nobody had even seen him moving or reach the ghost catcher.


    David gripped Amon''s hand tightly with force like it was his intention to break it.


    "She said, don''t shake the damn bell."


    The door of the cafe opened and a pale woman that looked confused run inside. She had on only a single purple shoe and she was crying.


    Phoebe heard the little ghost which had run inside with the man call out mother and she realized that this was the woman the ghost catcher was talking out.


    "You must be the one that has been living with two ghosts." she said.


    The woman nodded and looked around inside. She had a charm on her hand, one that Phoebe was not familiar with.


    "Husband, have you seen my husband and child?" she asked in a frightened voice.


    Phoebe used her head to gesture that they were inside, at the back. "I will advise you to say goodbye now because they cannot hide in my cafe forever. The ghost catcher will not let them go, so, if you want to save them, let them go."


    The woman fell to the ground and started crying.


    "I can''t, i can''t let them go."


    In a stern voice, Phoebe asked her, "Are you so selfish that you will condemn your child to purgatory? That''s where the ghost catcher is going to send them. They will be doomed to eternal suffering with no hope of reincarnation. Get your head on straight and think like a mother. Protect your child to the very end, get up now and say goodbye."


    She practically shouted a command which got the woman to move. Rosette was on hand to help and she gave the woman ghost seeing glasses.


    It was a rushed goodbye, and the two ghosts moved on very quickly just as Phoebe had expected. She had been counting on the fact that the woman was a mother and all mothers protected their children.


    "You can let him go now." Phoebe told David.


    Scoffing, David let go of Amon. The ghost catcher still shook his bells, because there were other ghosts in the cafe that he had seen but he didn''t get anything.


    Instead, and invisible energy from the talismans on the ceiling was gathered and it was shot at Amon, sending him flying back.


    "I told you, ghost catchers are not welcome here." Phoebe reminded him.


    The ghost catcher stood up, laughed and wiped away blood from the side of his mouth. He looked at Phoebe and laughed with an air of mystery.


    "You are supposed to be a ghost catcher and yet you work in the opposite direction. Are you sure that you are one of us?"


    She shook her head and wagged her finger.


    "In this world, i am the exception, the only exception."

 Chapter 55 - 55: Grannys games.

    Amon looked at the ghosts that were confidently hiding in the cafe. Some were even taunting him by sticking their tongues out because they knew they were untouchable as long as Phoebe was there.


    He laughed again, softly and turned to leave.


    "I will see you around."


    Phoebe heard these words along with the chiming of the door as Amon was leaving. She wasn''t sure if she had made a friend or an enemy. He was surely displeased that she had saved the two ghosts so maybe an enemy.


    She sat down, groaned and banged her head against the table. "Why does trouble keep finding me?" she mumbled.


    The others had no idea what had just gone down. It all seemed like some scripted drama. Amon flying back without being hit physically was the cherry on top.


    Andre was even making notes and muttering lines he didn''t want to forget.


    "I am the exception, the only exception. Life is for the living..."


    David slapped him on the back of the head before going to check on Phoebe. He put a hand on her back and gently spoke into her ear.


    "Are you okay?"


    "Mmm." she mumbled.


    He sighed loudly and whispered to her, "I am sorry but i have to go now. There is an emergency at the lab which needs my attention but i will be back soon. Call me if you need anything."


    She raised her head and pointed at the Mayfair boys. "Take them, i am tired."


    She lowered her head on to the table again. The weariness of what had been a long day covered her like a blanket. All she needed was a small nap for while.


    David, ruffled her hair gently, kissed her on the ear and stood up.


    "Hey, Mayfair, with me. If you argue i will get Polly to carry you both out princess style and i will be recording."


    The two brothers shared a look and stood up. They planned to discuss all they had seen and heard when they were alone. For now, Luke just wanted to send the strands of Phoebe''s hair which he had picked off her dress to the lab.


    "Bye beautiful Phoebe, thank you for hosting us. I will come back soon, maybe tomorrow and you can teach me....."


    David pulled Andre out as he was yapping loudly.


    After they left, the cafe was closed again and Phoebe went into her office to take that nap which she wanted. She left behind the saxon spirit, Connie, Rosette and the other ghosts engaged in a heavy gossip session.


    The general subject was Phoebe''s coolness and the way she bravely faced a ghost catcher to defend the two ghosts.


    By this time tomorrow, the showdown between Phoebe and Amon would have made it to almost every city in the country, driving more ghosts to Citrus city.


    When Phoebe woke up, the shop was empty so she decided to take a stroll in town like she did most nights just to pass time. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Her peaceful stroll however was interrupted by a scream. She quickly looked in the direction from which the voice came, it was an old woman wailing that her bag had been stolen.


    What irked Phoebe the most was the fact that no one was helping her.


    "There is no humanity left in this world, no wonder there are many evil spirits roaming around."


    Phoebe rushed to where the old woman was sitting on the ground. She had a long black scarf covering her head and shoulders, she was also wearing big black shades which looked to be uncomfortable since they covered most of her face.


    "Grandma are you alright? Please stand up." Phoebe helped the old woman up, they moved and sat on a park bench that was closeby.


    "Those horrible boys surrounded me and took my bag. In it was the only money I have remaining. I wanted to buy a yarn because my grandson''s birthday is coming up and I promised to knit a scarf for him. What is this old woman going to do now?" She rubbed her nose with the edge of the long scarf.


    The more the old woman talked, the more Phoebe frowned.


    [Her voice sounds so familiar, I don''t know where I''ve heard it]


    Phoebe tried to study the old woman''s face but to her disappointment, she pulled the big glasses closer to her face.


    Phoebe''s stomach churned because she hadn''t eaten much that day. She didn''t even get to enjoy her coffee earlier and was really hungry.


    "Grandma, let''s eat first and then go to the police." She raised to her feet and helped the old woman to stand.


    With hesitation, the old woman announced that she had no money. "How can I buy food when all my money is gone, young lady are you deaf?" She used a scolding tone which caused Phoebe to chuckle.


    "I never said that you are paying, the bill is one me so let''s go eat something. Someone once told me that when you are sad, you should eat something warm to forget your worries." Phoebe wrapped her arm around that of the old woman.


    "That''s what I believe.....hold on, where did you hear that? I tell that to my grandson often." She frowned and then smiled only to reveal her crooked bottom teeth.


    That voice, that smile and those fake teeth juggled something in her mind particularly because she had seen them before. Phoebe paused her footsteps and stared at the old woman. It all started to come together. It was so funny that she had to hold back greatly not to reveal what she knew.


    Phoebe never would have imagined in her life that someday, this disguise would be used on her. It was grandma Saxon''s go to outfit when she was scoping out potential daughters-in-law for the many men in the Saxon family.


    [Old lady, you are really one of a kind.]


    She decided to play along with her. "My own grandma was the one who taught me that. Actually you and her would get along so well, she even looks just like you." Phoebe held Grandma''s hand tightly as they walked.


    To make the night more interesting, Phoebe decided to do things to cajole Grandma Saxon to see if she could come out of her disguise. She chose to take her to a food stall, one of those that sold street food which rich people never touched.


    "Here we go, this place is good enough. I know the uncle who owns it and he is a great cook." She made the old lady sit down.


    The stall was nothing more than a small open tent and a few tables and chairs. Despite the furniture being old, it was rather clean which was something Phoebe always liked about this place.


    "Grandma, they sell chicken feet, duck blood, pig ears, roasted goose, barbecued beef slices, fries, cheese burgers, fried squid and roasted potatoes. They also have beer, soda and steamed vegetables. Do you want to eat?"


    Having been pampered all her life, she expected Grandma Saxon to reject the meal however to Phoebe''s surprise, the old woman made herself comfortable and even loudly shouted out an order like most customers were doing.


    "Bring us two beers, one plate of fries, chicken feet, fried squid, roasted potatoes and add some steamed vegetables too. Don''t skim on the carrots, at my age doctors tell me to eat carrots a lot."

 Chapter 56 - 56: Thoughts on marriage.

    Slowly by slowly, Phoebe''s jaw dropped as the old woman displayed behaviors she had never seen before. The always refined and elegant matriarch of the Saxon family could actually accurately pass for a commoner so well.


    [Who is she? Can she even finish all this food?]


    Grandma Saxon read Phoebe''s thoughts and she chuckled.


    The old woman stretched her arms and cracked her neck as if she was warming up for a marathon. The more that she behaved like this, the more Phoebe was frightened.


    Her thoughts were still scattered when the food varieties were delivered to their table. Grandma Saxon further shocked Phoebe by taking a large sip of the beer first and exhaling loudly.


    "That''s the taste." she said to herself. She then set out on a food eating marathon like she was so familiar with it.


    Phoebe watched Grandma Saxon devour the food as if she had been starving. She couldn''t help but wonder why the wealthy old woman had left the house without eating anything. To anyone watching, the assumption was that the poor woman had probably been starving all day.


    "If i didn''t know better, i would think she was someone else." she muttered.


    "What did you say young lady?" Grandma Saxon asked.


    "Nothing." Phoebe replied.


    "Two more beers." Grandma Saxon grabbed a passing server girl and made an order.


    "Oh my God!" Phoebe exclaimed.


    [Is she on a mission to go home drunk?]


    "Grandma is it safe for you to drink? Maybe we should stop here and go to that police station."


    "What''s your name?" the old woman changed the subject quickly as she had no plans of going to any police station.


    "I am Phoebe. What about you grandma?"


    "Prudence Sa...uhm...Pru...just call me Pru." Grandma Saxon almost blew her cover by revealing her name.


    Phoebe who already knew her full name was Prudence Saxon laughed. "That''s a lovely name Grandma Pru, and i still think we have eaten and drunk enough. It''s already late, you need to get home and rest. If you won''t go to the police, at least let me get you a taxi and send you home."


    Grandma Saxon raised one of her hands, reached across the table and pinched one of Phoebe''s cheeks, finding the young woman lovely. She had put on a fake show that her bag had been stolen. In all this she wanted to study Phoebe''s character and so far she liked the young lady even more.


    She was so kind and generous even to strangers. David would be lucky to get her for a wife. Phoebe was the type of woman she believed would make a great wife for her grandson.


    The old woman reverted back to her original sad self. "My grandson''s birthday is in two days, it will be too late to knit anything for him if i don''t start tonight. What am i going to do?" She wailed.


    Phoebe sighed. Of course she didn''t believe the fictional story but if she played along, it would end faster.


    "Let''s go grandma, i will help you with that too. Take it as a treat from a kind stranger."


    The woman righted herself immediately and smiled like a con artist.


    "Okay."


    Phoebe paid money and both of them took a taxi to a shopping mall. On reaching a store that sold yarn, the old woman''s acting picked up speed.


    "Wow!" Grandma Saxon pretended to be shocked on seeing the rolls. The store only imported some of the best quality of yarn, it was expensive too.


    Phoebe came to this shop specifically because she was aware that grandma Saxon was a regular customer, seeing her pretend to be impressed caused her to laugh.


    "Grandma pick whatever yarn you want I''ll pay for it." Phoebe told her and she thought she saw her wipe a tear but she wasn''t sure.


    Grandma Saxon sniffled and thanked Phoebe for having a good heart. "The man that will marry you will be one lucky fellow."


    Shaking her head Phoebe told Grandma Saxon that she was never getting married again.


    "Again? Were you married before?" She almost took the glasses off just to have a better look at Phoebe.


    "Uhmm...no..but i don''t think marriage is not for me." Phoebe stammered.


    Her words however left Grandma Saxon unsettled because she wanted David to get married as soon as possible. She wanted a grandkid or two maybe and Phoebe was telling her that marriage wasn''t meant her?


    She remained quiet picked out a few yarn, after Phoebe paid for them they left. It was clear to Phoebe that since the marriage topic, the old woman''s enthusiasm had dampened.


    "Are you alright grandma Pru? I want to buy you some groceries that you can take home." Phoebe tried to study her face.


    Shaking her head, grandma Saxon announced that she was tired and was going home.


    "It was lovely seeing you again Phoebe." She lowered her head and began to walk away.


    "Again ha!" Phoebe mumbled and chuckled. She rushed and held the old woman''s hand. She put some money into it and told her to get home safely.


    Phoebe watched Grandma Saxon enter a waiting black cab, she entered one to and told the driver to follow the black one.


    When the black cab came to a stop, grandma Saxon who had removed the scarf and shades stepped out and entered an expensive car that was owned by the Saxons.


    After confirming that it was her indeed, Phoebe requested the driver to take her to the Cerene Apartments. With the long tiresome and interesting day she''d, all she wanted was to dive into bed.


    ****


    At the Mayfair residence, the house was covered by a cloud of gloom which had lasted all day. The princess of the house had refused to eat or drink anything. Ruth had remained indoors the entire day without talking to anyone. Her parents were losing their minds with worry.


    They were taking turns pleading for her to let them in and it was Jennie''s turn.


    "Ruthie sweetie open up and talk to us, what is wrong? How long do you think you are going to stay in there, please my baby let us in." She pleaded for what seemed like the hundredth time, her husband Edward stood behind her massaging her tense shoulders.


    "Maybe we should try again tomorrow honey, she doesn''t even want to see her grandmother so what makes you think that she will let us in." Edward was tired, his feet were sore. After a long day at work he had come home only to find this drama.


    Jennie who was displeased by his words turned to face him. "What is that supposed to mean? I am her mother!"


    She heard the rattling of plates and noticed that Ophelia was still standing there with a tray of food which Ruth had refused to eat.


    "Take that food away." Jennie ordered Ophelia. Her tone was a little stern as she was exhausted and hungry herself.


    Collin almost bumped into Ophelia in the hallway, he asked why everyone looked so down and Ophelia told him everything.


    He handed his briefcase to a maid and proceeded to check on the situation.


    "This is the result of babying her too much." Collin stated. In as much as Ruth was the last born child and they all loved her, Collin always cautioned his parents to use a firm hand at times.


    "Don''t say that, something must have happened to her." Jennie sniveled.


    "Alright mother, let me try." Collin banged on the door strongly. "Ruth, open up. If you don''t I''ll break down the door." He issued a threat which didn''t work.


    He thought deeply of something that could get her to open the door voluntarily and came up with an idea. "Ruth David is here, I''ll tell him to leave if you won''t see....." Before he could complete his statement, the door flew open. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 57 - 57: Drama queen.

    When the door suddenly opened, everyone looked at her, Ruth seemed disoriented and smelled of alcohol and cigarettes. Her hair was a mess and she was dressed in pajamas. It''s like she had hit rock bottom.


    "David, where is he?" she looked at her parents and brother as if she was looking through them.


    She rushed further down the staircase at a fast pace, practically running as if this was the most important race of her life.


    As she hurried down she almost missed a step which caused her to stumble but not even that stopped her.


    If not for Luke who held her just in time, she would have fallen on the ground.


    "Watch your step Ruth, where are you running off to like a headless chicken?" He frowned, his eyebrows at the sight of her.


    Andre who was right next to Luke pinched his nose in disgust. "When last did you take a bath and why do you smell like a bar at 3 a.m?"


    He looked at his sister who shoved Luke to the side and proceeded to run to the living room.


    "David? Are you here to see me?" Ruth''s eyes darted around the room but there was no sign of David.


    Her family which had followed her stared at her, with grandma Mayfair who heard the noise joining them. They all watched her astonishment in their eyes.


    It''s like she had gone insane because why else would she be searching for David under the chairs, in the cushions and every small corner where a human being couldn''t fit. A baby couldn''t fit under those chairs so how was she expecting a fully grown man like David to fit?


    More importantly, why would David hide under there for no reason? This was not a game of hide and seek.


    Collin who couldn''t stand to watch the disturbing scene anymore, walked to his sister and jolted her to her senses by shaking her really hard.


    "He''s not here Ruth get it together, i lied because i wanted you to open that door. What is the meaning of this? Don''t tell me that you are behaving this way because of that playboy?"


    His words compelled her to break away from his grasp. "Let me go!" She shouted. " David is not a playboy but the man that I love with all my heart, insulting him is like insulting me." She wiped the tears on her face but they kept rolling down like a leaking faucet.


    "Jeez Ruth this has gone beyond love and moved into lunacy and obsession. That man doesn''t like you one bit, please, let it go. I advise that you find yourself someone else, one who will love you like you deserve." Andre pointed out, he believed that his sister had to snap out of her obsession with David. From what he had seen, David was very much in love with Phoebe.


    "I agree with Andre." Luke folded his hands and watched his sister who fell to the floor.


    Jennie who was sobbing run to comfort her.


    "He blocked me mom, i cannot even talk to him or hear his voice. What''s worse is that I did nothing to offend him. Phoebe is filling his head with all these lies about me. Please Collin talk to him tell him to unblock me, please." She cried out before she lost consciousness and fell in her mother''s arms.


    Panic set in among the Mayfairs and Collin quickly carried her to her room. It was messy with crumpled white tissues all over the floor, her beddings were thrown across the room. Empty alcohol bottles and cigarette butt''s littered the floor.


    The maids quickly rearranged the bed and she was gently placed on it.. Luke immediately started treating her and within ten minutes, Dr. Murphy who was the family doctor to most of the rich families in Citrus had already arrived.


    Ophelia walked in with him and he got to work immediately. The doctor checked her pulse and vitals. He sighed and looked at the empty alcohol bottles that were being carried away by the maid after cleaning.


    "What is it? Is it something serious?" Jennie placed a hand to her chest worried that something was wrong with her child.


    Shaking his head, the doctor emphasized that nothing was wrong with Ruth. "She is just wasted."


    It was the same opinion Luke had but hearing a second opinion from Dr. Murphy relieved them all.


    Ruth who was faking everything wanted to throw her hands around the doctor''s neck.


    "Stupid fool! How can a professional not suggest that maybe I get other tests done just to make sure that something is wrong. How are they supposed to pity me just because I am wasted." She closed her eyes tightly and exhaled slowly. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "My poor child, she must be so stressed to drink herself silly like this." Jennie used a damp cloth to wipe Ruth''s face.


    Grandma Mayfair was very disappointed by her grandchild. " This is totally unacceptable behavior! Jennie you cannot coddle her after she has behaved this way. Which suitor would want a drunkard for a wife, she should forget about the Saxon boy because if he marries her she''ll embarrass us. I am off to bed and i suggest you all do the same."


    She knew that their maids gossiped with other maids around the city when they run into each other while running errands. How long would it take for this incident to slip out and make waves?


    There was silence in the room after grandma left. They knew she had a point, Ruth had taken her obsession to a whole other level. It wasn''t as if they could hold a gun to David''s head and force him to love her.


    "You have to talk to her mom, David is seeing someone else, he told me so himself. We can persuade him to be friends with her like he used to be but he only sees her as that and nothing more." Andre who had already taken a liking to Phoebe spoke with indifference.


    Ruth couldn''t take it anymore, she felt like her family was immune to her pain, the only person that seemed to understand her was her mother. Now they were all suggesting that she lets go of David. She moved before she could stop herself.


    "What do you mean he told you?"


    She sat up shocking her family that had really bought into her drunk pitiful act.


    "I thought you were unconscious?" Andre stated.


    Ruth opened her mouth and closed it. She was sharp eyed and clear, and had no excuse.


    "Don''t tell me it was all an act?" Her father stared at her, horrified by her behavior. Sometimes his little girl scared him with the extremes she would go to in order to get what she wanted. How could she make the entire family worry over nothing. How coupd she listen to her mother crying and remain so cold?


    "You...you, i am so disappointed." He left the room immediately.


    Ruth wasn''t bothered by her father''s disappointment in her but rather glared at Andre. "Answer the damn question, what exactly did David tell you? And where did you even find him?"

 Chapter 58 - 58: Yes to the date

    Andre and Luke exchanged glances and left the room too, it was better that they didn''t answer her because she would go berserk if she knew what they knew. They also couldn''t believe that she had refused to explain herself or apologize for fake fainting.


    Bursting into tears, Ruth lamented that no one in the family loved her. Collin who loved his sister somewhat blindly felt guilty and sorry for her. He moved to sit near her and soothed her and his mother who was sobbing too because Ruth was crying heartbrokenly.


    Ruth hang onto Collin. "Please big brother, I love David. You must help me get him at all costs. Mother you too help me out here and explain to dad and grandma." She continued to bawl her eyes out.


    Meanwhile, Andre and Luke went straight to the attic. Luke knew where the old photo albums were kept, so he opened the box storage and pulled out an old album.


    They studied the pictures, one of their grandma and another of Phoebe which Luke had secretly taken.


    "See I told you, that it was an uncanny resemblance."


    Andre whistled he could now see the similarities. "The hair, do you still have it?"


    Luke checked his front pocket and pulled out four long red strands of hair and nodded continuously.


    *********************


    In the morning the following day, Sylvester who was trying so hard to prove his worth was done with all the house chores by the time Phoebe came out of the bedroom.


    "It smells heavenly in here." She raised her nose in the air and inhaled the smell of fried bacon.


    Connie licked her dry lips and praised Sylvester''s cooking skills. "I told you he will be useful. He even baked a fruit cake and brewed fresh coffee."


    The dining table was already set and filled with an assortment of different breakfast foods which excited Phoebe''s stomach. So far she was impressed by him, yesterday Sylvester was even helpful at the cafe for he took care of the ghost guests really well unlike Connie who acted all high and mighty.


    "Sister Phoebe, since I am done here, I will go help sister Rosette at the cafe." Sylvester humbly informed her, he was so respectful but having been a thief, Phoebe still had her reservations about him.


    She was also disturbed by the fact that a man who was older than her by many years was calling her sister, it was very weird.


    "Call me boss." she instructed.


    Compliantly, Sylvester immediately did as told. "Yes boss."


    "I will see you when i get to work, don''t cause any trouble." Phoebe told him.


    He nodded and vanished, leaving her to start on the breakfast which she was already eager to dig into.


    Just as she was raising a fork to her lips, there was a gentle knock on the door which made her groan unhappily.


    [Better not be you David.] she thought.


    On opening Phoebe wasn''t even surprised that it was David indeed. He stood there with a bright smile and in his hands which he held up were two paper bags. Judging by the sweet aroma they emitted, Phoebe knew it was food.


    "Good morning Pheebs, since I left so unexpectedly last evening. I had to redeem myself by bringing you breakfast....." his eyes trailed off to the dining table. "But it looks like someone beat me to it. Don''t tell me it''s that Baltimore guy?" David''s tone had a string of jealousy in it.


    Phoebe''s shoulders fell. She didn''t understand how someone could be so enthusiastic very early in the morning and she didn''t care. All she wanted to do was eat.


    "Come in, Sylvester made this. You can have some if you want to." She walked away and he followed.


    His face expressed shock and confusion. "Sylvester? The ghost guy? When you said servant I thought he would be taking care of the ghosts, I never imagined that he would be making food for humans to eat." He placed the paper bags on the table and stared at the dishes of food on the table.


    "So I take it that you won''t be having any, you can leave, i only invited you in to eat." Phoebe arched an eyebrow and looked at him.


    David chuckled nervously and used his hand to dismiss her words. "Who said that I wasn''t eating, it even looks more delicious than food made by humans."


    [Tch!, look at your hands trembling. I bet you won''t touch any of it.]


    "Ha-ha-ha he''s obviously scared to try it." Connie extended the plate of sausages to him. As soon as she did, David jumped up from the chair because he was spooked.


    "Th....that plate just moved on its own." David stammered and pointed at the plate. Then, in a more confident voice he repeated the same sentence.


    "I mean, that plate just moved on its own and it''s so cool."


    Phoebe rolled her eyes. He was trying so hard and she had to give him points for that. She still needed to warn the teenager to act appropriately.


    "Connie please behave, this is our guest." she sliced a pancake with a knife and ate a piece with a fork.


    On the table, a spoon in Phoebe''s coffee started moving on it''s own. The Saxon spirit slapped Connie once on the butt, it wasn''t finding her tricks funny besides the teenage ghost was ruining the moment which she hoped would turn into a romantic one.


    David got into brave mode and tasted the sausages. He was willing to do anything for Phoebe even if it meant eating food made by ghosts. If he was going to stay around her, the first thing he had to eliminate was his fear of ghosts.


    He took one bite, then a second and third. For a man that wasn''t thrilled to eat the food prepared by a ghost, he seemed to be gobbling it up. "This is amazing, ghost thief is really talented." He kept praising the taste of the food.


    The spectators watched in amusement. "This man will climb any mountain for you because it''s obvious that he will do anything just to be in your good graces." The spirit stared at David adoringly.


    Phoebe ignored it''s words. The spirit liked to act as if all Phoebe had experienced in the past was nothing more than a past and a dream.


    [It''s just breakfast, nothing more.]


    Her thoughts on where they stood were clear for David to read. Even though it had only been two days, he had been hoping that she was warming up to him and this made him unhappy. There was a tight knot in his stomach which made him to suddenly lose his appetite.


    "I guess I better get going." He cleaned his mouth with a paper towel. However he was not going to leave without doing the one thing he came here purposely to do. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe who was already done and only waiting for him to finish nodded.


    "Looks like you loved the meal. I can ask Sylvester to pass by your place to make you a meal or two." She teased


    Shaking his head strongly, David rejected the offer. "Not my place, I''ll pass, but on a more serious note. I want to take you out on a date." He crossed his fingers and prayed for a positive answer.


    The Saxon spirit clapped once. "That''s my boy! Finally he''s getting down to business. Phoebe say yes quickly remember you...."


    "Okay, text me when and where." She spoke with indifference. As the wise woman she was, Phoebe had weighed the pros and cons and had come to a conclusion that David was of great value to her, she planned to use him to the maximum.


    "Yes!" David threw a clenched fist in the air, he excitedly left promising to call her later.

 Chapter 59 - 59: Sharks findings____1

    She packed her bag and left as well feeling better than she had in a long time. It was because it had been so long since she last ate such a filling homemade meal.


    Her phone rung while she was in the elevator and she looked at it, sneered and put it away. It was her mother calling so she deliberately ignored it. A call from any of the Gabriels was not welcomed anymore.


    Her attention was captured by a very curious spirit which wanted answers. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You said yes to the date easily. I expected you to say no since you have been singing about how much you don''t like him, is he growing on you dear?" The Saxon spirit tried to block Phoebe''s path but unsuccessfully as she passed through it like it was nothing more than wind.


    Phoebe entered the car and ignited it. "I still don''t like him but If he is my destiny like you are always singing then i cannot avoid him. He found me here so even if i run, he will find me again. I have better plans in store for him now." She smiled slyly.


    The Saxon spirit was quite knowledgeable about her plan to use David as a weapon against Ruth. As long as it brought Phoebe and David closer, it didn''t matter.


    She drove herself to the city medical examiner''s office while playing music to which Connie sung along loudly. The girl knew the lyrics to every song like an automated machine. Phoebe was in a good mood so she simply laughed and encouraged her.


    On arrival at the Citrus City Medical examiner''s office, she went straight to Claire''s office. She had called her the previous night and made an appointment with her. Although Claire was booked and busy, she had cleared her schedule because Phoebe said that it was important and she was the only person that she could trust.


    When Claire''s assistant announced Phoebe''s arrival, Claire took off the gloves and gown and asked the assistant to continue examining stomach contents of a victim.


    "Hey Pheebs, am nervous about whatever this request is, yours are usually very odd." Claire laughed nervously as they walked her office. She went ahead to close the blinds in there just to make Phoebe feel at ease.


    "Morning." Phoebe greeted in a cheerful voice. She then reached inside the tote bag that she was carrying and pulled out a small clear bag.


    She went ahead and handed it to Claire whose brows moved up.


    "What is this?" She pulled it closer to her face. "Is that..."


    Phoebe nodded. "Hair? Yes it is. I want you to help me do a DNA test and what more credible place than here."


    Claire was curious so she looked quizzically at Phoebe. "Okay but whose DNA do you want to compare this to."


    "Mine, I want to know if I am in any way related to that person."


    Phoebe''s words that elicited a silence in the room. Claire asked no more questions, she pulled out a few strands of Phoebe''s hair and kept it separately on the side.


    "You know, if you provide some blood or saliva and the identity of this mystery person i can make a comparison if said person is in the DNA database."


    "No, i don''t want even a whisper of what i am asking you to do to slip out. It''s better to remain anonymous, completely." Phoebe turned Claire down.


    "Okay then, i am going to take it right now and you''ll get the results in two days." Claire patted Phoebe on the shoulder and left quietly.


    Phoebe too walked out almost immediately after her friend left. She walked to the parking lot with her head lowered, when she reached her car, she opened the door then she heard someone cuss.


    Unintentionally she looked in the direction from which the voice came from, she saw Shark and his partner, detective Johns.


    She closed her car door and and approached them.


    "Hey Shark, you look like you are having a bad morning. Did you post an ugly picture of yourself online?" Phoebe asked because the man kept flexing his muscles and punching the air.


    She made light of his anger because she had no idea what was eating him.


    "Pheebs? Why are you here?" he asked.


    "I passed by to see Claire." she replied casually.


    "Who''s the babe Sharks?" Detective Johns slicked back his hair and smiled at Phoebe. He put on what he considered to be his killer smile.


    Shark went ahead to introduce Phoebe to Johns a little impatiently.


    "Johns, Phoebe and Phoebe, Johns. Now we all know each other."


    Detective Johns stretched his hand to her. "You are the Phoebe Shark described as his hidden ace. You are much younger and more beautiful than I thought. You are not the woman i pictured from all the stories he has told me about you."


    Phoebe returned his handshake. "All good stories I hope."


    In the back of mind, she recalled all the times Shark had complained about Johns, calling him slow and incompetent. Who knew what he was saying about her to Johns.


    "Nothing bad, nobody could have a reason to talk ill about a beauty like you." he laughed.


    After they exchanged greetings, Miller tapped once on Shark''s shoulder. "Buddy, this isn''t the end of the world, maybe next time." He smiled at Phoebe and left.


    "Why is your world ending Shark?" Asked Phoebe who folded her arms, leaned against his car and studied his face. He was visibly angry.


    Shark kicked the air and turned to her. "Can you believe that after all the hard work that I put into solving the Susie Isles case, I wasn''t given my promotion! Can you believe it? All that I was given was this stupid envelope while my superior was promoted to lieutenant." He threw the white envelope on the ground, dollar notes peeped out of it.


    Phoebe bent and picked it, she checked inside and whistled loudly in wonder. "This is what ten thousand, I''ll be grateful to take this if you don''t want it...."


    He snatched it from her and put it back in the pocket. "You are missing the point! I burst my ass because I need that promotion."


    A chuckle escaped Phoebe''s lips and pointed to herself. "You mean I burst my ass because my ghost seeing abilities gave the name of the killer. Your anger on this one is unjustified, be grateful that you were rewarded. That promotion will come at the right time."


    Her words quickly humbled him because he knew that she had a point but that didn''t stop him from sulking and grumbling unhappily.


    "But still my superior didn''t deserve the promotion either. He didn''t do anything but bark and demand for results. It''s infuriating i guess. Next time, i will solve the case on a live broadcast or something."


    She rolled her eyes and decided to ask about his investigation into her since they had bumped into each other anyway. "Do you have anything on my case? No matter how small or irrelevant, just tell me."


    He shrugged. "Honestly there is nothing shady about this investigation, not yet anyway. You, Phoebe Gabriel were born at the St. Marcelino children''s hospital. It''s a luxurious hospital where most of the wealthy women in this city give birth to their babies from. Your parents wouldn''t have been able to afford it if wasn''t for the employment benefits that your father got as a member of staff.


    He was working there as a security guard at the time."

 Chapter 60 - 60: Sharks findings___2.

    Nothing odd happened during your time of birth and nobody quit or received any suspicious payoffs. You asked about the Mayfairs and i found out that they too had a baby girl on the same day you were born at St. Marcelino. Normal birth, no complications, there is nothing odd there but i will keep digging if you want me to.


    The only suspicious information I found out about the hospital in relation to children and scandal was that the hospital was sued four years ago but they settled the matter privately. All the parties involved signed NDA''s but i am Shark, i don''t stop until i find something to devour. I dug deep and found out that there was a nurse who switched two babies accidentally supposedly.


    One of the children had a car accident and needed a blood transfusion and this led to the discovery that the parents and the child were not related. They hired a private investigator and finally found their child being raised by another family.


    Both families were up in arms and they sued the hospital. The hospital settled and fired a nurse whom they dumped all the blame on. But this is not related to you anyway, not unless you were also switched, haha."


    Phoebe had listened carefully, her heart began pounding when Shark confirmed that the Mayfairs had a baby on the same day too at the same hospital in which she was born. It''s like all the pieces were falling into place and pointing her in a single direction. All she had to do was wait for the results of the test.


    "In two days...just two days."


    *************************************


    Meanwhile Luke Mayfair who had barely had a wink of sleep because he was having similar thoughts and doubts as Phoebe ordered for a DNA test of his own when he got to the hospital where he worked.


    "How quickly do you need the results?" A lab technician asked him.


    "As soon as possible, hours if possible if you can squeeze me in. Tomorrow works to, but i need the results quickly."


    "Let me see what i can do." The lab technician dashed away with the hair samples to do the test.


    He wasn''t the only one anticipating for the results, Andre had followed him because he hoped that the results would return immediately.


    "Am sorry to disappoint you but you have to wait for a day or two." Luke burst his bubble. "If we are lucky, maybe hours."


    "I think it will be cool if she is our sister too. Did you see how see stood up against that ghost catcher? It''s like I was in an action movie." Andre beamed with excitement.


    Luke''s eyebrows formed a frown. "By the way there was a moment when we were having coffee, you jumped up like you had seen something weird. Then you asked if I had seen something, what did you see?" He played with the pen that was in his fingers.


    Clearing his throat, Andre said that he had to be mistaken. There was no way he was going to say that he read Phoebe''s thoughts, the first thing Luke would do was try to admit him and check his brain or accuse him of using drugs.


    "Nothing, I thought I saw a ghost, anyway am leaving now. Call me as soon as those results come back." Came his lie before he rushed out.


    *******


    Katherine Saxon was the definition of a successful woman, and this was evidenced by the awards that she had won in the world of drug innovation and development. She also saw herself as a businesswoman and often brokered new business deals for the Saxon group.


    Most of her time however was spent in the field researching new herbs that could be used to develop new drugs or improve the already existing ones made by the Saxon Pharmaceuticals. She was quite easily the most working Saxon in the current generation of grandchildren.


    Unfortunately for her, even though she had too much money and ambition, she had only a slim chance of attaining her dreams. Katherine Saxon had just one dream, to become the first chairwoman of the Saxon group. No woman from the Saxon family had ever held that position.


    Nobody said they couldn''t do it but it was like an unwritten rule that wasn''t discussed and Katherine believed that she would be the woman to change all that.


    It also looked possible because none of her brothers according to her was capable of contributing to the group like her. The research department was flourishing only because of her. All the employees and members of the board saw her contributions and respected her greatly. There was a saying that went around that the Saxon group had finally birthed a worthy woman.


    Everything was going according to plan for her until about a year ago when David suddenly became mature. He cleaned up his act and joined the company. To make matters worse, he had made awesome medical discoveries and managed to garner respect from the employees and board members too. Between the two siblings, an unacknowledged competition had formed. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Katherine was determined to show everyone that she was far better than her young brother. She vowed to make more medical discoveries, advance Saxon research labs and this would give her an edge over David.


    Having seen her grandma''s miraculous glow up and build up in energy, Katherine knew immediately that whatever supplement she was taking wasn''t ordinary so she made it her mission to find out what was in the supplements.


    When she got to office that morning, she researched about the black ghost cafe. She then clicked on the catalogue read about each of the products carefully, wrote a few notes and selected one of each into the shopping cart.


    "Purchase." She mumbled as she clicked the mouse. According to the information that she received, the delivery man was going to bring her purchase in thirty minutes.


    "This is a small start up, all I have to do is buy the owner out, or get their recipe. If not then I''ll have to copy and paste, register for the patent and make it mine. What can they do? I am a Saxon after all." Katherine smiled slyly, to her the end always justified the means.


    The delivery was made to her office in less than the said thirty minutes. Katherine''s personal assistant brought the medium sized paper bag to her office.


    Upon receiving it, Katherine went straight to her private lab. A researcher herself, she didn''t want anyone doing this particular job for her. Her lab was highly secure to keep out curious eyes and prevent theft. She had even gone so far as to post a guard outside of it.


    All the documents and garbage from her lab was taken to the Saxon tower for burning. Katherine guarded against theft in every way possible.


    She was in there for an hour and after studying the tonics, Katherine was left in a mixture of confusion and amusement. In her opinion there were no strange herbs in the tonics, some were rare but not impossible to find. It didn''t explain there potency however.


    What she needed to know most was the recipe because one can have all the herbs correct but without the right proportions, it would all be a waste of time.


    She took off her gown, went to the office and picked her bag and headed out to meet the owner of the Black ghost Cafe.

 Chapter 61 - 61: Bad rubbish.

    Katherine was packing an attitude when she arrived at the Black Ghost Cafe. She looked around disdainfully, appearing to be disgusted by the place. Then, she smiled dryly and asked the manager if she could speak to the cafe owner.


    Unfortunately, Rosett informed her that the owner wasn''t there yet which seemed to displease Katherine.


    "Can I call her and tell her that you want to see her? I can make an appointment for you if it''s urgent. What''s your name please and?" Rosett stopped speaking when Katherine raised her index finger to shut her up because her phone was ringing.


    "Shhhh quiet." She rudely ordered.


    Rosset curled her upper lip and stared at the impolite camouflaged woman, she knew her type pretty well because such customers usually came around, rich and arrogant dressed in disguise such that no one would identify them and know that they sought for the services of a shaman.


    After answering her call, Katherine walked out without saying another word to Rossett who sneered.


    "What a rude woman! good riddance to bad rubbish."


    She was about to sit down when the front door was opened and more bad rubbish walked in. It was bad rubbish to Rosette because it was none other than the Gabriels who she had seen in pictures on Phoebe''s phone. She was already caught up on their lack of a familial relationship to Phoebe. The Saxon spirit and Connie were always gossiping about Phoebe''s life out in the open.


    She didn''t even bother to pretend and fake friendliness. The sneer on her face was loud and clear.


    "Hello, welcome to the Black Ghost Cafe." she bit out angrily. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She turned up the air conditioning, then got up from behind the counter and walked to the open area as they were already sitting down. Rosette acted as if she had no idea who they were, treating them like ordinary customers.


    "What would you like to have? Before making your order, please know that our cafe has cash before snacking policy."


    "Don''t you recognize us young lady, we are Phoebe''s parents." Elizabeth who was perturbed looked at Rosette with a slightly agitated look.


    "Really..." Rosette responded. "Hmmm, i have never seen you here before."


    The couple looked uncomfortable, and you would think someone was holding a gun to their head and forcing them to sit inside the cafe.


    "Why is this place so cold?" Elizabeth asked.


    Rosette lowered her voice and made it whispery, like she was telling a ghost story around a campfire. "Because our clients are mostly ghosts. They tend to suck energy and feed on the souls of humans who...."


    Elizabeth squealed, and stood up, pushing the chair to the ground. "Let''s go and wait from outside, i don''t want to stay in this damned place any longer." She complained to her husband.


    Aaron shook his head and disagreed. "I won''t move until we see this girl. She dared to cause so much trouble that Ruth ended up in a drunken state and even fainted. She already has a weak constitution, i don''t understand why Phoebe can''t give in and leave David alone."


    Unwilling, Elizabeth turned to Rosette.


    "Pick up the chair, don''t you see that it has fallen down?" She shouted at her.


    "Tch!, you pushed it down and you want me to pick it up for you as if you are royalty. Lady, these chairs cost three hundred fifty dollars each. If you have damaged it then you must pay for it."


    With a warning, Rosette bent down and picked up the chair. She saw two old scratch marks that had always been there.


    "Look, look, see what you have done, there are two scratch marks." She accused. "Pay for the damage or i am going to call the police right now."


    "What?" Elizabeth frowned. "Fine i damaged it, and so what? Didn''t you hear me tell you that we are your boss''s parents? One word from me can get you fired from this job. "


    She pushed Rosette away and sat down while mumbling angrily. "No wonder Phoebe is not sensible anymore, she keeps company with rude people like you."


    "What are you waiting for to serve us tea or coffee?" Aaron barked at Rosette.


    Rosette scoffed and looked up, raising he eyes so that she could roll them while trying her best not to accidentally blurt out the truth about their being fake parents. She didn''t want to spill the beans but the couple was just so infuriating.


    "Where is Phoebe by the way? Go in there and tell her to come out right away." Aaron gestured at Rosette dismissively.


    "My boss is not around, you can wait around as long as you want but it''s all useless since she is not planning to come in today. Also, we don''t have any drinks or snacks, everything is sold out."


    Rosette turned around and walked away from them. The ghost seeing glasses were on top of her head and she lowered them, then gestured at Sylvester to deal with the Gabriels. As long as the ghosts scared the couple, they would soon run away.


    The chairs started moving around on their own and ''wooooo'' sounds which people associated with ghosts started coming from the air above the Gabriels. Meanwhile, Rosette was already texting Phoebe to warn her about the sudden visit from her fake parents.


    Phoebe was just driving into the parking when she got a 911 text from Rosette. It was code for trouble and it was followed up by a picture of her parents.


    Phoebe didn''t bother to park her car, she just turned it around and continued driving all the way to the farmer''s mall.


    She had every intention of avoiding the Gabriels until she was certain that she can talk to them without punching one of them in the face. Whatever it was that they wanted to talk about had to wait. Phoebe parked the car, reached for her phone which was ringing loudly.


    It was David informing her of the venue of their date. The mi amor restaurant was the same place that they had gone to on their first date in her past life. He also pointed out that he would be picking her.


    The phone began to ring again, it was her father calling. Phoebe sneered, switched off the phone and stepped out of the car.


    She walked straight to the seed shop. It was a small shop located at the extreme corner of the mall. The old uncle stood up the moment he saw her. "How can I help you young lady?" He asked politely.


    "I want the following seeds and herbs, some are rare but am sure that you have them in stock like you usually do." She handed him the list and looked around, studying the new seeds and herbs that had been brought in.


    The old uncle packed, weighed and sealed them. He then gave her dandelion flowers and seeds as a bonus. "It has very many healing properties but has become very rare lately."


    The Saxon spirit nodded. " He''s right, you can make liver cleansing tonics, helps to fight inflammation and many more. The flower, leaves, roots all have benefits buy more of it."


    Phoebe was already aware the benefits of the roots, leaves and flowers. She thanked him, paid and left the shop. Since she didn''t know when the Gabriels would be giving up, she decided to drive straight home and begin preparing for the date.

 Chapter 62 - 62: A date with David.

    Even after rebirth, the hardest part of preparing for a date was choosing an outfit. Since she didn''t dress like an old frumpy old woman anymore, it was perplexing to decided what was too much or too little for a first date. Her bed had been turned into a mountain of clothes, many with their tags still on, indicating that they had never been worn.


    "This is like watching a dog at a meat buffet." Connie laughed at Phoebe''s plight.


    Phoebe ignored the girl. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes and picked a dress at random. She opened her eyes and nodded firmly.


    "I have made my choice."


    She threw off her towel and pulled on the jeans she had picked out.


    Saxon spirit threw Phoebe a disapproving look for it greatly disagreed with her choice of outfit.


    "I think that you should wear a sexy see through dress to seduce David. How do you hope to achieve anything wearing those long pants? Are you going to work in a factory? I mean I was hoping that tonight is the night that you take things to a whole new level."


    Her words caused Connie and Phoebe who were standing in front of the mirror admiring her finished look to study it once again.


    Connie disagreed with the Saxon spirit. "I think it''s perfect, this is the new sexy, it''s demure. She is flashing some cleavage to be tempting but not ratchet." She looked at Phoebe with stars in her eyes. "Sister you look pretty but simple."


    Phoebe was wearing a pair of light blue jeans, a white corset top and white stiletto heels. For her hair, she let it flow like the endless river of the Nile.


    "That''s it, I think i am done." Phoebe began to walk away from the mirror only to pause when the two ghosts said no in unison.


    "What now?" She stared quizzically at them.


    "Your face! I mean at least put in some effort and apply on some makeup. Right now you look like your usual self." The spirit pointed at Phoebe''s make up bag. It had very little makeup because she barely needed it.


    "I am a natural beauty." Phoebe declared.


    Connie nodded. "Yes, you are but i am with her on this one, you look like you are going to war with that face but lucky for you, I know a thing or two about makeup." She vanished into the pendant.


    Phoebe touched her face and scoffed while admiring her natural beauty in the mirror.


    "How is this the face of a person going to war?" she stuttered.


    Connie came out of the pendant with a makeup box which she immediately opened, revealing seven layers of different products. It was the kind of makeup box used by professional makeup artists.


    "When and how did you get that makeup box into the magic space Connie?"


    "Thank spirit Saxon for this, we know that you are lacking in this department. Luckily I am here to save the day." Connie bounced on her feet in pride.


    "She pinched it from Susie''s house." The Saxon spirit shared.


    Phoebe gasped and shook her head at Connie, giving the young girl a look of great disapproval.


    "How could you Connie?"


    "It''s not as if Susie needed it anymore." Connie muttered.


    "The girl is right, dead Susie doesn''t need makeup. Stop looking for excuses and present your face."


    There was no point arguing with them so Phoebe accepted. She would still have a serious conversation with the girl about taking things which didn''t belong to them. One Sylvester at home was enough, he didn''t need an assistant.


    When Connie was done, Phoebe admired the girl''s handiwork with appreciative eyes.


    "Good job." she paid her a compliment and pulled a small dish of mixed yoghurt with fruit which Sylvester had left there in the morning.


    "Why are you eating? You need to leave space for when you''re at the date." The Saxon spirit tried to take the dish from her but in vain.


    "Rule number one, never go on a date hungry, you can never know what might happen." Phoebe talked as she chewed.


    With her ghost seeing abilities, she never knew when she would have to drop everything and help a ghost. Or if there was a malicious spirit in the restaurant and she had to call a ghost catcher to get rid of it. Or maybe business on David''s side, an abrupt meeting or an emergency at Saxon tower. There had been many of those which ruined their dates when they were married.


    Phoebe switched on her phone and found over ten messages. Her father expressed his bitterness of her behavior towards them and promised that whenever he saw her, there would be hell to pay.


    Her mother too seemed furious especially with Rosset and demanded that she fire her employee.


    "Humph" Phoebe scoffed and deleted them.


    She stowed the phone in her purse but pulled it out again when it began to ring. Phoebe thought it could be David telling her to meet him in the parking area.


    To her surprise, it was Collin Baltimore. She answered the call immediately.


    "Hello?"


    "Pheebs hey, I have been trying to call you but your number has been unavailable. Is everything alright?"


    "Yeah, there is no problem here, my battery died. Why is anything the matter?" A slight frown formed on her face.


    "Well i... I just wanted to ask you something but...in person, can i come over." His hesitation only made her curious but it was the wrong time.


    "Oh....unfortunately I have a thing but tomorrow perhaps?" Phoebe made a suggestion to which Collin agreed before he hung up.


    She sat down in a chair and waited for David. After about ten minutes Phoebe who was tired of waiting started running out of patience.


    "Why isn''t he here yet? I am about to cancel the whole thing."


    "It''s been literally only nine minutes, be a lady and have some patience!" Saxon spirit vanished in search for David and reappeared immediately. "He''s here."


    The moment Phoebe heard it''s words, she walked to the door and opened it just when David was about to knock. Surprised, he stared at her.


    "You are late, i hate to wa...." Phoebe''s sentence was interrupted by


    David who completed it. "Wait. I am sorry but I had a situation. I am here now and we can get going." His eyes roamed over her like he was looking at a bag of his favorite candy.


    "You look ravishing tonight Pheebs." David praised her.


    He knew that she had made an effort because he could hardly remember her wearing makeup, even on important functions. She was also in very good shape and the clothes only accentuated her curves which made her more desirable.


    "Thank you." she brushed her hair back and stepped out. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He followed her, acting like a gentleman all the way as he escorted her to the car.


    When they reached the Mi amor restaurant, Phoebe acted surprised that it was totally empty.


    "Where is everyone? Are we early?" Her big doe eyes looked at him.


    Just when he was about to brag that he had bought the restaurant for the night she burst his bubble. "Don''t tell me that you denied other people the chance to enjoy the food here by buying out the restaurant for the night? How Saxon of you." She sounded very unimpressed.

 Chapter 63 - 63: All Collins, he disliked.

    David''s eyes fluttered around, slightly lost. Most women found his act of emptying out an entire restaurant for them romantic. In fact Phoebe loved it in their past life, she delighted in it. So, why is it that she was disappointed in this one.


    Think David, think....., he urged his brain. If this date wasn''t up to her taste anymore then he had to cut it short and move to plan B.


    "What? Why would you think that I would do such a thing? I only came here to pick up something. We are going to the other branch of the restaurant."


    He lied quickly but she saw through it of course. It made Phoebe fold her lips because she wanted to let out a guffaw.


    David pulled the manager aside and whatever he told him left the man distraught.


    "Why Mr. Saxon, is something wrong? What don''t you like, the decorations, band, flowers, rose scented candles?" He asked. He seemed worried because the rich man was canceling and he thought that they would be asked to make a refund.


    "We can change it all Mr. Saxon." the manager offered eagerly.


    "Don''t worry, everything is okay i just have an emergency." David patted his back and rushed back to Phoebe who was getting an earful from the Saxon spirit which was dissatisfied.


    "He put in a lot of thought, time and money to plan this! How can you be so dissatisfied with it?"


    "Spoken as a true Saxon, the world doesn''t revolve around your family. All those women he played around with in the past, he did this for them so what thought did he actually put in? This is not what I want, I never said I was going to make it easy on him. After what he did to me....." Phoebe''s words trailed off when Connie announced that David was coming.


    They left and in a few minutes they were at the other branch of the Mi amor restaurant. Since he was a Saxon, David didn''t need a reservation. Having such a rich man at the restaurant was proof that they were the best in the business so they practically blew trumpets and dropped flowers along the path as they welcomed him inside like a king.


    The manager and all the staff scrambled to attend to them, even abandoning other guests and Phoebe scoffed.


    [But of course, I have to be reminded that being a Saxon is like walking with a golden toad around your neck]


    No wonder people didn''t like the Saxons very much.


    David inhaled softly on reading her thoughts, he was fed up of her mocking his family at every turn, it''s not like she had met any of them yet. Not every Saxon was bad, and he could name a few good ones.


    "This is the best night, we are hosting two people from some of the most important families in the country." They heard the employees gossip as they followed the manger to the table that was allocated to them.


    Phoebe shrugged because it was really none of her business but it suddenly became so when they stepped in the VVIP section. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She saw Collin Mayfair first, he was having dinner with a news anchor named Kelly.


    She was one of the prettiest women in Fog country with a high number of men wooing her. Recently it was rumored that she was dating a Mayfair and most people speculated that it was Andre the playboy but boy oh boy were they wrong.


    Collin Mayfair raised his eyes and saw David and Phoebe, unintentionally he lowered his cutlery and sneered. It''s like he lost his appetite immediately.


    Phoebe pulled her eyes away from him and settled in the chair with David''s help. He too had seen Collin but he didn''t care to greet him.


    Phoebe on the other hand went on like she had never met him before, they ordered for their food and drinks. They went on to have a light conversation. In no time, the food arrived and just when they were about to enjoy it, Collin shamelessly stood up and approached them.


    He pulled a chair and joined them, leaving Kelly on her own.


    "Collin." David said coldly. "God I really don''t like that name " David mumbled. It was evident that the two men were not friends at all.


    "Neither do I like yours David. So it''s really true that you are dating this little fake shaman. You two look great, I approve of this one hundred percent. In fact i approve of all the women you date as long as it''s not my sister." Collin''s eyes shifted from David to Phoebe.


    The Saxon spirit wanted to hand him a good invisible slap, it took a good amount of effort to hold back. "He''s ruining everything, if he doesn''t leave I might be pushed to do something bad."


    David had kept his cool but clenched his fists when Collin called Phoebe a fake shaman. "Call her a fake shaman one more time and your teeth will be spread out all over the floor." He warned, his icy glare fixed on his opponent.


    The manager of the restaurant knew what to do without being told. He moved away and told the staff to do as well. When the elephants were fighting, it was better for the ants to keep a distance.


    A chuckle slipped through Collin''s lips. "Calm down tiger, maybe another day. I am here because I want to talk about my sister." His voice became more serious but he used a calm tone.


    It wasn''t new for Collin to warn him to stay away from his sister so David assumed that he was going to talk about just that.


    "I am not in touch with her in any way, you don''t have to issue empty threats like a gun shooting blanks."


    Collin cleared his voice. "Empty threats! Careful David, I am a dog that actually bites..."


    "Get to the point! As you can see I was having a good time before you came here without an invitation might I add." David raised his voice, Phoebe was forced to put her hand on top of his to calm him down and it worked like magic.


    "You know very well that my sister has a weak constitution, we hate to worry her with anything. Why would you cut her off abruptly knowing that she will be hurt. I am request...no am asking that you be gentle with her because if anything happens to her, my family will hold you accountable.


    If you are to throw her out of your life, do it bit by bit. It''s okay for you to be friends, what I am not okay with is you dating her. Start by unblocking her because if something happens to her Saxon....." Collin paused when announcer Kelly joined them.


    "Hi David." She spoke casually like the two were friends. However it seemed like the friendship was one sided for David sniggered and told Collin that he would think about what he had said.


    "Now both of you need to leave because you are upsetting my woman here." David and the two uninvited guests looked at Phoebe who was smiling with her eyes closed, she seemed to be amused by something.


    David took her hand and squeezed it pulling her out of her reverie. She was busy recharging that she hardly heard anything that was said after Collin brought up Ruth.


    Her facial expression irked Collin and Kelly.


    "What''s that smug look on her face?" Kelly wrinkled her nose.


    [Tsk tsk, the great Collin Mayfair. I would warn you that miss Kelly here is cuckolding you but i won''t. I will wait to read it on the gossip blogs and the internet like everyone else in three months.]

 Chapter 64 - 64: No sleeping together on the first date.

    Her thoughts on Collin were as clear as day and he read each and every word. He blinked continuously in disbelief and looked at everyone else. David was looking at him with displeasure while Kelly was impatient and angry. None of them were reacting to what he had seen.


    Collin folded his lips and stood up abruptly pushing the chair far behind. He pointed at Phoebe but words failed him because he wasn''t certain about what he had just seen.


    "You...you I hope you are keeping your distance away from my sister like I told you to." He walked away leaving Kelly behind.


    In utter shock, Kelly flipped her hair and run after him.


    David stared at Collin in a mixture of shock and confusion after he warned Phoebe to stay away from his sister. It also seemed like this wasn''t the first time he was warning her.


    "Do you know who that man is Pheebs? Wait a minute of course you do after all he''s Ruth''s brother and you have met him before. Did he warn you to stay away from his sister?" His back to back questions fell on deaf ears as Phoebe''s full attention was on announcer Kelly who almost fell down in a bid to catch up with Collin.


    "Did you say something?" She asked when David touched her hand, his quizzical gaze fixed on her. He had to repeat the question to which she answered that she didn''t know him at all.


    "Other than the fact that I had seen him in the news, I had never really met him. Except for that one time when he came to my cafe and threatened me." Phoebe curled her upper lip upwards.


    "That''s odd! How come you didn''t meet him earlier? Even when you went to the Mayfair mansion you didn''t meet him?" David continued to ask because he was curious.


    Like many other people, he was assuming that she knew the Mayfairs and had interacted with them often since she and Ruth were high school friends.


    "My supposed best friend made it her life''s mission that I never meet any member of her family. Maybe she was afraid that i would fall in love with one of her brothers or something. I haven''t even been to her home but she frequents mine like she owns the place. Gosh I was so stupid to believe that she ever considered me a friend." Phoebe leaned back in the chair and folded her hands.


    A smile formed on David''s lips because he was happy that Phoebe was no longer naive. Although he wanted to protect her from the likes of Ruth, she had to be on guard herself.


    Phoebe took a sip from her lemonade and continued to speak. "Collin Mayfair came to the cafe recently to warn me to stay away from her because I apparently beat up his sister and tore her clothes. Ruth is a cunning person, she tore her clothes, hurt herself and lied against me to my parents and hers."


    She went ahead to send David a video of the dash cam footage as proof. When he saw it he wasn''t surprised but instead shook his head continuously.


    "She must be putting on a show at home. Aunt Jennie called me earlier in tears, pleading that I pay Ruth a visit. Apparently they are afraid that she may fall sick since her body is weak. My hands are tied here because I pity uncle and Aunt." A frown formed on his face.


    [Your hands are tied! This is how the male lead is often trapped by the female villain in novels. If you dare to go there and act friendly with her, i will cut you out of my life completely. So what if Ruth is sickly, is she dying? In fact, i hope she cries to death, that piece of trash.]


    A smile played on Phoebe''s lips as she thought. David who had read them raised his brows.


    "I have no plans to visit them but my grandmother might make me escort her to the Mayfair house. If she does, i know exactly what to do when i get there." He hailed for the waiter to bring their bill. After paying they left the restaurant.


    It was a quiet ride home and David kept sighing every once in a while.


    "Spit it out." She said as she propped her head on her clenched fist.


    David cleared his throat. "I was wondering why you have animosity towards my family. By any chance has any of them paid you a visit?"


    There was no point in telling him because she was sure that grandma Saxon was going to tell him that she visited him or perhaps he could see her drinking the tonics from her cafe.


    "I have met two." She completely ignored the question about animosity.


    The brakes screeched when David suddenly stepped on the brakes, thankfully Phoebe was wearing a seatbelt so it held her in place.


    David''s eyes flew wide open. "Who and who? Was it my mother? It has to be, she just doesn''t know when to mind her business. Did she threaten you in anyway?"


    A sneer came through Phoebe''s lips, she was glad that finally David knew how impossible his mother was. However it was surprising because in the past life, she had told him about his mother making her life hard but he never took her seriously. She wondered what might have happened for him to have a change of heart.


    "The Saxons I have met are your grandmother and another whom you don''t need to know about." Phoebe wasn''t intending on telling him about the Saxon spirit. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The spirit was in agreement, it believed that David wasn''t ready yet. In good time he''ll know everything after all he was Phoebe''s helper.


    David cocked his head slightly and quickly turned his eyes on the road. "Grandma? What did she want? How come that she hasn''t told me anything?"


    "She wanted supplements, her visit was totally innocent." Phoebe kept a lot of information to herself including the fact that grandma had disguised herself to meet her.


    "I think she is nice." Phoebe added.


    He smiled, glad that she didn''t hate all Saxons. When they got to the Cerene Apartments, David escorted her to her place. He kissed her on the cheek and left amidst the spirit demanding that she invites him in.


    "Why are you ending things here, call him back. There are so many doors you''ll open when you sleep together!" The Saxon spirit hovered back and forth.


    "Nice try, those doors will remain closed because i am not sleeping with him after one date." Phoebe entered the house.


    Connie was in agreement. "This is the first date, he''ll think she''s loose girl. Is that what the females need your generation did?"


    The spirit was so mad that it vanished, Phoebe was clearly not seeing it''s point and there was no need explaining.


    ****


    To Luke Mayfair, it felt like that particular day was the slowest day of his life. Every hour he called the lab technician asking whether the results of the test were out but each time he was disappointed. He spent his day seeing patients, and thinking about those results.


    It was late and his shift was already over but he was still in the office contemplating the possible results.


    A slight knock on the door called for his attention. "Come in." He lazily said.


    It was the lab technician, he had a big white envelope in his hands. "Doctor, these are the test results."

 Chapter 65 - 65: Sister?

    Luke quickly stood and accepted the envelope from him. His heart was racing like a fast car, the tension kept surging as he opened the envelope.


    Before looking at them, he closed his eyes took a deep breath and tried to calm himself. When he felt calm enough, he opened his eyes and looked at them.


    "Oh my God!" He screamed as he sank in the chair on seeing the results.


    His scream was so girly that the nurse passing by outside of his door thought the doctor was treating a little girl inside. Inside the office where no little girl was, Luke''s heart had picked up pace again.


    Possibility of relationship is 50%


    Luke kept reading the statement over and over again. Suspecting that he and Phoebe were actually related was one thing but actually confirming it was another. He mulled over what to do next and had so many questions running through his mind.


    How did it happen? How was it possible? When? How come that no one realized anything? How would Phoebe react to the news? What about his family?


    In a haste, he stowed the documents safely back into the envelope and rushed out of his office. He called Andre on his way home, he was the only other person that he could talk about this with. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Andre, drop whatever you are doing right now and meet me at home."


    "Hell no! I have this gig and I am surrounded by a few beauties. I am not leaving that...." Andre was rudely interrupted by Luke.


    "Cut it out! The results are back and you need to get you wayward ass home ASAP." He hung up abruptly.


    When he got home, Luke stayed in the car for a while, gathering his thoughts and calming his nerves. The last thing he wanted was to appear nervous just in case he ran into someone and ended up blurting out everything.


    After a few minutes, he picked up his phone, the envelope and stepped out of the car. Luke opted to use the path that was in the garden which led to the side entrance of the house. It was a path that was barely used unless someone wanted access to the flower gardens.


    He kept looking back and forth like as if he was carrying a briefcase of stolen diamonds and thieves were hot on his tail.


    Unintentionally he bumped into someone, due to panic and sweaty hands, the envelope fell and so did his phone.


    His heartbeat doubled when he saw that the one person he had bumped into was the very one he was hoping not to bump into; his sister.


    Ruth who was browsing on her phone and planning to leave the house stealthily using the side entrance was also startled to meet Luke. He avoided her eyes and looked around furtively like a child caught by his parents stealing sugar.


    A frown formed on her face as she asked if he was okay. "You look nervous." She chuckled and wiped a drop of sweat from the side of his face.


    Quickly he reached for the white envelope and tucked it under his armpit like it was the safest place he could put it.


    "I...i.. well it''s nothing." He began to walk away but she called him back.


    "Your phone." Ruth picked it up and handed it to him. She couldn''t understand his behavior and why he was guarding the envelope with his life. It wasn''t as if she planned to peek, after all, it wasn''t unusual for him to bring back work from the hospital.


    She took one last glance at the envelope, shrugged and continued on her way. Luke stood there, he wanted to run but his feet wouldn''t let him, it''s like he was stuck.


    When his sister disappeared, he sighed deeply feeling relieved that her nosy self didn''t reach for the envelope first. He wiped cold sweat and walked to the stairs, planning to go to his bedroom. He found Ophelia coming down the stairs.


    "Mr. Luke should I bring dinner to your room? Everyone has already eaten." Ophelia asked but was dismissed without a word being said to her.


    When he got to his room, he checked the documents for the eighth time just to confirm that he wasn''t dreaming. He paced back and forth decided to take a quick bath while waiting for Andre to get home.


    After his bath and change of clothes, Andre was still not there and Luke got impatient. He was about to call Andre again when he heard a knock on his door.


    "It''s me." Andre''s voice came from the other side.


    Luke rushed and opened the door, before Andre could say anything he pulled him inside and locked the door once again.


    Andre looked at him quizzically. He had already put two and two together. The dna test results were back and Luke was nervous and impatient. He must have confirmed his suspicions.


    Pointing at the envelope that was resting on the work table, Luke told Andre to read the document himself.


    "You need to see it to believe it."


    Without wasting time, Andre read it and the test confirmed Luke''s suspicion.


    "Our suspicions were right, Phoebe is related to us." Luke shared, perched at the edge of the big bed.


    Andre clapped once. "Why is it so small, only 50%? Is she a cousin or something? Did Aunt Maureen have a child that we don''t know about?"


    "No, you dumb ass! This means that Phoebe isn''t some distant cousin. She''s our sister, blood sister, at least she''s mine because I used my hair sample." Luke wiped his face with his palm.


    A smart guy that he was, his not so intelligent brother was really frustrating him because he was slow at catching on.


    "But how? Is this really legit?" Andre couldn''t believe what he was hearing, He hoped that Phoebe would turn out to be a long lost cousin or relative but sister was far from his imagination.


    One of their parents had to be the parent and since it would have been noticeable if their mother was pregnant, their father naturally fell on the sword of suspects. Scratching his head, he came to a conclusion that their father must have had an affair.


    "Dad had an affair. It''s the only thing that makes sense because between mom and Dad, they had only four children. Our poor mother, this is going to break her."


    "You are an idiot." Luke laughed.


    Andre paused his words when Luke called him an idiot.


    "Were you not listening at all to what I said. Let me give it to you straight one more time. Phoebe is our blood sister, not half but real sibling."


    Andre sat next to him and remained quiet, the information he was receiving from his brother was so confusing and only their parents could possibly have the answers to their questions.


    "We have to ask mom and Dad right now, they must know something." Andre stood up but his brother pulled on his hand.


    "No, no not like this. Ruth might get distressed by all this. We need to come up with a good plan on how to go about this." Luke made a reasonable suggestion.


    The two brothers spent a good part of the rest of the night coming up with a plan on how best to spring this surprise on the rest of the family.

 Chapter 66 - 66: Unrequited love and plots.

    Since he had returned to the country, Dickson Saxon had gone to the Mayfair residence twice to see Ruth but he had bounced because he had been told by Ophelia that either Ruth wasn''t around or that she wasn''t feeling well. He resorted to calling her but she refused to answer his calls.


    It was just the same this morning, he was calling her but she wasn''t answering. He had made ten calls so far and all of them went unanswered.


    He picked up the phone and called her again but she wasn''t picking his call. Dickson was frustrated because he was infatuated with Ruth and he wanted to see her beautiful face. It had been a while since he had last seen her.


    Besides he had brought her a lot of gifts that he had personally chosen in the hopes of impressing her. He had brought jewels, foreign scented oils, famous wines and chocolates, designer bags and shoes which she liked.


    He dialled again and bit his bottom lip. "Pick up." he whispered.


    The result was still the same which caused his blood to boil. Dickson was so furious he threw the phone which fell on the floor and the screen cracked.


    "Easy there son, if that skunk doesn''t want to see you then just get another girl. There so many beautiful women out there that would die to be with a Saxon." His mother Margaret sipped on her morning coffee.


    She didn''t understand why one girl had him all twisted up as if it was the end of the world.


    "Mother you do not understand, yes there are many women out there but none of them is Ruth Mayfair. She''s beautiful, classy and elegant. Don''t you follow the celebrity news, Ruthie is the most eligible bachelorette in Citrus city." Dickson spoke through pursed lips.


    A chortle escaped Margaret''s lips. "And yet David doesn''t want her." Her words came out unintentionally and they cut through her son''s heart for he gave her cold glare.


    She sighed and said exhaustedly, "It''s bad enough that we are the second branch in the clan, so close to the ultimate power and yet far but do you have to pick up David''s rejects as well?"


    "That''s rich coming from someone that is jealous of aunt Jennie because she married into the first branch of the family. If I marry Ruth my worth in society will triple because there is a rumor that her father is willing to give some of the Mayfair properties to her husband''s family. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    We may be Saxons but we aren''t as rich as the first branch but if I marry Ruth we shall be equals I believe." Dickson wrinkled his nose at his mother.


    "Your point is valid. If you had explained, i would have given you all the support you needed. To think all this while I thought your obsession with her was because of love." Margaret sliced through the bacon on her plate.


    She had married for power and wealth and she expected her son to do the same. One of her biggest fears was that her son would bring home a poor girl and reenact some foolish cinderella fantasy in real life.


    "Tch! Of course love is involved. I am strategizing for our future mother but still I love Ruth with all of my heart." Dickson dabbed the corners of his mouth and stood up and left.


    He went straight to the Mayfairs with loads of gifts. Even if he didn''t see Ruth, he could butter her parents up. When he got there, Dickson was happy to run into grandma Mayfair whom he hadn''t gotten the chance to see yet.


    The old woman was so pleased to see that he had brought gifts for her granddaughter that she immediately told Ophelia to call Ruth.


    "Well...uhm..." Ophelia stammered because she had already lied to Dickson that Ruth wasn''t around when he arrived.


    "Now, Ophelia." She ordered.


    The maid scampered away, hoping that Ruth would not slap her for waking her up.


    Within a few minutes Ruth appeared. She looked pale and the sparkle that usually lit in her eye was gone. It was obvious that either she was truly sick or something was bothering her.


    Grandma Mayfair told Ruth to sit next to Dickson. "Now this is the kind of man that you should give all your love to. Apparently he has been here twice to see you. Instead of focusing on David give Dickson attention after all they are both Saxons. Look at all the gifts he brought with him." She looked at him adoringly.


    It always gladdened Dickson''s heart when grandma Mayfair praised him in front of Ruth. She was the only one that understood that he was the perfect partner for her. Her brother''s and father were nonchalant about the issue while her mother only sided with her daughter.


    Because he wanted to show grandma Mayfair that he cared, Dickson spoke without knowing that he would regret his words in the seconds that followed.


    "Ruthie are you alright? You look really pale. I hate to see you like this, tell me whatever it is that you desire and I will make sure that you get it." Dickson placed his hand over hers but Ruth pulled hers away almost like she was repelled by his.


    Her act of pushing his hand away hurt him but not more than the words that came out of her mouth when she spoke.


    "Can you bring David here?"


    Dickson snarled softly but his smile quickly returned. And because he wanted to show that he an understanding type of man, he told Ruth that he would try his best. Without further ado, he pulled out his new phone, a replacement of the one whose screen he had shattered and called him.


    "David, my brother, where are you? There is an emergency at the Mayfair residence....." Dickson paused his words when David said that he was on his way already. He kept that to himself because he wanted to gain points by making it look like David had come specifically because he had told him to.


    The smile on his face grew wider. "He''s on his way. Like I said anything, I will do anything to see Ruth happy." He maintained his cool even though what he really wanted was to punch through the wall when Ruth perked up and run upstairs to change into better clothes.


    He just didn''t understand her, Dickson had done everything a man could do to make a woman fall for him but Ruth was still hellbent on making David fall for her. What made the situation sadder was the fact that David didn''t like her like that.


    It worried Dickson that one unfortunate day, David would change his mind or be pushed by the adults to marry Ruth. The Saxon elders believed that she was his perfect match. Perhaps it was time to smear David''s reputation again. The Mayfairs would never allow playboy David to marry their daughter.


    In no time David arrived, the moment he stepped into the house, Jennie Mayfair who had claimed to be busy when Dickson asked for her rushed downstairs to receive him.


    "Aunt I thought you were busy." Dickson mentioned only to regret asking again.


    "I was but i am never too busy for my son David." She signaled him to sit close to her.


    After the greetings were done, Jennie hurried with a request for David.


    "Aunt is a little displeased with you David, how could you treat my princess like this? You have been close friends since childhood, how can you cast her away to the side like a stray dog. You even went so far as to block her calls? My son you went a bit too far. Remember she''s sickly and we have to handle her with care."


    Dickson jumped in because he couldn''t listen anymore. "Yes David Aunt Jennie is right. Ruthie is like a sister to you please treat her as such."

 Chapter 67 - 67: Breaking hearts.

    Sister! The words that came out of Dickson''s mouth caused Jennie Mayfair to clench her dress tightly. This wasn''t the angle she was driving at, slowly by slowly she wanted to convince David to give Ruth a chance, just a try at a real romantic relationship not a sister- brother relationship.


    She was aware that her daughter wasn''t going to give up on him because she was not the type to lose. Everything Ruth Mayfair wanted in life, she got.


    David cleared his throat. "Aunt Jennie I am sorry that my actions made you worried but I have been too occupied with work and Ruth just kept calling and interrupting me. I had to block her to focus on work, my intentions were not bad at all."


    Letting out an enormous belly laugh, Dickson looked at David. "Work? You blocked her because you were busy working, David are you sure?" His questions were provocative simply because he had evidence that David was out hanging out with Phoebe.


    "Of course that makes perfect sense, see mother I told you that David must have had a good reason to behave that way." Jennie clapped once excitedly and spoke to grandma Mayfair making it a point to ignore Dickson.


    In that moment Ruth came down stairs, lively like never before and dressed to the nines. She ran to David and wrapped her hands around him.


    "I have missed you so much but am glad that you finally came to see me." Her hug became tighter, the tighter it got the angrier Dickson got.


    David used a lot of strength to tear her hands away from his neck. He didn''t want her touching him because he didn''t want Phoebe cutting him off.


    "You look perfectly okay, I thought you were dying or something." He studied her face, Ruth had even applied makeup on. It was obvious that she was playing the victim as usual.


    Grandma Mayfair suggested that they give David and Ruth some privacy.


    "I am sure that these kids have a lot to talk about, let''s not make them uncomfortable." She pulled on Jennie''s hand because it was obvious that she wanted to stay longer.


    "Dickson you can come and help me with something." Jennie wanted David and Ruth to have a private moment but to her disappointment, Dickson turned her down.


    "I need a private moment with Ruthie too aunt." There was no way he was leaving these two together.


    Ignoring Ruth completely, David faced Dickson. "I heard you have some things for me." He moved away from Ruth, widening the distance between them even further.


    "Ohh I am sorry but since I didn''t find you at the Saxon tower, I gave whatever I got you to the less privileged." Dickson used a sarcastic tone.


    "That''s more like you Dick." David''s tongue pressed on the nickname Dick. In fact he added a chuckle to his words, he was aware that Dickson hated shortening his name but David did it anyway just to taunt him.


    Dickson clenched his jaw. It took a lot of effort for Dickson not to punch David, he was playing nice only because of Ruth. Instead he laughed half heartedly.


    "Do not call me that." His calm voice couldn''t hide the storm that was brewing on the inside of him.


    Ruth interrupted and asked David to stay for dinner however her request compelled him to stand.


    "Now that I have seen that you are in good health, I better get going." He stood up only for Ruth to block his path.


    "How...how can you go just like this? We need to talk about us..."


    David interrupted her rudely. "There is no us Ruth! The only thing that I can say is that I have unblocked you but only because of your family that you are putting through hell with your drama. Stop the pity party, it makes you look pathetic. Call me only if you understand that the only relationship that the two of us can ever have is a friendly one and nothing more.


    I am already seeing someone else, i just came to make that clear." His words were like bullets aimed straight to her heart.


    Ruth clutched on her dress, it''s like David''s mind had been made up. Her blood boiled when she had him declare that he was seeing someone else. It was then that she came to understand that she wasn''t going to get him easily and if she had to pretend to be his friend until she got Phoebe out of the way then so be it.


    "Fine! Let''s have it your way. But David we have been in each other''s lives for so long. This relationship cannot end just because you have no feelings for me. It''s fine I understand you completely." An innocent smile formed on her lips.


    The two men stared at her in complete disbelief. How was it that the tenacious Ruth Mayfair was giving up too easily.


    David nodded, left the Mayfair mansion and drove himself back to his apartment.


    Dickson on the other hand felt like a winner, he wished that he could buy David a beer for finally making it all clear within the ear shot of grandma Mayfair and Jennie. He had a smile that reached his eyes for he believed that finally his time had come.


    "Wipe that annoying smile off your face." Ruth told him as she walked and sank into the sofa. "If he thinks that this is over, then he has another thing coming. The only person David Saxon will marry is me not that good for nothing girl who comes from a poor family." She vowed.


    Confused, Dickson''s smile quickly fell as he touched the base of his neck. "What is wrong with you? He doesn''t want you, he is dating another woman and he is already crazy about her."


    "How do you know that?" She glared at him.


    Ruth hadn''t anticipated that the news about David being interested in Phoebe had began to spread already.


    Without wasting time, Dickson pulled out his phone and showed Ruth the photos he took from grandma Saxon''s phone.


    She sneered. "How ridiculous, David has really lost his mind. Instead of being with me, a woman from high society, he has chosen to play in mud with a pig. We''ll see how far he''s willing to take this." She sent the photos to her phone.


    Dickson raised his head and took back his phone. "Ruth why are you obsessed with David. If it''s about marrying a Saxon then i am right here."


    Ruth snickered. "You my darling are not and will never be half the man David is. He''s not just a Saxon he comes from the first branch. That means money, wealth, glory and power." She trailed her eyes over him giving him a scornful look. "You on the other hand what do you have to offer? Love? S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Please, give me a break." She stomped on his heart without any mercy.


    Without waiting for him to say anything else, she walked away and returned to her bedroom. One hour later, Ophelia screamed, almost bringing the entire house down. Ruth had taken a dozen sleeping pills.

 Chapter 68 - 68: Who was to blame?

    One by one, the Mayfairs that had been alerted to Ruth''s condition all rushed to the hospital, filled with intense worry. No matter what Ruth had done, she was a daughter, a sister and granddaughter. On hearing that she had attempted suicide, they couldn''t help feeling frightened.


    They gathered at the hospital, and huddled together like a football team, comforting one another and sharing assurances that she would be fine. There was no lack of self blame to go around as everyone was somewhat filled with guilt.


    "It''s my fault, i should have sent David Saxon away the moment he showed up at the house." Jennie cried out. "I already know how he feels about her so why did i think that he would be nice to her?"


    "No, it''s my fault for expressing my disappointment loudly last night. I think i broke her heart." Edward Saxon lowered his eyes and sighed.


    Grandma Mayfair shook her head and touched her son''s arm. "It''s me, i should not have allowed them to speak privately. No, i should have leveraged my friendship to push for an engagement between the two of them during their childhood."


    If they had done that, maybe David and Ruth would already be married by now and none of this would be happening.


    Collin who was struggling to keep it together with his hands clenched tightly also shared in the blame. "The fault is mine, i should have told the servants not to allow the Saxons cross the threshold of our house. I made it clear to that bastard playboy to stay away from Ruth. I am going to kill him. Let''s not forget that phony friend Phoebe, she is also to blame in all this."


    "Nobody is killing anyone or blaming an innocent party. It''s not our fault that Ruth is so obsessed with David that she can''t think logically." Andre shouted at them.


    He was already feeling very protective of Phoebe who he thought was being blamed wrongfully by Collin. David was the one pursuing Phoebe so how was this her fault. Did she put the pills in Ruth''s hands or force her to swallow them?


    Andre''s words fell on deaf ears for some of the Mayfairs like Jennie who saw logic in Collin''s words.


    "Yes, it''s not our fault, it''s that friend of hers. She is the one that started all this by going after David even though she knows that Ruth loves him." S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Before Andre could rebuke that wrong thinking, Ophelia approached them with Ruth''s phone in hand.


    "Matriarch, madam, master, these are the last texts that miss Ruth received before taking the pills. I think i should read them out loud for you."


    "Go ahead." grandma Mayfair encouraged her.


    Ruth: [Pheebs, we have been friends for a long time. I hate the fact that we are fighting over such a silly thing like the love of man. I want to meet and talk, can i pass by your cafe?]


    Phoebe: [You are like a bug that doesn''t know when to go away when it''s not wanted. Stop texting, don''t visit, i am not your friend. In fact, if someone like you is my friend then i don''t need enemies.]


    Ruth: [Why are you treating me this way? I have always been good to you Pheebs, i gave you expensive clothes, expensive food, brand name shoes, bags and i also paid all your expenses when we took vacations. I gave you so many expensive gifts all the time and did nice things for you. Isn''t that enough to prove my friendship? Can''t we stop this and go back to the way we used to be?


    I really miss you, my friend.]


    Phoebe: [I don''t remember ever begging for any of those things. If you need replacements i will calculate how much you spent on me and compensate you.]


    Ruth: [Pheebs, i don''t need compensation, all i want is David, please, just leave David alone. I will give you anything you want. I will do anything, you ask of me. You are my best friend, can''t you give in this once for me. I will die without him.]


    Phoebe: [Then die.]


    Jennie gasped and crumbled to the floor, sobbing softly.


    "It''s her, she did this to my princess. She might as well have handed Ruth a rope to hang herself by telling her to go and die."


    "I am going to kill her. A bug!, how dare she call my sister a bug and tell her to die." Collin suddenly rose and punched the wall.


    There was nothing which united people more than a common enemy and at the moment they had all found one. All along they were all suspecting that Ruth had attempted to kill herself because David had rejected her once again but now it seemed that there was more to the story.


    It was Phoebe, once again that had caused Ruth''s unhappiness and this time she had gone a step too far. Some of the Mayfairs wanted Phoebe to pay dearly for her actions.


    Their anguish was momentarily put on hold as Jennie fainted and she had to be rushed to a private ward where doctors checked on her.


    "Everyone please do not worry, Mrs. Mayfair is just exhausted, it''s nothing serious." Dr. Murphy relieved the worried family. "All she needs is some vitamins which we have administered to her and rest, a lot of it."


    They stepped out of the room and headed back to the VVIP waiting area.


    "And my princess?" Edward asked, the frown on his face remaining there.


    Dr. Murphy sighed deeply and shook his head. "As you already know her body is weak and she is prone to illness. We will have to wait for her to wake up such that we can know if there was any damage caused by the pills but for now we pumped her stomach and everything looks good. While you can take a breath now,we are going to put her on a twenty four hour suicide watch.


    I am worried about a another episode like this occurring. I don''t know why she took the pills but i think it will do miss Ruth some good to see a psychiatrist."


    Edward returned to his wife''s side and relayed the doctor''s words to the rest of the family.


    "It is that nobody that caused this! She is not going scot free, she will pay for sure." Edward spoke through gritted teeth, holding back his anger. He was not one to make empty threats so this was a promise.


    Andre was at crossroads, if really Phoebe had pushed Ruth to commit suicide by telling her to die deliberately, it was going to be really hard to defend her. The entire family was against her now they were literally ready to see her hanging from the gallows.


    He came back to his senses when he heard his father say that he was calling his friend the commissioner of Citrus city police.


    "What? No!" Andre shouted. His entire face went pale, his stretched hand trembled and he shook his head continuously.


    They all stared at him quizzically especially Ophelia who was under strict orders by Ruth to keep her ear on the ground because she wanted to know everything that took place while she was unconscious.


    Luke who was already in the know for the reason as to why Andre was reacting like that told Andre to calm down but his brother was vibrating with so much energy that he couldn''t be stopped.


    "You cannot do anything to Phoebe! Not until we hear her side of the story anyway." Andre''s words shocked everyone except Luke who quickly approached Andre and ordered that he follow him.

 Chapter 69 - 69: Andre makes a revelation.

    "She is awake, Edward, Jennie is awake." Grandma Mayfair rushed to Jennie''s side.


    Luke pulled Andre outside. "I know that you were about to open your big mouth yet I told you that this is a sensitive topic, you cannot just drop the bomb in an already tense situation. Please take control of your emotions."


    Andre raised both of hands and placed them on his brother''s shoulders. Facing him with urgency in his eyes, he shook his brother slightly.


    "Did you not hear Dad threatening to put charges on her! I will not sit back and allow our sister to come to harm because everyone is jumping to conclusions. There must be more to the story than meets the eye." He marched away with determined steps.


    Luke watched his brother walk away in fury with heavy eyes knowing that Andre couldn''t be stopped anymore. Even though they had only met Phoebe once, it was obvious that he was already attached to her. What worried him was that Andre was an erratic person and anytime from now he was going to spill the secret out whether everyone was ready to hear about it or not.


    He followed Andre back into the room. They were not allowed to see Ruth for now, so Jennie''s room was a temporary gathering place for them. He could hear his mother''s cries before even opening the door.


    Jennie Mayfair was still inconsolable which worried family especially her husband. In the bid to calm his wife down and fulfil her demands, he pulled his phone from his pants and called the commissioner.


    "There is a person that I need you to arrest immediately for attempting to kill my child. Her name is Phoebe Gabriel or Hopkins whatever, just lock her up and throw away the key. Shuffle her through the system if you must to prevent her from calling for help. I will repay this favor greatly." Edward hung up and moved to sit beside his wife who suddenly wiped her tears, smiled and hugged her husband.


    "Thank you honey, that girl deserves no mercy at all." She sniveled.


    Luke glared at his father, the veins in his neck pulsing visibly. "You people are insane! You have no idea what you have done father. Call back the commissioner or whomever you just gave those orders and rescind your order now." He clenched his jaw.


    "Young man are you out of you mind! How can you talk to father like that. Apologize now, see the way his flexing his muscles like he wants to fight." Collin laughed sarcastically.


    "Yes Andre Apologize to your father and what''s gotten into you? Why are you defending this girl like she''s something to you?" Jennie blinked rapidly.


    It was in that moment that Luke knew that Andre was at his breaking point so he ordered Ophelia to leave the room. She was Ruth''s spy in the house and she would relay everything to her the moment she opened her eyes which they didn''t need.


    "But i...I was making chamomile tea for Mrs. Jennie, she needs to calm her nerves." Ophelia hesitated, she suspected that something serious was going on here because Andre was behaving strangely and whatever it was Phoebe had something to do with it.


    "Go now!" Collin barked at the woman who dashed out. "Now spill it." He ordered Andre.


    Luke moved to the door and further shooed Phelia away. She was also good at eavesdropping but he wouldn''t let her do such a thing today.


    "She''s our sister and I won''t let you harm her." Andre made a vow but his words confused his family further. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Child what do you mean? Your sister! How do you mean?" Grandma Mayfair stared at him. In her opinion the boy had to be running insane.


    "Luke check his temperature, in fact check him into rehab. It''s obvious that he''s doing hard drugs because none of this makes any sense." Edward scratched the back of his neck.


    The order was loud and clear but Luke only folded his arms and sighed deeply. "I am afraid that I cannot do that father and Andre is right Phoebe Gabriel is your daughter."


    Jennie shoved her husband away from her, without wasting any time she gave him a hot slap on the cheek. "You bastard! Have you been cheating on me? You have a love child! Am going to kill her in fact both of you."


    She was already teetering on the edge, between tears and anger so she reacted without thinking.


    Grandma Mayfair let out a shocking cry. "Jennie! How dare you smack my son? And you Edward, how can you do such a thing?" She gave her daughter in law an icy stare briefly before a look of dismay took over. "An affair, a secret love child, oh good heavens! This is all too much for me."


    She sat down and lowered her head, not knowing how to proceed. The atmosphere in the room was grimmer than before and Jennie was sobbing broken heartedly once more. Somehow, she had quickly turned pale, appearing completely sick.


    Edward meanwhile was startled as he stood and watched his wife condemn him for something he had no idea about. He then turned to his mother who was disappointed in him. "Mother I....i...." The poor man was at a loss of words, he glared at his sons that had just accused him and started all this.


    Luke had been asking the elders to calm down but none of them was listening to him so he kept quiet and waited for the dust to settle. When his father looked at him Luke resumed to speak. "Mom, dad didn''t cheat on you. Phoebe is your child too."


    Jennie gasped and covered her lips with her hand. "What...what do you mean?" Her voice was shaky.


    "How is that shameless woman our sister!" Collin was in total shock and he hoped that his brother''s were pulling a prank.


    "Can''t you see that she looks a lot like grandma? I don''t blame mother and father for being clueless but you met her, so how could you not you see the strong resemblance she has to us, especially grandma." Andre accused. "The only different thing about her is that she has red hair." Andre was miffed that a smart man like Collin didn''t suspect a thing.


    "Me?" Grandma Mayfair was shocked.


    "Yes! She''s like a doppelganger or clone whichever one you choose. If you were her age then you two could be twins. Grandma, you need to see her." Andre pulled out his phone and showed the elders a picture of Phoebe, they were all shocked by the strong resemblance.


    Edward''s eyes flew wide open. "Red hair? She has red hair? There are ancestors in our family that had red hair so if she has it then....but hold on, how did you find out, is this just a suspicion? No, how is this possible?"


    Luke raised his hand and told them about the DNA test. "It confirmed that we are siblings, I just don''t understand how it''s possible for her to exist unless..."


    "This Phoebe is the same age with Ruth too." Grandma Mayfair clapped once, cutting off Luke. "What if Jennie had twins and one was stolen? That''s the only explanation I can think of that makes sense since Luke says she is your child, both of you."

 Chapter 70 - 70: Phoebe is arrested.

    Edward looked directly at Luke. "Let''s do the DNA test again compare it to ours. In fact do one on Ruth as well, mother could be right maybe Jennie had twins."


    "But....bu..." Jennie tried to speak but couldn''t. She was certain that she carried and gave birth to one child not twins. The only possibility to her was that one of the girls wasn''t hers. She decided to keep it to herself until the results were back.


    Luke and Andre sprung into action immediately. Andre mercilessly pulled some hair from his father before gently collecting one from his mother, ignoring his father''s sneer.


    Collin received the same treatment as Edward, rough hair pulling and grandma Mayfair didn''t wait, she plucked her hair on her own.


    "Do you need blood and saliva too?" she asked eagerly.


    Luke nodded. "I will get a syringe."


    When Luke run out, she asked Andre to show her the picture of Phoebe again. Just like her grandson, she already felt a closeness to Phoebe even though she had not met her before.


    Meanwhile the Black ghost Cafe was booked and busy, but mostly with ghosts. News had circulated not just in Citrus but all over Fog country that the Cafe was a sanctuary for ghosts that were hiding away from ghost catchers so ghosts had showed up in droves and camped in there.


    Phoebe had spent most of her morning hours convincing the ghosts to move on. "No one is going to hunt you on the other side, besides if you were good in this life, then you have a chance at reincarnation."


    Most of them understood and she showed them how to move on once they got past why they were stuck. So much energy was funneled into the pendant that she felt like she could float.


    For the ghosts that stubbornly refused to move on, Phoebe sent them away because the cafe was not a ghost refugee camp. Besides she wanted no trouble with the ghost catchers.


    When that was done, Phoebe locked herself in her office then informed Connie and the Saxon spirit that they needed to plant the seeds in the magical space.


    With all the energy she had now, the land was capable of growing plants and the space could hold living beings. All the pets were in there running around freely.


    "In the near future you still need to buy land because people will become suspicious to where your special raw materials come from and guess who can help with that, David!" The Spirit said enthusiastically.


    "I am planning on it, I will use him as much as I can." Phoebe let out an evil chuckle which miffed the spirit.


    It''s desire wasn''t for Phoebe to use David but rather for her to fall genuinely in love with him but clearly Phoebe still had her guard up.


    Sylvester came forward. "Boss can I help too, there is not much to do here I am sure that Rosset is good on her own."


    Phoebe laughed maniacally. "Wait Sylvester, you want me to expose this secret magical space to you? A former thief! I personally believe that a leopard doesn''t change its spots, the answer is a strong no."


    Connie who wasn''t ready to plant anything cleared her throat. "Well you better change your mind about that because i am not doing it. Brother Sylvester is strong and has the energy equivalent to four people. We need him."


    "She''s right you know, there are trust issues here but there is a solution." The Saxon spirit slapped it''s finger and an old scroll with golden knots at the end appeared.


    "This is a loyalty contract Sylvester, sign it and you can enter the magic space. You should know that if anything goes missing I''ll vanquish you to the Ice hell. It''s a place far worse than purgatory." The spirit used a very serious and warning tone.


    Sylvester believed that this was his moment to prove to Phoebe who was still a doubting Thomas that he was really loyal to her.


    "I will sign it and believe me the ice hell is the last place anyone would want to end up." Sylvester signed without hesitation.


    The scroll grew flames and vanished the moment it was signed.


    Phoebe smacked her lips, there was no point in rejecting Sylvester''s help.


    "Okay let''s go in." They all entered the magic space.


    The place had changed once again, it was bright, very bright. With huge stars hanging so close from the sky that Phoebe could touch them.


    "I have never seen stars up close." Phoebe slowly poked one with her index finger curiously.


    The Saxon spirit explained that these were fallen stars collected over the years and used to light up the space at night. The pendant used to be an empty place, and everything there was created through magic, including a small sun during the day.


    "They have magical energy that will keep the herbs healthy and grow faster even at night. More than that a fallen star wards off evil if you keep it close. We have multiple of them now, maybe you can make necklaces and bracelets coated with their dust. I told you the more energy you feed this place, the more it will reveal it''s true nature."


    Phoebe agreed with it, such bracelets and necklaces would bring in more money. Besides they would be easier to carry around than talismans for people that were afraid of facing judgment from others.


    After choosing a perfect spot, they began to plant the seeds. Phoebe left the space because she had to meet Lizzie Guzman. They had agreed to sign a contract over lunch.


    She drove all the way to Guzman gas station, one of the hundreds the Guzman''s owned in the country.


    On the way to the reception desk, she received a text from David who was checking on how she was and if she had eaten lunch. Reluctantly, she replied.


    [Yes to all.]


    She put her phone away and introduced herself to a receptionist that took her to Lizzie''s office. When she got there, the first thing Lizzie did was to apologize for changing the meeting place from a nice restaurant to her office.


    "The contract should have been signed already if I didn''t have pressing matters to attend to abroad."


    "It''s okay." Phoebe touched the woman''s belly to see the condition of the baby. "He is sleeping so peacefully."


    Lizzie smiled happily. "He is a good boy."


    The lawyer walked in with the contract and Phoebe stepped back. She entered business mode and both women studied the contract carefully.


    Just like she had requested all her conditions has been clearly written. Phoebe smiled and sighed it and so did Lizzie.


    "Call me or come and see me incase of anything." Phoebe told her before leaving. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As she was getting back in her car, she received a call from Rosset informing her that police men from Citrus PD were at the cafe looking for her.


    "Why is there a problem?" Phoebe asked as she started her car.


    "They have refused to say anything. What do I do?" Rossett''s voice was glazed in panic.


    "I will be there shortly." Phoebe''s pressed on the accelerator.


    The moment Phoebe entered into the Cafe, the police men that had been waiting stood up and asked. "Are you Phoebe Hopkins?"


    Phoebe nodded in response.


    They looked at each other. "Ma''am please stretch out your hands." They roughly placed cold metallic cuffs on her cold hands. "You are under arrest for inciting a suicide." They began to shove her out of the door forcefully.


    Phoebe didn''t understand what she was being accused of, she tried to resist but she had no chance against the two strong men.


    Against her will, she was whisked away towards the Police car.


    "Call detective Shark." Phoebe shouted to Rosset who dashed back inside.


    The first person she called was David Saxon, then Detective Shark.

 Chapter 71 - 71: Dirty cops and a fake name.

    During the ride to the police station, Phoebe mulled over everything that had happened for the past few days but still she couldn''t come up with a good reason for her arrest. Inducing a suicide, whose suicide was it? She hoped that by the time she got to the police station, Shark would be waiting for her.


    Still, she couldn''t just wait for Shark to find answers. Perhaps if the mean police officers were loose tongued, they might offer up some information.


    "Hey officers, what am i under arrest for?" she yelled from the back.


    "Shut your mouth." The one in the passenger seat warned.


    "But i have the right to know who is accusing me so that...."


    Phoebe was not ready for the sudden fist to her cheek which caused her an incredible amount of pain.


    "I said shut up." The officer repeated.


    Phoebe flinched and glared at the officer.


    "You are going to pay for this, i swear." she promised darkly.


    The officer laughed and looked at her with contempt as he made a threat. "Keep talking and you will leave your teeth on the floor of this car."


    Before Phoebe could stubbornly respond, the Saxon spirit and Connie popped out of the pendant.


    "Phoebe what the hell is going on? I sensed that something wasn''t right out here." The Saxon spirit looked around curiously. "We are not in the shop anymore."


    Connie pointed at the cuffs. "Are those wait a minute." Her index finger pointed at the officers. "Are you under arrest? What for?"


    [I don''t know! I guess we will find out when we get to the station] Phoebe communicated to them through her thoughts.


    "Oh my God, your face!" The Saxon spirit gasped. Quickly she gathered some energy to heal Phoebe.


    "Don''t touch it, this is evidence of police brutality and a crime." she turned her face away from the spirit. "I need to think, both of you should stay silent or return to the pendant."


    "Whatever it is I hope that Shark detective will get you out of it." Connie sounded worried.


    "So do I Connie." Phoebe shut her eyes tightly.


    When the car came to a stop, she was dragged into the police station like a common criminal by the two police officers that were rough handling her. They kept shoving her and one of them went so far as to pinch her ass.


    "That''s sexual harassment." she spat out.


    "Sue me." the man laughed.


    "We will see about that." she mumbled.


    They took her to the officer that was in charge of booking criminals for the day. It was a middle aged woman that appeared to be exhausted and bored.


    "Name?" she asked in monotone.


    "Mia Andrews." One of the officers was quick to answer.


    Phoebe turned her head quickly, surprised at the deception. When she was arrested, they had used her real name and yet now they were assigning her a new name. She was not a fool, these two were up to something.


    "That''s not..."


    One of the officers slapped her on the back of her head before she could say more.


    The booking officer looked up and raised her eyebrows curiously.


    "Do we have a problem here?"


    "No problem Maeve, just book the perp for attempted murder." One of the officers laughed. "Say, why don''t we grab dinner together one of these days Maeve, i would like to hear all about your son Timmy''s new little league game. I have heard he pitches like a star."


    The female officer was successfully distracted and at the mention of her son''s name, forgot about the doubts she was having.


    "Timmy will be a star in future, the kid has an arm which is faster than a rocket." she said as she typed in the name Mia Andrews. "Fingerprints and mugshot time." she said absentmindedly. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The two officers nodded at each other and one of them pulled on Phoebe''s arm but she didn''t move an inch.


    "I am not Mia Andrews." she shouted loudly. "I am Phoebe..."


    The officers put a hand over her mouth but Phoebe was like a squirrel determined to evade capture and she bit his meaty hand. He removed his hand from her mouth while cursing.


    "I can vouch for her, she is not Mia Andrews, she is Phoebe Hopkins or Gabriel." Shark showed up and put himself between Phoebe and the officer that looked ready to beat her senseless. "What the hell is going on Sully? Why are you arresting my informant under a different name?"


    Officer Sully looked at the other officer, asking him for a plan B. The other officer rushed over and laughed pretentiously.


    "It''s none of your business Shark."


    He reached around to pull Phoebe out from behind Shark''s bark but Shark moved, blocking him.


    "I don''t think so Amaro. I am not going to allow you book her unless i know what she did and how she did it. Do you two think that i am a fool? I know how dirty you both are and right now, you seem to be up to shady business. What have they said she did Maeve?"


    The booking office had no idea what was going on so she told him what she had been told. "Attempted murder."


    Shark pulled his head back and laughed. "Phoebe, attempted murder! are you joking? I have seen her bandage injured ducks and cats on the side of the road. She doesn''t even kill flies and if she steps on an insect and kills it, she buries it with a whole funeral. I am surprised she is not even a vegetarian."


    The officer that punched Phoebe didn''t care to hear anything.


    "This is the commissioner''s business Shark, stay out of it. Do you think you can take on the commissioner? You will be working traffic before the day ends if you keep protecting her."


    Shark turned around and raised his eyebrows at Phoebe. He wanted to help but he couldn''t fight the police commissioner.


    "What the hell did you do to make the commissioner come after you?" he whispered to Phoebe.


    "I don''t even know who that is." Phoebe whispered back furiously.


    "I think i can take on the commissioner." A new voice joined the conversation.


    Everything that was happening had caught the attention of the other officers, detectives and even criminals in the police station. At the mention of the commissioner, some had even drawn closer to know more.


    "Deputy chief Amon." Shark raised his chest and the other officers stood at attention or at least changed their body language to portray respect.


    "At ease, everyone, i was just passing by when i saw my friend Phoebe and decided to listen for a while." Amon smiled at Phoebe.


    He thought that he would see relief or happiness on her face but instead she scoffed at him.


    "Oh, you don''t look happy to see me, Pheebs."


    Phoebe was taken aback and she frowned, deeply. When did they become friends and why was he calling her Pheebs? Also, why was a ghost catcher working as the deputy chief of police?


    Amon stepped up to Phoebe, bent down and looked at her eyes. "I see what looks like a black eye forming. Did they do this to you?"


    Phoebe had long been waiting to report the two officers. She didn''t care who was willing to listen so she loudly reported for everyone in the station to hear.


    "That one punched me and this one pinched my ass."

 Chapter 72 - 72: Many knights.

    The two guilty officers shared a similar look of fright on their faces. Like bullies that had met a bigger bully, they were desperate to escape.


    "Sir, we didn''t do that, we....."


    "Where is she?" David tore through the police station suddenly.


    With his white hair and familiar face, all the police officers recognized him immediately and a few almost fell over themselves rushing to help him.


    ''Mr. Saxon..."


    "Phoebe, Pheebs..." David called for Phoebe loudly, as he looked through the bars of the holding rooms were criminals were locked up before being released or sent to jail.


    Phoebe turned around to avoid being seen by him. Why was he the one to show up when she was in such a situation?


    [How embarrassing! Why is he shouting like as if he is looking for his missing kid? And why is he here? Has news of my arrest already traveled?]


    With her red hair, she could not hide and he saw her easily.


    "Pheebs!" he shouted in relief and run to her. He turned her around and looked at her in dismay. "Bloody hell! Why are her hands in cuffs? Take those off her." He ordered the policemen as if they were his personal servants.


    While other policemen were confused, Shark was not and he un cuffed her quickly.


    "What happened? Who did this to you? I am taking you to a hospital right now." He took her hand to lead her out.


    They didn''t go far because one of the arresting officers stepped in their way. "Mr Saxon, the order to arrest this woman came directly from the commissioner. She commited a crime so you can''t take her away."


    Even if the woman couldn''t be booked under a fake name, she could still be booked under her real name. The commissioner was also more powerful than the deputy chief.


    He spoke with a lot of confidence which triggered David for he raised his clenched fist only to be stopped by Phoebe.


    "Stop it! I want to know my charges first because I don''t understand why he insists on arresting me."


    She also spoke with confidence, impressing David as she was completely different from the woman he knew. The past Phoebe was a meek person but this one standing before him was assertive and not afraid of danger.


    Nevertheless David was undeterred, he was determined to prove to Phoebe that she could rely on him.


    As if on cue, six men dressed in expensive black suits approached them. Phoebe recognized the leader of the group, Mr Cornwell. He was the leading lawyer from T&C law firm, one of the most prestigious law firms in the country, also it was the firm that represented the Saxon group and family during legal battles.


    "It''s good that you are here, I want to sue the police for wrongfully arresting my woman, causing her emotional distress and abusing her physically."


    "And sexually." Shark helpfully added. "Those two pinched her buttocks."


    David growled and leaped but Shark and Amon stopped him.


    David''s index finger pointed at the two men that were now trembling and sweating. "By the time i am done with both of you, you will be sleeping on the street and eating from trash cans."


    The bravado of the two officers had started to waver. It was one thing to sue whole police station and it was another to be sued individually for sexual harassment and use of unnecessary force during an arrest. Moreover, if she was David Saxon''s girlfriend, even the commissioner would not save them. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Sorry sir, it was an accident..."


    "Cornwell.." David didn''t care to hear any apologies. All he wanted was to finish this and get Phoebe out of the station.


    The lawyer understood without David explaining much. "What are the charges..."


    Police chief rushed in before Cornwell''s question could be finished. "We are sorry for the inconvenience Mr. Saxon but the charges have been dropped."


    His words took them all by surprise, these said charges had not yet been explained to them and they were already dropped? Was it a result of the influence of the Saxon family?


    David banged the table which caused the Chief to tremble. "What are the charges and who filed and dropped them?"


    The Chief had just arrived so he knew nothing about this case outside the phone call he had received asking him to hurry and release Phoebe. So, he asked the officers in charge of the case to brief him.


    One of the officers, the one Shark had called Sully came forward but remained at a distance because David was glaring at him. "Miss Phoebe Hopkins is....was being charged with inciting suicide. The person that reported the case was Mr. Edward Mayfair and the victim is Miss Ruth Mayfair."


    Phoebe laughed lightly. "I am sorry but are you telling me that Ruth actually tried to commit suicide just because I told her to die?" She spoke unintentionally without knowing that she was incriminating herself.


    The police chief raised his brows. "Miss Hopkins are you confirming that you indeed incited suicide?" His widened eyes were fixed on her.


    Mr. Cornwell jumped in and told Phoebe to remain silent. "The case has been dropped, just in case you need to question Miss Phoebe here again do not do it in the absence of her lawyers. If you talk to my client again without my authorization, i will sue you. If you visit her place of work to question her without going through me, i will sue you.


    If anything about this unfair arrest is leaked to the press, i will sue you. If the two officers who assaulted my client so much as breathe the same air as her, i will sue the department" He took out a card and gave it to the chief.


    [Lawyers!] Phoebe shook her head. "Who dropped the charges then? Was it Ruth?"


    Shaking his head, the Chief spoke. "It was Mr. Edward Mayfair himself, Miss Ruth Mayfair is still unconscious as we speak."


    The answer shocked both David and Phoebe because they couldn''t understand why Edward would drop the charges when his beloved daughter was unconscious.


    "Sir, i think we should go now." Mr. Cornwell told David.


    David put both hands around Phoebe, providing support in case she was too weak to walk on her own. They left behind a lot of bewildered police officers who were sifting through the sudden information dump from what they had witnessed.


    As they were leaving the station, Collin Baltimore arrived. He had heard about all that had happened at the cafe and he came as fast as he could.


    "Excuse me, i am here about Phoebe Hopkins. I heard she was arrested and brought here. I have brought lawyers and i can pay the bail if necessary."


    He handed a business card to the desk sergeant and pointed at the three lawyers he had brought.


    "She is already gone, David Saxon beat you to it." Amon shared from where he was standing.


    Collin rushed out, without saying anything else. The lawyers he brought shrugged and followed. They had already been paid and there were no reimbursements.


    "Those lawyers, that''s Max Gold of Gold and sons law firm. Holy cow, who is that guy?"


    The desk sergeant was already searching for information on Collin Baltimore online.


    "Collin Baltimore, the son of the CEO of Baltimore industries in Eagle country." he shared loudly.


    Many of the police officers gasped. Baltimore industries was just like Saxon group. They were quite comparable in wealth, influence and many other things.


    The chief looked at Amon, his deputy chief. He like many didn''t understand why all these men had rushed to Phoebe''s aid.


    "Who is this woman?"


    Amon laughed and replied, "A shaman."

 Chapter 73 - 73: Failed plan

    "A shaman!" The police chief exclaimed.


    "Yes, a shaman." Amon repeated with emphasis. He turned to Shark, the only officer that had bothered to protest the injustice Phoebe had faced. What was the relationship between the two, he wondered. Was she really dating David?


    The police chief stood up and pointed to the two officers. "You two have been suspended pending investigation. You dared to punch David Saxon''s girlfriend, sexually harassed her and tried to book her under a false name. Before all the big shots involved in this case call for my head, i will serve them yours. Arrest them."


    Shark and Maeve put the two officers in handcuffs.


    All the officers had forgotten all about the single reporter in the station that had been fishing for a big story. They didn''t even notice when the reporter slipped out. The only remembered when Citrus daily, released an article online which shook the entire country.


    "Move aside Ruth Mayfair, there is a new most wanted bachelorette in town. Meet Phoebe Hopkins, a young shaman whose beauty has captured the hearts of three of the world''s most wanted bachelors, David Saxon, Collin Baltimore and Amon Drusus."


    That article was followed by another swiftly.


    "Citrus PD arrests two of it''s own."


    ****************************************


    By the morning of the following day Ruth had woken up and her family had not left her side for a single second. They comforted her as she bawled her eyes out blaming Phoebe for everything for hours. The sun had come up and she was still going.


    "How can my best friend whom I love so much wish me death over a man I saw before her? She knows how much I love him yet she clings onto him." Ruth blew her nose in a white tissue.


    Even after wailing like a fresh widow, her family was surprisingly nonchalant about the issue. Some of them had grim expressions on their faces, particularly her brothers. In fact if she wasn''t mistaken none of them wanted to talk about Phoebe. Ruth was overjoyed, thinking that it was because they were furious on her behalf. Still, she had to play the good angelic, merciful card.


    "Father I know that you must be mad but please don''t do anything drastic after all, she is still my best friend." Ruth lied blatantly in fact she hoped for the exact opposite.


    [Get her arrested or send goons to beat her up I don''t care if she dies at least then David will move on to me] Ruth covered her mouth with a tissue and smiled.


    Her expectations were quickly doused with water when her father praised her for having such a kind heart. "You are really the daughter i have raised with so much love, you have compassion for others. Initially I asked the commissioner to arrest her but then I thought that it would only make you sadder so I dropped the charges."


    Ruth felt like she had been shocked by electricity. "YOU WHAT?" She shouted, sat up and stared at him wide eyed.


    Her reaction however puzzled her brothers especially Andre. If he wasn''t mistaken, he sensed anger in her tone.


    "Isn''t that what you want? You just asked Father not to take drastic measures. I am so proud of you Ruthie, you are a sweet soul." Andre gave her a thumbs up.


    Ruth clenched her hands on the bed cover tightly, she shut her eyes and nodded. "Thank you all for understanding me." She smiled weakly but on the inside she wanted to scream out of anger.


    "Ruthie you are so nice that''s why that girl takes advantage of you." Collin kissed her forehead and left.


    Ruth''s eyes traveled to Ophelia who was pacing back and forth. She made a signal to Ruth that they needed to speak alone. Immediately Ruth suspected that something was going on, she told them that she need to rest so they left.


    When they were alone, Ruth who had been pretending to be so weak jumped from the bed but immediately she bent for she still felt pain in the tummy. "When I decided to take those pills, I didn''t think that I would be in so much pain, this hurts like a bitch."


    Ophelia gave her a cup of water. "How are you feeling? I told you to take a few pills I don''t understand why you took half of the tin."


    Ruth glared at her and swerved the cup. "Do not act like my mother and of course you don''t understand because you are dense." She prodded Ophelia''s head with her index finger.


    The woman chortled like she wasn''t offended. "Your plan failed miserably, in fact it only brought those two closer." Ophelia showed Ruth pictures of David and Phoebe at the police station which were all over social media.


    Furious, Ruth tossed the phone to the ground and it''s screen shattered.


    "God damn it! " She sat down on the bed and heaved. "That sly bitch should not celebrate yet because I am just starting. If plan A fails then I go to B. The alphabet has twenty six letters." She breathed heavily.


    "David ran to the station the moment he heard the news. The country is curious about the mystery woman because more than one eligible bachelor is interested in her. They are wondering if she will be the one to tame David the play....." Ophelia was interrupted rudely.


    "Shut your pie hole Ophelia! You are so stupid that you don''t know when to stop talking. Instead of coming up with ways I can get David to love me, you are talking rubbish!" She covered her ears and crouched down. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Suddenly, she started crying, both from the pain coming from her stomach and seeing David and Phoebe together.


    Ophelia touched her chest, she hated to see Ruth in pain. The girl was like her own child because she had raised her herself, she understood her more than her birth mother Jennie.


    "I am afraid that there is more and it cannot wait, there is something odd about your family. Especially your brother Andre, he was hellbent on ensuring that your father doesn''t press the charges." Ophelia folded her lips and frowned in regret that she had very little information to give Ruth.


    "What, why?" Ruth raised her head and widened her eyes. She stood up abruptly and started pacing around, seemingly worried about something.


    "My phone, where is my phone?" She asked in a frenzy.


    She threw the pillow on the bed down before moving to the table where many fruits, flowers, get well soon cards and other things were sitting.


    "My phone, i need to find my phone." she screamed.


    "Your father has it." Ophelia informed her.


    Ruth turned around and held her hand out to Ophelia. "Give me your phone and get out right now."


    Her words were a command, one that needed to be fulfilled immediately.


    Ophelia handed Ruth her phone and lowered her head as she left. She was still convinced that something else was going on judging by how secretive the Mayfairs were and how panicked Ruth suddenly was.


    What was Ruth hiding from her when she knew all of her secrets?

 Chapter 74 - 74: DNA confirmation.

    From Ruth''s room, the Mayfairs moved as a singular group to Jennie''s. Jennie was sitting upright in the bed, leaning against a headboard. In her hands was a piece of paper with some smudged fingerprints. It had been viewed many times by different people. The paper was the result of the dna test between Jennie and Ruth and it confirmed that Ruth was not her daughter.


    Another piece of paper on the bed confirmed that Phoebe and her were mother and daughter. There was even one between Edward and Ruth, grandma Mayfair and Ruth, Phoebe and grandma Mayfair. Basically, they had done as many tests as possible to remove all doubt.


    Jennie sighed for the tenth time in two minutes before putting the paper down.


    "Is Ruth still crying?" she asked Luke who was closest to her on the bed.


    "She has calmed down and sent us out because she wants to rest." Luke answered with a sigh. "I don''t know what we are going to do about her after she finds out that she is not a Mayfair and Phoebe is."


    "She is a Mayfair," Jennie spoke up quickly. "I raised her from infanthood, i breastfed her, stayed up late at night when she was sick taking care of her. I am the one she calls mother so even if she is not mine by blood, she is my daughter."


    Edward put a hand on his wife''s shoulder and calmed her. "Relax honey, take a deep breath. Nobody is planning to chase Ruth out of the family. We all love Ruth, and we don''t want to chase her away just because she is not our biological child. But, Phoebe is our real daughter, we cannot leave her out in the world to wander around.


    We must meet with her and see to it that she is returned home, her rightful home."


    Grandma Mayfair nodded. "That is true Edward, i am so glad to see that you are thinking straight. Ruth is fine, our main concern now should be Phoebe. I cannot believe that i have a granddaughter that looks like me and she has been living so close but i never saw her even once."


    The old woman wiped away tears from the corners of her eyes. She had been crying on and off ever since the results of the dna test returned.


    She kept caressing the picture of Phoebe which Andre had sent to her phone.


    "Go and bring her right now, i must see her before i die." Grandma Mayfair sniveled.


    "Mother you are not dying." Edward hastily responded to his mother''s lamentation.


    Grandma Mayfair raised her eyes and glared at her son. "You, you arrested my granddaughter. What kind of father arrests his own child? How will she ever come home now? How was she even raised in another home? How did you take home the wrong child Jennie?


    How could you not know your own child?"


    She slipped out of the chair as if she was lifeless and boneless. Luke and Edward were quick to get to her and sit her upright in the chair again.


    "I cancelled the charges mother, i didn''t know that she was my daughter at the time."


    Andre scoffed. "It won''t matter to her if you knew or not. Father, i warned you not to make any rash decisions but you didn''t listen to me. You too, mother, you kept calling for Phoebe to be arrested and punished severely. I hope you are happy about your decision."


    Jennie winced and defended herself and her husband. "We didn''t know that she is our daughter. We were just seeking justice for Ruth..."


    "For what?" Andre barked.


    Jennie was startled and she whimpered.


    Luke and Collin stepped between Andre and their parents. Luke even pushed him back a little because Andre looked like he was ready to punch someone.


    "Andre calm down. Our parents are not to blame, Phoebe did tell Ruth to die." Collin shouted.


    Andre laughed and tilted his head so that he could see his parents clearly while expressing his displeasure.


    "If i tell any of you to go and die right now, will you kill yourselves?" He turned and looked at Luke. "Luke, you bastard i don''t like you and we were young, i pissed on your bed and told our parents that you did it which is why your little skeleton was confiscated by mom for a week. That''s how much i don''t like you so go and die."


    Luke scoffed and slapped Andre on the back of the head.


    "You crazy fool."


    The incident Andre was talking about did actually happen and Luke was aware that his brother was the culprit despite denying it vehemently back then. To date, Andre would not admit that he had committed the crime.


    Andre looked at his parents and Collin with satisfied eyes. "See, i just told Luke that i don''t like him and then asked him to go and die but he is still standing here. I don''t see him looking for a bottle of pills or reaching for the bedsheet on mom''s bed to hang himself. Can we really blame Phoebe for this or is it Ruth''s fault for being weak minded?" S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He shoved Collin out of the way and looked at Luke again. "How many times have we argued and i told you to go fuck yourself?"


    Grandma Mayfair grimaced at Luke''s choice of words while Edward stared hotly at his son. Did he have to use language like that in front of them? This was not one of his movies where he could use uncouth language as he wished depending on the character he was playing.


    "Many, many, many times." Luke was unfazed and he replied.


    Andre partially raised his hands and asked, "Do you actually go and fuck yourself?"


    Again, the adults in the room frowned at his language but Andre drove his point home as he desired.


    "Point taken Andre." Luke tapped him on the shoulder.


    Andre shrugged Luke''s hand away and stepped back from everyone. "No, i haven''t even made my real point. Ruth manipulated all of us by pretending to be drunk so that we could worry and force David to come and see her. How do we know that she didn''t take those pills to smear Phoebe and once again cause us to pity her?"


    "She wouldn''t do that Andre, you are going too far now." Jennie gasped and quickly defended Ruth.


    "Right, because she is such an angel." Andre said sarcastically. "You may all be blind to her faults but i am not. Ruth is spoiled and selfish and we all have a part to play in the rotten nature of her character. I will make it clear to you all that i intend to protect Phoebe from anyone that wants to harm her in any way." He looked around at his family, one by one and added, "Even if it''s you guys."


    He grabbed his black leather jacket and pulled it on. "I am going to find Phoebe and tell her that she is my sister. I also intend to apologize for the matter of her arrest. You guys do what you want."

 Chapter 75 - 75: Trending: Shaman

    Phoebe was at home, entertaining two surprise guests of her own. One was Evelyn that had come over to check on her and the other was Claire that had come over with the DNA results. It was no surprise to Phoebe that both of them were in her home given the news which had been circulating since the previous night.


    Her phone had been ringing off the hook, so much so that she had to switch it off. She didn''t know how reporters had discovered her phone number but they wouldn''t stop calling. Not just them but even relatives from the Gabriel side of the family.


    Phoebe knew them quite well and she could smell what they wanted from a mile away. They wanted to confirm if she had hooked up with a rich man and ask for favors.


    The word shaman was the number on trending topic online. Customers of the Black Ghost Cafe were already giving interviews, talking about the type of person Phoebe was and talking about her claims that she could see and talk to ghosts. There was so much interest in her that some people had gone as far as to camp outside the cafe just to get a glimpse of David Saxon''s woman.


    There was a debate on whose woman she was, David or Collin but since David was the one captured taking her out of the police station, he was the number one contender.


    For that particular day, Phoebe had told Rossett to close the cafe because they were getting more window shoppers than real clients. Besides she had no plans of going to work after the misfortune she had encountered.


    The three young women were casually feasting on sliced fruits but what was sweeter than the fruits was the gossip they were engrossed in.


    "I used to think that the Mayfairs were nice people, I mean they have helped countless people in need, built orphanages, retirement homes and all the freebies given by their foundation. I was shocked to hear that Mr. Edward Mayfair got you arrested because his daughter tried to end her life.


    Like come on, who kills themselves because someone tells them to." Claire switched off the T.V because all that was being discussed was David and his new love interest.


    I did, Phoebe thought. She had killed herself because Ruth told her to jump from the top of the building. Of course, in her defense, her so called mother and her children had been Ruth''s captives.


    Evelyn gulped down the last of the pineapple and licked her lips. "They genuinely are nice people but when it comes to their only princess, all common sense is thrown out of the window. I have never seen a man more obsessed with his sister than Collin Mayfair. I swear, the man thinks she farts glitter or something."


    Claire burst into cackles and slapped the chair.


    Narrowing her eyes, Phoebe looked at Evelyn. "I am surprised that you are taking my side Evie. I always felt like you were more loyal to her because you both come from rich families."


    The words Phoebe said caused Evelyn to click her tongue because Phoebe was wrong. Evelyn always tried her best to remain neutral in the matters between Ruth and Phoebe. As for spending more time with Ruth, it was not unusual since they came from the same society and their families were friendly.


    However after watching Ruth hurt herself and frame Phoebe, she decided to put some distance between herself and Ruth.


    "I did visit her yesterday and I have to tell you that it''s true, sadly Ruth did try to commit suicide. At this point I think that you should just let her have him, you can choose from the Amon guy or Collin Baltimore, that would solve everything. Ruth keeps saying that she knew him first and it was an open secret that they would get married when they were older.


    David Saxon is just a man like any other." Evelyn squeezed Phoebe''s hand.


    She hoped that Phoebe understood that she wasn''t saying it with ill intent or because she was on Ruth''s side. Rather, she just didn''t see the point in her two close friends losing their minds and lives for a man. For heavens sake! one had attempted suicide and one had been arrested. Enough was enough.


    Phoebe laughed maniacally and sipped on her canned beer. All she wanted was to get drunk and forget her worries.


    "That''s all lies! That bitch thinks she has me backed into a corner by making me the villain in the story. She is Cinderella and i am the evil sister trying to steal her prince charming.


    Why should i leave him just because she took a few pills? David doesn''t want her, he wants me and not even her fake suicide will make him love her. Why should he be punished by being with a manipulative woman he doesn''t love?


    You should know that I don''t even like him but whatever pisses Ruth off at this point gives me pleasure. Believe me when I tell you that the suicide was all fake, she just wanted to send me to jail so she can have that man but i won''t let her." S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Her friends nodded especially Evelyn who could not argue with Phoebe''s evaluation of the situation. Ruth was quite good at manipulating people to get her way.


    "But what I don''t understand is why Mr. Mayfair dropped the charges, it was so unexpected. Those people would go to the end of the earth for Ruth."


    Claire nodded continuously. "And his daughter apparently was still unconscious during that time so there is no way she could have persuaded him to drop the charges. Like you said Evelyn, he could just be generally a nice person who decided not to ruin Phoebe''s life."


    Evelyn shook her head for it made no sense to her. "I can''t speak on this situation with certainty. Something is not and i know because I am familiar with uncle Edward. He is not the kind of man that would go back on his word without good reason, especially when someone in his family is hurt. Are you sure you don''t know why the charges were dropped?" Her narrowed eyes fixed on Phoebe who was silent.


    The resident ghosts in the house were discussing the issue as well, they believed that what Evelyn said made a lot of sense.


    Phoebe too had her suspicions but held back because if she was truly a Mayfair then why hadn''t Luke reached out to her by now? He must have carried out a DNA test as well.


    She sighed and stared at the envelope that Claire had given her. It was time to find out, everything would make sense then.


    When her friends left, Phoebe wasted no time for she reached for the envelope and broke the seal.


    "This is the moment of truth, fingers crossed." The Saxon spirit and ghosts huddled together.

 Chapter 76 - 76: Gone unwinding.

    "It''s positive." The Saxon spirit spirit gasped.


    Phoebe almost broke down because she just couldn''t believe what she was reading. She was actually a Mayfair. Her suspicions were right, the Mayfairs knew that''s why Edward had dropped the charges. It made more sense than them simply having a change of heart because they were such good people.


    "You are full siblings!" Connie jubilated, so did the spirit and Sylvester. "You are a Mayfair, not a Gabriel. You can finally tell those horrible people to go to hell and cut off ties with them completely,"


    "They can now love and pamper that liar Ruth all they want." The Saxon spirit popped a popper in celebration, startling Phoebe.


    "From what I have heard about the Gabriel''s strange behavior, they must have known about this." Sylvester pointed out as he collected the dirty utensils.


    The Saxon spirit nodded profusely. "Of course they did! Why else would they treat our Phoebe like an outcast and Ruth like their own? I suspect that they could have switched the babies just so their daughter could live a luxurious life. I have been catching up on dramas in this century and the one i am watching recently is just like this."


    "Totally, it makes sense." Sylvester clapped his hands excitedly. "And in the drama, the one who goes to the rich family is always evil while the one raised in the poor family is good."


    Connie too pitched in with a squeal of glee. "And the two always fall in love with the same man but he prefers the poor one to the rich one."


    "What roles are we playing?" Silvester asked Connie.


    "Fairy godmothers." Connie answered with a laugh.


    Phoebe didn''t participate in the theories they were sharing but the more they talked, the more sense they seemed to make to her.


    "Oh my God, Ruth must have known about this fact all these years. I always wondered why she worked hard to ensure that I never met the Mayfairs. That scheming devious cow!!!" Phoebe laughed in disbelief.


    That memory of being pushed into the bush so as not to meet the Mayfair boys came to mind. Ruth always claimed it was an accident but how do you accidentally shove someone into a bush with so much strength and run away?


    "She knew but she decided to hide it anyway and enjoy love from both families. She was loved by my father while I was shunned by hers, she was treated like a princess while I was treated like an ATM machine by her parents. Just hold on Ruth, those roles are about to get reversed." Phoebe continued to laugh like a mental patient.


    All the puzzle pieces came together, fitting like a hand in a glove. The way the Gabriel''s adored Ruth, how they tried hard to get her out of Citrus city. The expensive gifts they bought Ruth and dotted on her. They were also in on it with Ruth and had been for a long time. It had started then, when she brought Ruth home. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They must have noticed something and done a test or figured out somehow that she was their daughter but decided to stay silent so that their daughter continued to live as a rich heiress.


    "Very good, i will teach you all a lesson." Phoebe whispered.


    There was a knock on the door which pulled her back to her senses. Sylvester was the one that opened the door, letting David inside.


    He came straight to where Phoebe was and sat down next to her. He looked at her with concern in his eyes.


    [I don''t want to talk, I just want to be left alone] came her thoughts.


    David read them and he drew in a deep breath. He wasn''t here to talk, he wanted to help in any way possible.


    "Let''s go, run away with me."


    She glared at him and scoffed. [Is he crazy? Do i look like i want to go anywhere with the public hounding me?]


    "I am not giving up so either you come with me or I carry you out." he said, seriously.


    David''s words caused her eyes to grow wide with disbelief.


    "You wouldn''t dare...." Phoebe knew that David wasn''t bluffing. He once carried her from a party just because he was ready to go and she wasn''t. She almost chuckled on remembering the buzz the scene had created.


    "Fine," she bit out.


    She agreed, went to the bedroom and changed her clothes. Phoebe disguised herself because she was aware that reporters were waiting outside the Cerene Apartments.


    To her surprise, the place was quite but rather security had been beefed up. The entire path from the elevator to her apartment was lined with security guards.


    "How thoughtful of the land lord." Phoebe smiled softly.


    Her words caused David to groan because the only man he wanted her to praise was him. "It''s not that impressive, Saxon private security would have done a better job but the Baltimore guy rejected it."


    Phoebe chuckled, it was obvious that he was very jealous of Collin. On the ride home last night he had complained about Collin driving after them when he was bringing her home from the police station. The situation became worse when Collin tried to hug her suddenly which compelled David to shove him. The animosity between the two men had certainly increased.


    Thanks to the tight security and a convoy of guards from the Saxon family, she was successfully whisked away from her apartment without a fuss. Still, she didn''t say a word to David the entire car ride, preferring to drown in her thoughts.


    "We are here!" David spoke with enthusiasm as he packed the car at the Laguna palm beach. It was one of her favorite places, although it was a private beach for the elite class, the place was always somewhat crowded with rich kids mostly.


    It hosted private parties, private concerts, private weddings. Basically, you needed the right name, clothes, amount in the bank and sometimes, physical appearance to cross it''s boundary.


    David opened the car door and Phoebe stepped out reluctantly.


    She only planned to stay for a short time and leave. Even though it was a private beach, it would still have people and they would take her pictures on seeing her with David. They would have questions and want to exchange contacts or ask her to read their palms. Just thinking about it all was exhausting.


    On entering the gates, Phoebe was surprised to find the place extremely quiet. Not even the loud music that was played regularly could be heard. All she could hear was the sound of waves and birds singing. The beach was empty, apocalypse kind of empty where no single human could could be seen in sight. The ghosts didn''t count.


    Unconsciously, a smile formed on her lips. As the soft breeze hit her face, she realized that it was a perfect place to unwind.


    One look at David''s smiling face and she knew that he had rented out the place just for her.


    David didn''t know whether Phoebe was pleased or angry that he had rented out the entire place. He knew that she probably wanted to be alone so he called the beach management and told them to clear and clean the place. If she wanted to be alone, it was better to be here than in her apartment.


    He took the chance because it was the way she used to be when they were married. She would escape to somewhere quiet when the world was so loud.


    Phoebe walked slowly, enjoying the feeling of sand on her feet. David followed her at a short distance, studying her. He was aware that she was troubled after everything that had happened but he suspected that something else was bothering her and he wanted to make it all better.


    If only she could think about it.

 Chapter 77 - 77: Stolen kiss.

    She walked and he tailed her, following her for close to an hour as she didn''t stop. They walked from one end of the beach to another and then returned to where the walk had started. Finally, she decided to sit, and he of course parked his butt next to her, on a different chair.


    After settling on the beach chairs, David was forced to ask if something was wrong.


    "Pheebs just talk to me, maybe I can help. What is it that has you like this?" His tone was calm and soft.


    "Not everything can be solved with money, Saxon." Phoebe told him and went silent. She wished that she could tell him about the fact that she was a Mayfair, but it was too soon.


    What if the Mayfair''s preferred the status quo? What if they didn''t want her and that''s why none of them had reached out to her. If a parent found their long-lost child, shouldn''t they come running to meet her. What if they chose Ruth over her?


    Phoebe turned to the other side with her back towards David and closed her eyes. It was obvious that he wasn''t needed in that moment, so he left after promising to come back later.


    David called the manager of the beach and asked them to play some soft music and bring over some drinks and food for Phoebe. Other than that, they were not to disturb her.


    When he left, she ordered for a wine, one glass after another, not even realizing that she was on her way to complete intoxication.


    "You should slow down." the Saxon spirit advised.


    Phoebe raised the glass to her lips and smiled, appearing unbothered. "Why? I am celebrating, it''s not a celebration without alcohol and this one is expensive."


    "Is she celebrating or crying?" Connie whispered to Sylvester.


    Those little tears that Phoebe had wiped away secretly, they had seen. It was understandable if she cried, the day before and this one were both overwhelming. Being arrested, punched, sexually harassed and discovering that your parents have been lying to you your whole life was a lot for one person to take in almost all at once.


    "Woooooh!" Phoebe stood up, threw and run out to the water.


    "She is wasted." Connie shook her head in disbelief.


    The three ghosts were still in shock when Phoebe shocked them even though. She held her hands out and stared out at the sunset, and then, she fell into the water slowly.


    "Oh my God, she has lost it. Is she trying to kill herself?" Connie cried out. "What will happen to me if she becomes a ghost too? I can''t go back to a life of starvation and fighting other ghosts for memorial food."


    While the teenage ghost foolishly lamented, the Saxon spirit and Sylvester dashed out to help. They were closely followed by David and his bodyguards.


    The Saxon spirit stopped Silvester and allowed David to rescue Phoebe. She wasn''t in need of rescuing, she was using some of the ghost energy to breathe under water.


    "Pheebs!" David shouted worriedly as he laid her down on the sand. "Are you crazy? What were you thinking?"


    He started chest compressions, turned to Edgar and bellowed, "Call the doctor and get an ambulance out here right now. Bring me towels and..."


    Phoebe opened her eyes and laughed like a fool. "Got you!" she said. Then she giggled and kicked the water at the bottom of her feet. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She tilted her head and smiled hopelessly at the last fading golden orange rays of the sun. "The sun is setting, look, it''s taking my miserable life with it. Goodbye, sayonara, farewell, cheers, ta-ta my cursed life." She slurred and giggled.


    David had no idea what she was talking about, but he was just relieved that she was okay. He sat down next to her and heaved, relieved that nothing was wrong with her. Sitting was not enough, he laid down next to her but instead of looking at the sunset, he looked at her.


    Was she always this crazy or was it something new? Were these the parts of her that he had not seen back then because he took her for granted?


    She was a little flushed and her clothes were now wet and clinging to her body. The white shirt she was wearing did little to hide her red bra. He averted his eyes, shrugged off his coat and covered her body with it.


    "We should head inside; you need to dry off." he suggested.


    She turned her head and looked at him lazily through heavy lidded eyes. She was exhausted, like a child that had played all day at the beach.


    "I am tired, carry me." she demanded softly.


    He laughed and shook his head. Since when she had started acting spoiled. It was unlike her and somehow, he found it cute.


    David raised himself up, bent down and lifted her up as she wanted. She lifted her arms and wrapped them around his neck. The coat he was using to cover her body fell to the ground. Like a true gentleman, David looked forward and commanded his eyes to behave.


    "David," Phoebe called softly.


    He lowered his eyes and looked at her. She had this look in her eyes, one that drew him in like he had been hypnotized. His feet stopped and he came to a halt. Vulnerable, the word came to him like a lightning bolt. For the first time since he met her, she looked vulnerable.


    "Phoebe." he called her name softly.


    Something about that moment felt different. He didn''t even know why but his heart felt flustered. He was not prepared for what she did next.


    She lifted herself slightly and suddenly brought her face closer to his, taking him by surprise. David froze and remained immobile like one of the many pebbles sitting on the sandy beach.


    Like a little kitten seeking heat, she moved her face over his, brushing her nose against his. It took a lot for him to hold himself back, not to lean in and kiss her as he had wanted to do from the first day he saw her.


    She was drunk, he told himself, drunk and vulnerable, so much so that she probably didn''t know what she was doing. He told himself this even as his lips parted slowly.


    He made all the excuses in his mind but when her lips touched his, they all faded. But before he could react, she went limp in his arms and passed out.


    David, whose heart was hammering like crazy scoffed when he looked at her. She was sleeping after teasing him like that.


    "What a cruel woman you are." he muttered.


    He carried her to one of the suites in the beach hotel and asked one of the female bodyguards to wipe her body and change her clothes. As much as he would have loved to do it personally, Phoebe would be angry with him if he took liberties with her as he wished.


    Down at the beach, the Saxon spirit was wailing at the wasted opportunity. Two people on the beach, slow romantic music, beautiful lights and stars on the horizon.


    "What a waste!" she floated to the water, held her hands out and fell down as Phoebe had done.


    "At least she kissed him." Sylvester told Connie.


    "She will not remember it tomorrow." Connie laughed.

 Chapter 78 - 78: A great actor and actress.

    Aaron and Elizabeth Gabriel were pissed..., no, livid was perhaps a better word to describe their mood. This was because they had spent the entire evening till late the previous night waiting for Phoebe to return to the cafe, but she was nowhere to be seen. What was worse was the fact that her phone was switched off and yet she had a crime to answer for in their eyes.


    Since Ruth had called them yesterday in fear informing them that there was a possibility of the Mayfair''s being in the know of the fact that Phoebe was their daughter, Aaron and Elizabeth were in a state of panic. They couldn''t believe that the secret that they had guarded for years had come to light possibly.


    Since it had happened however, they decided to put their contingency plan into action. As long as they left the city together with Phoebe, everything would be settled. So, what if the Mayfair''s found out about her? As long as they never set their eyes on her again, Ruth would continue living as their daughter.


    Plans however only worked if everything came together properly and so far, it wasn''t working in their case. It was another day and the cafe was closed. Phoebe was still nowhere to be seen. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What will happen to our Ruth? What if the Mayfair''s kick her out? My girl cannot manage to live without luxury after all she is used to it. And her health, how can we afford to pay for the healthcare she needs?" Elizabeth massaged her knitted brows.


    Aaron wasn''t in the mood to hear his wife whine about her worries so he barked at her. "Shut up woman and let me think. The only person I blame is that ingrate Phoebe, I should have tied her up and taken her to the Magic city....no to a foreign country. I am still puzzled about how they found out." Aaron punched the table which unnerved his wife for she placed her hand on her chest.


    "Didn''t Ruth say anything at all about how they found out?" Elizabeth asked softly, afraid that her husband might direct his anger towards her.


    "Woman, are you dumb! Our child had been unconscious, how is she supposed to know what was going on? You have to take part of the blame because you raised Phoebe wrong. How can she tell someone to die? She will pay for this! I am going to do everything in my power to ensure that she pays for causing this trouble."


    Veins could be seen pulsing in his neck and beads of sweat rolled down the sides of his face. "Listen up. From today on wards none of us knew anything about this. In fact, when you hear the news from anywhere you better play innocent. As a matter of fact, make sure to collapse or come up with something to sell our innocence. It''s not as if this whole thing was our fault anyway."


    Aaron then suggested that they go back at the cafe in search of Phoebe. "I hope that we aren''t unlucky to run into any other Mayfair while we are there."


    Last evening, the Gabriels hid when they saw Luke and Andre at the cafe, they looked desperate when they found it closed. After a full hour they left but Aaron and Elizabeth stayed there until the security guards chased everyone that wasn''t a resident of the apartments including them.


    When they got to the cafe, it was open. Aaron sighed in relief but was shortly disappointed when he didn''t find Phoebe inside. He turned his unpleasantness on to the only one in the cafe, Rosset.


    "Where is she hiding? Bring her out before i burn this whole place down." Aaron threatened.


    "Like I have told you, Phoebe isn''t here!" Rosset raised her voice. In her opinion, it was obvious that the Gabriels were looking for trouble.


    "Shut up you serpent! You work for us, but I don''t like the tone of your voice. When my daughter walks in, she will surely throw you out for treating her parents with disrespect." Elizabeth wrinkled her nose.


    Her words however caused Rosset to laugh which puzzled them.


    "Lady, I highly doubt that. Maybe if you treated her nicely then it would have been possible. Didn''t you both get the memo? My boss clearly doesn''t want to talk to you, so get out!"


    Aaron raised his hand to launch a slap at Rosette. He wasn''t about to tolerate her disrespect any longer. However, he suddenly put his hand behind his back when he heard the rattle bell chime.


    Rosset quickly rushed to welcome the couple; she had heard the rumors from the ghosts that the Mayfair''s could be Phoebe''s parents. Such people of that kind of status wouldn''t be there unless the rumor had some truth to it.


    "Mr. and Mrs. Mayfair! What a pleasure to have your presence here, please have a sit." Rosset grew an honest smile on her face but quickly frowned at the Gabriels whose eyes were fixed on the couple.


    "Is....is Phoebe here? Please tell her that we want to see her." Edward stammered and asked.


    "Sorry, my boss is not here." Rosette informed him politely.


    A frown formed on his face when Rosset told him that she wasn''t there.


    Elizabeth who was quivering quickly hid behind her husband when she saw the Mayfair''s, her husband on the other hand saw this as an opportunity to put up an act.


    "Remember what I told you, we know nothing so act like it. In fact, act like a mother worried about her child." He squeezed her hand tightly that she winced in pain.


    They moved and sat on the table that was close to the Mayfair''s. Immediately, Elizabeth started wailing as she prayed that her daughter was safe wherever she was.


    "My poor girl, she cannot have a moment of peace. The paparazzi are after her like a lion after its prey. I wish that I could just hear her sweet voice."


    The Mayfair''s that where studying the cafe turned to look at the couple that sat beside them. They didn''t know who they were, Jennie believed that it had to be some of Phoebe''s clients.


    Aaron tapped his wife''s hand gently. "I am sure that Phoebe is okay wherever she is. I just don''t understand why she is hellbent on being with that Saxon guy! He''s not good for her. Now look she told her best friend to kill herself, was arrested and right now she is in hiding." His eyes became moist on the other hand his wide was still weeping.


    On hearing their conversation, The Mayfairs put one and two together and concluded that the couple had to be the people that raised their daughter.


    Jennie stood up abruptly, she raised her shaky hand to her mouth and stared at them with teary eyes. She wanted to introduce herself but held back because she understood that telling Phoebe''s parents that Phoebe wasn''t theirs would break them just like it did to them, and it seemed like they adored Phoebe so much. They seemed to be good people at first sight.


    Feeling overwhelmed, Jennie run out and her husband followed after her.


    After the Mayfair''s left, the Gabriels smiled with satisfaction. Aaron was certain that they were now safe so his face changed like a snake shedding its skin. "Where were we? Bring out that little slut or face my wrath."

 Chapter 79 - 79: The right woman

    Last night after making arrangements for Phoebe to spend the night at the Laguna beach private residence, David had gone home because his family especially his mother was calling him nonstop. He was aware that he had some explaining to do because he was making headlines in the news.


    His mother was waiting for him in the foyer but luckily Grandma Saxon came to his defense before Miranda could berate him.


    "If your eyes were lasers, they could have sliced right through him Miranda, can''t you see that the boy is tired? Let him be. Whatever you want to talk about can wait until tomorrow." Grandma Saxon gestured at David to go to his floor.


    When he woke up the next morning, Phoebe was the only thing on his mind, the first thing he did was call Evelyn whom he had told to check up Phoebe. From the news he got from her, Phoebe was still sleeping.


    "Please make sure that you give her that hungover drink that I left in the fridge, you can also order anything you two need it''s all catered for. Keep her away from the internet as much as possible."


    There was a lot of false news that was going around about Phoebe with some calling her a gold digger and a fake shaman. What''s worse was the fact that photos of him and Phoebe when they were digging for the money were circulating online and were spreading like wildfire.


    Some of the trending hashtags included.


    #Witch seduces three handsome bachelors''


    #Phoebe''s love portions


    #Phoebe the gold digger


    #Fake shaman.


    Already a day had gone by and still she was the hottest social media search. It wasn''t reducing, the fever was just increasing with each passing second. Someone was sensationalizing the matter and fanning the flames.


    This wasn''t how he was planning to introduce Phoebe to his family especially his mother who didn''t like her in the past life. He wanted them to have a cordial relationship in this one.


    He dressed up and went to the dinning area earlier than usual hopping to be the first person at the dining table but to his surprise everyone was already there except for his grandmother.


    David exhaled deeply. Rather than smelling food, he smelled trouble.


    "This must be a family intervention of some kind. I will save you all the time and trouble by declaring my intentions. No, i am not leaving her, no, i don''t care what opinions you have about her. Yes, i love her and yes, i am serious about this relationship and i will marry her if she will have me. " He settled in the chair and gestured at the maid to serve him.


    Ian his older brother spoke first because clearly David didn''t know the gravity of the situation. "The board members and share holders are talking, they say that you have dived back into your old ways and what''s worse is that the share prices have plummeted slightly."


    Shrugging like Ian''s words were total rubbish David took a bite of his bread. "What has my love life got to do with the Saxon group shares? If its such a big deal then my past philandering ways should have long brought the Saxon empire to its knees."


    Miranda whose head had been lowered the entire time lifted her head. "Love life? Most people expected you to marry Ruth Mayfair when you were done with your playful ways. She''s the most suitable partner. She is beautiful, educated and an heiress. Besides, it strengthens the Saxon group when we have in-laws with a strong financial backing.


    Do you really not understand that? That Phoebe is not the woman for you, i cannot believe that she had you dig up dirt. Stop messing around and embarrassing yourself."


    "I agree with your mother on this, the woman that will be good for you is Ruth Mayfair, not some lowly shaman. You need to engage her soon, that woman loves you. I cannot say the same for that one, all poor people marry rich folks to level up. Forget about about fantasies like true love, it''s a scam." Robert sliced through the egg tart.


    Letting out a guffaw, David wiped his mouth with white tissue. "Rose-bell married her gym trainer, no offense Tom." He told his brother in-law who nodded.


    "Why is it different in my case, I am not marrying Ruth Mayfair. Dad you can divorce mom and marry her if you like her so much. Phoebe is the woman I choose and i have made it clear but in case it needs repeating, i will say it again. I am serious about Phoebe and i will marry her as long as she wants me."


    Miranda gasped in horror, she couldn''t believe how brazen and rude her son had become and she attributed it to the influence of hanging out with low lives like that shaman girl. It was in that moment she swore inwardly that her son wouldn''t marry Phoebe.


    "Shut your mouth boy! Disrespect your mother one more time and I will give you a beating you will never forget. Marry the girl if you want to, it''s your funeral." Edward stood up to leave but paused when his mother walked in pushing a wheel chair with his father sited on it.


    "Father!" Edward called. His facial expression was a mixture of shock and joy. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rufus Saxon had been bedridden for over a year but here he was looking healthier. The mere fact that he was sitting upright was shocking to them and they all looked at Grandma Saxon, seeking for answers.


    "How?" Edward whispered.


    She settled down with a mysterious smile on her face. "I have been giving him some of those tonics that I am taking, and he is slowly improving. He can even manage to say a few sentences now. Today he wanted to have breakfast with everyone." Grandma Saxon told everyone delightfully.


    Katherine who had been quiet, waiting for the perfect moment to choose a side which would benefit her the most perked up. She was now aware that Phoebe was the owner of the cafe and David''s love interest. It would only do her good to support their relationship that way she would easily convince Phoebe to give her the recipe of the tonics.


    "It''s truly remarkable! Which tonics are these? I need to get some of them." Miranda wore a broad smile.


    "Yes mother, grandpa has been taking those from the Saxon group with no change, how come he''s all better now? What''s the science behind the tonics?" Rose-bell massaged her grandfather''s hand.


    It was skinny but warm and that alone delighted her. These hands had carried her everywhere when she was young.


    Grandma Saxon laughed sarcastically especially at Miranda''s questions. "These tonics are from that lowly shaman Miranda and by the way, I have the final say when it comes to marriages in this house not you. My son married you because i approved. You would not be here today if i had the same attitude as you."


    Miranda grimaced and clenched her hands.


    "Thanks grandma." David touched his forehead to the back of his grandfather''s hand. "Grandfather, it''s so great to see you. I have missed you so much."


    He continued holding the fragile hand, recalling that in the past, his grandfather never left that bed. He died, no matter what miraculous medicine they used. Deep in his heart, he knew that he had a lot to thank Phoebe for. He excused himself, and walked away, planning to visit Phoebe and check on her condition.


    He had no intentions of defending his mother. That was a job for his older brother Ian.

 Chapter 80 - 80: Family and financial expectations.

    Katherine rushed out after him. "Darling David, my little brother." She touched the back of his hair and smiled fondly. "I just want you to know that I support you, I like this Phoebe already so go ahead and woo her." She raised her clenched fists and bypassed him.


    Her words shocked him into a frozen state because in the past life, Katherine had teamed up with his mother to make Phoebe''s life a living hell.


    His plan was to protect Phoebe from Katherine no matter what she said or how she acted different suddenly. He looked at Katherine''s back and wondered how a lot of things were changing since his rebirth.


    At the Laguna beach hotel, Phoebe who was nursing a headache from so much drinking was squinting as she read her messages. She had so many of them, over one hundred.


    "One would think i am the CEO of a large important company with the way everyone is looking for me high and low." she muttered.


    Evelyn pushed a bowl of porridge which the hotel kitchen staff had prepared meticulously in front of Phoebe.


    "Eat the porridge and forget about the reporters."


    "It''s not reporters that are giving me a hard time. It''s the bunch of fake relatives that are jumping around like monkeys on a playground and begging for me throw some fruit their way."


    "Huh!" Evelyn frowned.


    Phoebe picked up the spoon of porridge with her right hand and blew on it while her left one played one of the audio messages she had received.


    [Phoebe, it''s your aunt Agatha. It has been three years since we last saw each other. Wow, you must be a big girl by now. I heard that you are getting married to a Saxon and i am so excited for you. Aunt has a small favor to ask, just tiny. I live in an apartment in a building owned by the Saxons here in Salt city.


    Can you ask your boyfriend to waive my rent for five years, just five years. Things have been a little hard on lately. Aunt will be expecting good news.]


    [Hey Phoebe, it''s Maybelle. I saw the news about the three most eligible men being friendly with you. Can you set me up with one of them? Whichever one you don''t want. You know everyone in the family says that we look alike so if they like you, they will surely like me. Sister, please, please, please...]


    [Phoebe, B to the E. What''s up cuz, it''s me your favorite cousin Tony. Anyway, i got into an accident last month and sort of totaled my ride. Is there any way you can shoot a couple of thousands or millions my way. I will totally pay you back.]


    [Niece, i heard that you are getting married to a billionaire. Uncle has some advice to give you. Call me as soon as you get my message.]


    [You damn girl, call us as soon as you get this call. We are going to wait for you at your cafe. You better show up or i will remind you the hard way that i am your father.]


    [Sister, i went shopping in Magic mall and bought you the latest Rhode bag. I am sorry that i missed your birthday this year, but this will make up for it. I am sending it through quick service.]


    All the messages from her relatives were different but the message was similar, they wanted favors in one way or another. She had about thirty more like that including her grandparents from the Gabriel side who wanted her to ask David to give them a piece of land owned by the Saxons in Salt city.


    The funny thing was that before rebirth, when she was married to David, she did all these things and more for them.


    "Did your father just threaten you?" Evelyn asked.


    Phoebe nodded. "I have many more messages from him in which he is threatening me with physical harm if i don''t show up immediately. In one he actually tells me that i should prepare myself to meet Ruth and apologize on my knees."


    Evelyn raised her hands in a surrender gesture.


    "I am so done defending your parents Phoebe what is wrong with them? Did Ruth feed them some kind of magic beans? Are they under her spell? How can they ask you to apologize instead of talking about how worried sick they are because you are missing? They have lost it."


    Phoebe scoffed. "Did you hear anyone asking me how i am or worrying because i was arrested?"


    Evelyn shook her head. Now that she thought about it, none of the messages played for her by Phoebe relayed such worry or concern. All of them were full of people asking for this or that. Was this a side effect of poverty or was it something humans did?


    Or was it Phoebe''s family specifically that was this way? The more she questioned this, the more she remembered some things from their days in school.


    Phoebe was a scholarship student that was required to maintain excellent grades to stay in school. If she had so many relatives, why didn''t they contribute money for tuition?


    For as long as she had known her, Phoebe always maintained a part time job. She worked in supermarkets, restaurants or arcades to earn upkeep, buy herself clothes when they were at university and even buy textbooks. Why was it that not one of these relatives helped? sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Thinking about Phoebe''s financial situation reminded Evelyn of an incident from the previous year. Phoebe was working as a boat tour guide along Sunny River when she fell in by accident. She was rescued in time but ended up hospitalized due to pneumonia and she fell into a short coma that last two days.


    When she woke up and the hospital released her, she abandoned everything and run away without contacting anyone.


    Evelyn only reconnected with her after they bumped into each other in a casino in Magic city. By that time, Phoebe was going by a different name, her mother''s maiden name. She was working at the casino as one of those people that read palms.


    "Delete, delete, delete, block...."


    Phoebe''s mumbling brought Evelyn out of the memories of the past. What she wanted to know was why someone in Phoebe''s financial situation back then had turned down a precious job which could have put her on the road to greatness with hard work and the right connections.


    "Hey, why did you turn down the job offer from Saxon research labs and run away like that when you woke up after your near drowning incident?"


    Phoebe looked at the wall as she scratched her head. She couldn''t explain to Evelyn what happened to her, so she just smiled.


    "Forget all that, let''s go. I cannot hide here forever, i must return because i have so much to do. I have clients waiting and they need me as much as i need them."


    She looked at her wrist and smiled. She had five years to live, somehow, she had managed to add years to her life while she was drunk.


    [I need to know how I did it so that I can do it again.] She thought.

 Chapter 81 - 81: Ruths urgency.

    Meanwhile at the hospital, Ruth had tried all she could to get discharged but she had failed miserably. Doctor Murphy emphasized that there was no way he was going to let her leave because she was still on suicide watch.


    What was worse for her was that her parents agreed with him, and they were acting as if she was about to throw herself out of every open window. She was being watched like an egg that was about to hatch and not a single second could be missed.


    The sense of urgency she was experiencing was major because she sensed an impending crisis which needed to be handled immediately.


    "Get in bed." her father shooed her towards the bed for the tenth time.


    "Do you think that i am insane? Why would I try to kill myself again? I was immature and silly and i have realized my mistake. Let''s go home, hmm." Ruth shuffled her feet in frustration, but her pleas fell on deaf ears.


    Her family stared at her in confusion because yesterday Ruth was acting like she was so depressed as if her life was over. Suddenly she was perky and bright as if spring had returned. These were the signs of emotional instability which Doctor Murphy had urged them to look out for.


    "What is the pressing issue that you have to deal with? You can tell your parents, and they will help you deal it. You are not leaving this hospital right now." Grandma Mayfair excused herself and left leaving Ruth under Luke and Ophelia''s care. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Grandma! Grandma please!" Ruth shouted as her grandmother left. It was all in vain and she tossed a cushion at the door to express her exasperation.


    There was no time to waste, Ruth wanted to try and convince Phoebe to leave the country. It didn''t matter if it cost her an arm and a leg. If pleading and cajoling didn''t work, she would have to do things the hard way.


    She settled on the bed and her parents relaxed. Ruth however was still unsettled on the inside.


    Phoebe has changed so much; she doesn''t listen to her parents anymore. I doubt those useless Gabriels will get her to leave, I need to handle this myself, but I can''t leave this damn place. She thought as her fingers ran through her hair.


    Her eyes moved to Ophelia who was engrossed on her phone since earlier. Ruth had given her the photos of Phoebe and David that she got from Dickson with instructions to start a smear campaign. She didn''t know how much progress had been made so far and this was also because she was being monitored by someone from the family every minute.


    Luke''s phone buzzed and he received a text. He read it and cleared his voice. "I guess I''ll be leaving now but I will make sure to check on you later." He rubbed his nose and lowered his eyes.


    Intelligent and quick witted as she was, Ruth was certain that he was hiding something. She remembered that Ophelia had mentioned that Luke had taken a sample of her blood after chasing her out of the room.


    "Brother wait," she stopped him with her voice. "My hand hurts where you stuck a needle to take some blood. Did you find anything? Has my illness relapsed perhaps?"


    "No, no, no, everything is good." He shook his head vigorously and rushed out.


    He seemed to have forgotten that they grew up together and Ruth the master manipulator was relatively good at identifying when she was being lied to.


    "I should go to work as well, and your mother needs to rest." Edward and Jennie bid Ruth farewell temporarily. They left but reminded the guard at the door to stay on Ruth all the time.


    Ruth could finally take a breather now that the watchful eyes had gone.


    "Ophelia!" She shouted and the woman rushed to her.


    "Where did Luke take my blood sample and don''t tell me that you have no idea." Ruth exhaled noisily through pursed lips.


    The frown on Ruth''s face quickly fell when Ophelia told her that she had followed Luke to the laboratory. "I saw him give the blood sample, some of your hair and an envelope to the lab technician. I tried to tell you earlier, but you wouldn''t let me."


    "Get someone that works in the lab here....no better still I need to see that person now. Let''s go." Ruth straightened the hospital gown and followed Ophelia out.


    When the guard stopped her, she claimed she was going to the bathroom and since Ophelia was with her, the guard figured it was okay.


    At a safe distance, the nosy woman tried to ask Ruth once again what was going on, but Ruth remained silent. This was obviously something that she didn''t want to talk about.


    When they got to the lab, they were told that the person they were searching for was not on duty, but he would be in the evening.


    Ruth was disappointed but at least she didn''t leave empty handed, she now knew the name and phone number of the lab technician.


    "How is the smear campaign going? I want the entire world to hate and reject her. David will never marry her; it has to be me even if it''s a loveless marriage." Ruth sat on the couch that was beside the window.


    There was no need to explain anything, Ophelia rather handed the phone to Ruth who shook her head and ordered that Ophelia makes up more rumors.


    "Involve her family, post about how disrespectful she is, also mention that she tried to kill me just to have David. Make sure that you highlight that David, and I are to be wed. Post about her having ten ex boyfriends and conning them out of money and expensive gifts, ruin that bitch so much that she cannot show her face in public.


    Find some more internet trolls and pay them to make the issue bigger and when you are done, throw this phone away so it doesn''t lead back to us." She tossed the phone back to Ophelia who nodded and made some calls.


    After a few minutes Ophelia approached Ruth who was in deep thought.


    "Miss Ruth, it''s time you let me in on the secret. I already have my suspicions, but they can only be confirmed by you. If you don''t tell me about the issue i cannot help you, remember a problem shared is a problem half solved."


    Ruth brought her hands to her face and sighed deeply. She knew that she couldn''t hide the secret for much longer anyway and Ophelia was the person that she trusted the most.


    "I am not their daughter, Phoebe is." Ruth leaned back and began to narrate the story because Ophelia was confused.


    "It all began on the first day I visited the Gabriels many years ago. From the moment they saw me they were gob smacked. I thought it was because i was an heiress and they had never met a rich person before, but it was because of another reason, I somewhat look like Elizabeth Gabriel apparently.


    Then those fools for some reason went ahead to do a DNA test without my knowledge. The next thing I knew, they were at my school and telling me that I was their biological daughter with these stupid fucking big smiles on their faces as if it was good news."

 Chapter 82 - 82: Cutting ties...1

    They also didn''t know how it happened, but they figured it was an accident at the hospital. Can you believe that those poor church rats wanted to take me back? Like as though they could give me a luxurious life, they cannot even afford my health supplements! They didn''t even own a house and were sharing a small, smelly, dingy, three-bedroom apartment with one bathroom.


    I told them that if they dared to tell my parents I would kill myself and they agreed to remain silent because they love me so much. I secretly did a DNA test on my parents and Phoebe and discovered that she was theirs, that''s why I never let her meet them all these years. But now it seems like my parents know something. That stupid Phoebe is out to steal everything of mine."


    Ophelia began to pace around, everything now made sense especially the Mayfair''s sneaky behavior.


    "Call that lab technician and tell him to come in now, we will offer him as much money as possible to change the results of the test. Don''t worry this will remain in the dark if we nip it in the bud quickly."


    They did just as they had planned by calling the lab technician that handled the DNA results and offering him money. Unaware that Luke had already dealt with the results in person, he came to the hospital and went to the laboratory to check on the status of the test.


    Ruth was too impatient to wait so she followed him, she watched through the glass window as he checked through the computer. She was startled when someone tapped her on the shoulder.


    "Ruth? Why are you here?" Luke asked. He was passing by when he noticed her peeping through the facility windows.


    "I....I want to....my head hurts." she placed her hand on the head.


    Luke was worried and immediately, he carried her back to her room and placed her on the bed.


    "Stay here. stop moving around unnecessarily. I am going to call Doctor Murphy."


    He dashed out of the room. Immediately after he left, she called the lab technician who informed her that Doctor Luke had received the results of the test the previous night. His words caused her blood to go cold and the phone fell out of her hands.


    "It''s over." she spoke softly.


    ************************************


    On the way to the Cafe, Phoebe answered a call from David who wanted to know if she was okay. He sounded more enthusiastic than usual, but she didn''t bother to ask why.


    Instead, she continued questioning the ghosts on what happened last night but they kept avoiding the topic, so she gave up for temporarily.


    When she got to the cafe security was still tight, she hoped that it remained that way until the saga died down.


    Phoebe had hoped that by today at least someone else would be trending but to her dismay she was still the number one search, and more hash tags had popped up.


    People were condemning her from stealing her friend''s man and going as far as to wish death upon her.


    It was obvious that Ruth had something to do with the rumors because suddenly she had become the helpless victim and Phoebe the cunning man stealing wicked witch of Citrus city.


    She stowed her phone and walked with her head lowered. Suddenly she felt someone take a grip of her hand, the clasp was too tight that she winced in pain.


    "You little bitch! How dare you ignore your parents? Is this how your mother raised you?" Aaron''s grip git tighter only for Phoebe to bite his hand.


    He shoved her, let go and let out a painful groan.


    "You...you." Elizabeth was wide eyed and dismayed.


    "What! Did you think that you would attack me, and I would let you be? Why are you calling me nonstop? I told you that have nothing to talk about with you so why are you here?" Phoebe''s eyes moved around, the last thing she wanted was to attract more attention to herself.


    Quickly she entered the cafe, and her parents followed her in.


    "Pheebs my child please, listen to your father and stop making him angrier! Let''s go home and talk about it, why have you become so stubborn? I didn''t raise you to be this way!"


    Her mother tried to reason with her, but her words made Phoebe laugh.


    "So, mother in your opinion I am the problem here and not your husband! How come my own mother never stood up against my father each time he became violent towards me? Why did you ask me to tolerate his behavior? You should have protected me each time that monster of a husband gave me lashes using his belt or the time he locked me in the storage room for a day without food or water!


    And you stand here and call me yourself my mother!" Hot tears rolled down her cheeks as the memories returned.


    Elizabeth placed a hand to her chest and sobbed but her husband was done with the drama. He had come here for one thing and that was to take Phoebe with him.


    "Enough you insolent and ungrateful slut! I do not care if you feel that we treated you unfairly. You were a rude and stubborn brat that needed tough parenting, you will appreciate us when you become a parent yourself." Aaron wrinkled his nose and spoke through pursed lips.


    "Ha-ha-ha I was a rude and stubborn brat you say. How about Nick? He''s always talking back at you, never does any chores and misses school to hang out with the wrong crowd and play games all day. Father you are aware that he picked up smoking at sixteen, why haven''t you used that same tough parenting to discipline him? Phoebe folded her arms and stared at them.


    Her mother covered her mouth with her trembling hand while her father curled his upper lip, a tiny mocking smile formed on his lips as well. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "None of that matters at all, we are leaving to another country right now and you are coming with us whether you want to or not." Aaron pulled on her hand and began to walk but he discovered that seemed to be stuck.


    He paused suddenly and looked back, only to realize that Phoebe was still in the same place. She was like a big immovable statue and no matter how he tried to pull her; she remained in one place. It was because the angry Saxon spirit was using its power to keep her in place.


    Elizabeth was clapping meanwhile. "That''s it Aaron, let''s take her by force. We are done negotiating with you, young lady. You are leaving with us now." She cheered on her husband who bit his lower lip and pulled Phoebe with all his strength.


    Phoebe sneered at them. "Look at you, is that sweat I see forming on your forehead father! I am not leaving with you and also i am cutting ties with your family, I don''t want to hear from you ever again." Phoebe sternly spoke, her face more serious than ever. "That little secret you have been hiding, I know about it."

 Chapter 83 - 83: Cutting ties....2

    Her words were the equity of a sharp slap being delivered out of the blue to wake them up from their fantasy.


    Aaron and Elizabeth looked at each other with worry. There was only one secret with which Phoebe could dare utter words like cutting them off. Elizabeth trembled and stumble backwards. She used one of the chairs to support herself.


    Keeping the words of her husband in mind, now was the time to feign shock and play pretend. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What..what secret?" she stammered.


    Phoebe scoffed. "What else except for the one which you two discovered when i was thirteen years old. Let''s do this peacefully before i become really angry, let''s all just end things here and go our separate ways."


    Aaron gave up, he pointed at Phoebe as he caught his breath. "How is that possible? We are your parents so how can you cut us off?" He asked questions that remained unanswered. "We are family, there is no such thing as going our separate ways. That''s why we are all moving to Magic city as a family today. I will meet your landlord and tell him to cancel your lease for both the apartment and this shop."


    "Yes." Elizabeth chimed in, finally feeling brave enough since her husband was not backing down.


    This was a matter of life and death for their daughter so they intended to see to it that her wishes were fulfilled. Phoebe had to leave the city today and disappear with them. In fact, she had to leave Fog country all together.


    Ruth knew someone on the island of Darma, millions of miles away from Fog country and that''s where they were going. You had to cross an ocean and a desert to get there. They were all confident that they would never be found in that place.


    "The island of Darma..., hmmmm." Phoebe mumbled and smiled mysteriously.


    Elizabeth gasped and covered her mouth. Then she dropped her hand and asked.


    "How?"


    Aaron glared at his wife harshly. "Keep your mouth shut woman."


    It didn''t matter what Phoebe knew or how she knew, he was getting her out of the shop one way or another. He touched his pocket and got a little pocket knife out. He then handed the knife to his wife and looked at Phoebe smugly.


    "If you don''t come with us right now, your mother will stab herself in the stomach and tell everyone you did it." he threatened.


    Elizabeth dropped the knife on the ground out of shock. Why was she the one that had to stab herself in order to force Phoebe to move couldn''t he do it?


    "Pick up the knife and put it to your stomach woman. If she refuses to move, you know what to do. Push the knife in as deep as possible. " Aaron shouted at her.


    Phoebe and all three ghosts had never seen such shamelessness. Even Rosette who was recording the whole mess from behind the counter was stunned. Aaron Gabriel either hated his wife or loved himself a little too much.


    "Honey..." Elizabeth called Aaron in a soft shocked voice. "This....." she shook her head.


    "Just do as i say." Aaron barked at her.


    Phoebe pointed at the man she used to call father and asked Elizabeth, "Are you sure you want to be married to this man? Why is he trying to kill you? So his life is precious while yours is not, what kind of crappy logic is he using to make judgements?"


    "Shut up, you won''t divide us." Aaron shouted at Phoebe. "Don''t listen to her, remember why we are doing this. It''s life and death Elizabeth."


    Like a brain washed sheep, Elizabeth nodded, agreeing with her husband. She put the knife to her stomach and stared at Phoebe with determination.


    Phoebe rolled her eyes at the silly duo. "You guys are really trash. If you think that i will be caged by such a threat you don''t know the new Phoebe quite well. Ruth threatened me with her life and she is now in a hospital. What makes you think that your plan is better than hers."


    She searched her own pocket and brought out a knife which was much longer and bigger than the small pocket knife Elizabeth was holding.


    "If i am going to be framed for stabbing anyone, i might as well do it for real. I am going to aim for vital organs so that you actually die since it''s a matter of life and death. Choose, who do i stab first and between the heart and neck, where do you want it?"


    Elizabeth stepped back and put away the small knife. She was not prepared to die at Phoebe''s hands or stab herself with her own hands.


    "You have become a lunatic."


    "Absolutely." Phoebe agreed. "Let''s not waste time, you guys should just disappear from my life before you find yourselves seeking my help as ghosts. I already did a DNA test and i know that i am not related to both of you. I know where i come from, i just don''t know if you stole me from my parents. This could be a case of the cuckoo occupying another bird''s nest.


    Anyway, if you two were involved in any baby swapping so that you could send your daughter to a wealthy family, i will see to it that you end up in prison for the rest of your lives."


    "It wasn''t us," Elizabeth blurted out.


    Phoebe''s mentioning of prison for the rest of her life frightened her much more than all of Aaron''s barking whenever he had a bad day.


    "It was the hospital which made the mistake. We really didn''t know otherwise we wouldn''t have raised a child that wasn''t ours." She went on to add.


    She shook her husband who had been standing in a daze for a while.


    "Tell her Aaron, explain that it wasn''t our doing or everyone will think we kidnapped her as an infant. I don''t want to go prison. What will happen to Nicky if i am not around to take care of him?"


    Aaron was a sly man and he was very calculating as one as well. Since Phoebe had all the evidence, he couldn''t use family as an excuse to get her to go with them. She was also aware that she was the daughter of the Mayfairs and Ruth had said they were also aware of this fact.


    He calculated all the possible outcomes of this situation he could think of. It was possible that Ruth would be sent away by the Mayfairs. Phoebe was definitely going to badmouth them to her real parents. At this point, it was better to get some benefits and let her go.


    "If you want to cut us off, it won''t be as easy as you think. We raised you with so much affection and care since childhood. We are not rich, but we put a roof over your head and educated you. When you were sick and in a coma, your mother sold some of her jewelry to pay your hospital bills.


    In a way, you owe us financially at least. That house we live in, I want to own it completely. Also deposit a sum of $10 million in my account. I know that you have that much money."

 Chapter 84 - 84: Cutting ties...3

    The Saxon spirit huffed angrily. She so badly wanted to do something___, anything, just as long as it caused pain to the wicked man in front of them. When did raising children become a transaction?


    Where was it written that children had to pay parents some kind of price for being raised by them? What kind of parent counted every coin they spent on their child waiting for a day to demand for this money back?


    "Rosette, check my desk and bring a pen and paper. Bring some ink as well." Phoebe yelled.


    While Rosette was doing that, Phoebe turned back to the Gabriels. She didn''t even feel anything when she looked at them now. Aaron had successfully killed whatever lingering stubborn affection she had left for them. All of that affection was left over from her childhood, before Ruth.


    How did people that had known each other for at least twenty-four years suddenly go from being family to strangers that couldn''t stand each other? Even if she wasn''t their daughter biologically, they had raised her. Elizabeth had breast fed her, taught her how to walk and talk. Aaron had taught her how to ride a bicycle and even confronted a bully on the playground for her sake at one time.


    It was true that they treated Nicholas better than they treated her because they valued the one son they had more than their daughter, but at one time, things had not been so bad. They were nicer before Aaron lost his job and developed a quick temper and taste for the belt which he only ever used on Phoebe. It became worse after Ruth came along.


    Was blood so important that all the years he spent being her nice father were so easily washed away like dirt on the road during heavy rains? When she looked at him now, all she saw was a stranger and all she felt was nothing.


    "Boss, here." Rosette brought the things she had requested.


    Phoebe sat down and drafted an agreement stating that she and the Gabriels were cutting ties, and they would have nothing to do with each other in future. In return she was compensating them financially.


    She signed it and Aaron did the same. When it came to Elizabeth, she was hesitant, and she looked at Phoebe with regretful eyes.


    "Sign it woman." Aaron barked.


    She signed and all of them stamped the paper with their thumbprints. Phoebe gave it to Rosset to make copies.


    Rosette rushed out to make copies from a stationary shop near the cafe. She was in such a hurry that she made more copies than needed and when she bumped into Andre Mayfair who was disguised outside the cafe, she dropped one.


    "Sorry we are closed." she shouted as shut the door.


    Andre picked up the document and perused through it naturally out of curiosity. When he saw its contents, he clenched his right-hand fist angrily.


    "They are extorting her! very good, just wait for me you greedy bastards."


    He took a picture of the document and sent it to Luke and his parents. Then he called his lawyer to see how this agreement could be reversed.


    Inside the cafe meanwhile, the transaction was about to be completed. Phoebe reached for her phone and sent Aaron the money.


    "As for the house, it''s in mother''s names. Do with it whatever you wish, I''ll send the deed before tomorrow. I hope we never see each other again."


    Aaron sneered and turned around to leave. With money and a house, who cared about a lose slut like Phoebe? She would get herself arrested again somehow, he thought.


    "Let''s go." she dragged out Elizabeth who was hesitant and trying to bid Phoebe farewell politely. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rosette opened the door for them and waved at them gleefully.


    "See you never." she shouted and then closed the door from the inside.


    She even turned on the closed sign outside the door so that nobody would come and disturb Phoebe for a while.


    All the ghosts and Rosette gathered around Phoebe; naked worry expressed on their faces.


    "Are you okay?" Connie asked softly, in an abnormal display of concern.


    "Should i cook you something delicious? What do you want to eat?" Sylvester asked eagerly.


    The Saxon spirit raised Phoebe''s chin. "Are you crying again? Those people are not worth it. You shouldn''t have given them the house and money. Ten million!!!" she exclaimed. "We have worked hard to save that money, it''s half of all your savings.


    And the house.... oh i feel so cheated right now."


    Rosette didn''t fall behind "Boss, what should i bring for you? Calming herbal tea or beer, maybe wine."


    "I am fine, stop fussing all of you." Phoebe waved and pushed them away. "I am just proud of myself for getting this agreement. I am going to get it notarized and in future, if the Gabriel''s come to me for any reason, i can use this to slap them in the face." She blew air out of her mouth and sighed loudly.


    "I am tired, so tired and hungry. I still have to deal with all the slander online. It looks like i am going to need to ask detective Shark for help again."


    "David..."the Saxon spirit started.


    "No." Phoebe refused strongly.


    Running to David to fix her problems was the equal of running into his arms.


    "Boss, he handled all of the slander and killed it at once. But he is not the only one, all three men came out and gave statements or interviews. David Saxon declared that he is single and pursuing you. Collin Baltimore said you two are very close friends and neighbors and Amon said you were friends, but nothing is defined in life.


    Wow, boss, you really won the lottery of fine men. Obviously, all these three are interested in you. How did you go from having zero men to having three good looking men hot and heavy after you."


    The Saxon spirit slapped Rosette on the back of the head.


    "Better pick a side and it should be my side or i will give you nightmares for a year." the spirit threatened.


    "What a dictatorship we are living in." Rosette mumbled and she stood up to escape.


    The doorbell chimed then, and they all turned around. Humans couldn''t come in since the door was closed but ghosts could.


    "We are closed." Rosette yelled out.


    There was a male ghost standing in front of the door. He was wearing a scorched fire fighters'' uniform, and he looked lost. Phoebe deduced that he had died in the line of duty.


    One of her rules was that anyone who worked for the country and sacrificed their lives for the sake of others couldn''t be turned away. Police officers, fire men, soldiers, judges, and other civil servants in different capacities were always welcome.


    "Oh, it''s as special case, we don''t turn away special cases." Connie said.


    "Let''s get to work." Phoebe told them.

 Chapter 85 - 85: The special client.

    The ghost''s eyes exuded desperation and Phoebe could sense the anxiety that came from it. She offered him a seat, gave him a drink and immediately went straight to business.


    "Hi, i am Phoebe. How may i be of help to you if you are ready to move on?"


    "I heard that you help ghosts whose families are in trouble. Please I need you to save my mother, if you don''t she will die for sure." The ghost rubbed it''s arms as it''s eyes became moist.


    It was not unusual to see a ghost crying. Even after death, they continued experiencing emotional pain and physical one too if delivered by a ghost catcher or exorcist.


    Phoebe pulled her brows together. "Please calm down, my team and I are going to help you but first we need to know more details like who you are, the identity of your mother and the entire story of course."


    The said team came closer to listen to the ghost which identified itself as Mason Sandler.


    "I am...I was a fire fighter from the Citrus fire department. Three years ago I died while fighting a fire at a school. I stayed behind because my mother has no one else to watch over her. I was her only child, my father died when i was a boy so it became my duty to look after her when i grew up. My untimely death took a great toll on her and of recent she has been displaying symptoms of dementia.


    She keeps getting lost on her way home and she has ended up sleeping on the street or in police stations often. She forgets to eat, bathe and do simple tasks. She almost burned down the house because she forgot to turn off the gas. If one of the volunteers that check in on elder citizens weekly didn''t come by, there would have been trouble.


    The volunteer was kind enough to take her to the Mayfair clinic and she was told by a doctor that she has a brain tumor. The clinic offers free surgeries but my mother is at the bottom of that list yet the she has no time to wait. It can be done earlier if she is not sponsored by the clinic but she has no money to pay for it.


    That''s why i came to see you, please save my mother''s life." The inside corners of his brows slanted upwards.


    "Oh boy." The Saxon spirit felt like this was going to drain Phoebe dry financially. She had just given ten million to that son of a bitch Aaron and now this ghost was requesting for her help. Knowing Phoebe there was no way she was going to say no to someone that died in the line of duty.


    Connie scratched her head. "We are officially going broke!! Mr. Do you know the cost of brain surgery? It''s not that we don''t feel pitiful for you but we may not be able to afford the surgery. And then there are after care fees...."


    Shaking his head, Mason jumped in and highlighted that he wasn''t in need of financial help. "Since I died in the line of duty, my family received a hefty compensation and also I had taken out over five insurance policies. In total my family received a total sum of thirty million."


    The listeners looked at one another, if his family received the money why couldn''t they just pay for his mother''s surgery. The Saxon spirit wrinkled her nose. "Here comes the real problem, what happened?"


    Mason tapped his fingers on the table, time was running out and his story was long so he requested that they drive to his mother''s house as he narrated. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Please check her into a hospital. She is at home right now without a care taker."


    There was no time to turn him down, Phoebe picked up her bag and told the ghosts to follow her. Mason was right, if his mother was very sick then taking her to the hospital was the first step in helping him.


    On the way, Mason began to narrate the details and the more he spoke the sadder and more infuriated they got.


    "There was this big fire at the Olympia kindergarten school and a few kids were trapped inside. My colleague who was also my best friend turned brother, Turner and I went in along with the fire crew. One by one we rescued the kids until they were all out.


    But on our way out, Turner said that he heard a child cry at the far end of the hall.


    At that point the flames had engulfed almost the entire building, he decided to go back in and I followed him.


    We split up to rush the search, as I was still looking through the classroom I heard a loud bang so I rushed for the door, unfortunately it was stuck.


    I yelled and broke a window, Turner was


    passing by just on time to pull me out but instead he pushed me back. I hit my head on a desk and became unconscious."


    Everyone''s face turned grim. They now knew who the villain was, his colleague and friend, Turner. No wonder the ghost was stuck here, he had been murdered.


    Phoebe shook her head because she had come to learn something in these cases that humans are the worst evil. "Let me guess, there was no kid."


    Mason shook his head in response which made the ghosts to groan angrily in unison.


    "There so many vermin like this Turner walking freely. Call Shark, let''s get him to arrest him." The Saxon spirit suggested only for Mason to shake his head vehemently.


    "That''s not what I want!! I have let that resentment in my heart go, I hold no grudge against anyone. What I want is for him and my wife, Victoria to give my money that they got after my death to my mother."


    Confusion enveloped the entire team of ghost helpers. "What has Turner got to do with the money and your wife?" Sylvester asked, with his curiosity at the pick.


    Mason looked down as if he was filled with shame or great sadness.


    "After my death, my wife claimed all the insurance money including my mother''s share. At first, she took care of mother and even moved in with her for a few months. It was only for four months though and then she moved out and got married to Turner. My body was not even cold in the ground and my best friend married my wife."


    The ghosts let out different curse words, expressing anger on Mason''s behalf.


    He continued in the meantime. "It was a plot by both of them to kill me and get the benefits. I was angry initially but later on I let go because their lives weren''t as happy as they thought they would be. Victoria failed to get pregnant which caused a rift between them. They were miserable and fighting all the time.


    Turner even took up gambling and he had an extra marital affair with another married woman.


    Her husband found out and went to the fire station to confront him. He beat him up publicly, embarrassing him so much that he was dropped from the list of the next possible fire chief of station fifteen. It seemed to me like justice was being served and i was pleased so my anger vanished on it''s own. I even hoped that they remained married forever. But things turned around.


    Victoria got pregnant and Turner quit gambling."

 Chapter 86 - 86: A couple underserving

    "She is now about eight months I believe and they are over the moon. Victoria has forgotten all about my mother which is not right. But I have let go of my anger now because there is an innocent child involved. It''s okay for them to be happy but I want that for my mother too."


    His story rendered them speechless and Mason''s pure heart mesmerized them. It was a miracle that he had forgiven those two for what they did to him. No wonder he hadn''t turned into an evil spirit, the ghost held no grudge at all.


    Having been betrayed once herself, Phoebe knew exactly how Mason felt. The only difference between her and him was that she was given the chance to return and she was planning on torturing the people that hurt her, she wasn''t going to forgive anyone because she wasn''t God.


    Mason''s mother''s house was located in one of the nicest suburbs of Citrus city. It was a gated community, neat and lovely. There were some children playing and parents sitting outside under the shade of the few trees.


    "How come that witch didn''t get rid of your mother and sell this house. I believe such a house will fetch a handsome fee if put on the market." Connie''s eyes roamed over the five bedroom bungalow.


    Phoebe knocked once, then twice, she tried the door lock after the third try. The door wasn''t locked so they waltzed in but on entering, they spotted an older woman lying unconscious on the floor.


    The ghosts rushed to her side. "Call 911!!!" Yelled Sylvester. God knows whom he was shouting at.


    Mason carried her. "There is no time for that!!" Forgetting that humans could see his mother floating since he was a ghost.


    Quickly, Phoebe walked in his foot steps and acted like it was her carrying the older woman and not the ghost. They placed her in the car before driving off to the Mayfair clinic.


    Mason''s mother was rushed off to the emergency room. After about forty minutes, the doctor came in and told them that the patient had been brought in on time however she needed urgent surgery. It was not unexpected of course since they already knew she needed surgery.


    "It will be best if we operate right now but clinic policy is that fifty percent of the payment must be provided before the surgery. We provide free treatment for some patients but there is a long list and it''s first come, first serve. Unfortunately, we cannot put her at the top of the list to ensure fairness. What should we do?" The doctor was under the assumption that Phoebe was a family member.


    "I am going to pay right now, please prep her and do the surgery."


    This was a matter of life and death, for the money Phoebe knew that she would make more of it so she rushed to the counter and paid half of the fees required. However there was a balance that had to be paid so they went to Victoria''s new residence in town.


    Indeed, the woman had really benefited from her husband''s death. Judging by the mansion she and her evil husband were staying in. Security was tight with about ten security guards at the gate only.


    "How are we getting past that security? I highly doubt they''ll never just let you in sister, thank God that i am invisible." Connie continued to speak as they watched the Saxon spirit approach the guards.


    The spirit blew some kind of dust in their faces and the beefy men fell to the floor all at once.


    "What was that? I need some of it." Phoebe was astonished just like the rest, this was a new trick the spirit hadn''t taught her yet.


    "Actually it''s sleeping dust, you have a lot of it on the mountains in the Magic space.You just never asked what the shiny sand was anyway let''s go in they''ll be awake in an hour." The spirit lifted her chin proudly.


    They found the right house following Mason''s directions and were let in as Phoebe claimed to be from the estate management office.


    In a few minutes, Victoria strolled lazily through the door of the living room where Phoebe was waiting impatiently.


    The moment she saw her, Victoria pressed the security button. "You idiots! I told you that I don''t want to see anyone. Come take this thing out of my house." She caressed her tummy so preciously like she was carrying a baby made of gold.


    "Sit down." Phoebe spoke authoritatively.


    "Who are you? How dare you come into my house and order me around?" Victoria raised her voice at Phoebe.


    "If you do not want the whole world to know that you killed your husband and took all his money i suggest you sit down and listen." Phoebe''s direct words caused the woman to let out an ear splitting noise.


    Her partner in crime came staggering downstairs, his suspicious glare was fixed on Phoebe but his attention was on his pregnant wife.


    "Vicky who is this? What happened here?"


    Phoebe stood up and pointed an index finger in herself. "Me? I have been very popular these past few days, i am surprised you do not recognize me. Anyway I am a shaman on a mission to get Mason what he wants." Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Letting out a guffaw, Turner wrinkled his nose and stared disgustingly at Phoebe. " You! A young woman like you a shaman. Little girl you must have duped so many people with your confidence all this confidence but we will not be entertaining you here. Leave at..."


    Phoebe cut him short for she had been here for a few minutes and already she hated the couple. "Let''s see....Chase Turner you left your friend to die in a fire after you pushed him back deliberately so that you could help yourself to his wife. You succeeded in your plot but you should be aware that the statute of limitations on your crime has not run out.


    Even though Turner says he forgave you guys, i don''t feel right about it. I have a detective friend maybe i should give him a call." she pulled out her phone and began to browse through the contact list.


    Sniveling, Victoria yelled at Phoebe. "You said that he forgave us! So what is the issue here?"


    The couple barely reacted to Phoebe''s accusation about their involvement in Mason''s murder. They were confident that there was no proof anyway. However, nobody in the world knew what they had done and Phoebe having that knowledge unsettled them. For the moment, it was best to listen and hear what she wanted.


    "We have no idea what you are talking about but we are willing to listen." Turner put a hand over his wife''s hand to calm her down.


    "Suit yourselves, anyway, the money you got from his death benefits, thirty million. He wants you to give half of it to his mother because it was hers to begin with. She was your mother in law and she treated you with love, how could you abandon her?" Phoebe shook her head.


    She was judging Victoria and she wanted the woman to know it. She succeeded in making Victoria so uncomfortable that the woman averted her eyes.


    "Ask her how she could marry the man that killed her husband?" The Saxon tapped Phoebe''s shoulder energetically.


    Connie nodded. "Yes, ask her if she ever loved Mason."


    Phoebe didn''t ask the questions because Mason didn''t care to know the answers.


    "I am on the clock and i can''t stand the smell of murderers. Give me an answer right now." Phoebe shouted, startling the couple.


    She added ghost energy to her voice, making it sound as if two people were speaking as one. It scared Victoria and Turner.

 Chapter 87 - 87: Rocks and thorns.

    Victoria was so frightened that she made up her mind immediately without delay.


    "Okay, fine I will do that tomorrow. It''s already late the banks are closed. I still have her bank number."


    Turner to jumped up with an ugly look of disapproval on his face.


    "What!!! Hell no. If we give it to her then we will be left with nothing." He lowered at both women like they were crazy. "That woman is already old and she may not even survive the surgery. We have a child on the way, we need the money more than she does."


    "Oh look, it''s another Aaron Gabriel." The Saxon spirit commented.


    It was because this was another man who was greedy for money that was not his. Rather than being grateful that he would not be arrested for his crime and repenting, he was more concerned with the money.


    "I think you have forgotten that it''s not your money. If you won''t do as Mason wishes then you leave me no choice but to call detective Shark. Everyone in the country who he is, the best detective that ever lived. You may think there is no evidence or witness but he won''t stop until you are both in prison." Phoebe started dialing his number.


    Turner moved quickly in attempt to snatch the phone out of Phoebe''s hand but the Saxon spirit was quicker and she slapped him.


    The loud slap which came out of nowhere scared him into sitting on the ground and looking around in fright.


    "Who...who is there?"


    Phoebe laughed. "Who else?" she taunted.


    Turner fell to his knees, apologetic and in tears. "I am sorry, it was my fault Mason. I shouldn''t have done that, i am the bad guy here and i will spend the rest of my life atoning. We will take the money to your mother and take care of her."


    Victoria was so frightened that she shrunk into the chair and wrapped her arms around her legs. She didn''t want Mason to beat her up as well. What if she lost the precious baby she was carrying?


    "Tomorrow, go to the Mayfair clinic and pay the balance. Hire a caretaker for Mason''s mother and send the rest of the money into her account. I am going to see to it that the money is wired to a law firm which will be responsible for paying the caretaker and catering to the elder.


    After that is done, you both have no business with her and Mason won''t have a reason to return here." Phoebe gave them instructions and added her own like the lawyers.


    As long as the law was somehow involved, these two would be forced to behave. When all was said and done, the Ghost helpers and Mason left the mansion. Mason thanked Phoebe for everything and promised to move on when his mother was well again.


    Thinking about the old woman being alone in the hospital at such a critical time made Phoebe uncomfortable. She had been registered as the granddaughter anyway when she checked her in so she decided to return and wait at least until the surgery was over.


    It was a long wait lasting up to over five hours and although she was exhausted, Phoebe was determined to stay until Mason''s mother came out of the operating theater.


    The ghost was filled with gratitude. If not for Phoebe, nobody would be here for his mother. Victoria had not even bothered to come.


    "Thank you for choosing to stay with her, I don''t know what I could have done without your help." Mason thanked her for the millionth time, he didn''t know how else to express his gratitude.


    "You are welcome, again. You need to stop thanking me Mason, it''s only human to help."


    "Some humans." Connie muttered.


    Although she looked okay, Phoebe could feel the stiffness in her body so she stepped out to stretch a bit and get a cup of coffee because sleeping was out of the question.


    She received a call from David which she answered only because he had dealt with the online haters. He had a group of lawyers going around suing everyone that posted nasty comments about her.


    Of course, his actions were also generating news and still keeping her in the limelight.


    "Hey..talk fast, i am busy and tired." She opened up frankly.


    "Are you sure that you are not hiding from me?" he responded. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Why would I do that? It''s not like I owe you or something."


    Her question rendered him speechless. His journey to chasing his wife was really full of thorns and rocks which she refused to move. Nevertheless, he moved on to a more important question.


    "Is it possible for me to see to see you in an hour? I am traveling for business tonight..in a three hours actually."


    "I am sorry, i can''t. I am away on serious business which i cannot abandon at the moment." She replied truthfully.


    He sighed...disappointed. "I guess I will see you when I get back, just be aware that I will be thinking of you during the entire trip. Pheebs, please pick up when i call, stop running from me."


    "Have a safe trip." She told him before ending the call.


    On the way back from the hospital cafeteria with a cup of coffee in her hands, Phoebe spotted Andre walking towards her. A broad smile played on his face like he had won a lottery. Phoebe wasn''t sure if it was her he was smiling at so she looked around just to be sure.


    "Pheebs!!" Andre''s smile quickly faltered when he reached her."Why are you here? Are you sick? I know the best doctors here and they will see you immediately. Let me call...." he was cut short when Phoebe chortled.


    It was lovely to see someone care if she was feeling well or not.


    The Saxon spirit agreed wholeheartedly with Phoebe''s thoughts. "Now this is what family does."


    "I am helping out a ghost client." She leaned in and whispered.


    The last words she said caused him to shudder. Andre had witnessed it himself in the cafe, his sister was the real deal.


    "Oh...what''s the case?" He asked as they moved to the waiting room.


    She chose not to yell him about Mason''s murder. The ghost had not told her to publicise it anyway.


    "His mother is in surgery, it''s been five hours so i reckon any time from now, they will be finished and we can get a briefing from the surgeon." Phoebe sipped on the coffee.


    As the hot liquid passed through her body, she felt herself coming back to life.


    Andre stared at her, he saw what others didn''t. Although he had just met her, his sister was very kind unlike Ruth. Five hours in a chair, waiting to hear news about a stranger. Ruth would shoot herself in the head if she was asked to do this.


    "I will wait with you." he offered.


    He followed her and they sat down in the corner seats in an empty row. Silence covered the air, all the two siblings did was steal glances at each other when they thought the other wasn''t looking.


    Andre couldn''t keep it to himself anymore so he pulled out a copy of the agreement of her cutting ties with the Gabriels and handed it to her.


    "Pheebs, what is this?" His eyes were fixed on her because he wanted to read her emotions when she replied. He had to know if she was hurt, afraid, shocked.


    "Exactly what it is. I am paying a fee because those two selfish people raised me and i want them out of my life now."


    Andre had a billion questions but first he wanted her to know why he was prying in her business.

 Chapter 88 - 88: Sibling connection

    He began by clearing his voice. "Uhmm...Pheebs, there is something that you should know. It''s about your heritage....uhmm....I mean family. About these people, your parents..." Andre struggled to find the right words. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He wanted to be honest with her but how do you break it to someone that the people that raised her were not her real parents? He started rethinking the decision to open up because it didn''t seem to be the appropriate time as well.


    His right hand touched one of his pockets in which he had the DNA test between her and Luke. Maybe she needed to look at the proof first and then he could break it to her slowly.


    Phoebe chuckled slightly and bumped her shoulder into his.


    "I know everything about them and my heritage so you don''t have to fight with words."


    She was calm and her words confused him. He didn''t think she knew everything because there was no way she would be so calm if she knew the truth.


    "Know!! What do you know Pheebs? Are you already aware that your family isn''t really...." Andre was cut short by her once again.


    "Andre, I know that I am a Mayfair and not a Gabriel. I know almost everything except for how i ended up with the Gabriels. You are my brother, my big brother." Phoebe laughed at his shocked facial expression.


    "Since when? Why didn''t you come home when you found out? How did you even find out? My God Pheebs!" Andre wiped a tear that was at the corner of his eye, he went ahead to hug her tightly like she might escape.


    Phoebe had to tap him on the back because he was squeezing the life out of her. "Andre...I...can''t breathe." She struggled to speak.


    Immediately he let go but he held onto her hand. "Are you okay? Did i hurt you? Sorry, you are so tiny and i am so excited."


    "I am not that tiny Andre." she laughed.


    "I was so scared to bring it out. This is way easier than I thought it would be but how? Did you suspect them all along....what made you suspicious?" Andre gave her a quizzical smile.


    She leaned back in the metallic chair and told him everything. For some reason she felt comfortable talking to him. "I have to say that i am glad that I do not have to deal with them anymore and the fact that they knew about all this and remained silent is beyond evil."


    Andre swallowed hard. "You mean that the Gabriels knew about this and remained silent and Ruth has been visiting them all these years and she has been on the receiving end of pampering from them. That means that she was probably aware of this too, I mean I wouldn''t put it past her."


    His words gave her joy, finally she had met a Mayfair that saw beyond Ruth''s facade.


    "She''s good with her tricks but i am better now." Phoebe thrust her jaw upwards.


    The surgeon came out of the operating room, he walked straight to Phoebe for she was the guardian but the moment he saw Andre his attention shifted to him.


    "Mr. Mayfair? Do you know this patient as well?" The doctor stared at him with half-lidded exhausted eyes.


    Andre confidently stated that he did. "How is she?" He asked.


    "The surgery was a success but we have to put her in the ICU for a day or two before she is allowed to receive guests. We will keep in the hospital for two weeks for observation before she is allowed to go home if she is recovering well."


    "When it''s time for recovery, please put her in a single room, VIP. I will cover the bill." Andre offered.


    The doctor started to leave and Mason run after him. While humans couldn''t get into the ICU, he could.


    Phoebe knew that she would not be seeing him again for the rest of the day. He would also not move on until she recovered and he saw to it that she was well taken care of.


    "Let''s go, there is nothing left for me to do for now." She told Andre.


    The ghosts didn''t need to be told. They all vanished into the magical space.


    As they passed by the reception on their way to the elevator, Phoebe spotted Victoria and Turner who were asking about the condition of a certain patient, Phoebe assumed that they were searching for Mason''s mother.


    Victoria whose eyes were roaming around saw Phoebe and run to her. "Where is she? I need her to forgive me for abandoning her. I have to take good care of her now." Her voice was quoted with genuine concern which made Phoebe pleased. She felt like her work was done.


    "In the ICU, you will be able to visit her tomorrow or the following day. The nurses have more information so talk to them."


    As much as she didn''t like the couple, she was relieved to see that Mason''s wish had come true.


    As he escorted her to her car, Andre who had been watching saw her yawn. She looked exhausted so he offered to give her ride home.


    "I can have someone drive your car back to your place. You are too tired to drive." he told her.


    She couldn''t argue with him on the tired part of his statement for she was exhausted and she didn''t want to drive but she also didn''t want to put him out.


    "Are you sure you can take me home? Why had you come here anyway and don''t say it was to see me because our meeting was a pure coincidence." Phoebe looked at him suspiciously.


    Andre was overly dressed like he was about to attend a grand party and he had some makeup on. It seemed like he had put in too much effort in his look just to come to a clinic.


    Embarrassed that she could read him easily like a book, Andre bit his bottom lip and held his chin close to his body.


    "It''s that obvious ha! Any way my team advised that I take some photos helping out at the clinic. It''s a public stunt to keep my name in the news. I am glad I did however because I found you because i have been anxious to talk to you and tell you who i am to you then get to know you. " He held her hand again.


    Phoebe smiled for it felt good to have a brother that actually wanted her.


    "You haven''t been answering my calls." he accused.


    She had not been taking calls from any unidentified numbers, not with all that had been going on.


    "Call again." She told him.


    Eagerly, he did so immediately. When he did she saved his number.


    "There, I''ll pick your calls from now on."


    Andre snatched the phone from her hands and made some corrections on his name.Phoebe laughed because he added best brother and heart emojis to the name.


    "Not the hearts ha-ha." She continued to laugh until they reached Andre''s car.


    He had a driver waiting and he told Phoebe to give her keys to the driver who would drive it home for her. He wanted to drive his sister personally.


    Because she was too tired, Phoebe fell asleep she wasn''t aware that Andre had already diverted from the road that led to the Cerene Apartments. He drove straight to the Mayfair residence.


    "When I said i am taking you home, I meant it little sister."

 Chapter 89 - 89: First visit home

    It was dinner time at the Mayfair residence however they were more interested in discussing the photos that Andre sent them than the food that was being served. It was the agreement between Phoebe and the Gabriels. Everyone was feeling uneasy about it.


    "This is truly Unbelievable! I don''t know what to think of this? Why is she cutting ties with them and why does she need to pay them so much money and give them a house too. It''s not right at all." Jennie zoomed the picture to read the contents that she had read thousands times.


    Collin who had just come to know about everything spoke. "May be it''s the other way round, this Phoebe although she is our lost and found sister but we all have heard the stories, the girl is ill mannered. I have met her so I know. It could be the Gabriels cutting her off."


    Grandma Mayfair couldn''t handle the sarcasm in Collin''s tone. "Shut up Collin!! Can you not read? I am old but I have a better functioning brain than you. Phoebe is giving then ten million and a house to break ties, it''s clear that they are extorting that poor girl. No sensible parent will accept that kind of deal if its proposed by a child they love.


    The problem here is not my granddaughter, it''s the Gabriels." Her crinkled eyes stared at him with disapproval.


    She knew that Ruth had always been Collins favorite sibling but now that they knew the truth, she was hoping that he would adjust and give the same love or even more to Phoebe.


    "Something must have happened, we don''t know the full story about this. We need to ask Andre...no Phoebe but first we need to let her know that she is our daughter and we should do it as soon as possible. She is all alone now, we should bring our daughter back." Edward spoke softly.


    Jennie nodded. "I agree that we should bring Phoebe home but i think it is too soon to jump to conclusions on this matter. These are the people that raised her I doubt they would do this. You should have seen how sad they were when we saw them at the cafe when they couldn''t find her. Besides let us not forget that they are Ruth''s birth parents, this is a very sensitive issue."


    Luke was quiet, he didn''t know what to say in the situation. His only wish was for Andre to walk in and clarify on the issue. Either way, he planned to meet Phoebe tomorrow and introduce himself as her brother. All this talk about how sensitive the matter was did not change the fact that she was his sister.


    Grandma Mayfair on the other hand already disliked the Gabriels. She saw no reason for them to complicate matters by waiting to hear from them. All she wanted was Phoebe returned as soon as possible and in her opinion, Edward and Ruth were moving like snails about it.


    "Edward why haven''t you told Phoebe that we are her family? What''s talking you so long? Use your connections to find her. All I want is to see my only grand daughter before I die!" The old woman let out a loud sigh.


    Unhappy with her choice of words, Jennie cried out. "Mother! please refrain from saying that Phoebe is your only grand daughter. What if Ruth were to hear you? How do you think she would feel?"


    Edward agreed with his wife. "Mother this changes nothing, Ruth is still our child. We can raise two daughters here easily. We just want to approach Phoebe carefully because we don''t know how she will react to being one of us. What if she doesn''t want to be a Mayfair? She was raised for over twenty years by the Gabriels after all.


    What if she blames and hates us?"


    Collin almost choked on his drink as he chuckled. "Ohhh you bet she will be glad to be a Mayfair. That girl is an opportunist, i am sure when you tell her that she is a Mayfair she will demand for this and that just wait you''ll see."


    His words were too harsh but Ruth had already painted Phoebe in bad light, especially to Collin. She had been doing it since she was a teenager.


    "Let''s meet her first and I think Andre is home but he wants me to him outside." Luke mentioned after receiving a message from Andre.


    The entire family except Collin followed Luke. With everything that was going on, they didn''t want to be left out of anything.


    Andre had stepped out of the car to wait for Luke. He needed advise on how to proceed on whether to tell his family that Phoebe was here or whether to just spring the surprise on them. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    To his shock, Luke didn''t come out alone. Their parents and grandmother were with him. The moment they saw him they started to bombard him with questions and no matter how many times Andre shushed them, they spoke loudly.


    Phoebe who was in dreamland was woken by loud voices, she rubbed her eyes and sat straight. Slowly she realized that she wasn''t at the Cerene Apartments but still in the car and Andre wasn''t in his seat. She opened the car door and stepped out as she called Andre''s name.


    Her steps came to a halt when she saw him with a bunch of people that were staring at her in shock. Of course she recognized them, however she was puzzled because she didn''t know why she was standing before the Mayfairs.


    Realization hit after looking around that she was at their residence.There were two ways she could handle this, one was return to the car and lock herself inside and two was take the bull by the horns. Ruth had not seen any harm in strolling into the Gabriel home and making herself comfortable. It was time she did the same here.


    With her mind made up, Phoebe swallowed hard and walked to where they stood.


    "Grandma, father, mother and Luke, aren''t we going to go in?" She bypassed them and continued to move inside the house leaving their jaws on the floor except Andre who smiled broadly.


    The Mayfairs were stunned for a moment. Phoebe was small and of average height but she was also daring and brave because she didn''t express any nervousness on meeting them. What shocked them the most was the way in which she addressed them.


    "D...did....she just ...call me mother?" Jennie pointed four fingers to her chest.


    Edward suggested that they follow Phoebe inside the house. Grandma Mayfair was already halfway there however. The old lady couldn''t contain her excitement for she kept smiling as she wobbled inside.


    Phoebe knew that if she wanted to punish Ruth for her wrongdoings, kicking her out of the Mayfair family was one way. So, she was going to act like the true Mayfair heiress that she was.


    They all went to the living room where Phoebe was waiting. Collin was just about up to finally join the others outside when he saw Phoebe walk in casually like she owned the house.


    He was shocked, like he had just seen a ghost. "How are you here?"


    Out of all the Mayfairs he was having the hardest time adjusting to the fact that this con artist was his sister. Phoebe ignored him and she sat down.


    [Why does he act like he always has a stick shoved up his ass.]


    Collin shouted "WHAT!" After reading her thoughts, he moved as if to attack her but stopped suddenly when the rest of the family walked in.

 Chapter 90 - 90: Tough cookie

    Grandma Mayfair had never felt the desire to spank her grandson Collin Mayfair more that she did in that moment. She didn''t like the way he was looking at Phoebe or how he had just shouted at her.


    "Is something wrong here?" Collin i am asking you, why are you glaring at my grand daughter? She has only been here for a few minutes and you are already displaying your rude behavior. Let''s all try to get along."


    Grandma Mayfair wasn''t going to tolerate anyone that was going to show Phoebe any kind of animosity and scare her away.


    Collin placed one hand on his forehead and another on his waist as he walked aimlessly.


    How was he supposed to tell them that he had read her thoughts without sounding mad.


    A muffled chuckle slipped through Phoebe''s lips for it was nice to see the almighty Collin get checked by his grandmother. For all his brawn and sharp tongue, he couldn''t hold his own when faced with the old lady. She now knew that she needed the old matriarch in her corner.


    The rest of the family joined them and Edward told everyone to sit. What followed was awkward silence as they didn''t know what to say. They needed first to know what she knew and then they could find a starting point.


    Grandma Mayfair cleared her throat and looked at Phoebe who seemed very nonchalant about the situation.


    "My dear grand daughter i am so happy that you have come home on your own. I was planning to come and search for you tomorrow in person. I have been very restless since i found out about you. To have you here, in front of my me, i don''t know how to express my happiness. I guess i can die in peace now that I have seen you." She wiped tears from her cheeks.


    Her heart swelled with love which threatened to burst fourth and explode over everyone. Looking at Phoebe was like looking in a mirror. She couldn''t understand how Phoebe, her near carbon copy had existed in the same city with her but they never met even once. Did nobody out there notice the resemblance?


    Jennie on the other hand remained silent, she didn''t know what to say to Phoebe. The girl was practically a stranger, they were mother and daughter but she felt no bond yet. All she was doing was was crying and blaming herself as the guilt ate her up every time she looked at Phoebe.


    The resemblance to her husband was strong and Phoebe had her eyes. If she was put side by side with Ruth, everyone could guess who was the Mayfair and who wasn''t. So, how did she not see that Ruth was not her child?


    It troubled her so much that the question slipped out of her mouth.


    "What kind of mother doesn''t realize that she is breastfeeding and raising a baby that is not hers? How?" She continued to wail.


    Her husband felt equally bad that he didn''t suspect a thing for twenty one years. He placed his arm over his wife''s shoulders in a comforting move.


    "Honey you aren''t to blame for this, none of us suspected a thing. Phoebe, we really had no idea. If we had known, we would have come for you just as we were planning to come for you tomorrow."


    Phoebe felt bad for them as they were in a hard position like her.


    "You have nothing to feel bad for because I don''t resent any of you at all." Her eyes moved to Collin.


    [Except you of course.]


    Rolling his eyes in disbelief, Collin wrinkled his nose at her. Phoebe saw his reaction to her statement and came to the conclusion that her eldest brother wasn''t thrilled with her presence nevertheless she didn''t care.


    As if to taunt her Collin sniggered. "You must feel like you have a lottery now that you are a Mayfair." His tone was very condescending it left his family offended but he didn''t care. He wanted to embarrass and humiliate her.


    "Collin!!! My God!!" Jennie couldn''t understand his rudeness towards Phoebe and neither could the other elders.


    Phoebe smirked because she could see that he was trying to rile her up.


    "Not really no. It''s nice that I finally found my true origins but I wasn''t going to die if I didn''t find it. It''s not that great to be a Mayfair if you are impudent just like you are big brother." S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Her blunt words bemused them especially Grandma Mayfair who laughed. She was glad that the girl wasn''t a push over.


    Andre who was about to come to her defense gave Phoebe a thumbs up, If she was going to survive here then she had to be a tough cookie.


    Phoebe then smiled at Edward who was staring warmly at her. Ruth always bragged about all the great things he did for her. How jealous of Ruth she had been all these years for she had such a kind father!


    [Father, my father. You have such a kind face and generous heart. I wonder if you will love me genuinely because i want to be your most beloved daughter. Father, it has been so hard for me all these years, will you let me lean on you?]


    Only Edward saw these thoughts and he was stunned. He stood up abruptly like a recharged robot and pointed his index finger at her in disbelief. He didn''t know if what he had seen was real but it forced the tears that he was fighting to come forward.


    Without pause, he moved and hugged her as he cried.


    "My daughter, oh, my beloved daughter. Your father is sorry for coming late. I should have found you sooner and brought you home."


    The rest of the Mayfairs were shocked because his reaction was very unexpected. Since when did he express emotions so openly and why was he crying out of the blue?


    "Edward!" Jennie called his name in utter shock.


    "Let him be, he has missed out a lot on raising her." Grandma Mayfair couldn''t contain her joy for she smiled widely.


    Phoebe on the other hand had moisture grow in her eyes. Finally she was being embraced by her father the way Aaron never did. She wrapped her arms around his back and sniveled softly.


    After a few minutes, Edward sat close to Phoebe, not letting go of her hand while they talked.


    "Now that you know everything, I guess the remaining thing is for us to know how this happened, i have the best investigators working to find out the truth behind how this mix up happened." Edward pulled his brows together.


    "That won''t be necessary father, I have a detective friend that has been digging into it. He asked to meet me tomorrow apparently he got to the bottom of it." Phoebe shared with him. She was squeezing his hand on and off, basking in its warmth.


    Edward''s eyes widened that his whites were showing. He was proud that his little girl was very resourceful and proactive.


    "Then he has to brief all of us on his findings, i am going to call off my investigators."


    Something else had been bothering Jennie so she spoke on it.


    "Phoebe, this agreement between you and the Gabriels, what is that about?"

 Chapter 91 - 91: Sisters, never!

    Phoebe forced her lips closed in a firm line, her quizzical glance focused on Andre who had snitched already. That didn''t matter any way because sooner or later the Mayfairs were to find out. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Mother, I had to get rid of those horrible humans, you don''t know how badly they treated me.]


    Jennie gasped. Her trembling hand covered her mouth after reading Phoebe''s thoughts. She had no idea what she had seen or how real it was but since it came from Phoebe, she quickly figured out that it was her inner thoughts.


    Everyone else was calm, she realized and she also figured that she only she was the only one that could see it. The small bond she had with Phoebe grew some more. This was probably a sign that mother and daughter had a special link.


    She also realized that she knew nothing of the life her daughter had lived and it wasn''t as rosy as she had been assuming. She blinked continuously as tears came flowing down her cheeks.


    "The Gabriels are no longer my family, I cut them off and paid them for raising me just like they requested." Phoebe curled her lips distastefully.


    Her words infuriated some of the Mayfairs except for Collin that was still skeptical.


    "How dare they ask you for money? How barbaric of them...no...no, there is no way you are going to continue living on your own so that they can reach you as they please. Those people are capable of doing worse, move in here." Grandma Mayfair wasn''t leaving anything to chance.


    Through her life time, she had met so many greedy people like the Gabriels. Soon they would be back for more especially now that Phoebe was a Mayfair.


    "Hell no!!" Collin''s voice reverberate in the room. "She cannot just move in here, we haven''t even told Ruth about everything that''s going on. I insist that we hear the Gabriels side of the story, this sneaky girl cannot be trusted."


    Jennie was stuck between a rock and a hard place because she couldn''t let Phoebe stay out there when she was her daughter. Then there was Ruth who was also her daughter, it was just a matter of time before she found out and it was obvious that she wasn''t going to take everything well.


    "How dare you think that your say counts on this issue Collin? I am the matriarch and my word is final. Phoebe is moving into this house whether you like it or not. Ruth has to adjust to the new normal, if she doesn''t like it then she can move out.


    Don''t forget that her parents are also going to be making contact with her. How do you know that she won''t move out to live with them? Stay out of Phoebe''s matters if you are not helping." Grandma Mayfair used a raised tone to speak.


    Andre stepped forward in full support of his grandmother''s words.


    "Phoebe has every right to live here just like all of us including you Collin. We know that you adore Ruth, I mean we all do but Phoebe here is our biological sister and that means that she comes first.


    Edward looked at Phoebe who was quietly listening to them. A lot had been said but they were yet to hear her opinion on the matter. They hadn''t asked her whether she wanted move in or not.


    "What do you think daughter, do you want to move in or do you need more time to think about it?" His hand brushed over her head.


    This was not a difficult choice for Phoebe because she had already made her decision. Even if they hadn''t asked her, she would still have found a way to move in, after all, it was her home too.


    "Father, since I discovered who i was, I have done a lot of thinking. I decided that if the opportunity presents itself i am going to live with my family. In fact i am hoping to spend the night so that i can get to know you all better." Phoebe''s eyes moved to Collin.


    [It doesn''t matter if you don''t like it Collin.]


    Collin clenched his jaw. It looked like everyone was buying into Phoebe''s good girl act. She was as pretentious as Ruth had said.


    "What about Ruth? When do we tell her? Are the Gabriels even her real family? She could be a total orphan and we just break her fragile heart."


    They had all naturally assumed that since the Gabriels raised Phoebe that automatically made Ruth their biological child.


    Phoebe read the room which was filled with confusion so she cleared the air.


    "Oh she is their daughter alright, she looks just like her mother. Just to be sure, I did the test and confirmed this fact myself but you can ask them to do another just to put people like Collin here at ease." She continued taunt him


    "It doesn''t matter, you two are sisters and although you didn''t get along in the past, I believe that you will be closer now. Phoebe you should start by apologizing for beating Ruth and tearing her clothes." Jennie made a good suggestion and smiled warmly at Phoebe.


    On hearing her mother''s words, Phoebe laughed lightly. Her reaction puzzled all of them especially Edward who arched an eyebrow.


    Phoebe placed a hand to her chest and said coldly. "I am sorry but sisters...no ..never. You should all know that Ruth and I aren''t friends talk more of sisters. I don''t like her and I never will. I hope that i am very clear on that.


    Oh and as for apologizing to Ruth, that will never happen, I would rather go to hell." She browsed through her gallery and sent the dash cam footage to Andre who in turn sent it to the family group.


    The Mayfairs were left speechless by Phoebe''s words, the girl was very blunt with her words. Jennie could only blame the Gabriels that raised her in an uncouth manner. If she had been raised under her care, she would be more polite and refined.


    "Check your phones, I hope that you understand where Phoebe is coming from. Ruth is no saint either!" Andre folded his arms.


    They were left in disbelief after watching the video. Still Collin had the guts to accuse Phoebe of provoking Ruth to do what she did.


    "You slapped her first, she had to do something to get back at you. Ruth is a weak person naturally and she couldn''t fight you physically so she used her brain."


    His words caused Andre to sneer. "Is that supposed to be some kind of joke? This is why Ruth turned out to be a spoilt brat. Instead of condemning her acts you are blaming Phoebe."


    "Andre is right, both the girls were at fault. Collin as the eldest the least you could have done is to scold both of them and not to blame one." Grandma Mayfair glared at him.


    "Still, I cannot believe that Ruth did that! She lied to everyone. I cannot believe this at all! What possessed her?" Jennie blinked rapidly.


    She was still struggling because she wanted both of her daughters to get along but Phoebe was headstrong and Ruth was proving to be a liar.


    Edward sighed deeply. "Phoebe we have heard what you said and we will respect your wishes not to force you two to get along. I just request that you be cordial with her maybe in the future you two will learn to get along."


    Phoebe nodded once. "I won''t mind her but if she comes looking for trouble I promise to give it to her."

 Chapter 92 - 92: Collins massive hatred.

    Collin did not appreciate Phoebe''s words which sounded like a threat to his hears. His immediately jumped to the memory from some six years ago. Ruth had come home with a black eye and told him that she had been injured when she was playing a game with her best friend. Even though she acted strong, she had cried until she ended up getting a fever.


    Given that the only best friend Ruth ever claimed to have was Phoebe, it wasn''t hard to deduce who had given her that black eye.


    So, not only was this Phoebe a con artist but she was also a bully. She was not even ashamed and she was declaring it so publicly to the family and everyone was just quietly letting her get away with it. Had they gone crazy? Every family had a black sheep and for them, it was Andre who kept the Mayfair name in the news and not always for good reasons as a result of his career.


    It looked like Andre was about to be overthrown as a new contender had showed up.


    Most prominent families that had a lot to lose usually had their black sheep sent out of the country. As Collin side eyed Phoebe, he came to another conclusion that she should be sent abroad, perhaps to Eagle country, somewhere where she could not besmirch the Mayfair name.


    The media would have a field day if they caught wind of the news that the true Mayfair daughter was a shaman, a trickster, a con woman.


    "Father, we should keep this news within the house first. Not only should we wait for Ruth to be released from the hospital before springing this news on her but we should do..."


    Grandma Mayfair picked up the pillow which she was sitting on her lap and she threw it at him. Because the living room was large, it landed on the floor without hitting the target but the intention was clear, she was displeased.


    "I have told you to stay out of Phoebe''s affairs if you have nothing good to say. Where is your concern for your sister? You have just heard about the terrible people that raised her extorting her so where is your rage on her behalf? All you keep saying is Ruth this and that as if she is the only one that matters.


    Collin, you have disappointed me so much today, your grandfather would be so ashamed if he was here today to witness your behavior. You want to throw away your own blood..."


    She started heaving slowly and put a hand over her heart, appearing to be in pain.


    Edward left Phoebe''s side and her run to her, calling for her frantically. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Mother, mother, what''s wrong?"


    Luke rushed to her side and Jennie hurried away to bring the old woman''s medicine. Phoebe didn''t stay still either, she quickly joined everyone around her grandmother.


    She never went anywhere without one of her potions and now that she had a magical space, she had all of them available. The Saxon spirit sent one to her bag and Phoebe took it out.


    It was black liquid in a small crystal bottle. Phoebe opened it and held it up to her grandmother.


    "Grandmother, drink this."


    Collin, like a possessed man full of hatred, stared daggers at the small bottle. He raised his hand with the intention of slapping it away. Andre was quicker however as he saw Collin''s hand movement out of the corner of his eye.


    He caught Collin''s arm and stopped it with a glare of his own.Without a word, he used his own strength to shove Collin away.


    "What is wrong with you?" he barked at his eldest brother?


    "Are you going to stand by and watch her poison grandma?" Collin asked Andre in a raised voice.


    Phoebe had no words for Collin, he succeeded in surprising her into speechlessness. Poison!, had he lost his mind? What had Ruth fed this lunatic to make him so obsessed with her? What lies had she been feeding him because this kind of hatred he had for her, a stranger to him was something built over a period of time.


    Is that what Ruth had been doing all these years, smearing her with shit so that even if the truth were revealed someday, the Mayfairs, her real family would be so guarded against her?


    [This stupid eldest brother, someone really ought to seal your mouth with glue. With which eyes have you seen me putting poison in here? This small bottle, i can charge up to a million for it and people will line up from here to Salt lake to purchase it.]


    Collin read her thoughts and he scoffed. Who did she think she was to have people lining up for her medicine? Was she a miracle doctor? Even if it wasn''t poison, it was probably some water mixed with common cheap herbs. What could it do for his grandmother? He was not going to allow her put his beloved grandmother''s life at risk just because she was his biological sister?


    Jennie, now returned with the various medicines that grandma Mayfair had been given by the doctor to treat her heart and blood pressure agreed with Collin. She didn''t think giving her mother-in-law an unknown medicine that had not been tested was wise.


    "Phoebe, your eldest brother Collin is right. If you give your grandmother something and it has a disastrous effect....mother!!"


    She stopped explaining Collin''s side to Phoebe when grandma Mayfair who had enough of Collin''s bullshit grabbed the little bottle and took a sip of the unknown medicine.


    She didn''t want to point out the hypocrisy at play. If it was Ruth that had brought unknown medicine, neither Collin nor Jennie would have said a word. They would have encouraged her to drink it while praising Ruth for being so loving and caring.


    It was going to take a while for everyone to get used to this new normal. Of course, she didn''t expect everyone to just jump immediately and suddenly love Phoebe blindly even though they had met her for less than two hours.


    However, she had to be given a chance and provided with equal affection just as they gave Ruth.


    "Should i take another sip?" she asked Phoebe.


    Phoebe looked at the bottle and she frowned briefly before chuckling.


    [Grandmother, you were supposed to take a small sip, not a mouthful. Anyway, it won''t do you harm, it''s good for your heart.]


    Grandma Mayfair cleared her throat and gloated while looking at Collin directly.


    "See, i am not dead, it''s not poison. I have seen that label on medicine my friend Prudence Saxon takes and she is doing much better than me now and yet she was the more sickly one before. It''s from the Black Ghost Cafe, i have been planning to get some things from there for a while now."


    Luke held a hand out to Phoebe with a soft smile on his face. He wanted to take a look at the medicine and she handed it over.


    Andre meanwhile was beaming with pride. "Oh!, grandma, that''s Phoebe''s place, it''s her cafe."

 Chapter 93 - 93: Things they missed out on.

    Grandma Mayfair''s eyes lit up and she grabbed Phoebe''s hand.


    "Really, you own the Black Ghost Cafe!, wow, Prudence has been gate keeping where she got the incredible medicine from other people. Her skin is looking much better and hair has regained some volume so she wanted to become the first among us all to regain her old glow before sending us your way. To think the one she was hiding from me is my own granddaughter.


    I am going to call her and brag her about this so much that she will be so envious of me. My dear, you have to sell to me everything that you gave her. I should be the hottest grandma in town."


    Phoebe chuckled and stuck her tongue out playfully.


    "Grandmother." she said bashfully.


    Edward cleared his throat."Mother, what are you teaching my daughter?"


    Grandma Mayfair scoffed playfully at her son and went back to giving attention to Phoebe. She felt as if she had recovered already and her body was filled with more energy than before.


    "Have you eaten? We were having dinner when Andre brought you home. Let''s go and eat, i want to know all about you and what your childhood was like."


    Edward and Luke helped her up, as soon as he was on her feet, she took Phoebe''s hand. For her, there was a new favorite in the house and it was her precious granddaughter.


    They walked slowly and she begun quizzing Phoebe immediately. "What were you like when you were a baby?"


    Edward caught up quickly because he wanted to know and Jennie followed after her sons a warning look. She didn''t want them to fight but the truckload of boiling anger inside Collin and Andre could either spill when they were alone or around other people. It would not be the first time the two would be trading words or fists, it happened when they were going up and they always made up after.


    "I will make sure no blood is drawn." Luke assured her.


    Jennie sighed and closed the door behind her. She leaned against it for a few seconds and sighed sadly. Of course she was happy that Phoebe was home, what mother wouldn''t want their child but she was worried about the aftermath from her return. Was the family going to be torn apart? Would they have to choose between the daughter they raised and the one that was theirs by blood?


    Whatever side they chose, one son would be devastated. It was already clear that Collin was on Ruth''s side and Andre was on Phoebe''s. Luke had not vocally picked a side and he was remaining neutral as he always was in family matters but she had a feeling that if push came to shove, he would stand on Phoebe''s side. He was like his grandmother, blood mattered to him and Phoebe was his blood sister.


    Jennie quietly cried for a few more seconds and then she wiped the tears away. She took a long deep measured breath and went to join the others at the dining table. She wanted to know the things about Phoebe they had missed out on.


    In the living room meanwhile, the shoving had already set in and two brothers were shoving each other while one watched with an unbothered smile. Luke, in fact was sitting in a chair with a smile on his face and a magazine in hand. There was nothing he could do or say to stop the two maniacs at this point.


    "How could you bring a con artist into our home? What will you tell grandma about her business? Don''t you know that she hates shamans and the like the most?" Collin asked through gritted teeth.


    He didn''t stop there and he mimicked Andre, "It''s Phoebe''s business, she owns the cafe." He sneered derisively. "Did that girl cast a spell on you or something?"


    Andre shoved him back in the chest." I should be the one asking you that. Did Ruth put a magic spell on you to make you hate your own sister?"


    "Ruth is my sister? Blood doesn''t dictate everything when it comes to relationships between family. Ruth is a better Mayfair.."


    Andre didn''t wait for what Collin wanted to say and he raised folded his right hand and punched his brother.


    "You bastard, you have lost your mind. We have all said it clearly that Ruth is still our sister, we won''t reject her or throw her away. Why do you keep acting as if you are the only one that loves her in this house? Are you her only brother?"


    Luke raised his head lazily to make a reminder because he saw Collin taking off his expensive watch. He didn''t want the watch to break in the fight.


    "No blood." he reminded them. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Thirty minutes later, all three brothers joined everyone at the table. One had a smile on his face and two had bruises on their face and ruffled hair. One of the maids had been waiting with ice packs which she handed to them immediately.


    None of the adults gave them attention and only Phoebe was frightened at their sight.


    "Brother.." she cried out.


    Since she was looking at Andre, all three brothers knew on whose behalf she was alarmed.


    "What happened?"


    Andre smiled and winced a little as a result of pain from the cut on the corner of his mouth.


    "I am fine, this is nothing. You should have seen me that one time when i was injured by a falling box at the filming set. You would have cried..."


    Phoebe glared at him lightly as he tried to make light light of his pain.


    "You will get used to this." Edward assured Phoebe.


    His words did not reassure her as he hoped, and in fact they made her worry more. How often did they fight? She checked her bag for medicine and band aids. Andre had been kind to her and he had only fought because of her.


    She got up and handed him the medicine.


    "Apply this."


    He put down the ice and raised his face at her with a rather impish smile.


    "Do it for me."


    She smiled and nodded.


    [Tsk, Andre you are older than me but you are adorable. Brother, thank you. I will be the best sister you have ever had and i will protect you just as you have protected and fought for me.]


    Andre grinned and he suddenly thought that the bruises and pain were worth it. He was steadily on his way to becoming Phoebe''s favorite in the family.


    After applying medicine to him she sat down without saying a word to Collin. She glanced at him however briefly.


    "I don''t need your medicine." he mentioned.


    She rolled her eyes. "I didn''t offer."


    [Did you have to hit Andre so hard you jerk? He is an actor, his face is very important. You are such a cruel brother, you and Ruth deserve each other.]


    Collin scoffed and rolled his eyes ceiling. Andre''s face was important, so what about his? He was a vice president in the company. People were going to talk about him tomorrow when he showed up with bruises or swellings. Why did she care about Andre only?


    Jennie tapped the table and Phoebe broke eye contact with Collin.


    "Mmm, Phoebe, we should prepare a room for you since you are living here from now on. You can redecorate and paint tomorrow tonight, just make do."


    Phoebe shook her head. "It''s okay, i will take Ruth''s room."

 Chapter 94 - 94: If she can, so can i.

    A loud snicker escaped Collin''s lips, he wasn''t surprised at all by Phoebe''s words. Ruth had always told him that Phoebe wanted everything that she had, in fact Ruth had asserted that the girl would steal her life if she could and here she was doing just that.


    There were so many empty rooms in this house collecting cobwebs, why couldn''t she pick from any of them. Why did she have to sleep in Ruth''s bedroom? Since Ruth was not here to defend herself, he would have to do it for her.


    "That''s too bad because you cannot have it, this house had hundreds of rooms pick one just forget about that silly thought of taking Ruth''s room." Collin pointed a fork at Phoebe.


    Her parents agreed with Collin because how were they supposed to explain to Ruth when she came to the hospital that her room was given to their long lost daughter? It would be as though they were casting her aside. What would people say if they heard about it?


    "Daughter, remember we want you to get along with your sister. If she comes home and finds out that her room was given to you then the situation between you two will only get worse. I agree with Collin, you do not need to use Ruth''s bedroom when you can have your own." Edward tried to make Phoebe see reason.


    But Phoebe was unfazed, she remembered how Ruth bragged about having the biggest room in the house with a customized everything because her parents didn''t spare a coin in giving her what she wanted. She never shied away from saying that it was bigger than Phoebe''s whole house combined. Ruth also taunted Phoebe with pictures of that bedroom.


    "But it''s just a room, and it should have been mine anyway. It''s not like i am stealing something from her anyway. I just want a room near you mom and dad. Phoebe''s sad eyes looked at her parents who melted at her words.


    [Mother, father, do you know that Ruth gets special treatment in the Gabriel house? Even my bedroom was taken away from me thanks to her. The more you speak up for her, the more my heart breaks. Is it fair that she gets to be loved by two sets of parents while i get none?]


    Jennie blinked back her tears and so did Edward. As always, Phoebe was clueless about her thoughts being seen. They were not seen by everyone in the world, only by a few chosen people related to her by blood or those related to the magic Saxon pendant that gave her an opportunity of rebirth.


    Only her parents saw the thought in this case and they couldn''t deny her request after seeing it. They had spent twenty one years loving a stranger it was only fair that their daughter receives some of that love. Both of them wanted to ask about Ruth''s visits to the Gabriel house and what happened with her bedroom but it was the wrong time.


    How would they explain why they were suddenly bringing it up.


    "I think that it''s quite understandable if Phoebe uses the bedroom and sleeps closer to us. Ruth can choose another room when she returns, its just a room for sleeping anyway." Edward agreed to his daughter''s request.


    Ironically, without even knowing, he used the similar language to Elizabeth when she had explained why she gave Phoebe''s bedroom to Nicky basing off of Ruth''s opinion.


    Edward''s words angered Collin who stormed off with the intention of going to visit Ruth. Someone needed to give her a heads up.


    Grandma Mayfair was nodding her head and she called the for the maids to move Ruth''s belongs. To her, Edward and Jennie were prioritizing the right things now.


    "It''s only fair that Phoebe gets that the opportunity to be closer to you both. I am sure that Ruth will understand the situation. Let us show you to the room now."


    They all moved to Ruth''s room along with three maids. Phoebe entered second after her grandmother and studied the items inside. The room whose walls were painted pink smelled like fresh lilies. It had expensive furniture fit for a queen. The bed was massive, and five people could easily sleep on it.


    "You can remodel it to suit your taste if you don''t like it." Grandma Mayfair suggested. "Transfer Ruth''s clothes, jewelry and other personal items out." she instructed the maids.


    Phoebe meanwhile had no plan of changing a thing, she wanted Ruth to be infuriated with the fact that she was sleeping in a room that she designed for herself. It was poetic justice.


    "Everyone, thank you for escorting me here but please wait outside until i am done changing a few things." Phoebe smiled at them and they respected her wishes.


    The maids that had began to move Ruth''s belongings were suddenly stopped by Phoebe. "You don''t have to do that, I have a quicker way, you can wait outside as well." She summoned the ghosts.


    Connie clapped enthusiastically, she was more exited than Phoebe. One would think that she was the lost and found heiress.


    "I hope I get to see that witch''s face when she sees that you are taking everything back from her."


    Phoebe chuckled because she had a lot in store for Ruth, she planned on becoming a living nightmare that would torment her. Ruth owed her three lives, one was hers and two were her children that she murdered.


    "Alright throw everything that belongs to Ruth outside." She ordered the ghosts.


    Suddenly the people outside began to see Ruth''s belongings fly out of the door at a terrific speed. Oman the butler tried to peek to see what was going on but he was hit by an ottoman stool.


    "Sorry, I told you to wait outside, please get out of the way." Came Phoebe''s voice from inside the room.


    They all gawked at the flying items for they didn''t know what to think of what was happening. A jewelry box flew through the air and shattered on the floor downstairs.


    "Oh boy." Andre chuckled.


    "What the hell is going on? Phoebe are you alright in there?" Edward asked out of genuine concern.


    "I am fine father and i am almost done here." Phoebe shouted


    The only people that understood what was happening were Luke and Andre who had witnessed Phoebe in action. Phoebe''s ghost assistants were at work in there.


    The commotion came to a halt and Phoebe told her family to come in. Everything that belonged to Ruth had been placed outside and the room was also tidy and extremely clean.


    "How? What is going on here?" Jennie demanded, she just still couldn''t wrap her head around what had just happened.


    What would have taken a full hour and three maids had been accomplished by one Phoebe in ten minutes.


    Andre spoke excitedly. "It''s the ghosts, they are helping her. This is so cool." He gave her a thumbs up but his words left the elders in a mixture of confusion and shock. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Ghosts.." Jennie squealed and hid behind Edward.


    "Yup, ghosts, i have three of them with me." she confirmed. "It''s what i do for a living also, i help ghosts in different ways."

 Chapter 95 - 95: Edwards resolution.

    "Black Ghost cafe! Oh my World!" Grandma Mayfair felt a little faint. It was right there in the name of her cafe, so glaringly obvious.


    Phoebe nodded and bit her lips, there was nothing to hide, she had been allover TV and social media with most calling her a con artist. In fact she was certain that Ruth had mentioned it to the family. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [I hope that you all, my family will still accept me now that they know who I am truly. If you don''t then i guess i will consider it my unlucky fate. I almost died, when i woke up i could see ghosts and now i am this...i can''t change it.]


    They all saw the thought and had even more questions for her especially about her near death incident. What had happened and how it happened, they wanted to know.


    As for the ghosts, at least she wasn''t faking anything and telling lies. If they didn''t have the ability to read her thoughts they would be jumping to other conclusions.


    "So all this talk on T.V about you being a fake shaman was wrong? You are actually a real shaman?" Grandma Mayfair''s eyes widened in question.


    Phoebe nodded and shuffled her feet.


    [I guess i should get started on leaving right away.]


    "Err...it''s unusual but we will get used to it." Edward said nervously.


    He didn''t want her to go. His daughter had almost died and he had almost missed out on an opportunity to know her.


    It didn''t matter if she saw ghosts, he would find a way to deal with it. His friend Dexter had a son that had the mental age of seven and he adored his son, never hiding him from people or acting ashamed of him. So what if he had a daughter that could see ghosts? If Dexter didn''t care what people thought of his son, why should he care what they said about Phoebe.


    Maybe her condition could even be remedied, he would look into it.


    Andre meanwhile was panicking too, he was unprepared to see his sister leaving after all the effort he had put into bringing her home.


    "Mom, dad, grandma, don''t be scared. Our younger sister only deals with good ghosts that need help and is awesome when she is at work. You should have seen at her at the cafe, this guy run into her cafe chasing after a father and son. They were ghosts that were still living with a human woman as a family.


    Phoebe stood up and held her hand up like a hero in an action film and she shouted, ghost catchers are not welcome here."


    Andre put both of his hands on his waist.


    "Luke and i were puzzled, we had no idea what was going on. The guy said, those ghosts are criminals, the dead and the living are not allowed to be together, life is for the living. Then Phoebe replied, this cafe is a sanctuary for ghosts looking for a way to move on, i do not harbor evil ghosts, leave or face my wrath."


    Andre continued narrating the story, exaggerating it and adding new details to it. He had written an entire script and he narrated it to them, making it so exciting that even grandma Mayfair forgot her apprehension in relation to ghosts.


    "The guy told her, you are a ghost catcher, you are just like me but you are doing the opposite of your job. Phoebe held her hand up and said, I am not like you, i am the exception. In this world, i am the only exception."


    Luke moaned and laughed, because he was actually there and half of the details Andre had added were false but he didn''t bother correcting them. It was all for a good cause anyway.


    "That sounds action packed and scary, are you okay?" Grandma Mayfair asked Phoebe.


    Phoebe nodded.


    "Let''s all retire for the night, we can deal with everything else tomorrow."


    One by one, they hugged Phoebe, some with genuine happiness and sincerity and others with stiffness. They left one maid behind to help Phoebe make the bed and help with anything else she needed.


    Everyone walked away with different thoughts on their mind. The night had been a whirlwind of surprising events and it had ended on an unexpected note.


    Jennie had the most thoughts as she was disturbed by the fact that Phoebe was a shaman. What would society say about them when they learned about this? She folded her lips and shut her eyes tightly at the thought of her friends and two sisters gossiping about her.


    Edward knew that she was very disturbed and he put his hands around her shoulders as he led her into their bedroom.


    "I know what''s on your mind, you are worried about your family and what they will say about our daughter."


    Jennie sat down on the bed and put her head between her hands. "A shaman Edward, our biological daughter is a shaman."


    She sniveled and quick tears fell from her eyes. For some reason, she was feeling like a failure and she had failed Phoebe even though she was not the one that raised her.


    "How did this happen? how did we end up here? People will mock her and us Edward, they will point fingers and laugh. And there is the matter of David Saxon, two sisters in love with the same man. Not just in love but fighting, exchanging blows in public."


    Edward sat down next to his wife and he sighed. He had put on a brave face in front of Phoebe but he was worried too.


    "Maybe we should first concentrate on becoming closer to Phoebe over everyone and everything else. We have raised Ruth with all the love we have to give and there is nothing wrong with doing the same for our real daughter. Will you be happy if you live knowing that have a daughter out there, starving or dead while you raise another person''s child and pamper her?


    I know you Jen, it will haunt you if you reject Phoebe. You are struggling right now because you are torn between making her happy and protecting Ruth''s heart from breaking.


    Before tormenting yourself, keep in mind that the Gabriels could ask for Ruth back when they find out about her. We may not have a chance to keep Ruth with us so focus on building a relationship with Phoebe, whatever and whoever she is because if we are not careful, we might lose both of our daughters just because we want to protect our pride and image."


    Jennie''s soft cries became louder and she threw herself into Edward''s arms.


    He rubbed her back and comforted her as best as he could. "So what if people laugh and point their hands at her? As long as we don''t do the same thing to her, everything will be alright. She has not had an easy life Jen, let''s not make it any more harder for her. We have even apologized in public and lowered our heads for Ruth''s sake.


    If we could lower our pride for her, why can''t we do the same for Phoebe."


    He was still stuck on the part of Phoebe almost dying and the thought was still haunting him. Now that he had met her, hugged her and talked to her, he would protect her.

 Chapter 96 - 96: A long sleepless night.

    After taking a bath, Phoebe remembered the one important thing she had been meaning to do all day but kept putting off to deal with her personal affairs.


    It was the Mason''s murder business which she was not planning on letting go of so easily. Just because Mason had forgiven Turner and his wife did not mean she had done the same.


    She found her phone and called Shark before sleep set in and she further forgot about it. As always, when he answered, it was with a smart opener.


    "The mighty Shark speaking, it''s ten thirty in the night, this is a first for you Phoebe, is there a ghost emergency?"


    "I need a favor." Phoebe answered with an eye roll.


    She didn''t need to be present in the police station to see Shark licking his lips as if he was about to feast. The more favors she owed him, the better.


    "But of course, anything for you Phoebe."


    Phoebe sighed. "I am going to tell you a story but i don''t want you to overreact and arrest anyone. You just need to keep an eye on them just in case they try to pull anything. Can you promise me that?"


    Shark got a paper and pen. "Go on, i can''t make any promises but i will not move without giving you a heads up."


    Phoebe sighed again, a very regret filled sigh as she anticipated trouble before opening her mouth. But, a strong part of her was a little uneasy about Mason''s matter. She narrated the story to Shark and again, cautioned him not to do anything.


    After they hung up, Shark looked at his partner Johns who was scarfing down a cheese burger.


    "Hey Johns, when have you ever known someone that killed for insurance to stop at one victim or leave a witness?"


    With a mouth full of food which disgusted Shark, Johns shook his head.


    "Never."


    "Close your mouth." Shark tossed a stale crispy doughnut at his partner.


    He left his desk and found a young rookie officer that he handed a small camera and wiretapping device with instructions for those objects to be hidden inside Mason''s mother''s hospital room.


    As for Phoebe, shortly after getting off the phone with Shark, she entered bed and closed her eyes but one long hour passed by and she was still awake.


    Maybe it was the events of the day or because it was her first night in a new environment but Phoebe failed to sleep no matter how hard she tried. She felt a mixture of emotions because she didn''t expect her family to be so open minded towards her. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe believed without a doubt that Ruth had made it her life''s mission to paint her as a bad person and she thought that most if not all the Mayfairs didn''t like her. But things had gone pretty well, all that was left was to see Ruth shed tears of blood as she took everything from her including the love from the family.


    She was also still in disbelief because she was actually in the Mayfair house after so many years of being kept at bay by Ruth. The thoughts that she was such a fool whose eyes had been covered with mud continued lurking in her mind. How did she never realize that the Gabriels and Ruth were related?


    Why didn''t see ever question Ruth''s reason for keeping her away from the Mayfairs? That witch had always known the truth. That time when she threatened to kill her mother if she didn''t jump off a building, which mother was she referring to? Was it Jennie?


    So Elizabeth must have been acting as a hostage in order to make her believe Ruth and do as she demanded on that day.


    Phoebe turned and sighed. It was okay, there was a chance to turn the tables on Ruth now. She would take the love of the Mayfairs away from her, one by one.


    As for Collin she planned to remove the blindfold on his eyes, slowly but surely he would get to know the true characters of his beloved Ruth but she wasn''t in any rush though. If she rushed, she would carelessly crush.


    After another hour of mixed thoughts and no sleep, she gave up. The ghosts had vanished into the magic space after bidding her goodnight so Phoebe decided to join them. Since they had started planting the herbs she hadn''t been to the Magic space because she had been too busy.


    On entering the space, she was shocked by what she saw. The place had changed unexpectedly, it was bigger and the air clearer. Also, a lake with sparkling water had appeared at the bottom of the mountain. All of these changes were attributed to ghost energy, a lot of it. Phoebe couldn''t remember doing anything that caused a massive shift in the energy for the lake to appear.


    "When did that appear here?" She asked a random question as she walked closer to it. The ghosts that were resting beside the lake remained quiet and looked at one another.


    The Saxon spirit gestured at them not to say a word for now. As for her intentions, they couldn''t begin to guess.


    "What in the world happened ancestor Saxon? You said if I remember correctly that I need a lot of energy for this lake to appear and I haven''t helped any ghosts apart from Mason so....." Her words trailed off and she recalled their suspicious behavior. "When I was at the Laguna palm beach...I drunk too much and I don''t remember what happened, is it related to this? Connie?


    Sylvester?" Phoebe called them but they looked everywhere but at her.


    The Saxon spirit chortled. "It''s better that you find out for yourself my dear, let''s go inside the wooden cabin and see what other new things are available."


    Once inside the cabin, the spirit pointed at a small box that was seated on one of the shelves. "Open it." The spirit instructed.


    Phoebe took out that particular box and did as ordered. Inside was a an old strapless gold watch with a pendant chain at its top. She had not seen it before mostly because she hadn''t had the time to check out everything that was in the cabin.


    "What''s this?" Phoebe''s eyes roamed around it.


    "That is a time keeper''s pocket watch, it can take you back in time for five minutes but only once per day. Use it and go back to any particular day, you will then see what happened. All you have to do is look at the ticking hand and think of that memory or place....." The Saxon spirit stopped talking when Phoebe disappeared.


    In less than five minutes she was back, one hand tugged on her front hair and the other held the time keeper''s watch by the chain. She looked at her three partners with a devilish grin on her face.


    "Why the hell didn''t any of you tell me that I kissed him? How could I forget that? This is a nightmare, a horrible nightmare." Phoebe was in a mixture of shock and surprise.


    No wonder David asked if she was avoiding him, how was she supposed to face him. Literally she sort of harassed him, even though he had been a very willing participant.


    "Bloody shit! How do i face him from now on? I was walking around all high and mighty and i have brought myself down a peg." Phoebe spoke through pursed lips.


    Connie stretched her hand to distract Phoebe. "Whatever you do, don''t hurt his feelings! Aren''t you happy about the water lake? We used it''s water to water the plants and see how fast they have grown. This ginseng is equivalent to that of thirty years already give it a few days and it''ll be equivalent to that of a hundred or two hundred years.


    This is money Pheebs, I say give him more kisses...." she bit her lip because Phoebe''s frown grew deeper.

 Chapter 97 - 97: The urgency builds.

    Phoebe''s eyes moved from Connie to the lake then to the plants. Connie was right, they had grown beyond human explanation in only two days. Within a week, they would be ready for harvesting at this rate.


    For a few seconds, she closed her eyes and laughed silently. Fate, the pendant or the Saxon spirit had really gone above and beyond to tie her and David together. He could provide bottomless energy to keep her alive and he could level up her space with one kiss. If she slept with him, would everything beyond the fog open up? What else would be uncovered?


    "What are you thinking about sister, are you considering my suggestion seriously?" Connie cheekily asked. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe looked away from the girl, grateful that she had not seen her thoughts. She had gone beyond thoughts on kissing and moved on to sleeping with him.


    The Saxon spirit had been quietly watching Phoebe. It didn''t matter what her mouth said, her heart felt otherwise about David. It was just a matter of time before she gave in to him.


    "What''s in that water anyway?" Phoebe asked them.


    The all knowledgeable Saxon spirit provided the answer. "It''s the lake of life, plants and animals will grow abnormally when watered or fed with it. The most important and dangerous thing what it can do for humans. Just as it was named the lake of life, the water can bring back someone that is at death''s door.


    As long as they have a single breath left, a concentrated drop of this water can buy them some time but remember....."


    "Everything tied to magic comes at a price." Phoebe completed the statement she has heard since her rebirth. "What''s the price then?" She asked.


    The spirit sighed deeply. "If you give life, you loose life and in your case a year of life from those you have painstakingly collected which means you have to collect ghost energy to replace what you lose but it also makes you gravely ill for a day, a punishment from death for stealing what it is owed. So, be very careful Phoebe this water isn''t child''s play, don''t just use it on anyone.


    In fact, don''t use it on humans, life and death is natural after all as long as it is an act of fate."


    Phoebe nodded. "Understood."


    She laid down on one of the pool chairs prepared by the ghosts beside the lake, covered herself and closed her eyes. Within five minutes, the long desired sleep came for her.


    *******************************************


    The only reason Ruth had stayed put for sometime was because doctor Murphy threatened that if she made an attempt to escape from the hospital again then he would have no option but to send her to the psych ward for a month.This happened after Ophelia was caught sleeping in the bed pretending to be Ruth.


    Dr. Murphy was exasperated because Ruth was a very stubborn patient and difficult to deal with. First, she had abused all the shrinks that attempted to talk to her, second she was deliberately refusing to swallow the medication. She kept them under the tongue and placed them under the bed, the cleaner alerted him after making the discovery.


    It was because of this reason that he advised her parents that Ruth spends more time at the hospital which further aggravated her.


    With everything that was going on, Ruth was determined to leave one way or another. She had to find out what was happening at home. It was odd that last night, none of the Mayfairs except Collin spent the night at the hospital.


    When she asked him if anything had happened he tried to speak but held back.


    He was always a straight forward and blunt man who spoke what was always on his mind, the fact that he was tongue tied worried her. The urgency to escape the hospital multiplied so she put on the water works.


    "Collin please do something, I am tired of staying here and I want to go home please." She pouted her lips as her eyes became moist.


    Her tears were Collin''s weakness, he didn''t want her to cry or worry about anything but how was he supposed to take her home with all the drama that was going on? What if Ruth fell into depression after finding out that Phoebe was the real Mayfair heiress and not her.


    This is why he had suggested that they take things slow but his family had welcomed the girl with open arms to the point of allowing her to spend the night and commandeer Ruth''s bedroom.


    "Just wait a bit and don''t worry about anything because that''s the job of your big brother. I''ll protect you at all costs." Collin pulled her head to his chest, in return Ruth wrapped her hands around him.


    After emphasizing to Ophelia to take care of Ruth and stay by her side, Collin went straight to work because the last thing he wanted was go home.


    Dickson who had been eavesdropping outside walked into the room and clapped continuously. "You have that man wrapped around your pinky finger, the fact that a smart man like that cannot see through your pretense ruffles me." He arched an eyebrow.


    Lifting her chin, Ruth sneered at him. "Why are you here this early morning? Don''t you have better things to do?" Her tone was derisive which miffed Dickson who folded his lips and remained silent in anger.


    He had canceled a very important meeting that was about to make him a lot of money just to be with her but she seemed not to care at all. Of course Dickson believed without a doubt that Ruth had faked the suicide because he knew her like the back of her hand.


    "This is ridiculous! I need to leave." Ruth gawked Ophelia who gasped loudly, her hands were trembling. She had been speaking into her phone for a few seconds and whatever the other person on the line had told her horrified her.


    She rushed over to where Ruth was standing. "Uhmm.. Miss Ruth there is a problem..." Ophelia stopped speaking and frowned at Dickson whose eyes expressed curiosity.


    Ruth knew immediately that whatever Ophelia wanted to say was for her ears only, she looked at Dickson and told him to leave.


    "What''s the problem? I maybe of help to you just tell me what it is." Dickson folded his arms and got more comfortable which angered Ruth, she hated to repeat herself.


    "LEAVE! are you deaf? I don''t need your help just go...now!!" Ruth yelled on top of her voice which compelled Dickson to raise his hands in total surrender. He said good bye and left.


    Ophelia followed after him and closed the door. "A maid that I told to spy for me at home just informed me that Phoebe girl is at home...."


    Her words elicited a loud ''WHAT!'' from Ruth. No wonder her family was nowhere to be seen, they were busy pampering their real daughter, she thought.


    "What did that maid say Ophelia tell me everything." Ruth stood up and paced back and forth.


    "Well apparently Andre took her home and everyone was happy to see her except Collin."


    Ophelia swallowed hard for she was about to share even worse news.

 Chapter 98 - 98: And the plotting continues

    Ruth was a little smug about some of the things Ophelia had reported to her. Of course Collin wouldn''t welcome that wretch Phoebe, she had poisoned his mind against her. It now made sense why her brother looked troubled that morning, he wanted to tell her but lost the guts to do so because he was concerned about her health.


    Ophelia wiped her face with her hand. "There is a bigger problem and it''s about the Gabriels. They apparently signed an agreement with Phoebe agreeing to cut off all ties with her away and in return they asked for ten million and the house that they are currently living in."


    Ruth clenched her fists and let out a loud sharp cry like a bird whose eggs in the nest had been stolen. She couldn''t believe how greedy and stupid her birth parents were. She had given them simple instructions to take Phoebe away but the fools had chosen to let her go for a paltry sum and to add salt to make it worse, they left evidence by signing an agreement.


    With this, Edward and Jennie would never allow Phoebe and the Gabriels to so much as meet.


    It was already cemented in their minds now that those two were bad people. She couldn''t use them to smear Phoebe''s reputation to the Mayfairs.


    "Give me that phone!" Ruth shouted, she wanted to give the Gabriels an earful and for this stupid mistake they had made. They were fools that couldn''t think beyond their stomachs.


    "Ruthie, my daughter, are you feeling any better? I was...." Aaron Gabriel happily spoke when he answered Ruth''s call but he stopped speaking when she told him to shut his big mouth immediately, stunning him.


    "How many times have I told you not to call me your daughter! I am not and I will never be, get that into your thick skull. I am a Mayfair, okay, i am Ruth Mayfair." Ruth''s words only dripped with venom as she spoke, she had no kind words for a father she considered useless.


    "Do you want to see me die right now? I am already in the hospital and in pain. Why do you have to add to my problems?"


    Aaron quickly apologized, he loved his daughter so much and didn''t want to annoy her by his sentiments. "I am sorry daugh...I mean Ruth. I was just so happy to receive a call from you. May i ask why you have called? Is there something I can help you with?"


    Harsh laughter vibrated through the phone. "You, help me? I gave you one simple instruction but instead you have made things worse on my end. Why in God''s name did you ask Phoebe for money and why did you cut her off. You were supposed to stick to her like glue but instead you drove her into the arms of the Mayfairs with a sob story about bad parents that extorted her." Ruth spoke through pursed lips.


    "What? She''s at the Mayfairs? Listen...we didn''t cut her off deliberately, she already had the proof that we are not her parents. She was talking about sending us to prison for a crime of kidnapping and claiming we swapped the two of you as babies. We have your brother to think about too, we cannot be classified as criminals.


    The Mayfairs will ruin all of us if such a rumor surfaces even if it''s not true. And as for the money and the house, we deserved it...." Aaron tried to explain but his daughter was too angry to listen to him speak


    "Shut up!!! You are idiots because now the Mayfairs think badly of you. All the lies I told about her being a bad daughter have been covered by your foolish act because you are horrible parents for extorting her. Why did you ask for money yet I give you allowances each month? As for the house I told you that I bought you one in Magic city so you don''t need one here.


    If you want to help me, you need to disappear before the Mayfairs come looking for you. I want all of you to pack your bags and leave immediately." Ruth ordered, her voice was stern and her instructions were non negotiable.


    "Now? Just like that? What about your brother''s school, maybe we can leave at the end of the year not now." Aaron tried to make Ruth see reason


    "Brother? I don''t care what you do about his school, let''s not pretend that he is scholar or a perfect student. Leave immediately, today. What if the Mayfairs seek for revenge for how you treated their daughter? They have already consulted lawyers about the house and money Phoebe gave you.


    I am sure it''s what that wretch was planning right from the onset and you fell into her trap. You will all end up in prison if you don''t run away immediately." Ruth threatened Aaron who seemed hesitant.


    On hearing that he could end up in prison Aaron agreed to leave. "Just send us more money because Magic city is an expensive city to live in."


    Ruth sneered at the nerve of Aaron to ask her for more money. What about all the money that Phoebe had just given him. It didn''t matter because Ruth wanted them gone, her life was going to get easier without them in it. If they were not around, the Mayfair''s couldn''t say things like ''we are sending you back to your family.''


    "Fine, i will send you money for plane tickets and i am going to find a buyer for the house right now. The money will be sent to your account as soon as the sale is made. Change your phone numbers and don''t contact anyone in Citrus city for a while. Forget your life here and start afresh there and be very careful, the Mayfairs should never find you.


    You can contact me through this number." Ruth hung up before Aaron could say something more infuriating.


    She tossed the phone onto the bed and screamed some more.


    Ophelia sighed deeply because it seemed like Ruth''s woes were just beginning. There was more news from home and she wasn''t going to like it. "Well .....uhmm there is one more thing that you need to know."


    "What''s that?" Ruth placed her hands on her waist and waited for Ophelia to speak.


    "The first thing Phoebe did was to take over your bedroom." Ophelia pressed her lips together. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ruth chuckled and pointed an index finger at herself. "My bedroom? Are you serious? My parents allowed that to happen? Are you fucking kidding?"


    Her boiling anger had reached its peak and she couldn''t contain it any longer. Ruth went haywire as she broke and threw everything that she touched. She threw curses and insults at Phoebe as she promised that she would have to pay for crossing her.


    "She must be over the moon that she''s a Mayfair! That insolent bitch deserves nothing good in this life. That''s my family not hers and I will die first before she takes it away from me." Ruth fell to the floor, hot tears rolled down her cheeks, she remained there for some minutes sobbing and talking to herself.


    Then she stood up calmly and wiped her tears away with the back of her hand. "Ophelia search this entire hospital for the most corrupt doctor you can find and bring him to me as soon as possible."


    "What are you thinking?" Ophelia asked curiously.


    Ruth picked up a mirror and looked at herself, she grinned devilishly. "I am thinking that i need to be ill, so ill that they cannot throw me away ever. Jennie, my mother cares so much about public opinion and she cannot throw out her sick daughter for fear of what people will say especially if they find out she is not my real mother."

 Chapter 99 - 99: How opportune.

    It was the very first time Phoebe was having breakfast with her family and so far, it was going well even though Collin was absent and he had been gone all night. Nobody had mentioned him, ghosts or Ruth so far which Phoebe appreciated because she knew they were doing it for her sake.


    The silence was interrupted by a phone call to Jennie which made her step away from the table for a few minutes. When she returned, her face was as pale as a white sheet of paper and her eyes swollen.


    Everyone could tell that something was wrong and there were only a handful of reasons why in the current circumstances.


    "What is it?" Edward asked her.


    She put down the phone with trembling hands and looked at her husband. "It''s about Ruth, someone from the hospital has just called me. Apparently she has some type of illness, possibly cancer related or an immune deficiency disorder which explains her weak immune system all these years. The doctor has asked us to go to the hospital immediately...."


    Edward didn''t wait for his wife for finish and he got up. Since Luke was the only one in the family that spoke doctor, he got up as well. Andre looked at Phoebe first before doing anything else. He felt like he would be cheating on her if he expressed any worry for Ruth.


    "Mother." Jennie called out to grandma Mayfair softly.


    Grandma Mayfair shook her head, indicating that she was not going with them to the hospital. "We are all worried but we cannot all go at the same time. Of what use is it to crowd the hospital when there is no sure diagnosis. You can go ahead of the rest of us and give us updates. I am going with Phoebe to her work place today, the detective is meeting us there.


    Andre cannot go because he has a shooting for his latest movie. If Ruth needs surgery, call me immediately."


    "But..." Jennie started.


    Edward tugged on her hand and shook his head. They had two daughters now, and both needed attention.


    "Phoebe, i am sorry that i cannot go with you to see the detective today. This...." he broke off and run his free hand through his hair.


    [See, just as i thought, you are very kind father. You have dropped everything in a heartbeat because you have a sick child. Aaron Gabriel never spent a day at my sick bedside, not even when i was in a coma. Anyway, it''s not as if i expected you throw Ruth out just because i have been found.]


    She smiled and shook her head. "It''s okay father, grandma is going with me."


    Edward was filled with guilt after reading Phoebe''s thoughts but his wife tugged on his hand.


    "Mother, kids, we will see you all later with an update on your sister''s condition."


    Jennie pulled Edward away and they dashed out of the house leaving three people at the dining table.


    "Are you okay my dear?" grandma Mayfair asked Phoebe.


    Phoebe nodded.


    [I think it''s a little too opportunistic for Ruth to suddenly have this very big illness at this exact time grandmother. I over heard one of the maids calling Ophelia to give her an update on everything that has happened so far. If Ophelia knows, Ruth knows and just like that, she is suddenly gravely ill and my parents have rushed to her. Is it really a coincidence?]


    Phoebe looked down and chuckled lightly while grandma Mayfair''s face twitched. Having read Phoebe''s thoughts, she was wondering the same thing suddenly. Was it truly a coincidence? It was true that Ruth was born with a weak constitution and doctors used to say that she had a weak heart as a child.


    After all the check ups and tests through the years which never pointed to a specific illness, why had the disease suddenly been found at this exact time?


    After all the stunts Ruth had pulled lately from fake fainting to the doubtful suicide, could they trust this diagnosis?


    Unaware of her grandmother''s thoughts, Phoebe put down the cutlery and wiped her mouth. It was almost time to meet Shark.


    "Grandmother, we should get going. Andre, i think you need to give us a ride since i came with you yesterday."


    Andre decided to play on Phoebe''s special ghost abilities.


    "And here i thought you could fly yourself to work." he laughed.


    With a serious expression, Phoebe put a hand on her chin and nodded. "I probably could but we don''t want to scare the non-magic folk."


    Andre couldn''t decide if she was being serious or jesting with him as he was with her. He studied her face for a moment, even coming closer and bending to observe her.


    "I can''t tell if you are serious or not."


    Grandma Mayfair came up from behind Andre and slapped him on his back. "Of course she is joking, your sister can see ghosts but she is not a witch."


    Even though she was still not comfortable with the ghost thing, and had a bit of restless night because she was afraid that one of those ghosts would suddenly pop up and scare her, Phoebe was her granddaughter.


    "We don''t need him to drive us, i have a driver and a car. Remind me later to buy you a car Phoebe, something nicer than what you are driving. As the only Mayfair heiress, you need a car that matches your status."


    Phoebe followed her grandmother out and didn''t turn down her offer of buying her a car. It was something that would drive Ruth and Collin up the wall. She did not even have to drive it and it could just stay here at the Mayfair house. It was its sight that would achieve her desired goal.


    "Grandmother, i was planning to buy my little sister a car already."


    Without turning around grandma Mayfair walked forward with determined steps. "Then buy her one as well. It is not a crime for a single person to own two cars, Ruth has seven of them."


    Floating above Phoebe, Sylvester smacked his lips in judgement when he heard about the number of cars that Ruth owned.


    "Seven girls for one person, is she planning to open an automobile shop? Boss, you should also get seven cars, no, double the number and make it fourteen. The goal of our mission for coming to this house is drive Ruth crazy and then we move back home eventually."


    Connie nodded her head, completely agreeing with Sylvester. "I agree sister, you need more cars, more clothes, more jewelry, more cash and more love. You know, this can both ways too, since Ruth is faking sickness, maybe we should make her really sick."


    Sylvester grinned, his face appeared villainous. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Ooh, i like the way you think Connie, you should come up with a plan and i will execute it happily."


    The Saxon spirit turned to Phoebe who was unusually quiet like she could not here Connie and Sylvester plotting. What was she thinking? Was she in agreement with the plan of making Ruth as sick as she desired?


    "What do you think, do you agree with the kids?"


    Phoebe shrugged, it was an idea, good or bad would depend on how things progressed.

 Chapter 100 - 100: New employment for grandma.

    When they arrived at the cafe, there was a small crowd of around twenty people outside, all human. It was a higher number compared to the usual customer size Phoebe handled. This was a result of her business being blasted on the internet, television and radios.


    Some of these people were taking pictures of her cafe and she knew that they would do the same for her when she stepped out of the car.


    "Really, they are persistent flies." she said to herself.Then in a louder voice she said to her grandmother, "Grandmother you can cover your hair and put on sunglasses if you do not wish to be recognized."


    "For what? I am your grandmother and i am not ashamed to be seen at your workplace. As for these annoyances that came to stalk you, i will get rid of them for you."


    She was already stepping out of the car and dialing the police at the same time. When she made it to the crowd she yelled into the phone, "Oh, police, there is a group of people outside the Black Ghost Cafe that are wielding knives and other weapons. Some of them have cameras and they are threatening the elderly."


    She recognized one of those wielding cameras, he was Stuart Nelson, a famous paparazzo.


    "One of them is Stuart Nelson, they are threatening elderly folks here. My shirt has been ripped...."


    She waved her driver over and he used a knife to rip straight line through her very expensive silk shirt. Her driver Harry also doubled as her bodyguard and he had been working for her for thirty years so he always knew what she wanted without her having to elaborate.


    After the shirt, he ruffled her hair and made it look like someone had been engaged in a scuffle with her. All these actions stunned the onlookers who had no idea what to make of it.


    "Is the old woman crazy?" someone asked.


    "Are you crazy, don''t you recognize her?" another asked.


    Some smart ones were already on the move just in case trouble arrived, they didn''t want to be swept up in it. The sound of sirens scared away the rest, leaving behind only five people that had genuinely come on business.


    As it was now safe, Phoebe got out of the car and joined her grandmother. First, she looked at the elder up and down in dismay.


    "Grandma, you didn''t have to go this far. I would have just ignored them and refused to let them into my shop anyway." She chuckled and shook her head in wonder. "But, your acting skill is really superb, you are better than Andre."


    Grandma Mayfair brimmed at the compliment and she puffed her chest up slightly.


    "I am good, right?"


    Phoebe nodded, assuring her again before they all entered the cafe. The smell of fresh coffee and pastries was strong in the air and it was coming from the kitchen in the back.


    Someone was playing soft music and the faint sound of singing came from the same direction as the pastry smell. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Grandma Mayfair gulped slowly as she felt sudden hunger pangs which made no sense as she had already eaten breakfast. More surprising than her unexplained hunger was the lay out of the cafe because it appeared to be just like any other cafe.


    It had tables, chairs, coffee maker and juice processor. There was even an ice cream machine in the cafe and a glass counter where pastries like cakes, cookies and the like were displayed. The walls had shelves that held little jars that had medicine like the kind Phoebe had, tea bags, charm bracelets, and talismans. You could even see the outside street from inside.


    "It''s so normal." she exclaimed.


    "What were you expecting?" Phoebe laughed.Her grandmother was certainly not the first person to be surprised by the appearance of her cafe.


    "It''s named Black Ghost Cafe, i was expecting black curtains, those round orbs like they have in magic city, a deck of cards, marionettes...i don''t even other things but i was not expecting this. No, it''s better than normal because i smells delicious inside."


    "Grandma, you can sit inside my office while i talk to these people and...."


    Grandma Mayfair took Phoebe''s hand and stopped her. "Don''t worry about me, i will be fine sitting anywhere. I came to observe you at work and help you out."


    [Did i hear you right grandma, you want to stay and work here, why? Andre told me that you are scared of ghosts and dislike shamans. He asked me to give you time to get used to me and my special talents. Are you here to see if i am faking it or not?]


    Grandma Mayfair rubbed Phoebe''s back gently to reassure her through physical contact. "I have not worked for the last thirty something years of my life. I always stay at home or visit friends, take cruise trips and non stop vacations.That kind of life can be exciting in the beginning but it gets exhausting after some time.


    When Andre told me about the ghost catcher story i thought he was lying but Luke confirmed it. Let us kill two birds with one stone, spend time together and at the same time, i can find a new way to pass time."


    [But i have ghost clients, right now there are three of them here. What if they scare you into having a heart attack? Even i spent the first half of last year terrified and running away from them. I used to sleep in churches and temples because i didn''t want to see them or hear about them. I lived like a vagrant until i accepted my fate.]


    Grandma Mayfair''s already aged heart constricted and she felt as if she was suffocating on reading Phoebe''s thoughts. She imagined Phoebe sleeping under bridges, starving, alone and in pain.


    Out of the blue, she embraced her tightly and refused to let her go.


    "You must have been having a tough time on all your own my dear." her voice cracked and she started crying.


    She recalled what they had been doing most of last year, especially in the first half. She had eaten good meals, bought a broach worth half a million, taken Ruth on four day luxury yacht trip in Lost saints city.


    They went shopping, buying things worth ten million and that whole time, her own grand daughter was in the neighboring city, sleeping under some bridge, cold, starving and alone.


    How? How could she have filled her own stomach and slept comfortably without knowing? The more she thought about it, the more her heart ached. Overwhelming guilt covered her like wave after wave and pushed her under the sea.


    "I am really a sinner." she cried out.


    Phoebe didn''t know where the tears had come from but it pained her to see her grandmother crying so brokenheartedly.


    "She cried last night and she is crying again today," The Saxon spirit sighed sadly. "You have two people to rely on entirely at least, Andre and your grandmother. Luke is good too but he is the quiet analytical type. She is a good woman, don''t just use her to get back at Ruth."


    Rather than reply to the spirit or say something perfunctory to her grandmother, Phoebe hugged her back and just let her cry until she exhausted all of her tears.

 Chapter 101 - 101: Another plot going downhill.

    At the hospital, Edward and Jennie Mayfair were standing over Ruth who was sleeping. She had been sedated and there was an oxygen mask attached to her nose through which she was breathing. She was pale and she suddenly appeared to be so much worse than when they last saw her.


    Jennie was sniveling and Edward was frowning, but the trophy for most worried relative in the hospital room went to Collin who was pacing back and forth nervously. He was quiet so nobody knew what was on his mind but if they could pry it open, they would hear him blaming Phoebe for Ruth''s illness.


    The doctor that had called them walked into the room along with two interns that usually shadowed him. He was holding a patient chat with had Ruth''s name and other details. He walked closer to the Mayfairs and addressed them in a serious voice.


    "Mr. and Mrs. Mayfair, i am sorry for coming late, i was making my rounds." He looked at the freckle faced male intern next to him and added, "Doctor Boosie has told me that he has shared with you the details of Ruth''s illness. All the tests have been conducted by me and my team personally so i can assure you that my diagnosis is correct, i am the head of my department.


    If you have any doubts, you can take a look at my qualifications.


    Your daughter is suffering from an autoimmune disorder. It has always been there as seen from some of the symptoms she exhibited but the condition was mild. As a result of excessive stress, her condition has worsened lately."


    Collin didn''t wait to hear anything else and he hurled out a bunch of curses.


    "It''s because of Phoebe that her condition worsened. That stupid Ophelia has been calling other maids and one of them shared news about Phoebe so she told Ruth and then Ruth collapsed. I told you that we should take this slowly, one step at a time. What if Ruth dies right now?"


    Jennie let out a muffled groan, she was already blaming herself and wishing that she had listened to Collin. On the other hand Edward felt that sooner or later Ruth was to find out the truth, this was just an unfortunate incident.


    It wasn''t as if they could hide Phoebe away as if she was an illegitimate unwanted child so he stepped in to stop his son and perhaps talk sense into him and end the Phoebe hate train he had going.


    "Collin watch your words, nobody is at fault here, especially not Phoebe. The only two people to blame for this situation are us, because we brought home the wrong child and whoever it is that is responsible for that screw up. That poor girl found out long time ago that she was a Mayfair and she kept it to herself. If she wanted to vex Ruth then she should have told her but Phoebe didn''t.


    Can''t you give her some credit for acting sensibly? Ask yourself why she didn''t blast it all over the country if she wanted to be a Mayfair that badly. Moreover, Ruth was sick long before Phoebe came along."


    "But this particular incident is her fault." Collin insisted. "If she didn''t want to be a Mayfair then she should have stayed away. Her personality and manners don''t match us anyway so whether she joins the family or not, we don''t lose or gain anything."


    Furious at his son''s words, Edward raised a finger to point at him and warn him to watch his mouth Luke beat him to it.


    "Collin, you should know when to stop." he calmly.


    Luke wasn''t in the mood to hear any arguing, all he wanted was for the doctor to tell them how Ruth was going to get better. Everything else could be dealt with later, not now, and especially not in front of strangers. Doctors liked to gossip and there was no doubt that one of the three in the room would speak on what they had just heard with another person.


    "Doctor, thank you for hard work so far but we would like to know to proceed now that we have a diagnosis. What treatment do you recommend?" He asked


    The doctor handed the chart to one of the interns and put his hands in his pocket. "For now we have to study her and treat the symptoms, we shouldn''t worry too much just yet." He didn''t want to scare them to the point of them transferring Ruth to a different hospital as per her instructions.


    Shaking his head in disagreement, Luke shook his head adamantly. "I beg to disagree, judging by the symptoms and tests done this is a very serious issue and if we wait any longer her condition could worsen. Will you be responsible if she dies? I need to confirm this with Dr. Murphy....."


    "NO!" Ophelia shouted from the back gaining all the attention to herself. She fidgeted with her fingers for she didn''t know what to say.


    Ruth had given her specific instructions not to allow Dr. Murphy handle her case because if he did, he would find out that something was amiss.


    "Miss Ruth was disappointed when she heard the news about the illness and she doesn''t want to see doctor Murphy anymore. He has been treating her all these years but never clearly defined her illness. What can he possibly add to the table now? I think we should listen to the experienced doctor here and not worry too much." Ophelia rubbed her nose nervously.


    "What do you think you know Ophelia, it''s your fault that Ruth is this way. It wasn''t your place to tell Ruth that Phoebe was our daughter and she wasn''t, you went over board!" Jennie was visibly angry and Ophelia knew that she had messed up. If things went south, she would end up losing her job. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ophelia fell on her knees and rubbed her hands as she pleaded for forgiveness.


    "Sir, madam, it wasn''t my fault. Miss Ruth just happened to overhear my conversation on the phone. I did not deliberately set out to share such news with her."


    "Keep your mouth shut Ophelia, we will deal with you later." Edward warned sternly. "Go on Luke, let''s hear what you have to say."


    "I am not trying to dismiss the doctor''s diagnosis but I just find it hard to believe that Dr. Murphy missed this. In my opinion Ruth is in a severe state! She cannot breathe properly on her own and he''s suggesting that we wait. It doesn''t make sense to me." Luke''s words were enlightening and his family agreed.


    Dr. Murphy walked in right on time because Luke had called him earlier. The doctor that had traveled up country dropped everything and came as soon as he could.


    His face was drained of blood immediately when he read the patient chart, he looked at the other doctor in shock. "Are you certain that these test results are correct?"


    The older doctor avoided eye contact and pressed his lips in a firm line. "Y...yes of course...."


    "If you are certain then there is no time to waste. There has been a development in medicine and a bone marrow transplant can correct this kind of auto immune disorder. That''s if you her parents and family are willing to donate." Dr. Murphy''s statement caused the other doctor to gasp.


    "Oh my God!" Ophelia whispered, turned around and made the sign of the cross. Only God was going to save them now.


    This plot was not going to work if the condition was deemed curable. Why had Doctor Murphy showed up now?

 Chapter 102 - 102: Scammer of the century.

    When Ruth regained consciousness, her family was surrounding her. She was relieved when she saw how worried they were about her. This is where you all are supposed to be not with that imposter Phoebe, she thought. Her pale cracked lips smiled faintly.


    "Mother, father.." she croaked out in a weak whispering voice.


    The two parents came closer, looking like they had aged five more years overnight which also made Ruth immensely happy. This meant she was still the number one daughter and Mayfair princess in their hearts.


    "We are sorry sweetheart, you were not supposed to find out like that. Nevertheless, none of it really matters because you are our daughter too and nothing is going to ever change that." Jennie rubbed both of Ruth''s hands while her father did the same to her hair.


    Ruth burst out crying, her parents believed that she was crying because of the new discovery but actually they were tears of relief. Deep down she feared that her parents would send her to the Gabriels but still Ruth was shaken that Phoebe was here now, her position as heiress was threatened.


    "Mother, father and brothers, i am going to become a laughing stock in this country when the news comes out. People will jeer at me as I walk on the streets, they will call me a fraud and insult me. How am I supposed to bear this disgrace? How am I supposed to look at people confidently? I am doomed! My life is over!" Ruth punched her chest with a weak clenched fist as she sobbed.


    This alone was not enough, she knew. She couldn''t act greedy and shamelessly hang onto them. They needed to ask her to stay, not her begging to stay.


    "I am so sorry that i am not your real daughter. It''s my fault that you have raised the wrong person all these years. I am so grateful for all the love you have given me all these years and if you tell me to leave, i will leave immediately. Mother, the doctor has said my condition is very serious. You should just let me die, i don''t deserve to live."


    Shaking her head, her mother told her not to worry about that. "Do not talk of such nonsense, nothing will happen to you. We don''t plan on sharing the news about Phoebe right now and we will not even investigate about it publicly, so please be at ease and regain your strength.


    The only thing you should concentrate on is preparation for your surgery and getting well." Jennie continued to rub Ruth''s hands.


    She had tears in her eyes after everything that Ruth had just said. How could her poor daughter be blaming herself for this mess when it was not her fault? Besides, after the little they had heard about the Gabriels how could they send her to those people carelessly?


    A child that she had raised with so much love and care, even if she wasn''t her own, Jennie was unwilling to throw her to hungry wolves like Aaron and Elizabeth.


    Ruth tore her hands out of Jennie''s, wide eyed and confused because of what she had just heard. "Surgery? Who needs surgery mother?" Her eyes moved back and forth between Jennie and Ophelia who wanted to disappear into the wall as the plan had gone beyond what they calculated.


    Luke stepped forward and explained the details to his sister who frowned the moment she heard that Dr. Murphy had taken over the case.


    Shit! This is deep shit, how am I supposed to get out of this?


    Ruth pushed the bed cover aside and tried to stand but she almost fell and she would have hit the ground if her father hadn''t supported her.


    Ruth raised a hand to her head for she felt really dizzy. Even though she was faking sickness, some actual medicine had been injected into her body and IV. The doctor had told her that the medication would make her very weak, nauseous, feverish, cause pain in the joints and dizziness.


    "Stay in bed, we shall get you whatever you need." Edward tried to guide Ruth back to the bed.


    "I need to use the bathroom." Ruth whispered.


    "That''s the purpose of the catheter." Like pointed at the urine bag which was almost full.


    Ruth followed his hand and saw it, she winced because she had no idea when it had been inserted into her. But that was not the most urgent issue at the moment. What she wanted right now was to talk to Ophelia who was winking at her continuously.


    "It''s a number two." Ruth told Luke who asked Ophelia to escort her to the toilet inside the room.


    Once inside, Ophelia helped Ruth sit on the toilet sit and locked the door behind them.


    "How stupid did that god forsaken doctor land me in this mess?" She hissed. " A mother fucking transplant? Ophelia I was unconscious for a few hours! Why did you let things become so bad?" Ruth spoke through pursed lips.


    Ophelia turned on the tap, with water running their conversation wouldn''t be heard.


    "We have a bigger problem, the donor of the bone marrow has to be someone from your family, your direct parents. The Mayfairs have sent someone to bring the Gabriels, that''s why they are all still here. The plan is to tell them that you are their daughter and hope that they will donate."


    "Give me the phone." Ruth told Ophelia and called the Gabriels who told her that they had already left for Magic city to her great relief.


    "Stock as many necessities as you need, stay in doors for a while. The Mayfairs are hunting for you right now, they better not find you. If need be, go to another country on vacation, i will fund all the expenses."


    They agreed to her suggestion and Ruth finally felt at ease. At least one hole had been closed and now she had to find a way out of full hospitalization and surgery just in case they brought in relatives from the Gabriel family for testing.


    "I need to gradually reduce on taking the drugs such that I get better and then the doctor will inform everyone that those were not my test results. No one is cutting into my body like a lab rat. Where is that that dumb doctor anyway, i didn''t see him in the room?" Ruth asked Ophelia who was chewing on her nails.


    "Your parents fired him and doctor Murphy has called in other professors that are familiar with the fake illness. I think we should end this quickly before they catch on. The doctor has asked for more money if the plan is going to change."


    "So fucking what! Give him the damn money because the plan has changed Ophelia." Ruth tried to stand because their was a knock on the door, they had been in there long enough.


    After she had been tucked into bed, Alfie her father''s personal assistant walked in and told them that the Gabriels were gone and they had sold their house and left the city.


    "What? Why?" Jennie asked. What were they supposed to do now?


    "Do whatever it takes Alfie, spend as much as you have to. Just find them even if they are abroad, this is a matter of life and death." Edward ordered Alfie who nodded and left.


    Collin had been watching silently and he clenched his fists. If Phoebe had not given those people ten million and a house to sell, they would still be in the city. She was really out to kill Ruth.


    Ruth meanwhile rubbed an eyebrow and hid her smile. ''You won''t find them even if you search the bottom of the ocean.'' She thought but on second thought she wished that she had just killed them off after all her high quality life depended on their disappearance.


    Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 103 - 103: Worse things in life than ghosts.

    At the cafe, grandma Mayfair had calmed down after a drinking a cup of tea with some herbs from Phoebe and she was now working behind the counter with a cute bunny apron over her expensive clothes.


    She had changed from the shirt which Harry had ripped to a new one which Phoebe grabbed from her apartment. There were some humans in the cafe and they were mostly sitting by the windows. Grandma Mayfair had not hesitated to serve them with Rosette. She was also placing coffee and other things on empty tables as per Rosette''s instructions.


    She was behaving in a way which was unlike her normal rich self. The whole time while Phoebe was speaking to clients, she was distracted because she was worried about the old woman scalding herself or pushing herself too much.


    So far, she had broken two cups and wasted some sugar but Rosette was soft spoken and encouraging so grandma Mayfair did not feel terrible about her mistakes. In fact, Rosette shared that she had been so much worse on her first day and grandma Mayfair was feeling proud of herself.


    At the moment they were packing up an order which a delivery man was waiting to take away and they were talking as they packed. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Why do you have those glasses on top of your head?" she asked Rosette curiously.


    "They are ghost seeing glasses that allow me to see ghosts. That''s how i know what they want to eat and when Phoebe is not around, i take down their requests and make appointments."


    The old woman drew her head back and gazed at Rosette like she had lost her mind. With a deep frown on her face she sighed.


    "Why would you want to see such things? Haven''t you seen them in movies, they have ripped skin, red eyes, long claws and...."


    Rosette slipped the glasses over grandma Mayfair''s eyes while she was still talking. The old woman screamed and took them off immediately.


    For a while there, she had been under the assumption that Rosette was joking but with the glasses over her eyes, she had seen other figures in the cafe, standing next to Phoebe, having conversations in groups, children running around in the empty spaces or drinking and eating.


    Without the glasses, she couldn''t see them. All this while, the talk about ghosts was really real. She had been doubting it so much and simply trying to indulge Phoebe so as not to hurt her feelings. She didn''t want her grand daughter to think that she thought she was crazy.


    "So she is not crazy." The old woman whispered.


    Rosette put the glasses back over her head, sealed the box and handed it off to the delivery man who gave her a few notes of cash.


    "My boss is not crazy but she is used to people thinking she is. She used to think she was crazy in the past but when she embraced her gifts, life became easier." she shared. "I apologize for the thing with the glasses but there is no easy way to introduce someone to our world. If you are truly going to spend time here it''s better for you to know what you are dealing with."


    "My heart, oh my heart." The surprised woman sat down and took deep breaths to calm herself.


    Thanks to the tonic she had taken earlier, she was not feeling faint, weak or having heart palpitations. It helped that the ghosts mostly looked normal, pale but normal so she wasn''t frightened out of her mind.


    "Don''t these things make you afraid?" she asked a confident Rosette.


    She didn''t understand why a normal young woman was working around ghosts, going so far as to wear those glasses in order to interact with them.


    "There are so many things in life that are worse than seeing ghosts, like hunger, joblessness, poverty, betrayal, life long illness, war, homelessness, being orphaned at a young age, loneliness and so many other things that are causing pain to someone out there.


    Me, it was hunger and being jobless. I had no decent job prospects because i stopped schooling at sixteen. My parents had four children and they couldn''t afford to send us all to school and feed us as we grew up. They had to choose two of their sharpest children to further their education and two went into early employment. I was one of the unlucky two.


    I used to work at Star and Moonlight restaurant until someone else bought it. The new owner wanted educated waitresses so i was tossed out. I spent three weeks searching for a job fruitlessly until when i met Phoebe and she hired me.


    She gave me a generous salary, fifteen thousand dollars a month, health benefits, a car which i use for deliveries and other work related business but it''s also my personal car when there is no work. I get vacation days, sick leave, maternal leave, breakfast and lunch. I even get a year end bonus and overtime if i work on public holidays or into late hours of the night.


    If there are special jobs that require me to go with her out of the cafe i get a cut of whatever she makes.


    I would be a fool to abandon this job just because of ghosts. I am alive, i must live and i plan to live a successful life so that when i have my own children i won''t have to choose who to send to school and who to declare to that their future is not promising."


    Her face was a little grim when she said the last sentence. It expressed how much she was hurt by the decision her parents had taken. Grandma Mayfair felt a little ashamed of how much money she spent on frivolous things when other people were living such hard lives.


    The girl was right, if you compared ghosts with how much she was earning and all the benefits Phoebe was giving her, the ghosts were not so bad.


    "Ahem,...I....er..." She wanted to say something but it felt a little awkward.


    Rosette flashed a reassuring smile at the old woman. "You don''t need to feel guilty or pity me grandma, my life is very good now. I earn more than my university educated sister now and i bought a house last month. I hope Phoebe will have her ghost seeing abilities forever and our cafe will flourish forever.


    It''s a selfish wish but for me it''s a future and hope. I will be her life long employee until the day i die and become a ghost myself. If i die before her, i want a contract to work for her like the two ghosts Connie and Sylvester."


    Grandma Mayfair''s eyebrows shot up. She didn''t know that ghosts needed contracts to work. Truly, there were so many wonders in the world. Why would a ghost choose to work on contract instead of moving on after death?


    The door bells chimed and they both looked up, detective Shark walked in and he walked straight to the counter to order for a large mocha coffee, a box of doughnuts and three bear claws.

 Chapter 104 - 104: Unfairness.

    Seeing a new face in the cafe that was an employee intrigued Shark as not many people were willing to work with Phoebe. The older woman that was behind the counter looked somewhat familiar to him and he figured out who she was but just to confirm, he searched online for pictures of the Mayfair family.


    ''Mrs Rebecca Mayfair! What is she doing here and making coffee at that?'' Shark wondered.


    His spider senses kicked in and he started to piece together what he could from the information Phoebe had given to him and her questions about the Mayfairs. There was also a DNA test which Claire mentioned Phoebe requesting her to do.


    It was possible that the information he was about to give Phoebe was already known seeing that the old woman was already here.


    Phoebe had seen Shark when he arrived so she asked Rosette to takeover the client that she had been dealing with. Their business could not be delayed, it needed to be handled immediately.


    "Give her these herbs and direct her on how to use them." She gave Rosette the paper on which she had written notes about the client and a possible diagnosis.


    She then moved to the counter and greeted Shark, Phoebe went as far as to introduce the detective to her grandmother.


    The fact that she introduced as ''my grandmother'' pieced everything together like glue for Shark and the fireworks in his mind went off. Who knew that working with Phoebe would bring him so many excellent connections? He would have the backing of the Mayfairs and Saxons if he played his cards right. Who knew what the future held, maybe someday he could be the commissioner of Police.


    "I am one of Phoebe''s closest friends and protector. In her line of work things can sometimes get dangerous but i am always ready to assist her when she asks." A broad smile formed on his lips.


    Now that he knew that Phoebe came from one of the richest families in Fog country, he planned to form a closer relationship between the two of them.


    Grandma Mayfair smiled softly as she was more reassured now knowing that her granddaughter had someone so strong and in the police force by her side helping her.


    "It''s very nice to finally meet you, Phoebe here speaks so highly of you."


    The smile on Shark''s face grew wider on hearing her words. Phoebe on the other hand rolled her eyes because she had not spoken highly of Shark and grandma Mayfair didn''t know how much of a headache the detective could be.


    Phoebe didn''t invite him to sit down and they stood around the counter. In a hushed voice, Phoebe went straight to the matter that had brought them all together. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Let''s get to it Shark, you told me that you have all the answers as to the truth of what happened over twenty years ago. What we know for sure is that Ruth and I were switched as babies at St. Marcelino children''s hospital. What have you found out about the switch? Who the hell is to blame for all this mess? Was it something deliberate or a mistake?"


    Grandma Mayfair leaned forward and nodded continuously, she wanted answers and also to make the culprit pay for what they did. If the hospital had a hand in this then it was going to be shut down for failing to do their job properly and the heartache that they caused them.


    She tapped one of her fingers against the counter with strength and spoke authoritatively. "Start from who switched the girls, was it the Gabriels?"


    The ghosts who had also finished assisting the ghost clients moved closer, this was a conversation everyone was interested in.


    Shark sighed deeply and just like the power pleaser he was, he looked at grandma Mayfair rather than Phoebe when he responded to their questions. . "I don''t know if Phoebe remembers the nurse that I told her about who was fired for switching babies four years ago at St, Marcelino."


    "I do." Phoebe confirmed.


    Shark nodded once and shared the rest of the discoveries he had made. "Well that wasn''t her first rodeo. Her name is Maria Reilly and she worked with the hospital for forty years. She was one of the best nurses they had and most people had only good things to say about her. However, during her time of service at the hospital she switched one hundred and thirty babies."


    "Wait, one hundred thirty babies!!!" Phoebe exclaimed.


    Shark nodded and he smiled deeply. "They hid it deeply but i am Shark after all, i know the right people to ask and how to interrogate them. After grilling a drug addicted board member that i caught red handed at Club Play, he came clean and told me everything as long as i let him go.


    Apparently after being sued four years ago, the hospital checked records of all the cases that were handled by nurse Maria. During their investigation, they discovered that she had switched babies from time to time just to ensure that no such case would pop up again out of the shadows.


    According to him, this was an employee who was so kind, too God fearing and empathetic, she was popularly known as the angel of mercy. The hospital administration didn''t expect to find anything as thought the first case was a simple mistake. But they ended up finding more than what they bargained for, one hundred thirty babies.


    Maria kept records, they were hidden in her old files which were stored in the basement of the hospital"


    "Is she crazy? All those children...my God!" Grandma Mayfair exclaimed.


    Shark was expecting this kind of reaction and he knew it would be the reaction of the higher ups when they found out because of all the wealthy families whose wives and daughters had given birth at St. Marcelino.


    "How long has the hospital known this?" Phoebe asked him.


    "A couple of years now, four at least." he told her.


    Grandma Mayfair waved her hand and ended up knocking over an empty cup that was sitting on the counter. Nobody cared about the cup as much the information they had just heard.


    "Four years! they have been sitting on this information for years and said nothing. We are going to sue them, no...they should all be in prison. How dare they play games with other people''s families?" Grandma Mayfair clenched her hand angrily.


    The anger she was expressing was also another reaction Shark had anticipated. There would be a lot of that going around when they started contacting the families.


    "Fear of repercussions is why the hospital chose to keep quiet about the mess. One hundred thirty babies is too large of a number, its an epidemic. They knew that if this information was released, the hospital would be finished.


    As for the nurse, i personally looked for her and found her at a nursing home but unfortunately she has a condition known as dementia. She wasn''t in the right state of mind to say what happened."


    "Oh hell no! So she''s going to get out of it so easily after creating this mess?" Sylvester voiced his disappointment.


    And he wasn''t the only one, Grandma Mayfair and Phoebe exhaled noisily through pursed lips. This was far from what they were expecting to hear, if the nurse was sick then nothing could be done. They couldn''t make her stand trial when she had no memories of the crimes she had committed.


    "How will we know why she did what she did to me? Because of her decision, i lived a hard life. Why does she get to forget and i cannot even confront her?" Phoebe raised her voice out of anger.


    Grandma Mayfair was just as vexed. "She cannot even be arrested or explain herself. This is unfair to the victims, we deserve answers. We deserve to know why she picked us. Did she have a grudge against us?"

 Chapter 105 - 105: Angel of mercy.

    "Hey, hey everyone let''s not jump to conclusions. You should have faith in me, after all, i am Shark and when I bite I don''t let go until I get to the bottom of it." A Cheshire cat grin formed on his face.


    The listeners perked up too and waited for him to speak, he cleared his throat and continued on with what they needed to hear.


    "I went to the nursing home myself but I didn''t go alone. Nurse Maria''s daughter accompanied me, she had not visited her mother since the incident because she felt didn''t want to stick around in case the two families of the switched babies decided to sue or make her pay the price in place of her mother.


    I convinced her to talk to her mother because if nurse Maria was to say anything she needed a trigger and i thought her daughter could be it. It worked perfectly, when Maria saw her daughter, she snapped out of the trance like state and began to cry as she asked for forgiveness. I stepped in quickly and told her which questions to ask.


    Maria told her daughter that she didn''t switch the babies in bad faith but because she had a calling from God, a voice in her head, telling her to help the sick babies.


    So, she got sick babies from financially struggling families that were picked to give birth at St. Marcelino for publicity and switched them with healthy babies from well to do families.


    She even used most of her salary to find such families and sponsor them secretly to have their children at St, Marcelino.


    Unfortunately you and Ruth were some of the children to fall victim to this scheme. I believe that Ruth must have been a sick baby that was given to your parents because of her condition while you, a strong and healthy baby was given to the Gabriels."


    The story brought out a mixture of emotions from the listeners especially Grandma Mayfair who wept. She still found it highly unfair no matter how much it was phrased.


    "This may sound touching but it is so unfair and not just to Phoebe but to all the families who are in the same predicament. How could she know what conditions the children would grow up under? Did she ever consider how much suffering they would undergo being raised in poor families? She didn''t think about their future and selfishly ruined so many lives."


    Phoebe was teary eyed as well. "I don''t know how to feel about this honestly, I am miffed that she stole from me a chance to be loved by my family but also if she didn''t do what she did, then Ruth would have died." Phoebe covered her face with her hands.


    Connie, Sylvester and the Saxon spirit were shocked. Who was Phoebe worrying about in this situation?


    Grandma Mayfair reached for her hand on hearing her words. "You are such a kind and sweet girl for thinking of your sister that way." She continued to stare at her adoringly.


    The Saxon spirit however was unmoved. "If she had died, then maybe you would have lived happily with your children and husband. You have no idea what kind of damage she did even after you died, that girl is a serpent. With her think with your head not your heart."


    The other ghosts nodded because the spirit had never been wrong about anything, from everything they had heard and seen about Ruth, the woman was indeed cunning.


    Shark wiped his mouth and hands, wiping away the crumbs of the bear claw he had been eating before the conversation started. He felt the need to share some more information.


    "This case is just beginning, I have been asked by my superiors to investigate it thoroughly and I intend to do just that. It''s going to turn the city upside down because so many wealthy families are raising kids that aren''t theirs, some with more than two kids." S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    On hearing his statement, Grandma Mayfair felt her back stiffen. "No...no way, Mr. Shark leave our family name out of it. Whatever you do with this case publicly leave the Mayfairs out of it. We shall deal with our situation privately."


    Shark was left in a mixture of confusion and surprise. He expected the Mayfairs to sue the hospital into oblivion. He gawked at Phoebe as if asking for her permission.


    "It''s okay Shark, it''s not like as though this is your first rodeo, just do as Grandma asks." Phoebe flipped her hair and dabbed at the corners of her eyes.


    Shrugging his shoulders, Shark raised his arms half way in surrender. "You don''t need to worry about that but i should get going now. It''s a major case, all hands are on deck for this one." Shark signaled for Phoebe to walk him out.


    Once outside, Shark told Phoebe that he was following up on Mason''s case and his mother was steadily improving. Her biggest concern was whether Victoria had deposited the money that she promised to. Andre had been kind to clear the medical bills but on leaving the hospital, it would be better that she stays at a good nursing home.


    "Have you been monitoring the account? The money should be there by now." Phoebe curiously stared at him.


    Shark scratched his head. "That''s the other thing i wanted to discuss. I told the banker to send me a message the moment it''s deposited but I haven''t received anything. I do plan on passing by the bank and hospital tomorrow. Are you certain this Mason doesn''t want me to investigate this, those two shouldn''t be free honestly."


    "Well my job is to fulfill ghost wishes." Phoebe shrugged and bid him goodbye.


    She turned to enter the cafe but then paused when she saw Collin Baltimore approaching. A small smile formed on her lips when he stood in front of her.


    "Phoebe, it''s been a while since I last saw you. How are you doing?"


    Collin touched her shoulder and looked down at her face intensely.


    "I am alright, thank you for coming to the police station the other day and sorry I took so long to thank you." She stared at her toes.


    "No problem, it''s a shame I didn''t get to be of any help. I actually passed by because I heard the paparazzi came back after I cut back on security, is everything okay here?


    Phoebe laughed as the memory from that morning came forth. "Oh that? My badass grandma took care of it, I doubt that they''ll be back here any time soon."


    "Interesting, care to explain." Collin wanted to make the conversation as long as possible.


    She shared the story and it got better when Phoebe asked if he wanted to meet her grandmother.


    "Of course yes." Collin laughed and pushed the door in for her.


    Phoebe paused and looked back at him. "And Cassie? Is she still having the nightmares?"


    "About that, I don''t know how to thank you Pheebs, she sleeps so well and barely gets the headaches, even her attitude has improved. You are a miracle worker for sure."


    No sooner had they entered when grandma Mayfair stood up abruptly. She let out a squawk like sound as blood drained from her face. "I''ll be there as soon as I can." She hung up and took off the apron and head cap.


    "Phoebe let''s go it''s your sister, something about her needing a transplant. It''s really serious this time around." Grandma Mayfair pulled her by the arm and bypassed Collin.

 Chapter 106 - 106: Actress of the year award.

    Being taken aback by her grandma''s behavior, Phoebe asked the quivering old woman to calm down little. Grandma Mayfair was holding Phoebe''s hands tightly like she was holding on for her dear life.


    "What is wrong with Ruth this time grandma?" Phoebe raised her eyes, a tiny quizzical smile played on her lips. What is that witch scheming now? she asked herself.


    "That was your father on the phone earlier, apparently Ruth is gravely ill and needs a bone marrow transplant from her birth parents. Her illness is much more serious than i imagined." Grandma Mayfair''s trembling hand moved to wipe her face with a small pale blue cotton handkerchief.


    Phoebe was puzzled by the revelation, initially she believed that Ruth was pretending because she wanted to garner attention from the family. But now it seemed that her suspicions were very wrong and Ruth seemed to be truly sick. There was no way Ruth would come up with a plot that involved the Gabriels mixing with the Mayfairs. Both of those worlds, she wanted as far apart as possible.


    But, she couldn''t remember Ruth falling sick and requiring any bone marrow transplant before her rebirth. Had she missed it like she missed all the plotting and betrayal?


    The Saxon spirit was unmoved after reading Phoebe''s thoughts. "Let''s get to the hospital first, after seeing the situation on the ground I''ll be able to tell you but.....I have strong doubts about all this. Nothing related to Ruth can be trusted."


    "This is karma for being an evil person, she deserves this and much worse, sister don''t allow your heart to feel any sympathy for that wicked woman. Keep going with your plan of kicking her out of the Mayfair house." Connie curled her lips upwards.


    Phoebe used her thoughts to order Sylvester to go back to the cafe for there was no need for all the ghosts to follow her besides Rosset may need help with something.


    "Yes boss." Sylvester said before he vanished.


    The Saxon spirit brought a calming tonic from the magic space and put in Phoebe''s bag just in case grandma Mayfair needed it. They could all see that she was unsettled and very worried.


    "Poor woman, it will be terrible for her to go through this if that witch is lying. I swear to God that I will do something to her." It spoke through pursed lips.


    When they got to the hospital, the two women headed straight to the hospital room where Ruth was. Grandma Mayfair led the way, almost breaking into a run while Phoebe just followed steadily.


    "Ruth! My child!!" The old woman pushed the door open with all of her strength while calling out loudly for Ruth in a shaky voice. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ruth was sleeping on her back and she had no intention to get up but the moment Phoebe walked in, she sat up with Ophelia''s help.


    "What happened? Why do you look like this?" Grandma Mayfair fussed.


    She touched Ruth''s face, hands and even checked her feet for some reason. Phoebe just stood there awkwardly, not knowing what to do especially because her parents were there.


    If she had been alone with Ruth at that moment, she would be laying the sarcasm on heavily.


    Edward took the initiative to speak and break the awkwardness.


    "Girls, there is no introduction necessary because you both know one another. Both of you are our daughters and to this family you two are sisters, blood relationship or not. It is our hope that you both can put the past aside and learn to live together in harmony."


    A smile formed on Ruth''s pale lips, her eyes not breaking contact with Phoebe''s. She stretched her right hand out and winced as if she was in incredible pain.


    Phoebe wanted to scoff but she stopped herself. If she acted so rudely at Ruth''s sick bed, she would come off in a negative light so, she took Ruth''s hand and smiled dryly.


    "Phoebe i am so glad that my best friend has turned out to be my sister. Please forgive me if I have wronged you in any way all these years. We always loved each other but I don''t know what I did for you to hate me, i just hope that you let it go. Let''s forget the past and move forward as the sisters that we are." She sobbed and rubbed her eyes that had dark circles around them.


    Disbelief enveloped Phoebe''s mind, she didn''t know what to make of the situation, fortunately the Saxon spirit came forward and made things clear.


    "This sly bitch is faking it, she''s not sick at least not physically. Ruth is playing on everyone''s emotions and using them to hang on to this family."


    It was just as Phoebe expected so she tightened the hold on Ruth''s hand, squeezing a little hard. If Ruth thought that she was a good player, she decided to be a better one. Phoebe moved closer to Ruth and spoke calmly.


    "Sister, you should have told me if you were in so much pain. All these years when you were partying, drinking and smoking, i didn''t know that you were ill. Maybe that''s what made your sickness worse. But it doesn''t matter anyway, i will take very good care of you from now on. The past doesn''t matter anymore, from now on i will treat you like a real sister.


    I will even forgive your real parents for what they did to me. I really hope that you will survive this sickness." Phoebe embraced Ruth.


    All the Mayfairs heard Phoebe loud and clear, and they frowned. Ruth used to drink, smoke and party. When did she start doing such things and endangering herself?


    Meanwhile, Phoebe whispered to Ruth, "I know that you are not sick Ruth, you can fool every one here but not me. I am going to give you one chance to drop everything and walk away. You and i can never be sisters."


    Ruth trembled and clenched the sides of Phoebe''s shirt. She wanted to say something but now was not the time, she couldn''t risk setting Phoebe off by taunting her.


    She moved back and said loudly, "Ruth, no, sister, which one of is older? When you get out of the hospital fully healed, i want to know if i will be the one spoiling you or you will be the one to spoil me."


    The bad habits Phoebe had mentioned aside, everyone was back to sighing in relief because of the display of sisterhood.


    "Ohhh aren''t they sweet? My daughters thank you for understanding and not complicating the situation." Jennie moved and embraced her daughters.


    Collin couldn''t believe his eyes, he thought that Phoebe had come to cause more trouble but seeing this side of her being nice to Ruth made his heart soften a bit. Maybe she was not as bad as he thought.


    "Any news on finding the Gabriels? They need to donate as soon as possible for our Ruth to survive." Grandma Mayfair asked Edward.


    He shook his head, looking grave. "Nothing yet but we are still searching for them. I have deployed all of my resources. Mother, what about the investigation, what did the detective say?"


    Andre arrived and he joined everyone in the room. He didn''t say a word but sat down on the large couch next to Luke.


    Grandma Mayfair went ahead to tell the entire family everything that Shark had told her and Phoebe. When she was finished everyone was equally horrified except for Ruth that was relieved.


    As long as it was not a kidnapping or baby swap, it was all good. She could live as a Mayfair with her head held up. The nurse had called her actions an act of God and she was doing his will so it was God''s will for her to be a Mayfair.


    Others didn''t think the same way however just like grandma Mayfair thought.

 Chapter 107 - 107: Not so bad Phoebe

    "She was insane indeed! One hundred and thirty babies? Goodness gracious me!!!" Jennie thought the story was absurd.


    "It''s madness, not God''s work. That woman was selfish and arrogant. She has ruined so many lives with her actions. The hospital is even worse for knowing this and staying quiet." Edward placed his index finger and thought deeply. "We should sue the hospital for everything they''ve got."


    On hearing his words, Ruth panicked. "No father! Then everyone will find out about me not being a Mayfair!!! i am not ready. Please, can we wait at least until when i am not afraid."


    "I agree on waiting Edward, initially I too wanted to sue because I know that all affected families will do it but then again I don''t want our name to be dragged in this mess. It going to be chaotic, besides I think that the girls need time to adjust to these changes but that''s only if Phoebe is okay with waiting on revealing who she truly is." Grandma Mayfair gave her submission.


    All their eyes turned to look at Phoebe who was sitting between Andre and Luke. She looked at Ruth, she had an expression of worry written allover her face. ''I hope you now understand that this is my family and my opinion counts more than what you want Ruth.'' she thought.


    In as much as she wanted Ruth to lose her social status, it was more important to Phoebe that her family sees her in a different light than what Ruth had told them. She had seen their faces after throwing out Ruth''s belongings, her parents wore disapproving expressions on their faces but didn''t say anything. It was time to change her strategy.


    She shrugged like it wasn''t a big deal.


    "I am okay with it besides, I think that we need to concentrate on Ruth''s recovery for now. We can take time and do things slowly." Phoebe smiled warmly.


    Her response had warmed their hearts especially Collin again, who expected her to demand that they announced everything to the public immediately and throw Ruth out. He suddenly had the thought that Phoebe was not so bad.


    Ruth believed that she had Phoebe by the balls, and she could do nothing but accept everything the family wanted.


    "Thank you so much Phoebe, I promise that when i am ready, we will let everyone know that you are a Mayfair now." A tentative smile made it''s way on her lips.


    After a short while Edward stepped out to make a phone call, Phoebe sneaked out after two minutes because she wanted to talk to him. She watched him and when he was done, she approached him.


    "Father, I heard that the Gabriels left town and I think I know where they might have gone to." Phoebe was certain that they had gone to the house in Magic city. For Ruth''s good health and out of the goodness of her heart, she shared a possible address. She even shared the Darma island idea just in case.


    Aaron and Elizabeth had sent her pictures of the house back when they were trying to coax her into moving there. Thank God they did because she knew the address of the place. Phoebe sent the pictures to Edward to make his job simpler.


    "Father, let''s not let Ruth know until we find them, we shouldn''t raise everyone''s hopes high just in case they went else where." Again, Phoebe made another suggestion out of the goodness of her heart.


    "You really care about your sister''s health, i am so proud to have a daughter like you." Edward ruffled her hair slowly.


    He walked away to share the new findings with his investigators while Phoebe found a vending machine and got herself a bag of nuts.


    As she walked back to the hospital room, she bumped into Collin, Phoebe wasn''t in the mood for his insults so she bypassed him without a word.


    "Wait." He spoke suddenly.


    She paused and whirled around. "I am sorry is it me you are talking to? What could you possibly want with a con woman like me oh great sir Collin Mayfair."


    She smirked and curtsied like she was in the presence of royalty.


    Collin growled inwardly, the tiny woman standing before him knew how to push his buttons.


    "I...just want to thank you for being considerate, I didn''t know that you had it in you."


    Phoebe chuckled. Finally her eldest brother was talking calmly to her for the first time since they met.


    [It''s not your fault for being a jerk, you are just blind about the things going on around you especially when it comes to Ruth. As you learn about her, your heart is going to break.]


    He read her thoughts but didn''t react, instead he turned to walk away with a frown.


    "Collin?" Phoebe called him, in as much as they didn''t have the best relationship, Phoebe didn''t want her brother to be toyed around with by a woman.


    "What is it?" He turned around.


    "That news anchor you were with the other time, you should end it." Phoebe chewed on the inside of her cheek.


    "You don''t even know her, why do you say that?" Collin arched an eyebrow.


    How was she supposed to tell him that she knows the future and he had become a laughingstock when the truth was revealed.


    "Nothing." Phoebe shook her head.


    [She''s sleeping with her boss and pictures of them will soon be in the news. You will become a laughing stock and won''t show your face in public for a few months I may not like you much but as a sister, i just thought you should know. Whatever happens, at least i warned you.]


    On reading her thoughts, Collin frowned some more and walked away. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    What he had read kept ringing like a bell at the back of his mind. It was the second time he was seeing her thoughts concerning his relationship. He did not believe her but checking would not harm anyone. He pulled out his phone and called his assistant.


    "Put a tail on Kelly, I want to know all the people she meets and what she does especially anything related to her boss." Collin hung up and looked back but Phoebe was already heading back into the room to join the rest of the family.


    Dr. Murphy walked into the room ten seconds after Phoebe along with doctor that had diagnosed Ruth. Edward stood up the moment he saw them both. Everyone gave them full attention, expecting an update on Ruth''s condition especially because Dr. Murphy was carrying some papers.


    "Is there a change in her condition?" Jennie asked him quickly.


    "I have good news everyone, after doing some more tests and comparing them to the ones which had been done, i discovered some inconsistencies. Ruth does not have an auto immune disorder." He shared.


    Everyone was shocked but mostly relieved. However they needed more detailed information.


    "What? How can this be doctor, i feel sick? Did you make a mistake?" Ruth asked in a soft weak voice.


    The doctor lowered his head to apologize, seemingly alarmed as well. "I am sorry but this isn''t entirely my fault, my intern Dr. Boosie must have mixed up the test results which created this mess. Those test results belonged to another patient, please forgive us I will reprimand doctor Boosie strongly."


    Jennie stood up. "So does this mean that Ruth doesn''t require a bone marrow transplant Dr. Murphy?"

 Chapter 108 - 108: Bring on the gifts.

    Nodding his head, Dr. Murphy apologized for the scare they had encountered. "She is going to be okay, there is no need to worry anymore. Again, we apologize for the mix up in the paper work." S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Grandma Mayfair was still disturbed and she felt the need to caution the doctors. "Teach your doctors to be more careful next time otherwise you could really end up making and irreparable mistake. What would you have done if Ruth ended up getting an unnecessary surgery?"


    Both doctors apologized again and the family accepted the apology.


    Ruth clapped continuously in jubilation and even squeezed out a few tears. "This means that I can go home finally."


    She couldn''t stand the idea of being in the hospital anymore when Phoebe was walking around freely in her house.


    Her words angered the Saxon spirit which blew sleeping dust in her face. Her flaccid body fell back, it''s like she had lost consciousness.


    "Ruthie!!!" Jennie shouted


    "That''s for toying with people''s emotions. Enjoy a longer stay in the hospital." The spirit vanished right before Phoebe chocked on laughter.


    The two doctors quickly examined Ruth and informed the worried family that she was sleeping and her vital signs were normal. Her sudden fainting spell was attributed to exhaustion and medication.


    Everyone stuck around at the hospital until late in the night. Phoebe once again slept over at the Mayfair house. It was another long night and she slept in the space again.


    Very early in the morning she was woken up by a call from David which she answered extremely groggy and unhappy.


    Great, i dream of him and he calls me at unholy six in the morning.


    "There is nothing unholy about six o''clock in the morning." The ancestor spirit shared as she manipulated Phoebe''s phone and tossed it at her.


    Phoebe sighed and answered in an unfriendly voice.


    "Two minutes past six Saxon, it''s two past six. Has your bed been infested with fire ants? Do you hate sleep?"


    On the end of the call David chortled. "You sound delightful my love."


    "Call me that one more time and i will be the fire ant in your bed." she threatened.


    "Oooouh, scary." he laughed. "If you are looking for a way to get into my bed Phoebe you don''t need to be an ant. You can walk in on your two human legs and i will welcome you with two..."


    "What do you want Saxon?" she bit out.


    "To tell you that i will be returning tomorrow and if you are free, i want to take you out. We can do anything you want."


    "What i want is to sleep." she cut the call swiftly, shut the phone off and stuffed it inside a pillow.


    With a smile, she laid her head back down and went to sleep on the bed. One hour later, she woke up, showered and went downstairs to join the others for breakfast.


    Grandma Mayfair was already at the dining table, enjoying her meal. She appeared well rested and happy despite roller coaster of the previous day. She smiled fondly at Phoebe the moment she saw her.


    "Phoebe, hurry and have breakfast. We should leave for work as soon as possible after breakfast, I enjoyed my time yesterday."


    "Good morning to you to Grandma." She spoke teasingly.


    Her parents and brothers joined them and everyone traded greetings. What surprised them was that Collin greeted Phoebe and she responded politely, no snarky comments or anything.


    Nobody knew what had brought on the positive change in their attitudes and they just thought it was nice that he was warming up to her.


    "Any update on Ruth?" Grandma Mayfair asked. They had left her sleeping and Ophelia was the only one that stayed back at the hospital.


    "She opened her eyes at around midnight and had something to eat. Right now she is taking a walk around the hospital on doctor Murphy''s encouragement. He has told me that she will be discharged later today as she can recover fully from home." Jennie wore a broad smile as she shared the great news.


    It brought a smile to the everyone''s faces, Phoebe as well as she was still playing the kind daughter role.


    "I also have good news to share, as of yesterday i am an official employee of the black ghost Cafe."


    Her announcement elicited different reactions from everyone and some people in particular were vocal about it.


    "What?" Edward was shocked.


    "Grandmother, why? Are you short of money or bored?" Collin asked, dismayed.


    "Mother, I don''t think you should strain yourself that much, if Phoebe wants employees I can ask Alfie to find her some." Edward pulled his eyebrows together.


    The old woman laughed. "Stop fussing Edward i am old not dead. I haven''t felt this alive in years because all i have been doing is wasting away. It is very exciting working there and it gives me bonding time with my darling Pheebs."


    "Still, that is no place for a Mayfair to be! In fact I suggest that Phoebe closes shop. I can get you a good position at Mayfair corporations." Collin strongly suggested.


    "Excuse you?" Phoebe dropped the spoon she was holding. She wanted to put Collin in his place but Andre beat her to it.


    "Who the hell do you think you are to tell her to close her business Collin? She''s doing what she''s passionate about just let her be." Andre''s lips pressed together.


    Jennie cleared her throat. "Andre I don''t think that your brother is coming from a bad place, we all want the best for Phoebe that''s all. Just because she can see those....she doesn''t have to be involved in that kind of business." She was worried about their reputation when people find out that their daughter was a shaman. She couldn''t even bring herself to say the word ghosts.


    "Think about our family''s reputation Phoebe. If you are to be one of us, you must behave like one of us." Collin urged.


    [Then i would rather not be one of you.] Phoebe thought and everyone saw that thought.


    The Saxon spirit was angry with Collin''s words so it decide to act out. Just when he was about to sip the black tea, it prodded the cup and the tea spilled all over his new expensive suit.


    "Damn it!!!" He stood up and went to change into something else.


    Everyone else meanwhile dropped the topic immediately. Bringing it up after seeing that thought was not a good idea.


    After breakfast, Phoebe went with Andre to the garage as he was giving her a ride to work, again. There she found three new cars with ribbons tied around them. One was pink, another yellow and the third black.


    Surprise!, Andre loudly, with his mouth wide open bellowed out. "I hope you love the surprise, these two colorful ones are from me and that one with a boring color is from grandma."


    "Maybe but it''s more expensive than both your cars combined." Grandma Mayfair winked at Phoebe who was smiling.


    Even though they had vocalized their intentions to buy her cars, she didn''t think they would be doing it so soon. She also did not expect three cars and in her mind she had assumed she would be getting only a single car. Being showered with love in the form of gifts from her real family was a little overwhelming. Tears formed in her eyes as she imagined how much love she missed out on.


    Quickly she wiped them and hugged each one of them.


    Luke joined them. "Oh hell no! What do I get my baby sister now? Phoebe do you care for a fourth car? I heard mom and dad saying that they were buying one for you too." He laughed and joined in on the hug.


    "I could use a van." Phoebe joked.


    "Done, one luxury van coming." Luke waved a finger as if he was waving a magic wand. "What else do you like?"


    "Money." Phoebe shared. "It''s handy in my line of work."


    Luke waved his finger again. "Done, just share your banking details with me."


    "Me too." Andre volunteered eagerly.


    "Me three." Grandma Mayfair chimed in.

 Chapter 109 - 109: Miranda Saxon, queen of the witches.

    Phoebe drove herself and grandma Mayfair to work in the brand new yellow car. The new car smell was just as sweet as that of new bank notes. She hummed happily all the way to work.


    Upon arrival at the cafe, grandma Mayfair made herself busy behind the counter immediately. They had received ten large orders and they had clients waiting for coffee and pastries.


    Phoebe and the ghosts helped as well and in less than hour, they handled the morning rush then continued handling orders.


    At around nine, the doorbells chimed and in stepped a woman that Phoebe recognized immediately. There was no way she could ever forget the cruel Miranda Saxon, not even if she was reborn a thousand years later.


    She had no smile on her face, but a cruel smirk which indicated that she had not come to play. Phoebe could smell trouble wafting off of her from a distance.


    Miranda took off the black glasses that she was wearing, her eyes moved around, gauging the cafe''s worth and judging by ugly her expression, she was disgusted by what she saw.


    Phoebe placed the rug which she was using to wipe away coffee stains from the counter and moved to where Miranda stood. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    With a blank expression and cold eyes Phoebe welcomed her just like an unwelcome client.


    "Welcome to the Black Ghost Cafe, how can I be of assistance to you?"


    Miranda studied her from the head to the shoes.


    "You''ve got to be kidding me!!! Of all the fine women that he could get he picked you!" She rolled her eyes in disgust.


    "Red hair, you must be the infamous Phoebe Gabriel or Hopkins whatever. Follow me to the Swiss Restaurant uptown so that we can have a talk in a more civilized setting." She began to walk away but stopped and spun around. "Oh and by the way bring me one of your creams to revitalize my skin. Something that will restore my youthful looks." She continued to waltz out of the cafe all high and mighty.


    Phoebe wasn''t surprised at all by the woman''s behavior. In the past she had dealt with that nasty attitude and temper when she married David. In fact, it was so much worse than this.


    Phoebe wasn''t going to allow anyone step on her like a rug in this life. She had plans for Miranda as well, the woman had to learn that there were people on this planet that valued self respect more than money.


    "I don''t know what Robert saw in her." The Saxon spirit shook its head disapprovingly.


    "Judging by her words, she wants to talk about David, she looks like she would make a troublesome mother in law. On the other hand Collin Baltimore''s mother adores you." Connie expressed her opinions with a look of intense disgust as if she had personally been entangled with Miranda at some point.


    Her words were not well received by the Saxon spirit which warned her. "I am the reason you are here Connie, it will serve you well to keep that in mind."


    Phoebe turned around and went back to work, working on two human clients. On wanted to know if he was being haunted and another wanted a good luck talisman because he was attending his tenth job interview the following day.


    After about an hour, Miranda Saxon stormed back into the cafe, she was heaving and furious.


    "How dare a pauper like you make me wait for an hour? Do you know who I am?" She barked like a hungry dog.


    Without pause, she moved and sat at a table in the corner near the door. Then she went ahead to strip her hat and shades off, with her hand she began to fan herself.


    Phoebe chuckled because the heat she felt came from a fallen star that the Saxon spirit was holding over Miranda''s head.


    "Why is this place so damn hot? Turn the AC on immediately." Her gaze moved from Phoebe to Rosette who did as the customer wanted.


    Phoebe moved and sat opposite her. "Start talking, I don''t have all day."


    Miranda''s eyes flew wide open. "How rude? How can you talk to an adult this way young girl? You have no respect at all, what the hell did David even see in you? I don''t see it."


    Phoebe laughed and remained silent.


    [Respect is earned you wicked witch.]


    The thought was as bold as it could get and Miranda read every word.


    "Witch, did you just call me a witch?" she screamed.


    Phoebe frowned a little puzzled because she had thought about it but not shared her thoughts loudly. In this case, she could deny it comfortably.


    "Lady, are you crazy? With which ears have you heard me say the word witch?"


    [Witch, witch, wicked witch, lazy eyed witch, queen of the witches.]


    Miranda gasped and squinted her eyes just to be sure about what was happening because Phoebe''s mouth was not moving but those words were there above her head. What did it mean?


    "Am I seeing things because she is a shaman?" Miranda muttered.


    She cleared her throat and straightened her back. "If you are making me read that because you want to scare me off then you have another thing coming. I would not be Miranda Saxon if little things like that scared me. I have seen much scarier things before."


    Phoebe frowned for she had no idea what the woman was yapping about. "Talk Miranda, I have ghosts to deal with." Her voice was raised.


    Miranda''s mother flew open as she wondered how the girl knew her name, she then remembered that Phoebe was a shaman. Her eyes moved around as if in search of the ghosts.


    The heat, the weird words above Phoebe''s head, the ghosts and her rudeness all served to anger her. She wanted to leave as soon as possible so she coldly stared at Phoebe and slammed her hand on the table.


    "Stay away from my son!!! I don''t want you to date him, stop clinging onto him because I will never accept your relationship. Aren''t shamans supposed to be pure or something like that? I heard that women like you are married to the spirits you serve or something. I just want you to stay away from my son you gold digger!!!"


    Miranda held her nose in the air, her almond shaped eyes narrowed when Phoebe let out an ear piercing laughter.


    Grandma Mayfair who had come from the back of shop was eavesdropping, she knew the visitor quite well but she never imagined that Miranda was so mean. She was impressed to see Phoebe pushing back strongly.


    "Who told you that I was clinging onto him?" Phoebe quizzed. I don''t want your son talk more of loving him. It''s him you should tell to leave me alone Miranda. He has been following me like a puppy in need of affection so I decided to let him. You Saxons think that you defecate gold or something. You are nothing special I can assure you." Phoebe smirked and looked back at Miranda with contempt.


    "What? How can you....this is why I told him to go after Ruth Mayfair instead of someone below our status. You clear don''t understand what it means to be a Saxon in Fog country. You dupe people for a living and above all you come from a poor back ground. You have no place with us, you cannot be a Saxon so listen up.


    This is a cheque of two million take it and go far away to a place my son can''t find you." She tossed the paper across the table.


    Phoebe picked it up and read it, her upper lip curled upwards.

 Chapter 110 - 110: Double, quadruple, and add another zeroes.

    The amount of money Miranda was offering was very laughable and ridiculous. It was pennies compared to the endless mine of financial reserves she had access to. Phoebe was no gold digger but she found the money offered insulting.


    [Two million, is this all your son is worth to you?]


    Miranda gasped. "So you want more but of course what would I expect from a woman of your class."


    Phoebe was shocked that Miranda understood her dissatisfaction but nevertheless, it didn''t matter because it was how she was feeling genuinely.


    "David Saxon is worth more than two million. I can get this if he gives me some strands of his hair. Make your offer juicier."


    Miranda huffed, pulled out another check, wrote on it and tossed it at Phoebe like it was trash.


    Again Phoebe picked it up. "Five million, now we are talking. But it is still not enough, double it"


    Miranda''s face twitched and she snorted. "Your greed really knows no bounds. Fine, i can afford it anyway."


    She signed another cheque for ten million which she threw Phoebe''s way in her preferred smile. Phoebe didn''t even touch or look at it. Like a dog at a sausage buffet with a wagging excited tail, Phoebe felt her cells dancing for joy. If she had known that she could make easy money like this from dating David, she would have initiated a relationship with him on day one.


    "Quadruple it." smugly, she ordered Miranda.


    Miranda''s hands trembled with the urge to slap the smug look off Phoebe''s face. Did the woman crook assume that she could simply blackmail her as she wished?


    "Are you crazy? Have the spirits you serve turned your brain into mash? Why is your greed unlimited? Do i look like i am made of money?"


    Phoebe looked her up and down, taking in her luxury clothes and bag.


    "The bag you are holding is worth more than ten million. Is your son less valuable than your bag? Wow, David will be disappointed to hear this. The mother that didn''t give him time or love as a child because her career and proving herself to her in-laws was worth more than raising him thinks he is worth less than one of her bags."


    Miranda raised her hand in an attempt to slap Phoebe. Phoebe tilted her head to dodge the slap. She did not need to dodge anyway because Miranda''s hand was frozen in the air, caught by the Saxon spirit.


    "Release her." Phoebe told it.


    Reluctantly, it did as she wanted.


    "Quadruple it and add another zero or get out of my cafe and start preparing new bedding and a wedding ring for me because i will be coming as his bride. I look forward to calling you mother-in-law sweetly."


    Miranda roughly wrote up another cheque for one hundred million.


    "This is the most you will get out of me. If i see you around my son, i will report you for fraud because this is a verbal contract. I have recorded this conversation as well, if you go back on your word i will sue you for everything you own and you will die and serve your spirits from the grave."


    Phoebe responded by smiling calmly. "You can leave now, thank you for passing by Miranda. It was nice doing business with you, i hope we do this again soon." Her nonchalant tone irked Miranda who stood up and matched out.


    Grandma Mayfair run up to Phoebe quickly. "Darling, what just happened here? How could you take the money, don''t you love David?" S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Love.." Phoebe lowered her eyes and laughed softly for a few seconds. Then she looked up and said, "Loving a Saxon is painful and expensive grandma, in more ways than one. Sometimes, the price to pay for that love is life."


    Grandma Mayfair was perplexed, she couldn''t make heads or tails of Phoebe''s words. All she was worried about was how Phoebe was feeling about hearing such horrible words from Miranda Saxon and what people would think when they found out that Phoebe had accepted money in exchange for breaking up with David.


    Miranda Saxon was not going to keep quiet about this little tidbit. She would use it to ruin Phoebe''s reputation for sure.


    "I cannot believe the nerve of that woman coming into your cafe to talk to you like that. Hmph, Prudence will hear from me about this for sure. Darling, let us give that money back before it becomes the source of your ruination, I will give you double the amount...."


    Phoebe hugged her grandmother abruptly, stunning the old woman into silence.


    "Grandmother, believe it or not, i earned this money fairly. Nobody knows Miranda Saxon like me, and i know all too well the cruelty she is capable of. I am doing this to teach her a lesson.


    If David chooses his mother''s side, that''s fine with me, it just means that he is not worthy of me anyway. Do not worry about me and Miranda because I am also not a push over. Whatever amount she offers, i will take and keep taking until i bankrupt her or she surrenders.


    If she uses this matter to attempt to ruin my reputation, i will do the same to her."


    She pointed up the corner of the shop. A small CCTV camera was hidden in the corner and nobody but her and Rosette knew about it.


    "What will people think if they see what the polite and refined Miranda is really like. Her reputation will take a hit faster than mine. If she leaks the audio of me accepting the money, i will release the video of her offering it. At the end of the day, she came to me and initiated the whole thing not the other way round."


    Grandma Mayfair was misguided by Phoebe''s smooth tongue that she forgot her own worries and nodded.


    "I am going to go and cash this cheque at the bank before she changes her mind, please watch over the cafe grandma." Phoebe kissed the old woman on the cheek and dashed out of the cafe.


    For Phoebe, this was a free windfall, one hundred million to replace what she had spent on Mason''s mother. Maybe God had decided to pay her back in this way.


    When she was married to David, Miranda never gave her as much as a dollar and even checked her financial records regularly.


    She monitored every coin Phoebe spent and berated her for wasting money on anything she deemed unnecessary.


    Sometimes, Ruth would even randomly and casually mention it to Miranda if she bought a nice new dress. Miranda in turn would react as if a world war had broken out and the dress of eighty dollars had cost eight million.


    There were many more incidents like this and the excuse which was always used was that she needed to be more careful, mindful, conservative and not money minded to expose her poor background.


    Phoebe sneered at the memories. This one hundred million was just the beginning. Ruth and Miranda, she would teach them both good lessons.

 Chapter 111 - 111: The storm of blood in the city.

    "A new storm is about to sweep over the country as allegations of baby swaps at one of the country''s best women and children''s hospital St. Marcelino in Citrus city have been reported. These allegations are already sending the elite and wealthy into a panic because because they are the majority involved.


    Sources claim that over one hundred babies belonging to wealthy families were replaced with sickly babies from belonging to poor mothers from poor families over a period of at least forty years. The police is already investigating the case and earlier this morning a raid was executed on St.


    Marcelino hospital, many documents were captured and hospital executives and some doctors were arrested and taken in for questioning."


    Almost every television was reporting the same news, baby swaps at St. Marcelino hospital. The news was sensationalized even more by the fact that this affected some of the wealthiest families in the country. The headquarters of the police in Citrus city where members of wealthy families were driving in and out had been turned into a center of chaos.


    On the television the heavily surrounded station was almost similar to a crowded market place. Nobody knew who had leaked the news as the police had been intending to handle the matter quietly because of the caliber of people involved. Unfortunately, news like that could not be contained for so long. Sear?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As Phoebe watched the news from the bank while in line, waiting for her turn to deposit the cheque, she imagined the fall out that was going to follow the release of this news.


    How many previously wealthy, spoiled and entitled young men and women were going to have the rug pulled out from beneath them? Would they react like Ruth and hold on to the rich families with everything or would they let go and walk away?


    This would not stop at the children alone as some of them were married and had their own children now so the younger generations would be affected as well. Children, grandchildren and great grandchildren would all be affected.


    People would be talking about this incident for so many years to come, Phoebe could already see the light of excitement in the eyes of the people in the bank. Usually, the atmosphere in a bank was dull, to some tense even as they dreaded the loans they had come to ask for or pay off, and the mortgage extension they wanted to request for.


    Some like Phoebe would be trying to hide their excitement as they came in to deposit large sums of money or cheques.


    Someone in the bank changed the television station switching to news being reported by Kelly. This was the kind of news that she would be reporting on as one of the best anchors in the city.


    She was already on the case like a hyena on meat, sharing the updates vigorously with the citizens of the country.


    "According to reporter Gibbs at the station, families like the Holly''s, the Andersons, the Meyers and the Valladont''s are some of the victims of this scheme that people have named the cuckoo incident. For those who are wondering why it has been named the cuckoo incident it''s because a cuckoo is a bird that is an unwelcome intruder in the nest.


    It is a bird that lays its eggs in the nest of another bird.


    When the cuckoo egg hatches the baby cuckoo pushes out the eggs of the host from the nest one by one. In other words, the host parents are tricked into feeding an offspring that is not theirs. Some people are arguing that calling it the cuckoo incident is extreme because the children are innocent and played no part in the baby swaps.


    The question we are all asking ourselves right now is who is responsible for the tragedy and what will happen to the children?


    We will now take you back to the police station where the commissioner of police is personally going to address the media and elaborate on the incident."


    Phoebe scoffed, cuckoo in the nest applied perfectly to Ruth because she had known the truth that she was not a Mayfair and yet stayed there, feeding off the family gladly.


    "Oh my God, the Andersons were also tricked, which one of their children is it, could it be Valarie Anderson the actress?"


    "They should have called it the falling from grace incident because so many are going to fall from grace."


    "No, the fake children are like fallen angels so they should be named fallen heirs."


    "Fallen heirs, haha, let me tweet that immediately."


    "This is so exciting, it''s even more exciting than the news about David Saxon''s witch girlfriend."


    Phoebe could hear the conversations from all around the bank and she raised her head quickly wondering why she was suddenly being pulled into the conversation. Had they noticed her and they were deliberately saying this for her to hear?


    "About the Saxons, do you think that they are also involved in this mess? They are rich and all rich women in this city flock to St. Marcelino the moment they sniff a pregnancy. In my opinion, it serves them right for thinking that they are more special than the rest of us. I had my six children at St. Catherine general hospital and nothing ever went wrong with any of them."


    "Who in this country would dare to accept a white haired baby as their own on the same day someone in the Saxon family gives birth at the same hospital? It would be obvious that the child is not theirs."


    "That''s true, the Saxons have survived because of their hair. Nobody would dare to swap one of their children otherwise, they would be victims as well. Who in this city is as wealthy as them?"


    "The Mayfairs are close to the Saxons in wealth, do you think they were affected too?"


    "As soon as i get home, i am going to test the DNA of all my children. I may not be wealthy but this incident has opened my eyes. I do not want to raise any cuckoos."


    "Should i do the same, i don''t want to raise any cuckoos too."


    "My instinct tells me that some people paid off the doctors and deliberately sent their children to wealthy families. I am big fan of family dramas and i have seen many with such a story line. Everyone involved in this plot should be executed, they are simply evil."


    Every one had an opinion and the bank tellers were also carried away and they joined in on the gossip. It didn''t stop until the bank manager passed by and cleared his throat giving them warning glares. He also switched off the television and work was resumed.


    The clients didn''t stop gossiping however and the Mayfairs were brought up three more times. Phoebe couldn''t help thinking, if only the people knew that Ruth Mayfair was the reason as to why the flood gates had burst open.


    People had switched to their phones to follow the news and get updates consistently. A storm had come to Fog country and everyone was curious to see who was going to be swept away.

 Chapter 112 - 112: Out of nowhere.

    Phoebe was leaving the bank when she got a call from Evelyn which immediately started with an unexpected question that made her pause in her tracks for a moment before entering her car.


    "You are a Mayfair, aren''t you?"


    Evelyn was so direct about it, sounding so sure. Uncertain, she posed a question of her own in response as she started the car.


    "What makes you say that?"


    "I passed by the hospital to see Ruth and she was all pale and scared when i mentioned rumors circulating about swapped babies. I heard my parents whispering about it last night. Apparently the nurse that swapped the babies left notes and a list which clearly identifies which child from which family was exchanged with another. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Carters, my cousins family, their parents were called in last night. Devan is not related to us by blood, everyone is devastated. Anyway, seeing how nervous Ruth looked, i decided to pass by your cafe and to my surprise, old Lady Mayfair is working there now.


    I am not stupid Phoebe, i have known the Mayfairs all my life. In no universe and under no conditions would she be working when her precious only granddaughter is sick in the hospital.


    She certainly wouldn''t be in your cafe, like come on, the answer is right there. It''s a gigantic ass glowing billboard in the middle of the road screaming over here, look at me."


    Phoebe laughed lightly. "I guess you do not need me to give you a confirmation then."


    Evelyn gasped loudly and she giggled. "Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God!!!! this is huge Pheebs, you are the Mayfair heiress. This explains the weird relationship between her and your parents...., no they are not your parents anymore. Thank God they are not your parents and you can finally escape those demons. They can finally have their Ruth that they adore so much.


    Holy shit i gotta tell everyone we went to school with and...."


    "Slow down Evie," Phoebe stopped her friend who was moving way too fast. "I think you have forgotten how cunning Ruth is. Do you think my parents can abandon her when she is sick and the Gabriels are conveniently missing? This whole swapped baby revelation came to light because i was suspicious and asked detective Shark to help me investigate.


    He ended up discovering that i was not the only baby to be swapped. Anyway, it''s not going to be made public for now and Ruth is staying. We are two happy loving sisters now." she said sarcastically.


    On the other end of the phone, Evelyn guffawed because she knew from Phoebe''s tone that this was not a loving sisterhood. There was going to be some backstabbing and plotting.


    "I cannot believe Ruth is shamelessly choosing to continue living as a Mayfair. Why can''t she just take all the money she has and move away? If it were me i would have left the moment the truth was discovered. I cannot imagine living everyday with the actual child of my parents.


    Have you seen the cuckoo thing online, i would even be too afraid to accept anything from the family because it would be like stealing.


    Can you imagine the whispers from relatives, maids and other workers looking down on you and thinking you are the same as them but just happened to be lucky because you were swapped. I couldn''t live like that Pheebs, its suffocating and embarrassing, then again, Ruth has no shame."


    Phoebe was inclined to agree about the last comment and Evelyn''s opinions. If she had been in Ruth''s place, she would have left the Mayfair family. If she didn''t want to live to be with her birth family then she would choose to live alone.


    "So what is your plan?" Evelyn inquired.


    "To watch and see for now how things progress. I will call you later Evelyn i am driving back to the cafe right now. I want to hear more about your conversation with Ruth."


    They said farewell to each other and Evelyn ended the call. Phoebe found herself in a good mood and she turned up the volume of the music, bringing Connie out of the space with her off key and out of tune singing.


    They enjoyed the music until the Saxon spirit suddenly made a reminder to Phoebe with a frown. "I think you should call David and let him know about what transpired between you and his mother."


    Connie stopped bobbing her head up and down like a doll and she agreed with the spirit. "That Miranda woman seemed like someone that would manipulate such a situation."


    Knowing Miranda Phoebe knew that Connie was right so when she parked her car and started walking to the cafe, she called David who answered the call joyfully.


    Phoebe exhaled loudly. "This isn''t a pleasant call David Saxon, it''s just a heads up about your mother...."


    Hands wrapped around her neck out of nowhere and she screamed. The phone fell from her hands and hit the paved ground. She didn''t recognize her assailant until she heard his voice over Connie''s screams.


    "It''s your fault you bitch!!! You killed my wife. You evil witch! You brought Mason''s ghost into our perfect lives and now everything has been ruined." Turner spoke gruffly as his grip tightened around Phoebe''s neck.


    "Pheebs....phoebe? Who the hell is that?" David''s voice could be heard shouting through the phone, he kept calling her name and asking what was happening to her.


    Meanwhile Phoebe was struggling to breathe as she slapped the beefy man to let go as she gasped for breath like a drowning rat.


    "Le..let go!" She croaked.


    The Saxon spirit intervened, coming out of the bracelet and sending Turner flying. Phoebe stumbled towards the nearest wall, heaving and catching her breath. Thankfully the spirit intervened by using its powers to hold his arms to the back and pin him in one place.


    After catching her breath, she stood up slowly but her hands continued to massage her sore neck. She wanted to go into the cafe immediately, the scuffle had attracted a small number of spectators and the last thing she needed was to end up in the news once again.


    So, she glared at Turner and pointed at the cafe.


    "Follow me."


    "Heck no!! I am not following you, what are you and Mason planning to take my life as well? I have lost everything because of you, I have nothing left." Turner''s voice was glazed with resentment.


    Phoebe wasn''t about to argue with the man so she asked the ghosts to force him inside.


    "Whatever you do, do not carry him. There are too many eyes here." Her eyes moved around before pushing the door open only to see more spectators.


    The people in the cafe were watching through the windows. Rosset had used a lot of strength to hold grandma Mayfair back. The old woman wanted to attack Turner but Rosset assured her that Phoebe would handle it.


    First, Phoebe decided to get rid of the customers. Turner was not going to talk silently, she could hear his loud screams and pleas for someone to call the police.


    Phoebe opened the door of the cafe and made an announcement loudly. "I apologize for the commotion, none of you has to pay for your meals because we are closing up right now. If you have already paid, please return tomorrow for a free replacement drink and snack. We have an emergency to deal with, please make your way out as quickly as possible."

 Chapter 113 - 113: Turners arrest.

    Rosette and grandma Mayfair stepped up quickly and they ushered out the customers while making more sincere apologies.


    When the cafe was emptied out, the ghosts dragged in Turner kicking and screaming at the top of his lungs.


    "I will kill you, do you hear me you bitch, i will kill you. I am going to wring your neck like a chicken and smash your head with a hammer. I have killed a person before so adding one more to the list is not different. You better run and hide or else...."


    The Saxon spirit had had enough so it sealed his mouth shut but that didn''t stop Turner from mumbling and glaring fiercely at Phoebe.


    She on the other hand was unfazed by the threat and she rather continued to stare at him condescendingly. As a murderer with blood stained hands, what right did he have to threaten her?


    What is it that she had ruined? Had Shark made a move even though she told him not to do it. In order to know more she needed his mouth to be sealed first.


    She pulled closer a chair and sat down and within seconds, grandma Mayfair who was already on the phone with the police did the same. She had a ladle in hand that she was firmly wielding as a weapon. If Turner so much as came close to Phoebe, she was going to personally beat him up. Looking at those finger marks around her granddaughter''s neck was very heartbreaking.


    "Are you okay?" she touched Phoebe''s slightly red bruised neck.


    Phoebe nodded, and she gave her attention to Turner who had been pushed down onto the ground by the ghosts. Sylvester was even sitting on his back.


    "I am going to ask the ghost to let you go and unseal your mouth but if you so much as make a move to attack me or my people here you are as good as dead. I want to know what you are accusing me of so nod your head if you understand."


    He nodded and Phoebe ordered the spirit to let him go. Sylvester also got off his back.


    Although he was acting all macho, Turner was afraid of ghosts, he had tasted their strength so he remained composed but he collected as much saliva as he could and spat on the floor, his loathing look never leaving Phoebe.


    "Eeeww, that is just gross!!!" Connie jumped away and asked Sylvester moved to fetch a mop.


    None of them reminded the teenage girl that the spit could not touch her as she was a ghost and grandma Mayfair who was losing patience hit Turner on the head with her ladle as she had long wished.


    "You bastard, i will use this to scoop out your eyes." she threatened.


    Phoebe put a hand on her grandmother and encouraged her to calm down.


    "You, talk." she ordered him.


    He scoffed folded his lips, refusing to reveal his reason for attacking her. His behavior just sprinkled more confusion on everyone. He had been shouting vulgarities and making threats bravely so why clam up now?


    The ringing of Phoebe''s phone diverted their attention for a few seconds. She looked at the caller, it was Shark so she picked up the call immediately. She did not intend to shield Turner anymore, she was not a ghost and he was now a danger to her.


    "Shark, you have called right on time, someone just assaulted me. Please come to the cafe as soon as possible, the assailant is still here."


    "I am actually pulling in to Cerene apartments parking right now Pheebs and i am coming all the way from the Mayfair free clinic. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but Mason''s mother died last night." Shark hangup suddenly.


    Phoebe lowered her hand slowly and she turned her head to Turner. Even though she was not one hundred percent certain, one thing she was certain of was that there was a possible connection between the two events.


    "Mason''s mother is dead." she said softly.


    She was in a little bit of shock because she had been receiving daily updates in the form of texts from a doctor who was providing them at Andre''s request. The last one she received had shared good news, telling her that she was ready to be moved from the ICU to a recovery room that had been prepared. Even the caretaker had been found and paid a full month''s salary upfront.


    The ghosts were equally shocked as well and the only one in the cafe that was confused was grandma Mayfair.


    "How?" Rosette asked.


    Phoebe shook her head. "I don''t know...."


    The door opened and Shark hurried inside, walking with so much energy and he pounced on Turner immediately, putting handcuffs on his hands.


    "You are under arrest for the murder of Mason Caldwell and Desire Caldwell, two counts of insurance fraud and physical assault...."


    "Attempted murder of my granddaughter too." Grandma Mayfair added to the list of crimes.


    Shark adjusted his words, "Attempted murder, you have the right to remain silent and anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law. You have the right to an attorney, if you cannot afford one...."


    Turner pushed back against "Let go, get off me, let go.." S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    While Turner was struggling, more officers walked into the cafe and dragged him away. He was till shouting threats as he was dragged out.


    "I will kill you witch, you ruined our lives, not even the police will be able to stop me...."


    He passed by Amon who chopped him on the back of the neck, shutting him up as he fell into a state of unconsciousness immediately. Because of his status, none of the other officers batted an eye or said a word.


    "Send him to central, book him and dump him in an interrogation room. Do not give him any food or water and crank up the air conditioning. Tell detective Johns to get a full confession from him."


    "Yes sir." they responded loudly and left.


    Amon shut the door and locked it behind him, ignoring the unhappy looks he was getting from Shark who wanted to close the case personally.


    He stopped in front of Phoebe and pulled out a chair, sitting down and facing her. For a moment, everyone held their breath curiously to hear what he heard to say. If he was in the cafe, he was there was as a ghost catcher, not a police man. Arresting criminals was not his work, he was internal affairs.


    Phoebe got this sudden sinking feeling in her stomach and it made her want to retch. A part of her wanted to cover her ears so that she would not listen to what he was going to say.


    All she knew was that it would not be good news in light of all that was going on.


    "I warned you Phoebe, i told you that ghosts and the living should not mix. Perhaps if you had come to me about this case we could have worked together to prevent this tragedy. Unfortunately, because you acted as you please and fulfilled the wish of a ghost, three lives have been lost today.''

 Chapter 114 - 114: The death of a wicked woman.

    Amon''s words were like bullets firing accusations at Phoebe. It seemed like the man was blaming her for what was happening even before sharing the details.


    "If you were one of my officers you would be under arrest right now for gross negligence of your job." he added.


    Phoebe crossed her arms across her chest and returned him an icy stare. "Well, I am not one of your officers Amon and i would watch the accusations. I should know what i am being accused of in the first place." Phoebe was already offended by his sharp words.


    "Let''s see....a ghost killed a pregnant woman tonight. We both know what that means. You and your ghost wish fulfilling cafe played a role in it. You should have reported the murder to the police no matter what the ghost wanted. Dead people do not dictate the terms of life for the living."


    Phoebe clenched her fists, and the unsettled feeling in her stomach finally begun to settle as she had an answer. Mason was the one that had killed Victoria and knowing her, she had probably done something to Desire Caldwell.


    "I am not responsible for the actions of any human being and i reported the murder for your information." She turned her head to Shark. "Go on, ask him."


    Amon''s eyes moved to Shark and he nodded, confirming that Phoebe had reported the case to him. He went ahead to brief him about everything up to the point of Desire Caldwell''s death, mentioning that Victoria had killed her.


    "Victoria killed Desire...are you certain?" Phoebe asked. "Why?"


    When she last saw her the woman was remorseful and very afraid that the ghosts would come after them again. What had compelled her to commit murder?


    Clearing his throat, Shark smacked his lips. "I was wise enough to have a spy camera installed in Desire Caldwell''s room." He looked at Amon and said with emphasis, "I know that it''s not legal and i was not going to do anything with it. All i was doing was keeping an eye on a helpless old woman."


    Amon snorted like he did not believe Shark at all. He was familiar with Shark''s tactics and glory hogging ways. He was the kind of detective that would do almost anything to break a case. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Just tell her the rest of the story." he waved his right hand dismissively.


    "Well, the camera showed Victoria turning off the machines and taking off the old woman''s oxygen mask. She held a pillow over her face and within a short period of time Mason''s mother was dead. It happened last night and i didn''t see the footage until morning because we are busy with the cuckoo case.


    My theory is that Victoria and Turner didn''t want to share the money but were buying time because Phoebe frightened them. So, they hatched a plan and she pretended to be remorseful. She stayed around the hospital and acted like a faithful daughter-in-law for sometime and the nurses started trusting her. When she thought that no one was watching, she killed the old woman."


    "Oh my word, what a wicked woman. How could she kill her mother-in-law for money after killing her husband? Where was her conscience? She is not a woman, she is a beast." Old lady Mayfair lamented, reacting before everyone else.


    Amon, filled with self righteousness chose to respond to her. "Well these things never end well, ghosts shouldn''t mix with humans at all. They are dangerous, with a flip of a switch, they can become evil." His eyes looked at the ghosts in the cafe. "You should send them away."


    "This is our territory Mr ghost catcher and you aren''t supposed to vanquish good ghosts." Connie opened her mouth and showed him the tip of her tongue.


    Amon chuckled in return. He wanted to be on Phoebe''s good side so touching her ghosts was out of the question.


    "What happened to Victoria?" Phoebe asked a more urgent question.


    "She was found at the bottom of the stairs on the second floor of the hospital. She used the emergency stairs to sneak in and kill Desire so she exited the same way. The doctors couldn''t save her or the child in her belly."


    "Your ghost friend did it, which makes him an evil ghost now. He will not stop at one you know and the more he kills, the more irredeemable he will be. " Amon chimed in informatively.


    Phoebe pursed her lips and she looked down at her hands, one was trembling so she covered it with the other. There was a part of her which was indulging in self blame because she should have known better than to trust the words of two criminals.


    "Where is he? What comes next is my part after all." Amon touched his pocket and his hand came up with his bells.


    "Say nothing, let us find him on time before he becomes pure evil and send him away. That man Mason had a good heart, its sad that those wicked people have reduced him to this." The Saxon spirit gave Phoebe an empty stare and they communicated with their thoughts..


    She nodded in return, she wanted to save Mason no matter what it took, not just because she was rewarded with energy but because Mason deserved to move on and get reincarnated.


    "He is not here and you should leave now, ghost catchers are not welcome in my cafe, you know my rules." She gave Amon a stoic stare.


    The air in the cafe became somewhat chilly as the two stared each other down, each not backing off. Eventually, Amon gave in and he left with Shark.


    Phoebe stood up as soon as Sylvester confirmed that they had driven off.


    "Boss, you are going to look for him aren''t you?" Rosette asked.


    Phoebe nodded. "I need to find him immediately, Grandma and Rosset please take care of the cafe You can reopen or go home since i sent all the customers away anyway."


    Rosette couldn''t stop her so she simply gave some advise. "Be careful boss, if he won''t listen, just give up, he is not your responsibility and you are not liable for his actions in any way. You tried your best to help him to the maximum of your capabilities, it''s not your fault that Victoria and Turner were just so wicked and greedy to the very end."


    She had to shout these words out loudly because Phoebe was already racing to the door and by the time the last words came out of her mouth, the door bell chimes were ringing.


    Grandma Mayfair was very worried about Phoebe. Why did she have to go in search of an evil ghost?


    "Why was Amon Drusus here and what is a ghost catcher?"


    Rosette sighed and sat down beside the old woman. She decided to start educating her on all the ghost lingo she was familiar with and share what little she knew of Amon Drusus__, a high ranked police officer that moonlighted as a ghost catcher.


    "Let''s start with ghost catchers, they are people that capture ghosts and send them to purgatory. Amon Drusus is the first and only one i have met...there are also ghost exorcisers...."

 Chapter 115 - 115: Ghost hunting.

    When Phoebe and the ghosts got to Victoria''s house, they found Amon and Shark there, waiting for them. Amon had a smug look on his face, like he had finally got one up on Phoebe.


    "I guess we had the same destination in mind, eh Pheebs." he scoffed.


    She rolled her eyes and walked passed him, moving straight to the door and ringing the bell. It was opened by the same maid that had opened for her the last time she was there.


    Phoebe flashed her badge and identified herself as a detective, something that left Amon gobsmacked. He couldn''t believe that she told such a big fat lie in his presence.


    "You do know and understand that i am the deputy chief of the standards operations bureau of the police Phoebe, what you have just done is a crime that can get you ten to twenty years in jail." He turned his focus on Shark "And you detective, are you aware that you can get fired for getting an ordinary citizen a fake badge?"


    Shark looked like a rat that had been caught stealing cheese at the scene of the crime. He was the one that had given Phoebe the fake badge in the first place.


    "Relax Amon i am smart enough not to get caught flashing it. If you want to be helpful, get me a consultancy gig with the police and then i can have a real badge. It''s not as if you guys don''t work with people like me to help you solve you crimes and find missing kids once in a while. A perfect example here is you Amon, you are a ghost catcher that works in the police.


    You and i are no different from each other."


    Connie snapped her fingers. "Give it to him sister, teach that arrogant jerk a lesson."


    "I heard that." Amon gave Connie a sharp look.


    She didn''t see it because the Saxon spirit was berating Connie and telling her to clean up her language because giving it to someone did not sound appropriate to her.


    Shark felt like he was missing out on all the excitement so he whispered to Phoebe to give him the ghost seeing glasses.


    With them on, he felt better and squeezed next to Phoebe to whisper something. "I have a question, how come the deputy chief can see ghosts with his ordinary eyes?" His curiosity had reached the highest pick.


    A small sneer formed on Phoebe''s lips. "That''s because he comes from a family of ghost catchers, my hope is that Mason will not be the next one he catches. Don''t go around sharing our ghost adventures with him."


    She stepped inside the house and circulated some of her energy. Additionally, she took out two coins from her bag and flipped them revealing her animal companions. She ordered raven Yin and the black kitty to help with the search. The ghosts rushed away and started on the job of searching the entire estate.


    "You have ghost pets too, you are so amazing. Do you have a house at a graveyard too?" Amon jibed.


    Phoebe ignored him and she walked to the nursery of the now dead baby, the only one Mason had been concerned about. If he was remorseful, that was the place where he would be.


    But even as she made her way up the stairs, she had a feeling that it was a wasted trip. After about forty minutes of an extensive search, Mason was nowhere to be found.


    Yin and black kitty confirmed it too just before they were snatched by Amon who was fascinated by them.


    "So where do we go now?" Shark asked.


    "The hospital maybe, it''s possible that he is guarding his mother''s body." Phoebe suggested.


    "I disagree," Amon put down the squirming animals and they hurried off to Phoebe. "He probably witnessed the murder of his mother which sent him into a blind hot rage that pushed him to kill the murderer personally. I told you, once a ghost tastes blood, there is no going back.


    He cannot think rationally anymore, and he is probably looking for an equally evil human to possess and continue committing more murders or evil. The only other place i can think of is the police station where Turner is being held. But i can find that out with a single phone call."


    He dialed a number on his phone and straight away started communicating without mentioning any names.


    "Is there any dark energy, flickering lights, bad smell, chill in the air, growling sounds, moving furniture? You know the usual signs."


    He kept quiet for a few seconds and then he hung up.


    "Not the police station."


    They all looked at each other, wondering what the next plan was. If he was out in the world looking for humans to possess, he could be anywhere, maybe out of the city even.


    The Saxon spirit clapped once. "There is a way, Phoebe you can use the central lay line map in your bag to find Mason." It unzipped her bag and came out with an old scroll that it laid out on the ground.


    It did not want to risk Amon finding out about the secret magical space. Phoebe injected some of her energy into the map and it came to life showing real time locations of everything supernatural in the city. It also had locations of the homes of the first families of Citrus city.


    "The central lay line map! That is so cool." Amon gasped and exclaimed.


    Phoebe raised her eyebrows at him curiously. "Do you know what this is?"


    "Of course i do, it the central lay line map and i am sure because all the features like the mountains, streets, lakes cover Citrus, Magic and Seal city. Those are the three cities that make up the center of Fog country. There is also the Eastern, Western, Southern, Northern and island of nowhere lay line maps.


    I have seen the Southern map, the Eastern one is in the Great Citrus university museum and the other maps are missing, where about unknown. These maps date back to the thirteenth century, or so it''s claimed, ghost hunters and other monster hunters have been using them for centuries."


    "It is not for sale." Phoebe shared immediately because Amon was extremely excited.


    "We will discuss this later." Amon was determined not to give up on the map.


    "You also cannot tell anyone that i have it or you and i, we will become enemies." she threatened.


    "If you think i plan to tell others about that sweet map you are crazy."


    "How are we supposed to understand that?" Shark who was excited to learn all these new things and antsy to get back to the station arched an eyebrow at the two.


    The writing on the map was ineligible and in another language, one that he could neither read nor understand. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe didn''t explain things to him. She followed the instructions of the spirit, thinking about Mason and calling his name as she pricked her finger and a drop of her blood fell onto the scroll.


    Meanwhile, the Saxon spirit chanted some words as it''s hand hovered over the piece of paper, a bright light compared to lightning appeared and the old map of the three cities became updated.


    "Awesome, it''s like updating software on a computer, super cool, what happens next?" Amon rubbed his hands together.


    Now that he considered things, hunting for ghosts was much more exciting ever since he met Phoebe.

 Chapter 116 - 116: Too late.

    The blood moved on the scroll in a thin line and located Mason. Immediately Phoebe snatched the map and rushed out without explaining anything to Shark and Amon.


    "Hey Pheebs!!!" Amon shouted. He couldn''t believe that Phoebe was going to engage the evil ghost on her own. She was probably still on her hopeless mission to save him. "She''s too sentimental about all this." He shook his head.


    He run after her quickly, not intending to let her out of his sight for a single second. "What are you waiting for Shark? Follow me and start the damn car, blast the sirens and keep up with her.


    Shark leaped into action, run after Amon and they both entered the car and started chasing after Phoebe with determination. In all truth, Shark had actually lost interest in the matter, however exciting it was. Mason was not a victim they needed answers from and even though he had killed someone, they could not arrest him.


    Handling evil ghosts are not his area of expertise and it was a waste of his ordinary human time.


    Amon in the meantime was slapping the dashboard of the car in anger. He should have known that Phoebe would double cross him. He dialed her number but she didn''t pick, so he dialed Rekha a friend of his that happened to work as a ghost exorciser.


    Amon explained the situation to her and told her his suspicion that Mason had found a human host.


    "I don''t do exorcisms Rekha, that''s more your territory. It looks like we could be heading to the police station. Any advise?"


    "I advise that you wait till I get there and whatever you do, do not engage him unless you want the human to die." Rekha hang up the call from her end.


    Shark was eavesdropping on the phone call and he felt his back stiffen. He had solved so many cases with Phoebe but this was next level because they had never encountered an evil ghost that possessed a human. He had also not met a ghost exorciser before. What was the ghost intending to do by possessing a human? He dialed Phoebe''s number and fortunately she answered.


    "Hey Pheebs, i have a question...."


    "Oh so it''s me she is ignoring?" Amon snarled and snatched Shark''s phone.


    Phoebe was asking Shark what question he had when she heard Amon''s voice on the other end of the line.


    "Where is he?"


    "I am not telling you where he is Amon, if you want to find Mason then do it on your own..."


    Interrupting her speech, he barked at her. "Check the fucking map, and tell me because only then can i come up with a solution to help him and save others just in case of trouble. You care about ghosts, i get it but you should care about humans too."


    Phoebe turned her head to the invisible Saxon spirit sitting in the passenger seat.


    "Where is he now?"


    The Saxon spirit unfolded the map and focused her gaze on the moving blood drop. "Oh-oh!, this is bad Phoebe." Her worried voice compelled Phoebe to pull the car to the side of the road.


    "What''s wrong...is he gone?" she asked.


    "What do you mean by he is gone?" Amon yelled.


    Because the phone was connected to the car''s blue tooth, everyone heard his loud yell.


    Phoebe didn''t respond momentarily, still staring at the map with her eyes widened in disbelief.


    "I see two people moving as one, Amon, two names entangled together." she answered finally.


    Amon groaned and a string of curse words pierced the ears of everyone that was listening to the phone call. Finally, after two minutes, he calmed down and explained why he was all outraged.


    "Your ghost friend has leveled up, he has possessed a human now. Do you know how much harm he can do in a living body? I guess we can add some new victim to the list of those whose lives have been ruined by this mess, the human that he has possessed?" Amon''s voice was coated with desperation and anger. It was clear that he was still blaming Phoebe for everything.


    A gut wrenching feeling enveloped Phoebe''s whole being as she hung up the call.


    "Please God, don''t let Mason make things worse," she sent out a desperate prayer. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She rejoined the main road and headed straight to Mason''s last known location, the rest stop next to the police station. She sent out the raven Yin first to do reconnaissance. He wasn''t gone for long before he returned to her.


    "Anything? Please tell me that you found something." Phoebe bit her bottom lip.


    Nodding in affirmation, raven Yin spoke. "Mason is in the men''s rest room, it looks like he still has some remorse about possessing the human. You may have a slim chance of saving him."


    Quickly, Phoebe made her way to the Men''s rest room, two men rushed out of there like they had witnessed something strange. They almost pushed her down but she avoided them swiftly and kept going. The Saxon spirit placed an ''out of order'' sign at the entrance to stop any more humans from entering.


    The place was dim with one light bulb flickering, it was also very cold and she could hear growling sounds coming from one of the bathroom stalls.


    "He''s here alright." The Saxon spirit spoke grimly. There was nothing fun about engaging an evil spirit.


    Phoebe found him in there, a knife in his bandaged blood red stained hand.


    "Ma...Mason." she called out tentatively.


    An unfamiliar face looked at her. "Leave, this has nothing to do with you anymore."


    An unfamiliar voice spoke to her but it was not a single voice. It was like multiple people were speaking at the same time, he added frightening laughter to it.


    "We are too late." The Saxon spirit said sadly. It knew all about ghosts that possessed humans and the consequences.


    The fact that he was exhibiting such behavior meant that he had lost his humanity. Phoebe however refused to give up so easily.


    "Listen Mason, i am here to help you. Think about your poor mother, you stayed back for her and you can see her again on the other side. If you kill another human being, there will be no saving you." Phoebe tried to reason but Mason laughed sarcastically.


    "Turner has to die first." Came the multiple horse voices.


    "Stop trying Phoebe, it won''t work. Connie, pour pure salt mixed with star dust in front of the door such that he doesn''t escape. We are going to need an exorcist for this." Came the words of the Saxon spirit which caused Mason to scream.


    The ear splitting sound was so loud that it caused the mirrors on the wall to break.


    "If you dare try it then i will kill this human!!" He stepped out of the toilet stall and Phoebe was taken aback by what she saw.


    Mason had put a knife to the neck of the security guard he had possessed and he made a small cut which started bleeding.


    "No, Mason no, you do not need to do this. You need to leave that body, can you not see that you are killing him?" Phoebe lamented.


    Mason arched his head and sniffed the air. "An exorcist? You brought an exorcist with you yet you claim that you want to help me" He dashed out of the men''s room.

 Chapter 117 - 117: A tragedy.

    He passed by Amon, Shark and a strange woman with strange tattoos on her arms and slightly visible upper chest thanks to the small crop top she was wearing. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The two men tried to catch him but Mason''s strength was unmatched and he was so fast that he left a gush of wind behind. Nevertheless they all run after him with the strange woman pointing out that they should catch him before he harmed anyone.


    Phoebe knew that she was the exorcist that had spooked Mason, her untimely arrival had ruined every chance of Mason being redeemed. As far as he knew, she had betrayed him and he would not listen to her anymore.


    Mason shoved a lot of people out of his way as he was running away. There were many truckers at the rest stop and different people that had stopped to purchase snacks, use the bathrooms or take a break before continuing on their journeys. Mason made it a point to cause chaos by pushing and using them to block his pursuers.


    When he reached the road, he yanked a driver out of the taxi and drove off laughing maniacally.


    "He''s going after Turner." Phoebe yelled as they entered their respective cars. They drove after him in a bid to catch to catch him.


    The rest stop was only fifteen minutes away from the police station. As long as they overtook him, they could stop him.


    Amon put on the police siren to alert other drivers to stay out of the way, he also used a police issued speaker to ask Mason to stop driving. The tactics didn''t work as Mason continued to drive recklessly to the point of running a red light, because of this so many cars collided into each other in the intersection including his.


    "Fucking great, just great." Amon sneered as he rushed out of the car.


    Mason was now running towards the station which was now in sight, he kept looking back at the people that were hot on his tail.


    Suddenly, the security guards body which he had possessed became flaccid as it fell to the ground. Mason, the now malicious ghost jumped out of his body and floated away.


    "Amon hurry up before he possesses someone else."


    Rekha shouted. She rushed to the security guard and checked for a pulse. "He is alive, thank God." She sighed deeply.


    On entering the station, the Saxon spirit switched on the emergency alert system. The people in the building began to vacate including the criminals.


    "I''ve got this one." Amon told an officer that wanted to escort Turner out. He looked inside the interrogation room but didn''t see the ghost. Still, there were many signs that he was close by.


    The moment Turner saw Phoebe he began to tremble, the flickering lights and pungent smell were freaking him out. He put two and two together, figuring out that Mason was close by. He knew that Victoria''s death was likely to be Mason''s work and it meant he was next on the list.


    "Save me please, i...I don''t want to die." He shamelessly begged.


    Phoebe told Connie to scatter rock salt around the cell such that Mason had no access to him.


    Connie jeered at him. "If you wanted to live so badly why did you kill an innocent man and his mother? I say we let Mason kill him such that his banishment to purgatory is justified."


    Shaking his head, Amon stared at Connie. "As much as Turner is wicked, he''s still human. We ghost catchers protect humans unlike your boss here." His eyes moved to Phoebe who was taking out talismans to trap Mason. She placed them on four parts of the wall in a protective circle. When she was done, she dusted her hands.


    "What are you doing?" Amon asked her.


    He recognized the circle and understood the meaning of the talismans. Phoebe was apparently still determined to play savior.


    "I want to talk to him first and try to save him one last time." Phoebe curtly spoke.


    Rekha walked forward. "She''s insane, there is no bargaining with him, he killed two humans, on an innocent soul, a baby. His dark energy can be felt from miles away. Baby girl you cannot save him, i am speaking from my years of experience. I am Rekha by the way, an exorciser with twenty years of experience."


    She started chanting and went ahead to summon the ghost because she could do it.


    Mason appeared in the midst of the protective circle and he looked confused. Phoebe saw traces in him of the old Mason she had met at the cafe the very first time, the good ghost that simply wanted to save his mother and move on.


    "Phoebe." he called out, sounding frightened. The dark cloud around him was gone and his voice was back to normal.


    "See, i told you that he would find himself, Mason it''s not too late for you..." Phoebe''s words trailed off when Amon shook the bell once and the illusion Mason had created for them to see faded.


    The dark energy returned, and this time, even his eyes were bloody. He looked less human than he did before.


    "Ohhh she''s naive too." Rekha chortled. "These evil spirits can manipulate a human by creating a world that they want you to see, what you were seeing was not real. It''s time for you to stop and let us do our jobs or more humans will die."


    Phoebe''s heart broke and quickly, tears fell from her eyes. Mason deserved a happy ending more than anyone else she had helped before. Why had nothing worked out despite her doing everything right? Perhaps if she had stayed in the hospital by Desire''s bedside, things would be different. Maybe she should have insisted that he move on immediately after his mother''s surgery. Perhaps Amon was right....


    The Saxon spirit wiped Phoebe''s tear and intervened, pulling her from all the doubts she was having." It is not your duty to baby sit them. Even without you stepping in there was a possibility that Desire Caldwell would have died as a result of the sickness, and Mason would still have ended up killing Victoria and Turner because they would have been responsible for her death due to negligence.


    Child he is far too gone, it hurts us too but we can''t save him."


    Amon pulled out another short silver rod of bells out of his jacket making them two. Because this was a ghost with strong resentment and anger, he needed more than one bell to banish it.


    He shook the bells continuously while Rekha chanted creating a portal. The sound of the bells took Mason off balance, he tried to resist but he got sucked inside anyway.


    What broke Phoebe''s heart was that he kept wailing and calling her to help him and saying he didn''t want to go. She didn''t do anything and for the first time since she started helping ghosts Phoebe felt like a total failure.


    Her legs gave away as she fell to the floor and sobbed brokenheartedly.


    "He didn''t deserve this...." she said continuously.


    Amon crouched beside her and handed her a white handkerchief which she took.


    "Maybe not but what about the innocent baby that died or the security guard that he possessed? He is going to be charged for causing that accident that happened earlier, his life is ruined too and we cannot help him even if we wanted to." He patted her back.


    The Saxon spirit cleared its throat. "Well just to remind you, evil ghosts only possess evil humans i am sure that it will do the community good if that man is imprisoned. We should not blame each other, this case was just a tragedy."

 Chapter 118 - 118: The positive and negative.

    Because she needed to regain composure, Phoebe excused herself and went to the bathroom. In there, she cried some more and prayed for Mason''s soul. If he realized his wrong doings and atoned for his sins there was a possibility of him getting a chance at reincarnation after thousands of years.


    She would continue to pray for his soul as often as she could and help with the arrangements of his mothers'' burial if nobody stepped in.


    A female police officer walked in and saw her wiping tears away with slightly red eyes.


    "Is everything okay miss?"


    Phoebe nodded. "I am okay."


    "Are you sure?" the policewoman asked just to be sure.


    It was not the first time someone was crying in the police station bathroom. Relatives of criminals or victims and sometimes people that committed crimes and were feeling the pinch of the consequences cried in bathrooms.


    She didn''t know which category Phoebe fell under but given that she was a familiar face to her, she assumed a criminal.


    "It will be okay, just pay for your crime and and become a law abiding citizen."


    Phoebe frowned, but before she could ask the policewoman to elaborate her phone rung. She checked and realized it was David again. He had been calling her nonstop but she wasn''t in the mood to deal with him so she rejected the call.


    She stepped out of the restrooms with her hands inside the pant pockets and her head lowered, sniveling now and then with guilt eating her up. All she wanted to was leave the police station but when she walked to the the exit, it was blocked off.


    Since no danger had been detected after the fire alarm went off, everyone had reentered the building and the police officers were back to business. Once more, the police station was crowded with people mostly involved in the Cuckoo case. Example in point was the loud woman that was crying and lamenting loudly.


    "How am I supposed to go on with my life childless? The Montgomery''s have decided to keep both children, my biological child and theirs. This isn''t fair at all, please officer tell them to return my biological child since they took their son." The woman went on her knees and rubbed her palms, making a plea.


    She was wearing old worn out clothes, a black skirt that had gone out of style ten years ago and an old faded chiffon top. Judging by her appearance she was too poor to stand against a powerful family like the Montgomery''s.


    A set of four lawyers dressed in black expensive suits stood close by and one whom Phoebe assumed was the leader threw the woman a business card.


    "Madam, we have explained the situation to you, the child that you gave birth to doesn''t want you and the Montgomery''s are going to legally adopt him. Also the child you raised is a Montgomery, he was ecstatic on finding his real parents, he won''t be returning to you as well.


    The Montgomery''s are kind people and they are willing to compensate you generously for all your efforts in raising their child. Call us when you are ready to negotiate. In the meantime, please refrain from contacting our clients and their children."


    The lawyers turned around and walked out in a straight line.


    Shaking his head in disbelief, the officer helped the woman sit on a chair, he sat on the one next to her and tried to convince her to take the offer. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I cannot help you here ma''am and the child you are talking about here is an adult. He is sane enough to make such important decisions for himself. Even if you take this to court you are on the loosing end here after all it''s the wealthy families that are the victims here. They gave their all to raise these sick children while their own children endured misfortune.


    Some of them even died due to illnesses they acquired, simple illnesses that could be cured but were not because they were raised by poor parents. Some children ended up permanently crippled while others didn''t receive education. If you weigh these things on a scale, those children suffered more. "


    The woman reached for a tissue from the tissue box the police officer was handing to her and after sneezing in it she looked straight at the detective.


    "Why didn''t you discover this years ago, do you know the kind of trauma that we are going through, especially we the poor families? Our children are being ripped out of our lives and we cannot fight back. Our lives are being ruined, which child will want to leave a wealthy family for a poor one especially when the wealthy family is refusing to let them go?


    It''s not like we asked for this, we are also victims. We are being called shameless cuckoo parents on the news but what was our fault? People are even speculating that we colluded with that nurse to send our children to rich families. Our pictures have been published in the news against our will. Why did this have to happen?


    It would have been better for all of us if the secret remained a secret forever." She continued to sob.


    Phoebe''s red eyes became moist once again, this was her fault to an extent because she had opened this can of worms.


    "I know what you are thinking but this isn''t your fault Pheebs, if anything it''s mine." Shark crept up on Phoebe and handed the ghost seeing glasses back to her. "These people deserve to know the truth


    Don''t focus on families that are damaged, we have seen some positive cases where two families have become one, agreeing that both children can stay in all their lives.


    Some poor families have leveled up too because understanding wealthy families have given them houses, jobs and cars without selfishly holding onto one child or throwing out another. This has had both positive and negative effects. Do not dwell on the unfortunate ones alone." Shark patted her back and left, as the head of the task force that was handling this cuckoo case he had a lot on his plate.


    As she left the station, Phoebe run into Amon and Rekha sited on a metallic bench outside. It''s like they were waiting for her for they stood up on seeing her.


    "Pheebs a second please." Amon signaled at her to come over.


    Phoebe pulled her eyebrows together, she had nothing else to discuss with them and the timing was off too because she was still upset about what had just happened. Still, she walked over with her sullen attitude.


    "I am suggesting that you save Rekha''s number, she is the best exorcist there is." Amon bounced on his toes like he was doing her a huge favor.


    Although he was right, Phoebe declined the offer for she had no intention of getting involved in a case like Mason''s again. She would never leave the ghosts that came to her for help a chance to become malicious.


    "I doubt that we''ll be meeting again, well if you have nothing to say then I better get going." She turned around before she felt a hand pull on hers.


    "Listen baby, don''t take things to heart. This must be the first time you have failed to save a ghost, I get it but these things happen. There is nothing you or anyone else could have done to save your ghost friend. Sometimes things just don''t go as planned." Rekha let go of her hand and reached for Phoebe''s phone and grabbed it.


    She punched in the digits of her phone number and called herself because she wanted Phoebe''s number.


    "You may not need my help now but we don''t know what will happen tomorrow. Call me if you need my help Pheebs." She winked at Phoebe and walked away after sparing Amon a smile.


    Phoebe followed and drove away from the police station, hoping to put the bad day behind her.

 Chapter 119 - 119: Davids rushed return

    Phoebe was not the only that thought it was a bad day, David thought the same exact thing. After hearing someone attack Phoebe, he tried countless times to reach her but failed as his calls went unanswered.


    He tried to concentrate on his important business meeting however he couldn''t string together any useful thoughts because his mind and heart were preoccupied. Finally, when he reached boiling point, he surrendered.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, please excuse me but I have an emergency that cannot wait." He stood up and left the meeting without further explanation.


    His new personal assistant Hobbi was surprised to see his boss give up on the important meeting which had been scheduled weeks before he was hired. It was even marked important on the calendar so what was more important? Hobbi followed him outside.


    "Sir? Sir! What emergency?" He tried to keep up with David who was rushing out of the elevator.


    Hobbi had been warned that working for David Saxon wasn''t a walk in the park. Four people had resigned before him in a space of only one year. But still, being the bread winner of his family, he had taken on the challenge.


    "Sir please say something!!" Hobbi desperately stared at his boss.


    The company president, who also happened to be David''s father had told them to close the deal no matter what. It was a meeting with investors that wanted to open thirty franchises of Saxon pharmacies in Eagle country. In the long run, if the deal was closed successfully, billions more would be added to the Saxon group coffers.


    Failure was not an option, not unless your boss gave up half way and walked out the investors. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Hobbi had a feeling that president Robert was going to kill them both.


    "Sir...." he started, one last time.


    "Hobbi cancel all the scheduled meetings and tell the pilot that i am returning to Fog country right now not tomorrow like I planned." David entered the waiting car.


    Nothing mattered to him than protecting Phoebe and the fact that she wasn''t picking her calls only meant that she was in some kind of trouble.


    He heard her scream while some man threatened her, just the memory of the phone call made the hair on the back of his neck stand. He tightly clutched his phone and sighed.


    She had mentioned his mother just before the scream, was she involved in the attack on Phoebe somehow? In order to know more, he called his sister Rose-Bell.


    "Rosie, what has mother been up to? Did she anything about Phoebe?"


    His sister did not appreciate his abruptness and she made it clear in her sarcastic response. "Hello Rosie, how are you? I am fine thank you David. That''s how a phone call is started baby brother."


    A small impatient groan escaped David''s throat. "Fine, hello Rosie how are you? Since i already know that you are fine, please answer my question, mom and Phoebe have they met?"


    "I will ask around for you and give you a call when i know more."


    David scoffed. She didn''t know anything and yet she was the gossip queen of Saxon tower. Rosie knew everyone''s business. If she didn''t know, then only his mother''s driver had answers and she was loyal to her so she would not tell him what he wanted to hear.


    It''s my fault, i should have asked Polly to watch out for her, he thought. It was a stretch because Polly wouldn''t have agreed, he was hired specifically to protect him and only him. In fact, he had come with him on this trip to Eagle country.


    It was time to convince Phoebe that she needed a personal bodyguard. He had been wanting to do it for a while but he didn''t want to overstep his boundaries and push her away. For now he needed to know if she was alright, so he called the only person that he could trust with her, his grandmother. Luckily for him, she answered her phone immediately.


    "Grandma, hi, i need you to go to the Black Ghost Cafe, something happened to Phoebe and now I cannot reach her, please grandmother I have no one to ask." David begged.


    "You do not need to beg me, if Phoebe is in trouble then I must help her." She answered.


    "Thank.." David noticed that the call had already been cut off. He smiled at that fact because he loved that his grandmother adored Phoebe as much as he did.


    He rushed to out of the car and walked to the private plane. All of his luggage and personal belongings had been delivered before he arrived.


    "No delays, tell the pilot that we are leaving right now. My woman needs me." he instructed Polly as he made himself comfortable.


    The one confused party in the plane was Hobbi who was also Miranda''s part time spy. He texted her and let him know that his boss had dropped everything to go to his woman.


    The plane engines were started within five minutes and the the plane soon set off. It was a seven hour flight but David felt like it was too long. The seven hours felt more like seventy torturous hours.


    He conjured up worst possible scenarios in his head, wondering if Phoebe was in the hospital and that''s why her phone was not being answered.


    "Please god, i don''t pray often but once, just this once listen to me and let it be nothing serious. I don''t know if i have used up all of my miracles but give me one more." He mumbled a silent prayer. David regretted a lot of things in his past life but not listening to Phoebe was his biggest regret. She had died because of him, because he had not been cautious enough.


    He couldn''t lose her again not when he was doing everything possible to protect them.


    He arrived later in the night but that didn''t stop him from going straight to Phoebe''s apartment. After about five minutes of ringing the door bell and knocking on the door. David resorted to banging and shouting her name. He would have kept going but he was interrupted.


    Cassie opened the door to their apartment with fury on her face. "She''s not in there!! You are depriving us of our peace please stop with the noise." She shut the door before he could ask her anything else.


    Where could she be at this hour? It was well beyond her working hours. He dialed his grandmother who told him that she was at the cafe.


    David rushed there but on entering he only saw Rosset and his grandmother who chuckled on seeing how rattled he looked.


    "Polly told me about what you did in Eagle country. I knew that you would come and search of her so I waited for you. Let''s go home son, Phoebe isn''t here."


    "Why? Did something happen today? Where is she?" David''s eyes kept moving around.


    "At the Mayfairs." she said openly, not intending to hide anything from him.


    David paused and looked at her. "What do you mean? Why is she there? What is she doing there? Did they force her to go there because of Ruth? Huh, i will show them that i am David Saxon today.


    It was Collin Mayfair i am sure, i will give him a good lashing tonight."


    His grandmother sighed deeply, she didn''t know where to begin because her friend Rebecca had filled her in on the surprising new development in her family. Phoebe was a good mystery that she kept unwrapping.


    "There will be no lashing tonight David. Let''s go home, i will tell you all about it on the way." She picked up the paper bag that was full of supplements.

 Chapter 120 - 120: Ruths return home.

    That same night, Ruth was discharged from the hospital under strict orders from the doctor to take it easy. She was to have enough rest and eat a lot of healthy food but above all to avoid stress. Similar words of advise that were always given to her by doctors followed.


    "Your body is already weak as it is, so don''t over push it. I have already told your parents that you need to stay away from alcohol, smoking and i would advise you not to go to any night clubs for a while. If you get anything as small as a flue you will be back here."


    Dr. Murphy gave Collin the discharge forms to sign and asked him to follow him to the pharmacy to get Ruth''s medicines.


    Ruth''s eyes kept moving to the door because other than Collin, none of the other family members had come to pick her from the hospital. Usually when she was discharged they all showed up with flowers and gifts to celebrate her recovery.


    "Where is everyone? Why aren''t they here right now, don''t they know that i am about to be discharged from the hospital?" she punched one of the pillows on the bed out of frustration.


    "They are at home young Miss, i am sure that they are preparing a welcome dinner for you. A special meal is always prepared to welcome you from hospital even when it''s just a doctor''s routine check." Ophelia threw out random consolations as she zipped the last bag and took it outside, ordering the driver to take it to the car.


    Three minutes later, Ruth was still pondering on Ophelia''s words which sounded credible. It was true that her parents always went overboard when welcoming her back from the hospital. Sometimes it was a party at a one of the best hotels in the city, one time they rented out an entire luxury yacht for her and her friends.


    She also recalled the time when they flew her and her friends to Darma island for a week of fun in the sun.


    She had almost had surgery this time round so they had to be preparing an even greater surprise.


    A sly smile grew on her lips. She could not wait to see the look on Phoebe''s face when all those gifts were being handed to her. She would understand that even if she was a real daughter, she was the one with the deeper bond. What was blood in comparison to a bond of over twenty years? A muffled chuckle slipped through her lips.


    The door was opened and Collin stepped in, ready to go. "Are you ready?"


    "Mmm." Ruth responded weakly.


    She stood up and stumbled, acting very weak. Collin stepped in and swept her in his arms, carrying her like a princess.


    "Let''s go home, i am sure that everyone is waiting for your arrival."


    Ruth wrapped her hands around his neck and rested her head on his chest. This was their usual behavior when she was leaving the hospital. In fact, one of the men in the family had to carry her when she was discharged.


    During the car ride, Ruth winced at every slight bump, acting as if she was the world''s most sensitive woman. In the end, Collin had to carry her, using his body as a buffer.


    In no time they arrived home and alighted from the car. Immediately, Ruth noticed four new cars with ribbons. She smiled arrogantly, because it was just as she expected, they had prepared gifts for her.


    Rather than feeling excited, she was angered because these were not gifts that excited her.


    ''Hmph! Cars again'' Ruth rolled her eyes, she didn''t know how many times she had told her family to stop gifting her cars. Even worse, the colors were tacky. Why would she drive around in a pink car? The yellow one had no ribbon but it was just as displeasing to her eyes.


    "Why is no one waiting outside to welcome me?" Ruth searched the vicinity but no one was in sight, not even the maids. "Ah, they must be waiting to surprise me." she laughed excitedly.


    Her hopes remained high as her imagination run wild. She imagined them right behind the closed door and the moment she walked in, they would all scream "Surprise!!"


    The driver brought the electric wheel chair from the trunk of the car and Collin who was waiting by Ruth''s side helped her into the chair.


    Ruth lost her smile and she folded her body inwards, even making her body tremble like she was being assaulted by enemy winds. She planned to act even more pitiful now that she was home.


    When they entered the house, Ruth''s heart dropped because nothing was as she imagined. Her family wasn''t waiting in the foyer to pop champagne and welcome her like she expected. She could hear laughter and conversation coming from the dining area. She continued to assume that they were preparing a feast for her so she drove the wheel chair to the dining area.


    To her shock, her family was already enjoying a meal without her. Her mother was caught in the moment dabbing the corners of Phoebe''s mouth with a tissue.


    "What took you guys so long, as soon as your grandmother and Phoebe came home we sat down to eat. You can join us too, Ruthie i hope you have an appetite, i prepared some of your favorites." Jennie smiled and walked towards her.


    A tentative smile formed on Ruth''s mouth, she couldn''t believe that their attention was drawn to Phoebe yet she was the sick one. Had they forgotten the old traditions already? How dare they not celebrate he return? She was boiling on the inside but composed on the outside. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Nodding once, Jennie and Collin helped her sit in one of the chairs. One by one everyone congratulated her on her discharge.


    Ruth studied the dishes that had been served and only two of them were her favorites. One of the dishes on the table was a mixed sea food curry dish which she hated.


    "Mother you know that I don''t like sea food, why did you prepare it for me?" Ruth pinched her nose.


    Jennie moved the dish away from Ruth''s side and placed it by Phoebe. "I am so sorry sweetheart, this is one of Phoebe''s favorite foods, when she told me I couldn''t wait to make it for her because it''s one of my best dishes too. Please just bear with it."


    Phoebe chuckled and winked at Ruth as their eyes met. Sea food curry was not necessarily one of her favorite foods although she could it eat it just fine. To call it her favorite was a stretch and Ruth knew immediately that Phoebe had done this to torment her.


    "Oh no mother! If sister Ruth hates sea food then by all means, we should get rid of it." Phoebe placed a hand to her chest and mimicked Ruth''s usual pretentious tone.


    As expected, everyone praised Phoebe for being thoughtful while Ruth tightened her hand around a fork, wishing she could plunge it into Phoebe''s eyes.


    "It''s okay, if my sister likes it then i can endure it." She faked a smile.


    After dinner, Ruth was escorted to her new room. It had been decorated just like the old one and gifts were waiting for her on the bed. Ruth did not even give them a single glance as she was filled with bitterness over being moved to another bedroom.


    "Humph!! It smells musty in here, did they not bother to clean it up." Ophelia turned on the air conditioner.


    Ruth stood up, fell on the bed and placed a pillow over her face, she screamed as loud as she could, letting out all of her rage.


    "I am going to kill that bitch, I swear to God."

 Chapter 121 - 121: A face-off at breakfast.

    In the morning, David was still in a state of confusion about why Phoebe was at the Mayfairs. The previous night as they left the Black Ghost Cafe, his grandmother had told him that she would tell him about what was going on with Phoebe but she said nothing the entire ride home. All she did was sigh and shift uncomfortably in her sit.


    No matter how many times he asked her why Phoebe was at the Mayfair house, his grandmother only sighed in response.


    "Wonders will truly never end." Were the only words she said.


    His grandmother then shut her eyes and claimed that she had a headache. She pretended because if David had asked her one more time she was going to blab out the secret yet she had promised Rebecca Mayfair to keep the news to herself for now.


    When they got home, Robert, Miranda and Katherine were waiting in the foyer. They were all frosty and tense, waiting to explode.


    Grandma Saxon knew that David was in trouble so she stumbled and acted ill just to divert their attention from David to herself and it worked, saving David from the explosion.


    Robert had given his son a deadly stare before rushing to his mother''s side. "We will talk tomorrow boy and you better come up with a good explanation for the mess that you have created." He carried his mother on the back and walked to the elevator.


    David had not been in the mood to fight so he was relieved and grateful to his grandmother. He went to visit his grandfather and then he was off to bed. Phoebe was alright and everything else could wait until tomorrow.


    Tomorrow had come quickly and as David readied himself for the confrontation which he knew was coming, he put all thought of the Phoebe-Mayfair relationship on a pause. His family was ready to eat him alive, he had screwed up but that was the least of his worries because he had still not yet heard from Phoebe.


    He accepted a coat from the butler that took care of his personal affairs and needs in the house. He shrugged it on in one smoothly practiced move and stepped out of the bedroom. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He headed first to his father''s study because he had some explaining to do. It was better for them to talk alone than in the presence of people like Katherine or his mother who would catalyze the situation from bad to worse.


    After knocking thrice and receiving no answer, he gave up and walked to the elevator, finding his way to the large dinning room which was on it''s own floor. He met Ramon the family butler at the door and the older man stopped him.


    Ramon had always had a soft spot for David since he was a little boy, often giving him a heads up whenever he was in trouble and he was about to do the same thing at that moment.


    "Mr David your parents are so mad that they have barely touched their breakfast. Some of the heads of the other branches have come and they are on fire. The only person in there with a smile is your sister Katherine."


    Ramon pulled his brows together, he was worried for him. "Will you be alright? I can tell the family that you are not feeling well or you have a prior appointment. It''s colder than Frost mountain in there."


    David rubbed his hollowed cheeks, in such situations only one person helped get him out quickly. "And grandma?"


    "She is not there yet Mr. David, i am afraid you might have to face them on your own." Ramon scurried away when he head footsteps coming their way from inside the dining room.


    David was not too far behind him, getting into the elevator quickly. One thing he was certain of was that he wasn''t going to a gun fight with a knife so he went to his grandmother''s bedroom and knocked on the door.


    "Nana, it''s Davey."


    Nana was what he called her whenever he was in trouble or in search of consolation and affection. Davey was his way of reminding her that she was his most beloved and adorable grandson that she personally raised. The door was opened after his first call and his grandmother stood there smiling at him.


    "Nana..., Davey." She smiled knowingly, "It must be frostier than Frost mountain in there. Don''t worry, nana will be your hero, now let''s go eat something." She locked the door behind her. "So, good morning Davey, how did you sleep?"


    Arm in arm they found their way to the dinning area and the moment Robert saw them he sneered and jumped up vibrating with anger already.


    "Do not think for one second that your grandmother is going to get you out of this." He spoke through pursed lips.


    "Oh good morning to you too son, I feel so much better today thank you for asking." Came Grandma Saxon''s sarcastic words that compelled Robert to remember his manners.


    There were other people present after all, not just their first branch so they all had to be on their best behavior.


    "Good morning mother." His tone softened a bit.


    The others followed, greeting her respectfully one after the other.


    As she sat down, a chuckle came from Miranda lips, she used the tea cup to cover her mocking smile. "Mother, you look well rested, looking at your flushed healthy face one would never know that you were very sick last night or was that all for show."


    Her words caused grandma Saxon to snigger. This was another reason why she disliked her son''s wife, she loved poking the bear unnecessarily. She ignored her daughter-in-law because she had a tendency of trying to bring out the worst in her.


    Miranda was a snake that pulled a lot of tricks to marry her son. Prudence couldn''t count the number of times she had regretted choosing her as Robert''s wife as she only found out about these tricks after they were already married.


    For a few seconds, everyone remained silent and they looked at each other. All of them, except for Rose-Bell and her husband were antsy to get started. They thought it would be Robert to start but another person took charge.


    "Why the hell did you blow up that lucrative deal brother? You know how hard i worked to secure that meeting." Katherine spoke for she wanted the chaos to begin.


    There was nothing more interesting than watching her siblings in hot soup.


    Ian put down his cup of coffee and added to Katherine''s words.. "I am very confused as well, all you had to do was listen to them and sign the damn papers."


    His wife Jasmine looked at him curtly. "This task was too big for him honey. You, as the person next in line for the position of president of the Saxon group should have gone personally. No offense David but you still have some growing up to do."


    She stepped in because she wanted to remind all her siblings about how things ought to be. As the first son of the current Chairman, it was only logical that Ian follow in his father''s footsteps. She disdained Katherine''s greed and never understood why her husband was so reluctant to act like the heir that he was.


    Jasmine''s words were not appreciated all around the table, not even by Ian her husband because he knew how they would make him look. The position was not given to the first son, it was given to the most competent son. With the way Katherine was angling for it, who knew if it would go to a daughter someday?


    "Next in line?" Katherine scoffed. "Father was Ian crowned and the rest of us just happened to miss the coronation. Rewarding incompetency...." Katherine was interrupted by her father who hissed.


    "Speak David."

 Chapter 122 - 122: The ultimatum.

    However David remained quiet because silence was far better than the truth. What was the worst they would do to him? Threaten to fire him or chase him out of the family, both of which were impossible with his grandmother watching his back.


    His mother who was already in the know placed her cup on the saucer carelessly, almost spilling her mint tea.


    "What can he say? I am certain that it has to do with that shaman woman. I have my people watching that shop of hers, something happened there yesterday so he came back running. Am I lying David?"


    All eyes turned to David except for those of grandma Saxon which were steadfast on Miranda, wondering what she was up to now.


    Slowly, David raised his dangerous eyes to meet his mother''s equally cold ones. He was disgusted by what his mother had done, planting spies outside Phoebe''s cafe in search of blackmail material probably. She always knew how to make life miserable for him.


    "With a mother like you, who needs enemies? Why does my happiness give you such a headache? You are watching her, why?"


    "To make sure that you don''t end up being swindled by a con woman. I am your mother David, mothers protect their children." she raised her voice and slammed the table once.


    David sneered and raised his voice too. "Oh, let''s all put our hands together and praise the great selfless noble mother Miranda, savior of her children." He used a mocking tone and his eyes didn''t hide how much he couldn''t stand her words. "So now you want to act like a caring mother? Don''t! because it''s too late for that and I don''t need you to intervene in my life.


    You are correct, I came back because Phoebe was in trouble so what now?"


    His arrogant speech shocked everyone as they were now very vested in the unfolding drama which they would relay to other family members later. Forget the unsigned contract, this was much more entertaining.


    Robert banged his fist on the table. "Get back on that plane and beg those investors to return to the table. You are going to make sure that we get that deal or else you are fired!!!" he ground pout, giving David an ultimatum.


    Most people gasped, not expecting things to go that way. Katherine was excited and she made the sign of the cross.


    Robert''s wife placed a hand over his to calm him. David being fired was not in her plans for his future that she had designed meticulously. Now was the time to ruin Phoebe completely. "Ohhh you must think that she is virtuous or something well i am sorry to inform you that she is a gold digger like the rest of them. I tempted her to see just how much she cared for you and guess what.


    That poor church rat took the bait, not only did she sell her love for you for money but she asked me to quadruple the offer. I gave her one hundred million and she cashed the cheque within an hour. So much for your great love story son." Miranda laughed in a villainous manner, she looked nothing like the elegant woman she was known to be.


    Another round of communal gasps came from everyone this time, some of their jaws even fell because this was simply too outrageous. One hundred million, was Miranda thinking straight? Even though they were wealthy that was a lot of money to waste. Was it worth getting rid of one woman?


    Grandma Saxon did something unexpected out of the blue. She picked up the warm cup of coffee in front of her and splashed it onto Miranda''s face. "Miranda!! You did what?"


    Miranda was stunned but so was everyone else.


    "Holy shit!!" Rose-Bell exclaimed. She basically expressed the shock on everyone''s behalf.


    Nobody had ever angered Prudence Saxon to the extent of the dramatic liquid in your face punishment. She didn''t even do it when she found out that Miranda had tricked Robert into marrying her. Was she suddenly triggered because of their family''s reputation or because she liked Phoebe?


    They all kept their widened eyes on Miranda and grandma Saxon, greedily soaking in the drama. It was like they were at the movies and all that was missing was popcorn.


    The elder of the fifth branch, Thomas Saxon secretly brought his phone out to record.


    Miranda meanwhile realized what she had just said and where she had just shared the news. It was something meant for David and Robert''s ears only. Excitement had pushed her into sharing it prematurely.


    "One hundred million, you wasted one hundred million. Is your family worth one hundred million Miranda?" Grandma Saxon slammed the now empty coffee cup on the table, shattering it.


    Miranda suddenly panicked and she looked at Robert for help but her husband was giving her a look of disappointment. She was not going to find any help there, it was clear so she was left to defend herself.


    "No no mother it''s not what I did but what that skunk did. She asked more money than what I initially offered and i lost my mind for a moment and gave it to her. She''s money hungry, disrespectful, arrogant and above all weird. She is a witch, she hypnotized me into giving her that money." Miranda''s tongue dripped with venom. She bought into her own lie and believed it.


    "Yes, she is a witch, there is no other explanation for what i did."


    David clenched his hands and jaw, his heart was shattered that Phoebe had agreed to stay away from him in exchange for peanuts. Maybe it was the reason why she was not answering his calls.


    It was surprising that she had taken it though because the Phoebe he knew cared less about money and more about other people''s feelings.


    Still, he was not going to give up on her, he would keep going until she told him personally that she didn''t want him.


    "Father I have heard your message loud and clear and i will turn in my resignation at the end of the week."


    At this point, everyone was tired of gasping and they just didn''t know how to react. Was David really leaving the company?


    Katherine and Jasmine wanted to celebrate and if they could, they would have ordered for champagne immediately.


    "As for mother, i am sorry to burst your bubble but Phoebe has already told me about you offering her money. In fact, she returned it to me although I insisted that she keep it, after all, your insults made her earn it." David lied blatantly, he wasn''t going to let his mother have the last laugh.


    "She did!! Of course she did. The Phoebe i know would not have accepted that money if she was not insulted and fighting back." A broad smile appeared on grandma Saxon''s lips, she knew Phoebe couldn''t sell her love for money.


    David pulled out his phone and sent the money to his mother''s account. She was so shocked by the revelation that her face went pale. The brazen woman she had met could never have returned the money. She was doing it to prove she was honest and bewitch David. She wanted to drive a wedge between them.


    "I have sent you the one hundred million, next time, triple what you give her. It can be considered your gift to her as my mother."


    "What a pretentious little bitch!" Miranda muttered, she was now certain that Phoebe wasn''t as naive as she pretended to be. "Nevertheless end things with her because that relationship is going nowhere, I as your mother will never allow it." She squeezed Robert''s hand.


    However angry he was with her, he had to stand with her on the issue of David''s marriage.


    "I know i told you to do as you please David but I am in support of your mother here, we will not give your relationship our blessing. You have a good woman, Ruth Mayfair. We know her family and it''s a custom in Fog country that first founding families marry from each other''s houses to keep the money in our circle.


    What will people say when you bring home a pauper." Robert curled his upper lip to the side.


    sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 123 - 123: Another dramatic breakfast.

    Grandma Saxon burst out laughing, they had no idea who Phoebe was but she did. "Ohhh that''s just hilarious, founding families must marry from each other''s houses. What a load of crap."


    Still laughing mockingly, she raised her hand and waved at Miranda, "Hello there, founding first family descendant, Miranda Briggs." S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Both Robert and Miranda winced and the other elders chuckled. There was no Briggs in the first families of Citrus city, let alone the whole Fog country. The Briggs were new money and had no roots. The secret was discovered too late however as she pretended to be a member of the Dewinton family in order to trick Robert into marriage.


    The marriage only happened because Miranda was pregnant. She was a stain on the first branch of the Saxon clan. Thanks to her, there was more scrutiny on marriages in the clan than before. It was not a must to marry from the founding families but you had to bring a clean woman or man if they were from an ordinary family, not a calculating one.


    "Anyway I the the female head of the Saxon family bless the marriages in the family, not the two of you. David, I approve of your relationship with Phoebe. In fact, you can bring her home if she will have you. I will give you your great grandmother Esmeralda''s ring and you can use it to propose when you are ready."


    And thus the gasps returned, not only was the old lady in support of the relationship but she was giving David one of the rings that were considered family heirlooms.


    "That''s the blue love grandma, a sixty million dollar ring." Katherine cried out. She had been trying to get her hands on it for years, unsuccessfully.


    "Mother!! You cannot...." Miranda was interrupted by grandma Mayfair.


    "Yes I can! If you don''t like it then you can both leave my house. And David is not fired or you are fired as well Miranda." She barked.


    She looked around with stern piercing eyes, warning and daring anyone to contradict her.


    "From now on Miranda''s finances will be controlled by the family accounting firm. She is to be put on an allowance of one million a month. If anybody dares to send her money, they will fave my wrath, and this includes you too Robert."


    She turned around and gave her assistant more instructions. "I want to receive all of her daily expenses. If she buys even one dress or bracelet i should be notified about how much it costs."


    Miranda wilted like a dried up tree in a desert while her children and others digested another shock. Nobody in the family had ever been put on an financial time out. Then again, they didn''t necessary waste family resources and they were sure Miranda had not paid Phoebe out of her own pocket. She had pulled the money out of the Saxon common fund open to everyone in the family.


    Robert didn''t say a word to defend his wife and everyone decided to just concentrate on their breakfast. The matters to do with the contract were forgotten.


    "It''s my birthday next week. Bring Phoebe home and introduce her to the whole family if you are serious about her." Grandma Saxon suddenly said. "Your grandfather has given you his support."


    Katherine raised her hand halfway and whispered. "Me too, go brother, you can do it." She winked at him.


    Rose-bell shrugged because she didn''t care whom David married as long as he was happy.


    Only Miranda''s lips were thin and twitching as she struggled to control herself. She didn''t understand why the old lady was so supportive of that poor Phoebe. Her own family the Briggs were not as dirt poor as the Gabriels when she fell in love with Robert and yet the old lady still disliked her to this day. Why, why was she determined to stand against her in everything?


    She hated her mother-in-law as much as she hated Phoebe.


    *****


    That same morning when she woke up, Phoebe harvested vegetables and herbs in the magic space before having a shower. When she was done, she went downstairs and everyone was already having breakfast except Ruth.


    They were watching the news which was reporting on the cuckoo case. Everyone knew that Collin was dating Kelly so like the supportive family they were, they loyally watched her on the news on CNCN, only switching channels if she was not the one anchoring. Morning news was her gig as it was watched by many people.


    "Breaking news coming to the CNCN desk this morning is that the families of the poor whose children have opted to remain exclusively with the wealthy families rejecting their true roots have banded together to sue the wealthy families for transfer of their children''s custody. They are being represented by Attorney Kang Ho Gold of Gold and sons law firm.


    Should this case successfully go to trial it will certainly be one of the most highly anticipated trials of the century as all eyes will be on it. One thing is clear, it will be a very long time before we put the cuckoo case to bed. There are still many questions to ask and the investigation is still on going and the police remains tight lipped.


    Doctors and board members of St. Marcelino women and children''s hospital that have been implicated so far are refusing to give public interviews. The hospital has been shut down and it''s future remains hanging in the balance.


    The public has continued to demand for answers and CNCN is on the hunt. The question of how the biggest case of the century was discovered has cracked a little. Sources say that this all started when someone in the medical examiner''s office run a DNA test.


    The chief medical examiner has refused to make a statement but CNCN is still digging for more details. Stay tuned for more as we bring you an exclusive interview with one of the children at the heart of the cuckoo case."


    Andre lowered the volume of the television and he looked at Phoebe in disbelief.


    "You took my hair to a coroner''s office!" he exclaimed in horror.


    "I know a good M.E that helps me out once in a while. Where was i supposed to take your hair, to the Mayfair free clinic or the Saxon hospitals? In both of those places, the probability of you all finding out was high. Besides, the M.E didn''t charge me a dime."


    Grandma Mayfair laughed and told the others, "Have i mentioned that she is a penny pincher."


    With light conversation, everyone talked about different things and they gossiped about the cuckoo case but all went silent when Ruth came into the room. The cuckoo conversation was uncomfortable when she was around as she was one of the cuckoos.


    She had already heard their conversation but pretended not to. Of what use was it to bring it up or indulge in it when it was a reminder of her roots? After settling into the chair, Ruth smiled genuinely.


    "Father, Mother and all my handsome brothers, thank you for all my gifts especially the cars. Since Phoebe has just one, i am going to be a generous big sister who was born two minutes before her. She can take the pink and yellow ones." she spoke coquettishly and acted adorable, batting her eyes.

 Chapter 124 - 124: A gift brings chaos.

    Silence covered the entire room and an unexpected awkwardness pursued. Some people swallowed their food as if they were swallowing hot lumps of coal and they shared quizzical looks. Who was going to break it to Ruth the spoiled and pampered princess that those cars were not meant for her?


    The cumbersome reaction wasn''t what Ruth was expecting. Their silence unnerved her because she was expecting her parents to sing her praises for being considerate. Instead they were avoiding her gaze at all costs. Only one person was reacting and it was Andre, her most unpredictable brother. He was clearly choking on laughter.


    His reaction caused Phoebe to let out a muffled chuckle yet she had been trying so hard not to laugh as well.


    "Sister, the new cars are for me, not you. My brother Andre got me the yellow and pink ones, Luke bought me the mini van and grandma surprised me with the black one. I am still waiting on my eldest brother Collin to give me one too or another gift welcoming me back home." Her eyes moved from Ruth''s flashed face to Collin who swallowed hard.


    "Anyway, Ruth, you have seven cars already so what could you need new cars for? I hope you are not too disappointed. The gifts you found on your bed are the ones everyone bought for you to welcome you back from the hospital. I personally helped grandma and Andre choose their gifts. You were exhausted last night and maybe you haven''t opened them yet." Phoebe was all smiles.


    The gifts she had helped her grandmother and Andre select were all perfect imitations, a jewelry box set and a jade hair clip. Slowly by slowly, she was going to replace all of Ruth''s jewelry with fake ones.


    Phoebe''s explanation satisfactorily summed up the matter especially because she reminded everyone casually that Ruth had seven cars already. Indeed, she didn''t need a new car.


    Edward and Jennie gave attention to their first son. "So Collin aren''t you going to get anything for your sister to welcome her home?"


    Ruth couldn''t believe her ears, her parents had completely ignored her issue and moved on. Phoebe had received four cars why wasn''t she given any. How could they be so unfair to her? Who cared if she had seven cars, they could afford to give her twenty more if they wished, they could afford it.


    She couldn''t take it and her mouth open flowing with her true feelings. "Which of his sisters? You all forgot to get me anything grande and whats worse is that you didn''t even bother to pick me from the hospital. I guess things are changing now that Phoebe is here." Ruth''s words were daggers aimed straight at them.


    She clenched on the hem of her dress, at least there was one person here not blindly infatuated with Phoebe.


    Her words made Jennie feel a little guilty. Before Phoebe came home, they would go all out for Ruth indeed when she left the hospital. Edward held her hand reassuringly, reminding her not to let the words get to her.


    Grandma Mayfair scowled, displeased by Ruth''s words and her brothers didn''t appreciate them too. Even Collin thought it was a little too much.


    "Sweetheart it''s not like we forgot about you. We thought it over and in addition to the gifts on your bed, we are gifting you an all expense paid trip to any place and country of your choice. You have been through a lot and you deserve some special treatment." Edward stared at her adoringly.


    Suddenly Ruth''s eyes became moist, of course her parents still loved her and would continue to do everything she wanted.


    She placed a hand on her chest. "Oh thank you mom and dad, for a moment there i was truly scared that you didn''t love me anymore."


    Phoebe was watching all this with disbelief. Ruth really knew which buttons to push and how to emotionally play her parents like fiddles to get her way. It was still too soon, with time, they would wake up from their slumber. Phoebe''s gentle smile hardly revealed the storm that was surging within her.


    Ruth arched an eyebrow and looked at Phoebe as if to taunt her. "So mother when are we going?" Ruth asked because she always went on vacations with Jennie, it was a thing they did together but to her surprise Jennie turned her down.


    "I am so sorry baby but this time, Ophelia will accompany you." Came her words that caused Ruth''s broad smile to crumble.


    Phoebe reached for her phone and sent Ruth a message.


    [Now that her real daughter is here, why would she hung out with the fake one.]


    She added laughing emojis to accompany the text.


    Ruth read it and noticed the smirk on Phoebe''s face. She longed to wipe it off with a bowl of hot soup thrown in her face. By the time she thought of saving the message to use against Phoebe, it was gone.


    Phoebe sent a disappearing message which disappeared before Ruth could save it because she knew the other party so well.


    Ruth analyzed everything to counter Phoebe. So this was the plan, they wanted to send her off with Ophelia such that they can enjoy family time with their daughter, that wasn''t going to happen on her watch. Phoebe could not be allowed to be alone with her parents for a long time. They would bond and strengthen the family relationship which was not good for her.


    "When are you planning to leave sweetheart?" Jennie asked.


    "It''s okay mother, i will tell you when i am feeling all better, I cannot travel yet. Doctor Murphy told me to rest as much as possible." Ruth''s lips formed a smile but her eyes were devoid of warmth.


    Edward cleared his throat and looked at Phoebe. "Speaking of gifts, we were planning on buying you a car but since you have more than you need we don''t know what to get you. Sweetheart is there something you need, just name it because your mother and I will lay the world on your feet."


    Almost everyone was glad for Phoebe with the exception of Ruth of course. Edward''s words infuriated Ruth to her deepest core. Her father calling Phoebe sweet names wasn''t something she was prepared to hear. She was the sweetheart of the family, not Phoebe. Why was Phoebe taking that too away from her? Hadn''t she taken enough?


    Phoebe considered a proper answer meanwhile and thought about the thing she wanted.


    [I would really love some of that land by the lake which is owned by the founding families but it''s so expensive i dare not ask for it.]


    Her thoughts were clearly displayed for her father to see but she couldn''t make such outrageous demands, she had just found her family. The last thing she wanted was for them to think that she was a greedy person.


    "I will be happy with anything you give me." She ate a sliced apple and smiled at him. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Edward excused himself because he didn''t want to tear up in front of his family. He couldn''t believe how humble Phoebe was not to ask for anything. He also thought that it could be because they were not close yet. If Ruth was the one that wanted that land, she would have demanded for it with her hands on her waist in an arrogant tone.

 Chapter 125 - 125: The work of a fake daughter never ends.

    Edward washed his face, made a few calls and rejoined his family. He had a mysterious smile on his face which made everyone curious about what he was up to.


    He sat down and looked at Phoebe. "Sweetheart i know the perfect gift to give to you. I have instructed Alfie to purchase four acres of land near the Salt Lake in your names."


    The apple slice which was about to enter Phoebe''s mouth fell down thanks to the surprise from her father.


    [Santa Claus, father could you be Santa? How do you know exactly what gift to give me? Did you read my mind?]


    Edward chuckled at her thoughts and he patted his chest.


    "Since you deal in herbs and what not, your grandmother mentioned that you could use your own plantation or gardens. What do you think, dad is like Santa Claus right?"


    "Dad, how do you know?" Phoebe blurted out.


    His words sent Phoebe into a tailspin, especially when he called himself Santa Claus.Her words widened as she wondered if this was a coincidence. First the land and then the Santa Claus reference, it was too suspicious. To test her theory, she decided to play a trick.


    [Ahem, father, your zipper is open.]


    Edward''s head popped up and Phoebe moved her own head forward to see what he was going to do. Before anything more could happen, Andre broke her concentration by shrieking and everyone''s attention turned to him.


    "Spider, i saw a spider." Andre shivered while holding on to Collin for dear life.


    "What spider?" Collin pushed Andre away. "Seriously, you are not a boy anymore. Why do you keep hiding behind me?"


    Every time Andre saw a bug, he called forth Collin to kill it. It had been that way when they were children and he had not outgrown the habit.


    Nobody saw any spider and they settled down. While they were doing that, Edward checked the zip of his trouser secretly and sighed in relief when he saw that it was closed as expected.


    He suspected that Phoebe had been testing him and he decided to be more careful. Reading his daughter''s thoughts was the only way for him to get close to her quickly. It was their special father-daughter connection, a gift from heaven. If she knew that he could read them, wouldn''t she be on guard?


    They all settled down and the conversation restarted as if it had been paused.


    "Sweetheart, do you need the land? We can give you more than four acres if it''s enough. Should dad add four more?"


    Phoebe almost fell out of the chair as she couldn''t believe what was happening. An acre of land near Salt Lake cost close to 250 million dollars, four acres was at least one billion. One billion!!!!! and he was just dashing it to her as if it was 200 dollars.


    Phoebe looked at her brothers, grandmother and parents. They all looked normal, nobody''s eyes were bulging as if this was extraordinary. Apparently she was the only pauper at the table that thought a gift of one billion was too much.


    What was she supposed to say?


    The ever impatient Connie popped her head out of the pendant.


    "Say yes quickly, what are you waiting for? We have been taking on haunted house cases to afford one acre of land and you have been given four. Don''t blow this for us sister." Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She was pulled back into the pendant by the Saxon spirit. This decision was Phoebe''s to make.


    Taking the young girl''s advise, Phoebe cheerfully smiled and put her hands together. "I love it, i love it so much. Thank you father and mother....."


    Someone slapped a hand on the table before Phoebe could say more, startling everyone. It was none other than a very angry Ruth whose throat was swollen like a python''s full belly.


    "No way!!!" Ruth''s sharp voice interrupted Phoebe''s speech. She was the only displeased person at the table and since nobody was stepping in, not even Collin, she jumped in.


    "Father i don''t agree, it''s not fair. You have never given me such an expensive gift even though you personally raised me yourself. Phoebe has not even lived here for a week and already you are handing her everything and pushing me away. Is it because i am not your real daughter?" Ruth stood up forgetting that she was supposed to be too weak to stand.


    She managed to surprise everyone again with the lengths of her greed which was bottomless and some people had had enough.


    "Oh shut up you ungrateful girl, has any of your brother''s been given such land? Phoebe deserves this and you of all people should understand this. She spent her entire life drowning in your parent''s poverty stricken home where they mistreated her. So what if she gets four measly acres of land?


    I bought you a luxury yacht worth two hundred eight million. You father had given you two houses and your mother bought you a resort in Magic city. All this is in addition to all the gifts your brothers have given you through the years when you were growing up.


    We spoiled you with love and gifts while Phoebe was starving. On your tenth birthday, we booked out the entire Queens hotel to celebrate you and gave you a farm of horses and ponies while Phoebe locked in a closet in the dark simply because she cried for a slice of cake.


    The money that we have spent on you to date is not even a quarter to that spent on that land." Grandma Mayfair stood up and tapped Phoebe''s shoulders.


    "Let''s go to work, we are already late as it is."


    She didn''t want to stick around anymore, not if Ruth was so ungrateful and every time she opened her mouth, it was to irritate her greatly.


    Phoebe stood up and softly wished everyone a good day. She would not stick around to explain anything and she wanted them all to digest what they had just heard while looking at Ruth. She never planned on sharing that story with them and she knew that Evelyn was the one that had done so.


    She was the only other person other than the Gabriels that knew about it. Phoebe had told her about it one day when they were drunk and she curiously asked why Phoebe didn''t celebrate her birthday. Perhaps it was because the birthday was two weeks away that it was on her grandmother''s mind.


    She had to give her grandmother props for knowing what grenade to toss at the opportune moment. How would Ruth get herself out of this sticky mess?


    They walked away, leaving everyone with shocked expression on their faces, Ruth inclusive.


    "I didn''t know, i don''t know anything." She shook her head and defended herself before anyone could accuse or question her.


    And like the actress she was, she switched on the water works, heaved and fainted.

 Chapter 126 - 126: Beginning with grandma.

    As they headed to the cafe, Phoebe passed by the farmer''s market. She told her grandmother that she was going to buy groceries since they were about to introduce a light food menu.


    Looking at her small frame made the old woman a little worried. She pictured Phoebe lugging two heavy bags of groceries like bags of heavy rocks.


    "Are you sure that you don''t need any help? I have a good eye for such things." Grandma Mayfair unbuckled the sit belt but Phoebe quickly rejected her offer to help.


    She pushed her back carefully and buckled the seat belt for her again. because she didn''t need the company. Coming to the market was a cover up, she already had the vegetables in the magic space.


    "It''s okay grandmother, you can wait for me, i won''t be long." She escaped before the old woman would follow her.


    Phoebe wasn''t gone for long, it was around ten minutes only and she returned with two bags of groceries, one in each hand. She opened the car trunk and placed the bags in there. During that time Connie and Sylvester swapped the ordinary vegetables for those that were in the magic space.


    "That seems to be it." She added the last batch of the fresh lemon grass Sylvester was handing to her. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Thank you guys." Phoebe shut the trunk and went back into the car.


    Phoebe noticed that her grandma was unusually quiet during the rest of the drive to the cafe. She had this deeply disturbed look on her face and Phoebe was bothered by it so inquired carefully.


    "Grandma, is something bothering you? A problem shared is a problem half solved. I think there is a saying like that." she scratched the back of her head and winced.


    She was not sure if that was the actual saying. Right or wrong, all she wanted to do was help.


    "It''s Ruth apparently she fainted after I scolded her." Grandma Mayfair sighed softly.


    Phoebe rolled her eyes and scoffed. Of course Ruth had fainted, how else was she going to get herself out of trouble if not pull out a move that would send everyone into a worried state?


    "There is nothing new about Ruth fainting, she does it all the time when she is in trouble. That card is really getting old she needs to find a new one. Grandma please don''t tell me that you are regretting what you said to her. It was the truth and she had to hear it, sister''s behavior and her words were really eye opening to me.


    She is too entitled and spoiled." Phoebe watched her through the rear view mirror.


    She was testing the waters to see whether her grandmother was open to seeing through Ruth''s faults. If she defended her blindly like Jennie did then she would adjust her words and attitude accordingly.


    The old woman wore a blank expression first and then she sneered.


    "I meant everything that I said and i do not regret it one single bit, however your mother thinks that I was a bit too harsh on your sister. She thinks i should have worded my words carefully since Ruth has just returned from the hospital and the doctor told us not to stress her.


    Ruth has always been a selfish and entitled person, she has been that way since she was a child. If another child had something nice, she would cry for it and ruin it if she it was not given to her. Your parents and I tried to correct her ways but she wouldn''t budge. In the end we just decided to give her everything she desired in order to keep her hands and eyes from wandering.


    I always thought that i had to bear with it since she is my grandchild but i will not do it anymore, especially not when it comes to you. I will not allow you to be the thin camel while she lives as a fat horse.


    As for the fainting, I know for sure that she is pretending but sadly, your parents are blind to that fact and she uses her health condition to manipulate them. I need to get my hands on her medical records and study them extensively. What kind of person faints every time she is berated slightly?"


    Phoebe exhaled loudly on hearing her grandmother''s submission. A gap had opened up, two in fact because she could count on Andre as well.


    "She was even pretending to be too weak to stand but suddenly found the strength to do so earlier, I can confidently say that Ruth was lying about that as well."


    A chuckle came from grandma Mayfair. "It''s true what they say, an apple doesn''t fall far from the tree. She gets her craftiness from her shameless biological parents. Speaking of parents, its odd that they haven''t been found yet, it''s like they don''t want to be found.


    They need to know that their daughter is actually Ruth, Jennie will be heart broken if they want to be in Ruth''s life because they are such a bad influence but it can''t be helped."


    "Maybe they don''t want to be found." Phoebe blurted out through pursed lips. She had hoped that they were staying at the house in Magic city but she was wrong.


    "What do you mean dear? There is a reason that you are saying that i am sure, tell me whatever is it that you know child. In fact i want to know what those crooks did to you from the horse''s mouth and not from your friend Eve, Evie...Evelyn is it."


    This wasn''t the right time to disclose what the Gabriels had done to her, she planned to do it slowly at the most dramatic moments to make it memorable. Just like the moment at the table when her grandmother exploded. Ruth could not be ruined in private alone, it needed to be public as well.


    "Well grandma, don''t you think that it''s odd that they disappeared without a trace on the same day that Alfie went looking for them, it was almost as if someone had alerted them about it. Also it bothers me that they disappeared just when the cuckoo case blew up, it''s too much of a coincidence.


    I think they went into hiding because they already knew the truth." Phoebe''s words caused her grandmother to gasp loudly.


    She raised a hand to cover her mouth as Phoebe''s words sank in. "So you suspect that Ruth perhaps told them to disappear? Wait and you also think that they knew that you were not their daughter?"


    Phoebe nodded once, her grandmother had proved beyond reasonable doubt that she was an ally. If she was going to get rid of Ruth, she needed her grandmother on board too.


    "I can authoritatively tell you grandma that Ruth was never sick. She was dying one day, pale and in need of a transplant. Out of the blue the doctor suddenly realized his mistake just in time for the pressure on the search for the Gabriels to be called off since they were not needed anymore.


    I think she planned everything grandma and as for the Gabriels, the way that they pampered her made me suspicious that''s why I did a DNA test.


    They never once threw me a birthday party until she came around. They would buy her favorite cheese cake and celebrate her birthday using me as an excuse. Ruth used to cut the cake and blow the candles. I believe that they knew for sure she was their daughter but if you don''t believe me then wait till you meet them."


    Everything that she said made grandma Mayfair more and more suspicious.


    "I do believe you but we need evidence for your parents to believe it." She pressed her lips tightly together, thinking about that terrible couple. The Gabriels were going to face her wrath when they meet.

 Chapter 127 - 127: Who touched her?

    When they walked into the Cafe the first person Phoebe saw was David. He waved and stood up in a bid to hug Phoebe but suddenly he paused when Rebecca Mayfair appeared from behind her and stopped him with the sharp tip of her walking cane.


    She cleared her throat and put it away as her intention was not to harm him. She simply didn''t want random men pawing at her granddaughter.


    "Grandma Mayfair? What....what are you doing here." He embraced her instead of Phoebe, she was one of her favorite Mayfairs.


    His eyes quizzically moved to the grocery bags that she was holding and he raised his eyebrows. Why was old lady Mayfair carrying bags of raw vegetables into Phoebe''s cafe?


    "I work here what about you David, what brings you here so early in the morning? You must be here for the coffee, i will prepare a to go cup for you." She feigned ignorance yet she knew that he was very much interested in Phoebe.


    David''s brows raised higher up in surprise over what he had just heard. There was no need for grandma Mayfair to work for anything in her life but even if she wanted to work why here at Phoebe''s Cafe? Why not Mayfair corporations? Something fishy was going on. He didn''t get to ask any more questions because the old woman excused herself.


    "I will be in the kitchen." She notified Phoebe before turning her back to them.


    David watched her back and once her frame disappeared he looked at Phoebe. She had not got much sleep, he could tell and she was slightly tense. She didn''t say a word but her thoughts betrayed her.


    [I could use a hug right now, i don''t remember the last time I recharged. I have not received any new energy in days now.]


    He didn''t know what kind of recharging she meant or what energy she needed but he worried about her. Something had really happened the day before and it was still troubling her.


    "Are you okay? I was worried when you didn''t answer any of my calls yesterday?"


    David shifted forward and hugged her without warning.


    Unintentionally Phoebe wrapped her hands around him like a octopus with prey, not letting go. She absorbed as much energy as she could until she felt light headed, receiving this rush of endorphins that made her feel like she was floating on clouds.


    David got into the hug pretty quickly and he held her tight. Oh how his mother was wrong! Phoebe seemed to be even more into him now than before he left. It was true what they say that distance makes the heart grow fonder.


    "I have missed you too Pheebs."


    David''s words and smooth voice pulled her out of her reverie. She pushed him away gently and cleared her throat. She could see why he misunderstood her intentions. She had been hanging onto him like he had her life line which he technically did.


    [Who said anything about missing you, hmph! so presumptuous.]


    She rubbed her nose and lowered the scarf around her neck to show him the fading marks left by Turner when he had been strangling her. "I am fine, there was an incident with a lunatic but it''s all good now."


    He was horrified to see them, just as her family had been. He raised his trembling right hand and carefully touched her neck.


    "Who dared? Who is brave enough to touch my woman?" he growled out fiercely and punched a table.


    Phoebe rolled her eyes.


    [Who is your woman? Again he is being presumptuous.]


    "He is already in prison and he will probably stay there for next sixty years of his life." she informed him.


    She pulled out a chair and sat down. David sat just as she did and he sighed. He was relieved that she was safe but one could never tell what could happen tomorrow. What would he do if the situation was not remedied on time?


    "I am going to hire you a bodyguard, this job is way more dangerous that I imagined."


    His suggestion was dismissed the moment it was brought up.


    "I don''t think that there is a human that can protect me more than my ghosts can but i appreciate the offer."


    Phoebe was touched that he cared for her safety. She was not as cold as she acted after all.


    Letting out a frustrated sigh, David leaned back. Ghosts couldn''t always do what a human could. Phoebe didn''t understand it yet but she had more foes than she knew, there was Ruth and his mother who employed people to spy on her.


    He knew what Ruth was capable of and the only reason why he had not made a move to get rid of her was because he wanted to find the person that pulled the strings behind her, the one that ruined him and Phoebe. As for his mother, he didn''t know what she was capable of but to prove a point, she could do anything. The more he spoke up for Phoebe, the more she hated her and desired to get rid of her.


    Still, he could not override her wishes as he pleased and force his will on her.


    "Okay fine but please let me know in case you change your mind."


    Awkward silence took over, David wanted to ask her about the visit from his mother but he held back to avoid hearing an answer he didn''t want. Phoebe sensed that something was bugging him and she suspected that Miranda must have already told him something.


    "That day I had called to tell you that your mother was here, she offered me money to stay away from you...."


    "I know Pheebs." A smile formed on his lips as relief set in. If she was open about it and had hugged him it meant she had no plan to chase him away.


    [Of course you do, I wonder what your wicked mother said about me. Gold digger, greedy bitch, con artist, pauper, i wonder what the wicked witch Miranda called me.]


    David chuckled on reading her thoughts.


    "I took the money with my full chest." Phoebe arched an eyebrow wondering what had amused him.


    "I know that too, Pheebs." he smiled easily. It was not the reaction she was expecting. She thought he would flip over a table, call her names and demand that she doesn''t cross his path again. One hundred million dollars was no small amount of money after all.


    [Aren''t you mad? Another person would be.]


    David reached for her hand across the table.


    "I don''t blame you for taking it as long as you don''t push me away. If she brings more, take it as well although I doubt she will make you an offer any time soon after what happened."


    He brushed his thumb over her knuckles causing electric waves to flow through her veins.


    She pulled her hand back to her side, the last thing she needed was to rekindle any old feelings by falling into temptation.


    His words compelled her to ask if something happened. "What happened?"


    David narrated the story that his mother was banned from using the family funds.


    "Grandma has put her on a budget and cut her allowance, she won''t be spending recklessly anymore at least."


    David rubbed his eyebrow and sighed, he had a lot of things on his mind and she could tell. Rosette came with his to go coffee cup and put it in front of him. She gave Phoebe one as well.


    "Did things not go well on your trip?" Phoebe thanked Rosset for the coffee and turned her attention to him.


    "Well i am thinking of leaving the Saxon group."


    "What?" She yelled.


    S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 128 - 128: Humiliation making rounds.

    [Are you crazy!! What about your dream of becoming the president of the group? What will you do if you leave the company?]


    He smiled on seeing the thought.


    "It''s good to see that you care about my future Pheebs."


    If she cared about his future then she definitely cared about him. In fact, to him it was not just his future but their future.


    Phoebe was wondering if this was a consequence of her rebirth, just like him moving away from the Saxon tower. No matter how much she tried to think about what David had just told her, she believed that David was making a huge mistake.


    [I thought he had changed for the better but maybe i was wrong. I cannot even tell him that if he works hard, a few years from now he will be vice president, maybe even president.]


    David squinted his eyes, wondering how she knew this. Indeed, he had become the vice president and president when they were married. Was it something she had seen in her cards or was reborn like him?


    It was not the first time this thought was crossing his mind considering how she had run away from him. Was his Phoebe hiding a similar secret like him? He smiled and observed her face.


    "What is so amusing? You are leaving a good position in a great company to do what exactly?" Phoebe folded her arms, it almost sounded like she was berating him.


    He was really a piece of work, she needed him to be a successful Saxon such that Ruth was pained by the fact that she had him. What could he do on his own? In the past she had worked tooth and nail to make him successful.


    David clicked his tongue. "I am leaving because I want to start my own research lab. I can do it Phoebe as long as I have you by my side cheering me on, I believe that I will go far." He tried to reach for her hand again but she pulled it away.


    [In your dreams!! I can never be that stupid to do all the work for you, never again. If i am to do anything with you, it will be because i am gaining from it]


    His face formed a frown, ''again'', she had just said again. Truly, she had done eighty percent of their research projects and given all the credit to him. Back then, he never saw it as a big deal but times had changed. He needed to stand before her proudly and prove that he could be a man on his own.


    The first step had been moving out of the tower and the second was leaving the comfortable fold of the family company.


    He was determined to leave mainly because his father was going to try to control him through the Saxon group. It was better to leave it all behind and start afresh. What else was his father going to black mail him with? If it wasn''t for his grandmother he would leave the house completely too.


    The air in the cafe was suddenly saturated with bursting aromas of freshly made food.


    "What''s that delicious smell?" David lifted his nose and sniffed the air.


    The delicious smells came closer and Phoebe smiled as her grandmother approached them with a tray of food.


    "Boss these vegetables pies and salads before we add them to the menu. I have to say that some of the vegetables you bought are the freshest I have ever seen. The food turned out so good specially because of the ingredients." she shared.


    Ignoring the fact that old lady Mayfair had just called Phoebe boss, David reached for a vegetable pie and took a big bite, he closed his eyes and let out a satisfactory sigh.


    "This is the best damn pie I have ever tasted!! What have you put in it?"


    He ate some more and so did Phoebe which pleased grandma Mayfair greatly. It was not just the ingredients that matter, the talents of the chef counted too.


    Everyone sat down to grade the new additions to their menu. They all had something in their hands except for Connie who was too full to eat, having stuffed herself in the kitchen.


    She went back to work as they started receiving customers. Passersby began to walk into the cafe ordering for the whatever was smelling amazing, not just humans but ghosts as well.


    "This is our new hot seller." Phoebe told her grandmother.


    The old lady rushed back to the kitchen to make some more happily.


    "I still can''t believe that grandma Mayfair is working here, how did you do it?" David asked as she walked him to the door.


    "That''s a story for another day." She paused next to the door.


    [That''s one unbelievable story, when you find out your jaw will drop]


    "Okay then." He hugged her briefly and left.


    The Saxon spirit moved closer. "Ohh aren''t you two sweet." The smile it had continued to exist, Phoebe mimicked it''s words as she rushed to the kitchen to help her grandmother.


    ******


    Margaret Saxon had been laughing for an hour and she had not stopped laughing from the moment she saw the video of grandma Saxon pouring coffee on Miranda. What was even funnier was the fact that someone had posted it briefly in the family group chat. Although it had been deleted, Margaret had already downloaded it.


    Everyone was discussing it, including the servants. It was the most exciting to thing to happen in the tower since the news of David''s red haired witch girlfriend broke. The cuckoo news was gossip worthy but it had not affected them personally. Miranda''s humiliation was so much more fun.


    "Maybe i should leak it to the paparazzi, whatever makes that witch Miranda humiliated makes me happy. She pretends to have this perfect life and she thinks that she is better than me but she isn''t."


    "Mother you better not spread that video, believe me that it will be traced back to you and you too will have grandma to deal with just like aunt Miranda." Dickson was seated next to her in the back seat of the car.


    She knew that her son was right so she switched the topic. "Marry that Mayfair girl quickly, if you need my help let me know." Margaret put the phone down and touched up her lipstick. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Dickson sniggered. "About that, there has been a new development. My spy at the Mayfairs told me that apparently Ruth is a cuckoo, one of the exchanged babies and the true Mayfair heiress has already returned."


    His mother''s eyes flew wide open. "Wait, what?"


    She drummed her fingers on the car seat slowly as her mind moved quickly. No wonder the Mayfairs had been strangely out of the public eye, even Andre was behaving himself. All along, they had a cuckoo in their nest and didn''t want the world to find out.


    The fact that the real heiress had been returned meant that they planned to recognize her. Everything that was supposed to go to Ruth would go to the new heiress. Now was the time for her son to strike when the naive girl was vulnerable and new to the elite life.


    If her son could get the true Mayfair heiress, while David married his pauper witch Miranda would die of anger.


    "Change course now Dickson before people find out. Marry the real heiress and forget the fake one. Who knows, with your handsome face, you may charm her and have eating out of your hand within a week. Who is she anyway?"


    "That part i don''t know yet but i am going to find out soon." A sly smile formed on his lips.

 Chapter 129 - 129: A hungry ghost.

    Phoebe had been pushed out of the kitchen by her grandmother because her talents were best suited doing her normal job. Rather than watching her burn down the kitchen, it was best for her to stay as far as possible from it. With the ghosts and grandma Mayfair doing all the work anyway, she was not that necessary.


    At the moment, she was listening to a worried mother that kept slapping her adult son on the head while explaining their troubles.


    The gown sullen man in a suit that was wearing his company identification card around his neck clearly didn''t want to be there and he was very embarrassed.


    "So, your son is obsessed with his dead ex-girlfriend." Phoebe said calmly.


    The mother shook her head. "It has been five years since she died, five years!!!" she shouted and groaned loudly, expressing her frustrations. "Five years and he has not yet moved on. His house is like a shrine to her, he has pictures of her everywhere and last week he had one of those life like dolls made. Do you know how freaky it is when he refers to her as his wife and my daughter-in-law?


    You need to help me little shaman, he has lost his mind."


    Phoebe looked at the man and sighed. This sounded like a matter for a psychiatrist, not her. What was she supposed to do when it was not a case of haunting. The dead ex girlfriend was not hovering around him.


    "Tell them to return tomorrow for a potion that breaks obsessions like his. He must have made some kind of vow to her that is tying them together so he cannot move on." The Saxon spirit told her. "Young people are so foolish and they do not measure their words or consider the consequences of vows on the conscience. They can haunt you and drive you insane."


    Phoebe shook a few bells and pretended to communicate with an unseen spirit.


    "Please come back tomorrow for medicine that ends obsession like his. When you get home, take everything that belonged to his ex girlfriend and burn it."


    The mother was uncertain and she frowned.


    "That''s it?" she questioned.


    Phoebe nodded. "If my solution does not work i recommend a psychiatrist. Your son''s ex girlfriend''s ghost is not in the realm of the living anymore. If you cannot pick up the medicine, we can deliver it to you as long as you pay in advance."


    The woman touched her bag and she clutched it nervously like someone was about to snatch it out of her hands and pull cash out directly.


    "I will come in person."


    Phoebe shrugged. The woman left and another client walked in, a human client. Right off the bat, Phoebe could tell that it was a wealthy woman. She was old, around the age of grandma Mayfair and she carried herself in a dignified way. It was a little surprising to see a wealthy client come in without covering up and hiding.


    "Hello, how can i help you today?" Phoebe addressed her politely.


    The old woman didn''t say a word and simply took a white paper out of her purse. She opened it and handed it to Phoebe, it had a name, a date of birth and time.


    "Tell me about his marriage fate, i need to know everything you say."


    She placed an envelope on the table that was fat, filled with cash. Before reading the marriage fate, Phoebe took the cash of enveloped and flipped through the notes. Brand new with the smell she liked. Perhaps word had gone around that she preferred new notes but lately her clients mostly brought her new notes.


    She looked at the details of the individual on the paper and shook her bells to give off the image of a real shaman.


    "He is already married." The Saxon spirit shared.


    Phoebe put down the bells and extended the paper to the older woman. "He is already married."


    The woman''s face tightened and she slapped the table.


    "Are you sure?"


    Phoebe nodded.


    "He has been married for three years and has two sons. If he remarries, the woman will die." The Saxon spirit added. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe relayed the same words to the old woman and her face darkened even more. She stood up and walked out of the office, offering no explanation whatsoever.


    The Saxon spirit smacked her lips. "I guess she has a daughter or granddaughter that is being swindled by a jerk."


    It put away the money, sending it into the magical space.


    "We are going to have to hire another worker, servers. Expansion of the menu and the sudden influx of more customers who have decided to ignore the whispers of ghosts roaming around in the cafe will take a toll on your grandmother and Rosette."


    "I will put up a help wanted outside."


    The door opened and Rosette peeked in. "Aah, boss, we have a small problem out here. A ghost related problem that you need to come and look at."


    Phoebe used her human legs to walk out of her office while the Saxon spirit vanished, going ahead of her. The cafe was partially empty now and someone, probably Rosette had already put up a closed sign.


    Only ghost clients had remained and all of them were sitting to one side, avoiding the one ghost that had gathered all of the food and drinks served to the other ghosts.


    This ghost was quite unusual and almost ominous with the way it was growling. Phoebe was not afraid of it however because it was not malicious or evil. Her cafe was protected from such ghosts.


    "He has been eating and gobbling everything up like a starving zombie. I can barely get him to talk to me and every time i go close to him, he growls." Rosette shared. "Oh, he is also a special client because he is wearing a soldier''s uniform according to Hellene, one of the regulars."


    The regulars was the term used for ghosts that came by often to eat even though they were not ready to move on. Phoebe always received energy as long as their stomachs were satisfied.


    They had a work computer on the counter which Rosette rotated for Phoebe to take a look.


    "This is the uniform, according to the internet it was worn by soldiers that served in the year 1700''s. If this is really a soldier from that time then he is the oldest ghost we have ever dealt with."


    "Wow, i was not even born yet. A soldier from the 1700''s, my God, when you work here you see everything." Grandma Mayfair gushed.


    She was seeing the ghost through normal seeing glasses which the Saxon spirit had enchanted. She didn''t like the sunglasses and she had complained about them making her look like an owl.


    "Boss, what do we do?" Rosette asked.


    Phoebe looked at the ghost whose growling was becoming louder as the food in front of it started to diminish.


    "He is a hungry ghost that has probably recently escaped from where he was buried. We should keep feeding him until he is full and then we can ask for answers."


    She sighed and stretched her arms, feeding a hungry ghost was no walk in the park. She had dealt with one before in Magic city and spent sixty thousand dollars on food before it moved on.


    "It''s going to be a long day for us boss." Rosette sighed.

 Chapter 130 - 130: All nighter......1

    It was unusual for the time to clock eight in the night without grandma Mayfair being home. Her absence and that of Phoebe made Edward uncomfortable as soon as he got home from the office and he called her.


    "Mother, where are you both?"


    "At work, we are busy and we are pulling an all nighter." she answered and ended the call.


    Edward eyes trailed slowly over the phone as he wondered what kind of all nighter was needed at a cafe. Serving coffee and snacks did not need one to work over night. He had never stepped foot into his daughter''s cafe and he figured now was the right moment to do so.


    Without bothering to shower or change as he originally planned, he left the house. On the way to the garage, he met his wife that was from doing some house shopping. She was openly surprised to see him leaving with his work briefcase and in the same clothes he had gone to work in that morning.


    "Oh, Edward, honey, where are you going? Is there trouble at work?"


    "Not my work." he mumbled.


    He opened his car door and threw the brief case back in the back seat. "I just called mother and she said that they will be working all night. I am going to visit Phoebe''s cafe and see what that is all about. You can all start dinner without us."


    He paused before entering the car, walked back and kissed his wife on the forehead.


    Jennie held onto his arm, worry expressed in her eyes. "I will go too."


    They handed the shopping bags to a maid and a driver then drove off together. The Mayfair house was left devoid of family members that night with the exception of Ruth who was still acting weak.


    Collin was working late, Luke was on the night shift and Andre''s movements were unpredictable as he often slept out late.


    When the couple arrived at the cafe they the door locked and no matter how much knocking they did, the door remained closed. Edward had to call Phoebe that came in person to open the door for them.


    "Mom, dad." she was surprised to see them there, standing outside her cafe.


    She had been expecting her father but not her mother. Jennie Mayfair wanted nothing to do with ghosts. The simple fact that she was standing outside here was a miracle.


    She didn''t open the door wide and blocked their view inside with her body. "What are you guys doing here?"


    Edward and Jennie were both taller than Phoebe and so they peeked over her head.


    "Your grandmother told us that you are working over night so we came to see what you are up to. What are you doing in there?" Edward was more than curious.


    The lights in the cafe were on and the smell of food was escaping through the open door and tickling their nostrils. He was hungry and he definitely wanted a taste of whatever was being cooked.


    Phoebe looked inside and she looked at them. "Is there any chance that you guys can just head on back home and let this matter go?"


    Both of them shook their heads. She sighed, dropped her hand, stepped aside and reluctantly let them inside. They were met with a view of what was a possible banquet. All the tables in the cafe were filled with food but there was no trace of human customers at the tables.


    What they did notice was food vanishing from the tables at the speed of light into thin air. They also heard some growling sounds and Jennie tightened her hold on her husband''s arm.


    Edward fastened his pace and he delivered his wife to what he assumed was safety, behind the counter where his mother was busy making drinks that were floating through the air. This, they had seen before in the house when Ruth''s things were being thrown out of the bedroom.


    "Mother," Edward tapped old lady Mayfair on the shoulder."What is going on?"


    She barely looked at him before grabbing Rosette''s ghost seeing glasses and handing them to him.


    "Why are you here?" She asked him. "I told you that we are busy. If you are here to talk about Ruth i do not have time. We have a house full of hungry ghosts that happen to be soldiers that served in the Fog country great northern war of 1701 which stopped the expansion of Eagle country.


    In our cafe, soldiers, police men, doctors, fire fighters, priests and others who dedicate their lives to the service of others are special clients. We help them whenever they walk in, no questions asked."


    Edward and Jennie stared at old lady Mayfair like she was talking nonsense. The way she was talking, you would think that she had been working in the cafe for many years and not two days.


    Edward slipped the glasses over his eyes and he saw them, the ghosts that his mother was talking about. There were hundreds of them squeezed around that tables and on the ground. Some were floating in the air and all of them were drinking or eating. They were not behaving demurely and grabbing food with their bare hands like they had been starving for centuries.


    He took off the glasses and handed them to his wife who took one look and turned away, preferring not to see them. She even closed her eyes and made the sign of the cross. Her right hands tightened on the cross around her neck as she murmured a prayer.


    Edward did not put on the glasses again and instead pulled two bar stools that were unoccupied for himself and his wife to sit down.


    He looked around the cafe and then at his mother that was dumping fruit into the juice processor so unbothered about the ghosts and with a lot of focus. How had she become so comfortable with all this ghost stuff so easily? He and Jennie were still struggling to accept it and they would probably be that way for a long time.


    Watching his mother working hard made him feel guilty however. He didn''t want her to overwork herself no matter what the situation was.


    "Mother, i can help. What should i do?"


    Grandma Mayfair was a little taken back as she expected her son and daughter-in-law to high tail it out of the cafe at the speed of lightning after seeing ghosts.


    "You don''t need to stay here if you are uncomfortable Edward." she told him.


    He shook his head. "No, i can help, mother. I want to help."


    She pointed in Phoebe''s direction. Phoebe was sitting in a corner with a laptop and the ghosts whose stomach had been filled were giving her their names and details while explaining their last wishes.


    "Go and assist you daughter, her fingers must be killing her right now. These men have so many last wishes and she is taking down information alone." She pushed the ghost seeing glasses towards him. "If i can handle seeing them for the sake of my granddaughter, so can you. Prove to her that you will be better and more tolerant than those Gabriel beasts.


    Do not ever forget that she suffered at their hands. She doesn''t celebrate her birthday Edward, she won''t even let me bring it up. She has been wounded greatly and betrayed, as her father, cover her wounds." S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Edward recalled the birthday story and Phoebe being locked in a closet. He clenched his hands and picked up the glasses. He had wounds to heal, his daughter needed to see that he could be relied on.

 Chapter 131 - 131: All nighter.....2

    That same night, David was busy with his own mission to avenge his woman. He paid a visit to a place not many people in the world wanted to be, the Citrus maximum prison. It was tightly secured prison commonly known as the home for murderers and robbers.


    He was at the prison because he had spent the afternoon with Detective Shark who had filled him in on all that had happened to Phoebe during his absence. And because he wanted to be in a Saxon''s good graces, Shark had added a lot of spice to the story, he even went as far as to name himself Phoebe''s savior. By the end of their conversation the two men had exchanged phone numbers.


    Shark agreed to keep him up to date on everything that concerned Phoebe crime wise. David had sent some money to Shark''s private bank account to motivate him but it was more of a bribe to accept his request.


    When they separated he went straight to meet Turner at the prison where he had been remanded.


    On arrival, David was escorted by one of the prison guards to the office of the prison warden who was too eager to help him.


    He was a short bald man with a big tummy which represented all the bribes he had eaten throughout his career.


    "Mr. Saxon, i was surprised when you called me, its a rear occasion for a first family founding member to visit such an unclean place. Please have a seat." He humbled himself and offered David the warden''s chair, he on the other hand sat on a single chair that was close by.


    David could spot a lick spittle when he saw one, he was used to people behaving this way and this was nothing new. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I want to see an inmate by the names of Chase Turner. I told you that when I called, bring him to me." David leaned back and crossed his leg over the other making himself comfortable.


    The warden swallowed repeatedly and wore a shaky smile. "About that sir, I beg that you reconsider."


    "And why is that?" David dismissed the warden''s secretary that had brought him a cup of coffee.


    Rubbing his jaw the warden looked at him. "Since he got here, he has been acting very weird. Chase Turner keeps talking about ghosts and how one killed his wife yet we all know that she fell to her death while escaping the hospital after committing a murder. He has been declared a danger to himself and others that''s why we isolated him. What if he harms you? What will I tell your family?"


    David remained unfazed, the others didn''t know what he knew that Turner was being truthful. "Bring him, whatever happens you are not liable."


    He gestured at Polly and his bodyguard came forward, putting down a small box of apples. He opened it and the warden saw shiny gold bars inside which caused his face to light up like a bulb.


    Nodding once, the warden ordered for Chase Turner to be brought in. In no time there was a knock on the door and he walked in. His hands and feet bound by chains but other than that he looked normal and not deranged like the warden claimed.


    "Leave us." He told the warden who happily picked up the box of fake apples and locked them away in a safe before leaving.


    When the door closed behind the warden, David turned his full attention on Turner who was laughing maniacally.


    "You must be here because you heard that I roughed up that witch. Listen Mr. Saxon i am not one of those minions that bow and worship you. What''s the worst you can do to me? You cannot kill me, i am not afraid of you and as soon as i get out of here i will make that witch pay for killing my child." He gathered saliva and spat in David''s direction.


    It landed on the arm of the chair and David grimaced, utterly disgusted. Polly moved without waiting for an instruction, kicking Turner in the back and forcing him to his knees in front of David.


    David grabbed Turner by the neck as a frigid air encompassed him. "How dare you? A small fry like you dared to lay a hand on her and threaten to kill her when when you get a chance. I am here to ruin your dreams, it will never happen because i am going to make sure that you rot in here. How you may ask? Because I already spoke to the judge that''s presiding over your case.


    As for your plan of acting crazy so that you are sent to the mental hospital where you plan to escape, it is not happening either so I suggest that you get comfortable and feel at home."


    David''s words infuriated Turner who jumped like a grasshopper in an effort to grab him.


    His move was unsuccessful because Polly pulled him back by the hair causing him to scream in pain. That was just the appetizer for the beefy man beat the living day light out of Turner, strangling him as he had done to Phoebe. No matter how much he yelled for help, no one dared to enter the room.


    "Warden?" David called and the door opened. The warden walked in and kicked Turner in the butt.


    "What have you done to anger Mr. Saxon? Take this fool away and lock him up in solitary until we receive sermons for his first court date." The warden put his hands together on his waist and clenched his belt. "If you have anymore instructions Mr. Saxon i will be glad to fulfill them for some more apples."


    David scoffed and stood up. "He doesn''t need the movement of his legs. A dangerous man like that should not be walking around."


    "I believe his arms could be dangerous too, they are quite murderous." The warden suggested.


    "Do as you see fit warden, make me happy." David righted his coat and left the office.


    He went straight to the Cerene Apartments to his apartment and as usual he passed by the cafe which was on apartment grounds. Usually, at that time it was usually closed but he was surprised however to see that the lights were still on, the delicious smells of food were permeating in the air.


    He was not the only one outside, other people were loitering around as well, tempted by the smell of delicious food which they could not taste.


    He called Phoebe but she didn''t pick up so he sent a message asking to be allowed inside. He waited with crossed fingers and breathed a sigh of relief when the door was opened for him.


    Other people tried to squeeze in after him but Polly intimidated them with his big stature before shutting the door in their faces and following his boss.


    David was surprised by what he found inside, more Mayfairs than he expected and a banquet. He cared less about the food and more about the Mayfairs. Why were they in there acting like employees of the cafe? First was grandma Mayfair, then Edward and Jennie something very fishy was going on here and Phoebe had some explaining to do.


    "Take off your coat and get to work." Phoebe tossed him an apron and sent him to the kitchen.

 Chapter 132 - 132: All nighter......3

    David did not go alone into the kitchen, he made sure to pull Phoebe and take her with him. He didn''t waste a moment and immediately fired a question.


    "Pheebs, why are the Mayfair''s here?"


    "Because i am a Mayfair, cuckoo case, keep up Saxon i do not have time to educate you on everything. I thought you had all these information sources to keep you up to date on everything all the time."


    She had no plans to hide this truth from him, he would find out the truth quickly anyway. The more that her family showed up at the cafe, the more people would put two and two together.


    David''s eyes lit up and his mouth fell open slightly for a few seconds. He opened and closed it like a fish gasping for air on and off as he digested the surprise. Phoebe was a Mayfair! how, when and why?


    How did he not know this before his rebirth? What about Ruth, did that serpent of a woman know the truth? She was very capable of getting rid of Phoebe in order to keep her identity as the Mayfair heiress.


    He had not paid a lot of attention to the cuckoo case. It was hard to miss it since the story was national and international news but as it did not affect the Saxons or their business he had not cared much for it. Then again, he had been busy with the meeting with those investors from Eagle country, worrying about Phoebe and fighting with his parents.


    He crossed his arms and leaned against the kitchen counter, almost sending the cake butter in a large glass jar falling. He pushed it further for its own safety and then faced Phoebe.


    "So let me get this straight, you are the daughter of the Mayfair family and you were swapped with Ruth at birth."


    Phoebe glared at him.


    [Do i need to spell it out for you?]


    David kept his next questions on her true heritage to himself. Obviously he had every answer he needed on the matter and the rest he could learn from the news or detective Shark, the man responsible for the case as seen on the news all the time.


    "So, has Ruth been sent packing? That right there is poetic justice, it''s karma. She is the most greedy woman in the world and she has lost all the wealth and glory she had."


    Phoebe snorted. "Hmph, oh she found a way to stick to that glory and wealth for now. My parents are not giving her up so easily thanks to a bond of more than twenty years. In the words of my father, they can afford to raise two daughters. Besides, with the few horrible stories they have heard about the Gabriel''s i doubt that they would willingly send her to them."


    It was also one of the reasons why Phoebe was not in such a hurry to expose all of the Gabriel''s dirty deeds and their true nature. With her mother''s soft heart, she would never allow Ruth the daughter she raised with so much love to end up with such greedy, selfish people even if they happened to be her parents.


    Even if Ruth left on her own, she could still call Jennie, blackmail her emotionally and get financial support from her forever.


    Phoebe intended to open her mother''s eyes to Ruth''s true nature so that Jennie would willingly cut the strings. If she could see that Ruth was just like her biological parents she would grow to disdain her.


    "I can''t believe this. Why would they keep her around, for what reason? She is a terrible human being and the sooner they get rid of her the better for the whole family. Pretty soon she will be plotting how to steal the Mayfair fortune since she cannot get her hands on it the lawful way. You should be on guard with her, do not allow her to....."


    The door to the kitchen was pushed open and Andre strolled in. "Hey guys."


    He was all smiles and very cheerful as he walked up to Phoebe, turned her around and gave her a brotherly hug.


    "Lil sis, if you needed all hands on deck you should have called me. I went home and didn''t find anyone only to hear from one of the maids that you were all working all night.


    Sis, i should be your first call next time. If i didn''t come by i would not get to meet real war heroes that participated in the great Northern war. Director Baylor Monk has been passing around a script for a new movie that he is planning to shoot.


    It''s called saving captain Andy, and it''s based on the Great Northern war. He is looking for investors and actors and yours truly is one of the actors that have been given a chance to play the role of captain Andy."


    "Congratulations." Phoebe tapped him on the shoulder.


    If he was smiling then it was probably a good thing.


    David put one of his hands on his chin and he looked thoughtful. "Hmm...i should give him a call. Now that i am unemployed i need to find new ways to make money. Investing in Baylor sounds like a good idea."


    "Unemployed!!" Andre exclaimed.


    David nodded. "I am quitting the Saxon group and venturing out on my own. I need to make my own money just like you Andre."


    With all the Mayfair wealth, he had become an actor basing on his talents and he had amassed a significant amount of money.


    In that aspect, the Mayfair''s were better than the Saxons as every Saxon worked in the family company. If it collapsed one day, they would all be unemployed. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I get to bring in an investor and real knowledge about the war, I am awesome." Andre bragged and danced with his shoulders.


    Rosette came by and glared at the three that were indulging in conversation instead of working. She cleared her throat and pointed at all the buns that were waiting to be stuffed with sausages and vegetables.


    She gestured for Andre to follow her with one of her fingers.


    Andre awkwardly followed her and donned on gloves. He obediently got to work immediately and he was not alone, David and Phoebe did the same.


    For two hours, they worked in silence and accomplished a lot but the job was not coming to an end.


    "Why are we cooking these things ourselves when we can just order out?" David asked.


    He rolled his shoulders back suffering from a case of exhaustion.


    Phoebe handed him an ice cold cup of lemon grass tea prepared with some water from the lake of life and death that had been diluted incredibly. The Saxon spirit had declared it harmless and recommended it if everyone was to keep up their energy.


    She handed a cup to Andre as well and they took a thirty minute break.


    "We need special fire to cook food for ghosts that can fill them for a long time." Phoebe pointed to a large pot in the fire place that was producing green fire.


    Andre stood up and squeezed himself between David and Phoebe. "Lil sis, I saw mom preparing hot chocolate for the fallen heroes out there, it''s amazing that you roped her into this Pheebs."


    "I didn''t do anything. I am amazed that she is still here as well. Anyway, who else is coming, should i be expecting Luke and Collin as well?"


    Andre shook his head. "They were working overnight as well. Anyway, what is your plan, these ghosts want a state funeral in order to move on. How do you plan to pull that one off?"

 Chapter 133 - 133: Heroes with a story

    It was a simple but loaded question, a problem which Phoebe could not tackle on her own. She was no politician after all and a state funeral was a political event or a military one. She hadn''t thought about what she was going to do to help the ghosts move on because a lot had been going on. In this particular situation, there was one person she knew of that could help her and that was Amon Drusus.


    "I don''t know but i need to involve the government, these men sacrificed their lives for this country and for that they deserve a befitting burial. Excuse me for a second." S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She walked to her office and called Amon.


    She hesitated for a second before making the call but the urgency of the matter outweighed her dislike for the overly judgemental ghost catcher.


    "I need help, if you can, come to my cafe right now."


    "Is it ghost related?" Amon had enthusiasm in his voice. The man was like an addict and his addiction was banishing ghosts.


    "Yes but..." The line went dead before she could explain the situation. Phoebe sighed and sank into the chair for exhaustion had enveloped her.


    After twenty minutes she stepped out of the office only to find some of the ghosts lazily sitting, having eaten to their fill. They were watching television now and very loudly expressing their wonder like it was the first time they were seeing one. One of them kept going in and out of television while others gushed.


    Clearly, they had not been in the real world for long or else they would be familiar with technology, visually at least.


    "Oh, we have actually satisfied them." Phoebe was amazed.


    "I told you the only thing that could satisfy them quickly was mixing drinks and food with water from our lake. It has even purified them and they are all but ready to go into the light." The Saxon spirit popped up next to her. "Your ghost catcher is here."


    Phoebe looked around and she didn''t see him, five seconds later, Amon walked in holding his bells in hand. He looked around the cafe and practically drooled.


    Some growling was heard and it was followed by a trembling, the ghosts were uneasy. Nobody liked a ghost catcher, especially not one that was wielding his weapons from the get go.


    "Amon, down." Phoebe commanded like she was talking to her trained dog.


    "Woah, woah, woah!" what are you doing here Amon and why the hell are you doing with those damn bells?" David rushed forward and grabbed both of Amon''s arms. He knew Phoebe wouldn''t want them used inside her cafe.


    "Dude whatever you do don''t shake those damn bells, these are heroes not illegals. You know my sister doesn''t like ghost catchers and those things will backfire on you like they did the last time anyway." Andre was familiar with the situation so he advised.


    Edward and Jennie were tired and confused, all they did was sit behind the counter and relax, their daughter was living such an adventurous life. They knew Amon as the deputy chief of the SOB Citrus Police department but it didn''t look like he here in that regard.


    Grandma Mayfair started explaining to them what Amon''s other identity was.


    Phoebe was already exhausted and she was too tired to make threats or argue. "Wow Amon, you sure know how to make an entrance. Now sit let''s talk."


    She calmed the ghosts that were worried on seeing a ghost catcher. Connie and Sylvester were doing the same thing, assuring them that they were safe.


    "What is going on here Pheebs? Why are there so many ghosts here? What''s with all the food? Are you running an elderly home for ghosts now, these guys look ancient." His eyes moved around wondering why the cafe was so messy and disorganized. Then he spotted about four Mayfairs.


    Shark had mentioned something about Phoebe being the genesis of the cuckoo case. That and the presence of the Mayfairs stamped an answer in his mind.


    "You have so many questions but I will only answer those that are necessary.


    Phoebe called the leader of the ghost soldiers Major Micheal Mitford over, she wanted him to tell Amon the story of what happened to them and how they ended up in that situation.


    The ghost moved over and sat between Phoebe and Amon. The remaining seats were quickly taken because everyone was very interested in the story that Major Mitford was about to tell especially Andre; it was not everyday that you come across people from the 1700s.


    "Go ahead Major tell us what happened?" Phoebe smiled warmly.


    "It was winter at the height of Northern war and my regiment was tasked to protect the treasures in the Iborg temple. Those vicious soldiers from Eagle country were nothing but bandits, looting everything and stealing from our nation.


    When Craven hill was lost, we retreated further inwards and my regiment was commanded to take the treasures and deliver them to Governor Dewayne. He was supposed to escape to safety along with the treasures and take them to the capital in Citrus.


    Unfortunately we were betrayed and someone leaked the information. We were intercepted by the enemy forces, we fought them off and entered Iborg city successfully. We thought it was all over and met the governor but we were caught off guard when suddenly the soldiers of Eagle country revealed themselves.


    They had been waiting for us there all along, the governor had betrayed not just us but the entire country. He ordered us to hand over the treasures to the enemy including the national seal. We couldn''t do that because the treasures were more important than our lives. We refused strongly so they shot a few comrades to scare us that''s when we knew that we were not coming out of there alive.


    Before setting off on the mission, we had all come to an agreement to surrender our lives if need be so our mission changed. We were not got going to allow them to steal from our nation and trample on our pride. We took out the bombs we had and detonated them, dying along with the enemy. In a way, we fulfilled our mission."


    Everyone was listening and they all felt touched when they heard the story detailing the sacrifice of the brave but pitiful soldiers whose loyalty cost them their lives.


    "That is just so sad." Jennie dabbed tears away from the corners of her eyes.


    While she was sad, others were mostly angry because they recognized the name of the governor. He was regarded as a national hero that contributed a lot in the Great Northern war. Who knew that the person with a heroic statue in the city and pictures in textbooks, plus poems written about his valiance was actually a traitor?


    "The governor was a traitor and all this while but he been praised for sacrificing his life for the country, his family members have built their political careers based on that fact." Amon clenched a fist.


    "Well he was a real scumbag." The Saxon spirit told Phoebe, it witnessed everything in real time.


    "Keep going." Phoebe told the Major.


    "We were buried deep in the ground and our bodies were never recovered. Our ghosts cried out for help but those heard us thought it was an ill sign. Someone invited a priest that put a seal on the land and trapped us down there. Yesterday, there was an explosion, the earth shook and the place was unsealed.


    That was how I came out in search of help but I was so hungry so I ate first and went back to get my comrades too.


    The problem here is that the land was declared evil and sealed off but it wasn''t our fault, the evil did not come from us. The enemy soldiers that were buried with us turned into evil spirits and now they are going to escape as well. You need to get rid of them as soon as possible." Major Mitford pulled his brows together closely.

 Chapter 134 - 134: Money loving mommy.

    The major''s revelations frightened them especially Phoebe and Amon, they knew very well what his words meant.


    "Something had to be done before they start possessing people. Are they freed like you are? Or are they still trapped down there." Amon held his bells tightly. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Down there, the seal was broken only on our side slightly but i reckon that soon they will realize that there is an escape path. You have hours at most and then they will come to the surface and wreck havoc." The major shared.


    David began making phone calls immediately. The first person he called was the governor of the north, he asked if there had been anything strange in the last twenty four hours to which the governor said no.


    "That''s a relief for now, those ghosts will do more harm than good and we are going to need your help Major. You need to lead me to that place and show me exactly where you escaped from." Amon told him.


    He started making phone calls, rallying his own ghost catching troops Phoebe guessed because she heard him mentioning Rekha''s name.


    Phoebe had heard the word treasure, and she was planning to hop onto this cavalry. She had just used a lot of money and resources to feed hundreds of hungry ghosts, someone had to pay the bill.


    "We are going, right?" The Saxon spirit communicated with her directly in her mind.


    Phoebe nodded.


    "The the easiest way to get rid of the evil ghosts without ghost catching bells was to pour salt on their bones and burn their bones and all their belongings. We should leave soon." The spirit advised.


    "What will you do with the bones of the enemy?" Major Mitford asked them.


    "We have to burn them, this way even if they have traveled miles away, they will still be vanquished. This is top secret information because we do not know how the government of Eagle country will react when this information lands in their ears. We are not sending those invaders back to their country to be welcomed like heroes.


    Not a word of this should leave this room people, not a word." Amon looked at each one of them as if he was searching for a snitch.


    His eyes locked with those of David. "Are you kidding me, the only person with ties to Eagle country nearby is Collin Baltimore who happens to be the landlord by the way." David sniggered.


    He would use anything at anytime to take down his competitor.


    Amon excused himself to call the most powerful general in the country who also doubled as his uncle and happened to sit on the joint chiefs of staff working for the president of Fog country, general of the army Paul Drusus. He had to start making arrangements for the dead soldiers state funeral immediately.


    David however wasn''t thrilled by the revelation. "Is that why you called him here? I could have called the president, I have his number on speed dial."


    Phoebe rolled her eyes and walked back to the group, she wasn''t in the mood to listen to who had the better connections.


    When Amon returned he informed them that the state funeral would be happening and he was going to the Iborg city which was in the north immediately.


    "The general will meet me there." He rushed out of the door.


    Phoebe turned and looked at the ghosts. "Gentlemen, you have eaten, you will get your state funeral and it''s time to go. There is nothing left for you here anymore, it''s best to go on and meet your loved ones that are waiting for you on the other side. I am not a soldier but i am going to salute you and thank you for your service."


    She stood still and saluted them. To her surprise, the other humans in the cafe did the same, saluting the fallen heroes.


    "We will remember your sacrifice." she promised them.


    One by one, they saluted back, smiled and started to vanish. It was not hard to accomplish since their spirits had been purified with the water of life, leaving them unburdened. All left with the exception of Major Mitford that had gone with Amon.


    At around five thirty in the morning, all ghosts were gone and Phoebe was in a rush to set off for Iborg city but she had to first express her gratitude.


    "Thank you so much for helping everyone, i am so sorry for keeping you up all night."


    "What thank you when we are all family." Grandma Mayfair waved her words away. "I personally feel really good right now, we helped heroes of the country. Who else can brag about doing something like that?"


    All of them were feeling pretty good about themselves, like they had accomplished something so great. The ghost gig was not as frightening as they expected. It was actually good for the soul.


    "I made hot chocolate." Jennie raised her hand.


    Everyone laughed lightly.


    "Let''s go home now and get some sleep. After the night we have had, we need to take a day off." Edward suggested.


    "Not me dad, i have to go to Iborg city." Phoebe reached down under one of the counters and pulled out her go bag.


    "Why?"


    [Treasures, i heard the word treasure. How can this money loving mommy miss out on those beautiful shiny things? Every second i spend here one gold or silver coin is taken out of my pocket. Ghosts pay me with information like this, that''s how i can afford to pay the expensive rent for this place.]


    "To help, just in case there are other innocent ghosts. It''s not unusual, i do this kind of thing all the time." she assured them.


    She smiled innocently but everyone read her true intentions and they smiled or chuckled to themselves. She was really good at lying lying with a straight face, if only she knew that she came with subtitles attached!


    They couldn''t stop her from leaving without exposing the fact they knew of her true intentions.


    "You are going to need me so i am coming along." David spoke first. "Besides I can get us there faster, I have a private plane." He thrust his jaw out proudly.


    "So do we Saxon." Edward Mayfair pointed out. "Daughter, I have to come with you, we don''t know what you are going to find up there, this mission seems dangerous for you to go.on your own."


    "Dad, i can protect her, don''t worry." David pointed out.


    Edward acted like he had just got the shivers from David calling him dad. When did he come to resemble that white haired up tight man Robert Saxon? He eyed the eyesore David that kept sticking to his daughter like honey shamelessly and he scoffed.


    "As who? What is the nature of your relationship with Phoebe and..." Jennie was interrupted by Phoebe who announced that whoever wanted to go could tag along as there was no time to waste.


    "I suggest however that grandma and mother go home, you are exhausted and needed some rest." She hugged them and rushed outside before another argument could break out.


    Andre, David and Edward followed after her like they were running after an escaped convict.

 Chapter 135 - 135: Ghost catchers on the move.

    To fly to the north, they used the Mayfair private plane not David''s like he originally wanted. Phoebe had been in a private plane before, David''s and grandma Saxon''s. She used to watch her step and act so timid, afraid to scratch anything.


    Old habits died hard and that''s why she was also careful on this private plane. Phoebe knew that the Mayfairs were wealthy but it was yet to sink in that this all belonged to her too now and she could enjoy it freely.


    David sat by himself at the back in a single chair while as Phoebe sat with her father and brother on a long sofa. She was sleeping with her head resting on Andre''s shoulders. Not even once for a second did she open her eyes until they landed.


    The flight took about fifty five minutes and when they stepped off, black cars were waiting for them with extra bodyguards all arranged by Edward.


    Phoebe commandeered the car keys from one of the drivers and started the car while yelling, "Let''s go, let''s go." She was in such a hurry because Amon and his group had arrived long before them.


    Using the ghost map and the spirit''s guidance, they had arrived at the location in no time. It was an old stadium, one of the very first to be built in Iborg city. Ironically, it was named after the dead traitorous governor as his residence once stood there.


    A part of the stadium seemed to have collapsed in and evacuations were ongoing.


    "Shit! There are too many people here, all of them are perfect hosts for evil spirits." Andre looked at the reporters and ordinary people that had come to check out the site.


    He was learning to talk like a ghost catcher and a regular in the supernatural business.


    Phoebe was bound to agree with her, there were too many unnecessary eyes in the area. There were a few police officers in the area that were keeping spectators at bay.


    The ground trembled and heavily armored vehicles appeared in sight and the fully camouflaged army men jumped off the trucks.


    "Fun''s over, everybody leave this place." They pointed their guns at the spectators who began leave right away.


    The heavy deployment of armed soldiers with guns easily frightened their soft hearts. The force used to evict the people was completely unnecessary and the news about what was happening only spread faster as people and reporters uploaded videos on the internet.


    First an explosion and then military deployment, everyone could smell something in the water.


    "Move back please, way back. Some deadly chemicals have been detected in the area, it''s not safe for you to be here." A soldier finally came to Phoebe and her group.


    He used a softer tone than when he was barking orders at the other spectators. This was because of the expensive cars and all the bodyguards that were clearly armed as well.


    "We cannot leave, we have business here." Phoebe responded.


    She flashed her fake police badge and put it away quickly before the soldier could ask to take a closer look.


    "Ma''am only authorized officers are being allowed access and CPD has not been assigned to handle this matter. Which department are you with?" the soldier looked curiously at the group.


    No matter how many times he looked at them, they did not look like police officers. Who in the country did not recognize David Saxon, Andre Mayfair the actor and Edward Mayfair current CEO of Mayfair Corp. When did they start working for the police?


    Phoebe saw Amon with a newly arrived group and she jumped up, waving her hands wildly.


    "Yoohoo, hey Drusus, over here."


    Edward moaned a little and he wanted to bury himself in the ground. Amon was not the only Drusus there, the army general was also a Drusus and he was walking with Amon. The general did not like being disrespected, this, everybody knew.


    Amon and the general approached them. "They are with us."


    Phoebe rushed in without waiting and she fell into step with Amon who started making introductions.


    "Uncle Paul, this is the ghost...err...helper, counselor or whatever she wants to be instead of a catcher, Phoebe Mayfair."


    The general''s eyebrows shot up at the Mayfair name. He recognized Edward for sure but he also knew that the Mayfairs were a small family and had only one daughter the popular socialite Ruth Mayfair. With the current state of affairs in the country, it was not that hard to put together what was going on.


    "Cuckoo." he grabbed Amon''s hand and whispered.


    Amon nodded and introduced three men to his uncle. "You know the rest uncle, Saxon and two more Mayfairs."


    They traded greetings and shook hands but the general''s interest returned to Phoebe pretty quickly. It was obvious that he had been one of those people swept up by the cuckoo news.


    "I can''t believe you had a cuckoo too in your house Edward. It''s the first i am hearing of this." he looked at Phoebe with so much interest. "What was it like going from rags to riches at the snap of a finger?"


    "Uncle, not now." Amon whispered.


    It was very embarrassing for him to expose the gossipy side of the army general which was opposite of the tough man image he had cultivated and the public was so familiar with.


    The army general backed off but he intended to have a talk with Phoebe later.


    "Mr. superstar, perhaps you ought to cover up." he advised.


    Andre was drawing a lot of unnecessary attention even from the soldiers.


    "You too Saxon, cover the hair." he instructed.


    The two of them were sticking out like sore thumbs in the midst of this crowd. News helicopters were already circling above the more news continued to travel.


    When they came to the entrance leading down where the bodies of the soldiers and treasures were buried they were all divided into groups.


    One group of soldiers was going to help recover the skeletons, it was going to be led by Amon. Their were at least eighty of them and they were not soldiers, not just ordinary ones from the few markings that Phoebe saw on their bodies.


    They were exorcists and ghost catchers in disguise or actual soldiers that handled special situations. Exactly how many ghost catchers were in the country?


    The rest of the group was going to be led by the army general himself and he was very stern and serious when he addressed his men.


    "Alright everybody listen up, the priority here are the treasures in there including a national seal." He rubbed his hands and licked his lips. "Be careful with the treasures and your lives."


    They went down into the tunnel which had been dug by fire men long before they arrived on site.


    Phoebe and her group did not go down because she remained where she was standing. Since she was the reason why they were all there in the first place, she needed to tell them how to proceed.


    "What''s the plan Pheebs? Do we go digging into the dark tunnel as well?" Andre asked.


    He had on his camera, ready to document the entire journey.


    Phoebe pointed to the still intact part of the stadium with a lour on her face. Why had they chosen to go down the dark unsteady tunnel? S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Did none of them realize that there is a door and stairs that lead to the bottom?"

 Chapter 136 - 136: From hot to hotter soup.

    Back in Citrus city, someone was hoping that Phoebe would drop dead wherever she was. The person was none other than Ruth. Having had a terrible night she laid in her bed, ignoring the bright rays of the sun pouring through her window.


    Her thoughts were whirling, coming up with all sorts of plots on how to get Phoebe disowned because getting her out of the house wasn''t going to be enough. She had realized that within the past few days that her family, with the exception of Collin had formed a strong bonds with Phoebe. Even for Collin, it was just a matter of time before he got swayed by Phoebe''s charm.


    How could they abandon her in the sickly condition she was in to help Phoebe out at the dastardly cafe? What pained her the most was that Collin had mentioned that David was at the cafe too, he had received the news from their mother who called to know about her state of health.


    A tear rolled down her cheek as she bit her bottom lip so hard she felt a metallic taste of blood in her mouth. Ruth was furious that David had come back from his business trip and run straight to Phoebe yet she had sent him dozens of messages letting him know that she was sick. He had left them on read without a response.


    While she was throwing herself a pity party, Ophelia walked in and opened the curtains. The bright light pierced Ruth''s eyes forcing her to wince loudly, she threw a cushion at Ophelia who was already apologizing for forgetting to announce her arrival.


    "You should get up now miss Ruth, at least pretend to be active and make your presence felt within the house. Your mother and grandma came back this morning at around six, they looked exhausted like they had been laboring the entire night. Your father and Andre weren''t with them and as for Luke, he came home briefly changed his clothes and left again."


    Ruth turned in bed and ignored Ophelia''s words totally as she cared less about pleasing Phoebe''s allies, especially her wicked grandma old lady Mayfair, the old woman had suddenly changed her attitude towards her. How could she berate her in front of that nobody pauper Phoebe? How dare she call her ungrateful?


    She was raised as the Mayfair heiress and it had been decided that she was still going to be a Mayfair so didn''t it mean that she had a say in how money was spent in the family?


    She was more interested in what Ophelia was going to do to get Phoebe out of the house.


    "You said that i can rely on you on getting that weasel out of here, why then haven''t you made a move?" Ruth glared at her.


    To her surprise, Ophelia smiled. "Oh dear miss Ruthie, I have to be strategic about this. I have already made my move and your mother will never forgive her once she finds out what Phoebe has done."


    Ruth''s eyebrows shot up as her interest in the matter piqued. "Tell me, what your plan?"


    Ophelia clicked her tongue continuously. "No-no-no, you have to react naturally. So you''ll have to wait to find out when everyone does. Master Collin wants to know if you''ll be joining him for breakfast."


    Using her fingers, Ruth dismissed the suggestion. "Why would I spend time with that good for nothing idiot, tell him that i am on a hunger strike or something like that. He thinks that i have not seen his attitude towards Phoebe softening."


    Ophelia laughed and left the room, shortly after Collin knocked and walked into the room with a wooden serving tray.


    "Sister, princess Ruth, I heard that you are starving yourself so I brought your favorite vegetable porridge and some delicious meat pies which you will not be able to resist." Collin placed the tray on the side table besides the bed.


    Like the terrific actress that she was, Ruth began to sob. "Brother, no one cares for me anymore, they are all on Phoebe''s side now. Can you believe that grandma scolded me like that? She had never done that before and mother and father just watched her do it." Tears continued to sprout out of her eyes. "They didn''t come home last night even though i am gravely ill.


    My heart is so broken Collin, i feel so alone."


    He put the tray down and sat down beside her. She threw herself onto his chest and clung onto him quickly.


    Collin patted her shoulder. "You have me to fall back on, no matter what happens you are my Ruthie, don''t forget that. As for grandma she was kind of right, you reacted impolitely, it''s not your place to advise our parents on how they should spend their money. You need to control your emotions Ruth, Phoebe is here now and she''s not leaving. You should accept that."


    ''Stay!, stay where? That bitch has to go because this is my family not hers.'' She thought. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ruth had no idea how to react to her brother''s words, she couldn''t tell whether he was comforting her or rebuking her. She had been expecting him to comfort her and simply agree with him, not give unnecessary advise.


    Either way she smiled softly, Collin was her backup plan and the only person in the Mayfair family that she could use as she had him firmly wrapped around her fingers. It was best to play smart and look at the big picture.


    "You are right brother, i could have handled the situation better. I will apologize to our parents and Phoebe later, this situation will never occur again."


    Her perfunctory pretentious answer satisfied Collin and he stayed, accompanying her through breakfast before leaving for work at the company.


    At around nine o''clock as Ruth was relaxing in the living room reading through a magazine with her feet dancing, when Oman their butler announced the arrival of a Mr. Saxon.


    She jumped up to her feet in delight but the broad welcoming smile on her face quickly fell when Dickson came forth and not David as she wished.


    He smiled mockingly and knowingly after seeing that look of disappointment on her face.


    "Why are you here?" She rudely asked as she slept back on the white chaise lounge sofa.


    Dickson had come to find out the identity of the real Mayfair heiress, his spy was still adamant to reveal that part. He also didn''t plan on revealing this truth to Ruth as it had not been made public.


    "You my dear," he smiled, "You were released from the hospital so i came to check on you. Oh and I heard a rumor that there is a new family member living here, its only courteous that I make acquaintance."


    He looked around curiously, hoping to catch a glimpse of the true Mayfair heiress before deciding which of the two women he would choose.


    His words compelled Ruth to sit up quickly. She couldn''t believe that rumors had began to circulate already. Nevertheless, she had no plans to confirm the rumors.


    "Oh! Her? She''s my long distant cousin that came from the countryside. Don''t trouble yourself making her acquaintance as she is a bumpkin anyway." Her face folded to form a disgusted expression.


    Before Dickson could respond grandma Mayfair came out of nowhere.


    "That''s a big fat lie, Phoebe is my real grand child, how dare you have the audacity to tell such a lie Ruth? Is that what you think of your sister?"

 Chapter 137 - 137: Not alone.

    Tension engulfed the air, it could not be avoided. Ruth bit her lip as she had been caught in the lie and she had no idea what to say or how to defend herself. Worse still, grandma Mayfair had directly destroyed her lie and revealed that Phoebe was her granddaughter.


    Ruth was quite the clever schemer and her mind came up with a solution to get herself out of the fire.


    She softened her tone and smiled playfully. "Grandma, i was just joking. Of course i don''t think that Phoebe my beloved best friend and sister is a bumpkin. I was just trying to hide her identity in case someone with bad intentions tries to take advantage of her.


    You know that she did not grow up in our circles, as word of her existence spreads, there are so many rich young men that will approach her for all sorts of reasons. I have known Dickson for many years, but i do not trust him completely. I do not want him to meet my younger sister without checking his intentions first."


    Ruth walked to Jennie and shook her arm while talking coquettishly, "Mom, you understand me, right? I have nothing but good intentions. Even if it was my brothers here, they would all hide the truth and feel him out first."


    Jennie''s body relaxed and she smiled, it sounded like a perfectly plausible explanation. Grandma Mayfair didn''t believe it however, not in the least bit. Calling Phoebe a country bumpkin was a little overboard. Ruth was clearly lying, and the more she saw this side to her, the more she terrified her.


    "I am going to rest in my room, Jennie, wake me up when the others return."


    Jennie extracted her arm from Ruth and escorted the old lady to her bedroom to rest. Ruth was left behind seething in anger and clenching her fists. I need to get rid of that old woman sooner rather than later, she thought.


    Dickson excused himself and left, he had a name and that was a start. He would share his observations with his mother.


    *******************


    IBORG CITY


    Phoebe and her group had found their way to a door leading down to a direct path that led to the treasure they were seeking.


    The reason for this was because she recalled an incident from her past life. In this exact place, there was an explosion and three days later seven dead bodies had been discovered by firemen that were clearing out the structure. According to the news, all the bodies were stabbed or shot, making it a murder case. No treasures had been discovered at all.


    In fact, not even the skeletal remains of the dead soldiers had been found. Things were different now because the dead soldiers ghost had come to find her but the matter to do with the dead bodies made her suspicious. What if someone knew about the treasures before and deliberately caused the explosion in order to retrieve them.


    "I am here, what worries you when i can handle anything? If there are grave robbers down there, i will just throw some sleeping dust in their faces and voila!" The Saxon spirit assured her.


    With it''s assurance, Phoebe felt much more confident to venture down. "Everyone, we don''t know what we are walking into, be careful."


    From her backpack, Phoebe handed them all head flash lights, she expected the place to get darker the more they went inside. On top of that, she stuck protection talismans onto their backs and then they ventured into the basement.


    She needed to warn Amon just in case something nefarious was going on and she got the radios which had been handed to them.


    "Amon are you there? Over"


    "Yeah, Pheebs what''s up? Over"


    "What exactly did they say caused the seal to break? Ask Micheal once again. Over."


    After a few seconds Amon told Phoebe that Micheal said that all they heard was a blast, the ground shook and a cracked appeared.


    "Why? Is something suspicious to you? Over." Amon asked.


    "Not sure, just watch your six, we don''t know if we have company down here."


    Phoebe didn''t know what to say, she couldn''t tell him that she had knowledge of the future and maybe grave robbers had gone down before they arrived. She didn''t have proof anyway.


    Andre looked at her and asked if something was wrong. "Let''s go in already." He pointed his index finger at the go down stairs.


    Phoebe slapped more talismans on all of their backs. "In case we run into evil ghosts." she clarified.


    She saw the fear in her father''s eyes and patted his arm in comfort. "Do you want to stay?"


    "No way." he shook his head. What kind of father hung back and watched his daughter venture into danger?


    He feigned bravely and lifted his trembling legs. "Let''s go."


    Step by step, they began to go down the stairs, it took some time to get to the bottom. The stairs were stony and old, riddled with pot holes and cracks. The air smelled stale and moldy.


    "How come the others didn''t know about these stairs?" Edward asked.


    "This entrance was blocked by a wall that was put up when they attempted to resurrect the old governor''s mansion in his honor. However, the family decided to sell the land to the city and then the stadium was constructed. They poured concrete and built over the stairs and basement. I guess people forgot all about it as it happened very many years ago." Phoebe explained as they went deeper.


    Some of these things she knew from knowledge acquired in school and others the revelations made by the police after the bodies were found.


    The deeper underground they went, the narrower the steps became and when they stopped they came to the entrance of a cave. Maybe she was seeing things but it seemed like stones and rocks had been carefully paved out of the way. She sighed heavily and swallowed hard. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The others noticed it as well, the big stones and rocks were pulled to each side. There was even a candy wrapper on the ground, a candy that did not exist in the 1700''s.


    "We have company." David whispered.


    "I feel human presence, other than you people. There are other people here." The Saxon spirit also shared with Phoebe.


    "How many?" Phoebe communicated through her thoughts.


    "About ten."


    Ten was a bigger number than she hoped it would be. Just in case they run into these grave robbers, there was a possibility that things would go south. It was best to call the soldiers ahead of time.


    "Amon come in, over."


    "I am here, over."


    "We took another route, there are stairs that lead to the go down behind the pantry in the kitchen and I think that we aren''t the only people here, i am one hundred percent certain that there are grave robbers seeking for the treasure, Over."


    "Phoebe, stay where you are, i am coming there now, it''s a dead end this side, over."


    "What do you mean by wait? We need to find the treasures before they do." Andre excitedly run ahead of them like an idiot with his camera.


    To him, the talismans Phoebe had slapped on his back where enough to protect him. If they could send Amon and his bells flying back then, what were a few ordinary grave robbers?


    "Andre wait!" Edward called his son but his stubborn son increased his pace.

 Chapter 138 - 138: Meeting grave robbers.

    "That damn idiot." David whispered and he took off quickly, getting ahead of Phoebe and Edward.


    He had suddenly remembered an incident related to the collapse of this stadium and the subsequent murders. Andre was Phoebe''s brother, if something happened to him down here she would blame herself.


    He was the first to catch up with Andre, crushing straight face first into the other''s back. Phoebe and Edward caught up with them and everyone froze because they found Andre standing with his hands high up in surrender.


    His camera had fallen down to the ground and his face was pale. An agitated burly man with a scruffy beard was pointing a gun at him.


    "Uurrgghh!! How many of you are there?" The man waved the gun from side to side, quite agitated. "Come closer, all of you, stand in one line with your hands up just like him."


    There were other men down there and nobody knew how many guns they had. They were very terrified, especially Edward and Andre that had never encountered such a situation before. Would Phoebe''s talismans be strong enough to stop a bullet?


    "Don''t worry, i am here." Phoebe told them.


    They all lined up accordingly, hoping that the soldiers would arrive soon and save them. Phoebe''s eyes moved around in an effort to study the surroundings. There were old human skeletons dispersed all over the place. She could recognize pieces of ruined clothing that was similar to the one the soldiers that she had fed in the cafe were wearing.


    Mixed in with the bones were treasures being plundered by the men that Phoebe had dubbed grave robbers. They certainly had the equipment and looks.


    So many old shiny things that were worth quite the fortune. Her eyes paused however, when she sported another uniform, it was blue in color.


    "Hey Saxon spirit, the uniform of Eagle country soldiers is blue, right?" Phoebe communicated through her thoughts.


    A mixture of such uniforms here worried her, it was possible that the malicious ghosts were closer to them than they thought.


    "Yes blue and black if I can recall correctly, can you feel them? They are here somewhere and they aren''t hungry for food but for human souls, these are demons in the making." The spirit confirmed.


    Phoebe heaved as frustration set in. "Bloody hell?" She whispered. Demons was never a good word in her line of work, it meant more trouble than she wanted to deal with.


    "Phoebe all you have to do is burn those bones, the ghost energy will help you identify which remains belong to who. Be careful, i can sense real evil here, stay where you are first and don''t touch anything." It''s words harbored a strong warning.


    Telling Phoebe not to touch anything in the presence of these treasures was like telling a cat to stop itself from eating meat.


    Connie shuddered. "Why spirit? What about the treasure in the rubble?"


    "You heard the words demon Connie, demons in the making. Anyway why haven''t the evil spirits left yet?" Phoebe asked as she watched masked men pick up gold and silver coins that was scattered allover.


    They had sacks in which all the found treasures were stowed.


    "That''s because in the middle of the rubble are very precious magical stones that were gathered from the temple if i have to guess. They must have been given to the soldiers for protection by a priest or someone that understood their value. The stones together formed a protective shield that prevented evil from escaping.


    The shield is still up but if these good for nothing grave robbers mess with those stones, it will be broken and you can imagine the rest. I am going to throw sleeping dust at them and get this over with quickly."


    The spirit floated up to leave Phoebe''s side.


    "Wait." she called out.


    It was too puzzling that a group of ordinary grave diggers came on their own to this place. Then again, with guns, they were not that ordinary.


    "How did they know about this place? It''s been hundreds of years since these things were buried down here so why now?" Phoebe wondered.


    The inaudible conversation was interrupted by the man who prodded Andre with the gun.


    "I asked how many of you are there?" He shouted so loud that particles odd saliva escaped from his mouth, falling onto Andre''s very precious face.


    The woman who was studying the skeletons stood up, took off her gloves and handed them to a thin man wearing glasses.


    "Calm down Axe, i am sure that they must be here filming something. This is Andre Mayfair, the actor, the rest of them must be part of his crew."


    She pointed at the camera and moved closer, studying them. David''s hair was covered and he had dirt on his face so he was barely recognizable. Edward too could not be recognized while Phoebe was not famous despite having graced social media unwillingly for a while.


    Apparently, even with the hat on his head and in such poor lighting, Andre could be recognized. His face was that memorable, or the woman was a hard core fan.


    She walked closer and observed them slowly. "I am Lorraine Bettam, and you have stumbled on our little operation. Unfortunately you have seen our faces and that means that we cannot let you go that easily. How did you know that there was a go down leading here?"


    The woman was dressed in cargo pants with many pockets, a black shirt and a brown vest over the shirt. She had a gun tucked into the waist band of her pants and an arrogant smile on her face. As she talked, she caressed the butt of the gun to frighten them.


    The criss cross scar on her jaw line was actually more frightening than everything else about her. It told of a story, a scary story of survival.


    Phoebe was not frightened and naturally spoke for everyone as she was the one that had brought them down there. "I can ask you the same thing, why are you here in the first place? There are evil spirits here, trapped for now but if you keep moving things, you are going to unleash them."


    Her words were accompanied by a weird cold wind and a howl which spooked most of the people there, causing the hair on the backs of their necks to stand.


    Some of the grave robbers became tense, they were used to digging up ordinary graves of wealthy people and not mass graves like this. This job had come with a lot of money, the rich man had told them that it was nothing complicated all they had to do was collect treasure and take a whooping 25% at the end of the day. He had not mentioned all of the skeletons.


    Grave robbers were not careless, they also visited churches and temples before each job. Nobody wanted a ghost or something following them home.


    "See what I told you Timmy, the great seer told us not to take the job but Lorraine insisted. Lady who are you?" A slim guy came to stand beside Lorraine and pointed his trembling index finger at Phoebe.


    Phoebe tilted her head, "Me? I am a shaman and also a seer. You should have listened to your seer because you came here looking for death, it''s written on your faces, your death."


    Her spooky words and the soft velvet like quality of her voice suddenly spooked everyone. It became worse as the cold increased and that howling cry was heard again.


    The beefy man with the gun walked forward fast. "You will die first bitch." He cocked the gun.


    The three men dashed to protect Phoebe but David was faster, he stood before her and took off the mask and hat. He believed that if they recognized who he was they could hold back.


    "Kill a Saxon and your entire generation will be wiped out." He threatened S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 139 - 139: A treasonous family.

    It was a gamble, David knew but he took it anyway because there was no way he was going to allow Phoebe to die again. He would much rather take the bullet for her.


    "I have never killed a Saxon before but i am sure that nobody will be coming after us as long as your body is never found." Lorraine declared arrogantly.


    She got her gun and placed the barrel of David''s chest. Looking into his eyes, she licked her bottom lip and smiled.


    "Aah, there is one more treasure here, those wonderful white hairs on your head."


    The large man, Axe chuckled as if it was so funny.


    Laughter suddenly came from a dark corner and every eye turned that way. A short blonde fully haired man adorned in an eye catching expensive silk shirt with floral patterns came forth, revealing his face.


    "Saxon!! I will be damned, i didn''t think that you would be the kind to get your hands dirty by digging through the ground for wealth. You should have introduced yourself first and told us that you wanted some of the treasure for yourself. Everyone stand down."


    The man was Arnold Dewayne, a descendant of the treasonous governor. He stretched his hand to greet David who snubbed him. He was clearly in disagreement with what Arnold was doing.


    The man took out a small pistol and aimed it at David. "How dare you act high and mighty in front of me? Well this treasure belongs to my ancestor after all and i don''t plan to share. David Saxon, you and your friends can go to hell."


    Phoebe had successfully identified the one in charge of the grave robbing ring and she figured it was time to wrap things up.


    "Now." Phoebe told the ghosts.


    The ghosts blew sleeping dust in the faces of the grave robbers and they all fell to the ground one by one. Phoebe sprung into action, not waiting. She grabbed a few coins, gold and silver ones that had fallen on the ground.


    Her actions shocked the men who were still reeling from what they could only deem as a near death experience. They could not believe how calm and composed she was or she was quickly sweeping up treasures as if she was on a marathon. She was even faster than the grave robbers themselves.


    David started disarming the robbers just in case one of them woke up suddenly and decided to touch that trigger. Edward bent down to catch his breath and control his shivering while Andre picked up his camera and walked forward to record the loot without capturing his thieving sister.


    "Here." The Saxon spirit tossed a small box into the air. Phoebe leaped up and caught it, and she put it away in her bag.


    In reality, she sent it to the magical space just like most of the things she was touching.


    "The soldiers will be here in five seconds."


    Phoebe run back to the side of her father, pulling Andre with her. Barely a second later, Amon, the general and heavily armed soldier''s appeared, brandishing their weapons and announcing their presence heavily.


    Phoebe and group made way, exposing the grave robbers.


    "Who are these?" Amon kicked Axe who was nearest to his feet.


    "That is Arnold Dewayne, he was here to apparently claim his ancestors treasure." Phoebe spoke sarcastically so helpful in volunteering the information.


    It was funny to her how the man had made a ridiculous claim yet it was his ancestor that led to the death of so many people.


    The general laughed mockingly. "That''s ridiculous, initially I was going to suggest that we keep what we know under wraps just to protect the honor of the Dewayne family but now it believe that the country deserves to know who the traitor was. A whole bunch of treasonous folks is what they are."


    Like his nephew Amon, the general kicked Dewayne with contempt on his face.


    Amon approached and asked if Phoebe was okay but before she could respond David spoke up.


    "Of course she is okay, that''s my role to worry about, not yours." He swerved Amon''s hand away from Phoebe''s shoulders.


    In response Amon chuckled and rested his hands on his waist, looking around at the bones and surviving treasures mixed together.


    "So this wasn''t an earthquake like the original report said, this idiot and his criminal gang blew up the place for a few damn treasures."


    The general chortled. "A few? Come on son, look at that!! We are going to place these in the museums and the national treasury is going to get richer when all this gold is added into it. I am sure that there is a lot of it still here." He signaled his men to remove the rubble that was still blocking the path.


    "No sir! My daughter says that it shouldn''t be moved." Edward rushed and stood in front of the soldiers that were moving forward.


    In his mind, he had experienced enough adventure for the day, evil spirits did not need to be added to the list. He was all but ready to grab his children and hightail it out of the cave.


    The general used his hand to stop his men.


    "Why not?" He was not one that liked his authority to be undermined especially by civilians but Edward Mayfair wasn''t an ordinary civilian, he could cause significant havoc and shake some people in the government if he wanted to.


    Amon pulled his uncle to the side. "Uncle, have you forgotten about the other reason why the special team is here? We can feel them down there, clamoring for souls, bursting with evil intent."


    By we he was referring to himself and the other ghost catchers and exorcists. Many of them were itching to get started and had their weapons drawn, not just bells but swords, wooden staffs and even a fan in Rekha''s hands.


    His voice was low but sober, it was too risky to ignore his words. The general hailed from the Drusus family, he knew of the ghost catching talents some family members possessed, however he had orders from his superiors and that was to secure all the fortune and remains of the fallen soldiers of Fog country.


    He was more worried about the treasures being destroyed in the fight which would ensue. Evil ghosts did not exactly vanish obediently.


    The general turned and faced Phoebe who was watching him like a hawk.


    "How about you ghost hunting folks get rid of the evil guys as we get the treasure out, that''s a win-win for everybody." He tried to reason with them.


    His words brought about a debate for most soldiers laughed sarcastically, they couldn''t believe that the general believed the bullshit.


    "Come on Sir!!! Let''s just get the jewels and get out of here, i am yet to see one ghost with my naked eyes." Said the team captain. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    His words elicited laughter from the group, not until he began to float in the air. Suddenly the laughing soldiers went quiet, trembled and some even run out there.


    "Put him down, they get the point." Phoebe told the Saxon spirit that was lifting the now unconscious soldier.


    Rekha had been quietly staring at them wondering why this was even up for debate, she walked forward and stood in front of the general. "Listen Sir, with all due respect, you are familiar with these things. If you carelessly move a single thing in this place, it will be like opening Pandora''s box. Listen to your nephew." Her words were exactly what all the special soldiers were thinking.

 Chapter 140 - 140: So not good.

    The general sighed and ordered his soldiers to return to the surface and wait patiently until he gave the order for them to return and start on the retrieval mission.


    "Be careful Amon, the national seal must be damaged, it''s worth over ten billion. That money will come from your pockets if the seal does not come out intact." he warned before leaving.


    Edward sighed in relief and he gestured at Phoebe and Andre, his children. They needed to leave as well, whatever Phoebe had grabbed was enough. He even used his hands to grab their hands, preparing to drag them along like a father taking two stubborn toddlers away from an amusement park against their will.


    As they all turned to leave, they heard something being moved and felt the ground tremble so they turned around.


    One of the soldiers for some reason had disobeyed a direct command from the general and not left but rather stayed behind. While everyone had been relaxing gradually, he had inched forward bit by bit and now he was standing there, holding a large red pigeon sized ruby in his hands with a demented smile on his face.


    Unknowingly, he had also just destroyed the protective shield entirely. Suddenly the fire lit torches which the grave robbers had been using went out. The cave would have been plunged into darkness were it not for the headlamps attached to the hats everyone was wearing on their heads.


    Those lights however started to flicker, and inhumane whisper like noises started coming from different directions___, above, below and to the sides. A pungent smell suddenly wafted into the cave out of nowhere as if someone had opened a bucket with hundreds of rotten eggs.


    "This is not good." someone whispered.


    Of course it''s not good, that idiot has just opened up a path for at least a hundred starving evil ghosts that have been looking for a way out for hundreds of years, Phoebe wanted to say. She didn''t say it, she didn''t want to spook anymore than they already were.


    With the way her father was clutching on to her arm, he was about to faint at any moment. Even Andre was freaking out, his arms were trembling and David''s face was all dark. He had a gun in his hand and he was pointing it ahead, aiming uselessly since ordinary bullets could not kill ghosts anyway.


    Phoebe didn''t know why everyone was still standing around, especially the ghost catchers. Now was the time to act, the ghosts were still unaware that they had been released.


    "Salt now." Phoebe barked.


    Amon let out a loud frustrated growl and those with special abilities immediately scampered, running around to block every possible exit and trap the evil ghosts. Nobody cared about the treasures, all they cared about was how to contain the evil.


    Phoebe opened her bag and started throwing out talismans. As they touched the ground, the cave became lighter because each emitted enough light to brighten up the room.


    Then, she got more talismans and staffed them in the hands of the men.


    "Slap them onto the walls." she instructed.


    Other ghost catchers were already doing that anyway, slapping their own talismans which they came with onto the wall of the cave. Others were creating a protective circle with the salt and some were already chanting spells and shaking their bells.


    Phoebe bumped into someone and she looked up to see Rekha who was already reading from a book, commanding the path to purgatory to open up. In order to help the ghost catchers, Phoebe started burning some incense as well as she stepped back.


    She gestured at Edward, Andre and David to step back then and allow the ghost catchers to get to work.


    "If you are scared, look away." she told them.


    It was not easy seeing a ghost being dragged away to purgatory, the experience did not leave one the same. It certainly forced you to have a rethink of your life choices. For some, it gave nightmares for days, weeks and even years.


    Many high pitched wails filled the cave, sharp enough to burst an eardrum. Phoebe opened her bag and got the large furry pair of headsets she had in her bag and gave them to her father.


    "Dad, cover your ears." she encouraged.


    "You." he said in turn, asking her to cover her ears.


    She shook her head. "I am used to such things, you are not." she assured him.


    Edward hesitated for a few seconds and then accepted them gladly and covered his ears. Listening to Connie''s selection of girly pop music was better than the cries of a hundred ghosts. Phoebe had noise cancelling headphones too and she handed them to Andre. He shook his head, rejecting them. As scared as he was, he was frustrated and he wanted to capture every single moment.


    David was a puzzle to Phoebe, he didn''t seem to be scared. In fact, he just kept following her around like a puppy and using his hand to shove her back if one of the ghost catchers came too close.


    The reason why he kept trying to shield her is because the battle inside the cave was also physical. As some ghosts tried to escape, they had to be beaten back by whatever weapons the ghost catchers had. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Well, they seem to have everything covered." The Saxon spirit commented.


    Phoebe had to agree, the ghost catchers were moving in sync like highly trained special soldiers that had done this many times before.


    They were even more impressive when they climbed up the walls of the cave in ways normal humans could not or how high they flew up to grab the ghosts that wanted to escape through cracks in the cave.


    "Woah!" Andre gasped.


    To his astonished eyes, they were like stuntmen without any protective gear or natural laws holding their bodies down. What kind of training did these people put their bodies through to be able to do such maneuvers?


    "This is so cool." He gushed.


    Phoebe scoffed a little, thinking that Andre was either too simple minded or an idiot. Had he quickly forgotten that the cool people were fighting evil spirits and not acting a fictional movie?


    "They are actually practitioners." the Saxon spirit observed. "I didn''t think practitioners were still in existence, does this mean sects still exit too?"


    Everything that it was mentioning was all new information to Phoebe''s ears. She had not heard about practitioners and sects before. What were they? Was it something like cultivation which she had read about in fantasy novels? Was she going to encounter people that split mountains apart with the flick of a finger? What about the ones that flew on swords?


    "Your mind really goes to weird places." The Saxon spirit shoved Phoebe''s head and laughed at her.


    Phoebe sighed and pulled her father and David to sit down.


    "We should sit down, it''s going to take at least an hour for them to finish."


    She didn''t bother with Andre, he was completely mesmerized by the ghost catchers. If she asked him to sit down he would probably turn her down.


    "Let''s discuss practitioners." She communicated to the spirit. "Is it magic?"

 Chapter 141 - 141: A taste of history.

    "We can discuss those things later, for now you need to help those guys out. The red ruby, something much more dangerous is hiding inside. You need to take a mirror and hold it over the ruby, trap that thing and send it away. " The spirit encouraged her.


    "What is it?" she asked curiously.


    What else could be more dangerous than the evil ghosts being banished?


    "The evil spirit of the greedy governor, he is waiting for one moment for an opportunity to possess the body of the soldier that was drawn to the ruby and almost caused a disaster."


    Phoebe took a deep breath and she got up calmly. In her magical space, she had everything, including small round shaped mirror that she got from her bag. She injected some energy into it and slowly weaved her way through the ghost catchers that were settling down as half of the ghosts had been dealt with.


    She was careful not to distract them as she located the ruby and squatted down. Without touching the ruby, she held the mirror over it. Immediately, some dark energy dashed out of the ruby and went straight into the mirror.


    Phoebe raised the mirror and smiled arrogantly at the black mass inside which didn''t even have a shape. It had strength though, and it was trying to break the mirror.


    "Ha! what an idiot." she smirked.


    Immediately, she cast a ghost binding spell over the mirror, trapping the governor''s evil spirit inside permanently.


    The subsequent howl of anguish and pain that came from inside the mirror satisfied her deeply. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Following the instructions of the Saxon spirit, she tossed it into the same direction as the ghosts that were on their way to purgatory.


    Her work was not finished yet as she had promised the dead soldiers a state burial. Their bones needed to be separated from those of the enemy. With the help of the Saxon spirit and the helpful hands of the three men that came with her, she set out on a mission of identifying them and putting them aside.


    When the ghost catchers finished eradicating the ghosts, they joined her to finish that job. All the surviving bones of the Fog country soldiers were carried out. The ones belonging to the Eagle country soldiers were gathered to one corner, salt was poured on them and they were set on fire at Amon''s command.


    By the time the general and his soldiers returned to start on the treasure retrieval mission, smoke was quite heavy in the air.


    "Amon!!" he ground out.


    Amon was standing next to the entrance with Rekha next to Phoebe and company, a big accomplished smile on his face.


    "We didn''t touch your treasures uncle."


    "You started a fire, are you crazy?" The exasperated general responded. "What if you set these precious things on fire?"


    He looked at his soldiers were working slowly and carefully like old women who had all day.


    "Stop dawdling as if you have no strength, you are soldiers of Fog country, carry these things out quickly as if it''s your wedding night and you are escorting your new wife to the bed chamber." he commanded, loudly.


    The cave reverberated with his command and the soldiers loudly responded to his command.


    "Yes sir." they barked.


    Their speed increased hastily and they stopped caring about what condition the treasures in. They stuffed things into sacks and boxes at a high speed.


    While the general was smiling proudly, Amon wanted to hide his face in shame. What was wrong with his uncle and his language? Escorting your new bride to the bed chamber!!


    "Sir, the national seal is intact." A soldier reported to the general.


    It was presented to him and everyone turned their heads to see what it looked like. Phoebe, who happened to be the shortest in the group had to stand on tiptoes to peek but that didn''t help.


    In the end, she didn''t get to see it and she settled on sulking while David chuckled at her.


    He ruffled her hair and consoled her, "It''s okay shortie, i will take you to have a look when it''s on display in one of the national museums."


    Phoebe hissed at him in response. Normally, she would have a sharp retort in response but she had been up for so many hours that her brain was on a freeze.


    "I saw you do a ghost binding spell." Rekha poked Phoebe on the shoulder and commented.


    Phoebe nodded. "Dewayne''s evil spirit was attached to the red ruby. I imprisoned him in the mirror so that even in purgatory, he cannot move. He will be trapped in there forever."


    "And you say you are not a ghost catcher." Rekha scoffed.


    Punishing evil ghosts was ghost catcher territory, Phoebe was a ghost catcher, whether she admitted it or not.


    "Are you all members of the same sect?" Phoebe asked Rekha.


    She had observed how familiar and in sync the ghost catchers on this mission were with other. She jumped to the conclusion that they belonged to the same group or trained together often. Since the Saxon spirit had mentioned a sect, she decided to test the waters.


    The woman nodded. "We are members of the first sect that was started by some people from the first founding families. The members of the sect had a duty to protect the world from unknown forces of darkness that could ruin it. In due time, the sect lost momentum as some people broke away and formed their own sects, others ended their involvement in all supernatural related activities and chose to live normal lives, like the Mayfairs." she deliberately mentioned their family since they were there.


    Her eyes moved to David and she added, "The Saxons too."


    Edward, Andre and David were all surprised by this information. This was a piece of their family history which they had no idea about. Phoebe had a clue about the Saxons because of the magical space and the Saxon spirit. The Mayfairs having ghost catching ancestors was a surprise to her too.


    Andre pointed at Rekha and exclaimed loudly, "Wait, so we used to do cool shit like this."


    He really couldn''t believe it that he had ancestors that did what he had seen the ghost catchers doing. Why did they give it up? Who were these ancestors and what were their names? He had so many questions and he was going to look for answers when they got home.


    Rekha slapped his finger away, covered her mouth and yawned loudly.


    "This was really draining, damn grave robbers." she muttered. In a louder voice, she told Andre, "Get answers on your own superstar, i am leaving, our work here is done." She yawned again.


    Out of the blue, she hugged Phoebe and then walked away without bidding anyone else farewell. Phoebe yawned too, and she shuffled her feet.


    "Dad, we should go too, i am really tired."


    On hearing her soft voice, Edward didn''t delay and he took the bag in her hands and threw it to Andre while giving him a scathing look.


    He put his hands around Phoebe''s shoulders and led her out of the cave. "Let''s go princess, let''s go home."

 Chapter 142 - 142: Competitors.

    Phoebe was too sleepy and tired to stand on her feet or walk so when they reached the Mayfair home, she had to be carried into the house by her father.


    They had been gone for almost an entire day and the sun was about to set when they arrived. The anxious family members, particularly Jennie and old lady Mayfair welcomed them inside personally.


    "How is she?" Grandma Mayfair was particularly interested in Phoebe.


    Her heart was distressed for her granddaughter that had to be burdened with the task of helping ghosts at the expense of her personal well being. From the stories Andre had shared with her, she needed to confirm that they were all back safe and unharmed.


    It skipped the old lady''s mind that Phoebe had willingly run to Iborg city because she wanted to grab some of the treasures, not necessarily because of the ghosts.


    "She is sleeping like a baby." Edward proudly displayed a lightly snoring Phoebe that was in his arms.


    "You all look terrible!!!" Jennie whispered as she did not want to wake Phoebe up. Her eyes could not miss the dirt on their clothes or the smell of smoke which clung to them heavily.


    "What exactly did you do in that city?"


    "We battled with evil mother, it was terrifying but at least those good soldiers are going to be given a state burial this Saturday. I would show you our adventure but my footage was captured by the general." Andre exhaled noisily through pursed angry lips.


    He had worked so hard to get such authentic footage, it was not fair that the general stole the fruits of his labor.


    "I can narrate everything to you however, i remember it all. First, we were confronted by gun wielding grave robbers..."


    Jennie gasped, and she looked at them with worry. "Guns!, oh my God....." she croaked out and trembled, scared at the thought of what could have possibly been a disastrous ending.


    Grandma Mayfair could see that spark in Andre''s eyes and she knew that he would no doubt keep them all there and recount the adventure but when she looked at Phoebe, she couldn''t bear for her granddaughter to be woken up even by accident.


    "Why don''t you tell us all about it later Andre. You all must be tired, go on and freshen up for now. If you want to eat before going to bed, food had been prepared. Edward, let''s get Phoebe to bed."


    Andre snapped out of it when he heard her mentioning Phoebe being taken to bed.


    "Yes, father, let''s send Phoebe to bed."


    He extended his arms to carry her but his father rejected the help and carried Phoebe to the bedroom personally, escorted by all of them. Carefully, he put her on the bed, grandma and Jennie took off her shoes.


    "I will wipe her body with warm water mother, you should go and rest." Jennie was eager to help make her daughter comfortable.


    While her husband had to compete with their son Andre for Phoebe''s attention, she had to compete with her mother-in-law for her daughter''s time and affection.


    "Go and help your husband, i will help Phoebe." Grandma Mayfair told her daughter-in-law.


    Phoebe was unaware of all this, she was out like a lamp and she didn''t even wake up when her body was cleaned personally by her grandmother.


    When the old lady left, the ghosts stepped out of the magical space to inspect the room.With Ruth under the same roof as Phoebe, they could not overlook anything.


    The Saxon spirit walked to the large ancient dressing mirror which had been taken out of the magical space. It was an antique with little symbols curved into the bronze edges and it''s purpose was more than just a looking mirror. It was a special mirror that had been spelled to show the past, present and future.


    The spirit injected some energy into the mirror and an image of the past appeared. It was none other than Ophelia and she was walking around in Phoebe''s room sneakily, like a thief.


    Above the door was a hanging talisman of protection that had been activated. To the normal human eye, there was nothing but the ghosts and Phoebe could see it. It glowed red if someone with ill intentions passed by it.


    "Thank God sister Phoebe put up measures to protect herself, you can never tell what that witch is planning." Connie''s pupils dilated as she scanned the room for anything suspicious.


    The Saxon spirit stretched its hands, whitish energy emanated from its hands and spread throughout the entire room. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "There it is."


    Since Ophelia had touched quite a few things and searched many places in the room, they needed to know what exactly she had done.


    The lower bedside drawer open, Connie dashed and peeped inside but there were only tampons and lingerie, nothing seemed strange at all. At least not until the pads flew out and a single piece of jewelry came into view.


    Judging from the artistic design and appearance, it was expensive brooch. It was a Mayfair family heirloom that had been passed down to the Mayfair women.


    "This evil maid put this here because she wants Phoebe to get into trouble, well not on my watch."


    The Saxon spirit wasted no time for it returned the favor by taking the brooch and putting it in Ophelia''s belongings. Unsatisfied, it even took some of Phoebe''s own jewelry and hid it in various spots in Ophelia''s bedroom.


    "We need to tell sister about it tomorrow morning."


    Connie slept besides Phoebe with a plan to protect her more carefully hence forth.


    *******


    Dickson''s hand rummaged through a bag of banana chips, his head was whirling with thoughts of the future. If he made one wrong move then his bright carefully planned future was doomed.


    Suddenly he felt warm hands massage his shoulders.


    "What has my son wrapped up in his thoughts, tell mommy all your worries dear." Margaret pinched his ear.


    He took her hand and requested her to sit for there was something that she needed to know.


    "Is it about the Mayfair heiress?" Margaret made herself comfortable in a sofa opposite to the one he was sitting in.


    Dickson nodded. "Ruth mentioned that her new sister was her best friend. I have done all my research and the surprising true Mayfair heiress is Phoebe Gabriel or Hopkins or whatever. I guess its Phoebe Mayfair now."


    "What!!" Margaret gasped as she covered her mouth with her hand. "Are you certain?"


    That was the name of David''s shaman girlfriend, she knew it by heart because she had been keeping her fingers crossed and hoping David married that woman.


    Dickson nodded continuously. "It has been confirmed with DNA tests. She has been moved into the Mayfair mansion and old lady Mayfair has been spending a lot of time at the black ghost cafe."


    "And what''s that?" Margaret looked at him quizzically.


    "Mother please keep up!! Phoebe is a shaman and her place of work is The Black Ghost Cafe. She is David''s girlfriend.....fuck!!" he threw away the bag of banana chips out of anger, hurling it at the wall with maximum force.

 Chapter 143 - 143: The world of the supernatural.

    "Calm down." Margaret sternly told him.


    She didn''t understand why her son was always too emotional, thinking of little obstacles as large mountains that could not be moved. Nothing was going to stand in their way of getting the heiress not even David.


    "She is David''s girlfriend, not his wife. As long as she is not married to him, it''s not too late to turn the tides. In some cases, not even marriage can stop you if you are determined to get what you want. sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The girl is a shaman so it makes things even easier for us because Miranda will not accept her even if she is a Mayfair. You need to be wiser Dickson, do not put all our eggs in one basket, go after both of them and catch the bigger fish."


    A devilish smile formed on Dickson''s lips, and he cackled softly. As expected of his mother, she was an evil mastermind that could find a loop hole anywhere.


    *******************


    The fact that it rained from 01:00am in the night only made Phoebe to enjoy her sleep even more and her eyes were not opened until 6.30 the next day in the morning. She was accidentally woken by her mother who opened the door sneakily to check on her. Jennie had, sat on the bed and watched her, she shed a tear or two because Phoebe heard her snivel.


    After a few minutes she raised the fleece blanket to cover Phoebe''s shoulders and left.


    The moment the door was shut, Phoebe opened her eye and sat up. She wished that their was a way to relieve her mother of the guilt that she was still harboring deep inside. At what point was she going to stop crying and blaming herself?


    "That poor woman still blames herself for failing to notice that she wasn''t raising her daughter." Prominent lines formed between the Saxon spirit''s eyebrows as it spoke.


    "I don''t know how to help her anymore, i have told all of them that it wasn''t their fault and everyone else seems to have let it go except her." Phoebe tossed the blanket to the side and moved to the bathroom.


    "She''s a mother, child. You will only understand this when you become one yourself." The spirit followed her to the bathroom, sharing words that caused painful memories to return to Phoebe''s mind.


    In her previous life, she had been a twin mom, she would have done anything for her children. To this day she still felt responsible for their death although she wasn''t.


    "Now that i think about it, I do understand her actually. She is trying her best, maybe I need to get her something to lift her spirits, she needs to know that i am grateful to have her in my life."


    Phoebe took a shower, thinking about all the things she wanted to eat. Now that she was wide awake, her stomach was quick to remind her that it had not been fed since the previous day.


    "Sausages, vanilla orange waffles with cream, bacon__spiced bacon, sweet bacon, sweet and spicy bacon, soft warm fluffy buns, fried egg sandwich...."


    "Are you reciting a menu?" Connie popped out of the magic space. "Anyway, we have finished harvesting the vegetables." She informed Phoebe proudly.


    She had not done any of the work, Sylvester was the one that had harvested the vegetables and she was simply tugging onto his apron strings to look good.


    "Old ancestor, Have you told her about what happened while she was away?" Connie asked the spirit which shook its head in return.


    Phoebe who was dressing up asked what they were talking about. The two ghosts filled her in on what had happened. It made her sneer, of course she expected such a thing to happen.


    Ruth was stupid, and so was Ophelia, their tricks were the kind you would see in everyday dramas. Framing her as a thief was not original.


    "Ha-ha-ha, i cannot wait to see her face when she realizes that her stupid plan backfired." Phoebe continued to laugh.


    When she was done, she moved into the magic space to take a look at the vegetables and check on the treasures she had stolen. For each member of the family that had helped out on the case, she needed to give them something.


    She selected some of the gold and silver coins before moving to the box the spirit had personally picked out of all the treasures.


    "What''s in here?" she shook it.


    Phoebe thought she could have seen wrong but it seemed like the Saxon spirit went pale for a second. It''s empty eyes stared at the small wooden box in her hands with a look she couldn''t quite describe. Maybe it was pain, anguish, fear....she couldn''t tell, what was clear was that it was not joy.


    The box had strange writings on it and Phoebe recognized some of the symbols from the many books on the supernatural which the Saxon spirit made her read.


    "Lock, I recognize the word lock." she shared.


    She tried to pry the box open but nothing worked with her hands so she injected some energy into the box. She could could sense energy from it and it wasn''t the good kind.


    The Saxon spirit waved it''s hand and the box flew out of Phoebe''s hands and went to it.


    "In this box is a key, you do not need to know anything about it. Just make sure that it never leaves this place because whatever it opens should stay locked wherever it is."


    Since she had met the Saxon spirit on the day of her rebirth, not once had Phoebe ever seen the spirit unsettled. It''s like she read fear in it''s eyes, it''s words were more than a strong warning and she planned to take it seriously. All she wanted to do was help a few ghosts, get a long life span, make some money, travel the world and die a rich healthy old woman. So, if the key was trouble, she was staying away from it.


    In a bid to change the conversation, Phoebe asked about the practitioners. The Spirit had told her that it would tell her more about them.


    "You have been reborn Phoebe, you should know that there are so many things in the world that cannot be explained. Obviously you know that the supernatural world is real, so things like magicians, sorcerers and sorceresses, shamans, magicians, witches, warlocks and the likes are real. They are as real as ghosts, demons and angels.


    Practitioners are people that draw power from different sources enabling them to do things others cannot do. You saw the ghost catchers and their abilities, they can literally fly and climb walls with no support. The exorcists whose words and blood can send demons straight to hell, the alchemists in magic city. The celestial masters that read faces to determine your life or death, Seers that see the future, necromancers that raise the dead in some form.


    Some draw their power from the earth, others from the Gods they worship, there are those that draw power from special stones and artifacts, and some, the evil ones draw power from the living by stealing the life force of others or the dead."


    She looked at Phoebe, "You, from ghosts. You are also a practitioner; you just need to start practicing how to wield the power differently."

 Chapter 144 - 144: Its gone.

    Phoebe eagerly looked at the Saxon spirit. She had long been envious of it''s abilities to do different things with the snap of a finger. She on the other hand could not even lift something heavy from point A to point B without the help of the ghosts. She could not even create or breathe life into paper men. More importantly, she had zero shamanic skills and she relied on the Saxon spirit for everything.


    This was an opportunity for her to gain that abilities to rely on herself in case the spirit vanished one day.


    "It''s cultivation, right?" she clapped her hands excitedly.


    "Why do you keep calling it that? It''s....." The spirit sighed and let it go. Whatever she wanted to call it didn''t matter so much as putting to practice what she was taught.


    The spirit waved it''s hand and a book dropped into Phoebe''s hands. It was a large book with a plain gold cover. On the middle of the hard cover was an image of two rows of sharp teeth and a black tunnel between.


    "One drop of your blood between the rows of teeth." The spirit instructed.


    Phoebe got a silver pin from her hair, pricked her finger and squeezed out one drop of blood as instructed. The book floated out of her hands and the pages turned quickly as if wind was rifling through them. Suddenly, it stopped and fell back into her hands.


    She opened the first page and read, "The mysterious art of ghost cultivation."


    Smugly, she looked at the spirit. "I told you that it''s called cultivation."


    She sat down and flipped to the first page which included chapters. "Spirit absorption, Necromancy, astral projection, phasing, spectral manipulation, soul healing, spectral vision, ethereal defense, immortal elixir, perfected physique, regeneration....."


    Phoebe''s head spun, it was like she had been transported to a fantasy world like the ones she read about in novels, exactly.


    She flipped to another page elaborating on the first chapter. "Spirit absorption, the ability to absorb the essence of other spirits to increase your own power."


    Wide eyed, she realized that it was exactly what she did, she absorbed energy or essence from ghosts to increase her life span. If she had to guess, it was the same as power anyway.


    The spirit waved her hand and the book closed.


    "Pay attention to me, i am your teacher. One, you need to understand your body, you have what is known as a yin body which is why you can harness ghost energy efficiently."


    Phoebe was sitting rigidly with her back straight like a perfect student. She wanted to absorb all the knowledge which was being passed on by the spirit, but her very human body chose that moment to remind her that it needed to be fed.


    The Saxon spirit gave up momentarily on teaching.


    "Let''s go, you need to be stuffed with sweet and spicy bacon before you can understand anything."


    ************************************


    "The case of the cuckoos has taken a dark unexpected turn with the attempted murder of Lee Jakrapat, the son of Lee Kanarot, vice president of Kanarot steel. Sources inside the police claim that the recently returned to his true family Lee Jakrapat was pushed down the stairs by cuckoo Lee Horne during a fight and he injured his head severely.


    Lee Horne who has no blood ties to the Lee family has apparently been very reluctant to move away from the family which raised him since infant hood. As greed and jealousy rise to the surface in the case of the true blood children versus the cuckoos, should we be expecting more incidents like this? The details of this story are still thin at the moment and we will keep you updated as it develops."


    Phoebe switched off the television as she shook her head. There was no end to the cuckoo case, there probably would never be one as something new was heaped onto it with each passing day. With attempted murder being added to the list, the story was going to be sensationalized again.


    It had been a week since the Iborg city adventure and the cuckoos were still trending. She swept her hand over the table to pick up a gummy worm candy and an invitation fell down.


    Sylvester handed it to her and she looked at it while twisting her mouth back and forth. Through the week, invitations to the fallen heroic Fog soldier''s state burial had been passing around.


    The state had invited dignitaries from all over the world and very many important people were expected to be in attendance for the event.


    Army general Paul Drusus had even held a press conference where he briefed the country on most of the events that had happened. He left out the part about the particular soldier that failed to adhere to instructions given to him by his superior and almost caused a disaster. He was to be punished for the crime of disobedience of a command while on duty.


    The fact that governor Dewayne had been named as the traitor from hero was also making the rounds through the press. News that he led to the death of the soldiers directly left the citizens flabbergasted because he was one of the most adored heroes they had. The education ministry was already amending historical facts and correcting the wrong information.


    It only got worse when Arnold Dewayne was named as the person that blasted the Dewayne stadium in the bid to steal national treasures. The Dewayne family members had began to withdrawal from political offices while others opted to leave the country.


    Governor Dewayne''s statue in Iborg city had been pulled down by enthusiastic righteous citizens. The once worshiped Dewayne family was now ostracized as no one wanted to associate with them including the founding families society which had expelled them all.


    Phoebe put down the invitation card and she looked at Saxon spirit.


    "Do you think they are happy?"


    The spirit guessed that she was talking about the soldiers.


    "They must be, they were good men." she responded with comforting words. "Now, you need to pick a dress for the occasion, will you be wearing a white or black dress?"


    The D-day was tomorrow and all of the Mayfairs had been invited. Their contribution to this matter was quite large.


    All the women in the house were preparing themselves at that very moment. Jennie for one planned to look her very best, the women from all the founding families always liked to show off their wealth and family heirlooms during such occasions. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She had bought a brand new perfect dress and then found the matching jewelry set. The only missing piece was one of the Mayfair family heirlooms-a pink butterfly brooch inlaid with diamonds and pure gold edges. It was worth about fifteen million dollars.


    Jennie was humming a kiddish rhyme while searching through the jewelry counter in the dressing room. Suddenly, she froze and let out an ear splitting scream. This lock box was empty, the piece of jewelry that had been passed down for generations was missing.


    Frantically, she pulled open every other box and looked through all the counters, but it was nowhere to be seen. She rushed out of her room and down the stairs, shouting her husband''s name.


    "Edward! It''s gone. I cannot find it!!" Jennie placed a hand to her chest as she informed her husband. "The pink butterfly is gone."

 Chapter 145 - 145: Flying accusations

    Because she was in such a hurry, Jenny almost fell down the stairs and Edward caught her just in time.


    It did not escape his ears what she had just shared through her shrills, the pink butterfly was missing.


    He helped his wife stand more steadily before quizzing her.


    "Have you checked well?"


    Frantically, Jenny nodded and she shook him as if she was experiencing a spasm. Eyes wide in fright like she had just seen a ghost, she nodded.


    "I checked everywhere Edward, it''s gone."


    The noise which Jennie made drew out everyone from different corners of the house. It was hard for her screams which were like those of a red fox not to attract attention.


    Grandma Mayfair was the first to comment, a big frown on her face since her peace had been disturbed. "What is the ruckus all about, are you trying to bring down the house Jennie?"


    Jennie abandoned Edward and run to her mother-in-law. She repeated the same words, loudly and frantically.


    "It''s gone, the pink butterfly is gone mother."


    The old woman was well aware of what the pink butterfly was, she was the one that passed it down to Jennie after all. The frown on her face deepened as the corners of her mouth turned downwards in displeasure. It was not the cost of the pink butterfly that mattered, it was the history attached to it which gave it the most value. To lose such a precious heirloom was just negligent.


    "What do you mean by gone, Jennie? Surely the pink butterfly did not grow legs and walk out on its own."


    Jennie''s face crumbled and she shook her head. "I don''t know how. What i am certain of is that it is missing. I have checked everywhere mother and i cannot find it." S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Edward didn''t waste a single moment, his long legs carried him upstairs and he confirmed with his own eyes that it was just as his wife had said. He returned downstairs and shared this fact with his mother.


    Already, all the family members and the servants present had converged in the living room, having been summoned by grandma Mayfair. Most of them were confused about what she was talking about.


    The present members of the family were sitting down in chairs, sharing shocked expressions.


    "The pink butterfly is missing, does anyone know anything about this?" Jennie questioned all of them, children and servants alike.


    "Mother what are you talking about? How can our family heirloom go missing? Perhaps you left it some where and you forgot." Ruth''s eyes were wide open with her whites showing.


    She was honestly shocked and disappointed in Jennie for misplacing it because that brooch was supposed to be passed down to her and now her mother had lost it.


    Shaking her head vehemently, Jennie heaved. "No way, i stowed it carefully after the annual founding families dinner last year and I never touched it again, i am certain that someone took it. That brooch is worth a fortune." Her eyes moved about accusingly.


    Phoebe had dashed out of her bedroom but she was the last to arrive. She made her way to the living room while watching her mother speak. On looking at Ruth, she realized that her reaction was so genuine which confused her because she believed that Ophelia was working on her orders


    Ruth was also searching for answers and looked at Ophelia who winked once at her in return. Ruth caught on quickly and she realized what was happening. This was it! the card Ophelia had played. The table had been set and now it was time for her to blame Phoebe for the crime.


    She put her hand on her head and sighed loudly. "Are we living with a thief? This has never happened before, it is the first time anything has been stolen in this house. Do we have any new servant? It''s odd that this is happening now, the old servants are very diligent, it must be someone new in the house." Ruth made an accusative statement.


    As she expressed her concerns, she sent Phoebe furtive glances while trying to appear apologetic and troubled. She could not just come out and accuse Phoebe of being a thief directly so she was meandering around the issue. Nobody was a fool and everybody understood what she was trying to hint at.


    "We have not hired any new servants Miss Ruth." Ophelia voluntarily aided in the mission by offering this information.


    Ruth played with her fingers and looked down. "Mmm, if it''s not someone new in the house then who could it be?"


    Andre slammed his hand on the chair, prepared to rebuke Ruth but another brother beat him to it.


    "Oh come on Ruthie! You don''t think that Pheebs here actually stole from mom. Your theory is practically an accusation being laid at her feet." Luke pulled his brows together.


    Collin stretched his hand forward to dismiss Luke. "I am not saying Ruth is right but her theory is not far fetched. Phoebe is the only new person in the house and Ruth always told me that Phoebe stole her things at school. She grew up poor and such people sometimes have sticky fingers, maybe..."


    "Oh cut the bullshit Collin!! We all know that you and Ruth don''t really like Pheebs but accusing her of theft is something really outrageous!!" Andre clenched his fists angrily.


    This felt more like a plot to trap Phoebe somehow and he was not going to let it succeed.


    Edward watched his daughter and wondered why she was so calm. She was watching the happenings as if she was no more than a by passer.


    [Really? Ruth so you have gone through with this stupid plot Can''t you be more original? Of course if something goes missing in this house i would be the first suspect as the new resident. Would i be so stupid to actually steal when i will be the obvious suspect? God she is so stupid!! I am sure her next suggestion will be for my room to be searched but she will be disappointed, how can this supernatural mommy fall into such a foolish trap?]


    He read her thoughts and smiled, although he didn''t know her for long his daughter wasn''t the kind to steal especially from her mother. From her thoughts, Ruth was behind everything.


    Edward''s own thoughts traveled to the latest development in the cuckoo case, the attempted murder in the Lee family. His eyebrows drew together as he wondered if Ruth was actually capable of harming Phoebe just so that she could remain as his daughter.


    Andre and Collin continued to trade words while Ruth squeezed a few tears out of her eyes and apologized for making such a suggestion.


    "I saw her."


    A sudden witness statement from Ophelia silenced the room.


    "What? What are you yapping about Ophelia? My grand daughter works hard to make her own money, she isn''t a thief!! I know that you are in cohorts with


    Ruth to smear her good image but it''s not going to happen." Grandma Mayfair stepped in finally.


    She had been quietly watching Ruth and Ophelia steal glances at each other. The two were thick as thieves and she suspected they were the actual thieves.


    Ruth was taken aback by the accusation, she knew that the old woman had it out for her but she didn''t think that she would accuse her of working with Ophelia which was actually the truth.


    "Granny...Grandma I know that you favor Phoebe because she is your biological granddaughter but this is not fair, how can you blindly play favorites? I have been raised by you all my life and i have never stolen anything at home. Father please say something." Ruth''s words were aimed at weakening her grandmother''s accusations against her.


    She squeezed out more tears and settled for bawling loudly before running to Collin''s side.


    Phoebe scoffed.


    [She has never stolen at home but what about outside home?]

 Chapter 146 - 146: Who is the thief?

    Those that saw her thoughts were perplexed by what they meant. Ruth''s sobs became louder and Luke joined in the argument between Collin and Andre.


    Edward shushed everyone especially the employees who were whispering amongst themselves.


    "I trust Phoebe but to end this madness, let''s go search her room. That''s the only way to know for sure if she stole the brooch." Edward stared at Phoebe apologetically.


    Phoebe smiled at him in return. "It''s okay father but it isn''t fair to search only my room. We should search the rooms of the people that are accusing me as well." Her eyes traveled to Ruth, Ophelia and Collin.


    "Wait, you can''t be serious." Collin exclaimed.


    He could not believe her guts, accusing him of being a thief too.


    Phoebe shrugged. "Why not? If you can accuse me of being a thief then i can do the same to you. It''s not just poor people that steal you know, rich people do it all the time. Don''t you watch the news brother dearest, haven''t you heard about a little something called espionage? There would be no laws dealing with intellectual property and patents if rich people were not stealing from those with less in order to become even richer than they already are."


    Andre clapped vigorously. "Cool, sound logic. I dare you to argue against that."


    He came and stood beside Phoebe, and both of them shot challenging looks to a flabbergasted Collin. Grandma Mayfair chuckled, Luke''s jaw dropped and Edward''s heart was tickled with pride.


    "Nicely played." The ghosts slapped their hands together in a high five fashion.


    With a few words, Phoebe had put that arrogant jerk Collin Mayfair in his place. He was so stunned that he could not even argue back.


    Edward ordered the head of security to check the security footage and see if any strangers other than David Saxon had visited. He also instructed the head maid Maria and Oman to search the servant''s quarters. It was long shot because they were always scanned by security before they left the house to run any errand so there was no way any of them sneaked the pink butterfly out of the house.


    "Start with my room." Ruth voluntarily raised her hand, she was very sure that it was a waste of time and it was as the only jewelry in her room was hers.


    She gave grandma Mayfair a distraught look. "See!! you misunderstood me because i am not your blood related granddaughter grandma, but i understand the position you are in so i will not hold it against you.


    You may not want to believe it but Phoebe here is a thief, she stole so many of my things and claimed that I gave them to her. Of course I always let it slide because they were old and my parents always replaced them. Let''s search Phoebe''s room now, if we don''t find the butterfly brooch then you can brand me a liar." Ruth bypassed her parents and pulled Phoebe by the hand towards her bedroom.


    The rest of the people followed them inside the bedroom. The moment they stepped foot inside, Ruth ordered Ophelia to search every corner of the room.


    "Yes of course Miss Ruth." Ophelia started from the least expected places like the bathroom, under the bed, in the pillows which were changed daily and searched the lingerie drawer last. With eager hands, she rummaged through it but she couldn''t find the brooch where she left it.


    Her terrified eyes met those of Ruth and she shook her head. In disbelief, Ophelia removed everything, throwing it to the ground but the brooch wasn''t there.


    "It''s gone!!" Ophelia''s dreadful voice was loud for them to hear. Ruth''s smile quickly fell, confused by what was happening.


    Even if she tried, Ruth couldn''t hide the disappointed she felt when Ophelia mentioned that the pink butterfly was gone.


    "What do you mean it''s gone? How? Check again properly!!" Ruth blatantly shouted, her words attracted everyone''s attention.


    "Why does it seem like you were so certain that the brooch was in there." Andre folded his arms.


    Phoebe who was standing close to Andre smiled mysteriously and nodded continuously.


    "Well I guess you just branded yourself a liar Ruth. Andre has whispered to me some of the things you claimed i stole and all those things were brought to my house by you Ruth, you gave them to me. The Gabriels, your birth parents always sang your praises for your generosity. Have you suddenly lost your memory?"


    The only thing Ruth heard out of everything that Phoebe said was her calling the Gabriels her birth parents. She scanned her mind for a way to play victim and as usual, her hand moved up to her heart.


    A fed up grandma Mayfair suddenly spoke up sternly. "Don''t you dare faint now Ruthie, you accused Phoebe of being a thief so don''t act like you are more offended than she is."


    Ruth stood in a slumped posture and swallowed exaggerated, defeated by the situation. The only person that she could blame was Ophelia, the woman just couldn''t do anything right. It was her fault putting her trust in her. Her moist eyes looked at Collin, hoping that he would rescue her.


    "I just believed in Ophelia''s words because she has been with our family for far longer than Phoebe. It''s my fault, i am in wrong?" she cried out pitifully.


    Collin shot an accusing gaze Phoebe''s way as if she was to blame for Ophelia''s words too.


    "That''s enough Phoebe, we have now confirmed that you are not the thief. Grandma, this is really unfair to Ruthie, she was obviously acting this way because of what Ophelia had said. The woman said that she saw Phoebe sneaking into mother''s room." Collin held Ruth''s hands to comfort her.


    "Exactly and about Phoebe taking my things I wasn''t lying about that!! I gave them to her unwillingly because she would cry and accuse me of not being a true friend if i didn''t help her. Gabriels can vouch for me." Ruth wiped a tear from the edge of her eye.


    A loud snicker escaped Phoebe''s lips. "Of course they will vouch for you, again they are your parents. Do you know how many times your father flogged and locked me in the dark closet because you lied against me?"


    Now was the right time to drop a few more bombs on the Ruth-Gabriel front, Phoebe figured. Ruth had taken the first shot by accusing her of being a thief openly, it would not be fair if she didn''t clean up her name while taking her down a peg. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe''s words elicited a ''WHAT'' from everyone including Collin. This was the second time they were hearing about that closet and the inhumane behavior of those monsters.


    From the way things appeared, the Gabriels and Ruth really had a close relationship, so much so that they had been punishing Phoebe unjustly for slighting Ruth. Did it mean the Gabriels and Ruth had known the truth all along?


    Collin tore his hard away from Ruth who was holding his tightly and he took a step away from her.


    Ruth was stunned as she didn''t expect her words to turn around and cause more trouble for her. All she wanted to assert her claim that Phoebe was a thief but now she had just turned her into the victim that had to be pitied. Worse though, Phoebe had made it sound as if she and the Gabriels were in cahoots.


    The palpitations of her heart picked up speed and her mind raced. She quickly covered her eyes and bawled heat brokenly.


    "I don''t know about this, i already said that i don''t know anything. When i visited Phoebe, the Gabriels never exposed any violence or distasteful behavior. They may not have been the best parents to her because they are poor and greedy but i don''t know if they were so inhumane to a child they believed to be their own.


    Father believe me, maybe Phoebe is lying against them. She wants you to hate my birth parents and hate me too, please find the Gabriels and clear the air about this. If they are monsters, i want nothing to do with them, i don''t want to be locked in a dark closet." Tears rolled down her cheeks as she shook her head in disbelief.


    Phoebe was aware that all Ruth was doing was for show because Ruth knew that the Gabriels physically violent towards her. Since Ruth wanted the Gabriel''s to be honest, she would be sure to aid that along when the time came.

 Chapter 147 - 147: A change in the wind.

    Oman and Maria returned and announced that they found nothing after thoroughly checking the servants quarters.


    Their arrival diverted some of the attention which had been given to Ruth. They could return to it later, what mattered more at the moment was the pink butterfly.


    "Then where could it have disappeared to, did a thief really come from outside?" Ruth asked in the bid to change course of the conversation from the previous ones.


    "There is one person whose room has not been checked yet." Phoebe looked keenly at Ophelia and waved her hand with a bratty smile on her lips that were curled upwards. "Ophelia, lead the way."


    Ophelia put her hands on her waist and she laughed mockingly.


    "Young woman do you know how many years i have been working for this family? Not once have I ever taken anything that Madam hasn''t given to me. I have faithfully served the family and everyone here can attest to my loyalty. I will forgive you this once because obviously you are new and unfamiliar with our history." Ophelia lifted her chin proudly.


    If she was a peacock, her feathers would be dancing in the light wind that was sweeping into the house through the open windows. She clearly didn''t expect the Mayfairs to actually go through with it.


    "A good maid should know her place." Grandma Mayfair commented softly but with strength.


    Her words were simple but they were a warning to Ophelia that had just been disrespectful to Phoebe in her eyes. No matter how many years she had been with the family, Phoebe was a master in the house.


    "Madam..." Ophelia cried out, surprised.


    Andre scoffed, "A servant that wants to eat at the same table with their master is one capable of removing the master from the table to take their place."


    Ophelia''s legs trembled as she looked around and noticed that all of the Mayfairs with the exception of Ruth were frowning at her. They all had picked a side and it was Phoebe''s.


    Phoebe chuckled. "I told you that if you accuse me, then i can do the same to you. Father please be fair and search everyone her included." Phoebe pointed an index finger at Ophelia.


    [Please do it dad, please.]


    On seeing her eager thoughts, Edward ordered Maria to lead the way and search Ophelia''s room.


    "What? Mr. Mayfair you cannot be serious!! This is outrageous. I have been loyal to this household how can you treat me like a common servant?" Ophelia rushed after Edward who was walking to her room.


    Her protests did not help and everyone followed as well.


    Once inside, they all stood to the side and watched Maria search everywhere.


    A clever servant was one that knew how to read the signs and predict the change in the movement of the wind. Maria had already adjusted her attitude in accordance to who the new Mayfair heiress was so she was as ruthless in handling Ophelia''s personal property as she had seen the woman do to Phoebe''s things.


    The clothes were dumped on the floor carelessly, a few dresses were ripped somehow. She searched everywhere, from the wardrobe to the bathroom then under the mattress.


    On lifting it, her eyes saw a small black pouch which she opened immediately. The pink butterfly brooch came into appearance, causing everyone to gasp in shock including Ophelia whose hand moved to her mouth because she was in disbelief.


    "Found it!" Maria announced as she picked it up and presented it to Jennie.


    "No," Ophelia muttered.


    The ghosts had come out to watch the drama and Connie was hovering around Ophelia.


    "Serves you right bitch." Connie stated only for the spirit to call her out for using foul language.


    Phoebe had to bite her lower lip to prevent herself laughing at Ruth and Ophelia''s shocked expressions. They were probably wondering how their carefully calculated plan had backfired.


    Ophelia who was standing at the back came forward, her eyes fixed on the butterfly brooch.


    "How? How is this possible? Why is this here?" She uttered suddenly, shocked that the brooch was suddenly in her room.


    "Explain yourself Ophelia, you have been accusing my grandchild of stealing it yet you are the one that had stolen it!" Grandma Mayfair wanted to fly and slap the taste out of her mouth.


    "No, no old matriarch something is wrong somewhere, I swear to God that I don''t know why this brooch is in my room." Ophelia shuffled her feet.


    No matter how much she denied, it was obvious that nobody believed her so she turned to Ruth, beseeching her to come to her defense.


    Ruth however looked away, looking anywhere but at her co-conspirator.


    Jennie shook her head. "I am so disappointed in you Ophelia! Why are still denying it? I have treated you so well over the years and trusted you, even going to the extent of buying you jewelry occasionally but still you decided to steal from me? Of all things, you chose a family heirloom? Were you deliberately calculating against me?"


    Jennie held onto the precious brooch tightly.


    Ophelia fell to her knees and employed Ruth''s crying strategy. When all else failed, tears were a good weapon to fall back on.


    "Madam, Miss Ruth, i am being framed. Think about it yourselves, why now of all times? We have all lived together for so many without any troubles but as soon as miss Phoebe returned, we have encountered one trouble after another." she cried.


    Ruth grabbed Jennie''s hand and looked at her mother imploringly. "Mother, maybe she is really being framed and we should hear her out."


    Grandma Mayfair stomped her right foot down. "Ohh you don''t say!! I think it''s the other way round, judging by how she insisted that Phoebe was the thief. Ophelia must have wanted to frame Phoebe but she decided to keep the precious jewel for herself out of greed. I also have a feeling that you, Ruth, knew about it. Who doesn''t know that Ophelia is like your very own hands and feet in this house? " She was on a mission to reveal Ruth''s terrible character.


    "Why must you keep disappointing me? At a time like this you are standing with this deceitful maid instead of your sister."


    The points raised by her made everyone curious indeed. Why was Ruth still defending Ophelia? Where was this defense when Phoebe was being accused?


    "Ruth, you are not really involved in this, are you?" Collin asked. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Shaking her head vehemently, Ruth denied knowing anything.


    "Grandma I didn''t know that Ophelia could do something like this. I am just in shock because we have all known and trusted her for so many years. I am still in awe that she could do something like this and betray all of our trust.


    I wanted to defend her because she has cared for me for so many years and i thought that if she explained her reasons for doing what she did, we would understand and forgive her."


    She untangled her hand from Jennie''s arm and faced grandma Mayfair.


    "But, whether she had a desperate need for money or not which pushed her to commit the crime doesn''t matter. No reason she gives will be good enough, what matters is the evidence in front of our eyes, the brooch has been found in her room so she is the thief."


    Ruth walked forward, looked resolutely at Ophelia, raised her hand and slapped the maid.


    "Confess your crime and beg for forgiveness." she ordered Ophelia.

 Chapter 148 - 148: Bye-bye Ophelia.

    The sharp sound of the slap took everyone by surprise as it was not a reaction they had been expecting to see, not from Ruth that had been defending Ophelia only a few minutes ago.


    What was responsible for this sharp turn of events?


    "She is really good, i can see why she led you around by the nose and killed you." The Saxon spirit commented as she observed the faces of everyone.


    With one slap, Ruth safely dug herself out of the hole in the eyes of some family members. Collin for one was very satisfied.


    "We should call the police." Phoebe suggested.


    Edward nodded and so did grandma Mayfair, a theft of something as valuable as the pink butterfly was not to be taken lightly. It was worth fifteen million dollars, more if put up for sale on an auction.


    Ruth looked down and gritted her teeth, biting a part of her cheek in the process as anger washed over her. Involving the police might lead to more complications which could trace back to her. No, she would not stand by and watch it happen.


    "Police!" she she put her hand on her head and gasped. "Little sister, isn''t that going a little too far? She has served this family for more than forty years, how can we heartlessly throw her to the police? I know that she has done something wrong but we should not be so cruel." Looking at the others, one after another, she slapped her chest lightly and lamented.


    "She was by sickbed night and bed whenever i was sick. She was always waiting for me with an umbrella at school, rain or shine, in health and sickness. If i asked for something special to eat at three in the night, she would run out and buy it immediately. Mother, do you even remember the attempted kidnapping when i was ten years old, Ophelia fought the kidnappers and she was stabbed.


    Even when she was in pain and bleeding, she still saved me. How can we send someone like her to the police because of one mistake?"


    The emotional appeal she made created some fractures in the hearts of all the Mayfairs. How could they forget the scene of a bleeding Ophelia carrying Ruth on her back and racing off to the safety of the car without a care about her own well being. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She had ordered the driver to drive them to the house first and ensured Ruth''s safety first before collapsing to the ground.


    "We can just terminate her services and send her away." Collin suggested.


    Ruth nudged Ophelia, urging her to quickly take the deal before someone mentioned the police again. There was no point in taking Ruth down with her so Ophelia quickly fell to her knees.


    "It is my fault, i am sorry for betraying your trust." she admitted in a small voice.


    "Are you admitting that you stole the brooch then?" Edward asked.


    Nodding her head, Ophelia admitted that she did take the brooch from the master''s bedroom.


    "Why did you do such a thing?" Jennie asked her.


    Ophelia looked up and flashed Phoebe and accusatory look, indicating that she was somehow the cause of the problem.


    "Since miss Phoebe came into this house, you all have changed your attitude towards Miss Ruth. When she was sick in the hospital, you were all giving attention to Phoebe, laughing happily and welcoming her home.


    You even gave her miss Ruth''s bedroom so easily and bought her all those cars. What did miss Ruth get as a gift when she came back from the hospital apart from some small jewels? She did not even receive as much as a bicycle.


    The matriarch''s attitude has changed completely and she scolds miss Ruth openly. Mr. Edward even went so far as to give Phoebe a gift worth billions. As for master Andre, you do not need to glasses to see that she has quickly become his favorite sister.


    It hurt me to see the young miss that i raised suffer as a result of all these changes. She has been having a hard time sleeping so she is taking sleeping pills. She has no appetite and she cries often, scared that she is going to be abandoned. Even though i know that none of this is really miss Phoebe''s fault, i can''t help but to blame her in my heart.


    I wanted everything to go back to normal like it was before she came to this house, so I took the brooch and hid it because I wanted her to be thrown out of the house for stealing the Mayfair family heirloom."


    He voice cracked as she was winding up her confession. She did not admit to hiding the brooch in Phoebe''s room and instead of coming off as a thief, she came off as someone who simply did the wrong thing for what she perceived to be a noble reason.


    Jennie felt her chest tighten, it always did each time Ophelia acted like Ruth''s mother, making it seem as if she loved her more than everybody else in the family. Even when Ruth was young, Ophelia would intervene in some of the decisions she made concerning Ruth''s personal life.


    If she didn''t know better, she would actually suspect that they were mother and daughter. As for the saving Ruth from kidnappers incident, it had given Ophelia even more importance in the house. She was treated like a relative instead of a maid from that day.


    Like it or not, her past good deeds could not be changed. It still did not give her the right to steal from them or undermine Phoebe. As the mother to the two women, she had to step in to avoid both Phoebe and Ruth from being wronged. She placed a hand to her chest and sighed deeply.


    "It doesn''t make what you did right, if you had any grievances whatsoever, you could have told us. Ruth is still a member of this family regardless of having no blood ties, and we have not wronged her in any way like you are insinuating.


    More importantly it''s only fair that Phoebe is showered with love after all she is my biological daughter who had a rough life. I have to make up for the time we missed and the love she did not get as a child and I am not going to be apologetic about it.


    You have crossed your limits Ophelia, leave by the end of the day. I do not want to see you near the Mayfair mansion, Ruth, Phoebe or any of my other children again."


    The words that Jennie spoke surprised them all because by far she had been walking on tip toes around Ruth in relation to Phoebe. It looked like she would not be doing so anymore and she was going to build a relationship with Phoebe openly.


    Tears sprouted from Ophelia''s eyes as she apologized continuously, begging to be allowed to stay but everyone remained stoic. She had already proven that she had a deep seated grudge against Phoebe and even plotted against her so how could they allow her to stay under the same roof as her?


    Ruth glared at her and snapped her fingers.


    "You heard my mother, go pack your bags and leave our house. We cannot stay with a thief Ophelia, you should not have plotted against my sister. That sin cannot be forgiven."


    She had noticed that there was no way Ophelia was coming back from this and to stay on good terms with the family she had to pretend to care about Phoebe.


    "Thief, what thief?" David made his entrance just as Oman rushed into the living room to announce his arrival.

 Chapter 149 - 149: The arrival of an unwanted hero.

    David''s arrival was no coincidence, he had rushed over because he heard that Phoebe was in trouble. Just like Dickson, he had his one spy in the Mayfair house, the head maid Maria. He had previously requested her to keep watch on her because he was worried that Ophelia and Ruth could do something to harm her.


    She had agreed to keep him in the loop about Phoebe''s affairs, and only that. She would not be sharing intel on the other Mayfair''s private lives.


    Maria had kept to her words and informed him that Phoebe was in trouble as soon as Ruth suggested that her room be searched. Just as the matriarch had said, Ophelia was Ruth''s hands and feet in the house and right from the start, she had suspected that they were scheming something.


    What David didn''t know was that Maria also had her reasons for accepting his offer. As soon as she heard Ophelia''s name, she decided to spy for him because she was fed up with the woman undermining her yet she was the head maid. They were both servants so what gave Ophelia the courage to act as if she was right below madam Jennie in status?


    How could she dare to walk around barking orders and acting like the second madam of the house? All the servants hated Ophelia but with Ruth''s backing, she was untouchable, until Phoebe was brought back by Andre. Then, the tides started to change.


    David looked at Ophelia that was crying on the ground and his smug Phoebe that looked like a cat which had just eaten a canary.


    He moved, heading in Phoebe''s direction but Collin stepped in his way.


    As always, Collin had that same constipated look on his face when his eyes met those of the most irritating Saxon to ever exist.


    "Why the hell are you here Saxon? Of late you have been walking in and out of our house freely like you would a public bathroom."


    David ignored him, stepped to the side and breezed past him confidently because he was welcomed by grandma Mayfair eagerly. She had heard all about his brave deeds in Iborg city and how he had been willing to take a bullet for Phoebe.


    "Mom, dad, grandma, good morning." David greeted and also fist bumped Luke and Andre. His lips twisted into a smile when he looked at Phoebe.


    [My charger! You couldn''t have come at a better time. I could use a boost, all this plotting has exhausted me.] She smiled sweetly at him.


    He waved his hand at her, holding his gaze steady as he drunk in her beautiful sight. His shortie was really cute today.


    Unhappy with the sweet romance drama worthy looks they were exchanging, Ruth quickly stepped forward blocking his view of Phoebe.


    "David! Oh how nice it is that you are here. Something really terrible has happened." She cried out and opened her arms wide, planning to embrace him.


    David in turn poked her head with his right hand index finger and pushed her away.


    "Keep your hands to yourself, i am very sure that whatever is going on here has something to do with you."


    Ruth pinched her lips in a firm line after David embarrassed her in font of everyone especially Phoebe. She turned her blazing guns towards Ophelia who was now sitted lazily on the floor.


    "You! Why are you still here, leave already." Ruth yelled as she folded her arms.


    Ophelia walked on her knees to where David was standing. She held onto his trousers tightly as if for dear life.


    "Mr. Saxon please help be beg the Mayfairs, if they give me a second chance I promise not to attempt something like this again. I will never be daring again, and will stay in my place as a maid." Her pleading gaze darted around.


    Phoebe moved to his side and bashfully told David what was happening. She reported it all to him as if he was the hero arrived to save the heroine.


    It made the Mayfair men dissatisfied, if he was the hero, what were they?


    On hearing everything, David was vexed by the fact that Ophelia had tried to frame Phoebe.Truly, the maid did not know her place.


    "How dare you frame my woman for theft!! Do you think i am dead and useless?" He used his leg to kick her away from him as if she was a disgusting fly.


    His venomous eyes moved to Ruth because he was certain that she was behind it all.


    "She has been fired." Phoebe grabbed on to his arm and shared.


    He smiled, proud of Phoebe for getting Ophelia fired. She was Ruth''s right hand after all and getting her out of this mansion was a good move. However Ophelia was just a small fish, she needed to get rid of Ruth before she destroyed the Mayfairs.


    The decisiveness with which he kicked Ophelia away shocked everyone however his words left them puzzled, David had just referred to Phoebe as his woman in front of them all. As there had been no official announcement of a relationship, wasn''t he being too bold?


    Had he forgotten where he was and in whose presence he was? All the Mayfair men were displeased. One, was more displeased than others and he loudly expressed himself.


    "Who the hell is your woman you good for nothing play boy!! I hope it''s not Phoebe that you are referring to? You stay away from him, your relationship is forbidden." Collin pointed his finger at Phoebe and then cursed silently as he was late for work.


    His secretary was calling for the tenth time that morning.


    "Stay away from him Phoebe, i forbid this relationship, no sister of mine will date a Saxon." Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ruth''s mouth produced a small gasp from the shock of Collin''s words. He had actually called Phoebe his sister, a sure sign of acceptance. He even seemed to care so much about the possibility of the two dating. Her greatest fears were truly coming to life.


    David didn''t care about the warning and he gave his attention to Phoebe even more, patting her head gently.


    An alarmed mother Jennie wanted to pull her daughter away from the eyesore that was touching her head in a way she had not got a chance to do yet.


    "David, what is going on? Now that you know that Phoebe is the real heiress you have suddenly switched from Ruth to her?"


    David''s face darkened and he scowled, he liked Jennie but she was really slow on the uptake. How many times, did he have to clarify his lack of interest in Ruth in order for her to stop lumping him together with her?


    The confusion was quickly cleared by grandma Mayfair who cleared her voice.


    "That''s not right Jennie, for the longest time David here has always told anyone that has an ear including you that he is not interested in Ruth. Anyway, about their dating life, the decision here is for Phoebe to make but she hasn''t told us what is going on between the two of them."


    The old woman hoped they got together, she had already discussed it with her friend. It would be wonderful to go from friends to in-laws, moreover, David was crazy about Phoebe.


    It was a win-win for the families and all the people involved.


    Everyone''s eyes moved to Phoebe who was pretending to be coy deliberately because she could see Ruth''s anger on her face, her throat was swollen like it was about to burst.


    "Daughter, is there something that we should know?" Jennie poked Phoebe with her curious eyes.


    Everyone else waited to hear what she would say, David inclusive. Was she going to deny or admit that there was something between them?

 Chapter 150 - 150: White haired leech.

    Phoebe contemplated on what would hurt Ruth''s feelings the most and went for it.


    "We are sort of seeing each other, although he wants to rush things i prefer to take it slow. There is no need to define anything yet, i will take my time and study him slowly."


    Her answer was confusing to the elders, what studying was she talking about? Was David a subject she needed a degree in? Where relationships that complicated these days that people needed studying?


    Ruth on the other hand got the message Phoebe was trying to pass onto her which was that David was in the palm of her hands at the moment. The affection she was so desperate to get from him, Phoebe could reject if she was dissatisfied.


    This fucking sly bitch, what makes her worthy of him? Mayfair blood or not, she was raised in a slum and reeks of poverty. I will take everything back from you, especially my man, Ruth thought.


    She plastered a smile on her face and composed her emotions. "Congratulations to the both of you, let''s see how long it lasts." Ruth spoke with a trace of sarcasm. As long as they weren''t married, she believed that she still had a chance.


    David was so pleased with Phoebe''s answer, he loved this version of her, so straight forward and intentional with her words. Even though she had not accepted him yet, she seemed to harbor intentions of doing so as long as he redeemed himself. It didn''t matter how slow she wanted to go, he could wait until she saw his sincerity.


    He wanted to sweep her off her feet and give her a big fat kiss on the lips but he couldn''t do it with her family right there. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Anyway, he had come on a specific mission and that was to make sure that Ophelia never returned to the house and give Ruth a hard time.


    He looked away from Phoebe and pointed at the almost forgotten Ophelia that had yet to leave.


    "Mr. Mayfair i am of the view that you check Ophelia''s financial records, its possible that she has stolen a lot of things from you. Who knows?"


    "Sir, there is more jewelry hidden above the window. Oh my goodness, if not for the wind, we would not have discovered it." An eager to please maid suddenly called out.


    Everyone turned to see one shiny gold pinky finger ring.


    "That''s mine." Phoebe gasped and pretended to be shocked.


    Ophelia''s face paled, and she shot Phoebe an accusing look. She could not even die anymore as she had already confessed to one theft. No matter what she said now, her words were as good as stale air; unwanted and reviling.


    The servants searched and found more jewelry, all of it Phoebe''s. It stunned everyone how much Ophelia disrespected Phoebe, so much so to the extent that she stole from her and then framed her.


    "You are really a rotten thing." Grandma Mayfair threw her cane at Ophelia. "Drag her out for me." She commanded.


    Edward called the head of security and Ophelia was dragged out, wailing and protesting her innocence. Her luggage was packed up by Maria and the rest of the maids.


    "Check her bank records, i want to see if she dared to scheme and steal from us. We have really been raising a wolf in this house."


    This command was given to the head of security Mark Boreanaz, a former employee of the Fog National Security Agency. If anyone could dig up that information, it was him.


    Ruth did not care about Ophelia''s affairs anymore, she was useless to her anyway, just like a soiled tissue. There was no other place for it other than being flashed down a toilet.


    The theft matter seemed to be over and done with so David grabbed Phoebe''s right hand.


    "Pheebs if you are done then we should get going, I want to spoil you today."


    "Are you going to the cafe? Drop me off too...." Grandma Mayfair got up from the chair.


    She was late for work thanks to Ophelia''s troubles.


    The old woman was stopped by David.


    "Granny, I am taking Phoebe shopping. I asked my sister Rose-Bell for the best clothing brand in town and she recommended Madam Boujee. I called ahead and they said they have just launched a new collection so I want Phoebe to pick out whatever she likes. Now that she has finally returned to her rightful place, she must stand out as the one true Mayfair heiress that she is." David threw Ruth a condescending stare.


    Ruth scoffed, she knew he was doing it deliberately, hurting her for Phoebe''s sake and to make her surrender. There was nothing he was going to do to get her to dislike him. In fact the more he pushed her away, the more she wanted to stick to him like glue.


    As for Phoebe buying clothes at Madam Boujee, forget it. Was she worth such a brand? How could they wear clothes from the same place? Only one daughter in the Mayfair family could stand out and it was not the fake ghost seeing country bumpkin.


    "Well you are too late, I already got my sister a befitting dress for the ceremony" Ruth smiled lovingly at Phoebe and turned her head, "Maria!" She shouted. "Go bring the new clothes i ordered for yesterday."


    "Mother, i hope you don''t mind that i stole your thunder by buying for sister a dress. The state funeral for the dead soldiers will be her first time out with our family, a soft launch of her true identity. I want to make sure that she looks her best and all eyes are on her. Also, our family will be sitting with the VIP''s as we contributed a lot to this event. Sister needs the perfect outfit, not too flashy to take away from the occasion but not too dull to become a point of mockery.


    "We! what did she contribute?" The Saxon spirit laughed.


    The other ghosts joined in as well, and Phoebe, she hid the laughter well. Ruth was really beyond shame.


    Jennie as always fell into Ruth''s trap because she was determined to see her two daughters getting along. "Oh that was thoughtful of you Ruth, we have to make Phoebe feel as welcome and comfortable as possible. I like that you see how important this is Ruth."


    Ruth cuddled into Jennie''s side and wheedled like a child.


    Grandma Mayfair had her reservations, Ruth had no space in her heart to show affection to anyone especially Phoebe. This had to be another display of her insincerity. Phoebe thought the same thing but she fake smiled, pretending to be happy.


    "Oh thank you so much Ruth." Her words caused David to frown deeper.


    He was worried that Phoebe was maybe still so naive even after getting a second chance at life. How could Ruth buy for Phoebe a dress with good intentions? He was also displeased because Ruth had ruined a perfect date for them.


    They all moved back to the living room and sat down. He made sure to sit close to Phoebe, he wanted to watch everything closely.


    Not everyone had intentions to stay back and look at dresses. Luke got up and excused himself. Andre followed two seconds after him.


    "Well ladies enjoy your time trying on dresses."


    He kissed his grandmother, mother, Ruth and lastly Phoebe on the cheeks before leaving. David got the nearest tissue and cleaned the spot on Phoebe''s cheek where he had kissed.


    The Mayfairs watched him acting shameless again in their house, like their daughter had already been handed over to him.


    Just how were they supposed to get rid of the handsome white haired leech clinging onto their daughter?

 Chapter 151 - 151: Is it a fire?

    Maria pushed in the portable wood clothing rack, it had black garment bags stacked back to back. There were at least ten dresses. Ruth was counting on the volume to make Phoebe look unreasonable if she rejected all of the dresses.


    "Here!! If you do not like this one in particular, you can choose another. I selected all these for you." She bounced on her feet excitedly.


    How would anyone now insinuate that she didn''t like Phoebe after this display of affection.


    The scene was all too familiar, Phoebe could remember all the times that Ruth brought over clothes to the Gabriel home, claiming that they were new yet they were her old clothes. She would act all generous and act as she threw away her hand me downs.


    Phoebe did not want to disappoint Ruth so she played along, taking a look at the dresses as Maria unveiled them. She looked and examined them from top to bottom.


    It was exactly as she was thought, most of the dresses had little issues. Some had loose threads and they would probably come apart at the ceremony. Even the ones with zippers were problematic, one even had little black spots, smelling of mold.


    Phoebe crinkled her nose and tossed it away, flicking her hands like she had just touched garbage.


    She gestured for Maria to take them away. "This is really kind of you but Ruth I can now afford to buy clothes, you do not need to pass down your old clothes to me like you did in the past. Father has given me a fat allowance to cater for such small needs."


    "What? Is that what you think of me? All these things were in my closet but they are all new. They are perfect for the state funeral, just because you have money does not mean you should buy any random dress." Ruth pulled her shoulders close to her body and sighed. "I guess i should not have meddled, we have different tastes anyway."


    In her mind, she was laughing, sure that her plot had worked. She didn''t understand why Phoebe was acting fussy anyway, these clothes were too good for a bumpkin like her.


    David picked up the black dress which Maria had yet to take back. He turned it to the side and then looked at the hem.


    "If they are all new then why is this one torn? You have obviously worn it before!!" He threw it at Ruth''s feet.


    Edward and Jennie frowned at Ruth, they just couldn''t understand her anymore. Was this a mistake truly or was she deliberately making small moves to sabotage Phoebe?


    Edward recalled the Lee family incident and his heart skipped a beat. This was no attempted murder but Ruth was really spiraling out of control. What if she harmed their daughter? Ruth was a cuckoo after all.


    "Maria, gather all those clothes and set them on fire and as for you Ruth, do not ever give Phoebe clothes, old or new. If you feel like you have too many, donate some to the homeless. Do not bother worrying about what the public will perceive depending on how she dresses, Phoebe does not have to impress anyone with her appearance, she is a Mayfair. Her family name alone is enough." Edward marched away disappointed.


    He felt like if he stayed back, he would end up something something really hurtful to Ruth.


    "I guess that''s it then, Pheebs let''s go on a shopping spree. David stood up and pulled Phoebe to her feet.


    Jennie wasn''t comfortable with the relationship between David and Phoebe so she stood up and let them know that she was going along. It was best to chaperone her daughter around the rogue with the reputation of a play boy.


    "I need a scarf to match my dress." She lied blatantly


    Grandma Mayfair wasn''t planning on missing out on the fun so she announced that she was going to.


    "Well I guess it''s a girls day out!!" Ruth said shamelessly asked she clapped continuously. ''Whatever it takes to ruin you two being together.'' A sly smile grew on her lips, her narrowed eyes moved from David to Phoebe and back.


    Grandma Mayfair frowned immediately, she was hoping to hangout with her daughter-in-law and granddaughter without any unwanted extras but she couldn''t tell Ruth to stay behind in as much as she wanted to. She didn''t want to be accused of being biased again.


    "I will be your chauffeur for the day, that''s if you will have me." David bowed teasingly.


    "Let''s go then." Grandma Mayfair tapped his shoulder.


    ...


    When they reached Madame Boujee''s store, something unexpected happened. People began to flee, heading out like they were escaping a plague.


    Phoebe knew exactly why but her companions didn''t. In fact this very reason was why she was secretly excited when Ruth said on coming along with them.


    A woman almost stepped on grandma Mayfair''s foot and David pulled her back, saving her old toes from injury.


    The poor woman was so stunned that she looked at the exit as well, wondering if they should turn back too. If people were fleeing from a fire, it made no sense to head inside and risk their own lives.


    "Why are they running?"


    Jennie was equally puzzled as she observed the now quiet and deserted store.


    "Mother, i am scared. I also don''t know why they are running."


    [Because we have come along with the monster named Ruth Mayfair.] S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Jennie got hiccups immediately on reading Phoebe''s thought.


    Phoebe put a hand over her mouth and she chuckled. Because she had come to this place with Ruth enough times in the past, she was familiar with this scene.


    It was an open secret and rule at madame Boujee''s store that any time the social queen-Ruth Mayfair came to do her shopping, all the customers in the store were to vacate the premises. Failure to vacate resulted in bad painful consequences for the unlucky victim.


    Only people at the same level as the founding families could be allowed to stay.


    On this particular day, the security guard alerted the store manager as soon as he saw Ruth in the parking ground where she still was because she was making a phone call.


    "It''s a 911!!" He had yelled desperately through the phone and Phoebe had caught his warning clearly, that''s why she was not surprised to see the fleeing clients.


    "Ooh, i see a nice dress." Phoebe clapped her hands and feigned excitement.


    She wanted them to follow her inside because it was another opportunity to expose Ruth and they did. On entering further, the three women were approached by the employees and security personnel.


    "Deal with them now." One employee pushed another forward as the rest hurried to straighten out clothes and stand in line like they were waiting to welcome royalty.


    "I am very sorry for the inconvenience however you need to leave because we have an emergency." With shaky hands, the female employee left to deal with the not so important guests shoved Jennie gently towards the back exit.


    "God!! Take it easy on her, Is the place on fire?" Grandma Mayfair followed Jennie.


    "That''s not it but we have a very important customer, move it she will be here soon and I don''t want trouble from her."


    The employee warily looked at the entrance, terrified so much to the point that her legs were shaking.

 Chapter 152 - 152: Ruthie monster.

    The fear that the employee was displaying was akin to someone thrown in the deep end of a swimming pool without a life jacket or swimming skills. It was terror___, nightmare, wake up in a sweat kind of terror.


    "What kind of special client is this? Is it the first lady of the country?" Grandma Mayfair asked.


    She was asking herself but they all heard the question.


    "Get your hands off of my mother, we are not leaving. Can''t you tell by his hair who he is?"


    Phoebe did not want to give up their Mayfair identities so she took advantage of David. He in turn was proud to flash a smile and lift the hat on his head. Like many other Saxon''s, he didn''t go around displaying his hair unnecessary. For Phoebe, however, if she needed it, he was even willing to pull out a free strands for the employee to test.


    The woman''s eyes of course widened and she bit her bottom lip, still nervous. She looked from them to the door, still displaying skittish behavior.


    "Ha! who is this special guest that even a pure blood Saxon is not enough to make you relax?" Grandma Mayfair asked the employee.


    Phoebe stepped in quickly, stopping the employee from revealing the answer by chasing her away. This needed to be witnessed, not narrated.


    Her anticipation was in high gear, there was no way Jennie''s affection towards Ruth was going to remain unshaken after this experience.


    "Mother, when Ruth comes over, we will get the answers." she whispered.


    Phoebe''s feet were a little restless, she was all but ready to fly away on a bubble of excitement. David read her face and he put his hands on her shoulders.


    "Smile a little less shortie." he whispered to her.


    Phoebe didn''t even react to the ''shortie'' which was a direct reference to her height. She only cared about Ruth getting busted, and to have it happen on the same day when Ophelia had been fired. Karma was really doing it''s job.


    Jennie was rather confused. "Ruth? What has she got to do with this?"


    Phoebe wasn''t about to spoil the surprise, she clearly remembered that she had visited madame Boujee''s store frequently in her past life. One, as Miranda''s escort and shopping bag holder, basically her slave.


    Two, each time Ruth was stressed and decided to overdose on her happy pill, wasting and showing off her wealth. At each visit Ruth demanded other people to leave and at one point she witnessed her slap a mother and daughter that had tried to resist. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    That day, even the store manager was one of her many victims for she once won herself a kick in the knee. Come to think of it, that was the day she told her of her first pregnancy which she miscarried unfortunately.


    Phoebe winced at the memory and her right hand unconsciously moved to her stomach. She didn''t get the time to dwell on the past memories and the manager of the store shot past like them like a bullet and joined the rest of the staff.


    All the employees that were standing in a line suddenly bowed their heads at a ninety degree angle.


    "Welcome Miss Ruth Mayfair!!" They shouted in unison, respectfully.


    Phoebe wanted to bring out a fire cracker or some fireworks and set them off. As she couldn''t she settled on pinching and scratching David''s arm while trying her best to keep her feet on the ground.


    Ruth on the other hand tried to signal the manager to stop the show, her mother and grandma stared at her in utter shock.


    "You, manager, come here." Grandma Mayfair summoned the manager who recognized her almost immediately.


    "Yes ma''am? It''s our honor that you and your grand daughter have paid us a visit." The manager''s eyes widened and she rushed over.


    She maintained her back bent and eyes lowered to the ground posture.


    "What is going on here? We have been told that you are evacuating everyone because you have an important customer. Stand up straight and answer my question, why are you bending over as if i am royalty?" Grandma Mayfair studied her uneasy demeanor.


    The woman was trembling slightly almost as if she was scared of something stood up straight. Her eyes moved to Ruth who was shaking her head continuously then back to Grandma Mayfair.


    "Is the important customer here with us Peggy?" Phoebe''s eyes narrowed as she read the woman''s name tag. "Is it my sister Ruth by any chance?"


    Jennie''s eyes moved around, she couldn''t see anyone important enough to evacuate the store. "Where is that arrogant customer then, I really hate people that think that they are better than others."


    David, on hearing her question wanted to slap his forehead. Jennie, mom, why are you so slow? he asked himself. Had she not seen the way the employees bowed and addressed Ruth?


    "It''s you Ruth, right?" Phoebe continued to poke slyly. "Wow, the way they lowered their heads and said, welcome miss Ruth Mayfair...wow....i got chills. Sister, you are really powerful." Phoebe gave Ruth a thumbs up.


    She turned her head to Jennie and grandma Mayfair. "Mom, grandma, is this how rich people shop? My eyes have really been opened today. But, i wouldn''t want people to run when i come shopping or for employees to tremble as if i am a beast. I will not be picking up this habit, it''s too awful."


    Her words were like sharp tips of an arrow stabbing Ruth over and over. Ruth bit her lower lip desperately and clenched her hands. She had forgotten about her shopping habits and now regretted having tagged along. Her mother and grandmother were staring at her like she was the worst monster in the world.


    It was all that slut Phoebe''s fault, she was ruining her life, step by step.


    "Why am I not surprised." Grandma Mayfair shook her head in disappointment. "See Jennie this is the true face of your darling child. She finds pleasure in tormenting others. I am beginning to believe that Phoebe is her victim as well."


    Ruth stepped forward, clutching her mother''s hand as she was her safety net. Even if all the Mayfairs hated her, Jennie and Collin were supposed to stay in her corner.


    "Mother this is a misunderstanding I swear, it was one time. My friends dared me to do it but these good for nothing employees continued to do it. Am I not telling the truth Peggy?" Ruth gave the manager a sharp look that promised consequences if she did not play along.


    The poor terrified woman nodded in response. At the end of the day, Ruth Mayfair spent hundreds of thousands to millions in the store on her shopping sprees. They could not lose a big client like her or they would be fired.


    Phoebe was not about to let the lie fly, this was her trap and the web had been woven. The fly could not escape so easily.


    "Really? Is that why you slapped them too? I saw it somewhere online that you were violent towards some employees and customers here. Who was slapped, you or you?" Phoebe pointed at the manger and at the employee who was previously chasing them out.


    The younger girl got hiccups immediately as she fell to the floor because of fear. If she said one wrong thing thing her livelihood would disappear.


    "I...i..don''t...know anything please." She wiped hot tears from her cheeks.

 Chapter 153 - 153: Bad child.

    Her reaction however was enough to confirm Phoebe''s words. At this rate, grandma Mayfair was all but done with Ruth.


    She was a smoker, drinker, club goer, alcoholic, faked illnesses, a continually proven liar who also lied about everything she ever told them about Phoebe, a thief and on top of that, enacted public violence on innocent civilians to the point that they were extremely terrified of her, as if she was a terrorist.


    Jennie''s mind was also blown away. She wrenched her arm away from Ruth, shooting a let down look. It was one thing after another, there were so many things about Ruth she didn''t know. Slowly, by slowly, they were being unveiled and all of them were ugly.


    "I cannot believe this. Have you been going around beating up people even after your father and I lowered our heads to apologize on your behalf on seven different occasions? How long will make us trample on our honor in your defense? What is wrong with you? Are you truly the child i raised because i did not raise this person, i don''t know you at all."


    Dispirited, Jennie backed away from Ruth. truly she felt as if this was a stranger. Ruth was lost for words, she let out a small cry and run out of the store.


    Motherly instinct that had been honed for over twenty years set in, pushing Jennie to react. She whirled around, and called out Ruth''s name.


    Grandma Mayfair grabbed her arm and stopped her from taking any step further. "Let her go! That good for nothing cuckoo."


    The words which slipped out of her mouth in a moment of anger were loud enough for all the employees to hear. The old woman had just given them sweet gossip for later.


    After those events, Phoebe was the only one in the mood to shop anything with David''s full indulgence and on his wallet. When they were done, Jennie apologized to the employees on Ruth''s behalf and even went ahead to heavily tip them. Additionally, she ordered them not to repeat their actions as they would tarnish the Mayfair. She felt ridiculous because Ruth had been busy burying it in the mud all along.


    After the shopping was done, grandma Mayfair headed to the store, Jennie was very dispirited so she went to a spa.


    Meanwhile Phoebe and David went on a short spontaneous date because she happened to be hungry.


    While she filled her stomach to satisfaction, he warned her sternly about Ruth. They both knew that even a rabbit could bite when cornered and Ruth would surely be plotting vengeance. The sooner the Mayfairs denounced her as sent her packing like Ophelia, the better.


    David''s eyebrows were pulled together because he was genuinely worried about her, if something happened to her newly found family because of her vendetta against Ruth, Phoebe would never forgive herself.


    Phoebe watched him with observant eyes, this David was very different from the one she knew. He was more meticulous about situations and monitored Ruth''s movements vigilantly like he would a ticking time bomb. Was it the same back then but he just didn''t tell her?


    She recalled a few occasions during their marriage when he told her not to hang out with Ruth and that she should not give her access to their apartment in Saxon tower but foolish as she was, Phoebe never listened.


    She had defended Ruth, her best friend vehemently right until the day Ruth sent her to her death.


    Things would be different now however, Phoebe was determined to see to it.


    "You don''t have to worry about that, in this life i am going to be the weapon fashioned against Ruth that will prosper. She won''t win, not like she always did in the past. If i find myself losing the war, i will send a few ghosts to torment her until she runs crazy and we lock her up in a psych ward like she deserves. She is a psycho, a pure psycho."


    Phoebe spoke casually without thinking but what she didn''t know was that she had confirmed David''s suspicions that she had been reborn too. There were no more doubts in his mind about it.


    How would she react if she knew that he had been reborn as well? How could he bring up the subject of their past and clarify all the misunderstandings they had?


    That question remained on his mind for the rest of the day and it followed him when he closed his eyes to sleep that night.


    ....


    Very early on the morning of the following day, which was also the day of the state burial, Ruth returned home. The family was preparing to leave for the state burial grounds which were all the way opposite Salt lake. Medalham cemetery was the final resting home for all soldiers and presidents of Fog country.


    It had a branch which was a large ship out in the sea, and some soldiers, were buried there. These ones however were going to be laid to rest on dry land.


    Most of the Mayfairs were dressed and waiting for the slow movers when they saw Ruth sauntering into the house hesitantly.


    Her hair was ruffled like she had been in a scuffle and her clothes wrinkled but no one asked about it or raised an alarm like they would have done in the past, not even Collin.


    "Good morning." She greeted everyone softly.


    Her voice was smaller than the sound made by a mosquito at night.


    "You are a grown woman so no one is going to lose a wink of sleep if you spend the night outside however it would only be courteous of you to let your mother know if you are not coming home." Edward spoke in a stern tone.


    Last night, Jennie had told him all that had transpired at the boutique. Edward had come to the conclusion that he had to put in place strong measures to control Ruth''s impolite and wild behaviors. He recalled so clearly the worry on his wife''s face about Ruth feeling as if she was unloved if they disciplined her so mercilessly. Obviously Ophelia''s words had struck some kind of nerve.


    His response too had been firm because he didn''t want to lower his head ever again if Ruth created more trouble.


    "If she doesn''t like the new rules, then she can move out, better still she can go find and live with her parents. She has to stop embarrassing us!!"


    It was also inevitable for comparisons not to be made between the two girls. Phoebe was obviously better behaved, calmer, hardworking, smart, polite and more honest than Ruth.


    His biological daughter embodied the traits of the Mayfairs even though she had not been raised by her rightful family. Ruth was more like the Gabriels, truly bringing the nature and nurture debate to an end in his mind. Ruth''s nature was bad....crooked, it was in her blood.


    Ruth''s shoes slipped from her hand as she knelt on the floor, she had read the room. The Mayfairs were unhappy with her, she knew that they were aware of what she did at madame Boujee''s store.


    "Father, mother, grandma and my brothers i am so sorry that I didn''t spend the night at home and made you worry, i slept at the Verdemont''s house. I am also sorry about what I did at the boutique. I have to admit that I hang out with the wrong crowd hence my behavior became crooked. In my defense what I did is what all the rich kids in my circle do so I thought that it was okay." Ruth apologized and explained the cause of her impolite behavior. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If she had stopped at apologizing, they would soften their hearts but she tagged an excuse onto her behavior, thinking that they had not made inquiries about the matter. What they had discovered was worse than they imagined, it was not just Madam Boujee''s store, Ruth had pulled her entitled wealthy heiress act in other places as well.


    "So you thought that it is okay to hurt other people because your friends do it? This isn''t the first case were you are humiliating people. Edward and I have paid off multiple people to silence them and stop them from pressing charges against you but that ends today. If you dare do something terrible to someone out there you better get ready to face the consequences." Jennie spoke in a raised tone.

 Chapter 154 - 154: To punish a bad child.

    Edward wrapped his left hand around her waist and squeezed it. She had been worked up since yesterday, maybe she needed to take some of that calming tonic gave his mother.


    Edward pointed Ruth''s way with his right hand,. "That is not all young woman, since you are going around disrespecting people because of our money then you should know that i have made a decision to cut your allowance in half. If you are dissatisfied then look for a job and make your own money."


    He stood up, tugged on the corners of his suit jacket and started leaving the living room. He could hear Ruth calling out for him but he didn''t look back. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "No, dad, no. What will i do if you cut my allowance? How can i survive on five million a month? Father please!! Don''t do this to me." She screamed.


    "Mother, you won''t allow this to happen, right? I have apologized already, why is dad still angry with me? Do you want me to starve? How will i have friends if i cannot afford to go to the same places as them? My social status will decline, i will become a pariah." Ruth walked quickly on her knees and hugged her mother''s legs, sobbing loudly.


    Collin and Andre were flabbergasted, Ruth''s reasons for wanting an extravagant allowance were really eye opening. Other people survived on less than five thousand dollars a month, she was crying because five million was too little, and yet all she wanted it for was to spend on showing off with her idiot friends.


    Jennie for once wanted to slap Ruth and beg her to shut up. She moved her leg instead, dislodging Ruth''s hands.


    "This is for your own good, i really regret that it took us so long to check your bad behavior. It''s our fault that you turned into a spoiled brat. Now go upstairs, clean your damn self because we are leaving in about thirty minutes." Jennie pointed to the stairs.


    Phoebe who had arrived only thirty seconds ago was sipping her black tea as she watched the almighty Ruth Mayfair get disciplined. The very gossipy ghosts had been updating her on all that had been happening since Ruth returned.


    Watching her plead on her knees brought a smile to Phoebe''s face. Her cries were like a love song in her ears and she longed to hear it more.


    Phoebe had figured out that Ruth was responsible for her miscarriage back then. The bottle of grape juice she had given her must have had something which flushed out her baby. The debt Ruth owed her had increased, it was not three but four lives...and she would collect them.


    Grandma Mayfair stamped her stick on the floor.


    "Now this is more like it, you have always been a terrible person and I have always mentioned it. I thank God that Phoebe''s coming to this house helped open your parent''s eyes. Why are you still squatting there, are you laying an egg?"


    Her words to Ruth caused everyone to guffaw while Phoebe laughed out loud exaggeratedly to annoy Ruth. She had to give the old woman props for having a loose scathing tongue.


    Glaring at the old woman, Ruth stood up and went to her room struggling to keep her anger in check. Once inside she threw herself on the bed, grabbed a pillow, buried her face in it and let out a muffled angry scream.


    "By the end of the day all of you are going to be crying tears of sorrow. Stupid ass Mayfairs." Ruth clenched her fists together.


    She was even more certain that their hearts were turning against her. Soon, they would not see her as their daughter anymore. But that was okay, she had a back up plan___, one to bond her life with theirs forever. They could have their precious daughter, but she was going nowhere.


    Ruth got up and looked at herself in the mirror, smiling deviously. The mirror reflected her eyes which were darkened with evil, pure evil.


    In the living room, Phoebe had moved to sit next to her mother who she could tell was depressed by everything that was going on. It was to be expected, the Ruth disappointment incidents just kept piling so her heart was heavy.


    She pulled out a small jewelry box from her bag and handed it to her.


    "Mother, i know that this is nothing like the fancy jewelry that you often wear but this ring comes from the center of my heart."


    A smile of gratitude fell on Jennie''s face as she opened the jewelry box and studied the ring. It was the second gift Phoebe was giving her, the first was returning to them alive.


    It was a silver ring with different colored small stones at the center. They weren''t ordinary stones though because Phoebe got them from the mountain in the magic space.


    They included pieces from a black onyx stone, a purple amethyst stone, a selenite stone and a moon stone. All of them had energy to protect her from danger and evil. They could protect her from manipulation spells too or having her luck stolen.


    "Thank you my darling Pheebs, I will treasure this for the rest of my life." She slid it on her finger and hugged her daughter tightly.


    "What about me?" grandma Mayfair raised her disappointed voice.


    As the first one in the family to accept Phoebe wholeheartedly, shouldn''t she be getting a precious gift? It was the same for Andre who cleared his throat and Luke who smiled. Collin couldn''t pitch in because he was often butting heads with Phoebe, still he wanted a gift from her too.


    He had forgotten that he had not given her a welcome gift yet.


    "It''s still in the works grandma, everyone will get a special gift from me." Phoebe assured them.


    Jennie raised her hand and waved it around, showing off her ring.


    "I guess i am more special, nothing beats a mother-daughter bond."


    Phoebe chortled and covered her mouth.


    [Ha! my mom is actually cute.]


    Jennie actually blushed a little and then looked away from Phoebe. How was she was cute as a middle aged woman? That was embarrassing, thankfully nobody saw it but her. It was the biggest confirmation of their special bond, seeing her daughter''s inner thoughts.


    Phoebe then got up and told her family that she would meet them at the venue because she had small business to take care of at the cafe.


    Jennie was worried that she would be late but Phoebe assured them that she would be on time. When she left, they were admiring Jennie''s ring.


    When she got to the cafe, Phoebe found the jeweler she had an appointment with waiting for her. She was siting on one the tables close to the window, sipping on the beverage Rosette had served her.


    She slipped into a chair beside her and looked at her watch before facing the woman and speaking rashly. "Thank you so much Lorraine for creating a masterpiece, my mother loved the ring so much."


    "That''s lovely to hear, I have to say that I have been in this business for years and I have to say that the stones you gave me had the purest energy i have felt in so long. I would like to know where you got them such that I can buy them all."


    Lorraine was an alchemist, an actual witch of sorts that Phoebe had met in Magic city. She sold all sorts of trinkets and magical gadgets, a few moths ago she had moved to Citrus city. She was Phoebe''s go to person for making all the good luck charm bracelets, necklaces and other jewelry in her cafe.


    Lorraine''s words caused Phoebe''s eyes to fly open, all she could see were dollar signs. She had a mountain of such stones in her magical space.


    "Ha-ha-ha, those stones have been in my family for decades, we just never knew what to do with them as they seemed worthless." Phoebe lied blatantly for she had no better explanation as to where she got them. "Let''s talk money."

 Chapter 155 - 155: A kidnapping, also to be expected.

    They discussed the price of the stones for a while, haggling as one wanted to get them a low price. Eventually, they settled on the price of 70 to 1000 dollars per carat, and the price could be increased to millions depending on the strength of aura in the stone.


    They agreed to sign a contract on Monday as Sundays were Phoebe''s days off.


    As she left the Cafe, Phoebe made the spontaneous decision to take a taxi to Medalham cemetery. On a day like this, there was bound to be a lot of car traffic on the road. With many dignitaries in the city, security was bound to be tight with a lot of police stops. She hated driving in traffic, she had an impatient soul, or so the Saxon spirit claimed. Not that something like that existed.


    The other reason for her not driving was the weather. The clouds had a dark gray hue and thunder rumbled slightly, there was a possibility of it raining at any time. She rushed to the road side as her eyes meandered around looking to see if she could find a taxi before the rain began to pour.


    Phoebe''s attention was drawn to a crying child. It was a boy, and his moist eyes kept moving around at the strangers that were passing by as if silently asking for help. Nobody was eager was help, one man even spat close to the boy, the spit almost fell on his face.


    "This is why I lost hope in humanity, not one person is stopping to assist this little kid." She rushed and crouched near the green metallic bench on which he sat.


    The Saxon spirit studied him, it couldn''t place its fingers to it but something was definitely off.


    "Phoebe maybe you should ignore him like everybody else, besides you are running out of time."


    A frown formed on Phoebe''s face as she wiped the boy''s wet face.


    "I know that you have no heart but I do, I will just drop him at the police station and go on my way." Phoebe communicated through her thoughts.


    How could she ignore this boy, especially as a one time mother that lost her own sons. If she counted the miscarriage, she lost three children. Her heart would not be at ease if she left him alone, scared and in tears. Those had been the last moments of her sons, scared, alone, in tears, calling for her as they died.


    Her heart tightened and her eyes moistened. She smiled at the little boy and asked him why he was crying. Her eyes darted around, he seemed to be alone with no adult chaperoning him.


    "Are you here alone?"


    The boy remained silent but he responded by shaking his head continuously.


    "Tell me where is your mother?" She asked him.


    The boy lifted his left index finger and pointed towards the alley way. Phoebe followed his eyes and studied the place he was pointing at, there was a tiny path that was not often used by people because it was dirty and had potholes in it.


    "She collapsed, I came here to find help such that I can take her to the hospital." He sniveled and pouted his lower lip.


    Phoebe''s heart sank.


    "Let''s go, take me there." She picked his hand and told him to take her to him.


    The Saxon spirit saw a small mischievous smile grow on the boy''s face which worried her but she didn''t put much weight on it. Maybe he was happy that someone had come along to help.


    "What''s your name?" Phoebe asked as they entered the alley.


    "Timmy." He tightened his grip around her hand. Phoebe figured that he was scared hence his reaction so she tightly held on to him.


    "It''s okay Timmy your mommy is going to be just fine." She told him.


    As they crossed over a big pothole, Timmy missed a step and fell. He winced loudly to express pain and started crying even louder than before. Phoebe who was yet to see a dying woman squatted to check his foot because he was wailing that it hurt.


    "No it doesn''t, Phoebe something is off...." Before it could finish its suggestion, Timmy pulled out a small bottle and spayed it''s contents in Phoebe''s face, within seconds she had collapsed to the floor.


    "You can come out now, I caught the prey." Timmy stood up and laughed in a sinister way.


    Four men came out of a shop that sold used glass ware. They had the look and aura of hooligans, like the kind that thrived in the Southern district. Two of them were holding wooden baseball bats and one had a knife. All of them had tattoos on various parts of their bodies, one in particular had his entire face marked. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I have trained you well Timmy, good job aye" The fat man in the group spoke.


    He was the leader of the group and also Timmy''s father. He ruffled the boys'' hair and looked at him proudly.


    "Let''s move before someone walks by and decides to play hero. I thought this job would be so difficult but who knew that she would be so easy to grab." The fat man laughed.


    "That''s why you should not be very trusting of people, even children can be deceitful." The one with a fully tattooed face snickered as he bent down to grab Phoebe''s legs.


    Another one grabbed her shoulders but the fat man stopped him.


    "Oy, what are you doing? One small woman like this does not need two beefy men to be moved. Just throw her over your shoulders and get a move on."


    Tattooed face left the job to his companion who did as their leader said. Phoebe was thrown over his shoulder, slumping like a lifeless body and carried off to a waiting white van.


    One of the men removed an alley closed sign which they had falsely planted on the road to ensure that nobody would interfere with what they were doing.


    The van drove off quickly the moment all the men and Timmy jumped inside. The little boy was sipping pineapple juice out of a small juice box, unbothered by his previous actions.


    Unlike their presumption, Phoebe was not unconscious, she was fully awake, after all, she had been cultivating her Yin body for a week now. With all the ghost energy she had, how could an ordinary knock out spray make her pass out?


    She was quite certain that this was another one of Ruth''s plots. Kidnapping was to be expected of her, it was not unexpected. The only reason why she was playing along was because she wanted to know if these were the same men involved in the kidnapping of her children.


    There was no way to prove it was them but if Ruth had used them now, chances were high they were the ones involved in that plot back then.


    How could she sit by and not punish them?


    She let out a tiny snore, pretending that she was sleeping.


    "She is actually sleeping so comfortably," One of the men laughed and touched her cheek. "She has really nice skin. Boss, when we get to the club, we should play with her before the client comes over. I am sure that she will not mind if we have ourselves some fun."


    Another car was following the van meanwhile. In the car were two men that David had assigned the job of protecting Phoebe from a far.


    One was a lean man with a prominent long nose and cold eyes, named Pike and the other was a heavily muscular former kickboxing champion named Santos.


    Even though they were on the trail of the kidnappers, they had to report the incident to their boss. He had given them strict instructions to update him whenever his girlfriend was in danger.


    Santos pulled out his phone and called David, explaining what had happened.


    On hearing what had happened, David advised that they keep up with the van and do whatever it took to protect Phoebe.


    He was already at Medalham cemetery with his family but he could not stay still while Phoebe was in danger. David stood up and rushed out of there without saying a word.


    "Where is he running off to?" Miranda tapped Katherine''s shoulder and asked.

 Chapter 156 - 156: The active rumor mill.

    A wide grin formed on Katherine''s face. "I heard him mention Phoebe''s name." She added a shrug to her words.


    Displeased by what she heard, Miranda''s face became twisted, in an ugly way. It pained her that David was still chasing after Phoebe. He had gone as far as to beat up the men she had told to watch Phoebe''s movements. She needed to free him of his obsession with that good for nothing pauper soon.


    There was one way to do that and that was to marry him off to an suitable woman as soon as possible. They opportunity had presented itself because the Mayfairs were sitting right next to them she intended to talk to the elders about engaging the children as soon as possible.


    The ceremony had yet to start and guests that arrived early were busy socializing. She was hoping to get a moment with Jennie Mayfair as soon as she detached herself from her husband''s arm.


    If it didn''t work out with Ruth Mayfair, she could choose another one from the many daughters of privileged families around.


    Many of those girls were scattered around, daughters of the elite, sitting in groups of three to six. There was one group in particular that was even more exclusive, one had to come from the very top prestigious families to be one of them. This was the same group to which Ruth Mayfair belonged. It had fourteen members, and the number could go up or down depending on the circumstances.


    They were sitting in a circle and a tall blonde young woman with long hair sat in the middle of twelve others, gossiping about this and that.


    "Oh can you believe that Mr. Edward Mayfair bought land near Salt Lake?"


    "That''s nothing to talk about?" One of them commented.


    The blonde shook her head. "My father told me that the land is a gift for someone named Phoebe Mayfair. I wonder who that is to receive such an expensive gift from him. Do you know who that is?"


    All their gazes turned the Mayfair family and they were caught looking so they waved at Ruth who was talking to Collin.


    "There is a rumor going around that they too have a cuckoo." One stated.


    She was afraid of mentioning Ruth''s name after all, she carried herself like she was the leader of the group. If she was wrong and spoke ill of Ruth, she could be expelled from the group.


    "Ha! Rumor you say? I went shopping at madame Boujee''s store and I heard from the manager that grandma Mayfair called Ruth a cuckoo."


    All twelve young women gasped and looked in the direction of the Mayfairs again, they could not help it. If the Mayfairs had a cuckoo, they had hidden it well.


    They all reeled in shock at the revelation except for Camilla Verdemont. She and Ruth had spent the night together and Ruth confided in her about it.


    Camilla had advised Ruth to get rid of Phoebe before she could make a public debut but it seemed like it was now too late, the rumor was everywhere and the perpetrator was none other than old lady Mayfair. If it had come from the horse''s mouth, it could not be covered up.


    "It''s true, that bitch has been acting like she''s better than us yet she isn''t the Mayfair heiress." Camilla spilled the beans.


    The very person Ruth had confided in had just hammered a a nail into the coffin. Camilla believed that it was time for the group to get a new queen bee and it would be her. This was a coup, of sorts and Camilla was not finished blabbing.


    "I also heard from one of our maids the real heiress is David''s girlfriend but I don''t trust the words of a servant one hundred percent so girlies, don''t go around saying that i told you" Camilla Verdemont chuckled. "But if it''s true then she has lost the heiress tittle and her man to the same woman. I guess this is the down fall of Ruth Mayfair."


    "Oh my God! She took so long to marry him, at least if she did then she would still be a Saxon, right?"


    "No, her mistake was throwing herself at him when he didn''t want her. She should have married one of the many young men from our circles that was interested in her. She receives around ten proposals every year and she rejects them all arrogantly. If only she had accepted one then the cuckoo thing would not matter, she would be tied to another family."


    "Eeh, i don''t know about that. Haven''t you heard that some cuckoos that married into elite families have been divorced?"


    "Shhh! in coming." Camilla whispered furiously.


    They all went dead silent as Ruth approached them, sashaying like a cat on a runway.


    "Hi guys, what are we talking about?" She asked the group which dispersed immediately leaving her feeling awkward.


    "Nothing." they all denied, one after the other.


    Suddenly a funeral song being played by a military band was started and they were literally saved by the bell. Camilla shrugged as she went past Ruth to her join her family. It was time for the Military procession to begin.


    ****


    Meanwhile, Phoebe who was pretending to be unconscious was brought to the final destination and carried her into a dim lighted unfinished building behind some old uncultivated farmlands. It was not a club, like she expected.


    "Todd, sit her up in the chair and tie her up tightly." The fat man ordered.


    He threw the bat in his hands on the floor and peeped through the windows for any sign of human life. They didn''t need witnesses.


    "Boss can I play with her now please before we kill her?" Todd brought his face close to Phoebe.


    The bad odor coming out of his mouth caused Phoebe to curl her toes and frown in revulsion. His breath stunk worse than the gas from a skunk. As somebody that had been skunked once at a cemetery, Phoebe could testify to this fact.


    "Don''t dare touch her, the boss lady wants her unharmed. You can play when she''s done with her. Guys wear your masks i think she''s waking up." The fat man pulled his out of his back pocket.


    Phoebe opened her eyes and lifted her face before they could mask up.


    She yawned and looked at them, one by one. Then, she opened her mouth and chuckled, a high-pitched, make your skin crawl and send shivers down your spine kind of chuckle. It was like she was possessed by evil.


    The men looked at her dumb founded for they expected her to be scared but she wasn''t. Rather, they were the ones feeling unsettled.


    "Father is it okay that she has seen our faces?" Timmy spoke in a more mature voice, he was no longer the innocent kid she had seen a while ago, even his entire demeanor changed. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The fat man sniggered. "Timmy, my boy, It doesn''t matter if she has seen our faces because she is going to die anyway. I can even tell her my name," He snapped his fingers, "Hey lassie, i am Mitch O''Donnell this is Timmy my boy, that''s Todd Evans, Randall Pickle and his brother Brody Pickle."


    He smirked and snapped his chubby fingers twice. "Todd send the text to her mother now."


    He pulled out Phoebe''s phone from her bag and tossed it to Todd.


    Phoebe didn''t know what message they wanted to send but she decided to play with them, starting with Timmy.


    "Yo...you tricked me."


    .

 Chapter 157 - 157: Ghosts to the rescue.

    Timmy laughed sarcastically, in a way that was unlike a child of his age.


    "Lady this is just business, it''s not that deep you were my target, you should blame your kind heart landed you in trouble. Besides the boss lady is paying us a hefty sum for your head, she''ll be here soon to watch you die." He stood before her and crossed his hands.


    The boy had no bone of regret in his body, his eyes glittered with pride. He had learned how to be bad and he was ruined, completely destroyed by his own father. It would take a miracle for him not to grow into a hardened criminal.


    "Come out." Phoebe commanded.


    Sylvester and Connie had come forth, boiling with anger after all that they had witnessed. They had been itching to act the moment Todd asked Mitch for permission to lay his filthy hands on Phoebe.


    A breeze of cold wind invaded the room, and things in the room like chairs and thrown away old wood started to shake. The cups on the table shattered on their own and the glass pieces flew out, one even cutting Mitch on the cheek.


    The men backed away from Phoebe, terrified of her because they guessed it was her doing.


    "Whats...what''s happening?" Little Timmy stammered, he was horrified of ghosts.


    His legs started to shake and his bladder loosened, causing him to urinate on himself.


    "Dad...." he cried out.


    Things became worse as they heard growling, as if an animal was present with them. The Saxon spirit undid the ropes that were binding Phoebe while all the distractions were happening.


    She held her hand out and pulled the bat Mitch had thrown away so casually.


    "Now, let''s get this party started." Phoebe announced loudly.


    On turning, the men saw her sitting calmly, holding a bat in her formerly tied up hands.


    "How....is ...that possible?" Todd shivered. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He had tied her up really tightly, so much so that her bones could have been broken. He had made sure to see to it that the rope cut into her skin if she struggled. How had she loosened it?


    David''s men were peeking inside through the windows and they too were astonished by what was happening. Pike rubbed his eyes really hard to see clearer, and they ended up with a sting but he didn''t care. He had to ascertain for himself that he really was seeing furniture flying around.


    "I don''t think she needs our help." Santos blinked continuously.


    They decided to wait for a while to rescue her and continue watching.


    Phoebe stood up and proudly proclaimed, "I am a shaman and those are ghosts that I have summoned to take you out. Today, you will learn a valuable lesson and pay for all of your crimes, you should have targeted someone else." She laughed mockingly.


    Mitch was furious, he stepped forward and swung a knife in the bid to chop off Phoebe''s head but was caught by something.


    The Saxon spirit broke his hand, and then his left leg.


    He let out an ear splitting cry which caused the others to try and run away. They could not fight against something invisible after all.


    Phoebe focused on her energy, snapped her fingers. "I give you the gift of sight."


    Their eyes were cleared to see paranormal beings, she had been practicing the skill so she decided to give it a try.


    "Bingo." She laughed when Timmy pointed at Connie and Sylvester.


    "Gh....ghosts..." he screamed.


    They ran back towards Phoebe only to meet an invisible blockade. No matter how much they pushed the invisible wall wasn''t shifting yet the ghosts were coming closer.


    Connie''s hair covered her face and she had lowered her head but making cackling sounds, Sylvester was even scarier for his neck seemed like it was broken, he had dark circles around his eyes and made the loudest growling noise.


    The men tried to find their way out but it was for naught. They were dragged on the ground and beaten brutally by the angry spirits. By the time they were finished venting their anger, all of the men had fractures, bruises and cuts.


    Phoebe was not done, she slapped truth telling talismans on their backs and sent the location to Shark. Those talismans would work for five hours and in that time, they would confess all of their crimes. She was sure they had murdered people before, and they would be spending the rest of their lives in prison.


    Timmy, the only one who was not beaten black and blue ran towards Phoebe and played the victim. "Please don''t hurt me, i am just a child."


    Phoebe laughed. "Oh so now you remember? You are a very bad child Timmy." She slapped him across the cheek. She was not one to beat a child but this one....he was just so terrible.


    "Ouch!! This is child torture lady and it''s a crime." He rubbed his flushed cheek continuously.


    "Well little criminal i suggest we both head to the police station and see which crime is heavier. You did promise to kill me after all." Phoebe pulled on his hand and began to walk towards the door.


    "Who would even believe you?" Timmy bit her hand so hard that Phoebe had to let go.


    The Saxon spirit kicked his butt. "This little psycho, i will just erase his memories of ever meeting these men. We can take him to an orphanage."


    Phoebe shook her head. "These men will still find him in future, one is his father after all."


    She pulled him up from the ground and gave him a stern look and warning. "Listen Timmy if you ever do bad things again I will send my ghosts to torment you. Go home or to an orphanage and be a useful human or else...."


    Sylvester flashed to him in an instant and wrapped his hands around Timmy''s neck. The little boy screamed and nodded right before collapsing.


    "I am going to strangle Ruth Mayfair!!" The Saxon spirit pinched it''s lips in a thin line.


    "No-no, I can handle Ruth as long as I have the three of you." Phoebe smiled warmly at the ghosts, this would have been a different story if not for them.


    Phoebe was late so she called David but he didn''t answer, then she started calling Andre but suddenly David run in all drenched from head to toe. He run to her and hugged her. Phoebe pushed him away and looked behind him. He seemed to be alone.


    "How are you here? How did you know that I was here?" Phoebe''s looked at him quizzically


    David summoned his men and they came forward. "This is Pike and Santos, i hired them to protect you from a distance." He elevated his chin maybe expecting Phoebe to be grateful.


    "So you have your people tracking my each and every move without my permission Aren''t you taking too many liberties Saxon?" Phoebe questioned.


    David put his hands on her shoulders and replied seriously. "Thank God that I did, how else would I have known that you were in trouble? It''s for your own good just in case you end up in a situation like this one. I will not lose you again Pheebs."


    "I don''t need saving David, as you can see i can take good care of myself." Phoebe placed her hands to her hips.


    For today she did but who knew tomorrow? David was not going to call off his men, he was determined to protect her with everything he''s got. They had been lucky once, it was best not to tempt fate and see if they could get lucky twice.


    "Let''s go" She told him as she bypassed him only to meet Collin Baltimore at the front door.


    David who was walking slowly rushed forward. "How and Why are you here?"

 Chapter 158 - 158: Mirandas ambitions.

    "One of the tenants told me that they saw Phoebe going into an alley with a kid and then a van sped away with that kid inside but she didn''t come out of the alley. I followed as soon as i could but all these police stops delayed me. Is everything okay? Are you hurt?" His eyes looked at the men that were lying far behind.


    He had called in a favor from a friend to hack into the cameras and track the van, which is how he had found her. Still, it looked like he was a step behind the Saxon. It was always like this.


    "I am fine, thanks for coming. You are an awesome landlord." She grinned broadly at him. "It''s a wasted trip sadly, the police are on their way, you should leave now to avoid being caught up in this mess."


    Then she turned and looked at David who had his face twisted.


    [Jeez, get over it Saxon.]


    He was all sour over nothing. "Are we leaving or what? We are late for the state funeral already."


    "I have a helicopter waiting outside." David took her hands and smirked at Collin Baltimore.


    The man could not go with them because he was from Eagle country, his appearance at the state funeral would cause a political wave. It didn''t matter if he was there innocently, the optics would not be great.


    They left the two not so secret bodyguards to keep an eye on the men and Timmy until Shark and his men arrived.


    *****************


    At Medalham cemetery, the military procession had ended and so had the religious service and guard of honor. The master of ceremonies had just taken the stand and announced that the guests could take a short break of forty minutes before the military farewell.


    "Why is Phoebe not here yet?" Andre asked loudly as his eyes moved around in search for her.


    He flashed a suspicious glance at Ruth, wondering if she had done something. Of late, things were chaotic in the family.


    Ruth smiled dryly at him. "Maybe she is busy at work, i hope that you won''t accuse me of doing something to harm her. Grandma accused me of wanting to cause her harm." Ruth gave grandma Mayfair the side eye.


    Her words however caused her father to question his own thoughts, of late he had this nagging worry that Ruth could do harm to his biological daughter. Having such thoughts made him feel guilty, like he was feeling this way because Phoebe was his real daughter. He convinced himself that maybe he was wrong, after all if anything happened to Phoebe she would be the first suspect.


    "Let''s play nice, this is not the time nor place for such conversations." His eyes moved from his Ruth to his mother who was calling Phoebe on the phone.


    "Her phone is switched off, that''s not normal. Something is definitely off." Her glare was fixed on Ruth was deep in thought.


    Ruth smiled at the old woman sweetly and batted her eyelashes for no reason. There was nothing to prove that she had anything to do with Phoebe not showing her presence today. Today was the day Phoebe was going to be wiped off the face of the earth.


    A tiny sly smile formed on her face as she imagined breaking Phoebe''s bones one by one, peeling off her skin and gouging out her eyes. That bitch was going to pay for ruining her once perfect life.


    "Maybe she is with David, he is always clinging onto her. Why don''t you try calling him mother?" Jennie suggested to grandma Mayfair whose brows were pulled together.


    The old woman was all but ready to leave and start searching for Phoebe. This funeral mattered less than her beloved granddaughter.


    She tried calling but David didn''t pick, grandma Mayfair sighed. She was about to give up and then remembered the ghosts, they could know something just in case Phoebe was in trouble.


    Her face was doused with hope as she dialed Rosette''s number.


    "Oh Rossett thank God! Are the special friends there?" She whispered. She didn''t want to call them ghosts in public.


    "They rushed out of here sometime back, i think Phoebe is in some kind of situation. However grandma don''t worry Phoebe and the ghosts will handle whatever it is."


    She hung up as she was attending to customers.


    "I knew it!!" Grandma Mayfair spoke in a tone so skeptical and glared at Ruth.


    It was obvious to her that the serpent in human form had something to do with it. Every bad that had happened to Phoebe in the past Ruth''s name had been written all over it. Why would this be any different?


    "Mother is everything okay?" Edward asked.


    Shaking her head in response, grandma Mayfair told them not to worry about Phoebe. They could not discuss the matter in public anyway, especially because Miranda would not stop looking their way.


    "Wave at her." grandma told Jennie.


    Both of them waved at the woman, just to be courteous. Miranda Saxon saw this as an opportunity to talk to the Mayfairs. She moved closer to them and embraced Ruth so lovingly.


    "Oh darling you are are the best dressed young woman here as always." She stared at her admiringly.


    Ruth bashfully answered, "Thank you aunt Miranda."


    Miranda let her go, then greeted the rest of the Mayfairs, grandma Mayfair however had her lips curled upwards and rejected the hug. Miranda was taken aback, she couldn''t remember doing something to warrant such treatment from her.


    She needed to ready it quickly as the old woman was the one that decided on marriages in the Mayfair house.


    "Old matriarch did I do something to offend you?" She placed her gloved hand on her chest.


    Grandma Mayfair had never forgotten about the day Miranda insulted Phoebe at the cafe. She didn''t say anything but looked the other way making it a point to ignore her.


    Miranda did not let that stop her from doing what had brought her over. "Anyway I wanted to pick your mind and hear your thoughts on the matter of engaging our children, Ruth and David."


    Ruth bounced on her feet on hearing her suggestion.


    The other Mayfairs traded looks, they knew that it was easier for a man to give birth than getting David to marry Ruth voluntarily.


    "Does David know of this? I want to hear his opinion on this matter." Grandma Saxon approached them.


    Miranda was doing this without her knowledge yet she had warned her countless times. It looked like she had to find other ways to keep her daughter-in-law busy.


    "David likes someone else, you do not have to like it but that''s the fact."


    Edward cleared his voice. "Well Miranda I think that what you are suggesting is no longer possible. Our family isn''t interested in David marrying Ruth."


    Miranda let out a sigh of frustration, where was she going to get a better candidate? Who on this walking earth would make a better wife for David than Ruth.


    Ruth bit her lower lip and fought back tears of despair. Her own parents were now stumbling blocks to her happiness. They were choosing to support David and Phoebe rather than her.


    General Paul Drusus and his guards approached the group and looked at each of them. Unsatisfied, his eyes roamed around them before finally settling on Ruth.


    "Ah! you are not the real one, you are the cuckoo. Where is the real heiress, the one i met in Iborg city?" He wore a silly smile. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 159 - 159: Its a cemetry, of course there are ghosts.

    His words made the Mayfair''s uncomfortable but they didn''t intervene to correct him because he had only spoken the truth. Also, he was army general Drusus, not many people corrected or talked back to him.


    The one person most shocked at the revelation was Miranda. She thought maybe she had misheard but those furtive glances between the Mayfair''s and Ruth''s uncomfortable energy told a different story. In fact, as Ruth herself was not daring to contradict the general, it had to be true.


    The closest Saxons heard it too so they stared in their direction with Rose-bell moving closer to listen in on the conversation.


    "Cuckoo? Who is the cuckoo?" Rose-bell asked.


    Miranda''s trembling hand pointed at Ruth.


    "How? She is one of those cuckoos in the news, oh my God!!!!, she stepped away from Ruth as if the young woman had suddenly grown boils on her skin."


    Further more, she shot Jennie an accusing look. "You are really unbelievable, you have known this all the while and kept quiet. I have been here trying to get her and David together and you said nothing. Did you hide this such that my son can marry a cuckoo? Let me tell you right now, it will not happen."


    All of the Mayfairs had no words for Miranda who had managed to make this matter all about her. What possible benefit would they receive from plotting to have Ruth marry David? Miranda was the one pushing for it, not them.


    "Oh look here comes the real heiress" General Drusus loudly announced, pointing at Phoebe who was walking their way between Collin and David.


    The two men were holding onto one of her arms each, engaged in a minor game of push and pull. Collin wanted to get Phoebe away from David and David was determined not to release her. The one being pulled from sided to side had an exhausted look on her face.


    "Tsk, she knows how to command attention for sure, a true Mayfair." General Drusus approved.


    In her plain black dress, wide brim hat, black gloves on her hands and high heels, Phoebe looked like she was attending a royal funeral.


    Miranda gulped as she watched the real Mayfair heiress come in with her son. In her mind, the stars had aligned for sure, her son had already linked up with the real one. Thank God he had the sense to reject the cuckoo early on. David must have known the truth all along. Miranda wanted the hat and sunglasses to be removed so that she could have a good look at the woman.


    Rose-bell leaned towards Andre and whispered, "Why is David with her?"


    "Don''t get me started on that clingy bastard, he will not leave my sister alone." Andre responded.


    Almost every eye at the venue had turned to Phoebe and the two men. A woman walking between a Saxon and a Mayfair was bound to capture attention. Whispers were already floating around.


    "Who is that?"


    "Where did she buy that dress?"


    "Is she David''s girlfriend, the witch?"


    "Isn''t Collin dating Kelly? Why is he with a new woman?"


    "Did you hear that, apparently she is the real Mayfair heiress."


    The thirteen young women had gathered again and they were more than excited for the drama. Most of them had come for the state funeral unwillingly, expecting it to be a drab event. To fill up the time, they had been gossiping about this and that, mostly about Ruth and the Mayfair affairs.


    "I can''t believe she is here, look at Ruth, she is melting." one of them whispered.


    "This must be her worst nightmare, oh thank God i am not a cuckoo. General Drusus really just shouted it loudly for everyone to hear, my God!!!" S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Miranda Saxon was trying to get David and Ruth engaged, what is she going to do now?"


    "There is no way the Saxons will be accepting Ruth now. Have you met David''s mother? She has just one consideration for daughter-in-law, you must be from the top founding families."


    "Camilla stands a chance."


    Camilla flipped her hair back and her nose pointed in the air and she raised her head proudly.


    Phoebe could hear the whispers but she didn''t give them any attention. She was standing in the presence of general Drusus, who was looking over her curiously.


    "You, little girl, i told Amon to invite you over for dinner but you turned me down. Is it so bad being on friendly terms with me?"


    "Why would i be friends with a stranger?" Phoebe retorted.


    "Ha!" General Drusus laughed. "Anyway, i thought for a minute that you were not coming when you contributed largely to the return of these soldiers home. If you had not shown up, i was going to hold on to your medal of merit for civilians that make great contributions. I recommended you. You are really grateful, aren''t you? You probably want to hug me right?" He gave her his most proud look, waiting for her to praise him for his great deed.


    Amon likened his uncle to a silly husky in his mind as he approached them. Why the heck did he like Phoebe so much despite meeting her only once?


    "Uncle, please, we are in public." he whispered.


    General Drusus snubbed his nephew and kept his eyes on Phoebe.


    "In return for my good deed, i want breakfast from your cafe daily. It should be free for the rest of my life."


    "Uncle!!" Amon raised his voice slightly.


    He cleared his throat and his eyes roamed around. There were reporters around for heavens sake!! If they caught wind of this, the headlines tomorrow would be medal of merit sold for free life time supply of breakfast. They would milk the story the way they were milking the cuckoos.


    General Drusus was not finished, he lowered his head and whispered to her. "Girl, what is your life like in the Mayfair home living with the person that stole your life? Is there any kind of plotting like the one in dramas? Recently, my wife and i are watching tale of two sisters and it is almost like your life. Two girls were swapped at birth and..."


    Grandma Mayfair came forward with a smile on her face.


    "Mmm, general, can we talk about this later. Phoebe needs to sit down and you are needed by one of the congress men."


    She directed him to the congressman that was waving in their direction wildly. Successfully, she retrieved Phoebe away sat her down in the empty chair which had been left for her between herself and Andre.


    Andre sat down quickly before David could snatch his chair.


    "Sister, why were you late?"


    Phoebe smiled and answered, "Traffic."


    Andre turned his head and passed this answer on to his mother and she told Edward, who told Luke that whispered it to Collin.


    Phoebe didn''t want to mention the kidnapping, not right now. There had been a lot of drama in the family lately and they needed a small break from it. Moreover, Ruth had covered her face when she met Mitch, so it could not be proven that she was behind the kidnapping.


    "Are there any ghosts here?" Andre asked.


    Phoebe looked around and nodded calmly. It was a cemetery, of course there were ghosts around, many of them.


    Hopefully, they would not try to start a conversation with her when she was surrounded by all these people and television cameras. Enough people thought of her as crazy, as it was.

 Chapter 160 - 160: Ruth on needles, again!

    Phoebe was worried about ghosts and on the other hand, Ruth was nervous as hell not just because she had become the center of gossip thanks to the loud mouthed general but because Phoebe whom she thought was lying unconscious somewhere had suddenly appeared.


    General Drusus had loudly declared her identity and the Mayfair''s had all but confirmed it. What she had been dreading, was happening slowly, the whispers.


    She couldn''t stand the curious and condescending gazes of the public especially the girls she called friends so she excused herself claiming that she didn''t feel well.


    Her desire to escape jolted Phoebe out of her ghost related thoughts, she got up and went towards Ruth. "Oh you don''t? Sister I will escort you to the car then."


    Phoebe forcefully pulled her by the arm. Ruth started resisting but Phoebe was abnormally strong and her nails dug into Ruth''s arm.


    "You don''t want me talking about the kidnapping here now do you?" Phoebe whispered through pursed lips.


    "WHAT!! kid...what? Pheebs what are you talking about? Did something happen?" Ruth''s eyes grew bigger her whites showed.


    If she didn''t know her any better Phoebe would think that Ruth was actually innocent. She really had a knack for acting, instead of plotting in real life, she should have got a job plotting in a fictional television world. It would earn her money and fame as well.


    The somewhat loud quizzical statements that came from Ruth''s mouth attracted curious gazes from the family something Phoebe didn''t want. She had no evidence, Mitch confessed when she slapped the truth telling talisman his back that they didn''t know the boss lady. They had received a phone call from a burner phone from a woman and a huge deposit.


    "Come with me obediently." Phoebe ordered Ruth.


    More people were looking their way, heavily vested in observing the relationship between the real and the fake.


    "Is something wrong?" Edward asked.


    Phoebe smiled and shook her head. "Nothing dad, i am just escorting Ruth to the car because she doesn''t not feel fine. Please excuse us for moment."


    As if she was leading away a hostage with a knife to the throat, Phoebe pushed a now reluctant Ruth to move.


    Old lady Mayfair was dissatisfied to see this. "Hmph! why does she have to help that white eyed wolf. My Phoebe is too nice and soft for her own good."


    "Mother, don''t say that in public." Jennie whispered.


    David was unsettled to see the two women leaving together so he followed them stealthily.


    When they reached in the parking area, Phoebe whirled Ruth around roughly.


    "Rotten thing, it was you that had me kidnapped, right?" she questioned her.


    In response Ruth laughed snidely and clapped her hands softly.


    "If it''s me, then why haven''t you told everyone? What, are you trying to protect your newly found family? It''s so sweet and touching but Pheebs you are now vulnerable because I know your weakness." She poked a finger at Phoebe''s chest. "If you dare me, i will do worse but not to you, maybe Andre or your mother, so just be a good girl and keep your pie hole shut."


    Since they were alone, with no witnesses to overhear, she felt confident in asserting herself.


    Ruth moved her hand to Phoebe''s cheek and caressed it. Phoebe moved her head back slightly and slapped Ruth''s hand away.


    Then and now, Ruth was resorting to such means to get her way. Phoebe suddenly had a thought, what if the mother that Ruth planned to kill after her children was not Elizabeth but Jennie? Even in the past, Ruth was aware that she was not a Mayfair. There was no way she would have killed her own birth mother when that couple helped her scheme back then.


    She looked at Ruth and wondered how many more things she missed back then because she had been blind. Ruth would pay for it all, everything she had done.


    Phoebe pulled out the phone from her purse and pressed the stop recording button.


    "Thank you for confessing sister," She said sarcastically, "Before now I didn''t have any evidence but now i have you on recording admitting to your crime and making threats against my brother and grandmother. If anything happens to them, you will be suspect number one."


    Ruth heaved heavily and tried to snatch the phone but a manly hand grabbed hers.


    "You venomous witch, what are you trying to do?" David shoved her vehemently that she stumbled back and fell to the ground.


    Phoebe touched David''s arm to calm him down because he wanted to beat Ruth up.


    "Dav...its not what you think...i....i" Ruth began to sob.


    It dawned on her that this was it, David was never going to see her the same way. She had finally hit rock bottom and lost everything, what would her parents think when they hear that damn recording. She began to scan her head for solution but she had none.


    Phoebe pointed at Ruth. "Ruth Gabriel, you must be stupid. I saw this coming from miles away. I was your friend once I know what you are capable of. Actually, i thought you would just add peanuts to my food since i am allergic to them but you went for a kidnapping plot. Haven''t you wondered how i am standing before you unharmed? You surely do not think that those men let me go willing, you are dumb but not that dumb. I will show you what will happen to you if you do something stupid like that again."


    Phoebe told the angry Saxon spirit to strangle her but not kill her.


    "I thought you would never ask." The spirit sealed Ruth''s mouth, rubbed its hands and gave Ruth two slaps first.


    Ruth tried to stand or crawl away but she was confused, not sure of what to do. She looked around in search of the assailant. The spirit added more slaps and wrapped its hands around her neck until she was fighting for breath and blue in the face.


    "I am Phoebe Mayfair, the one true shaman of Citrus city. If you mess with me again, I will break your bones like I did your criminal friends and as for my family, I dare you to hurt them. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    My parents raised you with so much love and their hearts will break beyond repair if they heard this recording. That''s why i am going to hold on to this but only on the condition that you leave the country by the end of the week, say good bye to the Mayfairs forever and never return."


    Ruth who was coughing endlessly with her hands around her bruised neck was frightened, and nodded continuously.


    "I...i will leave, I promise please tell those ghosts to stay away from me."


    She rushed inside the car and her waiting driver who didn''t intervene as this was a matter between two sisters drove off.


    David was standing guard next to Polly, making sure that no one was watching what was going on.


    He disagreed with how Phoebe had decided to handle it. "Pheebs, she is not going to walk away on her own, even if leaves the danger doesn''t go away. Just go to your parents and let them listen to the recording. Let them kick her out for good and send her to prison. That cunning snake is only going to come up with another plan."


    Ruth would never willingly give up a life of wealth and luxury, she would rather die.

 Chapter 161 - 161: She cannot avoid ghosts.

    Phoebe knew he was right but her family had had enough heartbreaks especially her mother who would only blame herself for Ruth being a monster. She had the evidence anyway and the house had talismans everywhere, her family members were safe. For now, it was better to wait and see.


    Besides, how could she allow Ruth to leave so easily with a healthy body and all the money in her accounts? She had to be penniless and in pain. Now that the family didn''t trust Ruth anymore, it was time to begin the second phase of her plan.


    "David let''s keep this between us at least for now, if she attempts to do anything then I will have to let them know." S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They left and went back to the cemetery because it was time for the interment.


    When they left, Collin Mayfair revealed himself. He had followed David and his sisters with the intention of dragging them away from him. He did not expect to witness the scene which had met his eyes or hear the words exchanged between Phoebe and Ruth.


    He was so shocked that he loosened his tie and sat on the grass under the large tree where he had been hiding. He could not believe what he had just heard. Was this the real Ruth or had Phoebe pushed her so much that she said those things out of anger? How could she threaten their grandmother and Andre? Even if she was feuding with Phoebe, how could she make such a threat?


    What was the right thing to do with this information, tell the rest of the family or wait like Phoebe had told David? He thought long and hard for a few minutes but came to no proper conclusion so he stood up and went to rejoin the ceremony.


    He was like a zombie through most of it, just staring at Phoebe who scowled at him in turn, even hissing and gesturing for him to look away from her.


    [I am not a television, why do you keep watching me? It can''t possibly be that you are blaming me for Ruth suddenly deciding to leave. She is the one that sent goons to kidnap me and yet i haven''t ratted her out. Be grateful to me for saving the reputation of your wicked beloved fake sister I should just take the recording and slap you in your smug face with it.]


    Collin scoffed and looked away from her. She noticed the slight upward curl of his lips as he was looking away. She scoffed too and folded her fist, then made a small punching gesture in his direction.


    "What are you doing?" Andre whispered to her.


    "Nothing." she lied.


    She put that hand down and folded both of her hands on her laps in the fashion all the other young ladies were doing.


    Her fake perfect young lady pose did not last long because she noticed something weird going on between ghosts. One had dark energy, it was definitely a malicious ghost and the other one was normal. The dark malicious one was a man and he dragging the normal one, a woman that was screaming.


    She did not expect that her eyes would ever see the sight of a female ghost being harassed even after death.


    "What the heck." she whispered.


    The ghost defender in her did not sit still.


    "Go and check it out." she told told the Saxon spirit.


    She moved her hand into her bag slowly and tossed out a few talismans to get rid of any evil ghosts and energy in the cemetery.


    They turned into black ash as soon as they touched the ground and what remained was carried away by the winds.


    "I saw you." Andre leaned down and whispered in her ears.


    "What are you, my personal stalker?" she shoved his curious head away.


    Andre''s head pivoted her way and he shamelessly responded with pride, "Yes, if i don''t stalk my sister, who will i stalk?"


    [Crazy! he is not a sis con, is he? No, that term describes jerk Collin better. I bet he would wash Ruth''s feet if she ordered him to. Maybe even dress up as a maid in those short fluffy uniforms to and dance around if she asked. Hahahaha....]


    Both Collin and Andre could not believe what they had just read. Collin who was back to staring at Phoebe could not believe that she thought he was a sis con. He just defended Ruth a little because he thought Phoebe was a bad guy. Sis con was really too much!


    And what was that nonsense about washing feet and dressing up as a maid. What exactly was it that went through his sister''s mind? For someone that had been kidnapped only an hour and some minutes ago, she was too carefree with her muddled thoughts.


    Andre meanwhile was snickering, while he looked in Collin''s direction, imagining his brother in the silly maid costume.


    Collin noticed Andre snickering and looking at him immediately.What is this idiot brother thinking, he asked himself.


    He was turning his head back when he realized that Andre had been looking at the top of Phoebe''s head just like him. It can''t be.....he thought.


    The sudden sound of gun fire drew him away from his brother. It was best not to appear distracted at this ceremony so he looked ahead.


    Phoebe could not avoid her ghost duties, the Saxon spirit had not just returned with the ghost but a sad story as well.


    The poor young woman had been killed by her stalker and then he killed himself. Before dying, he made sure that they were buried next to each other. In life and death, her stalker refused to let her go. She could not move on because he had used some means to tie their ghosts together. Everywhere she escaped to, he would find her and torment her.


    The ghost made a request for Phoebe to dig up her grave and transfer her bones, separating her from her stalker so that she could move on.


    Hearing the story made her sigh. What kind of stalker was this, a super stalker? How could he stalk someone in life and death?


    "What a devious bastard, i just to rip off his head shove it up his fuc..."


    "Connie! i swear to God i will ground you." The Saxon spirit sternly raised her voice.


    The teenage girl pouted and disappeared into the space, but not before stomping her right foot to express her displeasure for not being allowed to express herself as she wished.


    Soon, they came to the final part of the ceremony, handing out medals to the families of the dead soldiers, Phoebe too received her medal, as did Edward, David and Andre.


    Unexpectedly, grandma Mayfair pouted unhappily.


    "Mother, what''s wrong?"


    "I should be getting get one as well. I worked all night to feed hungry ghosts, listen to their stories and register their information. I contributed to."


    Jennie was lost for words. What was she supposed to say? It''s not as if this information could be shared publicly.


    With the medals awarded, coffins were lowered and the ceremony was ended. General Drusus immediately made a bee line for Phoebe but she turned around and took off running.


    The general latched on to Edward instead.


    "When are you inviting me over for dinner?"


    Edward turned to Amon for help. Other families had cuckoos too, why was the army general so interested in their family affairs?


    He couldn''t help frowning at the man. Thanks to him, his daughter had run off.


    Their face off would have to be pushed to another day because Collin got a call from the hospital, Ruth had been in an accident.

 Chapter 162 - 162: A regular at the cemetery.

    It was not until she reached the car parking that Phoebe recalled she didn''t come with her car. She didn''t want to be driven by her family members as they would insist on following her.


    The only option left was grabbing a taxi but in that area she would have to walk for at least thirty five minutes to find one.


    "Damn it." she whispered.


    She abandoned the heels for sneakers which she took from her space and decided to run to the road.


    The Saxon spirit noticed that Polly was somewhere in the parking.


    "David could give you a ride."


    "I am going to dig a grave, allow me to maintain some of my beauty and dignity please." Phoebe brushed the suggestion off.


    Even if he was familiar with what she did for a living, she didn''t necessarily have to go around with him all the time. Besides, David Saxon digging up a grave would attract attention from people and get in the way of her job.


    She pointed in the direction of the road and exhaled loudly. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Let''s go." she shouted vigorously and took off running at an incredible speed.


    What she didn''t know was that David had actually tried to follow her when she took off running but he could not make it to her because his mother had latched onto him tightly. He couldn''t shake her lose, not in public but it didn''t stop him from trying anyway.


    "Let go." he spoke through gritted teeth.


    "Not until you tell me about this cuckoo business. Did you know that your little ghost seeing girlfriend is the Mayfair heiress? How dare they try to deceive us with the fake thing? Thank God you saw through the ruse and got the real one first.Anyway, don''t worry, i will not oppose your relationship anymore but you must make sure to marry her quickly. I know for sure other families will send their sons to seduce her first. A girl like that who has not seen the world is easy to fool, a little money and she will be taken."


    She looked around like a thief and then lowered her voice even more. "Have you bedded her? If you haven''t, do it quickly and make sure to score a big one, it doesn''t matter if you play dirty, just do whatever it takes. If she is pregnant, she can''t escape."


    David shoved her away from himself immediately, sending her back and she crushed into Katherine. There was dismay on his face and loathing.


    "You are unbelievable." he spat out and walked away.


    She just kept disappointing him more and more every passing day. How could she make such a suggestion to her own son? He had heard rumors that she used such a trick to entangle his father and marry him. He didn''t think that she would encourage her own children to do the same.


    He had to get out of there, he could not look at her anymore. What he needed was Phoebe or a drink. When he contacted Phoebe, her phone was off so he decided to get the drink instead.


    ****************


    Phoebe thought her days of spending the night at a cemetery were long gone but she had been kidding herself. In her line of work, places where the dead were buried were like restaurants. Every once in a while, you had to visit one.


    Digging up graves was illegal which left her with no choice but to stay there helping ghosts or simply having conversations with some while she waited for darkness to come.


    Even the darkness she needed had to be timed, it had to be a moment when most people were sleeping. As soon as it clocked midnight, she donned a black rain coat and got to work.


    She got a shovel and followed the Saxon spirit and the frightened ghost seeking her help to the grave of her stalker.


    With the shovel in hand and the unnecessary rain coat as it was not raining, she was quite the sight. If anybody saw her, they would run for the hills assuming that she was a killer. Who else walked around a cemetery looking like that?


    Connie poked the rain coat" Sister, every time you dress like this you look just like a ghost. You are one of us, one of us...one of us...one"


    "Shut up and dig Connie." Phoebe put the shovel in her hands.


    Immediately, tears formed in Connie''s eyes. "Sister, how can a weak young ghost like me dig? I do not have the strength, look at weak limbs."


    She put her arms out and feigned sadness.


    Phoebe and the Saxon spirit rolled their eyes, the girl was really good at dodging work. Sylvester took the shovel from Connie and got to work.


    As soon as the shovel touched the ground above, they had an angry growl.


    The frightened ghost of the woman screamed and looked around from left to right.


    "It''s him, he is here." She clung onto the Saxon spirit and trembled.


    Phoebe poured salt all around the them, encircling the graves as well. Not wasting a moment, she got another shovel and also got to work. The moment she lifted it, she made a realization, with two or three days worth of energy, she would not need to dig and the process could be expedited.


    Outside the salt circle, the malicious ghost was trying hard to get to them, looking for an opening. That smell of evil was really nauseating, Phoebe wanted to leave as soon as possible.


    "Step back." she ordered Sylvester.


    She put her hands out, palms facing downwards and concentrated with a lot of energy. She had only learned to move things recently, and nothing this big so far.


    "Step aside." The Saxon spirit told her.


    "No, you keep an eye on that bastard, you can see the change in the wind, right? He is trying to blow the salt away. Protect her, i can do this." Phoebe responded.


    "Why don''t we use paper men?" Connie asked.


    Nobody answered her, it was not the time to answer her question. If they could respond, they would tell her that using paper men would eat up at least thirty days worth of Phoebe''s energy and life.


    More importantly, Phoebe needed to practice her skills and become strong.


    "Oh, it''s working." Connie squealed.


    The ground above was cracking as if there was a small land slide. Grass and brown soil fell to the side, parting to make way for a dark oak coffin with gold plated handles.


    The growling of the malicious ghost became louder.


    "I will kill you." It threatened.


    "Oh yeah, you and what army?" Connie responded.


    She raised her hand and gave the malicious ghost the middle finger, deliberately provoking it. Not even the Saxon spirit stopped her this time.


    Sylvester suddenly spun around and kicked off the lid of the coffin.


    "Wow!!" Phoebe exclaimed.


    The growling became louder and the force of the wind increased, blowing off some leaves from the trees around the cemetery.


    Some of the salt was blown away but the Saxon spirit replaced it immediately and threw out an intricately designed black amulet which was a blocking talisman imbued with protective magic.


    The wind did not reach them anymore and the growling of the ghost was cut off to their ears.


    Phoebe moved closer to the coffin to take a look. There was something inside, a thing that reeked of evil.

 Chapter 163 - 163: Until death dont so us part.

    Phoebe couldn''t help gasping when her eyes saw what was in the coffin. It was in the hands of the dry decayed body of the malicious ghost, a black talisman with a dark aura crafted from a human bone. When she looked closer, she noticed a faint glow with a spooky light.


    The knowledgeable Saxon spirit knew what they were looking at immediately


    "It''s a binding talisman but this one is packed full of dark magic. This kind of talisman was crafted to create an unbreakable bond between her and this stalking bastard even in the afterlife. The bone is probably hers."


    The female ghost had told them that it died in an accident so it was not impossible for someone to acquire a piece of her bone.


    "Whoever prepared his body for the burial must have known about it because his hands are glued to the talisman, he basically glued their fates together making sure that even if she reincarnates, he would find her in another world." The Saxon spirit could not believe what it was seeing.


    This was the kind of thing you heard about in whispers, never really witnessing in person. It was only used in cases of true love where lovers could not let go of each other even in death. Undying loyalty to a king, emperor, or someone superior. The last case was tragic love where lovers chose to die because they could not be together in that life so they hoped for a chance in the next one.


    Never before had she heard about it being used as a vengeful tool. Not only had this stalker, killed the woman, and ensured that he was buried next to her but he went ahead to tie their fates together. What kind of obsession was that?


    Phoebe looked back at the growling ghost in disgust. "First it was stealing luck and now this, what is wrong with people?"


    It did not make sense that a stalking victim had not found peace even in death. Some of them actually took their lives to escape their stalkers, if this kind of thing was common, did it mean even death was not a relief?


    The scared female ghost had collapsed to the ground, bawling her eyes out while Sylvester tried to comfort her, assuring her that all would be fine now.


    Connie on the other hand lost her patience and poured salt on the body. She vanished into the space and returned with Phoebe''s newly crafted evil banishing talismans. Not wasting a single moment, she stuck them onto the bones and poured gasoline all over them.


    Phoebe lit another talisman and tossed it while it was burning into the coffin. Immediately, the fire rose up and cracking sounds came from the bones.


    As the binding talisman burned, so did the ties between the two, freeing the poor female ghost that vanished into a white light quickly as soon as it was freed. Phoebe had never seen a ghost that was so ready to say goodbye to the earth.


    "She is gone, just like that." she commented.


    "She didn''t even say goodbye or thank you after we helped her." Connie noticed.


    The others laughed at the teenage girl who was famous for saying neither of those things as well. Since the bones were still burning, they stayed for a while, waiting for


    The air was filled with wailing from the malicious ghost that was angry because the woman was gone, not bound to him anymore.


    It was also scared because it had started fading and darkness had come to claim it. Phoebe did not feel sorry for it in the least bit, it deserved even worse.


    What she had done was send it to its final destination directly which was well. The evil malicious ghost was not deserving of purgatory.


    With the job finished she restored the scene of the crime as best as she could and they left the cemetery. She didn''t return to the Mayfair house but went to her apartment instead.


    The guards at the entrance gave her quizzing looks when they saw her dirty sneakers and the rain coat. They wondered what kind of person wore a rain coat on a non rainy day and why her sneakers were so dirty.


    As she took the elevator up, they whispered about her.


    "That''s the ghost seeing woman, right?"


    "Does she just see ghosts or is she one of them?"


    "I have seen her talking to herself many times, she is very creepy."


    Phoebe didn''t know that an entire discussion into her had been started when she made her way to her apartment. Even if she did, she would not have cared. It was nothing new anyway.


    She entered her apartment, took a shower and went to sleep.


    ***********************


    Edward Mayfair woke up early on Sunday morning, he went to his study because he had a scheduled meeting that was happening via a conference call.


    First, he checked his phone for a call or text from Phoebe and smiled when he found one, informing him that she was sleeping at her apartment.


    Satisfied with her sense of responsibility, he concentrated on business. Two hours later, There was a knock on the door and Edward told whoever it was to come in. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mark, the head of security entered with an air of nervousness. He didn''t know how he was going to break the terrible news he had to his boss.


    "Mr Mayfair i am sorry to bother you...."


    "Its no bother Mark, i am done here." Edward switched off the computer, not looking at Mark so he didn''t notice the nervousness on his face.


    Mark cleared his voice. " Well sir you have a special visitor, its the news anchor Kelly."


    Edward brightened up and looked up at Mark with a delighted grin. He was aware of relationship between his son and Kelly and he thought it was high time Collin took a serious step and made things official.


    He was tired of his peers asking him about when he was going to start having grandchildren or why all his three sons were still not married.


    He stood up immediately in a rush to go and welcome the special guest.


    "Have my mother and Jennie been informed yet? It''s a pity Pheebs didn''t spend the night, she is going to miss out on an opportunity to meet her future sister-in-law. And Collin, has he welcomed her?" He asked.


    "Unfortunately, Mr. Collin had already left but I have informed him and he is on his way back. As for the madams. Oman has gone to inform them. However sir there is something else that you should know...."


    Edward stopped in his tracks because Mark''s voice had suddenly become very serious.


    "What is this about? Can''t it wait?" He asked.


    Mark tugged on his left ear lobe. "It''s about Ophelia financial records. I sent them to your email after highlighting the suspicious parts.


    I discovered that Ophelia sent money to a lab technician so I tracked him down, quizzed him and he confessed that he was paid to find out about the tests Luke Mayfair had requested to be run between members of the family and miss Phoebe. She wanted the test results to be changed.


    Then also she paid a small internet company whose employees are paid to make false posts and slander people on line. Additionally, she paid off a doctor that treated miss Ruth when she was about to have a surgery. I have found all that and many other shady payments."

 Chapter 164 - 164: Uninvited guest.

    The information overloaded Edward''s mind for a moment. He had been pumped full of one shock after another, covering the news of Kelly visiting his house. Why had Ophelia made such suspicious transactions? Was Ruth in on it or were these things done by Ophelia to protect Ruth?


    He rushed back to his desk and checked the email. The amounts of money she had spent were staggering. By the count alone Ophelia was a wealthy woman that didn''t need to work as a maid.


    "This doesn''t make sense at all. Yes, we do pay our employees really well but where did Ophelia get this kind of money? I am seeing millions of dollars here."


    Mark squinted his eyes and wrinkled his brows. "Well sir that''s the other thing which i have not shared yet. The money came from one account that belongs to miss Ruth." He scrutinized his boss''s face to see his reaction on the issue. "I have attached all the evidence related to these incidents, i just don''t know what to do next. It''s not like I can question the older young miss." He shrugged. He had done his job it was now up to his boss to decide on what to do next.


    "Thank you Mark, you can leave for now. Remember not to mention this to anybody." he cautioned his head of security and sent him away.


    After Mark left, Edward walked to the big French window that displayed the beauty of the flower garden. He could not even enjoy the beauty of the flowers at the moment. The writing was on the wall, Ruth had wired Ophelia millions of dollars and made her do all the dirty work. She was probably behind the theft and framing as well. He needed to take a look at Ruth''s bank statements first to confirm his suspicions.


    Once they had concrete evidence, they could make on a decision on how to proceed. What would they do to Ruth when all the pieces of the puzzle came together? Was expelling her from the family enough?


    He looked down and saw his mother sitting on a mat near the gazebo doing some light yoga and made made a momentous decision to go talk to her as this was beyond what he anticipated Ruth was capable of doing.


    As he walked down the stairs, he heard laughter in the living room so he went by to greet the guest.


    The moment Kelly saw him, she raised herself from the chair and put on her best charming smile which had won many hearts. "Mr Mayfair, its my pleasure to finally meet you, i am Kelly, Collin''s girlfriend." She introduced herself bashfully.


    Edward returned the smile and before he could respond, his wife''s excited voice came to his ears.


    "Edward at this point we should begin preparing for a wedding. She''s a good fit for our family. She''s beautiful and charming I like her and so does mother. I wonder where she went to." Jennie''s eyes moved around as if in search of the old woman.


    Edward gave her one gentle look, smiled at the guest again and looked in the direction of the door through which Collin was coming through.


    He stopped his son by grabbing his shoulder. "Oh Collin, it''s good that you are here. How come you have been hiding your girlfriend from us? She is very charming and patient if she can put up with your fiery temper. Your mother and i like this one, try to keep her son."


    Collin let out a muffled growl, he wore a glum facial expression. It''s looked like he wasn''t happy with Kelly''s visit. He greeted his father and mother before looking sharply at Kelly.


    "Follow me." He curtly orderd her before looking at his parents. "Please excuse us, Kelly and i need to have a word in private." His tone was grave and stern enough to raise curiosity.


    Jennie was displeased by his actions especially the tone of his voice. "Son! This is not how I raised you, I have always told you that women are delicate creatures that need to be handled with care especially when she is your woman. At least let her finish her cup of tea before you have a private talk."


    His father nodded and patted his back once. "Your mother is right son, exercise some patience." Edward excused himself and stepped out of the house.


    He went straight towards the gazebo where his mother was now sitting, soaking in the gentle rays of the morning sun. She waved happily upon seeing him like she was expecting him to show up.


    Edward squeezed himself next to her on the gym mat and sat with his legs crossed.


    "Good morning mother, why aren''t you with the others? Did you not like our guest?"


    Grandma Mayfair clicked her tongue. "I don''t like the fact that she introduced herself to us. I am still traditional in some things like marriage and bringing her here for us to meet was Collin''s role. I find her a little too presumptuous. And you, what''s bugging you? You have a deep frown on your face. Is the company not doing well?"


    Edward sat beside her and narrated everything that he had discovered including his worries. By the time he was finished, grandma Mayfair''s lips were curved downwards with a big frown.


    "This is not surprising at all, I always knew that wicked girl was gaslighting and manipulating you all using her sickness. Judging by everything that you have told me Ruth tried to know if we had done a DNA test which only raises more suspicion on whether or not she long knew that she wasn''t a Mayfair.


    She must have also paid that doctor to come up with that diagnosis. The timing was too perfect for him to announce that it was an error just when we intensified the search for her birth parents. And the pink butterfly going missing, it was all Ruth''s doing. That girl is greedy, full of wickedness, her heart is as black as sin and she is capable of anything. If she stays here longer, we will all end up in danger."


    Edward stroked his jaw, thinking about what his mother had just said. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Mother what do we do? We cannot just send her away without evidence, people will talk. We could get answers quicker if we question Ophelia but the problem is that Ophelia has disappeared off the face of the earth."


    Just when his mother was about to respond, they spotted Collin on the other side of the gazebo dragging Kelly by the hand into the garden.


    Grandma Mayfair put a finger to her lips and asked her son to stay silent. That look on Collin''s face spelled trouble, the couple was about to fight.


    This would be a great way of observing Kelly to see if she was more than just a charming smile. She had seen what a wolf in sheep''s clothing was with Ruth so she would not trust easily anymore.

 Chapter 165 - 165: The break up.

    Collins eyes darted around just to make sure that there were no prying eyes and when he didn''t see a shadow of a single human, he glared at Kelly.


    Unbeknown to him was that his father and grandma were sitting in the gazebo but out of his view.


    "Babe! You are hurting me!" Kelly pulled her hand away from him, she gently massaged it as she winced softly. "You must be shocked that I came here without letting you know but I had to.


    You are avoiding me lately which has made me afraid so i came to see you in a place where you could not hide from me. Babe, I don''t understand why you are taking so long to make our relationship official. It''s an open secret everybody knows anyway." She reached up and tried to touch his face but he slapped her hand away.


    "Get your dirty hands away from me." he spat out harshly.


    Kelly was puzzled by his reaction, she expected him to be miffed maybe at her surprise but Collin looked more than a little miffed, he was enraged. His eyes were blazing with fury and his mouth set in a tight line. His nostrils were flared and the muscles in his face tense. Kelly could feel a palpable sense of hostility, as if he was ready to pounce and eat her alive.


    "Why are you here?" Collin asked, his voice was deep and harsh indicating that he wasn''t in the mood to be lovey-dovey.


    "What do you mean?" Kelly frowned. "You always said that you want us to marry and I introduced you to my parents it''s only fair that I know yours too. Besides, yesterday while covering the state funeral there were rumors going around that you had a new love interest, although I later found out that she is your biological sister and it shook me to the core.


    This is the kind of stuff you share with the woman you are serious about Collin. I am a little unhappy that i had to find out about your family raising a cuckoo through the elite gossip vine but i decided not to blame you. You were afraid that i might air it on the news because of my job. I believe that''s one of the obstacles in our relationship so i want to give you assurance."


    She reached in her bag and pulled out a small box. She opened it revealing the two silver couple rings inside.


    Smiling shyly, she held the rings up to him. "Babe, let''s get married."


    Letting out a guffaw, Collin twisted his face in disgust. "Me? Marry you? That will never happen! Not even in your dreams. I know everything Kelly, you have been sleeping with your boss. I have the pictures of you two together fucking in the office." He raised his index finger to silence her. "And before you say that it was a one time mistake, I have pictures of you going to the Best East hotel at night and leaving in the morning." He pulled out his phone and showed her the photos.


    "I cannot share a woman with that sixty something year old man." He looked her up and down derisively, "He is old enough to be your father and he is married. You disgust me."


    The loathing with which the words fell off his tongue was almost tangible. The way he looked at her, it was almost as if she had maggots crawling all over her body. Kelly''s heart raced faster than a motorcycle being raced on a dirt road.


    She clenched her hands and calmed herself.


    "I disgust you!" she exclaimed. "Do you really believe that i would choose an old man like that over you? I was drugged and blackmailed by him, i had no choice. I tried to tell you that my boss was pressuring me into having sex with him two months ago but you left me and run off because you got a call from your sister. That same night, he took advantage of me. Please believe me, i didn''t have a choice."


    In response to her defense, Collin shook his head.


    "I do not believe you Kelly. If your boss took advantage of you, why didn''t you report to the police? Why did you continue sleeping with him after that? You are a media worker, i do not believe that you could not have acquired evidence to turn the tide against him.


    I am a Mayfair, with the power of my family, i would have fought for justice for you. I am not a fool Kelly, do you think i don''t know that its promotion season at your network and you are aiming for a higher position?" he barked at her loudly.


    "If i didn''t discover all this, i would have ended up being cuckolded by you and humiliated. Thank God my sister warned me about you in time." Collin was grateful to Phoebe and the fact that he could read her thoughts.


    At the mention of his sister, Kelly sneered, her lips curved upwards. "Wait what? Your sister, why am i not surprised that she is coming up in this conversation. Of course this has everything to do with that bitch. Tell me Collin were you ever true to me during our relationship? It was always a competition between me and that bitch for your affection and time."


    She shouted hysterically, uncaring about where they were or who happened to overhear them.


    "I want to know your true feelings towards your sister because I don''t get it. She was always showing up on almost all of our dates, acting like a child and you would indulge her in my presence. She always tagged along on our vacations with us and you bought her more gifts than you did me.


    Her arm was always in yours and i would walk on my own as if i was a third wheel. It''s like you were dating her and not me. You''re wondering why I slept with my boss? Well it''s because it felt like I had to compete with your sister for attention.


    It always felt like you were dating both of us and now it turns out that she is not your biological sister after all. I guess you are dumping me to pursue a relationship with her, but I won''t sit back and watch the two of you enjoy each other, just you watch." S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Kelly removed the sun glasses that were resting on top of her head and threw them at him. She gave him a vicious glare before walking away with revenge on her mind.


    Collin stayed back frozen and perplexed by her false accusations. In his eyes, he had done no wrong. Was he supposed to ignore his sister just because he had a girlfriend?


    Most of the situations she had referenced to were coincidences that occurred because Ruth just happened to be in the same place as him. As for the vacations, she nagged him about tagging along and other times it was a pure coincidence that ended up in the same city.


    There was no inappropriateness between him and Ruth, it was disgusting to even imagine. She had been unfaithful and now she was looking for someone to blame. He shook his head and walked back into the house. It was obvious that the woman was insane and he had dodged a bullet.

 Chapter 166 - 166: The worries of a mother and son.

    Edward and old lady Mayfair had been trading glances as they eavesdropped the conversation. Initially they were taken back when she proposed, a thing which the old fashioned lady Mayfair did not approve of but if it was Collin''s choice, she planned to respect it.


    However, when they heard about Kelly''s unfaithfulness, they were miffed. The old lady wanted to come out of hiding and throw Kelly out but Edward stopped her.


    Luckily, he stopped her in time or they would not have been able to overhear the concerning remarks she raised about the relationship between Collin and Ruth.


    As soon as Collin left, they came of hiding, each with a worried expression on the face.


    "Mother, did you hear that? It can''t really be that....can it?" Edward expressed his concern about the matter.


    "Well that young woman is not totally wrong, the closeness between those two is very worrisome especially now that they are not real siblings. Maybe i am over thinking things but...." Grandma Mayfair rubbed her chin.


    She didn''t need to say more, he understood exactly what she meant.


    "No you are not wrong mother, let''s watch them for now to prevent any accidents. I am going to order someone in the house to keep a keen eye on Ruth. Additionally, i am going to investigate her financial records, if she really did those horrible things then i won''t have a choice but to kick her out, Jennie will have to bear with it." Edward sighed deeply.


    The two walked back inside, coinciding with Phoebe''s return to the house. She was welcomed back by both parents with great enthusiasm as if she was just returning from a war and not a person that had slept out for only one night.


    "Your brother''s girlfriend was here." Jennie eagerly shared with her while pulling her down to have a sit.


    Phoebe looked at Collin who was sitting in the opposite single chair with his legs crossed, pretentiously perusing through a newspaper.


    [Tsk, tsk, he really refused to listen to my advise. He must love being cuckolded so much, anyway, its his grave. In two weeks, he will reap what he has sewn.]


    Collin was peeking at her from behind the newspaper and he saw her thoughts on the matter.


    He scoffed, cleared his throat and announced, "We have broken up."


    Jennie''s face turned grim at the news which she perceived as bad. Only was son was dating seriously and he had broken up with his girlfriend.


    "Why?" she cried out. "How can you lose such a good girl? Go and get her back for me..."


    Phoebe drew her back by tagging on her arm. "Mom, forget it, she is not as good as she acts."


    [In two weeks, pictures of her in a cat costume riding an old man that could be her father will be spread on social media. His wife will beat her black and blue, her reputation will be ruined and she will go into hiding for the rest of her life.]


    Jennie gasped and covered her mouth while Collin''s jaw dropped. Cat costume!! how did Phoebe know the exact details of the private affair? Had she seen the pictures or did she know who was going to leak them?


    "Break it off cleanly, make sure she does not return to this house. Block her so that she doesn''t contact you anymore." Suddenly Jennie was fired up and delivering commands to Collin fiercely. "Collin Mayfair, if i dare find out that you have even crossed her path i will be merciless. I do not approve of your relationship, even if you kneel down and threaten to end your lives unless i approve, i will never allow it."


    "Yes mother." Collin obediently answered.


    Jennie sent him one last warning glare and then her doting eyes moved to Phoebe.


    "Have you had breakfast?" S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Naturally, Phoebe pouted and shook her head. Jennie immediately gave commands for her precious daughter to be fed.


    "Mom, i don''t see Ruth. Did she go out?"


    Old lady Mayfair scowled deeply, showing her disdain for Ruth. "Ha! don''t mention that name here, she is at the hospital just like always, faking another illness. She got into an accident and the doctor called us as if she was on her death bed. On reaching there, she had no scratch mark on her body but she was crying and acting fragile as always."


    "She was probably displeased because we declared Phoebe''s true identity to everyone at the state funeral." Andre suggested.


    When Phoebe looked around, everyone was accounted for. Whether the accident was real or not, Ruth was the girl that had cried wolf too many times and nobody believed her anymore. Her days in the Mayfair family were numbered.


    Maria came over with a big smiled and brought breakfast for Phoebe.


    "Miss Phoebe, i prepared raspberry waffles for you because you mentioned craving some a few days ago. If you like them, tell me and i will make as many as you like."


    Phoebe smiled with gratitude at the maid and nodded.


    "I have never seen Maria so happy to serve breakfast." Andre commented.


    "It''s because your sister is special and likeable." Jennie was filled with praise for Phoebe.


    "I have a present for every one except mother." Phoebe announced as she placed a parcel on the coffee table. before digging into her breakfast.


    Andre jumped and picked it up quickly as if it was about to be snatched away, eliciting laughter from the group.


    Inside were small jewelry boxes with a tag that had everyone''s name.


    Everyone opened theirs, Jennie was the most inquisitive of what was inside because she didn''t get one.


    Grandma Mayfair got a ring just like Jennie''s and the men got a gold pendant necklace with the Mayfair emblem which was a butterfly with an ''M'' in the middle. Around the edges of the round head of the pendant were embedded crystals which were the aura stones just like the ones in the rings. The backs had special rune carvings.


    "It''s talismans, make sure you have them on you at all times." Phoebe reminded reminded them.


    "Well since I got mine first, I guess i am her favorite." Jennie waved her fingers.


    "That''s not true, I have a secret bond with her it''s a secret though. Thank you daughter." He put the pendant around his neck.


    Edward was referring to the ability to read her thoughts but he was not the only one that thought they had a special bond for that special reason..


    "I have the most special bond." Andre declared.


    "No. it''s me." Grandma Mayfair declared proudly.


    Luke just snorted while Collin was too embarrassed to fight for favor. His sister had given him a gift even though he had not given her a single thing and always been unkind to her.


    He had wasted all of his love and support on Ruth, what a shame!

 Chapter 167 - 167: Family expulsion.

    Later that evening, Edward called for a family gathering. According to the message he sent each of the family members it was something important therefore everyone was requested to be in attendance.


    Since it was a Sunday, Phoebe had spent the rest of the day at the Mayfair home watching dramas with her grandmother. She napped through the afternoon and at around 3:00pm David had come by for a visit.


    The two had a late lunch during which David confirmed that he was resigning from the Saxon group in fact he had already formed an organization of his own, DP holdings. He didn''t give much information on what it did nor did Phoebe ask any further questions.


    After he left, Phoebe went back to her room and spent a lot of time in the magic space learning as much as she could from the books and planting more seeds. Business was thriving and she needed more herbs and vegetables.


    When Edward''s summons came, she was eating ice cream and reading a novel about an ill fated woman that had been reborn like herself.


    One by one the family gathered in the living room, they played games like chess or watched television as they waited for the head of the family to address them.


    "Phoebe can I talk to you?" Collin asked.


    [What have I done now? Am i being blamed for Ruth''s accident or general Drusus screaming to the world that i am the real Mayfair heiress?] sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She sighed deeply feeling persecuted for no reason.


    Collin opened his mouth to reassure that it was none of those two things but he didn''t get the chance.


    "You two can talk later, right now there is an important decision to be made. As a matter of fact, i have made the decision already but i have to let you all know since we are family. This kind of decision needs to be heard directly from my mouth."


    Edward stood before everyone, he requested Luke to turn down the volume of the TV. After gaining their full attention, he told the family everything Mark had told him early that morning.


    "I have done my own investigations on Ruth''s financial records and it''s all true. In fact she also bought the Gabriel house using a false identity." he concluded.


    Grandma Mayfair clenched her fists. "This means that she told them to go into hiding such that no matter how much we search for them we don''t find them. I can''t believe how shameless that cuckoo is."


    "Grandma, remember it was at that same time that she needed the supposed fake surgery that the Gabriels conveniently disappeared." Phoebe nodded her head.


    [She even threatened to kill you all so that i keep my mouth shut about her evil deeds. I know all too well that she is capable of murder even if it means killing the parents that raised her. Ruth is a serpent just like her birth parents.]


    They all read her thoughts and clenched their hands while Jennie gasped. The more Ruth''s crimes were clearly laid out with evidence the more she could see things clearly.


    Threatening to kill them! what kind of person were they living with in the house? Who had they raised?


    "My God! I guess the apple doesn''t fall far from the tree. After all the love i showed her she still decided to play tricks on us for affection, ha!" she cried lamented woefully. "We told her that she could stay as our daughter, we even gave her the same treatment as Phoebe without discriminating. We even kept the truth about her being one of the cuckoos out of the news but she still went ahead to do all this?"


    Her entire body trembled and she felt sick to the stomach. Tears formed in her eyes as she recalled how they had compromised on showing Phoebe too much affection just for Ruth not to feel uncomfortable.


    Collin let out a deep and long sigh of disappointment, he even lowered his head feeling ashamed for ever standing up for Ruth unconditionally.


    "Collin, what do you have to say?"


    His father asked for his opinion on the matter so Collin raised his head, a deep frown etched on his forehead.


    They all turned to him as they expected him to vouch for Ruth but he had no such intentions. In fact, he had some truths to share.


    "Recently I heard a conversation that I wasn''t supposed to hear and it made me realize that Ruth is a very conniving person. She attempted to...no, she kidnapped Phoebe but luckily it ended in a failure. Although i am not close to Phoebe, i am deeply hurt that Ruth would try and kidnap her."


    Phoebe''s mouth twisted, she really didn''t want this news out at least not yet.


    Her mother jumped up and began to search her body for injuries as if the kidnapping had just happened. She checked her hands, arms, face, and even her hair as if she was looking for lice.


    "When was this? Why didn''t you say anything?"


    Everyone went into a panic stricken mode in search for answers. Andre was on a warpath, ready to crucify Ruth.


    "Please everyone i am okay, i have ghost friends remember?" She smiled tentatively in the bid to assure them that she was fine.


    This was her chance to advocate for Ruth to leave the house.


    "What Collin says is true, Ruth did send men to kidnap me and that was why I was late on the day of the state funeral. But I managed to escape with the help of my ghost friends of course, that witch had every intention to kill me but i outsmarted her." Phoebe comforted her sobbing mother.


    Grandma Mayfair stamped her foot on the floor. "That''s it she has to go."


    "B..but why didn''t you say anything? Were you afraid of forcing us to choose between the two of you?" Jennie dabbed her nose with a white tissue.


    "Honestly mother, this family has been through a lot because of her, besides she was your daughter too. I had told her to leave quietly after saying goodbye to you all." The corners of Phoebe''s eyebrows slanted upwards.


    "Shouldn''t we report her to the police or something." Andre asked only for Phoebe to refuse vehemently.


    She had bigger and better plans for Ruth, putting her in prison for an attempted kidnapping was an easy way out. She would be released in a year or two.


    "This only makes me feel better about my decision. Ruth is no longer part of this family and i am also going to take her name off the family register." Edward said strongly.


    His attention had been grabbed by the TV because Ruth''s picture was on the screen for some reason during the airing of the 7 o''clock news.


    The Mayfairs hide their cuckoo daughter Ruth Mayfair.


    He read and asked Luke to turn the volume up. Anchor Kelly who was reading the news was smiling. She made it a point to embarrass Ruth by saying that it was possible that she didn''t want them to out her as a cuckoo.


    Collin sniggered because Kelly was obviously enjoying the moment. This was how she had planned to take revenge on him, by destroying Ruth''s reputation.


    It didn''t matter anyway, their family had already made a decision.

 Chapter 168 - 168: David quits...for real

    Early Monday morning, David reported at the Saxon group headquarters. The board of directors was already waiting in the conference room. When he entered he noticed that members of the disciplinary committee were also present.


    His father had really made good on his words to discipline him. He had barely taken a sit when they started on him.


    "Mr. David Saxon we are already aware that you failed to secure the business deal in Eagle country because the offer was given to another company." Mr. Simon Saxon of the fourth branch and the head of the disciplinary committee spoke sternly, he was clearly unhappy with how things had turned out.


    "Explain this matter clearly." Conrad Saxon of the third branch slammed his hand down on the table.


    David did not respond to them because he had no plans to quibble with old men that used their authority to push others around.


    "Judging by the blank expression on your face, you have nothing to say, therefore Mr. David Saxon you are to accept whatever decision that the disciplinary committee makes over this matter, i rest my case." Simon leaned back in a chair.


    "Actually i have something to say." David stood up respectively. People looked at him quizzically including his father.


    "Listen David, no amount of pleading is going to get you out of this one. Just serve your punishment and come back stronger." Robert Saxon whirled around in the office chair from side to side.


    "That''s if he can come back. You lost us millions of dollars. You don''t deserve the position that you are in!" Katherine added gasoline to the flames because she saw this as an opportunity to burn her opponent to ashes.


    "I quit." he calmly put down his resignation letter on the table.


    David''s words that evoked silence from everyone except Katherine that had long been hoping that David would actually go through with his threat to leave the company.


    "Yes." Out of over excitement, she celebrated a little too loudly, earning frowns and disapproval from the others.


    Grandma Saxon raised herself to her feet, she couldn''t believe what she was hearing. How had David made such a major decision without alerting her at least. She really thought he had been bluffing and only said he would quit out of anger.


    "Davy! What do you mean? Follow me." The old woman stormed out.


    David shrugged and followed after her. She walked to the conference room that was adjacent to the one they were in.


    "Grandma before you beat me up, please listen. I am tired of my father using the Saxon group to threaten me. I lost a deal but I have won many more in the past and yet this one erased all of my hard work and dedication. I constantly have to be at odds with my siblings. Lately every time i see father, we trade words like immortal enemies.


    I am tired of walking on egg shells because of the company. More than anything, i am a grown man and i cannot stand the disrespectful way in which my father talks to me even when we are in public."


    His tone was calm as he inwardly prayed that she didn''t insist on him staying.


    The door opened abruptly. "What are you thinking boy? You go back in there and apologize to those good people or else I''ll fire you for real." Robert barked


    David did not tremble as he once did when he was a boy and he just laughed.


    "See what i mean grandma." his father had proven the point for him.


    Grandma Saxon sneered at her son and left, she still had mixed feelings about the issue but her son really did speak to her grandson in an unbecoming manner. She would sit him down for a serious talk about the issue before it grew further.


    "Father i quit, i am not going to be a puppet and i am tired of the threats. You did that to Ian and see his life, he hates this company, he is just afraid of admitting it. Good luck with controlling Katherine though cause it looks like she''s all you''ve got left." He bypassed Robert and entered the elevator.


    When he got to the car, Hobi, his assistant hesitated to leave with him as following David meant that his future was uncertain. The man was always making drastic decisions like a teenager on steroids.


    "Si...sir what happens to me?" Hobbi clenched his hand to his chest, his heart was pounding relentlessly.


    "You can decide to still be my personal assistant or stay back at the company i am sure that the human resource department will find a spot for you." David entered the car and waited for him to makeup his mind.


    Hobbi chewed on his nails, if he went with David then maybe he would help him find another job but if he stayed back Miranda would surely get him fired for not informing her about David''s resignation before hand yet he knew nothing. He chose the former and jumped into the car.


    "You have made a wise choice, i hope you know that this means that you are no longer Miranda Saxon''s little spy." David tapped his shoulders.


    Hobbi quivered, he didn''t expect that he''s cover had been blown already. "Sir...how..."


    "I am not a fool Hobbi, she is my mother. I have known her longer than you so i knew exactly what you were up to when i saw how you sneaked around." David narrowed his eyes.


    "I promise to be only loyal to you Mr. David." He sniveled.


    He was relieved that he still had a job and David was willing to keep him around despite all that he had done. He made a promise to himself to be the best assistant to David from that point on.


    They drove to the other side of town and went to a tall fifty floor storied building.


    "DP holdings." Hobbi read the huge 3D sign post that was positioned near the entrance. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He was surprised to see where they had come. Had David already found another job?


    "Welcome sir." The doorman bowed respectfully.


    David walked straight to the head office where he meant a blond haired gentleman.


    "Morgan, good morning. Is there anything i should know?" He settled in one of the leather chairs in the open area.


    The man named Morgan came from the executive chair and greeted David.


    "This is my personal assistant, Hobbi get him settled in, he will be running some of my errands going forth." David made the introductions.


    Morgan''s secretary escorted Hobbi to his place of work leaving the two men to talk.


    "Are you sure that it''s okay for you to be here? You said that you didn''t want people to know that you own this company." Morgan a long time friend turned business manager asked.


    "That''s why i am leaving now, let''s talk on the phone." David left and drove straight to another company that he owned.


    He had been just as busy as Phoebe after his rebirth, building his own personal and amassing private funds. In this life, they would not rely on the Saxon power and influence.

 Chapter 169 - 169: A taste of pain.

    David had more than one company and he was on his way to the second one. It was a security company name Alfa security firm which handled most of the unsavory things he wanted done.


    Such work was already ongoing at the moment at the company. A slim and tall man was sitting on a single stool in a well lit room with his legs crossed. His fingers were playing with a sharp knife, one mistake and it could slice his flesh. He didn''t seem to mind because it was a trick he had mastered over the years but even if it cut him, he had high tolerance for pain.


    His name was Roman Elgard and he was the head of business at the Alfa security firm. Judging by his size, you would not think of him to be a dangerous man but, he was a retired navy seal commander. Many of the employees were also former military officers or people that had been involved in dangerous jobs.


    Roman received a call and he put the knife down on the table momentarily before answering the call. He didn''t say a single word and only listened to the speaker on the other end.


    "Got it." he hung up and picked up the knife again. "Sean, bring me our guests."


    This order was given to a beefy man that was standing at attention in the corner of the room.


    "Yes boss." Sean walked out of the door in a hurry.


    He was gone for half a minute and when he returned, he was dragging in two people, a man and a woman that were groaning as a result of incredible pain. They had been tortured in areas that were not visible to the naked eyes. They were bound by chains and he had grabbed them by the backs of their clothes. Sean tossed them on the floor like sacks of old unwanted rice.


    The couple was none other than Aaron and Elizabeth Gabriel. This whole time, everyone had been looking for them unaware that it was David who had them.


    Aaron shivered at the sight of Roman who he equated to a devil in his mind. He looked around and saw no sign of Nicholas.


    "Please where is my son?" he cried out.


    Aaron was worried that his son was being tortured still. He himself had finally given in after the man sitting in front of him began to pull out his teeth yesterday. It was a result of him refusing to confess to all the things he had done to Phoebe Mayfair.


    "We have already apologized for mistreating her and we have also told you countless times that we do not know who Ruth our daughter is working with. Please let us go." Elizabeth rubbed her hands together. She didn''t want another torture session as she almost drowned from the last one when her head was lowered in the toilet bowl.


    All she wanted was for their son to be handed back to them and then they could leave this cursed city, never to return. Everything had become a mess for them ever since Phoebe found her birth parents.


    Roman stood up and crouched next to Aaron with his knife. He pointed the knife in the direction of his eye and smiled dangerously. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I don''t like the tone of your voice, a little bitch like you that tortures little girls for fun doesn''t deserve to breathe. First i am going to pluck out these eyes that are glaring at me then...."


    "Boss Roman, the big boss is here and he requests your presence immediately." Sean interrupted him.


    "Argh!! Just when the fun was about to begin. Pray because your fate gets decided today and you don''t spend another day with me."


    Roman stood up, straightened his suit and walked out of the room, humming.


    The moment he left, Elizabeth crawled to her husband on bloody wounded knees. "The man is a complete psycho, why are they interested in Ruth and Phoebe? Why is this happening to us. I cannot believe they took everything from us including our shoes. They don''t even give us anything to use as a cover at night, its so cold....." She sobbed.


    "Shut up woman! Let me think of how we are going to survive." Aaron hissed, his face twisted to express frustration.


    He crawled and pinned his head on the door but he couldn''t hear anything in the hallway. He could see a pair of shoes there however, which warned him not to attempt anything. If the men outside heard a suspicious sound, they would come in and the torture would resume.


    On the second floor of the same building, David entered his office. He made a bee line and sat down.


    "Come in." He spoke after there was a knock on the door.


    Roman walked in and sat in one of the single chairs. "Good morning sir."


    "Good morning Roman, how are our guests doing? They get to go home today but only if they do as told." David leaned forward hoping that the Gabriels had softened up.


    He didn''t agree with Phoebe''s plan of waiting to get Ruth out of the Mayfair house. She had threatened Phoebe''s life and that of her parents, it was high time Ruth was removed.


    "The woman got intimidated quickly but the man still has a little fight left in him." Roman reported.


    "But of course." David chuckled, he knew that Aaron Gabriel was a tenacious and strong headed man. "Clean them up and tell them exactly what i am going to tell you. Highlight the fact that we will keep their child until their mission is over. Oh and by the way put them in blind folds as they leave just like you did when you brought them here."


    After getting the instructions, Roman went back to the room where the Gabriels were.


    "Today is your lucky day folks, you get to go home." He announced and instructed Sean to untie them. "Bring a bucket of water, soap and a sponge, plus new clothes to replace the smelly rags they are wearing." He put a hand over his nose.


    "Are you....serious? We can leave? What about Nick?" Elizabeth asked.


    "You are rushing to the last part Liz, the question you should be asking is what you are going to do for me that will earn you your freedom. You did not think that we were letting you go just like that." Roman arched an eyebrow and studied them.


    "What do you want?" Aaron wrinkled his nose.


    He had a bad feeling about what was going to follow next.


    Roman crouched near him and grabbed his face by the chin. "Simple, i want your family to get back together. You two are going to go to the Mayfair family house and request that you want to take your child with you. If they reject you, make a scene and act dramatic. Do whatever it takes to take your daughter back with you. Your son is staying with me as insurance. If you dare to do anything other than what i have instructed, i will end him. Do not even ask for help because we will be watching and if you make any mistakes then I will..." He slid the knife across his neck.


    The Gabriel''s nodded desperately, consenting to carry out the orders they had been given.

 Chapter 170 - 170: Poison in the tonic.

    Monday morning came and Phoebe woke up late and hung over. She, grandma Mayfair and Jennie stayed back in the living room after everyone left discussing different things over three bottles of wine which they drained.


    First among the things they discussed was the fact that Collin had surprised her with a diamond necklace more expensive than the cars her brothers had bought her. Phoebe had really been taken aback. Collin had not added any sweet words but he just handed her the navy blue box and disappeared to his room before she could even thank him.


    Phoebe could have sworn that she had seen a little blush on his face when he was escaping. It was quite adorable to watch.


    "He''s so sweet when he wants to be." Jennie lightly touched the necklace.


    Then, grandma Mayfair narrated everything about Collin and his girlfriend that she had overheard. Jennie had been the most displeased about the issue and she was glad that she saw Phoebe''s thoughts and stopped pressuring him.


    "Sometimes I feel like my boys are cursed, why else are they still single at that age, none of them has ever brought a woman home and when Collin finally did she is a whore." Jennie let out a frustrated sigh.


    They were sipping on wine, now on the third bottle to be precise and they were quite tipsy. Jennie had even slurred over her words slightly while Phoebe was struck with occasional hiccups.


    Grandma Mayfair dismissed her worries. "Oh come on, they will marry when they like. Good thing their sister here is the most famous witch in the city so she will tell us if they get good people."


    Calling Phoebe a witch elicited laughter from all of them especially Phoebe who mentioned that if she was a witch then she would have turned Ruth into a stone.


    "A warthog is better, she would at least be of use to someone that way." Grandma Mayfair continued to laugh.


    Phoebe cleared her hoarse throat and looked at her mother. She expected her to be unhappy with the jokes, maybe that''s why she was drinking so much. She had certainly downed more wine than her and grandma Mayfair.


    "Mother are you sure that you are okay with Ruth being kicked out?" Phoebe had asked.


    Jennie had shrugged. "I don''t know what it is but I support Edward. The moment I heard that she tried to kidnap you, i stopped commiserating. Ruth cannot be changed, she will always use her illness to manipulate us. I thought she would be grateful to us for raising her and be kind to my daughter but she had ill feelings towards you instead. Someone like that cannot be kept at our home."


    She clenched her chest, burped loudly and fell back in the sofa. The next thing they knew she was snoring in a way that she would find embarrassing normally. Phoebe and grandma Mayfair had continued to talk as they drowned themselves in wine to the point where Phoebe couldn''t tell left from right and she could not even take proper steps.


    She had no idea how she got to her room but she guessed somebody had carried her.


    "Ouch my head." Phoebe rubbed her temples with her fingers.


    The Saxon spirit was already waiting with hungover tonic it had made from inside the magic space. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Tsk, tsk, you know that you make stupid decisions when you get drunk and yet you gouged yourself on alcohol anyway. It was a an excellent way of bonding with your mother and grandmother but take it easy next time. You should also finish off Ruth and move on. Being sent out of this house is not a permanent solution."


    Phoebe drunk the hungover tonic in one go while pinching her nose. The taste was quite bitter so she quickly put a sweet candy in her mouth to obscure the taste.


    "I know that very well and I have long prepared a life long gift for her." Being chased out of the rich family was simply too small of a punishment for a woman that owed her four lives.


    Phoebe freshened up and went down stairs straight to the dining room. Everybody was there already, even Jennie and grandma, two people she thought would sleep in after all that drinking.


    "Good morning family, i thought that most of you would be at work by now." She smiled at her father and brothers.


    "How could I just leave knowing that the three most important women in my life drunk themselves silly last night. Imagine the shock on my face when I came down looking for my wife only to see the three of you snoring in the living room." Edward spoke warmly, he wasn''t mad in fact he was glad that they were bonding.


    "So I missed out on the after party ha?" Andre teased. "Father called us to lift you to your rooms, tsk tsk, Pheebs, you are actually heavier than you look.


    Phoebe glared playfully at Andre as the rest of the family laughed lightly. She then offered her mother and grandma much more effective hungover tonics than the soup than they were drinking.


    Jennie was wearing big black sunglasses because her eyes hurt if she so much as looked into the bright light, however grandma Mayfair seemed unaffected, which was surprising given her age. None the less, she drunk the tonic.


    "Hmmm i feel much better, this actually tastes good too." Jennie lowered the glasses to read the contents of the bottle.


    The tonics were sweeter because Phoebe had added some honey to them.


    Grandma Mayfair looked at the bottle. "I have been trying to drink my tonics since morning but each time I tried the bottles would fall out of my hands and break."


    "That''s because you drunk a lot more than you could handle mother. Your hand was probably trembling." Edward suggested.


    Grandma Mayfair shook her head and put both of her hands out. There were no tremors, her hands were quite steady.


    ''It''s not my hands, and one bottle slipping i could understand but all three. It was as if an invisible force kept pulling them out of my hands." She looked at Phoebe.


    She had assumed that maybe it was ghost related. Phoebe became suspicious immediately and asked Maria to bring them. Her grandmother was right, one bottle could be explained but all three!!


    Collin cleared his voice. "Pheebs...Phoebe well if you like, i can help you mass produce your tonics. If you want of course." He spoke in a low tone, trying to appear serious but also seeming highly embarrassed. The tips of his ears were quite red.


    [Does he need a hungover tonic too?]


    Phoebe could not understand anymore, his sudden niceness to her was so out of place.


    "First was the necklace now this, Collin what''s your play here?" Andre arched an eyebrow.


    He had a feeling that his position as the best brother was under threat.


    Phoebe interrupted. "Thank you big brother for the necklace and the offer. I am ready to go into mass production but whenever i am ready, i will take you up on the offer."


    Colin smiled and nodded.


    Maria returned with the remains of the tonics that had been disposed of. She had got them back from the discarded rubbish.


    The Saxon spirit dashed out of the space, sniffing the air like a dog.


    "I smell poison."

 Chapter 171 - 171: A thorough cleansing.

    There was one bottle which had not been broken, Phoebe opened it and she took a sniff.


    [I can''t believe this.] She scoffed.


    There was no need to check the ingredients of the tonic, the Saxon spirit was right. There was a smell a deadly foreign poisonous substance that had been added to the tonic.


    "Grandma were you wearing the ring when you touched the bottles?"


    The old woman nodded.


    "That explains why they kept breaking, the ring provided protection. The tonic was poisoned, all of it, including the ones which are not broken. You would have died if you had drunk this."


    All of them were stunned at the news, the old lady even gasped. Luke asked to take a look at the bottle Phoebe was holding and she handed it over.


    Grinding her teeth, grandma Mayfair slammed her fist on the table.


    "This must be Ruth, nobody else would dare to attempt something like this. Lately, I have been openly against her the most so she wants to get rid of me."


    So livid, the old woman tipped over a cup of warm tea accidentally as she let out an interesting series of curses in reference to Ruth. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe had never seen her cursing this much. Then again, someone had attempted to end her life.


    Collin shook his head. "Ruth! How is that possible though grandma? She has been in the hospital since the day of the state burial. We should first determine when the poison was added."


    [Brother i thought your eyes had opened but I guess you still have a soft spot for her.]


    Phoebe came to her own conclusions which Collin saw and sighed. It''s not that he was defending Ruth or had a soft spot for her. He just wanted to get to the root of the issue in case it was done by another person in the house.


    "Let''s ask Mark first and check the security footage from the day when grandma last used the tonics." He suggested.


    "Grandma, when did you last drink the tonics?" he asked.


    "On the morning of the state burial." she replied confidently.


    With that answer, they figured out the timeline which made it easier. When Mark came over, Collin asked him if anything abnormal had happened on the day of the state burial.


    Mark frowned first, and his eyes moved upwards and he pondered on the question. He remembered something so he nodded.


    "First the power went off and the back up generator didn''t go on automatically. When I checked the main service panel for the house, a wire had been loosened. It was fixed quickly but to ensure that there no foul play, we looked around the house and found no suspicious people."


    Edward was exasperated that Mark had not reported this information to him


    "You know that we have an enemy in the house and you didn''t find this suspicious enough to tell me? How are you doing your job as the head of security?"


    "Sir I wanted to investigate the situation first before reporting it to you. I was going to do so as soon as you were done here." Mark explained quickly, this was something that could get him fired if his employer was angry.


    "And? Did you find anything at all?" Edward asked sternly and Mark nodded in response.


    He picked his phone and called a junior maid.


    "According to some maids, Miss Ruth Mayfair came home on the day of the state burial before the power went out. She was seen coming out of the matriarch''s room but they didn''t think much of it." Mark beckoned the junior maid to come closer.


    The maid was the same one that Edward had given the task of watching Ruth so he asked her if it was true.


    "Yes sir, but this happened before you asked me to keep my eye on her. I just thought that maybe the old matriarch had asked her to pick something up for her." The junior maid kept her gaze on the floor.


    Maria had been listening avidly so she stepped forward. "Madam actually that day, i saw the maintenance man go into the storage room right before the power was cut off. I assumed that he had been doing his job as usual but now i think it was suspicious. In fact, there are many people here that are still allies of Miss Ruth and she could use them to hurt Miss Phoebe or any of you. I hope i am not being too presumptuous but i suggest a thorough cleansing. We would rather use new employees whose minds are as blank as sheets than some of the old ones."


    Phoebe''s lips curled upwards slightly. Maria was really a good helper that knew exactly what to say.


    Grandma Mayfair nodded. "She has a point, Maria bring the list of names of all the people that were loyal to Ruth, we need to get rid of them."


    "Include the two security guards that were on duty that day. They are denying that they don''t know anything but they must have seen her drive in." Mark told Maria who rushed out joyfully.


    She was tired of Ruth''s minions and it was about time sanity returned to the house. If she did her job well, she could become miss Phoebe''s personal maid, every woman from the founding families had one.


    "Step out, lock the doors and don''t allow anyone inside." Phoebe ordered Mark.


    Using her energy, she blocked off the cameras in the living room and faced the puzzled family members.


    "There is a way to ascertain that Ruth was behind it." Phoebe checked in her pocket and revealed the time keeper''s pocket watch. "This device will take me back to that moment, give me a few minutes."


    "Whoa!!" Andre got closer, he needed a better look of it. Mistakenly he touched it and his soul traveled with Phoebe to that moment in time.


    "My God Andre!!" There was no time berating him because if she didn''t use the time well then she would have to wait until the next day.


    The Saxon spirit had gone with them as well and she slapped her forehead. Using this watch also took away from Phoebe''s days. With Andre here, she would surely lose two months of her life. Thankfully they had David now, he could refill the gap.


    "Just remain quiet and don''t touch a thing, you could change the future."


    They watched Ruth sneak into grandma Mayfair''s room, she injected some liquid in the tonics and rushed out before the power came back on.


    In real time, Andre and Phoebe''s bodies were like statues, not moving, which marveled the whole family. After being introduced to ghosts, everything Phoebe did could shock them but not to the point of madness. Andre and Edward had also told them stories about the founding sect, supernatural world, exorcists, ghost catchers and more. Their eyes had been opened to the real world now.


    Jennie made the sign of the cross and prayed for their safe return.


    "That idiot Andre, he just does things without thinking." Collin spoke through pursed lips. He had led them straight to grave robbers in Iborg city and now this.


    His words caused Luke to chuckle. Their youngest brother was really playful.


    Just shy of two seconds to the five minutes ,the two immovable bodies regained mobility again when their souls returned.


    "That was super cool! Again!" Andre was on cloud nine.


    His words however caused Phoebe to smack his head, he might be older than her but he sure was reckless. She could not even tell him that he had inadvertently stolen some of her life span. She looked at her hand, fifty two days were gone.


    "Sooo...err...what did you find?" Collin was quite curious.


    "She did it, Andre saw it too." Phoebe confirmed.

 Chapter 172 - 172: How the mighty have fallen.

    Her confirmation plus the firm nodding of Andre''s head was the last stroke for them all. Jennie slumped in the chair like a lifeless doll and Edward clenched his hands.


    Old lady Mayfair was trembling and Collin was blaming himself for having been so blind. Luke was texting a doctor at the hospital to inform him about Ruth''s whereabouts, plotting vengeance in his mind.


    They could barely stare at each other for five long minutes, temporarily lost in their minds. It was ghostly quiet except for the ticking of the large clock on the wall in the living room, birds outside in the garden and a trimmer bringing down tree branches.


    None of them had ever imagined that Ruth would make good on her threats and go on to try and kill a member of the family.


    Someone knocked on the door persistently, waking them all up from slumber.


    "Come in." Edward called out.


    Oman the butler, entered and approached Edward. "Sir, Mr and Mrs. Gabriel are waiting down stairs."


    Everyone, including Phoebe bobbed their head up and turned to the butler. They had just gone from one shock to another.


    "What? We have been looking for them everywhere and they suddenly decided to appear here on their own?" Edward stood up quickly and set off.


    The rest of the family followed, they wanted to see the shameless people that mistreated their Pheebs. They were all itching for a fight, especially the Mayfair boys whose sole job now was to protect and defend Phoebe.


    ***************************


    Ruth who was unaware of the return of the uninvited guests at the Mayfair house was still at the hospital dealing with her own troubles. The trouble being the side effects of Kelly''s revenge.


    Everybody was discussing her at the hospital. She was worse that the other cuckoo victims because they were revealed as a group. In her case, she was alone, so everyone focused on her.


    She was feeling like a dressed monkey performing tricks in a circus. Every now and then nurses walked into the room under the pretense of checking on her but she could hear them let out silly giggles.


    Three intern doctors even had the guts to gossip about her because they thought she was sleeping.


    "The Mayfair cuckoo, this is unbelievable!"


    "She used to act all high and mighty each time she came to the hospital."


    "Oh how the mighty have fallen! Dr. Murphy hasn''t been in here once to check on her. None of the Mayfairs has even stepped foot in the hospital since she was admitted. In the old days, ten doctors would be surrounding her and the whole family would be gathered here."


    "It goes to show, no matter how much you dye the water red, it cannot become blood. They have their real daughter back, of what use is a spendthrift frail cuckoo?"


    They laughed loudly, not caring if she would be woken up.


    Under the covers, Ruth could hear everything. She had restrained herself from insulting anyone since last evening but these kids had taken it too far and were going to get a taste of her fury. She uncovered herself and screamed like a maniac.


    "How dare you low lives say such things about me in my presence?" She spoke through pursed lips.


    They were surprised and frightened for a moment until it hit them that she was a toothless tiger.


    "Calm down! You aren''t as special as you think you are, fake Mayfair." They giggled and run out.


    Ruth screamed and threw a pillow on the ground not believing that this was what her life had been reduced to, a subject of ridicule. She moved from the bed and locked the door tightly. She didn''t want to see anyone anymore.


    "What the fuck did I do to that bitch Kelly that she did me dirty? Did Collin put her up to this? Did they work together to humiliate me? That bitch thinks i don''t know what she has been up to."


    She sent a folder of pictures that she had been keeping as blackmail material to a paparazzo that did dirty work for her sometimes.


    "Hmph, let me see how you will survive at your job anymore." she sneered.


    She checked the hottest topics of the day and tossed her phone on the bed. She was the hottest search on all platforms with many calling her all kinds of names.


    Ruth went to the bathroom and took a cold shower as she felt her brain worked best when she was cool.


    "I only have one option left to survive in this circle, i need to get married." She had three men in mind as options, she just needed to hook up with any one of them. She chuckled deviously, certain that she was always one step ahead from Phoebe.


    When she came out of the bathroom, there was a knock at the door. Ruth didn''t respond cause she didn''t want to see anyone because it the doctors.


    "It''s Dickson." Came the voice from outside the door.


    Ruth''s upper lips curled up smugly, it was good that he was here. He was option number three after all, the least desirable but useful. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I might as well brighten his day." She walked to the door and opened it.


    Dickson walked in, his eyes never leaving her body that was enveloped in a short white bathrobe. His gaze roamed all over her full figure and he moistened his lips with his tongue.


    A soft chuckle slipped through Ruth''s lips, she knew that Dickson had wanted to have her for the longest time. Seducing him was as simple as snapping her fingers.


    "What brings you by?" she asked.


    "You were involved in an accident so how could i not come? I care about you more than anyone in the world. I came to see how you are doing, it seems you my dear have become an over night celebrity." Dickson made himself comfortable in the sofa that was close to the window.


    He looked out and saw the paparazzi he told to leave were still lurking around waiting to get a picture of Ruth.


    She let her bathrobe slip to the floor, exposing her almost entirely naked body. She had on matching black undergarments beneath.


    Shamelessly, she moved her body in different suggestive positions as she put on her clothes one by one in a seductive way.


    "You don''t seem surprised by the news." Ruth sat on the sofa next to him.


    Dickson chuckled. "That is because unlike most people, I have known the Mayfair secret for a while." He released her hair that was tied in a bun and caressed her face.


    Ruth was repulsed by his touch, not once in the past would she have tolerated his hands on her but now, she had no choice but to allow him have some freedoms like this.


    However, if he wanted more, he had to step up and do the right thing.


    "I will marry you, let''s wait for all this noise to die down." She smiled warmly at him.


    Dickson laughed once and lowered his head. "You want me to marry you!" He raised it and looked at her with eyes that mocked her. "You should have done that when I was still interested and you were the Mayfair heiress. That ship has sailed I have a new love interest."

 Chapter 173 - 173: It all falls.

    His words were truly the opposite of what she expecting to hear. She stared at him in total shock cause he too was abandoning her and knowing his ambitions, it was probably for Phoebe, that bitch.


    "You said you loved me!" She said, in an angry voice.


    "I do but now that you have been kicked to the curb i can''t do anything about it, my mother will not let me marry you. I will become a laughing stock if i take you home as my wife. Besides, love alone cannot sustain a marriage, I want the Mayfair connection dear.


    I am willing to take care of you if you will be my mistress. I love you, so i will make sure you never lack for anything. I can buy a big house, cars and everything you want." S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ruth recoiled away from his touch, disgusted by the suggestion. She was Ruth Mayfair! how dare he suggest that she become his mistress?


    Dickson scoffed. He did not want to mock her but it was obvious she still needed time to understand her new reality.


    "I have paid your hospital bills and I will help you get rid of the paparazzi so you can leave." He grabbed his trench coat and hat, then stood up to leave. "Think about becoming my mistress, I will treat you well."


    His words caused her to panic and she made a momentous decision to go home and plead with her parents one more time. Not even Phoebe''s ghosts were going to stop her from remaining in the Mayfair house. Her status and everything else depended on them taking her back even if as an adopted child.


    *********


    At the Mayfair home meanwhile, everyone had gathered in the living room to face the Gabriels who looked uncomfortable despite being dressed immaculately. They had worn nice expensive clothes, dressed to the nines like they were going for an important business meeting.


    Phoebe''s eyes roamed allover them from head to toe as she wondered how they could afford such costly clothing. She recalled the ten million she had paid them, so it was not impossible for them to look like this. Or perhaps Ruth had been taking good care of them while in hiding after all, they were her parents. With plain eyes, she could not tell that the two people had spent some days in a torture chamber.


    The expensive clothes they had on made Edward livid and exasperated, so much so that he was lost for words. He had so much knowledge about what they had done to Phoebe when she lived in their home that all he wanted was to punch Aaron in the face. How could they dare to come to his house looking like this after committing a crime of child abuse?


    "Good morning Mr and Mrs Mayfair, old Madam Mayfair." Aaron bowed little to show his respect to three. Elizabeth did the same, her husband had given her instructions to let him take the lead, all she had to do was seal her mouth and follow.


    In response grandma Mayfair snubbed their greetings and so did Edward and Jennie who wore hostile faces.


    "Nobody here cares for your greetings you conniving bunch of snakes. We have been looking for you for a long time without a a single trace but you came to us willingly. Begin by getting on your knees." Grandma Mayfair was already in combat mode, ready for the war to start.


    Elizabeth began to fidget with her fingers on noticing how spiteful their gazes were. She looked at Phoebe who was surrounded by her tall strong brothers, it was almost as if they were protecting a delicate snow white from the evil queen.


    "Phoebe darling are you alright, we have been thinking of you since the news broke out....." Elizabeth stopped talking when Aaron threw her a sharp glare.


    Phoebe guffawed and rolled her eyes. What was with the soft voice and sudden niceness?


    "That''s odd, i am where I belong the person that you should be thinking about is Ruth your daughter. Stop with the fake caring pretense Elizabeth i already told my family everything."


    Aaron sneered. "Girl, is that how you are going to address your mother?" His voice was stern as he was running out of patience just by looking at her. He felt she deserved some lashes for everything he had been through because of her.


    "Don''t you dare talk to my daughter that way, not in my house!" Edward clenched his fists. "You are going to pay dearly for mistreating her it doesn''t matter if I have to spend all my fortune while doing it."


    His words made the Gabriels nervous, was Edward Mayfair going to kidnap them and torture them as well or was he going to throw them in jail. Aaron knew that Phoebe must have exaggerated the punishments he gave her. It was not a crime, he was disciplining her.


    Aaron had a temper, and a great sense of self righteousness. He forgot the instructions which had been given to him by Roman and decided to clear his name first.


    "Mr, Mayfair, its not our fault that the girls were switched. Whatever lies that girl had told against us are not true, i was a good father and all i did was give her a little disciplining when she went astray."


    "A little!!! You abused her you bastard." Andre bellowed.


    Filled with anger he threw his phone at Aaron''s head. It hit him on the nose before falling to the ground.


    Elizabeth whimpered and knelt down but nobody paid her attention. All eyes were focused on Aaron alone since he was talking back shamelessly.


    "You despicable man! You are going to learn that justice can be bought. I am going to make sure that you suffer and then rot in prison." Grandma Mayfair yelled. "Beat them up for me."


    Mark and his team were just waiting for an order and this was it. They began to walk towards the unwanted guests with wooden sticks.


    "No, no....." Elizabeth mumbled.


    "I will call the police." Aaron threatened.


    Mark and his team did not care and they brought the sticks down on the couple. Andre joined them, and he punched Aaron in the stomach.


    "You locked my sister in a closet, you ripped up her admission to an elite university, you refused to buy her a birthday cake, you didn''t take a single picture of her at her graduation..."


    Every grievance that he mentioned was followed with a blow to any exposed body part on Aaron''s body.


    The beating slowed down only when Ruth was unwillingly pushed in by Maria all of a sudden.


    She had arrived from the hospital thirty seconds ago and peeked in when she heard Aaron''s cries.


    On seeing her birth parents, she turned around to leave but Maria caught her and pushed her into the living room.


    "Madam, look who is back."

 Chapter 174 - 174: Bye-bye Ruth

    Ruth knew that it was all over when she saw the bruises on the bodies of her parents and the glares she was receiving. She couldn''t figure out why her birth parents had decided to appear here and complicate her situation.


    She wished that they could crawl back to whatever hole they had come out of but it was impossible.


    Ruth Knelt before the Mayfairs immediately, ignoring the Gabriels completely.


    "Grandma, mother and father please i am sorry about their rudeness. I have nothing to do with them."


    She crawled on her knees until she reached Jennie and clung onto her legs desperately. Jennie glowered at her, never in her life had Ruth seen such hatred in her mother''s eyes.


    Jennie lifted her leg and kicked her away. She then pushed her with her hands to grandma Mayfair who wasted no time to slap her across the cheek.


    "You good for nothing piece of trash! How dare you try to poison me. Did you think that killing me off would help you stay in this house?" Grandma Mayfair smacked her on the other cheek.


    "WHAT!!" Elizabeth screamed.


    Aaron on the other hand believed that the Mayfairs had ganged up against his daughter. On coming here, he had hoped to persuade them into giving him some money but that wasn''t going to happen it seemed. All he needed was to take Ruth and get out of there before they decided to imprison her.


    "My daughter cannot do such a thing, you are just bullying us because we are poor."


    Ruth nodded quickly." Yes grandma, I cannot please i am being framed. Collin please tell her....."


    "There are witnesses Ruth, that accident you claim you got into was staged too. There security cameras on the streets, why did you do this? We were so good to you, we were willing to stay with you. Your heart is wicked Ruth, it''s rotten." Collin''s eyes were glazed with pain.


    "It doesn''t matter, she leaves today. Go up stairs and pack just your clothes. All your cards have been canceled because that''s our money, the process of removing you from our family register has been started. From this day on, you are not a Mayfair so go with your parents and count yourself lucky that we are not pressing charges for attempted murder." Edward wrinkled his nose.


    Shaking her head vehemently, Ruth got back on her knees and rubbed her hands. "No please, father I have done nothing wrong. How could I poison grandmother i am being framed, please take back your decision." She couldn''t imagine for one second going to live with the Gabriels, they were poor with nothing to offer.


    This is why she wanted them to disappear, if they hadn''t shown their faces then perhaps the Mayfairs wouldn''t be sending her away.


    Aaron couldn''t stand to watch his daughter make a silly spectacle of herself anymore so he moved to her side and forced her to stand up.


    "Don''t beg them! In fact it''s good that they are sending you away after all we had come here specifically to take you with us. Let''s go now."


    Ruth freed her hand and slapped him as hard as she could. She couldn''t understand how brazen he had become to think that he had a say in her life. "Who said that I was going to go with you? How dare you come to my home and disrespect my parents. Leave now because i am going nowhere with you."


    Her actions were not even shocking to the Mayfairs anymore. But slapping her own father directly was still surprising.


    "That wasn''t the deal we made after you tried to kidnap me." Phoebe pulled out her phone and played the recording before Ruth could deny it. "You said that you would leave by the end of the week but since you tried to kill grandma you should leave now. No, maybe i should just give this to the police and leave you to your fate." sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Leave on your own and never come back, you psycho." Andre pointed at her.


    "Yes Andre tell her, I have waited for this moment for the longest time." The Saxon spirit was hovering allover the place in excitement.


    Connie was having a party dancing like it was her last day on earth as she celebrated Ruth''s exit from the Mayfair home.


    Aaron had had enough with the drama so he grabbed her hand again "Ruth let''s go, we have always known that such a day might come anyway. Don''t force me to carry you out."


    "Ha! That means that Phoebe wasn''t lying when she said that you people knew all along that the girls were switched. Instead of picking her up, you allowed your cuckoo to be nourished by us you bloody bastards." Grandma Mayfair clutched on the chair armrests.


    "Of course grandma, that''s why they treasured her and shunned me, i think we were around thirteen years old when they found out. I am sure that they would have kept us all in the dark forever if I hadn''t become suspicious. Who knows, maybe she would have even killed me to hide the secret after all, if i die nobody would have known. You were probably behind the accident i had when i fell in the water and ended up in a coma."


    Phoebe folded her arms and watched blood drain from Ruth''s face but her woes were only beginning.


    Ruth placed a hand to her chest and sat down. "I am sorry please forgive me, mother i was scared. I thought that you were going to throw me out once you got to know that I wasn''t your real child. Just like you are doing right now. Doesn''t this all prove that i was right? Blood is thicker than water..right?"


    She laughed, partially hysterical and partially heartbroken.


    Edward shook his head, it was baffling that Ruth still didn''t understand what she had done wrong.


    "We would never have thrown you out, in fact we had told you to stay but you went ahead to kidnap my daughter, poison my mother and fake illnesses. You are obsessed with Phoebe and want everything that she has as if she owes you something. You must be sick in the head."


    "No, no, no for the poisoning and kidnapping i am going to file a case at the police station. Be ready, to face the consequences, the police will contact you at anytime."


    The moment Ruth heard grandma Mayfair talk about involving the police, she stood up her spiteful eyes fixed on the old woman.


    "Fine, i will leave as you wish." She moved her eyes to Phoebe who was waving at her.


    "Good riddance to bad rubbish, I hope that Aaron disciplines you well. I mean how could you slap your own father?" Phoebe giggled continuously.


    This is not over, i will see you all soon, Ruth thought.


    Elizabeth winced as she shot Phoebe a curt look, she no longer faked the kind mother act like she did all those years. "You are wicked and ungrateful Phoebe, don''t ever come back to our home, we don''t want you too."


    Out of nowhere, Jennie dashed forward and slapped Elizabeth.


    "Hmph, as if my daughter could ever come back to that hell."


    Aaron on the other hand carried Ruth in his arms and walked out of the door without saying anything else.


    Mark and his team escorted them out on Edward''s orders, the Gabriels were unpredictable so it was better not to lower their guard.

 Chapter 175 - 175: Jealous of oneself.

    "I cannot believe that you had to live with those monsters all those years, they are despicable beings but thank God we don''t have to deal with them anymore." Luke finally said something and he hugged his Phoebe.


    Out of everyone in the living room, he was the one that had been silent the most. It did not mean that he was not filled with rage. Even though the Gabriel''s had left, he would find a way to make them pay the price.


    For a while, they all huffed and puffed, cursing the Gabriels and comforting Phoebe until their tempers came down and one by one, they left for work at Phoebe''s insistence.


    Phoebe and grandma Mayfair also said there goodbyes and headed to the cafe. On getting there, David was already inside and hard at work. He had on a red apron tied around his waist and was helping to serve the customers.


    [What is this? What is he doing here?]


    Phoebe was really puzzled on seeing him. He was not her employee after all.


    "This Saxon boy is starting to grow on me." Grandma chuckled before going to the kitchen.


    Phoebe greeted everyone David inclusive and she entered her office. Rossett briefed her on everything that happened during her absence, there was nothing out of the ordinary it was business as usual.


    "Evelyn passed by and dropped off an envelope." Rosette followed her inside and pointed to the medium sized blue envelope on the desk.


    She noticed that Phoebe, grandma Mayfair and the Saxon spirit were in a jolly mood. Before she could ask why, David walked in so Rosset excused herself.


    With a wide grin on his face, David sat in a chair opposite hers. "Did you like the gift that I sent you?" He asked.


    Phoebe scanned her memory, she couldn''t remember receiving a gift from David recently, perhaps she left home without Oman delivering it to her or it had been misplaced.


    "What gift? I haven''t received it just yet but you should not be giving me any gifts. Save your money, you told me the other day that you started a company. As a business woman, i can reliably share with you the fact that every coin counts, especially in the beginning. It took me three months to stabilize my business here.


    If i relied on only reading marriage fates and selling lucky charms, i would have been forced to close a long time ago. That''s why i turned this shop into a cafe and take on side jobs like cleansing out haunted houses, helping the police, finding missing people, digging for treasures and the like."


    Most ghosts could not pay money, she had to find ways to make the money on her own. David was just stepping out of the shadow of his family, it would not be bad to guide him, he was her charger after all. If he was healthy and wealthy, it was good for her.


    [But, how can give up the Saxon throne so easily? How will he make money now? What kind of business can he do? Should i make a list of all the.....no..i promised myself not to help him like a horse until i am exhausted. That was stupid Phoebe, wise Phoebe can offer pointers.]


    David stretched his hand and touched the tip of Phoebe''s nose, she didn''t pull away for she needed to recharge.


    "Don''t worry about me." He pulled his hand back and she sighed, feeling pained.


    [He can touch a little longer, why is he in a hurry to take his hand away. I can''t ask him to bring it back because i will look like a fickle woman. Aah....it''s so hard being cool Phoebe.]


    David chuckled and moved closer to her, taking advantage of a rare moment in their relationship to caress her cheek.


    Like a silly kitten, she moved her head slowly, soaking in his energy with a shy smile on her face. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [That''s it, that''s it...now this is more like it. It feels so warm and good.]


    David''s hand slipped to her neck and his head moved on its own, carrying him closer to her face. She had her eyes closed, making those facial expressions as if she was experiencing great pleasure.


    David had no idea what charging was but he actually felt a stirring of jealousy in his heart. It did not even make sense for him to be jealous of himself.


    He sighed and pulled his face away. It was not the time for such thoughts.


    "The gift i sent you is the Gabriel''s. I sent them to your house. "Did you like it?


    Phoebe pulled away in shock, good enough she had charged up, receiving at least a twenty days worth of life.


    "Wait what? Was that your doing, where did you even find them? My father searched everywhere and he couldn''t find them."


    David moved back to the chair opposite and crossed his right leg over the left one.


    "Maybe your father was not as desperate as I was to find them. I kept them for a while and figured they would make an appearance at the right time When i heard about your grandmother''s poisoning, i figured it was the right time."


    David didn''t say much about his men interrogating them about who Ruth was working with and how they treated her in the past. He would only let Phoebe know after he found out who it was.


    "So you just happened to find them and ordered them to come to my family house?" She asked only for him to nod.


    "Just like that?" Phoebe asked again and he nodded again.


    It was odd, the Aaron she knew would never just go willingly to the Mayfair house and demand to take Ruth with him something must have pushed him. He was not telling her the whole story.


    "Start talking David." She looked at him suspiciously.


    David realized that Phoebe wasn''t going to let go of the issue until he gave her a convincing story.


    "Some of my people found them right before they crossed the border and I kept them somewhere. During that time I persuaded them to come and take back their daughter which they agreed to do because they love her."


    "Persuade ha?" Phoebe''s narrowed gaze focused on him and she snorted.


    "Ha-ha, did they look harmed in any way when you saw them? In as much as I wanted to remove their eyes for abusing you I was nice to them. But just so they fulfilled their end of the deal, i hosted their son so they had no choice but to oblige."


    David''s story was now more convincing. The Gabriels loved Nicholas so they must gone to the Mayfair house obediently just to save him.


    "What do you mean by hosting him exactly? Is it like a kidnapping?" Phoebe asked.


    "No! My God! I am not a mafia Pheebs." He tugged on his ear. David denied vehemently. "I talked to the boy and asked him what he wanted to do with his life. He said that he wanted to be a computer engineer so I sent him abroad to Eagle institute of technology. All expenses paid, he will contact his parents after he settles in."


    He smiled a little slyly, there were many ways to kidnap a person, a basement and chains was just one. Nicholas Gabriel could still be used in many ways.

 Chapter 176 - 176: Trouble with kindness.

    In the past, David was a kind person, he used his own money to sponsor the education of many underprivileged children around the country. it wasn''t surprising that he had given Nicholas a scholarship. But to her, Nicholas was undeserving, as much of a white eyed wolf like his sister.


    "The world takes advantage of kind people, i hope that you keep that at the back of your mind David." Phoebe told him.


    "Shortie, you should remember those words as well because you were recently kidnapped while trying to help a little boy."


    It was one moment of weakness and it had served as a kind reminder to her, not that she was willing to admit it to him. She stretched her hand and picked the blue envelope that Evelyn had dropped by. Inside was an invitation to a private birthday dinner tomorrow evening.


    "I had actually forgotten that tomorrow is her birthday, i have not bought her a gift. Any ideas Saxon?" Phoebe moved her mouth to one side as she thought.


    "Mmm, a Regius sports car maybe, anyway, we are going together. I am going to be your plus one, right? I''ll pick you up at lets say 7:30pm."


    [Is he crazy!]


    Phoebe was still stuck on him mentioning about gifting a Regius sports car. The cheapest cost seven million but he was mentioning it so casually. Rich people were surely built different. She could not afford to squander seven million on a birthday gift, she had a business to run.


    "I will give her something from my jewelry collection. And as for picking me up forget that, my brothers have been invited so I''ll be going with them. We can meet there. It''s time for me to work."


    She walked up to him, forced him to stand up and then pushed him out of her office, stealing some energy in the process. Then, she settled down to see her clients, only two were waiting.


    A woman entered her office first. She was polite in her way of greeting as she took a seat opposite her.


    "What can i do for you?"


    The woman clenched her hands and took a deep breath.


    "I want to divorce my husband." she blurted out.


    Phoebe blinked thrice, finding herself a little lost. What did she have to do with divorce? sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Miss, err..this is not a lawyer''s office. I think you came to the wrong building. When you get out of the cafe, keep walking right until....."


    "No." the woman blurted loudly. "I want to divorce but i cannot do it without knowing if my future will be better after i leave that man. That is what i want you to tell me."


    Phoebe looked at her forehead, eyes and facial structure. She had been learning to read faces from the Saxon spirit.


    "Your forehead is broad and smooth, your eyebrows are well-spaced and thick, the eyes are bright and clear. Your chin is round and prominent, your earlobes have flesh, the overall symmetry of your face is balanced and indicative of good fortune."


    The woman had no idea why Phoebe had been describing her facial features but when she heard good fortune, she lit up.


    "You have past your tribulations, you are going to find happiness and some moderate wealth."


    The woman paid Phoebe in cash and left the office with a smile. On her way out, she bought one of the new good luck charms and a protection talisman.


    Phoebe pressed a button under her desk which normally told Rosset to send in the next client. Rosset entered the office and asked Phoebe to step out, it concerned the next client.


    Phoebe followed her behind the snack counter.


    "What is with the mystery?"


    "Pheebs, see that man over there." She jutted her chin in the direction of the second client. "He is the next client and requests that you follow him to his employers residence. Problem is he won''t give me his name or tell me who his employer is."


    The Saxon spirit scanned the man, he didn''t look dangerous in any way.


    David was eavesdropping so took a picture of the man sneakily and sent it to Roxanne at Alfa security. She was in charge of all technology in the firm, she was also a very good hacker that could access all data bases including those of the government.


    "Phoebe give me a minute, let me find out who he is before you say anything to him, much less leave with him."


    David advised and Phoebe agreed, there was nothing wrong with making him wait a little longer. After Timmy and the kidnappers, a little caution could not hurt.


    Roxanne sent all the information within a minute. The man was named Joseph shore and he was one of the many drivers of the Verdemont family.


    "We can go and talk to him now." David showed Phoebe the information he had received.


    "We?" Phoebe looked at him quizzically.


    "Yes we, remember we are life partners and I know a thing or two about the Verdemonts so i am useful in this case. They despise people that don''t come from the same social status, knowing that you have a Saxon in your corner will give you an edge." He lifted his chin like he was God''s gift to her.


    Phoebe sniggered. "You keep forgetting Saxon, i am a Mayfair and my family is far richer than the Verdemonts if i am not mistaken. The Saxon are only richer by a few billions which is like a nickel." She spoke as she walked to the table where Joseph was sitted by herself.


    Her words however made him to let out a loud chuckle, David had no idea that Phoebe was a stubborn and funny woman. In the past they were always so busy and she was quiet, introverted, like a turtle in a shell constantly. Despite liking each other, they never took time to talk and understand one another.


    "Mr. Joseph Shore?" Phoebe asked politely.


    The man blinked rapidly, he had no idea how she had known who he was.


    Phoebe smiled. "You shouldn''t be surprised, i am a shaman that knows everything. I know that your employer is a Verdemont...."


    "Shhhh!" Joseph''s eyes darted around just to make sure that no one heard her say his employers name out loud.


    "Is there a problem?" Phoebe asked.


    Connie snickered. "It''s another rich person that does not want to be seen consulting a shaman as if that would be the end of them. Sister, charge them the maximum price, nothing less that five...no...ten million."


    "You have become a money grubber." The Saxon spirit knocked Connie on the head.


    The girl pouted and stomped her right foot like a spoiled little miss.


    "You don''t call sister a money grubber, i am just like her. Why don''t you knock her head too? Hmph!"


    She vanished into the magic space after throwing her daily tantrum. She did not even stay there for a two seconds and returned because she was still eager to know what the big secret was.


    Joseph cleared his throat because he noticed Phoebe was barely paying attention to him.


    "Please excuse the secrecy, I am under strict instructions that not a third ear should know of this."


    "That''s too bad because my ears have already heard something." David stepped forward he was tired of listening in from a far.

 Chapter 177 - 177: One too many unhappy families.

    It was impossible for the man not to recognize David, of course. "Mr. Saxon? W...what are..you...." Joseph stammered.


    "I work here." David blatantly announced, causing the ghosts and Phoebe to stare at him in utter shock.


    "For a person that wants to keep this a secret, you are sure clumsy because you are wearing a brooch with the Verdemont family emblem." David voiced his observations.


    Phoebe gave David a warning side eye, she had told him to keep his distance as she talked to the man.


    "Don''t mind him, i have been told that you want to take me to your employer''s residence, so let''s go."


    Phoebe went into her office and picked her bag, she informed her grandmother that she was stepping out and then left.


    A black car was waiting outside, funny enough was that it also had the Verdemont family emblem at the front. David chuckled as he squeezed himself next to Phoebe in the back seat.


    "Joseph the next time your employer tells you to do something confidential, ditch the family car and brooch. I bet even the cats on the street know who this car belongs to."


    On hearing his words, the poor man panicked and tore the brooch off as if it scalding his chest.


    "Yes Mr. Saxon."


    Phoebe scoffed. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Does this Joseph know who he works for? David commands and he jumps. Then again, i didn''t correct him when he claimed to be my employee. Tsk, tsk, i never knew how shameless this man was.]


    He ignited the car and drove off towards the West of the city. In no time, they had arrived at the Verdemont''s large residence. Just like the other founding families, it was a stand alone house built on many acres of land. Phoebe still didn''t have detailed information on the founding families so David was kind enough to tell her about the Verdemont family on their way there.


    Apparently the family lived together under one roof like most founding families. Even men from weaker families that married into their family had to move in.


    "Living with your in-laws is the worst thing that can happen to anyone." Phoebe pulled her brows together as the memories of her suffering returned to her.


    She had experienced it once and would never do it again. You would rather send her to actual hell than make her live with in-laws.


    David studied her face, he didn''t know what to think because it''s like he could see pain etched all over it. But, going on the memories of their life before rebirth, he agreed. Phoebe did not need to be around his mother.


    "I agree with you on that." He reached for her hand and squeezed her fingers. He was never going to let his family hurt Phoebe in anyway ever again especially his mother.


    "Here we go." David spoke when the car came to a stop in front of the main doors.


    It seemed from the get go that Phoebe wasn''t the only shaman that had been invited to the Verdemont house. There were people from different religious sects from monks to priests and shamans of all types going on the grounds.


    David and Phoebe studied the situation which was more chaotic than anticipated. All these individuals had been given sits in one big tent and one by one they were being called in like school children on immunization day.


    The older shamans looked at Phoebe in a mocking way. Compared to the rest she was nothing like what a shaman ought to look like. Besides, she was too young to know anything about the spirit world.


    "Oh hell no! How dare they put you in the same environment like these crooks? I wonder what happened that they need the services of a shaman. This family is known for faithfully worshiping the church of light, no wonder they didn''t want word to get out." David whispered to Phoebe.


    The church of light, meant they were followers of the God of light. Their religion abhorred shamans and their kind. For them to be here, the family had serious trouble.


    David firmly kept Phoebe by his side, standing by the door until the butler came and asked them to follow him. The two were escorted to the main house directly unlike the other shamans.


    "Miss. Mayfair and Mr. Saxon the old patriarch would like you to wait for him here." The butler told them once they entered the living room.


    They were not alone, some of the members of the Verdemont family were in the living room already like as though they were waiting for their arrival.


    David pulled Phoebe down because she seemed a little uneasy. Not even one second passed when someone spoke up.


    "David, so it''s true that you are dating this shaman girl and it just so happens that she is the Mayfair heiress! Ha I bet that is not a coincidence."


    Brandon the first born son of Ekhart Verdemont, eldest son of the patriarch gave Phoebe a condescending look. To him, a shaman like all the other quacks that claimed to have ties to the spiritual world had a seat next to the devil.


    Anger washed over David, he had not come all this way to hear anyone insult Phoebe especially not a loser like Brandon.


    "This is a case of sinners judging others because they sin differently. Brandon a drug and strip club addict like yourself shouldn''t judge anyone without knowing the facts." David retorted.


    His words caused the man to jump from his chair with fists clenched, ready to start a fist fight but his mother told him to sit back down.


    "The Mayfairs must be shocked to the bones! Their daughter dances with ghosts and spirits it must be embarrassing, no wonder Jennie had been saying away from society gatherings." Emilia Verdemont, his mother stood up and moved around, her eyes fixed on Phoebe.


    Phoebe had never socialized with members of the founding families when she was married to David so she recognized one person out of the bunch, Camilla Verdemont. She was one of Ruth''s friends that she never got to meet in the past life.


    Phoebe noticed that Camilla''s undivided attention was solely on David. She looked like she was about to drool with the way her mouth was partially open. But that was not unusual because David was desired by most of the maidens in Fog country.


    Camilla walked towards them and wrapped her arms around David''s own with a seductive smile on her face.


    "David would you like to sit down next to me?"


    [Three, i am going to count to three and then smack her and leave. How dare she put her ugly green nails on my charger!]


    David chuckled.


    Camilla''s mother winced loudly as a warning to remind her to behave herself. "You want to become exactly like your sister, if she didn''t go around chasing after men then we wouldn''t be in this position."


    David forcefully released his arm and shoved her away before holding on to Phoebe like a frightened maiden. His actions added more embarrassment on Camilla''s plate.


    "Maybe you shouldn''t have forced her to marry someone that she didn''t love." Camilla marched back to her seat and sat down with an angry huff.


    Emilia laughed sarcastically. "Love? Since when did people in families like ours marry for love? We marry to keep our families financially strong and politically powerful. Poor people are the ones that marry for love and then beg us for scraps to eat.


    In our days, the founding council dictated marriages but since that system was abolished our society has been infiltrated by the poor because some of you kids are marrying them, that Saxon girl Rose-bell is a good example." She bluntly stated


    "Keep my family out of your mouth, madam Emilia." David gave her a warning stare.


    The old woman was not happy to be warned by someone from the younger generation and she glared at David as if she could eat him at any moment.


    Phoebe slipped her fingers through his just to calm him down but the environment was becoming more hostile by the minute.


    Had they been invited to fight a war here? From what she could tell, this family had its share of problems just like the Saxons.


    This was the result of marrying for financial reasons and holding on to power. Many unhappy families were formed.


    The room fell silent when a dignified old man walked in with the support of a walking cane. Behind him were three gentlemen, one had a wet puffy face with red eyes. It seemed like he had been crying because another man patted his back to comfort him.

 Chapter 178 - 178: Social standing.

    "Judging by that face I guess all those fake shamans and priests failed to find Linda." Emilia sneered.


    The sad man with red eyes nodded his head. " I don''t understand any of this? At this point I think that she doesn''t want me to find her. I just want her to come home, why won''t she come back?"


    He broke down and again, some people comforted him.


    "But Abel why then would she be sending you text messages? Going as far as asking you for money?" Brandon looked at his brother in law who was as confused as he was.


    The old patriarch sat down and asked Phoebe and David to sit as well.


    "I need you help little shaman, i need to know if you can find my grand daughter." He crooked.


    Emilia rolled her eyes to the ceiling, she was fed up with the entire situation. Besides their personal priest had prayed on the issue and all they had to do was wait on the lord. Why then was the old man being impatient to the point of inviting people with barbaric beliefs to find Linda.


    Rumors in Citrus traveled fast, she wouldn''t know what do if her brothers and sisters of the light faith heard about Shamans visiting her home. She would probably be demoted from the position of church deaconess.


    "I have tolerated this madness enough! You need to give up. If it''s money that Linda wants, we''ve got a lot of it that we don''t know what to do with it. Abel just send it to her." Emilia''s tone was mildly disrespectful.


    Ekhart Verdemont sat quietly in a single cushioned chair, it was almost like he didn''t want to say anything that could offend his wife. He had to stick with her in this situation.


    "Father, Emilia is right, look at that little girl, what could she possibly do? You have brought all kinds of strange people to our home and honestly we don''t feel safe." S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Yeah right because I look like a mass murderer to you." Phoebe spoke out her thoughts unintentionally.


    Her words caused the entire family to glare at her especially Emilia and Camilla. On the other hand, the old patriarch let out a guffaw that it transitioned into a light cough.


    "Sir are you okay?" Phoebe asked because no one else seemed to care.


    A butler that was standing close to him poured some water in a short glass and handed it to him.


    When he regained composure, the old patriarch began by apologizing to his family.


    "I am sorry that i decided to handle this issue the traditional way although most of you are against it. But we have used all other means to search for my grand daughter and all the private investigators failed. Your church of light failed too even after we sowed seeds worth millions of dollars.


    Monks and Shamans in the days of our ancestors solved such problems that seemed impossible. It''s a pity that finding a real one is like finding a needle in the haystack. Please be patient with me after all this little shaman came in highly recommended."


    His eyes were half closed as he spoke and the inside corners of his eyes slanted upwards. Phoebe could tell that he was in agony, not physically but emotionally.


    "I heard about the Elroys from one of my servants that recommended your services. Is it true that you healed their child that everyone was sure was going to die? I heard that there were some extraordinary circumstances involved but unfortunately they left the country so I cannot ask them to confirm this." He asked.


    "It''s true, i did help them out with their son, sir I will help you if I can and I promise to admit to it if I can''t." Phoebe smiled warmly.


    A man that was sitting next to Abel , called Conrad laughed derisively. "I bet you are a fake too." He gave her a condescending look.


    "I am a Mayfair, i have no desire to steal from you, let us be respectful to one another besides i was invited by the old patriarch so I will deal with him and only him. Who ever feels like this is a waste of time can leave." Phoebe sternly spoke up shocking the bunch.


    "You want us to leave such that you can con him." Brandon spoke again this time raising his voice.


    David shifted forward in his seat. "Who the hell are you anyway? You are not a Verdemont but you are acting like this issue has something to do with you." One more word from him and David was determined to punch him.


    "Conrad shut up!" The old patriarch ordered. "That is Abel''s friend and a close friend of the family. I apologize for his attitude, this puzzling situation has taken a toll on all of us. Abel narrate the story of how all this started."


    "Again!!" Camilla exclaimed and rolled her eyes.


    This was going to be the third time in the day that the story of Linda going missing was told. It would also be the twelfth time that week alone. If she was forced to listen to it one more time, her ears were going to bleed.


    Everyone ignored Camilla''s not so silent displeasure and they turned to Abel.


    Abel dabbed his eyes with his fingers and sniveled. Conrad handed him a tissue and he dried his eyes. "Well..I don''t know where to start but two months ago I received a text on my phone from an unknown number. The sender identified herself as Linda Verdemont my wife who has been missing for more than ten years."


    "Ten years, five months and two weeks to be exact." Emilia interrupted. "And no she is not missing, my son-in -law is trying to be polite here. I cannot believe that after all these years Abel, you are still in love with that skunk. During the two years they were married, Linda slept with everything that had a male organ, including his friends and yet despite that, Abel was patient with her because divorce in this family is unheard of. But my prostitute of a daughter left this kind and decent man and ran off with her poor lover.


    She disgraced this family and our faith with her actions. Our reputations barely survived the scandal which would have ruined us socially by the way. I don''t know why we cannot just let sleeping dogs lie because resurrecting Linda''s murky past is the same as bringing us all closer to a social death. " Emilia clicked her tongue.


    Nothing mattered more than social standing to this family. A lot of heads were bobbing upwards in agreement with Emilia''s words.

 Chapter 179 - 179: Facts or fiction.

    The old patriarch slammed down hard on the table and shook his head. He was unwilling to tolerate any Linda slander, especially not from her own mother. It was not as if such words were going to help the situation.


    A lone tear flowed down his haggard cheek as the memory returned to him of the day of Linda''s wedding. He remembered the empty look in her eyes when she was forced to walk down the aisle.


    "She never wanted to marry young, she had bigger dreams of traveling and furthering her studies but you her own mother forced her into that marriage."


    He punched his thigh weakly with a clenched fist. He was filled with regrets, he should have stood firm and protected his favorite granddaughter.


    "Father-in-law, how can you blame me for continuing a proud family tradition. I had dreams too but I had to give them up to marry your son at eighteen. My mother was also the same when she married my father, we never had choices and did what was required of us by our families. None of us resorted to prostitution to show our dissatisfaction.


    She was betrothed to Abel since the age of five, if she really wanted to escape then she should have done so right before the wedding instead of turning him and us into a laughing stock in society." Emilia curled her upper lip.


    The old man lifted his head to look at her, veins were pulsing at the sides of his neck.


    "My poor baby girl is not that kind of person you all claim she was! Linda was a nice and kind human who could not stand to see even one hungry cat or dog. She used all of her money to feed the poor and built tow homeless shelters. A person like that cannot do the things you say she did, i refuse to believe it. I cannot explain it but I can feel it deep down that something is terribly wrong. I once saw her in my dreams saying good bye to me, I told you all."


    Camilla rolled her eyes stamped her foot. "Oh here we go again with the dream." she said sarcastically.


    The Saxon spirit was touched by his words. Poor guy, its obvious that the rest did not care at all. How could they be so heartless when one of their own is missing? Why was her own mother like this?


    Phoebe hadn''t listened to the whole story but she still didn''t know how to help them.


    "I know a good detective that could assist you in this situation." She pointed out, interrupting the exchange the old patriarch and Emilia where having.


    Shark had found that nurse that swapped the babies and got a confession from her. He could surely find this missing Linda as long as she was alive. It sounded like she married a poor man, run out of money and was asking her husband for money, or so it seemed.


    "Do not bother! We are tired of searching for her. If she wants to, she will come home on her own after all she is not a baby." Emilia marched away followed by some members of the family.


    Only Abel, Conrad and the old patriarch were left behind. The old man was looking at Phoebe with despair in his eyes which she could not ignore. The least she could do was poke around a little.


    "Can I see the messages sent." Phoebe asked Abel who in return asked for her number on which he forwarded them.


    [This is Linda, i don''t have much to say, i just need some money. Send me five million as soon as possible.]


    [Abel, i said five million, how dare you send five hundred thousand? I told you that I am in need of money you useless man. Hurry and send it to this account.]


    [Why have I not received the money yet?]


    [Abel! Send it unless you want me to come back home and make your life miserable. Believe it or not, i can ruin you.]


    David read them too and he noticed something. "She gets more desperate with each message. It comes off more like blackmail than anything else to me, something is not right with the texts." Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Beside Phoebe the Saxon spirit nodded. "I agree, besides why did she contact him if she needed money and not her grandfather who adored her or any of her siblings? You heard her mother, they are willing to give her the money as long as she doesn''t ruin their reputation. Why choose him out of all these people? Something is fishy here." The Saxon spirit shared its own observations.


    Phoebe nodded in agreement. If they were on terrible terms before she run off, why then would she contact him for anything? Why would a man she had cheated on so many times give her money willingly?


    "Is this all? She didn''t say anything else or try to call you?"


    Shaking his head, Abel shared that the messages came from a burner phone. He broke down into fresh tears as if he had a bag of them stored in his eyes.


    "I have received one almost everyday for three months, in fact i switched phone numbers but I continued to receive them."


    Phoebe and David traded gazes, the man said he received messages every day yet he had sent them less than five and all were money demands. Something was definitely amiss.


    It was impossible for nothing else to have been communicated is those many texts.


    "Abel...I want to know something. Why did you stay with the Verdemonts? You could have remarried and moved on after Linda run off." Phoebe asked.


    "A lot of people ask me that but I decided to stay because despite everything I love my wife. I am a person that honors my vows that said till death do us part so i will die in the home where we lived, waiting for her." He wore a solemn expression and Phoebe was a little touched deeply by his words, it was very rare to find a man that was extremely devoted to his wife.


    Phoebe moved next to the old patriarch, she took his hand and looked deep into his sad eyes. "I am going to get to the bottom of this." She patted the top of his left hand with her right one.


    "A big reward awaits, just as long as you find her." The old patriarch smiled warmly at her.


    David had already decided to join Phoebe on this case. "Grandpa Verdemont, we''ll find Linda Verdemont, please be rest assured."


    They both left the Verdemont family home, Joseph was kind enough to drive them to the police station.


    Shark was already waiting, he didn''t shy away from introducing them around as his personal friend even though most of the officers had met them already.


    People assumed that they were there because of the cuckoo case and many eyes stared at Phoebe.


    "Shark we need your help to find a missing person, a woman named Linda Verdemont. Can you help?" Phoebe asked of him.


    Shark pulled his brows together for it wasn''t the first time he was hearing the name in the investigative circle. "Linda Verdemont, I know exactly where to begin from." He nodded.

 Chapter 180 - 180: Shark on top.

    Ten years ago former detective and his first partner now turned private investigator was hired to discreetly search for the whereabouts of Linda Verdemont.


    The explanation given was that Linda had traveled overseas for better treatment after coming down with a strange illness and then disappeared.


    The Verdemonts kept the truth to themselves that Linda had run away with one of her numerous lovers which was the rumor in the city. Nobody of course directly threw this rumor in their faces because no matter what, they were still a rich powerful family.


    Shark knew that if anyone had any useful thoughts or leads on this case, it was Thomas Bing.


    As they prepared to leave the station, Phoebe''s attention was grabbed by a furious woman, she was shouting loudly and rudely, asking the police officer to free someone or else face the consequences.


    "Eliza?" Phoebe identified the woman immediately even before she spun around to show her face.


    Another reason Phoebe could tell it was her was because she could identify the malicious ghost that was hovering around the woman. It was tied to her, with a link that could not be broken easily.


    Phoebe had asked the woman to come and see her for that exact reason but Eliza rejected her. The woman was proud and arrogant, no matter what Phoebe told her, she would ignore it.


    "A friend of yours?" David followed her gaze to Eliza Grant.


    Shaking her head, Phoebe scoffed. "More like a potential client but a disobedient one who probably did something very bad in the past."


    "What did she do?" Shark asked, his curiosity piqued highly.


    Phoebe rolled her eyes in response, Shark was indeed a shark. He was sniffing for something to bite into because he had always wanted to arrest Eliza.


    "I don''t know everything." Phoebe admitted.


    Shark''s face fell as he was a little disappointed. "She is really a piece of work, she has taken away our peace of mind since she stepped foot in the police station. If i had the authority, I would lock her up for causing chaos."


    Phoebe pulled her brows closer together. "Why? What happened?" Her eyes returned to Shark. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "The usual, when it comes to her, the reasons for visiting any police station are the same. One of her many male idols is involved in the Freezing moon club case. We have damning evidence against his participation but she wants us to let him go? Can you believe that? Her lawyers have told her countless times that the idol can''t be freed especially now that one of the girls is dead but she insists on it and is threatening to sue everyone if it affects his career. It''s not my case anyway so not my problem at the moment." Shark shrugged.


    The Freezing moon club case involved a bunch of celebrities and rich kids that held a drug fueled orgy and a clip from the party was leaked. It had covered the cuckoo case and had become the latest gossip in the country.


    Even though Shark looked uninterested in the case, Phoebe could see it in his eyes that it was the opposite.


    "Tsk, tsk, you say one thing with your mouth but your eyes tell a different story. You cannot take on every big case Shark, curb your greed."


    He wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Sadly not, detective Arthur over there is in charge of this one but if it gets any bigger, I will still try to steal it or hop onto the investigation somehow. You know me Pheebs, i cannot let go if i smell blood. Anyway, lets see how things go for now, i will update you on the missing woman case." Shark left them with a lazy goodbye gesture,waving his hand as if it was limp.


    Eliza stormed out of the station and Phoebe quickly followed. She wanted to warn her about the malicious female ghost but on getting outside she didn''t know where or how to begin. People were generally not very receptive to the news about ghosts following them around.


    In that mood, Eliza was definitely going to be less welcoming.


    "Maybe you should let her be, i have heard about Eliza Grant and everything i have heard is bad news." David pulled on her arm to stop her from approaching Eliza.


    Phoebe pulled her hand away stubbornly. "Did you not listen when I said that she is a potential client? That means money and a chance to help either the human or the ghost."


    Whether Eliza was bad or good did not matter, warning her about the danger she was in was more important so Phoebe walked in her direction.


    Eliza had just lit a cigarette but decided not to smoke. She dropped cigarette on the ground and stepped on it like she did all her problems. Her eyes lifted when she noticed a young red haired woman approach her.


    "Detective? Are you here to help me? I mean you and I go way back. You know, we can enter into a mutually beneficial relationship, having connections to me can be rewarding." She smiled at Phoebe slyly, hoping that she would bite into the offer.


    As long as she said yes, she could be led a down the corrupt dark path of no return. Eliza had a few police officers, prosecutors and judges on her payroll. Adding one more would not cost her that much, especially if it was one that worked with the arrogant Shark.


    Phoebe didn''t flinch on being called detective, with Amon''s help she had been given a position in the police as an independent police consultant.


    Phoebe smiled coldly. "Yes i am here to help you Eliza. It would be sad if I woke up one morning and they told me that you died because of that ghost hovering around you."


    The smile on Eliza''s face fell immediately and her demeanor changed. Her reaction was not what Phoebe expected, no shock or looking around while squealing. She seemed angry which to Phoebe meant that she was not ignorant about the ghost.


    "W...what?" She adjusted her face back to a neutral state and stammered. "How...who the hell are you really?" Eliza asked


    "A shaman, I told you to visit the black ghost Cafe because I was worried."


    "You don''t have to worry your pretty red head about that, it''s taken care of." Eliza touched her neck and began to walk away only to pause when Phoebe spoke.


    "Perhaps but that talisman that you used to bind it is making you feel safe and making you arrogant but soon, and very soon, that female ghost will harm you personally like it''s doing to your business. You don''t think that all the problems you have encountered lately are a coincidence now, do you?" Phoebe slipped a business card in Eliza''s jacket pocket and walked to David who was waiting.


    "She doesn''t seem like she will willingly give you her money." David wore a victorious smug smile on his face.


    "Are you happy that I failed to persuade a client?" Phoebe gave him a threatening gaze.


    [Choose your next words very carefully Saxon.]


    Shaking his head, David denied vehemently.


    "Me! When did I do that?"

 Chapter 181 - 181: Short battle of the suitors

    The playful accusations and denial continued until David dropped Phoebe at the cafe. He did not follow as he had other business to attend to. He went to the Alfa security firm to dig as much information as possible on Abel Castor. He didn''t want Phoebe walking into an unknown mess.


    First he went to speak to Roman who was in their surveillance room.


    "How are the guests in the house next door?"


    He was referring to the Gabriels and Ruth that had moved into a house close by at Roman''s demand.


    "They are following the instructions we gave them, can they dare to disobey when we have their son?"


    David was pleased by the answer, he had told Roman to ensure that the Gabriels gave Ruth a taste of what Phoebe endured all the years when she lived with them.


    "What about the person i asked you to look into?"


    Roxanne was also in the surveillance room with her fingers flying rapidly over a keyboard. She had a extra large round sweet in her mouth and every few seconds, suckling noises would come from her mouth.


    "Done."


    She turned the laptop in David''s direction so he bent down to take a look. The information Roxanne had found as she dug into the Castor family was dumbfounding.


    "Great job, send everything that you have got to my email now."


    He rushed out to go and show Phoebe what he had found. To bring her closer to him, he needed to make himself useful to her and this was the kind of work he could handle.


    ***************


    Right before evening rush hour at the cafe, Phoebe decided to track Linda''s location using the central map but she didn''t find a location. Since it covered all of Citrus city and two others, it meant she was not in those places.


    She decided to expand the search and got an ordinary map of Fog country. It was all in vain, Linda was not in the country at all.


    Phoebe decided to go big and try her luck with a world map. With the help of the Saxon spirit, she did the location spell again but the result was the same.


    If Linda was alive, she was not earth. Phoebe''s mind jumped to a conclusion that she was not ready to share with the old man, Linda was probably not among the living anymore.


    Unless she had taken a trip to the moon, she was most likely a ghost by now. Phoebe shivered at the thought but for now, it was better to wait for Shark''s findings.


    She tied an apron around her waist and stepped out of her office to help with serving. Her grandmother and Sylvester were expertly managing the kitchen. Rosette was managing accounts while the new female employee, was working on deliveries.


    David walked in when they extremely busy so he immediately got to work. However, his white hair was too outstanding and his presence only increased the number of customers. Those already inside didn''t want to leave, especially the ladies that were drooling over him.


    David was such a good sales man that not only did he sell the snacks but he also managed to sell the jewels and tonics as well.


    Phoebe had never seen women so eager to empty their wallets. At the end of the day, sales had increased significantly because of him which made Phoebe happy. Anything and anyone that increased the amount of money in her bank account made her happy.


    When they sent the last customer out, they sat down and took deep breaths. All of them were exhausted but they had smiles on their faces.


    "Those jewels that Lorraine brought this afternoon as a sample have also been sold thanks to our sales man here."


    Rosset clapped loudly and David smiled, stood up and bowed in a dramatic fashion before sitting down.


    "Anything for my queen." He winked at Phoebe who rolled her eyes and looked away such that he could not see the small smile on her face.


    [What a flirt...i will not fall for it, hmph. He is even doing it in the presence of my grandmother.]


    Phoebe glanced at grandma Mayfair and she in turn looked away from her quickly. She had no business when the young people were flirting.


    Suddenly someone knocked on the door and all the exhausted humans glared at it. A closed sign was already on meaning that no more customers could access the cafe however the outsider continued knocking persistently.


    "If we all stay silent, maybe they will go away." Grandma Mayfair whispered.


    Phoebe guffawed, it were useless to whisper when the lights were still on.


    "I will send them away." Rosette volunteered.


    She could not fulfill these words when the person on the other side of the door was the landlord so she stepped aside. Collin Baltimore strolled into the cafe with with a medium sized bouquet of flowers.


    "What the hell is he doing here at this hour." David murmured. He walked to where Phoebe was standing and put his arm on her shoulders as if to mark his territory.


    In Collin''s opinion it was such childish behavior, Phoebe felt the same way as she swerved his arm away.


    "Landlord! What a pleasant surprise!" Phoebe asked with mild enthusiasm.


    [Did he come with flowers to increase the rent?]


    Collin almost dropped the flowers in his hands. What opinion did she have about him to think up such a bizarre scenario?


    David sneered. "What''s so pleasant about him coming here? Is it the flowers I can have trees delivered here." He pulled out his phone to make a phone call but Phoebe snatched it from him and gave him a warning gaze. If he was going to act like a child, then she was going to parent him.


    The Saxon spirit was displeased by Collin''s sudden appearance as well. "Oh here we go again, tell the man that you aren''t interested in him instead of stringing him along!"


    Phoebe glared at it. "I am not!"


    She quickly wore a smile and looked back at Collin who was staring at the empty space where she had been looking. Phoebe talking to ghosts wasn''t new to him.


    Connie who was blushing like the flowers were meant for her simpered.


    "Sister, forget this old ancestor. I advise that you don''t put all your eggs in one basket. Date as many men as possible until you decide on one eventually."


    "I agree, this Saxon guy is yet to be trusted." Sylvester spoke blatantly. He was still holding a grudge against David for refusing Phoebe to take him in.


    The Saxon spirit threw him a dangerous look which forced him to retrieve the statement.


    "David has really been trying to redeem himself, on the other hand Collin is still even afraid to ask you on a date and seems like a mama''s boy."


    "Sylvester, you just passed your probation period and you are now a full employee." The Saxon spirit smiled at him. "As for you Connie, no candy for a week."


    "Hmph!, you are bullying me because you are older. I am not a child, you don''t decide for me."


    "You live under my roof in my pendant, that makes you my child and you have to obey my rules." The spirit replied.


    Phoebe had no idea who to control at the moment, the ghosts or the humans.


    "Phoebe we have the Verdemont case to work on, tell the unwanted visitor to leave." David glared at the flowers she had accepted.


    His words however only piqued Collin''s interest, he had passed by to finally ask Phoebe on a date but if she was working on a case then he had to help her somehow.


    "Pheebs can I stay? I may be able to help." Collin offered.


    "No, it is confidential." David loudly rejected the offer. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Oh sit your bottoms down David! I am going to help too if I can." Grandma Mayfair said loudly. "Rosette get us all fresh juices while my granddaughter introduces me to Goldilocks here." She smiled at Collin.

 Chapter 182 - 182: Uncovering Abel.

    She tried hard not to laugh but Phoebe could not help it. Her grandmother had called Collin Goldilocks so calmly as if it was his actual name.


    Collin on the other hand saw the similarities between Phoebe and her grandmother. One had called him Goldie and the other Goldilocks. If he ever met her mother, what would she call him, Golden retriever!


    His hair was not even that gold, it was honey blonde for heavens sake!


    "Ahem, this is Collin Baltimore, my landlord." Phoebe introduced Collin to her grandmother casually.


    "Friend." Collin amended, "Not just landlord but also friend." Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "That''s right Baltimore, you two are just friends." David chuckled in a juvenile manner.


    Phoebe raised her right hand and hit him in the stomach lightly.


    [Seriously!! this dummy, what am i going to do with him?]


    Collin swallowed hard. "Oh yeah! Isn''t that what you two are?"


    Phoebe crossed her right hand middle finger over the index finger, scanning her brain for a good answer.


    [It''s really complicated Goldie, don''t ask.]


    Collin''s world collapsed on reading her thought because she confirmed there was something between them but he perked up quickly because complicated wasn''t necessarily a bad thing. It meant the relationship had not been cemented.


    Phoebe decided to change the topic and she started talking about the case. Rosset swiftly served the drinks as they listened to Phoebe narrate everything that had happened at the Verdemont''s residence.


    When she was finished, they were all quite amazed to be taking an inner peek into the life of a wealthy crazy family.


    "They always seem like the perfect family but i knew there was something off about them, they are too obsessed with that light church and judge everyone that doesn''t share their belief. There is something that I don''t understand, Linda Verdemont''s picture has always appeared in their Christmas family letter, how come she has been missing for so many years?" Grandma Mayfair asked.


    "Oh grandma with the latest technology everything is possible. Imagine she has been missing for over ten years but most of us thought she was just working in another country." David sipped on some water.


    It was really a baffling story but they all felt terrible on behalf of the old patriarch of the family. All those years of waiting and hoping endlessly. He was close to death now so he had become more desperate for answers.


    "Now that I think about it, Luther stopped appearing in public about ten years ago, all we heard was that he had suddenly become very sick. He loved that girl Linda so much and went everywhere with her.


    The girl was the carbon copy of his late wife, i guess that''s why he grew attached to her so much. It was a pity that she was already betrothed to Abel Castor when she could have done so much better.


    Growing up, he was not pleasant looking, clever or industrious. That''s why his family let him marry into the Vedermonts, he was useless. Rumors moved around that Linda wanted to break the engagement.


    The next thing we knew, the two of them were walking down the isle in their church and then she suddenly stopped attending public gatherings. One year after the marriage, she stopped appearing in public completely. Her reputation was no longer rosy." Grandma Mayfair had a faraway look in her eyes as the memories returned to her.


    She was mostly thinking about her late husband, he had been on good terms with Luther so she met Linda four times when the girl came over to deliver something on behalf of her grandfather. She was such a sweet, kind and soft spoken girl.


    Collin cleared his throat. "Then that means that there is a connection between her disappearance and the old patriarch''s sickness, I think that he took her disappearance so hard and got so depressed that it made him sick."


    "What are you, a doctor?" David gave Collin a condescending look.


    "Saxon, this is something your short sighted brain cannot comprehend." Collin sarcastically stated.


    [Can''t you two just stop bickering like little kids for once! It''s not cute.]


    Phoebe''s thoughts displayed for them both to see, they traded gazes and looked away from each other.


    "Anyway, I had my people dig up everything they could find on this Castor guy and guess what, he lied about a lot of things. Most especially about the content of the messages that he was receiving from Linda." David sent some documents to the printer which he had bought for the cafe


    He asked Rosette to print them out and each of them got a paper as Rosette handed them out.


    Phoebe''s eyes shot wide open as she read through the messages on the first paper she received.


    [Give me the money if you want the truth to stay buried. I will come back and tell my parents everything.]


    [If i expose you, the shame will make you take your life. Do you want your family to know what you are?]


    [You think the peanuts you sent are enough? Better send me more or i will ruin you?]


    [I saw you last night, you look like you were having a blast. I took some pictures, who should i send them to? The price has gone up to ten million.]


    [Abel, give me all the money that you stole from my family or else.....]


    She read the messages out loud becoming more and more perplexed with each one.


    "What i don''t understand is why she is determined to ask this Abel for money and not her family." David placed his index finger on the lips and thought deeply. "This is obviously blackmail, Linda knows something that Abel doesn''t want the world to know."


    David nodded and flipped the page. "Check page three, it''s all deleted images. Page six she threatens to reveal that the Castors moved to Eagle country after stealing valuables from the Verdemonts."


    Collin agreed. "Not just that, they are now dead broke and running shady massage parlors while maintaining the image of an elite family that just migrated for business reasons. You Fog nationals consider the founding families to be sacred, something like this will get the Castors exiled from that society immediately."


    Phoebe''s eyes noticed something in the papers. "According to this information the Castors went broke way before Abel married Linda, he married her for the money. His account received a lot of money when he was the home affairs accountant. It looks like he doesn''t hold that position anymore."


    "Why was that changed?" Collin asked only for Phoebe to shrug.


    "I have to ask the patriarch but first i need to hear from Shark, no wonder he stayed back all these years after his wife disappeared with her rumored lover." Phoebe said.


    David snapped his fingers. " This man is not as loyal as the Verdemonts think he is. He''s a total scum, the family thinks he''s this innocent martyr that sacrificed himself for true love."


    "Total scumbag, maybe she wasn''t perfect like they claim but he isn''t either." Collin rose to his feet after receiving an important call from his sister.


    "Grandma, everyone I have to run now, my sister needs me." He bid every one goodbye and spared David a quick mean glance before running off.


    "Okay, the pictures, i didn''t print them out but...." David shook his head and whistled as he showed Phoebe the photos Roxanne had sent to his phone and the two picket sized photographs he had been holding onto.

 Chapter 183 - 183: Suspicion of death.

    On seeing the photos Phoebe gasped loudly as if she had seen the most alarming thing ever. Never in her wildest dreams could she have imagined that Abel and Conrad had such a kind of relationship.


    Grandma Mayfair asked to take a look at the photo too, she covered her eyes the moment she set sight on it. A man and a man engrossed in different erotic positions.


    The old woman whose mind was still very much traditional wanted to bleach her eyes. In some of the pictures, the two men were going at it on an open rooftop of a small villa. She really couldn''t understand this generation, it was one that really had too much freedom and had lost all shame.


    "This must be the reason for the blackmail, this Abel man converted to the faith of light after marrying Linda and news of this abnormal relationship getting out wouldn''t only ruin him but the Verdemonts as well, especially within the church circles." Grandma Mayfair frowned deeply.


    The church of light was strongly vocal against same sex relationships. The Verdemonts would kick Abel out as soon as they caught wind of this.


    Phoebe sighed heavily. "I was hoping for the opposite but this makes me think my hunch is right, Linda Verdemont isn''t alive anymore....."


    Her words elicited a "WHAT?" from the listeners who interrupted her speech.


    Nodding her head Phoebe further elaborated on her suspicion. "I did a location spell, four actually and she is nowhere to be found on earth. Abel and Conrad were suspiciously close when we went to the Verdemont home. Conrad was practically wiping Abel''s tears for him like a good wife. He also had this look on his face as if he was confident Linda will never be found."


    "If she really is dead, i bet my entire fortune that Abel and Conrad having something to do with it. Such a secret can get some one killed especially if one is desperate to hide it." David waved the photo around continuously until grandma Mayfair asked him to take it out of her face.


    "My God! Poor Luther." Grandma Mayfair placed a hand to her chest. "Are you certain dear?"


    There was only one way for Phoebe to find out for sure and that was to find Linda''s ghost whether it was here on earth or beyond. However, to do that she needed Linda''s personal belongings. It was already late so she had to put that plan on hold but, she planned to call the Verdemont patriarch and make the request.


    "We will know for sure tomorrow and hopefully i will have got answers from detective Shark as well." Phoebe blew air out of her mouth and sighed. She was tired, her joints hurt and needed rest.


    "Let''s go home people, good work today everyone." Phoebe announced as she stood.


    ******


    The next morning Phoebe arrived early at the cafe first because Joseph was already waiting for her with Linda''s personal belongings, he smiled calmly as she approached.


    "The old patriarch asked me to bring this." He handed a medium sized black suitcase to Phoebe. "This is everything that is left of miss Linda''s belongings. The rest of them were burnt to ashes by her mother. Please call me to pick them when you are done with them because to the old patriarch they are priceless treasures."


    Phoebe smiled back and shook her head. "No worries Joseph, I will bring them with me when I come to the mansion with answers." Phoebe entered the sparkling cafe.


    With the exception of grandma Mayfair, everyone had already reported to work, whether it was because they were eager to make money or not miss a single thing to do with Linda''s case, she was unsure.


    She stopped in the kitchen first and locked the door for privacy before unloading the groceries and herbs. There was a lot to be retrieved from the magic space.


    The Saxon spirit helped but Phoebe felt the work burden too especially when they were moving the potatoes. When she was done, she dusted her hands and ordered Sylvester to start cooking because grandma Mayfair was going to be late.


    No sooner had she slumped into a chair behind the counter when her grandmother walked into the shop.


    "Hey nana, how did the shopping go?" Phoebe asked, her eyes eagerly studying the gift bag she was holding.


    She had asked her grandmother to pick out Evelyn''s birthday gift on her behalf. Grandma Mayfair pulled out a small purse.


    "I think Evelyn will love this, it came in highly recommended for people your age. I got one for you too." She took out another purse, better looking than the one meant for Evelyn and gave it to Phoebe.


    "Oh sweet nana! You didn''t have to, thank you so much, i love it." Phoebe hugged the purse to her chest and hopped up and down like a bunny.


    Pleased with her reaction, grandma Mayfair excused herself and went to the kitchen.


    A delivery was made to the cafe for her from David. Phoebe wasted no time to check what was inside, a mini black dress and an envelope with a card and money.


    "He''s going to go broke soon if he doesn''t take his finances seriously." Phoebe mumbled. She was happy though, a girl can never have too many cute dresses as for the money it was going straight to her bank account.


    She was going to open the suitcase when someone knocked on her office door and she invited them in.


    Shark walked in, holding a small note book and pen. A wooden tooth pick played in his mouth as usual.


    "Hey Pheebs."


    Phoebe nodded once as she pushed the gift box to the side.


    "Anything yet?"


    Nodding his head, Shark took a sit and began to narrate what he had discovered. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I talked to Thomas and he said that he searched everywhere but there was no sign of Linda. It''s like she was wiped off the face of the earth. No cars or houses registered in her name, no credit card, no registered phone number. She is basically a ghost." He looked around in case the ghosts were there. "No offense to you guys."


    Phoebe scoffed, the ghosts were not around.


    "Thomas also mentioned that he came to the conclusion that the Verdemonts maybe hiding something. They were just so uncooperative and unhelpful and as for the husband, he was completely torn and miserable that he could hardly answer a question without breaking down. Thomas did suspect him but there was no evidence and he had an alibi...."


    Phoebe interrupted. "Let me guess his close friend."


    He nodded. " I don''t get why they are digging it up after all these years when a lot of time has passed. They were too nonchalant about the issue back then which made the trail run cold. If she had run off with a lover then there had to be a trail of some kind but there was none in her case.


    According to Thomas, the supposed men she had affairs with didn''t hear from her after she vanished and some did not even remember ever meeting her its all. This matter is quite strange and could be a waste of time. From what Thomas shared about that family, maybe they locked Linda in some basement since she was a family disgrace." Shark twisted his lips to the side.


    Shark shrugged, indicating that he was done and there was nothing left to tell.


    "I think it''s time i search among the dead." Phoebe suggested.

 Chapter 184 - 184: The other side

    Shark stared at her in a mixture of confusion and curiosity.


    "You actually think she''s dead."


    His heart skipped a beat as excitement set in and suddenly he started to view the case in a different light. If things were as Phoebe truly thought then it was about to blow up anytime. A dead murdered daughter of a founding family was going to turn into a high profile case. For one small moment he felt pity for Linda but it vanished quickly. If she was dead, she could not be saved and all he could do was bring her justice. He would also benefit largely from solving the mystery, he had to grab the opportunity as soon as possible.


    Phoebe could read his excitement from where she was and she scoffed. As expected of the Shark, now that she had shared this with him, he was going to be more proactive. It would not surprise her if he went to the Verdemont house and started questioning people immediately.


    It was best not to say anything else to him until she had confirmation.


    She tapped the desk lightly. "I said that I will search among the dead just to be certain so don''t jump to conclusions quickly. I will let you know in case i find something, Thank you for your help Shark, Your breakfast is on me today."


    He stood up and left hesitantly wishing that Phoebe could say more but he was aware that he could not pry her mouth open unless she was willing to share. He was her go to detective anyway, so he could wait.


    He grabbed himself a medium sized box of freshly baked donuts and milk tea. On his way out, Grandma Mayfair called him back and asked to speak privately.


    They moved towards the end of the counter, away from customers and she whispered.


    "I want to report someone for attempted murder, Ruth Gabriel. That bitch tried to kill me and she had my real granddaughter kidnapped. She also faked medical records and bribed a doctor, hired people to slander Phoebe online and....."


    She put a hand on her chin as she pondered on other crimes that Ruth had committed. She was determined to see the wicked woman end up in prison.


    Shark was shocked but he realized the gravity of the accusations quickly and invited her to follow him to the police station.


    After Shark left, Phoebe locked the door of her office to secure her privacy. She then checked inside the suitcase that contained Linda''s belongings. Not much was in there, Linda''s belongings were really few.


    There was a polka dot scarf, a silver necklace with a heart shaped locket, two t.shirts, a humanitarian certificate, a comb and a report card from first grade.


    "Tsk tsk, this is all that''s left of Linda''s remains in the world. That family is really cruel towards their own." Phoebe sighed.


    She took out the small green comb, it still had a few strands of Linda''s black hair in it.


    "Perfect." Phoebe then moved into the magic space and made a beeline to the cabin where she searched for the book that could assist her contact Linda''s ghost.


    It was already resting on the table because the Saxon spirit was aware that Phoebe was going to go in search for it.


    "I took this out the moment you failed to find her anywhere on earth. I had a feeling that she had already moved on."


    It''s sympathetic eyes remained on Phoebe who sighed lightly.


    "Her family is to blame, maybe that''s why her ghost did not linger on earth. If i had a family like that, i would not stay behind either, i would find the first bridge to reincarnation and cross it as quickly as i can."


    She touched a corner of the ghost note book, it had some dust on it so Phoebe blew it off. The dust went straight up to her nose which in turn caused her to cough a little.


    She wondered what Connie spent her time doing in the magic space instead of cleaning.


    "Lazy bones." she mumbled. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "The day that girl voluntarily takes charge of this place is the day i will surrender it to her. Look at her in the cafe right now, she is drooling over a handsome customer instead of helping. I thought my days of raising a teenager were over but i was wrong." The Saxon spirit laughed.


    Phoebe laughed along with it, and then she opened the first page of the notebook. It was an empty brown page with no single marking.


    "You remember the rules of communicating with spirits that are on the other side, don''t you?" The Saxon spirit asked.


    In response, Phoebe nodded. "All I have to do is hold one of Linda''s personal belongings, chant a spell and write what i want to ask right?" she stated.


    "That''s right." answered the spirit.


    In one hand Phoebe held Linda''s comb and in another she held a short silver pen with strange markings all over it. She poked her finger with the sharp tip of the pen and it sucked blood out. The blood was going to act as ink.


    "I spend energy, blood and time, all that''s missing is my flesh." Phoebe mumbled.


    [Linda Verdermont, please i humbly request to speak to you.]


    Phoebe wrote and placed the pen down, from what the spirit had told her the pen was supposed to move on its own as the ghost responded by writing in the book as well. But in this case, it lay there like dead tree wood.


    "She''s one of a kind because most spirits on the other side would rush at this kind of opportunity, i guess she''s contented and has no desire to hear about those that she left behind." The Saxon spirit thought deeply. "Say something about her grandfather."


    "What are you guys doing?" Connie popped up behind Phoebe.


    "Contacting Linda but she doesn''t seem to want to respond." Phoebe shared.


    "Perhaps she is in purgatory after all, she was an adulteress who has to pay for her sins, who knows what kind of punishment was handed to her."


    Connie ignorantly spoke up only to attract warning glances from Phoebe and the spirit.


    But in response the teenage ghost shrugged. "What? i mean she could be pulling out her nails or teeth to atone for her sins." Connie continued to blabber.


    "Child i have told you countless times to watch your mouth, that book is open and Linda''s ghost could be listening in right now." The Saxon spirit waved its hand and expelled Connie from the space.


    [Linda? Please i humbly request that you respond, i have something important to ask. Your grandfather wants to know what happened to you, he is gravely ill.]


    Desperation etched allover Phoebe''s face as she wrote.


    Hardly had Phoebe placed the pen down when it began to scribble in the book.


    [My poppy? You know him?]


    Before Phoebe could process what was happening, a ray emanated out of the page and a reflection of Linda on the other side appeared.


    "Oh God!" Phoebe covered her mouth with her fingers.


    A lot of things since her rebirth still surprised her, this being one of them. With this book, she could talk to anyone that had died and moved on as long as they had not reincarnated. The world truly had wonders.


    "What about my poppy? Is he okay? Can I see him? Is he there with you?" Echoed Linda''s voice.


    Phoebe shook her head. "He is not here with me, I am a shaman named Phoebe, he told me to find out where you are. He has been looking for you ever since you disappeared, he never stopped for a single day. What happened to you?"

 Chapter 185 - 185: Linda woeful journey.

    Saddened to hear that her grandfather had become ill because of her disappearance, Linda bit her bottom lip and tried not to choke on her tears. After all this time, he had not moved on, it seemed.


    "I remember him to be so healthy, he should have just moved on like I did. I told him that when I visited his dreams right before I crossed to this side."


    She rubbed tears away from her cheeks with the back of her hand.


    Phoebe took a sip of the lemon grass tea she had brought over from the shop. It was going to be a long chat because she had a lot of questions for Linda. She didn''t know how long the spell would last and she wanted answers quickly.


    "What happened to you? Nobody knows that you are dead, your family thinks that you run away with another man."


    Linda scorned at the mention of family, the very people that had led her to her death. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Those people ruined me, my woes began when I revealed to my family that I was not interested in marrying Abel. I was only eighteen and I wanted to further my education, expand my skills and travel the world but my parents had other plans for me, a forced marriage.


    I tried to get out of it by persuading my grandfather to help me and he intervened but my head strong parents didn''t listen to him.


    I even tried to cajole Abel but he showed me how serious he was by converting to the faith of light and agreeing to move into our house. When poppy Luther traveled out of the country, my parents took the chance and forced me to marry Abel.


    It was a sad private wedding which I was forced into just because I was betrothed to him and he had showed commitment by converting to the light faith. Abel, that beast acted like the perfect son-in-law, so devoted to my family and tolerant of everything.


    My father even appreciated Abel by making him the home affairs accountant. When Grandpa returned he was furious but the deed was already done and divorce in our family was a taboo unless one had a strong unshakable reason." She swallowed deeply.


    "Why was Abel dismissed from being the affairs accountant?" Phoebe asked.


    "Honestly, i am not sure why but it was Grandpa that dismissed him, claiming that a professional was taking over." Linda shrugged.


    Phoebe put one and two together and connected the dots. The broke Castors suddenly had money to spend in Eagle country and then they went broke again, the timeline matched perfectly.


    "Please keep going how did Abel do this to you? I am certain that he has everything to do with your death." Phoebe rubbed her chin.


    "Even if ours was a loveless marriage, it was odd that Abel had not once approached me for sex. We slept in the same bedroom but he didn''t try not even once to initiate a physical relationship. I am not saying that I wanted him to. Honestly, i was actually relieved that he didn''t touch me. But it was odd, so I began to spy on him because if he was cheating then all I had to do was expose and be free of him.


    My parents suddenly began to talk about grandchildren and that''s when Abel shamelessly accused me of infidelity. I denied of course, because it was not true but it was all in vain because he had cooked up evidence, pictures of me with different naked men in bed. I don''t know how or when he took them.


    I was speechless but my parents condemned me immediately and pleaded with Abel to keep things quiet on the other hand, they banned me from leaving the house. From that day fourth I became an outcast in my own home, priests from the church came to perform exorcisms on me because obviously I was possessed by darkness. They even called me the devil''s wife and whipped me with ropes.


    It was as if their ears were blocked to my cries and pleas. All i said about Abel fell on deaf ears and the more i tried to expose him, the more evidence against me piled up.


    I confronted Abel but the man laughed and called me his lifeline. "Just be a good wife, do as your told and shut up unless you want your grandfather to die of a heartbreak. If you cannot take it anymore then you can ask me for a knife to slit your wrists." That''s exactly what he said to me.


    I was afraid for my poppy so I did as told and from then on my life became a living hell. I watched my parents hate me and treat me like the devil but love and praise the man that had assassinated my character. He drugged my food and drinks, making me emotionally unstable. I became a shadow of myself and eventually, i started to think that ending my life was the solution. My grandfather would be safe and i would be free.


    The morning i was planning to end it all, I went into the maze gardens that''s where I found them, Abel and Conrad. They were naked and doing stuff...intimate things. I was shocked at first but then everything began to make sense. I finally saw the light and took pictures of them as proof.


    I hoped that my family would come to their senses. The first person i told was Brandon who found me running out of there, my phone fell and he picked it up. On seeing the pictures, he sneered grabbed my arm and took me back into the maze."


    "I am sorry what? "Phoebe blurted out.


    Brandon was Linda''s brother, if there was evidence that exonerated her of the cheating scandals and also revealed Abel''s true face, he should have jumped on it and protected his sister.


    Why would he take her back into the maze, to the very man that had ruined her life? Phoebe recalled the way Brandon had been extra worried about Abel, he had had been as concerned as Conrad.


    If Conrad was Abel''s lover, could it be that Brandon was just the same? David had mentioned him being a strip club addict so Phoebe had doubts. Then again, it could be a cover up.


    Before rebirth, she didn''t remember ever hearing about Brandon Verdemont getting married.


    "No way, it can''t be what i am thinking." She shook her head.


    "What?" the Saxon spirit asked curiously.


    Phoebe looked at Linda and asked, "Are the three of them by any chance together?"


    Nodding her head in confirmation, Linda stared back at Phoebe. "Yes."

 Chapter 186 - 186: Betrayed by blood.

    The confirmation shocked Phoebe more, it was truly astounding. Three men in one relationship!!! what were they thinking? Why involve an innocent woman in the messy affair?


    As for that Brandon, Linda was his blood sister, how could he betray her?


    Phoebe stared at Linda''s reflection, the ghost had a blank expression on its face. It was almost like these things had happened to someone else and not her.


    The Saxon spirit was equally shocked, it found the affair immoral and distasteful. The men needed to be exposed for what they had done to poor Linda by ruining her life and leading to her death.


    "Pause the story and please explain this well." Her ears twitched.


    Linda sighed weakly. "Honestly if I hadn''t caught them I never would have known but once i did the while picture became clear. It made perfect sense because Brandon had refused to marry. My parents tried to set him up with countless girls but he rejected them all with one excuse or another. Those hypocrites didn''t force him because father said he was a man and he didn''t have a biological clock. Him frequenting the strip clubs was a cover up, besides those places have male strippers too so who knows what he was doing."


    "Wow just wow! This is sick, so your brother kept quiet as you entered the lion''s den? He''s a psycho, most brothers protect their sisters jealously what the hell was wrong with yours?" The Saxon spirit wore a stolid expression.


    Phoebe''s narrowed eyes stared beyond Linda''s reflection. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You were used by them because of your reserved nature which made you easy to control. But, with all the love your grandfather has for you, why didn''t he notice?"


    Linda''s eyes grew moist as her grandfather''s face came to her mind. He was not to blame, he didn''t really know what was going on under his nose.


    "Poppy was always busy back then since he was the head of the corporation. He traveled a lot besides, he has a fragile heart. I didn''t want to send him to an early grave or risk Abel killing him. When he was around, I would come down with an illness which would keep me immobilized and weak.


    l think someone was intentionally making me sick to keep me from talking. Poppy would visit me when he could but even then Abel and Brandon were always right there by my side, making sure i could not say anything. I didn''t know that Brandon was in on it at the time, i just thought that he was being a considerate brother that at least cared about my health. How wrong i was!"


    "What happened after Brandon caught you?" Phoebe asked her.


    Snickering in a scornful way, Linda narrated the minutes leading up to her death. "Brandon''s hand made it''s way to the back of my hair, i remember that he grabbed a handful of it and pulled on it as he dragged me back in the maze. I screamed as loud as I could but no one could hear me. Brandon put another hand over my mouth to stop me from screaming, that''s when I took the opportunity and bit his hand so hard I could taste his blood in my mouth.


    He winced and threw me to the ground in front of Abel and Conrad then kicked me countless times as he called me a bitch. Abel and Conrad joined in after he told them that i knew their secret. They laughed and Abel kissed Brandon, that''s when i knew why he had dragged me into the maze, he was one of them.


    Conrad kicked me so hard in the head that i became really dizzy, my bones were broken and i had no energy to move. I lay on the grass while the three deliberated on what to do with me. No matter what they said it only came down to the fact that i wasn''t allowed to get out of there alive.


    Abel stomped on me as he blamed me for ruining his plans. That''s when Conrad decided to get rid of me so that Abel would stay on as the virtuous husband whose unfaithful wife had run away with an unknown lover.


    My voice was weak, i was cold and frightened so i used the last of my energy to grab onto Brandon''s shoes and beg them to let me go. I would leave the country, disappear for good and never return and also keep their secret.


    They didn''t believe me and Brandon said there was no way they could let me walk away alive after what I knew because I was going to expose them. Abel bent over me, he wore an evil grin as he wrapped his hands around my neck, chocking me until I breathed my last.


    The next thing i knew, i was hovering over my own body as a ghost. I watched them bury me in the center of the maze garden. I stayed around as a ghost for a while, hoping someone would notice but nobody did, they just believed the lies and cursed me for embarrassing the family while consoling one of my killers. Only poppy stood up for me so i visited his dreams, said goodbye and left. It was an odious journey but i was finally free so in the end, i was okay with death.


    My body must still be there, those killers must have enjoyed themselves all these years."


    Phoebe shook her head and dubbed away the tear at the edge of her left eye. "Of recent Abel began to receive text messages from a Linda Verdemont black mailing him for money. They are from someone that knows about their relationship and possibly the secret of your death. Do you know anybody that could be behind it?"


    A loud chuckle escaped Linda''s lips. "Obviously i am dead so it''s not me. It can''t be Brandon because he has money, and not Abel since he can''t blackmail himself. It leaves just one person, Conrad. He is the son of one of the drivers. If anybody needs money, it''s him."


    Phoebe sighed and massaged the back of her slightly sore neck. She had all the answers she needed, it was time to bid Linda farewell.


    "I will make sure that your bones are found and reveal the truth. Your grandfather is going to be heart broken when he gets the news. He will probably blame himself because all this happened under his roof and you were betrayed by one of your own blood." Phoebe shook her head gently and sighed loudly.


    In Linda''s case, blood had not been thicker than water.


    "Can''t i see poppy one ....." Linda''s voice trailed off as the spell wore off and she vanished.


    "Wait...wait." Phoebe shouted.


    She had not given Phoebe a clear spot for where the body was. It would be much easier to find if she had a map with an X marking the spot.


    She was going to do the spell again when the Saxon spirit stopped her.


    "You are low on energy to summon her again, we can try again tomorrow or later after you regain it."


    Phoebe closed the notebook and looked at the spirit.


    "About her last words before she went poof, i am certain that she wants to see her poppy one last time. Can it happen?"


    Phoebe asked because she didn''t want to break any rules.


    "You can if you are connected to an endless source of energy." The Saxon spirit''s eyebrows danced playfully.


    Phoebe smirked. "David

 Chapter 187 - 187: PG 10

    "Here we go again with the David promotion strategy, you just throw him my way whenever you get a chance. Anyway, i will take you up on that offer this time round because it is for a good deed. Before you get your hopes up, i am just going to hold his hand....we are keeping it PG 10."


    Phoebe gave the spirit her own smirk.


    "Ten!!!" it exclaimed.


    Phoebe nodded. "Mmm, ten."


    "My dear, why don''t we bargain?" The spirit cozied up to her with intentions to haggle.


    The relationship between Phoebe as David was not progressing fast enough, he had not even seen the door leading to her bedroom.


    "How about we go up two ages, PG 13."


    "You sly spirit, all that is needed is hand holding, we should not rush things. My relationship with David is progressing at the normal rate. In my last life, i chased him but in this one, it''s his turn to chase me. Whether he can catch me or not depends on how skilled he is."


    The Saxon spirit sighed as if she had let it down greatly. Phoebe left the cabin and looked at empty plot of land. She needed to plant some more irish potatoes, fries were easy to sell in the cafe.


    She noticed some plants and herbs which had not been acquired through her.


    "Hmm, who planted garlic and chilli''s?" she mumbled.


    It didn''t matter anyway, she left the space and her office altogether. She had no clients, ghost or human but the cafe had customers. Her grandmother was absent and Phoebe assumed she had stepped out.


    What surprised her however was to find grandma Saxon sitting at one of the tables close to the counter. The old woman was sipping their popular lemon grass tea. She had a half eaten jam filled large scone.


    Phoebe was hoping to leave the cafe without being noticed but the old woman saw her and waved at her. Then she gestured for Phoebe to go over, she was reluctant but went anyway.


    "Grandma....Mrs. Saxon?" Phoebe approached the table.


    "Pheebs! We are closer than that, please call me granny or Nana."


    "Granny, how lovely it is to see you and you look healthy and strong." Phoebe commented.


    Grandma Saxon smiled widely. "I am getting compliments about my physical state lately, that''s why i am back for more supplements. Oh my husband''s health has improved so much as well, it''s astonishing. I had asked you to deliver them at the Saxon family house in the hopes of hosting you but you didn''t come over."


    "I am sorry granny, the cafe and other business have kept me occupied but we now have a full time delivery person who can deliver the supplements whenever you want." Phoebe lied about her reason for not going to the Saxon tower. The last thing she wanted was visit that place.


    The old woman smiled at her tentatively. "You and David, i have heard some good news on that front, how is it going?" She asked after hesitating slightly.


    [He''s a pain in my ass but its nothing i can''t handle.]


    Grandma Saxon giggled softly on reading Phoebe''s thoughts.


    "It''s...err...good." Phoebe replied hesitantly.


    It was the best answer she could come up with and it was also the truth, the relationship was good.


    "So, do you see a future with my grandson? Oh...before we get to that, what do your parents think about your relationship with David, is it a match that can be made? I have heard that your oldest brother does not approve of the relationship."


    Grandma Mayfair walked in right to time to save Phoebe from answering the questions.


    "Prudence Saxon, I cannot entertain you during working hours, this is my work place."


    Grandma Saxon''s eyes flew open. "This is the place you work at? I am jealous, Phoebe do you have a spot for me too?"


    "NO!" Grandma Mayfair shouted, surprising them both. "Prudence you have never worked a day in your life, you are going to be a burden to us, no offense."


    Grandma Saxon laughed. "I am joking Rebecca, calm down. Pheebs i only have one job on this earth and that is to look good and enjoy myself. I cannot work, i am not cut out for the hard stuff."


    [Thank God! I cannot handle the both of you here at the same time.]


    Phoebe let out a huge sigh, glad that she and her grandmother were on the same page. She already had the Saxon spirit pressing her on David matters, she didn''t need grandma Saxon doing the same daily.


    "Phoebe my offer still stands, I want to buy the recipe of your supplements. Look at Rebecca, she''s stronger than an ox. All my friends are praising your products even my daughter-in- law that is hard to please is obsessed with them." Grandma Saxon smiled warmly at her.


    Phoebe thought about the recipes falling into Katherine''s hands or whoever it is that was going to be the eventual president of Saxon group now that David had stepped away.


    She could not hand over the source of her wealth to them. Once lifetime of living as a Saxon horse was enough, she could not do it a second time.


    [Never!]


    "I am never going to sell it, it''s something I will hand over to my children someday." Phoebe smiled back.


    "Forget it Prudence, just buy and recommended our products to others, your family is rich enough. And as for you Phoebe, guard those recipes jealously you can never know what can happen, the Saxons hate competition." Grandma Mayfair gave her friend a side eye.


    Shaking her head, grandma Saxon disagreed with the statement. "That isn''t necessary true, competition is good for business. That is why i told David to go ahead when he told me that he was opening his own research center concentrating on the field of deadly diseases mostly. That kid wants to make medicines cheaper for the poor and cure as many people as possible. It''s a secret though." She whispered the last words


    Phoebe was surprised because David had not mentioned a thing to her. It was a good choice for him to go into that field because he was familiar with it. In the past life, they had together developed a number of drugs that cured various illnesses.


    Although she had no plans to help him, it sounded like a viable place to invest.


    Grandma Mayfair was even more shocked to hear that David had quit the Saxon group.


    "No wonder he has been spending a lot of time here. Phoebe you might rethink dating the Goldilocks boy because he has his own money. It seems like David is just starting out, take it from me as an old woman that has seen the world, building a man is stressful." S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As someone that had done that before, Phoebe could not argue with that reasoning.


    Grandma Saxon gasped. "How can you tell her that Becky! Listen Phoebe, David maybe branching out on his own but he is already financially successful and i believe that he is the best out of all those boys lurking around you."


    All Phoebe did was giggle. "Nana we have a hair appointment, don''t forget that we have a party to attend."


    "What party? Can I come too?" Grandma Saxon was determined to spend time with Phoebe, not even her friend was going to get in her way.

 Chapter 188 - 188: Ruth in hell.

    If hell on earth existed then Ruth was living in it, her father Aaron''s last act of love was carrying her from the Mayfair house into the car. The moment they reached at a house that was in a secluded location he changed completely. It all started after Ruth asked him why he had gone to the Mayfair house.


    "I told you stupid old fools to stay put but you didn''t listen to me because your brains are empty." Ruth had glared at Aaron who stood in the simply decorated living room.


    He had lowered his head while shaking it from side to side. "That man was right you need to be disciplined, growing up in a rich family had spoilt you. Look at how you are addressing us, do you know the kind of things that we have had to go through because of you? Well that ends today, if you don''t know how to be respectful then I will have to teach you."


    His words had caused Ruth to let out a disrespectful guffaw. She had never respected or loved the Gabriel''s and her plan was to ditch them and climb her way back into the Mayfair house.


    Bravely, with mockery on her face, she had looked him up and down as if he was garbage.


    "Discipline? Who are you to Discipline me? I am Ruth Mayfair, the heiress of the Mayfairs. Now listen to me, i am not done with those Mayfairs, I have to go back there. I cannot stay with people of you caliber! Give me back all the money I gave you to keep in case of an emergency. Hurry up, i need to leave this slum of a house and go to one of my three villas."


    "What money? That money is gone! Did you expect us to starve? We used it all, every damn penny." Aaron had responded in a raised voice.


    Ruth, filled with anger and ignorance, did what she knew best. She raised her hand and slapped Aaron across the cheek.


    "How dare you touch my money?"


    Elizabeth had seen their tempers flaring, what she didn''t expect was for Ruth to slap her husband again. She should have warned her daughter that her husband was a raging bull when triggered and she had done just that.


    "You brainless wench, i am going to put you in your place today." Aaron had unbuckled his belt. "You are of no use to us outside that house, those rich folks cannot take you back even if you cried blood." He took off his belt.


    Ruth took a few steps back but still laughed, calling his bluff, he wouldn''t dare touch a hair on her head.


    "What do you think you are doing? Do you think that i am that stupid Phoebe that is afraid of you? I dare you to try....ouch!"


    She had cried loudly in disbelief as the belt sliced through the air and landed on her shoulder. Aaron''s nostrils at the time were flared and he had a look of madness in his eyes.


    "I accept the dare, I will whip your senses back into your head." Aaron hit her again, and again, getting in three good whips. He had tried to hit her for the fourth time but the belt was caught his wife who tried to shield Ruth from the strike.


    "Please honey, forgive our Ruthie." She had pleaded before he kicked her to the side and continued to hit Ruth. As if that wasn''t enough, when he was finished he locked her in the tiny, cold and dark basement.


    It was only an hour ago that Aaron had let her out under the condition that she remain in her room.


    Ruth had never experienced such pain in her life. The Mayfairs had raised her as a princess and not a single hair on her head had ever been so much as pinched. But not less than an hour with Gabriels and her body had red marks, she had been locked up and starved.


    Phoebe was right, they were monsters and she could not stay with them. Now, she was planning on how to escape from her mad father.


    She had no one to run to for help, the only person that could come to her mind was Collin Mayfair. She checked her phone to call him but her father was wise for he had removed the sim card.


    Ruth growled and threw the phone on the bed, thinking of where she could run to for help. She recalled that it was the day of Evelyn''s birthday, which gave her an idea. Every year, it was held at the same venue but the theme was changed. The Mayfairs always attended, her brothers at least always went with her.


    Since Evelyn and Phoebe were friends, it was likely that they would be at the function. If she could leave this ugly house, she could go there.


    "A private dinner at the Everton Hotel, that''s it. Collin will save me." Ruth whispered, and looked at around.


    The bedroom had no windows and the bathroom window was too small for her to fit through. The door was locked from outside, she had no hope of getting out unless she used Elizabeth. Whether it was soft or hard means, Ruth was determined.


    She collected her thoughts and sat down on the bed with a look of disgust like it had bugs and cockroaches. Patiently, she waited for the lunch hour.


    When her mother came to bring her food, Ruth did not even look at the plate.


    "Mother, he is going to kill me, you have to help me. I am your daughter, are you going to watch as he ruins me? I am not useless, i have three villas, money in my accounts and Dickson Saxon wants to marry me. Think about it, aren''t the Saxons richer than the Mayfairs?


    Don''t you want to be in-laws with such a great family? You can step on the Mayfairs with the power of the Saxons. Mother, please let me out of here, if you don''t i am going to kill myself."


    Ruth pleaded, cajoled and threatened, applying pressure with her words to get her help in order to escape. Elizabeth was a simple minded woman, easy to manipulate so she agreed easily. To her, the Saxons were indeed greater than the Mayfairs.


    With the power of the Saxons, they could rescue Nicholas and live a wealthy life. So what if Ruth was not a Mayfair anymore, she would be a Saxon.


    She gave Ruth the bank card to the account which had the hidden money and told her to withdraw it. She also took out the sim card from her phone and gave it to her daughter.


    "I will leave the back door unlocked, when your father goes up stairs use that opportunity and run, don''t worry about me and just go." Elizabeth hugged her.


    Five minutes later, Aaron went upstairs to use the bathroom so Ruth did as instructed.


    She run like her life depended on it until she found the road. Without wasting time she pushed aside a pregnant woman about to enter a taxi and she jumped inside. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Drive, i will pay you three hundred dollars." she shouted.


    The taxi set off immediately and Ruth returned to the heart of Citrus city.

 Chapter 189 - 189: Waiting for prey.

    The first thing Ruth did was transfer all the money to an overseas account she was aware that there would be no second chance because Aaron would get a notification that money had been transferred. If she did it in bits, that devil in human skin would block her access.


    Her next move was to buy a few items but with a popular face like hers, she was bound to get noticed yet she didn''t want that.


    Near the ATM machine was a mini mall, she wanted to rush inside but it was a bit crowded because people did a lot of shopping in the evening hours. Close by was a school and she was in luck because students were walking home.


    Ruth whistled attracting two girls'' attention. She signaled them to come over and they did.


    "Listen kids....."


    The girls were not pleased with how she addressed them. "Kids? Lady we are in high school!" One retorted.


    Ruth rolled her eyes to the sky for a fleeting second then looked at them. "Just listen up you brats, i don''t have all day do me a favor and I''ll pay you two thousand dollars." She spoke rapidly.


    The girls skipped the part where she had called them brats and focused on the money.


    "Lady are you for real? What do you want us to do for you?" The other girl asked.


    Ruth wore a victorious smile. "Nothing much, just buy me some a pair of scissors, binoculars, hat and black glasses." She shrugged and waited for them to respond.


    The girls traded looks and shared cunning smiles. "Top up the money you are giving us." One said.


    They were both quick witted and could tell that something was stopping Ruth from going to the near by mini mall.


    "What? Hell no! Are you trying to rob me?" Ruth folded her arms only for the girls to shrug and begin to walk away.


    One halted her steps in hesitation but followed her friend in the end as she was pulled unwillingly. Ruth considered her urgent need and changed her mind. What was this little money in comparison to what she was going to obtain tonight?


    "Alright fine! You little thieves. How much more do you want?" Ruth''s chin vibrated, she was getting impatient and frustrated.


    The girls took four steps back and the taller one who appeared to be in charge as she was the one doing the most bargaining folded her arms across her chest.


    "Make it five." She looked at her finger nails as she was done bargaining.


    "Bring the damn things first." Ruth gave them three hundred dollars to buy what she needed.


    They left and returned in five minutes with the things she wanted. After she paid the students off, Ruth wore the hat and shades and went inside the mall. She bought a nice dress, bag, some make up and shoes.


    She searched for a shop that sold sleep inducing herbs and drugs. She requested for something that could be strong enough to knock out a horse. When she got the perfect substance, Ruth checked into a motel that was closest to the Everton Hotel. From the side window she could clearly see through the binoculars all the guests that were strolling in.


    She called a person from her former not so savory circle and made another order for a different kind of drug. It was delivered in thirty minutes and then Ruth got to work, preparing herself for her own kind of party.


    She trimmed her hair, turning it into a bob cut, took a bath and ordered something to eat. A very hungry Ruth practically inhaled the food as she was starving. She had never gone hungry in her life, she didn''t know that being starved was so terrible.


    The food almost choked her and she was forced to slow down and chew like a human.


    "Fucking stupid Gabriels." she mumbled when she was finished.


    She brushed her teeth and resumed the job of watching for her prey to arrive. It was not long before the guests began to arrive. From Evelyn''s family, to business men, celebrities and politicians


    She sneered when Phoebe, grandma Mayfair and grandma Saxon appeared. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Hate filled her soul to the core especially when she looked at grandma Mayfair and Phoebe. The two had taken the lead in ruining her life.


    "Stupid bitches, you will be surprised to see me back very soon." She muttered.


    When she returned, she would make sure to get rid of them permanently this time round and leave no stones unturned. She would take her time and do things slowly, not rushing like she had done before.


    Her eyes roamed outside and her gaze fell on her target, Collin, he was with Andre and Luke. The moment they entered the hotel, Ruth also got into action.


    She secured the hat and shades and moved across the street to the Everton Hotel where she got herself a room.


    Once entering, she took the neutralizer the shop attendant had given her. It was to help her wake up faster after burning the strong sleeping incense.


    She opened a bottle of wine which she had come with and dumped some white powder inside. She had seen such things being done before but she didn''t think she would ever have to resort to them.


    That bitch Phoebe had reduced her to a gutter rat from a princess. She would avenge the injustice which she had suffered and make her pay.


    "This better work because it cost an arm and leg. "She said as a thread of smoke began to come out of the incense. She placed it behind the curtain and moved on to the next phase which was tearing her clothes and putting more injuries on herself especially her face.


    She was already in so much pain after the lashes Aaron gave her but to look more pitiful she had to spill some blood. Ruth began to bang her head on the bathroom wall until she was satisfied with her appearance. All that was left was to call her prey.

 Chapter 190 - 190: Evelyns birthday

    Evelyn''s annual birthday dinner was all about feasting and having fun as there were so many games to engage in and prizes to win. Her parents had gone all out for their youngest child just like they did every year, sparing no expense to put a smile on her face.


    There was a fully stocked buffet with various foods, all exquisite, cooked by top chefs. Expensive wine was flowing endlessly as if it was nothing but plain water.


    Evelyn''s favorite band Island dream was up on stage singing their latest hit song, the lead singer a popular female singer named Dawn was serenading everyone with her soft voice.


    Evelyn was singing along to the song, standing in the midst of her brothers and sisters. She looked like a royal princess in her eye catching turquoise colored dress that was glowing with real diamonds.


    When she was poor, in her past life, Phoebe never got the chance to attend Evelyn''s birthday. One, she was embarrassed because she had nothing nice to wear. Two, Ruth always made sure that she was unavailable on that day.


    She only started attending after she married David and it only happened once because it didn''t end well. Someone had pushed her, she fell on the cake and made a mockery of herself. After that, David''s mother had forbidden her from ever going for a function not related to the family lest she humiliate the Saxons with her poor upbringing.


    Phoebe let out a soft sigh which caught her father''s attention. He jumped to the conclusion that she was envious because she had never had such a party.


    "We can do this for you and more if you want us to dear daughter."


    They had more money than Evelyn''s family, so they could afford to throw her a even bigger party. All she had to do was say the word.


    Shaking her head, Phoebe smiled gently at the father. "Birthdays are not really my thing dad, like i said, i don''t have good memories of any of them." Besides, a big party like this was useless for her as she didn''t have many friends. Why invite strangers and act awkward? What if a ghost came along and she acted weird?


    Thinking of ghosts made her eyes roam around, she counted eight of them in the room. None had approached her for anything.


    "Ohh come on darling, how about we make new memories. I am sorry that those Gabriel pigs left you with horrible memories for such an important day but we have to change that. Birthdays are important, as your mother i want to celebrate the day i had my lovely baby girl." Jennie took her hand and tried to convince her.


    Phoebe mulled on it for a second, there was nothing wrong with making new memories especially with her family. This was her life now and she wasn''t going to live it while dwelling on the hurtful old memories.


    When she saw how eagerly they were all looking at her with hope in their eyes, she couldn''t say no. Why refuse to be loved in this life?


    "Maybe we can start small." She told them.


    "Oh thank God!" Andre exhaled loudly like he had been holding in his breath for hours. I am going to do all the planning then." Andre raised his hand only for Jennie to dismiss him.


    "No way Andre, i am going to do it." She announced, so excited for the opportunity.


    Edward laughed gently. "Our daughter said we should start small. That means no grand orchestra or inviting so many strangers."


    He had a bright idea in his mind that he planned to share with his wife later.


    David who was glued to the Mayfairs gave Phoebe a side glance. In the past life he never understood why Phoebe didn''t like celebrating her birthday but now he knew why, it was the Gabriels. He wrinkled his nose as he felt that he hadn''t punished them enough.


    He moved his chair behind her, ruining the sitting arrangement as the tables were round.


    "Oh for heavens sake!" Jennie whispered.


    The Saxon boy was like a cockroach that just wouldn''t be killed. The Saxons had a table but here he was, clinging onto her daughter, He was like a baby and she, the mother.


    Phoebe had already sensed the change in her emotions so she turned her head to look at him. He had frown lines on his forehead and his eyes were tense.


    She poked his forehead gently and drew her hand back. "What are you thinking about so deeply? The research center?"


    David''s eyes moved around, this was information that he didn''t want out there just yet. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Did Granny tell you? I was going to tell you but only after I succeeded. The last thing I want is for you to think that i can''t make it on my own. I want to show you that i can climb up through my own efforts, i want you to be proud of me Phoebe."


    Such simple words, yet they made her heart flutter easily like tiny waves making a ripple on the ocean. She smiled warmly at him and replied softly.


    "It''s better to fail and try again than to give up, you are worried over nothing. I know how intelligent you are and i believe that you can do it. I advise that you start with a cough remedy and be sure to use the ivy leaf in your medicine."


    [There will be a viral cough outbreak soon and if you do as I say you will make a lot of money. Wait, if he is reborn then he knows about it too.]


    David looked deep in her eyes after reading her thoughts. He knew about what she was talking about in fact he was already in contact with the herbalist that grew that specific kind of ivy leaf on a large scale.


    She had been so determined not to help him but she was already doing it.


    "What if I asked you to partner with me, would you?" He asked casually.


    "Not now."


    [I have to see how you do on your own first.]


    David nodded continuously, maybe he had rushed in suggesting it however he was determined to convince her. She could just lay back and collect money, she didn''t need to do any of the work.


    He actually already planned to give her half of the company shares once it took off.


    "Where is Collin by the way?" David asked her out of the blue.


    If he was here, he would have chased him away already.


    Collin was sitting at the bar, drinking like a fish and not participating in all the fun. He was furious because he had been trying to find Ruth but failed. His reasons for searching for her were not kind, he wanted to pluck out her eyes and make her suffer for the damage she had done.


    He had discovered today that she had sold some company information. All of her visits to his office were never innocent, she was the mole they had been looking for.


    He had been getting calls from an unknown number persistently and he had been rejecting them. Out of frustration, he gave up and picked the tenth call.


    Immediately, the person on the end broke into tears.


    "He...hello? Brother, Collin." She sniveled. "Please I need your help my father wants to kill me." Ruth stammered.


    "Where are you?" His voice was stern as he sobered up immediately.


    "I am hiding at the Everton Hotel, room 112" She hung up.

 Chapter 191 - 191: Ruths new plot.

    Collin scoffed after hanging up, and he downed what remained of the brandy in his glass. He didn''t know that the idiot he had been searching high and low for was going to deliver herself to him. If anyone was going to kill Ruth, it was going to be him.


    Collin stood up and headed to the elevator bumping into Luke who was coming out of it.


    "You reek brother, maybe you should go home." He suggested as he watched Collin press the button for the tenth floor. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Collin didn''t respond to Luke, he had violence on his mind.


    Luke went straight back to table and joined Phoebe, Evelyn and David who were chatting away. Evelyn had just joined them and she was exposing some of the mischief Phoebe got into at school.


    Meanwhile in room 112 of the same hotel, Collin found Ruth. He barged into the room when she opened the door with a clenched fist but took a step back when he saw Ruth''s face and the blood stains.


    "You look horrible what the hell happened to you?" He asked nonchalantly.


    Tears began to fall out of Ruth''s eyes. "Aaron the man you all sent me to did this to me. He was the one who brainwashed me and ordered me to do all those things. He further threatened to kill me if i didn''t poison grandma, you know me Collin, i could never do such a thing otherwise. Please save me brother, you are all I have left." Ruth closed the gap between them and wrapped her arms around him.


    However Collin shoved her back with full force that she fell on the fur carpet. He laughed scornfully. "You must think that i am that blind fool because i did not see how truly evil you are. You stole my sister''s life, slandered her and made me hate her, you stole from us, betrayed us and tried to kill my grandmother.


    I am sure that you did this to yourself thinking that I will have mercy on you because you look like this. Well too bad, Ruth Gabriel I feel nothing and as for toying with me i am going to make you pay. How? You may ask." He took out his phone from the his pocket.


    "Collin i swear my father beat me up mercilessly, how could I do this to myself?" Ruth Knelt and rubbed her hands together.


    He nodded continuously. "That is why i am going to help you dear sister. I am going to call the police to arrest your father and not just him, you too for getting my sister kidnapped, poisoning my grandmother''s tonics and many more. I will make sure that you never play with other people ever again. Oh...let''s not forget espionage, i have all the evidence and i am going to send you to prison for life."


    "No! Collin please no!" Ruth shouted and jumped up. Things were not moving according to plan. It would be problematic if he involved the police. All she had to do was buy time until he breathed in enough of the substance.


    Collin was already dizzy and she grabbed onto him until he fell to the ground. A smile grew on her lips as she realized that the man had not duped her because the neutralizer had worked, she was sober while he was wasted.


    She stood up and poured water in a glass, she drunk some of it and left a little. She then mixed an erection pill in it and stirred until it dissolved.


    "You scumbag, after I get pregnant with your child. You won''t have a choice but to marry me. I have also called reporters to catch us in action. Let me see how your family will throw me out now." She squatted next to his head and poured the liquid in his mouth.


    She lifted him and threw him on the bed, then lowered his pants and briefs to the thighs, humming as she waited for his manhood to salute.


    Back at the party, everyone was laughing, however a call David received ruined the good mood immediately.


    "What? What do you mean that you don''t know where Ruth is?" David hissed Roman who was on the other side of the line.


    "Boss, Aaron told me that his wife aided her escape, we cannot find her. After a beating, the wife admitted to helping her escape but she does not know where she is. I am sure that she''s going after Miss Phoebe."


    "God damn it!" David clenched his fists.


    Everyone at the table heard David''s words and they were alerted quickly. They had also been looking for Ruth, each with their own plans. Only Phoebe had actually known her location because she had put a location talisman in Ruth''s body.


    Wherever she was, as long as Phoebe chanted a spell, she could find her. Just like David, she wanted to know who the mysterious person behind Ruth was, the one that had aided her in her schemes. It was the only reason why she allowed her to leave the Mayfair house in one piece.


    The most curious person at the table was Luke, he was thirsty for Ruth''s blood. There was no way he was going to let her go scot-free. He had hired private investigators to find her but in vain, it seemed that David had an idea as to where she had been hiding.


    "What about Ruth, where is she?" He clutched on David''s shirt sleeve.


    David swerved Luke''s arm away gently. "I knew where she was a few hours ago but right now I don''t."


    He cursed silently, wondering why they had not put a tracker in her body or killed her straight up.


    "She''s obviously up to something, i am sure that she''s coming for my family. She already tried to kill grandma, she won''t shy away from killing any of us but that will never happen on my watch." Phoebe spoke through pursed lips.


    Evelyn gasped when she heard about the attempt on old lady Mayfair''s life. "My God! She had gone mad."


    David suggested that the priority at the moment was to keep all the Mayfairs safe.


    Phoebe agreed so they pulled them away from the party to attend one of the executive rooms of the hotel.


    "Is everyone here?" Phoebe looked at each one of them.


    "Collin! I saw him enter the elevator but I don''t know where he went off to." Luke pointed out.


    All the Mayfairs were accounted for plus one uninvited guest, grandma Saxon who had followed them for the gossip.


    "I know how to find Collin." Phoebe shared.


    The talismans she had given them could be used and she had her spirit animals plus the ghosts. The Saxon spirit brought out the coins from the magic space.


    Phoebe flipped both of them, causing Yin and black kitty to appear.


    "Woah! Pheebs...."


    "Not now Andre." Phoebe raised her hand to stop him and ordered her pets to search for Ruth and Collin because it was possible both of them were in the hotel. They were ghost pets which could pass through closed doors and walls so they could get to Collin faster if he was in danger.


    Everyone that was watching was amused especially Jennie whose eyes flew open.


    "My God Pheebs are you a magician now?" She asked.


    Phoebe did not reply, she was chanting a spell and then she suddenly took off running out of the blue.

 Chapter 192 - 192: Phoebes gift for Ruth.

    Once Phoebe started running, everyone just followed because they assumed danger looming. They all crammed into the elevator which they could have sworn was moving at a snail''s pace.


    Anxiety filled their hearts, brought forth by the expression of Phoebe''s face. What did she know that they didn''t?


    Raven Yin returned and landed on Phoebe''s shoulder. The bird had not gone far to find Collin, it had a strong vision which allowed it to see things that were miles away.


    "Room 112, you better hurry, there is a woman in there with him and lets just say that she''s up to no good." It told Phoebe before returning inside the coin.


    "Wait the bird talks?" Jennie gasped and covered her mouth with her hand.


    Answering Jennie wasn''t as important as saving Collin from Ruth''s paws. The elevator doors opened and the men with long legs beat Phoebe in getting out. David was the first out, followed by Luke.


    Phoebe rushed after them, running where they were striding. They got to the room and found the cat outside the door.


    "In here." It told them.


    Just like Yin, it returned to the coin without another word.


    "So cool." Andre shook his head, he''s adrenaline was at its peak like he was filming an action movie.


    David was glaring at lock of the door, they had all rushed over but forgotten to call someone for a key card and they could not get inside. There was not a single hotel employee in sight to provide assistance.


    "I will call the manager." Edward got his phone out and started making a call.


    "There is no time to wait." The Saxon spirit told Phoebe.


    "David touch my shoulder, Father you will compensate the hotel for the door."


    Phoebe ordered him and he obliged no questions asked. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She could feel the energy funnel into her body like a blast. She moved her hands in a circular motion creating a ball of blueish-white energy which she tossed at the door. It shattered into pieces and they all moved forward only to meet a scandalous sight inside the room.


    Ruth was on the bed, naked as a new born baby and wrestling against Collin who was half partially undressed. It looked like she was trying to climb on top of him and he was pushing her away with all of his strength.


    "Father in heaven! What is she doing" Grandma Saxon covered her eyes.


    Phoebe waved her hand which emitted a ray of energy that struck Ruth compelling her to fall off the bed. She struggled to sit back on him but was caught by Luke and David who tied her hands with Collins tie which had been laying on the ground. Meanwhile Andre helped Collin dress up.


    Phoebe dealt with the incense, putting it out so that nobody else in the room could be affected by it. Before she could turn around, she heard the sharp strike of a hand meeting flesh.


    It was Jennie, maddened by Ruth to an extreme point that she wanted to murder the bitch right there.


    One slap was not enough, and she went ahead to rain down more of them. Edward had to pull her back when she started punching Ruth on the head. Jennie was screeching and howling, kicking her feet in the air as she was lifted away by her husband.


    "How could you? Do you have no shame at all? This is your brother...are you crazy?"


    "She is not our sister." Andre denied vehemently. No sister of theirs would be this crazy to try and have sex with her her brother, biological or adopted.


    Everyone glared at Ruth, wishing that they could rip her head from her shoulders.


    Ruth smirked, to their great disbelief. "It doesn''t matter, the deed has already been done. You will have to take me back after Collin marries me." Ruth let out an evil laugh.


    "What? You loose crazy bitch, no matter what happened here, i will never allow you to step foot in my house. I will bury you ten feet in the ground and i will do it while you are alive." Jennie glared at her with a promise in her eyes.


    "It''s all your fault you destroyed my life, i have to survive somehow. I will become a Mayfair by marriage because i am carrying his seed inside me." Ruth widened her eyes at Jennie.


    Phoebe clapped slowly but continuously. "It''s too soon to celebrate don''t you think? You drugged him but he didn''t touch you, my brothers are under my protection. I am sure that he did not rise to the occasion as you wanted. Look at him, he is still sober even though you drugged him, he is just a little weak."


    Just as grandma Mayfair''s hand had kept her from drinking the poisoned tonic, Collin''s body was the same in the face of danger.


    Phoebe''s revelation shocked and relieved everyone except for Ruth. However, there was no evidence to support Phoebe''s words and only two people had been present in the room.


    "Shut up! What do you know? Only i know what happened in the room, if he does not marry me i will report him for attempted rape." Panic coiled in her stomach so she came up with another plan on the spot. "How will your Mayfair reputation survive when everyone finds out that your son is a rapist?"


    Jennie was enraged, she moved towards Ruth and slapped her again, her hands moved to her neck in the bid to strangle her but was stopped by grandma Mayfair.


    "Let her be, Shark is on the way. I filed a case already. I am going to make sure that you rot in jail."


    To Phoebe sending Ruth to jail was way too easy, she was not going to allow that to happen.


    "Everyone please go back to the other room and take care of Collin. He needs to have his stomach flushed and be checked by a doctor to see what she drugged him with. I have unfinished business with this woman." She announced.


    The elders hesitated but Andre and Luke cajoled them into leaving and they shut the door. Luke looked around sneakily and then stuck a silver needle in Ruth''s back when nobody was watching. He moved to the bed and helped Andre carry Collin''s now unconscious body out.


    David stayed back with Phoebe, guarding her in case Ruth tried to harm her.


    "What do we do with her?" He jutted his chin in Ruth''s direction.


    "I have a gift for her." Phoebe said, in a grave voice. "I am not going to let her harm any member of my family ever again. I cannot allow it."


    A yellow talisman and match box appeared on the table. "That''s all you need to drive her into endless madness." The Saxon spirit told her.


    Andre returned and he stood on Phoebe''s other side like a bodyguard.


    Phoebe picked the talisman and began to chant a spell. She took out a stick from the match box and set the talisman on fire. She continued to chant as it burnt away, the men watched but said nothing.


    She got the same glass in which Ruth had mixed the drugs she used on Collin. She dumped the ashes in inside, added some water and a drop of water from the lake of life and death.


    She walked up to Ruth, grabbed her the chin, pressing hard and forcing her to open her mouth. Then, she poured the contents in her mouth.


    Phoebe chuckled and crouched next to Ruth. "I have given a special gift by making you a ghost magnet. You will see them, hear them and be afflicted with madness forever. Every seven days, you will get ten seconds of sanity to remember your old life and be filled with hope that you are cured. But that hope will vanish quickly and you will return to the hell in your mind. I want your life to be as miserable as you made mine."

 Chapter 193 - 193: Shock all around.

    "Boo!" Connie suddenly appeared before Ruth causing her to scream in fear.


    The teenager had long been waiting for this opportunity and she changed her looks, turning from the cute normal girl to a demon like creature and she went after Ruth.


    Ruth covered her eyes and ears, screaming at the top of her lungs.


    Shark arrived at that very moment, walking over broken pieces of the door that were on the floor. When he entered the room, he smiled widely at the sight of David.


    "Mr. Saxon, I have been told the criminal is here..." Shark broke off because he could not take the screaming. Also, Ruth was still naked, nobody had bothered to cover her up.


    "That''s your criminal but what she needs is a mental institution not a prison. I will leave the rest to you and your other officers to handle." Phoebe bypassed Shark who was confused.


    Shark wanted to ask about what had happened in the room. The old injuries Aaron had inflicted on Ruth were visible, she was naked, the bed looked slept in and some things in the room had been smashed on top of a broken door. At least they should offer some kind of explanation before dumping the mess on him to clean up.


    Suddenly Ruth sprung up and attempted to escape, laughing manically and screaming at the top of her lungs. Shark had to grab her by the waist and pull her back forcefully. He threw her on the bed and covered her with a blanket.


    To keep her from moving, he put handcuffs around her ankles since the hands were already tied up. Then, he called for back up.


    The ruckus however attracted guests who stepped out of their rooms to see what was going on. Their interest was focused on the loud horrified woman''s scream that came from room 112.


    Since the door was gone, some people peeked inside curiously and they saw a man in a disorganized room where a woman was screaming terribly under the cover of a duvet.


    "Let''s call 911, can''t you hear her screaming for head off."


    A man told his wife, his suspicious eyes kept moving past Shark who was assuring them that everything was okay.


    "Show is over folks, i am the police, there is nothing to worry about. Please go back to your rooms."


    Shark flashed the badge in their faces. A team of paramedic officers arrived much quicker that Shark anticipated. They rushed inside the room and to Sharks relief, other officers arrived. It helped calm the guests but some of them refused to leave as they were filming whatever was going on.


    "It''s just a drug overdose, nothing to see so go back up to your rooms or we will start searching all of you as well to make sure you are not her accomplices." Shark threatened.


    His words made the crowd surrender and turn away. Some of them had come with mistresses, some did have drugs, others had their own personal reasons for being in the hotel. Nobody wanted the business in their business.


    Ruth was sedated and carried out but even in a weak state she kept talking about ghosts.


    "We will take her straight to the city asylum, is anyone going with her?" A female paramedic asked.


    The Mayfairs who had returned to see Ruth''s ending traded gazes, none of them was willing to tag along.


    "I will." Luke raised his hand. "I want to make sure that she''s locked up real good and that she''s not faking it."


    Phoebe giggled. "Ohh she is not brother, i can assure you of that but by all means do as you wish and don''t worry about Collin, I''ll take good care of him."


    She pulled Shark to the side as Ruth was wheeled away on a stretcher.


    "That Verdemont case you were so interested in, i am tackling it tomorrow. We will go together because some people have to be arrested for murder. Before then, get a search warrant and check Conrad Ledger''s house for Linda''s old phone. The evidence there will help to get them locked up." Phoebe spoke in a low tone.


    Shark wore a wide grin and rubbed his hands excitedly. "I knew it was a big one, my face is going to be allover T.V i cannot wait. Can''t we go today?"


    His question forced her to give him a side eye. "Tomorrow it is then. So about Ruth Mayfair, what the hell did you do to her? Why is she suddenly acting crazy? What happened in the room, my detective senses...."


    "Goodbye Shark, I''ll see you tomorrow." Phoebe cut him off and went to the room where Collin was.


    Everyone had already gone ahead of her and they were all still in visible shock. Ruth''s move had really taken them all by surprise, not even Phoebe had expected.In that moment, it struck her like a bolt of lightning out of nowhere. Was this what Ruth had done to David in their past life?


    This was it! she must have used this trick to sleep with David just like she had bragged. Just like David, Collin was half way drunk when she took advantage of him. Phoebe gasped!!!


    If she had recalled that moment early on, she would have warned everyone to be careful. She looked at Collin and felt guilty, this had happened to him because of all the threads she had untangled.


    "Ancestor, could you get me a neutralizing tonic from the space?" Phoebe requested using her thoughts.


    "Right away." It answered.


    The bottle appeared in her hand. She moved towards Jennie who was wiping Collin''s forehead with a small damp white towel.


    "He will be fine mom." she comforted the sad woman.


    "Oh my poor boy! All this time i didn''t know that I was raising a cub that would eat me one day." Jennie took Collin''s hand into hers.


    Phoebe handed her the bottle. "Give him this mother, it will neutralize whatever she gave him faster."


    Edward was deep in thought, he looked at Phoebe and Andre. "What happened to Ruth?" He asked calmly.


    Andre scratched the back of his head while Phoebe curled her lips to the side.


    "Well dad Mayfair, Ruth was devastated that her plan failed, I think some screws went loose in her head. The woman has gone mad. Let''s be honest, she was already on her way to madness otherwise she would not have done such a thing if she was sane."


    David answered before Phoebe uttered the truth, it was better for her parents not to know that she had a hand in it.


    Grandma Saxon clicked her tongue. "I always knew that their was something evil hiding behind her plastic smile, that was why I was against her marrying you David. What a terrifying character she has!" She shivered, feeling really jittery.


    "My God!!" Grandma Mayfair wiped away her tears. "What an evil child, she deserves nothing but death. She is not human at all, she is an animal. Even animals are better than her. How could she do something like this?"


    Shaking his head, Edward sighed deeply. "We were blind for so long but thank God that she won''t be able to get away this time around. Her punishment should be permanent." His inquisitive eyes moved to Phoebe who nodded in agreement.


    Soft moaning came from the bed as Collin regained consciousness interrupted them. He slowly lifted his hand to his pounding head.


    "Son are you alright?" Jennie asked.


    Nodding his head, Collin slowly sat but jerked up suddenly when his last memories returned to him.


    "Ruth! what did that bitch do to me?"


    Edward sat on the bed and slowly started explaining to Collin what he had narrowly missed. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 194 - 194: News travelled quickly.

    News really traveled really quickly in Citrus city it was everywhere by the time the sun came up that Ruth Mayfair had run crazy and that she was the newest resident of the old Lokler city asylum, a private facility which had been acquired by a mysterious owner in the night.


    Some people blamed the cuckoo situation, others blamed the Mayfairs for not comforting her while some thought that Ruth deserved all the bad things that were happening to her.


    The Mayfairs were just glad that nothing absurd had happened between her and Collin or else, the news would be different. It would not be news in fact, it would be a scandal.


    When the family gathered for breakfast in the morning, they all discussed the current affairs and the events of the previous night. They had not stuck around to celebrate the rest of Evelyn''s birthday and left the hotel as soon as Collin could walk on his own.


    Seeing Ruth''s name in the news, tied to the Mayfair name still made old lady Mayfair uncomfortable. She did not want people tracing Ruth''s last steps and tying her to Collin.


    In light of all that had happened. she and Edward had been right to worry about Ruth''s closeness to Collin. Thank God they had thrown her out of the house or else who knows what she would have done under their roof?


    Collin could barely eat, his hands were still trembling and every few seconds, he would caress the ring pendant around his neck. He would never__ever, take it off.


    "I am so glad that there is a lot of gossip traveling around from the Freezing moon scandal to Kelly sleeping with her married boss. They won''t focus on this Ruth issue for long." Grandma Mayfair commented.


    Phoebe nodded in agreement, what they didn''t know was that by the end of the day a Verdemont bomb was going to blast covering all the current gossip.


    "Collin, how are you?" Do you remember everything from last night?" Grandma Mayfair asked.


    He nodded. "I feel like i am going to need a thousand more baths before feeling clean ever again."


    How could a woman attempt to rape a man? She had even claimed that she was pregnant!!! Thank God his soldier had refused to salute or he would be in trouble.


    "I recommend you talk to someone." Edward suggested.


    He and Jennie were very worried about the side effects of this event on him. What if he stopped associating with women altogether? First he had been cuckolded by Kelly and then almost taken advantage of by Ruth. Both of them had held special places in his heart and both had let him down greatly,


    Phoebe wasn''t really worried like them. Collin would eventually overcome what happened because he had a good support system.


    "Brother, you just had some bad luck in the romance department but it''s over. The blockage is gone so you cane meet a nice woman now." Phoebe offered a few words of comfort.


    [Should i tell them that the perfect woman for him is Shana Lee from the Lee family. She is beautiful, graceful, kind, morally up right and she has an air of purity. She is a woman destined to bring luck to the man that marries her. But, this silly brother of mine, looking back at his ex girlfriends....tsk, tsk, he is not worthy of Shana.]


    Phoebe sighed bid her parents goodbye and left with Grandma Mayfair.


    Unknown to her, everyone had seen the Shana Lee thought and they wanted to do research on who she was, including Collin.


    The moment they left the house, Edward invited his wife upstairs to their bedroom.


    "Honey, how are you close to the Lee family? I have been heard that they have a young woman named Shana...."


    Jennie gasped and pointed at him. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You see Phoebe''s thoughts."


    Edward''s eyes widened and he grabbed her shoulders. "You too!" he exclaimed.


    Jennie nodded. Husband and wife looked at each other and they laughed.


    "This must be a gift to us from God, i don''t know how it''s possible for us to see it but we should keep it a secret. If not for Phoebe''s inner thoughts, Collin would have been ruined by Kelly and Ruth would have destroyed us."


    Jennie nodded firmly, she chose to see it as a divine miracle.


    "Honey, hurry up and introduce Shana to Collin before another man snatches her up. You saw what Phoebe thinks, the woman is too good for Collin and yet she is perfect for him. I believe that these experiences have changed him, he is not a tunnel vision fool like before. We must make Shana our daughter-in-law quickly, with luck we will be able to get some grandchildren next year."


    Both of them laughed and started colluding for the happiness of their son.


    ***************************


    When they got to the cafe, Evelyn was waiting for Phoebe. She was sitting cross legged on a stool near the counter engaged in deep gossip with Rosset that they didn''t hear the rattle bell chime or Phoebe walking up to them.


    "Evie? I thought that you would be exhausted after yesterday."


    Evelyn got up from the stool and greeted Grandma Mayfair, she then dragged Phoebe by the hand to the stable in the corner.


    "I want to know everything that i missed out on because i could not follow you. The fact that Ruth Mayfair, sorry Gabriel had gone crazy was all the guests were talking about at the party. Honestly after you guys left the excitement sort of died down for me because i wanted to so badly know what was going on. Now tell me what the hell happened to that psycho." Evelyn locked her head and stared at her quizzically.


    Phoebe wanted to move on from the topic but it was all anybody that knew Ruth or her and the Mayfairs was talking about. With Evelyn, she had no intentions of telling the whole story because it would eventually make it''s way into the homes of all the founding families and then the entire city.


    "She tried to hurt my brother so I stopped her the only way I know how. Can you believe that she had me kidnapped and poisoned my Nana''s tonics. Ruth had to be stopped."


    Evelyn shook her head in wonder. "Ruth has always been selfish i am not surprised by any of the things that she has done, i am glad that she cannot hurt you or your family anymore."


    "Did you save me some cake?" Phoebe asked her.


    "It''s already in the kitchen, inside the refrigerator. You missed the rest of my party so i want to show you pictures."


    Evelyn brought out her phone and she took Phoebe through all the expertly taken pictures. They talked for around thirty minutes about the party.


    Shark showed up when the topic was moving to David, and Phoebe sighed in relief. As soon as the detective set his eyes on them, he walked over and took the initiative to introduce himself to Evelyn.


    He knew how rich her family was, so he offered her his card and told her to call if she ever needed his help. After the greetings, Evelyn bid Phoebe goodbye and left.


    Shark bounced on the tips of his toe; it was time for the big case.

 Chapter 195 - 195: Time to wrap up Lindas case.

    Grandma Mayfair rushed over to them when she saw Shark, she had personal business with him. "Young man what happens to my case now?" She handed him his usually preferred box of mixed variety doughnuts and a cappuccino to go.


    "Well Mrs Mayfair the culprit is not mentally fit to be tried, however I believe that what Ruth is going through is far worse than what she would have experienced in prison." Shark accepted the free breakfast she was handing to him.


    Grandma Mayfair nodded. "You are right and even though I cannot report those stupid Gabriels for how they maltreated our Phoebe, i get satisfaction from knowing that they will be pained to see their daughter in such a state."


    There was a part of her that had been hoping Ruth would regain sanity and rot in prison where she could pay someone to make her life miserable forever. For now, she would have to be satisfied with this outcome.


    "Nana, we are going to the Verdemont residence so please watch the shop." Phoebe moved to the office picked up her bag and left with Shark.


    The cafe was beginning to get busy as she left, so the curious ghosts and employees could not follow along.


    Outside, leaning against the police issued vehicle, Shark''s partner detective Jones was talking on the phone. He hung up when he saw Phoebe.


    "The beautiful Phoebe! It''s nice to see you again. Tell me, is it true what Shark here says about us having to dig for gold?"


    Phoebe smiled and greeted him politely.


    "Ignore that idiot, it''s not gold but old bones." she told him.


    Her eyes roamed around in search of David who was nowhere to be seen. He was supposed to go with her and it was already time. Could he have changed his mind, she asked herself.


    "Were you leaving without me?" His voice reached her ears first and then his figure appeared. He stepped out of the back of the police vehicle and gave her a side hug.


    "Well you know your way there, I thought that perhaps you left....." she nudged him away with her shoulder.


    Not that it worked because he did not move an inch.


    "Without you? Hell no!" David interrupted her speech. He went ahead to greet Shark. "Let''s go, i am ready to enact Linda''s vengeance on her behalf."


    "Shark did you call the reporters?" Phoebe asked she moved towards her car.


    Initially she had wanted to make the case a low profile but now she wanted to blow it up as much as possible. Not only would it clear Linda''s name but also cover Ruth''s issue, that way her oldest brother could stop seeing news about Ruth anywhere.


    "Yes I told reporter Heinz, he will take care of the rest." Shark answered as he walked towards his car too.


    They all set off in a convoy of six cars, eight detectives, David''s bodyguards and Phoebe in her eye catching yellow car which David was driving.


    The Verdemonts were not expecting Phoebe to come back to their residence. They all believed her to be a fake shaman since not a peep had been heard from her about Linda. At least the others gave fake information, but her, nothing. So, her presence was confusing and annoying.


    "You again? Why are you here? Weren''t you paid?" Emilia asked the moment Phoebe walked through the double doors.


    Phoebe smirked. "Emilia is this how guests are welcomed into your home? Besides, why would i be paid for an unfinished job?"


    Emilia got her phone and looked at Phoebe with disdain. To her, the girl had really been raised in poverty, even though she was now a Mayfair, she was still crooked and starving for other people''s money.


    "How much do we owe you that you have come to distort our peace this morning?"


    Phoebe wore an irritating smile, how was this woman talking about peace after what had happened to her child.


    "Peace my ass!" she mumbled. She had come for war.


    "Excuse you?" Emilia pulled her brows together, she wasn''t certain but she thought that she heard Phoebe cuss.


    "Ten million." Phoebe stated.


    Emilia inhaled loudly, among all the shamans that had come by the most they had given was seven thousand but here stood a brazen girl arrogantly demanding for ten million.


    "Do not be shocked, your case has given me nightmares that I might need to speak to a shrink after i am done so the price has gone up." Phoebe folded her arms.


    The men stood back and watched the two women back and forth until a butler came and announced that Mr. Luther Verdemont was ready to see them.


    "I will not allow you to steal from the old man in broad day light." Emilia tried to pull Phoebe back by the shoulder but her hand was swerved by David who gave her a warning stare.


    "Don''t you dare touch my woman unless you want to lose your hand." He growled out.


    Shark and Jones traded gazes, they had something new to gossip about at the police station, before now it was all mere speculation but David had defined their relationship.


    Phoebe had called Luther ahead and given him the names of all the people whose presence was required today.


    He had gone so far as to invite almost the entire family. They were already waiting outside the double doors that led to parlor room. Phoebe had told Luther that she needed space for what was to come.


    The butler opened the doors and asked only the guests to enter but Emilia pushed the old butler to the side.


    "How dare a servant tell me not to enter a room in my own house?" She clenched on her dress and marched inside, she was followed by the rest of them. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Father what is going on? You promised to stop bringing these impure shamans to this house. I just cleansed it for heavens sake!" Emilia shuffled her feet.


    The old patriarch greeted the guests, he too wondered why there were so many of them.He had been expecting two, not fifteen people.


    "Emilia i requested this little shaman to find Linda, if she is back then that means that she found something that connects to Linda."


    "Where could she possibly find her? She''s a quack grandpa just like the rest of them. I heard her tell mom that she had increased her price can you believe that?"


    Brandon shoved his way inside, frustrated by this renewed search for Linda. Every time someone said they had found something, his heart dropped.


    The rest of the relatives came in and found seats, they wanted the mess over and done with. Abel was already i tears, again!


    Emilia backed Brandon''s words quickly. "Ten million, that is what she wants. It''s outrageous, what is all that money for?"


    The old patriarch whispered to his butler to bring his cheque book.


    "Forgive me young shaman, I forgot to pay you for the services." He signed it and asked the butler to hand it to Phoebe.


    His family was left in utter shock especially his oldest son Ekhart.


    "Father you cannot keep dashing out money on a whim, you may not have any use of it anymore because of your age but that''s family money."


    Some people nodded, the patriarch already had one leg and a half in the grave. Why did he want to take their financial future with him by being wasteful? The living had use for all that money.

 Chapter 196 - 196: Delivering bad news.

    The words that came out of Ekhart''s mouth angered the old man, pushing him to bang the table to express his fury.


    "Very good, you are showing your true colors now. Is that why you went behind my back to depose me from the position of chairman? You ungrateful bunch of idiots, I worked single handedly to revive our corporations. Our ancestors had sold off most of our lands, it is i Luther that bought them back and restored the Verdemont name to its glory. But now i realize that I have been toiling in vain! I cannot leave my fortune in the hands of greedy vultures like you."


    Ekhart dismissed his father''s words arrogantly, the power was already in his hands after all. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Oh come on father! You are old, the corporation needs young blood to run it. Stop with the threats, we are Verdemonts too and we are entitled to that wealth."


    "Mr. Verdemont, at your age you don''t know how crooks look like. Some are red headed, slim pretty young things." Conrad''s eyes roamed over Phoebe from head to toe. "Now tell us where Linda is." He mockingly asked.


    "In the maze." Phoebe blurted out unintentionally.


    This wasn''t how she had planned to tell them, especially the old patriarch who looked her with confusion etched on his face.


    The three culprits on the other hand exchanged gazes, shocked by what Phoebe had just said. They knew that they had to get rid of her immediately.


    "Bloody liar! What do you mean by saying that Linda is in the maze? This is a real crook right here I told you all, we should get rid of her right now." Conrad shouted strongly in a slightly hysterical voice.


    Brandon raised from his seat and glared at Phoebe, his shame had transformed into anger. "I am going to count to three, if you aren''t gone yet then I will call the cops. What kind of bullshit crap have you come here to spew? Call the guards and throw her out."


    On the other hand Abel was determined to maintain his virtuous husband act. He raised his hand to his chest and blinked rapidly.


    "W...what d....do you mean? Why have you decided to awaken my sorrows just when I was trying to move on. My wife will return when she wants to, i am waiting for her because I still love her. Please leave, i cannot listen to this anymore."


    Tears sprouted out of his eyes, its like he had a tank of them stored somewhere inside and all he had to do was open the tap when he desired.


    "Oh cut the bullshit Abel! Both you and i know that you are far from the virtuous husband your pretending to be!" Phoebe couldn''t bear to hear anymore of his whining, he was getting on her last nerves.


    It was just a matter of time before she jumped and slapped the crocodile tears away from his round face.


    Emilia was done with Phoebe and she wasn''t going to sit back and listen to the ignorant shaman disrespect her loyal son in law.


    "Do you even know how much Abel has sacrificed for our family? He could have remarried but no! He decided to be faithful and loyal to our family. Because of his gesture as the selfless, faithful husband our family is idolized has gained a lot of respect in the church. This is a great man so I advise that you watch your damn unclean mouth when you talk to him."


    "I am calling the cops....." Conrad began to walk towards the door but Shark blocked his path.


    "We are already here." Shark brought both his hands forward and touched the buckle of his belt. "I am detective Shark of Citrus Police department and that''s my partner detective Jones."


    He jutted his chin at Jones whose narrowed eyes traveled around the room.


    "We came with other plain clothed officers." he indicated to the others who showed off the badges, weapons and handcuffs.


    Conrad staggered backward. "Dete....detectives?" He whispered.


    The moment he had heard Phoebe talk about the maze, Conrad had made a momentous decision to run and get out of the country as soon as he got the chance. All his cop talk was just for show.


    Knowing that the real cops had come, he trembled and fear filled his body__, ice cold dread washed over him.


    "It''s over." he whispered to himself.


    Camilla pulled her brows together. "Why the hell did you come with cops? Do you think we are criminals or what?"


    "I don''t get it either, are these men really with CPD? Let me see some identification up close." Ekhart asked politely and the detectives obliged, handing over their badges for all to see.


    "Well you didn''t give me the chance to introduce them but now you know who they are. Old patriarch before I address every body I request that we first talk privately just you and i." Phoebe asked Luther Verdemont and he nodded.


    "No way! We need to know what is going on too." Paul shouted, he was the patriarch''s second son and Ekhart''s brother. "If you know where to find Linda tell us, it''s high time Abel moves on with his life he has suffered enough. If i were in his shoes I would have dissolved the marriage a long time ago. Imagine ten years without feeling the warmth of a woman or having children!" He added.


    A chuckle slipped out of Phoebe''s lips. "I don''t think that''s one of Abel''s troubles." She threw him a venomous look.


    Abel gasped and looked at Brandon nervously.


    "What is that supposed to mean?" Ekhart asked, his curious eyes moved from Abel to Phoebe and back.


    Phoebe turned her attention back to the old patriarch and waited for him to grant her request. "Sir?" She spoke with a request in her tone.


    She wanted to give him a pill for his heart to protect it from the bad news she was about to deliver. It was not her intention to meet Luther''s ghost today.


    The old patriarch sighed softly. "It''s okay little shaman, go ahead and tell us where Linda is. She has to come home, if it''s a divorce she needs in order to be happy then she can get one. There is a first time for everything even divorce in this family." He signaled for Phoebe to speak.


    He had not understood her maze reference and still refused to accept the possibility of Linda being dead.


    She cleared her throat. "I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news but Linda Verdemont is dead." Phoebe''s eyes remained fixed on the old man who groaned in pain and lost all his energy, falling back in the chair as if he was lifeless.

 Chapter 197 - 197: Not a joke

    The revelation left those that were not aware in shock and doubt. The sureness with which Phoebe delivered the news made it seem like she had personally witnessed the death.


    Some like Emilia and Ekhart were in denial. Linda was still their daughter, however flawed she was.


    "How dare you say that? You cannot just walk in here and utter such nonsense? You better back up your claims by providing evidence. Where is her body?" Ekhart asked.


    Phoebe remained silent, her attention was focused on the old patriarch who was swallowing a pill to calm his nerves. He surprisingly accepted the news way better than she expected. Phoebe had thought the man would cry his eyes out or even collapsed but he had only shut his eyes for a second and then massaged his chest.


    "So the dream was not just an ordinary dream. Ohh my dear girl, I was really hoping that you were alive somewhere." His lips trembled as tears rolled down on his wrinkled cheeks.


    He put a hand over his eyes and broke down, sobbing loudly, releasing the frustration he had been holding in for so many years.


    For a few minutes__, five to be precise, they all remained silent and waited for the old patriarch to calm down. A knot tied in Phoebe''s stomach, she fought hard to keep the tears from coming out of her eyes. She felt an ounce of guilt for being the one that had doused the little hope the old man had of finding his grandmother daughter alive.


    The butler handed him a tissue which he used to wipe his eyes and blow his nose. The butler collected the tissue and dumped it in waste bin before returning to stand by the old man.


    "You are certain." Luther questioned Phoebe.


    She nodded. "Patriarch did you also suspect that she could be dead?" She asked.


    Luther nodded. "That night when she appeared in my dreams she told me that she was going to a far place. Linda also mentioned that she was happy and at peace finally. That poor girl suffered so much when she was alive and it''s my fault, I should have protected her more. I did fear that she was dead but without a body it was better to keep my hope alive.


    Every shaman, magician, diviner and the like claimed she was alive but deep down, i knew that she was gone. You are the first to confirm my suspicions, so i know that you are a true shaman indeed." He wiped his haggard wet cheeks.


    "Oh come on Mr. Luther, Linda is alive. Everyone, do not buy anything this crook says, we all know her kind relies on tricks to make a living. If she is dead, what about the text messages then?" Conrad wore a cat Cheshire grin. There was no way anyone was going to know that it was him that sent them.


    Phoebe sneered at him, she had been taking things slow for the sake of Luther. Now that he had calmed down, it was time to drop the bombs and Conrad had poked the bear at the right moment.


    Phoebe laughed scornfully. "Oh yes, Linda''s blackmail texts which started this new search. Why are you asking me about it Conrad when you know for a fact that it''s you that sent your supposed friend those messages?"


    Every eye in the room moved to Conrad, doubt and questions in their minds. Was it truly him?


    "What? W..what are you accusing me of?" Conrad''s eyes flew open. "How could i ? What evidence do you have?"


    Abel moved and stood next to Conrad. "This is my best friend turned brother, he can never do such a thing! Besides I spoke to Linda on the phone, it was her voice not Conrad."


    Brandon added a comment. "I can vouch for Conrad too he''s a good guy. He could never torment our family like that. You must be working with Linda on this scheme." he accused her.


    They kept trading gazes and looking at the only exit out of the parlor, desperate to escape but there was no where to run because the detectives had secured the door. The only option left was to deny knowing anything to the very end.


    Phoebe gave Shark a signal, it was time to search Conrad''s room, Brandon''s room and Abel''s room as well. Shark had mentioned that people that committed murder often kept evidence that bonded them together so that none would betray the other. He suspected that these three had done something like that which is why their relationship had not fractured all these years.


    Ekhart had been mulling over what Abel had said and he was a bit confused.


    "Abel I recall you said that you only received text messages how come you never told any of us that you spoke to Linda?"


    Eyes moved from Conrad to Abel as little holes started being poked into the story.


    "He couldn''t have because Linda is dead." Phoebe stated and laughed softly.


    Abel felt corned so he burst into tears. "That is not possible! My wife cannot be dead i swear that i talked to her....."


    "Here we go with the tears." Phoebe said sarcastically. "You should recommend the brand of eye drops which you use every time Linda''s subject comes up. How else is a grown man like you crying on command if you are not faking it?"


    "I..." Abel started.


    "Shut up Abel!" David cut him off, having had enough of Abel that cried more than a baby. It was annoying, irritating and made him want to beat up the man to give him a real reason to cry. "You know very well what happened to Linda, you were there and you participated in it. You have been deceiving and lying to this family for over a decade, stop with the pretense the show is over."


    The Verdemonts were perplexed for they didn''t understand what David was accusing Abel of. They all wanted Phoebe or David to make it clear and stop talking in circles.


    "What are you talking about Saxon?" Ekhart asked, his hands trembling because David would never lay such a careless accusation unless it was true.


    Abel stood up and run away hand through his hair. "I want to know the answer to that as well, are you accusing me of killing my wife? He pointed an index finger at himself. "First that fake shaman accused Conrad, now you have accused me do you have any evidence of what you speak of?"


    The old patriarch interrupted because he was falling behind on the story. "Little shaman what is going on here? I don''t understand anything. Where is Linda I want to give her a befitting burial. I also want to know how she passed."


    Phoebe sighed softly. "Patriarch i told you already, Linda is in the maze, its not a joke, i am very serious. Her body was buried there and it has remained there all these years. Now i am sure that some of you are still skeptical and you will not believe until you see it for yourselves so I think it''s time for the digging to start." She nodded at detective Jones. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 198 - 198: Lindas revenge.

    To the culprits who realized that it was over for them, this appeared to be the perfect chance to escape. While the others headed to the maze to dig for the bones, they could get away. They had all made preparations for this day, in case it ever came. Rather than go to prison, they planned to flee to Eagle country.


    Phoebe was far ahead of them though, she had come here to carry out Linda''s revenge so how could the culprits escape from her grasp?


    While the detectives left, David''s bodyguards stepped in and blocked the door, keeping the Verdemonts from leaving.


    "Before we proceed, Brandon, Conrad and Abel should stay behind. Not just them, everyone whose name i read should not bother getting out."


    Phoebe got a paper from her pocket and she read the names. These were all the people that participated in whipping Linda or mistreating her in any form. Altogether, they were nine people.


    "All of you harmed Linda in some way, causing her to become depressed and suicidal before her death. You called her the devil''s wife and poisoned her, ruined her reputation and denied her peace of mind. The time for reckoning has come."


    Her words were like bullets shot straight in their hearts, especially Abel was even frightened more.


    "What! Linda was my wife, if something happened to her i was not involved. I loved her, ask anyone here and they can vouch for me."


    Phoebe chuckled. "Was? I guess you have no trouble believing that she is dead."


    Conrad tried to use force but his way was blocked one of the bodyguards.


    "Didn''t you hear what she said? Take a seat now." His bulging eyes stared at Conrad who swallowed hard and took a few steps backs.


    "The rest of you can leave." Phoebe told them


    Quickly, the ones whose names had not been read rushed out, going in the direction of the maze. As for the nine who remained behind, they trembled as two bodyguards got ropes, similar to the ones used to beat up Linda back then and brought them down on their bodies cruelly.


    The screams could be heard for miles and it was the return of three curious detectives that saved them. They were allowed to leave with the exception of the three criminal masterminds behind everything. Phoebe was feeling unsatisfied, Ekhart and his wife Emilia had hurt Linda just as much as the others. They deserved to be punished as well but it was not her place to do so.


    Phoebe caught up with David on the way to the maze, she wanted to say something but Ekhart pulled on David''s hand as they walked and drew his attention.


    "I do not understand why you stopped Brandon from coming out. You people don''t suspect that he had anything to do with his sister disappearing, do you? He is a good boy, not like his sister at all."


    David paused his step. "Mr. Verdermont are you even sad at all that your child is dead? At least your wife is speechless."


    Emilia jumped in, "Tsk, what is there to be sad about? The girl died on the day she committed adultery. What is sad is that she won''t be going to heaven but straight to hell." She hurried her steps, unnerved by the judgemental looks she received from everyone.


    When they reached at the center of the maze, Phoebe was confused because it wasn''t a small place. She didn''t know where they could start digging but fortunately Claire was there too. Shark called her because it was the forensics that dealt with such issues.


    Claire was already there with her team and police officers were setting up a perimeter. The Verdemonts did not care for the perimeter and they tried to shove the officers out of the way.


    "Everyone please stay behind the yellow tape, this is a crime scene." Claire announced as she wore white gloves to complete her look.


    "Oh hey Mayfair." Claire teased Phoebe.


    "Claire where are you even going to start from?" Phoebe asked.


    If it was a difficult task, she would have the Saxon spirit do it or use her energy. She did not want to use her energy, a lot had been used when she used a drop of water from the lake of life and death on Ruth.


    At the moment, even her life span had gone down, she had less than two months of life left.


    Pointing to the equipment which was already being used Claire gave Phoebe and explanation. "We have ground penetrating radars, its the best way to find remains beneath the surface without digging up the entire maze. You will know when we find something."


    She left and Phoebe used the opportunity to lean against David to suck some energy. She studied the faces of the Verdemonts that had come out to witness with their eyes whether it was true or false that Linda had really been here all this time.


    Some of them looked worried, probably because it would affect the reputation of their family. There were those that felt sorry and guilty, they had condemned Linda verbally back then. If she had been murdered by Abel, they had contributed to her death.


    The environment was solemn, not a single smiling face around, only frowns and whispers. Twenty minutes in and someone screamed.


    "Over here, i have found something!"


    The forensics team and police officers started digging immediately. Less than a minute in, they found a skull which was retrieved and seen by everyone.


    The evidence caused the old patriarch to stagger backwards.


    "Oh God" he cried.


    Her father gasped as well, in shock, just as the rest of the family did. All this time none of them knew that Linda was buried in the maze and they even held parties in this place, over her body.


    "Ho...how is this possible? After all these years no one knew?"


    Ekhart shivered,he was not as hardened of heart as his wife. "How....who buried her here?"


    David tapped his shoulder once. "Now you are asking the important question."


    For a while, they all stayed and watched as bone after bone was retrieved and Claire confirmed it was the body of a woman. There was no more denying it, unless a DNA test said otherwise, this was Linda.


    Phoebe announced that they leave the scene and return to the house. It was time to lay everything out in the open. Nobody doubted Phoebe anymore and they followed her instructions, returning to the parlor.


    The grave looks on their faces, the snivels among some of the women and the glares which were sent Abel''s way, confirmed to the three men that the remains had been found.


    Phoebe didn''t waste a moment, she immediately started revealing the truth.


    "Linda''s biggest problem was her parents...you Emilia and Ekhart. You should have listened to her when she told you that she didn''t want to marry Abel."


    Emilia moved forward and perched in the chair. "What? So now it''s our fault that we choose a good man for her?"


    Nodding her head, Phoebe looked straight into Emilia''s wide eyes. "That good man killed her." S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 199 - 199: Murderers in house.

    Abel tried to stand but was forced back down by a detective. "W..what..proof do you have?"


    Emilia laughed maniacally choosing not to believe what she was hearing. "So you are determined to attack and blame my son in law to the end okay fine bring the evidence."


    Shark stood up and revealed two phones, one black and one light pink with stickers on the back.


    "I believe that you all know who this phone belongs to." He raised the pink phone.


    Brandon lowered his head and cursed, Conrad shut his eyes tightly while Abel pointed at it.


    "Ho..how? Where did you get that?" He tried to snatch it away but Shark raised it higher.


    His fear was for what the phone contained.


    "Criminals especially the perverted ones like to keep things that belong to their victims. It gives them joy as they relive such memories. Thank you Conrad for keeping Linda''s phone after you killed her it would have been harder to prove that you did it." Phoebe threw out bait.


    "So it''s all true that you killed my grandchild, you a dog that I raised? I am going to make you suffer to eternity." The old patriarch declared and got to his feet, ready to fight Conrad if that was what it took to bring Linda justice.


    The butler pulled him back to stop him form hurting himself, he was too old for such antics.


    Terror began to envelope Conrad''s entire being meanwhile, he looked at his partners in crime but they avoided his gaze.


    Abel stood up and grabbed him by the scruff. "Take one for the team. Who asked you to keep that phone you idiot? Take the blame and we will take care of you in prison." He whispered.


    Conrad''s eyes flew open in disbelief, he then looked at Brandon who signaled him to keep his mouth shut.


    Before he could properly register what was happening Abel punched him in the face.


    "How could you do that to Linda! You my friend? Why?" He wailed as he punched him until the detectives separated the two men.


    Phoebe wanted Conrad to deny everything but even he was too stunned by the turn of events to speak so she catalyzed the situation.


    "Conrad there is clear evidence against you and you are going to rot in jail but the question is are you going to go down alone?"


    Brandon stood up, broadening his chest in an intimidating way like an alpha gorilla.


    "And who do you think should go down with him? If the evidence proves that he did it then he should pay for his crime. He killed my beloved sister!" His words only highlighted what Phoebe was trying to tell Conrad.


    "The people you think are going to save you aren''t going to do it so you might as well rat them out." Phoebe told him.


    The old patriarch banged the table. "You had accomplices? Who is it? Which of the employees did you connive with to kill my grand daughter."


    Phoebe wanted to remind everyone that the first person she accused was Abel. Before looking for accomplices among the employees, they had to look at him first.


    "He must have been one of her lovers. Did Linda refuse to give you money? Is that why you killed her? Conrad you have always been money hungry now i believe that you have been the black mailer all along. Linda must have left her phone at your place after one of your hook ups."Abel filled in all the gaps, brainwashing some foolish relatives.


    "You are an animal." Emilia said to Conrad.


    "Arrest him right now." Ekhart commanded the detectives.


    Phoebe and David could not believe the man''s ability of turning black to white and covering his ass. If they were foolish, they too would buy his innocence and convict Conrad.


    Abel''s accusations only made Conrad more angry and desperate. They had agreed to sink or swim together so why was he sinking alone? He gritted his teeth and glared at Abel then Brandon.


    "I cannot believe they both of you! You really want me to take the fall for this? To save yourself, who knows if you will kill me in prison just like you killed your wife!"


    He shot daggers at Abel with his eyes. His heart was filled with hatred, he had always known that Abel loved Brandon more than him. He figured they wanted to get rid of him and stay together, enjoying wealth and love while he wasted away. To him, his lover had broken his heart so he was returning the favor.


    "What? Conrad what do you mean?" Emilia stood up and asked.


    "Mother do not believe a thing he says! He''s lying against me because he''s been caught. You son of a bitch!" Abel sent a flying punch but he was grabbed by Shark.


    Brandon excused himself. "I can''t take this i am leaving."


    He began to move towards the door but he was pushed back by Jones."Sit!"


    He pointed at the chair in which he had been sitting in and Brandon unwillingly parked his ass where it had been. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Conrad laughed loudly and mockingly. "Abel was the one that killed Linda, i was there and saw it all. I kept the phone to use as blackmail, i will admit to that crime but not killing her. Brandon was there too he can vouch that i am telling the truth."


    His eyes moved to Brandon just like everybody else.


    Vehemently, he shook his head in denial. "What the hell do you mean? How could I just watch as Abel killed my sister who was also his wife and keep quiet about it? Don''t listen to this crap! He''s lying."


    "Shut up you guys! This is exactly what this shaman bitch wants, us to turn against each other can''t you see?" Abel''s eyes moved from Conrad to Brandon.


    Emilia had sank back in the chair, trying to comprehend what was going on but she needed the full story to understand. All she was hearing were bits and pieces of accusations. She let out an ear piercing scream.


    "Quiet! I want someone to explain what is happening here" her eyes were fixed on Phoebe.


    Brandon began to speak but she shushed him.


    "You shaman lady tell us, please what is going on." Ekhart requested.


    Phoebe cleared her voice. "Well first of all I would like to clear Linda''s name, she was never promiscuous or adulterous. Although she was against the marriage, she was faithful to her husband but her husband Abel here was the opposite. He is gay and involved in a sexual relationship with Conrad and Brandon."


    "Bullshit! You can lie against my son about a lot of things but that. He changes women like he does his cars. It''s not possible." Ekhart retorted.


    Phoebe checked her phone and showed him the pictures which Shark had sent to her after charging it.


    "This is what Linda saw when she walked into the maze, the reason why she died."


    Shark had physical copies of the photograph and he had then distributed for everyone to see. They were all as shocked as Phoebe and the others had been when they saw the images.


    "My God! What will our brothers and sisters in the church say when they see this?" Emilia began to breath rapidly as if she was about to get a panic attack.

 Chapter 200 - 200: Finally, a confession.

    The words spoken by Emilia left a bad taste in Phoebe''s mouth and it wasn''t just her but David and the officers too. The woman was lamenting about how they would be perceived by the church and how it would lead her to loosing her deaconess position in the church.


    Not one word out of her mouth was pity for her dead daughter or condemnation for her killers. It was truly baffling!


    Phoebe wondered if Emilia had been brainwashed in that faith because all they seemed to care about was it. Had she been promised a ticket to heaven?


    "Emilia, did you clearly process anything that the young Shaman said? Linda was killed by these idiots because she discovered their secret!" David yelled at her in a raised voice.


    He was so disappointed by the reaction of the people that were supposed to care the most about Linda, except Luther of course. David couldn''t tell who was worse between Emilia and his own mother.


    No, he could see a difference, his mother was a schemer and Emilia was insane like Ruth.


    "Yes I heard! I heard it all and I still think that Brandon is being framed here. How could he have just watched as Abel killed his sister?" Emilia croaked.


    Tears actually sprouted out of her eyes, she was devastated but all for the wrong reasons.


    Phoebe had seen shameless people but some of the Verdemonts were just sick in the head. She thought that they would be repentant about what they had done to Linda but no they were dry eyed and cold. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ekhart shed a tear or two but all he did was mumble about how the stock prices were going to plummet the moment the news got out. The rest of the family kept whispering to one another about what was going on.


    "It was a bloody disaster when she was alive and her death is going to be another scandal." Phoebe heard Camilla whisper.


    She was worried about her marriage prospects when news was leaked that she had a brother that had participated in this depravity. Even her newly acquired queen bee position was going to be lost.


    Phoebe''s eyes moved to Emilia who like a crazy person kept insisting that Brandon wasn''t part of anything.


    "He must have been indoctrinated by those two idiots into this whole thing but we shall call the priests to pray for him." Emilia began to recite a prayer.


    The only person that could make sure that Brandon paid for his crimes was the old patriarch who was watching his family with his eyes glazed, filled with an expression of shame and disappointment.


    "My God, no wonder Linda could not stand you people!" Phoebe exclaimed. "Old patriarch, Linda could have survived that day. After capturing images of Abel and Conrad she ran out of the maze only to bump into Brandon. She was relieved thinking that he was going to help her but instead, he dragged her back into the maze, kicked her in the ribs and watched as Abel strangled her. When all was said and done, he and his lovers buried her right there and slandered her to hide the truth." Phoebe added to the accusations, pouring everything out in a part growl-part yell.


    Her words elicited a loud ''WHAT'' from the listeners and all of them turned to Brandon.The whispers started going around immediately as the relatives discussed what they had just heard.


    "It can''t be."


    "No way."


    "That is crazy, completely crazy."


    "Oh my God!! this can''t be true."


    There were those however that still refused to believe, especially Emilia.


    "How do we know that she is telling the truth? This sounds insane, Brandon is my son, Linda''s own brother. He could never do something like that, it looks like this little crooked shaman is writing a script or a novel. She is making up stories, can''t you see that. Someone come and throw this bitch out of my house." Emilia glared at Phoebe.


    Conrad raised his hand and shouted frantically as he struggled against the detectives holding him back. "It''s not a lie, i was there and it went down exactly as she says it did. Detective i am willing to testify to get a lighter sentence."


    "You fucking traitor!" Brandon leaped at Conrad as he hissed but he was caught by officers before he could land a single blow on his partner in crime. Brandon was enraged that he revealed information without meaning to. "If it wasn''t for your stupidity there would be no incriminating evidence and we wouldn''t be in this position!


    In fact, if you and Abel had just reigned in your lust and kept it behind closed doors in a hotel Linda would not have had to die." He turned to face his Emilia."Mother please save me, I don''t want to go to jail."


    Gasps went around the room and someone even fainted from the shock. He had just admitted to everything Phoebe had accused him, Conrad and Abel of.


    Ekhart stood up and yanked on Brandon''s hand, trying to get him away from the detectives. "You are not going to jail! This evidence is not incriminating enough. Conrad and Abel are the only criminals here so detectives take them away and leave my house." His remarks forced the old patriarch to let out a loud groan that compelled them all to keep quiet.


    "All the people that were involved in Linda''s death are going to be punished by law including Brandon. Officers take them away!" Luther ordered.


    Shark took out the silver cuffs and went ahead to put them around Conrad''s hands, he put up no resistance at all.


    Abel on the other hand struggled. "Father, mother please what will the church say, think of the reputation of the family. Aren''t you influential, please you can make this go away." He cried as he was cuffed.


    Emilia blocked detective Jones from taking Brandon out of the house.


    "Not my son! Our reputation is going to be ruined, he made a small mistake back then. What he did wasn''t intentional." She shrieked loudly at the detective.


    Jones shoved her gently but the woman stayed put, holding on to her son by his shirt and pulling.


    "Father please, think about how our name will be dragged through the mud, are you okay with that?" Emilia''s narrowed eyes scanned Luther''s face.


    "I do not care, you will have to face the consequences of being hurtles. None of you present here is innocent, you all bullied Linda in one way or another and i am going to make you pay for it.


    I cannot even trust any of you anymore, i cannot sleep with both eyes closed out of fear for what you are capable of. It was Linda then and tomorrow it could be me in her position.


    When did this family start giving birth to parents that eat their own children and brothers that kill their sisters? I am very disappointed in all of you." Luther stared at each of them with venomous eyes. "Little shaman, please follow me to my office." He raised to his feet with the help of the butler.

 Chapter 201 - 201: An emotional reunion.

    There was a scuffle but Brandon was whisked away by Shark and his team, the Verdemonts tried to put up a fight but they couldn''t defeat the physically stronger police officers.


    "Guards! Don''t allow them to take him." Emilia shouted.


    They approached but Shark warned them that he would arrest them for obstruction of justice if they interfered. The butler shared the stance of the old patriarch with them and then they stayed put. They figured quickly that it was better not to get involved.


    The criminals were driven away in police vehicles whose sirens were loud. It was like they wanted all the residents of the luxurious neighborhood to know what had happened at the Verdermont residence.


    The rest of the family could only watch helplessly and figure out what to do next. Not all of them were foolish, Nina Verdemont, Luther''s daughter had seen her father''s reaction and read the room. She whispered to her husband and children that they should go to the morgue and at least display some care for Linda.


    At the end of the day, they had not participated in her torture and never knew what was going on with her. The rate at which Ekhart and Emilia were going, they were about to be dethroned and someone had to take the crown.


    Others started contacting their public relations officers to start strategizing. A few were immersed in their own troubles, figuring out how the scandal would affect them.


    With the involvement of Shark, the whole country would know what happened to Linda within an hour probably.


    Camilla was among the ones indulging in self pity. She shook Emilia''s arm continuously trying to wake her up out of the shock she was in.


    "Our family is going to be embarrassed before the founding council. We will have to avoid social gatherings for a year at least, I cannot afford to live in hiding! Mother, do something before we are all ruined."


    Emilia just kept on looking in the direction the cars had taken, in a near catatonic state.


    "I cannot allow this news to spread, Paul keep an eye on the tabloids, news should be controlled. My biggest worry is the stocks father doesn''t care because he is dying any time soon." Ekhart folded his hand into a fist and marched into the house.


    Camilla pinched her mother''s arm and Emilia came back to life. She run after husband, screaming her own worries like a shrew.


    "The church cannot hear of this news, my God i feel like i am about to lose it all. I am afraid Ekhart." Tears sprouted from her eyes.


    "We are one of the richest families in Fog country, we can protect our selves. With money everything is possible, so everyone calm down. We can pay Conrad and irresistible amount and he will keep his mouth shut about Brandon''s involvement." Paul Verdemont joined them and he sat down in a chair, completely relaxed.


    In reality, he was smiling on the inside, with Brandon out of the way, his own son had an opportunity to rise. Paul was not a believer in the church, he believed in money more than anything.


    David listened to them in utter shock, his family had its issues but the Verdemonts were a rotten bunch truly, his eyes moved at the door of the study where Phoebe had entered.


    What was she discussing with the old man, away from everyone else?


    Inside the study, the old patriarch had just calmed down again, after taking a tonic Phoebe offered him. He pushed the bottle to the side and put his walking cane on the desk. Finally, he leaned back in brown leather chair and faced her.


    "Thank you for your help little shaman. I thought that at my age i had seen it all in my life but today proved me wrong. That poor girl deserved a better family than this group of beasts, if i had known i would have sent her abroad to my cousin in Silver nation."


    He dabbed at the corners of his eyes with a white tissue. "It''s always the good people that suffer the most in this world, Linda had such a pure heart..." he broke down and cried silently for a few seconds.


    Luther shook his head and looked at Phoebe again with red eyes, "I don''t have the will to live anymore, i want to be at peace just like Linda is now, but before I do that I plan to destroy this family. I want them to feel as much if not more pain than what my poor grand daughter went through. If they had been remorseful I would have perhaps reconsidered but no they are worried over materialistic things." He paused and sipped on some water.


    "I am going to visit the police station and testify to the rotten character of those three murderers. When i am done, i will begin making preparations to let go of all these material things. My body is already failing, the doctors say i do not have more than a year left. I should have died a long time ago but I was holding on to life until i found Linda. I will support you in whatever way I can such that you can help more people like me."


    Phoebe had mixed reactions flowing within her, she was sad from hearing his words but at the same time grateful that she could help him.


    "Mr. Luther, you have already given me enough, it''s all the support I need. There is also a way you can talk to Linda, i can arrange it if you are interested." She gave him a warm inquisitive smile.


    The old man''s distressed face perked up. "Is there? Can I see her one more time please, I will be very grateful."


    The Saxon spirit placed the ghost''s notebook on the table. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She communicated to Phoebe directly in her mind. "He is not left with much time, i can feel it, death is already stalking him."


    Phoebe opened her mouth and the spirit sealed it, shaking its head.


    "Do not warn him, it''s not your place to decide his life and death. You cannot change his fate anyway, he wants to die."


    Phoebe sighed, got up and stepped out briefly to call in David. She put a hand in her bag and took Linda''s belongings out. The Saxon spirit was actually transferring hem from the magical space directly to the bag.


    Luther carefully put them away, handling them like they were so precious.


    "David touch my shoulder." Phoebe requested.


    Just like the last time she chanted a spell, wrote in the book and told Linda to appear if she wanted to talk to her poppy. Immediately, Linda''s reflection appeared as if it had been on the other side waiting for this moment.


    As soon as they traded gazes, grandfather and granddaughter begun to cry and apologize to each other in an emotional reunion.


    Phoebe couldn''t help but cry with them on the other hand David''s focus was on the pendant. He was wondering why each time he touched Phoebe the pendant glowed.


    It was like he had a special connection to it. ''Charger!''


    The word came to his thoughts, Phoebe always referred to him as her charger.


    Was he charging it? Why? What was it for? He wondered.

 Chapter 202 - 202: The old patriachs decision.

    There was a lot to talk about for the two to discuss and the reunion lasted an hour long before wearing off. Even then, the reunited Verdemonts were not done.


    It was human nature to be greedy for something good once you got a hold of it and the old man was just the same. The moment Linda''s ghost vanished, he cried out like a baby suddenly pulled away from a mother''s nipple before achieving satisfaction.


    "Bring her back! Please bring my grand daughter back."


    The old patriarch wailed and pleaded with Phoebe loudly with no regards to his status. Even though she could, Phoebe choose not to otherwise she would have to spend the entire day summoning Linda.


    If she gave in, he might even call her back daily and have her enable him speak to Linda as often as possible.


    "I can''t help you with that request anymore elder Luther, if i continue, i might spit up blood and die. At least your have seen that she''s alright and happy." The book vanished as the spirit returned it to the cabin.


    Luther punched his chest over and over, sobbing softly as he lamented. "I want to go to her, i want to be with my wife and dear great granddaughter. I can''t continue living so miserably like this without them."


    Phoebe wanted to tell him that soon he was going to the other side but she chose to keep shut. There were consequences to letting a human know such information. One could never know how a person could use it such knowledge. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Everything that happens is out of our hands, please just take comfort in the knowledge that she is at peace now and make plans to punish those that harmed her."


    Luther wiped his tears away and regained his calmness slowly. The old patriarch moved to a wall and pressed against the painting which in turn opened.


    "There is something special that has passed down in my family for generations. I should be giving it to one of the members of my family but I would rather not leave such valuable treasures to those greedy fools. I plan to leave them as little as possible."


    Phoebe felt uncomfortable and was about to reject whatever it was but the Saxon spirit told her that she sensed energy coming from the safe. Whatever Luther wanted to give her, it was not ordinary.


    The safe was full of treasures but Luther did not touch any of them. He pulled out a medium sized golden box, closed the safe and moved back to his seat.


    Phoebe''s curious eyes remained on the safe, she had a desire to take a closer look at the shiny things which were locked away in there. If she was a thief, she would already be making a plan to return for the night.


    "Here, this is yours now. Do not worry my family doesn''t know of its existence. Take it, maybe it will be useful to you in future." He offered.


    Phoebe stretched her hands and took it, on touching it she too could feel the energy emanating from it. "What is it?" She looked at him curiously.


    "Open it first." The old patriarch jutted his chin in her direction.


    She did as he asked and her eyes fell on a bright sight. Inside the box were gold coins with drawings of interwoven tree branches and a writing in a language that she couldn''t understand.


    "What are these?" She lifted one to her eyes and examined it.


    David pushed his chair closer to Phoebe''s to have a closer look and be his usual helpful self. His brows pulled together however, as he couldn''t identify what the coins were.


    "Whispering coins!" The Saxon spirit took a closer look.


    "Whispering coins?" Phoebe repeated loudly in a questioning voice.


    The old patriarch looked at her in surprise, the coins were so old and there was no way someone her age would no what they are. In fact a few minutes ago Phoebe had been asking him what they were. "How...." The old patriarch shook his head, she was a shaman after all.


    "Yes those are Whispering coins, when flipped they ensure a desired outcome or some personal bad luck for a while. This is my business secret, it was not just through plain hard work that I made all this money, i had extra help.


    I made wishes with the coins and they came true, helping me rebuild the Verdemont fortune faster. If these fall in the wrong hands you know what could happen. You should be careful however, wishes come at a cost, nothing magic related is free. You should know that better than me, your special abilities must come at a price."


    Phoebe did not respond, not wanting to spread the information that her lifespan was often used as the price.


    "Maybe the cost for me was my family''s happiness, look at us now. We have so much money but my descendants have turned inhumane. I made one last wish and it''s for them to change, even if all the wealth is lost." He sighed and looked at the coin in Phoebe''s hand. Perhaps truly, the coins were source of the Verdemont ruination.


    The Saxon spirit nodded continuously. "This isn''t something a greedy person should possess especially those damn Verdemonts outside, take them for safe keeping."


    David was intrigued and he had a lot of questions about the coins.


    "Where did you even get them?"


    The old patriarch sighed softly. "Like I said, they have been in my family for generations. Most, if not all founding families have mystic objects or weapons that are passed down through generations.


    Some have more than one as it was our great ancestors who discovered this land that was rumored to have mystic beings and powers beyond comprehension. They apparently battled these beings and settled down here, building the country to what it is today.


    The stories are so old and distorted that they sound like fiction but some are real. How else do you explain something like that?" He pointed at the coins. "Maybe my ancestors knew the danger of the coins and that''s why they never used them. It could explain why the Verdemont fortune diminished significantly in their hands when they had access to such a great thing. The coins might be cursed and in Ekhart''s hands, nothing good will happen."


    Luther eyed them both, "You two are from founding families, don''t you know about these things?"


    David and Phoebe looked at each other and shook their heads. They were clueless and planned to ask their families if they knew of such mystic objects.


    "I am going to the police station, then the morgue and I would like you to accompany me if that is okay with the both of you." The old patriarch asked as he stood from his chair.


    Phoebe placed the golden box in her bag and told the spirit to stow it in the cabin.


    "Of course, we''ll help with whatever you need." she answered Luther.


    When the door was pulled open, Ekhart fell to the floor, inside the study. It was obvious that he had been eavesdropping.


    "Father where are you going? You need to clear this mess for you created it."


    Nodding his head, the old patriarch told them that he was going to the police station.


    Emilia clapped once. "So you have decided to save the family name thank God! I will come with you."

 Chapter 203 - 203: A great time for journalism.

    With limited strength left in him, Luther didn''t bother to tell Emilia and the family that he was actually going to the police station to testify against the criminals. Besides he wanted to start making arrangements for Linda''s burial, she had spent so many days and nights in the dark cold ground. It was time she received some warmth, but, more importantly he wanted to change his will and distribute all of his fortune.


    "Let''s go." He ordered Joseph who rushed to open the car door. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe and David plus his body guards followed behind his three cars, forming a long convoy once again. As soon as the cars drove out, reporters pounced like starving lions, yelling questions that were related to the three men that had been arrested.


    "I guess Brandon, Abel and Conrad have arrived at the police station."


    David looked at the watch on his wrist, it had been exactly one hour and twenty minutes since they had been taken away. Shark was really a glory hound, it seemed like he had called the press already.


    Phoebe giggled. "I prepared a shocking surprise for them, those idiots must have been shocked to find bloggers and reporters waiting to give them a warm welcome at the police station."


    She pulled out her phone to check for trending videos, if reporters were swarming the Verdemont residence it had to be because Shark had already briefed the press.


    It was better than she anticipated as Shark had paraded the men before the press before they were taken into the police station. He clearly gave details of why the three had been arrested, he concluded by stating that investigations were on going. He did not forget to mention that evidence had been found and there was no doubt about the men''s guilt.


    "David sighed gently as his eyes shifted from the video. "Won''t Shark get in trouble for disclosing so much about the case to the press before informing his supervisors?"


    "The evidence is pretty damning, there is nothing more to investigate. In fact the old patriarch''s testimony will be the last nail in the coffin, besides Conrad is ready to testify. The case might as well be sent to the office of the prosecutor immediately."


    Phoebe did not know how right she was, a hungry prosecutor whose nature was similar to Shark''s was already at the police station demanding that the case and everything related be handed over.


    She placed her phone back in the back and leaned against David, closing her eyes as she charged all the way to the police station.


    When they stepped out of the cars after reaching their destination, they found even more reporters camped outside. They rushed to meet the old patriarch requesting that he say something about the charges levied against the three men especially his grandson.


    Thankfully the officers were around to stop them from wildly swarming around him.


    "Everyone step back! If you get out of order then we will be forced to chase you away from here." An officer spoke loudly, beneath his warning was a threat.


    His words didn''t settle well with some of the reporters, one went as far as to highlight that it wasn''t fair.


    "We are doing our jobs! You cannot limit the freedom of the press that''s a crime." She shouted. "Did your family work together to cover up the murder of your granddaughter?"


    "Just tell us how long you have known that your grandson is gay and has two lovers." Another yelled.


    "Are Brandon Verdemont and his lovers married?"


    For them, it was a great time for journalism, lately, it was one breaking story after another. This was no different to them from the other scandals happening in the country.


    The unnecessary provocative questions stirred up other reporters and created chaos so police officers started pushing the reporters from station grounds. True to their threat, they even started making arrests.


    Phoebe and David followed the old patriarch into the station, surprisingly Emilia and the few Verdemonts that had followed them stayed back in their cars.


    Deciding not to engage with the press besides, they were contented that Luther was going to solve whatever chaos Brandon had put them in. After hearing the questions being thrown at the old patriarch, they did not want to show their faces.


    Inside the station which was crawling with curious officers, the old patriarch was requested to sit in a small meeting room by Shark and Jones who were automatically in charge of the case, having made the arrests.


    They could not put such distinguished guests in an interrogation room.


    "Thank you for volunteering to talk to us as a witness." Shark humbled himself and pressed the recording button.


    Jones brought coffee and bottles of water for them and then he sat down and brought out his notebook and pen to note down any important parts.


    After about thirty minutes, Luther was done testifying. He stood up from the chair and walked out, he ignored the press once again and moved to Citrus city medical examiners office where Linda''s remains had been taken. There too, he was welcomed like a VIP by the director who spoke to the old patriarch gently.


    The director led Luther inside but he paused in his steps when he saw Nina and her family who on seeing Luther they began to sniffle.


    "Dad, i came to keep my poor niece company." Nina squeezed out some tears.


    "You must think that i am gullible." Luther sneered and by passed them.


    As they were walking away, Phoebe heard one of Nina''s kids ask if they can stop the charade because he was tired. She shook her head and sighed, there was really no saving the Verdemonts.


    Claire politely received them, with Phoebe''s help the case was simpler than others. All Claire had to do was confirm what Phoebe had told her, not once had she ever discovered other wise.


    "So tell me, have you confirmed the cause of death? Does it match precisely to everything the little shaman said?" Luther asked.


    Claire folded her lips briefly, this was a part of her job that she did not enjoy. Normally, she explained the cause of death in such cases to detectives or in court if she had been called to testify. What she hated the most was facing a family when delivering bad news about the way their child was killed.


    Having to look into their aggrieved eyes and listen to their wails was very heartbreaking.


    Claire took a deep breath and shared her findings with them. "She had a lot of broken bones which confirms that she was beaten severely over a period of at least five years. The cause of death was strangulation, the hyoid bone was broken, whoever strangled her used a lot of strength. It is clear that the intention was murder, there are other injuries that occurred at the same time as the hyoid fracture like a crack on the back of the skull, fractured ulna and broken femur."


    "A brutal beating before she was killed, those animals are really cruel." Shark spoke in a soft voice.


    The old patriarch moaned softly, his eyes glistened with tears. They would pay, especially his Ekhart, Brandon and the nasty witch of a witch of a daughter-in-law, Emilia. They would pay for Linda''s pain, he would make sure of it.

 Chapter 204 - 204: Closing Lindas case.

    After composing himself, the old patriarch announced that it was time for him to leave, he thanked Phoebe and David once again.


    "Elder, if you have any plans for the company, you can go and see him." David stopped Luther and handed him a business card for DP holdings. "It will be best if you see my friend tomorrow or today itself just in case your children or grandchildren get any ideas. You have already lost your influence in the company, act before more is lost."


    Luther took the card and he lifted his eyes to David, grateful and surprised that he was going out of his way to be helpful.


    But, it was great advise, before those monsters reacted, he needed to amend his will, redistribute his shares and liquidate most of his assets.


    "Thank you young Saxon, you are a fine man unlike the rumors. How great would it have been if i had a son as reliable as you." Luther reached out, almost touching David''s cheek but he dropped his hand quickly.


    In his heart, he wished that Linda had met a man as wonderful as David, someone devoted to her the he was to the little shaman. How amazing would her life have been?


    He kept his regrets to himself and leaned on his walking cane.


    "Are the reporters still out there?"


    "Most are gone." Shark shared.


    "You can use the back door, i just peeked outside and the reporters are flocking to the entrance." Claire advised


    "No, i should speak to them, there are some things i should make clear personally."


    He walked slowly, supported by one of his bodyguards and stood on the first step where he was towering over the reporters . As expected they began to throw questions at him loudly, not giving him a moment to digest and answer properly.


    It was Shark that stepped forward and calmed them, allowing Luther to give a statement.


    "I know that there is a lot of interest in the affairs of my family with this case coming to light so the first thing i want to do is clear my granddaughter''s good name. Linda Verdemont has never been a woman of loose morals. She did not run away with any lovers or have any affair, as a matter of fact, her husband was the one that had affairs.


    I will not hide the truth about my grandson Brandon''s involvement in the case. He worked with Linda''s husband and one employee of the family to kill her and hide the murder by ruining her reputation and for many years they got away with it.


    I have been searching for her all these years and my poor baby was buried in the ground, cold and lonely. My family including her parents will try to say otherwise but please do not listen to them. They are worried most about losing their reputation and money than getting justice for Linda Verdemont.


    I am going to cooperate with the police to ensure that those that were involved in Linda''s death are given the punishment that they deserve. I want to thank the detectives for their stellar work in discovering the truth. I would also like to thank a special person, the shaman Phoebe Mayfair for without her help, i never would have found my grand daughter. That''s all i have to say, thank you." He bowed respectfully.


    His bodyguards and David''s had already arrived, guarding him from all sides. They formed a path for him, guiding him to the car.


    The press was noisy and still shocked that he had actually admitted that his grandson was involved in the murder of his sister. Wealthy families like his would do their best to make the case go away but not Luther.


    They could see that he had spoken with a lot of pain and regret. Many of them still had questions and they run after the cars with some still yelling out questions about Brandon and his lovers.


    Obviously, they intended to sensationalize the issue and make it a big headline. Only a few moral news outlets would rectify Linda''s reputation.


    Phoebe, Shark and David watched the chaos from the sides in silence.


    "Our Phoebe''s business is about to blow up, don''t forget me when you become a celebrity shaman." Shark bounced on his toes.


    David smiled at Phoebe, his eyes laced with pride. "She is a force to be reckoned with, once Phoebe sets her mind to it she gets things done. Anyway, what happens to the criminals now?" David asked.


    "Well we have strong evidence and witnesses. Honestly no matter what the Verdemonts say it''s over for them. The prosecutors are already in the station offering deals, one of them said they will be getting thirty to life with no parole." Jones approached them from the back.


    "I am elated! This case is like ten years old and I just solved it. I can smell my promotion from miles away." Shark sniffed the air like a dog.


    His words elicited laughter from the group, they all had a feeling that he would be promoted. He had held a press conference on his own without giving his superiors a heads up. They too would have loved to get credit in this case, it involved the Verdemonts after all. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    David pulled on Phoebe''s hand so that they too could get going. She tugged on his hand and looked at him through heavily lidded eyes.


    "I am worried about Luther now that he is going to make changes and expressed a different opinion from his family members. What if they do something to that old man?" Phoebe pulled her brows together, shadows of worry gnawed at her.


    David was way ahead of her, after studying the Verdemont''s behavior he feared that they would harm him or even kill him. He had told the butler that he was going to send more bodyguards to specifically take care of the old man''s security for as long as possible.


    "It''s taken care of, i knew that you would worry so i took some measures on my own. I believe that he knows what he needs to do, Old man Luther is living among wolves and he is not a rabbit, he will protect himself."


    Phoebe felt her heart flutter, surprised by his thoughtfulness. David had really become the best version of himself. The fact that he had taken care of it anticipating her worry made her incredibly glad.


    "I am tired and i feel like i need a bath. Being around those people had taken a toll on me." Phoebe yawned and removed her hand from his, then stretched like a cat.


    David took her hand again and led down the steps. "I am hungry too, lets head to the cafe. I am sure that grandma is waiting to hear all about this adventure."


    They bid farewell to the detectives, got into her car and Polly drove them back to the cafe.


    Although they were somewhat exhausted, they wore aprons the moment they arrived at the cafe. It was lunch hour and the cafe was packed to the brim.


    Some of David''s female admirers were back, and they were clearly excited to see him with the way they were squealing and blushing.


    Phoebe navigated between clients with ease and speed until she felt her legs shake. When the number of customers dwindled, she sat down behind the counter and sighed.


    "Why do we have so many clients today though? I am not complaining but girl i am worn out." She beat her shoulders manually with a clenched fist.


    More clients had come over but they had not placed orders for food yet.


    "Actually all those people siting over there have issues and want a consultation with the great Phoebe Mayfair. After old man Luther Verdemont praised you on TV our phones have been ringing non stop and people have been coming here like the services are free. Marianne, the new part time worker just graduated to full time. She''s helping them book appointments." Rosette gave her a list of inventory that had run out.


    "Tomorrow, i am tired, Send them away with apologies and a complimentary gift." Phoebe declined to do anymore business.


    It was one of the joys of being self employed, she could pick and choose her working hours.


    Rosette did as she said, they took down information and sent away the clients. After Marianne closed the doors, they sat around the same table as usual to relax.


    "Tell us everything that happened." Grandma Mayfair ordered.

 Chapter 205 - 205: Kicked out.

    In the days that followed the Verdemonts dominated the news, with the affair and murder being splashed on the front page of every newspaper.


    It was the leading news on social media, television and radios, milked thoroughly by prosecutors, police and politicians looking to make a statement. It even made international news just like the cuckoo case had done.


    The Verdemonts were faced with baseless accusations of covering up for Brandon and partaking his murder. The scandal reached fever pitch and even the light of faith distanced itself from them.


    The Minister of the faith and the head of the church personally called for a press conference and denied having any knowledge about some of their family member''s extra curricular activities. To prove this, Emilia was relieved of all her duties in the church and the Verdemont''s attendance to mass was suspended. The minister also denied having any personal connections to the family.


    It was debunked quickly online when pictures of the minister and Emilia looking cozy surfaced. Additional pictures of him coming out of the Verdemont residence during the time when the exorcisms on Linda were carried out were leaked.


    The leak was none other than Luther himself who was digging deeply into everything that happened before Linda died.


    All the atrocities committed by any member of the family in the past were resurrected one by one by the press who were not afraid of exposing and writing about them anymore.


    The previous night, the founding council had voted unanimously to kick them out, from that moment forward, they could be considered commoners. To say the least, their social life was going to change.


    They had gone from Fog country royalty to just rich folks and the rich part was also shaking because the stocks of the Verdemont corporation had been falling day after day as the scandal grew.


    As for Emilia and Ekhart, their relationship was now rocky because he was certain that she had cheated on him with the minister of the church of light. Rumor had it that he wanted a DNA test done on all of his children and he was claiming that Brandon was possibly not his son because no child of his could ever commit murder or engage in a same sex relationship.


    Some sharp online news media had jumped on the rumor to claim that perhaps Brandon was a cuckoo personally brought in by Emilia.


    The Verdemont legacy was coming undone, just as Luther intended, he was going after them all, making them pay for Linda''s death as he had promised.


    Phoebe was in the living room with her mother and grandmother, her hair was being braided by Jennie who was arranging it for their mother-daughter date. It was less of a date and more of a trip to the supermarket which Phoebe had been coerced into.


    "The police has arrested Paul Verdemont this morning following the revelation of information from an anonymous source that he was involved in a hit and run incident three years ago. This accident happened around July on a rainy night and a drunk Paul crushed his car into a sixteen year old girl. A man named Joy Malloy turned himself in to the police the following morning and confessed to the murder and he received a two year sentence and probation because the victim did not die. She survived but lost all mobility in her legs. Since the case....." S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Grandma Mayfair switched off the TV with a remote. She had a slightly agitated expression on her face.


    "I have had enough about the Verdemonts to last me a life time. My goodness! Luther is really determined to take them all down." She frowned at Phoebe. "Do you think that he is the anonymous source?"


    "Probably." Phoebe mumbled out.


    The words were muffled as she was chewing after taking a large bite out of a strawberry cupcake with a lot of vanilla frosting.


    She had five more of those cupcakes lined out on a tray, waiting to be eaten. They were another product of Maria who was quickly working her way into becoming one of Phoebe''s favorite people in the world.


    Jennie stuck a gold hairpin with pearls in Phoebe''s hair. Not satisfied, she added two more which still didn''t satisfy her eyes so she added one with red tassels.


    Grandma Mayfair looked at Phoebe, wondering if she even had an opinion on what was going on on her head. Phoebe seemed to be more interested in the cupcakes than anything else. The relish on her face as she started on the second one certainly said so.


    Jennie took a hold of Phoebe''s left hand and clasped on a luxurious emerald green gold bracelet.


    "Oh for heavens sake Jennie it''s a trip to the supermarket not a ball or a wedding. Why are you dolling her up so much?"


    "Mother, we are going out on important business." Jennie claimed.


    Grandma Mayfair had no idea what they were up to and neither did Phoebe. She figured that she would find out when they got there.


    "Stop eating, let''s go." Jennie told her.


    Phebe picked up her bag and stood up. "I am ready."


    Even if her mother had dressed her up to look like a decorated Christmas tree, Phoebe could not have cared, she was just happy to have a mother that actually cared about how she looked.


    Jennie got a tissue and cleaned some of the frosting that had made it to the tip of Phoebe''s nose.


    "You eat like a cat." she told her.


    Phoebe smiled widely and chuckled.


    "Collin..." Jennie yelled.


    Grandma Mayfair put down the newspaper she had just picked up and sent Jennie a look of reproach, she disapproved of such uncalled for yelling in the house. Even Collin was agitated as he made his way down the stairs in a new look which he had chosen to debut that morning.


    Collin was a suit kind of man, day or night, at home, a party, a club, at work, at the church. The only time Collin Mayfair was not in a well pressed expensive suit was when he was working out or going to the gym.


    He had ditched the suit today and stepped out in jeans, a white shirt and white sneakers. He even had sunglasses on the top of head which drew attention to his hair that had been trimmed on the sides and a messy fringe.


    "Ooooohhhh!!" Grandma Mayfair croaked out in a broken voice.


    "I must be dreaming." Jennie whispered.


    Collin rolled his eyes as he walked past them with a smirk on his face.


    "What, haven''t you ladies seen a handsome man before?"

 Chapter 206 - 206: Best fake actress, Jennie.

    "Oooooohhhh!!!" Grandma Mayfair whimpered out. If one didn''t know better, they would assume the old woman was sick.


    The sound made Phoebe laugh loudly and she run after Collin, curious about the new look and the inspiration behind it.


    "Collin, wait up." she called out loudly.


    She caught up to him on the last step and he turned around.


    "Hi.." he raised his hand and folded it quickly with a nervous look on his face.


    He looked nothing like the cocky man that had just asked them if they had never seen a handsome man before.


    Phoebe almost strained her neck as she looked up at him from side to side with wide expressive eyes that were very impressed with his new look.


    [Shocking, wow!! this dumb brother of mine is actually good looking.]


    "Hey, i was born good looking, you must be suffering from Myopia or something, that''s why you are dating that David Saxon." Collin knocked his knuckles on her head gently.


    Phoebe stuck her mouth out in a pout and rubbed the slightly sore spot which had been knocked.


    "Does it hurt?" Collin moved her hand and rubbed the spot for her. "Sorry, i will be more careful next time and pinch your cheek instead little sister. Does it still hurt?"


    Phoebe smiled and shook her head.


    [Is this what it''s like to be dotted on by him? It sure is nice to have brothers that care so much.]


    Collin smiled, regretful for all the time he had missed out on with Phoebe because of Ruth. He would have to spoil her more often and give her twice the attention and love he gave Ruth as a child.


    "What have you done to your sister Collin Mayfair?" Jennie asked when she walked up on them with Collin still rubbing Phoebe''s head.


    She winced when she noticed a few hairs that had fallen out of place.


    "Look at what you have done Collin, it took me thirty minutes at least to design Phoebe''s hair. Why did you put your paws on her?"


    "Paws!!" Collin repeated.


    Jennie pushed him aside and she used her hand to get the hair back into place carefully.


    "There we go, now it''s perfect." She gave Collin one more glare and pulled Phoebe to the car. "Son, you can drive yourself, we need some privacy."


    Jennie firmly closed the car door before Collin could argue. Alone with Phoebe now, she started bombarding her with questions about herself and her childhood, grilling like Shark when he was determined to close a case.


    "What is your favorite color?"


    "White." Phoebe answered. "Or Black."


    Jennie noted it down on a notepad.


    "Ouuh...i like red too, because it''s the color of my hair and blue because it''s the color of the sky. I also look good in yellow."


    Jennie gave Phoebe a hopeless look, wondering if her daughter was going to just name every color in existence.


    "I definitely don''t like blonde." Phoebe said with grit. It was the color of Elizabeth and Ruth''s hair, the same one she had been forced to pass off as her natural hair color when they were scamming her.


    "Blonde is not a color." Jennie told her.


    Phoebe frowned and got her phone, rather than argue she preferred to get answers from the internet.


    "Mom, it says here that blond is a human hair color."


    Jennie blinked twice and sighed but perked up quickly and moved on to the next question.


    "What is your favorite doll?"


    Phoebe guffawed and she gave Jennie a look that said, are you kidding?


    "Mom, do people have favorite dolls?" S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Jennie nodded, to her it was a perfectly normal question because all little girls grew up playing with dolls. Ruth had no less than fifty dolls as a child, all of them expensive with houses, clothes, shoes, bags and tea sets.


    "I don''t have, i have never owned a doll." Phoebe answered nonchalantly.


    Jennie''s shoulders sagged, she wanted to cry out but kept her emotions in check so as not to burden or sadden Phoebe. She wanted to find the Gabriel''s and beat then up some more. Why didn''t they buy Phoebe a single doll?


    "Oh, i used to own a stuffed bunny, it was white and had the longest ears i had ever seen. As i grew older, the white turned to brown and the ears were torn off." Phoebe tilted her head to the left as she recalled the last time she had seen the old torn bunny which had been patched at least a dozen times. "Aaron threw it out when i was four or five i think, he said i was too old for dolls."


    Phoebe scoffed, she found it funny that he had said dolls when she owned only one.


    Unexpectedly, Phoebe was pulled into Jennie''s arms and hugged.


    "It''s okay, mommy will buy you as many dolls as you want."


    "Err..." Phoebe mumbled wanting to tell her that she did not really care about it anymore. People did not really miss things they did not have. Besides, as a grown woman now, what was she going to do with dolls?


    Not knowing what to do, Phoebe comforted Jennie, reversing the intentions of her mother to be the comforter and not the comforted.


    Jennie pulled back after a minute and the questioning continued.


    "What is your favorite cake flavor?"


    Phoebe shook her head. "Anything as long as it''s tasty."


    "Favorite ice cream." Jennie asked.


    "Mmmm, neopolitan, i am greedy i want three flavors in one. I also like coffee and chocolate chip and mint. I don''t like single flavors like plain vanilla or plain strawberry."


    "Favorite TV actor and actress."


    "My brother is an actor, i will feel like a cheater if i have a different favorite actor other than him. As for actress, Diane Anderson, she is the best when it comes to action scenes."


    Jennie had never heard about this actress so she noted down the name.


    This questioning continued until they arrived at the supermarket, When they walked in, they drew attention from others easily. One, because of the extravagant hair pins in Phoebe''s hair and two, Collin''s new look. The cuckoo factor could not be ignored, everyone knew that the new Mayfair heiress was a red head so when she was seen with Jennie, they knew exactly who she was.


    As they walked, they stopped to greet others or others stopped to greet them, especially those that were part of the founding society.


    The one thing they had not done so far was put a single item in the shopping trolley, a thing which confused both Phoebe and Collin.


    "Mom, we have not bought a single thing yet." Collin shared the observation.


    Jennie glared at her son and humphed.


    "Who said that we came to shop for things."


    Suddenly, she shoved the empty trolley and bumped into another woman and her daughter. Then, she put on some of the best fake acting Phoebe had ever seen as she approached the pair.


    "Oh my Gosh, i am so sorry, that was so clumsy of me. My hands are so slippery today, are you hurt?" She put a hand on her mouth and gasped loudly as if she was taking her very last breath on earth. "Annabelle Lee, is that you? This must be your daughter Shana, Oh wow...she has really grown up."


    Jennie grabbed Shana''s hand and pulled her away from her mother, snatching her like a kidnapper.

 Chapter 207 - 207: Kidnapping a daughter-in-law.

    Neither Phoebe, nor Collin could believe what they were witnessing. It was stunning to see how their mother could tell an impeccable lie with a straight face.


    What slippery hands? What coincidence? It was obviously a carefully calculated move to get her hands on Shana Lee. The way she had just snatched Shana away from her mother Annabelle, you would think she was the actual mother and Annabelle the kidnapper.


    They were not the only ones to be stunned, even Annabelle was the same. For one, she had never had any interactions with Jennie Mayfair, not personal intimate ones anyway and two, why had she just grabbed her daughter and why was she imprisoning her at her side?


    Mrs. Annabelle Lee, a normally soft hearted woman with a kind nature drew her thin eyebrows together in a frown and reached her hand out to retrieve her daughter. She could not help the suspicion arising in her mind.


    [Holy shit!! we are not shopping at all, we are kidnapping another family''s daughter.] Phoebe''s mouth dropped open.


    Before she could take her daughter back, Jennie spread both of her hands out, a move that suddenly shoved Shana lightly. She stumbled back two steps and Collin who was somehow at the right place and standing in the right position caught her.


    Phoebe''s eyes widened and she gasped, she could have sworn that all of this was happening in slow motion and she was at the live shooting of a romance movie.


    It became even more entertaining when Collin tightened his hands around Shana''s waist and Shana blushed red like ketchup. She looked so innocent and shy, in the arms of the big bad wolf.


    [Wow!!!!! i should not be watching this, nooo, i need to watch.]


    Phoebe squealed and almost laughed out loud, struggling to contain her excitement. The ghosts sensed her excitement and they too came rushing out of the space to witness this hero saves the damsel scene.


    "Are you okay?" Collin asked Shana.


    Shana blushed again and looked down, nodding. "Yes."


    Her voice was soft and adorable, Phoebe could not help the ''awwwww'' sounds which spilled out of her mouth. It was hard not to find Shana Lee adorable, with her dark hair, big eyes and innocent face together with an air of purity.


    One worried mama was watching this scene with an unhappy face, Collin Mayfair was not exactly known for his softness. He was also a well known sis con and part time rogue. She would not allow her innocent daughter to fall into his clutches.


    This scene of them standing close with one of his large hands on her waist was worrisome enough, if the wrong person with a loose mouth saw them, it would become a new topic at the dining tables of every founding family.


    If there was one thing they loved more than a ball, a charity fundraiser, dirt from another household and downfall of another family, it was who was dating who. Not just dating but even other things like hand holding, kissing, a pinch on the cheek, a smile and other ridiculous details. They needed to know such information as if it was daily bread.


    If one wrong person saw them, people would be taking bets on whether the Mayfair and Lee families were to be joined in marriage. Such rumors would ruin her Shana''s carefully built reputation.


    "Shana..." Annabelle called out sternly.


    She took two steps in the direction of her daughter and Collin but Jennie grabbed her and held on to her.


    "Annie, my good friend, Shana is not okay. My hands slipped again and i accidentally sent her flying into my wonderful son''s arms. Thank God he is strong and capable enough that he caught and protected her. If she had hit her head on one of the aisles what would we do?"


    Jennie''s carefully calculated words did not make Annabelle comfortable. Instead, she struggled to be released from what was a surprisingly, strong hold.


    "Collin, take Shana to the hospital right now, i think she sprained her ankle." Jennie ordered.


    "Huh!" Phoebe and the ghosts exclaimed.


    Which ankle was sprained? Those two steps Shana had taken back could not even hurt a fly.


    "Yes mom." Collin answered without hesitation.


    Suddenly, without hesitation, he lifted Shana off her feet and run away from them as if Annabelle would break free and chase after him.


    [Wow!! Oh my God, we truly came to kidnap a bride. Mom, we are not living in the old centuries where brides were kidnapped. We could get reported for kidnapping...but this is so wrong but also funny.]


    Phoebe turned her face and leaned into the tissues which were lined up carefully in the aisle, and she laughed.


    The expressions on Shana and Annabelle''s faces when the kidnapping happened would never be erased from her mind.


    "What are you doing? You hooligans, rogues, rakes, return my daughter to me you Mayfairs." Annabelle shouted.


    "And i thought your family was boring." The Saxon spirit laughed and returned to the space.


    Connie was starry eyed, "Sister, i didn''t know Collin was so strong. I want to be carried like that and...."


    The Saxon spirit came out of the space and pinched her ear.


    "You brat! how old are you to be talking about being carried like that by a man? Instead of watching silly romance movies all day, you should be reading more books."


    "Let me go you old witch, i don''t want to read those stupid books. I am a ghost, am i going to take ghost exams? You are bullying me." Connie struggled.


    Her struggle was futile as the spirit dragged her back into the space.


    "I will mediate." Sylvester assured Phoebe and he vanished.


    Jennie saw that Collin had vanished from their sight and she let go of Annabelle''s hands. Annabelle gave Jennie a look that promised to rain fire and hailstorms down on Jennie. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Sister Annie, your daughter is injured and it''s my fault. You have to allow me take care of her as best as i can. Don''t worry, i trust my son and he will be nothing but a gentleman. Phoebe am i right, Collin is a gentleman, right?" Jennie looked at Phoebe.


    Phoebe raised her head and she smiled. "Yes, my brother is the best."


    Annabelle rolled her eyes and tapped her right foot down impatiently at the same time. These two were mother and daughter, of course they were going to defend Collin, he was one of them.


    "Annie...." Jennie started.


    Annabelle scoffed. "When did we become close to the extent of you calling me Annie?"


    Jennie latched onto Annabelle''s arm shamelessly. "What are you talking about, we stood next to each other thirty two years ago at the founders memorial ball. I remember that you were wearing a very pretty green bow in your hair and i bought one the very next day.


    Ooh, speaking of things we have in common, your family raised a cuckoo just like us and those cuckoos turned on us."


    Annabelle''s eyes lit up and she forgot her kidnapped daughter for a moment. Just like others, she too loved to know that happenings in the houses of the others and the Mayfair cuckoo had been one of the best kept secrets in their society.


    Jennie smiled slyly and winked at Phoebe as they pushed their shopping carts, walking side by side in a sudden newly sprouted friendship.

 Chapter 208 - 208: Temptations of owning a hot charger.

    One hour later, Jennie and Phoebe bid Annabelle goodbye after treating her to some tea and cookies in the cafe inside the supermarket.


    Jennie had succeeded in making Annabelle a friend and they had made plans to go golfing together tomorrow.


    As they were waiting for the driver to bring the car over and take them back home, Phoebe could not stop thinking about the method her mother had applied. Why had she schemed rather than approach Annabelle and broach the subject of bringing their two children together through a blind date perhaps?


    "You must be wondering why i acted in there, right?" Jennie asked.


    Phoebe turned her head and nodded, with a gentle smile on her face.


    Jennie let out a dramatic exhausted sigh, all that acting had been out of character for her but she had enjoyed it. "The Lee family is a scholarly one, never have i ever heard a scandal from their house, not until the Cuckoo case. They care about their image extremely so they raise their daughters with care like ancient royal families used to do.


    They train them in arts like piano, drawing, calligraphy, painting, chess, violin, art and design. Every woman from the Lee family or one who marries in must be a virgin. Purity is very important to them, heck, they are obsessed with it. With their standards of raising daughters, it is no mistake that most of their daughters grow up to become women to look up to in society."


    "Tch!" Phoebe scoffed.


    "I know, i know, it''s ridiculous but that''s their way of doing things, every founding family has theirs. You obviously saw the look of disapproval on your grandmother''s face when that Kelly brought herself over and introduced herself as Collin''s girlfriend. In our family, it is the elders of one or both families that make the introductions if you are ready for marriage. A woman cannot just come over the way Kelly did and make herself comfortable, it supposedly shows bad character, shamelessness."


    "Wow! how complicated." Phoebe muttered.


    She shuffled from one foot to another, looking up at the grey sky that was showing signs of rain.


    Jennie smiled to herself as she came down to the explanation of why she had acted the way she did. "Shana Lee is an academic, smart and accomplished, about to become the youngest female professor at the Victorious university law school. She is a prize in the Lee family, guarded like a fragile golden egg.


    I looked into it yesterday and apparently her family has already received six marriage proposals which are being weighed. In order to help your brother who is late to the party, i must be cunning and ruthless.


    Such a good daughter-in-law, how can i let her end up in another family? I can only do so much however, the rest is up to your brother. If he misses her...." She sighed.


    If Collin missed Shana, they would have to ask Phoebe to find another good wife for him. Jennie hoped that Collin was wise enough to utilize the opportunity she had bought him to make a good impression.


    "Don''t worry mom, did you see how she was blushing? It indicates some modicum of interest from Shana. My brother will charm her within a day and we will have a wedding in three to four months maximum." Phoebe assured her.


    Jennie''s lips beamed with a smile, excited by the possibility of finally marrying off one son. How joyous would it be!


    "I am a shaman, aren''t i?" Phoebe asked.


    Jennie nodded, she clenched her fist and nodded again. Her daughter had extraordinary abilities, if she said it would happen, she had to believe it.


    The car arrived but Phoebe did not get in, only Jennie did.


    "Mom, i have to go and see a friend."


    "Okay, be careful on the road, remember to eat and watch out for your safety." Jennie gave her reminders.


    When she left, Phoebe hailed a taxi and set off in the opposite direction.


    ***************


    David was in his apartment, sweating massively after an intense gym session. The last thing he expected was to receive a guest just when he was wiping his body with a towel.


    The news of the arrival of the guest was shared by his personal butler, George, a stoic faced man in his mid fifties sent over by his grandmother to assist him since he was not living in the Saxon tower anymore.


    David was reluctant to exit the home gym, until the butler mentioned the name of the guest. As soon as he heard it, he stumbled out of the gym, narrowly escaping the fate of tripping over a misplaced exercise ball.


    "Phoebe!" he exclaimed.


    It was not a lie, she was there in living room looking at the books on the wooden shelf on the large living room wall.


    His feet could not stop themselves and he approached her.


    "Phoebe." he turned her around.


    When she looked at him, the smile on her face faded and her lips formed a small pout. She trailed her eyes over his bare broad chest that was glistening with sweat which was running down to his perfectly crafted abs.


    Phoebe was not a lustful person but it was hard to divert her eyes from the free visual service being offered.


    [Damn it! this bastard charger is still as hot as ever, i should touch a little bit, just a little. Hmmmmmmm.....No, no, i should look away and avoid temptation. Phoebe falling for beauty is what got you into trouble in your last life, be firmer and smarter. Okay just one more peak, just one more...and maybe a poke. No, no, no...Damn it Phoebe! snap out of it.]


    She was thinking so hard that she did not notice one of her fingers dancing around, facing the direction of his chest.


    David chuckled, "You can touch if you want, it all belongs to you anyway."


    Phoebe was mortified on hearing his words and she turned around.


    [Who wants to touch you? Hmph!]


    David chuckled again, he grabbed her hand suddenly and slammed it on his chest, right over his heart. Phoebe gasped and pulled it back but he would not let go.


    "What are you doing?" She questioned him.


    "I am using my beauty to my advantage, giving you what you desire." He guided her hand down slowly, seducing her with a naughty spark in his eyes. He stopped the movement when both hands reached his navel, anymore and it would become dangerous.


    It was not his intention to tease her but the opportunity was too good to pass up and that wide eyed scandalized look in her eyes was quite hilarious.


    Mild laughter escaped his mouth and Phoebe blushed a fierce red.


    "What, should i keep going? I cannot guarantee what you will touch next however won''t scare you." He leaned down slowly as if he was about to kiss her, but he didn''t.


    His hot breath landed on her cheek before his head turned and he brushed his lips on the tip of her right ear. "It is not as flat as my abs."


    Phoebe leaned back, gasped again and struggled, pulling her hand away while trying her best not to look down. David Saxon was really shameless, what kind of things was he saying when his butler was around? S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Rogue!!" she cried out softly."Let go of me."

 Chapter 209 - 209: Kiss, kiss.

    Phoebe really couldn''t believe the nerve of David Saxon to tease her like that. She didn''t care about the sudden slight awakening of desires she thought were long buried. She just wanted to find a hole, jump inside and hide for a while.


    If this butler had a loose mouth, this encounter would reach the ears of grandma Saxon and soon her grandmother''s ears.


    "Reformed rogue." he amended. "I am owned by one woman only now, but if you desire a rogue, i can bring him out for you."


    He let go of her hand and Phoebe thought he would step back and this would be the end of the embarrassing moment. She was wrong!


    As soon as he dropped her hand, his right hand went around her waist and he tugged her closer to his body. In a move to protect herself, both of her hands went up to his chest but they did not push him away as she thought she wanted.


    Her mind and body were not coordinating al all and David did not look like he had good intentions.


    "This is not a good idea."


    He smiled wickedly, one side of his lips curling upwards. "What? Me holding you like this?" He lowered his face to hers, the tips of his nose brushing against hers. "You came to my apartment, looking so beautiful. You drooled at the sight of my chest and looked at me with desire. All i want to do now is untangle your hair, run it through you fingers and run my tongue along your red lips."


    Phoebe parted her lips slightly and run her tongue over them. Her eyes stared into his, nervous but intensely. A big part of her wanted to throw caution to the wind and listen to insensible part of her brain.


    One kiss, just one kiss. What harm could come from one small kiss?


    David didn''t know what was going through her mind, but he was familiar with her needy look. That, plus the clenching of her hands on his chest and how she was now standing on pip toes told him all he needed to know.


    But, with their history, he had some doubts and he didn''t want to scare her away.


    "You should never look at me like that Phoebe, it gives me crazy ideas. It makes me want to cross a line you don''t want me to cross yet. Tell me, should i cross it right now? If i kiss you, will you be scared or turned on?"


    His lips brushed hers and he backed away slowly, like he was giving up, at least that was what Phoebe thought.


    Then he kissed her, surprising her as there was no warning. She was so taken aback that she just stood there as he placed gentle, soft kisses on her lips.


    "Kiss him back." A voice shouted in her mind.


    Phoebe opened her mouth, expecting him to deepen the kiss but suddenly he backed off. Unintentionally, a whimper of disappointment escaped her mouth. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Is that it?]


    David dropped his hand and stepped away from her. "I am going to shower, don''t go anywhere."


    The whimper escaped her mouth as he turned around and walked away with firm quick steps. Phoebe covered her mouth, stopping it from making any other shameful sounds. She was mortified, was she really starved for physical intimacy that she could not control herself?


    She looked at the corner where the butler had been standing and he was no longer there. He had left already, probably unwilling to witness the careless display of affection.


    "Oh thank God." she touched her chest and sighed loudly.


    She walked slowly as her legs were trembling, taking her time until she reached the couch at the window next to the door leading out to the balcony and sat down.


    Her mind was still on that kiss, it had been soft, something she didn''t expect out of him. He had kissed her like it was their very first kiss?


    "Wait, this is my first kiss with him in this life." she mumbled. She recalled that she had apparently kissed him at the beach and shook her head, it was the second one.


    Phoebe touched her lips and smiled, this kiss had been a good one, for a man that had been working out, he weirdly tasted of brandy.


    George, the butler walked over, coming from the direction of the kitchen and he put a cup of hot chocolate in front her, it was accompanied by a serving of two cinnamon rolls.


    "Mr. David said you like hot chocolate on rainy days." he said.


    Phoebe pointed to herself, "Me!"


    It was true she liked hot chocolate on rainy days but how...why had the he discussed her with the butler?


    "If you need anything else, use the phone, otherwise, i will be in my room."


    He pointed at the landline sitting on the living room glass stable.


    "Or i could just shout your name." Phoebe countered.


    "Whatever you wish miss Phoebe," he bowed politely and left.


    Alone in the quiet living room, Phoebe brought the cup of hot chocolate to her lips and smiled. It was not plain hot chocolate, there was a hint of ginger that she detected. Only David knew how she liked her hot chocolate, and he certainly didn''t have that information in this life.


    He was not even hiding the fact that he had been reborn from her. Was he deliberately leaving clues to test her?


    She sipped the hot chocolate slowly while watching the rain, falling outside. That''s what David found her doing, and he took her cup to the kitchen and refilled it personally.


    "Why are you sitting so close to the window?" he asked her as he handed her the cup.


    "Why are you barefoot?" she answered with a question.


    He excused himself and returned with two pairs of stockings, two jackets and one blanket. He knelt down and put the stockings on her feet, helped her into the jacket and did the same for himself.


    Done with that, he sat down behind her on the couch, pulled her to sit comfortably between his legs and he covered them both with the blanket.


    "This is far more comfortable, right?"


    "Whatever." she muttered.


    [One hundred percent better, i even like the texture of this jacket, its so soft and warm. These stockings are cute, this much care for me is really surprising. You used to be aloof but it turns out a guys like you also knows how to do things like this, unbelievable.]


    David read her thoughts and he smiled, he did not understand why she could not use her mouth honestly and admit when she liked something.


    "Why did you come over to my apartment?"


    Phoebe clenched her toes and her eyes moved back and forth, she had come over on a whim and also to charge. Neither of those answers could be given.


    What excuse could she use right now?

 Chapter 210 - 210: Two baby toes.

    "Does it matter why i came?" She quizzed.


    After all the thinking she did, the smartest answer she could come up with was to ask a question of her own.


    David folded his lips together and considered it for a short five seconds, he came to the realization that it did not matter why she had come, all that mattered was that she had come.


    He tightened his hands around her waist and smiled. "I always thought i would need a bulldozer to get you in here, i never imagined that you would walk in on your own.


    [Neither did I] Phoebe thought.


    Her phone chosen that moment to ring and Phoebe picked up, when she saw the name of the caller, she slid a finger across the screen and answered lazily.


    "Collin."


    Behind her, David''s eyebrows shot up, which Collin was she talking to, he wondered.


    "Pheebs," her brother responded without a hello just as she had done. "How mad is Shana''s mother, on a scale of one to ten."


    "Initially eight but by the time we bade her farewell i am certain that it was a weak three. Of course, we didn''t reveal the purpose of our little supermarket trip. Tell me big brother, were you in on it with mum? Is that why you got the new look?"


    To her thinking, if he had a heads up, it explained everything easily.


    "I was told to dress up nice, nothing much. As for the new look, i just needed something different, my body still feels contaminated after you know what. If i could change my skin, i would do it in a heartbeat." he replied, earnestly.


    Phoebe did not want to delve into the unmentionable incident again so she just raised a different question.


    "Was Shana really injured?"


    She brought the cup to her lips as she waited for a response.


    "Yes."


    The contents of the cup did not get to enter her mouth. She had been certainly the spraining of the foot claim had been just that_a claim.


    "You don''t say, is it because of mom?"


    "No, no, oh God no!" Collin was quick to defend their mother. "Mom would never deliberately injure someone, Shana has a strained muscle from wearing high heels. It''s a good thing that i actually brought her to the hospital, it turns out she has been in pain all day but her mother had a long itinerary planned out for her for the day and she didn''t get a chance to see a doctor. In the end, i guess i am actually the hero that saved the beauty." He laughed.


    Phoebe leaned forward and set the cup down on the table, next to the base of an umbrella shaped table lamp.


    "So, is there hope?" she asked.


    Collin laughed, again, sounding a lot happier than he had been since the incident.


    "Fingers crossed, wish me luck baby sister."


    Phoebe rolled her eyes at the baby part by her lips moved up in a big smile. "Alright, good luck. Tell me if you need a charm or amulet to smooth things along. Bye."


    She vaguely heard him say goodbye as she hung up, still with a happy smile on her face. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What''s making you so happy?" David turned her head and bent down to look at her closely.


    "My brother might be lucky in love this time round. I don''t know who told my mother about Shana Lee but they did our Mayfair family a favor. I could be getting a good sister-in-law soon."


    "Hmm, the Lee family." David said slowly, like he was thinking deeply.


    Phoebe nodded.


    "So, you sell love amulets too." he mentioned. "You should give me one as well, i have this firecracker of a woman that has only one toe into our relationship and yet i have both feet in. I am uneasy, worried that wise ass with nice golden colored hair will steal her from me."


    She snorted in response and rolled her eyes.


    "It''s not even a big toe, she has only a baby toe into the relationship. She is such a cruel woman, a cruel, cruel woman." he lamented, playfully.


    She detected the humor in his voice and again, rolled her eyes in response. "I am in your house, in your arms and we kissed just a while ago, i think it''s two baby toes."


    "Yes!" David celebrated loudly.


    She pulled the hand which was in the middle of celebration down. "What are you so happy about?"


    "Two baby toes is progress, there was a time when you wanted nothing to do with me at all. I have got to say that i don''t miss those days. You tossed my flowers into the garbage, now, you allow them to sit on the tables in the cafe. Soon, they will be in that empty vase on the coffee table in your living room."


    She sneered playfully. "You are getting way ahead of yourself Mr. two baby toes."


    "Hey, i have to celebrate all of our new milestones." He wrapped his hands around her waist again and tightened the hold, lowering his head and resting it on the back of her neck with his chin.


    His hot breath skirted across the skin of her upper neck slowly, evoking a little ticklish sensation within her.


    "Do you want to talk about it Pheebs?"


    "About what?"


    She turned her head but she couldn''t see his face, only some strands of his white hair.


    "About the past, about us, when we were married." he elaborated.


    David had been thinking about it long and hard and he realized that the past would keep them stuck if they did not deal with it. He did not want to open his eyes in the future and suddenly find that they had gone back to square one because of misunderstandings and unresolved issues.


    Phoebe''s body went stiff and briefly, her breath caught in her throat. She exhaled and laughed nervously. "What are you talking about..what past and what marriage?"

 Chapter 211 - 211: Little molehills before big mountains.

    David''s hand slowly moved over her right arm, drawing circles, crosses, ticks and all sorts of random things. He knew that broaching this subject would be difficult for her, especially since she seemed to prefer that the past remain in the past.


    He just hadn''t anticipated that talking about it would be like pulling a nail out of a wall with a plastic knife, it was a difficult task, almost impossible.


    "I had a dream." he finally spoke after much thinking, "In that dream, we were married by this time and you lived with me in the Saxon tower. Our marriage was pervaded with many misunderstandings.


    My mother could not get along with you and every time i defended you, she just lost her mind and took her anger out on you. In order to protect you, i stopped defending you in front of her, keeping my silence whenever she berated you." He laughed harshly, a tinge of self mockery in the sound. "I was wrong, the more i remained silent and indifferent, the more i harmed you. I was a coward i think, i should have just taken your hand and run away with you. If only__, if only.." he broke off.


    David didn''t say more and neither did Phoebe, silence filled the room, a spirit of regret lingered agonizingly in the air.


    "We had children." he said, softly, almost as if he was afraid to say it out loud.


    The insides of Phoebe''s stomach clenched but she retained silence.


    "You gave me two beautiful boys, Rufus and Ramy." he continued weakly.


    A soft whimper escaped Phoebe''s lips, and she ripped herself out of his arms. Her breathing was uneasy and she had this lump that was stuck in her throat. Her eyelashes were already damp and tears were threatening to escape her eyes. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I need to use your bathroom."


    She run from the living room and found the bathroom in his bedroom. Phoebe could hear the sounds of his footsteps as David followed after her, calling out her name but she didn''t stop.


    Inside the bathroom, she shut the door firmly, locking it behind to stop him from coming inside. She slid down against the door and finally exploded into tears.


    The Saxon spirit, Connie and Sylvester all came out of the space and surrounded her. None of them said a word to comfort her, they could not as it would not ease her pain.


    Outside, sitting in a similar position, David was also sobbing silently, releasing tears that he had been holding back for over a year.


    Both of them were filled with self blame and regret, if only they had communicated better, they would have saved their family.


    Two hours passed slowly and the door was finally opened, Phoebe stepped out and she met David''s hulking frame, waiting just outside the door.


    He handed her a glass of water, painkillers and put her to bed. He figured they had opened up enough of the past and the rest could wait for another time.


    *************


    The next morning, she opened her eyes before David did and quickly slid out of the bed and left his apartment, going to hers in order to take a bath.


    From there, it was business as usual, her plans for the day were many and she needed to get a head start. First, she went to her usual seed vendor, she needed new seeds of different varieties.


    She also needed some herbs that were main ingredients in some of the tonics but to her disappointment the rare herbs had all been purchased.


    "Mr. Alton, didn''t we agree that you save all your Black Cohosh and ginseng for me? I even paid a deposit, this is immoral of you." She huffed and pouted, expressing her unhappiness.


    Even though she was displeased, she could never truly keep her anger when it came to the vendor Mr. Alton. He was a middle aged man, pushing mid fifties. His face was clean shaven and round, marked with laugh lines as he was mostly ever jolly.


    He had a full head of brown hair and was in good shape. He was always neat and his character was excellent. Mr. Alton was one of the people that knew of her occupation and did not discriminate against her. He was even a regular at the cafe.


    "I tried miss Phoebe but an old friend had an emergency, i didn''t sell it, i gave it out for free." He handed her an envelope of cash which was the deposit she had made. "Pure organic herbs are really rear these days, the sun is harsh and unfavorable for us to grow them. As you can see, the quality of most seeds and herbs has greatly declined." Sadness could be detected in his voice.


    His words made Phoebe more determined to grow her own herbs, it was better than depending on others. The land she had been given by her father had been cleared and it was ready for planting.


    All she needed were workers and a farm manager to handle things in her absence. It was her intention to ask Collin for help dealing with this problem.


    She bid Mr. Alton farewell, leaving behind the deposit in case he came across other rare seeds and herbs.


    "Why don''t you try David? He mentioned that he was looking for a herbalist that grows the variant Ivy leaf, maybe he could have some of the herbs you need." The Saxon spirit suggested as they walked casually.


    Phoebe sighed deeply. "I cannot rely on him for everything, i need to be independent otherwise i will be back to my old self."


    Feeling down spirited, Phoebe sighed as she walked out of the mall with her shoulders slumped. She was not paying attention to her surroundings and as a result, three reckless boys on scooters bumped into her.


    She lost her balance and stumbled backwards, her bag slid from her shoulder and fell to the ground along with her.


    Without pause and shame, the boys snatched her bag and run towards a small alley. Phoebe quickly raised to her feet and prepared to run after them when a white haired man suddenly dashed past her and followed the thieves into the alley, shouting at them to stop.


    Although he had white hair, Phoebe could tell from his back structure that he was not David.


    As she was still processing that, Pike run past her, following them and Santos caught her by the shoulders. His eyes moved all over her as if checking for injuries.


    "Miss Phoebe are you alright? You shouldn''t go in there, don''t you remember what happened the last time you entered an alley? We''ll take care of it." He assured her.


    Phoebe''s widely open eyes kept looking at him in wonder, she had no idea that the men were still following her around. Not once had she grown suspicious, they were becoming more skilled at the their jobs.


    She had become more wary of people after the Timmy incident, David had been right from the start, it was a good thing to have protection.


    After what seemed like a long wait but was actually a minute and ten seconds, Pike came back. Phoebe stared at him quizzically because he didn''t have the bag. Before she could ask why, the white haired man appeared behind him with her bag in hand.


    He stopped in front of her and held it to her eyes with a charming smile.


    Phoebe on the other hand had a disgusted look etched on her face as she lowered at him.


    [Dickson!]

 Chapter 212 - 212: We all hate Dickson.

    Her eyes widened in a mixture of terror and shock, she felt her back stiffen. All she saw was the devil smiling at her, she only had bad memories about the man.


    A smile played on Dickson''s lips, his curiosity shot through the roof when he read her thoughts. He blinked rapidly thinking that he was mistaken and he brushed it off.


    He was more interested in knowing how she knew him as they had never met before. Was David feeding her lies about him or was she familiar with his face because like most Saxons, he had graced the covers of a few magazines, was a familiar face in entertainment news and one of the most eligible bachelors in town.


    "Well hello there beautiful." he drawled out.


    Phoebe''s slightly trembling hand snatched the bag from him. She remained firmly silent, not thanking him or saying another word.


    He seemed to find her reaction amusing and a light smirk formed on his face. He loved the stubborn ones, they were the best to break.


    "My name is Dickson Saxon, I believe the name rings a bell." He unfolded his fingers waiting to hold those of Phoebe.


    Standing next to Phoebe, the Saxon spirit had a deep sneer on its face. Just like Phoebe, it also disdained Dickson greatly.


    "Now walk away Phoebe, walk away now. This lowlife planned all this is, I saw him paying off those disrespectful brats that stole your bag. He must have done this intentionally to meet you and set in motion some evil plan." The Saxon spirit warned lightly.


    It was also panicked because Dickson had seen Phoebe''s inner thoughts. One of the downsides of the pendant was that not just good or redeemable Saxons could benefit from it, evil Saxons too could see Phoebe''s thoughts about them. It was a Saxon pendant after all, a relic whose energy reacted to all humans of the Saxon bloodline.


    The spirit was aware of how vulnerable Phoebe would be in front of Dickson so it vanished into the space and immediately sent an invisible paper man to attach a talisman on Dickson''s back. The purpose of the talisman was to block Dickson''s ability to read Phoebe''s thoughts.


    Dickson, felt a hot sensation on his back and he frowned, but he didn''t think much of it. He was more focused on gaining something out of this encounter.


    "I think that i have met you before but i...."


    Phoebe whirled around as he was talking and she walked away from him, she heard him chuckle which only made her hasten her steps.


    "Young Miss! Young Miss! Are you alright?" Santos shouted only for Phoebe to pause.


    "Why did you walk off like that? That is the boss''s cousin. Do you not know him?" he asked.


    "No! I don''t and I do not want to know who that bastard is either."


    Santos did not buy her words at all, if she did not know him then why call him a bastard? Her answer made no sense at all and just for precautions sake, he updated his boss on the new development.


    She continued to walk, ignoring every taxi that hooted at her until she reached the cafe, still maddened. With her hand clasped on the door handle, Phoebe calmed her nerves before entering the cafe.


    "Good morning." She greeted with fake cheer. S§×arch* The N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Her grandmother who was placing a basket of freshly baked cup cakes on the counter spun around and looked at her.


    "Good....are you alright honey? You are sweating!" Her eyes traveled past Phoebe to the door in search of anything suspicious assuming that Phoebe had been chased inside.


    Phoebe wiped the beads of sweat with a tissue before approaching the counter and sitting down in a chair directly below the air conditioner.


    "Oh Nana, I...you have no idea what just happened. I had to walk all the way the way here, the traffic is horrible at this hour." Phoebe shamelessly lied, but with good reason.


    She didn''t want to worry her grandmother who would hurry to tell the family all about Dickson. Her grievances against him were all incidents from her past life, in this one she had not crossed paths with him before.


    "Ohh that''s because the eastern road is under construction. The city sent out alerts didn''t you see any of them?" Grandma Mayfair sat in the chair opposite hers.


    Phoebe shook her head, her grandmother went on to bring up the topic about Shana but Phoebe''s thoughts had traveled far.


    She was wondering why Dickson had approached on purpose, what did he want from her? Just the thought of his evil smile caused her to shudder. Had he come to hurt her on Ruth''s behalf like he had done countless times in the past? Was he here to get revenge because she had made the love of his life mad? She had dozens of questions swirling around in her head.


    The Saxon spirit was deep in thought as well, she didn''t want Phoebe to get tangled up with Dickson, he was a bad apple.


    She was floating back and forth over Phoebe''s head, the ghost equivalent of human pacing. "You know since the boys were young, Dickson always saw David as competition. What if he wants you because you are important to David? Why else would he plan for hooligans to attack you just so he can swoop in as your savior?"


    Phoebe stood up at once, her hands slapped the table terrifying grandma Mayfair who was still speaking.


    "Grandma we''ll talk about this later." Phoebe began to walk but she paused when the rattle bell chimed because everyone gasped.


    Her eyes followed those of Rossett who almost dropped the plate of pancakes that she was holding.


    "Paula Rorton?" Rosset''s voice sliced through the air. "Oh my God? Why are you here?" She asked the ghost.


    It ignored Rosset and moved to the counter and stood before Phoebe.


    "Are you the ghost seeing lady? I need help." Paula''s eyes expressed desperation.


    Phoebe shut her eyes for a fleeting second and opened them. Paula''s face was very familiar but she couldn''t place where she had seen her.


    Rosset was not to be stopped, she put down the pancakes and approached the ghost. "Yes she is, this is Phoebe Mayfair the great shaman of Fog country, whatever your problem is she will solve it."


    Paula''s desperate eyes shifted to Phoebe who wore a welcoming warm smile. "Paula? That''s your name?" She quizzed.


    "Pheebs! That''s Paula the newest upcoming undercover journalist in the entertainment circle." Rosette stared at her in shock wondering if she was living under a rock.


    Grandma Mayfair adjusted the ghost seeing glasses on her head and brought them over eyes. "Come on child don''t tell me that you don''t know who she is? Paula Rorton was one of the best scandalous news investigators for LBS TV. Her obituary was allover the news a few days ago, she died two weeks ago, i think, but my dear why haven''t you moved on yet?


    Paula''s eyes grew moist. "Because my killers have not been punished yet in fact they have been set free."


    Phoebe was placing one and two together, her eyes lit up when she remembered where she had seen Paula''s face. Before rebirth, she vaguely heard about the name after the woman''s death but she had been caught up in her own problems that she didn''t pay attention.


    Additionally, pictures of her corpse at the crime scene were on an officer''s desk she had glanced at recently. She had seen them the day she escorted Luther to the police station. She didn''t know much about her apart from what she saw. Phoebe requested her to take a sit.


    "Tell me your story Paula."

 Chapter 213 - 213: Freezing moon club case at her door.

    Blinking back her tears, Paula swallowed hard. Deep within her heart she hoped that Phoebe would take on her case, becoming a vengeful evil ghost wasn''t on her bucket list besides the ghosts that had directed her to the red headed powerful shaman praised her for being the justice bringer.


    If she could let go of her grudge, she could move one and that was what Paula wanted to do. She was a realistic person in life and an even more realistic ghost. Sticking around and wandering aimlessly from city to city was no way to spend eternity.


    As she organized the story in her head, Rosette placed a plate of food and glass of water before her. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You can have this, it''s meant for ghosts."


    "Thank you." Paula smiled appreciatively, her eyes shifted back to Phoebe who sat patiently waiting for her to speak.


    Paula poked at the round rim of the glass, tapping it slowly with her moderately sharp nails. Each tap produced a soft noise.


    She brought the glass to her mouth, took a sip of water and then put it down and started her narration. "I think that it was two years ago when girls between the ages of twenty to twenty five began to die mysteriously after attending mysterious parties, the exclusive__invite only kind of parties. In total, they were about four women at the time and the cause of death in each case was excessive use of pink cocaine."


    Phoebe pulled her brows closer. "Pink cocaine? What''s that?" She jotted down the word in her note book.


    "Oh sister you don''t know what it is? Rich kids these days take it like its candy." Connie paused on realizing that she was getting judgemental looks from everyone for spilling unwanted information, even Phoebe who shushed her.


    The root cause was because Connie was young, even though she was a ghost. They all wanted her to be as innocent as a new born baby.


    "You guys are too much, hmph!" Connie muttered and pouted. She firmly folded her mouth, planning not to offer any other assistance.


    Paula laughed slightly and relaxed as the last bit of tension left her ghostly body. "Anyway its a pink dyed synthetic drug that causes hallucination, this specific one in circulation has ketamine and MDMA. Some drug users enjoy using it because it sends them to another world, or so say they say." She explained.


    Phoebe nodded continuously, she was familiar with hallucinogens and ketamine.


    Grandma Mayfair''s eyes kept moving from the clock to the door. It was almost rush hour, she prayed that by then Paula would be done with the story.


    "Continue young woman, we are all ears." Her hands gestured that she should speed up.


    "I heard about one case from a colleague at work and it piqued my interest because three years ago, Sydney Marlow went to a party and overdosed on the same drug. TK entertainment spent a lot of money to bribe the police, medical examiner and her employees to keep the cause of death a secret. Imagine my surprise when i discovered more cases and all tied to TK, i just knew that i had stumbled onto something.


    I began to investigate on my own, there is a detective at CPD whom I approached first. He was my go to person when I needed information about cases like these, all I had to do was give him any information that could lead to an arrest as he wanted to be the one to break it wide open, he likes the limelight___" Paula was interrupted by Phoebe who laughed knowingly.


    "Let me guess this detective''s name is Shark right?"


    On hearing the name, Paula''s eyes flew open. "Yes! In fact i was hoping that he took my case but I guess it wasn''t juicy enough for him." She exhaled noisily through pursed lips.


    Inwardly Phoebe chuckled. "In his defense, this wasn''t his case, it was assigned to someone else."


    Paula slapped the table lightly. "He could have stolen it if he wanted to!"


    "You said it yourself lady, your case is not juicy enough, that guy only takes on cases he can close with no screw left loose. Probably your case has some loose screws that are difficult to tighten, ergo, not juicy enough." Connie spoke through a full mouth as she twisted the hand that was holding an apple.


    Her words attracted frowns from the group which caused her to frown as well.


    "Did i say something wrong?" She asked innocently.


    Paula sighed heavily and continued. "Anyway, the detective gave me insider information that had not been made public. The dead girls had invisible tattoos to the naked eye on the backs of their hands. Black light tattoos, like the ones stamped on the body at some exclusive clubs. I persuaded him to tell me where the tattoos where from and he told me that they were from the Freezing moon club.


    Her words elicited gasps from the group, especially Phoebe who had only recently discussed the Freezing moon club case with Shark. She had not known at the time that the case would come knocking at her door eventually.


    "Wait a minute, the freezing moon club? That is where you died, right? I remember it clearly, the news said that you had an accident and died." Grandma Mayfair who was too invested in the case asked.


    Paula wore a mocking smile. "Accident my foot! I was murdered."


    Customers began to flood the cafe, the workers sighed disappointingly as they resumed their duties especially Marianne who was listening from the side, having been inducted wholly into the ghost world.


    Phoebe requested Paula that they shift to her office. "Don''t worry Nana, I will fill you in on the ride home." Phoebe told her sulking grandmother.


    Once they were settled, Phoebe asked Paula to continue from where she had stopped. She now suspected that this had everything to do with the Freezing moon scandal that was all over the news before the Verdemont scandal. "Please go on."


    "After getting that information from the detective, I informed my supervisor. We discussed it extensively and came to the conclusion that someone had to go to the club and find out more information. That''s when I signed my death warrant by going undercover."

 Chapter 214 - 214: Deep undercover

    "I dug up more information on the four dead women, especially concerning their work and personal life. They were all college students or just newly employed, from average families and working part time at the club. All of them had specific nights when they worked, mostly theme nights and they worked in the VIP sections."


    Phoebe nodded, Paula was thorough in her work, she had not gone in blindly and yet she still died. No matter how cautious you were, you could not cover the entire sky, just like her when she was abducted despite being cautious.


    "With a relatively popular face like mine from TV appearances, my appearance was changed completely. My hair was dyed and cut, I even got a tattoo on the back of my neck and a day job at Spring mall just like the second victim. The Frozen moon club asks for a CV of your entire life before hiring so i needed to be as similar in every way to the four women.


    Through a connection from my supervisor''s circle, I was employed as a waitress.My supervisor sent in customers that would ask for me, men that pretended as if i was their favorite waitress in the club.


    Within three days, I climbed through the ranks and became a bottle girl. My job was to encourage customers to buy more drinks by acting affectionate and dancing with guests. I noticed that among the bottle girls were those that served the VVIP customers on the top floor of the club. All four dead women had worked the top floor.


    Of course i had to get in there because it was where all the celebrities and rich people partied from. I worked hard to gain popularity and in no time I was noticed by the manager. She called me to her office one day and asked me if I wanted to move up another level. Of course I said yes but nothing on this planet prepared me for the humiliation that happened next." Paula took a sip of the water and gulped hard.


    Phoebe pressed her index finger on her cheek and propped her chin on the rest of her clenched fingers. She wore a curious expression but remained quiet, preferring to save her comments and reactions for the end of the story.


    "That shameless woman ordered me to take off my clothes for inspection." Paula huffed, looking like Connie half the time. "I was embarrassed and ashamed but I was on a mission so i did it anyway. When she was done, I was given an airtight non disclosure agreement to sign. If i revealed the activities in the club, i had to pay one billion and suffer a punishment decided by the club which was death. I was scared, but still, i signed with a stupid pretentious excited smile on my face as the manager convinced me that my life was about to change. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Then, i was taken to a plastic surgery clinic where parts of my body were altered especially my facial structures. Nothing major, just botox, liposuction, lip fillers and they did my eyelids too. I was even put on a diet and strict exercise regimen. Apparently the important guests liked their women to look at certain way. I handled it all easily, my mind fixed on the end goal which was exposing the dirty deeds and murders in the club.


    After two months, I was finally paraded before the guests on the top floor, presented on stage with a bow tied around around my breasts. My new name was Cherry, and the highest bidder for the night would be the first to get my services.


    You would not believe the caliber people i saw shouting out exorbitant prices. They were some of the most well known celebrities, children of the elites, founding family sons and daughters, sportsmen and women plus politicians who were held in high regard in society for their out standing morals.


    I knew what was going to happen to me if i stayed so i didn''t plan to stick around. The highest bidder for me was Cameron Owell, he unwrapped the bow right there on stage, exposing my barely covered breasts to the crowd and they cheered.


    From there, he took me down and asked me to feed him while he groped me and whispered all the vile plans he had for me for the night.


    Thankfully, he had come with friends and drunk so every chance i got, i sneaked away and transferred the videos i was capturing in a small camera on a nipple ring to a phone my supervisor had bribed one of the cleaners to bring in for me.


    When I tell you that wicked things were done on that top floor, I mean every word of it. From sexual assault to being forced to sniff the pink cocaine. In some cases the women collapsed from too much consumption of it, i didn''t know if they were dead or alive.


    Other girls were locked in cages like dogs for fun, and they even had a live porn show with people shouting tips and taking bets. Honestly it''s like an organized prostitution ring with other bonuses added. By the time morning came, i had gathered enough and it was time for me to pull out, i had drugged Cameron with a sleeping pill so he had not touched me.


    But when i was leaving, I heard the rumor that there was going to be a gold and mask party hosted by King R.I.P. at the club."


    Phoebe''s eyebrows shot up. "King R.I.P."


    She was familiar with the name, he was a famous world famous rock star. Phoebe was not a fan of his music but she definitely knew his face, It was because of his arrest that Eliza Grant had been shouting furiously at the officers that day at the police station.


    Nodding her head, Paula wrinkled her nose. "That man is the devil''s incarnate and there have been so many accusations levied against him but Eliza buries them with money or threats. I should have pulled out of the operation that day but I wanted to expose him too. His exposure would push the story far like a cherry on a sundae, it was too much of a temptation to resist.


    On the day of the gold and white party, I was one of the women chosen to entertain the guests and the entire club was locked down for this event specifically. It turned out to be a drug fueled orgy so i directly used my secret phone to record, afraid to miss anything. I moved towards King R.I.P''s section but unfortunately a waiter bumped into me and the phone which was in my bra fell down. I quickly picked it up but King R.I.P had already seen me and i had also noticed that i was caught.


    When he stood up with his eyes focused on me, I rushed out of the top floor but there was nowhere to run because the door leading to the lower floor was closed so I entered the rest room.


    I removed the memory card from the phone and hid it in the decorative dish that was filled with exotic stones. Then, i tossed the phone out of a small window in the bathroom." A tear flowed out of her left eye, she rubbed it quickly.


    "I knew it was over the moment I got caught and in no time I was. King R.I.P grabbed me by the hair and he forced me to drink a cocktail. I started to feel extremely hot and he let me go. I was still a bit sober so i staggered in the bid to run away but i lacked strength and my vision was blurry. King R.I.P shoved me down amd i slammed my head onto a glass table. The next thing i felt was a sharp pain and i lost consciousness. Then suddenly I was standing and staring at my own body." She wiped her wet cheeks.

 Chapter 215 - 215: Every loophole was covered.

    Brief silence covered the room, Phoebe applauded Paula''s rationality, she was well composed and had accepted her death quite easily. Most ghosts become confused and resentful after death, especially in the case of a murder but not her.


    Perhaps it was because she was expecting to meet her end after King R.I.P caught her. Whatever the reason was, her demeanor was impressive.


    She was not even blaming the cause of her death on the murderer but herself, aware that her ambitions had laid the path to her grave.


    Phoebe wore a comforting smile and offered Paula a candy from the stash in her desk which was part of the rewards she gave Connie when the girl was on her best behavior.


    "You are really brave and impressive Paula, going through that transition and maintaining your sanity is truly amazing. Very few ghosts maintain sanity the way you have done in the face of their murders. It is not uncommon for them to become resentful evil spirits. Why are you so composed?"


    A smile shone through Paula''s slightly red eyes. "The love i have for my mother is much stronger than my passion for revenge. I have hope that I will reincarnate as her daughter again I cannot put that at risk just to satisfy my urges.


    Besides, i played a role in my own death, i should not have risked my life to that point just for a big story. I already had enough to break open the investigation into the pink cocaine deaths, wanting to take down King R.I.P was not part of my assignment. I was greedy and i suffered the consequences."


    Phoebe nodded in agreement, she could not deny the circumstances leading to Paula''s death were mostly her own doing. She wanted to know about what happened after, it was equally as important.


    "What happened after you died, every ghost i have come across lingers over their body for a while, most until the body is cremated or buried. Why did your case turn into an accident instead of a homicide?" She quizzed


    "My supervisor and I had a daily phone call which i could never miss, like those spy handlers in movies. It was agreed that if I don''t contact him by 1:00 am after midnight then he should call the cops.


    I died at around eleven and my body was stashed in the freezer in the kitchen for a while as they deliberated on what to do with me. Some one suggested that they chop it up and drop it in an acidic liquid, another said they should seal me in a barrel and dump me in the ocean. A fixer, Samson Cutter arrived and he had them retrieve my body.


    He brought a team of forensic cleaners and they wiped down the room, got rid of the table and also wiped my body to get rid of any fingerprints King R.I.P. had left on me.


    When they were finished, the fixer called the police personally, but at this time, it was already past the 01.00 p.m and my supervisor had also called the police.


    Both groups of officers arrived at the same time but two detectives that were chummy with Samson took the lead in the case and sent others away."


    Phoebe smacked her lips interrupting her. "Did you catch the names of the officers?"


    Nodding her head, Paula eagerly named two of the worst cops in the city. "Yeah I cannot forget those bastards faces, everyone knows that they are dirty, they even demand for protection fees from small businesses. Officers__no, detectives Sully and Amaro."


    The pen slipped through Phoebe''s fingers on hearing the names. "You have got to be kidding me!"


    Just like Paula, she was also familiar with those two, and she had assumed that they had been disciplined by Amon when she last saw them.


    "Those dirty bastards, effing fucktwards!!"


    Paula cocked her head to the side, her inquisitive gaze locked on Phoebe who was cursing out loud. "Do you perhaps know them personally?"


    Wrinkling her nose in disgust, Phoebe nodded once. "Unfortunately I do, those two bastards are one of the problems that we have in this country when it comes to the police."


    Unpleasant memories of her arrest returned to her, how could she forget those idiots? The two cops had written apology letters to her promising to change their ways but obviously they learnt nothing from the experience and were still dirty.


    Back then, he had stopped David from using his connections to deal with them, believing that the police could handle it on their own. Now, she guessed she was wrong on that front, those leopards would never change their spots.


    "I am guessing that they tampered with the evidence and took bribes?" Phoebe ''s statement was more of a question.


    "Not out rightly, they arrested the people that were found at the scene. Most of the guests and bottle girls were already gone of course. So it was just the club manager, King R.I.P and his manager. Samson had brought in some random people in the club to perfect King R.I.P''s alibi at my time of death. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    When i saw him being taken in for questioning because a death had occurred at his event, i thought for one small moment that someone would come forward and reveal the truth, especially two of the bouncers that had been reluctant to accept Samson''s bribe."


    She paused and took a sip of water.


    Phoebe flipped her fingers to signal her to continue. "Keep going."


    "When they got to the station, Eliza Grant was already there and performed her magic as usual. That old hag came with a team of lawyers and made sure everyone''s lips were sealed tightly. She added them more money in addition to what Samson had given. As for Amaro and Sully, they had only arrested King R.I.P to bargain for more.


    My supervisor at work was called in and when he arrived, he claimed that I had handed in my resignation months ago and he had no idea what i was up to. He testified that i had loose morals and had probably gone to the club to look for a sugar daddy.


    The coroners report said that I died due to an accident, apparently I was got high on a drug missed a step and hit my head on the glass table. It was a very good story with no loopholes."


    "I have to agree with you on that, no wonder Shark didn''t follow up on it, every loophole was filled." Phoebe leaned back in the chair.


    "My mother is about to cremate my body, she hasn''t shed a single tear since she was notified of my death. It means that she is slowly withering on the inside. I need you to expose the truth such that people can stop calling her the mother of a harlot. I want everyone involved in my death to pay for their crimes but most importantly I want the celebrities of the freezing moon scandal to be exposed." Paula spoke through pursed lips


    Phoebe attached the pen to the note book and closed it. "Your wish is my command."


    She had her own mission now which was to get rid of those rotten two cops.

 Chapter 216 - 216: Rushing to marriage.

    When Paula exhausted all that she wanted to say, Phoebe sent her away. She knew the woman would not move on until her body was cremated or certain that her mother had started to mourn.


    Dealing with case took her back to Mason and the mess that followed. Both were single children of widowed mothers that had been murdered.


    She hoped that this case would not end up like Mason''s, if it did.....Phoebe shook her head, erasing all negative thoughts from her head.


    "It won''t happen." The Saxon spirit assured her.


    Phoebe rubbed the back of her neck and sighed, she was still worried that maybe it was reckless to involve herself in the matter. Would she have to involve Amon again just like back then?


    Perhaps she should not have told Paula that her wish was her command.


    "It will work out, we have all learned a lesson with Mason''s incident. This time, we know what not to do, like giving a murderer a warning or a chance. Ease your mind Pheebs, come into the space and cultivate for a while." The spirit suggested.


    Phoebe agreed and she did not step out of the office for the next five hours.


    ____________________


    Meanwhile, in another part of the city, David was on a visit at the Lockler private asylum. His conversation with Phoebe and the subject of their children had resurrected the anger and hatred he felt for Ruth.


    At the moment, he was sitting in front of the tightly sealed cell in which Ruth was being held an monitored by three cameras.


    She was chained to a bed, her body wrapped tightly in a straitjacket. She looked insane, was mumbling to herself while twitching from side to side.


    Next to David was doctor and two nurses, a team that was in charge of monitoring Ruth.


    "Why is she in the straitjacket?"


    "She scratched herself yesterday, almost peeling off the skin of her left arm. She was screaming about having cockroaches in her body." The doctor explained.


    "Take it off, she can scratch herself to death if that is what will relieve her." David said coldly.


    He stood up to leave and the doctor sighed in relief, being around David Saxon was not warm, it was frightening. What kind of person had such a cold beastly look in their eyes?


    What kind of grudge did he have with Ruth?


    "Take it off." he told the nurses.


    *****


    At around five in the evening, Phoebe opened her office and started to see human clients. As if David had a camera on her, he sent over flowers that arrived immediately.


    [I hope your day has been sunnier han yesterday''s weather.]


    She scoffed and put the lilacs in a vase and turned her attention to the client, a man that wanted her to find his missing wedding ring.


    Phoebe wanted to laugh but she didn''t as simple as the task was, to the man it could have been the difference between marriage and a divorce. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She was busy with such minor cases until time to came close up arrived. Lately, she was rotating her nights, if she slept at the Mayfair manor today then tomorrow she would sleep at her apartment.


    This night, she was was sleeping at the Mayfair manor so she headed home with grandma Mayfair whom she told the rest of Paula''s story.


    "You know my dear, I have come to realize that I knew very little of the real world before I started working at the cafe. This world is full of wicked people, that young woman died so unfairly. The worst part is that the cops that are supposed to help her get justice buried the evidence and silenced the case." Grandma Mayfair shook her head and let out a pronounced sigh.


    Phoebe said nothing about knowing the cops because she wanted to deal with them herself besides her family especially her father would only blame himself after all, he was the one that had ordered for her arrest back then.


    "It''s not all bad nana." she playfully massaged the old woman''s shoulders.


    Grandma Mayfair was worried about Phoebe and all these cases. "Do you only deal with murdered ghosts? It seems like every case you have handled lately is moving in that direction?"


    "Not all the time, i think i see like twenty of them a year, maximum thirty." Phoebe counted them off in her mind and it came down to fifty five cases last year. But she did not want to dwell on it and decided to change the subject.


    "Nana, i had a client that wanted me to heal his dead wife''s favorite pet, he brought it along with him and guess what animal it was."


    "A cat."


    Phoebe laughed and she put her hands together, "A rat."


    Both women laughed and they made their way home with lighter happy conversations. Phoebe took a shower and went straight to the dining table.


    It was a family custom to have dinner together as they talked about the events of the day. On this particular dinner the only conversation that was happening was about Shana and Collin.


    The brothers and even Phoebe were taking turns to tease him endlessly.


    "Your mother tells me that we should speak to the Lee family about your engagement, Collin. I want to hear your opinion about the matter." Edward sliced through the beef steak on his plate and suddenly added a more serious topic to the light banter.


    Collin''s brows shot up and he wasn''t the only surprised person on the table. Phoebe and the rest of the Mayfair boys gasped.


    Grandma Mayfair''s fork fell on the plate as she watched Jennie in surprise. "Already? He has barely knows the girl, they have only been talking for a few days."


    Her eyes shifted to Collin, needing to hear his opinion too.


    "Mother, come on, i told you that i do not want to scare her away by proposing too early. I don''t want to lose Shana or give her a wrong impression." Collin pushed a fork full of food in his mouth.


    Jennie hissed in response. "What do you mean by that? A man can know a woman for a few days and decide that she is the one while another can know a woman for years and still not marry her. Besides your sister confirmed that she was the best woman for you, there is no time to waste here."


    Phoebe cocked her head as she wondered when she told her mother that. "I did?" She quizzed.


    Realizing that she had made a blunder, Jennie scratched her head. "Yes! Don''t you remember? We were at the supermarket."


    Phoebe shrugged, perhaps she just didn''t remember saying it.


    "Well, if he has to marry, she is the best choice, there are very few honest girls with good character left in the founding families of Fog country." she added her honest opinion.


    Grandma Mayfair clapped once after hearing Phoebe''s words. "In that case then there is no need to wait. Marriages of responsible families are decided on by the adults. Old man Lee and my husband Cillian, God rest his soul were good friends. We can start by inviting them over for dinner..."


    She was interrupted by Jennie who mentioned that she had already booked a golf session at the Fog Resort. "We can actually have dinner there after. If things go well which i am sure that they will, then we can go ahead and choose a day to make a proposal. A woman like Shana is the desire of many suitors, we cannot dawdle."


    Edward chuckled and threw Phoebe a glance. "Just like my Phoebe here." His words gained him every one''s attention.


    "Honey what do you mean by that?" Jennie covered his hand with hers. She still struggled with the fact that he daughter was dating David Saxon.


    The man seemed like he had changed from his play boy ways but who knew? Above all that she wasn''t a fan of Miranda Saxon, in her opinion she was a wolf in Sheep''s clothing. The woman had been calling her constantly trying to form a friendship which barely existed before. It was obvious that Miranda was after Phoebe nothing else.


    It skipped her mind that she was doing the same with Annabelle, Shana''s mother for the very same reason Miranda was coming after her.


    "Woah! My baby sister is a hot cake, many cool actors are asking me for her contact too." Andre ruffled Phoebe''s hair, continuing to tease her.


    Luke laughed as he ordered Andre to leave their sister alone. "It''s not even surprising because Pheebs is very beautiful and kind. The man that will marry her will be truly lucky."

 Chapter 217 - 217: Luthers unavoidable death

    Jennie was not surprised that a few young men were interested in her daughter, Phoebe was beautiful, from a founding family, enterprising and an heiress.


    After hearing from Andre she wanted to know if there were any men from the founding families that had approached him husband to inquire about Phoebe.


    She pinched his arm, twisting a little as she questioned him with her curious digging gaze.


    Edward scanned his mind for an answer to give to his overly curious wife who was not about to let up. "All i can say is that there are some young men whose families have expressed interest in knowing more about our beautiful daughter here. I did not make any promises, we will let her lead her life as she wishes and do the choosing whenever she is ready to settle down." Edward jutted his jaw upwards.


    Phoebe had come to them as a grown woman with her own ideas, they could not force the traditions of founding families on her. Edward''s chest tightened a little, wishing that they had found her sooner.


    Jennie beamed with a smile. "Pheebs keep your options open, do not put your eggs in one basket." She winked at her. "Do not rush, sometimes leopards don''t change their spots, i do not want you to be bitten and hurt."


    Phoebe could easily tell that her mother was still having a hard time warming up to David. That was his fault for being a notorious playboy in the past, the consequences were now being felt. Everyone at the table genuinely doubted David''s intentions.


    Maybe i should say something good about him, he sent me flowers today and he helped me with the Verdemont case. He really isn''t all bad, she thought.


    She opened her phone to say something and her phone buzzed so she reached for it and her eyes saw David''s name on the screen.


    Speaking of the devil, she thought.


    Phoebe excused herself from the table and answered the phone privately in the living room.


    "Hey.." she answered softly.


    "Hi, Pheebs." David replied in a heavy tone.


    Immediately, Phoebe detected bad news in his voice.


    "What happened?"


    She heard him draw in a deep breath and she frowned, it was that serious, it seemed. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "It''s about Luther."


    Phoebe''s left hand folded into a fist, David did not need to say more, she could tell. Her mind recalled the image of the lonely but stubborn old man that had sought justice for his granddaughter against all odds.


    Had he reunited with Linda already? Were they on their way to reincarnation or somewhere in purgatory? Was he happy, finally?


    Slowly, she walked back into the dining room and cleared her throat. "Everyone, i have some news." She adjusted her phone settings and put David on speaker phone. "David my family is listening in repeat what you have just told me."


    David sighed heavily and spoke. "Luther Verdemont is dead." he shared with them the same news he had just broken to Phoebe.


    His words elicited a ''WHAT!'' and gasps from the group.


    Edward''s hands went up to hold his head, he suddenly felt light headed. News about the death of someone was never good, especially when you were unprepared for it.


    "My God! Just when I was thinking of visiting him to console him about Linda''s matter. What happened, do you know how he died?"


    Grandma Mayfair clicked her tongue."What a naive question Edward, you should just jump to the obvious conclusion. It is quite obvious that one of his cruel relatives killed him off. After Luther shaming them publicly, I knew that he wasn''t safe in that damn house. I hope an autopsy is done and someone is arrested."


    "Grandma for that to happen, the family must give its consent in this case i highly doubt that they will. Everyone that hears of his death is going to jump to the same conclusion as you." Luke clasped his fingers together.


    "It could be the wrong conclusion, there is a rumor that he was born with a heart defect." Andre suggested and reminded them all about Luther''s health casually.


    "Ba!! if his heart was so frail, he would have died a long time ago, not lived to his eighties." Grandma Mayfair disagreed.


    They all went on like that for two minutes, disagreeing on the possible cause of death. David waited until they had exhausted their opinions to speak again.


    "Well, Andre is right Luther died of natural causes. One of the security personnel that I sent to his house called me an hour ago and gave me the news. According to him the butler went inside Luther''s study to give him his night time medication and found the old man sitting in the chair unresponsive. The family doctor was called right away and it was he that confirmed that Luther was dead. Apparently his heart gave out, perhaps he couldn''t take the sadness any longer or he just thought the job of avenging Linda was done so he died."


    Edward excused himself for he was receiving a call. When he returned he informed everyone that Ekhart Verdemont had just invited the family to Luther''s burial which was slated to happen the next day.


    Phoebe sneered. "Those shameless people! The man just died and they are already calling on people to bury him. Why are they in a hurry?"


    "Indeed, whats with the rush? It''s like they have been eagerly waiting for him to pass on." Luke pulled his brows together.


    David cleared his throat. "I think that i know why, earlier today I met Mr Cornwell of T&C law firm and I asked him whether old man Luther went to see him. Mr. Cornwell told me that i was right, Luther had gone by indeed. He was worried about Luther because he had made drastic changes to his last will and testament. Of course he could not reveal the changes to me but he mentioned that Luther had ordered him to read the will immediately after his burial."


    Phoebe clapped once as she gained clarity.


    "So they are speeding up the burial such that they can know what he left each of them?"


    Grandma Mayfair wrinkled her nose to express her disgust. "They just cannot wait to get their hands on all that wealth that he left behind."


    "I figured that too." David laughed sarcastically. " Those idiots that call themselves his family had the same idea as me and recently Ekhart and some of the family visited Cornwell to inquire whether Luther had visited him lately. He confirmed it and immediately some of them started claiming that Luther wasn''t lucid and he was suffering from dementia and the new will was not valid.


    They demanded to know the contents of the will and threatened to sue but of course Cornwell didn''t tell them anything because he knew what was happening in the Verdemont household. I hope the old man left them nothing but disappointment."


    Grandma Mayfair nodded continuously. "Those vultures need to be left penniless especially that Ekhart and his shameless wife."


    "Mother you should have listened to how enthusiastic his voice sounded. One cannot tell that his father had just died." Edward shook his head slightly.


    "Thank you for informing us David, say hello to you father for me." Edward gave Phoebe a signal to hung up.


    She did as he desired after thanking David and the family discussed more about the news.


    Phoebe was feeling down spirited so she said goodnight and left for the bedroom. They all knew that she was saddened by the news and nobody stopped her.


    "I know i am selfish but i hope his ghost doesn''t come looking for Phoebe." Grandma Mayfair muttered.


    She had seen the toll dealing with some of the ghosts left on Phoebe. They all left a scar on her heart, especially the sad cases.

 Chapter 218 - 218: If wishes were horses.

    Unfortunately for grandma Saxon, not all wishes could be fulfilled. When Phoebe went to her bedroom to shed a tear for Luther and pray for his soul, the Saxon spirit appeared and it wasn''t alone, Luther was with her.


    The tears that she had been fighting burst out on seeing him. She knew that the man was going to die but it still hurt, she had not known him for a long time but it hurt. It hurt as if she had just lost her very own grandfather.


    "I am sorry old patriarch, life has been unfair to both of you."


    "Don''t cry dear little shaman." Luther smiled warmly. "You have helped me greatly because I have died with no burdens in my heart. I am ready to move on and be with my granddaughter. I just wanted to see you one last time and express my gratitude. Please carefully utilize the gift that I have left you."


    Phoebe nodded despite being confused about the gift, she wiped tears from her eyes as he moved on to the other side. When his ghost faded away, she recalled the coins and guessed that it was the gift Luther had been talking about.


    She moved from the chair in front of the mirror and went to the bed, falling on it, still sniveling.


    "You can live with ease, he is in a happy place now experiencing a beautiful reunion." The Saxon spirit informed her.


    It could see what was on the other side where Luther and Linda had reunited. Another woman was with them, Luther''s wife.


    Phoebe took a deep breath and smiled, it was all good in the end.


    *******


    The day that followed, Phoebe woke up early for she had a ton of work to do, mainly producing more tonics which she did by hand. First, she moved into the magic space where she harvested herbs and then her production room on the third floor of the house. Her father had created for her a space where she could do some of her work freely.


    Edward had even gone the extra mile to help her in the production process by acting as her assistant which was no easy task because Phoebe moved quickly when she was working, just like a busy bee, she did not stop until a large amount of each tonic had been finished.


    For three hours, they worked non stop in perfect sync, and they were working on the last tonic, a replenishing tonic.


    Edward could have sworn that he was dying and he took a break. He did not understand why Phoebe was filled with strength, not even one sigh of exhaustion had escaped her mouth.


    She was mixing the blood tonic in a very large pot with a keen look on her face like a witch cooking a portion under the moonlight.


    "It''s done." she sniffed the air and declared.


    "Sweet heart aren''t you exhausted? I think that we are going to hire machines for some of this work." He wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead.


    Phoebe agreed with him. "I agree, with these pots i can only prepare tonics in small portions. I want to start producing pills as well, they are easier to sell. Father, thank you for always helping me." She wrapped her hands around his waist and clung to him.


    They walked downstairs like that, slowly as Edward cherished the affection he was receiving. But, as soon as Phoebe spotted Collin who was on his way to work, she abandoned Edward and went running towards him.


    She did not even notice the jealous look on her father''s face.


    "Brother Collin please wait up." She rushed to him and stopped directly in front of him.


    She started by fixing his slightly crooked tie first while standing on tip toes which made Edward and Collin chuckle. When it came to height, nobody could decide whose gene Phoebe had taken.


    "Thank you little sister and good morning, you look better than I expected." Collin arched an eyebrow. He thought that she had bawled her eyes out when she went to her room.


    Phoebe dismissed his words with a wave. "Oh that! Luther moved on already. He''s happy on the other side and that''s what matters. I have no reason to be sad, he has achieved what he wished for deep down for many years."


    "That fast?" Collin''s eyes flew open.


    Nodding her head, Phoebe chuckled. "Yes! He had nothing that was keeping him here. Anyway eldest brother do you remember that you said that if I need your help with work I should come to you?"


    Collin nodded. "Whatever you need."


    "Well i need farm workers and a skilled farm manager. I will not be able to visit my farm daily so I need people that will be dedicated to the job even in my absence. Can you help me find responsible people?" Phoebe bounced on her toes as she stared at him with hope.


    Collin laughed because he found her to be adorable, she looked like a cartoon character with those wide eyes and exaggerated eye movements."


    Well that is very easy, I know someone that owns a job placement company. I will speak to him, i should be able to send you names by the end of the week."


    Without thinking Phoebe jumped up and hugged him, surprising him. Excited, Collin stumbled back and found his balance while hugging her back. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Eldest brother, you are the most awesome, just don''t tell Andre i said this." Her words caused both of them to laugh. She bid him goodbye and watched him walk out of the house.


    Phoebe moved to her bedroom and took off the overall work suite and changed to more presentable clothing. Done with that, she got a packed breakfast box to go from Maria and moved to the parking. Her grandmother was already standing besides the car, waiting for her.


    "You are late, I was about to leave without you." She complained.


    "I am sorry Nana, what about the tonics?" She asked.


    Grandma Mayfair pointed at the trunk. "The ones which are ready have been placed them in there and the rest will be delivered later, let''s go." She ordered.


    On the ride to the Cafe, Phoebe called Shark who answered after two beeps.


    "Fog country''s sharpest detective speaking." He answered playfully.


    "Cut it out Shark! You dropped the ball on this one. We need to talk alone and far away from the station. It''s full of dirty none remorseful cops." Came Phoebe''s stern words, she partly blamed him for not suspecting a thing after Paula''s death yet it was he that gave her the hints on which she followed.


    "What''s going on here Pheebs? What did I do?" Shark curiously asked.


    "Like I said we need to meet in a place that is not swarming with dirty cops." She repeated.


    "The cafe then?" Shark asked.


    "Hell no! I mean we need a private place. This case has a lot of big names attached to it and i don''t want to be tied to it." Phoebe responded.


    "Name a place and time Pheebs, I will be there. My ears are itching already."


    "The Verdemont family cemetery, I believe that you are attending Luther''s burial right?"


    "Yes of course, but cemetery isn''t private." Shark mentioned.


    "Yeah, at night it is." Phoebe ended the call, ready to tackle Paula''s case.

 Chapter 219 - 219: Dear diary.

    Grandma Mayfair overheard the entire conversation and deep down, she was troubled but helpless. Other people''s children made appointments in restaurants, cafes, hotels, offices but their Phoebe was different. She made her appointments in cemeteries.


    The old woman sighed and her mind reverted back to all the conversations the family had engaged in over dinner the previous night regarding Phoebe''s relationship status.She came to the conclusion that they had been excited prematurely.


    Which of those founding families would truly tolerate Phoebe''s ghost seeing abilities or her shamanic talents? Many founding families were filled with snobbish people that were very concerned about their status and public image.


    If Phoebe was married into one of them, she would be forced to close her cafe and take up a more normal job. That was not a good thing for Phoebe, she enjoyed her job despite the challenges which came with it. If she was forced to give it up, she would endure misery for the rest of her life.


    Those years of being miserable with the Gabriel''s were sufficient, her only granddaughter could not be caged by any other family.


    The old woman suddenly started to consider David as a serious suitor, he was comfortable with Phoebe''s ghost seeing abilities and often accompanied her on the adventures, providing her with resources for free.


    His grandmother was aware about who the real Phoebe was and she was okay with it, and even the rude snobby Miranda was wagging her tail at Jennie, desperate to tie Phoebe and David together permanently.


    Grandma Mayfair nodded and smiled, yes, David was Phoebe''s best option for lifelong happiness and comfort. Her worries vanished like smoke and she made a plan to get together with her friend Prudence and see how they could help the two kids escalate the relationship.


    The car passed over a hump and Phoebe looked at her grandmother, checking to see if the old woman was okay and she was; with a smile on her face in fact.


    "Nana, what are you smiling about?" Phoebe asked curiously.


    Grandma Mayfair shook her head.


    "Nothing you ought to know about right now my dear." She answered.


    Phoebe poked her face closer but the old woman looked away avoiding her gaze. Phoebe was like her mother Jennie in a way that when she wanted information, she pestered you until she pried it out of your mouth.


    Luckily for her, they pulled into the building parking and temporarily, she was able to evade the questioning. She was quick to evacuate the car and hurry to the cafe, meeting David there which was a welcome surprise.


    Grandma Mayfair''s face lit up as she approached him. "Oh, David, how lovely to see you this morning. You must have come to look for our dear Phoebe. Am i right?"


    "Err, yes grandma, good morning to you...." David had a frown on his face and he responded uncertainly.


    In his mind, he was wondering why he was being welcomed by grandma Mayfair with such happiness.


    "Nana, wait up." Phoebe''s voice came from a short distance away from them.


    David forgot all about grandma Mayfair as his eyes were blessed with the beautiful vision of Phoebe running with her red hair bouncing, radiant as always. In his eyes, she was running in slow motion like a heroine in a movie.


    Grandma Mayfair nodded approvingly at David''s besotted look. Indeed, he was the right man for their Phoebe, he was a fool lost in love.


    Phoebe stopped in front of them and she smiled.


    "Nana, why are you literally running away from me?" She turned her eyes to David who she was not expecting to see. "David, why are you here? Are you here to provide free labor again?"


    She crossed her arms on her chest. "How many times must i tell you that it is not necessary? You have just opened your own company and you need to...."


    Grandma Mayfair yanked gently on Phoebe''s arm to stop her from scolding David.


    "Phoebe, David must be here because he missed you and wants to take you on a date. You young people should go and enjoy your day, we will hold down the fort here."


    She pushed Phoebe into David''s arms__, no it was more like a shove. The old woman shoved her to a point where Phoebe crushed against David''s chest and shamelessly took advantage of the opportunity to hug her.


    "Nana." Phoebe cried out as she struggled hopelessly in David''s arms.


    "Bye," Grandma Mayfair waved and entered the cafe.


    The sly old woman went so far as to lock the doors so that Phoebe could not enter.


    David meanwhile did not bother to question the gift from the universe, he had come to spend time with Phoebe after not seeing her face for one whole day. That single day had felt like an eternity for him.


    "I heard that you are going to the Gundam forest to find rare herbs."


    "Your information source is really excellent." She answered. She twisted from side to side until he let her go.


    Originally she was planning to go alone but from the way David was dressed, it seemed like he was planning to accompany her. Why else was he wearing cargo pants, a jacket and military style boots?


    "Let me guess, you happen to have a reason to go into Gundam forest too?"


    David chuckled and lowered his head to look into her eyes from up close. "Oh my Phoebe! how did you know? Did you perhaps read my mind?"


    "Hmph, i think you read mine, that or Rosette''s mouth was pried open."


    David laughed softly. "If only i could read your mind, tsk, tsk, the things i would find out. It''s probably like a diary and you keep information in there like a love struck girl. Dear diary, today i met David Saxon, the hottest man alive. I think he is even hotter than the sun." S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe scoffed and rolled her eyes, she could not keep from laughing however.


    "Are you nuts? That''s so....cliche, or maybe stupid. Nobody is hotter than the sun okay, you are delusional Mr. two baby toes."


    David put an arm around her shoulders, ignoring that distant flash from the camera of a paparazzo.


    He continued to tease Phoebe in a playful voice. "Dear diary, David Saxon has the yummiest lips i have ever seen."


    "Shut up!" Phoebe hissed and elbowed him in the ribs. She did blush red because that was actually something she did think on the day they kissed in his apartment.


    "Dear diary, i cannot say enough about his biceps and abs, i think i got a nosebleed from thinking about them and wishing i could run my tongue..."


    "Enough!" Phoebe warned him sternly out of even more embarrassment.


    She dived into the car which was going to take them to David''s helicopter. Unfortunately for her, David was not through with the teasing.


    He got in and squeezed next to her as if there was no space in the backseat.


    "Dear diary, he smells so wonderful....."


    Phoebe groaned and regretted getting into his car, the man was going to torture her for as long as he could. Was he always like this?

 Chapter 220 - 220: Not a date.

    "Dear diary, his eyes, looking into them is like gazing at the stars. Oh what''s my poor shaman heart to do? I just can''t look away. No man has ever been as perfect as him EMHO."


    Phoebe was feeling slightly vexed and she was seriously considering kicking David in the ankles. He had not stopped his dear diary jokes on the car ride, helicopter ride and now they were walking through Gundam forest and he was still going.


    With the way he was describing himself, she was not sure if he was joking or simply being a big old narcissist praising his own physical appearance.


    "What''s EMHO?"


    "Eating my heart out."


    Phoebe stopped walking, she turned and stared at him, her eyes filled with confusion. First of all, if she had a diary, nothing he had just said would make it onto any of the pages and two, who the hell used ''eating my heart out'' in abbreviation form, especially because it made no sense in relation to what he had just said.


    "Do you even know what that means?"


    Proudly, he nodded. "It means you are so excited that you cannot control your heart."


    "No it doesn''t."


    "Yes it does." he insisted.


    "Who told you that?" she quizzed, a little louder than she intended.


    Behind them, the five bodyguards including Roman that had come along because Gundam forest had some dangerous animals could not believe the ridiculousness happening. Who was this man and what had he done with the real David Saxon?


    Roman cleared his throat but Polly stopped him. "Let it be, trust me, we have seen worse."


    They had witnessed the boss digging while his girlfriend relaxed and commanded him with ease. In the hierarchy of the relationship, Phoebe was the boss.


    "Polly, what does EMHO mean?" David bellowed.


    The bodyguard froze like a stunned gorilla and backed away. He was not getting on the bad side of Phoebe, he didn''t want to be cursed by the shaman. He pushed Roman to the front to take the fall on his behalf.


    Roman shrugged Polly''s hand away. "You big coward, what''s your size for if that tiny five foot one tall woman scares you?"


    "It''s more five foot zero inches." Robb, another of David''s personal bodyguards whispered.


    "I say four feet nine inches." another chimed in.


    Phoebe had them discussing her height and she glared at them briefly.


    "Hmph!" she huffed and resumed the walk, taking a familiar path that she had walked twice before.


    It was not her first rare herb hunting trip and just like on other trips, she met people along the way. Normally she would stop and greet but with all the bodyguards following them, not a single person paused to say hi. In fact, they all went out of their way to avoid the group.


    "Do they think we have come into the forest to bury a body?" Phoebe mumbled.


    David took her hand. "You have said hello to ten ghosts since we stepped into the forest, if i was not your very loving boyfriend on a date with you right now, i would...."


    "We are not on date and i have met more than ten ghosts in this forest, two of them are following us. They are next to Polly." She increased her voice. "One of them is a virgin ghost looking for a man."


    Polly squealed in a girlish way and jumped back, not alone in the fright, even Robb followed him.


    "Wusses." Roman muttered.


    Wholly satisfied, Phoebe giggled, who said shorties could not take revenge?


    David opened a bottle of water and handed it to her. "Drink."


    She took it from him, took one sip and handed it back to him.


    "Are your men married?" she asked, out of the blue.


    David had no idea why she was asking but he assumed she was still going on with the virgin ghost joke.


    "Pheebs, stop scaring the gullible humans."


    David misunderstood her, Phoebe was not asking about their marital status with the intention of scaring them, she simply wanted to find a nice boyfriend for Rosette. They were strong healthy men with a job that payed well and they were not bad looking in the facial department. Of course, they were not as good looking as David.


    [No man is truly as good looking as David.] she looked at the side of his face and sighed.


    David chuckled. "I like this date."


    "It is not a date." Phoebe corrected. It was work, they were here to help her find herbs or protect her while she searched for them.


    "Boss, watch out." Roman yelled.He pulled out a gun and fired.


    David shoved Phoebe behind his tall frame and pulled out his gun as well, eager to take down the threat which had already been neutralized. Roman''s single shot had taken down a down a big warthog.


    David sighed in relief and put the gun away.


    "Wow, nice shooting." Phoebe gave Roman a thumbs up.


    She stepped out from behind David and looked at the warthog. "Too bad it''s not a wild boar, we could have eaten some tenderloin or ribs after Luther''s funeral."


    As the men moved the body of the warthog from the walking trail, David was looking at Phoebe with wonder. He thought she would fall apart after hearing the news about Luther''s death, it was the major reason why he had sought her out today. His intention had been to distract her all day. She seemed to be doing okay however considering everything. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Polly, call Everest and tell him to prepare some pork ribs." David ordered.


    "And some roasted corn." Phoebe added.


    Polly dialled the number but Phoebe was not done making her dinner order. "Masala chips too, and a nice salad plus some onion rings."


    "You don''t like onion rings." David reminded her.


    "But you do." she answered nonchalantly.


    David grinned like a fool, excited that she still remembered something as unimportant as that. A part of him strongly wanted to dance for joy but he remained composed, not wanting to scare her.


    "And she says we are not on a date." he mumbled. They were making dinner plans so how was this not a date? It was like a movie broken down into two parts, this was part one of the date and after Luther''s funeral, they could have part two.


    Phoebe saw something that made her curious and she walked over to some camellia trees. "Look David, it''s Thea Sinensis trees, ten of them. They should not be in the Gundam forest, i wonder if someone imported and planted them for research."


    She lowered her upper body and sniffed one of the plants. The smell was just right so she looked around like a thief and then stole some of the leaves.


    "It''s a free forest, i am not stealing." she whispered to herself.


    She turned and gestured for them to keep going after robbing half of the leaves on each tree. As they were walking away, the Saxon spirit dashed out of the space and directly uprooted five of the trees and took them into the space.


    "It''s a free forest, we are not stealing." It declared.

 Chapter 221 - 221: Fashionably late.

    Three hours later, Phoebe and David''s group returned to the cafe, hungry and a bit exhausted. All of the things Phoebe had collected were taken back to the Mayfair manor directly by Roman and one of David''s driver.


    "Nana, we are back." Phoebe announced loudly as she barged into the kitchen. "I am starving." she whined.


    Her curious nose led her in the direction of fresh hot fries that Sylvester had just taken out of the oil.


    "Ooh, yum, yum." Phoebe rubbed her hands and picked up a fork to help herself.


    Grandma Mayfair slapped her hand.


    "These are meant for delivery, we cannot delay our customers." She handed her a small square shaped chicken pie. "Eat this as we go, we need to go home immediately and prepare to attend the funeral."


    Rosette brought over a black and silver food flask. She gave it to grandma Mayfair who handed it to David in return.


    "Here, eat something warm, you must be hungry after protecting Phoebe in the forest. I would have been so worried if she had gone on her own."


    "What protection?" Phoebe muttered.


    Grandma Mayfair pinched Phoebe''s ear lightly. "This girl, be nicer to David." She smiled at affectionately at David, "Will we be seeing you at the funeral?"


    David nodded, he could not miss it, his entire family was going.


    "Good, very good, we will see you there."


    Phoebe was all for the newly found affection her grandmother had for David but she was hungry. The small pie would not fill her stomach.


    "Nana, why does he get a food flask and i get a small pie? Have you forgotten who your grandchild is between him and me?"


    David held the food flask to Phoebe and she extended her hands to take it. Grandma Mayfair was not about to let it happen. She took Phoebe''s hands and pulled her out of the kitchen, dragging her straight to the car which set off immediately.


    For once, Phoebe was pouting, acting spoiled like a true Mayfair princess. Grandma Mayfair found it adorable, she reached up and patted Phoebe''s head.


    "Good girl, Maria already has lunch prepared for you, stop pouting. Now, tell nana what you think about David Saxon."


    "He had a big ego, bigger than a Shoebill''s beak and those brown eyes of his, tch, they are not that adorable."


    Grandma Mayfair leaned back in the chair and laughed. In her eyes, Phoebe definitely liked David, she was just in denial.


    ****************************** sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Luther was to be laid to rest in the Verdemont family cemetery which was located on the Verdemont estate. Phoebe arrived a little later than other guests. She, together with her grandmother joined the rest of the Mayfairs that had left ahead of them as Phoebe had to finish her lunch first.


    As always, on a trip to a cemetery for a funeral, Phoebe dressed really nicely. This time round, she had chosen a knee length black body hugging turtle neck shaped dress. She had paired it with ankle length boots with a stiletto and sunglasses.


    She was not just late, she was fashionably late to the funeral, dressed better than most of the Verdemont women. She noticed that people were staring at her and she did not care.


    Some young women had jealous looks on their faces, they were the ones that would gossip about her later in the night, in the privacy of their homes. A few men stared at her appreciatively, a beautiful woman was a treat, even at a funeral.


    Of course, the ghost seeing rumors contributed to all the attention, everywhere she turned her head, people wondered if she had seen something. The whispers followed wherever she passed.


    "She''s just too young to be a shaman." One woman expressed her shock.


    "Do you think that she can see the ghosts?" Asked another.


    "Does she see Luther''s ghost here?"


    "She really looks like a witch, all that red hair is like a bright flame."


    One teenage girl bravely stepped up to her. "Hey, miss witch, are there ghosts here?"


    Phoebe smiled at the girl, removed her sunglasses and went ahead to nod. Of course there were ghosts around, this was a cemetery. Dead Verdemonts that had not moved on through the years lingered around excitedly as they watched the humans.


    A dead grounds keeper was sweeping around the old graves, a female ghost in an old 1800''s dress was glaring at Ekhart. She was also yelling, calling him all sorts of names which made Phoebe want to chuckle.


    The ghosts seemed to be harmless so nobody at the funeral was going to be harmed.


    Among the eyes that were fixed on Phoebe were those of Miranda, Phoebe noticed her bothering David about something and pointing in her direction.


    "What is she plotting now." she whispered.


    She pulled her shoulders in a shrug and focused on the priest that was leading the service. Her eyes darted around in search of Shark, she sighed with relief when she spotted him, he wasn''t the only officer around. Jones, Amon and a few others that had handled Linda''s case were present too.


    It was surprising that Amon''s bells were not dancing around. Since when was the tunnel visioned ghost catcher merciful?


    Her eyes were pulled to the Verdemonts that were dry eyed and impatient. The wind carried some of their conversations her way.


    "I cannot believe that some of the founding families shunned us by not showing up? After all the favors that father did for them." Nina complained to Paul who shushed her for her voice was loud.


    For people that had recently been ostracized from the society, the Verdemonts surely held their heads high. Phoebe assumed that it was probably because they still had all their money. At the end of the day they were filthy rich and money moved mountains in Fog country.


    It was a matter of time before they bought their status back. From time to time, Phoebe spotted small smiles on their faces, none of them was grieving for Luther at all.


    After the service, Luther was laid to rest during which time Emilia let out a screeching cry that shocked the mourners.


    "Why is she making a joke of herself? We all know how much she loathed the old man." Grandma Mayfair sneered.


    She wasn''t the only one miffed by Emilia''s performance as other people threw her accusative glances. Some even laughed boldly, finding Emilia''s acting funny.


    After the funeral, Ekhart announced that a dinner had been prepared in the maze gardens to celebrate the life of his late father.


    Phoebe could not believe it, the maze of all venues to hold the dinner!!! The same place where Linda''s body had been buried for many years!! Were all the Verdemonts insane or just stupid?


    "This isn''t a day to cry but one to celebrate, my father has lived a long and fulfilled life so please join us in giving him a proper send off." Ekhart''s eyes glowed with excitement.


    Again, no sadness was detected in his voice or seen in his eyes. He was already acting like the patriarch of the family.


    As her family moved to the reception hall, Phoebe stayed behind with the excuse of making a phone call. It was a lie, she actually had an appointment with Shark. Paula had come with her to the funeral, the ghost was besides her, patiently waiting for the detective.


    Suddenly Phoebe felt a tap on her shoulder, she assumed it was Shark immediately. On turning around however, she saw an unexpected individual.


    [Katherine Saxon! What the hell does she want from me?]

 Chapter 222 - 222: We do not like Katherine either.

    Hastily Katherine pulled off the black glasses that she had been wearing. It was late in the evening and it was getting darker.


    Phoebe wondered whether she could even see where she was going. On the other hand, Katherine thought her eyes were playing tricks on her, words had appeared on top of Phoebe''s head but with the shades on, she assumed that she had hallucinated maybe.


    She thought that it was a result of exhaustion, after all she had spent sleepless nights in the laboratory trying to discover the secret in Phoebe''s portions but so far, she had failed terribly.


    On top of that, her work burden from the moment David resigned had increased significantly. David had been taking on a lot of work, much more that anybody realized and his absence in the company was being felt in certain areas.


    But, as she wanted desperately to be the first chairwoman of the Saxon group, complaining wasn''t an option. Katherine wanted to prove that she was fit to hold the position so she needed results, quick ones. The only shortcut to those quick significant results that she could see was by getting a hand on Phoebe''s formulas for the tonics.


    A weary smile formed on her lips. "Hello, Phoebe Gabriel oh wait it''s Mayfair now, sorry. You are a hard woman to come by, I have passed by the black ghost Cafe countless times to see you but I always missed you because you are never there somehow."


    A mocking chuckle almost escaped through Phoebe''s lips. Why was the high and mighty Katherine Saxon looking for her desperately? In the past she treated her like a rug__, no, a housekeeper because she was a paper''s daughter. Had things changed now that she was a Mayfair, she wondered.


    "What for?" Her voice was as sharp as a knife, not ready to entertain whatever rubbish that was going to spewed out of Katherine''s mouth.


    On hearing Phoebe''s unwelcoming tone of voice that was filled with mockery, Katherine''s eyebrows shot up in a mixture of surprise and wonder. They had never met before why was she perceiving hostility from her?


    Was it David? She immediately assumed that he had said something negative about her to Phoebe. They were not that close and they had been competitors at work, it made sense if he perhaps vented his troubles to his girlfriend.


    Katherine decided to introduce herself first and see where things went, it was possible that she was leaping to conclusions, David was not the kind to share his problems with anyone.


    She believed that Phoebe would soften up on hearing her last name. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I am a Saxon, Katherine Saxon, the eldest daughter of the current president of the Saxon group."


    She announced herself with pride, like she was a queen or a princess.


    "And?" Phoebe''s eyes roamed over her from head to toe.


    "What am i supposed to do with that information? Should i be impressed?" Phoebe chuckled, "I am sorry but I am not. I am Phoebe Mayfair, only daughter of the chairman of Mayfair Corporation. If you want to impress me, use something else, not your family name." Phoebe stood up and turned around with a deeply satisfied glimmer in her eyes.


    She walked slowly, heading towards the bench under a tree in a spot that was hidden between the maze and the cemetery.


    "Ooh, you must be so happy right now, she is steaming with anger." The Saxon spirit dashed out of the space. "She deserves a lesson indeed if she is going to change her ways."


    Behind Phoebe meanwhile, fury had quickly surged through Katherine''s veins, she hated it when people didn''t give her the respect she thought she deserved.


    She followed and grabbed Phoebe''s hand, putting it in an iron clad grasp. "Where do you think you are going? I am not done talking to you!" Her voice was low but full of energy and authority.


    Phoebe reared her hand back, ready to punch or slap Katherine like she had long desired to do. This plan did not come to fruition as they were interrupted.


    David came out of nowhere and grabbed his sister''s arm, his grasp was so hard that she winced in pain.


    "Ouch David let go!" She twisted her lips.


    "You first!" He jutted his chin to her hand that was still wrapped around Phoebe''s wrist. Katherine let go immediately.


    Out of nowhere, rushed footsteps approached them and Katherine was slapped on the back by none other than her own mother.


    "What the hell Katherine! Why are you harassing David''s future wife? Have you lost your mind, do you know how precious my daughter-in-law is? What if you break her wrist and ruin David''s relationship or ours with the Mayfairs?" Miranda asked


    Her concern for Phoebe was surprisingly genuine. Of course it was only because of Phoebe''s new financial and social status.


    Her words caused Katherine to laugh out sarcastically however.


    "Oh since when mother? A while ago you were so against her marrying David but now that she''s a Mayfair she qualifies?" Katherine spoke through pursed lips.


    Miranda pointed an index finger in her chest and laughed half heartedly. "Me! When did i reject her? Even the money i gave her was a test to see how much she loved your brother and she passed with flying colors. If your brother wants her then he can have her. Who am I to fight against young true love?" She smiled slyly at Phoebe who was massaging her wrist.


    She was also staring at Miranda as if she was seeing a ghost although in her case, she did see ghosts. But, this new Miranda was a surprise to her, catching her off guard.


    "True love my ass!" Katherine whispered and scoffed.


    Suddenly, she didn''t like Phoebe very much, however she still wanted her formulas. "Look, i am not here to fight i just have a business proposal for Phoebe. Anyone in this country would be glad to have a connection to the Saxon group i am going to give that to her on a silver platter."


    "What proposal?" Miranda asked knowingly.


    Having used some of Phoebe''s tonics she too had realized that they were better than the health supplements made by the Saxon group. It was one of the reasons that she wanted to trap Phoebe in a marriage, to get her formulas after which she planned to turn her into a house wife.


    "Mother, you have seen what her tonics have done for grandpa. He is back to normal and even mobile in less than two months. If we can mass produce these health supplements under the Saxon group, we can make money and save lives. Its a win-win for everybody, what''s not to like?" Katherine nearly snarled the words out.


    Her patience was running thin, she thought the deal was a dream come true for Phoebe. She was what they called ''small time'' in the business. This was an opportunity for her to join the big leagues. Wasn''t it why she was dating David in the first place?


    Phoebe sighed deeply. "I am not interested take your proposal else where."


    "Come on child, listen to your sister-in-law. We will pay you heavily for it....." Miranda was interrupted by David who growled.


    "She said that she is not interested! now move it, both of you!" David raised his voice sternly at his mother and sister.

 Chapter 223 - 223: There is always drama at a funeral.

    Gnawed by worry, David feared that his mother and sister would wash away the progress he had made so far with Phoebe. How was she supposed to be with him when he had selfish monsters as family, she had already tasted their wrath in the past life.


    He was already resolved to keep them away from Phoebe and their behavior had just cemented his resolution. He did not care how offended they appeared to be right now.


    "She has clearly told you that she wants nothing to do with the Saxon group. If i catch you around Phoebe again, trying to push your desires on her, i will do something drastic and i promise that you both will not like it. " David growled out.


    He was so angry that veins could be seen pulsing in his neck. David gently pulled on Phoebe''s hand.


    "Come on Pheebs, let''s go." His efforts were futile as Phoebe remained standing where she was.


    It appeared she was unfazed by the two Saxon women whose faces where glazed with shock. She wanted to witness their reactions from up close.


    Miranda placed a hand to her chest. "Are you seriously shouting at me because of a woman?" Her wide eyes shifted between them one at a time. "I know that you love Phoebe but no matter what, i am still your mother David. You have to respect me even if you don''t like my opinions, a mother comes before a wife."


    "Oh really." Grandma Saxon''s heavily sarcastic voice broke into the conversation.


    The old woman approached them slowly, she had rushed out of the reception hall when Rose-bell informed her that Katherine was talking to David''s girlfriend at the cemetery.


    She wanted to laugh loudly at Miranda who was getting a taste of payback for all the anguish she had caused her when she tricked her son Robert into marriage. Karma was working through Phoebe.


    It was funny to see her claiming that a mother came first before a wife. Back then, she had sowed discord between her and Robert without a care. Where had this logic been?


    "If you are his mother then act like one Miranda. He said you should leave them alone please respect yourself and stop creating a scene in public. It is bad enough that everyone is whispering about the Verdemonts, if you keep going, we will be joining them as the topic to discuss among the founding families at their dinner tables." sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Grandma you don''t understand, the future of the Saxon group is the formula of those tonics. We must have them." Katherine tried to reason but grandma Saxon gave her a disapproving look.


    "Just because you want something doesn''t mean that you must have it. Those recipes are Phoebe''s and if she doesn''t want to sell or share them then it''s up to her. You cannot force her to hand them over to you!" Grandma Saxon spoke pointed at Katherine, almost poking her on the head as she emphasized her point.


    "Besides, the Saxon group has survived for hundreds of years without Phoebe''s tonics and i am sure that it will continue to thrive without them. If you continue to grow your greed, our entire family will fall as a result." She cautioned Katherine because of late, she had noted that just like the Verdemonts her family also comprised of some selfish individuals.


    She was planning to weed them out when there was still time. If she waited until the last minute like Luther, the Saxon lineage and glory would die.


    Katherine sneered arrogantly, turned around and walked away. None of them understood what was needed for the Saxon group to thrive beyond what it was. She was the only one that knew what was best for the group and that was the formulas to Phoebe''s tonics.


    Just because she was retreating right now did not mean that she has surrendered. Miranda also followed Katherine, taking the path leading into the maze. Her calmness couldn''t depict the storm that was brewing within her.


    She disliked the fact that her mother-in-law was always defending Phoebe. Now that she was a Mayfair, she was even more valuable and beloved by the old woman. Just like Katherine, she thought the formulas for the tonics were useless in Phoebe''s hands.


    Miranda''s scheming mind never failed her however and she came to another realization. One custom that had been kept in their country was the exchange of gifts when a man and woman were getting married. They could patiently wait for the two families to discuss marriage and when the time came, they could ask for the formulas to be included in whatever the Mayfairs offered.


    While she was plotting, grandma Saxon was apologizing to Phoebe, her apologetic eyes moved between David and her. She hoped that Phoebe didn''t push her grandson away because of what happened. Phoebe could tell that the old woman was deeply saddened by everything so she wore a tiny smile.


    "It''s okay grandma, don''t fret about it."


    [I am not surprised by their behavior, in fact I will teach them a good lesson using the tonics.]


    A soft chortle slipped through grandma Saxon''s lips, each time she met Phoebe she became more certain that she was the perfect fit for the family. She patted the top of Phoebe''s hand and walked away.


    The heavy expression in David''s eyes disappeared and his eyes brightened when he realized Phoebe was not truly angry with him. His heart lightened and physically, his body relaxed.


    "I guess we can stroll to the reception too or we can directly leave because we have dinner plans." His eyes moved around, it was getting dark and the cemetery was empty and dimly lit.


    Shaking her head, Phoebe told him to go without her. "I have business to attend to."


    "Here? Now?" He quizzed.


    "Yes." She reached for her phone and dialed Shark''s number. She couldn''t spot him anywhere, he was running late.


    David wasn''t even surprised that she had business in a cemetery, curious about what business she was talking about, he rubbed his hands and decided to stay with her. There was no way he was going to leave her by herself in the dark cemetery.


    They walked towards a bench and sat down. Just like every cemetery, it was silent and the loudest noise there was that of the light wind.


    "Are you cold?" he asked her.


    She nodded, so David gave her his jacket immediately and pulled her closer to provide more warmth from his body.


    "What food did my grandmother give you?"


    "Yo!" A deep voice came from behind them.


    It startled David who separated from Phoebe heart with a heart pumping fast as if they had been engaged in something illicit.


    "You are late Shark."


    "Pheebs, i was waiting for the Saxons to leave. No offense David....I can call you that can''t i?" Shark smile half heartedly.


    "Yes of course, any friend of Pheebs is a friend of mine." David nodded once.


    Paula kept sighing with frustration as she looked at Shark, not only had delayed them but he was still in a playful mood.


    "It''s okay Paula, Shark here is good at his job but he makes mistakes because he''s human." Phoebe comforted the ghost.


    Her soft voice and words caused the fine lines on its face to disappear.


    "I just always thought that he was sharp but I was wrong, he is kind of a clown." Paula sighed deeply as she gave in


    "Wait a moment, Paula Rorton''s ghost is here?" Shark bellowed.

 Chapter 224 - 224: Plotting to solve a case.

    Phoebe was stunned that Shark was shocked, wasn''t he used to ghost business by now?


    "Yes of course, it''s her case we are tackling, i think i mentioned it. Don''t you remember?" She elevated her brows.


    Shark nodded continuously. "Can I see her, I mean I want to say something before we even start."


    On his request Phoebe waved and snapped her fingers and just like that their eyes were opened to see the supernatural. They could now see ghosts, not just Paula but the Verdemont lingering ghosts as well.


    "I didn''t think that they would be so many." David mentioned, forgetting again that he was in a cemetery.


    "Focus on only Paula David, the rest of these ghosts are none of our business unless they approach me for help." She demanded of him.


    He sniffed the thick cold air. "Is there a way to force them to move on without useful methods like Amon''s bells?" David abruptly asked.


    David looked at the ghost with pity filled eyes, he could not imagine the possibility of spending eternity tied to a cemetery. It was not living, there was no joy in it, in fact he thought it was a hell of its own kind.


    Phoebe thought back to the beginning of her ghost seeing days when she was still frightened of the new world she had been thrust into unwillingly. She had asked the Saxon spirit a similar question. Back then, she thought if the ghosts could simply be sent away, her life would resume normalcy. It only lasted until she realized that no ghosts could mean there was a possibility of her never making it to the age of thirty.


    Suddenly, she was pro ghost, the more of them there were in the world, the better.


    She sighed, "It can''t be done, they would simply carry their grievances into their next lives. Imagine if a stranger walked up to you one day and forcefully relocated you to the Silver nation, would you like it?"


    David shook his head with a distasteful look on his face.


    "Exactly." Phoebe strongly affirmed. "It''s the same thing for them, this is their home. They are lingering around for various reasons so just don''t mind them and focus on Paula who needs our help."


    Meanwhile Shark''s full attention had already been given to Paula. While David and Phoebe were talking, he had been apologizing for not keenly looking into her death.


    Paula was calm so Phoebe assumed the apology had been accepted and Shark was off the hook. She looked at the watch on her hand and realized she had been in the cemetery for a good forty minutes already.


    "Lets..." she started but Shark was still groveling, cutting her off.


    "I hope you will not hold a grudge against me, I can assure you that i am going to walk the ends of the earth and arrest everyone involved in your death but before we move forward I need to know what the hell happened in that club."


    "Yeah, same here. I want to hear it." David stood in an erect posture.


    "I already know the story."


    There was honestly no time to go through all the details so Phoebe summarized the story. When she finished, Shark kicked the metallic leg of the bench and winced.


    "Bloody hell! I have had my eyes on Sully and Amaro but i did not see this. I knew something was up when they started acting cagey, running around like headless chicken searching for something in the evidence which was collected at the club.


    Two days ago, Amaro moved into a new apartment in an expensive area of Loopy lane and Sully bought himself a new electric car. Those sons of bitches are not even hiding the fact that they are dirty anymore. It is already an open secret in the station but we lack evidence to prove it. Those two weasels are good at cleaning up after themselves.


    We all know that no one can afford the things they have on a cops salary but the money trail is always perfect like an inheritance from a distant relative or investments. I swear to God that if I put my hands on those two, they are dead." Shark made more verbal assurances that he would right the wrong.


    They all knew how impulsive he was, if he made one wrong move then it could only spoil things.


    "No!" Paula and Phoebe spoke in unison.


    Shark stared at them, one after the other.


    "What do you mean no? Someone has to teach them a good lesson."


    "The legal way Shark, if you rush we will accomplish nothing and Phoebe will be in danger because she is your source of information. First, we have to find a way to get Paula''s case reopened. Two, we need the police Standards Operations Bureau on this which means we need Amon''s help. I don''t like the guy but we have to involve him." David folded his arms and pinned them to his chest.


    Phoebe agreed immediately. "That''s true Amon is high up in police ranks and has knowledge on ghosts. It''s easier to explain our problem to him."


    "Or maybe I should just call in a favor from the chief of CPD, we are friends." David lifted his chin.


    Phoebe scoffed, not impressed at all. "And what will people say if word gets out that a Saxon used money to influence the police chief. I am sure Amaro and Sully will say that you just don''t like them because of what they did to me and you are on a revenge mission."


    "It''s true that i dislike them, i loathe them and i am taking them down permanently this time, with or without using my connections." David avoided her gaze at all costs, hoping that she would not see the bloodthirsty look in his eyes.


    Shark had been listening to the back and forth, he loudly clicked his tongue. "Pheebs has a point. To take dirty cops off the force one must have damning evidence or else they will just be transferred and the cycle will continue. Moreover, if the chief accuses them directly out of the blue, it will raise more questions than anything. Paula we need to get that memory card immediately and start making arrests."


    Paula nodded, she let them know that she had been keeping her eyes on the decorative dish. "The memory card is still there i am certain. Those decorative stones are changed once in three months."


    "I can''t go in directly to retrieve it, its a ladies room and i need a search permit to get in there or the police has to access the club while working on a case which allows us to search the premises without a warrant." Shark reminded them.


    "I will go." Phoebe volunteered. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "No." Both men yelled.


    Phoebe blinked and looked from one to the other. "I am the only woman here that can get in there without raising suspicion. I saw Amon around here somewhere, we need to brief him." Phoebe''s eyes moved to her buzzing phone.


    It was her father probably wondering where she was, she could not not answer it just yet.


    "No need." Came a voice from behind a large tomb stone. A man stood up and yawned, his arms stretching like a cat.


    Shark panicked and flushed his phone flashlight in the direction from which the voice came. "Deputy chief Amon?"

 Chapter 225 - 225: The band continues to grow.

    During the service, Amon had stealthily disappeared from the congregation. This was because he was exhausted and needed a place to rest his head. If it wasn''t for the fact that his parents had insisted on him being at the funeral he would not have bothered. The Verdemonts were not among his favorite people, they were mostly criminals and he abhorred criminals.


    He had moved around the cemetery, ignoring the ghosts that did not even give off a hint of fear when they saw his bell. The calmness made him uninterested in them so he continued on, in search of a resting place, it wasn''t long before he found a good hiding spot behind a big old tombstone.


    It was grey in color with a carving of a baby angel on the sharp tip at the top. The name on the tombstone was Valeria Verdemont who had died in 1902. For an old grave, it was well cared for and happened to be right beneath a big tree, providing shade so Amon found it perfect.


    He had been sleeping until the Phoebe-Katherine and then Miranda, David and grandma Mayfair loud tug of words woke him up.


    He thought silence would return when they left but Shark showed up and things became more interesting. As his name was mentioned, he figured it was time to make a grand entrance.


    "I hope you did not mind me resting here." He spoke to the gentleman ghost that was resting on top of the grave next to the one he had been resting on.


    Under normal circumstances, he would just shake the bell and force it to move on to the other side but Phoebe had made him to see things differently. Of course, he was not as blind as her, giving all ghosts a chance because even a harmless ghost could change and become harmful.


    These Verdemont ghosts were just anchored to the family cemetery, they could not go anywhere even if they wanted to.


    He saw the way Phoebe was watching him with guarded eyes and looking at ghosts as if she was ready to leap to their rescue and protect them from the big bad ghost catcher.


    "Relax, i will not touch them and there is no need to fill me in on your plotting." He stood and straightened out his arms. A weary smile played on his lips as he approached the group. "I heard everything, if you wanted to keep this private then you should have checked the surroundings around you first. Cemeteries are great places for shady business but it does not mean the absence of witnesses."


    David rolled his eyes. "Just tell us if you are in or out." He shifted his weight from one foot to another.


    "Of course i am, anything to help Phoebe." His smile broadened when his eyes shifted to her.


    He was looking at her like he was interested in more than just helping. A loud growl came out of David''s mouth, he felt his position being threatened each time a man showed too much interest in Phoebe especially because they were not exactly exclusive.


    They were still playing relationship chicken, no...she was the one doing that and he was all in.


    Amon chuckled briefly, his smile had been deliberate as he wanted to tick David off. The Saxon needed his ego to be brought down a little.


    Phoebe was not in the mood for any testosterone comparison matches, she just wanted this meeting ended.


    "What''s the plan? You had those two before so how did they escape being thrown off the force?"


    "They have connections, remember! CPD is a complicated organization, Sully and Amaro are just two small cogs in the machine, an organization of corrupt cops nation wide. We want to capture the entire group so we have been keeping an eye on them but this is a serious case so we can ditch them, we have others anyway."


    His answer made perfect sense to her, indeed those two corrupt cops had been backed by someone high up back then.


    "You need to arrest those two corrupt cops as soon as possible. What if they smell a rat and alert the rest of the group?"


    Nodding in agreement, Amon moved his lips to the side. "I can do it tomorrow but just as Shark has informed you, we need to get the evidence before that so that they can''t escape. My people, Paula and detective Shark here can handle that tonight. You guys can leave that to us."


    David frowned immediately. "No way! We have to come too." He spoke with fervent determination.


    "Are you are cop? Do you even know of the basic requirements for collecting evidence? There are dangerous people at that club and you want to walk in with your screaming famous white hair. Don''t you think that all eyes will be on you?


    You have not been seen in a club in Fog city for over a year now because you stopped partying. If you show up and those two are arrested the next day, don''t you think that it will be suspicious? As soon as Amaro and Sully learn that you passed by the Freezing moon, they will tie this back to you and Phoebe." Amon''s face marred deep lines of worry.


    "And you two won''t be recognized?" David sarcastically asked.


    On hearing his words, Amon chuckled. "And who said that we were going there ourselves?"


    Phoebe''s eyes opened wide as she suspected to understand what his question meant. "Then who? Are you sending someone else undercover?"


    "Yes." Both cops answered almost in unison. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    On hearing their plan, Phoebe shook her head in disagreement. What if what happened to Paula happened again. "You said the people in there were dangerous...."


    "Besides the decorative dish is in the ladies bathroom on the VIP floor, not just any commoner can access it. It would take months before that person gets a chance to upgrade to that floor." Paula interjected. "The club security has been upgraded since my death, they are not hiring any new workers or adding new VIP''s to their list for the moment to avoid another infiltration. It is going to be next to impossible for any undercover cop to make it to the top floor."


    She made a valid point that Amon and Shark hadn''t yet thought about. Usually for such a case, a team had to sit and strategize on how to proceed. But in this case there was no time for that and the less people knew about it the better.


    "Damn it!" Shark kicked the air to express his frustration. Initially this seemed like a piece of cake but it was getting harder by the minute.


    Amon clapped once and blinked frequently when an idea came to him. "There is only one route that we could take, we already know of a celebrity that suits the role perfectly." He elevated his brows and stared at Phoebe who caught on quickly.


    "No, no not him." She shook her head vehemently. "Not my brother, no way."

 Chapter 226 - 226: Who will be the rescuer of the day?

    Her refusal compelled Amon to pull his brows together in a frown.


    "Why not? He''s perfect for the job. He''s always jumping from one party to another and let''s be honest, after David Saxon, Andre Mayfair has a VIP pass to every nightclub in the country."


    David laughed mockingly and raised his hands to his waist. Obviously they were quick to hope that Amon would be useful. "Andre? You think that guy can do this, he is just as much of a risk as i am. Are you certain you want him?"


    "Yes, why not? I agree with the deputy chief on this one, we are short on time and racing to the finish line. Did you not hear me tell you that Amaro and Sully have been frantically searching for something in the evidence which was taken from the Freezing moon club? It is obvious that they are looking for the memory card. We have to use the resources we have on hand." Shark''s words earned him a sharp gaze from Phoebe.


    He averted his eyes from hers and looked at Amon, he would not be guilted into changing his opinion.


    "He''s a clumsy young man, a lot of things could go wrong. What would we tell the Mayfairs if he ended up like Paula. No offense ladies." Dread swallowed David''s whole by just thinking of all the things that would go wrong.


    "So do you have any other famous person in mind?" Amon spoke in a raised tone, his frustration very visible now.


    David regarded him with a cold piercing gaze. "Yes as a matter of the fact I do." His voice was equally raised.


    Tempers were beginning to flare so Phoebe chimed in. "Who? Tell us, any option is better than Andre."


    "Me. I will do it." David stated.


    Silence took over, they knew how much David had invested to clean his image yet he was willing to ruin it all to stop Phoebe from entering the poisonous club. Amon knew that he was doing it out of love but this one night could ruin his reputation, the Freezing moon was still hot off a scandal.


    "Listen David, we may not be the best of friends but...."


    "Fine, let''s have David to do it." Phoebe announced. David was right about Andre being a clumsy person, what if he drunk heavily and blabbered ever?


    More importantly while they had been going back and forth, it hit her that David did not even need to go into the club and neither did she. One, she had ghosts that could do the job and two, she could even use paper men. It did not matter who brought in the memory card, all that mattered was that it fell into their hands.


    Amon clasped his hands behind his back. "Alright, however if this goes south. I do not want my name brought up."


    Paula raised her hand half way. "There is one problem here, the decorative dish is in the ladies rest room. David is a man, last time I checked."


    Shark sighed in frustration, their woes were never ending, it seemed. David however was unfazed by the revelation.


    "Drunk men enter the ladies rest rooms accidentally all the time, i can fake it for a minute and get the card."


    "I know that everyone is tired so why don''t you all leave this part to David and I, we can tackle it easily without alerting the security." Phoebe tapped David''s back. "You two should go back and start preparing to make some big arrests because some of the names Paula gave me are big, and i mean big."


    Phoebe efficiently closed the meeting and literally shoved Shark and Amon to leave. They all left the cemetery and walked to the maze gardens.


    As they walked, Amon whispered to David. "The feeling is mutual."


    "Excuse me?" David stopped in his tracks.


    "I heard you say that you don''t like me very much. Well that feeling is mutual, if you mess up what you have with her. Then I will swoop in and save her from you." He warned before increasing his pace to meet up with Shark who was walking ahead of them.


    David smirked, it sounded like Amon knew how not to be a third wheel or mistress in their relationship. He was glad that Amon wasn''t going to pursue Phoebe until he messed up. He was never going to mess up however, not in this life. He had done that in the past and he regretted it so much. He put a hand on Phoebe''s waist and walked on proudly.


    On reaching the reception area where tents had been set up for an outdoor party, Phoebe was greeted by more than a few hateful stares from the Verdemonts. They still blamed her for everything that had happened to them.


    "I cannot believe that she is bold enough to show her face here. Why does David even see in her?" Camilla''s words permeated to Phoebe''s ears.


    "Maybe she charmed him, i heard that she sells love portions too." Said the girl that was sitting next to her.


    "Hmph, it must be true, nothing else can explain why David is hooked around her finger like an idiot." Emilia commented.


    They continued to discuss Phoebe but she did not care, she was looking at the place where Linda''s body had once laid.


    The tents in the gardens had been brightly decorated with string lights. The center of the gardens where Linda''s body had been had been renovated rather quickly.


    A marble sculpture of the god of the light faith had been placed there. Phoebe did not even know what to think, she could not even enjoy this celebration of Luther''s life and she was not the only one.


    The mood was dull despite all the food and drinks that were available in addition to the rather cheerful music which Ekhart had claimed were all his father''s favorite songs. Most people were not in the mood to party, after all a funeral was a funeral.


    Phoebe meandered through the crowd and reached the table allocated to the Mayfair''s. She was surprised to find Collin Baltimore sited with her family members.


    Her eyes as always went to his head first, the golden hair on his head was curled more than usual and longer than it had been when she last saw it.


    [Goldie, did you come for a funeral or to walk down a runway?]


    "Pheebs! You didn''t tell us that you knew such a handsome and charming young man. Why did you hide him from us." Jennie gestured for Phoebe to come over and sit down, excitedly.


    sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 227 - 227: Two Collins in a pod

    David came up behind Phoebe and the ready smile on his face died a little at the sight of his and Phoebe''s landlord. He wondered why the man was at the funeral when he did not even know Luther. He was new to Citrus city so it was doubtful that he had a personal relationship with the Verdemont''s as well. What was he doing here with the Mayfair''s?


    From the look of things, they had already been captivated by Collin''s charm. Unlike Amon, Collin was determined to become a persistent thorn in his journey of the pursuit of his wife.


    Phoebe heard David sighing unpleasantly, and she sighed as well.


    "Why is he even here? Are you here for the food? I didn''t see you at the cemetery." David thought out loud.


    Collin chuckled, he loved to get on David''s last nerves. He had figured out that David lacked control when he was around competition which could work to his advantage.


    "Maybe you should have looked harder, my family was invited to the funeral as well. I was not going to attend but now i am glad that i did, it is such a pleasant experience interacting with the Mayfair''s." Collin Baltimore turned up the charm. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Jennie giggled and Edward frowned.


    The most pleased person at the table other than Jennie was Collin Mayfair. Not once had he ever seen David uncomfortable around anyone, it was even better because this man was interested in his sister and seemed to be a better candidate than David.


    "I like you Collin, not just because we share a name but we have similar business ideas. Who knows what else we could become in the future, maybe family." He smiled slyly at David, with a deliberately calculated smirk on his face.


    Phoebe gave her brother a warning look. "We are just friends, stop making such jokes eldest brother."


    Feelings could not be forced and as sweet as Collin Baltimore was, she felt nothing for him. Even if David was not in the picture, she would not date him.


    "For now." Jennie interjected in a light manner. "It''s clear as day that Collin here cares for you." She turned to face him. "Are you aware that our Phoebe is a shaman?" She asked, there was suspense in her eyes.


    Nodding his head, Collin Baltimore let them know that he didn''t mind it. "It is just another job like that of a doctor or a teacher, there is nothing wrong with it. Pheebs helped my sister who had constant nightmares and headaches. I don''t think that i will ever thank her enough for the help."


    Phoebe smiled gently. "I am glad to hear that she is much better." She watched the exit as she was extremely tired.


    From hunting for herbs to a funeral and then a planned trip to the Freezing moon club, she did not intend to stay here much longer. Phoebe wanted to escape more now that Collin was buttering up her family and besides, hunger had visited her once again, and she wasn''t going to eat a thing from the funeral. She wanted those pork ribs.


    "Perfect!"Jennie exclaimed, her eyes shone brightly. Not once had she ever looked at David like that. "Collin you are always welcome to our home."


    Phoebe frowned when she heard her mother say that, she wanted to shake Jennie awake. For what reason would he be visiting?


    "Thank you Mrs. Mayfair, please excuse me i should join my family now." Collin winked at David before leaving the table.


    "Skunk." David muttered.


    Phoebe almost chuckled loudly because she heard him vividly.


    Grandma Mayfair was watching silently, she had not been as enthusiastic as Jennie and Collin. She already knew that the gold haired man had no chance at winning Phoebe''s heart, she had already given it to David at least half of it.


    In fact, Phoebe had been displeased when Jennie gave Collin an open invitation to their house. Phoebe had not expressed that displeasure and the old woman decided to do it for her.


    "Jennie you need to slow down and stop assuming that any man is good for Phoebe except David. You have no idea about the things this young man has done for our Phoebe."


    Andre raised his hand half way. "Yes granny i am with you on this one and i am rooting for David too." He nodded once at David who smiled.


    There were so many reasons as to why he was in his corner. One being that David was a man of his word. He had promised to invest in Andre''s movie and he had done so. The second being that he had seen David put himself in front a gun, willing to take a bullet for Phoebe.


    Jennie shifted uncomfortably in the chair and she looked down at the plate. It was one thing bad mouthing David in his absence and another to say it to his face but still, she wanted to defend herself and explain her reasons.


    "Mother, we all know David''s character...."


    "Yes, his character is an honest and hard working young man. Don''t hold his past against him." Edward interrupted his wife.


    Jennie went into sulking mode immediately but nobody attempted to comfort her, she had made her bed, she had to lay in it.


    The Saxon spirit huffed. "I am sorry to say this Phoebe but your mother is a busy body. Find her some work or something! Why is she meddling in your love life? What does she have against David? He''s not that bad."


    Phoebe let out a muffled chuckle, the spirit was team David, of course it did not like when it concerned this specific matter. Her eyes moved to her wrist watch. It was around 9:00pm.


    "Everyone, i am retiring now. Don''t worry David will take me home, we have dinner plans."


    Some of the people on the table announced that they were leaving as well. In the end, all of the Mayfair''s decided to go home.


    "David take me home child." grandma Mayfair clung onto David''s hand.


    She had this mysterious smile on her face and soon, Phoebe found out why.


    When they entered the Mayfair manor, they were greeted with a thick aroma of delicious food wafting in the air. Phoebe''s legs increased their pace, carrying her in the direction of the dining room.


    On the table, a hefty amount of food was waiting, it was everything Phoebe had ordered for in the forest. It had been delivered to the Mayfair manor at David''s request.


    "How?" Phoebe wondered excitedly while grabbing a seat.


    Maria stepped forward and asked if they will need anything else other than utensils.


    "Beers, bring out some beers, i want to have cold beer with ribs." Grandma Mayfair''s shoulders danced from side to side.


    David smiled with satisfaction as he sat next to Phoebe, the Mayfair''s would all warm up to him.


    Luke and Andre joined in, hardly had they dug in when the rest of the Mayfairs arrived. They also took seats and served themselves, even Jennie to David''s surprise.


    Only Collin who retired to bed early did not partake in the meal.


    At exactly 10:30pm, David announced that he was leaving. Phoebe said that she had an errand to run and both of them left the house to fulfill their mission.

 Chapter 228 - 228: Evidence secured

    This was a mission for only two people, Phoebe and David, to avoid drawing attention to themselves he did not allow any of the bodyguards to follow them. It turned out to be a wise decision because the area around the club was being surveilled heavily by shady looking individuals that appeared to be thugs.


    They were shooting menacing and suspicious glances at anybody that appeared to be out of place. Paula had been right about the tightening of security around the Freezing moon club.


    They were even turning away unfamiliar faces in the long line of hopeful clubbers. What they could not turn away were the paparazzi and reporters that were still interested in the story, hoping to get crumbs that would be the next breaking news in the city or country at large. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Where should we park?" Phoebe asked Paula''s ghost.


    "There is a blind spot at the back that doesn''t have cameras. It''s usually used to do illegal activities, that''s the best way in." Paula advised strongly.


    David drove around until he found an available slot in the area Paula highlighted. It was near an alley whose lighting was dim and all sorts of suspicious characters were passing through or lounging in the alley.


    A couple of kids that clearly looked like teens were smoking.


    Someone knocked on the window from outside and flashed a pink powder to David. He lowered the window and stared coldly at the drug peddler.


    "Go away."


    His commanding voice and its tone frightened the drug peddler away. David''s eyes roamed around and unease grew in the pit of his stomach. How could he go inside and leave Phoebe here?


    "Pheebs i cannot go in there and leave you behind, this place is not safe. I think you should go in with me, we can find a nearby shop and buy a wig and sun glasses."


    He turned from her but Phoebe pulled on his hand. "No body is entering that dangerous place and we do not need any disguise."


    Paula was confused, Phoebe was deviating from the plan. If David did not go into the club then how would they secure the evidence?


    "How then are we going to get the memory card, I have no ability to hold things." She tried to grab David''s phone to show them what she meant. Indeed, her pale hand just went through, not even causing the phone to tremor slightly.


    "That is because you are a baby ghost that lacks extreme anger so you do not have a lot of energy. Do not worry about how we are going to get the memory card, I have a team for that. Guys it''s time." She summoned the ghosts, further more she returned to David the temporary ability to see them.


    "Oh wow, our ghost team. Why didn''t I think of that?" He elevated his brows on seeing Connie and Sylvester. David couldn''t see the Saxon spirit but he knew Phoebe had another ghost helper she often referred to as ancestor.


    In his mind, he always pictured this ghost an an ancient wrinkly old woman that was related to the Mayfairs.


    Phoebe started explaining what she thought to be the perfect strategy to David and Paula. She was going to summon the paper men who would sneak into the ladies rest room and retrieve the memory card. The ghosts where to escort them to ensure that everything went well. It was a restroom after all, if water was splashed on them even by mistake then they would dissolve.


    "Connie and Sylvester you two should head in and check on the situation, no people should be in there when the paper men make an appearance." Phoebe ordered.


    "Hell no! Sylvester is going no where. Even if he is a ghost, he''s still a dude." Connie pushed her hand forward to stop him.


    "I''ll wait outside the bathroom." Sylvester quickly volunteered to stay behind.


    The Saxon spirit mentioned that it would go with Connie and Phoebe nodded. As long as someone was watching over Connie, she was relieved. Left on her own, the girl had a tendency to wander off.


    Phoebe did not trust her to be on her best behavior inside a club where some of her favorite celebrities could be.


    The paper men where summoned and Phoebe exposed them to David who had never seen them.


    "What are they made of?" David''s index finger moved to touch them but he retrieved it when the one he intended to touch hissed and frowned. "Sorry buddy."


    David was surprised to see that they could react as if they were real. He thought Phoebe had exhausted all of her surprises but apparently he was wrong, she had more in store.


    "They are paper men, so they are made from paper of course." Phoebe spoke gently like she was explaining facts to a young child.


    She left out the part of the ghost energy bringing them to life. She wasn''t about to entertain questions about the ghost energy at least not now.


    "It''s clear." Connie returned with a good report.


    The paper men flew out and climbed a part of the wall like insects. They entered the club through the rest room window. They moved like ninjas and landed in the ceramic bowl.


    Hardly had they began to search through the exotic stones, when two girls entered. Their attention was drawn to the paper men immediately.


    It was hard to miss them when they were so vivid under the bright light. One opened her mouth to scream but the Saxon spirit blew sleeping dust in her face and did the same with the other.


    "Goodness gracious! little ones, please pick up the speed." The spirit laid its hands over the girls in the bid to erase their memories. "It looks like Phoebe will have to feed me new energy again." It muttered.


    One of the paper men squeaked like a mouse, he had found the memory card. He flew in the air and handed it to the Saxon spirit.


    "Oh thank God!" A teary Paula clapped with joy. They carefully positioned the stones as they had been and left through the small window.


    Once they returned to the car, the spirit gave Phoebe the memory card which she gave to David. "It''s now up to you, deliver it to the detectives. And David, please be careful with it, hand it directly to Amon."


    He smiled and started the car. "Your cute but don''t worry about me, I will be fine."


    Phoebe sneered. "It''s not you i am worried about, it''s the evidence."


    His smile only grew wider, he stepped on the gas pedal and drove towards the Cerene Apartments.


    After dropping Phoebe off, David proceeded to the police station directly. He parked outside and called Amon who came with Shark.


    "That was fast." Amon arched an eyebrow as he placed the memory card in an evidence bag.


    "Ghosts work harder than cops these days." David mumbled, his words were not clearly heard by Amon who asked for him to repeat what he had said.


    David chuckled. "I said arrest those damn fools and remember that nothing about this can lead back to Phoebe."


    He sent the cops away and made a call to Roxanne, he was not a fool, he had downloaded the contents of the memory card to a spare phone that he always traveled with.


    "I have something that i need you to look into, tell Roman to categorize it into what we can use and what we can dump."


    With his mission finished, he drove back to the Cerene apartments.

 Chapter 229 - 229: Luthers will__1

    11:00PM at the Verdemont family house, all the Verdemont''s from the oldest to youngest including a six month old baby that was sleeping in her mother''s arms gathered.


    By this time, all the guests that had come for the funeral had been thanked and sent away. This was because after the funeral and celebration of Luther''s life, the most important part had come.


    It was the single thing which had been on the minds of the family all day, the reading of Luther''s will. Despite exhaustion and a need to rest, the entire family was sitting in the living room, anxiously waiting for Mr. Cornwell to make his entrance.


    Even the Verdemonts that had been living out of Fog country were back, they had not made it in time for Luther''s burial but were right on time for the reading of the will. Bubbles of excitement coursed through their veins as they calculated what each of them would get.


    As they waited for Mr. Cornwell, they discussed this and that but mostly talked about Luther, this was because many were holding grudges against him and needed to vent with those that were as like minded as them. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I cannot believe that old man wanted to fuck us over, death couldn''t have visited at a better time." Emilia leaned back in the sofa and crossed one leg over the other.


    She had a glass of strong whiskey in her hands, the third one for the night. Emilia was not a drinker but lately she had taken to indulging because of all the troubles the family had faced.


    She had narrowly escaped being divorced by Ekhart after rumors of an affair with the minister of light plagued her. Her reputation was now similar to Linda''s ill reputation back then. Emilia knew that it was the work of Luther, he had spearheaded the smear campaign to punish her.


    Nina covered her five year old daughter''s ears. "Emilia watch your language! There are children amongst us." She threw her an accusative glare.


    "It''s past their bedtime, all children need to leave the room. It''s adult business anyway." Emilia downed the whiskey and snapped her fingers at the butler, indicating that she wanted her glass refilled.


    Slapping the sofa armrest, Nina felt anger radiate through her. She was tired of Emilia''s behavior, lately she acted like she was in charge and nobody cared to put her in her place.


    "Who the hell are you to say that? You are a Verdemont by marriage and not by birth. I highly doubt that my father whom you slander every chance you get left you anything. If anybody should be in bed, it''s you after all, you caused Linda''s death and angered my father to his death as well."


    Scoffing at Nina''s words, Emilia shot her a venomous look. "Your father? Oh so now you remember who he was to you? I know that old man left me nothing, I am here to make sure that my husband who is the next chairman of our corporation gets what he is owed."


    On listening to her words, Paul let out a muffled chuckle. He knew that there was no way his father had left the Verdemont empire in Ekhart''s hands. He was the first son but the worst person for the job.


    "This is going to be interesting." He whispered to his son who was dressed to the nines, with Brandon out of the way he was next in line as long as the position of patriarch went to his father.


    "Sister-in-law, you can choose other words to insult Emilia, reminding her that she is not a Verdemont by birth is a slap to all the wives that married into this family." Aretha, Paul''s wife said this to Nina.


    The air was loaded with tension as different members of the family eyed each other suspiciously. The longer Cornwell took to arrive, the more the tension grew and the more they traded words.


    Mr. Cornwell walked in with his team of lawyers and technicians who set up the projector screen. The air lightened a bit and some people put on their greed filled smiles.


    "Finally! How dare he make us wait, after today, we will not be needing your services anymore." Emilia muttered.


    Mr. Cornwell ignored most of the remark Emilia had made. It had not been his intention to arrive late, he had returned home after the funeral, skipping the dinner as he could not tolerate the Verdemonts anymore. He had assumed that naturally since it was late the will could be read the next day.


    Imagine his surprise when he got a call at 10 p.m ordering him to report to the mansion and do his duty. Of course it took a while to put everything together and gather his team because they had already retired for the night.


    "I am sorry for the delay." He bowed respectfully as he apologized. "Would you like me play Luther''s video or would you prefer that i read and explain each clause of this will." Cornwell''s eyes moved around, lingering on Ekhart and Paul especially.


    "Read the damn will already."Ekhart rubbed his hands together, salivating for what was to come.


    "Skip the useless parts too." Emilia flipped her hair, she planned to pull some strings and get Brandon a time served and probation verdict first, the moment she got her hands on that fortune.


    "These are your father''s last wishes, why rush it? As his lawyer and that of the corporation i have to do what is best for my client. In this case it''s to make sure that those left behind understand it and also that his wishes are followed to a tee." Cornwell cleared his voice and opened a briefcase, he went ahead to pull out an envelope.


    His little lecture didn''t settle well with Ekhart who agreed with his wife, he needed to get rid of Cornwell as soon as he became boss.


    In the first clauses of the will Luther condemned the behavior of his family members. He blamed many for Linda''s death and others for remaining silent and just watched.


    Cornwell looked around and he took in the frowns of the quiet Verdemonts who were displeased already.


    "It is for this reason that i have been forced to make such drastic decisions." Cornwell read on. "The Verdemont family home will remain as such, all of you are welcome to it and no one will solely own it. As always, the family home can never be sold no matter what circumstances you find yourselves in. The rest of the houses that I own all over the world will not be inherited by anyone as i have sold them off."


    His words elicited a "What?" From the listeners.


    "All of them?" Asked Rumi Verdemont. She had been hoping to get the villa in Magic city. She had often expressed to Luther how much she loved that villa and even lived there every summer.


    "Relax Rumi, what is important is the money. We can buy other houses anyway." Her brother Victor told her.

 Chapter 230 - 230: Luthers will__2

    "I own fifteen cars and they will remain in the family, free for use by anyone at home with the exception of my five antique cars, they will be donated to the Citrus auto museum...."


    "What!" Someone exclaimed before Cornwell could even finish.


    The antique cars were worth about two hundred fifty million, how could they be donated?


    Cornwell gestured at one of the junior lawyers at his firm and the man stepped out. "I invited the higher ups of the museum, they are already here to take the cars."


    The junior lawyer stepped out to assist in this process, an action that angered many of the Verdemonts. They were planning to sell off the cars quickly before the museum''s people could show up, now it was not going to happen.


    Clearing his voice Cornwell moved his eyes around in search of something or someone. "Where are the employees?" He asked casually.


    Ekhart who thought that the process was slow asked why he was searching for them. Of what use were employees during the reading of his father''s will?


    "That''s because the next part is about them, i cannot continue without them around. So please, summon them." He opened a bottle and sipped on some water and opened a coffee flavored candy. He needed the caffeine because this was going to be a long night for all of them.


    In a straight line the employees walked in headed by the butler. They stood on the sides far from where their employers sat.


    "To my long serving butler turned friend, I leave you the sum five million. I hope that with this money you will leave the confines of the family and start living your own life with your wife. You stood by me through everything at the expense of your own happiness, I have never taken your kindness for granted." Mr Cornwell read.


    Shaking his head, Ekhart looked at the lawyer as if he was crazy. "Is that even legal? That''s our money that he is dashing out carelessly. How can a servant receive 5 million? Is he even worth it?"


    There were some of course that agreed wholeheartedly with Ekhart.


    Paul dismissed his words. "Oh come on Ekhart, it''s just pennies. What is five million to us? It''s not even a half of my granddaughter''s monthly allowance. Besides, the butler really did take care of the old man so he deserves it. Go on" he jutted his chin at Cornwell.


    "As for the rest of the employees, I have instructed DP holdings to distribute ten million amongst you. The percentage of what each of you will get will depend on how long you have worked in my home." Cornwell paused because Paul kept swinging his hand from one side to another as if he was a concertmaster.


    "Again, is it legal that he gave out our money to servants?" Ekhart wrinkled his nose in disgust. "What is this DP whatever anyway?"


    "Well Mr Verdemont was in charge of everything to do with his will. What he chose to do with his wealth is very legal under the law." Tucker, a partner at T&C explained.


    "I will continue." Cornwell cleared his voice. "Most of the Verdemont assets which i accumulated have been liquidated, the money is stowed safely at Loewe Bank. Minus what I have given to the employees it amounts to two hundred billion, sixty million and seven hundred thousand. This money is to be shared in half, one half is to be given to the Linda Foundation...."


    "Hold up a minute, half! What the fuck is going on here? What the hell is the Linda foundation?" Paul stood up and placed his hands on his head.


    Ekhart leaped up as well and shouted. "This is not true, does it mean he sold the company? I told you all the old man was going insane, we should have tied him up as soon as he started this search for Linda again."


    "Cornwell, did you forge this will? We are going to sue and challenge it." Nina expressed strongly.


    The Verdemonts were beginning to sense trouble coming for them and Cornwell was the singular target of their fury.


    "I know everyone is excited but if you could all calm done, i am not finished. Yes, half of the money is for the Linda foundation which was created by Mr. Verdemont himself." Cornwell calmly explained to an agitated bunch.


    "Half! That''s what one hundred billion? What does this foundation even do and who will be managing it?" Caroline Verdemont asked.


    The sharp ones in the room perked up at Caroline''s question. Indeed, who was going to be in charge of the 100 billion dollar foundation?


    Cornwell folded his lips. "I am sorry but I cannot give you anymore information on the manager. Mr. Verdemont chose someone he deemed suitable to head this foundation."


    "And who is that?" Emilia shouted, she couldn''t help but feel like she had been robbed. "Is it someone in the family?" Her suspicious eyes moved around.


    "I suggest that you settle down such that this process can continue and you can all know what he left for you." Cornwell''s words flew right above their heads. The Verdemonts continued to discuss what they had just heard.


    "This isn''t the will that I saw guys, something is definitely wrong here." Ekhart spoke loudly. He had bribed a clerk at T&C who allowed him to take a sneak peak at Luther''s will, he was highly favored in it and there was no such thing as the Linda foundation.


    Cornwell and Tucker traded gazes, they agreed silently to handle the matter lest it grow bigger.


    "What do you mean by that statement Mr Verdemont? What you are saying here is a crime, something illegal. We are going to thoroughly investigate and if it turns out that someone at our offices showed you Mr Luther''s will then he will be terminated and sued." Cornwell spoke decisively. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "And you too will be implicated for bribing someone." Tucker added.


    Ekhart blinked rapidly, he realized that he had spoken carelessly. "Who said that I saw it from your office? I read through it when it was still a draft, it was in my father''s study." He''s defended himself.


    But the two head lawyers were not convinced, they planned to look into the matter.


    "Tell us what happens to the other half of the money?" Paul perched on the edge of the chair, his hands moved and opened the two top buttons of his shirt.


    Cornwell nodded. "The other half will under the control of DP holdings."


    Cornwell delivered even more surprising news that caused a mixture of reactions. The most extravagant one was Caroline who fainted directly and Nina that started wailing mournfully, a thing she had not done even when her father''s body had been lowered into the ground.


    Others lost their sanity for a brief second. Ekhart leaped at Cornwell in the bid to put his hands around the lawyer''s throat and strangle him.


    Cornwell dodged and Ekhart grabbed Tucker''s hair instead, eliciting a surprised cry out of the lawyer''s mouth.


    "Mr. Ekhart please behave yourself." Tucker said as he struggled against Ekhart''s assault.


    Cornwell had come prepared with security standing right behind the door. On hearing the fracas, they swarmed in to control the situation.

 Chapter 231 - 231: Luthers will, conclusion

    Ekhart was like a possessed man and it took five people to pull him away from Tucker and even then, he kicked and screamed as he was led out of the living room to calm down.


    His loss of control and actions left the Verdemonts even more stunned, nobody imagined that a simple reading of a will could end in the exchange of blows. In fact, it had not come to an end yet so perhaps there was more violence to come.


    As for the servants, many of them were hiding their laughter, one had even recorded the scuffle, it could be used to earn some money from a reporter or Ekhart himself.


    "Are you alright?" Cornwell asked Tucker.


    He shook his head, he was not alright, he had lost a few strands of hair and his scalp was on fire. "I guess we are spending the entire night here, what a family of nut jobs." Tucker sat upright and gulped down an energy drink.


    He massaged the side of his cheek that was still hot and painful as a side effect of the punch he got during the scuffle.


    "We should have brought guard dogs too." he muttered.


    "You were wondering why Luther changed his will, i guess you now have the answer to that question." Cornwell laughed slightly as he stood up from the floor where he had been sitting.


    He groaned softly as he felt pangs of pain in his tummy. He too had received his fair share of punches before the security guards got a control of Ekhart. The man had even bitten his arm.


    "Let''s take a one hour break and wait for sanity to be restored and the ones who fainted to be checked by a doctor." Paul suggested.


    Everyone agreed and they dispersed, Emilia had to be carried out as she was half-drunk. They needed to sober her up or she would turn into another Ekhart and initiate a fight.


    The lawyers were left alone in the living room and they could not help gossiping about what had happened so far.


    "It is eye opening to witness their craziness firsthand." One said.


    "Luther was right, they cannot run a business or grow it. They simply want to be hand fed forever."


    "My God, i never thought i would see Ekhart Verdemont biting a person."


    The butler and two servants brought them coffee and pastries because even they could tell that it was going to be a long night.


    "We should prepare for the next part, this was only the beginning. Old man Verdemont really did them dirty, wait until they hear the rest of the will." Tucker chuckled softly, now he believed that the Verdemonts were getting exactly what they deserved.


    "Guard your hair this time." Cornwell joked.


    All the lawyers laughed and Tucker touched the top of his head and winced.


    After exactly one hour, the Verdemonts marched into the living room one by one. The smiles that they initially wore at the start of the reading of the will were completely gone, replaced by frowns. Those that seemed to have fainted came back too. Victoria Verdemont even hand a cannula on the hand.


    Emilia walked into the living room with a cannula as well, she appeared to be sober but she was being supported by Ekhart and Camilla from both sides like she was a very ill patient.


    Before Cornwell could speak, Ekhart beat him to it. He seemed to be in better condition than when he had been carried out roughly.


    "We are greatly appalled by what you have read to us. And just so to let you know, we are going to challenge this will. My father was very sick towards his death, these new changes to his will do not count."


    Paul stomped his foot to assert what he was about to say. "Yes we are. Before you go on any further, you should know that the family doctor is ready to attest to the fact that my father was suffering from depression and other mental illnesses. It was during this time that he made these ridiculous challenges."


    Cornwell let out a muffled chuckle. "Your father knew that you would make such a claim."


    "What did you say?" Ekhart cocked his head.


    "I said that your father knew that you would claim he was mentally unsound towards his death, so he visited over five of the best hospitals in Fog country including Lockhart for a mental wellness check up. Each specialist from these hospitals gave the same result, that he was very sane in fact his brain function was like that of a fifty year old despite him being eighty. " Cornwell''s eyes locked on Ekhart with a warning gleam.


    It was not wise to take this matter to court especially with him as an opponent.


    Paul and Ekhart were unhappy to hear this, the old man had really prepared well. Five specialists versus one bribed family doctor, it was easy to tell who the law would side with.


    "What''s this DP holdings? I keep hearing about it, who the hell owns it and what is their connection to my grandfather? What if they tricked grandfather?" Camilla shakily spoke, worry of becoming poor gnawed at her.


    Paul interjected. "Before you answer that, first confirm this. Did that wicked old man really leave us with nothing?"


    Cornwell frowned when Paul called his father wicked but he chose to remain silent, his job was not to trade words in Luther''s defense.


    "Yes, he did but you interrupted me while I was still reading the will. As for DP holdings, the management team will be expecting you at their headquarters. All your questions will be answered there, the important thing that you should know is that the company will be managing half of the Verdemont fortune." Cornwell massaged his neck as his eyes adjusted and fell upon Ekhart who had tried to strangle him. What he was going to say next could set the man off even more.


    "Just tell us what he left us." Ekhart''s hands run through his hair, unfazed by the accusative glare he received from Cornwell. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "All of you will receive a maximum of ten thousand dollars a month as an allowance with the exception of Nina Verdemont who will receive fifty thousand." Cornwell''s words evoked gasps and cries from the listeners.


    This time, three people fainted at the same time and one teenage boy crumbled to the floor.


    "Ten thousand? Only ten thousand? That cannot even buy a purse! What am I supposed to do with ten thousand dollars?" Caroline lamented, almost chocking on her tears.


    "A lot of people out there are living on a monthly budget that is smaller than that. It is actually a great salary for many people that would kill to receive it free of charge." Tucker tried to comfort them.


    "We are the Verdemonts! Even in the grave that old man is still shitting on us." Emilia punched her chest as she cursed Luther. "I hope that he doesn''t rest in peace."


    Nina meanwhile was crying, thanking her father for his generosity, at least she had not been written off completely. She regretted a lot of things especially not standing up for Linda and not caring for her father more.


    Ekhart stood up to leave, he was making plans to sell the corporation and run away with the money along with his secret mistress.

 Chapter 232 - 232: Peanuts left.

    It hit him that he had stood up a little too quickly so he sat down again, he needed to know about the distribution of shares before making any decisions.


    "You have said a lot but we have not heard anything about the corporation, specifically my father''s shares. I hope that nothing funny was written in there, it''s already popular knowledge that i am the next chairman of the corporation so they should all go to me. My inauguration has been scheduled already." Ekhart''s lips danced with a hidden smile that he was trying to hide. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If he could get his hands on those shares, there would be need to sell company secrets and move abroad. He could stay in the country and continue living large. Unlike his miserable siblings and their offsprings, at least he still had one thing and it was the most important.


    Ekhart could hardly contain the joy and he stood up again, giving Cornwell an expectant look.


    Mr. Cornwell let out a short heavy sigh. "Mr Ekhart Verdemont please, take a sit." He requested politely but the man only dismissed him with a wave.


    Cornwell shrugged his shoulders and figured he might as well get it over with. "About the corporation, your father ordered that it is managed by DP holdings as well and he gave them his shares, management rights as well as power of attorney."


    Ekhart stiffened, it was like he had been struck by lightning or a bullet that had been fired directly into his heart. All of the sandcastles he had built in the air came crushing as his dream of being a wealthy chairman flew away.


    "What...what do you mean? I am the first son! That corporation is my birth right. I am supposed to take over just like my father took over from his father and so on." He pulled his shoulders closer to his body.


    In denial, he slowly sat down and shook his head continuously, muttering ''impossible'' over and over again.


    "Explain this very well." Paul ordered, he was disappointed that it wasn''t left to him as well. If not him, his son was an option too, his character was better than Brandon''s at least.


    Mr. Cornwell flipped the pages to the clause of interest. "The Corporation will be under the management of DP holdings but not forever. DP holdings, together with T&C law firm will study your behaviors and ways of life to see how you progress on your own This can be considered a test of character.


    After some years the company management rights will be given to the most suitable Verdemont, someone honest and competent. I did this because I want you to be remorseful especially Ekhart, my first son who has disappointed me the most. I want you all to change your ways and nurture a better generation of Verdemonts our ancestors will be proud of.


    Let me be clear, this offer is not extended to my sons and daughters, their chance has come and gone. I want you all to know that i feel no remorse for the drastic measures i have taken for i cannot entrust the livelihood of thousands of our employees in the hands of beasts like you.


    Oh, one last thing, i hired hackers to drain the money in your private accounts as soon as the reading of this will was started. Ten thousand dollars is all you are left with each right now, i advise you to spend it wisely. If you are unhappy, you know where to find me."


    Cornwell''s tongue pressed on the word beasts as he found them to be that, exactly.


    No sooner had he finished reading that clause when Ekhart let out a painful groan. He raised his clenched fist to his chest and fell to his knees.With trembling hands, he checked his phone and realized that he had indeed received a notification from the bank in the form of a text.


    Hundreds of millions from his accounts were gone and it was the same for everyone that was scrambling to call and confirm this with their banks. However, at that time of the night, every bank was closed and they could get no help.


    There was more fainting and more people crumbled and wailed.


    Ekhart''s heart had never been broken like this before. Hot tears fell from his eyes, he could not even hold them back.


    "It''s over," he mumbled.


    "How could he do this to us! his family. Leaving us with peanuts and giving away everything to unknown people including the servants." Emilia wailed, her eyes shut tightly.


    She vowed to fight to the last drop of her blood to reclaim everything the old man had given away. Poverty wasn''t something she signed up for when she married Ekhart. If it came to the worst she planned to divorce him and return to her Lawson family which still had wealth and influence.


    Paul pointed his index finger at the lawyers. "This isn''t over just yet, we are going go fight this."


    Cornwell narrowed his eyes and stared at him. "I strongly advise against that, I''ll tear you to shreds in a court of law. This will was carefully drafted, there are no loopholes for you to contest it. Your grandfather left behind a video recording of himself drafting this will so no judge will rule in your favor. Besides, do you want to waste the little money you have left on lawyers yet you won''t win?"


    "Mr. Cornwell, are there any other wishes he wanted us to fulfill?" Nina asked, she was ready to do anything after all he had showed kindness to her.


    Even her account had one million left, as long as she nurtured her children well, maybe one of them would be the one to lead the company in future.


    "For the Verdemonts that is all, i advise that you do as he requested such that the corporation can return to the family someday." Cornwell advised.


    He handed the copies of the medical forms, the written will and a copy of the recorded will on a flash drives to his assistant who passed them around.


    Some of the Verdemonts rejected them saying that they had no use of the information in there. But others like Paul that still harbored the idea of taking things to court gladly accepted theirs.


    Paul began to read through his copy hoping to find a loophole that he could use to challenge his father''s will.


    "On each of those flash drives handed to you is a special message to each and everyone of you. I know that right now it seems like the old patriarch was unfair to you but with time I hope that you understand that he wanted to save you from yourselves." Cornwell closed his brief case.


    "Phoebe Mayfair? Isn''t that the shaman girl that found Linda?" Paul''s out of the blue question earned him attention from everyone including Cornwell.


    "Seriously Paul how is that important right now?" Ekhart barked like a hungry dog.


    Paul stood up and pointed at the name which was clear in black ink. "Why is Phoebe Mayfair''s name in here on the list of people that must receive a copy of the will?" He quizzed the lawyer who was about to leave.


    Cornwell paused and looked at the curious family. It gave him great pleasure to see them so drained of arrogance.


    "Well that is none of your business, i believe we are done." He excused himself and left.

 Chapter 233 - 233: Who leaked the videos?

    It was another day and another scandal was knocking on the doors of the citizens of Fog country. The gossip tabloids in Fog country were on a rampage. During the night, a few clips from a party at the Freezing moon club had been released by an unknown source.


    Faces of idols, celebrities and politicians were seen in the videos doing all things of immoral and illegal things. From drugs to shameless sexual acts a lot was going on in the videos.


    It was unknown who had leaked the videos but the question of the source was on everyone''s tongue. Whoever had done it had to be really powerful or really stupid because these people would be looking for the source of the leak.


    The Freezing moon club which had just narrowly escaped the limelight after Paula''s death was once again in the news for all the wrong reasons. Reporters had descended on the club already although it was firmly closed.


    Its social media pages had been deactivated and the boss was rumored to have escaped the city in the night. Already apologies and statements were being released from those whose faces had been captured.


    As one of the people that was involved in the hottest and latest scandal in the country, Phoebe was keeping a close eye on everything Freezing moon and she was glad to see the direction which had been taken. If everybody was scrambling to cover their ass, nobody would be wiping someone else''s.


    As for the police, they would be scrambling to push out a fall out person for all the poor investigations into the club. Sully and Amaro were going to be dumped faster than a grenade whose pin had been pulled.


    "Hmmm Amon and Shark move really fast." Phoebe scrolled from one blog to another.


    The Saxon spirit turned the TV on, switching to Phoebe''s preferred channel. Their famous cute reporter Heinz who was a pretty boy with a lovely smile and one dimple was reporting the news from outside of the police station where a number of public figures had been detained including two officers whose names had been withheld.


    "Right now we are waiting for the Chief of police to give us more details but what we know so far is that our colleague Paula Rorton was killed while undercover. It is because of her bravery that we have unmasked these shameless people. We expect that her case, and those of the four women she was working hard to seek justice for are going to be reopened as soon as possible. Heinz Benjamin, reporting live from the CPD central head quarters.


    "Paula must be over the moon." Phoebe commented, her fingers pressed the remote changing the channel to one which showed cartoons.


    At this point, her job was done as all the dirt which had been smeared on Paula was being washed away.


    The Saxon spirit sighed. "That poor thing has not left the station. Together with Amon and Shark they worked the entire night. All the culprits have been arrested including King R.I.P his career is over. Not even Eliza Grant is going to get him out of this one, she is going to be busy saving herself."


    Phoebe nodded, in fact Eliza Grant had bigger problems, another one of her celebrities, Shusana a popular young singer had just been arrested at the airport for importing pink cocaine. Apparently her case had fallen down, shattering completely and a brick of pink cocaine flew through the air, hitting a customs agent on the head.


    Phoebe knew that it was the ghost which was haunting Eliza that had done this. Bricks did not have wings, they could not fly unless they were thrown out by someone or something.


    She laid on her bed. lazily texting Evelyn who was furious because her own boyfriend was among that people in the videos. Her friend was looking for a shoulder to cry on and wanted to visit Phoebe.


    Paula appeared in Phoebe''s bedroom, a big smile was on her lips.


    "They''ve all been caught! Oh, i am so pumped, all those assholes have been rounded up, Amaro and Sully have been arrested. King R.I.P has confessed to my murder although he is claiming that it was an accident. My boss that slandered me has also been arrested for giving a false statement to the police. I trust Shark and Amon to finish this, i have accomplished my goal, it is time for me to move on but before I do i have to say good bye to my mother."


    Phoebe nodded, she had nothing planned that morning anyway so she could act as a a go between.


    "I will go and dress up, she can meet us at the cafe."


    Phoebe dialed Amon''s number. On picking, she could hear the chaos at the station through the phone.


    Amon spoke first. "Pheebs it''s crazy here, I''ll call you when i am free. But hold on, why did you guys leak the videos without giving us a heads up?" He asked.


    "We didn''t....." Phoebe shut her eyes. She could only speak for herself. Who knew what David had done after he dropped her off.


    She hung up abruptly and dialed his number. He picked almost immediately. "Was it you that leaked some of those videos?" She asked.


    "Good morning Pheebs!" He spoke almost cheerfully. "It''s a good morning isn''t it?"


    Phoebe smacked her lips. "Answer the damn question Saxon, i know it was you."


    "Pheebs, baby, you are really naive sometimes so i have to be the ruthless one. Did you really think that the higher ups that covered up the case would allow it to become public news? The police had closed the case already, freed the criminal and declared that the victim was a hoe that died because of a drug overdose.


    With the big names involved some where bound to escape justice but now, they have nowhere to hide. Besides CPD was never going to announce to the public that they have rotten cops on the force that have covered up more than fifteen homicides in 7 years from what i have gathered. Sometimes the ends justifies the means."


    He had a lot of valid points and he convinced her to see things from his point of view quickly. He was right, a fish rotted from the head, the higher ups in the police were on the payroll of many people that were involved. Of course, they would have skirted away with a tap on the wrist if the case was not blown up.


    "I hope that you were careful, this shouldn''t be linked to us."


    Worry could be detected in her voice.


    "Don''t worry your pretty red head about that. Where are you, i have the best hacker in the world at my service? Look, I am finishing up some work here at the research lab. I will come to the cafe as soon as i am done here." David informed her gleefully.


    She rolled her eyes, the man considered her cafe his second home or something. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Pheebs? Are you there?" He asked.


    "Yes...yes i am. See you soon." She hung up abruptly.


    After getting dressed, Phoebe went straight to the cafe. Hardly had she entered when someone grabbed a fist of her back hair.


    "You conniving bitch, today i am going to show you that you scammed the wrong people." The female voice hissed from behind her.

 Chapter 234 - 234: Phoebe is attacked, again!

    Phoebe could not believe that she was being attacked again, at the cafe at that. Had all of her enemies agreed subconsciously that this was the place to come when they were looking for a beating.


    When Phoebe got to know the identities of her attacker she did not hesitate to fight back brutally, she had long desired to hit this person. She did not even use her energy and stopped the ghosts from intervening. This was going to be a one on one beat down.


    Outside the cafe, grandma Mayfair heard a mixture of screams and vulgar language. Quickly she pushed the door open only for her eyes to fall on a bunch of women harassing Phoebe. Her eyes bulged and she glared fiercely in their direction. She found it ridiculous that a bunch of blind people could dare to attack her precious granddaughter, the Mayfair heiress.


    Without caring to identify them, her hands clenched the straps of her bag and she unhesitatingly joined in as well. She raised it as high as she could and swung it compelling it to land on one of the attackers head.


    "Ouch!" Emilia let go of Phoebe''s hair and staggered to the side.


    She spun around to face her attacker, brandishing her hands but stopped when she saw who it was.


    "Old lady Mayfair! Why the hell did you hit my head? I am going to press charges." She threatened.


    Even from a distance, grandma Mayfair could smell the booze on Emilia''s breath. She concluded that Emilia was drunk, it explained her stupid actions otherwise why would she be fighting in public? Either way, drunk or sober it was no excuse for Emilia to attack Phoebe.


    "Oh you go ahead you damn weasel, call the cops or do you want me to do it for you? How dare you attack my granddaughter at her work place. Some of you think that the Mayfair''s are toothless tigers since we don''t wield our power recklessly like you Verdemont idiots. You are going to learn the hard way today that you should never wake a sleeping tigress." Grandma Mayfair pointed at each one of them.


    "What can you do? Don''t tell me that you want to engage me in a fight. I don''t want to break your bones old Lady Mayfair, even though this is your granddaughter i am warning you to stay out of this. My fury isn''t towards you but this swindler." Emilia pointed at Phoebe who was placing an ice pack on her head.


    Emilia looked worse than Phoebe, she had a black eye and a few bruises on her arms and legs. Phoebe had even slapped her on the cheek.


    "Are you okay." Rossett asked in a concerned voice only for Phoebe to nod with a smile.


    Rosette could not believe that Phoebe was smiling and had stopped her from intervening in the fight as well. She also could not believe that she had just witnessed Emilia Verdermont, the prim and poised elegant woman engaging in what could have easily been a bare knuckle street fight.


    Phoebe looked at the other Verdemont women that had escorted Emilia but not participated in the fight. They deserved a beating too, they had been calling out insults during the fight. She walked to the door and closed it, whatever was going to happen to these stupid women was not for the human eyes to see.


    "Get them." Phoebe instructed the ghosts.


    They had long been waiting for the opportunity so they leaped into action immediately.


    "How dare you attack our Phoebe!" The Saxon spirit slapped Caroline Verdemont.


    She was standing on the side, not ready to destroy her fresh manicure when she felt a hard blow on her cheek.


    "Aw! What was that?" Her hands raised to her pink hot flushed cheek.


    Grandma Mayfair knew that the ghosts were at work. "That''s the wrong one, this one seems to be the leader. In fact whoop them all." She ordered the ghost. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Without waiting the ghosts began to launch slaps and punches at the women. Connie was the most brutal of the ghosts, one would think it was her they had attacked and not Phoebe.


    "Please tell whatever is hitting us that i am pregnant." Victoria''s hands moved to protect her tummy.


    Phoebe stretched her hand forward. "Stop guys that''s enough."


    The Saxon spirit gave Emilia a knock on the head, just like grandma Mayfair, she also assumed that she was the mastermind behind the attack so she had to suffer more.


    What they all didn''t understand was the reason for the sudden attack.


    "If you make one foolish attempt to attack me then I will instruct my ghosts to do worse. You all have nice faces, it would be a shame to have them permanently maimed." Phoebe threatened.


    All four women stepped away from Phoebe, they gazed at her in horror. They wanted to say more but fear held them back.


    Like a boss, Phoebe sat on a chair while the Verdemonts remained on the floor, still terrified by what had just happened to them.


    "I thought that i was done with you Verdemonts after Luther died, why are you bothering me?" Phoebe tugged on her earlobe. It was itchy which was irritating her.


    Emilia scoffed. "Cut out the pretense, from the moment you stepped into our home things started to go wrong. Now tell us why in the God of Light''s name, my father-in-law included you in his will."


    Confusion enveloped Phoebe, she had no idea about what Emilia was talking about.


    Grandma Mayfair was even more perplexed to hear that Luther''s will had been read already. It was just 8.30 in the morning.


    "Luther was buried yesterday, by the time we left the funeral dinner guests were still around and most left towards 11 which was quite late so at what time was the will read? The man''s body isn''t even cold yet, you could have waited for a day at least. Why are you all so impatient to rip through everything he worked hard for?" Her horrified eyes roamed about and met Emilia''s dry ones.


    "That is hardly important, how we deal with our family affairs is none of your business! This grand daughter of yours manipulated Luther into including her in the will. What we want to know is how much or what he gave her." Emilia spoke through pursed lips.


    The ghosts traded gazes as curiosity engulfed. "Ancestor do you have any idea about what they are yapping about?" Connie asked.


    "No idea." The spirit responded with a shrug.


    Phoebe shook head and laughed briefly. "I am certain that this is a misunderstanding. Luther had no reason to include me in his will, i am not a Verdemont. I know nothing of whatever it is that you are claiming."


    Emilia stood up bravely. "So you mean to say that Cornwell and Tucker of T&C law firm have not reached out to you?"


    "No, they have no reason to." Phoebe stated with confidence as it had not happened. "Rosette have i received any messages from T&C?


    Rosette shook her head. "Nothing boss."


    Phoebe looked at the women with an ''I told you so'' look.


    The Verdemont women were more confused than ever.


    "Then why was your name included among the people that were to receive copies of the will?" Victoria asked her while getting to her feet.


    "Perhaps it''s another Phoebe Mayfair." Caroline stated as she raised to her feet just like Victoria.


    Emilia smirked. "Don''t beg silly Carol, it is her, how many Mayfairs do you know of that had interactions with the old man?" She turned to Phoebe again and glared with a sinister look in her eyes. "This is not over." She wrinkled her nose and marched to the door.


    The Saxon spirit waved her right hand, opened the door and flung the women out of the cafe with a blast of wind.

 Chapter 235 - 235: Everyone wanted information.

    The Verdemont women were not the only ones on an information finding mission that morning. Paul and Ekhart together with hired private security went to the DP holdings. The moment they identified themselves at the gate, the security personnel let them in.


    Morgan had informed the head of security that he was expecting the Verdemonts, having been given a heads up by Mr. Cornwell about some of the things that happened during the reading of the will.


    When he heard about the possibility of violence, Morgan had ensured that armed security guards were posted on every floor of the building.


    "It''s just men." A security guard at the entrance told Emran through a radio.


    The guards had been told who to expect so the leader Emran found it abnormal that no female had come. They were expecting Emilia, Camilla, Caroline and Victoria


    "Where are the women?" Emran suspiciously studied the second cars.


    "Err, i don''t know sir." The guard answered.


    "Be ready and alert." Emran communicated to all the guards.


    Right from the moment they got out of their cars, the Verdemonts began to yell demanding to see the person in charge as they made their way into the building.


    "Come out of wherever you are hiding! There is no negotiating about this. We are not leaving without what belongs to us." Paul signaled for the men at the back to move forward and begin destroying anything in sight.


    As if they were going for an street fight, they had come armed with big sticks as weapons.


    Naturally, this frightened some of the people that had come to discuss business and the poor receptionists who hid under the desk.


    Emran the head of security approached them, humbly but bravely. He stretched his hands in the bid to calm them.


    "Gentlemen, can you please calm down! You are disrupting on going business."


    Ekhart laughed mockingly. "And you have disrupted our damn lives! Hand over the Verdemont fortune and we will leave without causing any problems but if you do not, you won''t like what happens next." He spat on the ground.


    Among the spectators that were watching in the lobby of the building was Hobbi who dialed David''s number right away and informed him about what was happening as usual.


    David called Morgan and Morgan called Emran instructing him to forcefully throw the Verdemonts out immediately.


    "You are allowed to use violence, show them how DP holdings deals with stupid idiots." Morgan instructed.


    According to the old patriarch''s instructions and wishes, he wanted the fortune to be handed to someone from the next generation. Paul and Ekhart were nothing but clowns that were of no use to anyone.


    Following his boss'' instructions, Emran called on the security guards and told them to escort the Verdemonts out.


    "Listen loud and clearly we are not leaving." Paul shouted. His voice grew weaker when he saw twelve beefy men approaching them with guns in their hands.


    Quickly he turned around, running to his car and he drove off immediately, leaving his brother behind.


    The remaining men including Ekhart were captured, beaten to a pulp and forced into their cars. Theirs too was a failed mission.


    *****


    Sanity had returned to the cafe by the time David got there, grandma Mayfair did not shy away from narrating everything that happened early that morning. When she left for the kitchen, David told Phoebe that Ekhart and Paul had gone to DP holdings and created some chaos.


    "Why?" She pulled her brows closer.


    "The last time we saw the old patriarch, I gave him a business card and told him that if needed any help whatsoever he could contact the company. Well he did, in fact he left half of his assets under the management of DP holdings." David explained


    "It makes sense why they went there but what I don''t understand is why those women came here saying that my name was registered among the people supposed to receive a copy of Luther''s will. "Phoebe glanced at her wrist watch, she was expecting a visitor and it was almost time so she was a little impatient.


    "Should I ask Cornwell?" David asked.


    Shaking her head, Phoebe dismissed his suggestion with a wave. When she closed a case, she rarely went back to visit it and the Verdemont case had been closed. Luther''s death had sealed it so whatever was going on in that family was none of her business.


    Her attention was drawn to the door that had been pushed open. A short and slim woman entered and stood still with a confused look on her face. It was easy to guess who she was, her resemblance to Paula was uncanny.


    "Mrs Rorton, you are welcome I have been expecting you." Phoebe abandoned David and approached her. She led her to her office, away from prying eyes and curious ears.


    Once inside the office, Phoebe smiled warmly but sadly at Paula''s mother. "I am sorry but I lied about being Paula''s friend. In fact I didn''t know your daughter when she was alive." Came her apology which puzzled the woman.


    "My dear I do not understand, you said you were her friend and you wanted to give me something of hers." Paula''s mother widened her sad eyes.


    Sitting at the right side of her mother, Paula could only look on with sad eyes. A tear rolled down her cheek.


    "She has aged since the last time that I saw her."


    Phoebe sighed softly. "I am a shaman and Paula told me that you do not believe in such kind of stuff. So I lied to get you here, i am sorry."


    "But why?" Mrs Rorton asked.


    Phoebe smiled softly. "Its not a coincidence that Paula''s name was cleared and that all the people that were involved in her death were arrested. Someone worked really hard to make sure that it happens."


    Mrs Rorton''s brows shot up. "Who is it? I have to thank her."


    Phoebe pulled out a drawer and took out a pair of ghost seeing glasses. "Wear these and you will see her."


    On wearing them, Mrs Rorton let out a teary gasp. "Paula? Is... Is that you honey?" She shed loud tears that were a mixture of joy and sadness.


    Phoebe heart melted on watching them, she excused herself and left the office. She was planning to visit the kitchen and sneak out something to eat beneath her grandmother''s ever watchful eyes.


    Before she could go far, her attention was drawn to a sniveling Evelyn that was sitting at the counter.


    "Evie! Are you still crying over that boyfriend of yours?"


    The question came from Andre who was another unexpected guest. Andre kissed his sister''s cheek and handed Evelyn a tissue paper.


    "You dodged a bullet, you should celebrate instead." David''s statement was the truth but a little insensitive.


    Through her tears, Evelyn''s red eyes stared at Phoebe. Oliver Rhett has really broken my heart. That bastard, i introduced him to my dad." she cried out.


    "Oliver Rhett the basketball player? Isn''t he one of the people tied to the freezing moon leaked videos?" Andre asked just to be certain.


    Evelyn nodded. "I really thought he was the one." She continued to sob.


    Phoebe sighed heavily. "To be fair, you always think that each guy you date is the one." S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Evelyn glared at Phoebe through her red swollen eyes and Phoebe shut up.


    "Look sweetie, you are likely going to kiss many frogs until you find the one." She was aware of this because she knew about her friend''s love life.


    Evelyn fell in love so easily, and it was hardly with the right man in each case.


    David sidled up to Phoebe and whispered, "You have just one frog. In every life, i am and will always be that frog."


    Phoebe smiled coyly and pushed him away.


    Evelyn did not appreciate the public display of affection between the two when her own heart had just been broken.


    She grabbed Phoebe''s hands, and she wailed, disturbing the peace of the customers.

 Chapter 236 - 236: Hello Magic city.

    It took forever to console Evelyn and by forever, it was two hours during which time Paula crossed over and her mother left with a lighter heart and smile on her face.


    Phoebe and Evelyn were indulging in the pleasure of ice cream when Rossett informed her that the client that had called the landline wanted to speak with her specifically. sea??h th§× N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Who is it?" She asked Rosette who raised her shoulders in a shrug.


    With a frown, Phoebe took the phone and listened. Her eyebrows went up in surprise and then a smile formed on her face.


    "I will be in magic city as soon as possible." She hung up.


    "Magic city!" Evelyn perked up immediately, one thing about her was that she was a pro at getting over a heart break. "There is a music carnival happening there i am coming too."


    "Me too, it''s been a while since I last took a personal trip."


    Andre rubbed his hands excitedly. "I guess we are all going." He loved Phoebe''s ghost adventures not just because they were fun but also because he got ideas that he turned into movies.


    Soon he was going to realize his dream of opening his own movie production company. He had Phoebe, a heaven sent muse.


    "Okay, it''s a plan."


    All three decided to head home and pack immediately and for once, David did not include himself in the plan.


    *****


    In the evening, Phoebe arrived at the New pearl resort just when the sun was beginning to set. Her reason for visiting the high end resort in Magic city was to do a private reading for Luna Elithera, a wealthy singer.


    Luna was just like all the other wealthy clients that Phoebe had, she scheduled the appointment through an assistant using a burner phone and arranged for a private plane to fly Phoebe from Citrus to Magic city.


    Not that she used the plane as her own family had one which she chose to use given that her grandmother had also tagged along. She was using this opportunity to enjoy a mini vacation with Phoebe and Andre.


    Both of them could not follow her to the meeting with Luna, only Santos did because he was her bodyguard and he was worried about her coming across danger on her own.


    This was because the Elithera family was almost as wealthy as the Mayfairs and one of the top leading families of Magic city. Luna Elithera''s father was the governor of magic city so they had political power. The family owned a number of casinos, hotels and resorts in Fog country and abroad which was the source of their wealth.


    However, with casino businesses came the unavoidable rumored tied to different mafias. It was whispered but unconfirmed that the Elithera family was the the power behind the Void gang, the strongest and largest gang in Fog country.


    Phoebe was not afraid of such rumors, she was here to see a client with heavy pockets, everything else was none of her business.


    Santos pushed the elevator button and Phoebe stepped inside first. It took her all the way to the top floor where all the luxurious presidential suites were. The floor was heavily protected with armed bodyguards and two ferocious looking pit bulls.


    Phoebe and Santos were stopped as soon as they stepped out of the elevator.


    "Name and ID." A mean looking tall man that spent too much time pumping iron spat out.


    "ID!" Phoebe exclaimed.


    She found it a little too excessive for her identification card to be the prerequisite to access the client.


    "Name and ID." The man repeated coldly.


    Phoebe took a deep breath, keeping in mind that this client had promised to pay as much as ten million if it was successful and even more if it was warranted.


    "The things i do for money." she muttered. She opened her bag and handed over the police consultant badge.


    "You are a cop!" The man exclaimed.


    "Not exactly, i am just a consultant. When they have a tough case i am called in to see if i can find some clues. Look, let''s not waste time on my identity, if the six people in room 110B who are monitoring these cameras are great at their job then you already know who i am. If you have watched the news and seen Mayfair heiress or David Saxon''s girlfriend, then you also know my identity.I am here to see Luna Elithera because she requested for my services." Phoebe amplified.


    "With me, follow me miss shaman." A voice in the silent hallway called out. "Let them through Ambrose, they are miss Luna''s honored guests."


    Ambrose handed Phoebe her badge and stepped aside, however he stepped in front of Santos, stopping him from following.


    "She is invited, you are not so you can handover your weapons and follow or stay here."


    Santos scoffed and then he handed over his weapons, two guns, one knife and a brass knuckle.


    "My body is also a weapon." he whispered to Ambrose. He smirked and followed Phoebe.


    Along the way, they noticed hidden cameras in every potted plant, hidden weapons in the walls and before entering the room where Luna was, they were frisked.


    "Damn, this is some secret service kind of shit, its like they are protecting a president." Connie whistled.


    For once, Phoebe agreed with Connie on something. It was way too much security, Saxon tower kind of security. If the Elithera''s were this paranoid, then maybe there was some truth to the rumors about them.


    When Phoebe entered the suite, the strong smell of burning sage assaulted her nostrils. Normally, when sage was burned, it released a warm, woody fragrance supposed to create a serene and calm atmosphere. This was not the case here, the sage being burnt was more astringent.


    What the sage relayed to Phoebe was that she was not the first shaman or magic affiliated person the Elithera''s had sought out to help them solve their trouble.


    "This sage is impure." The Saxon spirit commented.


    She was in the space but even she could smell something off in the sage.


    "It is not refreshing or grounding but unpleasant, there is no cleansing purpose to it, the quality must be contaminated." It explained i more detail.


    Phoebe did not doubt the spirit, she doubted the intentions of whoever had sold the Elithera''s the sage. She waved her right hand over her crinkled nose as she followed the assistant deeper into the suite.


    She was taken one of the bedrooms and the door was closed behind her. Inside, she finally set her eyes on Luna who was not alone.


    There were five other people in the room, three men and two women. One of the men was on the bed, attached to machines and withering away like a plant that was not meant for desert climate.


    Phoebe had no other way to explain it because the man on the bed was thin, stick thin with hollow eyes and bones that were almost poking through his skin. It was like something had invaded his body and sucked out all the fat and fluids leaving him malnourished. Even a skeleton looked better than he did, he was practically half dead.


    Normal people would have pulled the plug already because living in such a state was in no way worse than actual death.


    "I know a curse when i see one." The Saxon spirit dashed out of the space and stood besides Phoebe.


    Both of them stared at the man and Phoebe wondered who he was. She raised her eyes and turned to Luna, the one in whose name she had been invited.


    "Let me guess, you want me to do a healing ritual."

 Chapter 237 - 237: This evil thing again!

    Luna moved away from the window and walked towards Phoebe stopping next to her. She invaded the Saxon spirit''s space and the spirit moved, changing position to the left of Phoebe.


    "You are quick on the uptake." Luna commented.


    "I am not blind, i can see his physical condition with my naked eyes, he is 95% dead." Phoebe replied nonchalantly.


    "How impetuous!!" One of the men exploded.


    "Luna, is this the savior you have brought?" Another yelled.


    As for the woman that had been standing next to Luna, she reached into her purse which had a gun that was pointed in Phoebe''s direction without being revealed.


    Phoebe was not frightened, she simply scoffed and looked around the bedroom. "You sought me out, i did not volunteer for the task. If you want me to save his life, be calm, be wise and respectful. Whatever i tell you to do, you do. Don''t threaten me with your guns, my family is powerful enough to retaliate if you harm me. Can the Elithera''s take on the Mayfairs and Saxons at the same time?"


    Luna turned her whole body to face Phoebe, hope and shock were vivid in his eyes. "You can save him."


    "I would not make such claims if it was impossible, so let''s begin. I do not want us to waste each other''s time." She pointed her finger to the table on which a ceramic bowl was sitting. "Put that out."


    Phoebe was testing them to see if they would be as unreasonable as the Verdemonts or obedient. She could have put the sage out personally but she chose not to. In a way, this was a battle of authority, the one that bent first was the loser.


    "Don''t you...." the woman with the gun started. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Mom.." Luna called out to the woman in a stern voice.


    Surprisingly, she kept quiet and obediently walked to the table. She picked up a half empty glass of water and poured it over the sage.


    "Open the windows." Phoebe instructed.


    She got her gloves out and tossed a coin in the air, releasing Yin. "Find me something."


    Phoebe did the same with the black kitty, giving it the same instructions and both animals went through the window.


    Everything that she did was in full view of the Elithera''s. She did not hide it because this was Magic city, the hub of all that was supernatural in the country. They were bound to have seen a lot more than a shaman with two undead pets.


    "You have undead pets." Luna stated in a slightly surprised voice.


    Phoebe looked at the woman in equal surprise. "You have met another person with undead pets?"


    Luna nodded. "The shaman of Bayan lake shrine, he has an undead snake."


    Phoebe approached the bed to begin her examination of the man on the bed, following her usual routine. The Elithera''s did not utter a word in protest to stop her, which made her wonder why.


    When did rich people become so humble, especially those with a reputation like the Elithera''s?


    "Did you have that shaman examine your father?" Phoebe had already determined the identity of the man on the bed.


    He was Duncan Elithera, current chairman of Elithera group and all it''s subsidiaries. If the memory of her past life was not wrong he had five months left to live. She recalled so clearly when he died because that day was declared a public holiday in Magic city.


    Phoebe looked at the soles of his feet and shook her head. "It looks like someone really wants his life."


    "What do you mean?" Luna rushed to ask.


    Phoebe smiled and shook her head, she would not make revelations without evidence.


    "You didn''t answer my question miss Luna, the one about the shaman. Did he take a look at your father?"


    Luna nodded.


    "What did he say?"


    "That it was a curse but he couldn''t figure out what curse it was exactly."


    Phoebe pointed to the ceramic bowl. "Who gave you the sage?"


    "My sixth uncle, he bought it from a temple in the Holy city."


    Phoebe snorted. "Holy city my ass! There is no temple in the Holy city that sells defective sage like that, not unless the priests are corrupt. The leaves and stems which were used are dry, and unhealthy, i could smell the mold all the way from the door. It is as contaminated as the waters of Luminara river."


    Luminara river in Magic city was one of the dirtiest rivers in the country, this was because a lot of garbage was dumped into it and often, people even did laundry and bathed in it.


    The government wanted to block the people''s access to it but there were some protests going on in the parliament concerning the matter.


    "Second uncle, bring that box of sage." Luna ordered in a cold voice.


    Luna''s second uncle did as she ordered without hesitation and again, Phoebe was surprised. Luna was younger than the people she was ordering around, why did they obey her words without hesitation?


    The box was delivered into the room and put down, it was a mid sized green box. As soon as it was opened, Phoebe put two fingers on her nose.


    "It smells bad, don''t your nostrils work? Instead of healing the patient, you were just making him worse."


    They all moved closer or got some of the sage with their hands to get a closer whiff. Up close, they could really smell something funky.


    Phoebe opened her bag and brought out fresh sage in an evidence collection bag and thrust it at Luna. "This is what pure, healthy sage should smell like."


    Everyone took a whiff and smelled the difference between the two types of sage.


    "I am going to throw it in the trash." Luna''s mother said and she did so immediately.


    Phoebe pulled out the pillow from beneath Duncan''s head and sniffed it. Something smelled off with the pillow and Phoebe could see dark energy being emitted from within.


    "Who brought this pillow?" She asked, as she fluffed it.


    "It is resort property, the housekeeper changes the pillow case every morning." Luna told her.


    Phoebe undressed the pillow and threw the plain black silk pillow case to the ground.


    "Knife." she held a hand out to Luna''s mother.


    Her eyes gestured at her bag and the somewhat befuddled woman opened the bag and retrieved a silver knife with a curved blade.


    Phoebe stabbed it into the pillow and ripped through it from up to down. White and black feathers, stained with dry blood fell out onto the ground, the bed and others floated slowly in the air.


    The gasps in the room were loud and those who could, stepped back, avoiding the feathers. They could also tell that this was nothing good.


    Phoebe ignored them and she dug through the fallen feathers with the knife. The feathers were talismans but there was another thing that had fallen out, a dry human bone being used as a talisman.


    "Damn it, it''s this evil thing again." she muttered in a displeased voice.

 Chapter 238 - 238: My part and yours.

    "Is that a finger?" Luna asked, with a gasp.


    Phoebe nodded.


    "A human bone that was used as a talisman, this is the third case i have seen with this kind of thing. I am starting to think that the source is the same. Let''s see what this one is for...."


    She turned the feathers over, looking at them keenly for a good five minutes with a frown on her face. By her side, the Saxon spirit maintained perfect silence, waiting for Phoebe to put the pieces of the puzzle together.


    Just when the spirit was beginning to think that Phoebe would not understand, she figured it out and gasped loudly.


    "Wealth transfer!" she exclaimed.


    On thinking about it even more, the Elithera''s did face significant financial troubles after the death of Duncan. Within three years, they went from a top five family to paupers.


    Phoebe turned her head to Luna as she recalled the images on the news of her pale lifeless corpse that had been found floating in a swimming pool at a dingy motel. Her cause of death was suicide.


    "Hey, does your family have enemies, not just one that would want you all dead but one that wants your wealth too. It has to be somebody close to the family that managed to ..."


    Yin flew in and Phoebe was interrupted. Black kitty similarly returned three seconds after the raven.


    "What did you find?" she asked the pets.


    Both regurgitated and emitted what they had found in Duncan''s house and office. Yin had brought a triangular shaped glass with three coins inside that were attached to each other with a red string that was passing through the middle of a hole in each coin.


    Black kitty had brought something he dug up in the garden of Duncan''s house. It was an old dried up human heart and within was some hair and two different dates of birth on a tiny folded talisman paper plus a small wooden puppet that had been been embedded with silver needles from head to toes. It was dressed in clothes made from silk and designed to look as human as possible.


    There were strands of hair sewn into the top of the head and nail clippings glued onto the fingers. It was an eerie looking doll that gave off a creepy aura, especially around the eyes. Small red rubies had been used, spelled with some dark energy which made it seem as if they were alive.


    "The puppet was made with wood harvested from a tree that was grown in cursed soil. The hair and nails belong to the one on the bed. As long as the needles are stuck in the wooden doll, his own body remain immobile, and it will shrivel and dry up like the wood until he dies." The Saxon spirit shared.


    "Good heavens!" Phoebe exclaimed.


    Her shock was shared by the people in the room that had never seen anything like this outside of a horror movie.


    "Really, so brutal." Phoebe muttered.


    "What is this?" An alarmed Luna asked.


    Phoebe picked up the puppet and faced Duncan who was the bed.


    "This is him, your father, the hair and nails on this puppet were got from him. Even the silk clothes it is wearing were cut from his clothes, you will have to check and see which ones. You will also need to find out who took his hair and nails, it has to be someone close enough to move around your father undetected, like a servant or a relative. I am doing my part, you guys have to be yours."


    "What is wrong with my husband? What does the puppet do? Is it something that is being used to control him?" Duncan''s wife questioned Phoebe.


    She was rather calmer than Phoebe anticipated, no hysteria and panic. What was the deal with this entire family? Were the mafia rumors true?


    "Somebody did all this to transfer wealth from your family to themselves, directly using Mr. Duncan here as an anchor."


    She handed the piece of paper with the two dates of birth to Luna as she seemed to be in charge now.


    "Find out whose date of birth that is, whoever it is, they are responsible for this. Have your companies been experiencing any financial difficulties?"


    Luna nodded.


    "We have already secretly sold off two hotels this year and the Riverside casino is struggling to stay afloat. We were fined one hundred thirty million by the FIRS."


    FIRS was the Fog International Revenue Service, the responsible government organization for collecting taxes.


    "We are also being sued by some suppliers for breaching contracts which is unexpected because we never breach contracts." Luna''s voice thinned as she mentioned some of the troubles the family was facing. "Our sea food suppliers cut us off two months ago and some of the best chefs in our hotels quit. Last week, the hotel we own in Sea city caught fire, ten people died, we spent millions compensating the families and paying off damages."


    "More than three special recipes from our restaurants have been leaked to other hotels." Luna''s second uncle mentioned.


    "The land we acquired in Eagle country, an ancient tomb was found beneath and we cannot use it anymore. We spent one billion on it''s acquisition and all that money is...." Luna broke off and gasped. "It has been one problem after another and each one has drained us financially, we have lost thirty four billion so far."


    Phoebe shrugged, "Like i said, someone has been transferring the wealth of your family out. You should find out who has been benefiting the most from the losses you have been making. It could be a single person or a group of people working together."


    She got a sickness ward paper talisman and placed it on Duncan''s chest. It seared loudly, like something was being fried, it turned into ash and the ash disappeared into his body.


    Not done, Phoebe got the ceramic bowl, poured out the wet sage and tossed everything Yin and Black kitty had brought back.


    "It''s too small." she muttered.


    This was because she needed to burn the feathers as well.


    "Mmm, a talisman will do." She looked at Luna''s second uncle. "Help me pile up the feathers."


    He did as she said, Phoebe dumped the heart, puppets, hair strands and the paper with the two dates of birth on the pile. She threw two fire talismans on the pile and everything was set ablaze.


    Her work was still not done, she pointed two fingers of her right hand to her chest and gathered some energy. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Heaven and earth gather, let magic slip, break the seal." she yelled, and shot the gathered energy at the puppet.


    Silver needles fell out of the doll and suddenly loud noise came from the heart monitor attached to Duncan.

 Chapter 239 - 239: Cash first.

    "Doctor, bring the doctor..." someone shouted with urgency.


    Luna was on the bed already, shaking her poor father with desperation.


    "Dad, dad...." she cried out.


    "Are you trying to kill him when i have just saved him?" Phoebe questioned.


    She moved to the doors and closed them, locking them from the inside. "You want to bring in a doctor, for what reason exactly? How many doctors has he seen ever since he started deteriorating? Why are you all panicking when his heartbeat is simply picking up speed?"


    They all looked at the heart monitor and noticed that his heartbeat had truly increased and so had his pressure.


    "So...but...." Luna''s mother stammered. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe opened her bag and brought out one IV fluid which was plain water with a drop of diluted water from the lake of life and death.


    Expertly, she removed the one which had been attached to Duncan and replaced it with hers. Again, none of the Elithera''s attempted to stop her.


    Curious, Phoebe looked around at them. "Aren''t you guys curious at all about what i am administering to him? Your calmness is making me uneasy, are you planning to stiff me on payment?" She backed away from the bed and looked at them suspiciously. "Cash first before we go further."


    Luna laughed lightly and stopped. "Isn''t it your method of working? I heard from Georgina Elroy that you do not like being questioned and only want to be spoken to when you ask a question. She advised us to be quiet and let you do your job without pissing you off because the spirit you have some supernatural abilities and when angered, they flare up in a frightening way."


    Again, the Elroys had found her another client. It was them that sent Luther her way and now the Elithera''s, she needed to thank them.


    "The Elroy''s have been guests of our resort for many years, they come here for a vacation once a year. This year, they suddenly arrived without a reservation, their son looked pale. They booked a presidential suite and stayed in there for a month opening up only for the cleaners and to receive food.


    After a month, they exited and turned into their normal jolly selves. It was Georgina that told me about you when i discussed my father''s strange illness with her. Truth be told, i had some doubts as i have never heard about something like luck borrowing but my eyes have been opened now." Luna explained.


    "Oooh." Phoebe nodded slowly.


    This explained why the Elithera''s had invited her over the hundreds of shamans in Magic city.


    "How much money should i transfer to you? Will twenty million cover everything, including extra talismans for us all and medicine for my father. Georgina said you have tonics that you sell which revitalized her son''s body. Should i pay more?"


    Luna held a bank card to Phoebe. Her hand was suddenly pushed away by her second uncle. He also held out a bank card to Phoebe.


    "There is fifty million in here, twenty would be an insult to you....."


    Phoebe wagged her finger and shook her head. "I want two hundred million."


    Everyone in the room gasped, taken aback by Phoebe''s bold extravagant request.


    "Before you all accuse me of greed, let me tell you what would have become of your futures if i didn''t come today. In a few months, you would bury Mr. Duncan, two weeks later you would follow him to death by throwing yourself off a bridge." she was pointing at Luna''s mother.


    "Me!!'' the woman exclaimed.


    Phoebe did not address her and continued on. "You would be shot to death by an enemy of your family in the winter a few months later. Your body would be found frozen after the arrival of spring."


    She moved to the second uncle. "You would go to jail for for insider trading and selling secrets to Eagle country."


    He laughed and shook his head. "Are you crazy, why would i work with Eagle country?"


    "Don''t you know how framing works?" She retorted. "You, stabbed to death in an alley after attending a boxing match and meeting some old friends from the business circle in the hopes resurrecting the dead Elithera empire." She turned to Luna. "Finally, you sweet Luna. Your cause of death would be drowning and the conclusion according to the police would be suicide."


    Phoebe eyed them one by one. "You are not the only Elithera''s that would die or end up miserable of course. In three years, the Elithera''s would be nothing but history, your hotels and resorts would be renamed. By breaking this spell, i have changed the course of your lives and set them back on their original tracks. Is 200 million too much for a person that has saved your Elithera empire?"


    They all looked at Phoebe with doubt on their faces, they did not believe her words, not that she cared. For her it was simple, if they paid, she would help them again if they ever run into trouble.


    If they did not, she would never assist them in any way, ever again and she had a feeling that they would need her services again, someday.


    "You should also consider the difficulty of the job, i have worked hard to bring Mr. Duncan back from the brink of death." she added.


    Luna''s mother scoffed, what hard work was Phoebe speaking of? She barely broke a sweat when she broke the spell.


    "I will pay, Luna volunteered."


    "Luna!" her mother exclaimed.


    "I will pay." Luna repeated firmly.


    She got her phone out and asked for Phoebe''s account number. Immediately, she made the transaction, paying the 200 million Phoebe wanted in full.


    "Thank you." Phoebe patted Luna on the back with a broad smile on her face.


    She went back to work, injecting some medicine into Duncan''s body.


    "Only give him IV''s fluids from me and feed him the supplements i provide. Do it for two months, he is extremely depleted, we must take things slow Make sure that none of these things is contaminated or poisoned."


    Phoebe gave more instructions as she placed the supplements on the table and the IV bags as well.


    "Because you are good clients i won''t eat your money and run, i will provide ten protection talismans for free. If you want more, order from my cafe. I have a variety, you can check my website and see which ones you would like.


    In the meantime, you should exercise caution, a lot of caution. Whoever cast the spell has experienced backlash so they will approach you and try to find out what happened. You should watch out for that sixth uncle that brought defective sage, i don''t think he had good intentions.


    If you need anything else, i will be here for three more days enjoying the services of your resort so you can reach me easily."


    She waved at Luna, turned around and left with her undead animals that had not yet returned to the coins.


    When she was gone, Luna''s mother immediately questioned her daughter. "Why did you give her 200 million?"

 Chapter 240 - 240: The price of safety.

    Luna''s eyes which were now frighteningly cold turned to her mother whose lack of foresight in this situation was disappointing.


    "Mother, do you think that somebody who covets the wealth of our family will stop? Uncles, are you of the same mind as my mother, do you doubt the abilities of that little shaman?


    How many doctors, priests and other magic related individuals did we invite over and yet none of them provided a solution to my father''s illness.


    The only one that had an answer said it was a curse but he could not break it. The only one that has found things we all missed is her. If she is not the real deal, how did she know about the pillow? Where did she find the puppet doll which looked like my father? Isn''t that evidence enough to prove that she is not a schemer?"


    None of them could explain those things, there was no logic to all that Phoebe had done.


    "You saw the undead animals, do you want to claim she hypnotized us into seeing them? Look, if what she said about our Elithera empire falling in three years is true then we have more than one enemy.


    We need to find out who brought the land deal in Eagle country to us, i signed off on it but i barely remember the details. Normally, we inspect land before purchase, how did i buy land at such a high price without an inspection? Don''t you find that abnormal"


    The second uncle nodded, "The fire at hotel, i told our people not to investigate further and just compensate victims. Truly, now that i think about it, how did i make such a decision? Were we all bewitched?"


    "I would never commit suicide." Luna''s mother declared. "Even if i did, it would not be in such a violent way like jumping off a bridge. I am Judy Elithera, i have always craved for a peaceful death, i would choose pills if i had to kill myself."


    She was still thinking about the future which Phoebe had predicted for them.


    "And i am an expert swimmer that once represented Fog country in the Olympics so why would i drown?" Luna added.


    The second uncle sat down, deep in thought with both hands clenched, it was obvious that someone was plotting against them. "It''s a conspiracy against our entire family, you are right Luna, this cannot be the work of a single person."


    His phone rung and he scoffed when saw the name of the caller. "Look, sixth brother is calling."


    He put the phone on loudspeaker.


    "Hmm, what''s up?"


    "Second brother are you at the hotel, has something happened to our elder brother?" he immediately asked.


    He sounded frantic, and the people in the room traded knowing gazes, it had been confirmed, the little shaman was right. One of their own was truly involved deeply in this conspiracy.


    "Second brother, i have contacted a great doctor from the South and i am bringing him over to look at elder brother. I need Luna to authorize permission for this to happen..."


    "Sixth, i will have to call you back later, i have to go to the police and ask for a re-investigation into the fire. I think we owe the victims an explanation, as for Duncan''s matters, let Luna handle them for now. We have given up on saving him, in a month, we will hold his funeral."


    "What! wait...no.." sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The second uncle hung up abruptly before hurling his phone at the wall.


    "That ungrateful bastard! The shaman talked about backlash and the culprit making inquiries immediately and look, sixth brother has done exactly that. I am going to kill him right now, i will rip his heart out with my own hands, i do not care if he is my brother. We have no relationship from this day forward."


    As he thought about his death that the shaman had predicted, he was filled with more and more rage. Insider trading and selling secrets to Eagle country!!! how could he set him up to be a traitor to their nation? What a good brother he was!


    "Second uncle, you need to remain rational and capture the sixth uncle for interrogation. Pry his mouth open using every means possible, if he doesn''t talk send him to me.


    Mom, we need to know everyone that he has been in contact in with and all his movements in the weeks leading up to dad''s sickness. For now, i will be staying here permanently until he recovers. Hotel staff and relatives will not be allowed onto this floor, not even you guys.


    It will be suspicious if i meet up with you but turn away everyone else, the enemy will see through us quickly."


    Her phone rung and Luna picked up immediately, after ten seconds she hung up with a smile on her face.


    "Uncle, a witness has suddenly showed up with a video recorded on the day of the fire, he wants one hundred thousand dollars. I guess there is something he recorded that we need to see."


    Her third uncle waved his phone from side to side. "Two of our former sea food suppliers have contacted us, they want to renew their contracts."


    Luna smiled, "Things are turning around now that the spell has been broken, the little shaman is really good. Now do you see why i paid that 200 million mother, it was the price of tying her to us. If we cultivate a good relationship with her, we can add another layer of protection to the family."


    All of Luna''s uncles agreed and so did her mother. They dispersed and got to work, now that they knew about the enemy, it was time to launch counterattacks.


    Phoebe''s work was not done either, she was still very much interested in knowing the warlock or witch or perhaps shaman that had made the talisman.


    She gave the job to Yin and Black kitty, if anybody could track the dark magic that had been used, it was him. If the animals found nothing, she intended to contact Luna and see what the Elithera''s had discovered.


    She took a bath, washing away the stench of the rotten sage.


    The Saxon spirit which had insisted on accompanying her as she took the bath was sitting on the toilet with is legs crossed.


    "Are you really going to go after the person responsible?"


    Phoebe nodded.


    "Someone has to eradicate evil from the world, i will speak to Amon first about whatever i find. If the founding sect can settle the issue, i will not be involved. Either way, it needs to be done because eventually the one that cast the spell might come after me."


    "Then you need to train more." It advised.


    Phoebe stepped out of the shower and grabbed the nearest white towel to wipe down her body.


    "I am on vacation ancestor, i need a break." She had zero plans to train for at least two days.

 Chapter 241 - 241: To have a famous brother.

    As Phoebe was leaving the ocean view room which Luna had been so generous to give her, she got a phone call from the man most obsessed with her in the world. She had been expecting the call because Santos was bound to have shared the fact that she was doing business with the Elithera''s.


    She slid her finger across the phone and answered the call with a sigh.


    "David.."


    "Baby."


    She snorted in response, when had he started calling her baby? Before rebirth he had never given her a sweet nickname of any kind, not even Pheebs. It was always Phoebe and always in a respectful voice.


    "Are you okay? Did the Elithera''s harm you in any way? I have a business meeting in Eagle country but i am going to wrap it up quickly and return. Tell them that if they so much as harm a hair on your head i will bring their small empire down to its knees."


    "Slow down Rambo, you don''t need to destroy and entire village to rescue me. I earned 200 million dollars on this trip, the Elithera''s will be treating me like a VIP from now on.


    I reckon i will be able to eat for free in their hotels from now on.Tell me if you need to use a Phoebe discount at any of their hotels."


    "A Phoebe discount." he repeated lazily.


    She laughed softly and followed Santos into the elevator.


    "Mmm, that''s what i plan to call it when it is offered to me in about three days. I just saved the Elithera family and all their wealth, it is the same as saving a universe, or maybe a small planet."


    "You have learned how to boast about your achievements." he noted. "It is actually a good thing, i am so happy to see you growing into true self."


    Meaning her previous dull character before rebirth. She had been perfectly happy to surrender all of her accomplishments to David, Katherine or any other Saxon as Miranda commanded.


    She allowed the woman to mold her into a dull housewife whose every word was considered useless. In the Saxon tower, she had lived almost like a mute. David had assumed that she was just reserved by nature.


    "I was a fool back then, i am never going to be that woman girl. Ooh, i am on vacation right now, guess what, i am even wearing a bikini out in public for the first time ever. I am going to join my grandmother and Andre at the pool."


    Far away in Eagle city David was greatly unhappy at the thought of other men ogling his beautiful girlfriend. He had never had the opportunity to see her in a bikini. She was the kind of person that wore long dresses to the beach.


    "Pheebs, that''s not fair." he whined. "I should have been the first person to see you in a bikini. Is there a way i can convince you to put on a dress and save the bikini for when i am around?"


    "Nope." she replied, instantly. "The train has left the station, it is never going back. I am wild Phoebe now, i am off to ogle at some handsome men by the pool..bye Mr. two baby toes."


    She giggled as she ended the call.


    "Miss Phoebe do you realize that he will be on the first flight back home as soon as his meeting ends?" Santos asked as he passed by her, stepping out of the elevator before her.


    "If he wants to establish himself as a serious businessman, he will finish his business first." She answered so casually.


    She unwrapped a lollipop from one of the many treats Jennie had packed for her ahead of her vacation. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Mmm." she offered one to Santos as well.


    The bodyguard was not one to eat sweets but he accepted it with a smile on his face. Phoebe was a considerate woman and she always gave the bodyguards food, drinks or candies whenever they were following her.


    She always treated them like humans, not disposable trash like some of the people in the Saxon family.


    The closer they got to the very large swimming pool, the louder it became. Phoebe could hear screams, high pitched excited screams that boarded on hysteria. She was curious but there were those that were even more curious than her like Connie and the Saxon spirit.


    Connie dashed out of the space, joining a crowd of young women that were calling out for Andre''s attention.


    "I had forgotten that i had a famous brother." Phoebe muttered.


    Andre had cordoned off a section of the poolside for himself, grandma Mayfair and Phoebe. A full line of bodyguards was standing between that section and Andre, stopping people from approaching him.


    Santos forced a path through those people and he brought Phoebe to the front.


    "We are with them." he said calmly.


    Before they could get a response, someone grabbed Phoebe''s arm and pushed her back. The owner of the hand had sharp nails that scratched the back of her arm.


    "Don''t cut in line, we were here first." A squeaky woman''s voice said.


    Phoebe winced at the pain and she glared at the woman harshly. That nail scratch felt deliberate not accidental, it was possible that this was one of those lunatic kind of fans.


    Santos did not waste time pulling out his gun as soon as Phoebe was injured.


    "Gun.." someone screamed and the small crowd started to scatter.


    Most of them dove into the swimming pool directly and the bodyguards pulled out their own weapons, turning them on Santos.


    The chaos had drawn Andre who rushed when he noticed Santos. He recognized him as one of the two bodyguards David had assigned to protect Phoebe.


    "Nobody shoot, that is my sister and her bodyguard." Andre bellowed.


    He pushed past the bodyguards and took Phoebe''s arms, examining her from head to toe with his eyes. "Sis, are you okay? Were you injured in any way?"


    He turned to the bodyguards that had put away their weapons. "I showed you pictures of my sister so that she would be allowed through without harm. Are you guys blind? Look at her, she has a gash on her arm. Hurry up and call the doctor."


    The bodyguards turned their eyes to the so called gash and they could not believe it. It was just a minor scratch, calling it a gash was an exaggeration. A gash was a deep cut that needed stitches.


    One of them looked at the picture Andre had sent them of his sister. She looked shorter than she did in the picture, it had also been retouched professionally. They had been expecting her to arrive in a flashy manner, not low key, looking like everybody else at the pool.


    "Doctor, now!" Andre bellowed again to the bodyguards as he led Phoebe to the waiting reserved poolside chair he had saved for her.


    As he helped her settle down, he looked at the scratch mark and sighed again.


    "Mom is gonna kill me."

 Chapter 242 - 242: The pains of trending, again!

    Andre was worried about Jennie and he had forgotten about a very dotting grandmother that was giving him the ''Jennie glare'' as it was called in the Mayfair house. It was a sharp intense glare that often sent chills down one''s neck just before a sharp pain which was usually a firm slap on the buttocks followed.


    Grandma Mayfair could not maintain the Jennie glare as long as the owner could, her worry was Phoebe''s arm.


    "My child, are you okay?"


    She examined Phoebe''s arm carefully with a look of great worry on her face.


    "Nana, i am okay." Phoebe assured her.


    She was more worried about what people were going to say about this incident. It was likely that she would trend again thanks to her famous brother and Santos.


    Phoebe was not wrong, pictures and clips from the incident were already circulating and the wide spread one so far had labeled her as the arrogant Mayfair princess whose bodyguard had pointed a gun at innocent people that refused to get out of her way. Phoebe was not aware of this yet.


    The resort doctor and a nurse were brought over and when they looked at the scratch mark on Phoebe''s arm, they made a similar expression to that of the bodyguards. Phoebe could only smile guiltily and shoot them apologetic looks while silently asking for their understanding.


    As the identity of the injured party had been given to them before hand, they did not dare to say anything that could make the rich folks unhappy.


    The doctor cleaned the scratch mark, applied some medicine and then wrapped a large area of the arm with gauze.


    Phoebe''s jaw almost dropped at the size of the area the doctor had covered. If it was not her own arm, and she had seen the scratch mark with her own eyes, she would assume that her injury was much worse than it seemed.


    "Crap, my agent''s calling..." Andre groaned and then blew air out of his mouth.


    He stepped away to take the call under a small parasol in the corner.


    "Miss Mayfair, is this satisfactory?" The doctor asked.


    Phoebe pondered on the question for a few seconds because it did not make sense. Wasn''t it the job of the doctor to rate his own work?


    "Err...good." she answered in an unsure voice.


    The doctor''s eyes shifted to grandma Mayfair as Phoebe sounded unsure.


    "Old lady Mayfair, should we make it bigger?" he asked.


    "That''s not necessary." Phoebe blurted out hastily.


    If they made it bigger, wouldn''t her entire hand end up being bandaged? She had originally come down to swim but now she could not do so.


    Thinking of swimming, her woeful eyes looked out at the pool and noticed that people were leaving, being sent away by hotel staff with apologies.


    Phoebe''s head moved from left to right, she was expecting someone to come and send them away as well.


    "Nana, why is everyone leaving?" she shifted like a restless child, moving from side to side because they were exhausted after a long car ride.


    "I don''t know, but you should relax, you have just suffered a scare." Old lady Mayfair forced Phoebe to settle down.


    Hardly had that been accomplished when her phone rung, her dad was calling.


    "Dad..."


    "Are you hurt? How bad is it? Dad is sending a team of doctors out there immediately. I am coming with them....."


    Suddenly there was a scuffle on the other end of the phone and Jennie''s voice replaced Edward''s. She was as equally frightened as her husband.


    "My dear, baby, does it hurt? Listen to mummy right now and go to a hospital. Can you recognize the face of the person that cut you with a knife?"


    "What!" Phoebe exclaimed. "Mom, what knife?"


    "Don''t hide it from us, it is all over the internet already one of Andre''s deranged fans sliced your arm and it resulted in your bodyguard pulling out his gun." Jennie yelled into the phone. "What was your brother doing when this happened to you? What about the ghosts, why have they become lapse in your protection? First you were attacked by Emilia and now this? Can''t you fire them and get better ghosts. We should have told some of those soldiers to stay on and sign a contract back then."


    Phoebe removed the phone from her ear for a moment, her mother had a lot to say it seemed. For a woman that wanted nothing to do with ghosts in the beginning, she sure was ready to use them as long as it was convenient.


    Grandma Mayfair guessed who was on the other end of the phone from Phoebe''s reaction so to save her granddaughter, she snatched the phone.


    "Jennie, Phoebe is fine, it was just a nail scratch which happened when someone grabbed her hand and shoved her."


    She hung up and switched the phone off to give Phoebe a break. After Jennie, Collin and Luke would call and then Rosette, Evelyn and everyone that was familiar with Phoebe.


    "Trust me, it''s better to this way." Grandma Mayfair assured her. "I am going to send out a message to everyone so that they don''t worry needlessly."


    She did so and put her phone on silent mode. The old woman laid back on the pool side chair, covered herself with a blanket and relaxed.


    Phoebe imitated her and she relaxed as well, it was a wonderful night for stargazing. She had come for a vacation, not to be stressed out.


    "Nana, apparently someone is claiming that i was sliced by a knife."


    "On the internet, people can claim anything." Grandma Mayfair laughed. "Ten years ago, someone took one picture of your father with Randa Gilbreith and the following day a divorce certificate for your parents was trending. I live with both of them but even i had doubts when i saw the certificate it looked so real."


    Both of them laughed and glanced at Andre at the same time, he was yelling at his agent. "Just clear my sister''s name, i don''t care what they say about me."


    Once again, he was going out of his way to protect her even at his own detriment. Phoebe wondered if anybody else in the world had a family as wonderful as hers.


    For a mere scratch, they were losing their minds. She recalled a time when she was fifteen years old and got a fever. For two days, she was stuck in her bedroom, battling illness alone. Neither Aaron nor Elizabeth checked on her or cared. Eventually, she dragged herself out of bed and bought medicine for herself at a pharmacy.


    Phoebe switched on her phone and decided that it did not matter how many people called to check on her. It was better than when nobody cared.


    Feeling sentimental, Phoebe reached a hand out and touched her grandmother''s arm. She moved her hand until she located the old woman''s fingers. She intertwined her hand with her grandmother''s.


    "Nana, i am so glad that i have you all in my life." S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Grandma Mayfair squeezed Phoebe''s hand gently and she smiled.


    "Me too, i am so glad that we found you. Now, tell me about the Elithera''s, why did they hire you?"


    Andre appeared in time and he pulled his chair closer.


    "Sister, don''t skimp on the spooky stuff."

 Chapter 243 - 243: Don Luna

    As the Mayfairs gossiped about what had happened in the Elithera house hold, they noticed men in black suits approaching them. They walked in parallel form, one group opposite the other, organized like an army.


    "What is going on?" Asked grandma Mayfair who noticed that they had guns strapped to their belts visible for all to see.


    Connie trembled theatrically. "Are these men from the Elithera family? Are they part of the mythical gang? Look at me i am trembling like a leaf."


    Not one part of Connie was trembling, and nobody bothered to look either. Her questions made perfect sense however when Luna strolled towards them like a predator in the night, exuding confidence and poise. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The expression on her face was icy, devoid of warmth and piercing. She whispered something to one of the men and immediately, hotel staff started evicting people from the pool area.


    Some tried to quibble but one look from Luna and the men in black stopped them short. Shivers were sent down their spines as they hurried to leave. One sneaky person took a picture of her only for the phone to be grabbed and stomped on by right in font of her.


    She was then handed a bundle of money as compensation, no doubt, it was more money than what the phone was actually worth.


    Two of the Mayfairs found themselves having difficulty in breathing as Luna drew closer, Phoebe and a worried grandma Mayfair that was pulling her precious granddaughter back. She was worried about the reasoning behind this sudden action from Luna.


    Was her intention to harm Phoebe somehow because something had happened to Duncan? Perhaps she did not like what Phoebe had said to her__the whole drowning in the pool business.


    Maybe a second shaman had been hired and they had performed an even greater miracle than Phoebe and the Elithera''s wanted their 200 million back. It was not exactly a small amount of money.


    While the old woman drowned in doubts and fear, Phoebe was mostly holding in her breath because she was fascinated. There was striking contrast between Luna the happy carefree singer and star versus this Luna--possible next in line as leader of the Elithera family.


    Or maybe it was Luna, female gangster and queen of the less savory business side of the Elithera family.


    Her presence was dominant, her gaze was imperceptible and and her lips were neither smiling nor frowning, simply neutral.


    "She has three knives on her body, one in the bra, one in her belt and another inside her sole of the shoe on the right." The Saxon spirit shared with Phoebe. "Not just that but the two pins holding her hair up are stained with poison on their sharp tips, the ring on the left pinky of her right hand has spider venom and she has a gun strapped to one of her thighs. Your Luna, she is a walking death agent."


    Phoebe''s jaw almost dropped to the ground, it was simply amazing. If Luna needed all these weapons to feel safe then what in the world had possessed someone like her to become a public figure, a celebrity?


    Celebrities were followed around all the time, their pictures were taken against their wishes at times. It was next to impossible for them to have a moment of privacy out in the open.


    When it came to Luna, it was even worse because as a singer she had to have concerts and tours. Why risk living in the open if you feared for your life?


    "She is like a don." Connie commented.


    Connie had been pulled into the thrilling wonderful world of crime syndicate movies by Sylvester lately hence her use of the word don.


    "I guess all those rumors about the Elithera''s and the Void gang must be true. But i gotta say she looks cool, like female badass actress in a movie cool. Look at her in that long black leather jacket, it kinda looks like a superhero''s cape, i can picture her acting as bat woman, or superwoman, maybe cat girl, no it''s better if she is an assassin for an ancient order....so many options, i can''t choose one." Andre whispered to Phoebe who only smiled back, not confirming anything. From everything that she had seen so far there was a lot of truth to the rumors.


    Andre''s imagination was not finished, his eyes lit up and he whispered to Phoebe, "Ooh, I know___, she could be Don Luna, a mafioso queen dealing in all kinds of shady underworld businesses. If you cross her, she sends her men to take you out or she does it herself with one of two special guns that she owns." His imagination pictured the scene of Luna assassinating someone in a high rise apartment so clearly.


    In his mind, she used ropes, adhesive gloves and other equipment to make her way into an apartment in a two hundred meter tower building and carry out the assassination. After the successful mission, she poured herself a glass of wine, stole some confidential documents and propelled herself onto the rooftop of the next building.


    "Maybe there is a government agency like the FNBI watching her and trying to accumulate evidence to make an arrest but they always come up short because she is more slippery than a eel. I can seen myself taking on the role of the male FNBI agent that goes undercover to take her down using a honey trap." He flashed his teeth at Phoebe and smirked. "Look at me, I am eye candy. I can definitely take down a woman like Luna Elithera even if it''s just for a short term."


    Phoebe scoffed in disbelief at his shameless review of his looks which was sadly true, he truly was eye candy but Luna had probably seen a lot of good looking men in her line of work so a simple eye candy trap would not work on her. Besides, half of the bodyguards surrounding her were eye candy to Phoebe at least.


    To use such a trap, a man would have to bring more to the table than a head of good hair, a pretty smile and abs.


    "Forget it Andre, I don''t think you want to get involved with a woman like her in reality or fantasy. Being drawn into her world can be dangerous, the Elithera''s have too many enemies." She said.


    She was worried because she could see it in Andre''s eyes, the spark of interest in Luna Elithera which would probably burn the Mayfairs if allowed to ignite. Those looking to harm the Elithera''s would be tempted to use the Mayfair''s to get to them.

 Chapter 244 - 244: Dumb and Dumber

    Also, Andre''s relationships were mostly for PR, none was real. Luna did not seem like the kind of woman that could accept a man with a playboy reputation, not even for a short term. She had never been linked to any man through her career.


    Perched on the armrest next to Phoebe, the Saxon spirit nodded firmly.


    "Your brother is dumb if he thinks he can get Luna, and even dumber if he thinks he can end a relationship with her whenever he wants to walk away. Once you know the secrets of the Elithera family, the only way you are allowed to leave is in a coffin." It commented.


    Luna changed to a friendly smile as she stopped in front of them, right before Phoebe''s feet.


    "I have cleared the pool area such that you can enjoy yourselves to the fullest in private. The only people allowed in here as long as you are around are the people you are comfortable with on the staff and your friends. I saw what happened online, are you okay?


    I was so worried about you, I don''t want anything to happen to the person that saved my family. We are hunting for the person that tried to hurt you and when I get them, whoever they are they will be sorry and so will their family...."


    "You will do nothing!" Phoebe interjected. She was horrified, shivering under the weight of unspoken dread but even then she wore her bravest face as she faced Don Luna. She was not going to allow the Elithera''s take an innocent life on her behalf over a simple scratch.


    "My God! Don''t do anything, this was a misunderstanding Luna. You should worry about finding out the person that wanted to steal your family wealth."


    She was mortified that for people like Luna hurting others was simple like eating cake. For a single moment, Phoebe wondered if she had done the right thing by saving Duncan and the Elithera''s.


    Perhaps whoever was pulling the strings behind their downfall was on a revenge mission. Perhaps they had a loved one whose life was lost because of such careless life taking decisions.


    "Whatever the case is, they used dark magic which is not good so no righteous person was harmed by the spell you broke. Do not worry about it, you have done the right thing." The Saxon spirit comforted Phoebe with these words because it could sense the sudden turmoil within her heart.


    Luna chuckled half heartedly. "If you say so Phoebe but you should know that for the rest of your life, as long as you are in Magic city, you are under the Elithera''s protection. You can do whatever you want and i guarantee that nobody and nothing will touch you."


    Pulling her brows together, Phoebe did not know whether to be happy or scared.


    "Thank you....I...guess."


    It was a big declaration which caused her to set her mouth in a frown. Where was the law in the eyes of the Elithera''s if nobody and nothing could touch Phoebe even if she committed a crime like murder?


    Luna''s lips curved gently upwards and her face transformed. Upfront she was a beauty with angelic features but deep down she was like a steely villain.


    "This must be your grandmother and brother, pardon me please for my rudeness, i should have first introduced myself." She bowed respectfully and exchanged greetings with old lady Mayfair and Andre. For the old lady, she had a genuine smile on her face but for Andre, it was definitely a look of contempt. Clearly, she did not approve of him or his lifestyle which was grossly exaggerated by the media.


    "You can stay here for as long as you like and eat anything you want or enjoy every amenity we have to offer. All expenses covered of course, it''s the Phoebe discount." A self satisfied grin plastered all over her face.


    Phoebe looked left and right in paranoia, were they spying on her? She had made a joke of this kind when she was talking to David in the elevator and only Santos had been with her.


    Had they used the camera in the elevator to spy on her!!


    "I have informed my staff to upgrade your rooms to the secret executive rooms, you are all like family now." Luna added.


    Phoebe and grandma Mayfair felt chills run along their bodies. Neither one was looking to become family with the Elithera''s. Maybe a long distant cousin that they never heard from unless there was a death or a wedding in the family.


    "They are going to cling on to you." The Saxon spirit sighed.


    Phoebe drew in a deep breath and she fake smiled at Luna. It was her vacation, Phoebe reminded herself, no stressful thoughts on the vacation.


    Although she was truly grateful that Luna was overly and unnecessarily protective, Phoebe didn''t like the fact that other guests had been evacuated forcefully from the pool area. If she had been one of them, she would be leaving a bad review for the resort.


    "Thank you Luna however allow other people to enjoy themselves freely. This place is big enough for all of us and it has suddenly become boring without the little kids running around."


    A soft laugh came from Luna''s lips, she could tell that Phoebe was nice and kind, something she considered a weakness. But, it wasn''t her place to comment, after all, in her eyes somebody that walked between two worlds like Phoebe could not really be considered weak, she had her ways of protecting herself.


    "Whatever you want." She smiled once more at grandma Mayfair and Andre before turning on her heels to walk away.


    Andre sank into the chair with despair on his face. "Why are the most beautiful women so scary, I could not get the courage to ask for her number."


    "Why are you attracted to the wrong kind of women Andre, pick a leaf from your brother Collin."


    Grandma Mayfair''s words had them raising their eyebrows. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Like news anchor Kelly? Ohh granny if it wasn''t for Pheebs here Collin would never have been so lucky in love." Andre sipped on his lemon mojito with delight.


    "I still can''t get over how funny his first meeting with Shana was." Grandma Mayfair laughed.


    "I got my hands on a copy of the video if anybody wants to see it, he really kidnapped her." Andre laughed carelessly and he showed them the video which he planned to share with the world on the day Collin and Shana tied the knot.


    "Look, look, see how your mother skillfully bumped into Shana." Grandma Mayfair pointed at the footage on Andre''s phone.


    "And then the fake hero saves the damsel." Phoebe giggled loudly.


    As they joked around the matter, Evelyn joined them. The first thing she did was inspect Phoebe''s banged arm. "My heart almost left my body when I saw what happened. Thank God it''s not serious." She placed a hand to her chest and sighed with extravagant relief that had Andre rolling his eyes.


    "See i told you that it''s nothing." Phoebe massaged one of Evelyn''s tense shoulders.


    ****


    In another part of the world, David quickly finished his business and embarked on plans to fly to Magic city as soon as possible. Even though Phoebe had told him that she was okay, his mind had been racing all through his meetings, spiraling as he imagined the worst case scenarios regarding her injury.


    He could not stop blaming Pike and Santos for their carelessness and they were going to get anything earful from him as soon as he physically got a look at his Phoebe.


    Unfortunately for him, due to fog and low visibility, all flights in and out of Penn city in Eagle country were cancelled.


    Despite this, David stayed on his private plane rather than his newly acquired fully furnished house in Eagle country. He was determined to set off as soon as they got the all clear when conditions improved.

 Chapter 245 - 245: Worse than the Saxons.

    So as not to bother others at the pool and because grandma Mayfair appeared to be fighting off the inevitable chill from the cold, Phoebe suggested that they move inside and look for another kind of fun activity in a warmer place.


    Following Phoebe''s suggestion and thanks to Andre''s suggestion they wound up playing mini golf at an indoor venue that was once again cleared out as per Luna''s instructions. Well__Phoebe and Andre played while Evelyn and grandma Mayfair laid back lazily in comfortable soft chairs and cheered them on while nursing spritzers that were definitely alcoholic.


    After playing a competitive game of golf, they went ahead to have dinner, watch a movie and retire for the night just shy of 11 p.m.


    What Phoebe did not know was that as she went to bed, a bloody storm was blanketing some parts of the city. The Elithera''s were already on the move and Don Luna was at the helm.


    **************


    The morning of the following day, warm sun poured into the hotel room through half drawn white lace curtains, turning the air golden and heavy with light. Shadows of swaying palm leaves played on the walls, their movements weaving a silent rhythm.


    Phoebe''s eyelids fluttered lazily, as if unwilling to part with the weightless bliss of sleep. She yawned and stretched, slow but deliberate. Her joints cracked and muscles sighed with relief, she had Luna to thank for the good night''s rest. The secret executive rooms were so much better than she thought.


    The mattress especially had impressed her, it was sturdy and comfortable, relieving all of the pressure within her back as if she was getting a massage. It had a single layer of gel like luminescent materials that kept her cool all night, adjusting to the temperature of her body. More amazing was the ambient glow which it emitted that lulled her to sleep.


    As part of the Phoebe discount, she wanted to kidnap and take the mattress home. In fact, Phoebe thought she needed more than one. She could not understand why such mattresses were on not on sale to the general public.


    "Good morning sleepy head." Came the Saxon spirit''s voice.


    A smile crept on Phoebe''s smile. "Good morning." Her nose sniffed the soft aroma of the coffee which Sylvester had kindly prepared.


    As if to let her know that she was starving, her stomach growled in reaction. Without wasting time, Phoebe rose from the bed, wrapped a silk night robe around her body and began to move towards the door.


    "Before you leave, you should know that the Elithera''s have already locked up the sixth brother at their ancestral home. Pheebs, I know these kind of people. They are going to be the judge, jury and executioners, that man is going to die and very soon." Beneath it''s words was a stern warning.


    "I do not think that Luna can allow that to happen." Phoebe spoke with uncertainty, she did not really know her that well but for the little Phoebe had seen Luna was a rational woman. The web which the Elithera''s were tangled in was wide, surely they would not kill blindly before having all the answers.


    "Are you sure about that?" Connie jumped out of the space. "Sister have you forgotten what we saw? Didn''t you notice that she was the one giving the orders to all those men? There was also the way her family accorded her with so much respect almost as if she was their head. In some of the movies i have watched, the gang boss is deep undercover and a fake boss is the one known to the public. What if her being a singer is actually a cover of who Luna really is?" Connie whispered the last words in Phoebe''s ear.


    A similar doubt had crept into Phoebe''s ears the previous night. Suddenly feeling an itch, she scratched the inside of her ear with one of her pinky fingers.


    "Eew!" Connie crinkled her nose.


    Phoebe rolled her eyes, her ears were clean, Connie was just being her usual Connieness.


    Phoebe made a momentous decision to poke her nose in the Elithera business once again. "I need to speak to Luna, i am not even certain that the six brother is the culprit here."


    "Well, you kind of pointed your finger at him indirectly."


    Phoebe opened her mouth to defend herself but the spirit raised and index finger to shush her


    "Not just that but you told them that whoever calls them in a frantic state would be the guilty party and it just happened to be him. Now, it could have been a coincidence but we both know that there is no such thing as two coincidences. Still, life is unpredictable so who knows?" It shrugged.


    The words that Phoebe was about to say were caught in her throat and more doubts flooded into her mind. Was she wrong for speaking up too soon about her personal observations? What if the Elithera''s kill the six brother because of what she had said but it turned out that she was wrong? Phoebe wanted no innocent blood on her hands so she forgot about having coffee, rushed to the bathroom where she cleaned up and rushed out of the hotel room.


    As she was getting out, she caught a glimpse of her grandmother that was making her way to her room. The confused older woman shouted out a question as Phoebe zoomed past her like a bullet.


    "I''ll be back nana, go on and have breakfast without me." She shouted when grandma Mayfair asked about where she was heading off to in such a hurry. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Getting to the Elithera house was very easy because their family home was located right in the heart of magic city. It was a twenty seven storied private residence, guarded by armed private security.


    As soon as she mentioned her name, she was allowed through and driven up to the entrance. On the way in, Phoebe counted thirty armed men and women and then lost count because it was not even necessary to do so. Even the servants were armed with different weapons, what kind of people lived like this?


    "They are worse than the Saxons." Connie commented.


    The Saxon spirit shoved Connie''s curious head back into the space.


    The spirit did not counter Connie''s words however because they were one hundred percent correct.


    "I think the main qualification for one to work for this family is a background in martial arts and a firearms qualifications test." Sylvester noted.


    Phoebe and the Saxon spirit agreed with Sylvester wholly. As soon as she stepped off the elevator into the foyer, her eyes landed on the face of a familiar woman.


    "You are here, in my house? Do we have more to talk about Phoebe Mayfair?" Judy asked in a not so welcoming way.


    Phoebe had long accepted that Judy did not like her, especially after the 200 million ask. But, she did not care anyway.


    "I don''t think that''s how you should welcome the person that just saved your lives. I am here to speak to Luna, call her out will you?" Phoebe''s gaze was sharp and unwavering.


    Judy took a slow breath, locking eyes with Phoebe. Her lips curled into a small almost imperceptible smile, the kind that spoke of a quiet power.


    "And we paid you extremely well for that." She retorted, her voice smooth but laced with a tone that suggested that she was bothered both by the money and Phoebe''s nonchalant attitude in her presence.


    Was the shaman going to keep undermining them because she did them a small favor? Judy still had her reservations after all jumping from the bridge to die was not her style of doing things. All the things Phoebe had told them, she still found skeptical.


    "Whatever you want to tell Luna you can tell me, i am in charge of things when my husband is temporarily incapacitated." Judy continued to watch Phoebe keenly.


    Phoebe scoffed and Judy clenched her jaw, unappreciative of the scoff. If she was not afraid of what Luna would do if she harmed Phoebe, Judy would have told one of the servants to force her onto her knees and give her a slap or two.


    Judy recalled Phoebe''s Mayfair heiress identity and she took a deep breath, letting go of her pride. It was best not to antagonize the little rich shaman. She was not one of those harlots from the streets of Magic city pretending to have spiritual ties, she was the real deal anyway.


    "Where is the sixth brother? Bring him out here and don''t say that you do not know anytthing because I already know that he is here." Phoebe''s tone was gentle but extremely demanding.


    This time, it was Judy that scoffed.


    "Wait here." she instructed and walked away.

 Chapter 246 - 246: Truth and relief

    A female maid in an outfit that looked like blue scrubs used by nurses worldwide pointed Phoebe to a brown leather chair in the lounge.


    Phoebe did as told, and the ghosts sat down as well.


    "Look around, learn some things." Phoebe instructed them.


    Sylvester left first and Connie was the last to go, dragging her invisible ghost feet.


    "Even their home is designed to look like a hotel, so boring." Connie muttered as she left.


    Forty minutes had passed since Judy had ordered Phoebe to sit in the living room and wait after she demanded to see the sixth brother.


    From that time till now, the Elithera''s had showed up one after the other. They watched her like a spectacle especially those that had missed the show at the hospital.


    Phoebe was like a snake in a cage at the zoo, she just watched them without expressing any interest or giving them a reaction. They could look all they wanted, she was unbothered.


    One young woman boldly approached her finally and she sat down besides Phoebe. She held a slight resemblance to Luna but it was not that strong. Where Luna was hard, this woman was soft. Her blonde hair was big and fluffy, the eyes small but expressive and radiant. Despite all that was going on in the family, she was warm like rare sunshine on a rainy day.


    Shyly, she giggled.


    "Hi."


    "Hi." Phoebe responded in a neutral tone.


    The young woman licked her lips and smiled. "So...err...miss shaman, i am getting married soon and I would like to know whether my fiance really loves me or he is after our family money." A tinge of fear laced her words.


    A faint smile tugged on Phoebe''s lips. "Does that even matter, i am sure you are marrying someone of equal financial means. What you should care about is if you are compatible. Give me your hand." She requested to which the young woman quickly obliged.


    Phoebe studied it closely for a moment. "I can see a good marriage in your future...."


    The cracking sound of sharp pointed heels approaching diverted her attention and she let go of the young woman''s hand.


    "Finally." She muttered on seeing Luna. The room fell silent that one could have heard a rat piss on cotton.


    The young woman escaped from Phoebe''s side as if Luna was a beast. She took an elevator, following some of the others that were rushing away.


    "Phoebe i am sorry that i wasn''t here to welcome you but imagine my surprise on hearing that you were here and it was not to see me but rather my the sixth uncle." Luna smiled hesitantly, she sat in a single heavily cushioned chair where the young woman had been sitting previously.


    She was not alone, two of her uncles and some bodyguards had followed. They positioned themselves around Luna immediately.


    Phoebe turned and faced Luna with a resolve in her eyes. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I am here for one thing only, a clear conscience. I need to confirm that it was he that committed those atrocities, further more i want to know why he did what he did it." Phoebe spoke firmly, her eyes locked with Luna''s.


    The second uncle sneered. "And you think that he will tell you? We have done everything in our power to cajole him into talking but he is one tough bastard. Just concentrate on healing our Duncan, we will decide on what to do to our sixth brother." He spoke through pursed lips.


    His words only caused the tension within her body to swell up. "You mean kill him?" Phoebe asked, her heart pounding in her chest like the beat of a war drum. Had she asked a provocative question? She asked herself when she noticed that all their scary eyes were fixed on her. However she was unfazed, she was not going to let them kill the man on her watch if he was innocent.


    "We believe in an eye for an eye, you have done your part shaman, it''s our turn to do ours. I believe that those were your words so why are you getting involved in our part?" The fourth sister spewed out.


    "Do you think i want to?" Phoebe quizzed in turn. "I don''t want to involve myself in your business as well."


    Luna sat in a straight posture but she shot warning looks to her relatives. "Everyone calm down, Ambrose go and bring sixth uncle here." She ordered.


    "But...." the fourth aunt started.


    Luna sent her blood curling gaze when she tried to loudly protest the decision and the woman folded her lips shut.


    It wasn''t long before the six brother limped in, he had visible fresh cuts, a reflection of the torture he had been through. He was guarded on both sides by two beefy men and one skinny woman followed them.


    Phoebe sighed on noticing that he had two swollen black eyes and a broken arm.


    "Luna, Luna, I am your uncle. Please stop doing this! I am innocent and I do not feel well, at least let me see a doctor." He lamented upon seeing Luna.


    Phoebe wasted no time in sending the Saxon spirit to study the man''s condition. He smelled off, something on him or in him was rotting.


    The spirit hovered around him, sniffing him over and over in search of something like a dog.


    "When the curse was lifted it went straight to him, he is going to die soon." It returned and told Phoebe.


    She clenched the arms of the chair and sighed loudly in relief.


    "It was him after all, thank God i am not wrong."


    Now that she had her answer, Phoebe wasted no time, she pulled out a truth speaking talisman that the spirit put in her jacket pocket.


    "I need your word that if I compel him to say the truth, you won''t kill him. This man is dying anyway, the backlash from the curse which had been put on Duncan went straight to him." Her words were directed to Luna who seemed to be in charge.


    Before Luna could respond, the group murmured relentlessly, a sea of faces caught in the undercurrent of discontent.


    On hearing Phoebe''s words, the sixth brother''s eyes grew widely open. "W...what do you mean? Please...tell me." His hands began to tremble. "What did you do?" he questioned desperately.


    "You have my word." Luna spoke firmly, she wanted to get to the bottom of it.


    "What? Since when do you speak for everyone? You may be Duncan''s enforcer and daughter but he hasn''t named an heir yet."


    Someone shouted from the back. Others shook their heads, lips pressed in thin lines of disagreement. Most of them kept their various opinions to themselves.


    It made Luna all the more interested in hearing what Phoebe could find out. She was suspicious of everyone in the family at this point.


    "Go ahead Phoebe, don''t let these barking dogs frighten you." Luna gave consent.


    Phoebe moved towards the trembling man and placed the talisman on his chest.


    "Tell me all your plans and name your co-conspirators you are working with to take down the Elithera family." She ordered him.


    The six brother''s eye lids began to flicker visibly, only the whites where showing. "I am working with the Soprinos and O''Connor''s. Some people in the family are also part of us, we will not stop until Duncan and all those loyal to him are dead." He confessed.

 Chapter 247 - 247: Closing the Elithera case

    It was as if a hammer had been dropped in the midst of the wary group. On hearing the sixth brother''s confession, members of the family started to trade suspicious glances, and a few even moved away from those they thought could be part of the conspiracy.


    As for Luna, she wasted no time in picking up her phone to do the necessary, all traitors were going to be taken down in one swoop.


    "Lock down the compound." she said into the phone.


    Even before she finished issuing the command, two people were already running for the elevators. This reaction resulted in whispers and murmurs that rippled through the room as the two betrayers were captured.


    "So it''s true, ha! no wonder you two were the loudest in rejecting my shaman''s help." Luna lifted her right hand and laid out her black guns for all to see.


    "Swift strike!" someone exclaimed.


    Swift strike was the name Luna had personally given to both of the custom made guns. Anyone that was familiar with them also knew that when they appeared, someone was bound to die.


    The appearance of the guns caused inevitable terror in the group. Some Elithera''s audibly gasped while others shifted uncomfortably in their seats as the two obvious traitors were dragged away by two men, to be executed.


    "You...you...." The fourth aunt stammered and shivered but she could not foster energy to rebuke Luna.


    Luna remained unnervingly calm, masking her emotions while stroking her guns, at any moment someone would be struck swiftly.


    "Shhhh." She hushed, the room quickly fell back in total silence.


    The sixth brother continued narrating the story of how the Soprinos and O''Connors offered him a huge sum of money to betray the family.


    "I signed an agreement with each of them which would see to it that the city is divided into three equal territories. If I became the boss, both the normal business and gang related boundaries would be respected, ending animosity and underground gang wars between us.


    I also agreed to hand over forty percent of the family property to them. Tony Soprino also made it clear that he wants Luna to be his mistress, he will put a leash on her and treat her like a dog forever. It''s her punishment for shooting and paralyzing his arm.


    All the women in the family that refused to surrender would be sent to the red district as prostitutes and the men to work in pink cocaine factories at the Northern boarder. The extremely stubborn ones would be killed or framed and sent to prison.


    They used black magic to make Duncan very ill and cripple the financial blessings of the family. The shaman of Bayan lake gave only gave me instructions which i followed, i don''t know anything else about it. If you kill me, they won''t sit back and watch because i am one of them now."


    Again, shared gasps erupted in the room as disbelief swept over them all. They had been living like frogs in warm but boiling water, unaware of what fate held in store for them.


    "You bastard!! you evil..." Judy fell to the ground and cried out.


    The second brother stood up, his eyes burning of a fierce intensity and fixed on the confessor. "And you actually believed them? You stupid ungrateful idiot! Our parents picked you from the orphanage and raised you like one of their own. But you collaborated with our enemies to take over our empire and kill us all." His fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white.


    The Soprinos were the second biggest gang in Magic city and the only surviving rivals of the Void gang, most gangs had been eliminated by Duncan when he took over. In his quest to control Magic city he had stepped on a lot of toes, it wasn''t surprising that people wanted him dead.


    The O''Connors meanwhile were both business and political rivals of the Elithera''s, they had been wanting to take them down for a long time. Their enemies had joined hands to destroy them and the sixth brother had fallen into their trap perfectly.


    Judy''s hand searched under the puffy pillow before she pulled out a gun. She cocked it and pointed it at the sixth brother. "I should just blow up his brains right now." She spoke through pursed lips.


    Out of the blue, more guns were released and everyone was armed including the teenagers and one ten year old boy.


    All these guns were pointing at the sixth brother and many eyes filled with hatred and a single desire to fill his body with bullet holes pierced him.


    "Oh-oh!" Connie exclaimed and vanished.


    Even the ghost could tell that this was not going to end well.


    "No! You promised!" Phoebe quickly stood up, her face was white like as though blood had been drained out of it.


    She had never seen so many guns at the same time, all ready to be used. If one bullet went astray, wouldn''t she be shot as well? Phoebe looked at Luna, begging her to control her crazy family.


    "Everyone please, there is no need for a blood bath, not now anyway." Luna commented nonchalantly but her gaze warned them all not to dare defy her.


    The fifth brother scoffed at Luna''s words. "If you think that you can head the family with a soft heart, then you better stick to singing. We must avenge our elder brother starting with slaughtering this pig right here." He pointed his index finger at the sixth brother.


    "Uncle, aunt Luna is currently in charge, to disobey her is to disobey the head himself." A teenage boy said.


    "No, he has to die, it''s the Elithera way." A woman said.


    Some people lowered their guns but others held firm, determined to kill the sixth brother. It set in motion a debate when the dourth aunt decided that they should vote on the matter.


    As they were still deliberating on what to do, the sixth brother collapsed. Black blood oozed from his nose, ears and mouth. Phoebe moved closer, she lifted his eye lids and studied his eyes.


    The sixth brother was beginning to show signs of physical deterioration.


    "It has started, he is going to go through exactly what he wanted his brother to go through." The Saxon spirit hovered around his body.


    Luna moved and crouched near her uncle''s body. "These symptoms, i have seen them before. Father too had black blood coming out of his mouth, ears and nose before we rushed him to the hospital."


    Sighing heavily, Phoebe explained what was going on. "You don''t have to kill this man, he''s going to die in the way he wanted his brother to die. Slowly but extremely painfully."


    "Sounds like a good punishment to me, don''t you think so fifth uncle?" Came Luna''s triumphant voice.


    "The same will apply to all those that were in cohorts with him and as for your father he must be regaining consciousness right about now." Phoebe stood and cleaned her hands with sanitizer from her bag.


    She looked at the Elithera''s and waved her hand once. "I am done, bye." S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Luna followed her out, matching Phoebe''s pace but maintaining silence until they reached the car which had brought Phoebe over.


    "Thank you Phoebe, if you ever need my help please call me." Luna put a hand on Phoebe''s arm and stopped her temporarily. She wore a grateful smile on her face.


    "Same here, call me just in case you feel that something is wrong with your father." A light smile tugged on Phoebe''s lips, she nodded and entered the car. Hoping that it was the last time she would ever get mixed up with the Elitheras.


    Just as the car was making a turn, Phoebe heard the sound of gunshots coming from the compound and she sighed.

 Chapter 248 - 248: 2 baby toes arrives.

    As she expected, not every Elithera was willing to let nature take it''s course, they preferred to take justice into their own hands.


    The three ghosts turned their heads around to look at the Elithera compound one last time.


    "Crazy, they are crazy." Connie declared. "Sister, they have a torture room at the top floor of the building. Oh the horror!"


    "Forget it, they are not our business anyway. I am a shaman, my business is the supernatural." Phoebe replied.


    She closed her eyes and leaned back against the head rest. Something came to mind and she opened her eyes immediately.


    "Ancestor, the shaman of Bayan lake, i need to know everything about him."


    The Saxon spirit nodded and vanished from the car to do some poking around. She liked the fact that Phoebe was being vigilant because someday, someone would come looking for her, unhappy about all the dark spells she was undoing.


    *************


    When she got back to the hotel, Phoebe was welcomed by a giant bouquet of flowers as soon as she walked through the main glass doors. Standing besides the bouquet was David who had a relieved smile on seeing her.


    "I am so grateful that you are okay." His arms enveloped her with a gentle yet firm embrace.


    He took her by the hand, pulling her to the nearest elevator with an urgency that she could not understand. The elevator was being protected by his men that were snarling at innocent guests that wanted to use it.


    It was a VIP elevator but not even the VIP''s were being allowed to get on. David pushed her inside the elevator and pushed her against a cold metal wall as soon as the doors closed.


    "Are you crazy?" he questioned her sternly.


    His two hands were tightly holding on to her shoulders.


    "David..." Phoebe winced.


    She could not understand why all of a sudden he seemed to be displeased. One moment he was smiling at her with a bouquet of flowers and hugging her with gentleness and the next he was dragging her into the elevator and looking at her with heavy dark eyes that had a scary look deep inside.


    He let go of her shoulders but before she could sigh in relief, he grabbed both of her hands and imprisoned them above her head with one of his hands. She didn''t know what he was up to but everything in her was screaming run.


    "Let me go.." she struggled, "What are you doing you bastard?"


    David used his free hand to pinch her chin and make her look up at him.


    "You dared to run to Magic city into Elithera territory without informing me. Phoebe Mayfair, have you lost your mind?"


    "I can handle my business." she responded defiantly.


    [Do not even think about controlling me, i can handle dangerous situations perfectly with my ghosts. Dangerous situations, hmph! ] She thought. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Not if it means getting yourself hurt." he responded curtly.


    "That''s also my business." she responded pointedly.


    She continued to struggle, trying to free herself from his tight lock and hulking prison that was his body frame. The more she struggled, the more unwilling David was to let her go.


    He had been to hell and back after learning about her being injured and then hearing from Santos that she was inside the Elithera compound.


    On hearing about the gunshots which were fired shortly after she left, he had almost lost his mind. He had no idea what had happened in that compound, he was just glad that she was okay. However, he found it infuriating how nonchalant she seemed to be, unaware of how foolish it had been to march fearlessly into the Elithera''s compound.


    In that family, even five year old children were taught the art of killing. Phoebe had no idea how close she had come to the flames.


    David''s gaze briefly dipped to her lips and he growled. He lowered his head and brought his lips to hers in a kiss that was brutal, delivering a punishment.


    Phoebe was caught off guard and she lost control of the situation quickly. This kiss was just as unexpected as the last one, like a hailstorm on a sunny day.


    David was forceful, forcing her lips open with his tongue before darting inside and exploring every inch of her mouth as he pleased.


    Fight him, stop him, do something....Phoebe''s mind screamed. These thoughts did not take root, especially because she did not resist__, she could but she did not want to. She arched her back instead and encouraged him to deepen the kiss, matching the pace of his fury.


    Maybe she was starved for touch, or it was the taste of gin and berries on his tongue, Phoebe could not decide which but she found his taste delightful. She was truly torn between fighting for control and enjoying the kiss. It just felt so good that she wanted more, so much more.


    David let go of her hands, pleased by her pleasure, forgetting that he had initiated the kiss as a punishment. He wrapped his right hand around her waist and moved the other down, cupping her bottom.


    Phoebe moaned softly, the small sound blessing his ears generously. David was ready to lift her up and move his mouth to her neck but suddenly the elevator made a dinging sound and Phoebe pushed him away with so much energy that he fell back against the wall on the opposite side of the elevator.


    The doors opened but nobody got on and they closed quickly, something which relieved Phoebe greatly. Given their physical state, it would not take much for someone to guess what they had been doing in the elevator.


    There was nobody else to blame for this other than the deadly handsome man that was adjusting his pants making his condition very obvious.


    "Rogue!" she whispered an accusation while glaring at him.


    The words barely escaped her mouth as she was panting just as he was. David chuckled and wiped his bottom lip with his right hand thumb. Since he had been called a rogue, he fell into character and winked at her.


    "Shortie, you almost swallowed my tongue and bit my lip but you are calling me a rogue. I should be the one saying this."


    Phoebe hissed at him and folded her arms across her chest.


    "Alright, alright, i am sorry. I was just anxious so i got a little carried away." he approached and put a hand on her waist.


    "Hmph!" she slapped his hand and looked to her left with a sulking expression on her face.


    She was feeling embarrassed more than angry because the darn Saxon spirit was whistling happily in her mind. The nosy spirit really didn''t know when to stay out of her private business.


    If ever she and David had sex, Phoebe would not put it past the spirit to hover and give them pointers to make sure they were doing it right.


    "I didn''t see anything, you old witch how could you blind my eyes?" Connie screamed.


    Phoebe sighed and blocked the voices of the ghosts for a while. Connie would be ranting for a good while and the Saxon spirit would be teaching her about morals.


    Phoebe''s stomach churned loudly it hurt. "I am hungry."


    "Let''s get you fed then." David led her to the exclusive restaurant for special guests staying at the resort. He found a table by the window that had a view of the pool and they sat down.


    "I want to hear everything that i missed. You have been here for less than two days, took one meeting with Luna Elithera and then a bloodbath followed in the night. What did you do Phoebe?"

 Chapter 249 - 249: Urgent mission.

    "Me!" Phoebe loudly exclaimed.


    Her eyes were wide open, expressing disbelief at the outrageous accusation.


    "Why do you think i did something?"


    David smirked, he did not believe his shortie one bit. He pushed a glass of wine towards her. "Well, did you?"


    She bit the corner of her bottom lip and considered denying her role in the Elithera bloodbath which she was just hearing about but it was no use. At the end of the day, he would find out anyway.


    "Look, it''s not my fault, all i did was break a spell and save a life. Everything else that followed is not my fault, it''s the bad guys that are to blame."


    "You..." David started.


    He had to pause because two servers brought their food over and given how hungry Phoebe was, he decided to let her enjoy her meal in peace. After eating to her fill, Phoebe narrated all that had happened at the Elithera compound, starting right from the day she met Luna to the gunshots she heard.


    Halfway through her narration, her grandmother had joined them so the old lady caught up on the Elithera gossip as well. One minute later. Andre and Evelyn joined them as well.


    By the time Phoebe was done with the narration, the old lady was shaking her head and smacking her lips.


    "I knew the sixth brother was behind this after all you told us yesterday. He is another ungrateful bastard like Ruth, whenever the heart isn''t contented with the little you have, you end up yearning for what doesn''t belong to you."


    David''s fingers massaged his chin. "The O''Connor''s are such a respectable bunch of people, i am shocked that they resorted to black magic. As for the the Soprinos, i am not surprised.


    It is believed that Duncan''s forces have wiped out almost half of their people, they had to retaliate. I guess bullets, knives and poisons have failed them if magic was their go to this time.


    Knowing the Elithera''s, there is going to be an even bigger bloodbath in the city. They never shy away from using violence to silence their enemies. I don''t think it is the right time to vacation here."


    "Does this mean that we are about to see the biggest gang war in history?" There was a lot of anticipation in Andre''s voice.


    He was all but ready to film and record the live action before turning it into a script. As expected, wherever Phoebe went, inspiration struck.


    Phoebe frowned and looked into his sparkling eyes. "I really hope not because innocent people will get caught in the cross fire." She prayed that Luna would keep her family under control.


    Evelyn waved her hands in the air. "Enough of all of this guys, we are in Magic city! We need to have some fun before we get back to boring old Citrus." She announced excitedly.


    Andre and grandma Mayfair supported the suggestion however Phoebe lazily objected.


    All she wanted to do was stay at the hotel where it was safe indoors. She needed more time with that mattress and even more information on that Bayan shaman.


    "Come on Pheebs! Don''t be a party pooper, listen the Novemberfest music carnival is happening right now. How can you stay indoors at such a time? You need to come out with me and shake your booty." Evelyn persuaded.


    The Saxon spirit appeared wearing an anxious expression. "You must go to Novemberfest."


    It''s voice was shaky but commanding, a sign that something was wrong.


    Phoebe excused herself to her room after promising to think about Evelyn''s suggestion seriously. David wanted to follow but she used the excuse of taking a bath to stop him. As soon as she closed the door, she quizzed the anxious spirit.


    "What is going on? Why do i have to go to the music carnival?"


    "Remember that I told you that one of the reasons as to why you were reborn was to help the Saxons avoid the unfortunate incidents that happened to them. Well today Valarie Saxon is going to encounter the danger which will lead to her eventual death, it all happens at the music carnival."


    The name rung a bell, Phoebe vividly recalled sweet Valerie Saxon. She did not know much about the young woman except for the fact that she was sweet and kind. While most of the Saxons had been contented with ignoring Phoebe, Valerie had always smiled and said a polite hello when they run into each other.


    It was such a shame that the girl committed suicide and she was buried in a rush by her parents without the rest of the family being clued in. A general false announcement was made that she died in a fire.


    Phoebe was one of five people that knew about the suicide and why it happened. Apparently Valerie had contracted a disease and could not live with the shame so she took her life.


    To hide this secret, she was buried quickly and never mentioned again. Phoebe only knew about this because she was hiding from Miranda, secretly grabbing a bite to eat in the Saxon cemetery and overheard Valerie''s parents discussing her true cause of death.


    Phoebe unfolded her arms, her resistance crumbling into desperation. She liked Valerie and in this life, she was willing to do whatever it took to save her.


    "How do I save her and where exactly am I supposed to find her? What kind of danger is she in?" she asked the spirit.


    "The circumstances are the same as back then, someone is plotting against her and it happens to be her best friend Belinda Kaplan."


    A haughty sniff came from Phoebe''s lips. "Best friends and betrayal, I understand that perfectly. Phoebe''s thoughts run to her once best friend Ruth, it had been a while since she had last checked on her but Luke was doing that religiously and sharing updates with the rest of the family.


    "How did she die in the past and what time? I know it could change but still I want to know what happened in order to eliminate the danger entirely. Why did her friend harm her?" Phoebe quizzed further because she did not have the necessary information.


    In order to convince Valerie she needed to have more than a verbal claim.


    The Saxon spirit suddenly waved her hand, smashing a flower vase against the wall.


    "It''s murder, my descendant was plotted against and infected with that disease deliberately. We don''t have time to discuss the details. You just need to find Valerie now and save her before it''s too late. Remember that saving her will be rewarding because your lifespan will increase depending on how you deal with the entire situation."


    Phoebe literally went flying through the door to handle the urgent task.


    Everyone was still lounging in the restaurant engaging in more Elithera gossip when Phoebe returned, slightly out of breath.


    "Why are you lazing around people, go get ready! We have a carnival to attend to." She clapped her hands continuously in the bid to encourage them to hasten up. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Wait a minute, we are going?" David asked as he got to his feet. Initially he was relieved that they were staying in doors because he was tired. Now that Phoebe was going out it automatically meant that he was going too, he was not letting her go without him by her side.


    "Why?" Andre asked.


    He did not think that Phoebe was the ''shake your booty type'' as Evelyn had described. Phoebe was always neck deep in herbs, research, murder cases, ghosts and all things supernatural.


    She loved the beach and sunrise, long walks and star gazing. Reading novels, eating deserts, sipping wine, sleeping like an overfed kitten.


    Andre''s list of things Phoebe loved could go on but none of those things was shaking the booty. Phoebe was not much of a dancer.


    "What changed? A while ago you were adamant to step out of the hotel." Grandma Mayfair asked.


    Evelyn quickly shook her head. "Granny don''t ask. Whatever it was, we should just be grateful. This is going to be so much fun, i can''t wait." she squealed.

 Chapter 250 - 250: Saving Valerie__1

    The Novemberfest music carnival was held for three days every year and there was always a specific theme for each year. The theme this year was ''Into the wild.'' All participants were expected to dress up in outfits that embraced nature, adventure and the wild.


    It was one of the biggest events held in Magic city with people coming from all around the world to attend. It was not unusual to see celebrities from all walks of life in attendance.


    First time attendee Phoebe had decided to go with a cat themed look, dressing up in a Halloween costume as she had not had ample time to prepare an outfit. She had let Connie paint whiskers on her cheeks and to finish the cat lady look she placed a black cat ears head band over her hair.


    "All done." Connie brows danced for she was satisfied with her work.


    Phoebe moved to stand in front of a mirror, a smile formed on her face on seeing the simple but cute makeup.


    "Thank you Connie, you can go back home and help Rosette at the cafe."


    "But I thought that i was also going to the music carnival!" Connie made some hesitant moves, it was like as if she was weighed down by inner turmoil. "I will help to search for Valerie please just let me come with you."


    Her pouted lips and sad puppy eyes didn''t faze Phoebe at all. There was no way Connie was going to help with anything when some of her favorite artists were going to be at the carnival.


    She would disappear and they would not hear from her until the carnival was closed. Phoebe did not want to add the search for Connie to the search for Valerie.


    "Let her come and Connie remember that Valarie is the priority. If i notice otherwise, I''ll send you back to the cafe with a snap of a finger." The Saxon spirit''s eyes were glazed with a warning.


    The spirit did not want them to dally as they went back and forth on this matter. Connie was not going back to Citrus city on her own. It was best for the girl to follow and help if she could.


    Connie huffed silently. "You don''t have to threaten me old witch, I know that this mission is important to sister Phoebe."


    When Phoebe came out of the room, everyone was already waiting, ready to go. The most dressed person was Evelyn who was wearing a full tiger jumpsuit with a tail at the back.


    Nothing had changed about her grandmother and David, they were in the same clothes, her a flowy green dress and him, a suit.


    Andre was wearing an overly decorated mask with jungle prints. He was wearing a white tank top and one of Collin''s new cargo pants which Phoebe was sure he had borrowed without informing the owner.


    "There you are....." Grandma Mayfair brightened up. She thought her granddaughter was the cutest thing ever and instantly turned into a camera woman using her phone to capture pictures.


    "Wow shortie! Looking lovely as ever." David interjected, "I cannot actually believe that you are going to this thing." He added.


    Phoebe frowned slightly, he could have stopped at wow, skipped shortie and continued to looking lovely as ever. The man simply loved to push her buttons at every turn.


    "I am not going for fun, by the way do you have a recent photo of Valarie Saxon, your cousin?" She asked David whose brows shot up immediately.


    Grandma Mayfair became interested immediately. "Why? Does your going to the carnival have anything to do with her?" She had come to understand that Phoebe didn''t just change her mind without a good reason.


    She had this nagging sense that Phoebe''s sudden desire to go for the music carnival was for something other than dancing or eating.


    Phoebe nodded her head which compelled Evelyn to sigh in frustration.


    "I knew that it was too good to be true. And to think that i really thought that you wanted to loosen up and go crazy. Please do not tell me that this is a ghost issue and she is the ghost."


    "No it''s not!" David quickly jumped in. "My niece is alive."


    Phoebe swallowed hard. "Not if we don''t save her today, she will not live long if we do not hurry up." She gave David the believe me look.


    His mind flushed back to the time Valerie had died in the past and if memory served him right, it was two weeks from the current date.


    He had been away on a business trip when she died and by the time he came home, Valerie had been buried already. All he was told by his grandmother was that she had died in some kind of accidental fire, nothing more.


    Valerie was from the fifth branch of the Saxon clan and she was only twenty so she and David did not interact much. Still, he knew everyone in the family and Valerie had a good reputation for being kind and helpful.


    It would be a shame if something terrible happened to the girl. David sent Phoebe a picture as she requested and he forwarded Valerie''s phone number to Roxanne for tracing.


    Phoebe sent Valerie''s picture to everyone that was going including the security team Luna had assigned her, they were to help in the search because most of the city was considered to be Elithera territory. With their many connections, perhaps it was possible for them to rescue her much faster than her.


    Once they reached the stadium grounds were the carnival was being held, the group split up and each of them left with at least four bodyguards. David stuck with Phoebe who took out a paper map of magic city.


    "David give me your hand."


    He did and Phoebe pricked one of his fingers without warning.


    "Ouch!" He winced. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe laughed softly as she dropped a drop on the map. "Sorry I forgot to give you a heads up because i am in a hurry."


    "Pheebs, what kind of danger are we talking about? What is it that happened to Valerie in the past? Didn''t she die in a fire?"


    "No." She answered without hesitation.


    She took a few steps forward to follow the line of those going into the stadium. David however stopped her because he had more questions and a lot of confusion.


    "What do you mean? If she did not die in the fire then what killed her? Why was the family told something else?"


    Phoebe looked him in the eyes and she sighed. "HIV, or as some people say to this day, an unmentionable disease. Look, there is no time to discuss the details. You don''t know about it because her family covered it up.


    Not only did she get such a disease but she took her own life. If such news became public i guess it would have damaged the Saxon reputation." Phoebe twisted her lips as she pulled him to the front of the line. "Let''s hurry, I need to find Valerie, her life depends on it."


    David that was lost in a mild sea of thoughts was dragged along and they were allowed through easily after some of the men Luna had lent her identified themselves.


    Inside the massive stadium however, Phoebe was faced with a new challenge in terms of people. They were too many and they were everywhere. Her eyes focused on the drop of blood on the map that was meant to guide her through an ocean of people that were camouflaged.


    They were drinking dancing, jumping and it was loud with different music booming from six different directions because there were six independent stages.


    Locating Valerie was not the problem, getting to her was. Weaving through the crowds would be difficult.


    "Crap!"

 Chapter 251 - 251: Saving Valerie__2

    "Let''s push through with energy." The Saxon spirit suggested.


    Phoebe put her hands out and moved them gently from side to side, forging forward into the massive crowd, creating a path for herself and her group.


    The people in the way were surprised to find themselves being moved by an unseen force but with the size of the crowd, the disguises and music, nobody made a fuss.


    Not even the man whose cup of beer was spilled onto his bare chest complained and when Phoebe apologized, he did not respond as he did not know for what reason she was apologizing.


    The Saxon spirit moved along with Phoebe, clearing a path the same way she was doing. They followed the drop of David''s blood for more than ten minutes but failed to reach Valerie.


    The longer it took, the more frustrated they found themselves feeling. Would they make it in time to save her?


    "This would have been much easier for me if I could fly above the crowds in search for her without freaking the humans out." Phoebe complained inwardly


    "News flash, you are human." The Saxon spirit reminded her.


    It actually thought along the same line as Phoebe, the search would be easier if she could fly over the normal humans without drawing attention to herself.


    "It''s so hot." Phoebe whined.


    It could have been the crowd or the blazing hot sun or both. It was also loud, incredibly so that she could not barely hear herself think.


    Phoebe was shoved suddenly, she stumbled and fell into David''s arms.


    "God i hate this place." Phoebe growled out.


    "Are you okay?" David asked.


    She did not hear the words but read his mouth as it moved around and figured out his question for herself. She nodded, righted herself and they continued on. There was no time to waste.


    The Saxon spirit went from gentle pushing to rougher shoving to prevent any accidents. Phoebe made her way through the heavy crowd and stopped finally when the drop of blood on the map came to a stop.


    She looked around just in case Valarie was out in the open. It was wishful thinking of course, Valarie was not anywhere she looked. They were now in the darker section of the stadium which was semi-closed off by part of the stadium roof.


    Phoebe''s ears were assaulted by loud bass deep beats coming from the DJ that was mixing music aggressively on a neon lit stage.


    The poor lighting made the search harder and in every direction Phoebe looked, she saw couples that were making out and having a good time.


    David had no idea why Phoebe had stopped so he tapped her on the shoulder and shrugged, asking her why with his body language?


    "She''s here." Phoebe shouted at the top of her voice.


    Hardly had she announced that when the blood began to move again, this time towards the camping grounds behind the neon lit stage.


    The blood stopped once again, the map didn''t specify where Valarie was exactly. They had to search but everyone that had come with them had normal human vision so Phoebe ordered the Saxon spirit do the rest of the search.


    She even sent out Black kitty and Yin to participate in the search. Phoebe concentrated some energy around her eyes, making her vision better and she gestured at everyone else to follow her.


    Out of the blue she recalled another incident that happened after Valerie''s death. Two weeks after Valerie''s burial, Phillip Saxon had an accident and both his legs were amputated.


    "Oh! looks like i will get to add more months to my life span. She had to save Phillip as well, he was another good Saxon, a little mulish but good at heart.


    Phoebe hastened her pace when she saw a familiar face, not the one she was searching for however as it was her grandmother.


    She had no idea how the old woman had made her way to the same place where they were given the size of the crowd.


    "Nana." she put her hands around the shoulders of the old woman and guided her to a nearby stall that was selling drinks.


    Phoebe bought freshly squeezed juice for everyone because they were all sweating.


    David handed grandma Mayfair a handkerchief to wipe away the beads of sweat on her forehead. "Grandma, you should have remained with Evelyn."


    "I am a lot stronger than I look, i made it all the way here after all. You on the other hand look deranged." Grandma Mayfair''s eyes moved to his disorganized hair.


    He had been running his hands through his hair every few seconds. More than anyone, David was determined to save Valerie, she was his niece after all.


    The ghost pets and the Saxon spirit returned along with Connie and Sylvester.


    "Good news, she has been found, I found Valerie." Connie announced loudly.


    "The bad news is that she is lying unconscious in a tent alone with a middle aged man." Sylvester added hastily. "Follow me."


    Quickly Phoebe dashed forward, following Sylvester to the said tent. As always, she did not explain herself and the others naturally just followed the direction she took.


    Phoebe came to a stop outside a tent which Connie was loudly saying was ''the one.''


    Standing outside was Belinda, who trembled the moment she saw David. The next thing they knew, before a single word could be said, she was running away, trying to get to one of the crowded areas.


    The Saxon spirit swung a rock in her path which Belinda tripped on and fell on her stomach. David sent his men to capture her.


    Phoebe on the other hand rushed inside the tent only to find a half naked man that was just about ready to discard his trousers as he was unzipping.


    She looked at the orange camp mattress and saw a half naked Valerie that showed no signs of consciousness.


    "Is she alive?" She asked the Saxon spirit.


    "Yes, but she was drugged." The spirit answered.


    Anger came over Phoebe and she glared at the man. She held herself back from attacking him before finding some answers. If she had to guess, this was how Valerie was infected with an illness, she was taken advantage of.


    In that moment, she found herself wishing that she owned her own guns like Luna. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Who are you? What were you planning to do to my niece you bastard?"


    David walked in just when Phoebe referred to Valerie as her niece. Normally, he would smile, tease her or analyze her words but this was not the moment for it.


    He had come with a long brown trench coat and he quickly went over to Valerie and covered her body. He grabbed a blanket and added wrapped Valerie''s entire body in it.


    Satisfied that she was covered up, he joined Phoebe in glaring at the stranger who looked uneasy and frightened like a deer in headlights.


    "I didn''t do anything wrong I swear, I did not touch her, i swear." He flushed his palms and shook his head in denial.


    "What were you doing to an underage girl?" David growled out like an injured beast and then launched a punch which landed on the man''s jaw.


    He fell to the ground with terrified eyes as more people made their way into the tent.


    "Underage? Belinda told me that she is old enough! twenty one, just like her." He defended himself.


    David growled, his anger surging by the minute. "So that makes it okay to take advantage of her? You are done for, i am going to ruin you for life you motherfucker. I am going to kill you..."


    He pulled out a gun, and his men did the same. No surprise. Luna''s men that she had lent to Phoebe did the same.


    The man found himself faced with more than ten guns and his bladder loosened, releasing a yellow liquid that trickled down his legs.

 Chapter 252 - 252: Saving Valerie__3

    Even though she had considered shooting the man and wished for a gun of her own, Phoebe found herself frowning at the sight of all the guns. It was like she was back in the Elithera compound. She was determined to see to it that this situation did not end like that one.


    "Put down your guns." she ordered in a calm voice.


    Surprisingly, her order was immediately obeyed by Luna''s men. David''s men on the other hand hesitated because their boss still had his own gun out.


    Phoebe put her right hand over David''s armed right one and she shook her head.


    "Babe, you can''t kill him, there are many things we do not know yet, like that girl outside and her connection to this. Valerie was set up by her best friend, we need answers. Listen to me and put your gun away."


    David lowered his hand and his men did the same.


    The man loudly exhaled in relief and he sunk to the ground entirely, sitting down on the grass.


    Phoebe did not waste a moment and she started her questioning.


    "Hey, i will not repeat my questions, if you lie to me i will tell my man to shoot you. We will begin with your kneecaps, ears, toes and keep going until we get the answers we want."


    Phoebe paused, opened her bag and gave grandma Mayfair a bottle of water asking her to feed the water to Valerie.


    "Who is Belinda and how do you know her?" she asked the man.


    "She is my sister''s child, i am her uncle."


    "It''s true." The Saxon spirit confirmed. "We don''t need to waste our truth telling talismans on him."


    Shaking her head in disbelief, Phoebe requested Andre to bring Belinda in. Andre was so glad to participate and he did as Phoebe ordered with excitement.


    When he brought Belinda in, he threw her to the ground besides her uncle. The young woman scrambled to get out but one of David''s men pointed a gun at her and she screamed.


    Belinda tried to hide behind her uncle but he was also in survival mode and he would not let her use him as a shield so she ended up beside him.


    "Is this scumbag your uncle?" Phoebe asked.


    The girl rolled her eyes and firmly folded her lips together, exposing her unwillingness to talk. It seemed as if her fear of the gun was now gone.


    "Beat her." Phoebe ordered Sylvester.


    Connie pushed Sylvester aside and she gladly took on the role of punish, giving Belinda three consecutive slaps.


    Belinda screamed in fear, looking around with wide skittish eyes. "What the hell is that?" Her eyes darted nervously to every corner. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Ghosts and you if do not answer my question I will let them play with you." Phoebe squatted down, smiled viciously while looking into Belinda''s eyes. She released some of her yin energy, making Belinda physically uncomfortable, doubling the fright she was feeling.


    "Now before i really get pissed off, answer my question, Is this son of a bitch really your uncle?" Phoebe asked through pursed lips.


    Beads of sweat clung on Belinda''s brow despite the cold. She nodded vehemently.


    "Yes he is."


    Her uncle laughed triumphantly. "See, i am innocent in all this and i am willing to tell you everything so please let me go. Belinda brought me here asking me to sleep with her friend such that she can contract HIV but because I am a good person, I deliberated on this and decided not to do it. When you came in, i was about to leave."


    He told a desperate lie to save himself, he regretted not backing away when he saw the white hair. In fact, he asked Belinda about her friend''s hair color and joked about her being a Saxon but Belinda assured him that it was a dyed white for the music carnival.


    Now that David Saxon was here, he could see that Belinda had lied to him.


    "It was this bitch, she planned it all." he pushed Belinda out.


    David''s anger mounted to its peak, he began to punch the man over and over until he saw blood.


    "You bastard! you are brave enough to touch a Saxon. Infect her with HIV deliberately! You are looking for death."


    On the other hand Phoebe could resist the urge to slap Belinda. "Isn''t she your friend? How can you plan to get her infected?"


    Even grandma Mayfair got in a slap because she was so angry and shocked. Never before, had she witnessed such a thing.


    "You want to infect an innocent young girl with an incurable virus Intentionally? My God! you are pure evil, you are crazy."


    Belinda let out an evil laughter. "Innocent? Friend? That evil bitch is not my friend! She stabbed me in the back in the worst possible way!" She lamented


    Every one was alarmed by how brazen Belinda was. Was she shamelessly trying to defend her horrifying actions? No matter what Valerie had done, this was surely not the solution.


    Before anyone could ask her anymore questions, they heard wincing from where Valerie was sleeping. The young woman opened her eyes slowly and David rushed to her side.


    "It hurts so much." She spoke softly.


    "Val? Val? Are you okay?" David called her name persistently.


    Valerie had a a slight headache and her body was feeling unnatural__heavy and unfamiliar. She pieced bits of her memory together but she could not remember her uncle David coming to the music carnival with her.


    She sat up and David helped her take two sips of water from the bottle grandma Mayfair handed over.


    "Uncle David? Why....How are you here?"


    David curled his upper lip, still furious even at his niece but first he had to make sure that she was okay. "Are you alright?"


    "Of course! Why wouldn''t I be?" Valarie responded her curious eyes shifted from one unfamiliar face to the other. She caught a glimpse of some people on the ground but the view was covered by David''s bodyguards so she didn''t pay attention to it.


    "Thank God." David whispered. "Now can you explain what the hell you are doing at this carnival? Does Thomas know that you are here? Where are your bodyguards And why in God''s name are you hanging out with the wrong crowd?" Came one question after the other


    "Uncle I came here with my friend just to have fun, it''s really not a big deal and I promise that I wasn''t doing anything wrong." Valerie smiled innocently. "My friend went out to bring me some fruits, i think i fell asleep...."


    "You poor thing, this girl you call your friend is nothing but a cunning snake that you should stay away from." Grandma Mayfair gave Belinda a venomous look.


    She gestured for the bodyguards to step aside and the two people sitting on the ground were revealed.


    Valarie''s brows shot high up in a mixture of shock and surprise. "Old lady Mayfair, why are saying that about my best friend? Why is she on the ground? I don''t know what is going on but Belinda is a nice person, I can vouch for her."


    She stared apologetically at her friend who looked away in return.


    "Uncle David, i apologize for whatever Belinda had done, she really is nice, i promise. Please, give her a chance to explain the misunderstanding. Bells, how did you offend my uncle?"


    "Val, you are too innocent for your own good. You are so blind that you are pleading for your enemy. You like her so much but i am one hundred percent that she feels the opposite about you." David stated firmly, his eyes shot lasers at Belinda as he spoke.

 Chapter 253 - 253: Saving Valerie___4

    Naively, Valerie shook her head, refusing to accept David''s opinion of her best friend.


    "Uncle..." she started in a feeble voice.


    "Dammit it Valerie stop being foolish and just listen to me, i am your uncle, i want only the best for you in life. Look around and ask yourself why we are all here and why we look horrified?"


    Valerie''s eyes welled up and David groaned. The girl was just too weak, it was no wonder someone was taking advantage of her. He would make it a point to speak to Thomas about Valerie, something needed to be done before she found herself in another fire.


    "Tell her." Phoebe ordered Belinda.


    Belinda''s squeaked out a callous laughter that sent chills down some of their arms.


    "I was so close." she muttered and then turned her eyes which had an erratic look to Valerie. "Yes, that''s right, you stupid little cunt, our friendship died along time ago. You are a pretender and backstabber and i have been patiently waiting to get my revenge on you. If they had not showed up and ruined my carefully crafted plan, i would have sent you into a world of inescapable hell."


    Someone gasped, it was Andre. The others just stared back and forth between the two young women.


    Valerie blinked a few times and a cloud of confusion settled in her mind on hearing her best friend''s callous words.


    "Belinda what are you talking about? Is it me you are referring to as a cunt? What plan and hell are you talking about? Were you really planning to harm me? I don''t believe it, you are my best friend. Is someone forcing you to say these things?" She naively asked


    Phoebe cleared her throat. "Valarie, this girl isn''t your friend. She planned to have you raped by that man sitting over there." She pointed at him. "You did not fall asleep, you were drugged."


    "Not just that." David continued after her, "This insolent and shameless thing has confessed that he is infected with HIV, your friend here is aware of that and she wanted him to infect you deliberately. We came right on time to save you" David''s forcefully expelled air from his nostrils.


    "WHAT? That cannot be right." Valarie swallowed repeatedly, her chest rose and fell quickly. She shook her head in disbelief, Belinda would never do such a thing to her. She raised her eyes to meet those of her supposed best friend. "Belinda, is this true? It''s a lie, isn''t it?"


    A snigger came from Belinda''s lips. "You seem surprised but you shouldn''t be. I learnt how to be ruthless from the best teacher, you. There is a stone where my heart used to be after what you did to me."


    Valerie stood up unsteadily with David''s support. She had a pained expression on her face as she placed a hand to her chest.


    "Me? What did I do? Even if I did do something to hurt you, couldn''t we talk about it? How could you plan to get me raped and get infected with a deadly virus that has no cure?" Tears sprouted out of her eyes.


    Her reaction only made Belinda more furious, hot tears rolled down her cheeks. "Cut the bullshit Valerie Saxon! Of course you do not remember. You never take accountability for your actions. You always do this! Play the good girl such that the world can take pity on you but i see right through you. I will never forgive you because I got raped and it was all because of you."


    "My God!" Grandma Mayfair''s hand clenched on her chest, she didn''t know what to think. "What is she accusing you of Valarie, explain yourself."


    She was not the only one to be taken aback, everyone else was just the same. What in the world was going on between these two young women?


    Valerie looked really innocent, she seemed to be incapable of what she was being accused of. In fact her eyes became moist immediately and everyone that looked at her felt their emotions being pulled. They wanted to come to her defense.


    "Ancestor, please explain this to me, what the hell have i walked into?" Phoebe was perplexed.


    Belinda had a genuine look of betrayal in her eyes so it was possible she was being truthful and Valerie harmed her first.


    "That girl is lying! You know how sweet Valerie is, she can never do such a thing. Order her to tell the whole story before you judge Valerie. " The spirit hovered around aimlessly.


    Connie and Sylvester had no idea what to do so they just kept quiet and stayed out of it. Valerie meanwhile sought for answers on her own.


    "Yo...you got raped because of me? How? When? I don''t know what you are talking about. And why didn''t you tell me when something so horrible like that happened to you?" Tears rolled down Valerie''s eyes.


    David''s narrowed eyes stared at Belinda who was sobbing too. "Tell us everything and leave nothing out." He crossed his arms. "Valerie if you did something wrong, you are going to face the repercussions, even if i am your uncle, i will not hide your crime." He warned.


    Valerie shook her head in denial. "Uncle I swear, all I have done is be nice to Belinda. After her family went bankrupt, I have been the one paying her tuition plus that of her three siblings, I bought them a comfortable house and give her half of my monthly up keep, I also take care of clothing and all the hospital bills because she is like a sister to me..." S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "This is why I to resent you!" Belinda screamed sharply. "You Valarie Saxon cannot help but brag about the things that you have done for me. Did I ever ask you to do any of those things for me?


    You gave me your used clothes and bags, bought me a cheap house smaller than the one i used to live in. Even though you have millions on your account you never once offered to pay back any loans for my family or give us capital to rebuild our business.


    You are a Saxon, your family could have saved mine if you asked them to. If you had done that for me, would i have to depend on you?


    Do not act like an angel Valerie, you didn''t help me out of the goodness of your heart but treated me like a charity case that you can tell everyone about you maintain your image as a sweet, kind person." Belinda''s tongue dripped with venom with every word she spoke.


    Belinda''s rant was eye opening for everyone that had squeezed into the tent. Of all reasons to hate someone to the point of basically sentencing them to death by infecting them with an incurable disease, this was so stupid.


    So stupid that it made no sense.


    Phoebe was bewildered. "Is this why you did this?" She was terrified as to how some people''s brains worked. Valerie had done her best to look after Belinda and her entire family and this was how her friend had decided to pay her back!


    Even if Valerie had told people about the help she was rendering to Belinda''s family, so what? At the end of the day, she was putting a roof over their heads, feeding and clothing them, taking care of their education and giving them millions.


    Phoebe knew that half of Valerie''s monthly upkeep was at least five million. What exactly was Belinda unhappy with? How many people had best friends that were willing to give them 5 million monthly on top of all the other things she was doing?


    Belinda was insane, nothing else explained it.

 Chapter 254 - 254: Saving Valerie__conclusion.

    David looked around for the nearest chair and he sat down after hearing Belinda''s words. He could not fathom just how crooked the human mind could get. However, he still needed to hear more in regards to the rape accusation.


    Andre was getting impatient because Belinda wasn''t answering Phoebe''s question. He was also recording the confession as reference material and evidence if they decided to have Belinda arrested.


    "Answer the damn question! Did you do this because you were jealous of your friend?"


    "Yes!....I mean no!" Belinda''s lips trembled. "I already told you that i got raped because of her."


    Nodding as if he understood where she was coming from, Andre told her to explain how it happened. "Like David said earlier leave nothing out and stop driving us around in circles and tell the story."


    Belinda laughed bitterly and remained silent. The Saxon spirit was fed up so it stuck a truth telling talisman on her back. Immediately, Belinda raised her head and started making an honest confession.


    "Yes i was jealous of her wealthy background and generous reputation. I hated her and I wanted her to feel pain...no a lot of pain for making me feel small so I contacted Arnold." She pointed at her uncle. "He is involved in shady business like selling drugs and sending women to VIP''s at Solar Bay club.


    Two months ago, i found out that uncle Arnold had HIV and that''s when i got the idea to have him infect Valerie. I took Valerie to the Solar Bay club and met up with my uncle who i introduced to her as a friend. I told him that she was interested in him and aware of his health status so he could engage in sexual activities with her freely.


    We had some drinks and danced, that little cunt was having fun so i moved ahead with my plan. I spilled some wine on my dress deliberately and asked Valerie to escort me to a hotel room which i had booked.


    I watched him drug her water and we both sniffed some pink cocaine while waiting for her to pass out. When she lost control of her body, I excused myself for him to do the deed. But, i wanted to capture it all on video and humiliate her even more so i sneaked back into the room. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    When i got there, Valerie wasn''t anywhere to be seen and Arnold was high out of his mind so he raped me instead. I found out the next morning that she had locked herself in the bathroom so when i cried out for help, she could have come to my aid but she did not help me.


    Days passed and I found out that I was HIV positive, I vowed then to make sure that Val pays for what she did to me. She is the one that was supposed to be raped and contract HIV, not me. So, I planned everything that happened today and just when it was about to happen you guys showed up." Belinda iterated everything that happened.


    A wail escaped Valerie''s mouth and the others froze in shock, including Phoebe. Whether it was Belinda''s plans for Valerie or the incestuous incident between the uncle and niece, all of it was shocking.


    However, all of them concluded that Belinda had no one to blame but herself. The universe had saved Valerie and all of Belinda''s nasty plans had backfired.


    Weeping for her kind heart had been ripped into shreds, Valerie reached out to David for a hug. "Uncle, how can she do this? I thought she was my friend. I don''t want to see her anymore, i don''t want to be here. Uncle, please take me away..." she cried.


    David looked at his men. "Take them both to the police along with the recording of the confession. Hand them over to detective Hanna Scorpio, tell her that it''s a favor for the Saxons."


    He lifted a nearly hysterical Valerie and tilted his head, gesturing at Phoebe to follow. Phoebe put one of her arms through one of grandma Mayfair''s, the woman was pale with fright.


    As for Andre, he was shaken and he could not even look at Belinda. Following Phoebe really showed him some of the worst humanity had to offer.


    ******


    When they got back to the Pearl resort, they were all exhausted. Valerie had not stopped crying for a single minute since they left the music carnival. Phoebe was afraid that the girl would fall sick if she continued on like that.


    Amazingly, a team of in house resort doctors was waiting for them in the lobby, courtesy of Luna. They checked on Valerie and gave her a shot then advised her to eat something. David, the very worried uncle immediately carried his niece to the in house VIP restaurant and ordered for some food.


    He was almost like an overly concerned father as he watched over Valerie, ensuring that she ate every morsel and wiping her tears as she sniveled. He ensured that she cleared the plate completely.


    [I forgot that he was a good father to our sons.] Phoebe thought as she watched him.


    He was really a good man in most ways that counted. With him around, Valerie would be carefully looked after from that point on.


    "Uncle am I going to get in any trouble?" Valerie asked David after dinner.


    He could feel that she was scared of what was yet to come, the wrath of her father. David stretched his hand and covered hers.


    "No, you did nothing wrong Val so you will not get in any trouble and I hope that this situation doesn''t change your kind heart, keep helping others just be conscious when doing it so that you do not arm your enemy. Do not worry about your father, i will talk to him personally and explain everything."


    Nodding her head, Valerie launched herself into David''s arms and hugged him.


    "Thank you uncle." she said softly.


    David asked his men to escort her up to her room and ensure that she was safe. Valerie retired for the night so early, leaving Phoebe and David sitted at the dining table.


    It was just them now as everyone else had already retired to their rooms even earlier. Andre and grandma had not even bothered to eat.


    Suddenly, Valerie returned and grabbed Phoebe''s hands.


    "Aunt Pheebs, thank you for your help."


    Phoebe started fake coughing and she sent Valerie away quickly, she had no idea why the girl was calling her aunt. Valerie had certainly not been awake when she referred to herself as her aunt.


    "I cannot imagine what would have happened to her had we reached a second later. Thank God we made it in time."


    A smile formed on her lips. "She is a sweet girl with a big heart, one of the few Saxons that I actually like."


    Phoebe''s eyes shifted to her arm, she had been rewarded with six months of life. It had truly been worth it, saving Valerie.


    "Pheebs," David put his hand over her left hand that was sitting on the table.


    "Mmm." she answered.


    He raised his hand and poked her cheek, right on the spot of the nearly half formed dimple which never took root.


    "Thank you."


    Not finished, he took the hand and brought it to his lips, grazing his lips over it lightly.


    "Thank you, thank you so much." he said, in a deeply emotional voice.


    She opened her mouth to respond but abruptly, he stood up. "Good night Pheebs, i must talk to Thomas immediately and explain what happened."


    Phoebe watched him walk away and then she stood up while dialing her father''s number. She so dearly missed the rest of her family.


    ******


    Unknown to David and Phoebe, the car which was ferrying Belinda and her uncle did not make it to the police station.


    It was stopped on the way, David''s bodyguards stepped out and two of Luna''s men stepped in, driving the criminals away. They would be lucky to keep their lives since Luna Elithera had stepped in.

 Chapter 255 - 255: Bodies, bodies, bodies!

    The next morning when Phoebe came out of her room to have breakfast, she found everyone watching the morning news keenly on a big TV screen that was rather high up on the wall of the restaurant, above some decorative plants.


    A news slide at the bottom of the screen was reporting a couple of unidentified burned bodies that had been fished out of a water reservoir.


    More news scrolled by, still another report on bodies. Magic City had been hot in the night, very hot.


    Old lady Mayfair spotted Phoebe before the other saw her and she raised her hand, waving her over.


    "Pheebs, yoohoo!, over here, I was about to come get you. Look at what''s on the news, the FIRS has raided the Kite Heights Foods, apparently they have been evading taxes for years now. It is possible that they are going to be closed down and maybe declare bankruptcy." Grandma Mayfair shared at the top of her voice which was not necessary because she was attracting attention from other diners.


    There were about six people in the restaurant, three were sitting at the same table and the other three alone, at different tables.


    Phoebe wasn''t certain but she could sense enthusiasm in her grandmother''s voice.


    As she pulled the chair to sit down, Phoebe realized why her grandmother could possibly be excited for the downfall of Kite heights foods.


    "Nana, are you that happy that the second biggest competitors of the Mayfair corporation are going down?"


    She poured herself a cup of tea and got some biscuits and jam from the food cart next to the table. Phoebe placed two balls of crystal sugar in her black tea and mixed it slowly while watching the old woman.


    Shaking her head, grandma Mayfair assured her that it wasn''t about that. "Kite Heights foods is owned by the O''Connor''s. This is proof that the reversed spell is working perfectly, the FIRS has suddenly withdrawn all charges against the Elithera''s and they are even compensating them."


    Still, Phoebe doubted her grandmother, her smile was too broad, her mood too chipper. It couldn''t all be about the spell''s reversal.


    David joined them when Phoebe was bringing the cup to her lips for her first sip.


    "Have you heard? The Fog National Guard raided the O''Connor''s last night, apparently they have been trading national secrets to enemy states. In fact they have been labeled as enemies of the state as of last night and many of them are going down for treason." David spoke after getting off the phone.


    Andre who was scrolling through his phone gasped. "The shaman of Bayan lake was found floating on that same lake, he died from drowning."


    "That sounds so wrong." Evelyn commented.


    "I agree, it''s fishy as hell." Andre replied.


    The transparent doors to the restaurant opened and Luna strode in. She ordered her body guards to stay back as she approached Phoebe and her group.


    She pulled herself a chair and sat down a bit behind Phoebe.


    "Hi." she gave a general greeting.


    Everyone responded with a hi or hello with the exception of old lady Mayfair that chose to respond with a proper ''good morning'' greeting.


    "Phoebe have you seen the news? It looks like some people are suddenly encountering bad luck and financial troubles." Luna shared with a mysterious smile.


    Nodding her head, Phoebe smiled. "Yes I already told you that it would happen." She took a sip of the tea.


    Luna received a call which caused her face to go pale. "My God!" She said as she hung up. "Mrs Miriam O''Connor jumped off the Magic city bridge just like....." she broke off and gasped.


    Phoebe raised and lowered her brows. "Everything bad that they wished upon yourself family is going to happen to theirs. That''s how these spells work when they are redirected. The shamans and warlocks that cast them do not tell this to the casters."


    Luna drew in a sharp breath, she had not believed Phoebe entirely, a part of her had held doubts. Now, she was one hundred percent convinced.


    The Bayan lake shaman was known for his special skill of walking on water and yet he had drowned, Miriam O''Connor had jumped off a bridge. Others had been arrested for espionage.


    More and more, their fates were being changed thanks to Phoebe.


    "By the way, my father is awake and he wants to thank you in person for your help." A warm smile curled up Luna''s lips.


    Phoebe was ready to turn Luna down, she truly did not want to be seen hanging out with the Elithera''s more than necessary.


    Before she could respond, grandma Mayfair interrupted quickly, beating her to it. "Ohh no, we are leaving because of a family emergency. Maybe next time dear." She lied blatantly.


    Shrugging her shoulders, Luna maintained the smile. "Maybe next time, Phoebe thank you again. Now that my father is well again, I can go on my music tour in a few months. I will send you tickets, please come, i really want you there." She beamed and looked at Andre who was staring at her, she pulled out a card and handed it to him.


    "Call me, for business purposes only." She flipped her hair and walked to the door.


    Grandma Mayfair wasted no time in retracting the card from Andre. "No blood of mine is getting intimately involved with the Elithera''s."


    If Phoebe said no, she was also on the boat which said no and Phoebe had said no to Luna and Andre.


    "Let''s go home right now." she stood firmly and ordered for the rest of the group to follow her. It was a command, not even a request.


    ****


    A few days had passed since the return from Magic city, Phoebe had spent most her time putting the farm in order. With Collin''s help she had chosen a manager, Mr. Ramon Jives whom she felt was the perfect person for the job.


    His family owned a farm, he had a degree in management, had worked for the Mayfair corporation for twenty years and he was ready to retire and venture into something new that paid well but was also relaxing. He had also requested that his son, Raymond Jives a new graduate that had yet to find employment was given a job as the farm accountant.


    Together, they had selected a team of workers and work at the farm had kicked off. Planting and construction had now started simultaneously. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Activity of this nature close to the lake was bound to attract attention. It was well known that Edward Mayfair had gifted this land worth billions to his daughter. Obviously, people poked around to find out what she intended to use it for.


    Most people were surprised that Phoebe had chosen to farm on the land. Some people were unhappy about it, and they shared this opinion with others.


    Some of the Verdemonts especially did not shy away from telling anyone that had ears that Phoebe''s farm would ruin the beautiful aesthetic around Citrus lake. Phoebe did not know it but there were talks of a petition being circulated to stop her fro building her farm.


    It was a Saturday afternoon and the elders and Collin were finally going to play a friendly golf game with the Lee family.


    The progress between Collin and Shana was moving positively and the two families had agreed to meet for a friendly meeting.


    Phoebe saw her father in his golf attire and she nodded, approving of the look. His attire had personally been bought by her.


    She embraced her father. "Father make sure that our family wins." Phoebe stepped back, she raised her fists to cheer him on.


    "I don''t think winning is the goal my dear." Edward responded.


    Jennie made the sign of the cross nervously. "I hope we make a good impression on, I heard old man Lee is going to be there as well. Collin''s marriage fate is resting on his attitude."

 Chapter 256 - 256: Another invitation to the tower.

    Old man Lee was well known for his bullish temperament. He liked to assert himself aggressively and when his mind was made up about something, it was nearly impossible to get him to change his mind.


    "His temper is as short as he is." Grandma Mayfair joked and chuckled.


    "Nana.." Phoebe whined.


    She did not like short people jokes as she was short.


    Old Lady Mayfair rolled her eyes. "Alright, no short jokes. I just hope that he goes easy on us after all he and Cillian were old friends. A union between our two families will be good for all of us."


    Collin clicked his tongue and adjusted his belt for the third time. "Grandma, Shanna and I have already decided to elope if her family doesn''t agree. I''ll give it all up for her if this goes south, I cannot live without Shanna."


    Both parents and and one grandmother glared at Collin, daring him to repeat that nonsense. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Oh come on! You lived fine without her all these years and don''t give me that crap about her being your heart or a part of your rib so you will die without her." Andre laughed mockingly.


    Luke chuckled too. "Yeah it''s not scientifically viable that you cannot live without her, but good luck."


    Phoebe moved to Collin and hugged him. "Brother this is a good luck charm bracelet, the Lee''s are going to be captivated by you, i promise." She tied it around his hand.


    "Thank you baby sister." He ruffled her hair.


    Jenny looked at the time and she gasped. "We are going to be late, move, move, let''s go."


    She herded everyone out like a dog herding sheep and successfully achieved her mission. After the elders and Collin left, Phoebe hung back with Luke.


    "Second brother, i brought you a gift from Magic city. You are always at the hospital so i keep missing a chance to give it to you."


    She rushed upstairs and returned with a big box that she put in his hands.


    "Okay, i am off to work, bye-bye." she rushed out.


    Luke smiled down at the box while Andre glared at it as if it had offended him.


    "She did not give me anything." he muttered.


    "You went on vacation with her Andre, don''t be greedy, she is our sister, not your sister." Luke walked upstairs to store his gift carefully.


    ********************


    When Phoebe made it to the cafe, she was told that she had a guest in her office. Thinking that it was a big shot client, she rushed to her office. On opening the door, her eyes fell on grandma Saxon.


    She was still a big shot and a client but not one Phoebe was expecting.


    Her brows raised high up as she moved towards her chair. "Granny you didn''t tell me that you were coming, I hope that all is well and that I didn''t make you wait for long."


    She sat down and arranged some of the trinkets on the table.


    Grandma Saxon put on a bright smile. "Am I supposed to call you before coming to my dear grand daughter''s office? Don''t worry I have not been waiting for too long, just twenty minutes or so."


    Phoebe''s smile widened. "Is everything alright? Are you here to get more tonics?" She asked.


    In response, grandma Mayfair shook her head. "Not really....i mean yes but that''s not the only reason why i am here. I heard about what you did for Valerie, we all have. My dear child i cannot thank you enough for saving my poor grand child." She wore a grateful smile but her eyes became watery.


    "Well to be honest, it was team work because David, the bodyguards and the ghosts helped." Phoebe smiled warmly.


    Connie twirled around. "And to think that i haven''t been rewarded yet." She huffed.


    Phoebe chuckled silently, she opened the drawer and pulled out exotic rabbit candies. The moment she placed the on the table, they vanished.


    "Ohh my goodness!" Grandma Saxon exclaimed before laughing. "I thank the good ghosts too, I already called Rebecca and thanked her as well."


    The Saxon spirit''s face fell. "Its such a shame that Thomas and his wife have not bothered to thank you yet but i am sure that they will find time to do so. You have no idea what a great favor you have done for us. If my little Valley had truly been harmed, my heart would have been broken."


    [Right, Valerie''s nickname is little Valley. I wonder where it came from, i have never seen an actual little valley. Hmm, maybe i should check the internet and see if there are little valley''s in the world.] Phoebe got side tracked briefly before coming back to the old woman who seemed out of place for once.


    Grandma Saxon was shifting uncomfortably in the chair, Phoebe could read the hesitation on her face which surprised her. The woman was comfortable in every place and every situation. What was it that was causing her discomfort?


    "Granny what is it that you want to say?" Phoebe asked.


    A tentative smile grew on grandma Saxon''s face. "I would like you to come over to the Saxon tower for dinner."


    She leaned forward with a hopeful look but quickly noticed that the hesitation in Phoebe''s eyes. Given the resistance she had met when it came to her request for Phoebe to personally deliver the tonics, it was not surprising that she was unwilling to go to the Saxon tower for a meal.


    "Before you refuse, let me clarify why i want you to come over. It is not just to thank you for your help in Valerie''s case but i also want to thank you for helping Rufus, my husband. That old man is back to his old self and he is as healthy as a horse.


    In fact he is intrigued by you and your wonderful tonics and he wants to meet you. He asked me to make this request on his behalf. He almost died you know, we were just a few months shy of ordering for a coffin."


    The old woman dialled up the emotional blackmail.


    Phoebe massaged between her eyebrows as she searched her brain for the right words to say. Normally she would just come out with a flat refusal and move on but this time, she was slightly hesitant.


    Of recent, Phoebe had heard many people saying that David''s grandfather Rufus was in a better state. It was nice to hear especially because in the past life he had died early and she didn''t really know much about him.


    She did hear all these great stories about him however and always thought it was a shame that she never got to know him.


    But still, when she recalled the past, Phoebe was unwilling to walk into the Saxon tower just yet. She was afraid that she would unleash the ghosts on some of the occupants, or maybe set the tower on fire.


    [I am not ready, i can''t go there for now.]


    Her eyes lifted to meet those of grandma Saxon. "I am really glad to hear that your husband is much better, but I don''t think that I will go to the Saxon tower for now." Her voice was soft yet stern.


    A slight frown formed on grandma Saxon''s face. "Why dear? This is the second time you are refusing to go there. Are you and David having problems?"


    [I have my reasons so please do not insist, i will just keep rejecting you anyway. Lord knows i do not want to see Dickson, i might be tempted to do what the Elithera''s do best.] Displayed Phoebe''s thoughts.


    Grandma Saxon cleared her throat and looked away. She wanted to ask about Dickson but if she did, Phoebe would wonder why. She could not admit that she had read her thoughts.


    She reminded herself to look into Dickson''s affairs and also find out what the Elithera''s did best.


    "David and I are fine, I just....." Phoebe was interrupted


    "It''s okay i will not force you to go if you do not want to but i want to make an alternative suggestion. How about we go to a nice restaurant. Will you meet him then?" Came Grandma Saxon''s pleading voice.


    Phoebe thought hard, a restaurant was not the Saxon tower so it was a viable option. She wanted to talk to Rufus and ask him about the founding sect. She wondered if he knew anything about it. Her grandmother knew very little and had revealed that Cillian Mayfair was a very secretive man and he didn''t share such information with her.


    Nodding her head continuously, Phoebe agreed.


    "I would love to meet him."

 Chapter 257 - 257: The crazy emergency client.

    It was the answer she had been hoping for and grandma Saxon lit up. "It''s a double date then, I''ll see you and David there."


    She rushed away before Phoebe could change her mind, forgetting to set a date.


    The way she moved when she was rushing was funny to Phoebe. It looked a little bit like a duck when it was awkwardly running from something.


    She did not leave the office, Phoebe stayed and decided to tackle some cases because she had six clients waiting. The first one in was an older gentleman that appeared to be weary. His eyes were red, like he had been crying for hours.


    "Hello, please take a seat and tell me how i can help you." Phoebe said, handing him a candy from one of the good ones meant for Connie. "Did you recently lose your dog?"


    She asked because a ghost dog had followed him. He was not the first client to come to her after losing a beloved family pet.


    "Giggles." The man responded.


    He showed Phoebe a picture of the dog on his phone. It was a beautiful golden retriever with a pink bow next to the right side ear.


    "She was a show dog, won five prizes in her prime. Ever since she died, i have been having a hard time sleeping at night. I hear her barking and whining, it''s like she is right there. People think i am losing my mind but i swear, she is here, i can feel her."


    Phoebe looked at the dog that was laying at the man''s feet.


    "Tell him to burn all of the dog''s favorite toys and pour the ashes in the urn containing Giggle''s ashes."


    As usual, the Saxon spirit was right there to play advisor. Phoebe relayed the same message to the the old man and he left.


    The next client walked in, and the next and soon, she was finished with the human clients, two of whom wanted to speak to a dead loved one. Lately, clients with such requests made up sixty percent of her clientele. Some she turned down and others she accepted, depending on what the Saxon spirit detected.


    Not all spirits were good, sometimes it was best not to wake what was on the other side.


    Phoebe was about to get up and leave the office when the door was opened by a gust of air and a ghost breezed in.


    It was a female ghost in a red suit and high heels, she looked well put together for a dead person. Without waiting, she sat down and crossed her left leg over the right one and then looked at Phoebe with a calm expression. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The way she was acting, it almost seemed as if this was her office and not Phoebe''s.


    "You do not have an appointment." Phoebe leaned back in the chair and stared pointedly at the ghost.


    "I am an emergency client." she answered.


    On the wall of Phoebe''s office was a round red light that was used to signal emergency client. Usually, Phoebe would abandon her clients human or ghost and handle the emergency when that light went off.


    The light had not gone off, meaning Rosette had not approved of this client.


    "I don''t think so." Phoebe shook her head.


    The door was opened suddenly and Rosette rushed inside, huffing and puffing.


    "Where is she? Boss, I told her that she could not go in but she threw down all the to go coffee cups and then sneaked inside when we were cleaning up."Rosette pointed at the ghost and accused.


    "It''s okay Rosette, you can leave." Phoebe responded.


    Rosette gave the ghost one last pointed glare that communicated her anger and she left, slamming the door shut a little too loudly.


    Phoebe winced slightly and turned to the ghost. The woman still looked unbothered and she was looking around Phoebe''s office casually.


    "I have rules, you broke my rules." Phoebe said.


    The ghost floated up towards the painting of a little girl in a yellow dress, playing with a blue ball with a big grin on her face despite being surrounded by a dark fog.


    "This painting screams isolation, loneliness and emptiness. The little girl looks happy but she is not, you can see the emptiness in her eyes and surroundings. If you own the painting then you must feel a connection to the little girl, you have experienced loneliness, or you are still experiencing it."


    She floated back and sat down, taking the opportunity provided by Phoebe''s silence to study her face.


    "You are quite young for a shaman, how long have you been seeing ghosts and when did you start to accept the fact that you are different from ordinary humans? Is that why you had a possibly lonely childhood? Were you the little freak on the playground that other kids would not play with?"


    Phoebe scoffed.


    "What are you, my therapist?"


    "Bingo! i am a therapist, i am___ or was a doctor, a psychologist at the Sanderson mental wellness institute. I heard that doctors are given priority and i am one. Like i said, i am an emergency client."


    Phoebe sighed, her hands were tied, she had to help.


    "Who are you and what do you need help with?"


    She got her pen and notepad and clicked her recorder then waited for the ghost to open up.


    The woman leaned forward and smiled cunningly, one side of her lips was slightly higher than the other.


    "Have you ever killed someone?"


    Phoebe froze for a second and clicked the recorder, turning it off.


    "No." she answered.


    The ghost shook her head and laughed. "You hesitated, so maybe you have not killed but your actions have resulted in death somehow. Tell me, what is it like, do you sleep comfortably at night? Have you ever wanted to actually kill someone with you bare hands?"


    Phoebe immediately thought about Ruth, her face jumped out so eagerly from her memories.


    The ghost stared into Phoebe''s eyes and a subtle sly expression formed on her lips.


    "There it is, a murderous intent in your eyes. Someone must have pissed you off so much to evoke such a desire in you. What stopped you from going through with it? Is it the law or a sense of morality?


    Phoebe''s face lost all softness and her aura had a sudden shift, becoming frosty. She was not in the mood to play games with the female ghost.


    "I am not in the business of discussing my personal affairs with ghosts and strangers. If you do not need my help, get out."


    The ghost maintained her confident demeanor and she smiled as if all was still okay.


    "I am asking because i need you to do me a favor, i need you to kill someone, one of my former clients."


    Just when Phoebe thought the conversation between her and the ghost could not get anymore bizarre, it did.


    "It''s a child, he is thirteen but i can assure you that he is the greatest evil i have ever come across. If you have a great sense of morality, you will fail and i don''t want you to fail. I need someone that is not afraid of the law either, someone that understands that this death is for the greater good...."


    "Get___out!" Phoebe exploded.


    It was not just her voice that exploded but some of her energy too which brought some things in the office crushing to the floor, including the painting.


    "I...." the ghost continued but Phoebe would not hear it.


    "If you do not get out i will send you to the deepest puts of hell directly right now." Phoebe threatened.


    The ghost floated up slowly, calmly looking at Phoebe.


    "You say no right now but soon, you will say yes."


    She vanished into thin air and Phoebe fell back against the chair.


    "What a crazy wench." she muttered.

 Chapter 258 - 258: A polite Cassie, good heavens!

    It took a while and two glasses of lemon glass iced tea for Phoebe to settle down and put away the unease from the crazy ghost therapist.


    When the Saxon spirit tried to bring her up, Phoebe would not hear of it. She did not want to think about the woman ever again. Killing a child was an abomination to her.


    Slowly, Phoebe and the spirit rearranged her office, putting everything back where it had been. When that task was completed, she left her cafe and took an elevator to her apartment.


    "How do you feel about tomorrow child?" The Saxon spirit asked on their way up.


    Phoebe sighed, it was another subject she did not wish to discuss but also wanted to talk about at the same time. It was her birthday with the Mayfair''s who were quite excited which also kind of made her excited.


    She was aware that her parents especially her mother was planning a surprise for her. Phoebe was anticipating and dreading it at the same time.


    "I am happy and grateful that i have people that love me so i am excited for tomorrow but at the same time, i am scared because i don''t know what to expect. It feels like it''s my first birthday honestly, all the ones i spent with the Gabriels don''t count."


    She stepped out of the elevator and a little boy that was about to get on saw her. His eyes widened, he opened his mouth and let a loud scream before turning around and running away.


    "Oh good lord!" Phoebe exclaimed. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The Saxon spirit rolled her eyes, every now and then, something reminded them that not everyone was comfortable with the ghost seeing lady in the building.


    "Building management is going to get another complaint about me." she muttered.


    Most of the people with children did not want her living in this building, they claimed she scared their children. Phoebe thought it was ridiculous, it was not as if she had horns and red skin.


    She made her way into her apartment quickly to avoid bumping into more children. Inside, she opened the curtains and moved to the balcony. Her eyes immediately studied David''s apartment, there was no movement inside.


    It was strange that he hadn''t called her since the previous night. Was he in some kind of trouble? She reached for her phone and dialed his number but it was off. The last thing he had told her was that he was traveling to magic city urgently in search of something important.


    "If you are worried, you can look for him using the central map. If you had consummated you would have found him easily since you would be connected." Said the Saxon spirit.


    On hearing it''s words, Phoebe''s eyes flew open. "Consummate? We are not married!" She placed a hand to her chest.


    "Yet" The Saxon spirit added. "You must own him, make him yours. It''s destiny and he is the unlimited charger, remember! if another woman with a yin body like yours gets her hands on him, i am afraid she will not let him go."


    Phoebe remained silent picked her bag and left the apartment hoping that she would not run into anyone. As always, she got the opposite of her wish. She run into Cassie Baltimore.


    "Oh crap!" she whispered under her breath.


    Bumping into the girl that loved to give her a tongue lashing was worse than bumping into the children that thought she was the devil.


    Phoebe faced the girl, prepared to hear some insulting remarks and a whole lot of sarcasm. Physically, Cassie seemed more relaxed than the last time she had seen her. It seemed the nightmares were completely gone, the girl had even put on some healthy weight.


    "Hey, uhm, hanks for helping me sleep better and chasing away the nightmares, I heard everything from Collin." Cassie spoke first.


    Phoebe looked from side to side, turned around and finally faced the girl again. She even went so far as to touch her ears because she was surprised. Since when was Cassie Baltimore polite?


    "Wow! it''s a miracle or the world has turned upside down. I take it that I don''t repel you anymore since you are talking to me politely." Phoebe laughed briefly.


    The girl stomped her right foot and blew air out of her mouth.


    "You don''t have to say it like that, i am not bad, i am polite."


    Her actions were so similar to Connie''s, it was not just her physical features but the behaviors as well.


    "Anyway, I am sorry about my rude behavior, I know that I became intolerable from the time my dad died. I am not a bad child." Cassie curled her lip to one side.


    Sadness clung onto Phoebe like a shadow. "I am sorry for your loss Cassie." Her voice was soft and measured.


    Cassie shrugged. "It''s okay, you don''t have to say that, i don''t like hearing it anyway. I have learnt to live with the pain, especially after my twin sister died shortly after my dad.


    In fact that''s when all the nightmares and headaches began but thanks again. Chao." She waved her fingers dramatically and left.


    Phoebe raised her hand and opened her mouth to stop her and say something kinder but the girl was quite fast in her movement.


    "Maybe i misjudged her." she whispered to herself as she made her way to the elevator.


    Obviously, the girl had experienced a lot of tragedy in a short period of time which was why she was the way she was. On the way home, Phoebe only thought of Cassie, thoughts of the girl plagued her mind.


    The poor girl''s eyes spoke of unseen storms, reflecting a quiet ache that spoke louder than any words or shield she had wrapped around herself.


    What would it take for her to heal? Losing a father and a twin sister at such a young age had to be painful.


    "No wonder she is so messed up, poor thing." Phoebe murmured.


    Connie was unusually quiet, deep in thought. "Stop thinking about her, each time i see that girl, anger surges within me."


    The spirit stiffened. "Wait, are your memories back?"


    Shaking her head, Connie said no and vanished.


    "Why won''t her memories return?" Phoebe asked.


    "For many reasons, she is blocking them because they are too painful. And whatever it is, it''s connected to the Baltimore''s." The spirit spoke suspiciously.


    Phoebe thought back to the words Cassie had said, especially the death of her sister. What if, just what if.....


    "Dead twin!" she blurted out. "What if just what if it''s Connie! The girls look too similar and behave in the same way mostly. I think we should investigate this and see if there is a connection. The Baltimore''s are from Eagle country, they moved here after these deaths. I think i will have to ask David for help, he has many connections in Eagle country."


    The Saxon spirit smiled, her descendant was really making progress. He was Phoebe''s go to person now, it would not take long for him to be her full time man.


    At the same time, the spirit was worried about Connie, she seemed to hold a lot of resentment for Cassie. Would it lead her down a dark path in future? What if she turned into an evil spirit?


    "I need to help the girl control her emotions." The spirit muttered and vanished into the space to educate Connie.

 Chapter 259 - 259: Happy Birthday Pheebs__1

    That night for once Phoebe did not dream of David, she was not haunted by erotic or romantic dreams. She also did not dream about ghosts despite the therapist ghost crossing her mind twice before she went to bed.


    She had a wonderful dream about a lovely white wedding by the ocean, not hers but that of her brother Collin and Shana. It was probably because when she came home the previous night, the house was brewing with excitement because the elders of both sides of the family had approved of the relationship between Collin and Shana.


    Old man Lee had even voluntarily suggested that they make things official as soon as possible. They had agreed to choose a date for the children''s formal engagement ceremony within a weeks time.


    Phoebe was not new to such arrangements, rushed engagements and marriages within founding families, she had seen many of them in her previous life. The Saxons were famous partakers in this long standing tradition. Even her sons had been betrothed at birth, something she did not approve of but could not reject.


    Normally, all Saxon children were betrothed at birth or during their teenage years. The arrangements could be changed by an individual or the family depending on the situation.


    Phoebe had once heard a rumor that David had been engaged to Moria Mortimer but one of the two broke it off in their teenage years. She did not dwell on it because she was already David''s wife anyway.


    The sweet wedding dream was however interrupted by the delicious smell of strawberry cheese cake that was somehow strong enough to reach her bedroom. Her eyes slowly opened and the first thing she saw was the ghosts standing or floating around her, their smiles broad, from one ear to another.


    They looked positively happy with themselves.


    "Happy birthday!!!"


    They shouted in unison, Connie was very generous with popping the party poppers, over four of them. Phoebe winced when the last one went off and she prayed the girl did not have more in stock.


    Her stomach churned and she took a deep breath, reminding herself not to puke. It was just a day like any other, no big deal.


    Oooh but it''s a big deal, she thought.


    "Thank you guys, finally a birthday where i am not doused with water." Phoebe''s smile widened.


    She remembered the times Ruth woke her up by pouring water on her and claiming it was their birthday custom however not once did she agree for Phoebe to do the same to her.


    The one time she did it, Ruth had sulked and provided her with a bill clearly marking how much the clothes, shoes and bag Phoebe had soaked with water cost. After Phoebe endured public accusations of arrogance, Ruth stepped in and generously forgave her.


    Come to think of it, today is her birthday too, Phoebe recalled. She would have to send a paper man over and give Ruth a gift of at least ten minutes or an hour of lucidity. It was her first birthday in a mental asylum, it would be a shame for her not to enjoy it.


    Sylvester moved over and handed Phoebe a strawberry cupcake with a lot of frosting just the way she loved it. The cupcake had two numbered candles on it that displayed her age, twenty three.


    "Thank you Sylvester, I can see that you guys put in a lot of effort." Phoebe jokingly stated as she took a tiny bite of the cup cake.


    Connie chortled. "Not like your mother, there is no competing with Jennie Mayfair that''s for sure." sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The revelation miffed the Saxon spirit which slapped Connie''s head. "That was supposed to be a surprise! You just ruined it, poor Jennie."


    Phoebe released joyful laughter. "Come on guys, I know my mother. She has been sneaking around asking about my favorite color blah-blah-blah. I am sure she has something up her sleeves." She ate the cupcake rapidly, stood from the bed and moved to the bathroom. "No worries, I will act surprised ha-ha."


    When she stepped out of the bedroom however, Phoebe didn''t see any activity that indicated that a party was about to happen. No decorations or cake, no party music, nothing!


    Her family was sitting in the dinning nonchalant like the day was a normal one just like any another.


    "Good morning." She greeted, they responded without enthusiasm and one by one they left after breakfast was done.


    Phoebe knew they were pranking her but a small part of her felt uncomfortable. She had endured many unhappy birthdays with the Gabriel''s and the shadow was still chasing her.


    Connie''s brows pulled together. "Not even a birthday wish? They are pretending like they forgot and then later they''ll surprise you, so predictable."


    Hiding a knowing smile behind the cup that she was holding, Phoebe decided to play along. "Good bye mother, have a good day."


    She ate her breakfast while making casual conversation with Maria and then left for the cafe along with grandma Mayfair.


    "Phew!" Grandma Mayfair sighed in relief, she had been holding so much tension within her. "Your mother will not let anyone breathe in that house."


    Phoebe let out a half chuckle. "Why, because she''s planning a full fledged party?"


    "Yes....What? Don''t tell her I told you that otherwise I will never hear the end of it." Grandma warned lightly. "But all in all, happy birthday sweetheart and thank you for returning to us." She kissed her forehead.


    She slipped a pair of gold and silver bracelets with a similar design onto Phoebe''s wrist.


    Sylvester whistled, "Holy crap, it''s real gold and the silver one has diamonds. They are from the Bartier brand, each is worth seventy thousand dollars."


    To Phoebe, it was not the money that mattered but the thoughts that counted.


    "Thank you Nana." she hugged the old woman.


    Again, grandma Mayfair kissed Phoebe''s forehead and cuddled her granddaughter. Twenty minutes later they arrived at the cafe. Phoebe entered like a thief in case someone or something jumped out.


    Nothing jumped out but Rossett and Marianne were waiting for her. The two women wished Phoebe a happy birthday and gave her cupcakes and gifts.


    The cupcakes were also strawberry, one with chocolate and another vanilla.


    "By the time the day ends, your farts will smell like strawberries." Connie giggled.


    "You have a delivery." Rossett pointed at wooden box that had been delivered early that morning.


    Curious, Phoebe opened it. Her eyes landed on a pink gun, pepper spray, two pink knives with butterfly designs and other weapons used in self defense.


    "Who in God''s name sent such an unpredictable gift." Grandma Mayfair pulled her face in a frown.


    The Saxon spirit pointed at the gift card, it had a familiar stamp. "Look!"


    Phoebe took it out and read it out loud. "To my shaman, from the bottom of my grateful heart. Luna Elithera."


    "Of course it''s her." Grandma Mayfair mumbled.


    Phoebe stared at the gun, unsure about what to do with it. It was cute and girly but guns were not her weapons of preference. However, with all that she had seen lately, it wouldn''t hurt to own one.


    "Couldn''t she send you a puppy or kitten? Send it back?" Suggested grandma Mayfair


    Surprisingly, Phoebe refused. "No nana, I like it. In fact I was planning to get one, if you haven''t noticed i am accumulating a number of enemies."


    "Supernatural ones, i doubt a gun can kill an evil ghost Pheebs."


    "I am still keeping it Nana."


    Phoebe carried the package to her office and work started like every other day. She did not forget to send Luna a thank you text.


    Half way through the day, grandma Mayfair told Phoebe that they had to return home.


    "Your mother has asked me to persuade you to go home now because she is not feeling fine. I guess she is done with whatever she was planning. Pheebs whatever you do act surprised in fact shed a river of tears, nothing will make her day like seeing you in tears of happiness."


    Phoebe was aware of how important it was to the Mayfairs that she enjoyed her birthday and she was willing to play along.


    "Okay Nana."


    She would cry so much that a small boat could float on the river of her tears.

 Chapter 260 - 260: Happy first birthday Pheebs__2

    The closer they got to the Mayfair manor, the more anxious Phoebe found herself becoming. She was nervous about what her family had planned. Was it going to be one of those big glamorous parties like they used to hold for Ruth?


    Would it be a small family affair like she requested? What if she failed to smile or cry? What if she was so nervous that she puked?


    "You are going to hyperventilate, breathe Phoebe, breathe." The Saxon spirit encouraged.


    But how could she breathe easily when she felt as if she wanted to just turn around and run for the hills? She would rather have faced malicious ghosts than have a birthday party.


    Grandma Mayfair sensed Phoebe''s unease and she squeezed her hand gently, giving her an assuring smile. All Phoebe saw was sharp evil clown teeth ready to gobble her up.


    "Oooh,,this is is so not good." she mumbled.


    The rate at which she was panicking, Phoebe was sure that she would faint before the party even started.


    There was no escape, soon the car stopped and she was forced out of the car by her grandmother. Phoebe clutched onto old lady Mayfair''s arm for her dear life. Every step she took was hard, like she was fighting gravity.


    "Don''t worry dear." grandma Mayfair said.


    "Hihihi...." Phoebe laughed.


    Neither she nor her grandmother made sense of the weird laughter. Upon arrival in the house, they went to the gardens and Phoebe was greeted by warm smiles of her closest friends and family.


    "Surprise!!" They shouted in unison.


    Some people like her mother were teary while others were cheering and clapping. Andre was the exception for he was blowing a whistle continuously. Phoebe was frozen for a while and she just looked around with her eyes.


    The Mayfair gardens had been transformed into a whimsical childish wonderland with bouncing castles, trampolines, toys, balloon shaped animals and all sorts of childish stuff placed everywhere. The balloon shaped like animals were in shades of pink and white and they floated in delicate clusters.


    On a very large screen, pictures of Phoebe from infancy to her current age were scrolling by.


    A ''Happy first birthday banner'' in Golden script that hung between two poles spanning across a great distance caused Phoebe to burst into tears.


    Indeed she had lived through so many birthdays but this was the first time really celebrating one. Her parents had not given her just any birthday, they had given her the birthday she longed for as a child, erasing bad memories and creating new ones. She felt so loved and wanted, the tears she had thought she would fake were more than real, flowing down endlessly.


    Her parents rushed to embrace and console her, their faces wet from their own tears.


    "Ma, Pa...." Phoebe croaked emotionally.


    "It''s okay sweetheart, cry all you want." Edward told her.


    They embraced for at least two minutes, crying and sharing assuring and consoling words. It was a moment which touched everyone and was recorded by Evelyn. Later that night, it would resurrect the almost dead cuckoo scandal among the founding families.


    After the emotional part was over, Jennie rushed Phoebe inside the house. She took her straight to the bedroom where a white and pink princess dress lay on the bed, waiting to be worn.


    Grown Phoebe would have preferred not to wear it but the child in her was giddy, she could finally pretend to be a princess. After wearing it, Phoebe stared at herself in the mirror and admired herself.


    It was ridiculous but cute and held a lot of meaning being that it was her first princess dress. She vowed to treasure the dress forever.


    Jennie did her make-up and hair personally, rendering the make-up artists hired by Andre useless. sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Here." Jennie handed her a magic wand. "Tonight, you can make as many wishes as you want. They will all come true, just make sure you share them with mommy." There was a lot of certainty in her voice.


    After placing a pink gem studded crown on her head, they rejoined the guests and the princess was shown off. Her brothers loyally stuck to her side, waiting on her hand and foot.


    Phoebe was distracted however because David was not there. A part of her was feeling let down, she had great expressions from him. When she finally saw him, her heart lightened but she did not want to appear overly eager, like she had missed him greatly.


    "You finally show your face, hmph." Phoebe pretended to be angry at David when he finally walked up to her.


    He raised his hands in self defense.


    "Please blame your mother who told us all to act like we forgot about your birthday and my grandmother that could not decide what to wear."


    With narrowed eyes, Phoebe stared at him. "And since when did you start listening and obeying my mother?"


    "She is my mother-in-law, whatever she says is law. The word law is right there in the title Pheebs." David responded.


    A mocking short laugh came from her lips. "I hope that you do not expect me to do the same for yours."


    [She and Ursula the witch have a lot in common]


    David chuckled. "I understand you one thousand percent." David pulled out a medium sized envelope from his jacket and handed it to her.


    "What''s this?" Phoebe''s quizzical eyes shifted from him to the envelope that was now in her hands.


    David jutted his chin at it. "That''s your birthday gift which I prepared carefully and I am not taking no for an answer."


    Phoebe opened it and read the contents of the papers inside. Her brows lifted high up in shock. "My God David why would you? You cannot give me half of your company! I cannot accept this." She placed the documents back inside the envelope.


    A short sigh came from David, he knew Phoebe would reject the shares that he had given her but he was not taking no for an answer.


    "Why do you think I named it DP holdings?"


    Phoebe''s confused eyes suddenly flew open. "Wait.... David and Phoebe?" She asked uncertainly.


    "Of course! You know Pheebs I was reborn to be your helper and protector. I plan to empower you to face your enemies both mortal and immortal even if I lose my life while doing it. I regret the past a lot and this is my way for paying for being stupid and careless in the past. Please allow me to make up for my regrets and pay for my shortcomings.." His voice was laced with deep regret, never before had Phoebe seen such pain and sorrow in his eyes before except when they talked about their children.


    She raised a hand to wipe away a tear that came from his right eye. "David what happened to you after i was gone?"


    Her question caused his face to harden, she could see veins pulsing in his neck. "Whatever it was, it''s not happening in this life, we have already changed things."


    David''s thoughts run to Ruth, she was mad now and couldn''t hurt them. None of the people he had tortured knew who she was in cohorts with not even Ophelia. Still, as long as he prepared for all dangers, they would be safe, all of them. This life had to be different from the past.


    "Come with me." Phoebe pulled him to the trampoline and pushed him down.


    He laughed and got up, both of them started jumping around and laughing carelessly. All the adults were playing one kiddish game or the other. Andre had practically become king of the bouncing castle. He had even changed into a prince outfit to Phoebe''s princes.


    From the trampoline, they zip lined, run a two legged race, engaged in a bubble wrap race, burst balloons and played a paper boat race.


    "Cake time." Jenny announced.


    Phoebe''s eyes were drawn to the towering cake, decorated with intricate patterns and edible glitter. It smelled like strawberries, she had eaten enough strawberry cakes but she did not care, she was still excited for more.


    She moved over blew the candles and cut it amidst cheers.


    "Attention everyone." Edward gently tapped his glass with a spoon. "My dearest daughter, we hope that going forward life will be kind and fair to you. That aside, your mother and I have decided to give you shares in the Mayfair corporation, making you a true Mayfair heiress."


    Phoebe shifted and hugged her parents.


    "Thank you father and mother." She kissed their cheeks.


    Her brothers swept in for their own hugs and kisses which were cut short by an uninvited guest.


    "Excuse me Miss Phoebe." Oman''s loud voice cut through the happy chatter. "Mr. Cornwell a lawyer from T&C is here to see you." Everyone traded curious gazes including Phoebe who was not expecting any lawyers.

 Chapter 261 - 261: Luther strikes from the grave.

    T&C law firm had very many prestigious clients among them were the Mayfairs. So naturally when Oman announced that the lawyers wanted to speak to Phoebe, she naturally assumed that it was about the shares her father had just given her.


    Imagine her surprise when Edward asked her why the lawyers wanted to see her.


    "Aren''t they here because of the shares that you have just given me?" Phoebe''s face was illuminated by a mix of cautious wonder and curiosity.


    "No, if it was the case, i would not have invited them over on your birthday, not during party time anyway." He cocked his head to look at his mother who was puzzled as well. "Mother, is this you?"


    Grandma Mayfair shook her head, equally puzzled by the unexpected arrival of lawyers. "Well let''s go and find out." She led the way and the rest of the family followed.


    Phoebe walked in between her brothers, they surrounded her as if she was a president in danger and they were the secret service, ready to take a bullet for her.


    The rest of the guests exchanged subtle glances, hesitant yet eager to speak their thoughts aloud. Some of them were already sharing the news of the visit from T&C with their families or friends. Lawyers visiting anyone in the founding family was always cause for curiosity.


    It raised questions like who had died, who had come into money, who had gone bankrupt or who was being sued.


    David was the only one uninterested in the gossip and more worried about Phoebe so he followed the Mayfairs into the house.


    Mr. Cornwell and his colleagues were waiting in the living room, they stood up the moment the Mayfairs headed by the matriarch entered with serious looks on their faces.


    He could sense the hostility from some of them even before they came close and he guessed that they were anticipating bad news. Cornwell was uncertain if what he was about to share was good or bad news. In his opinion, it could go either way.


    "Good evening old lady Mayfair." His voice was gentle but steady.


    Grandma Mayfair nodded once. "A good evening to you too Cornwell. To what do why I owe this unexpected visit?"


    She settled in a heavily cushioned sofa shaped like a throne. She used a stern tone and stared at them pointedly to emphasize her authority.


    Cornwell slightly bowed in Edward and Jennie''s direction. "Mr. and Mrs. Mayfair."


    "State your business Cornwell, who are you here to see and for what reason?" An impatient grandma Mayfair butted in.


    Cromwell held his poise and confidence, he had dealt with many wealthy people, old lady Mayfair did not frighten him like she did many others.


    "No offense old lady Mayfair but I believe that I didn''t stutter when I told the butler that I was here to see Phoebe Mayfair." His eyes moved and paused on Phoebe but immediately shifted to David who was standing behind her.


    Rumors were rampant about David being whipped, it was said that he was a love lorn idiot for Phoebe Mayfair, it seemed like this was a fact. Wherever she was, he was never far.


    Phoebe raised her hand like her name had been called by teacher during a roll call.


    "I am she, why do you want to see me?" She lowered her hand.


    Mr. Cornwell''s eyes returned to Phoebe, he ready had done his research and knew who she was. In fact news had reached his desk that the Verdemonts had attacked her the day after the reading of Luther''s will.


    It was for this reason why he was torn by the news he had come to deliver. It was good but also bad, in a way. Either way, he an obligation to fulfill the wishes of his client, whatever happened after was none of his business unless he was pulled in.


    He cleared his throat. "Miss Phoebe this is a very sensitive issue and I am requesting that we speak privately." His voice was polite yet it sounded offensive to some people especially Edward.


    "What is this about Cornwell? Is my daughter in some kind of trouble? Cut the formalities bullshit and tell me. Whatever it is, i am powerful enough to solve it." Edward''s tongue dripped with impatience.


    Collin took a step forward. "We all are her family and we are not leaving unless Pheebs doesn''t want us here." His eyes traveled around the vast room but stopped when he spotted David. "Saxon! Why are you here? Leave this is a family matter." He spoke through pinched lips.


    In response, David sneered but before he could respond Phoebe intervened.


    "Everyone can stay, it''s fine." She stretched her hands signaling the two men to quiet down.


    Cornwell''s brows rose and fell quickly as he surrendered. He opened his briefcase and pulled out an envelope which he handed to Phoebe but Edward grabbed it instead.


    "What is this? Is someone suing my daughter? What for? I will be ruthless in my response Cornwell, better put down all your business and prepare to counter sue. I can''t believe that you of all people would take on such business, it seems like you don''t want the Mayfair business anymore and we should shop for new representation."


    Cornwell hissed, he couldn''t help but feel like the Mayfairs had branded him as some type of villain that had put Phoebe''s life under a threat.


    "For God''s sake Edward i am not a process server! If I came here personally outside working hours then that means that it''s something important. Your daughter is not in any kind of trouble in fact I have to say that it looks like she won the billion lottery in a way." He threw the formalities out of the window as he addressed Edward directly. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The two had known each other in school and were on friendly terms. There was no need for hostility or threats between them.


    Some eyebrows shot upwards and some foreheads creased in disbelief. Some hands flew to mouths seeking to ground themselves against the jarring surprise.


    "What? What do you mean? Little sister did you use your powers to win a boatload of money?"


    The excitement in Andre''s voice only rubbed Phoebe the wrong way because even if she could do that using the whispering coins she wouldn''t do that. It would be robbing another person of their fate.


    "Andre shush!"


    The Saxon spirit quickly reminded her that Andre was a fool.


    "Don''t mind him." It chuckled.


    Cornwell stared at Edward and spoke. "The lottery is an inheritance left to Phoebe by Luther Verdemont."


    His revelation left them in a mixture of surprise and shock. Phoebe especially was taken aback because she really did think all Verdemont business had been closed. Why was it back again?


    "Why? Why would Luther leave my daughter money?"


    Jennie asked in an alarmed voice, maybe someone else might have been thrilled but not them, they had a lot of money after all.


    To them, it was suspicious that Luther who barely knew Phoebe had left her an inheritance. Everyone knew that the Verdemonts did not like Phoebe and they would go crazy when they heard this news.


    Shaking his head, Cornwell quickly corrected her anyone that was thinking the same. "It''s not money per say, it''s a foundation which has a boat load of money like Mr. Andre said."

 Chapter 262 - 262: Making more enemies.

    "A foundation!" Phoebe exclaimed.


    Memories returned to Phoebe, going to the moment right before Luther moved on. He had mentioned that he had left her a gift and he had cautioned her to use it to help others.


    She had assumed that he was talking about the whispering coins back then, now she could tell it was not the case. He had left her a foundation that had billions of money, according to the lawyer.


    Even though she owned land worth billions, Phoebe did not have a billion on her account. It sounded like a lot of money, more than she had ever owned in her life.


    "My God!" Phoebe murmured.


    [Ho ho ho! I am rich! double rich as a Mayfair heiress and Luther''s heiress.]


    All the Mayfair''s saw this thought and they held back the smiles on their faces. Andre wanted to remind her that foundation money was technically not hers for spending as she wished.


    Edward quickly perused through the documents scanning for only the important parts first. He was looking for traps in the clauses or anything that could be harmful to Phoebe.


    It was three pages and he was not in the mood to go through all of them so he decided to take a shortcut.


    "The Linda foundation? What does it do?" His eyes quizzed Cornwell whom he was certain had all the information. It was faster to hear from him than read a couple of documents.


    "I am sure that you know that Phoebe here played a huge role in helping Luther find his grand daughter, Linda. You also know the inner truth about the Verdemont family members that played different roles in her death, some actively while others passively.


    Luther didn''t remain the same when he found out so he used the last days of his life to punish his family members and also put his things in order. He decided that his children were not worthy of his hard earned fortune and decided that half of his wealth will be managed by D.P holdings while the other half went to the Linda foundation which he willed to her." Cornwell''s hand pointed at Phoebe.


    Collin rubbed his chin. "The Linda foundation. Is that the same foundation that he left for Phoebe?"


    Nodding in affirmation, Cornwell answered. "Yes it is."


    Andre blinked rapidly as he made calculations in his head. "And how much exactly is this half?" He wanted to take a guess but he did not know how deep Luther''s pockets run. Cornwell had said billions, he wanted to know how much they were talking about.


    "To be exact the foundation has precisely one hundred billion, thirty million, three hundred and fifty thousand in Loewe bank. All Phoebe has to do is sign a few papers accepting the inheritance and she can access it in a week."


    Cornwell''s eyes were fixed on Phoebe whom he found odd. Ordinary people would be jubilation or at least curious but not her, all she was doing was staring blankly. It was almost as if she had not just received a boatload of money.


    Andre whistled loudly in a dramatic way, drawing images in his head of the ways that he could spend the money. He had so many projects that could use investments and foundations invested in different projects to grow their income and last for many years.


    Perhaps he could convince his little sister to be his permanent backer. When he entered the entertainment industry against his father''s wishes, no Mayfair resource was given to him. He had to start from the bottom to get to where he was now.


    Lately, he was considering moving from acting to film making. He wanted to open his own film making, marketing and distribution company.


    Andre sighed and shook his head, it was best not to make plans with money which did not belong to him.


    "So what''s the catch? My father asked earlier what the purpose of the foundation was but you have yet to answer." Collin asked.


    He was aware that nothing in the world came to anyone freely, Luther must have wanted something from Phoebe.


    Cornwell chuckled and leaned forward, he shrugged and folded his lips for a small moment.


    "There is none."


    "Excuse you? That is not possible! No one leaves that amount of money to a stranger for free there must be something he wanted her to do?" Luke used his hand to emphasize his points strongly.


    "Agreed! What does the foundation do? Why are you dodging that question?" Collin folded his hands, this was just suspicious at least to him. "Look if he wants my sister to babysit his unruly children, it''s not going to work. Everyone has seen that video of Ekhart pulling hair and we heard that he and Paul attacked DP holdings with sticks, acting like barbarians. We don''t want to deal with those lunatics."


    Cornwell tugged his front hair, he was getting slightly frustrated for he had only but a few answers. "The foundation has no defined purpose, the information is all in these documents and here." He placed a flash drive on the table. "It''s up to Phoebe to decide how to use the money his only requests were that you use it to help others like you helped him and also collaborate with D.P holdings such that you choose the right heir from the next generation of Verdemonts." He let out a heavy sigh.


    "Unbelievable! Rumors are going around that the Verdemonts are flat broke but no one believed it because we all know how much Luther was worth. It seems like he just gave out everything." Jennie shook her head continuously. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Grandma Mayfair clicked her tongue. "Those venomous snakes deserve what they got which is nothing! The other day they attacked Phoebe at the cafe...."


    "What? Mother why didn''t you say anything?" Edward relaxed face folded.


    "It wasn''t a big deal, the ghosts and I taught them a big lesson. I doubt they can dare to return and if they do, i will break their skulls." Grandma Mayfair assured Edward.


    She did not even hesitate to mention the ghosts in front of Cornwell. The Mayfairs had been pulled so deep into Phoebe''s world that such talk was normal to them. They did not notice the puzzlement on Cornwell''s face.


    The lawyer was wondering how ghosts had taught the Verdemonts a lesson and why they were being mentioned. He was not ignorant about Phoebe being a shaman or her rumored ghost seeing abilities.


    He just wasn''t a believer.


    "Shouldn''t we beef up her security? They will surely attack when they get wind of this news." A worried expression was etched on Collins face.


    "No need David took care of that, he got our Phoebe two good body guards a long time ago." Grandma Mayfair mentioned such that David could score some points


    However Collin wasn''t impressed. "So where were they when she was attacked?"


    His sister was making more enemies than friends, she needed to be protected all day, everywhere and at all times.


    Phoebe intervened. "I don''t allow them inside the Cafe but they are really helpful and i am very comfortable with them." She gave Collin an assuring nod.


    Her eldest brother swallowed hard and gave David a warning stare before returning his attention to Cornwell.


    "So this D.P holdings business, what has it got to do with Phoebe?" Collin''s arm went around Phoebe''s shoulders protectively.

 Chapter 263 - 263: Good intentions

    In the business circle, D.P holdings had made a name for itself after collaborating with some of the biggest companies in Fog country. Collin was very intrigued because it had gained momentum at a very fast pace for a new company.


    The real boss behind the company was a myth, a rumored investment genius that had just returned from abroad. He or she did not take meetings with anyone, so the identity was a well guarded secret. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Many founding families had made visits to D.P holdings, looking to form connections with them. Collin thought that perhaps he could finally unveil the identity of this mysterious boss through Phoebe.


    Meeting geniuses in the business circle was one of his favorite things to do. Collin loved interacting with such people as they discussed the possible financial trends of the future and helped each other grow bigger.


    Cornwell scratched the left side of his cheek and shook his head. It was not that he did not want to share information, he just didn''t have much to share.


    "So this D.P holdings, what has it got to do with our Phoebe?" Collin repeated the question, his face was burning with curiosity.


    Phoebe and David traded gazes and smiled as they were the only two in the room that knew who the actual owner was. Now that David had gifted her with half of his shares she owned it too.


    She tore her gaze away from him and focused on Cornwell. For now, she had no plans to share the fact she was a part owner of D.P holdings.


    "Mr. Collin with all due respect I don''t have to reveal anything to you, only to Miss Phoebe here and only after she accepts the inheritance left behind for her." A smile struggled to form on his lips but it slipped away.


    Cornwell wasn''t a fool, he was aware that whoever was the brains behind D.P holdings, he or she was powerful. They had done a great job at hiding their identity and if they remained on the current path would become a financial giant in Fog country.


    He thought it was best not to speculate on who the owner was or how Phoebe came to cross paths with them. What he knew was that David Saxon was the one that sent Luther to D.P holdings.


    Collin arched an eyebrow, discontent with Cornwell''s answer but it was not like he could cajole him into telling him what he wanted to hear so he gave up with a snort.


    "Phoebe sweetheart you are really quiet and we would like to know what you think about all this." Edward smiled warmly but a little worriedly.


    He feared for what his daughter was about to sign up for in case she agreed. The Verdemonts wouldn''t leave her alone, they would come after her continuously. The evidence was there, after all they had attacked her once before.


    "Mr. Luther Verdemont wanted me to take it so I will. I''ll help as many people as I can with the gift he left me. There are many missing people out there that can''t be found due to lack of resources, impoverished ones that can''t get an education, sickly ones that can''t go to hospitals, old and lonely folks that can''t afford care homes, hungry kids on the streets that are starving and so on.


    I will do charity in Luther and Linda''s names, making sure that they will never be forgotten. The foundation will be put to good use." Phoebe answered, her voice was soft but strong enough to let everyone know that she had made up her mind.


    Collin pulled her closer to him. "That was quick baby sister, i think you should take your time and think about this. While your intentions are good, the Verdemonts are ungrateful wolves that did not hesitate to put one of their own through hell.


    We will protect you with everything we have of course but you need to know what you are signing up for if you accept the foundation.


    I also advise that you find out more about this D.P holdings or whomever that you''ll be working with so that they don''t take advantage of you." Thin lines of worry etched on his forehead.


    There were hundreds of billions at stake, he did not want Phoebe to be cheated or accused of embezzlement. Many foundations in the country had come to an end because of such scandals.


    "Oh big brother stop being a wuss! Phoebe is a big girl she can handle this. Besides she has us to watch over her. We should be happy for her not scaring her!" Andre spoke.


    He had seen first hand during Desire Caldwell''s case that Phoebe needed a lot of money to help unfortunate ghosts and although the Mayfair''s had a lot of money to support her cause, it wouldn''t hurt to get more.


    Grandma Mayfair on the other hand agreed with Collin and so did Jennie who nodded continuously as fear gnawed at her.


    "Listen to your eldest brother sweetheart, you said it yourself that you have closed the Verdemont chapter. If it''s a foundation you want, we can start one for you as well." Her pleading eyes stared helplessly at Phoebe.


    They were divided, some supporting her decision and others against it. Phoebe''s mind was already made up however no matter what.


    "Guys come on, i am Phoebe Mayfair. A shaman with ghosts to protect me, you all have nothing to worry about. As for D.P holdings, i am certain that old man Luther thought long and hard before trusting them with his fortune. They must be great people to work with."


    Behind her assuring smile was a nervous person that had no idea what she was signing up for. She had no idea where to start from in running a foundation worth billions.


    Cornwell clapped once. "That''s settled then, Miss Phoebe I''ll arrange for a meeting between you and Mr. Morgan Skesgard, the director of D.P holdings but before that please sign those papers and hand me a copy." A victorious smile made it''s way on his lips.


    Without hesitation, Phoebe took the papers from her father, a gentle smile danced on her lips as she used slight force to pull them from his unwilling grasp.


    "Father it is okay, I know what i am doing, please trust me."


    Edward sighed and surrendered. Rather than fighting against her decision, he decided to help her by finding her assistants and other necessary employees she would need to run the foundation.


    Knowing his daughter, nothing was going to pull her away from her ghost work.


    She signed the forms, retained a copy and gave the lawyer his own.


    "I''ll be calling you soon Miss Phoebe." He nodded once at her, then at grandma Mayfair and finally at Edward before leaving.


    Edward sighed, a loud and long sigh. "Well Phoebe made her decision all we can do is support her." He declared softly.


    "Call me whenever you need me baby sis." Collin finally gave in.


    "Same here." Luke nodded once, shut and opened his eyes.


    Andre''s brows danced. "As always I''ll be at your beck and call. I bet we are about to help multiple ghosts and take on numerous exciting adventures."


    Grandma Mayfair exhaled slowly, silently she prayed that no trouble came to Phoebe because of what Luther had left her. It was truly a big gift but whether it was good or bad, only time would tell.


    They just needed to be ready for the Verdemonts, those evil spawns would be coming for Phoebe.

 Chapter 264 - 264: Choosing friendship over love.

    They all returned to the party, played pin the tail on the donkey and danced and feasted like there was no tomorrow. It was the most fun Phoebe had had in a very long time. When the sun had firmly set, the party inevitably came to an end.


    Phoebe and her parents bid goodbye to all her guests, giving out souvenirs that were mostly snacks produced by the Mayfair corporation.


    Not all left of course, some like Evelyn stayed back due to unforeseen circumstances. She was too drunk to go anywhere so she was escorted to one of the guest bedrooms. The Mayfairs were concerned for her well being so they decided to have her stay in their house.


    She used to stay over all the time after Ruth''s parties anywhere so it was not new.


    As soon as she was placed on the bed, Evelyn bent down and threw up, prompting Maria to rush her to the bathroom.


    Phoebe was worried about her friend so she placed a tonic on the table for her. Jennie was displeased meanwhile, glaring at the contents of Evelyn''s stomach which had yet to be cleaned away. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "She does this all the time, Pheebs, darling, i hope that you don''t follow in her footsteps. Her dating life is a mess and...."


    "Mom.... don''t say that." Phoebe said in a low voice.


    She was familiar with her mother''s earnest judgemental ways. Still, Evie was her friend, and she was not a bad one.


    Grandma Mayfair dismissed Jennie''s words. "That Evie girl is a sweet girl, she is a little too free spirited but a good and loyal friend to our Pheebs. Jennie, you should judge people less, who here has not been stupidly drunk a time or two?"


    Edward''s arms were folded to his chest with his narrow eyes staring at his wife. "It''s odd that you are saying this honey, during your era you were worse. The wild parties, non stop drinking, circuit races.... ha! Should I go on?"


    "What?" The Mayfair siblings spoke in unison, shocked by the revelation.


    Jennie good girl reputation Mayfair used to drink and race at circuits? She used to enjoy wild parties!!! Who was that woman and where had she gone? This Jennie was a few marbles shy of becoming as confused as light church obsessed Emilia Verdemont.


    How had the strict grandma Mayfair allowed old Jennie to marry her only precious son?


    The children had many questions for the adults but for now, they just hid their laughter because Jennie''s face had turned ripe tomato shade red.


    Jennie''s shoulder fell inwards, slightly hunched as if trying to make herself smaller, she had changed since then and was embarrassed of such memories. She gave Edward the famous Jennie glare for exposing her after she had worked hard to bury that dark history.


    "I''ll go check on Evelyn." She scurried away from the group that was laughing at her.


    The rest of the group returned downstairs to bid farewell to the remaining few guests. One happened to be Collin Baltimore who started moving towards them as soon as they appeared. He had come at Collin''s invitation as they had become friendlier lately.


    It wasn''t surprising when her brother Collin gave him a side hug.


    "What''s up bro?"


    The two men bumped their fists together and slapped each other on the back. Phoebe snorted and rolled her eyes.


    "Bro? Really Collin? How is this guy your brother, you have known him for less than a month." David appeared out of nowhere.


    He had been keeping his eyes on the Baltimore dude since the moment of his arrival shortly before the cake was cut.


    "I am wanted Saxon, i can''t say the same about you." Collin Baltimore smirked.


    Phoebe exhaled loudly and her shoulders slumped dramatically. In her mind, she pictured them coming to blows for no reason other than big egos.


    It did not help that Connie had scrambled out of the space as soon as she smelled tension and she was loudly chanting, "Fight, fight, fight."


    The girl really didn''t know when to shut up and when to talk. This was not a wrestling arena, Phoebe did not want to see any fighting.


    [I really hope that they don''t choose to fight today, it''s my first special birthday]


    Everyone that was paying attention to her especially the three men saw the thought, they all made a silent agreement to be civil.


    Collin cleared his throat. "Yeah, I may not have known him for long but we are cool. In fact Collin Baltimore and I are about to collaborate on a project together."


    "Is that so?" Edward cocked his head, he wore a wide smile that showed that he approved.


    Collin Baltimore quickly interjected. "We are still in the talking phase but it looks quite promising and fruitful for both companies." He clearly stated, part of him disapproved of Collin''s move, announcing the news prematurely.


    David''s right hand thumb traced over one of his eyebrows, the rage in his nerves slowly surging. He understood that it was just business but it pained him that Collin Baltimore was forming permanent relationships with Phoebe''s family, even if it was just business.


    He strongly disliked Collin Mayfair''s move, it was one made in the effort to link Phoebe to Baltimore.


    "Well good for you both." David forced a smile on his face, playing the jealous lover was only going to be make him look childish and petty.


    Phoebe put her hand on David''s arm and gave him a reassuring smile. That alone was enough to chase away the dark cloud hanging over his head.


    As long as Phoebe was on his side, not even the two Collin''s could separate them. After a little courtesy chat, Phoebe opted to escort Collin who announced that he was leaving.


    David wanted to follow but Collin intercepted him, suddenly acting friendly.He had no choice but to watch her disappear with the hateful Baltimore.


    He had nothing to worry about, Phoebe felt uncomfortable around Collin Baltimore, especially because she knew how he felt about her.


    When they were walking, she remained silent and it was he that finally broke the silence.


    "Happy birthday, it''s good that you came along with me because I wanted to give these to you." Collin''s hand reached inside his pocket and pulled out two tickets which he gave to her.


    She took the tickets and they continued walking at a moderate pace.


    "Annual Citrus antique museum auction and gala?" Phoebe read out loud.


    Nodding his head, Collin''s cheeks faintly tinged with pink. "Yes i was hoping that we could go together, if you are okay with it of course." He lifted his eyes in search for hers but Phoebe avoided his gaze as much as possible.


    [Oh Crap! I don''t want to break your heart or lose this little awkward friendship that we have but i can''t accept your feelings. For heavens sake Goldie, i have given you hints, can''t you see? You are cute, but i don''t feel the same way.]


    Phoebe''s eyes grew dark and heavy with a sorrow that she had not yet voiced. She opened her mouth to speak and closed it again, her breathing hitching softly.


    Collin smiled sadly on reading her thoughts, his smile was a little too bright but it didn''t reach his eyes. He knew who owned her heart but he did not want to give up. He could read her inner thoughts, wasn''t it a sign that they were destined somehow?


    However, he was afraid that if her pushed too hard, she would cut him off completely so as always, he decided to step back.


    "Phoebe don''t think about it so deeply, we are good friends i just thought that you would love to go with me as a friend. Friends do this sometimes, don''t they?" His laughter came easy, a little too easy.


    It was dry however, not that Phoebe noticed. For her, all she felt was relief which washed over her like a sudden summer rain shower.


    "Of course we are friends, i like being your friend. Ha-ha, my friend Collin Baltimore, when i see you from now on, i will call you friend Collin...haha." she answered awkwardly.


    Her answer only made him feel worse, especially because she kept repeating the word friend over and over. Had anyone in the world been friend zoned as much as this?

 Chapter 265 - 265: The secrets of dead grandpa Mayfair.

    After an awkward goodbye with no definite answer, Phoebe rushed back into the house. When she returned, she discovered that her brothers had united and sent off David.


    All the guests were gone and servants were cleaning up. The exhausted Mayfairs decided to retire except for Phoebe. Grandma Mayfair asked Phoebe to follow her, denying her the opportunity to sneak off to her bedroom to open her presents.


    "Where to nana?" She yawned for the third time, exhausted from all the partying.


    Grandma Mayfair gestured for Phoebe to just move but, she paused when she realized that Phoebe was bound to be more exhausted than them all. All day long, she had been up and down, jumping around with so much energy like a grasshopper on red bull.


    "There is something that i want to show you but it can wait, you must be very tired."


    She turned to head to her bedroom only to be stopped by Phoebe who pulled on her arm.


    "Nana wait! I don''t like not knowing things, if i go up while wondering what you wanted to show me, the suspense will kill me. I will not be able to sleep, i will keep thinking about it. What is it that you want to show me?"


    Phoebe''s formerly half closed eyes were now wide open and filled with some anticipation. She figured it was another gift, it was not yet midnight so it was still her birthday after all.


    "Come on, follow me then, I wouldn''t want you to stay up all night." Grandma Mayfair spoke as she moved towards the elevator which Phoebe rarely used.


    She pressed a button thrice and it lit a blue color which was odd, normally it lit whitish.


    What is grandma up to? Phoebe''s fingers lightly pinched on the sides of her princess dress. Even in the elevator, she kept looking around like a curious child out in the world for the first time.


    When the elevator came to a stop, Phoebe stepped off following her grandmother into a basement. This one was different from the one she had been accessing almost every day.


    She used it to store herbs mostly. It was also where the wine cellar was and boxes with files on some old projects of the Mayfair corporation that had failed to produce positive results.


    Why do we have two basements? Phoebe questioned herself. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She thought it was weird and so did the ghosts that went off on their own to look around ahead of her. Only the Saxon spirit lingered by Phoebe''s side.


    "There are a lot of magical items here, i can sense them. Sadly, they are all spell bound to stop people from using them. I guess it was done to protect them from evil hands." It revealed.


    Phoebe''s eyes adjusted, trying to see anything but she could hardly make out a thing. Of course she could use her energy to power her eyes but she chose not to, she was in no rush. Her grandmother switched on the light and finally Phoebe had the opportunity to look around. Naturally, her eyes sought out the magical artifacts first.


    The basement itself was a relic of forgotten time, covered in layers of dust. Everything was shrouded in sheets that were once white but had turned brown with time. The unpleasant scent of mold and aged wood that lingered in the air caused Phoebe to sneeze loudly.


    "God bless you child." Grandma Mayfair said in response. "The dust must be affecting you, no one has been here for years not even to clean. Cillian did not like anyone snooping around his stuff."


    Phoebe''s curious eyes looked at her grandmother who stood with her hands on her waist. She was looking around with a sad expression in her eyes which conveyed deep sorrow.


    "I know that you have heard about your grandfather here and there but I wanted you to have at least have one picture of him. You carry pictures of all of us in your wallet, your grandfather should be added as well. Lord knows he would have pampered you like a precious pearl."


    She handed Phoebe a wallet sized black and white photograph that she pulled from an old reading table.


    Phoebe''s eyes became moist, out of all the gifts that she had received this was closest to her heart. "Thank you nana, are these all his belongings?"


    Grandma Mayfair nodded. "We couldn''t just throw them out." She dusted an old wooden box and pulled out an album.


    She began to flip the pages, the oldest photos which were also in black and white. She told Phoebe stories behind each photograph and allowed her to pick out the ones she wanted.


    Phoebe chose and three black and white ones taken in Cillian''s younger days, and one colored one in which he was middle aged.


    "His hair is like mine." Phoebe laughed.


    "He had thick red hair when he was younger, as he grew it thinned out and he became bold eventually." Grandma Mayfair laughed as memories of her late husband returned to her. "He was so handsome, all the girls wanted to marry him but i used my wit and charm to win his heart."


    Phoebe smiled at her grandmother, this was a story she wanted to hear. However, she was not going to hear about it just yet, her grandmother sat down and lost herself in the pictures and memories.


    Phoebe''s attention traveled to what lay under the sheets. Why did her grandfather have magical objects in his possession? They were bound by a spell did that mean that he knew how to cast spells or create them or did he know someone that did?


    She was very curious about him now. What secrets was he hiding?


    "Nana, what did grandpa do for a living?"


    "He was the CEO of Mayfair corporations just like your father although I have to say that Cillian traveled a lot and not just for business. Sometimes he left for days and I didn''t hear from him." Grandma Mayfair rubbed her chin.


    Phoebe cocked head. "And you were not curious at all?"


    "Child in my era, we were taught not to question our husbands. I was okay because he returned to me at the end of the day, until he came home in a coffin one day." Sadness etched on her face. "Let''s leave."


    Phoebe hesitated as she wasn''t done yet but her grandmother''s aura had changed, there was no room for negotiation. She moved, slow and lethargic as though every step required extra effort.


    "Nana how about i clean this place up." Phoebe spoke abruptly, her movements ceased.


    Grandma Mayfair stopped in her trucks and whirled around. "You?" She asked, shocked because Phoebe hated doing chores and besides, her businesses kept her busy enough. There was no way she was suggesting this without an ulterior motive.


    "Yes, it will help me get to know grandpa better." Phoebe answered.


    [I need to know what magical artifacts are in here and why grandpa had them. I also need to know who bound them and what they do. Things that are this precious, sooner or later someone will come looking for them and my family could wind up in trouble. I think there is more to this than what meets the eye.]


    She bit her bottom lip and crossed her fingers, looking at old lady Mayfair with an exaggerated hopeful gaze.


    Grandma Mayfair read her thoughts and for the first time she was curious about her late husband''s belongings. She almost gasped and gave herself away when she read magical artifacts.


    What secrets did her husband keep from her? Was he a shaman like Phoebe? Maybe her ghost seeing abilities were inherited from him.


    She recalled that his secret life led to his death and suddenly she was wrought with worry for Phoebe. What if she suffered the same fate as him?


    Her mind was made up, she had not been able to help Cillian so she would protect Phoebe instead.


    "Okay but I''ll have to help you. it''s a lot of work to do alone."


    Without an option, Phoebe agreed.

 Chapter 266 - 266: Luna in Citrus.

    It was the day after Phoebe''s birthday, at night to be exact. David was out and about, minding his business in the The Celestial Lounge, an exclusive club for the creme de la creme of Fog city when he saw a face that he did not expect to see.


    He was having a drink with Thomas, Nile and Arrow, his only true friend in the elite circle when he saw Luna Elithera making her way to one of the private rooms in the club.


    David was not the only one to see her, Arrow Castile noticed her as well. Initially, David thought he was mistaken but Arrow brought it up.


    "Is that Luna Elithera or do my eyes deceive me?"


    The men turned their heads at once in the direction Arrow was looking. They knew he could not be mistaken, his distinctive deep red eyes could see further than most of the human population.


    Just like the Saxons had their read hair, the Castile''s had red eyes. Normally, they covered their eyes with sunglasses or used contact lenses when they were out in public. A Castile eyeball was just as valuable as Saxon hair on some corners of the world.


    So, if Arrow said he had seen something, he was usually 99.99% correct.


    But still, an Elithera in Citrus city was next to impossible. Luna had never even stepped in Citrus city for one of her music tours so why would she be there now?


    The founding families and the Elithera''s were like oil and water. This was because the Elithera''s run most of the founding families out of Magic city a long time ago using despicable means and took over the city. Many years had passed and yet the old grudge still held firm among some families that made significant financial losses.


    A silent pact of sorts had been made between the Elithera''s and the founding families. None would interfere in the business interests of the other. The Elithera''s could not set up shop in Citrus city, if they did the founding families would take their revenge for what happened hundreds of years ago.


    To the new generation, it was a stupid grudge that held no water, in fact many were fans of Luna Elithera.


    "No way." Nile spoke up first.


    Arrow turned his head to Nile and lowered his sunglasses, exposing his red eyes. "Are you questioning my vision?"


    "I know better than to do that." Nile mumbled. "But come on, an Elithera in Citrus city!! It''s ridiculous, not just in Citrus but here in the heart of the city, founding family territory. It''s unfathomable."


    "But not impossible." Thomas mentioned.


    He twirled his wine glass slowly, looking at David that appeared to be tense. Thomas knew that David''s shaman girlfriend that saved his daughter''s life had crossed paths with Luna Elithera in Magic city.


    This was because a picture of the two appeared on the internet for a minute before it was deleted permanently. They had been at a swimming pool with Andre Mayfair and old lady Mayfair.


    The picture had not been deleted fast enough, not for the Saxons who had a team that kept an eye on all potential spouses of their children and grandchildren.


    Lately, ghost seeing Phoebe was at the top of the list. Anything related to her was monitored be it her name, cafe, pictures, hair or anything about her that appeared online.


    After finding out about the disaster his daughter had almost suffered, he had gone to their security team looking for information on Phoebe and that''s how he had seen the photograph.


    Thomas was no fool, he could tell that something had gone down in Magic city between Luna and Phoebe.


    "Hey, cousin..." he started.


    "Excuse me." David hastily stood up and walked away from the group.


    "Where is he rushing off to?" Nile questioned.


    Thomas shrugged and Arrow took off his sunglasses, concentrating his vision on the room where Luna was. It was a good as an X-ray, and he was bored. He wanted to know what had brought an Elithera to Citrus.


    "He will pluck your eyes out." Niles chuckled.


    "Please, like that scares me." Arrow scoffed.


    David did not like anyone poking into his business and ever since he woke up from his coma, he was quite scary. Still, Arrow had done a few favors for David, he was like his personal spy when necessary. He knew most of his friend''s secrets, if David did not want him peeping on the meeting with Luna, he would move it elsewhere. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    David did not bother to move the meeting because he was not the person Luna had come to meet. He let himself into the private room without asking for permission.


    Luna sent out the man that she had been meeting, he scurried out like a frightened mouse.


    David sat down and gave Luna a stoic intense focused look. Anyone else would tremble, but not Luna, she just smiled calmly, so unbothered.


    "How rude of you David Saxon, at least knock before barging in. It''s says private on the door, did the privileged Saxon education not pay for reading classes?"


    She tapped her index finger against the untouched glass of red wine.


    "What are you doing in my city?" David quizzed.


    Luna threw her head back and she laughed with a touch of mockery.


    "Your city! i had no idea that Citrus city had been renamed Saxon city?" She took a sip of wine slowly and put the glass down. "Or is it David Saxon city, specifically? I think i missed that big egotistic billboard when i flew in on my private jet."


    She chuckled and then cracked her jaw.


    David clenched his jaw, a huge part of him did not like Luna. She always did as she wanted, regardless of the consequences to others. He knew she was here for Phoebe but he did not want someone whose hands were heavily soaked with blood around her.


    "Midnight, that is the name of the new shadow figure that runs sixty percent of the Citrus underground. You would not happen to know him, would you?" Luna quizzed.


    David clenched his hands briefly and he loosened them.


    "I am a Saxon, what would i know of the underground world?" he smiled innocently.


    "Right." Luna responded, that little mocking tone still heavy in her voice.


    "Elithera''s have no business in Citrus, you should know that." David reminded her in a soft but hard voice.


    Luna spread her arms wide. "It''s a free country, i am simply here to visit a friend and take care of some personal things." She leaned forward. "It''s so sad that i did not get an invitation to my friend''s birthday however, i even sent a gift. I hope it''s not something i did because i really__really like this friend."


    She smiled, which should have been harmless but instead David felt more on edge.


    "Get out of my city." He ordered her.


    Luna shook her head. "No, i will not be doing that. Citrus is big enough for all of us. Don''t worry, i am not here for the unsavory side of my family''s business. Rumor has it that TK entertainment is on the way down, i am simply here to speed things along and acquire the company. I am on legitimate business Saxon and i will be setting down roots in Citrus." She looked out of the window and drew in a deep breath. "Even the air in Citrus is cleaner, less polluted. I am going to love it here."

 Chapter 267 - 267: Cuckoo for Phoebe

    David looked at the open bottle of wine and he strongly contemplated picking it up and smashing it over Luna''s head.


    There was something about her that most people did not know, Luna Elithera had a mean streak of possessiveness. Be it her toys, friends, boyfriends, weapons___, anything that she marked as hers, she did not want to share.


    It was obvious that she had marked Phoebe as her friend and she was going to do all it took to make Phoebe reciprocate the friendship. She was a lunatic that would not hesitate to get rid of Evelyn if she thought the other was the reason why Phoebe did not like her.


    And when it came to enemies, she would not hesitate to kill for Phoebe and keep her safe, even against her own family if it that was what it took.


    Luna Elithera''s loyalty and love a gift and a curse for the recipient. In David''s eyes, it looked more like a curse than a gift.


    He knew old lady Mayfair was determined to keep Phoebe away from Luna. What if crazy Luna snapped and killed her?


    Phoebe would be inconsolable, she was the one that brought Luna into their lives after all.


    "How much will it cost for you to leave the city and Phoebe?" David asked.


    Luna turned her dark eyes to him and she rolled them. "You cannot afford me Saxon, my love is not for sale. What are you so apprehensive about? It''s not as if i am going to harm her. In fact, i might prove to be more helpful than you in some things."


    With a glint of victory in her eyes, she leaned forward once more. "I heard that you have been digging into Ruth Gabriel and i have information on the Gabriel''s which even your people have failed to find. This information might be useful to you, no__, it will be of great use to you."


    At the mention of Ruth Gabriel, his interest piqued. Not many people knew that he was digging around for such information but it was not surprising that Luna knew. The Elithera''s were in the information trade business, one he had joined after his rebirth.


    As much as she made him feel uneasy, the information was necessary.


    "What is it?"


    Luna wagged an index finger from side to side, slowly she picked up the glass of wine and downed it.


    "I want a deal, you protect me while i am setting down roots in Citrus city and don''t interfere in my business and i will share something with you."


    "No deal." he answered without hesitation. "What if your stay here brings trouble to Phoebe?"


    "Then i will expel myself from the city, like i said, i am here for TK majorly. This information, it is something you really don''t want to miss and i am only offering it this once Saxon."


    She raised her hand. "Five seconds."


    Luna counted the seconds loudly, lowering a finger with each count. Just before the last one fell, David surrendered.


    "Fine, as long as it helps me protect Phoebe, we have a deal. If it''s useless, i will hunt you down and shoot you with your own guns." he threatened.


    Luna touched her pocket, brought out a pen and clicked it.


    "I have recorded this conversation, you know how it works in the information business, a word is as good as a binding contract."


    "Know...talk." David urged.


    He was impatient that he did not even bother to use a full sentence, picking out words he needed.


    "Once upon a time, the number of founding families was big, much bigger than the ones still standing today." Luna poured herself another glass of wine, taking her time to share the information.


    The more she dallied, provoking David with the satisfied glint smirk on her lips, the more he longed to stuff the wine glass down her throat.


    She was just so infuriating!!


    "In 1799 among the founding families that had traveled all the way from the unclaimed lands was one young man named Othello. I don''t have all the information, some of it is missing but this Othello fellow was apparently a bad egg so his family was expelled from the founding society. Back then, if a family was expelled all information on them was wiped out.


    The family would be executed, from adults to children, they were all wiped out. After the rumored magical wars, Othello committed a crime for which he was imprisoned while his family was erased from the world.


    In prison, he served time with a petty thief named Gabriel. The two men escaped prison at the same time and crossed into Magic city but, only one made it home. Guess which one it was?"


    "Gabriel." David answered.


    Luna gave him a thumbs up. "Wow, you are smart."


    David scoffed. His answer was only obvious because the Gabriel''s still existed while the Othello''s he had never heard about.


    "However, apparently the Gabriel that made it home looked nothing like the original Gabriel. This was something his mother loudly shared with the neighbors and anybody that cared to hear.


    A day after he returned home, all members of the Gabriel family that lived under one roof died suspiciously in a fire. This incident happened a long time ago and the only reason why the information reached us is because mama Gabriel said her son had been replaced with an alien.


    My cousin Lucera keeps an eye on all things alien in Magic city. We all know they are not real but with all the weird things in the world, knowledge is better than ignorance.


    When i looked into Phoebe, i did a deep dive into the Gabriel''s. They are possibly descended from Othello, i don''t know if this information will help you but i believe there is something there. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I intend to keep digging, this concerns my shaman after all. In order to live a long safe life and avoid early death, she needs to be safe.


    Word of advise, kill Ruth Gabriel, a dead enemy is the only enemy i consider handled. If your enemy is alive, you are not safe, you are only giving them time to resurrect and try again. Be wiser David...think big."


    "You.." David started but the door opened and a familiar face walked into the private room.


    David looked from Luna to the new entrant that happened to be Luke Mayfair. Luke paused in his steps and he looked from Luna to David.


    The two men were definitely not expecting to run into each other.


    "What the hell is going on here?" he blurted out.


    Luke used one finger to push up his round silver glasses, holding the slightly cold look in his eyes steady.


    "I have business with her, why are you here?" he questioned slowly.


    David looked from Luna to Luke, again, uncertain about what business the two possibly had together. As far as he knew, they had never met.


    He recalled Luna giving Andre her business card and now she was meeting Luke privately. Was it her intention to hook up with one of the two single Mayfair boys?


    The phone rung just when David prepared himself to respond.


    "Boss, there is a fire at the asylum, get here quickly."


    He turned to Luke and relayed the message without hanging up. Three people dashed out of the private room and away from the Celestial Lounge.


    All of them had one question, what were Ruth''s circumstances in the fire? Was she dead or alive?

 Chapter 268 - 268: The fire at Lockhart__1

    While the three people rushed away from the lounge in their individual cars, the ones David had left behind were rather curious about their reasons for leaving in such a hurry.


    Thomas and Nile could only turn to Arrow, hoping that he could enlighten them on the situation.


    Arrow raised his eyebrows and smirked. He had that smug look on his face which he always had when he knew something other people did not. It was always worse when they wanted to know but couldn''t forcefully pry his mouth open.


    Nile groaned, he could tell that it was going to take some cajoling to open Arrow''s mouth.


    "What will it take?"


    Thomas put down his wine glass. "I recently acquired a few gold leaves that were part of the original window from the original St. Sebastian palace." He nodded.


    Nile scoffed. "Golden leaves from the window which once belonged to Princess Grania of St. Sebastian nation in exchange for some information! wow, cousin, you are generous."


    Nile said so because the entire window was made from precious materials like gold, sapphires and amber. It had been stolen during the second St, Sebastian war.


    The window was considered to be an art piece and a national treasure in their nation. The golden leaves were part of the window and each cost as much as twenty million.


    "I have three leaves, i can give you one." Thomas tempted Arrow.


    Arrow smiled like a carnivore and he nodded. "Luna Elithera is settling in the city and something about a fire."


    "That''s all!" Niles exclaimed.


    Arrow shrugged. "I am only slightly skilled at lip reading. Besides, i was getting a headache from over using my vision. I am expecting my leaf before the sun rises Thomas."


    "What fire?" Nile asked.


    His question would be answered in two minutes as news on the fire started to spread.


    When the group of three reached Lockhart, they were greeted by fire trucks, emergency responders and hospital residents including patients, doctors and workers that had survived and were being directed to sit in an open tent.


    Many were receiving emergency care and attached to oxygen masks.


    It was a mess and chaos reigned everywhere, some people were running towards the fire and others away from it.


    "Holy crap!" Luke took his glasses off as he stepped out of the car.


    Just like David, he had been expecting a small fire, not what resembled a sea of wild forest fire determined to turn everything in it''s path into ash.


    He turned around in circles, slowly taking everything in. Screams pierced the air, mingling with the wailing sirens and guttural roar of fire. Strangers reached out to one another, pulling each other from harms way.


    "Over here! More in coming!" A doctor shouted when fire fighters emerged from the smoke carrying people, what they didn''t know was if they were dead or alive.


    David did not care about everything around, even if the sky fell he would not notice. His mind was focused on only one thing, finding Ruth.


    First, he grabbed the closest doctor he recognized and asked him about Ruth. The doctor shook his head, indicating that he had no idea where she was.


    Luke and Luna followed in his footsteps, questioning the nurses and doctors but it was all in vain.


    "Help, help!" A firefighter screamed.


    He was coming from the Eastern wing of the building which was the most affected one. David moved closer for the woman that the fire fighter was carrying looked so similar to Ruth.


    On looking closer, it was not her.


    "Is that her?" Luna asked.


    Her right hand was in her front pocket and she was already playing with the tip of her knife. As soon as David confirmed that it was Ruth, she would slit her throat and throw her body back into the fire.


    David shook his head regretfully. At this point, he hoped she was already dead. If it was so then the heavens would have done them all a great favor.


    "No it''s not her, I''ll check the dead bodies, you guys check the survivors."


    "I will first check the with EMT''s and see those that have been rushed away to nearby hospitals, David send your people to confirm their identities. After that, i will monitor the survivor''s tent, if she is brought in or has been taken there, i will get to her first." Luke dashed off.


    As he hurried away, Luke called Collin and informed him of what had happened.


    "I have not called Pheebs first because I don''t know how she will react. You are better at delivering bad news, call and tell her." He hung up abruptly.


    Collin was about to leave the house and meet up with Shana when he got this call. Immediately, he abandoned those plans and rushed back into the house, knocking on every door and sharing the information with everyone.


    Just like David, their minds all jumped to Ruth, not in worry for her life but worry that she might escape and harm Phoebe.


    Grandma Mayfair reached out to Santos and he assured her that Phoebe was safe, about to leave the cafe. This news brought momentary satisfaction to them.


    "I am going to the hospital." Collin informed them.


    "Me too." grandma Mayfair declared. "I have to make sure that mad woman stays locked up tight and she does not get a chance to escape and harm our family." S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I am going too." Jennie volunteered.


    "Get Phoebe''s mini van ready, we are all going." Edward told Collin.


    Collin turned to do as ordered but Edward stopped him for a brief moment.


    "Don''t tell your sister just yet, we should first find out the true circumstances of the situation and find Ruth. I don''t want my daughter to be troubled with such things anymore."


    Unknown to him was the fact that Phoebe had already seen the news on the television just as she was closing up the cafe.


    It happened at the very moment when she was preparing to chase away the therapist ghost that had returned with the same request.


    As soon as she saw the news, she had thought of Ruth immediately then got in her car and started driving to the hospital.


    While she was driving, the Saxon spirit looked through the passenger window of the car, gazing in the direction of the hospital.


    "I can see a thick black smoke rising to the heavens. It''s truly coming from the direction of the Lockhart hospital."


    Phoebe chanted some words and used her mind to find Ruth. She had been wise enough to put a tracking worm Ruth''s body but unlike the first time when locating her had been easy, this time she couldn''t clearly pin the location down.


    "I can sense where she is but I cannot find her, it''s almost as if something is blocking the power of the bug i put in her body." Phoebe told the spirit.


    "Keep trying." The spirit encouraged.


    She did, not once but twice. By the time she was on the sixth try, she had arrived on the outskirts of Lockhart.

 Chapter 269 - 269: The fire at Lockhart__2

    By the time Phoebe parked her car, the fire had already claimed the western wing of the hospital.


    Of all the Mayfair''s that went to check out the situation, she was the last to arrive. Originally, the fire fighters at the scene refused to let her through but the Saxon spirit charmed them and they blindly let her cross the perimeter.


    The closer she got to the building, the more heat she felt. The wind carried it, just as it had fanned the flames which were still blazing hot in some areas.


    It was loud everywhere, the wind also carried the sounds of sirens from fire trucks and ambulances and wails of families that had loved ones in the hospital.


    "Be careful." A firefighter pushed her away just as pieces of a shattered glass window which exploded and the emergency ladders came crushing down.


    "My God!" Her hands moved to cover her mouth when she saw the inferno spread out of the window with unnatural speed almost like someone was fanning it.


    A hand was placed on her back, helping to steady her because her legs were trembling. When she turned her head, Phoebe saw the rest of her family, some of them anyway. She did not know when they had reached or why but she did not ask and they did not ask her either why she was there.


    "It''s really bad, Luke has said that many people might not make it through the night. He is helping out in the survivor''s emergency medical aid tent, let''s go find him." Collin placed his phone back in his pant pocket.


    His words scared them especially Edward who had no idea that Luke was actually at Lockhart. He thought Luke had seen the news on the fire on television and then informed Collin about it.


    "Luke? Why is he here? Is he hurt?" His hand clutched on Collin''s shirt around the neck, almost strangling him.


    "Let''s find him first." Jennie urged, worriedly.


    They all rushed to the tent which was crowded, filled with patients and doctors plus other volunteers. Phoebe''s eyes searched through the faces and finally she saw Luke. He was pacing around and studying the faces of the survivors in search of something or someone.


    "Over there." Phoebe pointed at him, they all wasted no time in rushing to where Luke was.


    He was holding the arm of an injured woman whose face was bandaged. Luke was reading the names on the silver bracelet on her wrist.


    "Sweetheart are you okay?" Jennie''s hands reached for his face only for Luke to pull away.


    His aura was fierce and in his eyes was a steely look that held some impatience.


    "I cannot find Ruth." He tugged on his front hair. "What if she escaped?" He expelled air from his nostrils which were slightly flared.


    Grandma Mayfair looked through the transparent part of the tent behind them, studying the raging fire.


    "Wasn''t she staying in the eastern wing? I have heard from the firefighters that it was swallowed up and almost everyone that was there died. How do you expect a mad person to run out of that fire? She must be a wandering ghost by now, i hope she is burning in hell. That white eyed wolf deserves to be burnt more than once."


    Phoebe''s eyes shifted around, studying the situation, she was like Luke, unless she saw the corpse, Ruth would be considered alive to her.


    "Where is David?" She asked. Her voice was coated with slight desperation.


    "He''s searching for Ruth among the dead bodies over there." Luke pointed in the direction of an enclosed tent where bodies were being stored temporarily.


    Without waiting, Phoebe ran out and went in search for him. She wanted to confirm that he was safe and then she could join the Ruth hunting party. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Ma''am you cannot go in there." A police officer that was guarding the tent stretched his hand in the bid to stop Phoebe from entering.


    She tried to explain that she was searching for someone but all her efforts were in vain. The officer ordered that she be taken away.


    "We will call you to identify the bodies later on, please leave for now."


    Phoebe opened her bag to bring out her police consultant badge.


    "Take your filthy hands off her." Came a stern female voice from behind her, it sounded familiar so Phoebe turned around only to see Luna Elithera.


    She was gobsmacked, unsure on how to react. Never in her wildest dreams did she think that she was going to run into her at Lockhart of all places. In the city, sure, it could happen but here at Lockhart, it was improbable.


    "Luna? Luna why are you here?" Phoebe asked her voice laced with shock.


    The question remained unanswered for Luna''s venomous gaze remained fixed on the officer


    "Do you want me to beat you to a pulp? I said take your paws off my friend!" Her voice was loud, almost thunderous.


    One officer whispered something to the one holding Phoebe''s hand, immediately he let go of her arm and apologized to both women. He then scurried away like he had seen something terrifying.


    "My shaman friend, I didn''t want us to meet again under such horrible circumstances but I guess the universe had other plans." Luna smiled generously.


    There were so many questions in her head but first she wanted to make sure that David was okay, Luna could wait.


    Luna noticed that Phoebe was about to enter the tent and she stopped her by grabbing her hand.


    "David is fine, he''s searching for Ruth your former friend or should I say former sister?" A bitter chuckle slipped through her lips.


    Just when Phoebe was about to ask why Luna was there and why she knew where David was when a loud noise called for both of their attention. Parts of the burning building were cracking, all the firefighters were fleeing for their lives and within a few seconds, the entire building collapsed inwards with a deafening roar.


    Phoebe watched as the ghosts that haunted it were also released into the night. They fled with wails as if the fire was capable of harming them.


    The ones that did not flee hung back and started to gossip about the fire, sharing theories on how it started and planning on where to move now that there home was gone.


    Others were already looking for human bodies to invade or those to haunt.


    "God damn it!" Phoebe sighed.


    She thought of all the insane ghosts that were going to flood the city. No good ghost haunted a mental asylum, they were all problematic, 99% of them anyway. She took out her phone and called Amon whom she requested to come to Lockhart and it''s surrounding areas with backup.


    "Bring as many ghost exorcists as possible, it''s a party over here."


    She hung up when David emerged from the tent.


    "Ruth isn''t here either." He announced as he moved towards Phoebe and Luna.


    The Mayfairs approached them, worry for Phoebe in their eyes. It only deepened when they saw Luna Elithera standing next to her. There was tension and everyone could see how disapprovingly grandma Mayfair was looking at Luna.


    The old lady went so far as to put herself between Phoebe and Luna.


    "First you sent Phoebe dangerous gifts and now you are here, it is no coincidence, is it?" Grandma Mayfair narrowed her gaze at her.


    Luna chuckled softly. "No it''s not but your attention should be elsewhere." She answered softly but assertively. "If Ruth Gabriel is not among the dead in here and also not in there being barbecued in the rubble then you might have trouble on your hands. Would you care to guess why?"


    Her ruthless words forced almost everyone to dive into a suffocating silence.

 Chapter 270 - 270: Dead or alive

    "How can you say that out loud?" Grandma Mayfair''s expression strongly disapproved of Luna''s choice of words.


    Her eyes rolled upwards. "Oh please you we are all thinking the same thing, if she is not here it''s possible that she survived and escaped. If by chance this happened, we should be coming up with a contingency plan which ends with that bitch six feet under. Is there someone here that wants Ruth to actually survive this fire?" Luna asked but her question was responded by silence.


    Nevertheless, they all shared the same opinion, a dead Ruth was better than a missing one.


    Luna was not finished sharing her opinions on the matter, she put her hands behind her back, tilted her head and said, "No offense to everyone here but keeping her alive was a mistake that needs to be remedied. Evil people never die, they are like worms, they somehow always find a way to escape the net woven around them.


    This fire for example, are you certain that it is not connected to her?


    Where are her parents, perhaps they did it to rescue their daughter? Lockhart has existed for 50 years without a single fire incident and this happens after Ruth moves in___My spidey senses say it''s no coincidence."


    Every word that she said hit a point that was worth thinking over and the Mayfairs traded gazes. Luke knew that David had the Gabriel''s so he focused more on David.


    David meanwhile was already on his phone, reaching out to Roman.


    [Where are the Gabriel''s? What have they been up to today?] S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He received updates on them every other day and normally he would getting one the following day but this was an emergency.


    Roman and some of his people were already on their way to different hospitals, some had already even arrived and they were combing through the patients that had been driven in from Lockhart.


    "Do they know the cause of the fire yet?" Edward massaged his nostrils, the air had been polluted making it a little hard to breath.


    David sighed sharply, a sound carrying the weight of his exasperation into the air.


    "I don''t know, anything could have happened this hospital is really old. Perhaps the wires sorted and started a fire, or someone lit a cigarette." He answered.


    "Or someone started the fire deliberately to help Ruth escape from the hospital." Came Luna''s unpopular opinion which garnered her attention from everyone. "Guys it''s just too convenient that the fire started in the Eastern wing where Ruth was." Luna dug deeper, asserting her observations.


    Luke took a step towards the center. "Luna has a point, we should consider it just as we are considering other options. Has any of you heard from the Gabriel''s ever since we locked Ruth in here? His eyes moved around from one Mayfair to another in search of an answer but they all shook their heads, no one had heard from them.


    David opened his mouth to admit to having information on their latest movements but his phone rung. Rather than texting, Roman was calling.


    "Excuse me." he said, and left the small group momentarily.


    Luna moved turned to Phoebe. "Do the Gabriel''s know about your shaman abilities?"


    Phoebe nodded, even Ruth was aware.


    "I have a way of tracking Ruth but something is blocking me. I want to try again." Phoebe shared.


    She knelt on the ground, put the central map on the grass and cast a location spell again.


    The others hovered around, Luna even squatted down besides Phoebe and she watched in fascination as the drop of blood traveled and stopped on the location of Lockhart.


    "What does this mean?" Edward asked loudly.


    Phoebe frowned. "It means that she is here but this can''t be right...I...." she looked up at her parents and scratched her head.


    The next thing she wanted to admit was kind of weird, and she thought they would look at her in a different way if they knew what she had done.


    "I sort of planted a bug in her bones which i can use to track her anywhere in the world."


    "You did what now?" Grandma Mayfair squeaked out.


    Phoebe sighed, it really wasn''t the time to explain her actions. The people with her however were looking at her with a mixture of emotions in their eyes. Most of them were bewildered, having never heard about this kind of thing.


    "Tracker magic..." Luna whispered.


    Phoebe turned her eyes to Luna and she nodded.


    "You have heard about it."


    Luna nodded. "It is considered to be a myth, apparently you can tie a soul seeker worm to someone''s soul. The worm can sense the direction and distance of a person, allowing the owner of the worm to track the one they are keeping an eye on with ease."


    "Soul seeker worms and tracker worms are different but they mostly do the same thing. A tracker worm is attached to the body or bones, a soul seeker worm to the soul. I used a tracker worm which i told Maria to put in her food." Phoebe told her.


    Luna laughed vividly, obviously impressed.


    The two spoke casually but those that were listening felt some discomfort, Jennie especially rubbed her hands against her arms. It was as if she could feel worms in her own body.


    "Err, Pheebs, we did not eat any worms, right?" Grandma Mayfair asked.


    Phoebe shook her head. Jennie made up her mind to keep Phoebe out of the kitchen.


    "If the worm says that she is here, then we should follow the directions of the worm." Luke said brashly.


    He was impatient, this magical talk could wait for another day, dead or alive, they needed to find and capture Ruth.


    The Saxon spirit and Phoebe traded looks. While Luna and Phoebe were talking, it had thought of something.


    "Earlier you said that you couldn''t find Ruth''s exact location even though you can still sense the bug in her body. What if someone is helping her and they found a shaman or warlock that could suppress the worm. What if they cast a veiling spell? You gave her one hour of sanity so that she could suffer through spending her birthday in a mental asylum.


    Who knows what happened during that time? Ruth knows about your shaman abilities, she must have made some arrangements. If magic was used here, we should track the magic. It will surely lead us to Ruth."


    The words from the spirit only pushed Phoebe further off the edge, it seemed like it was possible Ruth''s mystery helper from her last life had made a move.


    A small smile tugged on Phoebe''s lips, the long awaited foe had finally showed up. Things would become even more interesting from now on.

 Chapter 271 - 271: Between life and death.

    Phoebe looked at everyone as she started dropping things on the ground.


    "I need some silence to cast a small spell."


    She got a moon crystal, some sage and a drop of water from the lake of life. Then, she sprinkled the water on the moon crystal and lit the sage. She held up the moon crystal and everyone''s eyes followed, looking up curiously.


    "I call upon the ancient magic, open the heavens, reveal the magic that is hidden here."


    The crystal started to glow, just like a bright moon it cast a soft light around them. Phoebe smiled, the spell had worked on her first try.


    "Please, give this to Yin and the ghosts." she told the ancestor.


    It vanished away and returned in less than ten seconds, giving the others no opportunity to question Phoebe about what she was up to.


    While Connie, Sylvester and the undead pets continued the search, Phoebe decided to find the source of the fire. As always, she decided to go the supernatural way because ordinary human means would delay her. Not only would she have to wait for an official report from a fire investigator but it could also be wrong.


    Out from her bag, she pulled out a big book, one which the Saxon spirit had taken from grandpa Mayfair''s basement.


    It was a book on runes, how to draw them and their purposes. From the side of her right eye, she peeked at grandma Mayfair to see if the old woman realized where the book had come from.


    Her face did not show any signs of recognition and Phoebe was relieved.


    [I did not steal the book, i only borrowed it. It belongs to my grandfather so technically i sort of own it. I hope nana won''t be mad, I will put it back eventually.]


    Her secret was not a secret much longer after grandma Mayfair read her thoughts. She glanced at the book and wondered when Phoebe had "borrowed" it.


    As long as the book was helpful to Phoebe, she did not mind.


    Phoebe found the rune she was looking for and she picked up a stick. Using some of her energy, she started drawing symbols into the ground, combining elements of fire and detection.


    Because she was in a hurry, she was not meticulous and some of the lines were crooked. In the middle of the lines, she drew a flame icon and then placed a fire talisman on it.


    "Hear me earth, hear me wind, ignite the flame, show me the path." She chanted.


    Nobody had a clue what she was doing and they just watched in silence, trying not to disturb her. Edward was even breathing as slowly as he could, afraid that his breath would break her concentration.


    They all watched in memorization as the rune activated and it began to glow brighter. Blue flames rose from the center and the talisman was consumed. The flames started to move, pointing to the Western wing of the hospital and marking out a path.


    Suddenly, Phoebe recalled that building had collapsed and she sighed in frustration. All she had done was in vain. This was further cemented when the flames returned to the center of the rune.


    Just as she was about to give up hope. the flame carved a number and a letter into the ground, 17B.E


    "What the hell!" Luke exclaimed. "That''s Ruth''s room number, 17 B, Eastern wing."


    "In that...." Edward started.


    "The Gabriel''s have not been here." David brashly cut in.


    There was a moment of silence, everyone was wondering how to proceed. All hospital staff that were not injured were looking for Ruth, all the people they had in the city were doing the same thing and they were on ground, doing the same thing.


    "I think she is dead." Jennie said calmly.


    "Let''s not jump to that conclusion, we should wait for conclusive evidence. For now, let''s disperse and search. We can reconvene here in an hour unless someone gets new information." David suggested.


    Once again, they split up and the search continued. After an hour they met up at the dead where dead corpses were being taken out by staff from the coroner''s office.


    "Anything?" Luke asked.


    The response was similar, negative.


    Just then, Yin returned to Phoebe and he came baring gifts. The bird threw up some things on the ground and Phoebe gloved up and went in to take a look.


    There was a butterfly gold necklace that Ruth never took off and three teeth.


    "These belong to Ruth, all that''s left where her energy is are ashes." Yin dived back into the coin as his job was done.


    His findings left Phoebe even more perplexed. If Ruth was dead and her body burnt to ashes why could she still sense her?


    They all heard what the bird reported back and some were relieved.


    "She''s dead, finally we can all stop worrying about that crazy bitch, thank God." Grandma Mayfair made the sign of the cross.


    Jennie''s brows pulled together. "It''s over, unless she comes after Pheebs in ghost form. Honey, be careful, i should buy you some protection talismans."


    Phoebe''s upper lip twitched. Where was her mother going to buy those talismans? She was a shaman that sold talismans, in fact she was the one that gave Jennie protection talismans!!


    "I can handle her, human or ghost." Phoebe answered confidently. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She did not want to tell her parents that Ruth was not really dead, no matter what the evidence said, the worm said otherwise.


    Even with all the evidence that proved that Ruth was dead, David preferred to wait before getting excited. He had noticed that Phoebe still retained her apprehension.


    [Anything?]


    He sent a text to Roman and his team.


    Two fire fighters passed and one took his protective helmet off.


    "Man we have fought a lot of fires but I have never seen anything like this!"


    "Same, the more we put it out the angrier it got." The other shook his head in disbelief.


    "It just kept coming after us as if it had eyes, i hope i don''t get to fight another fire at a mental asylum, ever. These places are haunted dude."


    Phoebe and company eavesdropped until the firefighters faded away. Then, they looked at each other, pondering on the words they had just heard. A fire that had eyes, how peculiar!


    Connie returned with the moon crystal, from white, it was now red, resembling a blood crystal. The Saxon spirit sniffed the crystal.


    "What is it?" Phoebe asked curiously.


    The spirit let out a short frustrated sigh. "Magic, old magic. Whoever cast it is between life and death, they cast a veiling spell to confuse us, Ruth is long gone. This makes no sense at all, how does she tie in with someone like this?"


    David moved near her. "Phoebe what do you think? Is she really gone for good? I think a lot of things are suspicious, starting with the fire itself."


    All Phoebe did was stare at him blankly, before she could share her opinion, a bus arrived along with other cars and not surprising, what looked like soldiers.


    She knew that the members of the founding sect had arrived. They stepped out of the vehicles, Amon among them.


    Immediately, they started clearing out everyone from the grounds of Lockhart, Phoebe and her group only stayed because Amon allowed to.


    It took fifteen minutes for the Lockhart grounds to be cleared and then the ghost catchers got to work. A middle aged man crouched and cast a spell, he raised his hands and created an invisible dome covering at least 100 square miles.


    "What the hell is that?" Phoebe whispered.


    She could see it but the others couldn''t because they were ordinary.


    "What are you looking at?" David asked her.


    All of them were looking up but there was nothing but smoke and stars.


    "You don''t see it?" Phoebe asked him.

 Chapter 272 - 272: Revenge time was coming.

    He shook his head as did the rest of the Mayfairs and Luna that said no. They knew something extraordinary was happening, but they had no ability to peek. Not unless Phoebe cast her spells and opened their spiritual eyes like she did sometimes.


    Phoebe did not explain, it was not something important to them anyway. They stood in place like Redwood tress in a forest and watched the ghost catchers engage various ghosts that had not escaped fast enough.


    Just like the last time in Iborg city, the ghost catchers were impressive showing off their skills and talents as if they were competing with each other for the most kills.


    It almost looked like they were playing a game which they were enjoying because quite a few of them were laughing. They brandished their various weapons with ease, gaining the admiration of the few Mayfairs that were watching. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even though they could not see the ghosts they could picture what was going on.


    Two ghost catchers that were carrying a black metallic net with bells run past them.


    Everyone turned and followed the two ghost catchers. They watched as they leaped high, then walked in air and caught something in their net.


    A howling nightmarish sound was heard and the bells rung, the sound reverberating for miles. It was the sound of torture and pain.


    "No wonder they are called ghost catchers, they actually catch ghosts with nets." Edward commented.


    "They are like fishermen." Luna added.


    Her hands were on her guns, itching to get in on the action but sadly, she could not because she was not a ghost catcher.


    "Damn! Andre would have loved this." Collin laughed softly.


    He was going to rub this story in his youngest brother''s face and watch him roll around on the floor in agony as regret washed over him.


    "For once, we are the ones on an adventure with Pheebs." Luke chuckled.


    Usually they heard to hear all about the wonderful ghost adventures of Phoebe from Andre. It felt good to witness one for themselves without Andre.


    Phoebe waved her hand and opened their eyes in the last two minutes so they were able to witness the ending of the battle between the ghost catchers and the ghosts.


    When they were done, the middle aged man approached them. His eyes fixed on Phoebe, ignoring the rest of the people in the group.


    He paused in front of Phoebe and took in her physical shape from head to toe with curiosity in his eyes. Phoebe was equally studying him.


    He was an older man, probably in his sixties she guessed. He was of average height and build, had thick grey hair and an interesting tear shaped mole below his left eye.


    She sensed strength and danger from him, and she was glad the ghosts were in the space, including the Saxon spirit. Phoebe knew that she could not intimidate him or win in a battle against him, not now anyway.


    "You must be the infamous Phoebe Mayfair, Citrus''s self acclaimed great shaman." His eyes narrowed. "I noticed that you can see the dome, but I don''t understand how that is possible, not even the greatest shamans can see it. What are you?"


    He raised his right hand to touch her face and Phoebe took a step back.


    Edward moved to stand in front of her, switching to protective dad mode. "Morrell, thank you for what you do for Fog country but leave my children out of it! Do not think of recruiting my daughter." He spoke through pursed lips.


    Luna''s brows rose. "Is he a threat to Phoebe?" She asked.


    Grandma Mayfair sneered just a little bit, she found Luna ridiculous. The Mayfairs had not moved but an Elithera was ready to jump in. Wasn''t this a case of an eunuch panicking when the king was calm?


    The man called Morrell laughed. "You know me Edward, the recruit i want must be inducted into the sect, there are so few of us left. I am unwilling to give up a good seed. I will see you around Phoebe Mayfair." He gave Phoebe one last glance and walked away.


    "Father who was that?" Phoebe asked.


    Edward hissed. "Someone that you should stay away from, let''s go." He ordered.


    Phoebe''s eyes kept shifting back to Morrell who was giving orders to the members of the founding sect to spread out and continue the hunt.


    "He is the leader of the founding sect." David whispered.


    "Hey guys, what is the conclusion before we leave, is Ruth dead or alive? Do we trust that these teeth and necklace are all that is left of her in the world?" Collin asked.


    He had doubts which brought all of their attention back to the matter which had brought them to the mental hospital in the first place.


    The ghost catching had been an entertaining distraction but they needed to get back on track.


    It was getting darker and colder, they all smelled like smoke and wanted to go home but they could not just leave without concluding Ruth''s chapter.


    "What does the worm say?" Edward asked Phoebe.


    She was a little surprised by the question, she thought he would be like Jennie and grandma Mayfair, assuming Ruth was dead and all was well.


    [No wonder my father grew the Mayfair corporation into a gigantic company, he is smart He must have figured out the truth.]


    Edward''s lips rose slightly and he patted his chest with his right hand. A big part of him wanted boast but common sense rode over that part, ensuring that his mouth remained sealed.


    "Just tell them, it will be better this way so that they can all be on the look out at all times." The Saxon spirit told Phoebe.


    "She is not dead." Phoebe announced.


    "What?" Jennie exploded. "Fuck! fuck! fuck! ooooh....." she groaned.


    It was an outburst that was unexpected, particularly the swearing which took all of them by surprise except for Edward.


    "Honey...not in front of the kids."


    The kids just traded gazes in wonder and saved whatever they had to say for later.


    "What do we do?" Collin asked.


    "Nothing, i have been waiting for so long for this day to come, for the puppet master to come out of hiding. So we do nothing for now but wait, she will be back, not for us but him." Phoebe turned to David. "And when she does, i will be waiting to unleash hell on her."


    All along, she had simply been toying with Ruth, waiting for the right time to begin her real revenge. The time had come, finally.


    David was Ruth''s obsession, in this life or the previous one, she would never give him up and Phoebe was banking on it.


    Moreover, no matter how many warlocks or shamans intervened, that worm would not die. It was still a baby but it would grow slowly, eating away at Ruth''s body and soul.


    No matter where she run to, she was and would always be in the palm of Phoebe''s hand.

 Chapter 273 - 273: Luna and Luke.

    An unspoken decision was made for them all to go home, staying on the grounds of the ruined Lockhart asylum was not helping anyone.


    They all had a lot on their minds and all the Mayfair''s in the group kept looking at Phoebe''s head, hoping that she would think about Ruth and this day that she had been waiting for.


    From the bitterness and anger in Phoebe''s voice, they guessed that something really bad had happened between Phoebe and Ruth, something she had not shared with any of them.


    "Let''s talk." David took Phoebe''s hand.


    He wanted to discuss the hidden enemy, all along he thought Phoebe had no clue about the person that had helped Ruth destroy not just them but the Saxons. What she did not know was that the Mayfair''s too had been ruined after her death.


    If Phoebe knew something, then it was best to put their heads together and figure out the next step. He decided that it was time to dredge up that dreaded conversation.


    "Not now." she answered. She took back her hand and looked at the undead pets.


    In her mind, she communicated with the Saxon ancestor. "Send Black kitty and Sylvester to follow the weird magic smell on the moon crystal. They should place tracking talismans on any vehicle she is in. I need to know where she ends up."


    "Pheebs...."


    David and Collin called out at the same time. They both looked each other, exchanging similar looks of displeasure.


    "David, you must have a lot to do in relation to the fire. You own Lockhart so there is a lot to handle, starting with handling the families of the deceased, figuring out what caused the fire, dealing with the press and so on. We will talk later."


    She decided to send David away first. He was reluctant to leave but she was right, his phone had not stop vibrating for a single minute since the fire started, he had simply been ignoring it mostly.


    "Alright, i will see you later."


    He left and the Mayfair''s moved their feet to do the same. Grandma Mayfair noticed the excess addition to the group that was following them.


    "Ahem!" she stopped, looked at Luna and cleared her throat.


    "I will leave now." Luna waved goodbye.


    She walked fast, leaving the strolling Mayfair''s in the wind. But when she got to her car, she paused and sent a text.


    [Let''s meet at Caesar''s bar along the high way.]


    The message was sent to Luke and he read it after closing the door of the van and sending his family off. He escorted Phoebe to her car and watched her drive off as well.


    Then, he moved to his car and looked at the text again, drumming his fingers against the door. Luke didn''t know why she was hellbent on talking to him. He had been surprised to get a call from her inviting him for a drink at the Celestial lounge.


    He had turned her down initially but she had insisted. He figured that it had to be something important and curiosity got the better of him since Luna Elithera didn''t pick interest in just anyone.


    Luke contemplated for a few more seconds and he sighed.


    "I might as well get it over with." he mumbled.


    He got drove straight to the bar, the road was clear as a result of the diversion of traffic going towards Lockhart. He arrived earlier than anticipated and he was not shocked to find a welcoming party of armed men that worked for Luna. He was escorted into the empty bar which Luna had cleared out.


    She was sitting by herself at a table in the center, sipping wine slowly while moving her head along to the old music coming from a jukebox in the corner. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I didn''t think that you were actually coming." A wide smile formed on her lips.


    Luke''s face masked indifference as he pulled out a chair for himself opposite her.


    "What are you playing at? You knew that I was coming so cut the crap and get to the point." He leaned back in the chair.


    "A drink perhaps?" Luna snapped her fingers summoning a waitress.


    "No thanks, I don''t drink with strangers." Luke''s suspicious eyes remained fixed on her. "You have five minutes of my time and if you waste them, i am not afraid to waste you."


    Luna''s heart fluttered, She liked the fact that he wasn''t doing much to please her besides she liked ruthless men. A tingle of excitement traveled down her spine, Luke Mayfair was a wolf, Andre a puppy. She liked wolves, they were vicious but could be loyal.


    "What do you want from me Luna?" He shifted forward.


    Luna crossed one leg over the other and placed the glass of wine on the table.


    "Friendship." she leaned forward as well.


    It was a small table so the distance between them was not very big.


    "Is this a joke?" A shaky laugh escaped his lips.


    Luna licked her lips slowly, her eyes met Luke''s and she shook her head. Even in looks, Luke was far more handsome than Andre, why people were blind to it, she could not understand.


    Initially, she just wanted to play around, he was her easiest link to the Mayfair''s after all. The more she looked at his face however, the more she liked it.


    "I would never play with you Luke," she answered in a soft sultry voice. "I am setting up shop in Citrus and I need connections to live here comfortably without some stupid founding families getting involved in my business. Be my connection Luke, be my friend we can both benefit from this."


    A faint, dry smile curled up Luke''s lips. "What could I possibly benefit from being your friend? Find someone else." Luke shifted forward further as if he was going in for a kiss.


    Just when his nose was an inch from Luna, he stood up.


    "The black opal, floral bomb, candy bloom." Luna blurted out in a steely voice.


    Luke stopped in his steps, his face froze for a second and he turned around and sat down.


    Luna giggled. "That''s more like it or should I keep mentioning all the poisons that you have been buying from the Elithera camp under pseudo names?" She initiated and maintained eye contact.


    "Shh! keep your bloody mouth shut!" Luke spoke through gritted teeth. "You cannot out me, that would be breaking a confidential agreement with a client. If you do that then you won''t have any clients to sell to."


    "I didn''t say I was going to tell on you but my words might slip when your grandmother forbids me from going near Phoebe." Luna crossed her arms.


    "So it''s Phoebe you want? What the hell do you want from my sister?"


    "I want to protect her, your sister saved my family and for that I owe her for life." She leaned back, creating some space between them. "Truth be told, after everything with my father, i have become paranoid. Who knew that chicken feathers, nails, hair and a small puppet doll could be used to steal wealth and kill?


    Your sister said something about my death, now when i close my eyes, i see it in my mind. I have a feeling that without her, i might die an untimely death. She is useful to me and I want her to live a very long, peaceful life so that i can do the same." Luna''s eyes remained on him. "I am too hot to die in my prime."

 Chapter 274 - 274: Deal.

    Luke held a moment of silence, pondering on Luna''s words. In fact, he had the opposite opinion to the rest of the family, he thought that Phoebe having the protection of an Elithera wasn''t such a bad thing.


    Her line of work was dangerous, no matter how many precautions they took, something could always slip through the net.


    She had been attacked in or near her cafe a number of times, three if he remembered correctly. One attacked led to her strangulation and another her kidnapping, which happened despite her having ghosts, magic and bodyguards.


    Now, with Ruth on the lose with the help of an unknown enemy, nothing could be left to chance. The more eyes he had on her, the safer she would be. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If Luna wanted to use Phoebe, why couldn''t Phoebe do the same and use Luna?


    While he was thinking, his fingers were drumming against the solid brown table top. Once he came to a decision, they stopped.


    "Is that all?"


    Nodding her head, Luna smiled knowingly, she had won him over.


    "I like Phoebe but she has made a lot of enemies. I heard the Verdemonts are unhappy about the foundation and they are planning to take back their fortune from her. They recently reached out to the Dohwa family of Silver nation, they are looking to hire assassins. Your sister is in danger, she just doesn''t know it yet."


    Luke clenched his right hand into a fist and slammed it down. His entire aura changed, his eyes became intense and danger emanated from him.


    "Those damn Verdemonts, i think Citrus city is becoming too small to contain our two families. I am going to handle them personally."


    Luna felt her blood stir, the attraction she felt towards Luke grew a little more. This was a side of him that his family was not familiar with, and she felt giddy being the only one clued in on his secrets.


    "I am here, i will help you deal with them. Luke, you have a partner in me if you desire."


    Luke sneered. "I am nothing like you. I will try to speak with granny and the whole family about your matters. We can be cordial or friends or whatever but don''t you ever threaten me again. I never killed anyone with those poisons....."


    His speech was interrupted by Luna. "Oh I know that you only used them to torture those that hurt your sisters by making them hallucinate or suffer immense physical pain but there are those for whom hallucination is not enough."


    Luke let out a heavy sigh. "How did you know about my private business?"


    "I was investigating about Ruth, i discovered that the men that once kidnapped her as a child had suddenly regained full health after a Dr. Luke visited them, this was after Ruth was discovered to be a cuckoo.


    They were not the only ones, a few other people that harmed Ruth in the past and fell ill miraculously recovered recently.


    The detectives that assaulted Phoebe fell sick, their bodies show signs of radiation but it''s not radiation.


    Last but not least, while in the asylum, Ruth exhibited side effects of floral bomb poisoning, she must have scratched her skin off.


    You did it, you poisoned all those people. When you decide that they have suffered long enough, you provide an antidote, your own concoction that is not on the black market."


    She studied his handsome face, beneath the kind mask was a cruel man that knew his limits, he was not a blind killer even though he could be. He was her exact type in every way.


    Luna lifted her chin, proud of herself.


    "You are impressed, right?"


    "I should be more careful going forward." Luke rubbed his chin. "I should also do less business with your family, i should have known better than to trust information peddlers."


    Luna laughed slyly, she was confident that he would not stop doing business with her family. She stretched her hand forward, requesting for a handshake to close the deal.


    "We are partners now, or avengers for those that hurt our girl."


    Luke nodded and accepted her hand. "Agreed."


    *********************


    It had been two hours since Phoebe went back to the Mayfair mansion. She had eaten, bathed and settled in her bedroom but Black kitty and Sylvester were yet to return.


    She was growing antsy, the longer they were apart from her, the more worried she became. What if they encountered danger?


    Unable to stand the waiting, Phoebe picked up a time keeper''s pocket watch and looked at it. She wanted to go back to the five minutes before the fire at Lockhart started but they did not have a specific time yet.


    She did not want to waste using energy and go to the wrong moment in the past.


    "They are back."


    Suddenly the Saxon spirit gasped and shared.


    Phoebe rushed to the window and opened it, then it hit her that they could move through objects like walls and windows which made her feel silly.


    She closed the window and turned around, seeing the black cat and Sylvester.


    "How are you guys? Is anyone harmed?"


    "You would know if they were harmed, you would feel it." The Saxon spirit reminded her.


    Phoebe slapped her head lightly. "I feel like i am becoming dumber." she mumbled. Then loudly, she asked, "What did you find? Where is that bitch hiding?"


    The Saxon spirit did not wait for enlightenment from the cat and ghost, she pulled out the central map and put it on the bed.


    "If they put a location talisman, we can track the path of her movements."


    Connie dashed out of the space with a bigger world map and she put it down as well.


    "Sylvester told me that Ruth has been flown out of the country." she loudly shared.


    On the world map, they saw that it was exactly as Connie was saying. A line which represented the talisman was moving at an incredible speed, departing from a private airfield.


    Phoebe noticed six dots on the map, identifying the people on that plane.


    "What is this?" she asked.


    "She was taken by a group of unidentified men onto a private plane. One of them knows magic, the others were normal. I put upgraded location talismans on the normal men, we can track their movements for at least one year as long as the warlock doesn''t sense it." Sylvester beamed.


    The Saxon spirit jutted her jaw forward with a look of pride in her eyes.


    "Of course he can''t sense it, those talismans are some of my finest work."


    Phoebe smirked. "Great job Sylvester, Connie, ancestor, Kitty and Yin. Everyone has done a good job. Now, we just need to know where the plane lands.


    I will share the location with David and he can send his men to keep an eye on our enemies. It will be better if we infiltrate them, ancestor i need you to teach me the art of puppetry. "


    The Saxon spirit flexed its hands, eager to get started. Nothing motivated Phoebe faster than the desire for revenge.


    It felt slightly sorry for Ruth, she had no idea the pain that Phoebe had kept in store for her and her warlock assistant.


    Phoebe looked at her phone and she smiled out of the blue. "By the way ancestor, i hope you don''t mind but i am now ready to go after Dickson."


    "Why would i mind, destroy that evil thing. I will lend a hand if you need it."


    Phoebe approved of the ancestor''s attitude, she thought that the spirit would harbor some sentiments of love towards Dickson since he was her descendant. She was wrong, the ancestor wanted him to suffer even more than she did.


    "Do you plan to kill him?" The spirit asked.

 Chapter 275 - 275: Sleep did not come easy.

    "Kill him, why would i do that? Quick death is an easy way out for that evil incarnate. He was Ruth''s co-conspirator inside the Gabriel house and he plotted against David over and over to the point where he sold company secrets and accused me of being the leak.


    I tried to defend myself but the evidence was overwhelming, if it had not been for Polly, i would have been arrested.


    He also tried to molest me three times, i narrowly escaped his evil schemes. He set me up every time he got an opportunity, his mother even accused me of theft at a party and humiliated me."


    What?" Connie exploded. "Sister, where was David when all this was happening? Ancestor, you see now why i do not support sister and David getting together again. He failed to protect and stand up for her."


    Sylvester opened his mouth to agree with Connie but the warning glare which the the spirit was sending them both encouraged him to keep his opinion to himself.


    "He was not around when most of these things happened." Phoebe moved to the bed and sat down.


    They always targeted her when David had traveled for business, never touching her when he was around__and he traveled a lot during the years in which they were married.


    In a twelve month year, David roughly spent a maximum of three months at home. These three months would be divided up in weeks and days, never an actual whole month. He was always away on business, and he never had about her suffering because she never complained, being the good wife that she was striving to be.


    When grandma Saxon died, Miranda became the matriarch so no servant could divulge any information about Phoebe''s struggles to David. If they did, they risked being fired so a lot of things were swept under the rug.


    The theft accusation at the party for example, it was seen as an embarrassment to the family and nobody mentioned it. It was hard to suppress it however, David did hear of it eventually and he punched Dickson, breaking his nose.


    "I will make him my puppet in this life, it''s how we will get information on the enemy. We are in the light, they are in the dark, we have to take advantage of the knowledge of the past in order to fight back."


    Phoebe planned to make them all turn against each other, in the end they would kill each other.


    "Let''s go into the space and begin your lessons." the Saxon spirit put a hand on Phoebe''s shoulder and both of them vanished.


    In the house, in their different bedrooms, the Mayfair''s were thinking about the fire and the things that followed. Collin was uneasy, tossing and turning under the thick duvet, unable to close his eyes.


    The thought of Ruth being a free woman, out and about made him unsettled. What if she tried to take advantage of him again?


    He got out of bed, and dressed up slowly. While he was doing so, he called Shana and invited her out. He needed a distraction and the beautiful smile of his almost fiancee seemed like a good idea. Maybe he would even get lucky and not sleep alone tonight.


    He just needed to feel safe somehow, as crazy as it seemed because he had only known Shana for a short time, she made him feel safe. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In the bedroom of Edward and Jennie, they were similarly awake and uneasy. They were laying in bed, eyes wide open, staring at the white ceiling.


    "What are we going to do Edward? How are we going to protect our daughter? She has to deal with the Verdemonts and now this....why does this only happen to our daughter?" Jennie lamented.


    Edward''s hand moved around slowly, searching for Jennie''s. When he found it, he held it firmly and squeezed it.


    "Don''t worry Jennie, everything will be alright. When i looked at Phoebe, she did not look scared, in fact, she looked resolute. For a second there, i saw traces of my father in her, she is just like him. Whenever his mind was made up, nothing could convince him otherwise, especially in times of danger."


    Jennie drew in a long breath.


    "I should have killed that bitch, instead of doing as Phoebe wanted and letting her handle things. I should have wrapped my hands around Ruth''s neck and squeezed the life out of her when we found her trying to commit that abomination."


    "You don''t have a murderous bone in you Jennie." Edward sighed. "Maybe it''s a good thing that Elithera girl is here, it might make whoever the puppet master Phoebe mentioned think twice. Who in this country does not think twice before touching an Elithera or someone protected by one?


    People have no qualms about attacking someone from a founding family but it''s different when it comes to an Elithera. After the recent blood bath in Magic city, people are even more frightened of them."


    Jennie snorted. "We can protect Phoebe as much...."


    "No we can''t." Edward cut in.


    In some aspects, he was aware of the shortcomings of his Mayfair family and the strengths of the Elithera one. Much as he did not approve of some of their businesses and practices, they were better when it came to some things.


    He turned his head and looked at his wife hoping to meet her eyes but Jennie was still looking up. "We are wealthy and we have a couple of bodyguards but we are not like the Saxons, surrounded by mercenaries everywhere. Ours is a small family with no complications or scheming relatives so our lives have been relatively peaceful.


    We can hire mercenaries to guard Phoebe but we can''t just bring in anyone when we don''t know who the enemy is. We need to go with a source we can trust, like the Elithera''s or the Saxons. I can go to some of the best security firms in the country."


    "Ruth is insane, maybe we are all stressing over nothing. Just because someone got her out of the asylum does not mean they can cure her madness." Jennie turned to her husband.


    Her eyes met his that were already waiting.


    "I am afraid it is not that simple, someone that blocked Phoebe''s worm has to be as powerful as she is, maybe more. Instead of looking for bodyguards with guns maybe we should look for supernatural ones."


    "Like ghosts?" Jennie asked.


    "Maybe, i don''t know. My father was involved in the supernatural world, he did not talk about it much but i knew some things. I will reach out to some of his friends and see if i can find help."


    In Luke''s bedroom, he was thinking about the day as well, just the part where he met Luna. It was the first time in his life that someone knew about his secrets and he did not like it one bit.


    He had to keep an eye on Luna Elithera, a very close one.


    "Keep your enemies closer, right?" he mumbled.


    He could not sleep, so he gave up on the attempt, dressed up and left the house as well. He would just sleep in his secret private lab at the Mayfair free clinic.

 Chapter 276 - 276: Eliza in labor.

    In the morning, Phoebe went to work as usual, she was planning to stay at the cafe for three hours and then make her way to her farm for the rest of the day.


    She did not expect to meet Eliza Guzman inside, clutching her stomach with one hand and grunting in pain. She was tightly holding on to a gobsmacked Rosette with her other hand.


    She had not come alone, her husband had come with her. Phoebe recognized the man from all the pictures of him which she had seen in the newspapers often in her past life.


    "Boss...." Rosette cried out in a very whiny voice when she saw Phoebe.


    Phoebe did not respond to Rosette, she just rushed towards Eliza and squatted before the woman. She put her hand on Eliza''s stomach and felt some fetal movement. The child was restless, as if it was fighting an invisible force in there.


    "Help..." Eliza croaked out.


    She winced and moaned in pain, clutching Rosette''s hand tightly. Poor Rosette screamed out in pain as if she was the one in labor.


    Eliza''s husband was pacing impatiently from side to side, he was very confused. If his wife was in labor, why not go to a hospital? Why did she make him drive her to cafe, was her plan to eat first and then visit the hospital later?


    "Liz, we need a hospital." he told her.


    It was the tenth or eleventh time he was reminding her and he had a feeling that it was useless.


    Phoebe meanwhile was making calculations on her fingers and something was not right. In her original calculation, Eliza had at least one more week before the baby was due to be born.


    "Liz...."Mr. Guzman started.


    "Shhh!" Grandma Mayfair stepped in and pushed him back. "Let her work."


    Mr. Guzman was even more confused, what work was old lady Mayfair talking about? Her granddaughter was known for being a shaman and selling coffee, what did she know about childbirth?


    "You are in labor, it''s too soon, you should not be having your baby this quickly. What happened?"


    Phoebe looked up at Eliza''s neck and she noticed that the necklace talisman she had given her to protect mother and child was dull. It looked like the exact one she had given Eliza but it was fake.


    It was just as she suspected, Eliza''s problem was in-house. She had an enemy close by that was harming her children somehow just after they were born.


    "Who the hell switched out your talisman? The necklace around your neck is a fake, it''s not the one i gave you." Phoebe bellowed.


    Liza shook her head but her eyes shot to her husband. Inevitably, Phoebe and grandma Mayfair did the same thing. The ghosts were no different, they looked at Mr. Guzman as well.


    "Oh my God! it was the husband, is he the one killing her babies? Does he have a mistress?" Connie gasped. "I can determine what happened, the husband and the mistress...."


    "It''s not me, i did not do anything to the necklace. What the hell are you talking about...what talisman?" Mr. Guzman vehemently questioned. "Look, i don''t know what''s going on here but i have called for an ambulance. We have lost enough children Liz, i don''t want us to lose this one because of carelessness. I can''t do this anymore Liz, my heart can''t take it."


    He started off strong and finished off weakly in a small voice. He was convincing and appeared to be genuinely frightened and sad, even the presumptuous saw a crack forming in her husband and mistress baby murder theory.


    Eliza screamed in pain and all eyes moved to her. The physical signs of pain could be seen on her face.


    "Toilet, i need a toilet.." she whispered.


    "No she doesn''t." The Saxon spirit pinned Liza down, stopping her from getting up. "She is about to give birth, we need...." It stopped and looked around.


    Grandma Mayfair had put on her ghost seeing glasses as soon as she stepped into the cafe. She had recognized Liza whose peculiar case she had heard about from Phoebe.


    Like the good Black Ghost cafe worker she was, she wanted to help if Phoebe needed anything and she also didn''t want to miss a single thing.


    "Hot water."


    The doorbell chimed and three people looked it''s way, ready to tell the potential customer or client to go back. The cafe was empty, having been emptied out by Eliza bodyguards so they did not expect anybody coming in.


    The person that walked in was a woman that bore a remarkable resemblance to Liza. They could easily have passed for twins were it not for the difference in their height. The woman was short, compared to Eliza.


    "Rosette send the guest out." Grandma Mayfair ordered.


    "Sister...she is my sister." Eliza bit out.


    She screamed again as another contraction hit, worse than the previous one. Once more, poor Rosette was on the receiving end of pain.


    "Mr. Guzman, i think you have forgotten what your duty is." Phoebe kindly reminded him.


    Mr. Guzman was another poor individual because he had no clue how to handle the situation. What was expected of him in this situation when all he wanted to was carry his wife to a hospital?


    "Take your wife''s hand, relieve Rosette so that she can help out. The baby is coming right now, we cannot go to a hospital." Phoebe told him.


    "I will handle the birth." Grandma Mayfair gently nudged Phoebe aside and took her place.


    While Rosette and the Saxon spirit took Liza to the back room which had been turned into an employees lounge, Phoebe sealed off the cafe, stopping humans and ghosts from entering.


    She moved in the direction of the lounge from where more urgent screams were coming.


    "I can help too." a woman''s voice came from behind.


    It was the voice of Eliza''s sister that had not said a word since she entered the cafe. There was something about her which Phoebe couldn''t put a finger on. However, she was in a hurry to help Eliza safely deliver the child so she just kept moving.


    The lounge had been turned into a birthing suite not like a hospital birthing suite but a home birthing suite. There was one gray fold out couch in the lounge and Eliza was laying on it.


    The ghosts had brought out the towels, hot water, gloves, blanket and tonics, one of which Grandma Mayfair was helping Eliza drink. All these things had been prepared by Phoebe in advance and they had been in the space. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Phoebe, where, Phoebe..." Eliza questioned between deep breaths when the glass with tonic was taken away.


    "Here." Phoebe raised her hand.


    She moved closer and peeked to see if progress had been made and if any supernatural activity was taking place. Everything was normal so far, so she took a small towel and dabbed at Eliza''s sweaty forehead.


    Rosette was the temporary acting human nurse but she was pale as though she would pass out at any moment.


    "I see the head," the Saxon spirit announced.


    That was Phoebe''s cue to begin her magic, ensuring the safety of mother and child. It was time to find the real culprit behind Eliza''s plight.

 Chapter 277 - 277: A most malicious sister.

    Since she already had all that she needed, Phoebe started with sage, burning some to cleanse the air. A physically clean area would have been the best choice but there was no option, childbirth was not exactly a clean activity.


    After that, she started drawing a circle by placing stones from the space on the ground around the bed. To reinforce it, she put in place an anchor talisman.


    This was something she had created after the witnessing how close the stalker malicious ghost had come to blowing the salt away when she was helping its victim.


    As a firm believer in most superstitions, Phoebe added a four leaf clover to the circle. If it could help with bringing luck to Eliza, that was a bonus.


    "What are you doing?" Mr. Guzman asked.


    "Building a protective circle." Phoebe answered.


    She continued with her task, lighting candles that she placed around the perimeter.


    "Candles!!" Eliza''s sister squealed loudly. "What are you doing?"


    She grabbed Phoebe''s arm to stop her from putting down the last candle.


    "You are going to kill my sister and her baby, don''t you know that smoke is harmful? Why do you want my innocent nephew to inhale smoke as soon as he is born, this is going to lead to his death. Brother-in-law, we need to take Liz to a hospital. I came in an ambulance from St. Roman''s hospital..."


    "Shut up." Grandma Mayfair shouted.


    Coincidentally, thunder struck outside but the reflection flashed in the windows and on the old woman''s eyes. As if that was not spooky enough, it became darker inside the lounge.


    Outside, the world was bright and sunny, but in the lounge it was cold and dark.


    Phoebe shrugged away the hand which was holding her back and she placed down the last candle.


    "The baby is half-way out, you need to speed up." The Saxon spirit shared.


    The energy in the room changed, those that could see the changes noticed that the stones were glowing, giving off a white light. Even Liza was doing better, she was not screeching in pain anymore.


    Phoebe chanted a prayer loudly, asking for the heavens to reveal what has hidden. As soon as she finished, a babies loud cry filled the air.


    "It''s out," The Saxon spirit told Phoebe.


    She nodded and moved closer to the child, keeping her focused eyes on the child. The moment of truth was upon them, if it was as Liza described, the child would breathe his last at any second.


    The heavens did not disappoint, a thread of black smoke in a thin line wove it''s way towards the child, aiming for the umbilical cord which had yet to be cut.


    "What is this?" Phoebe whispered.


    She twirled in a semi circle and placed a yellow paper talisman on the baby''s chest. As soon as she did, the baby stopped crying.


    "How brave of you to do your dark magic in my cafe?" Phoebe barked.


    Once again, loud thunder exploded outside.


    Eliza suddenly turned hysterical, "My child, what is wrong with my child? Phoebe, you promised....."


    "The child is fine." Grandma Mayfair told Eliza. S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She placed the child in the arms of the anxious mother and got a surgical clamp from the items that had been prepared to cut the umbilical cord. Her attention however was diverted, caught between Phoebe and Eliza.


    She wanted to see who was doing dark magic in the cafe and know why the ghosts were all on the move.


    The ghosts assembled in the protective circle behind Phoebe who had turned to face Eliza Guzman''s sister. She was pale, a hand clutching on to the pendant around her neck.


    There was a trace of blood on the corner of her lips, she was shaking as if her legs were to weak to keep her up.


    Phoebe took two steps forward and the woman took two steps back.


    "Mackie Shuman," Phoebe said the name very slowly. "With a sister like you, who needs enemies? I would have doubted your relationship if i had not looked into you two siblings. Now why in the world would you harm your sister''s new born child?"


    She waved her hand and commanded the ghosts to move. Connie and Sylvester dashed out like ninjas and they each grabbed one of Mackie''s arms.


    Mickie looked like a cornered rabbit, her head moved from side to side, seeking for a chance to escape. She struggled against the hold the ghosts had on her, but no matter what she did, she could not get loose. She might as well have been chained to a pillar.


    "What are you doing? What do you mean by harming my sister''s child? Have you seen me do anything to harm the child?" she questioned. "I have not even come close to the baby, if you want to accuse me of something, call the police."


    "Phoebe, what is going on?" Eliza asked in alarm.


    She was nervous because the life of her child had still not been guaranteed. Even if this baby had lived for a minute longer than the others, she was too scared to hope.


    Her husband was by her side, ignoring all the blood he was holding her and the baby in a semi protective hug. Just like Eliza, he was looking back and forth from Phoebe to Mackie.


    Just like his wife, he was puzzled by the words he had heard. It sounded like Phoebe was accusing Mackie of wanting to harm their baby.


    Phoebe turned her head around. "I just found out what has been causing your plight, it''s your precious malicious little sister Mackie."


    Eliza shivered and one of her hands slipped.


    "What are you talking about? Mackie.....no way."


    Phoebe of course did not expect Eliza to believe her blindly, after all you did not break sibling bonds with just a single accusation. It had to be backed by hardcore proof, she had experienced it with Ruth.


    If she had not allowed the Mayfair''s to see her true colors little by little, they would still be living blindly, forcing the two enemies to play pretend sisters.


    "I see that you are not going to confess easily and i have no desire to waste my time."


    Phoebe swiftly reached Mackie in just a single step and she put her hands on her neck. Roughly, she ripped off the baby shaped pendant around her neck.


    Because she was rough, a part of the pendant sliced Mackie''s neck and the woman winced. Phoebe had no mercy for the woman.


    She looked at the pendant and sneered. "Hmph, you won''t confess until a gun is put to your head. You must have thought that i am a quack to walk in here brazenly and try your sloppy dark magic. I have met many fools but you take the top spot. You harmed your sister, her innocent babies, yourself and those empty husks you call children."

 Chapter 278 - 278: All rationality gone.

    "I didn''t do anything, give me back my pendant, what are you doing?" Mackie screamed but Phoebe did not respond to her.


    In fact, she tuned out the screams of the woman completely. All the threats she was making about the police and begging Eliza to stop Phoebe fell on deaf ears.


    Phoebe turned around and exposed the pendant to Liza,


    "Give me a few seconds and i will explain this to you."


    She wanted to study the talisman first as it was new to her eyes. it was one of those that could be opened. The baby trinket itself emanated evil, intricate small lines were drawn into its surface.


    It was golden in color but the runes were red, and under the candle light, glowed eerily.


    The Saxon spirit hovered over Phoebe''s shoulder, taking a closer look at the talisman. "I never thought i would ever actually see a surrogacy talisman, not just that but this is a talisman within a talisman."


    Normally, in such a pendant you would find a picture of a loved one but in this case, there was a talisman inside. It was a paper talisman with some symbols written in red and black.


    Phoebe could still smell the faint scent of dry human blood. While the paper talisman looked old, the blood had been recently reinforced.


    "What is a surrogacy talisman?" she asked the Saxon spirit.


    The spirit moved away from Phoebe slightly, a book appeared in its hands and the pages turned on their own. It was the book on talismans which Phoebe had been familiarizing herself with.


    The right page was found and the spirit showed it to Phoebe.


    "It has another name, a womb of shadows. It is said to possess the power to transfer the essence of an unborn child from one womb to another. The little lines on the pendant are actually threads that have traces of children''s umbilical cords."


    The pages turned again and the spirit showed Phoebe a different page with symbols familiar to those on the paper.


    "I am more familiar with this one, it''s a life transfer, she basically used two talismans to steal the life of Eliza''s children, one must be a back up. That''s how determined she was to get her way. I thought demons were disgusting but she is so much worse."


    Phoebe blinked at the mention of demons and chose to skip over it as it was not the matter at hand. Rage swelled up within her as she looked at Mackie that was still screaming.


    Raising one hand, Phoebe slapped her across the cheek. She put a lot of energy into the slap, almost breaking Mackie''s jaw.


    The slap stunned Mackie into silence, but for Phoebe, a single slap was not enough. She raised her hand and slapped her again, taking turns between hitting the left and right cheek of the woman.


    After ten slaps, Mackie''s cheeks were red and swollen, blood was pouring from the sides of her mouths.


    Phoebe pulled one of her arms, the one which Connie was holding and she looked at her palms. Mackie tried to pull the hand away but it was useless, Phoebe was just as strong as the ghosts.


    A voice emerged from Phoebe''s mouth, it was deep and guttural, loud and explosive. It echoed through the room, adding an air of spookiness to the dimly lit room. The shadows of the candles dancing on the walls and the powerful overwhelming smell of incense, together with the voice sent chills down the spines of the humans in the room.


    "You are barren, your womb is empty, you should not have children. You have used dark magic to change your destiny, death should be your punishment. Go to hell and spend the rest of your life atoning for your sin."


    Phoebe dropped Mackie''s right hand and grabbed her throat, squeezing really tight.


    "Pheebs." Grandma Mayfair shouted.


    The Saxon spirit moved faster and it shoved Mackie away, liberating her from the enraged murderous Phoebe. The spirit slapped Phoebe''s chest, arousing pain from inside. It was similar to throwing a basin of cold water in her face and it was enough to wake Phoebe up, returning her sanity.


    "Have you lost your mind?" The spirit questioned.


    Phoebe looked through the spirit and she set her eyes on Mackie. The woman was now sitting on the ground, her hair was disheveled and her face pale white. She had a big bump on her forehead that had formed when hit the wall after the spirit shoved her away from Phoebe.


    "She killed children." Phoebe conveyed.


    Her voice was raw, packed with so much emotion. All of the anger she had been saving to deal with Ruth and her helper just rushed out of her in waves.


    "What gives her the right to live after killing my children?" She questioned harshly.


    Her utterances surprised those that were listening, puzzling them. Whose children was Phoebe talking about? Their simple minds chalked it up to a mistake, it was not her children but Liza''s children.


    The Saxon spirit put her hands around Phoebe''s shoulders and shook her with strength.


    "Wake up!" she ordered.


    The voice of the spirit was soft but it had strength, like a thunderstorm. The Saxon spirit sent Phoebe into the space and imprisoned her in there momentarily. When it came to children, Phoebe always lost rationality.


    The spirit approached grandma Mayfair.


    "I am going to borrow your body for a moment, will you give you permission?" S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Old Lady Mayfair opened her mouth to respond and before she could even approve, the Saxon spirit did as it wanted.


    She found herself feeling abnormal, as if she was there but not all of her. She could feel another consciousness inside her and it was weird.


    The Saxon spirit took control of her mind and she turned to Eliza and her husband.


    "I will explain this briefly, your sister here is not destined to have children."


    Liza shook her head. "But she has three."


    Her husband nodded, Mackie indeed had three children.


    "They are not her children, they are yours, well the essence or life force inside Mackie''s children belongs to your dead children. If you carry out an investigation, i am sure that you will find out that she has a hospital record and a diagnosis declaring her incapable of having children."


    Eliza was even more confused, nothing was making sense to her.


    "Your sister always gives birth exactly seven months after your own children die, right?" The spirit asked.


    Eliza and Mr. Guzman looked at each other, and they nodded. Such a pattern had not been hard to notice, her sister always gave birth months after their own children were buried.


    Mackie had even joked once that she should consider her children to be hers. That her dead babies had reincarnated into Mackie''s babies.


    Eliza dotted her two nephews and one niece, giving them everything she had prepared for her own children, loving them as if they were her own.


    What she was hearing now, was horrifying to imagine.

 Chapter 279 - 279: Confession time for Mackie.

    "It''s true." Mr. Guzman said.


    He thought back on all the moments Eliza threw baby showers for Mackie, it was always three months after their own child had been buried. He never approved of Eliza throwing the baby showers but Mackie always insisted.


    "If Liz doesn''t do it, i don''t want it." were Mackie''s words.


    He had watched his wife put aside her pain, force a brave smile and celebrate Mackie''s good fortune. After the baby showers, Mackie would shamelessly take away even the things they had prepared for their babies.


    "You are the godmother and aunt to my babies Liz, my children are yours. It makes no difference who gets to use these things, it is just better not to waste them. I am sure that your babies are smiling in heaven, approving of this." Mackie always said.


    Mr. Guzman chuckled, harsh broken sounds coming from his throat. If it was true what the shaman and old lady Mayfair were saying then Mackie had been mocking them. Not only had she taken the lives of their children but she had also taken their property, tortured her own sister with snide remarks and pretended to be a good sister all this time.


    "You....you...." he pointed at Mackie. "Liz always goes into labor before the doctor''s specified date and it always happens when you are around. You are always with her when she gives birth, even when i would insist on going inside, you would make me stay out with some clever words...." he gasped.


    He held Eliza and their newly born thriving with life baby closer. The baby was nursing, this was their first child that had survived long enough to feed.


    It should have been a happy moment but it was tainted by terror. anxiety and disbelief.


    Eliza was crying, tears of relief and anguish simultaneously running down her eyes. The words of the shaman and old lady Mayfair were credible, she had no doubts anymore.


    In fact, she recalled that Mackie was the one that touched her pendant. She had found her holding it when she stepped out of the bathroom after taking a bath.


    Mackie had complimented the pendant and said she wanted one. She must have switched out the real one for the fake.


    The more Eliza recalled the events leading up to this day, the more she noticed a few more abnormal things. Mackie always cared more about her pregnancies, even more than her and her husband. She would take care of the diet, encourage her to exercise, even going with her to yoga and Lamaze classes.


    Eliza recalled the angry look on Mackie''s face the first day she saw the protective talisman pendant. She had said she was not feeling fine and rushed away from the Lamaze class quickly that day.


    "She was the one that switched the pendant." Eliza sniveled.


    "She has been manipulating you." The Saxon spirit told them.


    "Why?" Eliza questioned in a teary voice. "Why, Mackie, why?"


    Mackie did not verbally respond, she just stared at the ground.


    "What did she do to my children?" Eliza asked the spirit, or old lady Mayfair.


    "Like Phoebe said, she put a curse on them and stole life from your children transferring it to the lifeless children in her womb.


    She is incapable of carrying a child past three months, so she deliberately targets yours and gets pregnant towards the last four or three months of your pregnancy.


    She uses her evil talismans to induce your labor just in time to save the dead fetus in her womb."


    Eliza put a hand over her mouth as a loud harsh pained cry escaped her mouth. The faces of her three dead children flashed through her mind. Were they in pain as life was forcefully stolen from them, she wondered.


    When they were crying out as they took their last breath, were they calling out for her to save them? She had been so close, how could not know that they were in danger?


    Were they blaming her for failing to protect them? Was that why she sometimes heard the cries of children even in her sleep?


    Mr. Guzman was torn between staying by Eliza''s side and comforting her or moving to Mackie and twisting her neck. No wonder they could never find a scientific cause of death for the children, the trouble was magical, evil magic.


    Never had he considered that magic was the root of their problem or his sister-in-law was the source.


    If he had known that it was an option, he would have saved his children by finding Phoebe earlier.


    "I know that you want an explanation for her actions but i cannot give you one. The answers to the question why can only come from her." The spirit told the Guzman''s. Sylvester, use a truth telling talisman." She ordered.


    Connie beat Silvester to it like she did sometimes. She practically slapped the talisman onto Mackie''s back. It was such a hard slap that Mackie was shoved forward and coughed blood out of her mouth.


    "Hmph, baby killer." Connie muttered.


    She had no mercy for Mackie and if she could, she would beat her up some more. This was not the time as the talisman took effect, controlling Mackie completely.


    She looked at Eliza and her husband and a creepy smile formed on her lips.


    "Liz, you want to know why, the answer is simple, your husband was supposed to marry me. No...it''s you, everything comes so easy in life to you.


    We are both born to the same parents but look at yourself and look at me, you are the beauty and i am the beast.


    When it comes to love, or parents made it abundantly obvious that they love you more than me. Heck, they love all my siblings more than they love me. Nothing i did was good enough for them but you could take a shit on their bed and they would applaud you.


    In school, your grades were better than mine, you had so many friends and admirers. You had all the talent, dominating every school play and sports event.


    I remember the day you played a violin at the founder''s ball and butterflies flocked to you. Everyone started calling you a fairy. You became the most sought after woman of our time, the most desirable bachelorette in Citrus.


    Eliza Shuman, the head cheerleader, you even dated a Saxon back then."


    Connie rolled her eyes. Why were the Saxons everywhere and in everything?


    Mackie''s confession continued.


    "I have always hated you, if i could kill you, i would have done it but i was so afraid. I did not want to end up in jail or even more of a pariah than i already was so i decided to just live in your shadow. I was comfortable there until he came along." She pointed to Mr. Guzman.


    Her voice became more desperate and she jumped up and down. "He was supposed to be my husband, i met him first, i loved him first. Why did you have to show up and snatch him from me just like you snatched everything else? We were happy before you came along, why did you show up, why, why?" She screamed loudly.


    Eliza looked at her husband, asking for an explanation. Mr. Guzman shook his head, he was just as bewildered by these claims. He had never engaged in a relationship with Mackie Shuman.


    "I don''t know what she is talking about." he defended himself. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 280 - 280: The deepest grudge.

    "I didn''t, i really don''t have anything to do with her." Mr. Guzman insisted again.


    This was because none of the women looked like they believed in. Mr. Guzman groaned, and the baby fussed so Eliza gave him all of her attention briefly.


    Mackie continued talking because the truth telling talisman was still active.


    "I met him at the Sunflower ball at the old Grata gardens. I did not have many friends and none of the young men was eager to dance with me. I am not even ugly but they just wanted Liz, not her uglier photocopy.


    I went to the bathroom and hid in there for two hours, waiting for the ball to enter its last thirty minutes and i could finally show my face.


    When it was time, i made my way out of the bathroom quickly and happened to bump into him. I thought that i would go crashing to the ground but he caught me." Mackie''s voice softened. "I looked up at him and found myself drowning in the most beautiful brown eyes i have ever seen.


    I will never forget how he smiled at me and apologized for bumping into me. He took my hand and escorted me back to the gardens.


    I thought that would be the end of it but the last song was playing and he asked me to dance. He was not like the others, he was kind and nice. When we danced under that soft glow of the moon, i knew it was love immediately."


    Mr. Guzman choked on his breath and he started coughing, beating a hand on his chest.


    "Shhh!" Connie hushed him.


    The story was just getting good, the girl did not want to miss a single word.


    "I don''t remember this.." Mr. Guzman mumbled.


    "Shh!" Connie complained again, glaring this time.


    Mr. Guzman could not see Connie but he could hear the shushing. He detected the irritation in the tone of the invisible ghost so he sealed his lips.


    "He even escorted me to the drinks table and got me a lemonade." Mackie smiled. "We talked about the yellow carnations which had been used to decorate the gardens. He said it was ironic how flowers that symbolize rejection, sorrow, disappointment and apologies had been used as part of the theme.


    I told him that sunflowers were out of style, even though it was the Sunflower ball, they were not using sunflowers anymore."


    Mackie tilted her head. "There were a few sunflowers mixed in the carnations, he picked one up and gave it to me. He told me that they symbolized admiration, loyalty, positivity and nourishing. He said every beautiful lady deserved one sunflower a day."


    Eliza turned her head and she glared at her husband. That particular line about one sunflower a day was very familiar. Her husband also gifted her one sunflower each day, when they were out of season, he would give her a dried one.


    "I don''t remember this!!" Mr. Guzman groaned.


    Mackie''s smile dimmed. "That''s when my parents showed up, it was time to go home. They met him and introduced themselves, they were so excited to meet the next Guzman family heir.


    On the way home, they talked about bringing our families closer and mother proposed marriage.


    My heart almost flew out of my chest, i was so excited.


    For a month mother met up with mama Guzman and courted her. The Guzman''s finally came over to our house for dinner, i heard whispers that it was because our two families were preparing for an engagement.


    Obviously, it was my engagement, i was the one that had met the Guzman heir.


    I was the one that danced with him, I laughed with him. We both liked sunflowers and we found founding society balls ridiculous. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I was so giddy at the aspect of becoming his wife. I put on my best dress and went downstairs for dinner. But, when i got there, i saw a most horrific sight"


    Mackie pointed at Eliza. "You, Eliza, you homewrecker had somehow returned early from college and you were sitting next to my man. You were smiling at him, batting your seductive lashes and charming him. He is a fool like all those other men that chased you because he was eating it up.


    All through dinner, he did not look my way and aside from the briefest head nod of acknowledgement when i greeted him, he did not attempt to communicate with me.


    The next day, an announcement was made, a match between the two families had been confirmed and you my sister were to be the bride."


    She laughed, the laughter high pitched and shrill__, a cackle that was sharp and made Mackie look insane.


    "You stole him from me and married him, the Guzman heir and I..." She pointed to herself, "I married an ordinary no name doctor from a family of commoners because none of the sons of the founding families wanted me, not even the useless ones.


    And then it became worse, even though i married two years after you, we both somehow got pregnant at the same time. The universe was not done with torturing me because i lost my child, the doctors said i had a medical condition. I could not carry a child in my womb to the end, they even suggested that i get a hysterectomy.


    My poor baby was taken from me and


    while i was still wallowing in misery two months later, you were glowing. You threw a big baby shower and got all those great expensive gifts.


    I will never forget how you put your hands around my shoulder Eliza and you whispered, "It''s okay, i have a feeling that your baby is watching over mine. You can consider my child yours, we are sisters after all, what''s mine is yours."


    Mackie snorted and laughed wildly.


    "You were clearly mocking me. You went on to cut your big cake and kiss your husband then continued to live your happy lives while I lived in darkness alone. That''s when i realized that you Eliza, were my nemesis. Everything in my life that had gone wrong was because of you.


    My misery always leads back to you so i made my mind up to ruin you. I had to do something that would torment you forever while tarnishing your image in society. People needed to point and whisper because finally, you had failed at something.


    All those suitors you once had needed to feel lucky because they did not marry you. Your husband needed to regret his choice in taking you as his wife.


    I got pregnant again the next month later and i started looking for a way to save my child. Lindsay Vulcan recommend a warlock in Magic city. I flew all the way there and he told me about magical surrogacy.


    He asked me if i had any close female relatives that were pregnant and naturally, my mind went to you.


    He used our dates of birth and predicted dates of birth for your children to swap the fates of our children. Then he gave me a talisman and also some snake blood that i fed to you in a strawberry drink.


    I waited for three months while playing the role of a good sister. Finally it happened, you had your first child and he died, but mine lived. After that, all your other children provided life for mine."


    Unsettling laughter fell through her lips. It echoed through the silence in the room, provoking the couple that was teetering on the edge of control.


    "How do you like it Liz? What''s yours really became mine. I technically have three Guzman heirs that you nurtured for me. They may not be your husband''s children biologically but spiritually, they are his. I guess in the end, i got a piece of him too."

 Chapter 281 - 281: What to do with such a sister?

    There was silence in the room after Mackie''s manic laughter. Even the Saxon spirit did not know how to proceed, she left grandma Mayfair''s body however because they had a confession.


    The question now was what they would do with the confession. Technically, they could not send Mackie to the police and report the crime.


    Things like magic and witchcraft were not exactly outlawed, heck, only one percent of the population believed in that kind of stuff. The rest considered it nothing but superstitions and fraud.


    Unexpectedly, Eliza placed the baby in the hands of her husband and attempted to get up. Powered by rage and adrenaline, she stumbled in the direction of Mackie.


    "Kill you,,i am going to kill you." she said hoarsely.


    Phoebe suddenly returned to the room again, she was calmer now and she stopped Eliza. She put herself between the two sisters, holding Eliza''s hands.


    "You have just had a baby, you should not be up and about like this. Someone like this is not worth wasting your time on, giving her a few slaps is not going to quench the anger inside you."


    Her wise words were surprising for someone that had rained slaps down on Mackie minutes ago only.


    "She killed my children..." Eliza wailed.


    Phoebe felt a tremor in her heart, the demon of anger in her wanted to rise again but Phoebe chose to remain rational.


    "I know, believe me i know the pain you are suffering but like i said, slapping her will not vent your anger. If you truly need it however, i will step aside..."


    Hardly had she finished when Eliza tore herself out of Phoebe''s light grasp, stepped around her and scratched Mackie''s face with her nails.


    Mackie screamed loudly, Eliza''s nails were quite sharp so it was as if she had been scratched with a nail.


    "How could you? They were just children,,,they were innocent, you are a monster." Eliza screamed.


    Eliza was not finished, she slapped Mackie twice, scratched her face again and went for her eyes, planning to dig them out with her bare hands.


    The sharp cry of a baby filled the room cried Eliza''s hand froze. She was breathing heavily, a little exhausted from the beating she had just given Mackie.


    Eliza grabbed Mackie''s chin really hard and in a scary soft voice she said, "I will deal with you later but by the time i am done Mackie, my God, you will be begging me for help. I hope you said goodbye to your children when you left home because you will never see them again."


    Mackie''s eyes widened and Eliza smiled in satisfaction. Those three children had always been Mackie''s greatest pride, there was no greater punishment for her than something related to them. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "No, don''t touch my children, i worked hard to have them." Mackie shouted and begged. "Eliza, i am warning....."


    Eliza slapped Mackie with the back of her right hand, making sure to scratch her with the large diamond ring on her middle finger.


    "Maybe i should kill them." Eliza suggested.


    Phoebe turned her head sharply and she frowned while Mackie shook her head wildly.


    "On second thought, i won''t do that, i am not like you after all. So i am going to take those children, I will remold them and erase their memories. I will make sure that they forget you, i am going to ruin your name and reputation to them. When we bury you Mackie, those three children will spit on your grave and curse your name."


    "Stay away from my children.." Mackie screamed.


    She wanted to stand up and fight or escape and hide her children. To her, they were her greatest revenge, the one thing she had over Mackie.


    "As for you, you little bitch, i am going to have my men break your legs, take away your vocal abilities and sell you to the red light district. There are many men that will pay a lot of money to sleep with a woman from a founding family."


    Mackie slumped, losing all energy in her bones. It was true that Eliza was no killer but she could be cruel in her own way. She was also the kind of person that always went through with her plans.


    There was no changing her mind since she had come to this decision, Mackie knew that it was over for her. Her parents would not come to her aid once they found out what she had done.


    As for her husband, he was a commoner and he had no power to fight against the Shuman''s. All Eliza had to do was forge some DNA tests proving that he was not the biological father of the children and then they would be taken from him.


    Grandma Mayfair looked at Phoebe, the Saxon spirit and Mr. Guzman. All of them had heard the plans Eliza had for Mackie. Were they okay with it?


    Phoebe read the question in her grandmother''s eyes and she shrugged. Her own plans for Ruth were even worse so whatever Eliza chose to do to avenge the death of her children was her business.


    At the end of the day, no matter what Eliza did, she would forever be haunted by the injustice which had been done to her babies. She would never forget their untimely death. No punishment given to Mackie would satisfy her.


    With Phoebe''s help, Eliza was escorted back to the bed but it was a mess and they could not put her down on it.


    "You should go to the hospital now, everything is over." Phoebe told Eliza.


    She paused and looked at Eliza and her husband. "About those three children, they are short lived. The life they have was stolen, the moment i destroy the talismans, their time on earth will be limited."


    Mackie opened her mouth and screamed in terror. The Saxon spirit waved her hand and shut Mackie''s mouth.


    Eliza was torn, on one hand she loved those children but on the other hand, they were abominations living on the stolen essence of her dead children.


    "They survived because of dark magic, believe me, their future is not good. Even if they get to live, they will be criminals, killers. They will be haunted by ghosts, other people will reject them. They will be plagues to society and will die horrible deaths.


    Nothing that is done with dark magic has a good ending. I am going to destroy the talismans, i just wanted to give you a heads up."


    Eliza took a deep breath, looked at Phoebe with firm eyes and nodded.


    "Do it, burn them."


    Mr. Guzman handed Eliza the baby and then wrapped a coat around her. He knew his wife was exhausted so he lifted her off her feet.


    "I just want to clarify one thing" he said, looking at old lady Mayfair and Phoebe. "I now recall the ball she was talking about. The only reason why i was nice to her is because she is Liz''s sister and Liz had asked me to be nice to her sister if i met her.


    Liz and i met at college and we fell in love but never went public about the relationship. I came home because my grandfather was ill and happened to attend the Sunflower ball. I recognized Mackie as Liz''s sister and recalled her request so i showed Mackie some kindness. Nothing ever happened between us, i have never for a single second loved her."

 Chapter 282 - 282: A bonus for all.

    He strolled past Phoebe, kicked Mackie on the chest and walked out of the door which Rosette was holding open.


    Mackie watched with despair in her eyes, unwilling to believe that he did not love her even once. She felt like a fool, all along she had been jumping around, holding on to the belief that Liz had stolen her man.


    As it turns out he only smiled at her because Eliza told him to. At the end of the day, she was still in her sister''s shadow.


    Mackie laughed at herself, but no sound came from her mouth as the Saxon spirit had sealed it. More hatred for Eliza surged within her heart. Her hateful sister had taken away even the most precious memory she had in her life. To her, it was even more precious than the birth of her children.


    I should have killed her, Mackie thought. She recalled the day Eliza fell down the stairs when they were children. Back then, only the two of them had been at home and Eliza had almost bled out from the injuries she acquired.


    Mackie, had called the servants who rushed Eliza to the hospital.


    I should have let her bleed out that day, Mackie screamed in her mind.


    If she had not saved her, all of Eliza''s glory would have been hers. Mackie shook her head, cursing her sister in her mind.


    More tears run down her eyes and she started to hyperventilate. Within a few seconds, she fainted, going completely limp and the ghosts let go of her finally.


    The candles snuffed out on there own and normal lighting returned to the room. Connie and Sylvester opened the windows, sending out the smell of the burnt sage into the streets.


    Two of Eliza''s bodyguards came in and took Mackie with them. Just like that, everything was over and the mystery of Eliza''s dying children was put to bed.


    The shock from what they had witnessed was not gone yet and it would take a month or more to fade from their memories. In fact, they would forever remember it just as they remembered the stalker ghost.


    All these cases could be used for reference in case they ever came across another like that. It gave the Saxon spirit an idea.


    "Pheebs, you need to start writing a journal, note down all these cases and everything you noticed. Describe the runes, talismans, smells, aura and anything else that you noticed.


    Do not forget to include the mentality and reasoning of the the offender and offended. Someday, these things could be helpful to the next inheritor of the space pendant."


    Phoebe nodded, she saw sense in what the spirit was saying.


    Some like Rosette were all but ready to get back to work. "Are we cleaning up ourselves or hiring a cleaning service?"


    Some things, she guessed could not be saved like the pull out couch.


    "I will get right on it." Sylvester volunteered.


    "I have to study." Connie vanished.


    It was a fib, she was just escaping what she considered to be hard labor.


    "I can''t believe that such a thing is even possible, surrogacy, transferring the essence of one child to another. What kind of world are we living in? Who gives these people such ideas? Why does magic even exist in the first place if it''s being used for evil?" Grandma Mayfair asked, trembling. "Not only is what Mackie did unthinkable but it''s also demonic. This stupid girl, instead of bettering herself and her strengthening her mind, she chose to hate her sister who was simply living her life. And the sister, she was busy pouring love on the one that was killing her children."


    She did not understand Mackie''s reasoning or her hatred for Eliza. The two women looked alike, both were beautiful, and if Mackie had been a bit more cheerful and outgoing, she could have lived a happy life. Instead, she wanted Eliza''s life, not her own.


    Old lady Mayfair was so shocked that she sat down on the couch, accidentally staining her expensive silk dress with blood.


    "Nana..." Phoebe winced.


    Grandma Saxon was absent minded, not realizing that she was sitting on a towel soaked blood.


    "Nana." Phoebe called again. "You are sitting on blood."


    Old lady Mayfair jumped up, making a small squeal of surprise. She tilted her head and looked behind, trying to to see if her dress was stained.


    "Nana, i think you should head home, don''t worry about the cafe, we will put up a board indicating that we are not serving meals today.


    I am not staying either, there is somewhere i must be, i have another case to handle." S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    From Phoebe''s phone came a bird whistle sound, the notification that she had received a text. When she looked at it, it was a notification from the bank, Mr. Guzman had sent her sixty million."


    She gasped in shock.


    "Holy wow!" she exclaimed.


    The amount surprised her, she had not been expecting another payment from Eliza outside of the one they agreed to on a monthly basis.


    Phoebe looked at everyone with a smile.


    "Guys, you are all getting a big bonus, one million per person. As for the ghosts, make any requests you want, as long as it''s within a one million budget, i will provide it."


    Rosette almost fell down when she heard the amount Phoebe was giving away.


    "Boss!!" she exclaimed and opened her arms, wanting to give Phoebe a hug.


    Connie beat Rosette to the punch, the ghost that had gone to study had somehow managed to overhear that benefits were being distributed.


    She literally shoved Rosette out of the way in order to get to Phoebe.


    "Sister, i want chocolates from indulgence, the golden phoenix cupcake, a box of Oui Chocolat..."


    "Connie a box o Oui Chocolat costs 1.5 million. It is called the worlds most expensive sweet for a reason. You have a one million budget, let''s try to stick to it." Phoebe reminded her girl.


    Not surprising, the girl pouted and let go of Phoebe.


    She started making the transfers immediately. She made puppy eyes at Phoebe and looked like she was just about ready to bawl.


    "Give her half of my bonus." The Saxon spirit said.


    Grandma Mayfair sighed. "Mine too."


    "And me." Sylvester added.


    Altogether, 1.5 million was collected, and Connie still had a lot of money from her original bonus.


    As for the three volunteers, they did not have much use for the money anyway. Old lady Mayfair was rich, Sylvester had no earthly desires except for redemption and the Saxon spirit.....she had never asked purchased anything before.


    Connie squealed and went around the room hugging everyone except for Rosette that had not given her a penny.


    She even grabbed a broom and a mop. "Uncle Sylvester, i will help with the clean up today. I just remembered that i do not have to study today."


    In a cheerful mood, she started cleaning up using her ghostly energy, moving all the bloody rugs out of the way.


    "You guys are spoiling her." Phoebe complained.


    "She is just a child." Grandma Mayfair waved her hand, dismissing Phoebe''s words.


    Phoebe escorted her grandmother to the car and she got in her car, driving in the opposite direction.


    Old lady Mayfair could not wait to get home to share Eliza and Mackie''s tale of the devilish sister. She called Jennie and Prudence immediately.


    "Drop everything and come to the house, you will not believe why Eliza Guzman''s children have been dying."

 Chapter 283 - 283: The hunt continues.

    Phoebe stepped out of her cafe, the jingling of the bell marking her departure. Strands of red hair once meticulously pinned by Jenny had come loose. A brush of red on the side of her dress stood out like a sore thumb, her were clothes ruined.


    ''I need a change of clothes.'' She thought, a quiet sigh that seemed to carry the burdens of the day left her mouth.


    It was just a half past midday but to say that she was exhausted was an understatement. She would have taken a one hour nap but she had something urgent to deal with that could not wait.


    Luckily for her, she had a place to go to in order to change and wash the stench of blood out of her hands. There were days like this one where she was grateful that the cafe and the apartment were on the same building.


    Once in her apartment she cleaned up, went to the parking lot and drove out. A couple of cars followed her, some more obvious than others, especially the young driver in the blue jeep.


    "Is he new? He doesn''t even know how to tail someone."


    Even the choice of color for the car he had picked was too obvious. Phoebe rolled her eyes upwards, stepped on the gas pedal and drove straight to Alfa security firm. There, she was let inside the heavily guarded gates without a security check. She was David''s girlfriend, the lady boss as most of the employees called her in their private discussions.


    A thing that they rebuked David over in secret was the large framed picture of Phoebe on his office wall right between the current president of Fog country, Jimmy Inglewood and Grant Saxon, his favorite ancestor.


    Obviously, his number one priority was right there on the wall, shouting for all to notice.


    "Boss lady." Roman said, with one of his eyebrows raised.


    He had come down urgently when Santos called ahead to give him a heads up about her arrival.


    "Good afternoon Roman, tell him that i am here." Phoebe settled in one of the seats positioned in front of the reception desk.


    "Sure." Roman arched an eyebrow once again, wondering what else his boss had told Phoebe about concerning his affairs apart from the fact that he owned Alfa security something he had stressed was super confidential.


    "I guess there are exceptions to every rule." he mumbled.


    Phoebe, he assumed, was David''s exception. When they were in bed together, he probably spilled all of his secrets.


    Roman''s presumption was wrong because David had never told Phoebe about his security company, it involved a darker side of him that he never wanted her to come close to in case things ever blew up.


    Without knocking on the door, Roman entered the office and immediately announced that Phoebe had arrived to see David.


    David was on the phone and typing into his laptop at the same time. The phone fell and his fingers froze.


    "Who did you say is here to see me?" David blinked once, then twice. His image struggling to comprehend what he had just heard.


    He really thought Roman was playing a prank on him and he observed the man''s face but it was apathetic as it was usually.


    "I said, Phoebe Mayfair is here to see you. Should I bring her to you or send her away because..."


    Roman''s words were cut short by David. "No need, I''ll go to her."


    He rushed passed Roman and the door flew open with a violent clutter, slamming against the wall as he burst through as if on an emergency evacuation.


    Roman shook his head slightly, he had noticed that Phoebe was David''s Achilles heel. She could be used by his enemies to get to him. His friend and partner did not even hide his weakness from the public, it was a terrible thing to have a known weakness in such a business.


    If it was up to him, Phoebe would be shipped off to some unknown location__, a nice residence and David would meet up with her there. She would be given a fat monthly allowance and all the wealth she desired to live comfortably forever. The only condition was that she keep the relationship private. It was a simpler solution to removing her from the world, permanently.


    "Then again, he is a Saxon and he must marry, his wife has to be in the public eye. It cannot be helped....." Roman thought.


    Downstairs, David found Phoebe waiting just as Roman had said.


    "Pheebs?" David struggled to smile, he was delighted to see her as always but this was just the wrong place. "Why are you here? How...how did you know that i was here?" He asked as he took a seat next to her.


    He did not miss the pretentious curious looks of the two receptionists that were pretending to be busy but eavesdropping.


    "I put a tracker in you." Phoebe joked, her words however caused blood to drain from his face.


    David thought about the bug or worm in Ruth and he felt creeped out. Had she really put something like that inside of him?


    "I am kidding," She rectified with a laugh to put him at ease. "I cast a spell." She delivered in a deadpan voice.


    Old David would have been skeptical, new David was a believer in all things Phoebe the shaman. A spell definitely sounded better than a tracker.


    It was also a lie however, the Saxon spirit was the one that had revealed David''s location to her.


    "I don''t want you here Pheebs, some of the things that go on here are.....not so nice, they are not for you to see or hear. Let''s go talk else where, like a restaurant or gardens. Maybe a children''s playground." he rambled.


    He was short of saying anywhere but here.


    "I understand that you are doing whatever you are doing to protect me. I get it David, you don''t have to treat me like a fragile child. I walk between two world, you have no idea what not so nice things i have seen." She smiled a little when his face transitioned to show curiosity.


    "What have you seen?" he asked. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe didn''t answer, he would not understand anyway. She had her own darkness inside, a part that was not so nice which she was saving for Ruth and her hidden enemy. When the time came, he would understand


    "That''s not why i am here, the ghosts put talismans on the men that took Ruth. I need you to send some men to search this location.


    "Phoebe changed the subject, further more she checked her bag and pulled out a map with some moving dots. It looked like a live GPS tracker on a screen but it was on a paper.


    Not even technology could do this, it was very impressive.


    "I got information that Ruth was taken to Silver nation. I have already sent some the best men i have to begin gathering information. When we know enough, they will capture her dead or alive." His words were firm.


    What he left out was that when they knew enough, Luna planned to get rid of Ruth___permanently.


    "In case they fail to find her but find the men, then they should bring them to me or at least one, I''ll force the truth out of them. I doubt that they would just open there mouths and spill where that bitch is.


    If she cannot be brought back and the matter is urgent, i will give you some truth telling talismans, you can fly or ship them out. Better yet, they can be used for information gathering. I should go work on that." Phoebe got on her feet, she had a new mission.


    David kissed her on the cheek before rushing away to tackle on the assignment she had given him. In this life, they would turn the tables and their enemies would pay with blood.

 Chapter 284 - 284: Welcome to a society of gossip.

    To accomplish her task of upgrading the truth telling talismans, Phoebe did not need to return to the cafe. She simply packed her car at a rest stop, rolled up the tinted windows and vanished into the magical space.


    The Saxon spirit was waiting for her and both of them got to work, making one hundred eight talismans by hand; Phoebe''s hand to be specific. The spirit was responsible for infusing them with energy.


    By the time she was done and on the road once again, day was transitioning into night. Birds were searching for comfortable places to spend the night and children were going home from school.


    The roads were congested with exhausted people trying to make it home in time. Phoebe was one of them as she had driven all the way from the outskirts.


    She could feel even more exhaustion on the way as the evening rush hour had already began to unfold with cars stretching in endless lines.


    "Oh crap!" A tired sigh made it''s way out of her lips. She parked on the side of the road and called Santos who appeared besides her shortly, parking his dark sedan besides her car.


    "I cannot drive anymore can you take me home?" Phoebe rolled down the window and asked politely.


    Santos nodded once and he moved from his car. "Of course boss lady please move to the back, I''ll make sure that you get home safely."


    Phoebe smiled warmly and obliged, after settling in the back seat she took a deep breath, leaned back in the chair and shut her eyes.


    ****************


    Citrus city''s best flower cafe was rather packed to the brim on this evening. It was a whimsical wonderland of beautiful flowers and floral scents that was dedicated to the admiration of some of nature''s finest creations.


    The wonderful world of beauty as it was named was owned by the wife of Cane Jewel, a member of the Jewel family, one of the most wealthy but reserved founding families in the country. He was the third son of the current patriarch Lazarus Jewel.


    Margot Jewel had turned the once struggling cafe into the hottest spot for enjoying barista brewed coffee with homemade snacks while indulging in the latest even more delicious gossip in the city.


    Normally when the ladies of the founding families, young and old, met up at the flower cafe, they would sit in groups, keeping to themselves most of the time. The criteria was simple but also complicated at the same time. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    While they all belonged to the founding families, some families were wealthier than others so some ladies considered financial strength first when deciding who to sit with.


    To those that came from families which wielded political power, that was the consideration they took when joining a particular group.


    For some, it was marital ties which brought them together, relationships formed because their children, sisters, fathers and other relatives were bound by marriage.


    Others were friends, genuine and true so they sat with their friends, sharing laughter and treats.


    The last group was the stragglers, those who were slow to mingle, moving from one group to another without a clear alliance.


    This norm was broken however on this particular evening because old lady Mayfair was holding court in the flower cafe, sharing the woes of Eliza Guzman. It was her third time repeating the story but none of the listeners had moved, in fact more had joined and the cafe was packed to the brim.


    A few exaggerated additions had been made to the story especially the part where Mackie confessed. Old lady Mayfair had described her as unhinged and demon like with long nails and snake like eyes. With every confession that Mackie made, the sound of ghosts and growls was heard. She even claimed that babies were screaming when Phoebe destroyed the talismans.


    After the third narration, she took a small sip from the glass of peach iced tea. She faced her audience and drew in a deep breath.


    "Wait, so you mean that Mackie Shuman has been using witchcraft to kill her sister Eliza''s babies?"


    Old lady Mayfair nodded.


    "I heard it straight from the horse''s mouth."


    Missy Castille, Arrow''s sister moved her hips from side to side, trying to create some space between herself and Angie D''eluna that was suffering from a very toe curling cough.


    Every time she coughed, it sounded like a rocket was being launched.


    "Old lady Mayfair," Missy shouted. "Did you say that Lindsay Vulcan introduced Mackie Shuman to the shaman that cast the evil spell?"


    She had to shout because many others were shouting out questions as well. Mrs. Jennie Mayfair was acting like the press secretary, choosing who got to ask questions at what time.


    Grandma Mayfair nodded.


    "That''s right, i heard it..."


    "From the horse''s mouth." the crowd erupted at the same time.


    Old lady Mayfair had used the line one time too many and they were ready for her to use a new one. Even though Missy had spoken out of turn, they were rather interested in the question and amazed at the answer.


    Whispers started going around, echoing through the room, over the vapor of all the cappuccinos, frappuccinos, milk tea and other teas that the exhausted baristas were preparing.


    "Does it mean Lindsay Vulcan has done something like this before?"


    "Has anyone in the Vulcan family suffered a similar fate?"


    The ladies looked at each other and their eyes traveled around the room.


    "Quinn Vulcan lost a baby two months ago, does anyone think....."


    This suggestive statement from someone resulted in the ladies forming their own think tank. Whispers and loud voices went around, women agreeing or disagreeing with the outrageous suggestion.


    "Women lose babies, let''s not be too quick to point fingers and accuse someone innocent..."


    "Innocent." Someone else jumped in with rebuke in her voice. "If she introduced Mackie to the evil warlock then how can she really be innocent?"


    "She could have simply passed on the knowledge."


    "Why did she have such knowledge in the first place?"


    "Knowing is the same as doing in this case."


    Old Lady Mayfair listened to the arguments, nodding or shaking her head depending on what she heard. It was all simple until Dorothy Cook made a suggestion that had some people holding their breath.


    "We need to involve the founders council and deal with this matter the old way. I have lost a baby as well, if it''s because someone used witchcraft, they should be burned at the stake. I am warning you all, if anybody stole the essence of my child, they will burn, you hear me, b-u-r-n, burn."


    Old lady Mayfair batted her eyelashes. "Wait, what?"


    Everyone turned to Dorothy Cook, the proverbial teachers pet or in this case, founding council president Rex Cunningham''s pet.


    This was because she was always snitching on others to the council, Rex in particular about who had broken a law or who had forgotten to pay a fine.


    Dorothy was the head of the home owners association in the founding council and since her two year tenure begun, she had brought misery to so many by enforcing every law to the maximum.


    Old lady Mayfair did not like Dorothy Cook, the woman had seen to it the previous year that Cillian''s intertwining twin fish fountain two inches from the Mayfair land and one inch into the common road was taken down.


    Cillian Mayfair loved that fountain, he had built it himself and taking it down had been like erasing another piece of him from the world.


    She had pleaded and begged but Dorothy had refused to listen or understand. She had smiled as the wrecking ball crushed the fountain into smithereens.


    Old lady Mayfair hated Dorothy Cook with a fire that burned hotter than a new couple in the throes of a passionate night.


    Noise in the flower cafe went out, voices screaming, insults being hurled and a whole lot of confusion.


    "Mother, we will not be the reason as to why the old witch trials are restarted, right?" Jennie whispered to grandma Mayfair.


    Old Lady Mayfair was still glaring in Dorothy''s direction. "I hope that bitch goes to the wooden stake first." she mumbled.

 Chapter 285 - 285: Oh goodie! Assasins in the city

    From the flower cafe, the word started to spread among the founding families, there were witches among them: witches that were stealing the lives of their children and doing all sorts of other nefarious stuff.


    The further the story spread, the more it was twisted. Some heard that the witches were cutting out children''s hearts and eating them. Others heard that the witches were bathing in baby blood.


    Within an hour, the witches were rumored to have found an elixir for immortality and babies were connected. At the center of the conspiracy, Lindsay Vulcan and Mackie Shuman reigned strong.


    Lindsay was captured by disciples from the founding sect before the hour was up but Mackie was nowhere to be seen.


    The founding sect and council intervened, sending out a communication banning all founding families from discussing the matter in public or sharing it with ordinary people. They threatened grave consequences to those that did.


    But a fire had been lit and putting it out would not be so simple. Suspicions boiled beneath the surface, especially for those who happened to have a baby months after another in the family had lost a child.


    Suddenly, everyone that had lost a child rushed to the Mayfair house, hoping to get an appointment with Phoebe to confirm whether their children had been plotted against or they had died a simple natural death.


    Phoebe had no idea about the fire which her grandmother had started, she was snoring softly, dreaming of her twins at their first birthday. It was a good memory so she was smiling even in her sleep.


    Unknown to her was that in that same city, four Dohwa family assassins that had been hired by a Verdemont to eliminate her had just been apprehended at a private airstrip by two groups that were protecting her in the shadows.


    These hidden protectors were hiding so deep that even with all her abilities, Phoebe had not noticed them.


    Two of the assassins had been captured by the Elithera men and the other two by Midnight''s men. There was a scuffle between the groups as Midnight''s men didn''t want the Elithera''s to take the captives while the Elithera''s were determined to prove why they were the best in the business.


    The scuffle had been going on for a few minutes and it seemed as if there would be no end to it. The assassins were stuck in the middle, being pulled, shoved, pinched and slapped before the real torture could begin.


    Even the assassins were confused, hoping they could escape but that was impossible as they were surrounded. They could only wait for the outcome and endure more pinches and slaps.


    All sides were masked and armed, the only difference between them was in the color of their outfits. One side was in black and the other green.


    "There is no more time to waste, this is Midnight''s territory, hand them over unless you want to start a war with him." The masked leader of the group in black spoke, his voice was deep and threatening.


    "We are only here to help, I need to speak to Midnight. He needs to know that i am here as a friend not a foe, tell him to come by Nouvre apartments, i am sure he will know which room." A fully camouflaged Luna raised her hands in surrender, she also ordered her men to hand the two captives over.


    "I will deliver your message to him, if it pleases him then he will meet you." Midnight''s men and his group vanished with the captives.


    Luna''s people were surprised, it was unlike her to surrender easily. Was she doing it because they were like fish out of water in Citrus or she was afraid of Midnight?


    "God damn it!" Luna stamped her left foot, it was going to be hard to carry out operations in the city if she and Midnight didn''t make some sort of agreement. Why was he even interested in the assassin''s? Was it because they were operating in his territory? She wondered.


    She was treading carefully because she had no idea who the true Midnight was. She was 90% certain that he was related to David Saxon, which was the only reason why she had actually surrendered the assassins for now. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Luna wasted no time in calling Luke to inform him of the new developments. There plan had been to eliminate the assassins and send a warning to the Verdemonts whom they were sure had sent them but it was now ruined.


    She had no plans to give up however, there were other ways to skin the rat.


    "Maybe we should kill the Verdemonts." Came Luna''s suggestion.


    A brittle silence hung on the other end of the line, so profound it seemed to stretch the seconds into hours.


    Then came Luke''s sharp intake of breath, a sound barely audible yet brimming with disbelief.


    "Luna I have told you i am not in the business of killing people! More so carelessly. Which of the Verdemonts are you going to kill then? One? Two? We don''t know which one put a hit on Phoebe."


    Patience was not something that was taught to her but Luna planned to learn it if she was to win Luke over. He was a calculating man unlike her that was impulsive.


    As for his question, Luna was thinking of eliminating all of them but she kept that to herself.


    "How then do you suggested we proceed?" She asked


    "Let''s investigate and find out which of the Verdemonts made the order. You have connections in the Dohwa family use them." He went silent for a fleeting second. "And Luna, don''t kill indiscriminately, the last thing you want is for ghosts coming after you."


    In response Luna smacked her lips. "Each person that I have killed deserved it trust me."


    She had a rule, no innocents, no children and no women unless they deserved it. Luke hung up because he felt like she was never going to understand until it happened to her.


    Luna on the other hand was confident, she had Phoebe, which ghost would dare to touch her?


    She got her phone and looked at a moving tracker that she had secretly planted in one of the assassin''s neck. Her intention was to see where they ended up and if her intervention would be needed again.


    It was yet to be determined on whose side Midnight was, and until she learned who he was and what his intentions were towards Phoebe, she would not surrender.


    "Midnight, Midnight....i will uncover your identity." she whispered into the night.

 Chapter 286 - 286: Burn what now?

    On the Mayfair manor grounds was a group of tall deciduous trees, under those trees was a set of swings that had gone untouched for a long period of time. The swings had been built for Ruth as a young girl and she loved them.


    When she was expelled from the Mayfair family and everything to do with her erased, all that remained were the swings. This was because Ruth had not used them for a long time so nobody thought of them anymore.


    Phoebe had never paid attention to these swings but on this night she did and it was for two reasons. One was the soothing symphony of crickets chirping and hiding under the trees.


    Two was that under the glow of the moonlight and light wind, the swings were slowly moving. To the normal human eye, the wind was pushing the swings, to Phoebe''s shaman eye, two little ghosts were sitting on the swings and the therapist in her red attire was pushing them.


    "Crickets..." Phoebe whispered.


    Here eyes and those of the female ghost met, the ghost smiled, Phoebe did not. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Messengers of good fortune, transformation and spiritual guidance." The Saxon spirit spoke up. "Pheebs, it is important to listen to your inner voice."


    Phoebe and the Saxon spirit were both looking at the therapist ghost. She in particular was more interested in the two little girls, innocent ghosts that had accompanied the therapist.


    What was their story? How had they died? Why had they failed to move on?


    Her inner voice was telling her not to dismiss the therapist ghost so quickly. Even though her request was a taboo, it would not harm her to listen.


    "Tomorrow." she whispered into the wind.


    The wind carried her voice and promise to the adult ghost. She nodded and vanished along with the children.


    Connie chose that moment to pop out of the space. "Sister, i would say that she found your weakness. If every ghost learns that children are your weakness, they will blackmail you."


    "Boss lady..." Santos called out with uncertainty in his voice.


    He was unsure why Phoebe had been standing still for so long and just gazing at the creepy swings that were moving on their own. Obviously, something was there, he had come to pick up on little clues in Phoebe''s body language whenever she saw a ghost.


    Santos was uneasy and shivering, with one hand on the butt of his gun. The cricket sounds, the howling of the wind and the swings moving formed a combination that made him uncomfortable. If anything moved in that direction, he was shooting.


    "Let''s go." Phoebe told him.


    The closer they got to the house, the more puzzled Phoebe was by the sheer volume of cars parked near the entrance of the house. Some were organized carefully and others had been left with doors open.


    Different drivers were working on assisting the Mayfair servants to move the cars.


    "Are we having a party?" she asked herself.


    She added some energy to her eyes and peeked inside the house.


    "If only you had Castille eyes." The Saxon spirit said.


    Phoebe did not dwell on the so called magical Castille eyes that could peek beyond the sky, or so people claimed. She was more troubled by all the guests inside the house and in the gardens.


    Most were women, it seemed and her parents and grandmother were navigating through them expertly. Drinks and snacks were being served by servants, she could smell the cheese even before entering the door.


    She could also hear the sobbing from some corners of the house which conveyed pain and trouble.


    Phoebe stopped at the open front door and faced the butler.


    "Don''t tell me that someone has died." she sighed.


    It felt like Luther had just been buried yesterday, Phoebe was not eager to attend another funeral.


    "Its...." the butler started.


    "Pheebs, my good goddaughter, thank God that you are here." A deep voice bellowed.


    "Oh no!" The Saxon spirit exclaimed.


    It was too late to save Phoebe from the tenacious claws of Army general Drusus that grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into the house.


    He had cookie crumbs on his collar and cheek but seemed not too eager to wipe them. In his eyes was a very excited sharp glint and he started questioning her immediately.


    "Is it true that Mackie Shuman ate Liz Guzman''s children?"


    Phoebe planted her feet down and frowned, very puzzled. "Wait, what?"


    General Drusus pulled her along forcefully, taking her deeper into the house, thrusting her in the midst of all the unexpected guests. As soon as they saw her, they pounced on her like hungry lions, shouting for her to help them in various ways.


    Phoebe''s head started to spin as she could barely understand what they were all struggling to shout over each other.


    The news of Phoebe''s arrival spread to the gardens and all those outside rushed inside, growing the crowd in the hallway and living room by leaps and bounds.


    Phoebe was caught in the middle of the crowd, reminding her of the situation at that music carnival when they went to save Valerie.


    She did not like crowds so she did not like this one bit.


    Suddenly, the sound of a gun being fired was heard and for a moment, silence captured the room. Uncertainty filled that silence as everyone wondered who had fired the gun.


    Some people hid behind chairs, others squatted down and some squealed softly but the desired intention of Santos was achieved, they all calmed down.


    "Okay, we will have order or everybody will be evicted." Andre showed up like a hero and made his way through the guests with a megaphone in hand. "My sweet little sister has just returned home after a long day of work, let''s begin by giving her some space and moving to the parlor."


    The servants were already prepared to act and they led the guests away quickly, giving Phoebe room to breathe. General Drusus was like a mountain, he would not be moved and he stuck to Phoebe like glue.


    "General...." Andre started.


    The general responded by dismissing Andre with a gesture of his hand.


    "Boy, if you think you can move me try your best and i will show you why i earned all of my stars and stripes." he threatened.


    "Okay.." Andre muttered and backed off.


    Edward, Jennie and grandma Mayfair showed up, breathing in relief when they saw that Phoebe was okay. Jennie hugged Phoebe, as did Edward.


    "Sweetie, you have no idea what kind of chaos has erupted." Jennie said.


    "It''s the Guzman issue." Edward said and he lowered gently at his mother.


    Grandma Mayfair looked away from them, hiding the embarrassment on her face. This mess was her fault after all.


    "Pheebs," she turned her head back. "I am sorry, i told a few people about Mackie and Eliza and the story spread. More people just kept showing up and things spun out of control and now that wretched Dorothy Cook wants to burn people at the stake."


    "I am sorry, burn what now?" Phoebe''s jaw almost dropped.


    "Burn the witches at the stake." General Drusus shared eagerly. "They want to begin with Mackie Shuman and Lindsay Vulcan. Dorothy Cook is not even sure if her child was killed as a result of this essence, surrogacy whatever magic." He put a hand on Phoebe''s shoulder. "Girl, even president Inglewood wants to know more about this matter. His Iona sister recently lost a baby and the cause of death was undetermined. With all these rumors circulating now, let''s just say shit is about to hit the roof."

 Chapter 287 - 287: To burn the witches or fight.

    Old lady Mayfair and Jennie sat Phoebe down, narrating to her all that had happened and what had led to the uninvited guests in their home.


    She did not forget to talk about Dorothy Cook and conveniently drop in the fact that she had destroyed grandpa Mayfair''s beloved fountain and laughed like a demon while doing it.


    By the time Phoebe and the rest of the Mayfair''s joined the guests in the parlor, she was on team we don''t like Dorothy Cook.


    The guests had been arranged to sit while facing the front as if they were in a meeting or an auction. The parlor could fill up to one hundred eighty people and it was full to the brim.


    Phoebe went all the way to the front, and she stood close to the center, next to the seat of the family matriarch. Her expression was clam and her gaze unwavering as she looked out at the guests. Her eyes were between gray and black, lending her an air of mystery, like she could see beyond the physical realm.


    All of this was deliberate, an air of mysticism lent to her by the Saxon spirit so that she could command respect from all of these guests who came from affluent founding families.


    It worked because many people felt uneasy just by looking into her eyes. It did not help when the lights in the room flickered and the windows opened without being touched.


    Phoebe snapped her fingers and candles were instantly lit, then she and old lady Mayfair lit some sage as well. She went around the room, placing down stones and salt, to create a protective circle. Their movements were deliberate and graceful each step imbued with purpose.


    They returned to their positions and Phoebe sat down in the chair which was meant for the matriarch at her grandmother''s insistence. In this moment, she was the ultimate authority in the house.


    Something else shifted, an aura of authority surrounded Phoebe, inspiring fear and awe from the guests. They could tell that she was different, miles beyond them.


    Edward and grandma Mayfair could not have been more proud, even the Saxon spirit and grandma Saxon that had come for the fun of it were feeling the same way.


    "I have heard about why you all are here, the first thing i am going to clear up is the burning of the witches. There will be no such thing."


    Her voice was soft but powerful, carrying a punch that shook many. There were those however that only saw her as a young woman that had no authority and chose to challenge her standing to make such a decision. Dorothy Cook was one of them.


    "Who are you to make such a decision on behalf of the rest of us?"


    "I am a shaman, and a citizen of Fog country. The witch trials are a thing of the past, many innocent men and women were killed as a result of hysteria and baseless accusations."


    Dorothy stood up and pointed at Phoebe. "But this is not baseless, you yourself found Mackie Shuman guilty of stealing the life of her sister''s children. She even admitted it and said Lindsay Vulcan introduced her into witchcraft. Everyone hear heard it from your grandmother, straight from the horse''s mouth were the words she used."


    "I said no such thing..: grandma Mayfair denied strongly.


    A few whispers started to move around the room.


    "Is it true or false?"


    "Are they changing the story now?"


    Old lady Mayfair banged her walking cane on the ground twice. "To be precise, i said that Mackie Shuman confessed that Lindsay Vulcan introduced her to an evil shaman in Magic city that cast the spell. I did not call Mackie or Lindsay witches, you did that Dorothy Cook."


    Once again, whispers went around and a lot of the women nodded, agreeing with old lady Mayfair.


    "I can testify to that." Missy Castille shouted, with one hand raised up.


    "Me too." someone else said.


    More women confirmed what old lady Mayfair had said, including grandma Saxon. S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe smiled. "You are too presumptuous Mrs. Cook, be careful or someday your tongue will be ripped out if you offend the wrong person."


    Dorothy Cook''s eyes bulged and she glared at Phoebe. "You are threatening me, don''t think that i am a fool. The old one has recruited the young one to fight her battles." She pointed from old lady Mayfair to Phoebe.


    "Old one! I am physically more attractive than you Dorothy Cook and i will die with my tongue in my mouth." Old Lady Mayfair scoffed.


    Despite the fact that this was not the reason for gathering, many ladies still found themselves enjoying the exchange of words.


    "Are you calling me ugly?" Dorthy questioned.


    "If the shoe fits." Old lady Mayfair turned her nose up pretentiously and responded.


    Everyone could easily tell that the relationship between the two women was simply irreconcilable.


    "Enough!" general Drusus exploded.


    He was here to get answers and nothing else. For heaven sake, his men were disguised as servants and live streaming the meeting to the president of Fog country. The president was certainly not interested in the squabbles of the wealthy wives of the founding lane.


    General Drusus was wrong, the president and his wife were very much enjoying what had the makings to be a reality TV show. They were even eating ice cream and giggling.


    President Inglewood''s wife Lauren did not like Dorothy Cook and she was so much enjoying her take down and cheering on grandma Mayfair.


    She took the phone through which the president was communicating with general Drusus and gave her own order.


    "Let them fight for another minute, it''s fun."


    General Drusus chuckled, it was fun indeed. "Go on old lady Mayfair, i believe that you were at the part were the shoe fits which means Dorothy Cook is indeed not as beautiful as you and she hit on Cillian three times but he rejected her at all turns because he was already married to you."


    Connie burst into laughter, her clear voice stunning everyone in the room while Phoebe''s jaw dropped. Was Drusus helping or throwing oil onto the flames?


    Even Amon that was disguised in the back groaned. He knew it, his uncle was here to create trouble.


    Grandma Mayfair glared at Dorothy and Dorothy glared at the general.


    "She hit on Cillian when he was married, oh my gosh!" someone exclaimed.


    "Ho-ho....Mrs. prim and proper has dark secrets, i should hide my husband from her."


    Dorothy opened her mouth and screamed, "I was drunk....i was drunk..."


    "All three times." General Drusus questioned. "Wow, Dorothy, i did not expect you to have a taste for the bottle. You realize that the excuse does not make you look any better, right?"


    A few chuckles went around the room.


    "I knew i didn''t like you for a good reason, i will deal with you later Dorothy. No...we should burn you first you witch." Old Mayfair suggested.


    Dorothy gasped and threw her purse to the front, aiming for old lady Mayfair. It hit sixteen year old Sarah Miller on the back of her head. She cried out loudly and her mother Ashley Miller who was famous for her quick throw downs when angered turned around, fists clenched.


    "Don''t come, don''t come..." Dorothy nervously said.

 Chapter 288 - 288: The fifteen.

    Some people started to make way for Ashley while others looked around for nearest safety zone. Ashley was a two time boxing champion, you did not want to be in her way when she was looking for a fight.


    "Okay, enough, as much fun as this is, i would rather know what is going on, how true it is and what can be done about it." the first lady told the general.


    Obeying the words of the first lady, general Drusus stepped in and stopped the fight. With one glowering from him, Mrs. Ashley Miller settled down but she still sent a sharp look to Mrs. Dorothy Cook, a look that promised the fight was not over.


    As exciting as the little exchange was, everyone was ready for the real thing and Phoebe went straight to business.


    "I will repeat myself, there will no burning of anybody, our Mayfair family will not be involved in such actions. What will the rest of the world think of the founding families when they hear of such things?


    We live in a civilized world, one monitored by CCTV''s at every corner. Most people do not even believe in magic and witchcraft anymore, how do you plan to explain your actions if you burn those two women? Not only will you end up being branded as a murderer but you will also spend the rest of your life in an insane asylum."


    Phoebe paused and looked around, meeting some of the uncomfortable eyes in the audience. There were those that agreed with Dorothy Cook, they were just too afraid to share their opinions.


    "Do not use fears of the past to muddy the present, it is not worth it. Moving on, Mackie Shuman and Lindsay Vulcan are indeed guilty of partaking in evil. I cannot speak for Lindsay but Mackie confessed and i personally solved Eliza Guzman''s trouble. For those that do not believe you can visit the Guzman''s and witness for yourselves that her new born baby is alive and healthy."


    Wondrous whispers went around and some people made a note to visit Eliza. Some had tried but the Guzman''s and Shuman''s had sealed off an entire floor in the hospital to keep out visitors. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Some of you here are believers, others are not." her gaze pierced some of the people in the room. The faint hearted ones could not take it and they looked down or away. "I do not care if you believe or not, it neither adds nor takes anything away from me. Now...." Phoebe stood up. "I have only an hour to offer help, i am exhausted and you have imposed yourselves on my family without a proper appointment so let''s move fast. Those that need my help, move to one side of the room, and approach one by one. The non believers, that are here for fun, don''t interfere."


    The Mayfairs and their servants got to work with surprising help from general Drusus. A line was formed with Quinn Vulcan being pushed to the front. It was no surprise that she had come to the meeting, she was the biggest spectacle of the night.


    She approached Phoebe and lowered herself to her knees, which shocked those that were waiting. Phoebe too was surprised, there was a chair, why had Quinn chosen to kneel?


    "Two children, i have lost two." Quinn said softly with tears running down her eyes already.


    Quinn had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, one that had been growing with every passing minute since the news about Mackie and Lindsay spread.


    Phoebe took Quinn''s palms and looked at them. Then, she looked at her face and her stomach. A dark cloud had amassed, coming from within.


    She nodded and a gut wrenching cry burst forth from deep within Quinn. It was filled with raw motion and pain that resonated with some other people in the room.


    The whispers started to travel and an odd excitement filled the room.


    "Come and see me at my cafe or i can come to your home, you need a cleansing ritual." Phoebe told her.


    Jennie helped Quinn up and the next person approached. For that one, it was a false case.


    "Your child was born with the umbilical cord wrapped around the neck. There was no foul play."


    She moved away and the next stepped in.


    "Your baby was still born, and you already knew that." Phoebe sighed.


    She looked at the line while scratching the lobe of her left ear.


    "If your baby has a defined cause of death, please don''t waste my time and that of others."


    She did not want to spend more time that necessary so she got up and decided to walk, picking out those that genuinely needed help. The Saxon spirit also volunteered to be helpful.


    Phoebe started separating people, creating a third group, some even found themselves being pushed into the third group by an invisible force.


    The third group was eventually made up of fifteen people.


    "What''s up with the third line?"


    "What is going on? What is shoving people?"


    "This is freaky, i am going home."


    "Everyone else can leave, only they get to stay." Phoebe announced, pointing to the fifteen.


    It was obvious that everyone that had been asked to stay behind had a problem of some kind. They were all women and Sarah Miller was the youngest.


    What they all did not understand was why Sarah Miller had been included. She was only sixteen and as far as they knew she had never been pregnant.


    Why then was she among the fifteen? They started jumping to conclusions immediately and only stayed silent out of fear for Mrs. Ashley Miller.


    While the guests were sent away, general Drusus was communicating with the president who was fuming. His sister Iona that was in disguise was among the fifteen and he wanted answers.


    Who was brave enough to harm the sister of the president?


    "Drusus, i think it''s time we form a new supernatural government aided hunting team like the one Cillian Mayfair used to run.


    You know the details better than me, i am commanding you to draw up a plan immediately. Oh...rope in the shaman, she is good at sniffing out the evil done by her own kind."


    General Drusus looked at Phoebe with anxiety in his eyes. She was sending off the fifteen after telling them about a cleansing ritual.


    Drusus was well aware that Cillian never wanted his family involved in the supernatural world, especially not as hunters. If they dragged Phoebe into that world, wouldn''t that old vengeful bastard reach out from the grave and strangle him?


    ****


    Dorothy Cook was not among the fifteen and she was unwilling to accept the results. The only acceptable cause of death for her daughter was the witches and she guessed that Phoebe was being deliberately unhelpful because old lady Mayfair had instigated her.


    She didn''t care about the law or modern society, the witches had to be burned. Even that Phoebe Mayfair was a witch, she was just in disguise.


    Dorothy Cook left the Mayfair grounds and went in search of President Rex. Phoebe did not get the final say on the matter, the founding council did.


    The witches would burn no matter what the Mayfair''s said and if they got in her way, they would burn along with the rest.


    The wind howled strongly and the sky got darker, there was a heaviness in the air. Rain was coming, it would be a long night for the founding families. Embers of the past were flickering.

 Chapter 289 - 289: An unusual arrest.

    Elsewhere, inside Alfa securities, in the room where Elizabeth and Aaron Gabriel had once endured torture, new guests had arrived.


    Roman and his knife were ready and eager to get to work, he was being assisted by Arrow Castille whose turn up had been unexpected.


    The red eyed man was simply bored and Luna''s arrival plus the assassins had provided a new entertainment source.


    In the monitoring room, David was quietly observing with a unfathomable look in his eyes. On the keyboard at the desk where he was sitting lay a book on the different ways to torture a human being.


    David had read the book from front to back, at the back Roman had added some creative torture methods he had come up with.


    "Bring the chains and string them up." David spoke into a microphone. "Let''s begin." he added.


    Roman and Arrow, aided by three other men got to work and soon the screams started, but beyond the walls of Alfa security, nothing was heard.


    ******


    The next morning as Phoebe prepared to leave for work after filling up on a milkshake which Maria delivered to her bedroom, she was sent for. Edward sent Maria to escort her downstairs.


    Maria waited patiently outside the bedroom door after knocking twice. She always respected Phoebe''s privacy and never wantonly barged into the bedroom without permission.


    "I''ll be down in a minute." Phoebe responded from inside in a breathy voice as she struggled to put on her tight jeans.


    The ill fitting jeans were a reminder that she had gained about 4 to 5 pounds, a thing that delighted Jennie so much.


    Jennie was on a mission to fatten Phoebe up because she thought her daughter was unfashionably skinny. Words that she had used which confused Phoebe very much.


    But these pounds that she had gained were a reminder that she needed new clothes, better fitting ones.


    "Phew!" She wiped invisible sweat and sat on on the bedside stool for a minute before rushing downstairs while shouting for her father.


    "Dad, daddy, father, papa....."


    When she found him, he wasn''t alone, the entire family had gathered in the foyer with a team of three police officers including Shark.


    She had not seen Shark in person for a while, he had been busy with other cases that did not involve ghosts. Phoebe wondered why he had come to her home. It certainly wasn''t to ask for her help because he would not have come with other officers if that was the case.


    Her second suspicion was that he was there because one of the fifteen ladies had perhaps reported the baby killing surrogacy matter to the police but as far as she knew the founding council had put a ban on the matter, stopping them all from taking it public.


    There was no way somebody had gone to the police to report a crime of witchcraft when it could not be proven. They would be risking having their family punished or even removed from the founding families.


    "You have no idea how glad I am that you are okay Pheebs. I have been calling your phone but its unavailable. " Shark''s formerly tense face relaxed.


    "Why wouldn''t I be? My battery died yesterday night but i am charging my phone right now. What''s going on?" She moved to stand in between her brothers, she felt safest with them.


    If the officers had come to condemn her about something or take her away they wouldn''t let them do so, especially Collin. It wasn''t a figment of her imagination, former police officers Sully and Amaro had once arrested her illegally.


    "There was an attempt to hurt you last night dear." Came Grandma Mayfair''s almost inaudible voice.


    On hearing her grandmother''s words, Phoebe took a step forward. "What do you mean? Was it one of the ladies that were here last night?"


    The Saxon spirit shook its head. "It cannot be, those poor women were too devastated all they did was cry."


    "No not them." Jenny became hysterical immediately. "It''s because of that damn foundation! You shouldn''t have taken it."


    Edward moved to calm her by holding her trembling hand.


    Phoebe put one and two together and figured out that it was the Verdemonts. "Was it Ekhart and Emilia? They hate me the most."


    Shaking his head vehemently, Shark said no. "It was Gloria Verdemont and her eldest son, Peter. They hired assassins from the Dohwa family. The four men walked into the station freely and confessed."


    "What?" Luke couldn''t contain his shock. According to the information Luna had shared, Midnight had taken the assassins. So how come the men had willingly walked into a police station and confessed their crime? "Are you sure it''s the assassins from the Dowha family?"


    He suspected that Midnight had maybe swapped the assassins, it was simply impossible for them to voluntarily turn themselves in. Dohwa assassins all took vows to die if they happened to be arrested, they had poison capsules in their teeth to ensure this.


    Luna had injected them all with something to neutralize the poison when they were captured. But with their training, they were the kind to throw themselves off a building, stab themselves, smash their heads into walls. They would do anything as long as it resulted in death.


    Shark looked at his phone, he was receiving regular updates on the case.


    "Yes i am certain, they told us so themselves. Mr. David pulled some strings and got general Drusus involved. Politics has intervened in the matter and as of this morning, pressure is being applied on Silver nation authorities to step in and do something about the Dohwa family.


    It will not be easy of course because the Dohwa''s are almost as strong as the Elithera''s. We have to wait and see how things progress."


    Phoebe tried her best to recall Gloria and Peter Verdemont. Out of all the crazy bunch they were the most quiet and barely submitted anything. To think that the rabbit was biting before the lion!!


    "What happens next?" she asked.


    "We need you to come with us and make a statement detailing any fights and disagreements between you and them. Also the commissioner was suggesting that you are given police protection but...." Shark''s lips curled to the side


    "I already have enough of that, believe me." Phoebe interjected. "What about the Verdemonts? What if they try to hurt me again or my family?"


    She watched Andre squeezing the protection ring that she gave him. His jaw was clenched so hard, he was really angry.


    "We are going to deal with this our way." The Saxon spirit told Phoebe. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She could not agree more, it was time to put the Verdemonts to bed.


    Shark scratched his head, his eyes were suddenly laced with confusion. "That''s the bizarre part, on our way here a frantic Paul Verdemont personally delivered his wife and son to the station. He strongly claimed that he knew nothing of what they had done."


    "Why? That''s very unlike him." Collin''s brows pulled together.


    A sigh came free from Shark''s mouth. "I was as confused as you are, he said something about how it''s the only way the rest of his children can stay alive. In fact as we speak the most of the older generation Verdemont''s fled Fog country during the late night. It''s almost as though something is chasing them out."


    Phoebe chewed on the insides of her mouth and laughed on the inside. Who else but Luna was crazy enough to go after the Verdemont''s without a second thought?

 Chapter 290 - 290: No such thing as a coincidence

    The Saxon spirit had the same guess as Phoebe and it approved of Luna wholly.


    "I guess we don''t have to do anything anymore, the younger generation of the Verdermont''s is willing to kiss your ass. Those older ones were the problem, however no matter where they run, that Luna girl will not let them live peaceful lives."


    "They cannot hide anyway, they have to report to Mr. Cornwell in person or through a call in order to receive the monthly allowance Mr. Luther left them." Sylvester dropped in a reminder.


    Shark looked at the time and the door, he appeared to be impatient.


    "We should go now, the deputy police commissioner general is waiting and so is an aide from the Fog national presidential palace. I have been told that general Drusus might be joining us as well. Like i said, the matter has grown big, beyond a simple assassination."


    With all the new parties involved, Edward decided that Phoebe''s business could not be delayed anymore.


    "Go with Collin."


    "I..." Andre started.


    "Not you." Edward and Jennie spoke up together.


    Both parents had not forgotten the little mess in Magic city which resulted in Phoebe''s hand being bandaged.


    "You are a public figure, the moment you are photographed at a police station and word gets out, your fans and paparazzi will rush over. Your sister doesn''t need that kind of trouble." Edward added.


    Andre was reluctant but he did not have much of a choice.


    "My princess, be careful," Edward gently ruffled Phoebe''s hair.


    Without hesitation, Phoebe and Collin followed Shark and the other detectives to the police station.


    Outside the station, on arrival Phoebe noticed that reporters had already gathered. Some were waiting inside their vans, others were loitering outside and a few were hurdled in a circle, eating some pastries and drinking coffee as they discussed the issue which had brought them.


    She hesitated to step out of the mini van because in her mind, she could picture the headlines in which once again she would no doubt feature. Hastily she took the black sunglasses which Andre had given her and placed them over her eyes.


    "You don''t need to worry Pheebs, the press doesn''t know the details about you being the target of the assassins. They just caught wind of some arrests made and the Verdemont name. Most of them actually think that it might be related to Linda or Brandon''s case." Shark spoke after noticing her fidgeting with her fingers endlessly.


    "Nothing sells more news than a founding family scandal." Collin muttered.


    A small, unbidden smile tugged at the corners of Phoebe''s lips. Her eyes that were clouded with worry now shimmered with a quiet calm.


    The electric door of the car slid open and Phoebe sighed.


    "The last thing I want is to be back in the news." she whined.


    "That''s wishful thinking dear, you are a powerful shaman, a Saxon''s woman and above all a Mayfair. Even what you wear makes headlines." Grandma Mayfair said. S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Her presence was unexpected as only Collin had been allowed to come with her to the police station. But then again, Edward could not control his mother.


    Shark snapped his fingers once. "Old lady Mayfair is right, if they see you here then they will automatically pounce on you. Let''s use the back entrance." He suggested.


    Grandma Mayfair stepped into the van and it went around to the parking which was reserved for police cars and VIP''s. Like thieves in the night, they moved subtly towards the back door but after just a few steps they heard a camera click with a crisp and mechanical sound followed by the faint whir of the shutter resetting.


    "What the hell!" Phoebe spoke as her head bobbed strongly. She whirled around just like everyone else only for her eyes to fall on the famous reporter Heinz.


    "Dude delete those pictures right now." Shark requested politely but sternly. He had known Heinz for years in fact their relationship had transitioned into a friendship.


    They had a cordial working relationship, each using the other to get what they needed. However, in this case, it was an agreed upon plan. Shark knew better than to mess up national affairs.


    A victorious smile formed on Heinz''s lips." So you guys are really hiding from those reporters at the front. Anyway let''s not complicated matters, just give me something juicy. Why is Phoebe Mayfair here?"


    Shark ordered the officers to escort the Mayfairs inside, they obliged but the Mayfair''s would not budge.


    "You know that she is a consultant here, nothing special is going on here." Shark took a few steps closer and made an attempt to grab the camera.


    "It''s nothing special yet she is here with Collin and the old lady? Seems like something extremely special to me." Heinz laughed mockingly.


    The Saxon spirit sneered, it was done with listening to the persistent journalist. "Let me get some sleeping dust."


    "Wait! that''s a bit of an extreme measure? Heinz is one of the most intelligent and quick-witted journalists in all of Fog country. It''s best not to arouse his suspicions for such small matters." Phoebe stopped the spirit.


    "We can just knock him out with a punch, we are ghosts, he won''t see us anyway." Sylvester suggested.


    "No, he will surely become more curious about me." She argued.


    Connie hovered to where Heinz was. "So what if he becomes curious?"


    "I know people like him, he will start stalking me, investigating me deeply for an expose and that''s not good for business." Phoebe made a warning signal at Connie who was about to tickle Heinz.


    Collin meanwhile stuffed a wad of bills into Shark''s hands. "Come on Shark just give him something, why are you behaving like an amateur? You know how these things work, right?" Collin gave Heinz a side eye.


    Heinz overheard and he shook his head vehemently. "No way! The name Phoebe Mayfair brings in some of the highest ratings and payday lately." He said, his words caused Phoebe to curl her lips upwards and he noticed.


    "Okay fine I know that you are here because of the bones that were found in Molding kids playground, isn''t that right? Did you help the police to find them like you found Linda?" His curious eyes met her surprised ones.


    Shark spoke first, he had no clue as to what Heinz he was talking about. "Bones at a children''s play ground? What are you talking about Heinz?" He scratched the top of his head.


    Frown lines formed on his forehead as he had not yet heard of anything of the kind.


    "Come on Shark I already heard from my source that the police found small bones this morning. Don''t tell me that you don''t know? You look like you have no idea about this, i thought that''s why the shaman came here, to speak to the ghosts or something." Heinz right brow shot up as his eyes shifted from a clueless Shark to a stunned Phoebe.


    "Listen dude, I already told you Miss Mayfair is here on official police business. So delete the picture and I promise that I will give you an exclusive on that bones story." Shark made a good bargain which Heinz agreed to.


    They entered the station and once inside, Phoebe spotted a red suit that she could identify miles away. It was the psychologist from the Sanderson mental wellness institute that she had promised to talk to today.


    "She wants to kill a child and bones were found at a children''s playground. This can''t be a coincidence." The Saxon spirit sighed heavily.

 Chapter 291 - 291: Did she call the president crazy?

    Whatever was going on with the ghost sounded a lot more interesting than the statement she was required to make. Phoebe''s right leg turned and her whole body pivoted in the direction of the ghost.


    She did not make it far, not even a single step was taken.


    "This way." Shark nudged her gently to gain her attention.


    Phoebe had no choice but to stop and follow the detective.


    "Like I said earlier, in there waiting is the deputy police commissioner general, general Drusus and an aide from the Fog national presidential palace." He spoke as they walked towards an office. "Pheebs, i know that you are normally blunt and out spoken but try to be polite in there. Do not antagonize the aide, i beg you."


    Phoebe was only partially listening and her eyes kept shifting back to the ghost, it was now following a female detective that was rushing into another conference room with a set of pictures in her hand.


    Phoebe wondered what was in the pictures for the ghost seemed anxious.


    "Do you think she has something to do with the case?" Phoebe communicated with the ancestor.


    Both of them saw the ghost vanish into the conference room. It settled the matter for them both from a coincidence to a confirmation.


    The Saxon spirit studied the ghost as well. "I still cannot sense anything sinister coming from her but go in there and deal with the Dowha assassins situation. I will follow the ghost and find out more." It abandoned their group and vanished into a wall.


    "Are you okay?" Collin asked.


    Phoebe nodded, her eyes hid a storm of worries however. Dead children__ she hated such cases and avoided them as much as possible. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The faces of her sons were conjured up in her mind, prompting her to dig her nails in her palms in order to stay sane.


    The door of the office opened and Shark pushed Phoebe inside. The people they had come to meet were waiting, two older men and a woman. Some Phoebe knew by face and others by reputation. All were sitting around a round table except for David who was standing and beckoned her to go to him.


    Phoebe was pleasantly surprised to see him and she went towards him without hesitation. He pulled out a chair for her while making introductions.


    After the greetings and introductions were made, they got down to business but it was not in the way Phoebe expected.


    "For a young shaman, you have surely attracted the attention of powerful people. You must be something if Dohwa assassins were sent after you, what exactly did you do to the Verdemont''s?" The aide from the presidential palace smiled curiously.


    She was a woman in her late forties pushing to the fifties. Phoebe had seen her on TV maybe once or twice.


    "I did not do anything that is worth being assassinated for. What we have are disagreements, it comes with the job, unfortunately some powerful people do not want to use their brains to think." Phoebe let out a jagged laugh, deep down she was a little nervous.


    The people in the room with her were powerful after all and the deputy police commissioner general was lowering at her like they had a personal grudge.


    David squeezed her shoulders to remind her that she had nothing to worry about. "Inhale deeply and exhale." he whispered.


    "Mr Mayfair." The aide nodded once in recognition of Collin. "Your father just called me, he is worried about this little shaman here. You all have nothing to worry about, we are not going to eat her. In fact I have some good news."


    Her words caused their eyes to flicker over her, some quick and darting others bold and steady.


    "Already? You already heard back from the Silver nation? How come I have heard nothing yet, this is a matter of national security." General Drusus sounded a little displeased.


    "National security?" Phoebe thought out loud, since when had this escalated to that level?


    General Drusus nodded. "Yes it is! Assassins from the Silver nation sneaked into our country to harm a citizen. A lot of international laws were undermined by this act. What was done can end the cordial relationship of the two countries maybe even cause animosity which can lead to a war."


    "What!" The Mayfair''s and Shark said in unison.


    Phoebe chuckled in disbelief. "A war! Have you lost your minds? Are you all nuts, war is not child''s play."


    Shark''s head darted to Phoebe first and he wished to silence her. This was the kind of outspokenness he had warned her about. You did not call the army general, presidential palace aide and deputy police commissioner general nuts!!! Hell, matters of war were related to the president so in a way, Phoebe had called the president nuts.


    "Err.. Pheebs let''s not push it." Collin tugged on his sister''s arm.


    Phoebe slapped it away. "Big brother, are you hearing them? You also think it''s crazy, right? Who advised the president on this insanity?"


    "Pheebs!" Collin called out in a raised voice.


    "I think it''s crazy." David agreed.


    Collin glared at him, his eyes told David to keep quiet and stop overly indulging Phoebe.


    "He does not speak for all of us but my sister does not mean it an insult, just an expression of shock." Collin clarified.


    "Yes, that one." Shark emphasized loudly.


    The aide raised her arms to calm everyone.


    "It will not get to that folks so everyone calm down. We are not crazy or nuts, we just applied a lot of pressure to the Silver nation to make sure that the guilty party which is the Dowha family in this case suffer the consequences for their actions. It''s not necessarily because of you Phoebe, the Dohwa''s are getting too arrogant recently because the first lady of Silver nation is from their family. They made a move on our submarines in the West sea recently, this was a chance for us to retaliate."


    "And?" General Drusus interjected, he was very eager to hear how the Silver nation had decided to deal with the situation.


    "Well they agreed to our terms which include arresting whom ever gave the assassins instructions to attack Phoebe Mayfair and that is Kim Dohwa who has been a pain in our ass for so long. Also we were given rights to imprison the assassins who are Silver nation citizens. Believe me, this is a humiliation for them."


    David snapped his fingers. "So that means that they will be tried by our courts along with Gloria and Peter Verdemont?"


    "Yes. That''s why we need Phoebe Mayfair to make a statement on the matter. Leave nothing out for it could help in getting them a heavier sentence and prevent any extraction deals."


    "Phew! I have never felt more relieved." Collin leaned back in the chair. "I wonder what they gave the Dowha family in exchange of them taking on such a risky deal. The Verdemonts are dead broke."


    "A kidney." Came David''s shocking revelation. "Gloria Verdemont promised to have one of her kidneys extracted once the job was done." He added.


    "My God! She''s insane." Phoebe''s hand moved to cover her open mouth.


    "No she isn''t, a kidney on the black market can go up to around a four to five hundred thousand Fog dollars. It was good business." The deputy chief exhaled loudly.


    Collin frowned at David. "How did you know that?"


    David''s face remained blank. "I just do." He shrugged, his eyes bored into Collin''s.


    "That''s it then, I''ll get going, we all just wanted to meet you and see where your head was. Since you are willing to press charges and testify then everything is good." The aide raised to her feet and was escorted out by the deputy chief and general Drusus.


    "Pheebs, let''s get started on that statement." Shark escorted Phoebe to the victim interview room where Phoebe surrendered all the details and answered all the questions which were asked by four different detectives. She even took a polygraph test.


    "I guess that''s it." Shark closed the laptop and switched off the camera.


    The Saxon spirit had been waiting in the corner for them to finish up. It rushed to Phoebe immediately with a very grim expression on the face.


    "It''s worse that we imagined, we have to take the case."

 Chapter 292 - 292: Hanna Scorpio, Sharks nemesis.

    Phoebe judged from the eyes of the Saxon spirit that it was bad; bad enough to make an already pale centuries old ghost even paler.


    The spirit did not stick around and it left again which added more urgency to the problem at hand. She turned her head to the detective that was on his phone texting.


    "Shark, that case Heinz was talking about, steal it, it''s ours so go grab it now using any means necessary and let''s get started."


    His eyes widened for about five seconds as processed what she meant. The case Phoebe was talking about had already been assigned to another detective but if weird spooky stuff and ghosts were involved, it would end up a cold one. The case had already caught the eyes of Heinz, it would likely evolve into something big.


    "Understood." He struggled to hide his smile but he could not even stop his carnivorous teeth from showing through the small groan.


    He knew that by the time he closed it his face would be on the front page of all news papers and he would be rewarded with a heavy bonus. He moved ahead quickly in search of the detective that had been assigned the case and to find out more details about the case.


    Phoebe returned to the interview room and sat down because she knew that he would be back soon. While she was waiting, she replied to the texts from her parents and brothers that wanted to know how things had gone.


    Her father wanted to know if the aide had given her trouble and her mother wanted to know if she had pissed off anyone else.


    "Who does she think i am?" Phoebe muttered.


    "I don''t think her question is far fetched considering the reasons why we are here." Connie said.


    The teenage ghost was looking over Phoebe''s shoulder at her texts.


    "So, what do you think happened? I am dying to know what this case is about." Connie asked.


    The door opened, hitting the wall with a thud and making Phoebe jump up slightly. In walked David and Collin, grandma Mayfair followed a little slower. Three seconds later, a fuming Shark walked into the open room.


    "What is it?" Phoebe asked, from the look on the detective''s agitated face she could tell that something was wrong. It was 80% likely that he had failed.


    In response, Shark twisted his lips. "The case was assigned to Hanna Scorpio, there is no way that competitive witch is going to hand it over to me. Maybe we should let this one go Pheebs."


    It was surprising to hear Shark give up on something. It was very unlike him. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "So steal it then! Shark it''s important you take the case because it''s ghost related." Phoebe stared at him, her eyes laced with a mix of shock and surprise with a little annoyance.


    Stealing cases from other detectives was his thing, his trademark for heavens sake!


    Shark winced. "If it was any other detective, then it could be an easy steal but not Hanna. The moment she knows that I have interest in the case she won''t let go. She is as stubborn as a mule, in fact she has stolen several of my cases since she was transferred here a few weeks ago.


    That witch stole my chicken sandwich and my yogurt, worse though, she stole my official police issued vehicle and cheated me out of my opportunity to throw out the first pitch at the Green tiger''s baseball match next month. I have never met a glory hound like her, she is my nemesis. I hate that witch...ooooh."


    Shark complained vehemently and groaned, he seemed like he was reporting Hanna to Phoebe with the expectation that she would do something about the matter.


    "So what do we do?" Phoebe asked.


    "We can put a spell on her, or use a forgetfulness talisman. We have never made one but it''s in the book." Connie made a suggestion.


    Collin sighed softly, his eyes shifted to look at the time on his wrist watch. "Let us wait for the deputy commissioner, he owes me a favor. He will transfer the case to Shark no questions asked." He lifted his chin, believing that he had saved the day.


    David let out a sharp and jarred laughter, he was about to become the bigger savior. "Hanna, do you mean Hanna Scorpio?" He asked although he knew the answer already.


    "Yeah, you know her?" Shark asked, his brows pulled together.


    "Of course i do, as a matter of fact let me just text her right now." David pulled out his phone, typed and sent the message.


    While they were waiting, Connie started to giggle as if she had discovered a secret. Phoebe did not even bother to ask and let the girl chuckle as she pleased.


    Less than a minute later, a pixie-faced appeared in the open door way and scoffed the minute she set her eyes on Shark.


    "Hello Hanna." David greeted her with a brief wave of his hand.


    The pause was very brief because of the glare Phoebe shot him. Just like he had retrieved his wave David did the same to his smile.


    Hanna Scorpio stepped inside, unknown to her a ghost was right on her heels, one which smiled in relief on seeing Phoebe.


    Hanna first looked around the room, observing everyone inside briefly. She was like Shark, familiar with the faces of the big wigs in the city so she recognized them all.


    She nodded at them briefly before turning to David.


    "Mr. Saxon, how can I help you sir?" Detective Hanna smiled.


    "I will go straight to the point Scorpio, it''s about the case that you have been assigned, can you give it to Shark? I will owe you one."


    Shark snorted, he was ready for her to say no.


    "Sure, nothing beats owing a Saxon in this country. It looks like it''s about to be a cold case anywhere, there are no leads at all. An accident if you asked me." Hanna spoke nonchalantly.


    Amazed, Shark''s jaw dropped on the floor. "Just like that? You are not going to make any demands, make smart remarks or brag?"


    "No, a Saxon owes me a favor, the way i see it, i have been rewarded." Hanna turned and left them as suddenly as she had joined them.


    She left them all baffled, especially Shark. Even though they had got what they wanted, he felt like he had been played. The Hanna he had come to know would ask questions before surrendering. Wasn''t she curious about why he wanted the case?


    David meanwhile was not baffled, he was smiling like a fool as a rush of triumph enveloped him. In the battle to show off influence between a Mayfair and a Saxon and he had won.


    "This is nothing to brag about, either way Shark was getting the case, you just got lucky Saxon." Collin wasn''t about to accept defeat.


    The initial rush of triumph that David felt quickly faded and he sneered lightly.


    Phoebe was too busy engaged in a conversation with the psychologist that she hardly noticed the battle for power between her boyfriend and her brother.


    Grandma Mayfair was the same, her ghost seeing glasses were already in place and she was watching Phoebe question the ghost.


    "The bones found at the play ground was that your work? Did you kill that child too?" She questioned, her narrowed eyes suspiciously studied the shocked ghost.

 Chapter 293 - 293: A ghost commissioned a murder!

    "Me! What are you accusing me of?" The psychologist ghost pointed an index finger at itself. "Why in God''s name would you think that? Do I look like a psycho child killer to you?" It continued to ask.


    Phoebe scoffed. "What do you mean by why? I have every right to suspect you because you walked into my office a few days ago and asked me to kill a child. If I recall correctly, you said that I would regret chasing you away. It is not far-fetched for me to think that you did something to make good on your words."


    Because the conversation could be heard on Phoebe''s end, the men turned their ears to her. They were all wondering if they had heard the same thing. A ghost had tried to commission a murder of a child!!


    "What...." David started but Shark pulled him back.


    In the heat of the moment, the detective lost all the reverence he had for a Saxon. If ghosts were commissioning murder, they had entered new investigation territory that was far beyond the scope of what police officers learned at the Fog National State Police Academy.


    The therapist was now floating back and forth, the ghostly way of pacing. "So, you thought that I killed a child because of what I said? You got this all twisted my dear ghost seeing lady. The boy I want you to kill is a psychopath, a born killer. The bones discovered today belong to one of his victims."


    Phoebe''s eyelids flicked. "One of his victims? There is more than one dead person?"


    The anxious ghost nodded. "Yes, those ghost kids you saw me with yesterday are victims too. I have been keeping my eyes on him he is up to no good. I am afraid that he already has his eye on his next target."


    The words troubled Phoebe and made Grandma Mayfair gasp.


    "I need to hear all the information you have on this kid." Phoebe''s lips trembled.


    Fear gnawed at her and regret knocked on the gate of her heart. If she had not been too quick to dismiss the therapist maybe there would be no new target. Her eyes, wide and glassy, darted about as though searching for a way to escape the truth.


    "I was wrong. This woman wasn''t the killer. Why did I just brush her off and not listen to her at the very least." Thoughts run wild in her head.


    "Pheebs! Pheebs!"


    She heard someone call her name and jolt her out of the half trance like state that she had dived into.


    "Pheebs there is an emergency at work, I have to leave are you okay with that or do you need me to stay?" Collin asked, there was a lot of uncertainty in his voice because she looked so out of it.


    "I am okay, you can leave. There is more that I need to find out about this case. You can''t help me even if you stay back anyway." Phoebe sank into the nearest chair.


    Collin hesitated for he didn''t know why she was acting weird and he didn''t want to leave her in that state, his eyes shifted from her to David.


    "Don''t worry man, I will look out for her." David nodded once to assure him.


    He normally accompanied Phoebe on ghost adventures, Collin did not, he had a company to run.


    "I need a private place." Phoebe stood up.


    She could not keep the interview room indefinitely occupied and also didn''t want the conversation to fall into the ears of outsiders.


    The closest place she could think of was the office of the medical examiner, Claire'' office to be specific. Besides the body had to have been taken to the medical examiner''s office and she wanted to know the cause of death.


    "Shark gather all documents, pictures and everything related to the case and bring it to Claire''s office. Nana, David, let''s go."


    She rallied everyone and they left through the back door, exiting the main building without press interference this time. They got into the van and were driven to the medical examiner''s office.


    Claire was inside her office studying an x-ray with one hand while biting into a muffin when the door to her office was pushed open and Phoebe walked in.


    "Pheebs!" Claire spoke through a full mouth; she placed the muffin that she was holding on a saucer. She smiled slyly like a child caught stealing sugar, put down the picture and wiped her hands with a white tissue.


    "I thought you were on a diet?" Phoebe arched an eyebrow.


    "Look at me, do i need a diet." Claire opened a canned soda.


    Shaking her head, Phoebe dismissed Claire''s excuse and focused on why she had come. "I need to borrow your office; I have a ghost client....."


    "No need to explain, I get it." Claire pressed a remote button and blinded the windows.


    Phoebe waved her hand and invited both ghosts and humans into the office. Once everyone was settled, she cast a visibility spell and all ghosts in the room could be seen by the human eyes.


    They were familiar with Connie, so all of them looked at the psychologist ghost. The ghost stared right back, observing them even more than they were doing to her.


    "This is not natural." the ghost said.


    The humans wanted to tell her that it was just the same for them. Seeing ghosts was not natural after all and they should have been the ones to say what it had just said.


    Grandma Mayfair cleared her throat "You must be our new lovely client; I promise that whatever it is we are going to do our best to help you."


    She was dying to know more about the woman and the dead children.


    "That''s right so begin by introducing yourself, I don''t even know your name." Phoebe sat in a chair and leaned back. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Claire tapped the table continuously; her eyes were glued to the phone. "I do...I do! At first i wasn''t sure so I had to check. She''s America Slater." She announced like everyone was supposed to recognize the name.


    All she received were blank stares. "Come on guys she won multiple awards in her field including a the Komunga grant and the field medal for outstanding achievements in psychology."


    "Nothing, I haven''t heard of her until today but no offense it is still nice to meet you." David stretched his hand forward a shake but retrieved it on remembering that America was a ghost.


    Shark scratched his head. "I think that i may know her, but I can''t remember.... ooh that''s right. You''re the dead lady that rolled down the stairs accidentally and died at the Sanderson mental wellness institute, right?"


    "That''s one shitty way to die." Connie commented a carrot in her hand. She chomped on it with abandon, each bite a noisy collision of teeth and the carrot that echoed through the office.


    The Saxon spirit gave her a warning gaze. "If you want to stay then stay quiet girl."


    The corners of America''s lips tilted just enough to form an amused smile. "You are right detective I did roll down the stairs and die but it wasn''t accidental.


    I was pushed down the stairs by an eleven-year-old kid. Pushed is a simple way to put it, let me rectify it. I was murdered by an eleven-year-old client of mine."

 Chapter 294 - 294: The case of the therapist.

    The room fell in stunned silence, as if the very air had been stolen. Some clutched at their chests or mouths, as though physically bracing themselves against the weight of the revelation while others stood statue-still.


    To most, it was unthinkable that a child of eleven could do something so horrific.


    "What do you mean by saying that an eleven year old child pushed you down the stairs and murdered? Did he really do it intentionally? We are talking about a kid, right? I have so many questions racing in my mind." Grandma Mayfair blinked rapidly.


    "It''s exactly like I said before, I was murdered by a child." Doctor America spoke with firmness, pressing firmness on the word murdered.


    "Goodness gracious! Was he mentally ill or something?" Claire leaned forward.


    This was her conclusion because doctor America was well known for her work with troubled teens. She had a good reputation in her ability to reform them.


    America let out a pronounced sigh. "It''s a long story maybe I should start from the beginning."


    "I agree." Phoebe nodded once.


    David sent Roxanne a text, instructing her to look into the dead doctor America''s young patients and their parents. Grandma Mayfair steeled her heart for yet another story on another horrible human being, Shark sent Jones a message telling him to find the case file on America''s death and Claire grabbed her muffin.


    America floated to Claire''s desk and sat down.


    "Throughout my career, I have seen a lot of disturbed clients especially adults, the children and teenagers most were just impulsive and acting out. With some guidance, structure and boundaries, they were reformed easily.


    One hot afternoon a couple, Mr. and Mrs. Whitlock walked into my office, seeking for my help. Initially I thought that one of them was the client but I was wrong. They were worried about their nine year old son that was acting odd. Apparently he was anti social and had no friends.


    He had quite the temper and once angered, he would act out in the most violent ways. His mother had a bruise on her left eye and a broken arm. She had a lot of the signs of domestic violence but rather than the husband being the abuser it was the son.


    The father was hesitant to admit these things but i have a one hundred percent open policy rule with any potential clients. If they hide important secrets from me, i refer them to someone else.


    They had no choice but to tell me everything about their son. He was erratic at times and struggled to maintain any form of a social relationship because other kids were afraid of him. They arranged play dates, camps nothing worked.


    At the play ground, he would just sit and watched other kids without playing and if he played, his games were violent or high risk often resulting in the injury of other children.


    Instead of cartoons he liked to watch adult content, especially violent programs and even his choice of games was the same.


    His favorite TV shows were those documentaries about murders. The sight of blood excited him greatly to the extent that he cut his younger sister on the arm just to see her bleed."


    Not unexpectedly, there were gasps around the office.


    "Yeah, okay, he is a weirdo alright." Connie interrupted only to be shushed by the adults in the room.


    "Keep going miss America." Grandma Mayfair told the ghost she was already invested in the story.


    America moved from the desk and hovered just above it. "You should understand that I had dealt with antisocial kids before but not with one that was interested in murders, I certainly didn''t think things would escalate.


    I knew that the child had a problem right away so I agreed to see him and make an assessment, I even freed my schedule just to squeeze them in the following day. The Whitlock''s came back to my office with the boy, Humphrey Whitlock.


    Mind you I did my own digging after meeting them and it turned out that i was not the first psychologist that they had gone to, they had been to see two other psychologists that i called up. They could not reveal his information of course but one did tell me that it was a case of a child that was acting out and overly worried parents.


    According to him, the father was simply on a mission to pump the kid with mood stabilizers. In his words, boys would be boys, Humphrey Whitlock just needed a firm hand and more physical activities to keep him away from television.


    I listened but i prefer to make my own judgements. On seeing Humphrey, he was the exact opposite of what his parents had described him to be. He was sweet, charming and very likeable. He wore clean clothes with nothing about his appearance out of order.


    He appeared to be very normal and simply curious about the world. He even addressed his parents worries about his taste in TV shows, claiming that he wanted to be the world''s greatest detective.


    As we talked i gradually started to realize that Humphrey was very cunning, he never said anything without thinking of how it would be perceived. He was cautious and his answers were too perfect like they had been rehearsed.


    I discovered later on that he has an Intelligence quotient of 214, one of the highest in the world.


    On that day however, i realized why to others he was a normal kid, he was a well practiced liar putting up a show.


    Through the evaluation his eyes remained fixed on me, with a plastic smile on his lips like it had been planted there. At that age, the kid was trying to manipulate me." America paused and swallowed deeply.


    "He already sounds dangerous." Grandma Mayfair made the sign of the cross.


    America nodded "More than dangerous I can assure you, when I finished evaluating him. I explained my concerns to the parents and advised that he be committed to the institute for a while.


    Humphrey looked fine on the outside but their was a darkness lurking inside him. He clearly displayed a lack of empathy, manipulative, risk taking behavior and behaving erratically. I was all but ready to tell the parents that their son was a psychopath.


    His mother insulted me and called me all sorts of names but his father on the other hand agreed with me, Mr Whitlock went ahead to reveal that their livestock was dying mysteriously and they looked like they had been tortured.


    Mrs Whitlock argued that it wasn''t Humphrey, she went on to say that it had to be the wild dogs in the area. In her opinion all he needed was socialize with other children and be normal.


    They had a heated discussion during which time Mrs. Whitlock shed many tears and accused her husband of wanting to ruin their son''s future. If people heard that he had mental issues or if he ended up with this on his record, his life could be considered to be over.


    I on the other hand was more worried about other people than Humphrey."


    Phoebe pulled her brows together. "The killing of animals?" She asked.


    "Yes, but not just that, during the argument, Mr.Whitlock reminded his wife that the boy started by killing roaches, then birds, then his sister''s cat, then their livestock. To me it seemed like his urge to kill had grown bigger after every kill. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was almost as though he was graduating from smaller prey to bigger one How long then would it take until he progressed to humans?"

 Chapter 295 - 295: Humphrey Whitlock, thriller chess wizard.

    The deeper America dived into the details of the story, the more the sensitive people in the group recoiled. Grandma Mayfair''s face had long gone pale with a quiet horror, imagining how many victims had become Humphrey''s prey and feeling sorry for the poor helpless animals that had fallen prey to him.


    Connie leaned forward, captivated by the macabre twists, her curiosity outweighed the unease. "Here comes the interesting part."


    Her words earned her judgmental glances from some of the people in the group, this was not exactly a sweet tale.


    David clicked his tongue. "Let me guess, he graduated from killing animals to humans?"


    "Yes, but no one knew that and it did not happen immediately. On that day, Mrs. Whitlock won the argument and they took their son home. After the first meeting the Whitlock''s never returned to see me for a long while and i carried the haunting tale and fear of what Humphrey would do if he ever got the opportunity. I was really surprised when after three months Humphrey Whitlock came to my office."


    "What for after all that time?" Grandma Mayfair asked.


    Shark cracked a finger joint. "Something must have happened that triggered him to return, isn''t that right?"


    America nodded continuously. "Indeed, I welcomed him and asked how and why he had come by himself with no guardian. The boy only smiled, studied my office and asked for a cup of tea and biscuits.


    As a responsible adult i of course reached out to his parents immediately and informed them about this development. They were shocked to hear that he was at the hospital, they sounded hysterical to me, especially the mother. She made it abundantly clear that if i spoke to her son without them or a lawyer, i would be sued.


    As curious as i was, i knew better than to cross legal boundaries so i backed down, he drunk his tea as we waited for them together. While i could not question him about his mental well being, i could ask general questions so I repeated my question about why he had come but the boy maintained his silence.


    I waited patiently until he was done, you see Humphrey is not someone that you rush into doing anything, he takes his time pushing you to the edge, building your desire to engage with him in a battle of wits."


    She pointed to the roughly put away chess board and piece in an open drawer in the desk that was standing in the corner of the office.


    "It''s like a game of chess, he is always trying to prove that he is more strategic, clever and ahead of you. That''s how he let''s you know that he is the one in charge, he is a small boy that can manipulate and gaslight an adult.


    I must admit that he did make me interested, the more he acted like that is the more i desired to explore his mind. I was slightly fascinated, i had never met a child like that." She whispered.


    America sighed and raised her voice. "When he finally spoke, he told me that his parents had been fighting a lot and it was because of what I had told them about him.


    His father was threatening to divorce the mother if she did not agree to have him committed. My name had apparently come up in many of their arguments.


    A creepy smile formed on his lips as he politely blamed me for causing chaos in his family. Then he asked me why I thought that he was crazy and advocating for him to be admitted.


    I did not hesitate to tell him that I believed that he had some problems and if he took the right treatment he could over come it. I asked him how often he had got the urge to harm others. He did not respond but the flicker in his eyes told me what i needed to know.


    He told me i was wrong and I insisted that I was right. I bluntly told him that he was a danger to others and himself and the safest place for him was inside the walls of the institute.


    I told him that I understood what he was going through and I could help him. Out of all the doctors that he had been to I was the first to tell him all this. I also didn''t display any fear of him and I think this fascinated him and annoyed him at the same time.


    Unknown to me was that Humphrey had marked me, he did not like the things I had said, I made him unhappy and uncomfortable." A small regretful smile formed on her lips.


    "You saw his hidden personality he had learned to hide, a darkness in him that others couldn''t see. I took a course in psychology at the police academy, people that behave like this kid attach themselves to people like you who can see through them because they want to pull them into their world or get rid of them." Shark interjected.


    America''s brows rose and fell. "You are correct because he told me that he wanted me to treat him, in fact he volunteered to be admitted and go through the full course of treatment."


    "He did?" Phoebe asked "Just like that? How calculative." She added.


    Shaking his head, David scoffed. "I agree."


    America concurred with them all, "the boy had calculated every step like a criminal mastermind, i was just glad that he would be off the streets for a while. When his parents arrived, they were shocked to the core when I told them about Humphrey''s decision.


    His father was slightly hesitant-more afraid and worried but the mother she was against it completely. Just like the last time in my office, she said the same things. She was worried about his future and all that.


    Mr. Whitlock surprised me by suddenly taking his wife''s side and it made me curious because he had been all about admitting his son for treatment just three months back. Something had changed in those three months but I could not put my finger on it at the time.


    I also couldn''t insist on making Humphrey a resident of Sanderson if the parents were against it. Aside from a court order I could do nothing even if Humphrey wanted to be admitted, at the end of the day they were his guardians and I needed their consent.


    Their son however was determined to have his way and he stood his ground, unfazed by his parent''s opinion. Unlike in the past meeting where I could see worry etched on their faces, this time that worry had transitioned to fear.


    Mrs. Whitlock flinched each time Humphrey spoke, and Mr. Whitlock avoided his son''s gaze altogether. When he moved close to them, Mrs'' Whitlock trembled so much that i was worried i would hear her bones rattle.


    It was more than fear, she was horrified and it made me worry even more. They were both hiding something and I was determined to get to the root of it.


    That''s why when Mr. Whitlock suggested that I treat Humphrey from home, I agreed before they could change their minds." America inhaled, looked at the ceiling and exhaled loudly then turned to the listeners whose full attention she held. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She was like a movie star and they, her die hard fans that were holding onto each and every of her words.

 Chapter 296 - 296: Poor parenting=monsters.

    "So did you go to the Whitlock ranch?" David asked.


    He knew were the Whitlock''s lived because Roxanne had already sent him a file with information on the family. They were relatively wealthy and owned a large cattle ranch. In the last three years, at least thirteen cattle had gone missing.


    America was quick to notice that David was already aware about of Whitlock family residence and she wondered how but she did not ask, she needed to finish her story.


    "I did, Mr. Whitlock personally drove me to ranch on the edge of the city near Coracora falls. As soon as in entered the house, i looked at pictures of the family first. You learn a lot about a family or a person from the pictures they choose to display."


    She briefly glanced at Phoebe and continued. " At first glance, the family appeared to be normal and they looked happy in the pictures. The Whitlock''s are a small family of five, Humphrey has two sisters, one older than him and the other younger. She is around five years old, the one he cut with that knife when he wanted to see blood." America wiped a tear that came out of the corner of her right eye. She sniveled which only only increased the listener''s fear and worry.


    "It started off well, I would go there twice a week,Tuesdays and Fridays. We would talk and i made Humphrey keep a journal of his feelings and thoughts which I would read and make assessments on our progress.


    He continued to lie in all of our sessions and even in the journal but once in a while he would let something slip and when he did, he would lose it. In those moments I would catch a glimpse of the monster beneath the surface.


    One day I went to the ranch earlier than usual and I found out what i was not supposed to." America''s dry lips trembled.


    The listeners faces were a group of kaleidoscope expressions. Wide eyes brimming with wonder, furrowed brows hungry for answers, lips slightly parted as though on the verge of asking questions they dared not to voice.


    "What did you find out?" Shark perched on the edge of his sit, his body angled forward.


    "I want to know that too, we all do." Grandma Mayfair nervously tapped her feet, her curiosity palpable.


    America cleared her hoarse throat. "From the time I saw the timid Whitlock daughters, I always wanted to interact with them. If anyone knew about Humphrey''s true face and would be willing to open up, it was his sisters.


    I believed that they had to know something but their parents never let me get close to them, it was almost as if they were intentionally hiding the girls from me but that day I found them feeding some cows in one the bullpens by themselves.


    I grabbed the opportunity and spoke to them. The older girl whose name is Diana went pale the moment I mentioned Humphrey''s name, the vibrant color drained from their faces. The younger child run away screaming like she had seen a predator.


    Diana on the other hand began to cry, she told me that her brother was the scariest person she had ever met. He had taken her cat to his play house and killed it, she also confessed that it was her brother that pushed Kendall Smith at the play ground at the time i didn''t think much of that at the moment.


    i just let her talk some more she went on to tell me that he liked to torture them and when they cried he laughed. Even when they reported to the parents, they only told them to reconcile and forgive their brother because he had a bad temper." America paused and took a deep breath.


    Claire banged the table loudly. "Kendall? Kendall Smith?


    That''s the name of the kid whose bones had been found! All the medical examiners had received the notice because it was a child, so all hands were on deck to ensure that nothing was missed. Was it a coincidence that a child with the same name that had been pushed by this Humphrey had died?" S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    America nodded once, she had already seen the name of the victim.


    Shark hurriedly checked through the documents and confirmed it. "It''s him, she''s the victim. So that means Diana is a witness!"


    "Not necessarily, we must depend on science to examine evidence. Did Kendall die on the same day he was pushed?" Claire asked.


    Grandma Mayfair smacked her lips. "Those poor Whitlock kids are they safe? Safe from that monstrous kid I mean, if he knows that she witnessed him murdering someone then...."


    Claire wanted to repeat her words but she let it be, the evidence would do the talking later.


    Shaking her head, America wiped another tear. " I am afraid not, both Diana and i never realized that Humphrey had already returned from school. As we walked out of the bull pen, he saw us from the a library window when I went to see him he asked what Diana and I were talking about.


    Of course i answered his question with a lie but the frost in his eyes let me know that he did not believe me and he was pissed off as hell. I was worried about the girls so I didn''t leave early, I decided to wait until the Whitlock''s were back.


    I informed them about what had happened, they were furious and berated me for interrogating their daughter in their absence. They asked me to leave their home and never return, I apologized but warned them that their girls needed to be removed from that ranch. I told them their daughters needed counseling for they were traumatized, I also advised that they should never allow Humphrey to mingle with his sisters, ever."


    "I hope they listened." Shark interrupted.


    "Unfortunately not." Answered America.


    David stamped his foot. "God damn it! They never easily do."


    "To an extent you cannot blame them, no parent wants to admit that there is something wrong with their children, until it''s too late." Grandma Mayfair spoke softly, putting herself in the Whitlock''s position.


    She also recalled the many times they made excuses and offered apologies for Ruth. In the end, it was parents that often made monsters out of their children.


    America nodded. "When I went back home, I called a friend in child protective services and reported the bruises I had seen on Diana''s arm. I spoke to a lawyer and I was warned that I would lose my license if I over stepped my boundaries or shared confidential client information.


    Diana''s words kept ringing in the back of my mind however, she had mentioned a play house, I wanted to check and see what was inside. Most kids keep their most treasured belongs in play houses or tree houses.


    So the next day when the Whitlock''s weren''t expecting me, I went back to the ranch under the guise of wanting to apologize to them. They were not home, the house keeper told me that Diana had been rushed to the hospital, she fell and rolled down the stairs in the night."


    "Same M.O, he did the same thing to the both of you." Shark arched an eye brow.


    "Luckily Diana had survived the fall, I took my chance then and searched Humphrey''s play house. There was nothing suspicious until I checked the medium sized box that was stowed under the extra large bean bag. I opened it without a second thought, guys i wish I could unsee what I saw in there." She broke down and cried

 Chapter 297 - 297: The birth of a child killer.

    While they were touched by the tears, the listeners were swollen with curiosity and a desire to know what America had seen in the box.


    Connie was rather impatient, and she could not stand the curiosity as always, her lack of manners poured out of her mouth.


    "What, what did you see, tell us quickly."


    Normally, someone....an adult, would say something but nobody did this time round. They were too drawn in by the story to do so.


    "Hair bows for little girls, strings of hair attached to black tape and three polaroids, pictures of Humphrey with boys whose faces I had seen on the news the previous year. They had all died as a result of freak accidents on the playground."


    Those that watched the news regulars thought back to any child they had seen on the news in the previous year. Phoebe could not recall any as it had been a different year for her, she was struggling with her ability to see ghosts. Grandma Mayfair only had vague memories, David only recalled one boy. Shark and Claire recalled all three boys, for Claire it was because she had autopsied one of those boys.


    In Shark''s case it was because he investigated two of the cases, the death of a child at a public playground which was city property was a serious matter. This was done to ensure that the playground was safe and other children and because there were adults at playgrounds.


    Parents over their children, nannies on the job, strangers with pure or nefarious intentions.


    "The Fog Bureau of Investigation took over the investigation of those cases after the third death. I remember this because for a while whispers about the deaths possibly being linked were going around.


    There was a budding theory that a serial child predator was on the loose because the deaths were all two months apart....fuck!" he run a hand through his hair.


    "Nobody ever considered the fact that a child was killing other children." David said.


    Phoebe could not sit anymore, she pushed her chair back and moved towards the wall, she found a spot next to the skeleton and leaned against it. If she was a smoker, this would have been the perfect time to smoke.


    "What is the world coming to?" Grandma Mayfair removed the ghost seeing glasses and wiped her eyes, she was crying like America.


    Claire was hesitant to agree on the child killer theory as the body she autopsied did not show evidence of foul play. She was raking her mind, thinking back on the autopsy and wondering what she had missed.


    "I just knew.." America squeaked out. "As soon as i saw those things, I knew. Humphrey Whitlock had come to me as fully grown killer, not a budding one. He had long progressed from animals to people, he was just good at hiding it.


    I was in shock, i froze for a moment because I could not fathom what I was looking at. I also had no idea what to do with the things I had found. I could not go to the police because I was on the property illegally and all I had were suspicions. I needed to find more evidence that could be used to nail him and put him away for life.


    He was only eleven years old, he had started killing at ten but he is a minor. If he was arrested on circumstantial evidence and my testimony, he was likely to be sent to a juvenile facility for troubled children and teens and he would be released at eighteen."


    Grandma Mayfair gasped, she was the only one in the room surprised by that fact, everyone else was familiar with it, even Connie.


    "If he can kill at the age of ten with a small body imagine what he will do at nineteen, twenty or thirty in the body of a full grown man with the strength to match?" Grandma Mayfair asked.


    "And he mainly targets women." Connie reminded them.


    She had heard this little tidbit when America was talking to the Saxon spirit, apparently, Humphrey killed more girls than boys. It was not hard to guess why; girls were weaker and easier to target. His own sisters were the perfect example of this.


    "I noticed one of the books that I had given him to use as a journal." America said and they all turned their attention to her. The story was incomplete after all, they still had to find out how she died.


    "I put down the box and picked up the journal, in it I found the true inner thoughts of Humphrey, the things he dreamed of doing like cutting his mother''s stomach open the next time she got pregnant so that he could see what was inside.


    His favorite sister was Diana because she screamed the loudest when he hurt her. Her blood was beautiful and he dreamed of it often.


    I skipped most of the first parts and went straight to the latest entry, it was about a little girl whose nanny was irresponsible.


    She often left the girl on her own on her own at the playground and sneaked away with her boyfriend for an hour at least.


    He wrote about her bright orange hair and how he wanted to yank on it until the girl cried out for her mommy. He talked about her chubby cheeks that looked big enough to bite off with his teeth...."


    "Stop!!" Phoebe suddenly screamed.


    The lamp on Claire''s desk shattered with a sound of glass breaking. Everyone else was startled and they jumped back to get away from the lamp.


    David rushed towards Phoebe, she had her hands on her eyes, unwilling to listen to the rest of the horrible details of Humphrey''s journal. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Stop...please stop." Phoebe begged in tears.


    Nobody cared about the lamp anymore, not when Phoebe was crying. Obviously listening to a part of this sordid tale had overwhelmed her emotionally.


    David wasted no moment to embrace her as he was the only one that truly knew why she was crying. It was not just about the innocent children Humphrey had killed, it was also about their children.


    The statement about the girl crying out for her mommy when she was being hurt was the one that triggered her the most.


    "I think we should take a break." Shark suggested.

 Chapter 298 - 298: Americas death.

    "Come on." David led Phoebe outside.


    They walked all the way to the cafeteria, he sat her down on a chair and went to buy some coffee, water and fruits. The only available fruits were apples and grapes, indecisive her got both and joined Phoebe at the table.


    "Thank you." Phoebe said.


    The cafeteria was empty as it was not breakfast or lunch time, there was a smell of food in the air however because lunch was being prepared in the back kitchen.


    Phoebe''s stomach turned at the smell of the food, it made her want to vomit.


    "How are you feeling now?" David asked.


    "I don''t know." She replied slowly with a low drawl. "It''s kids, I hate it when it''s kids. What am I supposed to do about that child? I can''t...." she looked around and whispered, "off a kid. Yes, he is evil, but he is a child, even as I say this, I know he cannot be showed mercy because he is a monster."


    David slowly moved his hand over and touched Phoebe''s. "Don''t think about it right now, and don''t think about our boys. The past is gone Pheebs, it pains me to say this, but you have to accept it. Both of us are still here, we are live, as long as we are together, our boys will come back to us someday." S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe pulled her hand from his, picked up the red apple and bit into it, taking one large bite. David''s words, she heard before from the Saxon spirit, she was dealing with things in her own way, slowly.


    "I know, I am handling things my own way. Something in me just broke when I heard those words about the child crying for her mommy.


    I am not interested in dragging this case on, i want to wrap it up today and cleanse my mind, body and soul. I don''t know why but my heart feels like it''s breaking."


    A lone tear slipped out of her right eye, she wiped it away and continued munching on the tasteless apple.


    David knew that she would not say anymore on the matter, he could not find the right words to use to comfort her. Of what use would it be when America''s story was unfinished?


    Shark came looking for them after five minutes and they returned to Claire''s office for the finale. Everyone looked somewhat better after all the crying and sharing of sorrow. They gave one another comforting smiles as they returned to their seats.


    The room felt a bit lighter, their breaths steadier as if the pain and sadness had poured out leaving behind an emptiness waiting to be filled with something. They were all dreading what was to come next however, in Humphrey''s story.


    Some of the listeners couldn''t take anymore of Humphrey''s evilness so Phoebe requested America to summarize the story.


    Shark however wasn''t amused by the suggestion; he was a detective after all and to get a top reward at the end of it all he needed to know everything.


    "But how will I investigate if I only get only bits of the story, it''s not rosy but the job is the job."


    His words earned him a glare from Phoebe, she knew that the glory hound in him wanted every gory detail such that he would later narrate it to Heinz and sensationalize the serial murders.


    "Shark are you that selfish that you cannot think about the distress this whole situation is creating? Look at America she''s distraught reliving this entire thing! Nobody needs to know Humphrey''s darkest thoughts, I certainly didn''t need to know about what he dreamed of doing to his pregnant mother. I can''t get it out of my head, it will haunt me forever."


    Grandma Mayfair nodded and even Claire whose job was to work with dead bodies concurred. That statement, the image she had drawn up in her mind, she would never forget it.


    America shuddered and sighed loudly, attracting attention to herself.


    "Alright I will only tell the parts that will help, all I want is for you to capture Humphrey before he hurts Janet Shumer."


    "Who is that?" Phoebe asked


    "The ranch foreman''s daughter, I have been stalking Humphrey as a ghost ever since my death. Janet suggested to Mr. Whitlock that Humphrey''s playhouse be transformed into a brooder for little chicks. Humphrey was unhappy about the suggestion; he marked her I am certain."


    David excused himself, he called his men and asked them to stealthily head to the ranch and capture Humphrey Whitlock.


    When he returned, America had already resumed telling the story.


    "I took pictures of everything that I saw in the box and the journal, then made sure to return it where I had found it. I exited out of the house and drove off, I honestly didn''t know what to do my mind was messed up.


    I was afraid of everything including my shadow, I stayed in my house for two good weeks without getting out. During that time, I made my research about the kids that died on playgrounds in the most gruesome ways, especially if blood was involved. I found ten that I was certain of, there are five others, but I am uncertain about those ones.


    I realized that all the playgrounds where these accidents happened where close to the Whitlock ranch or Humphrey''s school.


    There was no doubt that it was him, he had killed those kids and managed to make them all look like accidents. He switched playgrounds after every kill. He even changed schools three times which is why I think his parents know what was going on.


    They must have suspected something at least, that''s why they brought him to me, I believe. After doing my homework, I went to work to compile a file which I planned to give to the police.


    On the night I died, right before I left work, I received a call from Humphrey. Although I was terrified, I answered the call and tried to sound as normal as possible. A whistling sound was what greeted me from the other end. It sent chills down my spine, something in me told me I was in danger.


    When he finally spoke, he told me he was outside the building and asked to see me, but I refused and hung up. I peeked through the window and saw him; he was truly waiting for me.


    It was late, I had worked overtime so I was alone, the building was empty with the exception of a single security guard that was conveniently missing from his post.


    I panicked and decided to use the emergency stairs, there was a door leading out to an alley. I believed that it was the safest route to exit the building without running into him." America paused.


    "Did you say that you were pushed and rolled down the stairs?" Connie interrupted.


    America nodded. "That cunning monster was waiting for me on the third floor, and I never saw it coming. He tripped me with his foot, I felt his tiny hands push me down the stairs. I didn''t die immediately but I could barely move, and I was bleeding.


    He squatted over me, sniffed my blood and taunted me by revealing everything that he had done, Humphrey knew that I had searched through his playhouse, he grabbed my phone from my bag and took it.


    Furthermore, he told me that Diana had died, and it was my fault for making her open her big mouth. As I lost consciousness, I heard him laugh."

 Chapter 299 - 299: Solutions to a monster.

    After my death I was furious, so much so that I wanted to kill him, but I couldn''t touch him physically. I gave up when I saw all the ghost children that were hovering around him. Most I recognized from all the research I had done and poor Diana, she clung to me as soon as she saw me.


    I felt...feel responsible for her death, there was only one way I could think of to make up for it and it is to get rid of Humphrey permanently so that no child would ever fall prey to him again.


    The only solution I could think of was to have someone kill him."


    She stopped and accepted a glass of water from Connie; after gulping it all down, she looked at Phoebe. The story was done, now everyone knew how she had died, why and who killed her.


    Phoebe buried her head briefly in her hands "So that''s why you came to me." Her voice was soft but loud enough for all to hear.


    America nodded vehemently. "I went to one shaman and two seers before you, but they were fake. I heard about you through the ghost grapevine, so I found my way to you.


    After everything that you have heard, I am sure you agree with me, this monster cannot be left out there. He needs to die, Humphrey Whitlock will never stop killing, he enjoys it too much to do so. No amount of therapy, medicine or rehabilitation will fix him."


    Phoebe started scratching the top of her ear, she just didn''t know what to do. Nobody in the room was being helpful, they were all unnaturally silent as if they had heard nothing.


    A message came to David''s phone informing him that Humphrey Whitlock wasn''t home, so he responded and told his men to escort Janet Shumer to a safe place and also keep an eye on the place. Their orders remained the same, they were to grab Humphrey as discreetly as possible when they saw him.


    He was determined not to put Phoebe in a hard position of having to make the decision about Humphrey''s fate.


    "Alright what''s the plan?" David asked as he placed his phone back into his brown woolen jacket pocket.


    He looked around too, especially at Shark who was on his phone. Grandma Mayfair was just sighing, and Claire was on her computer checking something.


    Before anyone could respond, Claire announced that the results of the autopsy where back.


    "Kendall Smith died from internal bleeding, in a layman''s language, her skull cracked open after a hard fall. She must have been pushed with a lot of force; the poor kid had no chance."


    "Well, we already knew that." Grandma Mayfair shifted in the chair, it was wooden and uncomfortable causing pain to her rear end. It was starting to make her cranky.


    Shark shook his head, his eyes closed. " We need to search the play house and find the evidence, the trophies that he keeps. There is a possibility that he is still holding onto them and keeping them in the same place since America''s death made him feel safe. We might also find her phone there, my partner has told me that it was not discovered at the scene of her death."


    "Even after all you have heard you are clearly still underestimating this boy. He is very smart; he must have destroyed all the evidence by now or moved it. You also don''t have reasonable cause to search that playhouse, no judge is going to sign one for you basing on the words of a ghost.


    You are impulsive at times Shark; I can help you get the search warrant that you need but what if you find nothing incriminating enough to arrest him on? Then you will have warned him that someone is watching him." David curled his lips upwards.


    America saw the point in David''s words. "And his parents will claim that the police is persecuting their family, his mother especially. If you muddle up the investigation at the beginning, even if you find evidence later on, you might not be able to arrest him. My worry is Janet Shumer his supposed next victim."


    David raised his hand to dismiss her words. "She is at a safe house, he cannot get to her."


    A sigh of relief left America like a soft gust of wind through trees after hearing David''s words.


    "I cannot tell you how relieved i am to hear that." S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe clapped once. "This kid is only eleven years old, which means that if we hand him over to the police. He will be taken to a juvenile center and will be released when he turns eighteen! Who knows what kind of monster he will have evolved into by then?" She spoke through pursed lips.


    "We could argue insanity and have him locked away for life." Shark countered, he really was hellbent on getting a reward after putting the case out there.


    Grandma Mayfair''s eyes flew wide open. "You want to put him in a mental hospital? Are you insane? That kid is not mentally challenged, his brain is twisted in an evil way! He will manipulate some people and escape from there or kill other patients, we already have Ruth wandering out there we do not need another monster on the loose. No!"


    "I second that." Connie raised her hand.


    "Insanity won''t work, you need an expert to sign off on that. Unless you bribe that expert, the kid will get away with it. He has already fooled two psychologists according to America so what''s to stop him from fooling another?" Claire raised a point.


    David perched on the edge of his seat. "Then perhaps i could have him kidnapped and sent to a far away place where he can be locked up forever. He will never see sunlight again, a prison in Iceland."


    Iceland was a different country, one where winter lasted all year round. There was a prison there that served as a dumping ground for the Saxons.


    "Like you did with Ruth? Look where it landed us?" Grandma Mayfair twisted her nose.


    "And that is illegal, Humphrey is a human...." Shark began but his words pissed some people off.


    "Shut up Shark! One more word from you and I will make you dumb. You just want to arrest the child serial killer and have pictures of yourself bringing him in on the front page of every newspaper. Oh look! he solved the case the FNBI failed to solve, what a genius detective." Phoebe said sarcastically.


    Shark grunted but he did not defend himself, it was like Phoebe had read his mind.


    "One more thing, the Whitlock''s have another child, Harry Whitlock, Humphrey''s twin brother." David shared.


    "No way," America said. "I have been to their house and seen the family pictures; they have three children."


    "No..." David insisted. "Mrs. Whitlock''s birth records that she gave birth to twin boys." David was reading from his phone information that Roxanne had just sent. "Apparently they sent the child to Mrs. Whitlock''s parents five years ago, but it is highly doubtful since there is no record of the child anywhere currently, no school registration, no hospital records, no communication between Mrs. Whitlock and her mother about a child."


    "I bet that was his first victim." Grandma Mayfair muttered.


    Phoebe groaned and she put her head on the desk, she just couldn''t take it anymore. Someone needed to do something about that kid.


    "The Whitlock''s went camping in Gundam forest five years ago, right around the time when the child disappeared. Lets see...this is a picture of them in the car and i count three children and two adults." David continued relaying information as it came in.


    Shark was curious to know where it was coming from as was Claire.


    Grandma Mayfair huffed, feeling a whirlpool of anger within. "Hmph! the parents must have gone on the fake camping trip to bury the child, I knew they were in on it. They are protecting their monster; I just knew it."

 Chapter 300 - 300: Not my problem.

    Grandma Mayfair''s loudly spoken words were similar to what everyone was thinking, especially because America had described their meek mouse like behavior around their son when he talked.


    Their fear was because they knew who he was--- what he truly was. When the fact that they did not want him speaking to Humphrey alone was factored in, it became even more obvious that they had secrets they did not want him to share.


    "Lunatics, bad people, they are harming others." Grandma Mayfair beat the ground with her walking cane, unleashing her fury on it as though it were Mr. and Mrs. Whitlock themselves.


    "If the Whitlock''s really knew that their son was a dangerous killer but allowed him to mingle with other children then they need to be charged and arrested." Shark announced, he stood with his hands clutching onto his belt, ready to challenge anyone that thought otherwise.


    To him, he could not touch Humphrey, but the parents were a different matter. As long as he could find evidence linking them to the crime, the end result would be the same.


    "I agree they should be punished; however we need to know about what we are going to do with their son first." Phoebe run her fingers through her hair.


    A frustrated sigh came out of David. "So far all suggestions made are not good enough, we cannot hand him over to the police neither can we lock him up in a mental hospital....."


    "Just kill him, kill him already kill him." America interjected in a loud near hysterical voice.


    The ghost couldn''t believe that these people still didn''t understand the gravity of the situation. Humphrey would keep hurting people as long as he had breath in him.


    The hum of the room dissolved into silence, as if the air itself had been sucked out. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Shark raised his hands in surrender. "Guys! I cannot condone that; I am an officer of the law and....."


    "Oh yeah and what are you going to do, arrest your friends?" Connie laughed sarcastically.


    "No; of course not but I cannot be here if you plan to kill someone, a young child for that matter. It doesn''t matter how big a crime he has committed, Humphrey Whitlock is still considered to be a child under the law. And we will get caught, darkness always comes to light. No crime can be hidden forever, eventually someone will notice something." Shark responded, his voice a little raised.


    "Not if we do it my way by locking up in a prison in Iceland. He will never be able to leave that place alive, believe me. But if death is what it what it takes....."


    David lowered his eyes, avoiding Phoebe''s gaze as much as possible. Part of him worried that he might seem ruthless to her but the other part knew that he was the only one with the connections and balls to make Humphrey disappear without a trace permanently.


    It felt wrong that they were discussing potentially ending the life of a child, but it felt like their hands were tied at the moment.


    The Saxon spirit looked at David sadly, suddenly it came up with a brilliant idea which it told Phoebe.


    "That leaves us with one option, we can involve the founding sect."


    Phoebe repeated the words of the spirit to the group immediately. Those that had no idea about what Phoebe was talking about traded gazes.


    "What''s that?" Claire asked.


    "You do not need to know what it is, in fact it''s better that you do not know but all I can say is that it''s related to the founding council." Phoebe responded in the politest way possible.


    "I don''t know about that Pheebs, he is human, do you think that they will take on such a case? From what I know about them, they only get involved when it''s ghosts or black magic." David stared at her quizzically.


    Phoebe sighed warily. "I am not certain but after we tell them everything that we know I am positive that they will want to be involved. Humphrey is worse than some malicious ghosts that I have encountered. We can ask Amon about it first."


    "It''s worth a try, I''ll call Amon. He must be close by at the station." David stepped out of the room to make the call.


    Phoebe turned her attention to Shark. "Listen Shark, you have a part to play in this too. Do not resurrect any old cases just because you want a photo op, we cannot reopen closed wounds that have possibly been healed.


    It won''t do anyone any good anyway, you are going to bury the truth about this Kendall case too. Let the parents know that it was an accident, that''s far better than telling them that their child was killed by a serial psycho killer. Humphrey is going to disappear, one way or the other."


    "The autopsy results have been amended, Kendall Smith''s death has been concluded as an accident as a result of a fall from a swing, it looks Humphrey has won again." Claire said.


    Grandma Mayfair threw her walking cane at the wall, Connie groaned, and Phoebe sighed.


    "Why is this kid so bloody lucky, is he being helped by the devil?" She muttered.


    "Take him, let the founding sect deal with him, I don''t want to listen to this anymore. I don''t even want to ever hear the name Humphrey in my life." Grandma Mayfair declared.


    "Are they going to kill him? What will they do when they take him?" Shark asked, he was always intrigued by the founding council and sect but he found nothing on them.


    It''s like it didn''t exist at all, no known location or information on its members, the group was a mystery. The little information he knew was as a result of Phoebe mentioning them once in a while.


    "I don''t know, I don''t care and it''s not my problem anymore. At the end of the day, what we want is for Humphrey to be gone, right?" Phoebe''s quizzical gaze traveled around the room.


    In response they all nodded, especially America. "They can use him as a lab rat or whatever as long as he disappears for good."


    "And his parents? What do we do with them if we don''t find the missing son''s body?" Shark sat back down just as David was rejoining them.


    "Then I will deal with them, they have to be punished too." David was very resolute in his determination to see to it that they paid the price for every life Humphrey had taken while they covered his and their asses.


    "Before that we need to find a home for their remaining daughter and put her in counseling. We should do whatever it takes to see to it that she lives as good a life as possible. She is going to be the first person to receive help from the foundation.


    I don''t think she should continue living at the Whitlock ranch, too many bad things happened there, if the grandparents are good, maybe she can live with them." Phoebe''s eyes moved to stare at the opening door.


    Amon walked in; one eyebrow arched. "A meeting comprising of ghosts and humans but you saw it fit to invite a ghost catcher, this cannot be good. However, you can color me intrigued." He leaned against the wall, his eyes fixed on the ghosts that didn''t seem to be terrified of him.

 Chapter 301 - 301: Phoebes inherited troubles.

    "Oh, look it''s the big bad ghost catcher." Connie played around with her fingers, making ghost sounds and laughing. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was in the teenage girl''s nature to provoke Shark and Amon whenever she was around them.


    "Aah, the annoying one." Amon said, borrowing Shark''s description of Connie.


    "Not now child, you should know when to pick your moments." The Saxon spirit chastised the teenager softly.


    Connie backed off and the floor was given to Phoebe. In the minutes that followed, she narrated every important detail that Amon needed to know about Humphrey.


    By the time she was done narrating the tale, most of the humans in the group had excused themselves mostly because they were unwilling to relieve Humphrey''s bad greatest hits, and they were also exhausted yet it looked like Amon''s part had just started.


    David remained because he had to support Phoebe and as for the rest, only Shark had remained, he was very intrigued now that Amon, a member of the founding sect had been brought in.


    "I think I might know what this is...." Amon started and looked at Shark.


    The detective''s curiosity was etched all over his face and even though he was involved, he was not from the founding families. Knowledge about the sect or its business was not exactly allowed to be dispensed to outsiders easily.


    "Shark, can you excuse us." David requested.


    "What do you mean that I should leave? Why? I am part of this since I am the leading detective on this case. I already know everything, is there anything you are all leaving out? Aren''t we all co-conspirators?" Shark''s voice was loud enough for Amon to hear.


    Connie was eager to say something snarky because moments ago, Shark wanted to abandon the boat and now he was eager to get back on it. The Saxon spirit was wiser and she had blocked Connie''s mouth.


    "Not anymore you are not, I am taking over. You can go work on other cases, there is a brand new one about the Skull Lord artist from TK entertainment he broke his security guard''s foot by running over it with his car. It''s flashy, more like your cup of tea. There will be a nice big picture of you arresting Skull Lord on the top of every newspaper." Amon cracked some jokes, but he wore a serious look on his face.


    Shark''s eyes widened, sparkling like sunlight on water and a grin spread across his face before he could contain it.


    "I will always say yes to any opportunity to make Eliza Grant''s life even harder. She must hate me now; I have been bursting so many of her celebrities of late...."


    Phoebe folded her arms; she was aware that this was the work of the ghost that was tied to Eliza. "You don''t say, it looks like her time is running out even faster." She spoke indifferently after all she had warned Eliza Grant multiple times but the woman was too stubborn for her own good.


    Shark handed the files to Amon. "Sir, about the founding sect..." he began.


    "Walk away Shark, things are now beyond where your badge can go." Amon commanded, there was a hint of superiority in his voice.


    "Yes sir." Shark scurried away; the last thing he wanted was to get on the wrong side of his superior.


    "I must see the boy." Amon stood up.


    "We must go to the ranch then." David told him.


    The three humans along with the team of ghosts left for the Whitlock ranch. On the way there Amon let Phoebe know that she had made an enemy out of Dorothy cook.


    Phoebe''s eyelashes flickered. "Who?"


    "Dorothy Cook." Amon released some laughter on seeing her reaction. "Don''t tell me that you do not know who she is? She is the head of the homeowner''s association in the founding council. "Your grandmother started an argument with her during that impromptu search for victims of surrogacy talismans at your house.


    Ashley Miller beat up Dorothy Cook this morning; she surprised her when she stepped out of the gates of her house to jog. Dorothy reported the assault to the council, and she is laying the blame at your feet, claiming that you sent Ashley to her, and you are a witch."


    The memory of the Dorothy Cook returned to Phoebe. "Oh her? I know who she is but what do you mean by saying that she is my enemy? I have nothing to do with her or Ashley Miller''s assault on her. But one thing I am certain about is that she is my grandmother''s enemy that''s for sure. If there is anybody nana would gladly string up from a tree, it''s Dorothy Cook."


    "Meaning?" David asked.


    Phoebe dismissed the question with her hand. "They have a feud, something about Dorothy destroying grandpa''s fountain."


    Her response elicited laughter from the men for some reason and Phoebe had no idea why.


    David and Amon were laughing because when the fountain was constructed Grandma Mayfair had curved the words, "Dorothy stinking Cook pooped her pants in 3rd grade," onto one of the fish immortalizing Dorothy''s humiliation.


    Everyone knew this, the fish was one of the biggest attractions on founding lane, teenagers especially used to love taking pictures of themselves standing by that fountain.


    The feud between the two women had started a very long time ago, it was a childhood rivalry that did not get better when they fell in love with the same man.


    Amon narrowed his gaze. "I doubt that''s the reason as to why, she wrote up a petition to stop you from farming on the land your father bought from the founding council."


    "She did what?" Phoebe asked, her wide eyes, unblinking seemed to search Amon''s face for an explanation.


    "She wouldn''t dare." David spoke through tight lips.


    Everyone in Citrus, no Fog knew that Phoebe was his woman, to mess with her was to mess with him, how dare that woman! How dare she? His hands folded into tight fists.


    Amon scoffed. "Oh she did dare, she has collected a reasonable amount of signatures too. The members feel that such land even though it''s owned privately should be used for aesthetic purposes and farming is taking it backwards not forward. Soon you will be invited by the council and a vote shall be cast, if you get majority of the votes then you can go ahead with your farming projects but if you lose....."


    "Ownership of the land will be taken back by the council and your father''s money shall be returned to him. I will never let that happen Pheebs, be rest assured." David squeezed her hand.


    "I am rooting for you." Amon raised a folded fist to assure her.


    A tired sigh escaped from her lips. "Like as if I don''t have enough problems. I inherited some from granny."


    She would dig up her own dirt on Dorothy Cook and return the favor, perhaps it was time for a new head of the homeowner''s association.


    The van continued on and came to a sudden stop outside the gate of the ranch. It was so abrupt that it caused one car to collide into another.

 Chapter 302 - 302: An empty body.

    The surge pushed them all forward, if they were not safely secured in their seats with seat belts, they would all have been thrust to the front.


    David''s first instinct was to protect Phoebe, he turned to her immediately like a mother worried for her baby.


    "Pheebs, are you okay?"


    She was okay, more than okay in fact because she had already moved on from the minor car crush. She was already seeking for answers.


    "What''s happening?" Phoebe asked.


    Her head was moving from side to side, pressed up against one of the tinted windows that she was intently trying to peek through.


    Amon''s bells suddenly began to shake by themselves, rattling so loudly as if a ritual was being performed. The noise was so loud that the occupants of the car winced and David even covered his ears.


    Amon reached into the pocket of his jacket and took out a small water bottle and rock salt. It was never a good thing when the bells went off on their own.


    "Damn it! It is just as I suspected, that kid has something evil inside him." Amon explained briefly.


    The Saxon spirit was hovering above them, frantically floating from side to side and the place sniffing the air over and over


    "Why are you so unsettled?" Phoebe asked it.


    "I stopped the cars Pheebs, there is something on this ranch, something sinister and evil. I can smell the rotten energy, the kind that emanates from a demon. I do not want you to go in there." It warned strongly.


    "A demon?" Phoebe''s eyes flew wide open, she had heard of them but never seen one. The spirit had told her once that it was not easy to come across demons. Phoebe did not think that her first encounter with one would be on the Whitlock ranch.


    It was as scary as it was exciting, her legs danced with the desire to run out of the car and take a look for herself.


    David hung up the call the moment he heard Phoebe''s words, he was talking to his men who were already inside the ranch.


    "My men had the kid but they say something is wrong with him, his parents have been locked in an empty room in the house. Pheebs what do you mean demon." He quizzically stared at her, he wasn''t the only one Amon too was more than curious.


    "I suspected that the kid was possessed after everything I heard but how did you know that it''s a demon?" Amon studied his restless bells. "Never mind, I am going in."


    Amon pushed a button and the car door slid open, he ventured out fearlessly without hesitation. Ignoring the Saxon spirit''s words, Phoebe run after him, shouting for him to wait for her.


    David could not stay behind obviously, his long legs caught up with Phoebe rather quickly and he grasped her hand firmly. If the situation was dangerous, he planned to take her to safety first.


    Just as they entered the gates of the ranch, one of David''s men sailed past them in the air like a rocket. All of them turned their heads and wide eyes to follow him, his life was in danger.


    Phoebe waved her hand to remedy the situation but the Saxon spirit was faster. It saved the man from hitting a tree, but that was not end. Two more men flew past their heads and the Spirit caught them.


    Amon broke into a run and Phoebe followed, dragging David with her. They stopped just when they reached the first open pasture because something unbelievable was happening.


    Dead cows lay everywhere and Humphrey was on a rampage, battling against David''s men that were determined to capture him. The boy looked so different, inhumane, his eyes were blood red. Black veins were running through the parts of his body that were visible, he was making growling sounds from his mouth and his nails had turned into claws.


    Phoebe wrenched her hand out of David''s grasp and threw out five paper talismans, she slapped her hands together and a large gust of wind carried them directly in Humphrey''s direction.


    The ghosts were not idle, they joined the battle, Connie was pouring salt around Humphrey while Sylvester dropped crystals around them to form a protective circle.


    Phoebe raised her head, faced the sky and yelled powerfully, "By the power of the earth and air, I call upon the ancient heavens, bind this evil, let it be felt no longer."


    As the spell started to take hold, the demon inside Humphrey did not take it kindly and it roared. It was stronger that ordinary ghosts so the sealing spell Phoebe had used was not going to last long.


    Already, some of the salt was flying wildly in the air.


    She turned her head to Amon that was running to Humphrey. "Hurry, it won''t hold for long."


    Suddenly a deep voice came from Humphrey''s mouth. "You cannot stop it Zephyra, Ravana is returning, we will be free again."


    Amon flung the bells at Humphrey directly and they hit him on the head, immediately the boy lost consciousness and fell to the ground.


    He used two other talismans to seal the demon within the boy and put him in a coma state.


    The wind settled down, all the things that had been flying in the air settled down. Phoebe''s nervous legs could not hold up much longer and she collapsed to the ground in a sitting position.


    "David..help your men." she croaked out.


    She gave him some of the new powdered medicine for healing wounds in her bag. He put away his guns and checked on her first, after ensuring that she was fine, he went to check on his men that had been injured. Luckily, there were no permanent injuries.


    "He...he..he kept chanting some strange words and his eyes turned black and then red and his, it was not human boss." Sean, one of David''s men explained the situation, struggling to make sense of it.


    "I know." David answered.


    He moved on to the others and told them to go to a hospital or back to their base for treatment.


    Amon walked over to Phoebe and dropped Humphrey''s unconscious body down.


    "It''s a demon alright, a lesser demon." S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "But how? This is a child, how is this possible? From the little knowledge that i have on this subject, a human must accept a demon to possess them before it can take control of their body. This is a kid, I find it hard to believe that at the age of six he invited one into his body.


    "This child was unlucky to be born without a soul, he didn''t need to make a deal with the demon for him to get possessed, his body was empty. The demon just entered and took over his entire being, hiding inside like a parasite and doing evil." Amon explained.


    A part of Phoebe felt relived, greatly. It was not really a kid that was behind all that evil, it was a demon.


    "Poor child, so what happens to him after the demon gets out of him?" David asked.


    "There is a place where he can live a normal life without anything evil possessing him and do not ask because I won''t tell. Anyway, great job Pheebs, we might make a hunter out of you."


    Amon picked up Humphrey''s body and he joined a group of new arrivals, four people from the founding sect. He handed the boy to them and returned to Phoebe and David''s side.


    "Where is the other daughter?" Phoebe''s eyes darted around in search for her.


    "She has been escorted to the hotel where Janet Shumer is staying." Sean shook his head.


    "Bring the Whitlock''s to me." David ordered his men. There was some unfinished business to handle.

 Chapter 303 - 303: Coming clean.

    The Whitlock''s were sniveling and shivering when David''s men brought them over and forced them onto their knees. Immediately, before being questioned they started to deny having any knowledge of Humphrey''s crimes.


    This was because David''s men had identified themselves as police and grilled them for a while before Humphrey went berserk.


    "Cut the bull shit! We know everything that your son has done and we also know that you knew everything but despite that, you did nothing about it." Amon retorted.


    Mrs. Whitlock whined. "We tried! I swear to God."


    "No, you did not! Instead, you covered up his crimes and put the rest of your children in danger. "Phoebe reared her hand back and slapped Mrs. Whitlock. "This slap is for Diana, she would be alive right now if you had protected her as you should have done as a mother."


    She slapped her again. "This one is for your other daughter; imagine what kind of pain and nightmares she is going to live with for the rest of her life?"


    She clenched her hand into a fist and punched Mr. Whitlock right on the nose.


    "This is for your dead son; you buried him in the Gundam forest to cover up Humphrey''s first crime."


    Sill filled with anger she backhanded him. "This is for America, if you had not invited her to your ranch while knowing fully well what Humphrey was doing, she would not have died."


    Phoebe went back and forth between the two Whitlock''s slapping and punching them on behalf of all the victims whose lives Humphrey had taken.


    When she exhausted the last slap, she wound her hand because it was tired.


    "You better be prepared for what''s coming because the body of your son which you buried is being retrieved as we speak. Humphrey will not be going to prison for the murders he committed but you two will go in for abandoning a corpse and a few other crimes.


    If I were you, I would shut up and accept whatever punishment that comes my way because if you try to dodge it, I will open Pandora''s box and pin all of Humphrey''s crimes on you.


    At the end of the day, you were his partners in crime because you covered up for him. If blame is being assigned, you take 50% for all the murders." Phoebe hissed, she wanted to them again but looking at them disgusted her.


    "Take them to the station, I will come up with heavy charges that will get them punished severely and ensure they are locked up until their hair is grey." Amon shoved Mr. Whitlock towards the men.


    "I am sorry, i truly am." Mr. Whitlock mumbled as he was dragged away.


    Mrs. Whitlock was just crying loudly, and her cries were annoying those that were present. It took a few more minutes for the unsettled trio to get their bearings again. Around them, almost everything had been flattened, the buildings Whitlock house had been flattened, the once green pastures had dried up, not to forget the dead cows.


    It was a good thing that most of the ranches were far apart so there were no nosy neighbors to ask questions and all the workers had been sent away by David''s men.


    "You two should leave now, the sect will take care of the aftermath." Amon told Phoebe and David.


    "Mmm." Phoebe answered. "Thank you for the help."


    "Go, go." Amon waved outwards, gesturing for them to leave.


    The couple left, driving out as a bus drove in, bringing in members of the sect that had come to cleanse the land and get rid of everything that had been contaminated by the demon.


    "Do not be surprised if the news tomorrow announces a fire at this ranch." David told Phoebe.


    "Why?" she asked.


    "Do you really think that will leave any building standing? The sect leaves nothing behind when they cleanse, sometimes they even go so far as to buy a building just to demolish it." he shared.


    The two were sitting at the back of the van, far away from the driver so their conversation was private.


    "You seem to be quite familiar with founding sect, are you a member?" she quizzed.


    "No, but I know a member." he answered. "I asked my grandmother about it when I found out that the founding families are related to it. According to her, I almost joined when I was younger but coming from the first branch made it impossible. My father expects me or one of my two brothers to inherit Saxon group, you cannot be president of a mega company and ghost catcher. The company comes first before everything else."


    "You are not part of the company anymore, you can join now if you want." Phoebe looked at him with interest.


    He seemed to enjoy dabbling in the ghost world after all, and he had not expressed any fear after an encounter with the demon. If she didn''t know better she would assume that he had done it before.


    David laughed lightly. "I only do this for you, if you were not here I would be slaving away behind my desk like every other ignorant person in the city." S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The distance between them was small but he disliked it so he moved closer to her and rested his head on her shoulder.


    "Is it weird that I am exhausted?" he asked.


    "No, I am exhausted as well and it''s only...." she looked at her watch. "It''s actually past one, how did time run so fast?" She looked at the empty van which had just he two of them now, not even the ghosts were around. "I kind of feel like we have all forgotten something, or perhaps missed it."


    "We have forgotten to eat." David slipped his right hand through hers, interlocking their fingers.


    Phoebe sighed, that was not it, something was nagging at her but she couldn''t put a finger on it. She sighed again and decided to let it go, it would come to her later.


    "It feels wrong to be thinking about food after all that has just happened." She said softly as Humphrey''s original face from the picture David had showed her on his phone came to her mind.


    In the picture, four or five year old Humphrey looked normal and happy, smiling in the embrace of his mother. How had things gone from that to what he had become?


    "This whole thing makes me a little scared to have children again. How does someone give birth to a child without a soul?" she shivered.


    An empty body, as Amon had called it. Wasn''t it the same as a still birth?


    "People die everyday, the rest of the living go on however. You do not give up on living life just because you know that you will die somewhere down the road. You cannot decide not to have children just because you have met one child without a soul." David replied.


    Phoebe sighed loudly again. "Our boys were beautiful, i miss them."


    He let go of her hand and put both of his hands around her rest, leaving his head where it was on her shoulder. "I know, I miss them as well, are you ready to discuss our similar dream now?"


    Phoebe scoffed. "Right, the dream, it was a long dream, too long. How did it end for you?"


    David closed his eyes for a few seconds as he recalled the last seconds of his life, there was nothing good there, just images of blood and dead bodies.


    "A whole lot of dead Saxons and a bullet to the back of my head when I was trying to avenge our family and protect what was left of the Saxon group. My mother led the wolves right to our door and opened it wide for them."

 Chapter 304 - 304: Deep talk on the past..1

    Phoebe pushed David''s head off her shoulder, she turned her body and faced him.


    "No way, I find it hard to believe that miss Ruth plotted all her life to marry David Saxon ended up killing him." she shook her head. "David, she killed me because she wanted to be your wife and happened to be pregnant for you.."


    "Hell no!" he bellowed like a bull out on the grassland in the wild. "I never touched that bitch."


    "Right, I remember you told me this." Phoebe winced..."Or did you, I am not sure. Nevertheless, she had a small protruding belly when I last saw her in that dream. Oh what the hell...let''s call a spade a spade and stop beating around the bush."


    She threw her hands out as if she was about to engage him in a fight.


    "I fell in love with you first, I chased you and you agreed to date me and them we got married, you experienced this, right?"


    He nodded.


    "I won''t go into details into our marriage, you were there, you know how it went. What I want to us to do is fill in the gaps for each other starting with Ruth''s pregnancy, if it was not you then who was responsible for it?"


    David raised his right hand pointing finger and replied. "Dickson."


    Phoebe drew in a sharp breath, her eyebrows shot up.


    "Really!"


    David nodded.


    She scoffed. "I should have known, he was always lusting after her and willing to do all of her bidding like her good faithful little slave."


    "She needed children with white hair and because I never touched her, she borrowed sperm from the next best thing. In the end, he died at her hands so karma prevailed."


    "He died too.." Phoebe gasped.


    David nodded.


    "She slit his neck open in the presence of his mother, I remember the screams and the blood, it was terrible and shocking. At the time, most of the remaining Saxons had been turned into puppets or imprisoned in the tower.


    The person that Ruth is working with, he is just like you, he can see ghosts and do magic. That''s why I failed in the end, I was using mortal means to fight the supernatural."


    [No wonder my ghost seeing ability does not scare you, I have been waiting for the day when you run for the hills.]


    "I would never." David took her hand and said.


    She frowned, "What are you talking about? Just tell me what else happened, how did your mother lead the wolves to the door?"


    He let go of her hands and sighed loudly, recalling memories of a time that he preferred not to remember, a time of death and misery.


    Now that they were being open and laying it all out on the table, he decided to reveal it all, everything that he had been bottling up inside.


    "After you and the children died, I was lost for a while. I fell apart, I could hardly function and alcohol became my best friend. I was drinking in the morning, afternoon, night and when the sun came up I would repeat it all again. I could not run the company anymore which inevitably led to my termination and Dickson took my place."


    "A dream come true for him." Phoebe muttered.


    He changed his sitting position, laying down on her thighs with his head facing the roof of the car.


    "My mother," he growled out with some anger in his voice, "I don''t know what or who convinced her that another marriage and new children to replace my dead ones would be the thing to save me. She took my ID and registered marriage for me and Ruth."


    "What?" Phoebe loudly asked. "Is she crazy? Is that even possible, don''t you need two people to appear in church or before a judge to get married?"


    "Apparently not." he answered in a sort of amused voice. "You just need to have enough money in order to accomplish anything in this country. I was in a drunken stupor for three months, by the time I came to my senses, Ruth was already publicly acknowledged as my wife.


    Pictures of us in bed together had already been spread on the internet and believe me Pheebs, I never touched that bitch, not even when I was drunk.


    I tried to deny the marriage because I didn''t marry her but there was a certificate proving otherwise and when I mentioned divorce, I was accused of being heartless. The damn pregnancy made it hard for me to get rid of her. I had no option but to do a DNA test to vindicate myself."


    Phoebe twisted her lips and crossed her arms across her chest. "What were the results?"


    "They were mine." he admitted.


    Phoebe uncrossed her hands and started to push his head off her thighs.


    David resisted, moving his head around from side to side. "It was fake Pheebs, she faked them, I managed to find out at least that much. I even found out that she paid off and threatened different doctors in order to fake the DNA tests for our sons, all the five tests which I had done in different hospitals."


    "Oh look who believes me now, too little too late." Phoebe muttered.


    He had divorced her so coldly, the children had died and so had she.


    David heard the anger in her voice and it prompted him to sit up. He put his hands around her shoulders and turned her to face him.


    Looking into her eyes he said, "I am sorry, I just..." he broke off and sighed.


    A wave of anger of frustration took over him and he punched the seat in front before running a hand through his already messy hair.


    "We were just so damn unhappy Pheebs, you especially. Marrying into the Saxon family had brought you misery and I was always gone so I was unhelpful.


    I tried so hard not to believe it but the doubt crept in after every test came out with the same result.


    Ruth, she came to me in tears and apologized on your behalf before revealing the secret.


    She claimed the boys were Dickson''s, I did not believe her of course but somehow the rumors had made it into the ears of some of the elders in the family.


    I wanted to vindicate your name so I did a DNA test secretly..." he looked at her and sighed. "You can guess what happened."


    "It was negative." she said in a flat voice.


    He nodded slowly, "All of them, one after another. Every one of those tests broke my heart, but what finished me were the pictures of you walking into an abortion clinic when you were pregnant with our first child. It destroyed me Pheebs...."


    Piak! sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Out of the blue, Phoebe raised her hand and she slapped him.

 Chapter 305 - 305: Deep talk on the past...2

    David winced and touched his cheek, his wide unbelieving eyes steadily held on Phoebe. He saw rage in her eyes, a storm that she was going to unleash on him.


    "Babe.." he called her in an unsure voice.


    "You thought i aborted our child!" Phoebe snarled in a deep angry voice. "I used to think that you were brilliant but I was wrong, you..." she growled like a wounded animal. "I cannot even look at you."


    David grabbed her hands, "I am sorry, I was wrong."


    "Too little too late," she wrenched her hands from his hold. "I cannot believe this, do you know how hard it was for me after I had a miscarriage? I had not told anyone about the pregnancy so I mourned the loss of the child alone, not wanting to burden you but you on the other hand thought that I walked into an abortion clinic and terminated our child. I can''t ..."


    The car came to a stop in front of the cafe and the doors slid open. Phoebe marched out in anger, forgetting to take her bag and phone.


    David picked them up and run after her, calling her name loudly as they both entered the cafe. She ignored him and furiously walked all the way to her office.


    "Phoebe, David...." grandma Mayfair called out.


    She had been refilling a customer''s cup of coffee when Phoebe marched in and David followed. Phoebe appeared to be angry and David looked desperate.


    The old woman wondered if it had anything to do with the Humphrey case, had they discovered something even worse at the Whitlock ranch? She wanted to know more but at the same time, did not.


    She had listened to enough evil lately to last her at least a year.


    David followed Phoebe inside and locked the door.


    "Babe..."


    "Oh don''t babe me." She picked up the client book sitting on the table and hurled it at him.


    He ducked down, the book fell to the floor with a thud.


    "You dare to dodge?" Phoebe questioned.


    David blinked and he sighed, he was carrying around a lot of guilt and he was willing to do anything to atone. Like an obedient child, he picked up the book and handed it to her. Then, he returned to where he had been standing across from her on the other side of the table.


    "Babe, throw it again, I promise not to avoid it this time." he said softly.


    Phoebe picked up the book and raised it as if she was going to throw it at him. David flinched but he did not move an inch.


    The book did not hit him, it landed on the desk with a loud bang.


    "I can''t even beat you up." She muttered.


    A large part of David was relieved, this was a sign that it was not all bad and he was not in the dog house. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    America popped into the office suddenly, uninvited. "Hey guys....." she waved and laughed. "So, I have been told that you might be in need of my services."


    "Get out!" Phoebe screamed.


    "Okay." America vanished quickly.


    She went into the space where she and the children, Humphrey''s victims were spending time with the permission of the Saxon spirit.


    "Yeah...I would not advise you to get between them now." She told the Saxon spirit which was nervously hovering in the air.


    The spirit was worried about the consequences of this conversation, the direction it took would make or break the couple.


    The ghosts were watching the fight or confession from the space as if they were viewing a movie.


    "He should not have mentioned anything to do with children." Connie said.


    The girl was enjoying her expensive chocolates as much as she was enjoying the fight. She had been the most excited when Phoebe hurled the book at David''s head.


    "You are wrong, children are the most important part of this conversation between them because it''s Phoebe''s trigger. The only way she will accept him fully is if she can get past the fact that his actions played a role in their bad ending." America replied.


    The Saxon spirit floated down and sat between Connie and America by the lake.


    "I hate to be that guy but she was wrong too because she kept secrets, no marriage cam hold if two people are keeping secrets." Sylvester said.


    All three females turned their heads to him.


    "She did not tell him about her first pregnancy or the miscarriage, he heard about it from Ruth and she brought pictures of Phoebe going into an abortion clinic. Put yourselves in his shoes, wouldn''t you have questions and doubts about Phoebe''s motives?"


    He believed that he was the only one seeing the issues of the couples with a clear head, everyone else had picked sides.


    The Saxon spirit was obviously on team David, Connie was team Phoebe and America was undecided. She kept going back and forth, forgetting that she was a psychologist and supposed to be neutral.


    "In that case he should have gone to her and asked the question directly, not sneaked around with that fox bitch Ruth, doing DNA tests on the sons." Connie argued.


    Oddly enough, Phoebe was making that same argument, using Connie''s exact words with the exception of the words fox bitch.


    "Pheebs, she brought medical records with your signature..." David answered in a weak voice.


    Phoebe sunk into her chair, weak and more than exhausted from everything that had happened and this news which was unexpected.


    Ruth had really played her like a fiddle...not just her but both of them. Her mind traveled back to that day, Ruth was the one that had an abortion and all she had done was escort her to the clinic.


    Phoebe had signed documents for Ruth as the family member willing to take responsibility if something went wrong during the surgery.


    She had no idea that she had been setting herself up, playing into Ruth''s schemes.On that day, she had drunk juice which Ruth had given her and she had a stomach ache that was followed by bleeding.


    While Ruth was having a procedure, she also had a miscarriage and ended up being treated in the clinic. Who could have known that it would have been re-arranged and turned into an abortion?


    It had happened in the first year of her marriage with David. This proved that Ruth had been scheming against them for so long and they never knew.


    Phoebe had long had doubts about Ruth and the role she played in the loss of her first child, she just didn''t think David knew about it.


    She also didn''t expect Ruth to use it as a means to drive a wedge between them.


    "She told me that you aborted my child but chose to have Dickson''s children. It killed me Pheebs, it really did kill me inside, slowly by slowly, one day at time until I couldn''t take it anymore. I thought I was setting you free when i asked for a divorce, sending you off to your happiness, I didn''t expect what happened next." David said slowly.


    He sunk into the chair opposite of hers and looked at her with apologetic eyes, praying on the inside that they could survive.


    "It was her, she put something in my drink and our baby...." Phoebe broke off. "I am going to kill her David, I am going to kill that bitch."


    "And i will hold your hand as you pull that magic bullet." he answered.


    His answer a promise which he intended to keep.

 Chapter 306 - 306: The invention of magic bullets.

    In the magic space, the ghosts were having a mutual moment of realization formed from David''s simple words. Lately, they had been pondering on what weapons would suit Phoebe best in her battles against ghosts, demons and other things that went bump in the night.


    Guns had been out of the question since they could not kill immortal creatures but now, suddenly it did not seem to be too impossible.


    "Magic bullets!" Connie gushed.


    The teenager lost interest in David and Phoebe''s fight, she had more interesting research of her own to do.


    Out in the real world, David and Phoebe were finally calming down. Both could tell where they had gone wrong and see what they had missed. Each had been busy hiding their own pain and trying to keep the lonely distant marriage together while impressing the family and in the end, they lost everything.


    "I am sorry, I should not have kept the secret about our first child from you. At the time, the Saxon group was facing pressure from The Dranger Eco research group, you were out of the country for over six weeks"


    "That''s when I went to the Sunderland forest research base and we came up with the flu vaccine for infants." he said softly.


    Phoebe nodded slowly. "Mmm, your father had put too much pressure on your shoulders and I did not want to add to your troubles."


    "What about when I returned?" he asked in a hoarse voice.


    "You slept for one day straight and buried yourself in paperwork for the next two weeks, I saw you a total of three times, for less than five minutes. Two months later, the Saxon group broke ground on the sister hospital with Sam Health Corp in Silver nation and you were gone for three months. Let''s be honest, we barely had a marriage, we just had a certificate of marriage."


    80% of their marriage had been nothing but dreams she built in the air.


    David opened his mouth to defend their marriage but he couldn''t come up with a good enough explanation, work was the best and honest excuse but the word failed to come out of his mouth.


    "I am sorry, I should have done better."


    A knock on the door interrupted the conversation, providing a moment of relief from the heavy emotions they were both feeling.


    "I brought food." Grandma Mayfair''s voice came from the other end of the door.


    "Should I open?" David asked Phoebe.


    She had chased America away, he did not want to put her in an uncomfortable position, if she said no, he would send the elder away with a few cajoling words. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe waved her had, the knob turned and the door opened.


    "Well, that''s convenient." David muttered.


    Old lady Mayfair walked in empty handed, behind her, Rosette followed and she brought the tray of food and two glasses of fresh passion fruit juice.


    Old lady Mayfair was wisely observing the couple, she could detect something off in the air, sparks of an argument that had yet to fizzle out. The old woman though back on the way the couple had stomped into the cafe, all that shouting and angry marching was something else clearly.


    "Are you two having a fight?"


    "No." They both denied.


    "Then why the long faces?" She frowned and reluctantly asked the question that she had been determined not to ask. "Is it Humphrey again, what did the little freak do? I don''t want to know the details, just nod once for yes or form an ''x'' with your hands for no."


    "It''s personal stuff nana." Phoebe replied.


    [I don''t want to scare you by telling you that there was a demon living in Humphrey''s body and it was the one doing all the killing. If you knew, wouldn''t you faint nana?]


    Old lady Mayfair read Phoebe''s thoughts, her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she fainted.


    Phoebe and David jumped up and rushed to the old woman''s side. Phoebe''s quick reflexes and use of her ghost energy saved her grandmother from hitting the floor.


    She levitated her in the air before lowering her into the chair gently.


    "Nana, open your eyes, what is wrong with you?" She asked.


    Phoebe got some water from her desk and poured it into the her grandmother''s mouth, she pinched her nose and the water went down the throat.


    David was already on the phone calling for an ambulance and Rosette that had heard the scream Phoebe was unaware she had let out came rushing into the office.


    "What happened?" she frantically asked, approaching old lady Mayfair.


    "I don''t know, she just fell down." Phoebe answered in a slightly panicked voice.


    She placed her hand on her grandmother''s forehead and then her neck, checking her body temperature. Then, she felt her pulse, it was steady, nothing to cause to alarm over.


    "She is fine." the Saxon spirit declared.


    "I agree." Phoebe replied.


    She took a deep breath, relieved largely that her grandmother was in no danger, however it still left the question of why she had fainted.


    The fainting spell lasted for less than a minute, old lady Mayfair opened her eyes and they all calmed down.


    "Nana, what happened?" Phoebe asked her.


    Old lady Mayfair shook her head, "Did you say that Humphrey was a demon?"


    "A what now!" Rosette exclaimed loudly.


    "Who said it?" Phoebe quizzed.


    Her eyes traced David and he shook his head, going so far as to lift his hands.


    Old lady Mayfair was quick in her thinking. She could not let Phoebe figure out how she had known what was clearly a secret. "One of the men you went with mentioned it, they are inside the cafe having lunch. If you don''t believe me, you can come out and confirm with your eyes."


    The answer was plausible and Phoebe believed it.


    "Nana, don''t think about such things, just forget it, the matter is being handled by the founding sect. Why don''t you go home and get some sleep..."


    "As if I can sleep after finding out about this, I am going to church." the old lady said firmly.


    She gestured for someone to help her up and David did so, escorting her all he way to her car which set off for the nearest church which was, The church of saints and angels.


    When David returned to the office, Phoebe was already working on her lunch, eating slowly.


    "Do you think that I should wipe her memory?" Phoebe quizzed, sharing a question that had been on her mind.


    "Is that a thing you can do?" he responded.


    She nodded, "There is a talisman for forgetfulness, I read all about it in the book. It has the ability to help someone forget unwanted memories. It''s supposed to be a good thing."


    "Depending on the intentions of the one that makes the talisman." he said.


    Phoebe recalled the stalker ghost and the misused talisman which bonded it to it''s victim. Indeed, all talismans were two sided.


    "That''s true."


    "Do you have something to help me deal with my mother by making her reasonable?" he asked.


    Phoebe tapped the plate with the fork in her hands, she thought about the talismans she had read about, there was nothing of the sort. Just when she was prepared to say that much to him the Saxon spirit provided an answer.


    "An amulet of serene thought."

 Chapter 307 - 307: The founding lane gossip mill.

    Phoebe repeated after the spirit, relaying its words to David.


    "I have never made one personally, but I have heard a story of such a talisman being crafted. It was a bracelet made on the order of Brian Castille of the red eyed family for his wife that was suffering from an illness of the mind.


    This was long before the founding families traveled to Fog country and settled down here, I think the year was 1695, a time when it was not safe to be a woman with a troubled mind.


    Witchcraft was highly frowned upon in those days, one wrong move and you would be burned. Brian''s wife had what you people call bipolar disorder in these modern days but back then it was known as possession by a demon. She would become angry and hostile suddenly, talk to herself, cut her wrists and problems like that.


    A woman like that would have been abandoned if it was any other man in those days but she was lucky, she had a face that no man could resist.


    Brian was the town lord''s son and he was madly in love with her. At the height of the witch hunts, he provided protection, food and asylum to some witches in exchange for an amulet that would keep her clear headed all the time.


    The witches made him a bracelet which was named the amulet of serene thought and it was passed down in the family. It worked like a charm, I remember that girl was not troubled ever again, she was always sunny and calm until the day of her death.


    If you need to take a look at it, I suggest that you visit the Castille family."


    Even though David could not see the Saxon spirit, he heard the story loud and clearly.


    "I have a friend from the Castille family, I will make a call." David said.


    "You have friends." Phoebe snorted. "Never mind," she turned to the Saxon spirit. "How old are you?"


    From the way the story had been narrated, the Saxon spirit had personally witnessed the changes in Brian Castille''s wife. It had even described her beauty like it had seen her in person.


    "Who cares, age is just a number." It answered and vanished.


    "And you are a liar." Phoebe said to the air.


    If she assumed that the Saxon spirit had been alive since 1695, she would be at least three hundred thirty years old. But, she was not human so did it even matter?


    "I have sent Arrow a message, he will find out more about the bracelet and bring it to me if he finds it. If he does not....." he broke off and looked at Phoebe with hopeful eyes.


    "I will look into it, but you should know that I will be charging highly."


    "Yes madam." he answered.


    She sneered. "Who is your madam?"


    "It''s what your brother calls Shana, I am just borrowing his words." David chuckled.


    Phoebe put a hand over her mouth and she laughed. "Madam, really!"


    David nodded. "I heard about it from Valerie who heard about it from Natalie Chapman and she got it from Lisa McNewie ."


    "Oh my God, the founding lane gossip mill moves really fast. "Speaking of my brother and his girlfriend, I cannot believe that he has not introduced her to me. I am the only one in the family that is yet to meet her."


    "He is probably traumatized from the complications which arose from his mixing Ruth and his girlfriends together. I heard Kelly accused him of having an inappropriate relationship with Ruth and this was around the time when it was discovered that she was not a Mayfair." David reminded her.


    "Ooh, I heard about that," she leaned closer with a big smile on her face. "How did you hear about this? It happened in the gardens of my family home and it doesn''t sound like something that would fall into the ears of outsiders easily."


    David leaned closer too and he whispered, "Your grandmother talked to my grandmother about her worries, my aunt Zoe happened to overhear and she told Dickson''s mother who supplied it to everyone else."


    Phoebe moaned, "Ooh, the cursed founding lane gossip mill strikes again."


    "There is nothing secret on founding lane." David said.


    Phoebe agreed. "Nothing at all, not even bedroom affairs are sacred anymore, I heard that Helian Darling was caught cheating on his wife with the girl that works in the pharmacy down the lane. Apparently, Mrs. Barbie Darling dragged her husband to the car with his pants down." She bent and lowered her head even more. "They say he had a leash around that part."


    She pointed her finger in the direction of his crotch. "Evelyn says that the Darling''s are swingers in some sort of arrangement with the girl and her boyfriend but Mr. Darling has been showing a little too much interest in the girl."


    David choked on the juice which he had just taken, he coughed a few times and put down the glass.


    "Swingers!" he exclaimed.


    "Mmm." Phoebe nodded.


    "Where in the world did Evelyn hear this?" he quizzed.


    Phoebe shrugged, she did not know, she was just doing her part as a member of the founding families which inevitably gave her a membership in the founding lane gossip mill.


    "It''s too bad nobody got pictures, I would have loved to see that." Phoebe chuckled.


    "Absolutely not, you do not need to look at any other leashed men''s privates. If that''s what you are into, we can discuss it and..."


    "Eew." she said.


    "It''s a suggestion." David laughed.


    "And I will probably have to wash my mind with bleach to get the image out, thanks a lot Saxon." she joked.


    They continued to laugh and joke, sharing things that they had heard from here and there about different people on the lane. Slowly, with one laugh at a time, all the tension of the day melted away from their shoulders.


    In the space, America was watching them, she was the only ghost still interested in the progress of their affairs.


    "What do you think?" The Saxon spirit asked her.


    "I think they balance each other out, both understand that they need each other and deep under the surface, the love they have for each other is strong.


    From what you have told me about their story, she understood his burdens in the past and chose to support him, in this life, he is doing the same for her while choosing to give up the things that weighed him down previously.


    There is pain and hurt which they need to work through but as long as they get past it, there is a large possibility that they will be happy." America looked at Saxon spirit and she reminded her of an important fact.


    "I am not a god of course; I cannot accurately predict the momentum of their relationship or the future. They have just gone from fighting to talking and laughing without coming to any clear conclusions about where they stand now. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At some point, they might pick up this fight from where they left off or just ignore it and move on completely. I guess they will only know where the relationship stands after destroying their mutual enemy."


    "In that case, I am going to give you an open invitation, please stay with us longer, the two cannot separate or else they will be destroyed once again and so will their loved ones." The Saxon spirit requested of America.

 Chapter 308 - 308: The petition.

    America gazed at the lake, her ghostly eyes perfectly still. She thought about what she had experienced in the months leading up to her death, the choices she had made and the consequences of those choices. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She wondered if Diana''s life would have been saved if she had acted sooner, if her own life would have been kept if she ignored Humphrey the first time he was brought to her.


    America thought about her unfinished research and the papers that she had left behind, her life''s work. It was all she had to show for her life, her parents were long dead, she was unmarried and had no children.


    "I haven''t lived much, have I?" she said to herself.


    She had lived for her work, helping others and forgetting to just stop and enjoy the sun, go on dates, travel for leisure. She truly wanted to stay behind and help because Phoebe had helped her too but she was ready to move on and hoped to reincarnate soon, maybe she would live for herself in her next life.


    "The children are moving on." Connie announced loudly.


    America and the Saxon spirit whirled around, they saw the children disappearing into bright lights. It was quick, they hardly got to say goodbye.


    Diana however was not among the children that left, she was left behind, there was no bright light around her.


    "That child has no happy memory right now, she is plagued with shadows and fear even as a ghost. She is also worried about her sister, it will take some time for her to heal and move on." The Saxon spirit sighed.


    America floated to Diana and took the little girl''s hand.


    "I guess I am staying as well."


    She could not move on and leave Diana behind, nothing would ever convince her that she had not fast tracked the girl''s death. If she had not talked to her, the girl would be alive today, perhaps. America was determined to be responsible for Diana to the very end no matter how long it took.


    "In that case, I will prepare the contract, staying on as a wandering ghost that has failed to move on is different from staying on under Phoebe''s employment. In this place, you and Diana will be safe from ghost catchers, evil witches and warlocks and other malicious ghosts which prey on the weaker ones. Is that okay with you?


    America looked at the blank faced Diana and she nodded. It was important to keep Diana safe, if working for Phoebe was what it took, she was also willing to do it.


    The Saxon spirit watched America leading Diana into the cabin and she shook her head, feeling pity for America. Even though she wanted to move on, she had her own anchor of guilt tying her down.


    Even if she tried to move on now, it would not happen, she would not see the light. She had to first let go of all her regrets in order to move on.


    In the evening, as the clouds started to darken and the wind picked up speed, David and Phoebe decided to take a walk around founding lane.


    Hand in hand, they walked slowly while discussing anything that crossed their minds. Mostly, they giggled because other joggers or residents were sneakily taking pictures of them.


    Phoebe even saw Bertha Chapman, the wife of Rex Chapman, president of the founding council taking a picture of them and then she made a phone call. She was one of the women with the biggest mouth''s on founding lane in terms of gossip.


    "We are going to be part of this week''s gossip mill I guess."


    "Week! that''s too far, I bet everybody will know by dinner time." David laughed.


    He stopped her and pulled her close. "You know we can actually make the gossip count."


    "What..." Phoebe started.


    Out of the blue, David leaned down and placed a light kiss on her lips. He did not move his mouth in an attempt to deepen it.


    Phoebe smiled against his lips, raised her right leg up and put her hands around his neck.


    Both of them could hear the clicks and even saw a few flashes of cameras out of the sides of their eyes. Not only would they be a topic of conversation, their would be evidence of their relationship.


    "We are so bad." Phoebe giggled.


    "So bad." he laughed.


    Phoebe''s phone rung and she separated from him.


    "It''s my dad." she said happily as she answered. "Pa...." she started.


    "If you are not home in ten minutes young lady I will ground you, I don''t care how old you are, no kissing boys before marriage." Edward said and then he hung up.


    Phoebe looked at the phone and then David, she burst into unexpected laughter suddenly.


    "I think my father has seen the pictures and he just scolded me."


    David''s phone rung and he looked at the caller and rolled his eyes. For Collin Mayfair to be calling him, it was nothing good, he was probably looking for a fight.


    "I think your brother wants to have a word with me about your honor."


    Phoebe snorted, what honor, was this the 1700''s?


    "If you have a duel, don''t shoot him in the face or the legs, his wedding is coming up."


    David took her hand and they turned around, walking in the direction of the Mayfair manor with big grins on their faces.


    ********


    Two days after being told that Dorothy Cook was plotting against her, the petition arrived, Phoebe was served with papers at the cafe.


    The grim faced council attorney announced that she was expected to appear before the council in four days. Never before had Phoebe experienced something like it, not even in her last life had she attended a council meeting or been tried before one.


    It was all official, it felt like she was being sued and had been ordered to make a court appearance.


    "What does this even mean? Do I appear with a lawyer? Where do I even go to meet this council?" She queried the man who only pointed at the brown envelope and left.


    Phoebe went behind the serving counter and shared the unfortunate news with her grandmother.


    "Dorothy Cook really has bitten more than she can chew this time around. I suggest that you send a team of ghosts to whip her behind." Grandma Mayfair smacked the table, veins pulsed in her neck. "Never mind, she is not worthy to be lashed by our ghosts, your father will take care of this, Do not worry about it." She added.


    [That''s what David said and yet the petition has still been signed and I have been served, I guess it''s not going to be an easy fight.]


    Phoebe''s thought came to be displayed. It made old lady Mayfair think that Phoebe had no faith in the abilities of the Mayfair''s.


    Phoebe was more worried about her plants that had already started growing, so far things were moving on smoothly at the farm, the thought of shifting it made her upset. Finding unoccupied very fertile land in Citrus was extremely hard to find, the Saxons had gobbled most of it up.


    "Pheebs, you know what, I have changed my mind." Her grandmother called. "I think you should send Sylvester and Connie to beat some sense into her empty head."


    Phoebe laughed dryly. "And add onto my woes by cementing my reputation as the founding lane witch, no grandma that will not work but what I can do is make use of a secret that is damaging enough to make Dorothy lose her position in the council. I already have someone working on digging up the information. Meanwhile, Connie can go and keep an eye on her."


    Connie vanished, she was determined to find out everything clean and dirty about Dorothy Cook.


    "Ha! I tried my child, she''s as clean as spring water but you can try, maybe you will have better luck than I did. If we damage her reputation she will stop stepping on people''s heads that''s for sure." Grandma Mayfair rubbed her chin.


    The rattle bell chimed attracting attention, Phoebe eyes narrowed the moment Dickson walked into the cafe.

 Chapter 309 - 309: Shameless Dickson.

    A flicker of disdain laced Phoebe''s eyes which intrigued old lady Mayfair. Phoebe was a warm person even to people that she didn''t know so why was she so unwelcoming to Dickson yet he was David''s family.


    Grandma Mayfair did not like Dickson either, she had always thought him to be a lustful gold digger and opportunist with the way he was always panting after Ruth when everyone knew his mother was shopping around for a rich match.


    Old lady Mayfair was interested in knowing the story behind Phoebe''s loathing for Dickson, her granddaughter was looking at him the way she looked at Dorothy Cook.


    Dickson strolled to the counter with a grin like that of a smiling Cheshire cat.


    [How dare he be so brazen enough to bring his stick like legs inside my cafe with that disgusting smile on his face. I guess today is the day my grandmother will witness me commit murder.]


    Grandma Mayfair blinked a few time rapidly, had things gotten to a point of murder? What had happened between these two?


    "Hello beautiful ladies!" He cheerfully greeted the nearest female customers as he walked past them, Unlike the regular ghosts that were in on some of Phoebe''s life story that sneered, the women in the cafe smiled at him.


    Dickson was a master of trickery and weaved charm like a spell, no wonder the ladies seemed to like him.


    Phoebe glared daggers at the flowers she believed were meant for her, immediately she wrinkled her face ready to reject them.


    "Here you go granny." He handed them to grandma Mayfair. "I also brought with me tickets to the annual Citrus antique museum auction and gala, I want to attend it in the company of the most beautiful ladies in Citrus."


    His compliment only angered Phoebe, she knew quite well how he treated beautiful ladies.


    "No thanks." Phoebe stated and began to walk away but her movements came to a stop when he said that she owed him.


    "Come one Pheebs, you do owe me, don''t you?" he repeated again.


    [What is he playing at? He must think that i am naive or something.]


    Phoebe''s thoughts were only seen by her grandmother again.


    "And how exactly am I owing you?" Came Phoebe''s sharp question.


    "I helped you get your bag back from those thieves and your problem with the petition, I have been persuading Dorothy Cook to let it go. In fact she has promised to think about it." Dickson''s smile crooked just enough to hint at mischief.


    Phoebe sarcastically laughed. "I can fight my own battles, you are a knight whose wearing a dull armor."


    Her curt response caused his smile to fall instantly.


    Dickson was not prepared to have another Mayfair woman undermine him. He didn''t love Phoebe he only loved what she would bring with her if he married her.


    He faked a smile again, thinking to himself that he would deal with her after marrying her.


    "Are you sure that you will not regret those words darling." A bitter smile returned to his face


    Him calling her darling had goosebumps grow on Phoebe''s body. "If I were you, I would worry about your company. You are about to enter into an agreement with Halstead but it will not work out.


    I see black shadows all around you which signify misfortune. I say go with D.P holdings. You will thank me later." Phoebe planned to use D.P holdings to seize Dickson''s company.


    If he went with Halstead, his company would grow to become one of the biggest companies in the country, she couldn''t allow it.


    David had told her that Dickson had used his company D.C pharma to impress the Saxon clan elders and become chairman of the Saxon group.


    At the moment, D.C pharma was a fledgling company, a seed that could be crushed before it could get a chance to bloom.


    Phoebe did not want to deal with Dickson anymore, she had other things to do, one of which was the cleansing ritual for Sarah Miller.


    She stepped out from behind the counter. Hastily, Dickson stood in her way, blocking her path. Phoebe could see the unhappiness on his face, he was not a man that liked to be outsmarted.


    His D.C pharma was a secret company just like David''s D.P.


    "You are truly impressive, I have heard of your amazing supernatural abilities for a while now but never thought I would witness it for myself. Are you sure about what you are telling me right now?"


    His eyes narrowed to study her face. He was emotionally intelligent and didn''t trust easily.


    Phoebe''s lowered eyes lifted to stare at him, she wore a warm smile one that was well rehearsed.


    "I am certain, your business won''t last a year if you don''t do as i say but feel free to do as you please." Phoebe made a move to by-pass him but he caught her by the arm.


    "Do you really think that I believe you? You don''t like me, I can tell for i am not a fool, so why are you helping me?" His dangerous dark eyes dug into hers.


    Disgust crawled allover Phoebe''s skin where Dickson touched her, it was better to hug a snake than to feel his touch.


    A history of his wrong doings against her in the past life returned to her, to control her raging emotions Phoebe''s fingers came to form a tight fists.


    [Get your filthy paws off me before I punch that plastic face of yours. If I did not need to keep you a live for a while longer, I would dig your eyes out with a spoon.] Phoebe yanked her arm away from him.


    "You are not wrong about that, I do not care at all for you. However, you are still David''s family therefore it''s sort of my obligation to warn you." Phoebe sneered and turned to walk away. "Oh, remember to pay the consultation fee, nana, make sure that he pays no less than ten thousand dollars, if he doesn''t, report him to the police."


    To Dickson, the more Phoebe showed her disinterest, the more he wanted her. He would tame her later on but for now he loved the fire on her, his imagination run wild to how passionate she would be in his bed.


    His greed for her grew even more, burning hotter than hell fire.


    "You must hate me because of the past friendship between me and Ruth, I know everything darling but you should know that I was never interested in her." His words forced her to pause in her steps, it was a thunderclap that attracted grandma Mayfair''s attention as well.


    "My oh my, you must be the ninth wonder in the world. You followed Ruth around for years like a desperate puppy and now suddenly you are denying your interest in her?" Old lady Mayfair laughed dryly.


    Dickson clicked his tongue. "Granny did i ever once come to the elders of your family and confess my feelings for her? No! I did have a childhood crush on her to an extent at some point but as we grew up I realized that she was using me so I out grew that crush.


    She was like a sister to me, remember the man she adored with all her heart was David, my cousin. Those two had a very special bond but David being a play boy and all, he gets bored easily." His eyes met those of Phoebe as he spoke his last words.


    Phoebe laughed, so loudly that she held her stomach for it hurt. "Did you say that you didn''t love her? Oh come on Dickson I am a shaman. I can see things that are written deep within your soul. You would have given her even the last drop of your blood if need be but since she isn''t a Mayfair you lost interest didn''t you?" She teased knowing very well that she had hit a nerve.


    "Aah..that''s not right, you still wanted her even though she was not a Mayfair. You want to live like an ancient emperor, a queen in one hand with the right connections to safeguard your interests and a favorite concubine in the other to lavish with your love. What was your plan, to marry two sisters?"


    It skipped all of their minds that there were customers around that were quite interested in the back of forth, some that were residents of the founding lane.


    The gossip mill was about to go wild again.


    S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 310 - 310: Grandma shames Dickson.

    Dickson clenched his jaw and his hands, inside, he struggled with the desire to wrap his hands around Phoebe''s neck and squeeze it until she dropped to the floor, lifeless. What right did she have to run her mouth off in front of him acting like she was all that when she was nothing more than a sewer rat that got lucky because she was born with Mayfair blood?


    She was lucky that a man like him was interested in her, she was hardly his type. At least Ruth had been drop dead gorgeous, charming and tall with big breasts that he liked. Phoebe was short and average with a big attitude which did not match her size.


    But still, she was a challenge, and he loved that, easy things didn''t interest him. She had even managed to catch David''s attention so that made him want her all the more.


    He raised his hands in surrender. "You do not need to be crass; I am not a player like David, I would never date two women at the same time.


    Like I said, Ruth Gabriel was a passing fancy, she was fake, a liar and manipulator. When I found out who and what she truly was i cut off all ties with her. However, I had lost interest for her a long time ago my darling." S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Stop calling me that!" Phoebe barked; her body flinched each time he said the word.


    A pronounced sigh came through grandma Mayfair''s lips, she had browsed through her memories and not once had Dickson professed his love for Ruth publicly. But still he followed her around for years like a lovesick dog, his actions spoke louder than his words she was no fool and could tell that Dickson wasn''t being truthful. Since Ruth was out of the picture, he was after Phoebe.


    "Well, whatever the case maybe, you dodged a bullet by getting rid of your feelings for Ruth. Good thing is that the Sunflower ball is around the corner, hundreds of young beautiful single women will be in attendance, hopefully you will find a nice girl to marry. You are past the age of chasing skirts Dickson" Grandma Mayfair cheered him on.


    "Oh, there is no need for that I already found her." Dickson winked at Phoebe leaving her more disgusted than speechless.


    She scoffed and walked to her office without looking back, but it was not before instructing Sylvester to stick a bad luck talisman on Dickson''s back. She wanted him to encounter as many disasters as possible.


    "Granny here." Dickson stretched his hands respectfully, the auction tickets lay in the palm of his hands, displayed for all to see especially the female customers that were part of the commoner''s population.


    For many women, going to such an auction was a dream come true for them. First because the tickets cost an arm and a leg, so they were a means of showing off and secondly because you had to be a member of the founding families, vastly wealthy or a prominent figure in society to attend.


    For those looking to score a rich husband, the auction was a safer bet in comparison to the balls which commoners hardly got a chance to attend.


    "Thank you for the generous offer, dear however we already received our invitations to the auction, we didn''t even have to buy them like you had to." Said grandma Mayfair very loudly, deliberately. "Also, watch your language when you talk to my granddaughter, she is not your darling, she is David''s darling. Do not do things that might cause people to misunderstand my granddaughter and besmirch her flawless character."


    If she was going to stop Dickson''s hideous plans of pursuing Phoebe then she had to do it as soon as possible. She was also resolved to have a conversation with her friend Prudence about this new development. Dickson was like a pest; he did not understand the word ''no'' when he was pursuing a woman.


    If this continued, not only would he damage Phoebe''s reputation, but he might endanger her.


    Shock etched on Dickson''s face, not because old lady Mayfair had rejected his thoughtful gift but because he heard a hint of mockery in her voice. Was she indicating that he wasn''t good enough for Phoebe because he didn''t match the Mayfair status?


    It also seemed like she was resolved to see to it that Phoebe did not get involved with him, going so far as to declare her as David''s woman as if he had received approval from the Mayfair''s.


    It seemed like the old woman had already picked David''s side. This was a big problem that was going to hinder his plans of marrying Phoebe since grandma Mayfair made the final decision on all marriages in the Mayfair family.


    It was time to come up with a different plan, for now he would gracefully back off to avoid further embarrassment.


    "That''s too bad, you can give them out to any lucky and loyal customers. It will boost sells i believe." He wore a defiant grin, one that told Grandma Mayfair that he wasn''t giving up easily, he bowed respectfully and left the cafe.


    His face grew cold the moment the door shut behind him.


    He spat on the ground, in front of the entrance to the cafe. "That foolish old hag, how dare she imply that i am a low born Saxon just because my family wasn''t invited to the auction and had to buy tickets." Dickson scoffed. "By the time i am done with all of all this, you will be begging for scraps on the street."


    His hands slid slowly to his sides, his fingers clenched on the edges of the trench coat. He pushed the fabric back, revealing his expensive custom tailored suit.


    He raised his foot to walk and it slid, throwing him off balance and he fell down to the ground, landing on his buttocks.


    Curse words exploded from his mouth as the pain from the scratches on his hands irritated him. As he started to stand up, he heard the sound of something being ripped, it turned out to be his pants.


    "What the fuck!" he exclaimed.


    He checked and indeed, he felt a hole in the back of his very expensive trouser.


    "Shit!. what a bloody shitty day." he muttered.


    He took another step and once again, he slid, falling to the ground again. When he looked down, he saw a banana peel that was out of place on the very clean side walk.


    A call from the Halstead came to his phone causing him to cuss. He deliberated on what to do, today was the day to sign the deal with Halstead investments but Phoebe''s warning kept ringing at the back of his mind.


    She was not a fake because she even knew that D. C Pharma was his and also about Halstead, on top of that bad things were happening to him suddenly which lent volume to her prediction.


    He was still sitting on the ground, a taxi swept by at incredible speed, passing over a small puddle of water that had pulled together as a result of the light rain the previous night.


    The water splashed on Dickson with the force of a water being pumped at an incredible speed and strength. The force was equal to that of a slap.


    Dickson wiped his face and groaned, he picked the call while he was still burning hot with anger.


    "I have changed my mind, you imbeciles will ruin my business." He rudely spoke before hanging up the call abruptly.

 Chapter 311 - 311: Nana suddenly likes Luna.

    Back at the cafe, a curious grandma Mayfair was pushing the door to Phoebe''s office hesitantly. She was afraid that Phoebe was in a terrible mood after what had just transpired between her and Dickson.


    Her brows shot up in surprise however when she found Phoebe humming as she put herbs in a bag.


    "You seem to be in a jovial mood, I was expecting the opposite, where are the broken cups or spilled tonic? Pheebs I must warn you about Dickson, I think that he is a little too interested in you if know what I mean." Grandma Mayfair sighed, exhausted mentally, she sank into a chair.


    "There are rumors about him..." she said hesitantly, "The things he likes to do to women in bed, they say he burns them with candles and whips them with ropes that have sharp barbs. Whatever he says to you, do not believe it no matter how much he professes his undying love."


    [Ha-ha interest in me my ass, he''s interested in the property he would get by making me his wife and the humiliation David would endure if he succeeded in his evil plot. If he ever lays a hand on me, I will make him a eunuch in the blink of an eye.]


    A chortle slipped through grandma Mayfair''s lips on reading the thought. She was glad that Phoebe was not naive, no one could take advantage of her, especially not the scum Dickson.


    "Nana do not worry yourself, I know Dickson better than he knows himself. I am aware of what his plans are for me but unknown to him, I am many steps ahead of that shameless man.


    Even the advice I gave him about his company is a trap, on top of that I paid off his secretary and two employees in his company."


    [I will sabotage all of his plans, he will forever and always be a worthless Saxon and the debt he owes me, I will collect it all before sending him to hell.]


    In as much as she wanted to ask more questions about this debt and why Phoebe harbored so much hatred for Dickson, grandma Mayfair only shrugged and dropped the issue.


    She planned to find another way to dig up the information and if she found anything that proved he had harmed Phoebe, she would be the one to send him to hell.


    Luna''s face came to her mind and old lady Mayfair sat up, this was the kind of task that girl could take on, maybe it was time to have a conversation with her. The girl was not so bad, it was her background that was a bit messy.


    Connie appeared just when Phoebe was about to sling the bag on her shoulders and leave for the Miller house.


    "Guys! Guys! You will not believe this. All this talk about swingers in town just got interesting. I have heard that Dorothy Cook, and her husband are among the couples involved in a secret swingers club." She bounced excitedly, for bringing such news she expected a great reward from Phoebe.


    "What?" Grandma Mayfair exclaimed. "Dorothy prim and uptight poopy pants Cook, no way."


    As for Phoebe, her jaw had dropped open and the bag that was on its way up to her shoulder, dropped on the floor.


    "Connie you have to be joking! That woman looks and acts like she is a moral compass, there is no way she would do something like that." Phoebe''s eyes widened, searching for confirmation from Connie.


    "I swear on the church of saints and angels, that I am telling nothing but the truth. I was on my way to the Cook manor when I overheard the Darling''s arguing in their car.


    Mrs. Annie Darling said that she had proof, recordings from their meet ups. She mentioned Lina the girl that works at the pharmacy and Mrs. Cook and she said that she would out everyone if her husband dared to mention divorcing her ever again."


    Connie''s body floated in the air like a bubble, she twirled and somersaulted.


    The revelation hit grandma Mayfair like a cold gust announcing the arrival of winter, she had long searched for something to destroy Dorothy and Connie had given her a bazooka.


    "This is it! We could spread this news around, once her reputation is destroyed, she will lose that position on the council." Grandma Mayfair squirmed.


    Her quick fingers were already reaching for her phone, ready to set the gossip mill of the founding lane on fire. This, would be even more explosive than the Shuman sisters and their witchcraft, after all who did not love a good sex scandal on founding lane?


    Phoebe''s excitement didn''t last long when she realized that even if they spread the gossip, it wasn''t going to stop her from appearing before the council.


    On voicing out her concerns, grandma Mayfair told her that at least Dorothy would have been taught a lesson. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "She has for long been misusing that position for so long, she keeps acting like the queen of Fog and that Rex Chapman is to blame, he keeps entertaining her rubbish, I bet he is somewhere in those recording too." She leaned forward, not feeling the rush of excitement anymore. "But....I just don''t understand this at all. It''s just not possible for her to garner a ten thousand signatures that fast. Most members of the founding families are cordial with us, they would think twice before signing something that would work against us....."


    "Not if someone catalyzed the situation." Came a voice as the door opened, David''s head popped in." Hello beautiful ladies, can I come in." He asked.


    Grandma Mayfair sneered. "You are already in; David you promised to handle this situation. Had I known that you would move at a sloth''s pace I would have intervened earlier." She curled her lips to the side fully aware that it was wrong of her to blame David for any of this but venting on behalf of Phoebe anyway.


    The founding council was never to be influenced by families lest it lose its power and become corrupted, that was the law, or it was supposed to be.


    "Nana come on, if anyone could have done something, it would have been dad, and I did not tell him for this very reason. Isn''t he a member of the council? He knew about this and said nothing, in fact if Amon wasn''t my friend I never would have known anything until the papers summoning me were brought." Phoebe''s hands slapped her thighs, but she felt no pain.


    "Your father is sworn to an oath of secrecy! He wouldn''t say even if he wanted to besides, Edward already promised to get you bigger and better lands even if you lose this one. To be honest, its not really a big deal, the whole thing stems from a personal vendetta Dorthy has against me and...." Grandma Mayfair explained but Phoebe only twisted her lips.


    In her mind, she was conflicted, her father was right to respect the laws that governed their families. Sometimes, breaking one small law could get a family removed and banned from the founding families. However, on the other hand she still wanted her father to put her first, family before others and everything else.


    Was she wrong? Was it selfish of her, was she being unreasonable?


    "Ladies, didn''t you hear me earlier? The situation escalated because a Saxon was involved. Dickson cajoled some brainless people into signing with a bunch of promises, some threats and pay offs and that''s why Dorothy got the numbers so quickly."

 Chapter 312 - 312: The scummiest of them all.

    On hearing David''s words, the two women stared at each other in disbelief, Grandma Mayfair was outrun by a mixture of emotions mostly shock and surprise.


    Phoebe surprisingly burst into laughter when her eyes met those of her grandmother, her reaction startled David the most.


    "What am I missing?" He asked as he perched himself on the edge of the chair.


    Pulling her brows into a frown, grandma Mayfair wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Child did you say Dickson was involved?" She queried.


    David nodded; his face still shadowed by confusion. "Yes! My cousin Dickson. He used his Saxon influence to persuade people into signing that damn petition. When I see him, I swear to God...." His palm met his fist to express what he intended to do.


    The two had not had a fight in a while___years actually, six of them and it was the intervention of their grandmother and clan elders that ended their physical fights. It was high time Dickson was reminded of the taste of a fist to his face.


    "I ask because he was just here about an hour ago, claiming to be in talks with Dorothy in order for her to drop the stupid petition. In fact, he said that Phoebe owed him and also about him saving her from some thieves." Grandma Mayfair spoke through pursed lips, she had actually believed his lies.


    He was a bastard that much was true but not everything that came out of his mouth was false. Old lady Mayfair was still displeased, how could be brazen enough to lie to her without batting an eye?


    To think that he was colluding with the enemy in the dark! No wonder Phoebe hated him so much, he was a hyena__no, a weasel, scrub that, a fox was the best description of the man.


    Stretching his hand, David stole one of Connie''s expensive candies from the bowl on Phoebe''s desk, asking them to explain everything that had happened down to the very last detail.


    Grandma Mayfair beat Phoebe to the punch, narrating the story with great vigor.


    "I know Dickson, he is as cunning as a fox. About him helping you get your purse back; I was not happy that you didn''t mention it to me, but I did not dwell on it. Pheebs I was skeptical about it being a coincidence then, but I am certain that it''s not! That piece of shit is planning something, he is not nice to people for nothing, he must be scheming."


    Phoebe chuckled but the moment she did, she covered her mouth and lightly giggled.


    "I am sorry, he is just too predictable. David, I didn''t tell you about the bag thieves because honestly there was nothing to tell, you know very well that I know what he is up to." She winked at him, and he nodded in return. "The whole rescuing thing was a facade, he sent the thieves and pretended to save me so hearing that he did something to get people to sign the petition doesn''t surprise me at all." Phoebe continued to laugh softly. "He is only capable of this much; he is a loser."


    David bit his lower lip and run his fingers through his hair. "I bet his plan was for you to be grateful after he came out of nowhere and save you. It''s you.... it''s you he wants; he has always wanted everything that I had since we were children." He pressed his lips tightly together. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Even his ex-girlfriend''s, Dickson always tried so hard to woo them, so the two cousins had dated some of the same woman through the years.


    David had of course dumped them the moment they involved themselves with Dickson, he found those women too disgusting to so much as touch. They were obviously after the Saxon fortune, and they didn''t care which Saxon they had to ride to get a foot in the door.


    "I came to the same conclusion, now that Ruth is out of the way he wants to cling onto Pheobe. Only after I die will that happen!" Grandma Mayfair stamped her foot. "No, even after my death I will stay behind as a ghost to make sure that he stands no chance. Can you imagine that he brought auction tickets with him and demanded that my granddaughter attends it with him, and he kept calling her darling in a sleazy manner." She added oil to the fire.


    David boiled with anger the more that old lady Saxon talked. she banged her fist on the table. "I will kill him this time, he''s overconfident for a reason I am yet to know about....."


    "D.C. pharma." Phoebe announced, David stared at her knowingly, he already knew about Dickson''s company, and he was waiting for its crowning moment to swoop in like a vulture and destroy it.


    In his last life, after Phoebe''s death, Dickson and Ruth had worked together to gobble up the Mayfair fortune and got rid of the Mayfair''s.


    In this life, he would never allow Dickson get access to it, especially not through Phoebe.


    It looked like his cousin was still on the same path, he had just changed a target.


    "D.C pharma will be on the ground soon, I already have a plan in motion." She smiled reassuringly at him.


    "Still I am going to punch him, right now as a matter of fact." David glared at the door.


    "No!" Screamed Phoebe taking them by surprise, Dickson deserved the beating but if he got one, her plans would be ruined. "Leave him, let him think that he is winning, there is no greater pain than the one you experience after tasting victory."


    She knew that quite well because she had fallen to the bottom and to her death after tasting a sweet victory.


    Grandma Mayfair nodded. "The higher the climb the greater the fall."


    "Exactly," Phoebe''s phone rung, she remembered that she had a client waiting and she was late. "It''s time for me to go do that ritual at Sarah Miller''s house, it''s nothing complicated so no worries and about the Dorothy Cook situation, let''s spread the gossip. Since she decided to sink so low we will sink lower." Phoebe rubbed her hands together.


    "Roxanne told me that you asked her to do research on Dorothy, but I was one step ahead of you. I have information on her getting bribes from someone in Jitz hotel that has been buying up land around the lake. They want yours too so this petition has a monetary motive as well. I am planning to use that against her, a sex scandal may not completely ruin her." David sneered.


    Phoebe smiled, her information sniffer or David''s information sniffer had actually managed to find something on Dorothy Cook.


    The rest of the battle would be much simpler moving forward. She picked up her bag, bid her grandmother farewell and walked out of the door with David and the ghost team following behind.


    Once outside, David pulled on Phoebe''s hand. "I came here purposely to tell you about the men that went out in search of Ruth."

 Chapter 313 - 313: Nothing learned.

    Time was not on her side, she had only forty minutes to get to the Miller''s house. However, she was very interested to know what David''s men had discovered. "I highly doubt they found her or anything useful." She spoke with indifference.


    The person that had taken Ruth had knowledge of magic and was very meticulous, Phoebe was certain that there were little or no clues that had been found, nevertheless it was better to listen because sometimes, people could surprise you.


    "Tell me." She studied his face that wore a defeated expression, conveying what he was about to say before he could even do so.


    "I am sorry babe, she wasn''t there. It seems like whoever took Ruth realized that those men had magic trackers."


    David sighed and rubbed his eyes, it was obvious that he was hesitating on giving her any more information.


    "What is it? Tell me." She used her hand to assure him to hurry up.


    "I think you already know about this, but just in case you don''t..."


    "David, babe, speed this up because I am time bad." Phoebe shuffled her feet.


    Her tone held an urgency and he decided to kill two birds with one stone, have a long conversation with an opportunity to spend time together while telling her about what his people had found.


    "I will drive you there, on the way we can discuss this and more." He


    slid his hand into hers, which Phoebe appreciated. She needed to charge as much as possible for she had no idea what she was about to encounter at the Miller''s residence.


    On the road, David explained to Phoebe the gruesome details of the scene his men had found at the location she had given him.


    "All that was left were mutilated dead bodies."


    "Show me." she said.


    "Pheebs do you really want to look at this, the scene was very bloody, it''s terrible to even look at. I don''t want you to have nightmares."


    She persistently shook her hand, gesturing for the phone to be handed over and he did so with a long suffering sigh. An intrigued Phoebe took the phone from him to have a better look, she had seen countless dead bodies before, there was no such thing as gruesome to her.


    David knew this but he was reluctant, his fingers trembled as he handed the phone over.


    "Oh my goodness!" She screamed on seeing the images of the bodies, the phone slid through her fingers and fell on her lips.


    David was driving so he could not hug her, instead he reached his hand out and firmly clutched her arm.


    "I told you that it was bad." he said softly.


    Phoebe swallowed, resisting the minor urge to vomit. She had seen a lot of horrendous things but this was something else, the bodies had been cut up, eyes ripped out and hanging from eye sockets, blood was everywhere, limbs were littered around. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    What she was used to were dead bodies, cleaned up and laying on the coroner''s table or old pictures of crime scenes, none this bloody or vivid.


    "Phoebe pick up that phone, I need to see more." The Saxon spirit requested.


    She picked up the phone, her hand still trembling and showed the images to the spirit. The men that had died with their eyes intact looked like they had died from fright as if they had seen something incredibly scary.


    "What did that to them? How...what happened for them to seem this way." Phoebe asked.


    Some of the bodies looked like they were thousands of years old or as if they had been put out in the sun and dried until nothing but skin and bones remained.


    Again, there was so much blood around, puddles of it which sent chills down her spine.


    The first response came from Connie who clapped her hands once like she had remembered something important. "I know what this is! Guys it''s vampires. I knew they were real."


    "Vampires? Have you seen one with your ghost eyes?" Phoebe asked, the fear exiting her body.


    "She''s not wrong, this land had all kinds of creatures crawling in it however, if it were vampires then we would she fang marks some where, I don''t happen to see any." The Saxon spirit continued to study the pictures, from it''s expression Phoebe could tell that it was nothing good.


    "And it doesn''t account for the eyes that have been ripped out of their sockets, the blood or dry flesh. What is it then?" She asked.


    "Vampires drink blood, duh!" Connie said with an attitude of a high school queen bee.


    "This is dark magic, not vampires." The spirit announced, it seemed unsettled just like Phoebe was.


    "Dark magic? It was banned in Fog country. If you are caught practicing it the founding council literally makes you disappear." David blurted out.


    Phoebe had an entirely different opinion on the subject of dark magic being banned, with all the things that she had been discovering lately, it seemed to be more on the rise than ever before.


    "Well, this is not Fog country, perhaps that''s why this group opted to go to Silver nation. I don''t mean to scare you but this is nothing like those clown shamans in Magic city practice. This is the real deal, it''s the kind of dark magic that was practiced in the olden days. There is no way some one in this day and era knows how to completely absolve the life force of another human in one sitting, it''s too much power that needs months and years to eat up." The Saxon spirit explained more.


    "Please explain more." David requested politely.


    "Hmmm how do I explain it for you to understand....it''s like going to a cafe and you sit down, order for a glass of juice and use a straw to sip it all in one minute." The spirit explained the best way she could. "These dry corpses, someone sucked life out of them in a very short period of time, destroying even their souls."


    Phoebe blinked rapidly; she had never heard of such a thing before. " Why would anyone do a thing like that? At what cost?" She had so many questions lingering in her head.


    "To prolong the life of another." the Saxon spirit whispered. It recalled something and made a few guesses as to who had done it.


    "Isn''t this similar to what Mackie Shuman did to Eliza''s children?" Connie asked.


    "No, this is worse. In Mackie''s case, life essence was stolen but the souls of the children remained. This is worse, it erases a person from existence completely, there is no chance of reincarnation. No heaven, no hell, nothing.... you just cease to be."

 Chapter 314 - 314: Sarah Millers troubles [1]

    For a moment, there was silence in the car, so much quiet that one could hear a pin if it dropped on the floor of the car. The words of the Saxon spirit albeit calmly delivered were very frightening. How could one just cease to be? What happened to them? Where did their soul go?


    "That doesn''t sound right..how...it doesn''t." Connie muttered in a small voice which held more fear than they had heard before.


    The Saxon spirit waved its hand and sent the girl into the space.


    "You are weak Phoebe, to go up against someone with magic of this kind, you will need to be two times more powerful. If this is the same person that is not dead but not alive either, then we need to step up your training.


    You should begin learning combat spells, runes and talismans, forget the ones that you are learning just for the sake of making money."


    "I..." David started.


    A loud hoot behind their car declared the urgency of the party behind them, breaking the conversation for a moment.


    "Is that your grandmother''s car behind us?" David asked.


    Phoebe looked back and she saw it for herself, her grandmother''s car with it''s shiny gold frog decoration at the front. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Is that my nana?" Pheebs asked.


    David turned a corner and drove up to the Miller manor, parking the car next to the carousel which had been built in the early 2000''s.


    "This is a bold choice for a decoration." Phoebe said, as she stepped out of the car.


    She thought the Miller family had quite the odd taste in decorations, especially as the carousel was so close to the path leading to the main entrance of the house.


    "Imagine a ghost riding around on this in the middle of the night, I bet everyone would abandon the manor very quickly." She giggled.


    The carousel or merry go round was a ride that reminded her of an amusement park, she did not like amusement parks anymore, they were habitats for ghosts.


    "Or they would just have the carousel removed." David suggested.


    They leaned against the car and eyed the carousel, wondering why it had been built, was it for the Miller children? Did a crazy architect suggest that it would look good on the compound?


    "Does it work? Have you taken a ride on it before?" Phoebe quizzed.


    "I don''t know babe, this is my first time visiting the Miller manor, just because I grew up on the lane does not mean that I have been to every house."


    Founding lane was not a small territory, there where at least one thousand houses in the lane occupying both sides of Citrus lake.


    At the meeting point where the two sides connected was Council hall, a very large building in which the founding council conducted there business. It also had gardens and a large hall in which balls and parties were held.


    The front doors of the house slid open and Mrs. Ashley Miller came bounding out with very eager steps and an impatient look on her face.


    "I am late, I apologize." Phoebe immediately said, before the woman could say anything.


    Ashley Miller exhaled and smiled. "That''s not an issue, we were just getting antsy and doubtful about your arrival. We have prepared everything that you requested, please come in..."


    "Wait." Old lady Mayfair crept up on them.


    Ashley Miller''s smile dropped on seeing her, she was not pleased to see the old lady. With her here, how could they keep the secret of whatever was troubling her daughter? She would hold another gathering at the flower cafe and blast everything out there for everyone to know.


    "Old lady Mayfair, I do not recall sending you a calling card this afternoon. If you...."


    Old lady Mayfair moved her hand, gesturing for Ashley to step aside. "Ashley, I am here because I know how hot your blood boils unnecessarily, I do not want your fists to land on the precious body of my only granddaughter and.."


    "Yo! sis, you guys are really fast." Andre''s voice broke into old lady Mayfair''s explanation as to why she was at Miller manor.


    Phoebe, David, grandma, the ghosts and Ashley all turned their heads in the direction of Andre''s voice. He was approaching them quickly as he was jogging, very noticeable in a bright red velvet tracksuit and black sunglasses.


    "Why is he here?" Ashley questioned under her breath.


    Andre Mayfair was a bit of a loud mouth, as a kid anyway, as an adult he seemed to be more hyper. It was no surprise that he had gone into the entertainment business.


    Andre put an arm around Phoebe''s shoulders when he reached them.


    "Sis I am here, what''s the case?"


    "Why are you here?" Grandma Mayfair asked him.


    "Nana," he said, adopting Phoebe''s way of addressing their grandmother, "I am here to help out. Filming for my movie has officially wrapped up so I will be available to take on more cases at the cafe from now on."


    "You are not the shaman." David reminded him.


    "Neither are you but here we are." Andre retorted with as much sarcasm as he could pack into his voice.


    He removed his sunglasses and looked at David with a clear challenge in his eyes, daring him to do something if he thought he had the ability.


    David scoffed, "I..."


    "Mrs. Miller, can we go in now? I think enough time has been wasted and the more we delay, the more Sarah''s troubles grow." Phoebe stepped in.


    Of the group, she was the only one that was actually there to work, grandma had come for the gossip, she just wanted to know what trouble the 16 year old Sarah had got herself into.


    David was there to protect Phoebe, if things went south he would pull her out of Miller manor without looking back.


    Andre was there to gather more materials for his scripts which he was writing.


    Mrs. Miller shot the group one reluctant look and then she led them into the house where to their surprise, many other Miller''s were waiting.


    It seemed, everyone''s mouth was itching to know what was troubling Sarah. Some just wanted confirmation of a possible pregnancy despite the fact that Sarah had already taken a test in the hospital proving that she was not pregnant and had never been.


    Poor Sarah was sitting in the center of her relatives, chewing on her bottom lip and wishing that she could just disappear into the ground.


    "Everyone that should not be here should leave." Phoebe told Ashley.


    Ashley Miller looked at her daughter and the relatives that were already spreading ridiculous rumors about Sarah, if they were sent away they would only assume the worst and ruin her daughter''s reputation even more.


    She could see the cruel smiles and taunts in the eyes of some, especially the ones she had engaged in physical alterations with.


    "No." she said, "We are doing this in the presence of everyone, since they all want to know, just tell them what''s wrong with my Sarah."


    Mr. Brock Miller nodded and he put a hand on Sarah''s shoulder, showing his unwavering faith in his daughter''s character.


    Phoebe shrugged and looked at the Miller''s.


    "Her shadow, her trouble is her shadow."

 Chapter 315 - 315: Sarah Millers troubles...[2]

    The answer Phoebe gave was not what anybody in the room expected to hear, even the ones that believed Sarah''s troubles were not pregnancy related did not think they would hear that there was a problem with her shadow.


    The sun was shining brightly outside, through the open windows, it''s rays had made it into some parts of the house and where Sarah was sitting, a silhouette of her shadow was reflected on the tiled floor.


    Some of the Miller''s and other relatives looked down at the floor around Sarah, gazing at the reflection of her head. One of Sarah''s cousin''s Amy, a three year old was the closest to the reflection.


    Her mother grabbed her back with quickness as if the shadow would eat her child. As the child broke into a piercing cry, other relatives, the ones that felt uncomfortable the most backed away from Sarah as well.


    Even Sarah was uncomfortable and scared of her shadow suddenly, she raised her feet from the ground and tucked them in the chair, as she moved around seeking for a comfortable position, her shadow also moved and in every direction it extended, people hopped away or screamed.


    "Err..Ashley, I left food on the gas." One of the women said.


    She scrambled out of the house in a hurry and some did the same, running away with one excuse or the other. They figured that they would hear about the details from those that stayed behind.


    "Sis," Andre whispered, he pointed at his shadow. "Is it fine?"


    "You are fine." Phoebe rolled her eyes.


    He sighed in relief and took two steps back, he did not want the Sarah''s shadow coming for him.


    "What..what is wrong with her shadow?" Ashley asked, trembling as she did so.


    Old lady Mayfair had never seen Ashley Miller tremble, she was one of those fist first think later kind of people and she always dived head first into every situation.


    Phoebe did not answer, she just walked towards the Sarah, she opened her bag and poured salt around the single sofa in which the girl was sitting.


    When she was finished, Connie and Sylvester placed black candles in a circle around the girl, trapping both Sarah and her shadow within the circle.


    "Don''t move." Phoebe told Sarah.


    Sarah Miller''s eyes were red as a result of crying so often ever since she was picked by Phoebe and included in the fifteen. She had not gone to school ever since that day and her grandparents had insisted she switch off her phones and stay home.


    They had not said it to her face but the unsaid message in their actions was essentially "stay home and don''t embarrass our family."


    Even now, the available Miller elders were sitting the furthest away and peeking from a distance as if they didn''t want to catch an infection.


    "How have you been feeling lately, in the last three months at least? Have there been any changes in your behavior and emotions?" Phoebe asked her.


    Sarah looked up at her father and he nodded with a reassuring smile.


    Sarah looked at her hands and then Phoebe, "I feel out of control, my body, it feels as if it''s not mine. I sometimes do things that I would not do normally."


    "Like what?"


    Sarah looked at her father and again he nodded.The girl looked at Phoebe and she bit her bottom lip again, scared to say what she had done.


    "It''s okay sweetie, none of it is your fault." Phoebe coaxed her using her mommy voice.


    Ashley Miller who was at the end of a very thin rope could not take it.


    "She has been stealing things." she blurted out.


    Collective outraged gasps went around the room at Ashley''s revelation, the older Miller''s all glared in Sarah''s direction, very displeased obviously.


    "It''s worse than a teenage pregnancy." One of the older woman said.


    "This is terrible, a thief in our manor, Oh...what will we do when people hear about it?" another person asked.


    Ashley glared in their direction and every mouth that was mumbling quickly folded, nobody wanted to fall victim to her fists after all.


    "Are you stupid or deaf?" Ashley loudly barked. "The shaman has just said that it''s not my Sarah''s fault, are you all so impatient that you cannot wait for an explanation before pointing fingers? If I hear one more word about reputation I will start breaking necks."


    Brock Miller''s mother gasped, she put a hand on her chest and looked at her son, imploring him to do something about his wife.


    He ignored his mother and squeezed his daughter''s shoulder, she was sobbing softly and his heart was breaking for her.


    "It will all be okay." he told her.


    "Tsk, tsk, some old people did not brush their teeth today." Andre loudly said.


    When they glared at him, he looked at the wall and whistled pretentiously.


    "What else?" Phoebe asked.


    "There is more!" someone exclaimed.


    Ashley answered in Sarah''s place. "Sarah told me that she has been finding things in one place after leaving them in another, especially at night. It''s as if someone sneaks into her room and deliberately moves things around.


    She used to be popular at school, a cheer captain but suddenly other kids stopped talking to her gradually, treating her as if she was invisible. There was no rumor about her that caused it, no scandal, nothing that would explain the weird behavior.


    It also happened her at home last week, she asked for breakfast and the maid just walked by her as there was nothing but air where Sarah was sitting. It was very disrespectful, I had to fire her.


    Oh, three days ago, she started sleep walking, the police brought her home yesterday in the morning. I personally tucked her in to sleep in her bed but somehow she ended spending the night up on the lawn of the Gianis family with their dogs. One of then bit her on her left ankle, they are lucky that I have not broken its neck." she sneered and punched the nearest chair. "Show them the bite mark Sarah."


    The girl stretched her foot out, Phoebe noticed that her shadow was also stretching, moving while Sarah''s upper body remained still.


    If she stretched her leg out, it would go beyond the protective circle, something that the shadow was looking to take advantage of. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Those that had been keeping an eye on Sarah''s shadow noticed what Phoebe saw and once again, there were gasps in the room.


    "It moved, sis, it really moved, I have seen it, sis..." Andre shook Phoebe in either fright or excitement.


    David pulled him back because he was using a lot more force than necessary.


    "Don''t move, take your leg back." Phoebe loudly ordered.

 Chapter 316 - 316: Sarah Millers troubles...3

    Sarah pulled her leg back at incredible speed, fear crept even more in her heart and she clung onto her father, holding his hand with all of her strength. She had seen it as well, her shadow moving on it''s own.


    Others in the room looked at their own shadows, they were wary of them, if they could, some would have run away and left their shadows behind but they were filled with a gripping desire to see where things would lead that kept them rooted where they were.


    "I fear the trouble you have encountered is the doing of your mother." Phoebe said. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As expected, every eye in the room turned to Ashley Miller who had a befuddled look on her face. Phoebe wanted to wrap things up as quickly as she could so she opted to be direct.


    "You are a strong woman that has trained her body in martial arts which makes you arrogant."


    Ashley frowned, a low growl came from her mouth, normally this was a sign that she was about to leap into action and pummel someone into the floor.


    Phoebe was not intimidated, she just kept going, "You use your abilities to settle every minor and major dispute despite the fact that in today''s world you do not need to fight physically in order to settle your troubles.


    Your fiery uncontrolled temper is what brought disaster to your daughter, someone that you beat up decided to wreck her life as revenge on you. They used a talisman of shadows to steal her shadow temporarily and when it was returned to her, it was under someone else''s control.


    It is being used to manipulate her emotions, that''s why she feels invisible and when she feels that way, she actually becomes invisible to others, she is there but they cannot see or hear her."


    "Someone can do that!" grandma Mayfair exclaimed.


    Phoebe nodded.


    Andre looked at his shadow, he moved to the left and right and it responded accordingly, allowing him to sigh in relief, he owned his shadow.


    Of all the cases Phoebe had worked since he knew her, this was the creepiest to him, far worse than the Eliza Guzman case.


    "This makes no sense, how can someone steal a shadow?" Macy Miller, Sarah''s cousin of the same age asked.


    "I did not say that it was stolen, I said separated, returned and manipulated." Phoebe explained. "I cannot break down the process but that is what I have found, I noticed it on the day I met her, her shadow was moving around independently."


    Murmurs went around in the room, whispers of doubt mixed within. Phoebe was not vested in their belief or lack of, she just wanted to get her job done.


    She lit a big black candle and handed it to Sarah Miller.


    "Which of your closest friends has fallen ill in an unexplainable way since you started feeling weird?"


    Sarah shook her head, she bit her bottom lip as she thought back on the state of all her friends recently but none came to mind because she had not been spending time with them since she was struck with the unexplainable condition.


    "I don''t know." she answered in a soft voice, with tears running down her eyes.


    "You, do you know anything?" Grandma Mayfair pointed her walking cane at Macy.


    They were the same age and went to the same school so odds were that they had the same friends or crossed paths often.


    "Leslie Howard." Macy answered.The young girl shot a look of accusation at Sarah. "At the last parent-teacher conference, Leslie and Sarah got into an argument over Mike Darling in the bathroom. Leslie shoved Sarah into a locker and something cut her on the back."


    "Mom was furious when she saw the wound on my back and she beat up Leslie''s mom, Mrs. Marissa at school, in full view of the other parents. Mrs. Marisa''s skirt was ripped during the fight, it was..... " Sarah finished the rest of the story but left out some bits.


    Marissa Howard''s undergarments had been exposed, the small red lace panties she had been wearing had left very little to the imagination. It had not been deliberate on Ashley''s part but the damage was done anyway.


    It was not a new story to the Miller''s they were all familiar with it, Ashley''s reckless fights were popular subjects of discussion on the founding lane. It was rare for a full week to go by without Ashley beating up someone.


    "Leslie had a hard time at school after that, everyone was talking about her mother, Sarah apologized to her in the cafeteria but it didn''t help the situation.


    She and Sarah used to be very close, after that incident they became enemies to Leslie at least. She quit the cheer squad of Founding Mountain high school.


    She stopped eating at the popular kids table, hanging out with them or even talking to them. She cut everyone off and turned into a loner but it didn''t help, pictures of her mother were shared by some of the kids. They photo shopped her..." Macy shook her head, she could not reveal the rest it was just too disturbing to reveal.


    "Anyway, I saw her two weeks ago in the girls bathroom and she was very pale, she even threw up blood and washed it away quickly. She is the only person from Leslie''s circle that I can think of that happens to be sick right now. But, miss shaman, why do you want to know this?" Macy looked at Phoebe curiously.


    "If my deductions are correct, Leslie is the one that did this to you although how a sixteen year old girl managed to go to such lengths for revenge is beyond my comprehension." Phoebe shook her head.


    Ashley pulled up the sleeves of her shirt, "That little bitch dared to use magic on my daughter, I will teach her mother another lesson today...."


    "Mom!!!" Sarah half-screamed and sobbed. "Enough with the fights, I am already like this because you beat up and humiliated someone, why do you want to go and start and another fight when I am this way


    What happened to Leslie anyway, it was our fault, I knew that Mike was playing both of us but I still foolishly clung on to him. It was what led to the argument and the fight, I have been riddled with guilt ever since that happened and I have tried to fix the problem but nothing I do can make it right."


    Ashley rushed to her daughter but Phoebe stopped her and David pulled her back.


    "Do not ruin the protective circle." Phoebe told her. "I have already told you that Sarah''s problems are your doing. Mrs. Miller, if you had controlled your temper, you would not have ruined Leslie''s life or her mother''s and that of Leslie''s siblings for that matter."


    "I heard that Jack Howard is divorcing Marissa." someone said.


    "As he should, she has become a joke." a man answered.


    Even though Macy had not said it, they had all seen a few of those photo shopped pictures of Marissa going around. She might as well have been a nude model at this point.

 Chapter 317 - 317: Fixing Sarahs troubles

    The news about the divorce was like a punch in the gut to most of the people in the living room, the news had not yet hit the founding lane gossip mill yet.


    For some like Andre, this was the first time he was hearing of the fight between Ashley and Marissa and the dominoes that collapsed after, he wanted to ask questions but the timing was wrong. He was sharp however, and he deduced some things from what was said.


    Ashley Miller had gone pale, Sarah was gripped with guilt, Brock Miller was lost, they were all caught up in a situation that they did not know how to handle. Who could have predicted that one little fight could snowball and lead to such devastating results.


    "I did not mean to rip her skirt, it was short and the material of poor quality, and I did not start the fight, she shoved me first." Ashley mumbled.


    "What are you quibbling about? I have warned you many times about your quick temper but you never listen, now you can see where your fists have landed us, Ashley you have destroyed one family and almost destroyed this one in the process. Hmph, I think it''s time for Brock to divorce you." Brock''s mother said.


    "Ma, it''s not happening." Brock immediately said.


    "Are you going to wait until Sarah or another of your children is destroyed thanks to her?" His mother questioned. "What if I become the target of such twisted revenge next time?"


    The Miller''s started mumbling, opinions were thrown around, some in support and others against.


    Phoebe did not care about their family disputes, she instructed Connie to light the black candle in Ashley''s hands.


    "Stand straight look at the flame and repeat after me." she ordered the girl. "Focus on me, not the noise around you."


    Andre and grandma Mayfair were trying to quieten the Miller''s but it was proving to be an impossible task, Brock''s parents were all but ready to throw their fists and get him to divorce, he was defending his wife while keeping an eye on Sarah.


    There were two children crying, Sarah''s siblings and a dog was barking. The dog, Phoebe guessed was barking because it had sensed evil trying to escape, animals were sensitive to such things.


    Phoebe pricked her finger and a drop of her blood fell on the shadow, a sizzling sound was made and a loud howl followed.


    The shadow started struggling, and those that were closest to Sarah moved even further away, the entire thing was like a nightmare, or a horror movie.


    Sarah''s hands trembled, and the candle started to slip out of her hands because of fear.


    "Up here." Phoebe snapped her fingers at Sarah, "Do not look at the shadow. "Repeat after me, with this light I command the heavens, bind this shadow, end its reign."


    In a timid trembling voice, Sarah repeated after Phoebe, word for word. A sudden gust of air invaded the room, causing the fire on all eight candles around Sarah and the one in her hand to move up wards, burning with vigor and melting at a quick rate.


    The wax of the candle in Sarah''s hand started to melt, some falling on her hands and more on the shadow. Pain, deep enough to be felt in the bones invaded her body.


    She screamed and her shadow did the same thing, both in excruciating pain. Sarah fell to her knees, the candle in hands started slipping.


    "Don''t let go of the candle." Phoebe ordered.


    Sylvester got onto his knees and he lent strength to Sarah, ensuring that she held onto the candle.


    The house was dead quiet, with the exception of the screams coming from Sarah and her shadow, none of the Miller''s was talking, and more of them had left the living room but they were squeezed in the door leading out of it, peeking from a distance.


    Their hearts were racing, some had even closed their ears and Macy had closed her eyes as well.


    "It''s burning her, please, the candle is burning her hands." Ashley cried out.


    She could see the wax melting as quickly as cake being crumbled, most of that wax was landing on her daughter''s hands.


    "That''s not what''s happening." Phoebe told her.


    The wax was harmless, the pain that Sarah was feeling was coming from the talisman being forcefully pulled out of her body.


    It went on for five minutes and then the screaming stopped, the candles had melted completely and the salt had evaporated. Sarah Miller fell to the floor, unconscious.


    "It''s done." Phoebe said, "She is fine, but the one that did the spell is in trouble. A talisman of shadows can only be effective by offering one''s vitality." She looked at David, "Let''s go to the Howard house, I am not willing to let a girl so young die."


    She did not plan to stick around to watch the fight that she was sure was coming.


    Brock carried Sarah and placed her on a sofa, shouting for someone to send for a doctor.


    "She is fine, she is just sleeping." Phoebe told them. She took a few steps forward and turned back, "Oh, who will be paying my bill?"


    Phoebe received strange looks from the Miller''s and she guessed what most of them were thinking, that she was money minded and other things in that line. But, she did not care, she had done her job.


    "How much?" Broke asked.


    "Ten million." She answered, no hesitation at all, exuding confidence.


    The elders of the Miller family frowned, they found the price ridiculous and they were unwilling to pay.


    "Do not bargain, do not argue, do not waste my time. Without me, Sarah here would have eventually died, within a year at most. I should be asking for more but I am in a generous mood." Phoebe looked at the time.


    She needed to get to the Howard house soon.


    "I will pay." Brock said.


    He ignored the disapproving looks from his parents and approached Phoebe, phone in hand as he planned to wire her the money.


    They were all surprised when Ashley moved to stop Brock, all of them assumed that she too had a problem with Phoebe''s pricing.


    Phoebe''s eyebrows shot up, if Ashley Miller complained, she would not argue but later, she would send Luna to collect the debt. Nobody, was allowed to play around with her money, she worked hard for it.


    That single drop of her blood that she had used was precious, worth at least one hundred million in her opinion. The energy she had used in the spell was worth one hundred more. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "No, I will pay. It''s my fault that this happened, I will give you twenty million, save Leslie Howard if possible. I will come with you and apologize to Marissa in person."


    They left the Miller house and drove to the Howard house, the two families were not far from each other. Only five houses stood between their homes.


    When they arrived, it was no surprise that they were not welcomed, especially when the Howard''s saw Ashley. The air charged instantly; a fight was looming on the horizon.

 Chapter 318 - 318: Sabrina Spellcaster, terror of founding lane.

    David read the situation very quickly and he got in front of Phoebe, Andre stepped in front of grandma Mayfair and Ashley Miller was left out in the open.


    "I guess I will be protecting myself then." she mumbled.


    "Others are the ones that need protection from you." Andre mumbled a retort.


    Ashley glared at him and grandma Mayfair pinched his waist, he was not making the situation better with his smart remarks.


    Brock Miller showed up just in time and he pulled his wife back even though she had not done a single thing wrong.


    "I apologize, Clarisse, we are here for Leslie." he said.


    Clarisse Howard, the woman that had opened the door for them was Leslie''s aunt and also a one time victim of Ashley''s fists. The look in her face was nothing but pure unfiltered rage as she looked at Ashley.


    "Leave now or else I am calling the police." she said.


    "No, no police." Phoebe shouted from the back. She jumped up and down twice before deciding that she had waited long enough so she shoved her way to the front.


    They could all hear the agonizing screams from inside the house, coming from upstairs. It sounded like a girl that was in pain, the screams were accompanied by worried loud voices of adults.


    "I am here to help, Leslie did something stupid and now she is paying the consequences. Has she been ill for a while now but no hospital has been able to explain what ails her?"


    Clarisse kept her glare on Ashley as she nodded in response. "It''s all because of you Ashley, you just had to fight my sister-in-law and humiliate her to a point of destroying my brother''s marriage. Leslie fell sick a few weeks after that day, we found out about the bullying at school, you are the one to blame."


    Ashley bit her bottom lip in a fashion that was very similar to that of her daughter.


    Phoebe walked around Clarisse and said, "We are losing precious time, I am going in alone, the rest of you can stay here."


    She knew that it would be difficult for the Howard''s to allow Ashley anywhere near Leslie and she was worried about the push and pull that would follow.


    "Wait." Clarisse followed Phoebe. "You are that shaman aren''t you? I saw your pictures, what are you doing here?"


    Phoebe did not answer, she just increased her speed, passing by the servants of the Howard house that were peeking upstairs curiously.


    She took two stairs at a time and arrived on the third floor of the house, going directly to the room where the screams were coming from. It was Leslie''s bedroom. Phoebe smelled the horrible stench of rotting blood before stepping inside. She turned the doorknob and walked in, there was a girl on the bed, a pail of dark blood was next to the bed.


    Phoebe wasted no moment, she approached the bed.


    "Hold the others back." she instructed the ghosts.


    The Saxon spirit waved a hand, sealing the mouth of every human in the bedroom other than Phoebe. There were three people, Leslie''s parents and a priest.


    Phoebe did not look at them, she reached into her bag for a potion to restore vitality, opened Leslie''s mouth and slowly fed it to her, emptying the entire bottle. That was not all, she got a sun shaped pendant which was a vitality talisman meant to restore her life force and put it around her neck.


    Leslie Howard opened her eyes and sat up with a gasp, she turned over and vomited into the pail. As soon as she raised her head, Phoebe slapped a truth telling talisman onto her back.


    "Give me the name of the person that gave you the talisman of shadows."


    "Sabrina Spellcaster." Leslie answered.


    Phoebe turned on her right foot, her job was done. The Saxon spirit waved it''s hand and returned the vocal abilities of the Howard''s and the priest.


    "Sorry, I had to be quick or there would be a disaster, anyway....err...bye." She waved at them awkwardly and quickly started to exit the room.


    "Wait." the priest called out.


    Phoebe did not wait, she increased her speed, running all the way to the car, she did not want to deal with the Miller/Howard drama. While it was fun to speak on the gossip on the lane, she preferred not to be a participant in the drama, she had her own.


    David had broken into a run after her, he entered the car at the same time as Andre.


    "Grandma has said that she is going to explain everything to the Howard''s."


    "Explain what! she just wants to enjoy the drama." Connie snickered.


    They all looked back at the Miller house, indeed grandma Mayfair had not followed them out. Phoebe was unsure what her grandmother intended to explain, was it the actions of Leslie? If it came from the mouth of the Miller''s the Howard''s would definitely not accept the truth, they would accuse the Miller''s of slandering Leslie on top of Ashley''s actions.


    "Take me home David." She said.


    David started the car and Andre''s driver followed them, they were heading to the Mayfair home. Andre saw this as a good opportunity to ask Phoebe about what had transpired upstairs.


    "Nothing much, I just used a vitality talisman and a potion to restore a little bit of her vitality. It will take her three months to make a full recovery." She looked back at the house. "I forgot to tell them that, she needs to wear the talisman for three months at least, longer if she wishes to."


    "I will tell nana to relay the message." Andre said.


    "Does any of you know a Sabrina Spellcaster?"


    Andre and David both groaned and Phoebe looked from her brother to her boyfriend, wondering what the big deal was.


    "You never met her when we were married?" David asked.


    "Wait, what? What marriage?" Andre leaned forward, occupying the space between Phoebe and David who were sitting in front.


    Phoebe looked at David with wide eyes.


    [2 baby toes, do you want everyone to know about our past?]


    "What marriage?" Andre asked again.


    "Not marriage, relationship." David lied with ease. "In my head, Phoebe and I have lived many lives in which we were married."


    Andre snorted, he did not buy it, the two were sharing furtive glances as if they had a secret. He looked above Phoebe''s head, sadly there were no subtitles, they had been getting less and less lately.


    "Sabrina Spellcaster is the teenage daughter of Rosario Spellcaster and a nightmare, I cannot tell you how many times that brat has caused trouble on the lane." Andre groaned, expressing just how much he couldn''t stand the girl.


    "She burned down my car because I would not sign an autograph for her, she broke into our house and rifled through our garbage looking for things that I had touched or used so that she could curse me."


    David giggled. "She poured soda all over him at the last sunflower ball." Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "She stole a dog from the Saxon tower, one of their imported exotic ones and shaved all of its fur." Andre said and once more, he groaned.


    "She dyed Brinna Cook''s hair green using permanent hair dye." David giggled even more, recalling the scene.


    It had also happened right before Brinna''s wedding, the poor bride had to cut her hair and wear a wig.


    "She released piglets that were painted on side of their bellies with names of everyone on the founding council at the last founding council meeting." Andre groaned.


    "She sounds like a nightmare." Phoebe responded.


    "I think I like her." Connie said.


    "Why don''t I know her?" Phoebe asked.


    "Just be glad you don''t she holds grudges, you don''t want to be on her bad side." Andre shook his body as if a chill had passed through him.

 Chapter 319 - 319: Double date.

    "Listen to me Pheebs, if you meet Sabrina, turn around and go back home." Andre advised. "Why are you asking about the terror of founding lane anyway?"


    "She gave Leslie Howard the shadow talisman." Phoebe told them.


    Andre groaned and this time, Phoebe rolled her eyes, her brother was simply exaggerating. "As someone that has been on the receiving end of such treatment, I cannot do something like that."


    How many people in her apartment building turned and walked the opposite way when they saw her coming? How many had called her names like demon, black cloud, witch, crazy and so on.


    "Who treated you like that? Name them, I will go and beat..."


    "What have we just learned about beating up people?" Phoebe interrupted him.


    Andre folded his arms across his chest and pursed his lips, he was like a child that had just been scolded by his mother.


    "That it sometimes has consequences." David replied, like a good boy.


    Phoebe rubbed the back of his head with a smile. "Good boy David."


    "Teacher''s pet." Andre whispered.


    Phoebe handed him a candy, "Stop sulking, tell me more about the Spellcaster''s, I want to know if there is anything different or special about them."


    "Do you even have to ask, for starters their family name is Spellcaster, duh!" Connie very loudly reminded everyone. "It''s literally there, spell and cast. I bet they are a family of witches and warlocks, oooh wizards." She gasped. "Dark wizards."


    "Okay, you need to do more studying, I will look into the Spellcaster''s." The Saxon spirit took Connie into the space.


    Andre used the rest of the time during the ride to fill Phoebe in on Sabrina Spellcaster''s mischief, all it did was make her want to meet the girl all the more.


    When they finally arrived at her family home, she went directly to her bedroom and fell asleep, she had a double date planned for the evening, it was finally time for her to meet grandpa Saxon.


    ****


    In her bedroom as Phoebe contemplated on what to wear for the double date, Oman knocked on her door.


    "Miss Phoebe, your father is requesting your presence in his study, he has some things that he would like to talk to you about before you leave."


    "Okay Oman, tell him that I will be there." Pheobe shouted back a response.


    She settled for a short lilac sequin dress that was the opposite of what Maria had suggested she wear, a long evening gown.


    Maria dropped the black long dress that she was holding on the bed.


    "It is not my place but I still have to give you my opinion Miss Pheebs, you are about to meet your in-laws and the first impression matters the most. That dress you have chosen is too short, the Saxon''s are keen on such things." She pointed at it as Phoebe slid it onto her body.


    "See! Knee length it''s perfect. Maria we are not in the 1600''s were women were judged by what they wore, you need to loosen up a little." Phoebe''s eyebrows danced playfully. "Besides, they are not my in-laws."


    She was not David''s wife, or married to any other adult male of the Saxon clan.


    A sigh of defeat echoed through the room. "I hope old man Saxon loves you as much as his wife does." Maria raised her hands half way up, with her eyes to the ceiling, she prayed to the heavens.


    She cared about the success of the dinner even more than Phoebe because she wanted Phoebe to have only the best in life and on founding lane, when it came to men, a Saxon was prime catch.


    Phoebe had no idea what Maria was thinking, she applied lipstick, smacked her lips loudly and picked up her heels.


    "Maria help me clean up, I''ll go see dad as I wait for David to pick me up." Phoebe shut the door behind her.


    She made her way straight to the study, knocked once and went in. Her father was in his chair, rocking back and forth, reading the day''s paper. He lowered it upon seeing her, a smile replaced the frown on her face.


    "You look beautiful my child." Edward complimented her, he quickly raised to his feet and kissed her cheek.


    "Thank you father, Oman said you wanted to see me?" She lowered her body to sit in the chair opposite his.


    Edward rubbed his right brow as he pondered on how to broach what he considered to be a sensitive subject. His mother had called him earlier in the day and shared with him the troubling news that Phoebe was unhappy because he had not said anything about the petition.


    He wanted to explain it all in person and eradicate any misunderstandings she had.


    "Pheebs," he said after a short measured sigh, "I am truly sorry about this whole petition thing and I hope that you do not resent me for it."


    Multiple frown lines formed on his forehead head, he worried about what Phoebe thought of him. What if she hated him now? What if he lost the bond they had created? Questions like these kept popping in his mind.


    [Oh papa how can I ever resent you?]


    Phoebe smiled warmly at him, she could see that his eyes were coated with worry. "Dad, I know that you were put in a difficult position because of this issue, nana already explained everything to me. Ease your mind, you duty to the council has to come first, you swore an oath to secrecy and if there is anything I understand, its the importance of an oath." She moved to embrace him.


    Edward''s eyes brightened immediately. "No worries, I am hunting for the best land in the city just in case...."


    "It won''t come to that father" Phoebe interrupted, she wasn''t going to allow land that she had already planted her crops on to be taken from her easily, if Dorothy was looking for a fight, then that''s what she was going to get.


    Edward stared at her quizzically, waiting for an explanation but it never came not even through her thoughts.


    There was a knock on the door and Oman informed them that David was waiting down stairs.


    "You guys have gotten so serious lately, I heard that you are meeting old man Rufus, he is not a terrible person but he is very observant. If you are considering a future with David then he is the one to look out for." Edward tapped her shoulders and wished her luck.


    Phoebe nodded once. "Thanks for the tip dad, love you." She kissed him on the cheek and left the study.


    Without wasting time, both her and David left thanking the heavens that Jennie wasn''t around to ask dozens of questions.


    "Nervous?" David when she settled in the car. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She shook her head, "Excited, actually."


    She put a hand on his shoulder and left it to rest there, stealing some energy to replace all that she had lost while handling cases during the day.


    They drove to Papa Jang''s restaurant, it wasn''t what Phoebe was expecting at all. She expected the Saxons to opt for a fancy place but no they had gone for simplicity.


    Papa Jang''s was located in the heart of Citrus near a large mall but it was in a hidden corner and only noticed by those who were looking out for it specifically.


    On entering she realized by the delicious aroma that was wafting in the air that she had discovered a treasure chest. The food smelled amazing, her stomach even let out an embarrassing growl.


    "Phoebe, David!" Grandma Saxon smiled as they approached the table.


    Phoebe sighed softly, it was never a good thing to arrive after the elders.


    [I really wanted to make a good first impression but we are late, strike one for Pheebs.]

 Chapter 320 - 320: Meeting Rufus Saxon.

    Rufus Saxon was a man that had some experience in the supernatural world, there many things he had seen and much he had read about or heard of. Phoebe Saxon''s peculiarity was not one of those things.


    He had never seen the inner thoughts of someone show up on their foreheads their head like movie subtitles, or news headlines perhaps, he could not decide which it was.


    His eyes grew so wide that his whites showed, he blinked rapidly trying to process what he had just seen. His wife, Prudence had told him that Phoebe was a special girl, but she had not explained the basis upon which the judgement was made.


    He had assumed that she was kind, well mannered, educated, had integrity and such other values but his mind was quickly changing, Prudence, his wife obviously had a different meaning for special. This was probably what she meant, the kind of unexplainable special which was used with air quotes.


    Honestly, he was a little bit excited, he wanted to clap his hands and ask her to do it again, but if he did, how would he know what she was thinking?


    His eyes shrunk back to their normal size as they shifted from Phoebe to his wife and his eyebrows moved up.


    "Sorry we are late there was a situation that we had to deal with." David spoke as he pulled out a chair for Phoebe to sit.


    "Yes, we are sorry for the tardiness, it wasn''t intentional at all. I am glad to see that you are healthy and hearty elder Saxon, I have been looking forward to meeting you so much." Phoebe added, the warm smile that had grown on her lips remained there.


    [Wow! did my tonics do this, I practically resurrected him, I think that I should increase the price, he looks closer to seventy than eighty..or is it ninety? Hmm, I can''t tell. But, even at his age, you can see that he was handsome in his prime years. His eyes are not as fierce as they look in that picture of him at a hunting cabin.]


    There it is again, grandpa Saxon stared for a while at Phoebe, wondering what triggered the exposure of her inner thoughts. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Now that he is back, maybe he can nip Katherine''s theft in the bud before the Saxon group is hit with a lawsuit.]


    Grandpa Saxon blinked, where was he back from? Also, what had Katherine stolen?


    "Ahem!" grandma Saxon cleared her throat and pinched her husband''s thigh, breaking him out of the daze he was under.


    He smiled gently at Phoebe. "Oh no dear, you cannot call me that when you are going to marry my grandson in future! Call me Grandpa or gramps or one one those fancy names you young people use these days."


    He was very welcoming, something Phoebe never expected. She never got to meet him in the past life but she heard people describe him to be an uptight and reticent person. Something felt off to Phoebe, the call me gramps part, she had never once in all the years she spent in the Saxon tower had one person refer to him as gramps when they talked about him.


    [Did my tonics alter his stern personality, I did not fry his brain, did I? Wait, have I made him fun? Why does he think that I am marrying David, do they want to kidnap me the way Collin kidnapped Shanna?]


    Grandpa Saxon chuckled softly, he found Phoebe both adorable and ridiculous in her thinking.


    "Pheebs?" David placed his hand on top of hers and squeezed her hand a little, his move brought her back to the real world.


    "I am sorry am I wrong? David''s mother told me that you two are getting married anytime soon." Grandpa Saxon''s quizzical eyes studied both of them.


    "Gramps we are only just started seeing each other....." David began to speak but was suddenly interrupted by his grandmother.


    "But they are so compatible and we believe that their relationship is heading in that direction, right my dear?" Grandma Saxon winked at Phoebe, she made other signals to deter her from saying otherwise.


    "If everything goes well then I do not see why not." Phoebe lied blatantly as she raised a glass of water to her lips. She decided to play along because Grandpa Saxon had just recovered from long term illness, any unpleasant news might affect him in an unknown way.


    David on the other hand went dead silent, Phoebe had already mentioned that marriage in this life wasn''t part of her plans, he knew she was saying this for his grandfather''s health.


    "Prudence here tells me that we should give you time to get to know each other but you can still do that while married." Grandpa Saxon coughed and sipped on some water. "I will wait but not too long, soon I will have to meet with the elders in the Mayfair family to discuss this properly."


    David almost chocked on a salad, his response got Grandpa Saxon suspicious. "You better not play with this girl David, I was very disappointed when you broke off your engagement with Moria, that poor girl had to leave the country because of the solo decision that you made. The Mortomers who were once our good friends now turned into enemies!" Grandpa Saxon hissed through pursed lips.


    He had heard about a lot of things that had occurred when he was bedridden, among which was the fact that David had become a playboy, that would never have happened if he was healthy and well. Now that he was back, David was to settle down whether he wanted to or not.


    "Gramps Phoebe is the only woman for me, marriage or not. As for Moria, she was not the right woman for me, she went around using the Saxon name to bully others. I do not regret breaking off that engagement which I never agreed to by the way and I am glad that circus ended." David''s eyes met those of his grandfather with familiar stubbornness.


    Grandpa Rufus reached in his pocket and pulled out a small box. "Phoebe....Pheebs is it?" He asked as he placed it on the table on her end. "I cannot thank you enough for those tonics and herbs, they are something else. Are you sure that you do not want to join the Saxon group? Was the offer too small, I can increase it." His hopeful eyes stared at her.


    Phoebe''s eyes brightened when she opened the box, inside was a set of pink diamond studs.


    [Oh my! These are gorgeous]


    She thanked him for the gift. "Grandpa the recipes to my tonics are not something that can be bottled and produced easily in a factory somewhere. Moreover, they are an inheritance for my children, as for working for the Saxon group I will decline again."


    Her answer only made him laugh. "But my dear, those children will be Saxons, you are only delaying the inevitable in my opinion. I don''t understand your thinking but I will not pressure you, I am just grateful for your help, this is a small gift from me to you.


    I intend to send more and I hope that you do not reject them. If I count Valerie, you have saved two Saxon''s so far so you deserve this and more."

 Chapter 321 - 321: Rufuss relationship with the founding sect.

    [Even if the children will be Saxons, those recipes are never going to be owned by the Saxon group, the waters there are too deep and the people too greedy. In fact, only the child that follows my path should inherit them.]


    The Saxon spirit had told her that there was ninety percent possibility of one of her children being a shaman as well, it was a natural gift from her Mayfair side of the family. Why this gift never presented itself in her last life, she had no idea.


    Phoebe casually raised a forkful of spaghetti to her lips as the thought about never handing over her recipes to the Saxon group planted itself on her forehead for all the Saxon''s at the table to see.


    No amount of money could tempt Phoebe to join Saxon group, she was already part owner of D. P holdings and they had research labs too. If she decided to mass produce some of the recipes that''s where she intended to go. Even their children would decide for themselves between D.P and the Saxon group.


    Grandpa Saxon cleared his throat although it wasn''t itching at all.


    "Tell me, why did you choose to become a shaman? It is a job that most people consider to be....." He searched his head for the right words but Phoebe beat him to it.


    "Uncouth?" She spoke with indifference, she had been called a lot of distasteful names and she was used to it now. She was not ashamed of her job, it fed her, clothed her and satisfied her soul.


    The best part of it all was that she worked part time, deciding her own hours and which cases to take on. She was living a much better life than she had when she was working in the Saxon group.


    Rufus pulled his brows together in a frown. "That is a very ignorant thing to say, only people that have not seen the evils in this world can come to that conclusion. I hope such words do not discourage you from helping and healing people." He raised his fists to cheer her on.


    Grandma Saxon chortled, she gently adjusted the napkin before her. "Our Pheebs is stronger than you think Rufus, she may be young but she is a force to reckon with. She fights ghosts and the like...."


    "No grandma, Phoebe protects them and helps them move on to the other side. She only fights with the evil ones that are hurting humans or other ghosts." David corrected, there was pride in his eyes but quickly it transitioned to a mix of fear and worry.


    "Then what are you worried about son?" Rufus asked David who let out a pronounced sigh.


    From the moment the Saxon spirit had told them about the enemy Phoebe was bound to face, David''s worries had grown. What if that enemy appeared and Phoebe was not prepared enough? What ties did he have with Ruth who was their arch enemy?


    Who the hell was Ravana, he had watched dash cam footage of the fight between his men and the demon and he finally found what he and Phoebe had forgotten. He had shared it with her on their way to this dinner double date. Another deep sigh came from his lips.


    "Lately Phoebe''s job has become very dangerous, we encountered a demon some days ago." He wiped a hand over his face.


    "A demon!" Grandma Saxon''s loud raised voice surprised everyone in the restaurant, they shot uncomfortable glances their way and she lowered her volume. "Demon," she whispered.


    Phoebe shot one icy look at David before rolling her eyes to the roof, why was his mouth loose? Had he forgotten how old his grandmother was? What if she fainted like her grandmother had done?


    More importantly, news of demons did not need to hit the founding lane gossip mill, the rumors of witches and warlocks were enough to make everyone uncomfortable and uneasy.


    "David you cannot go around scaring people with such revelations! What if you shock grandpa back into his previous condition?" she pinched his arm.


    He winced and pulled his arm away.


    Grandpa Saxon dismissed her words with his hands. "I am not shocked...."


    His words raised eyebrows because it seemed like he was but he was saying the opposite.


    "What I mean is that I am not that shocked by David mentioning demons, I am more surprised that they are back." He wheezed lightly as if he was having an asthma attack.


    His restless breathing worried them, especially his wife who touched his back.


    "Rufus are you alright? You seem a little pale dear. Maybe we should go home." She pushed back her chair but grandpa Saxon shook his head vehemently.


    "I am fine woman! Stop treating me like a baby, if I was feeling unwell I would let you know, so do not spend every second worrying about me. I am happy to be on two feet and capable of chewing my own food after many years of being bedridden. I would not risk the second chance at life that has not come so easily by pushing myself beyond what my body is capable of."


    Rufus shifted his eyes from his wife to David and Phoebe.


    "You two tell me everything about this demon encounter and leave nothing out." He commanded.


    The Saxon spirit nodded at Phoebe. "Tell him everything, if anyone can help in this fight it''s Rufus."


    Phoebe cleared her hoarse throat and told the story, leaving nothing out. When she was done, grandpa Mayfair wiped beads of sweat from his forehead. Phoebe could clearly see the horror in his eyes, she wanted to ask him why he seemed terrified but she held back.


    "So you are sure that the founding sect took this boy?" Grandpa Saxon narrowed his eyes. S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    David nodded. "Yes grandpa, Amon Drusus a friend of ours called them. We saw everything, he said that he took him to some place where the boy would be safe."


    Grandpa Saxon nodded. "The Moldove founding Academy."


    "The what?" Came Phoebe''s question that remained unanswered.


    "Why has that fool Morrell not sent word about demons returning to Fog country? He forgets that I am the real man in charge of all the sects." Grandpa Saxon spoke through pursed lips.


    "Grandpa why are you rattled up? What is it?" David asked, frustrated that his grandfather seemed to be keeping important information to himself.


    "The demon you encountered was a small one, Ravanna''s minions. If they are appearing, it''s because she is coming back or at least she is trying to."

 Chapter 322 - 322: More information on Ravana

    Ravana, this was the same name the demon inside Humphrey had mentioned before Amon sealed it. She had been planning to have a conversation with the Saxon spirit at night about this Ravana character.


    The demon had said Ravana was coming back and Zephyra could not stop it, Zephyra was the name of the Saxon spirit, this was something Phoebe had heard from Connie but she did not make it a big deal, it was just a name anyway.


    But now that there was a connection between Zephyra and Ravana, Phoebe was even more intrigued to know more about the past. Elder Rufus was a more likely candidate to pry information out of than the Saxon spirit.


    Phoebe dug a small spoon into the hand sized slice of cheesecake sitting on a white plate. "Grandpa you said those demons are Ravana''s minions, does that mean that something is sending demons to roam around in the human world?" Her eyes were laced with curiosity, she could not wait to hear more.


    Everything sounded like a scene straight out of a fantasy movie.


    Grandpa Saxon sighed exasperatedly. "Ravana is a queen demon, she can be considered a mother to a selected group of demons. She is the true definition of evil with ultimate power, to take her on, you need at least twelve strong witches or supernatural guardians, the best of the best.


    Very few people in this day and age even know about her, but if demons are going around spreading the news of her return then something must be in the works." He sighed again. "I guess Fog country will have another war just like back then, who knew that I would encounter something like this in my lifetime?"


    The Saxon spirit waved it''s hand such that it''s voice was audible to all.


    "It is not possible for Ravana to return unless there are humans helping her." Came it''s voice that startled those that had never heard the voice before.


    Grandma Saxon jumped back in her chair. "Who said that?" She swallowed deeply. Rufus did not even quake, he just put a spoonful of cheese cake in his mouth as if nothing abnormal had happened.


    "An ancient spirit that has been around for a long time." Phoebe answered, she signaled grandma Saxon to calm down as there was nothing to worry about.


    Elder Rufus looked at the empty space next to Phoebe where the voice had come from. An ancient spirit! he wondered exactly how ancient Phoebe was talking, was it hundreds of years or thousands? Now was not the time to ask such questions however, he figured that he could get some answers out of this ancient spirit while the opportunity was still present.


    "What the ancient spirit has said makes sense but it is also troubling. Information on Ravana is hidden deeply, nobody in the generation of your parents or yours should know about her. Even those that sit on the founding council are not privy to this information unless they are on the board of the Moldove founding Academy." Grandpa Saxon explained. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe wanted to know about this academy but she was more puzzled by humans that would be stupid enough to help a demon.


    "After a while in this job I have to state that some humans and sense are parallel to each other." She leaned back in the chair.


    David nodded. "I agree! Nobody in there right minds would want to help a demon that would bring so much havoc not just in Fog country but on earth. I just don''t get it, what would they get out of this." He clenched his fingers.


    "Money, power, youth..." grandma Saxon contributed her opinion to the conversation.


    "Faith." elder Rufus said, "My children one of the most delicate things in this world is called faith, once it sticks one cannot easily break away from it. The humans helping this monstrous demon have been hoodwinked into believing that she will change the world for the better. According to the knowledge passed down back then, this was the case, as for these new followers we have to do some research to understand their motives but I doubt that it is any different." Grandpa Saxon sighed heavily.


    "Yes perhaps the founding sect has more information on this. If Ravana has believers, they must have formed some sort of religion or cult, the sect collects such information." David rubbed his chin.


    The Saxon spirit clicked its tongue. "Still humans are safe as long as Ravana''s believers do not have the mystic keys."


    Mystic keys? Phoebe arched an eyebrow. "How do you know that they don''t? And what are these keys?" She asked.


    Grandpa Saxon tilted his head, weighing Phoebe''s words. "The war to seal Ravana was fought by our ancestors and it was how they came to be the founding families of Fog country. After they won the war and Ravana was sealed away in a hidden location the keys that were used as seals to lock up could not be put together in one place for safety reasons.


    It is said that these keys were distributed by Pius, the leader that led those that fought in that war. He gave them to those that could be trusted to take the secret of Ravana''s true location to their graves. These people and Pius took their own lives after hiding the keys, they died without revealing to whom they had given them or where they had hidden them."


    "Woah!" David exclaimed, it all sounded so mysterious and tragic at the same time. Who knew that the true history of the founding families contained erased interesting stories like this.


    "So these keys are the ones that unlock the place where Ravana is?" Phoebe asked.


    Grandpa Saxon nodded. "From the books magically stowed away at the Moldove founding Academy in the secret library, the keys unlock a special chest. Inside that chest is a living spell that was used to lock up Ravana. If her minions get their hands on it, they can reverse it and use it to summon her as long as they find her location."


    "Why didn''t they just burn the the spell after locking her up? I mean then her minions would not be able to have access to it if the people who knew about it died with all of their secrets ." David spoke in a lightly frustrated voice. To him it was stupid to keep the spell.


    A bitter laugh came from the spirit. " I wish it was that simple, they tried to kill Ravana but failed and in the end they could only seal her. Many shamans and witches participated in that battle lost their lives in vain. The spell was left behind just in case Ravana ever escaped, so that she could be sealed away if killing her failed again." It''s eyes met those of Phoebe before it quickly pulled away.


    Immediately she knew, there was something it wasn''t revealing as usual.


    "Yes the books say the same thing, let''s just hope that the keys are still hidden. But if these demons are starting to resurface then it means at least one key or more has been found. It also means that we need to seriously prepare for a supernatural war." Grandpa Saxon expelled air out of his nostrils.


    "My God Rufus you are scaring us!" Grandma Saxon placed a hand to her chest.


    "You should be my dear, from the things that I have read, dealing with Ravana is a matter of life and death. I hope that I am wrong and over thinking this." He responded.


    Phoebe leaned forward. "Grandpa can I have access to these books?"

 Chapter 323 - 323: Guardians of the supernatural.

    Phoebe''s question hovered in the air, not quite heavy to her because she didn''t think that it was a big deal, they were just books at the end of the day and already, grandpa Saxon had revealed more information than she expected.


    Grandpa Saxon looked at the plate in front of him which had only half a cheese cake slice left. He wished he could just avoid the question altogether because Phoebe was bound to be disappointed by the answer but he did not want to let down her enthusiasm.


    David read his dilemma so he patted Phoebe''s hand, prompting her to look his way.


    "Pheebs those books cannot be accessed by just anyone you need to be pretty high up in the academy to get the opportunity to look at them. Besides, they are kept in the secret compartments in a secret library of the Moldove founding Academy and it requires special skills of magic to summon them." He tried to explain as best as he could but his words only got more questions lingering in her head.


    Why were there so many secrets? Secrets about Ravana, secrets about her location, secrets about the spell which was used to seal her away, a secret library and now a secret compartment. For a group of people that were living on founding lane which was the hub of gossip in the city, they sure knew how to keep their mouths shut when it was required.


    The Drusus family was an example, the general loved to indulge in gossip but he knew what not to share about the supernatural affiliated members of his family or secrets of the country.


    She cocked her head, her overly curious eyes staring at him.


    "Okay, let me put that aside for a minute. What about this Moldove school, what do you know of it? It''s been mentioned a couple of times tonight but you didn''t expand on it. What is it anyway and what does it teach?" Phoebe''s eyes shifted from David to grandpa Saxon.


    Grandma Saxon saw that the two men were hesitating, she couldn''t understand why. "Gentlemen have you forgotten that Phoebe here is a Mayfair, it''s her birth right to know about this Academy." She pulled her brows into a frown because they were still slightly hesitating.


    "Pheebs, it''s really not as easy as grandma says but yes to answer your question. I do know this school, it''s the place where Amon took Humphrey." David stopped speaking when be noticed that Phoebe was starting to curl her lips upwards.


    In her defense, it was because it had already been mentioned that night that Humphrey was taken there so there was no new information in his response.


    "David, you are just going round and round in circles, let''s pick a spot and stand on it..or is it in it? I don''t know, just pick something and expand on that instead of taking twists and turns just to end up in the same place."


    David scratched the back of his head and laughed lightly but nervously. It was not that he did not want to share what he knew, it was just that the circumstances were a bit more complicated than it looked.


    It was obvious to the elder Saxons that Phoebe had the upper hand in the relationship, clearly, if they got married she would be the boss.


    Grandpa Saxon decided to come to David''s help, he cleared his throat and took a sip of water first.


    "Listen my child, you cannot condemn David. He swore an oath to keep to himself what he knows about the Academy."


    [Aaaargh! here we go again, what''s with everyone and swearing oaths as if they are in a cult or coven? First my father, now David? Who else is under oath on the lane? At this rate even the cooks in my home are about to take oaths not to reveal their secret recipes. I think the founding lane gossip mill is doing a half-assed job.]


    Phoebe sneered inwardly as she complained in her mind but she remembered her manners and tucked away the complaints in her heart.


    [Thank God they cannot read my mind or the elders would think that I am crazy, pushy or ill mannered.]


    Three people at the table maintained their smiles while thinking, too late, you can''t hide anything.


    "I am sorry grandpa I didn''t mean to be pushy or rude especially in your presence but David and I share bigger secrets than this I believe so it hurt that he didn''t want to tell me about the academy." An apologetic smile grew on her lips.


    Grandpa Saxon let out a measured sigh. "If you are interested in knowing about this school then you have to be tested for eligibility and granted access to the school as a student. Not all children from founding families are eligible to attend this academy." sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Student! school! Oh crap...I really don''t want to go to school again. One degree is enough for me in this lifetime, thank you.]


    Phoebe''s lips fell as she imagined herself back to school in a uniform attending classes all day. The thought that David seemed to be connected to the school crossed her mind, if he was studying there, she believed that she would know.


    "So I take it that David wasn''t eligible?"


    A chuckle slipped through David''s lips, he could tell what she was thinking even without reading her thoughts. "It''s not what you think Pheebs, actually it''s the other way round."


    "David was an exception, he passed the test at fifteen and he was offered admission but it was he that refused to join the academy, family obligations had to come first. If he had joined he would have become the youngest guardian of the supernatural wall.


    Back in my days it used to be compulsory to join an academy or a sect but the laws were changed because some people just didn''t want to join in the fight against the supernatural.


    Besides, most supernatural beings disappeared or were wiped out, all that were left were ghosts because they cannot be done away with so there was no need to have a huge army of guardians anymore."


    "Guardians of the supernatural wall." Phoebe repeated, it sounded so cool and she felt the urge to know more about them. "So if I am understanding this correctly, everyone born from the founding families lineage can become one if they want."


    Grandpa Saxon laughed lightly. "Not really my dear, there is a process through which children from the founding families undergo when they clock eighteen.


    It''s believed that at that age they are old enough to handle the knowledge on the reality of our world. However, not all these children are selected, it''s the power in the blood and magic in crystals that decide who is chosen or who isn''t.


    You need to have talent first, and talent is inborn, its in the blood, like you becoming a shaman, it was in your blood and something or someone awakened it. If you decide to become a guardian you will experience everything I am telling you right now.


    Grandma Saxon sneered. "Oh I highly doubt Edward will let that happen. He wants none of his children near all this supernatural fighting stuff."

 Chapter 324 - 324: Another invitation to the Saxon tower.

    "Mmm." Phoebe frowned because this was not something she had heard about.


    Her father had never insinuated anything of the like, in fact if anything he had been supportive towards her career as a shaman, going as far as assisting her in cooking tonics. Although, he had not stepped foot in the cafe since he helped out with the dead soldiers.


    Still, it could not be assumed from this that he didn''t want his children involved in the supernatural world, if that was the case he would have ordered Andre to stay away.


    Even though Phoebe was unwilling to be a student, she had this urge to visit the school. If she wanted to harness her power to face her enemy she believed that perhaps she could learn much faster from the Moldove founding Academy. She could be a part time student and as for being a guardian, it had to be optional, she doubted that anybody was forced to do it against their will.


    "Grandma you are wrong about that, my father is supportive of me helping ghosts. He has never complained about my chosen path." She assured the old woman.


    Grandma Saxon shook her head. "It''s not like he had a choice as regards to your profession since you were already grown when when he found you. How is he supposed to risk telling a grown young woman what to do when he is heavy laden with guilt for not raising you.


    He could end up shooting himself in the foot if you alienate yourself from him for this reason, besides you sit in your cafe and help good ghosts not run after evil supernatural things from one city to another. A guardians career involves a lot of travel all around the country and sometimes beyond the boundaries of Fog country.


    You don''t even know if you will make it home safe when you go out for a mission, a few guardians have died out there and their bodies were never found. Can you imagine the pain their family members suffer when they are notified out of the blue that their loved one is gone, no cause of death is given and at times there is no body to bury."


    She sighed as she recalled the tears her good friend Rebecca had shed after Cillian''s death. It was like a bullet had been fired directly into her heart out of nowhere.


    "Pru here is very right, all your brothers were selected by the crystals to become guardians but your father refused. He accepted to join the founding council under the condition that no other Mayfair was involved with it especially that academy. So, it will be difficult for you to convince him especially after what happened to his father, your grandfather Cillian." Grandpa Saxon''s eyes took on a mysterious look.


    Just like his wife, he was recalling that very incident, Cillian''s abrupt death.


    "What happened to my grandfather?" Phoebe arched an eyebrow, her eyes laced with anticipation.


    Her grandmother had out rightly refused to talk about his death and she had no plans to force her to open up the wounds. If she could get the story from another party however, there was no harm done.


    Grandpa Saxon swallowed deeply. "That''s not my story to tell, ask your father if you want to know more but I doubt that you will get the truth out of him. Cillian''s death to the Mayfair''s is like a coffin that was sealed tight with nails and buried beneath ten layers of concrete."


    Phoebe''s eyes shifted to David who shrugged, he knew nothing of what his grandfather spoke of. "I heard he died in an accident."


    On hearing David''s words, grandpa Saxon forced his lips into a thin line as if to stop himself from blabbing something. His reaction was all Phoebe needed to know that there was more to the story than a simple accident especially as he had all those magic artifacts hidden away.


    [Ha! Even if you do not tell me, I will surely find out what happened to my grandpa using magic, I can even summon him from the other side and speak to him.]


    Grandpa Saxon shifted in his seat. "How is that possible?"


    His index finger pointed at Phoebe''s head. David and his grandmother stared at him and immediately realized what was happening to him. The three Saxon''s traded gazes on realizing that they could all see Phoebe''s thoughts.


    "What do you mean grandpa, what is possible or impossible?" Phoebe turned her head to see if something had happened behind her, she saw nothing which confused her.


    It was in that moment that David realized that reading Phoebe''s thoughts was a gift as much as it was a curse. He thought that only he could read her thoughts but if other people could too then it would put her in danger or make her vulnerable especially before her enemies.


    "Uhm nothing my child, I am still wondering about a lot of things that I have learnt tonight. I want to implore you that if you encounter any other strange things like demons or gremlins, creatures of the night and stuff like that. Do not hesitate to inform me immediately. It''s clear that Morrel has been very incompetent at his post, I feel strong enough now to take back my position as headmaster of the academy and sects."


    Phoebe''s mouth formed an ''o'' shape, David''s grandfather was the original headmaster of the academy and sects, why was she just hearing about this? sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [How many secrets are there about the Saxons that I don''t know about?]


    She nodded meanwhile, "Yes gramps, I will be on the look out but in return I want to visit this academy and also those books." Her eyes pleaded with him.


    He still rejected her, shaking his head slowly. "Even if you are an adult that can make her own decisions, I do not want to make an enemy of Edward so please talk to him first." Grandpa Saxon pressed a button to push back his electric wheel chair. "Thank you for having a meal with me my dear, it''s strange that I feel a special connection to you already. I want you to visit the Saxon tower and please do not say no. I have a good reason as to why I am asking this."


    He was obviously in a hurry to end the dinner and Phoebe''s pleading gaze and requests to visit the academy.


    "Do not say no to him, it''s time you overcame the past." The spirit encouraged her, there was more for Phoebe to discover that was hidden at the Saxon tower.


    "Yes gramps." she answered softly.


    Rufus nodded, he found himself liking Phoebe even more. Grandma Saxon got up as well, she hugged Phoebe and told her how excited she was for her to visit the tower.


    After the Saxon elders left, David drove Phoebe to the Cerene apartments. He had mentioned that he wanted to tell her something but he didn''t know how she would take it.


    "Okay spill it, what did you want to tell me about and be fast because I am exhausted." Phoebe kicked off her shoes and sank into the sofa.


    David''s finger''s toyed nervously with the edge of his jacket. He was scared about what he was about to say to her.


    "Pheebs I...I. " The words got stuck in his throat. Suddenly he heard a light snoring sound, Phoebe had already fallen asleep in a way that was not natural at all.

 Chapter 325 - 325: An orphanage in the works.

    David checked her pulse; it was okay, and she was breathing just fine. Since she had no live in maid at her apartment, he carried her into the bedroom and called for Connie or the ancestor spirit to help change her into her nightdress.


    There was no response, so he took it upon himself, he wiped her body with a warm towel, changed her into a nightdress and put her in bed.


    He went to his apartment and picked up some clothes then returned to her place, took a shower and laid down next to her in the bed. David did this because he was worried about her, she had fallen asleep in a very abrupt manner so he wanted to watch over her.


    Before closing his eyes, he made a call to Roxanne and asked her to dig up anything she could find on Cillian Mayfair''s death.


    ****************


    In the morning, when she opened her eyes, Phoebe was surprised to find herself in bed and in a nightdress. The pillow next to hers smelled like David, as did the empty place which showed signs of having been slept in.


    "David." she called out.


    There was no response, he was gone but out of familiarity from the past, she looked at the bedside table lamps and saw a sticky note.


    [I was in your bed last night, you clung to me like an octopus and drooled on my chest. Call me when you wake up. Love you shortie..fat kiss.]


    She smiled, folded the note and kept it away safely in a drawer just as she used to do in their past life. He used to leave sticky notes for her beside the bed, on the bathroom mirror, closet doors, jewelry table and other places in their bedroom. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In the past they used to be more formal, in this life, they were more playful.


    She sighed, fell back in bed and thought about her itinerary for the rest of the week. Tomorrow was the day she was to appear before the council but Phoebe had no feelings about the trial. She was neither worried nor excited, she just hoped that nothing went wrong.


    Phoebe lifted the bed covers off her body and stepped out of bed quickly, took a shower and dressed up. She then walked to the kitchen as she browsed through her phone.


    She wasn''t surprised to find that once again, she had graced the internet, people were talking about Dickson Saxon visiting her cafe.


    "Pheobe Mayfair is entangled with two Saxon men. Click to find out more."


    She sighed and rolled her eyes to the ceiling as she pressed the power button on the phone, turning it off.


    "Have you seen the blogs?" Came David''s voice that nearly startled her, he was sitting at her dining table, having breakfast.


    [I thought he left.] she thought.


    "Dickson must be behind all this gossip about you and him. He even took an interview with a popular celebrity buzz reporter in which he was asked if he was interested in you and in response he said no comment, Ha! no comment is always a comment, it leaves people guessing." David squeezed the bread in his hand until it almost returned to dough form.


    "That poor bread, if it had life it would be gone." Phoebe chuckled as she joined him, totally unbothered by the gossip of Dickson''s schemes.


    There was a knock on the door and Sylvester like a good helper, moved over and opened it. Evelyn came rushing inside like an unexpected tornado, if Sylvester was not a ghost, she would have sent him flying into a wall or hitting the ground.


    "Have you seen it? Pheebs, its everywhere! That little dick is out there on a mission to destroy your relationship." Evelyn flashed her phone such that David and Phoebe could see the contents.


    Phoebe only raised and lowered her brows. "Breakfast Evie? Maybe some iced coffee will calm your nerves." She ordered Sylvester to make Evie a cup.


    "Dickson is honestly not a problem that''s bothering me at the moment. I am going to deal with him in a way that he will regret ever crossing paths with me."


    David nodded. "You are very wise Phoebe, Dickson reached out to Morgan. We are drafting a plan to take D.C pharma away from him." A bitter smile returned to his lips as he lifted the coffee cup to his lips, he still didn''t want Dickson and Phoebe being lumped in the same sentence together.


    "D.C pharma belongs to Dickson? That''s news to me. According to the Economic digest magazine it belongs to an Asian national, Mr. Khan something." Evelyn had a faraway look in her eye as she tried to recall, she dismissed the thought. "Anyway how are you holding up Pheebs? I heard that your land is being taken from you?" Evelyn asked as she gobbled on the baked egg toast like she hadn''t eaten in a long time.


    David snapped a finger. "About that, grandpa said that he will be in attendance to see those that will try to vote against you, his presence will surely help things."


    A loud sigh came out of Evelyn''s mouth. "It must be nice having connections to the most powerful Saxon. Anyway, I have to go now, I will go greet granny at the cafe first I am certain that she has some not so lovely things to say about little dick." She took one last sip of the coffee before rushing out of the door the same way she had come in, quickly.


    David chuckled. "I wonder where she''s rushing off too?"


    "To some boat cruise with her new boyfriend i believe, I think he is tennis player or badminton, I don''t know. It''s a little hard to keep up with Evie''s dating life." Phoebe laughed softly.


    David''s eyes lit up. "Oh by the way I wanted to tell you something."


    "Yeah sorry I slept off before you told me last night, what is it that you wanted to say." Phoebe asked, her question however caused him to sniffle and rub his nose.


    "Well, it''s about the younger Whitlock daughter, the grandmother cannot take care of her and other relatives refused to take her in because of the crimes the parents committed.


    I knew you would not rest until she ended up someplace nice so I set up an orphanage where such disadvantaged children can stay. Hobbi has worked hard to set the whole thing up and find kind people to look after the children, the girl, Arabella Whitlock moved in and says that she loves it there." David had a gleam in his eyes as he told her more about the orphanage.


    "I am going to have a big playground constructed, a school and a swimming pool. I think a clinic on the grounds is a good idea as well, I don''t want the kids to lack anything. When you have time, maybe you can pass by and tell me what else you think is needed."


    Phoebe''s heart was filled with joy to the brim, this man was always full of surprises. David was such a kind and loving person; he had done all this such that the little girl could have a place to call home.


    She got up, walked over to him and hugged him from behind, wrapping her hands around his waist.


    "Thank you, David, I will use the foundation resources to help the orphanage as much as I can. Together, we can help so many helpless children out there."

 Chapter 326 - 326: When a ghost cries.

    In the afternoon of that same day, Phoebe run into Collin Baltimore, on one hand she tensed up as soon as she saw him, worried that he would say something leaning in the direction of his interest in her.


    But, on the other hand, she wanted to talk to him about Connie''s affairs. Unfortunately, or fortunately, he was about to attend an important seminar, so he did not have time to speak to her.


    He showed excitement at her willingness to have a conversation with him and promised to visit the Cafe when he was free.


    "Are you seriously going to ask him about Connie?" The Saxon spirit watched Collin enter an awaiting Bentley.


    "Well, I won''t ask him directly, but I need to know why Connie reacts negatively each time she sees a Baltimore, especially Cassie. There is a connection there and we need to unravel it if Connie is ever to move on." Phoebe responded as she counted the last of the boxes of finished pendants and bracelets that Lorraine had sent over.


    The way Phoebe figured, she would not live forever and when she was dead, Connie would most likely be evicted from the space bracelet and return to the life of a wandering ghost. She did not want that to be the fate of the girl as she had come to care for her.


    "Perhaps we should ask Connie...." The spirit was interrupted by Connie who flew out of the magic space.


    "Ask me what?" The teenage ghost chewed and rolled gum on its finger. It''s overly suspicious eyes looked at Phoebe and the spirit.


    "Maybe later." Phoebe told the spirit inwardly before telling Connie to go back to the space and concentrate on the tasks that were given to her like harvesting herbs and making those magic bullets.


    Once all the boxes had been transferred from the delivery truck to the cafe, Phoebe paid the delivery men and headed back inside.


    She settled in her office and took on the task of turning the pendants and bracelets into lucky charms and talismans. She did this task uninterrupted for three hours, it was a slow day on her end with no ghost clients.


    She took a break and attended to the few humans which took her only thirty minutes. Tired of being stuck in her office, she carried some bracelets to the counter and sat beside her grandmother.


    Old lady Mayfair was watching a ghost movie, a passion she had picked up after Phoebe came into her life. After hearing about demons, she planned to watch more supernatural related movies and educate herself as much as she could.


    Without looking away from her movie she said, "Mmm, Pheebs, come home tonight, Collin is bringing Shanna to the house for dinner because he wants to introduce her to the family officially."


    A smile played on her lips. "One brother down, two to go." She mumbled as she swung from side to side in the adjustable bar stool.


    "Add yourself to the list, I don''t think that your parents will be happy if their daughter doesn''t marry." The Saxon spirit that was sitting on the stool by the window reminded Phoebe.


    "In this life Zephyra, no one is going to pressurize me into marriage and that includes you and my parents." Phoebe clicked her tongue and moved the chair back to its original position.


    Phoebe stood up stretched and returned to her office, forgetting to take with her the bracelets that she had placed on the counter.


    Sylvester was the one that noticed and he brought them into her office before moving away to join a table of regular ghost customers that were playing cards.


    It was a group of four old men that treated the ghost cafe like a regular bar, and they always ordered for beers and wine when they came over. In them, Sylvester had found friendship.


    Phoebe meanwhile decided to read a novel, she figured she had worked hard all day, she had only read one page when someone knocked on the door and entered.


    "Phoebe I know that you have said that I shouldn''t accept any ghost client for the rest of the day but this one is so sad and he says he won''t ask for much, can I send him in?" Rossett asked, she pouted her lips making clearer her sad face.


    "Oh come on Rossett, there is nothing as simple as a ghost case and they are all sad." She sighed and put the novel down. "Send him in the least I can do is hear him out." sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe waved her hand and signaled Rossett to escort the ghost in. Her eyes were pinned to the open entrance leading into her office, she studied the ghost as it floated in, deep lines of sorrow etched on the face. It was a young man in his thirties, the moment he saw her he began to cry and apologize as if he had wronged her.


    "I am sorry, I truly am." The ghost sniveled and wiped mucus away from it''s nose with the back of its hand.


    "Here." Phoebe handed him a tissue, she had never seen so much ghost snot. "Start by telling me your name."


    The ghost blew its nose. "Xavier Waterhouse."


    Phoebe nodded. "Okay Xavier, what is troubling you? What are you sorry about?"


    "I committed suicide." He began.


    Phoebe exhaled loudly; suicide ghosts were never easy to convince to move on. Because of their selfish acts of suicide no matter the cause, the god of death punished them for taking a life even if it was their own.


    Furthermore, many of them regretted taking their lives after the act was done because they realized they had loved ones that were in pain, so the guilt kept them on earth. She assumed that he was there for one of the two reasons.


    "Listen Xavier, you must be scared about what is going to happen to you. But do not worry, whatever punishment the god of death gives you just accept it such that you can atone for the sin of taking a life, the punishment lasts only for a few years and then...."


    Xavier''s tears dried up. "I do not care about that!" He wiped his wet face with a tissue.


    Phoebe was puzzled. "Okay then what''s the problem here?"


    The tears that had stopped returned. "It''s my brother, he is currently protesting in front of the company that I used to work for because he believes that I was thrown off the building, but he is wrong I jumped. I was tired of this life; my girlfriend left me for a richer man, so I became depressed.


    My depression affected my work, so I was demoted even though I was doing my best, my house was taken by the bank because I failed to repay a loan and then I was diagnosed with second stage lung cancer.


    I am...was thirty five years old, still young but nothing in my life was going well for me. I believed that I would be better off in another world. I feel so guilty because my brother is blaming himself and the company foolishly. I need you to explain to him why I did what I did and tell him that I am sorry, but I had to go." He let out a weary sigh.


    Phoebe wiped a tear away from her face. "Okay Xavier, let''s go find your brother."

 Chapter 327 - 327: A lottery win that was late.

    It had been a while since Phoebe handled a case on her own without her grandmother, David, Shark, Andre or even Amon involving themselves.


    For Phoebe, being on her own with only her ghost companions for company like this felt like old times, before she became a Mayfair or David''s girlfriend.


    "We are here ma''am." Santos announced as he turned off the engine.


    Right, Phoebe recalled that she was not completely alone, she had another human companion that often went places with her, her bodyguard/driver on some occasions, Mr. Santos.


    She looked out of the window, searching for someone holding up a large signpost and chanting justice related slogans alone or with some supporters. Xavier had explained everything in detail, and she had been in a hurry to handle the case and close it so as not to give Xavier another reason to stick around.


    Ghosts of those that committed suicide easily became resentful and a resentful ghost could quickly become malicious which was not good for anyone.


    Phoebe looked at the piece of paper where she had jotted down the address. "This is it right? But I cannot see your brother." She poked her head out of the window.


    Everything appeared to be normal in front of the building. Xavier moved out to search for him, the other ghosts went with him to help out as well.


    The Saxon spirit returned first. "I found him, he is seated in a nearby park eating something." Prominent lines formed between its eyebrows.


    Phoebe stepped out of the car just when the other ghosts were returning. They all followed the Saxon spirit to the park where they found Xavier standing over his brother. He was eating a sandwich and crying unabashedly at the same time. He was clearly having a hard time swallowing and Phoebe''s soft heart went out to him.


    A deep sigh came from her. "Could this get any sadder?" She strolled to where the man sat.


    "Mr. Waterhouse?" Phoebe called his name.


    He looked up, looking at Phoebe through his clear blue eyes.


    "I am not leaving; you can go back and tell your superiors that." he said as he wiped away tears with the back of his hand. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I am Phoebe Mayfair a shaman, I do not work for the company, I was approached by your dead brother, he has a message for you, he wants you to stop torturing yourself. This wasn''t a murder, there was no foul play involved...."


    The man stood up and raised his hand to stop Phoebe from talking. "Of course it was! My brother would not have taken his life voluntarily, I am certain of it. They must have sent you here to mess with me, but I won''t fall for it. You say that you are a shaman, and you have spoken to my brother, prove it then! Let Xavi show his face." Tears sprouted out of his eyes and this time; he did not bother to wipe them away.


    Phoebe reached for the ghost seeing glasses in her bag and handed them to him.


    "Here wear these and you will be able to see him."


    Her words caused him to stare at her in disbelief, he chuckled sarcastically thinking that Phoebe was joking around but he realized that she was more than serious because she was not smiling.


    "Lady are you for real? Because i am not in the mood for any stupid jokes."


    "Take it and see if I am joking or not." Phoebe jutted them towards him.


    Connie clicked her tongue continuously. "He is a doubter this one, not a believer in ghosts."


    "Xander please." Xavier begged.


    The man whose name Phoebe had now come to learn was Xander took the glasses and wore them. He gasped for breath after he saw his brother standing in front of him. He took off the glasses and put them back on, the same sight befell his eyes. He did it three times to confirm whether he was being lied to.


    "Xan, It''s me Xavi." Xavier said softly.


    Xander sobbed loudly and moved his hands to hug his brother, a mission that was futile because even though he could see him, he could not touch him.


    "Xavier my God! Is it really you? What happened, the police say you took your life, but I know you would never do that. I am not going to rest until those coworkers that bullied you to death are exposed and punished. I do not believe the autopsy report..."


    "Xander stop." The ghost raised its hand to stop him. "Nobody pushed me, yes they berated me a little after my demotion and I hated working there but those people, as horrible as they were, they didn''t kill me, I jumped. I was tired brother; this life I hated it, and I wanted to leave.


    I am so sorry that I left you behind, but I had to go, I was sick Xan, cancer got me. I was evicted, sick and broke, everything felt like a dead end, and I did not want to burden anyone.


    If you want to be angry at someone, be angry with me, I am the one that made this decision. I do not want you to dwell on your anger and become lost like me, you have a wife and children that love you, I had nobody." The ghost smiled through its tears.


    "But you had me!" Xander exploded, "You had me you bastard, and about that loan." Xander checked his shirt pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. "See that lottery ticket we bought together a week before you died, I got the news last night that we won! Brother, we won! Imagine I called to tell you the news only to be told that you had jumped from a building. I couldn''t believe it; you were so happy when I last saw you the day before and we made so many future plans."


    "We won." Xavier whispered in disbelief.


    "We won." Xander repeated, "Ten million, we finally won, so why didn''t you wait a little longer?"


    "When I saw you last, I was saying goodbye Xander, I wanted you to have one last memory of me. Listen brother it''s not your fault but mine, use that money to better the life of your family. I on the other hand must move on, I will always watch over you I promise." Xavier''s lips were covered by a sad smile.


    Phoebe felt sorry for the two brothers, life was really funny. How could a lottery win come so late? Had it waited for Xavier to die?


    She watched the two brothers sob their hearts out and she wiped her own tears.


    "Such is fate." The Saxon spirit sighed.


    After the two brothers said their goodbyes, Xavier thanked Phoebe before vanishing.


    Phoebe patted Xander''s shoulder. "You will be alright, if you miss him too much then take flowers to his grave and do some good deeds in his name to earn him merit so that he can be reincarnated sooner."


    Xander promised to do so, he thanked Phoebe and left. He even took his posters with him and apologized to the guards whose work he had made difficult with his protests.


    "What a good man." The Saxon spirit sighed


    After handling the case quickly and efficiently, Phoebe went to the hair saloon where she had her hair washed and styled nicely, then she headed home to prepare for dinner.


    The dinner was arranged in the gardens rather than inside. Phoebe had invited David being that he was her boyfriend, and he came in time. It was done because her father had requested that they invite their partners.


    David had just taken a seat when Luke appeared arm in arm with Luna Elithera.

 Chapter 328 - 328: Two brothers, one Luna.

    It was as if everything came to a standstill as soon as they saw Luna, the servants that were pouring wine in glasses suspended their actions. S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Jennie''s butt that was about to touch the chair paused where it was in the air as if she could not decide whether to sit or stand.


    Phoebe''s hand that was on the back of David''s chair slid slightly; her father''s words rung in the back of her mind. He had told them to bring their boyfriends and girlfriends to the dinner, Luke had come with Luna.


    What did this mean? Her mind was jumping around, trying to make sense of this new unexpected development. Connie sensed the tension from the space, and she came out with an eager look to gossip on her face.


    "I smelled tension." she said, nearly breathless as if she was from running a marathon. "Luna is here, oh goodie!" she exclaimed and looked at Andre.


    Andre''s lips that had initially curved into a smile had quickly transitioned into a frown when he noticed how familiar Luna and Luke seemed to be with each other.


    Even though Phoebe and his grandmother had said no, he still held hopes of dating Luna especially when he heard that she had moved to Citrus. However, his efforts to reach out to her had been futile and he had been on the verge of giving up when she showed up in his family house.


    It seemed she was not as interested in him as he was in her, she had already been occupied by another man, by his own brother no less. A feeling of betrayal coursed through his veins, why was it a no to him from everyone but Luke got a yes?


    He told himself that maybe she was there as a friend, just because she had come with Luke did not mean that they were involved. He was an actor; he knew how complicated relationships between two people could be and that what you saw was not always the truth.


    Without thinking he walked to where they stood and smiled.


    "Luna! It''s lovely to see you again." Andre spoke his eyes never leaving Luna''s arm which was clasped around Luke''s arm. She was clinging to it like it was her lifeline or something.


    The warm smile on Luna''s face grew wider. "Oh, Andre hello, I hope you are well." Her tone was nonchalant.


    There was no indication in her tone of voice that she was excited to see him like he was to see her.


    Andre curled his upper lip upwards. "How do you guys know each other? He''s a doctor and you are a singer that has not been in Citrus for long.... how did you even cross paths?" He folded his arms as he questioned them like a husband that had found his wife with another man.


    "Jeez little brother, you are asking a lot of questions that are none of your business." Luke chuckled; his hand moved to pat Andre''s shoulder.


    Andre reacted in an unexpected way; he swerved Luke''s hand away. His narrowed ice-cold eyes let Luke know that there was a problem between them.


    Jennie scurried close to where they stood, her husband followed right behind her. "No, no, no. Answer him, i too would like to know. Did you bring Luna here as a surprise for Shana because she is her favorite singer? If that''s the case then why is she holding you like you two are an item, Luke? You are confusing everyone dear." She laughed halfheartedly and nervously.


    After all the things grandma Mayfair had said about Luna before, she had a very biased opinion about Luna, and it was not a good one.


    Luke held Luna''s arm tighter. "Mother there is hardly any confusion here, father asked us to bring our partners, and I came with mine." His words came out with so much ease but shocked the listeners especially Jennie who placed a hand to her head and stumbled backwards.


    Edward caught her right in time to prevent a fall. "Honey now is not the time, here come Collin and Shanna so let''s schedule this for later." He walked her to her seat and handed her a glass of water.


    Phoebe meanwhile had to pick her jaw from the floor when her senses returned, so many questions where twirling in her mind. When did Luke and Luna begin to date? Why were they dating, they hardly seemed to have anything in common.


    As far as she knew, they had only met once on the day of the fire, she was somewhat sure that they hardly knew each other! Did Luke even know who the real Luna Elithera was?


    "This is so good," Connie moaned.


    She rushed back to the space for drinks and snacks, and she invited all the other ghosts out to watch the drama unfold.


    Apart from Phoebe, the rest of the Mayfair''s and their companions did not even know that they had become entertainment to the ghosts.


    A nervous chuckle slipped through Phoebe''s lips when Luna and Luke took the seats directly opposite to her and David.


    She groaned when Andre made sure to take the empty seat that was close to Luna and shoot Luke a challenging gaze.


    "Uh-oh, I think that your brothers are interested in the same woman, it''s going to be a blood bath. My money is on Luke, see how he has changed his fashion style just to impress her....." David


    "David, not now." Phoebe hissed. She felt like it was her fault Luna had put the Mayfair''s in her sight.


    It was certainly her fault that Luna and Andre had met, however she had clearly warned Andre to stay away from Luna. A relationship between the two was impossible, the end would be miserable.


    David chuckled and sipped some wine, with the Mayfair boys dealing with their own relationship troubles, they would not make it difficult for him to build a relationship with Phoebe.


    "I can see that that you are enjoying this very much, aren''t you?" Phoebe narrowed her eyes at David.


    In response, he brought his thumb and index fingers to his lips and signaled that he was sealing his lips.


    The food and drinks were served, then the servants stepped away to give the family some privacy. During the course of the dinner, Shanna Lee was introduced to the family, they unanimously welcomed her with kind words.


    "We met in passing at the supermarket." Phoebe told her.


    Shana blushed at the memory, "I don''t really recall."


    "Yes, Collin stole you away so quickly that we did not get to meet each other." Phoebe said.


    Everyone laughed, and Shana almost buried her head in the plate, at her home she was teased about this incident, and it was no different at the Mayfair house. She had been nervous about the dinner, especially when it came to meeting Phoebe.


    It was widely known that Collin used to pamper Ruth, he was a sis con. He dotted on Phoebe as well, and if Phoebe didn''t like her, the relationship could develop some complications.


    To her relief. Phoebe was funny, talkative, friendly and they even exchanged phone numbers and Phoebe promised to buy her dinner sometime.


    Shanna felt even more secure in her choice for life partner, especially as she would be moving in with the Mayfair''s after marrying Collin. It was a small happy family that lacked pretentiousness.


    The dinner went well for the most part except for Andre whose friendly gestures kept getting snubbed by Luna. The awkwardness there was hard to cover up and everyone was pretending not to notice.

 Chapter 329 - 329: The art of eavesdropping.

    After the dinner, they all moved into the house, the men moved to the dining room and the women sat down in the living room. Grandma Mayfair and Jennie stepped away to have a conversation, leaving Phoebe, Shanna and Luna alone.


    Shanna moved to sit close to Phoebe because she felt closer to her than Luna. Even though Luna was her favorite singer, the relationship between her, Andre and Luke was complicated.


    As the future sister-in-law of the two men, she decided to play it safe and not be too cozy with Luna until the awkward situation was remedied.


    "I was so nervous when Collin told me that I would be meeting you, I hope that we can become close friends, Pheebs." Shanna said the name awkwardly like as if she wasn''t sure about calling Phoebe by her petname. "Can I call you Pheebs?"


    Phoebe chuckled lightly and held her hands. "I think that we will become closer than that, I have always wanted a sister, and I am glad that I now have one."


    "Two actually." Came Luna''s voice as she approached them, squeezing closer to Phoebe on the opposite side.


    Phoebe''s wide but shrewd eyes stared at Luna unsure about what to say. "About that we will have to talk for there is a lot that I do not understand about why you have become entangled with my brother deliberately." S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Unfazed by the threat that harbored under Phoebe''s words and gaze, Luna smiled, added a shrug and sipped on some wine. "Sure, I am an open sincere book."


    Shanna''s bright face suddenly was covered by mild worry.


    "Pheebs the vote on the petition is scheduled for tomorrow, right? I hope it goes well. My entire family is going to be there to support you, even my grandfather. I am unsure how it will turn out however because Dorothy Cook has been working hard on convincing people to vote against you." Shanna''s head cocked to the side. "Speaking of Dorothy, she has been really silent today, nobody has heard from her" She added.


    Lately Dorothy Cook was everywhere spamming people with phone calls to vote against Phoebe and urging them to protect the environment of the founding lane. But today, there had been nothing from her and the gossip mill had people asking others why she was quiet.


    Her words caused Luna to chuckle, the wine in her mouth spilled back into the glass. "Who knows she might never make it to her own petition hearing, I bet it will be canceled if the complaint doesn''t appear."


    Phoebe smacked the table lightly. "Luna what did you do?" Her horrified face stared at Luna''s uncovered one, the laughs that came from her lips only worried Phoebe.


    "Shanna please excuse us, I need to speak to Luna privately." Phoebe caught Luna by the hand and dragged her out, back into the gardens.


    Grandma Mayfair and Jennie were coming out of the kitchen when they saw Phoebe dragging Luna away.


    "Go to Shanna, I will follow them." Old lady Mayfair said.


    Slowly, she walked in the direction they had gone but she was not the only one to follow, David and Collin did the same. Both men had just stepped out of the dining room when they saw Phoebe dragging Luna out.


    With Luna''s identity, they did not feel safe letting her and Phoebe be alone for a single second.


    Outside, when the two women reached a point Phoebe felt was private enough, she let go of Luna''s arm and immediately quizzed her.


    "What the hell did you mean by that statement that you made back there? Do you think that this is Magic city where you commit crimes without anyone stopping you? You will get yourself and me in trouble and that trouble will come knocking on the doors of my family." Phoebe leg stamped a couple of times.


    Leaves rustled in the distance and the two women turned their eyes, expecting company. Luna even drew her guns which she had come with for the dinner. A cat cried out and leaped onto a hedge.


    "Oh my God! put your guns away before you shoot Maria''s cat. Why are you even armed? Please don''t tell me you killed Dorothy?" Phoebe groaned.


    Luna put the guns back in her pockets and run her fingers through her hair. "Relax Pheebs! I have not touched Dorothy Crook yet. I am planning to abduct her tomorrow morning. If she''s a no show, then that damn hearing won''t go on." She studied her nails as she spoke, she couldn''t see any reason as to why Phoebe was angry.


    She chuckled at her own joke, calling Cook into Crook.


    "Are you crazy?" Phoebe hissed. "Everyone will suspect me."


    "Do it, make sure that you do it right on time." Came Grandma Mayfair''s voice as she appeared from nowhere.


    "Nana!" Phoebe gasped. She didn''t know whether to be shocked because her grandmother had sneaked up on them or that she was in agreement with Luna.


    "Are you both insane! I am sorry granny but what are you saying right now?" David''s frame became visible, next to him was Collin who was staring at his grandmother like he couldn''t recognize her.


    [Oh great! is everyone here to eavesdrop?]


    She had just finished the thought when Luke appeared out of the shadows where the cat had leaped out from, he had a smile on his face.


    "Grandma, are you sure one of Phoebe''s ghosts hasn''t possessed you? Back then you would never harm anyone! not even when Dorothy destroyed grandpa''s fountain. I must say that i approve of the new changes."


    Luke''s words compelled David to lightly nudge him, now was not the time to praise the old woman.


    "Guys think for a fleeting second, who do you think will be the first person to be blamed if Dorothy disappears? Me! Everyone will know that I did it such that the hearing about the petition is canceled." Phoebe shuffled her feet for she was frustrated, besides this would ruin her plans for Dorothy totally.


    David stretched his hand. "Not just that but that will make Dorothy Cook even more aggressive once you release her. And above all that guys stopping the hearing will not end it but rather post pone it. We need a permanent solution." He tried to reason with them.


    Grandma Mayfair''s shoulders slumped dramatically. "You are right, i just want to get rid of her badly! She messed with me, now she is after my granddaughter when will she stop?"


    Luna smacked her lips. "We kill her then."


    Luke pulled Luna away from Phoebe and held her in his arms tightly. "Luna what did I tell you about killing people? No more! Are you even listening or are you deaf, Pheebs will be the first suspect."


    Luna wrinkled her nose. "Then David should do something about that Dick guy! He''s behind all this, I really want to break his neck, but I am a little afraid of what the Saxon''s would do to me."


    Luke turned to face David. "You heard her, the mastermind is Dickson.....


    "We know, even granny knows, and we have a plan. Phoebe has more Saxon''s supporting her including my grandfather and as for Dorothy, her reign ends tomorrow, in a legal way that will ensure she never rises again." David assured them.


    "Are you sure?" Luna''s narrowed eyes studied him, she wished that she could be there but unfortunately, she couldn''t as she was not from the founding families.


    Nodding his head, David placed his hands on his waist. "Yes I am."


    "I am going back inside." Old lady Mayfair gave her hand to Collin.


    They left the gardens, and four people faced off. Phoebe turned her attention to Luna and Luke.


    "I need to understand what''s happening between the two of you. When did this start?" She crossed her hands.

 Chapter 330 - 330: Pretend girlfriend.

    As if he had magically overheard the question being asked, Andre suddenly showed up. He was the one person that was most interested in hearing Luna''s answer.


    He stood with his legs wide apart and his arms crossed like a gym trainer observing the movements of his client, or a detective waiting to catch a criminal in a lie.


    "Yes, answer the question Luke, what is going on between the two of you? " He narrowed his eyes as he studied his brother who seemed uncomfortable.


    Luke shrugged and followed it up with a small chuckle. It was cute, what his siblings were doing, he found it both amusing and ridiculous that his younger siblings were putting him on the spot.


    "Andre is there something you want to say to me. I can swear that you have been pointing daggers at me since I came home." Luke arched his left eyebrow


    In response, Andre sneered. "Of course we have a problem, I saw Luna first! I hate to be childish but I called dibs." He spoke through pursed lips.


    "Dibs!" Luna exclaimed.


    Phoebe moved over to Andre and slapped him on the back of the head, he was truly foolish. Luna was not a toy or a passenger seat in a car that he needed to call dibs on.


    Luke quickly stepped away from Luna, when she brought up the suggestion of being his pretend girlfriend to have better access to Phoebe, she had left out the part about her being his younger brother''s love interest.


    "Wait, what? Luna god damn it. What the hell is he talking about?" Luke glared at her, a look one wouldn''t give to a woman he was in love with.


    "Babe no! I have no idea what he is talking about?" Luna pulled her brows closely together, she sized Andre from head to toe. He was cute like one of her puppies at home but she could never date him. She was very interested in Luke and hoped that she would graduate from pretend girlfriend to a real one. "Do you really think that your soft as a marshmallow brother is my type?"


    Andre drew in a breath and touched his chest, his eyes were drawn to his muscles, especially his biceps. They were the opposite of soft, he even had abs, eight of them for heavens sake!! His stomach was rock hard, he could crack a walnut between the cheeks of his ass!


    "I am not soft." he defended himself. "You are the one that is soft." he said to Luna.


    Phoebe scratched the back of her head, she was beginning to get bored from the back and forth which offered no explanations so she cleared part of the misunderstanding quickly.


    "Andre, come on we know that you have a little crush on Luna but she has never been your woman and calling dibs on her does not count. I do not know why you are making a fuss over her, she''s not worth the trouble."


    "Excuse you?" Luna''s eyes widened, did Phoebe have any idea about how many men slid into her inboxes asking her out? She was every man''s type including her brothers.


    Phoebe rolled her eyes to the star lit sky. "You know what I mean! First my brothers are fighting over you, second you having anything to do with them could put them in grave danger because you have accumulated thousands of enemies." she paused and sighed heavily. "Luke, I can assure you that Luna is not as simple as she seems, she is dangerous and you are sweet, kind and innocent."


    Her words caused Luna to let out a haughty cackle. "Innocent my ass, you have no idea." She mumbled under her breathe, her words not so clear.


    Luke put a hand over Luna''s mouth to keep her from exposing his secrets which he believed were not his family''s business.


    "I beg your pardon?" Phoebe asked, She wondered what was so funny that Luna had laughed in such a sarcastic way.


    She also wondered why Luke was covering Luna''s mouth, they certainly appeared to be closer than she imagined if they were keeping secrets already.


    Luna bit Luke''s hand and he dropped his palm from her mouth.


    She shook her head. "Its nothing, you wanted to know how we met and I was telling you that. To be exact we have not known each other for long, we met on the night of the fire and we liked each other. It was love at first sight. Phoebe I promise that your brother is safe with me....."


    "And it''s not that serious yet anyway so do not worry, its not like i am going to marry her tomorrow or anything like that. So, make sure to tell our mother that because we are leaving, we have a party to attend." Luke gave Andre one last glance and signaled Luna to follow him.


    He put one hand around her waist and led her away, ignoring the childish ire of his younger brother. Luke knew Luna, she was not the type to date two brothers and she was right, Andre was not her type.


    Phoebe scoffed. "A party? Luke!" She wondered why he was going to a party because he hated gatherings that had a lot of people.


    A party was more of Luna''s style, if he was going it was because he was escorting her, she rolled her eyes to the sky and scoffed again. He was already doing things that were unlike him and yet he was claiming that it was a fling.


    "Fling my ass." She mumbled, shook her head and shifted her eyes to Andre who was now squatting on the grass like the world''s saddest man.


    She went and squatted down beside him. "I cannot believe that even after everything that you know about Luna, you were still considering dating her. Both grandma and I told you to drop that idea, I will be honest the two of you do not have a marriage fate together.


    Even if Luke was not in the picture, she would not date you. I am happy that she''s not interested in you but now i am worried about Luke." Phoebe ruffled his hair.


    She moved her fingers, calculating the possibility of a marriage between Luke and Luna.


    "Oh crap, it''s possible." she muttered.


    [What the hell, why are they compatible? Luke and Luna...this is crazy!!! My mother is going to go insane, what the hell! I don''t even know what to think anymore, anyway compatibility does not necessarily lead to marriage.]


    She had no plans in intervening in Luke''s fate unless it was necessary, if Luna was the right woman for him, who was she to say otherwise? Sear?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Still, the thought of Luke and Luna as a couple was disturbing, one took lives and one saved them. They were the opposite of each other, what made them compatible? Phoebe''s mind screamed the question again.


    For someone that had been heart broken Andre didn''t seem too sad all of a sudden when Phoebe looked at him, there was a smile on his face.


    Andre chuckled and stood up. "Never in a million years did I ever think that a girl like Luna would choose a nerd like Luke over a hottie like me? Have I lost my charm? Perhaps you should get me something that makes me more attractive."


    "You are silly Andre, we need to talk about this dibs thing. What else or who else have you called dibs on?"


    "Your first daughter, she should be named after her favorite uncle aka me, we can call her Andrea."


    They both laughed as they moved back to the house with David. He was thinking about digging more into Luke, there was something unnatural about his pairing with Luna, it just made no sense.

 Chapter 331 - 331: The day of the hearing.

    Close to midnight when the rest of the Mayfair''s had gone down to sleep, David Saxon sneaked back to Mayfair manor and climbed a ladder, making his way into the house through Phoebe''s open window. He lost his footing and almost fell down which made Phoebe open her eyes.


    She sat up and pointed one of her pink guns at him. "Who is it?"


    "Come on Pheebs, you know it''s me." he answered with a laugh while taking off his shoes.


    "You sneaked into my house!" she exclaimed. "Are you crazy, my dad will kill you if he finds out that you are here."


    "Don''t worry, I will leave before the sun comes up, nobody will ever know that I was here." he answered softly.


    He took off his shirt and slid into the bed, pulling her close.


    "Hmph! you must have done this a lot as a teenage boy, how many times did you sneak into your girlfriend''s bedrooms?"


    "I can assure you that you are my first, I was a good boy." He put his hand around her waist and pulled her even closer.


    She had her back to him, and it made him unhappy, so he turned her over so that they were face to face. "Don''t good boys get kisses?"


    Phoebe rolled your eyes, "It''s a good thing that you built that orphanage, so I am in a good mood as well. Come on."


    She put her lips on his, initiating the kiss and chuckling at the same time.


    Five minutes into David''s sudden trip to the Mayfair house, Edward Mayfair was called out by Mark.


    "Sir, Mr. David Saxon sneaked into the house, I believe that he is inside miss Phoebe''s bedroom. Should we catch him and throw him out."


    Edward was both sleepy and annoyed now, he wanted to punch David in the face. How dare he sneak into his precious daughter''s bedroom?


    "What is it?" Jennie came up behind him while tying a belt around the night gown.


    "It''s the Saxon boy; he sneaked into our house. I cannot believe the guts on him! I am going to catch him in the act and..."


    Jennie pulled him back. "Goodnight Mark." she said with finality.


    Edward blinked, puzzled especially when his wife started to chuckle.


    "You never did anything when Andre and Collin sneaked out to see their girlfriends, you even shrugged when the fathers of those girls complained. Now that it''s your turn to experience it, you are ready to start a war." Jennie pushed him back onto the bed.


    "Look, Phoebe is an adult, if you do something like that, she will move back to her apartment because she is uncomfortable."


    Edward snorted. "I don''t like it." he muttered. "It feels like we are raising a teenager, and I am worried about a teenage pregnancy or STD''s." he groaned.


    He got into bed and laughed, it truly felt like they were raising a teenager, now that he thought about it, it was not funny when the shoe was on the other foot. He finally understood what all those fathers had felt.


    **********************


    In the morning, Phoebe woke up and her bed partner was gone, just as he had said. While she was brushing her teeth, she got an update on Dorothy Cook from Sylvester, the woman was okay and annoying as ever.


    She sent him back to watch over her just in case Luna went off script and took matters into her own hands.


    After her bath, she received more updates from the ghosts on different things.


    "Before I forget, how is my mother? Did she get any sleep last night?" Phoebe asked the Saxon spirit.


    The spirit let out a measured laugh. "Unlike yesterday where she was worried for Luke, she is now pleased that he has finally began to date. Her fear of him dating Luna disappeared when you told her that it was a fling and nothing serious, I just hope that that''s what it is." It shifted its lips to the side.


    Phoebe draped the coat over her shoulders as she whirled around to face it. "Meaning what exactly? Did you see something that I didn''t"


    "Just." it stated


    The word compelled Phoebe to pause painting her lips red. "Just what? What is going on in that head of yours? Tell me Zephyra I need to concentrate on this damn hearing and not worry about what you are holding back."


    The spirit sighed, a low sigh. "People do not just wake up one day and change their ways of life unless there has been a shift in their lives. Did you see how he was dressed, in designer clothes. Before meeting Luna, Luke only cared about his white hospital gown and scrubs. I just hope he''s not falling for her because I doubt Luna will leave the Elithera family to be with him."


    Connie jumped out of the space. "I smell a heart break people, a big one." sea??h th§× ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Surprisingly, Phoebe laughed. "You are both wrong, to me it seemed like the other way round. Luna is more interested in my brother, the way she was clinging onto his hand like he was about to run away. Oh, and you should have seen how she quickly denied having anything to do with Andre, hilarious."


    "Sister, don''t you think that you are applying way too much makeup?" Connie pulled her brows to form a frown. "You should go with a natural face and look as distraught such that people can take pity and vote for you."


    Phoebe shook her head. "Hell no! I am going to walk in there and show those people that i am not easily intimidated by anyone, not even by that so called council."


    "Good, I like how courageous you are my dear." The spirit cheered her on. "Good luck, you will need it."


    Phoebe nodded once and walked out of the door, she went straight to the dining area hoping to have some food, but she felt nauseated right away. Although she wore a brave face, deep down she worried about what was to happen. That morning, she even thought of using one of the whispering coins but then again, she was afraid of the price she would have to pay to use that kind of magic.


    "Good morning." She greeted and announced her arrival with fake cheer in her voice.


    Her stomach turned; it didn''t help that they all stared at her with sympathetic eyes.


    "Miss Pheebs why don''t you just take this." Maria placed a cup of warm water in front of her.


    "Thank you, Maria." Phoebe drunk it in one go and handed the cup back to her.


    When breakfast was done, they all departed for the founding council house building. On the way there, Phoebe asked her grandmother and Andre what it was like to appear before the council.


    "Well we wouldn''t know because none of us has had the pleasure of standing before the council. You my darling are the first Mayfair to do so, you have broken that record so you will be telling us what it feels like." Grandmother Mayfair responded.


    Phoebe was surprised. "Not even Andre?"


    "Why me?" Andre placed a hand to his chest as his eyes flew wide open.


    "Because you are our beloved black sheep." Phoebe laughed as he spoke. "I have heard about all your notorious and rebellious deeds as a teenager. "You and Sabrina Spellcaster have a lot in common, you just changed as you grew."


    Her words elicited laughter from everyone including Andre himself. "Oh, come on, I wasn''t that bad." From that point on he made sure that the conversation in the car had nothing to do with the hearing which eased Phoebe''s nerves.


    Of course, she had no idea just how big of a deal this hearing was.

 Chapter 332 - 332: The hearing...[1]

    The happy chatter inside the van died down when it came to a halt on arrival at their destination. Immediately, tension began to run through Phoebe''s veins especially when Santos announced that they had arrived, cementing firmly what Phoebe was already aware of.


    One by one, they exited the van, Phoebe was the last to do so and immediately the surprises started, the venue was quiet which wasn''t what she expected. She thought that she would be welcomed by flashes from the cameras of the paparazzi but no, the place was rather thinly crowded by founding families that had come to participate in the hearing.


    Where is everyone, she asked herself. These were the founding families for crying out loud, a hearing before the council was a big deal. Where were the sneaky individuals with their sneaky phones that were ready to keep the founding lane gossip mill active?


    For a moment there her eyes moved around to observe the place where power in Fog country originated.


    "Do you know that before elections, the three political parties of this country send resumes on their choices of presidential candidates and the different families choose who to back? Those whose candidate wins, enjoy more benefits for a period of four years, until the next election and the cycle is restarted.


    It all happens right here, in a hearing like this one, the patriarchs and matriarchs of different families come in person to cast their vote. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Oh, the presidential candidates even come over, they are brought in through secret tunnels. When they arrive, they present their manifestos before the families decide." Grandma Mayfair told Phoebe.


    It was an odd thing to mention at that moment, especially as Phoebe had not asked about it, but it gave her a picture on just how important this council house was. Her mind started to travel, and she suddenly got the idea that the hearing was maybe a bigger deal than she originally thought.


    [Okay now i am scared, thanks nana.] Phoebe thought as her eyes continued to roam around.


    The architecture of the founding council house was a true testament of authority and tradition. It was a six storied building in the shape of an inverted pyramid that was held up by structures that looked like gigantic steel palms. At the very top of the building was was a statue of a heroic woman holding a shield and a sword, Phoebe shuddered on seeing the marble statue.


    It was quite funny to Phoebe that in all the years that she had been married into the Saxon family, she never took time to appreciate this building. She had only been there twice for different balls and after the death of grandma Saxon, she never got a chance to visit again.


    Miranda had kept her tethered to her office in the lab like a good working dog, if she was not in the office, she was in the Saxon tower like a prisoner.


    "Who is that?" Phoebe pointed at the eye-catching statue.


    Grandma Mayfair followed Phoebe''s hand to the statue. "Hmmm do not even get me started, apparently it''s the grand guardian of the supernatural. The one who saved us all during the supernatural war, many years have passed since this war that many of us have only heard about. It seems like it was all a myth, I don''t not know." She whispered the last words.


    The spirit chuckled. "Whoever molded that had no talent at all, there is no resemblance."


    "You knew this grand guardian?" Phoebe asked inwardly but her question was left unanswered because the Spirit refused to answer.


    She did not push it, her father approached her with a serious frown on his face. "We should go in now." His eyes moved to look at his wristwatch. "The hearing will begin in about forty minutes. You need to be briefed about the process."


    As soon as they walked into the foyer, Phoebe''s eyes landed on Dorothy Cook, she was talking to a group of people.


    Old lady Mayfair''s face immediately soured in anger, "Ooh, speaking of demons, where is the holy water when you need it." she mumbled. "That Dorothy Crook is probably still soliciting for votes even up to now, I really hope that this plan of yours is airtight."


    Phoebe was torn between laughing and assuring her grandmother that she had a fool proof plan. Surprisingly, Dorothy Cook abandoned the group she was talking to and marched towards them with her index finger pointed at Grandma Mayfair.


    "I know that it was you that spread the gossip about me and my husband being in the swingers club, but the joke is on you Prudence. I am not ashamed for seeking for sexual pleasure, something that you have been starved of because you are a widow. We have open spots by the way, you should try it sometime maybe then you will stop being so uptight....."


    Edward stepped in between the two women; his move was to thwart his mother''s hand from coming in contact with Dorothy''s cheek.


    "Stop it!" He barked at Dorothy Cook. "If you insult my mother one more time or mention my father''s death so help me God I will break your neck. Word of advice Dorothy, you better control your emotions unless you want to be kicked out of this hearing." Edward shoved her away and signaled for the security guards to come over.


    The Saxon spirit was holding Andre back meanwhile, he was ready to kill someone.


    A sarcastic chuckle came from Dorothy as she raised her hands in surrender. "Alright, Alright. Let''s see who gets the most votes at the end of the day." She smacked her lips and marched away. Her index finger signaled the group to follow her, it was obvious that they were her supporters.


    As they reduced in number, Dickson and his mother came into view. He smiled slyly and winked at Phoebe before heading inside.


    "Pheebs sweetheart don''t worry about anything, we will deal with whatever the outcome will be." Edward jolted her lightly by the shoulders.


    Phoebe nodded once. "It''s okay dad, I am fine."


    David showed up and he immediately made a beeline for her, separating from his family. Not even a second later, everyone else was instructed to go inside and sit, except for Phoebe that had to stay behind until she had been summoned.


    It wasn''t long before she was called upon, on entering inside, Phoebe''s eyes open widely as they shifted from one corner of the room to the other. The hall was densely populated with members from the founding family seated on rows of wooden polished benches facing each other. Phoebe was led to stand at the center, surrounded by the seven throne like empty chairs. Before she could process what was happening, the big wooden doors at the fore front opened and seven people entered lead by Rex Chapman.


    "Those are judges of the founding council, there are ten but you need seven for a hearing." The Saxon spirit explained as they walked through the central aisle and settled in their seats.


    Murmurs echoed softly when the last member of the council appeared, it was grandpa Saxon. Nobody thought that he would be attending the hearing, he had not been at a founding council related event in years.


    Phoebe sighed in relief when she saw him. Her eyes moved to David who nodded once and smiled faintly.


    "You have got this." He mouthed at her.

 Chapter 333 - 333: The hearing....2

    In the blink of an eye, some unexpected guests joined the hearing, ghosts! There were eight of them by Phoebe''s count and they were very noisy, excited it seemed.


    "A hearing, how wonderful, we have not had one of these in five years Charlotte."


    "The last one ended in a brawl I believe."


    "Is that general Drusus?"


    "It''s him alright, and he came with popcorn. My good man, I do believe that he is breaking the rules that govern this scared court. I shall tell president Rex about this."


    Phoebe put her head in her hands and sighed as that ghost persistently called Rex''s name even though the human did not respond.


    One of the ghosts, a woman dressed like she was alive in the 1600''s appeared before Phoebe.


    "You are going to lose; everybody loses these hearings, and you have the face of a loser."


    "Oh great, you are not just dead, but you can predict the future as well." Phoebe mumbled.


    The ghosts shrieked and floated away, "Did you just speak to me? Everyone, she just spoke to me, she can see us."


    Like babies that had just seen as shiny new toy the ghosts all flocked towards Phoebe, squeezing around her, each talking over the other in excitement.


    "Don''t talk to me, don''t bother me or else prepare to move on with or without the intent." Phoebe threatened them.


    The fact that she was speaking to the air of course drew attention and a whole lot of murmurs around, it was already known that she could see ghosts. Suddenly everyone started to wonder what she was seeing or who and it made more than a few people uncomfortable.


    "Stand for the anthem." a clerk announced.


    Surprisingly, the ghosts quietened down and floated to the floor, standing as if they were alive and part of the proceedings.


    After the anthem was sang and everyone settled down, maintaining silence with the exception of a newly arrived ghost that sat down beside Rex.


    "Awesome, Pete the commentator is here." One of the ghosts said sarcastically.


    Dorothy Cook raised her hand for she had an issue that she wasn''t comfortable with. As the complainant, the council had to hear her out before proceeding with the hearing.


    Rex Chapman raised his brows, of late there had been rumors that he favored Dorothy. His wife had gone an extra mile to insinuate that she suspected that their relationship was more than friendly. He did not want to associate with her but there was no choice at the moment, so he pointed at her and gave her permission to speak.


    "My Lord, on the list of council members to preside over this hearing, Mr. Rufus Saxon wasn''t included, I was told that Robert Saxon would be on the council so it''s only fair that Robert takes a council seat and not Mr. Rufus." She spoke with a lot of confidence without any atom of fear.


    Her words caused a ruckus in the hearing hall with most people shocked that Dorothy was not well versed by the rules that governed the founding council.


    Before Rex could respond to her, Rufus gestured at him not to bother as he planned to personally counter Dorothy''s argument.


    "I have been away for a while and a lack of common sense seems to have befallen this council." Rufus responded, eliciting a number of chuckles from the spectators.


    Rufus continued, "Young woman I am ashamed and embarrassed on behalf of my ancestors that you are working for this founding council, yet you have little knowledge of how things work.


    And on that note let me educate you, a council judge can choose a replacement when he or she is indisposed. It was I that chose Robert to stand in for me while I was sick and bedridden, and now that I am healthy and hearty, I have decided to take back my role as a judge."


    Rex nodded in agreement. "That is right, can we move on to the agenda...."


    His eyes raised again only to see Dorothy''s hand up again. Dickson had informed her earlier that old man Saxon was going to be among the council judges and that it would be a disadvantage to her. She was determined to get him kicked off at least for today.


    "Yes, Dorothy." Rex sighed, frustrated. Dorothy was testing his patience. Even the blind could see that old man Rufus had every right to be on the council.


    "Mr. Chapman, I know for a fact that Mr. Saxon''s opinion on this matter is already biased. Just like Mr. Mayfair was told not to preside over this case because of family ties to the defendant, so should Mr. Saxon. He and Phoebe Mayfair have a very close relationship and here is the evidence."


    Dorothy handed in a flash drive which Rex accepted, it was connected and on the large screen on the wall, pictures of the elder Saxon couple, David and Phoebe having dinner at Papa Jang''s restaurant were shown to all.


    Unknown to Dorothy was that she had shot herself in the foot, a good number of her supporters switched sides in fear of going against the Saxons. If Phoebe had won the favor of Rufus Saxon, then they wouldn''t be stupid to be on her bad side.


    "This seems like that prick Dickson''s work." Connie clenched her fists.


    "Yes, I am certain, it''s too well planned with pictures too." The spirit narrowed its eyes at Dickson. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Sylvester let out a short sigh. "It''s probably because Phoebe rejected his help, so he wants to make her regret it."


    Grandpa Saxon laughed haughtily, David had told him everything about Dorothy and this was his chance to end her.


    "I will step down for this case but before we go any further, we must handle the first agenda on the council''s itinerary, a small change which was made a few minutes ago.


    As a judge, I have the right to decide on what should be heard in our founding court at my discretion. I would like to bring up a few recent discoveries about the malpractices of Mrs. Cook as the council appointed head of the homeowner''s association. Like I said, a lack of common sense seems to have befallen the council in my time away because you should not be where you are."


    A smack on the table attracted everyone''s attention towards Dorothy''s direction. "That is slander! And that is not the reason as to why we are here, we came to handle Phoebe Mayfair''s misuse of founding land, President Chapman say something." She chewed on her bottom lip hopping that he would come to her rescue.


    Rex Chapman was stuck between a rock and a hard place, Dorothy was his loyal minion but on the other hand, old man Saxon had the power and influence to get him ousted from his position as President. It was safer to side with him, he could always get another minion.


    "Go ahead Mr. Saxon." Rex wiped his mouth and stared at Dorothy who sank into her seat, she knew that it was over for her and so did the people that were seated close to her for they shifted from their seats like Dorothy had bedbugs.

 Chapter 334 - 334: Dorothys dismissal.

    The ghost commentator that all the other ghosts hated was having the time of his life up on the bench besides the judges.


    "Ooooh, I smell a betrayal, Rex Chapman just turned on Dorothy Crook, what we are witnessing here ladies, gentlemen and ghosts is a sumo slam."


    "What the hell is a sumo slam?" Another ghost asked.


    "Will Dorothy somersault and rise or tap out, it''s an exciting moment, one for the history books." Pete continued.


    Phoebe would have told the Saxon spirit to stop Pete if she was not enjoying herself at the sudden unexpected turn of events. She thought that she would be on trial but suddenly Dorothy was the one about to be on trial.


    It looked like she did not even need to deploy Connie to whisper into the ears of the judges their hidden secrets to prompt them to vote wisely. Blackmail had been her big plan; Luna had provided information not just on Rex and Dorothy but the other judges except for Rufus whose turn up was unexpected.


    Phoebe carefully removed her six-inch heels and gave her feet the chance to be comfortable as she settled in her chair to enjoy the free drama. She even shot Pete a thumbs up for the great job he was doing in describing the atmosphere as it was.


    Those who did not know that she was acknowledging Pete assumed she was acknowledging Rex who was closest to Pete.


    It raised questions among the spectators, some wondered if Rex had been bought off by the Mayfair''s, others wondered if they were blackmailing him because he had turned on Dorothy so quickly.


    There were those like Dickson that frowned, things were not going as they expected.


    Poor Rex Chapman was just confused, he had no idea what Phoebe was up to and he hoped that she would not implicate him in whatever she was plotting.


    Phoebe turned her head around and looked at Dorothy, she looked like a sad wet dog. Phoebe couldn''t contain her laughter when she noticed that all of Dorothy''s cronies had abandoned her, and she was sitting alone with her shoulders slumped.


    "For a woman as tenacious as she is, she has given up too soon." The Saxon spirit commented.


    Phoebe thought so as well, she had been expecting to see Dorothy put up a fight, now she just looked defeated and pitiful.


    "You, Mrs. Cook are guilty of conniving with the Gianis family to steal land from the council." Grandpa Saxon''s words elicited gasps from the listeners.


    "What?"


    "My God!"


    "That can''t be right, Dorothy is as upright as a pole, she would not engage in theft."


    "Mr. Rufus Saxon is even more upright, he wouldn''t say it if it wasn''t true."


    Dorothy stood up hastily to say something but there was nothing she was going to say was going to convince the people who had already believed Rufus Saxon. It didn''t help that Rufus was holding up papers that looked like evidence that could not be denied. She stammered and the words got caught in her throat.


    Rex hissed. "Sit down if you have nothing to say."


    Dorothy wrinkled her nose and glared at grandpa Rufus, the dog in her refused to back down easily. "Ha-ha, it''s quite shameful that a man of your age has resorted to fabricating lies against me." She turned from side to side, looking at the spectators, "You all know how powerful the Saxons are, they could have fabricated that evidence easily to pin a crime on me!" She shuffled her feet.


    Murmurs went around but not one person expressed support for Dorothy.


    Grandpa Rufus clicked his tongue and shook his head in disbelief. "So are you saying that you did not take bribes from Saul Gianis the director of Jitz hotels in exchange of him cheaply buying land around the lake? Deny it let me see how brazen you are."


    He scanned her face, waiting for her to deny what she knew to be true.


    Dorothy felt her legs go weak; she never thought her deals with Saul Gianis would come to light. If they had, it could only mean one thing, they had done a very deep dive into her.


    The money from the bribes she had received were not in an account under her name. She had met Gianis in a remote fishing town, far away from Citrus or anywhere they could be seen together. How had they found out her secret?


    As Dorothy was still trying to understand her situation, Saul Gianis was summoned by grandpa Rufus.


    "I am finished." Dorothy whispered, she regretted messing with Phoebe Mayfair.


    Saul Gianis explained that everything grandpa Rufus had said was the truth.


    "I have all the evidence including recordings of her specifying the amount of money she wanted from me. I want to make it clear that I did not intend to flaunt council law, the Jitz hotels application to buy or lease land from the council was genuine. It was Mrs. Cook that came to us with this deal, I am ashamed that we fell for it and to make up for our mistake, we will back out of the deal and pay a fine to the council." He bowed in Rex''s direction and stepped on the side to wait for judgement.


    He was polite because the families the people in this hall came from could cripple the business owned by his family. It was better to atone and lose one hand than be stubborn and lose an entire body.


    Grandpa Rufus clapped once. "Ladies and gentlemen, the only reason Dorothy Cook brought up this petition in the first place was so that Phoebe could unfairly loose the land so that she could sell it to Saul Gianis to build another Jitz hotel. This hearing should not even be happening in the first place."


    Murmurs arose from the congregation as they discussed the issue.


    Blair Lee judge on the council and Shanna''s father cleared his throat. "On that note, I move a motion to dismiss Mrs. Dorothy Cook from her position." His threatening gaze moved to watch Rex just like the rest of the members of the council.


    Rex had no choice but to call for a vote, within thirty minutes the votes were in with majority seconding the motion.


    "Henceforth, Mrs. Dorothy Cook is dismissed from her position as the head of the homeowner''s association and her activities while she held the position will be investigated thoroughly. If any misconduct is found, she will be punished according to the laws of the council." He struck the gavel once.


    Grandma Mayfair stood up and cheered at the top of her voice, she even set off a popper which startled everyone.


    "What a sweet outcome." The Saxon spirit twirled around.


    Connie copied the spirit and she twirled around as well. "We have grandpa Saxon to thank for that, it''s because of him that all this went too quickly and smooth."


    Meanwhile Dorothy was dragged out of the hall screaming her neck off as she swore to revenge against Rex whom she claimed betrayed her.


    Rex asked sanity to return to the hall. "Mr Saul Gianis, you hereby ordered to return all the land that was sold to you by Mrs. Dorothy Cook" He pointed at Saul, "You should be grateful that we did not send you to prison or get your family involved in all this, besides the council will not return any penny that you used to buy the land including the bribes and you must pay a six million dollar fine." He signaled at the guards to escort him away.


    His eyes moved to Phoebe who was in high spirits. "The hearing is dismissed, Miss Phoebe Mayfair we apologize for the inconvenience caused."


    Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 335 - 335: The new Luke Mayfair.

    It took less than an hour for the hearing which had been both dreaded and anticipated to come to an end. Phoebe was quite disappointed that she had not had the opportunity to detonate the bombs in her arsenal. She had been looking forward to it, but still she had won so that was amazing.


    She was about to turn and leave when one of the female ghosts stopped her.


    "Might I trouble you for a second, can you deliver a message for me to that elderly gentleman over there?"


    Phoebe turned to her left and she saw Eldrine Greer, the patriarch of the Greer family, their family owned a food company and had the largest green fruit and vegetable farms in Fog country.


    They had a cooperative relationship with the Mayfair''s, providing raw materials for them.


    "Sure, why not?" Phoebe said happily.


    "It will be best if I talk, and you repeat it to him." The ghost said.


    Phoebe shrugged, she found her way through the spectators that were on the move and approached Eldrine who was thankfully still sitting next to his wife and youngest daughter.


    "Hello patriarch Eldrine, I am Phoebe Mayfair. Uhm...I don''t know if you have heard but I see ghosts and your mother is here and she wants me to relay a message."


    Eldrine Greer laughed, he figured he could humor Phoebe, there was no harm in it anyway. "Go on."


    "My boy." The ghost started.


    Phoebe frowned and looked at the ghost, it urged her to say it.


    She sighed and winced, reluctantly she said in a hesitant voice, "My boy."


    Eldrine''s face fell immediately as if he could see his mother right there and predict what she was going to say, "Don''t say it." he told Phoebe.


    "I did not approve of you giving your muddleheaded wretched wife my snake coiled jade bracelet. If you do not give it to Maisie I will haunt you forever, you hear me Eldrine, forever." The ghost exploded.


    Right after saying those words, it calmed down and smiled at Phoebe who looked horrified. "Tell him."


    Phoebe shook her head and laughed, there was no way she was calling the wife of one of the world''s wealthiest men muddleheaded and wretched.


    "Uhm, she says she misses you and urges you to give the snake coiled jade bracelet to Maisie." Phoebe said.


    She darted away from the Greer''s as quickly as she could and found her family that was waiting for her with smiles. After they left the hall, Phoebe together with her family moved to grandpa Saxon''s office. It was on the topmost floor, although he was no longer the president of the council, he had the office with the best view.


    His eyes lit up the moment he saw the Mayfair''s. "Edward! How lovely to see you again. Prudence told me that you often called to check on my condition, you don''t know how that gladdens my heart." Grandpa Saxon shook Edward''s hand firmly and gave him a side hug.


    "I was pleased to hear that you have regained your strength, seeing you so robust is delightful." Edward''s warm smile continued to exist.


    He had grown up calling Rufus uncle, seeing him was the same as seeing his father.


    Grandpa Saxon laughed lightly. "We have your daughter to thank for that, what a gem eh, Eddie boy!"


    Edward laughed boisterously, scratching the back of his neck, nobody had called him Eddie boy since his father died.


    Grandma Mayfair moved a step forward. "Rufus, I thank you for what you did in there especially for destroying that witch Dorothy ha! She used to think that she was invincible just because she had Rex''s support. Now that you are back, maybe sanity will finally return to this place." She turned her mouth upside down in an exaggerated frown.


    Her facial expressions made every one laugh.


    "You are always one to blow things out of proportion as always." old man Rufus commented.


    They engaged in small talk for a few more minutes and would have kept it up for hours but grandpa Rufus had a lot to do now that he was back, his eyes moved to the clock.


    "Alright folks, thank you for passing by and I will see you at the auction, right?"


    "Yes, of course we would never miss it for anything." Grandma Mayfair raised to her feet. "We hope that you will give us a visit, I will roast an entire goat to thank you for getting rid of that pathetic Dorothy Cook."


    Again, they laughed, it was obvious that they old woman was not going to quit talking about Dorothy anytime soon.


    As they walked to the parking lot, the Mayfairs were greeted and congratulated by various people, among them were some of the members from the Saxon family. The elders formed a group to discuss the events that had just occurred leaving their children to socialize.


    Rose-bell stepped forward to block David''s path. "Well, well brother finally I get to see you since you barely come home, I am beginning to think that you are David Mayfair not Saxon." She nudged his ribs.


    David only laughed. "Each time I visit the tower you are busy shopping or gossiping in the neighborhood."


    A few more jokes all relating to the same subject were made garnering a lot of laughs until Katherine stepped in.


    "No, no Rosie is right, one might think that you already married to the Mayfair girl. Speaking of when is this marriage happening my success story depends on it." Katherine blurted out the last words unintentionally.


    Everyone stared at her especially Phoebe''s brothers who dived into protective mode. S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Who said Phoebe is marrying David? I don''t remember giving them my approval, I am just adjusting to the fact that they are dating....." Collin was interrupted by David.


    "Kathy what do you mean by saying that your success story depends on it? I hope that you have dropped that stupid idea of getting your hands on Phoebe''s recipes because you won''t have them. I have already spoken to grandpa and he feels the same way that I do." David''s face was etched with a mix of suspicion and worry, his sister was not someone that easily let things go. It was very much possible that she was plotting something to steal those recipes.


    "You fool! Why did you get grandpa involved in all this? Did you think that will stop me? Ha! We will see how this ends." She turned on her heel and matched away.


    She did not go far before someone pulled on her arm. "Let go of me Luke, you are hurting my arm." She winced.


    Luke shoved her gently into a car. "Katherine, I know vultures like you, so greedy for things that you don''t own. That''s how you have lived your life since you were a child but let me warn you, if you dare get your filthy claws on anything that belongs to my sister, you will regret it I assure you."


    A bitter laugh came from Katherine''s lips. "Who do you think you are? I am a Saxon! meaning that I am up there, and you are down here. What is so special about Phoebe''s recipes, I will get my hands on them in fact she will hand them over to me and willingly. You just wait i will have the last laugh."


    Luke shoved her head and then lowered his voice. "You must have a death wish, Next time I will not be so nice. There are a lot of dangerous people looking out for Phoebe, I am warning you only because grandpa Saxon will be heartbroken if hypothetically you turned up dead somewhere in a ditch." He chuckled dryly and left her speechless.


    "Was Luke always this scary?" She shuddered

 Chapter 336 - 336: Aunt Maureen returns.

    "I apologize for her, she is...." David could not find the words to describe Katherine, the only one that rung in his mind was crazy.


    "A fool." Rose-bell suggested, "Ignore her, let us chat and catch up, is it true that the Cooks are sharing fluids with other people?"


    Some of the men groaned.


    "No, talk about something else, nobody wants to imagine Dorothy Cook like that, she is grandma''s age for crying out loud!" Newton Saxon wrinkled his nose.


    "But it''s all anyone is talking about," Rose-bell whined, she looked at Phoebe and smiled. "No offense but your trial has not exactly made sweet waves. All anyone is going to remember is Dorothy''s ousting."


    The conversation moved to the bribery and suspicions about who else had possibly participated in it. Rex''s name came up a lot and it was not surprising because Dorothy was his minion, it was doubtful that he was not aware.


    "Are you guys going to the auction?" Miley Saxon put her arm around Rose-bell and asked.


    Her question was met with a positive response all around, all the young men and women were going, it was one of those must attend events.


    "Does anyone need a dress, I want a shopping partner?" Miley followed up with another question specifically for the ladies.


    Every hand went up, including Phoebe''s.


    "Didn''t you just buy new dresses yest....." David put his hand around Nile''s mouth.


    "Do not say a word unless you want to incur Rose-bell and Miley''s wrath."


    They both recalled that their sister''s acted as if they never had the right outfit for any party or occasion despite having closets full of clothes that were regularly donated. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The women were already excited, talking about which boutiques and high end shops they wanted to visit. Phoebe had never participated in a group shopping event with other wealthy young ladies and she was all in.


    David smoothly retrieved his black card and put it in her hands, he did not forget to trail his fingers over her hand lightly.


    "Your bill is on me." he told her.


    The others laughed, coughed and teased them, Phoebe blushed and she accepted the card. When other men saw this, they copied him, handing out cards to their sisters, cousins or girlfriends.


    The Mayfair brothers were some of the few that found themselves with idle banking cards, they couldn''t stuff Phoebe with more, it was useless.


    Collin saw Shanna and he waved her over eagerly, "Madam, do you need a dress for the auction?" He eagerly stuffed a black card into her hands, "The bill is on me."


    "I have a dress." Shanna replied.


    "Buy another one, use my card, buy ten dresses if you want." Collin insisted.


    Shanna was reluctant but she was pulled into the group that was going shopping. Andre had no idea who to give his card so he shrugged, he was about to put it away when he saw Sabrina Spellcaster.


    The two exchanged very hostile glances before her eyes fell on his card. To Andre, the girl appeared to be plotting to steal his black card.


    "Not going to happen." he muttered and put it back in his wallet.


    ********


    Two days passed and the long awaited auction came closer, it was scheduled for the next day and Phoebe found herself shopping again with her mother, grandmother and aunt Maureen that had just returned home, she traveled a lot and her business was in Hartoum, a small town in Magic city.


    By the time they made it home, Phoebe was so tired that she did not want to see the inside of a mall anytime soon. She locked her door and went into the space to recuperate at her personal beach, besides the lake of life and death.


    Rather than recuperate, she opted to train, cultivating all the ghost energy she had collected in the last three weeks. For four hours, she trained hard until sweat dripped from her body.


    "I am exhausted, I swear to God that all that i want to do is sleep the entire day." Pheobe fell back on the sand.


    "Well if you continue to train hard and push yourself, you will be very strong in no time and have no need for training."


    The Saxon spirit joined her, holding a cup of tea in her hands.


    Phoebe flipped over to lay on her back. "If only grandpa Rufus accepted to take me to the Moldove founding academy, I believe that I could train better there, no offense Zephyra. But have you seen those guardians from the first sect in action? They fly like birds as they wave their weapons it''s amazing."


    A chuckle slipped out of the spirit''s lips. "That''s only because it''s the first sect, the tenth is not so impressive. Your strength is equal to that of a member of a tenth sect currently."


    "Seriously? I can slice a tomato seed into two with my energy and I belong to the tenth sect? That''s not possible!" Phoebe propped a hand under her head. "Ahh, I want to go to the academy."


    The spirit moved to sit beside her. "You could but you are too afraid to ask your father about it. You haven''t even asked him about your grandfather."


    Phoebe sat up like she had been shocked by electricity. "I am not afraid! He has been preoccupied since aunt Maureen returned." She lied blatantly, each time she wanted to talk about it with her father words caught in her throat.


    "I am surprised that your aunt Maureen isn''t here bugging you to tell her ghost stories." Connie pouted her lips in a pronounced way.


    It was clear that she did not like the new resident that Phoebe seemed to adore.


    A measured laugh came from Phoebe. "And you say that you are not jealous, Connie? No one is here to take your place, definitely not aunt Maureen."


    "It would be fun have her around permanently." The Saxon spirit''s words were not welcomed by Connie who sneered.


    There was a gentle knock on the bedroom door, Maria informed Phoebe that it was time for dinner.


    "I''ll be there in a minute." Phoebe shouted.


    Meals in the Mayfair house had become more enjoyable lately, aunt Maureen was so funny and had a lot of amazing stories to tell about her travels and more than anything she dotted on Phoebe.


    Phoebe found her wrapping up one such story as she sat down.


    "I am sad that after the auction I have to go back to the town of Hartoum. I wish I could spend more time with my niece, perhaps you could visit me sometime Pheebs. It would be great to have you over, I have invited Edward here time without number but he has never come even once." Aunt Maureen gave her brother Edward a side eye.


    Grandma Mayfair swallowed the liquid in her mouth hurriedly. "And with good reason! Hartoum is infested with all kinds of witches. What if he is hexed or something, I do not understand why you just don''t settle down my child, the Sun flower ball is coming up, stay and attend it who knows you could get a suitor or two."


    "Mother please enough of that, Marriage is not an achievement! I have a booming business of selling magical artifacts and relics. You do not know how many people come to Hartoum just to buy such things, I am doing well for myself and as for traveling, i will only stop when i get tired of it." Aunt Maureen turned her attention to Phoebe. "Since you are a shaman you might find something that could interest you at my shop." Aunt Maureen winked at her.


    "Phoebe don''t even think about it." Grandma Mayfair warned but she could see from the eager puppy expression on Phoebe''s face that it was too late.

 Chapter 337 - 337: Strangers with secrets.

    "Phoebe, Hartoum is the place where all the families that were exiled by the founding council run to. They created their own founding lane and society, but they cannot be compared to us for they were, are and will always be evil." Grandma Mayfair mentioned.


    She was afraid that if she did not, Phoebe would be on the next flight to Hartoum with Maureen and who knew what trouble her daughter would get her granddaughter into?


    "Your grandmother is right, despite its grand and beautiful appearance, Hartoum is a city that succumbed to decay and corruption on the inside. Sometimes I think the army should just invade and flatten it." Edward spoke his mind calmly.


    "With or without the civilians?" Andre asked as his stretched his hand out for a slice of garlic bread. Collin tapped his arm and asked for a slice as well.


    "With." Grandma Mayfair answered without hesitation.


    She was so nonchalant about it, not even bothered by her family members that were looking at her as she sliced into her medium rare steak with a sharp knife, dipped it in gravy and brought it to her mouth with a fork. The dark brown gravy might as well have been red blood to Collin.


    "Do you see this dad? She is spending way too much time with Luna Elithera which is screwing...."


    "Don''t say screwing at the table." Jennie jumped in.


    "I have not spent anytime with Luna, a couple of hours to talk about a few important things but that''s it." Grandma Mayfair defended her relationship with Luna.


    She deliberately looked at Luke as did the others when Luna''s name was mentioned.


    "It''s nice to see you boys starting to settle down." Aunt Maureen said.


    Jennie''s right hand that was bringing a piece of meat to her mouth paused. She raised her head and looked at her sister-in-law.


    "Luke has not settled down, he is having a fling, right Luke?"


    "Wrong." Luke answered calmly.


    Jennie whimpered as if she was a puppy in distress, she looked at Edward and he shrugged. If his mother was not intervening, neither would he, at the end of the day Luke was an adult, they could not control him.


    "Maybe we should just eat and talk later." Aunt Maureen suggested.


    So the dinner proceeded but it was not quiet, aunt Maureen had a lot more stories about Hartoum to tell and all of them were ghost or supernatural related.


    *******************


    Just like she did sometimes, Phoebe waited until everyone had gone to bed before sneaking into the hidden basement. She had gone there a few times with her grandmother to clean the place, and always acted as though she was not curious about the magical artifacts.


    This time she went on her own, it was better that way not just because she was looking into the circumstances surrounding her grandfather''s death and didn''t want to arouse any suspicion from her grandmother and father. but also because each time grandma Mayfair went there she recalled heartbreaking memories of her husband and became emotional.


    When she was emotional, their time in the basement was cut short and Phoebe did not want this to happen.


    "Oh, someone is in there already." Connie pointed at the slightly open door.


    "Your grandmother must be in there already." The Saxon spirit told her as it floated in.


    Phoebe let out a short sigh. "Damn it! Phoebe cursed under her breath, it would be another wasted night and chance after all." She walked in casually ready to greet her grandmother but paused when she saw her aunt Maureen instead.


    She was standing near her grandfather''s reading desk staring at the small box in her hands intently.


    "Auntie?" Phoebe startled her causing the globe to fall. Aunt Maureen quickly picked up what Phoebe identified the small box that looked somewhat familiar.


    "What are....." Phoebe''s words trailed off, She was beginning to ask what she was doing there but she suddenly remembered that Aunt Maureen had the right to be there after all Cillian Mayfair was her father. "I thought you would be in bed by now." she changed the direction of her words.


    "Pheebs! you startled me, I didn''t expect to see anyone down here, especially not you." Aunt Maureen picked up the small box and quickly shoved it back inside the drawer which made Phoebe all the more curious about it but she held back so as not to give herself away.


    A half hearted laugh came from Phoebe. "I couldn''t sleep so I came here to do some cleaning and maybe learn more about grandpa." Phoebe scratched her eyebrow.


    The Saxon spirit scanned the place, it cocked its head and laid out it''s hands as if to feel the energy of the place. "Something has changed, it''s almost like as though someone has tampered with the magic that was used to bind these items."


    Aunt Maureen cleared her throat. "I miss papa so much so I came to visit the place he loved the most. I wish that I could just see his face one more time." She wiped a single tear.


    Phoebe took a few steps and moved closer to her. "Auntie could you tell me more about him? A therapist I know said talking about your dead loved ones can help you deal with grief and keep their memories alive." Phoebe Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    took the gamble betting that if anyone in the family would tell her anything it would be her aunt who talked a lot.


    It worked because aunt Maureen sunk into a chair behind the desk and opened her mouth.


    "He was a well respected man who loved us so much, he loved fishing so much. He was always out on Citrus lake with uncle Rufus..."


    Aunt Maureen spoke for a full hour and a half but nothing she said was anything the Phoebe wanted to hear.


    A loud yawn eventually came out of Phoebe''s mouth, it was intentional as she was bored and tired.


    "Sorry aunt, I am a little exhausted. I am so glad to hear all about grandpa''s fishing and life but could you skip to the part about how he died? I heard it was an accident and asked what kind of accident it was but it''s a sour topic that no one wants to talk about."


    Aunt Maureen arched an eyebrow and then broke eye contact. "It was an accident, he had traveled for business and he had a car accident and died."


    "That''s it?" Phoebe unintentionally voiced her disappointment.


    But her words got her aunt curious. "Why do you say it like that Phoebe?" Her tone was stern, a curious gaze focused on her Phoebe whose face face showed he disappointment clearly.


    "Well nothing, I just hoped that perhaps you would tell me more details about how he died then maybe I would summon his ghost from the other side. It would be nice to see him." Phoebe avoided making eye contact as much as possible.


    Eyes wide open that the whites showed, Aunt Maureen''s jaw almost dropped to the floor. "Wait a minute you can do that? Can a low level shaman do that?"


    Phoebe chuckled inwardly, [Low level! Ouch that actually hurt my feelings.]


    Connie sneered. "Who is she calling low level?"


    Aunt Maureen shook her head regretfully. "I am sorry, that came out wrong. What i mean is that I did not know you could do that. I thought that you only do simple spells and make some common talismans but I guess I misunderstood."


    She was also very mesmerized that she could see Phoebe''s thoughts, a thing that she had noticed through dinner. This niece of hers was more interesting that she had heard.


    "Well I can if I know the actual way he died." Phoebe lied shameless, she wanted to cajole her into telling her what she knew.


    "Perhaps she doesn''t know much either, i am more interested in how the magic in this place shifted." The spirit continued to move around.


    "Not tonight." Phoebe told the spirit inwardly. "We cannot find out anything with my aunt here."


    "Pheebs i wish I knew more my dear, let''s just retire for bed." Aunt Maureen urged her and led the way out.


    Nodding her head, Phoebe followed her but her eyes glanced back once at the drawer.

 Chapter 338 - 338: More badluck for Dickson

    When the sun lifted the following morning, the air on founding lane was sizzling with excitement. Even though it was scheduled to begin in the evening, servants of founding families were running up and down the lane with dresses, shoes, cars, jewelry, flower petals, make-up, coffee and whatever else their bosses needed.


    It was always like this when the founding families were preparing for a ball, party or event that concerned them all. Everyone would run around like chicken that had lost their heads.


    Unlike most households that were unsettled, in the Mayfair house, it was calm and everyone was relaxed. Grandma Mayfair even suggested that they go to work and have their hair done later in the afternoon.


    Phoebe was more than willing, she followed her grandmother to the cafe taking the scenery route of the apartments which they rarely got to see as it led to the backdoor of the cafe.


    "Nana the weather is so beautiful today, don''t you agree?"


    Phoebe shut her eyes and inhaled the cool but soft breeze. She could smell the strong scent of full grown roses and jasmines, Collin Baltimore had done a great job with the gardens behind the apartment buildings.


    It was not just Phoebe and grandma Mayfair enjoying them, other tenants and their families were doing the same.


    A group of children was playing football, some people were taking pictures and others were enjoying breakfast outside.


    They went around the building to use the front entrance and grandma Mayfair stopped walking. "It was perfect until I saw that scare crow." Her lips moved, pointing in the direction of the cafe.


    Phoebe''s eyes followed the direction of her grandmother''s mouth and that''s when she saw him; Dickson. He was standing outside next to the third window, his hands fixed inside his long black trench coat.


    Phoebe couldn''t fail to capture the pleasure on his face just because women kept gawking at him as they walked by,


    "He is like a bad penny, he knows that he is unwanted and yet he still appears often when you least expect it and never for a good reason. It looks like I have to send out some more bad luck talismans." Pheobe began to walk towards the cafe with the intention to by pass him.


    A smile formed on Dickson''s lips when he saw the two Mayfair women walk up to him, that same smile quickly faded when they by passed him like they had never seen him before and went into the cafe.


    In response to their actions, Dickson laughed a short mocking smile and followed them inside but he did not get far, he was stopped by Rossett who had her hands spread out.


    "We are not open yet, so please wait outside or come back later." Rossett announced.


    She had read the memo, her boss didn''t not like Dickson and that meant that he was not welcome.


    In a derisive way, Dickson gazed at Rossett, his eyes sizing her as if to weigh her worth, which was zero to him. "How ill mannered of you? I am here to see your boss...."


    "And what do you want to see me for? I helped you out of the kindness of my heart and gave you guidance on your business but you went and repaid me by spreading fake news about us. You hardly cared that you were damaging my reputation and that of your cousin brother David." Phoebe spoke through pursed lips.


    She did not mention the petition hearing whose flames he had flamed by egging on Dorothy Cook.


    "The lighting that is going to strike him is still charging, just wait Dickson, you just wait." Connie hissed.


    The Saxon spirit wrinkled it''s nose. "It better hurry, it''s hard to defend some Saxons."


    When Dickson spoke he defended himself. "Pheebs...."


    Phoebe pointed at finger at him. "Don''t you dare address me by that name."


    Dickson raised his hands up in surrender. "Okay I''ll do that for now, Listen Phoebe I never told anyone that we were dating. I said no comment because I love you but obviously you need time to get on board. I can wait for as long as you want, soon you will come to me." He smiled slyly.


    His words made Connie burst out laughing. "Love? Just like that? What''s this pest really after."


    Grandma Mayfair placed her bag firmly on the table creating a loud thud. She was bored of his love talk already and wanted to bash him on the head with her bag.


    "Dickson Saxon we know that you were the invisible force that was backing Dorothy Cook! A friend to my enemy is my enemy so leave before I use a knife to rip you apart and become an enemy of your family."


    Dickson''s face paled a little, he tried to laugh but paused, he could see that grandma Mayfair was very angry with him, her eyes that once looked at him with warmth were now as cold as ice.


    "Granny I could never! I am sure that it''s David that told such lies against me but it''s because he knows that I can make Phoebe happier than he ever will, please I tried to persuade Dorothy to let go of that damn petition!" His eyes grew wider with every explanation.


    Phoebe let out a guffaw, joining the ghosts that were cackling.


    Grandma Mayfair arched an eyebrow and folded her arms, was he really taking her for a fool?


    "Why do you want to see my grand daughter Dickson, I cannot leave you alone with her even for a second."


    Dickson cleared a non existent cough. "I came here with good intentions to thank Phoebe for recommending D.P holdings." He smiled and rubbed his hands together. "I couldn''t have chosen a better partner, I received the investment sum in full, so i want a good luck charm or talisman or something."


    Phoebe wanted to smack the stupid smile off his face, she did not know why Dickson was always smug and arrogant as if he had the advantage over everyone else. The man had to be insane because he expected the entire world to make way for him and everything he desired to fall into his palms."


    The Saxon spirit huffed and slapped around ten bad luck talismans on Dickson''s back.


    "Sorry good luck charms and talismans are out of stock, try another shaman, one you did not offend." She clutched her bag and left.


    "You heard her, leave!" Grandma Mayfair pointed at the door.


    "I will leave for now." Dickson bowed slightly to show his respect, a smug never leaving his face. Soon all the Mayfairs would lick his feet.


    sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 339 - 339: Opening old wounds.

    The cafe door had barely closed when it opened again and Collin Baltimore entered. He had his brows pulled together in a frown as he looked around as if he was in search of someone or something.


    "Was that Dickson Saxon outside? He looks furious as hell, what the hell happened in here." His thumb pointed back at the door.


    He strolled in further with an air of lightness looking like the boss of the cafe, which he nearly was as he was the landlord.


    Grandma Mayfair was already in a bad mood so she hurled out a response. "Pay no mind to that idiot, he comes in here every once in a while to annoy us." The folds on her face disappeared as a welcoming smile formed to replace them. "Collin, my dear you have become a stranger so much so that when I see you I want to hide in the corner as you might be making a rent run. Nevertheless, it''s lovely that you have decided to come visit." She offered him a seat and requested Rosset to get him something to eat and drink.


    Collin laughed lightly at the rent run joke, would a Mayfair hide from a landlord for fear of paying rent? They had enough money to buy an entire building for Phoebe to run her cafe out of.


    It was actually surprising that the Black Ghost Cafe was still in it''s original location, he thought Phoebe would have moved out by now.


    He had no intention of asking anymore about Dickson, he had seen the gossip on the internet and fake news that linked him to Phoebe.


    Collin hated messy situations and the war between David and Dickson for Phoebe''s heart was rather messy, it had compelled him to bury his feelings for her. That intention however wavered the moment he set his eyes on her for she was looking as gorgeous as ever.


    He forced himself to look away from her and kept his eyes on old lady Mayfair. "Grandma, I have been so busy lately but I think about you from time to time, how can one not miss a beautiful woman like you?"


    Grandma Mayfair played with a lock of her hair, twirling it around one finger as she batted her eyelids in a playful flirtatious response.


    "Oh Collin, you flutter me, but I am not interested in becoming your sugar mummy."


    Everyone in the cafe laughed, even the ghosts. Phoebe almost choked on her iced latte, witnessing a playful side to her grandmother which she had never seen before.


    Collin put a hand over his heart and faked a pout, looking heartbroken.


    "I am afraid I will never recover, my heart is shattered." sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Grandma Mayfair flipped her hair back and smiled, "As expected, nobody can recover from me, look at me, I was miss Fog country in 1971."


    Phoebe''s mouth fell open. "Are you actually serious nana, you won a beauty pageant!"


    Old lady Mayfair nodded. "Is this the first time I am mentioning it? That can''t be right, how could I have forgotten to tell you about it? I will show you pictures when we get home, let''s tend to the customer first."


    She and Phoebe plus a few other nosy ghosts turned to look at Collin, eager to hear what he had to say. The regular ghosts were certain that he had come to profess his love for her which was affirmed by what Collin said next.


    "I actually came because Phoebe wanted to talk to me about something."


    The ghosts became excited, some could not wait to see Phoebe turn him down and others were curious to see if she would accept him.


    "You wanted to talk to me." Collin finished the rest of his sentence.


    Phoebe sat in a chair opposite his. "Yes i...I did." Her lips turned down, unsure about where to begin the discussion about Connie.


    Grandma Mayfair was not about to miss anything so she sat in a empty chair. "Oh, is that so?" Her quizzical eyes shifted from Collin to Phoebe.


    Connie came out of the space, chomping loudly on a carrot. "Sis these veggies are ready for harvesting..." her eyes fell on Collin. "What''s Goldie doing here and why is everyone so serious?" She floated over near to where Phoebe was.


    The Saxon spirit sighed, it was time to tackle this issue. If really the Baltimore''s were Connie''s family then it was time she faced that.


    "Connie let me ask you something, when you look at Collin do you feel something? Anything at all?"


    Connie shrugged. "I mean I like him and I wanted him to end up with Pheebs but you influenced her to choose David."


    The spirit gasped in surprise." I did no such thing! Those two have intertwined destinies, one cannot live without the other but that''s not the answer I want to hear."


    Blinking rapidly Connie clicked her tongue. "Why would I feel anything special for him? He puts a lot of perm in his hair."


    "My God, the way your head works amuses me." The spirit lightly shook its head.


    Phoebe was sipping on her latte as she waited for a response and when she saw no hope in getting answers from Connie, she cleared a non existent cough and gestured for them to stop. There was so much talk and the conversation was an unhelpful distraction. Connie was being her usual silly muddleheaded self.


    "Collin forgive me for prying but by any chance did you ever have another sister other than Cassie?"


    The coffee cup that was on its way to Collin''s mouth paused midway, after which he slowly put it back on the table. Phoebe''s question hovered in the back of his mind, memories of the time his second sister passed away returned, enveloping him in grief. Unintentionally his eyes became moist.


    "May i know why you ask?" He leaned forward and stared at Phoebe with slightly narrowed eyes. "Please don''t tell me that my sister has never moved on since her death and you have met her, that would be horrible!" He buried his head in his hands and prayed that his imagination was far from the truth.


    Shaky breath came from Phoebe''s lips, her eyes shifted to the spirit, they both realized that that their suspicion about Connie being a Baltimore was about to become a reality.


    Phoebe stretched her hand to touch his, she could she that she had scratched an old painful wound. "Collin, there is a ghost that has been with me for a long time, she has come to be a little sister to me, she is sweet and smart with very many similarities to Cassie. She lost her memories and doesn''t remember her past at all."


    Connie pointed an index finger at herself. "Is it me? Is Phoebe talking about me?"


    The spirit nodded. "That''s why I asked earlier if you feel any connection to him."


    "I do not feel a thing whatsoever." Connie used her hand to dismiss the idea.


    "What about Cassie then? Each time you see her your attitude changes." Asked the spirit


    Connie sneered. "That''s only because she''s an asshole to Phoebe, she just gives me bad vibes." She wrinkled her nose.


    Meanwhile Collin slipped on the ghost seeing glasses handed to him by Phoebe.

 Chapter 340 - 340: A sibling reunion with questions.

    Phoebe gave him the glasses because she figured the moment of truth had come, if the Baltimore''s were not Connie''s family, then they could drop the assumption and ask David to look for Connie''s real family.


    Her assumption turned out to be the right one as Collin Baltimore let out a yelp and jumped from the chair and grabbed the air in an attempt to touch Connie.


    "Co-Connie....?" His voice cracked greatly, he tried to hold back his tears but instead they pushed out like a waterfall. "Connie my God, have you been here in the cafe right from the beginning? What didn''t you recognize me, why haven''t you moved on this whole time?"


    His fingers rubbed away tears, behind the wet glasses. Collin couldn''t see anymore so he took them off and dried them with the bottom sleeve of his shirt.


    Everyone in the cafe knew what was happening except for one ghost; Connie. She had been engulfed in confusion when Collin called her name in a shaky voice, his tears perplexed her. He seemed happy to see her but at the same time sad which made her heart quiver in a way she could not explain. She floated closer to the table, particularly his side.


    "Hey goldie, do you really know who I am? Was I really rich or famous, I don''t think that I was an ordinary person." She cocked her head and watched him quickly put the glasses back on.


    All she knew about herself was that she was named Connie and nothing else, her mind always drew a blank when she tried to remember things from her human life.


    Collin chuckled shakily through his tears, his sister was still as conceited as ever. "Yeah, I do know you very much actually. Too bad that you cannot remember me but I am your older brother. You have a twin sister and a mother too."


    Connie''s eyes widened and she laughed in disbelief, for a moment she eyed Collin as if he was insane.


    "Holy crap! does this mean that the very supercilious girl Cassie is my sister? I find it hard to believe, she behaves as if she is the queen of the world, she is the opposite of me. Is there a mistake, I really cannot remember anything at all." Connie slightly tapped on her head, now would be a good time for her memories to return to her but it was just as empty as ever.


    The others listened to Connie judging Cassie and their jaws almost dropped, they were experiencing their own shock. Connie and Cassie were two sides of the same coin, how did she not see the resemblance?


    Sylvester chortled. "Did she just call someone supercilious? Ha! the irony in that." He continued to fill up the snack display counter.


    Collin''s hand hovered in the air where Connie''s head was, his eyes became moist again as he gazed at his little sister that died without a chance of bidding anyone farewell, her death had been unexpected.


    "You are the sweetest girl in the world." He told her. "You were certainly famous in the rich girl circle of Eagle country."


    Connie snapped her fingers and laughed, "I knew it, I have an air of wealth around me even as a ghost. All my candies are the most expensive kind and my clothes are from high end brands. Brother, was everyone sad when I died? I bet you all miss me."


    Collin nodded.


    Phoebe rubbed her chin, it was a beautiful reunion to watch but there was one thing that she didn''t understand and needed to know.


    "Collin did Connie die here in Fog country, I found her ghost wandering near the police station last year and she followed me. I am confused because you guys used to live in Eagle country and only moved here two years ago, correct?"


    Nodding his head, Collin''s eyes remained fixed on his ghost sister, he was still attempting to touch and hug her despite his mind telling him that it was impossible.


    "That''s right, we thought that a change in environment could help with Cassie''s nightmares and headaches, it was a suggestion made by a shaman my mother visited when were still in Eagle country. He said that Cassie would be healed if we moved here and she was because we found you here and you solved that problem for us."


    Phoebe shook her head lightly and looked at the spirit, confusion plastered allover her face. "Okay, tell us about Connie''s death, it makes no sense because ghosts don''t move so far away from the places they died. Even when they do, they don''t travel hundreds and thousands of miles crossing oceans from one country to another. The only logical explanation is that Connie died here."


    "Well that makes perfect sense because Connie died here, her body was found floating inside one of the historical caves of the salt lake." Collin''s tone was very unsteady, almost like as though the tears would sprout out of his eyes at any time.


    Everyone turned to Connie, they thought that she would be sad but the girl looked excited as if she was watching a movie.


    Connie sat close to him, there was great expectation on her face. "Goldie, I mean brother, forget the tears and tell me what happened exactly. This story better be good, I hope my death was legendary not something lame like tripping over a stone and falling to death because if that''s what it is them I want a do over."


    Collin couldn''t help himself but scoff, even as a ghost Connie still found a way to be funny. "You drowned." sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Just like that?" Connie asked, she curled her lips to the side, displaying her disappointment publicly.


    To answer her question, Collin nodded. "That''s what all the witnesses said. You had come on a trip to this country arranged by your school for rich students. One of the activities was scuba diving and exploration in the caves of Salt lake, everyone that went for that activity came back except for you which they only noticed hours later.


    There was a search for you which was intense because we pressured the our government and it pressured Fog country''s government. The search lasted for two days and a coast guard later found you floating face down miles away from where your group originally was."


    His voice was raw, he had not told the story in a long time, the last time was at Connie''s funeral service.


    There were parts of the story that made no sense to Phoebe, after working on solving cases with Shark for a year, she was as good as any other trained detective.


    "I smell a rat, everyone that went came back, how come no one realized that Connie wasn''t with them? Wasn''t a tour guide or teacher with them?" Phoebe had a lot of questions about this.


    Collin scratched his head. "Well it was a group of ten girls including Cassie, they were all friends to both Connie and Cassie. Those poor girls were shocked when the news of your death broke, they cried a lot at the funeral, some even fainted."


    "Friends? Ha! Even her own sister didn''t notice? Perhaps we could talk to Cassie about this, I suspect that Connie is blocking her memories because they are too painful." The spirit explained.


    Collin let out a short but heavy sigh. "I do not think that asking Cassie about this is a good idea, she was traumatized by her Connie''s death. That''s when all the nightmares began, followed by the headaches."


    "See! And you think this isn''t strange?" The spirit asked


    "I agree, something happened inside those caves." Phoebe voice was quieter than usual.

 Chapter 341 - 341: Playing matchmaker for her aunt.

    The suspicions which the Saxon spirit and Phoebe were mentioning were very worrisome, the allegations quite serious especially when the two seemed to be hinting at Cassie having a secret that was related to Connie''s death.


    Collin was unwilling to hear of it, he had lost a father and then a sister in a space of a few months. He had almost lost Cassie too as those nightmares almost drove her insane. Their lives were finally normal again, he did not want to go dredging up the past.


    "Sweet, potential murder, I will take it." Connie blurted out giddily.


    Everyone frowned or reacted in another way that expressed shock. Connie had to be mentally screwed up to see her potential murder as something to be excited about. S§×ar?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Cassie could not have murdered you." Collin refuted the words immediately.


    "We will know if we speak to her." Phoebe said.


    Collin clenched his jaw; he was ready to turn her down again. Lucky for him, the doorbell chimed, and he saw an opportunity to make a quick exit.


    "Connie, I have to go but I will be back with mom, she will be so happy to see you." he said as he rushed to stand up.


    "Brother, wait, give some money for candy, a couple of millions, you have no idea how horrible it is to be a hungry ghost. I, a wealthy girl was reduced to begging, my boss pays me pennies...." she started fake sobbing.


    In the end, Collin transferred twenty million to Phoebe before Connie allowed him to leave, Phoebe still followed him out and said a few things to him before he left. For the next few hours, they opened the cafe doors and got to work, mingling with humans and ghosts.


    ****


    Later, on the way back home, the affairs of the Baltimore''s were all Phoebe and grandma Mayfair could talk about. They were trading theories on how Connie died, talking freely as she was not around.


    "There are too many ifs, we need to get to the bottom of this matter quickly." grandma Mayfair sighed.


    She was feeling sorry for Connie which was funny as the girl was not bothered by anything that they had learned, she had no memories of it anyway.


    "Collin has promised to make arrangements for me to have a chat with Cassie however he requested that I tread carefully, and he wants to be there when I talk to her to control the direction of our conversation."


    "That poor guy, he wanted to keep the ghost seeing glasses such that he could see his sister as much as he could but he did not dare to ask under those circumstances." Grandma let out a pronounced sigh.


    Phoebe took her hand and patted the top of it. "Grandma why do you think Connie isn''t here, she followed her brother. When I followed him to the door, I gave him a temporary talisman that gives him the ability to see ghosts."


    "Oh! Pheebs that was so nice and thoughtful of you, at least they get to see each other some more." Grandma Mayfair chimed, the folds on her forehead disappeared.


    The spirit arched an eyebrow. "Hmmm, I think that he will come back soon and ask you to destroy that talisman, just wait and see." It spoke with indifference.


    "Why do you say that?" Phoebe asked.


    Clicking it''s tongue, it looked out of the window as they entered the Mayfair drive way. "Apart from Connie, he will be seeing other ghosts. Some are not so pleasing to look at and besides, if ghosts realize that he can see them, they will seek him out."


    Phoebe''s shoulders moved to shrug. "He wanted this, if he is scared then I will destroy the talisman, simple."


    "Look America and Diana are here to play again." The spirit pointed at the swings that were moving on their own.


    Phoebe followed the spirit''s hand, the corners of Phoebe''s eyes crinkled as a rush of joy coursed through her veins. "That little girl is so happy here."


    "And so is America, she has dedicated most of her time to watching out for children at the orphanage, she even gives me updates regularly, there are thirty three children now. Most of the older ones have sad stories to tell, it''s a good thing that I fed her some energy which allows the children to see her, she is continuing her work as a psychologist but solely for children now." The spirit waved at America and floated over to join them.


    Phoebe and grandma Mayfair continued into the house, inside, Phoebe found her aunt and Luna had already become acquainted with each other judging from the way they were laughing and chatting like longtime old friends.


    "Pheebs!" Aunt Maureen gestured that she should come over.


    Her eyes came in contact with those of Luna. "You might as well move in seeing as to how you are frequenting my home." Phoebe''s eyes narrowed as she made a sarcastic joke.


    Luna sat up straight. "Really can I do that?" The glee in her voice alarmed Phoebe not just her but Jennie too as she walked into the living room slowly.


    "Hell no you can not, Phoebe please tell me that you are joking dear." Jennie placed a hand to her chest.


    Aunt Maureen placed the glass of wine on the marble table. "I do not see why not! She is a sweet girl and Luke''s girlfriend. He introduced her to me herself, that boy is in love I am telling you. When has he ever introduced a girl to you?"


    Phoebe scoffed. " I was kidding guys and aunt, watch out for her she is sweet but deadly."


    Jennie could not agree more. "Yes, tell her Pheebs, Maureen I am sorry to say this, but you are a poor judge of character, maybe that''s why you fall for the wrong guys. " Jennie rolled her eyes, she knew that she was rude, but she didn''t care because she and her sister-in-law didn''t have the best taste in men.


    She had dated a few gold diggers, pretty boys and celebrities, most were not even from the founding families.


    Aunt Maureen let out a guffaw dropping her elegant lady act. "You are one to talk Jennie, you dated more than a few of the riffraffs on founding lane and only got lucky that my brother fell for you. My dear you cannot judge me at all, besides I still believe that my soul mate must be out there waiting or searching for me." She had a faraway dreamy look in her eyes.


    Phoebe clapped once and drew all the attention to herself. "That''s it, there is someone that I think will be a perfect match for you. He is a very nice man, runs a seed and herb store, he lives a simple but enjoyable life. I have already made the calculations and your stars align."


    "Really?" Grandma Mayfair exclaimed, overjoyed. She didn''t have to worry anymore about her daughter growing old alone.


    Nodding strongly, Phoebe smiled widely however her aunt Maureen was skeptical even at that age of forty-seven she was still very picky.


    "Set them up and i don''t want to hear a negative word from you Maureen. Phoebe creates the best matches, Shanna and Collin for instance." Grandma Mayfair spoke with a lot of enthusiasm.


    Luna clapped her hands eagerly like an excited kid. "Me and Luke." Her words had people rolling their eyes.

 Chapter 342 - 342: Faking it excellently.

    Phoebe wrinkled her nose and excused herself, obviously she could not stop Luna, when the woman was being created, shamelessness was added into her DNA in large doses.


    "Nana, when did I bring Collin and Shanna together?" Phoebe poked a pillow as she went through her memories, trying to recall any moment when she suggested Shanna as Collin''s match.


    "Didn''t you do a reading for them and said their stars aligned or something like that? You said they were ninety nine percent compatible and all most couples need for a good marriage to work out is seventy five percent." Old lady Mayfair reminded her.


    Phoebe winced, she did say those things but this was after Collin and Shana got together, in fact the elders of both families had already met when her grandmother brought Collin and Shanna''s dates of birth and asked her to do a reading.


    "I did say that," Phoebe said after a moment of short thought, she stood up with the intention to leave. "Alright, I am going to take a bath and then dress up."


    Quickly, Luna stood. "I will go help her since I am already done, grandma you should go and change into something nice too even though you already look amazing."


    Aunt Maureen''s nail clicked on the wine glass she was holding. "Keep it up young lady, flattery will get you everywhere." She chuckled and watched Jennie with glee.


    Jennie looked like she had swallowed a fly and Maureen loved it. The more that Luna got under Jennie''s skin, the more she approved of her.


    "Grandmother? Really mother, you are already letting her call you that?" Jennie said unhappily "Need I remind everyone of what her name is; Elithera, she is an Elithera, they manufacture and sell weapons, they run drugs, they kill for heaven sake! and they are not welcomed by the founding families. She is not good Mayfair daughter-in-law material."


    Grandma Mayfair waved her hand to dismiss Jennie''s words. "I can name five founding families that are in the making and selling of arms including the great Drusus family.


    They sell drugs.....have you ever seen Luna personally selling drugs? As for killing people, if she is killing bad ones then the consequences are between her and God, not me.When it comes to not being welcomed by the founding families, that''s also her battle, not mine. Besides, those families neither feed, clothe or pay her salary so why should she care about them? S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    We are Mayfairs, we are not obligated to lower our heads before other families we are one of the top five founding families, others bow to us.Jennie I held prejudice against her originally but I am changing my mind slowly so why can''t you?


    Luna is not that bad, she looks out for Phoebe in ways that we cannot and she is Luke''s girlfriend, the only woman he has ever dated that we know of, are you really going to keep condemning her? If yes, then prepare to lose a son. Calm down and let things take there course, nobody knows tomorrow." She bypassed a sulking Jennie and entered the elevator because her old legs did not want to climb the stairs.


    She left Jennie speechless and irritated, she was unwilling to allow an Elithera sink claws into her son.


    Inside Phoebe''s room meanwhile, Luna waited for Phoebe to finish her bath and then took on the role of personal designer, first she rejected the dress Jennie had chosen calling saying that it was a vintage and that wasn''t the theme.


    She ransacked the entire closet of expensive gowns but complained that she couldn''t find one that would cause David''s jaw to drop.


    "I don''t need to do that, David is already my boyfriend." Phoebe picked the gown her mother had chosen from the bed, she didn''t quite like it but she had accepted to wear it nevertheless.


    Luna placed both hands to her waist. "Phoebe you seem to be naive in this dating world, listen every time you get an opportunity make sure that you change your looks such that he doesn''t get bored with one. Why do you think I changed the color of my hair? To be appealing and always interesting in my Luke''s eyes. Do you know how many nurses are hitting on him? I have watched those medical dramas, I know what doctors and nurses and other doctors do in their break rooms."


    Phoebe''s eyes shifted from the dress to Luna''s hair, it was a pale orange which resembled a carrot, it was a good thing that Luna was beautiful enough to pass it off.


    "I heard you but if I do not wear this my mother will be heart broken and dislike you more for influencing me to change my mind."


    Tapping her index finger on her red colored lips, Luna thought about it. "Then by all means wear the dress because I want your mother to like me." A smile of defeat came to form on her lips, she didn''t want to make her relationship with Jennie any worse than it already was.


    "For the Sunflower ball, I am going to take you to this new place in town, it has the best ball gowns. Your family will get a lot of marriage proposals the next day." she said.


    Phoebe chuckled, she strolled into the large bedroom sized closet, changed and stepped out a minute later. She had donned on a long sleeved black body hugging gown with a sweetheart neck line. In her opinion it was a bit modest for her style but quite nice.


    "Wow, okay it''s alright I admit that its gorgeous but probably because you are beautiful, not the dress." Luna commented.


    Her reaction caused Phoebe to laugh for Luna''s eyes stared at her with admiration but her mouth said something totally the opposite.


    Phoebe added a luxurious looking talisman pendant made by Lorraine from her stones. She knew a lot of pictures of her would be taken which was a good way to advertise her business.


    Maria knocked once and entered. "Miss Pheebs forgive me I wanted to help you dress up but.....oh my goodness." her words trailed off when she saw Phoebe looking so gorgeous. "You look so beautiful Miss Pheebs, I guess you will be going home with Mr. David tonight." Her eyebrows danced dramatically.


    Phoebe''s cheeks turned red, as red as those of a Victorian bride on her wedding night. "What are you talking about Maria, I am coming back home."


    "Aha! If you say so." Luna laughed and Maria joined her as they all walked out of the door too join the rest of the family downstairs. Phoebe got a lot of comments praising her looks from her family.


    "We have to thank Luna too, she assisted in helping her put the look together." Aunt Maureen stated.


    [That is funny because she hated the dress until it put it on.]


    Luna''s eyes adjusted and fell upon Jennie who seemed disturbed by Maureen''s comment. "Actually aunt, mother is the one that chose this beautiful gown, her fashion test is top notch."


    "At least you are not shameless to steal someone else''s credit, let''s go." Jennie raised her nose in the air.


    Luke roughly grabbed Luna''s arm and held her back while everyone left ahead of them. "Mother? Aunt, you are beginning to sound as if you have already married into my family."


    Even Shanna was still calling Jennie, Mrs. Mayfair not mother despite being engaged to Collin.


    "You know what they say Luke, fake it until you make it, we must make it look as real as possible for them to believe we are together."

 Chapter 343 - 343: Auction night

    The venue of the auction was the founding museum and gallery, one of the multiple properties owned jointly by the founding families and managed by a committee selected by the founding council.


    All the families contributed famous antiques, art and various crafts to be placed in the museum all year round, those things were exchanged once a year, usually at the beginning. If a family wished to retrieve whatever they had placed in the museum, they had to bring a replacement of the same value.


    The preference for the art and various antiques was simple; old, rare, with historical meaning and worth a lot of money. All this information was shared by Aunt Maureen. She was doing most of the explaining to Phoebe who didn''t have the heart to tell her that she was familiar with the information.


    Visiting the founding museum was a must do activity for all junior students in high school for history class. Aunt Maureen passionately expressed her opinions on the policies of the museum.


    "What pisses me off is that they display a lot of outstanding works but mostly auction off dull ones that cannot be compared however, we still bid and buy them at ridiculously high prices because we want to show off our wealth." Aunt Maureen commented,


    Grandma Mayfair scratched the lobes of her ears wishing she could close her eardrums for a while, her daughter Maureen was quite a chatterbox.


    "They should rename it ''we have stupid money to burn on crap auction night.''" Aunt Maureen chuckled.


    "Oh my, you are quite zealous about the issue." Phoebe said.


    Aunt Maureen did not deny how much the museum policies vexed her. "I have attended these auctions time without number in the last few years but I still do not understand what the council is thinking. Although unproven some of the items auctioned off are said to be magical and if they end up in the wrong hands they could be dangerous.


    Word on the street is that some of the people that attend buy these items and sell them off at higher prices to shamans and witches who know their true value. It''s like they don''t care to vet what they are selling off anymore." Aunt Maureen leaned in and whispered.


    Grandma Mayfair pulled her brows to form a from. "Maureen are you certain? If that''s the case then we have to inform the council, where did you hear this?"


    "Mother remember I live in Hartoum, I know people that sell information on ancient relics and magic trinkets. Some of the things being auctioned off in the last few years are part of the items captured from the expelled families that moved to Hartoum.


    It is not surprising that they would have relics that are magic affiliated, it was why most of them were expelled in the first place, they were consorting with demons and dark witches and warlocks.


    Expulsion does not necessarily mean that they stopped or mended their evil ways." Maureen pointed her lips and chewed on the inside of her lips. "Of late those families have become more organized, it bothers me a little." She shrugged.


    Grandma Mayfair sighed deeply. "Yes we have heard, it''s bothering all of us. I fear for what they could be planning. Maybe they are the ones stirring up all the trouble in the founding families lately with all the bad things happening to us which are magic related." She sighed, "Anyway let''s just focus on tonight and discuss this later."


    Phoebe had a lot to think about regarding her grandmother''s theory, if it was true then she suspected the expelled families might be the ones working with demons to bring Ravana back to life.


    Phoebe pressed her fingers and decided that she would think about it tomorrow and hear what the Saxon spirit had to say.


    "I cannot wait to see what will be displayed off today, I am going to show off my Mayfair heiress power tonight." Phoebe rubbed her hands excitedly.


    Her grandmother chuckled. "You should not bid carelessly, some people just keep raising the prices maliciously to trick others into losing money. You have made yourself some enemies on the lane, one of them might decide to be smart."


    Phoebe nodded like a well behaved child, "Yes nana, I will be wasteful but wise."


    Grandma Mayfair laughed loudly, impish Phoebe was kind of cute.


    Aunt Maureen stared at Phoebe meanwhile, she was still trying to understand this niece of hers that seemed to have more to her than her simple appearance. What was it that made the girl special?


    She was special indeed, she even had two Saxon''s and one Baltimore panting after her, even her dating life was entertaining and special. "I thought that your Saxon boyfriend was picking you up, I have not seen that boy in ages, I would like to meet him again."


    A little smile grew on Phoebe''s lips. "He will be waiting for me at the venue, I guess that you will get to meet him there."


    "I am still amazed at how you managed to bag a high born Saxon....not that you cannot but from the story I heard you guys got together before you found out that you were a Mayfair. Did you use a charm on him or something?"


    Phoebe arched an eyebrow. "A charm? No dear Aunt, I do sell love true finding charms but they only help lead you to your true love not guide the relationship or anything."


    Phoebe knew first hand that just because you loved someone and they loved you back, there was no guarantee that you would be happy together, life was more complex.


    "My friend Prudence told me that after David came out of his coma, he began to search desperately for Phoebe and calling her his wife. Funnily, Phoebe also went into a coma a few months before David and when she woke up, she run from Citrus to Magic city as if she was being pursued.


    I have never heard something more bizarre than their experiences. The story was very strange honestly but, I am happy that the two finally found each other." Grandma Mayfair recounted the extremely brief summary of how David and Phoebe came to be with a smile.


    "Strange indeed." Aunt Maureen raised her eyebrows and continued to study Phoebe who shifted uncomfortably.


    That was a story she didn''t want people prying into for there were too many loop holes.


    "Oh look we are here." Phoebe pointed at the procession of the luxury vehicles that was moving slower than a turtle, it seemed endless.


    Their car broke out of the long line and moved to a VIP line, within two minutes, they arrived near the entrance but it was also crowded, some people were hugging each other, others were in conversation. Some were standing outside, waiting for friends or family to arrive.


    Those that liked to show off were taking pictures on a red carpet. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "So many people are in attendance today, I heard from Edward that they would be auctioning off old things that were found on a wrecked ship in Cantana Bay. Apparently they are switching things up this time, everyone will be seeing what''s inside for the first time including the members that sit on the council." Aunt Maureen watched the Saxons walk quietly but with authority.


    Grandma Mayfair gasped. "Isn''t that dangerous? Why would they do that?"


    "To spice up the auctions, the monotony was getting boring which had led to a reduction in numbers of notable influential people willing to attend. I guess a lot of people heard about the rumor, even that witch Miranda graced us with her presence today."


    "Humph!" Phoebe stepped out of the vehicle and flashes began to blind her. She positioned her necklace well such that good pictures of it would be taken.


    David who was among those waiting by the bottom stairs leading up to the main entrance rushed to join her and put his arm around her waist.


    This was his opportunity to send a clear message, Phoebe Mayfair was his woman, only his.

 Chapter 344 - 344: In the museum.

    The reaction was as he expected, flashes of cameras and shouts of their names were heard coming from the lips of desperate press.


    "David, Phoebe look this way."


    David turned Phoebe in various directions, smiling proudly as he showed her off to the whole world. He even sneaked in a kiss on her cheek that made a few women squeal in glee.


    "That will be a front pager for sure." David whispered to her as he whisked her away.


    "Well you made sure of that now didn''t you?" Phoebe patted his chest as she responded lazily with a smile,


    David caught her hand, looking into her eyes with a smirk on his face, "You are no better, these little love taps you are giving to my chest will be short videos for sure, you look very lovely by the way."


    She flipped her hair back as she had seen her grandmother doing in the cafe.


    "Of course, don''t you know whose daughter I am? My grandma is a former miss Fog, you should know what that means."


    David laughed, "That she has long legs while you...."


    Phoebe''s eyebrows short up, her entire demeanor dared him to complete the statement.


    "Look good in heels." he finished off. "Come on, let''s head inside and look around before the auction begins."


    As he led her away from the red carpet, she complimented him on his looks, the white suit he had chosen matched his white hair which he had grown out. The medium two golden chains on the coat and red ruby jewel on the dress shirt inside made his outfit very eye catching, all together he looked dashing.


    "Did you choose white to match my black dress?" she asked.


    "But of course I did." he answered.


    The two breezed right past the rest of the Mayfairs, Saxons and everyone else that was standing around the entrance. They moved in sync, hand in hand with eyes only for each other.


    "Aah, a grown girl really cannot be kept at home." Edward said with a sad sigh. His daughter had not even noticed the hand he held out for her. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Old lady Mayfair was of the same opinion but she also kept in mind Phoebe''s opinions concerning marriage. "Don''t worry, she is very reluctant to marry."


    Inside of the museum, David took on the role of tour guide but the Saxon spirit jumped in and took over, not that David had a problem with it because the spirit explained things in a fun way and happened to be far more knowledgeable than him.


    It even shared secrets and corrected the false knowledge that they had concerning some of the artifacts behind the glasses, like the fact that the eighty million dollar painting donated by the Darling family was actually stolen from the Spellcaster family a long time ago.


    It was like a fun gossip session and some of the things Phoebe heard, she could not wait to share with her grandmother. She saw various magical items among the relics on display like a crystal blade crafted from magical crystals made by the seven powerful witches during the supernatural war.


    It looked so fragile as if it was made from glass, it was so beautiful that Phoebe felt the urge to touch it, surprisingly it began to glow when she came close.


    "Phoebe stepped back before someone sees you, there are so many sharp eyes here today." The spirit warned strongly.


    David moved closer to the glass, he went as far as to touch it but the blade didn''t react. "What is Phoebe''s connection to the blade?" He asked the spirit but in response it remained quiet.


    He got no response, even Phoebe that was hoping for one got none.


    "Oh you dropped a bomb and now you are giving us the silent treatment." Phoebe complained.


    "All in good time, first focus on your training and widening your knowledge." The spirit answered.


    As they toured more, David suddenly brought up Cillian Mayfair, telling Phoebe that Roxanne had found nothing unusual about her grandfather''s death. If there was a secret it was not in any police file or records from the office of medical examiners.


    "I will ask my father about it tonight, I will also tell him about my desire to see the Moldove founding Academy."


    Phoebe let out a tiny sigh, it was going to be a long night, her father was bound to berate her for once.


    David parted his lips as if to say something but he pressed them back together. He was hoping that they would spend the night together but she had other plans, his words wouldn''t change a thing.


    He gestured for a waiter to come over with the tray of wine glasses in his hand, he picked two and handed one to Phoebe.


    "Is something bothering you?" Phoebe accepted the glass and immediately took a sip.


    "It''s Ruth, have you felt anything from that worm?" He lied blatantly


    First, she chuckled. "The worm doesn''t talk David." She curled her lips to the side for a tiny second. "Whoever is suppressing it is doing a semi good job but it''s growing steadily, about to enter the second phase of growth and then I will surely find out where she is exactly but we have to tread carefully. Whoever is helping her has knowledge of strong magic. Unfortunately they know us but we don''t know them."


    He appeared to be stressed so she slipped an arm through his and smiled at him.


    "Let''s just enjoy the night, at least today let''s forget our worries." Phoebe cheerfully requested.


    "Okay babe." He lowered his head and kissed her lips briefly.


    Hardly had they taken two steps when they heard a female voice behind them.


    "Ohh aren''t you two cute! I still think that it''s a waste of time."


    The two love birds whirled around only to see Margaret Saxon. The Saxon spirit placed a talisman on her back preventing her from seeing Phoebe''s thoughts immediately.


    "Another Saxon that I cannot stand." It wrinkled it''s face.


    "Who are you?" Phoebe acted like she had no idea who the woman was.


    David''s face turned gloom as if he was deeply unhappy. "Aunt Maggie, I cannot say that I am happy to see you here."


    Margaret laughed, a haughty and wicked laugh. "David, darling the feeling is mutual, I have never liked you because you find it hard to see my baby Dickson happy. Now you want to toy with the woman that he wants to marry." She boldly claimed.


    A bitter laugh came from David. "That''s the joke of the century, it was actually the other way round. Your son has always felt inferior to me and he loves to steal everything I have. Now he is boldly claiming my girlfriend in public and pursuing her even though she has rejected him time and time again. If that''s not loser behavior, I don''t know what is."


    Margaret inhaled deeply as she fought the urge to smack David across the face. "If you are trying to get me mad, it''s not working my dear." She turned her attention to Phoebe. "You are riding with the wrong camp, my Dickson will make you the happiest woman in the world if you marry him."


    "No thanks, I would rather marry a tree?" Phoebe stated curtly.


    David covered his mouth with the back of his hand and chuckled.


    Margaret''s nostrils flared. "Did you just reject me?"


    Phoebe looked her straight in the eyes. "You heard me, I am fine where I am, go and peddle your son elsewhere."


    Margaret scoffed. "Is it because of the money? My Dickson made a break through, he is about to become one of richest men in Fog, richer than unemployed David, I assure you."


    "Oh I doubt that but when he does, tell him to come find me, maybe then we will have this conversation again." Phoebe held her wine glass tightly, fighting the urge to splash the contents on Margaret''s face.


    "Pheebs you cannot be serious!" David''s eyes opened widely as he struggled not to laugh, Dickson was about to loose everything to them.


    "Alright then." Margaret flipped the lower end of her gown. "I will start making the wedding plans." She walked away.

 Chapter 345 - 345: New rules and guidelines.

    "There is seriously something wrong with Dickson and his mother, its more than narcissism, I don''t even have a name for it." Phoebe shot David a probing gaze. "There is no lunacy gene in your family, is there?"


    "No." he answered in a slightly outraged voice, "Those two are just crazy, aunt Maggie is greedy and vain, she raised Dickson to be exactly just like her, he is a mama''s boy with a big ego and even bigger imagination and persecution complex. How is that puppet coming along?"


    "Seamlessly, by the time Ruth returns Dickson will be under our control." She waved her empty wine glass, gesturing for a new to be brought.


    Once she had it in hand, they moved to the actual venue of the auction which was a hall adjustment to the museum and art gallery.


    It had been redecorated to match the planned event for the day, some art pieces were on the walls, most were eerie, the artist had used a blood and death theme.


    Other than that, the lay out of the hall was meticulously planned, the chairs faced a sleek podium at the front. Behind the podium was a large high-definition digital display screen that would showcase the items up for bid with details like history and real time bidding information. For now, it was showing a documentary on a new artist whose works the museum was promoting.


    Soft rays of light that emanated from the chandeliers cast a warm glow over the main auction area. As for the silk clad fancy looking chairs, touch screen pads were placed on each for those that wished to make their bids anonymously or read up on the items available for auction.


    "Oh, wow they went all out in creating a lovely atmosphere, it feels like I am attending an awards show." She sniffed the air softly. "I can smell a lot of money." sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    David chuckled; in this life he had never met a person that loves money more than Phoebe. "That''s because the richest people in Fog are in attendance tonight, these people have old money that has been in their families for generations." He led her to the Mayfair table ignoring signals from his mother who wanted them to sit with the Saxons.


    "Sit, sit it''s about to begin." Aunt Maureen waved the auction puddle as the light grew dimmer. She scanned David, he had matured and become a fine man, the last time she had seen him in person, he was half her height and stubborn to boot. But he had matured into a handsome and elegant man that was very protective and kind of obsessed with his girlfriend. Her niece had really outdone herself by nailing him, she thought.


    "I can''t believe she has the guts to show up." David whispered to Phoebe.


    She looked in the direction he was pointing and saw Dorothy Cook.


    "Well, corruption is not reason enough to be banned from the founding families or exiled from functions related to the society. But I agree she has guts." Phoebe eyed Dorothy with disdain. "If I was her, I would be out of the country and on my vacation home somewhere on an island, surrounded by hot cabana boys."


    Somehow, Phoebe''s words reached Jennie who bent forward and hissed at her.


    "I am kidding mom." She laughed.


    Edward shivered, "I am living in a nightmare, we should reverse time and make you a baby again." he joked.


    "What the hell is a cabana boy?" David asked.


    Barely had the question left his mouth when aunt Maureen and Luna showed everyone images of hot cabana boys on their phones.


    "You should really visit...." Aunt Maureen started.


    "No." Grandma Mayfair and Jennie both said at the same time, startling aunt Maureen whose phone fell down.


    While the guests settled in and chattered with excitement, the auctioneer who was dressed in an immaculate tuxedo like most of the men in the hall, moved to the fore front and stood behind the podium.


    His gloved hand pointed at the screen, and he briefly explained the history of the wrecked ship which had been retrieved from deep in the ocean on the island of Cantana Bay.


    The screen showed footage of the excavation of the shipwreck, it was a ten-minute video, and everyone maintained silence as they watched. Their hearts picked up speed when they saw old boxes being removed from the remains.


    "Here we go." Aunt Maureen whispered loudly as she leaned forward.


    The auctioneer clapped once. "You should know that no one, not even the members of the council have seen the contents of the shipwreck. It should be noted that going forward all relics and items sold cannot be resold without permission from the council. For this reason, once a year, experts will visit the lucky winners of the bids to inspect and ascertain that these things are still in your possession."


    Murmurs of disagreement rose from the congregation that didn''t like the fact that they needed permission from the council to sell their legally acquired belongings.


    "Furthermore, going forward, if at any point an item is sold and later the council realizes that it is related to any of the expelled families or has unsavory history then the council will be obligated to collect it back and your money will be returned."


    The sharp minds realized by unsavory history he meant magic kind of history. The auctioneer''s words were meet with slight resistance, but he stressed that those were the new rules and guidelines.


    Rex Chapman walked to the pulpit. "Ladies and gentlemen those that feel uncomfortable with the new rules can march out smartly. If not, then please maintain order such that we can proceed." His words elicited silence as the disgruntled murmurs died down.


    The chests found on the ship were brought in one by one, five in total.


    David leaned towards Phoebe and whispered. "Baby if you like anything just tell me and I will buy it." A sweet smile grew on his lips.


    Phoebe nodded; the one thing she liked better than making money was spending someone else''s money.


    Five world renowned experts in different field like archeology, geology and mythical studies joined the auctioneer. The first chest was opened, there was nothing special apart from dump papers clamped together. The ink had almost vanished and there was no way of knowing what was once written on them.


    The auctioneer called for the bidding for them to begin. " The bidding for these old texts will begin at 100,000 Fog dollars." He said as the helpers carefully placed them on a silver tray.


    "Is he serious?" Phoebe chuckled.


    The auctioneer''s words had people laughing including Andre.


    "Who would buy that garbage at that price." Hardly had the words left his mouth when grandpa Saxon raised his paddle.


    "One hundred thousand."


    Murmurs shadowed by curiosity came from the crowd as they began to make their own bids.


    "If Rufus Saxon is interested in them then they must be important." One said as he raised his paddle.


    The Saxon spirit winced, "Something is very strange about those chests. I do not know what it is but I find it odd that I cannot see through all the contents inside."


    The damp papers were taken by a man that was familiar to Phoebe, she had met him once. He was Dean Morrel, the acting headmaster of the Moldove founding Academy. He bought them at the price of two million fog dollars.


    Next the auctioneer revealed a hat, it was long and sharp tipped like one worn by old witches in movies.


    "The bid starts at 200,000." He showed all sides of it and even flipped it to show the insides of it.


    The Saxon spirit narrowed its eyes and said to Phoebe. "That''s the sleeper''s hat, it''s a magical object but I feel no magic coming from it."

 Chapter 346 - 346: More bound magical items.

    Phoebe sat up stiffly like she had been shocked by a stun gun, she touched her paddle and gripped the wooden handle firmly.


    "Sweetie, are you alright?" Jennie asked.


    Nodding her head, Phoebe asked the spirit to explain more. "A sleeper''s hat? What does it do?"


    "In the 1600''s, there was an epidemic of sleepwalkers finding their way into children''s dreams, causing them nightmares that led to sickness and death. A witch named Ronda created the first sleeper''s hat as a solution. It can allow one to have full control of their dreams as long as they fall sleep with that hat on.


    Let me put it in Gen Z terms, you get to view your dream like a game meaning that you can slow your dreams, kick out what you don''t like and kill what frightens you. You can choose to see only what makes you happy in your dreams." The spirit explained. "You don''t need it, but you should get it anyway because its magical, I don''t know why it''s magic was bound as it''s not a deadly magic object."


    "Three hundred thousand." Phoebe raised her paddle, increasing the bid from one hundred thousand abruptly. Nobody else was interested so Phoebe won the bid immediately.


    She left both her family and other people shocked that she has bought an old useless hat so expensively. She had even increased the price even though she had no determined competitors.


    "Honey what is that even?" Her father asked as he shook his head.


    [It''s a magic hat.]


    The Mayfair''s gasped, they looked at the hat again and saw nothing special. Aunt Maureen gasped; she made a momentous decision to get everything that Phoebe picked interest in.


    Next was a backpack, it was black in color and appeared to be old, for something that had stayed in water for a long time, it was in good condition.


    The spirit pointed at it. "Where did these things even come from, Phoebe get that too. It''s the hunter or traveler''s backpack."


    "What now?" Phoebe asked inwardly.


    "Inside that backpack is a space equal to one hundred hectares of land. It is big enough that you fit everything in your apartment and cafe inside, furthermore a humans or humans can fit in there, alive or dead." The spirit explained.


    Phoebe gasped on realizing that it was similar to the magic space. Odds were, someone that had been on the ship owned the bag, she couldn''t wait to find out what was inside. She raised her paddle, so did her aunt.


    "Aunt, what are you doing, I saw it first?" she asked, with a look of betrayal in her eyes.


    "Money talks." her aunt said.


    They competed fiercely, raising the price to six million fog dollars and once again, stunned a lot of people. It was just an old empty bag, what was special about it?


    "You win; I cannot compete with Saxon money." Aunt Maureen sighed.


    She gave up because she had no idea what the bag was or why Phoebe wanted it and she figured this was her niece, if the bag was special, she could just borrow it. They would send it back and forth, they could be the sisterhood of the traveling bag pack.


    Next was a water can, old and rusty. Upon seeing it, the spirit told her to buy it as well.


    "What is that, Zephyra? Seriously it looks useless."


    The spirit shook its head. "My dear, that''s a bottomless canteen, with its magic revived it can be very useful. You can fill it with infinite and different types of liquids, and they will never go bad, so when you are stranded on a desert or some forest and dying of thirst, it comes in handy. You get to have soda, water, juice, tea, alcohol, whatever you stock up."


    The competition to bid for the bottle was tougher than that of a golden necklace. The two Mayfair women went neck for neck with neither surrendering.


    The price went up to eight million and Phoebe smirked at her aunt. "All day aunt, I can do this all day with the support of my baby David." S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    David shrugged and laughed, "Aunt, surrender."


    Aunt Maureen huffed and bid nine million.


    "She wouldn''t even know what to do with it if you handed it to her." The spirit spoke through pursed lips.


    "Twelve million." Phoebe raised the bid exponentially.


    Phoebe won once again but everyone thought that buying an old useless bottle at twelve million was a waste. Then again, they were all there to show off so maybe she was just showing off.


    In their eyes, she was new to money an event of this caliber, so excitement was her motivation.


    "It''s nothing personal aunt Maureen." She laughed triumphantly.


    The Saxon spirit that was beginning to enjoy itself suddenly lost its spark when a reddish object in a perfect sphere shape was pulled out. "Bloody Hell! That thing should not be out here among the people, it''s a very dangerous magical item that went missing many years ago when a corrupted guardian stole it from the hidden coffers of the Moldove founding Academy hundreds of years ago after the supernatural war."


    Phoebe noticed that Morrel was standing, shocked by what he was looking at. Grandpa Saxon took his glasses off like as though he could see clearer without them.


    "What is that thing?" Phoebe asked


    "It''s called the orb of judgment; it lets you see inside a person''s soul. In the wrong hands it could be very dangerous, lucky for us it''s magic was bound just like all the items in there otherwise that man holding it would be crying tears of blood." The spirit explained, it watched as Rex Chapman read the contents of his phone and moved to the pulpit.


    Phoebe looked at the spirit quizzically. "Why would he cry tears of blood?


    "Because he would get to see the inside of the souls of everyone here, it''s a lot to handle for an ordinary human, using it means that you experience every painful emotion and regret that the target has ever felt in seconds and their multiple targets here.


    It can also assess the moral integrity of a person, when one stands before the orb, it can judge their actions and intentions giving guidance on the righteous path. It can warn you if someone is straying towards harmful or unethical behavior, so it was to ensure bad students or teachers were kicked out of the academy and sects.


    It also possesses knowledge of past events that are lost or hidden, whatever it has witnessed stays with it, that''s why it used to be a great tool for conflict resolution because it made fair judgements basing on what it had seen.


    Only the grand guardian of the supernatural wall had the ability to use it and her heart was pure, if an evil warlock gets their hands on it then it can be used to fulfill evil desires. Now I am curious to know who was on this ship?"


    "Ten, no thirty million." Phoebe raised her paddle. "Dad, I want this thing." she leaned forward and asked her father for help in case others tried to outbid her.


    "Forty million." Edward said.


    "Fifty million." someone called out from the back.


    A figure of two hundred million appeared on the screen behind the podium, the bidder was anonymous.


    "Five hundred million." David bellowed.


    One billion, the figure on the screen changed.


    "What the fuck!" The Saxon spirit exclaimed.


    Phoebe was too stunned to react to the spirit cursing for the very first time ever, she was just worried because the auction was heating up. Suddenly, it was as though everyone had come to life.


    The people were certainly excited, it was barely an hour in, and someone had made a bid of a one billion for a red crystal ball.


    "Five billion." a new voice jumped into the mix and everybody gasped.

 Chapter 347 - 347: The ever bendable Rex disappoints.

    The gavel slipped and fell from the auctioneer''s fingers, his eyes moved to where the voice came from. It was Rufus Saxon, he sat lazily like he hadn''t just raised the price to a very large amount of money which 99% of the population could never make in their entire lives.


    It was from his personal savings, not even five percent of what he had in terms of private money. Even the founding families knew that if the citizens of the country truly knew how much money they had, there would be a riot that would bring the country to its knees.


    The auctioneer adjusted the microphone. "Anyone countering the offer? Five billion going once...."


    "Six billion." Miranda Saxon raised her paddle.


    The Saxon spirit groaned painfully. "Why would Miranda Saxon even go that far? I highly doubt she knows the purpose of the orb!"


    On the screen, the price was raised to seven billion, and people gasped.


    "Eight billion." Eldrine Greer called out. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    All the Greer''s in attendance frowned, even if they had the money, the orb did not seem to be that special.


    "Pa..." his son Aldrine called out. "Why do you want that thing?"


    "Because everyone wants it." he answered with an shrug, just like Rufus Saxon, he was comfortable with the amount he had offered.


    "Nine billion." Nile Saxon shouted.


    David and Phoebe looked in his direction, he shrugged, he was bidding because it was fun. Some of David''s cousins were laughing, his brother Ian was raising his paddle ready to jump in.


    "Ten billion." David spoke with indifference, from the money he had he had accumulated recently, this was just pocket change. He squeezed Phoebe''s hand lightly and gave her assurance. "Whatever you want, you will get."


    Phoebe shuffled her feet softly, she wanted to scream for joy but she saved that for later. "Having a rich boyfriend sure did come in handy."


    The crowd meanwhile went wild, and everyone suddenly picked an interest in the orb, more paddles went up and the price reached twenty billion, frightening everyone in the room. The president and his family were watching the auction from the presidential palace, his jaw dropped.


    He wondered if the people in that room even knew what twenty billion could do for the economy of Fog country if it was donated.


    "They are bloody mad." His daughter commented.


    "Twenty one billion." General Drusus bellowed, he took it so far as to stand and glare at everyone, threatening them with his piercing eyes.


    "Twenty five billion." Luna said, and she giggled.


    "What the hell! she is not even one of us." A voice came from the back.


    "Rex! Why the hell are you just standing there like a statue?" Dean Morrel yelled. "Cut it now."


    Rex Chapman took a few steps forward, pushed the auctioneer aside and tapped on the microphone. "Ladies and gentlemen I regret to inform you that we are moving on from this chest to the next items. This orb is not available for bidding."


    A group of people behind Rex started closing up the chests.


    Rex''s words were met with resistance from the crowd that was having the time of their lives, they wanted to see what else was locked away in the chest, it did not seem to be empty yet.


    "You cannot do that! Why are you closing up the chests, we came here specially to buy what is inside those damn old boxes." Someone shouted, murmurs in support followed.


    Rex''s hands gestured for all to calm down. "Like it was communicated to you earlier, some of these things will be stored and protected by the council and that includes this orb." He watched it being placed back in the chest.


    "That is fine but we have to at least see the rest of the stuff inside, you cannot deny us that! Unless you are taking everything back that has been including those won by Phoebe Mayfair and Mr. Morrel." Dorothy Cook spoke through pursed lips.


    Rex sneered, he wondered when this vendetta of Dorothy''s against Phoebe Mayfair would come to an end. It had already cost her a position on the council, she was being investigated and if found guilty she would be facing criminal charges. She should have been laying low but no, her she was working to antagonize Phoebe again.


    Everyone was being careful because Rufus Saxon was back but Dorothy was still being careless and she was going to end up putting all of them in trouble.


    Rex gestured at the men moving the chests to put them back down.


    "Alright let''s continue however, not all items will be up for bidding." He eyes met Rufus'' disapproving gaze.


    "That wuss! He has grown too soft for the job." Grandpa Saxon hissed, this was not child''s play, he was afraid to know what else was inside those chests, his gut told him more trouble was lurking in there.


    A crown with expensive stones was pulled out next, gasps of surprise came from the audience, its beauty was nothing like many had ever seen before.


    "The crown of the lord of the night." The Saxon spirit identified.


    Phoebe pulled her brows together, worry began to surge in her veins, anybody that called themselves lord of the night did not sound like a good person.


    "Who was that? Another person that I have to fight with?"


    She watched Arrow Castille raise his paddle, she knew who he was from the past life but in this one she hadn''t yet had the opportunity. He was first to raise a paddle before details on the crown could appear on the screens.


    "Wow, so eager, but the crown is too pretty, I want it." Phoebe hummed.


    "Do not get ahead of yourself, it belonged to Hansel Castille, in the old days, before monarchies were abolished the Castille''s used to be royal. The crown was handed down in their family, there is a rumor about it....but I will tell you that another time."


    The patriarch of the Castille family suddenly stood up and waved his hand, the spotlight fell on him. He looked at the crowd through his unnatural red eyes.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, this crown is an old family heirloom passed down by my ancestors, we Castille''s would appreciate it if you all allowed us to take it without a struggle."


    He bowed and sat down, for a moment it was quiet and then Elias Spellcaster raised his paddle.


    "One hundred million." he said, slowly and provocatively.


    The Castille''s glared at him but a few other people followed up Elias''s bid, some families like the Mayfair''s and Saxons stayed out of it.


    Suddenly David joined the competition for the crown, most people had opted out because the price was now at five hundred million.


    The bidding turned into a game between Arrow and David. His interest made people wonder because even though the crown was beautiful, it was not worth half a billion or more, at most, it was worth two hundred million.


    "Like I said, we have stupid money to burn." Aunt Maureen whispered.


    Phoebe tapped David''s shoulder. "Babe that''s Arrow''s family heirloom, he is your friend, you should let him have it."


    A small smile curled up David''s lips. "Really? The more reason I should have it then." David planned to trade it for the amulet of Serene thought that he wanted to give his mother. The Castille''s didn''t need it and all he wanted to do was borrow it until his mother''s problem was fixed but they were very uncooperative. The crown was simply leverage to him.


    "Trade." David mouthed to Arrow and tapped his wrist, "You know what I want."


    Arrow whispered to his grandfather and they stopped bidding, so David won.


    "Yes!" He cheered when he won, Arrow on the other hand glared at him.


    A handheld mirror was pulled out of the chest, surprisingly Dorothy Cook raised her paddle even before the auctioneer said what the beginning auction price for it was.


    "One hundred thousand." She shouted.


    Grandma Mayfair raised her paddle. "I will die first before she gets it." She whispered. "Five hundred thousand." she shouted like vendor in a market.

 Chapter 348 - 348: A sky high price.

    "Nana!" Phoebe''s eyes flew wide open, her grandmother clearly wanted to put Dorothy in her place, she did not even know what she was buying.


    "There is nothing special about it." The Saxon spirit told Phoebe.


    It was just an ordinary vintage mirror but there was no stopping grandma Mayfair, she was determined to frustrate Dorothy Cook.


    "All night Dorothy, we are going to do this all night and when it comes to money you can''t beat me. I hope you have paid off those fines you embezzler." Grandma Mayfair looked back and Dorothy and cackled.


    Not unexpectedly, people looked at Dorothy with frowns, for someone that was in the middle of an embezzlement scandal she sure was spending money recklessly.


    Edward wanted to melt into the chair, where Ashley Miller used fists for revenge, his mother used her mouth, and she did not care who heard her or what they thought.


    Gasps were drawn as another orb was pulled out of the chest; this one was blue in color. Excitement brewed in the air as they anticipated another bidding war, they quickly forgot that the last orb had not been taken by anybody.


    The excitement died down because the orb did not make it to the silver tray.


    "What does that orb do?" Phoebe asked the spirit inwardly; she was just as curious as the rest of the people were.


    Many were sneering, frowning or pouting as the orb was taken away and placed in the chest where the first one was stored.


    "That''s the eye of the earth, it has the ability to foretell the future of the natural world, it alerts its possessor to any threats, especially supernatural ones.


    It can detect dark magic, harmful creatures and unnatural disturbances, while it''s a great magical tool the orb only works for a single person that it chooses which makes it valuable but not very highly sought after if there is no grand guardian attached.


    If you are chosen by it, you become known as the grand guardian of the eye. There hasn''t been one of those for centuries, I would know if there was." The spirit squeezed its lips tightly shut.


    It was obvious to Phoebe that the spirit was stopping itself from blabbering something. "Why hasn''t there been a grand guardian? Where did the last one go? I want to know more about this guardian, it sounds like an important person."


    "The coming of the grand guardian is not necessarily a good thing. It only means that a supernatural war is on the brink for he or she appears to guide the war, stop being curious and buy that painting." The spirit pointed at the front.


    It was a painting of an old town with nothing special apart from a quill attached on its side.


    Phoebe raised her paddle. "Six hundred thousand." She stated.


    Her words miffed a few who were tired of the Mayfair''s as she and her grandmother who was out to torment Dorothy had gained the most from the collection.


    "Haven''t you bought enough?" Yelled a man''s voice.


    "You can take one out of the ghetto, but you cannot take the ghetto out of someone, she is showing off how new she is to wealth by buying everything she sees. At this rate, the Mayfair''s will end up broke." A woman that sat on a table close to them loudly spoke.


    Luna who couldn''t let go of the insult, she looked back and threw a knife out before anyone could stop her. It landed on a table, directly in front of the woman missing her by inches.


    The woman, Agatha Diggens screamed loudly, she turned pale with fright and held her bag out to protect her face in case Luna decided one knife was not enough.


    "The next one will separate your head from the rest of your body." Luna threatened.


    When Luna turned around, she looked at Jennie first, expecting to meet anger but instead she met a smile of approval.


    Sabrina Spellcaster raised the bid to one million. "I want to see you counter that." She tauntingly looked at Phoebe.


    "Two million." Andre called, attracting a sneer from the Spellcaster''s especially Sabrina.


    She and Andre had their little feud going on, so they competed until Andre won at a whopping ten million.


    He wiped the beads of sweat and smiled triumphantly, the smile however faltered quickly when he realized that he had let his emotions get the best of him. "Bloody hell! What did I just do? That''s an ugly worthless painting and I just spent ten million on it." He swallowed deeply.


    Sabrina raised a glass towards him. "Good to know you are still a fool, I could never but that worthless painting at that price." She laughed victoriously.


    "What were you thinking Andre? Why would you let that girl get under your skin?" Jennie condemned him. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "She is an annoying creepy brat; how dare she compete with my sister!" he answered.


    Phoebe shook her head, she had already looked into her brother''s fate, searching for his future wife and she happened to be none other than Sabrina Spellcaster, the terror of the founding lane. In future, she would actually be a presidential palace press secretary, a responsible and influential young lady.


    She was still seventeen, a few months shy of eighteen, so Phoebe saw no need to tell Andre about it. From what she could see, Andre''s future would be filled with a lot of groveling because he always had a reason to antagonize Sabrina.


    Or maybe it was the other way round, she kept finding ways to torture him for some reason. Either way, both seemed to hate each other a lot.


    "Pheebs, why do you want the painting?" Andre asked.


    She asked the Saxon spirit the same question and it responded immediately.


    "Pheebs that''s not an ordinary painting, the piece of paper which was used, and quill are enchanted items. If you draw anything you desire on the paper using the quill and your blood as ink, it comes to life. For instance, that town, it was once as real as any place on earth, a world inside a drawing.


    If magic is returned to the painting it can come alive. If you don''t want the town, you can use the feathers as an eraser wipe it out and a blank canvas will be restored.


    You can also use it to go back and forth from one place to another, passing through the painting, ten million is a small price to pay for it."


    Phoebe''s eyes widened. "You mean that I can draw a place and go to it through the painting? Like teleporting?"


    The spirit nodded. "Yes, that''s right."


    Phoebe looked at Andre and squealed, "Brother, I love you. You have done something great, when we get home, I will show you why."


    Andre looked at Collin and Luke and he laughed, "She loves me, our sister loves me. Has she ever told you that she loves you?"


    His brothers sneered in response, they called him an idiot in their minds, but deep down they also wanted to hear it from Phoebe.


    The auction went on just fine until a small sized wooden box was pulled out of the chest. Phoebe''s eyes narrowed as she came to realize that it was very similar to the one the spirit had kept at the cabin.


    The spirit floated towards the front and came back quickly. "Bloody hell! Another key? This cannot be good. Why are they showing up everywhere?"


    It was as if a shift of energy happened in the room, Phoebe noticed that blood had drained from some people''s faces, like her aunt and Rufus while others suddenly started exiting.


    "What key?" she asked the spirit.


    Grandpa Saxon moved his electric chair towards the front, Rex and Dean Morrel didn''t stay behind.


    "Fifty billion." Margaret Saxon shouted.


    A collective gasp went around the room, the auctioneer''s hand trembled, never in the history of the auction had something been taken at such a sky high price.


    "No." Grandpa Saxon commanded.


    "One hundred billion." Margaret increased the amount twice the original offer.


    "What the hell!" Phoebe blurted out.

 Chapter 349 - 349: Drama at the auction.

    From the determination in Margaret Saxon''s eyes, it was clear that this wasn''t something she was going to back down from.


    "What is going on with her?" The Saxon spirit asked Phoebe.


    Phoebe had no answer, she was just as puzzled as the rest of the Saxon''s especially David that thought he did not understand his aunt anymore. For a moment, he could have sworn that he saw a look of ruthlessness in her eyes.


    "Is that not enough?" Margaret questioned Rufus, her eyes blazing with a fire that would not be quenched easily.


    Grandpa Saxon stared at her, his eyes reflected a mix of shock and surprise. He wondered when the woman whose talent was to backstab and plot against others became a woman with a strong will. It puzzled him why she was hellbent on purchasing the item when she hardly knew what it was.


    Lines formed on his forehead as he frowned, did she actually know what was in the box?


    "I can go higher if you want but I must have that box." Margaret stood from her seat and made an attempt to move towards the front, she was stopped by her perplexed son.


    "Mother what are you doing? What the hell is in that box that you are willing to pay a fortune." Dickson pulled tightly on her arm. "That money is important to me, it must go into my company, don''t ruin my business for unknown trash."


    His mother however yanked her arm free and hissed at him. "This is not something that you can understand, I am doing this for our survival." Margaret faced Rex who was standing next to the auctioneer that was holding the silver tray on which the small box sat.


    "Why the hell did you invite us here without carefully planning this entire thing out?" She waved the auction pamphlet. "According to this we are free to buy everything in those chests so why are you keeping those items?


    Ha? Is it that the council wants to share these rare extremely expensive treasures by themselves? Is there any proof that they are dangerous or is it an excuse the council is using?


    One of you was already caught with hands in the pot, stealing from all of us right beneath the careful watch of all of you. Clearly, you have become lax in your duties over time, give us all one good reason why we should continue trusting the council?"


    She spread her arms out like the wings of an eagle and looked around, encouraging others to stand with her. It was hard to tell what everyone was thinking, some were shifting uncomfortably in their seats, some were nodding in agreement with Margaret and others were watching with smiles, waiting to see how the council members would respond, especially Rufus that was not just on the council but also her uncle-in-law.


    "Margaret Sanderholm! How dare you speak such rubbish words about the council? Even if it has not been perfect lately, you are in no place to pass down judgement on them." Grandpa Saxon yelled; he made it a point to call her by her maiden name.


    It was an open secret that the old man was never in support for Margaret joining the Saxon family. She had been a terrible influence on his nephew Adrian Saxon, and it was believed that she frustrated him to his death.


    She was the most unpopular woman in the Saxon family, and she was almost thrown out once, but it didn''t happen because Rufus fell ill suddenly and everyone abandoned the issue.


    Margaret let out a bitter laugh as if to challenge him from denying the accusation. "Uncle, you know that I am speaking the truth! I heard a rumor that a lot of magical items that the council is supposed to protect are circulating out there. Someone is selling these things, just go to Hartoum a lot of people from expelled families are working as brokers dealing in those items."


    Her words caused discontent murmuring to erupt among the audience that were still around. For some, it was new information but others, it was old news as they had heard the rumors.


    While they did not concur one hundred percent with Margaret for, she was being disrespectful to old man Rufus, they did believe that it was time for someone to check the council''s dealings in recent years.


    Grandpa Saxon wrinkled his nose. "For your information, a very thorough investigation is being done, I personally advocated it when I started handling council affairs again. I am the one that found out that Mrs. Dorothy Cook was embezzling and accepting bribes, I also happen to be the one that made up the new guidelines.


    If somebody is messing around, they will be found but like I said, it is not your place to decide on how the council handles its affairs." He pressed his lips tightly together.


    His reassuring words made everyone feel at ease, if one person could be counted on to run the council, academy and sects, it was Rufus. He was very strict when it came to management, hardly anything got passed him.


    He had only returned and already he was overhauling the system, it was amazing. S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "That''s good to know."


    "We can leave it to Old Rufus."


    Whispers like that and more which expressed how excited people were for others like Dorothy to be exposed traveled around making Rex particularly uncomfortable.


    "She is telling a big fat lie! The Council coffers are still intact, nobody is stealing. There are books in which every item is recorded before being safely stowed in the coffers." Rex blinked rapidly, was this what Dorothy meant when she said that she was going to take revenge? Had she told Margaret?


    She knew his weakness that he had sold off a few things. But he often took his share before the items were registered so he was not very worried, there was no conclusive evidence.


    Dorothy took the opportunity to cause more commotion she stood up and pointed at Rex. "Well since I was fired from the council, I will not go down alone." She cleared her voice. "What Margaret Saxon speaks of is the truth, not just a few have gone missing from the private coffers but the museum and gallery as well.


    I know that most of you don''t like me, and I do not give a flying fuck, but you can check if you like. Most of the art pieces in the gallery were swapped for fake ones." Dorothy sneered and sat back down.


    Phoebe slapped her forehead, "Well that secret is out." she mumbled.


    The Saxon spirit had pointed out all the fakes to her and David, he had been planning to share this with his grandfather Rufus later.


    An uproar rose in the room, some people scrambled out, rushing to look at their donations to the museum, others picked up their phones to call appraisers.


    Behind the podium, Rex wiped sweat from his forehead and looked around nervously as if he was about to escape.


    "See? Who is monitoring the work of the council? No one! So, I am taking my share of our ancestor''s property and mine is that box." Margaret began to walk towards the stage.


    "No one is taking that damn box! Do you even know what is in it? I cannot allow you to take it." Rufus'' eyes challenged Margaret to take another step.


    His threatening words didn''t stop her though, she continued to walk as she figured that she would fake some tears and apologize later but as for now she was taking the box with her.


    "Guys excuse me, all this chaos just gave me running stomach." Aunt Maureen stood and left.


    Phoebe stood up as well and her eyes darted around, wondering what she had to do next. "Margaret Saxon has clearly lost her damn mind."


    "We cannot let her take that key, I''ll swoop in and take it." The Saxon spirit floated towards the stage.


    Phoebe knew the spirit could handle it well so she went to the bathroom such that she would not be in the room when the box disappeared.


    Just as she was about to enter it, everything went dark.

 Chapter 350 - 350: Phoebe is blindsided.

    The entire building was plunged into a darkness, no matter how much she tried, Phoebe couldn''t see anything. Her fingers fumbled through the purse in search of her phone. Unfortunately, she had left it on the table back in the auction hall.


    "Shit!" she hissed.


    Her eyes darted around in the pitch-dark empty hall, goose bumps covered her skin she just felt like someone or something was watching her.


    "H-h-hello? Is someone there?" She spoke as she entered the bathroom slowly. She figured it was good place to ambush anyone that tried to get smart with her.


    She used some of her ghost energy to make her eyes more powerful, she could see better, but it was still dim. In the back of her mind, she berated herself for forgetting to stock up flashlights in her space. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A slow creak forced her to pause in her steps, someone was definitely there, her instincts told her to do one thing only; run.


    Even though she had talismans and some special abilities, Phoebe knew better than to be arrogant. The Saxon spirit had told her not to engage in any battle if she was unsure that she would win, there were far more powerful things in the world than her.


    It had also told her that if her mind screamed run, she had to turn tail and run. She made a mad dash out of the bathroom but didn''t make it far before her foot caught on something, tripping her and causing her to fall down.


    Before she could get her bearings and rise up, something was slapped on her back, pushing her down. It felt heavy, like a tanker was sitting on her back.


    Footsteps came closer, through the peripherals of her eyes, she made out two pairs of men''s shoes before another talisman was slapped on the base of her neck. It made her feel weak, as if all the energy had been locked away or sucked out.


    "What have you done to me?" She whispered and struggled to raise herself to her feet, but it was a battle, she felt weak like a newborn kitten that did not even know how to walk.


    Dim lights came on, the backup generator of the museum had kicked in. The florescent bulbs in the bathroom flickered as light returned to them.


    Phoebe raised her eyes and looked around, she could now see the faces of her attackers, two people, one at the front and the other at the back unfortunately they were covered in black masks and she could hardly identify them.


    The weight of the talisman on her back started to lighten, she moved backwards using her hands, her eyes did not leave the two men however.


    "Who the hell are you? What the hell do you want?" She questioned as she squeezed herself into an open stall, figuring the two men could not fit in there at the same time.


    If she could take them on one by one, even if she was weak the odds of winning were on her side. More importantly, she could trick them and maybe take them into her space, in there she had absolute control.


    One hissed and the other laughed dryly. "Are you sure that this is the girl that reversed the spell on the Elroy boy? She''s just a little too young and weak."


    "Shut up and do your job, the master ordered us to slit her throat, perhaps whatever she did to him will die along with her." The one at the back spoke, he seemed to be the one in charge.


    The Elroy boy? She knew that reversing spells would land her in trouble with warlocks and witches because they would suffer backlash, but the Elroy case was so old that it had molds on it, why did the warlock take too long to take revenge?


    Phoebe decided to pry some answers out of their mouths and buy more time for her strength to continue recovering. She moaned and clutched her chest as if she was so weak.


    "Is that why you are here?" she asked and coughed. "What kind of backlash did he suffer? I can help revive that warlock, there is a way, but I won''t be able to do that if I am six feet under the ground.


    Why don''t you give your master a call first, I am sure that we can come to a compromise." A rueful smirk curled on her lips.


    The man at the front blinked frequently, buying what Phoebe was saying. "Let''s take her to him perhaps she could heal him..."


    "Shut up Alonso! If you cannot do it then I will." The man at the back took four steps and swung a knife in Phoebe''s direction, she dodged it narrowly.


    Both men were surprised, they realized that she was not as weak as she was acting. They also realized that she was more energetic than she was when the first talisman had been slapped on her back.


    "I''ll be damned if I let you harm her." Came a voice from the toilet stall which was directly opposite that one.


    The door of that stall suddenly flew open, a flying punch swung across the air and landed on the face of Phoebe''s attacker. He staggered backwards and fell on the floor unconscious.


    Phoebe gasped. "Aunt Maureen?"


    Of all people she ever imagined coming to her rescue, aunt Maureen never made the list. The power she had just displayed was extraordinary, not something an ordinary human could do.


    "How did you do that with just one punch?" Phoebe quizzed?


    She sat on the floor as her legs were too weak to support the rest of her body.


    "Ever heard of Kitty knuckles?" Aunt Maureen twisted her clenched fist as she displayed the metallic weapon with two sharp cat ears. "Every girl should have one."


    Her narrowed eyes stared at the trembling man whose name Phoebe had come to learn was Alonso. His eyes darted around in search of an escape route, he dropped the knife and run off, leaving his friend behind.


    Aunt Maureen chuckled. "That''s right cowards live longer."


    She moved and crouched next to Phoebe. "Wow, you look terrible, let''s remove the talisman." Aunt Maureen yanked it off the talismans on her back and neck. She chanted some words, the talisman caught fire and burnt to ashes.


    Phoebe watched her in disbelief as she did it all with ease and then started searching the unconscious man''s body of the man that had been left behind.


    "What are you searching for?" Phoebe pulled herself to her feet, her body was normalizing fast now that the talismans were gone.


    "Anything that will tell me who he is, some warlock minions tend to have markings like slaves had in the olden days."


    She looked at the base of his neck and saw a tattoo of a triangle with three circles. She stood up, lifted the unconscious man with one hand and tossed him inside the bathroom stall. His head landed inside the toilet bowl.


    "I know the warlock who sent them, and I am going to hurt him really good for trying to kill a Mayfair." She locked the toilet.


    Phoebe chuckled dryly, she wanted to clap her hands, her aunt was impressive. "Aunt, I saw you chant a spell! Who the hell are you really?"

 Chapter 351 - 351: Aunt Maureens secret identity.

    From everything that Phoebe had seen and noticed, she had drawn the conclusion that her aunt Maureen was not someone ordinary.


    She had started to suspect this when the Saxon spirit told her that the magical artifacts in the basement had been tampered with. For years, they had gone untouched and had been collecting dust, after aunt Maureen''s visit, some of them came back to life.


    She looked at her aunt through narrowed eyes, perhaps she was a shaman like herself, the spirit had indicated that she came from a lineage of shamans on the Mayfair side. It was in her blood; aunt Maureen was of that same blood.


    In fact, Phoebe thought her blood was diluted in comparison to Maureen''s, after all, one was a granddaughter and the other a daughter.


    Maureen did not answer the question; she was texting someone.


    "Aunt! Are you going to leave my question hanging in the air? Tell me what are you? Why are you super strong? And I clearly heard you chanting a spell, are you just like me?"


    Phoebe''s brows pulled together on noticing the unyielding resolve of Aunt Maureen not to say a word.


    "Aunt, you know that I could just slap a talisman on your back which will force you to tell me everything that I need to know." She twisted her lips and whined, "Come on aunt, it will be awesome if I am not the only freak in the family. There are some things that I cannot talk about with the rest, but I think it could be different with you."


    A chuckle escaped Aunt Maureen''s lips. "You could but you need special skills to make a talisman that could affect the mindset of a guardian." She rubbed her left eyebrow. It wasn''t her intention to let Phoebe know her real identity however the situation called for it. Besides, Maureen had come to learn of her niece''s tenacious nature, the girl wasn''t going to stop until she found out the truth.


    If she didn''t get it here, she would run to David for help and have him dig into her. David would go to Rufus or someone else and eventually her identity would come to light.


    The words rung in Phoebe''s mind like a bell, over and over again. "A guardian? Wait, aunt you are a guardian? Like guardian of the supernatural wall. Guardian like Amon and Rekha?" She mentioned the only two guardians she was familiar with.


    Phoebe blinked rapidly, never in a hundred years would she have ever guessed that aunt Maureen was a Mayfair in the supernatural business, the hunting kind at that.


    A lot of things now made sense to her like the fact that her aunt disappeared for months at a time without sending word or missed spending holidays like new year''s with the family. It kind of also explained why she was unmarried; she probably didn''t have time for a family. Lastly, it explained why she lived in Hatoum and why she was in the magical artifact business, she was probably undercover.


    Come to think of it, she had returned after Rufus appeared in public and he was a man of great importance in the supernatural world. So, was it a coincidence that she showed up when she did? Had he summoned her, was she in the city on a job?


    Phoebe''s eyes widened; she wondered if it was the demon in Humphrey that had brought her aunt home. Rufus had said a supernatural war was in the works, after all. Her lips parted slowly, and she gasped, it had to be Ravana, that was the only answer that made sense. Maybe Rufus had summoned all the guardians for some kind of meeting, her aunt had been doing a lot of unnecessary shopping since she came home.


    She had many questions but before they could dissect the issue at hand, Luna stormed into the restrooms. Her orange hair seemed a little out of place, stray strands were sticking out in all directions.


    When she saw Phoebe and Maureen, she placed a hand to her chest, inhaled and exhaled deeply.


    Phoebe knew that something had happened, Luna Elithera did not run without good reason and most of all, she did not go around with messy hair, not even in the privacy of her own home. She guessed that maybe the box with the key had gone missing.


    "What''s wrong?" Phoebe asked as she and her aunt moved closer to the restroom door.


    Luna released a short laugh, there was relief on her refined facial features. "Everything is good now that I see that you are okay, you have been gone for a while."


    Aunt Maureen bypassed Luna. "What a sweet friend you are but nothing happened here, Phoebe and I just dived into a conversation, but we are ready return to the hall now. Who knows what we have missed out on." She reached Luna and took a left turn but paused at Luna''s next words.


    "You missed a lot actually, but I guess that you two are in the clear since you were here when the small box disappeared." Luna spoke with indifference.


    She honestly believed that the theft was none of her business especially since Phoebe had nothing to do with it.


    Back tracking her steps, Aunt Maureen came to stand in font of Luna, her hands moved to grab Luna''s arms. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What do you mean that the box is gone? I need you to be very specific? Who the hell took it?" She jolted her as she bombarded her with questions.


    Luna''s wincing sound brought Aunt Maureen to a realization that she was holding the girl''s arms a little too tightly, so she let her go.


    "Sorry, now tell me what happened?"


    "The small box bitchy Margret wanted is gone, nobody knows how it disappeared but if I am to guess, the power outage has everything to do with the box''s disappearance. If I was going to steal something, I would kill the power first too." Luna explained and gave her opinion on the matter.


    Phoebe''s first thoughts ran to the spirit, she had not heard from it since it said that it was going to retrieve the box. Was the mission successful if yes, where had it disappeared to.


    "In the space." Connie announced her arrival, popping out for a second, exposing a wide grin to Phoebe and vanishing. It seemed like she was enjoying her time with her brother given all the smiling she was doing.


    Nodding her head, Phoebe followed the two women back to the hall where she knew drama has erupted. It was happening just like she had thought it would. Accusations were flying around, people were pointing fingers at one another, Margaret seemed to be the most famous suspect in the room, and she was defending herself to a point of her eyes bulging.


    "If I was going to steal it then why the hell would I offer billions of Fog dollars to buy it?" Margaret Saxon spoke through pursed lips. "To be frank with you all I am the only person in this hall that shouldn''t be a suspect." She sat and draped her fur coat over her shoulders.


    Dorothy Cook pointed at Rex. "This is just too convenient; the council must have a hand in this because how else with all this tight security did a small wooden box disappear."

 Chapter 352 - 352: A thief at the auction.

    Dorothy Cook was a mission to ruin the council, if not the council, then at least Rex. Someone had to be as miserable as she was in order for her to find some satisfaction. She did not plan to end there, the Mayfair''s too had to pay for the humiliation she had suffered, especially that little witch of a daughter that called herself a shaman.


    The main goal of Dorothy''s words was to add fuel to the fire, she succeeded because nobody believed that the box had magically disappeared into thin air. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Give us a good explanation Rex or else resign from your position right now!" Bellowed someone at the back.


    "Yes, resign and return the money you earned from selling off our family heirlooms."


    Dorothy Cook stood up and raised her one hand that was folded into a fist, she heroically started chanting the words resign, pulling others into following her.


    The auction that had started out so glamorous had descended into a near riot or demonstration. All that was lacking was fire, posters, press and police.


    Rufus wheeled himself to the stage and got a microphone. Without a word from his mouth, people started to lower their voices, a thing that angered Dorothy. She hated Rufus as much as she hated everyone else that had contributed to her misery.


    Rufus moved his left hand up and down which prompted people to return to their seats. "Everyone please settle down, what has happened here today is actually more frightening than you can ever imagine. There is no satisfactory answer to give you right now, but I promise to get to the bottom of this.


    What I promise is that within a week, there will be answers for you, we are planning to bring back the old weekly council newsletter. The very first issue will come with an explanation of what has happened here and an update on the missing artifacts."


    He offered a bow and wheeled himself away, he did not return to his seat but made his way out, heading in the direction of the security room. He planned to take a look at the security footage to see if anything suspicious had happened moments before the lights went out.


    His words left majority of the audience numb, they didn''t know how to feel about the situation but one thing was that many still trusted the old man to handle things, so it helped put them at ease.


    Most were not very invested, they did not know what was in the box or care but theft at the auction coupled with the accusations Dorothy had made was a big deal.


    Phoebe scratched the back of her hand as she looked at the Saxon spirit, a part of her was feeling sorry for Rufus.


    "That poor guy I just landed him in hot soup but at least the key is safe, so far we have two of them." The Saxon spirit smiled ruefully.


    Phoebe raised and lowered her brows. "It had to be done, grandpa Rufus will find a way out of this. If he doesn''t pay him a visit in his dreams and tell him to remain calm, that the key is safe and to search for other keys." She communicated inwardly.


    Rex Chapman announced regretfully that the auction had to come to an end because of what had happened. "All those that won bids will receive their items as soon as payment is made. Other than that, all of us are going to go through security checks just in case someone here is trying to act smart."


    The words from his mouth earned him curses and heckles.


    "Are you calling us thieves?"


    "He''s got some balls I''ll give him that."


    They complained but did as told, one by one they passed through the millimeter body wave scanners and talking about how much they hated it.


    "This is ridiculous! What would the commoners think if they saw how the mighty of Fog are treated?" Margaret had flashes of lightening sparking in her eyes. If looks could kill none of the security guards would be left standing on their feet.


    Dickson stepped on a guard''s foot deliberately, unlike most he was a Saxon, so the poor guy feared to retaliate. "I agree mother, this is the most dehumanizing thing I have ever had to experience other than that good for nothing Phoebe Mayfair rejecting me." He whispered the last words.


    His mother waved her hand dismissively. "I told you mummy will fix everything. "She smiled slyly and hooked her left arm into his right arm. "It turns out that village bumpkin is more interested in David''s money, once I told her that you had hit a jackpot, she didn''t shy away from saying that you could go to her. Can you imagine? Ha-ha this is way easier than I thought." Margaret''s smile became less pronounced when she saw Miranda trying to talk to Phoebe.


    She hurried her feet over, taking Dickson with her and when they were close, she sort of shoved Miranda aside.


    "Miranda what are you and my daughter in law discussing? I hope that she has made it clear that she is dumping David in the garbage can and marrying my son." She jutted her chin upwards as if to brag.


    [This woman is a nut job; her brain is always on leave Does she forget her common sense at the door when steps out of her house?]


    Phoebe scoffed; her thoughts were displayed clearly which compelled Miranda''s anger to subside quickly.


    "She is indeed a nut case that should be in a mental institution." Miranda spoke with indifference.


    Margaret''s face twisted to show anger. "How dare you call me a nutcase Miranda?" Her breathing changed to fast and sharp, she was already having a terrible night for she didn''t get what she had come for and seeing Miranda and Phoebe getting along made it worse.


    More annoying was the arm which David had around Phoebe''s shoulders; he was clinging on to her like as if he owned her.


    David chuckled, "So tell us aunt if you are of mental sound mind, why did you want to take a box that the council said was dangerous? Did you know what it was? What are you cooking up? I am sure that it''s nothing good."


    "Good question David." The spirit murmured, Phoebe was just as interested in hearing the answer to those questions.


    Before Margaret could burst like a volcano erupting, Dickson took a step forward and partially blocked their gazes from his mother, taking a protective stance.


    "Cousin, if you insult my mother indirectly again then you will have me to contend with."


    David snorted and made exaggerated ghost noises. "Yeah, I am scared, you cannot do anything you little dick." He finished off with a sneer.


    Dickson growled and made a move forward as if to attack David, but his mother held him back.


    "Today is your lucky day." he told David.


    Phoebe let out a small bitter laugh. [I want to burst his teeth for trying countless times to molest me in the past.]


    David saw it, he growled and wasted no time in raising his clenched fist. Before anyone could process what was happening, the fist collided with Dickson''s face splitting his lips and bursting his nostrils.

 Chapter 353 - 353: A fight between two Saxons.

    A white but blood-stained incisor made a tiny but sharp clinking sound as it bounced and finally settled near Phoebe''s feet. She struggled not to laugh but gave up and let out a guffaw, she had no idea whether her boyfriend was a mind reader or wizard, but boy had he satisfied one of her greatest desires. If people were not watching, she would jump into his arms and give him a thousand kisses. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    One punch turned into two and then three, within a few seconds, David had his hands wrapped around Dickson''s neck.


    "I am going to kill you." he was shouting. "Do you hear me, I am going to kill you, you are an animal." David pummeled Dickson and three bodyguards had to intervene to pull him off of him.


    While they blocked him, he still roared like an angry lion and kicked out with his legs, not satisfied with the beating he had given Dickson.


    The Saxon spirit intervened and put a talisman on David''s back to calm him because people were watching and many had phones, this fight was surely going to make the news.


    Miranda screamed and they turned their heads to her, she was pointing at Dickson''s mouth, it was open and there were more than a few gaps where teeth had once been.


    "Oh, good Lord! are those my son''s teeth on the ground?" Margaret gasped and inspected Dickson''s mouth; he had lost four teeth.


    She fished out her handkerchief from her purse and tried to wipe away the blood stains from his nose and around his mouth, some blood had trailed down and formed and stained his expensive white shirt.


    It was all effortless, the blood she wiped away was replaced so she shifted her anger from the shirt to David, her eyes burning with endless fury.


    "You stupid boy! We are going to sue you; how dare you damage my son''s perfect set of teeth?" She crouched and used the hand kerchief to pick them up, she stowed it carefully in her bag like they were very valuable treasures.


    David snickered; his face etched with extreme disappointment. "Just four? I wanted to knock out the whole set but those four will do, for now. Dickson, face me if you are a man, stop hiding behind your mommy like a scaredy cat." He laughed tauntingly, urging Dickson to get out of his mother''s wings and fight him.


    The Saxon spirit noticed that the talisman she had placed on David''s back was losing power, so she added two more. His rage had truly been murderous for a moment, and nobody needed to see David killing Dickson, not in public anyway.


    Miranda noted that people were recording videos of them, so she begged David to control himself. "Jesus David people are watching, calm yourself down." She patted his back.


    David swerved her hand away. "I will stop only when that douche bag keeps his lingering eyes and clawlike fingers away from my woman. Do you know what he did?" He grimaced and pointed at Dickson who was being dragged away by his mother.


    Miranda had also seen the thought on Dickson''s attempts to molest Phoebe continuously, she was planning on telling Rufus about it. How could they live with a person of such character under the same roof? He was beast, a wild beast that needed to be thrown out.


    Meanwhile Dickson was not done, despite the bleeding and injuries he was shouting out misguiding words. "This is not over! Phoebe is not your wife; she is a free agent. Pheebs keep your word and come to me baby, I''ll treat you like the queen that you are." He made sure the spectators had the words loud and clear.


    His scheme was working, everyone assumed the two brothers were fighting for Phoebe''s affections. Among them were women who vowed to go to the black ghost cafe to buy love portions or charms if they were available.


    Phoebe could hear what they were thinking about her loud and clear because they were not whispering.


    "That little shaman is really skilled; two brothers have turned against each other for her."


    "It must be a powerful charm that''s the only way two Saxons are captivated by her." Sabrina Spellcaster spoke carelessly, without a care for who might be listening.


    Agatha Diggens shook her head slightly. "I don''t know about that, but those Saxon boys have been fighting over the same girls for the longest time. Isn''t that why David cancelled his engagement to Moria?"


    "I am still going to get that charm." Sabrina flipped her hair and strolled away like a runway model sparing Phoebe a quick glance.


    Miranda touched Phoebe''s arm, only enough to attract her attention to herself. "These rumors are going to grow from what just transpired a few minutes ago. It is going to tarnish the image of a beautiful young woman like you, you should at least get engaged to David to put all of them to a stop."


    "Mother I think that the rumors will be about what happened inside the auction hall, very few people will be talking about Dickson, Phoebe and I because it''s stale news. As for the videos, I have already warned my team, and they are prepared to stop them from making the rounds online." David waved at his grandmother who was approaching them in the company of grandma Mayfair.


    "David, you used to be intelligent, but you have lost your edge now. My suggestion is for your good, what I am saying is that Phoebe here should not be too greedy as to allow two of the most eligible bachelors to fight for her. They say a bird in hand is better than two in the bush." Miranda continued to speak, unaware that the two older women were now standing not far behind her.


    Grandma Mayfair''s patience had worn out fast, she knew that Miranda had to be bothering Phoebe about the marriage issue. "And what does that even mean Miranda? My granddaughter is a young lady with impeccable character, she could never play with people''s emotions, but I cannot say the same about some Saxon''s whose choices change like seasons of the weather." She struck her cane on the ground.


    "Old lady Mayfair! I do not believe that I said anything wrong. I was only advising Phoebe...." Miranda defended herself before she was rudely interrupted.


    "A while ago Ruth was your chosen bride for David, you forced her down his throat he wished to vomit. Now suddenly you are persuading my granddaughter to marry him to save their reputations. Since when does a Mayfair need a marriage in order to maintain her image?


    So, what if people talk about her? Even if they talk until the sky falls, her father and I will hold it up for her. There will be no family interference in her relationships, if she ever decides to marry David it will be on her own will.


    Oh! and do not forget that sons of other families can marry into the woman''s family, David could marry into the Mayfair''s rather than Phoebe marrying into the Saxon''s. Our Mayfair family can afford to raise him, if you keep pressuring Phoebe, I will do something drastic." Grandma Mayfair''s narrowed eyes warned her.


    "I second everything Rebecca has said, I have told you Miranda this is not something that you have to handle. It''s almost like as though there is something for you to gain out of the children''s marriage. Are you plotting to ask for her recipes as a marriage gift?" Grandma Saxon''s stared at her curiously.

 Chapter 354 - 354: Even the ghosts were scared.

    Miranda''s face turned red, "Mother, what are you talking about? I was just worried about the children''s reputations. It is obvious what Margaret, and her slimy son are plotting. They want to ruin her so that no side wins if they don''t get her. If she is seen as a cheap immoral woman, father won''t let her marry David."


    "He already approves of her." Grandma Saxon informed Miranda. "We all know that David and Phoebe are a couple, Dickson is trying to be a mistress. Even the three-year-old babies in our clan know this, don''t use talk about reputation to push for your own agenda."


    Phoebe chortled at the reference of Dickson as a mistress, it could not have been more accurate.


    They were joined by other Mayfair''s and a few more Saxons, David pulled Luke and Luna to the side for a word.


    Phoebe wanted to follow but her father held her back. "We heard that David and Dickson fought, what happened?"


    "It''s Dickson being up to his usual mischief, but David taught him a lesson. That sly boy is trying to ruin Phoebe''s reputation but no worries my in-laws, David will not allow it to happen." Miranda hurried to answer, propping her son up while pushing Dickson into the mud.


    Jennie rolled her eyes, "Who is your in-law?" she muttered. "Sweetie, are you okay?"


    Phoebe nodded, "Just hungry."


    "Let''s go home then." Collin suggested, "I will send Shanna back first."


    The couple left at the same moment as Luke and Luna and then David and Phoebe followed them, leaving their parents to follow slowly. The adults shared their thoughts on the auction, it had been more drama filled than they thought and ended in a fight between two Saxon brothers. The gossip mill was going to have a field day for sure.


    In the car, David and Phoebe were also discussing the auction, the theft specifically.


    "What do you think happened to the box?"


    He asked and casually kissed the back of her hand for no reason. She noticed the bruises on his knuckles which were reddish purple.


    "Why did you beat up Dickson all of a sudden, I don''t think I have ever seen you this angry?"


    "He...." David opened his mouth and closed it. If he told her the truth, she would know that he had read her thoughts. He couldn''t risk it yet; her thoughts were the only way he got clues to what happened in their past.


    He did not know that while he was away working to build and sustain the family business, his own cousin had been busy trying to prey on his wife. How many times had it happened? Why hadn''t anyone protected Phoebe if it was in the tower?


    "Babe, I think you are going to break my bones." Phoebe winced.


    He noticed that he was squeezing her hand a little too tightly and let go. "Sorry, I was just thinking about something unpleasant."


    Phoebe massaged her hand, her stomach growled, and she moaned. "I am hungry." she muttered.


    David drove straight to the supermarket because Phoebe''s hunger could not wait until they arrived at the Mayfair house. Inside she moved straight to the snack bar and picked out a beef burger with extra cheese and a canned soda which David paid for.


    On her way out she noticed a ghost that she had seen a couple of times when she visited the place. It was the nearest supermarket to funding lane so a lot of residents of the lane visited it often.


    The ghost was that of a young man ranging in the ages between twenty to twenty-four, he was sitting on the top of the large display refrigerator, his blank eyes staring helplessly at the customers that were busy shopping.


    Phoebe always ignored him because he never asked for help but for some reason, she decided to do so today.


    "Hello, shaman here, I can see you. Are you alright, why do you seem so sad? Is there something that I can help you with perhaps to help you move on or at least make you feel better?" She said, "Are you hungry?"


    The ghost''s eyes shifted to look at her, a tiny spark returned to his eyes. "Can you see me lady? Is it me you are talking to?" He floated down and came to face her, his eyes became brighter by minute.


    Nodding her head, Phoebe smiled compellingly at him. "Like I said, I am a shaman, i see ghosts so yes I can definitely see you." Her smile widened when the ghost made the sign of the cross and thanked the heavens. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I have been here for a long time hoping that someone would see me but it has been so long, so I was beginning to lose hope." The ghost bounced repeatedly.


    A tiny frown came to form on Phoebe''s face. "Why didn''t you go out in search of someone to help you, there so many shamans that have the ability to help you."


    The ghost shuddered at the thought. "And run into a ghost catcher? No way! This place felt safe besides, I do not know what is out there what if I left and forgot where my body was? It doesn''t seem safe out there with all these demons lurking around."


    His last words caught Phoebe''s interest. "What do you mean demons?" She arched an eyebrow. "Have you seen any around here?"


    "One and it was in human form, I do not understand how that is possible, but I am certain it was a demon." The ghost moved its hands to hug itself. "I am not the only scared ghost around, I don''t want to stay here anymore but for that to happen I need my family to bury my body." It cast a desperate gaze towards Phoebe.


    Her heart sank for him, although it was late and both she and David were tired, she wanted to hear him out.


    "Babe, I think that we have a ghost situation." Phoebe told him


    "It''s okay, I am good as long as you are." He wore an assuring smile. As they moved to the supermarket lounge area, David reached inside his tuxedo coat and scooped out a pair of ghost seeing glasses that Phoebe had gifted him.


    "Okay tell me more." Phoebe took a deep bite into the burger.


    The ghost belched; all he had been doing was eat since the snacks were always available. "Please excuse me." It begged before beginning to narrate. "Reid Fisher is...was my name, as you can tell from the vest coat that I am wearing, I was an employee at this place, I dedicated my entire life to ensure that I make my boss happy but that ungrateful man replaced me one day after I did not report to work. He did not bother to find out why I had not come to work yet I had never taken a day off in five years"


    David folded his hands and leaned back. "You cannot blame him for that, business is business but still he should have at least cared a little."


    Reid nodded. "I eventually understood that people at your workplace are nothing more that work mates." He added a scoff. "You should have heard the disgusting things the rest of them said about me and yet I was the one that covered for their shifts in their absence. They said that I worked hard just to discredit them and make them look lazy so that I could be employee of the month all the time." He shook his head, his mind still in disbelief.


    Phoebe sighed softly, unsure about what to say to him, she figured the quicker she sent him off, the better. "Where is your body?"


    "Behind the freezers." He spoke casually, there was no emotion in his voice at all.

 Chapter 355 - 355: Weight of regret.

    His words left the listeners speechless; they exchanged quizzical glances and thereafter shifted their curious gazes to the said freezers. They were not hidden in some mystery location; they were right there in plain sight near the stock room.


    Pointing her index finger at the freezers that everyone could see clearly through the enormous glass windows of the supermarket, Phoebe asked. "Those freezers? Are you sure?"


    The last question came because she couldn''t figure out how a human being could fit back there; she had to check with her own eyes. There was hardly any space between the freezers and the wall.


    "It''s true there is an almost mummified body back there, I am not sure how long he has been back there or how come no one noticed. Don''t they do major cleaning in this place?" The Saxon spirit confirmed the ghost''s words after poking around.


    Phoebe continued chewing on her burger as she pondered on the same question while hoping that it was not a murder case, she needed a break from those. A one-year break preferably, but even she knew that she was deceiving herself.


    "Did nobody smell the stench, I mean bodies give off an odor when they are decomposing." The Saxon spirit said.


    Phoebe made a face of disgust, slowly she placed the remaining half of the burger on the paper plate, her appetite gone completely. In the back of her mind, she was thinking that nobody should be talking about rotting flesh in the presence of someone that was eating meat.


    People with strong stomachs like Claire could stomach it but she could not. Bones and ghosts, were a yes, but rotting flesh was a no.


    "Who did that to you? Was your death natural or was it an accident?" Her eyes glinted with an expression of mistrust; she began to scan around for suspects among the employees that were roaming around.


    Some of them had passed by more than a few times, peeking curiously at the couple whose identities they were familiar with. They were also familiar with Phoebe''s ghost seeing abilities, she regularly bought drinks and placed them on tables in the lounge claiming they were for hungry customers, but those customers were always invisible.


    Reid waved his hand dismissively at the question. "Nobody killed me, I guess you could say that i did it to myself, Tom my co-worker and I, usually sat up there during the night shift." He answered casually, pointing to the space above the freezers.


    "Why would anyone sit up there? It''s very dangerous and stupid." David stated, the young man had caused his own death.


    Nodding once, Reid clicked his tongue. "I can see that now considering that I am dead and all but back then, it seemed harmless. Do not blame it on the boss, he is a major ass, but he was not at fault, the truth is that we used to sit up there and eat the snacks that were about to go bad. It''s against the workplace policy to do so, we are supposed to throw them out.


    The boss did not want to be hit with a lawsuit in case someone ate something and fell ill. We decided to break the rules, and that place felt safe because it''s a blind spot." His face was washed in regret.


    He had died just because he wanted to eat some nearly expired yogurt and cakes, how ridiculous!


    "I see." Phoebe''s voice was barely more than a whisper. "So, what happened on that unfortunate day then? Did you fall?" The question was met by a nod from Reid.


    "I was unlucky that day, we ate some yogurt and cakes...oh and we had a few beers. Tom left me up there and went to the back of the store to get more beers, he took a while, so I decided to go check up on him.


    Thinking back to that day, I realize that it was the wrong decision because I felt lightheaded and nauseous, I was probably starting to get drunk or at least I think that i was already.


    When I stood up, I lost my balance and fell backwards. I lost consciousness for a while and when I woke up, I was feeling sore. I think that I broke something, breathing was hard since I was hanging upside down." His lips trembled; his dying moments were still horrifying to date.


    Phoebe commiserated with him. "I am sorry but didn''t you yell for help? The supermarket is always filled with people at least half the time. There are security guards outside as well." She tried to wrap her mind around the story.


    "I screamed as best as I could until my voice got hoarse, but it was futile." He pointed at the freezers. "These industrial freezers make a deep symphony of different sounds, I guess it was hard for anyone to hear me and to make matters worse, I became weaker by the minute, and I felt like my body was being drained of its energy until I lost consciousness again.


    When I woke up again, I moved out of there with ease which was odd but still I was happy that I had escaped death. I tried talking to Tom, but he couldn''t hear me and everyone else that I tried to talk to. It dawned on me that I was invisible, instinctively I checked behind the freezer and there I was, dead as a door nail." A lump caught in his throat as he blinked back the tears. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The spirit scratched the back of her ear. "What about the smell? They didn''t notice at all?"


    "I guess not." David flickered his fingers. "I think maybe his body froze and the place where he fell is kind of closed off so nobody can see there really. You have to pull the freezer to the front to see what''s behind clearly."


    They all noticed what David was explaining, there were five industrial freezers, Reid''s body was behind the very last one. which was partially enclosed by a wall.


    Phoebe remained silent for a short while. "It''s late right now Reid but I promise that the police will be here tomorrow or tonight possibly to get your body. I also need to inform your family, how long had it been since you vanished?"


    "Two years, three months and four days." Reid shrugged. "All I could do here was count, I had a lot of time."


    Phoebe smiled warmly to put him at ease. "But I cannot leave you here though, I own a Cafe which is a sanctuary for ghosts in need of help like yourself. Do not worry, nothing will happen to your body while you are gone, I will put a talisman on it so that we can keep track of it." Phoebe told him.


    The Saxon spirit flashed away and did so within three seconds.


    "See, now your body will never be lost." Phoebe told him and turned to Sylvester who had been quietly standing by. "Sylvester take good care of the guest, he should have a chance to say goodbye before moving on."


    She looked at Reid, "Would you like to say goodbye to your family?"


    He nodded and then left with Sylvester while Phoebe made a call to Shark, informing him about the body. It was not a juicy case; she was not sure if he would show up, but she was certain he would send the police and coroners over.


    From there she and David drove back to the Mayfair house.

 Chapter 356 - 356: Mine...no, mine.

    Ideally, Phoebe should have rushed to the dining table when she reached home but instead, she rushed to unveil the items she had acquired from the auction. Whoever was in charge was really quick because the items had been delivered really quickly.


    She found Andre and aunt Maureen pocking them, looking over them very curiously. Andre was studying the painting, aunt Maureen had the sleeper''s hat on her head.


    "Yippee, they have come." Phoebe eagerly reached her hands out to the painting.


    Andre was quick, he pulled it away and removed it from her reach.


    "Not before you give up the knowledge sis, what''s special about this?"


    Phoebe jumped, trying to snatch it away from him. "You will know after I perform my magic on it." she told him. She continued jumping from side to side and he continued to keep it out of her reach. He was snickering like a brother that was enjoying torturing his younger sibling.


    "That idiot." Collin shook his head, but he did not intervene, just like Edward and Luke they sat down and enjoyed the show.


    David and aunt Maureen couldn''t take it however, they intervened, one caught Andre''s arms and the other grabbed the painting.


    Phoebe laid it down on the ground and the Saxon spirit used the feather to erase the image of the old town.


    "Woah!" Andre exclaimed.


    Phoebe stuck the sharp tip of the quill in her hand and drew some blood, it made everyone stand or rush to her as if she had cut off a limb.


    The Saxon spirit took the quill from feather while Jennie was screaming for the first aid kit to be brought. They all watched as a painting of the cafe was drawn by an invisible hand.


    "I have finished." The spirit told Phoebe.


    She squealed, grabbed Andre''s hand and funneled some energy into the painting and then the two of them disappeared into the painting.


    The Mayfair''s and David leaped away from the painting and then after two seconds, approached it.


    "What has that idiot done again?" Collin groaned.


    They all assumed Andre had done something, or he had followed Phoebe like he did when she used that watch.


    "I can''t believe it, these kids actually stumbled on a living portal canvas. I have heard of these but never seen one with my own eyes, holy crap! do you know how much this is worth?" Maureen picked up the painting with wide eyes and trembling hands.


    While she was still expressing her excitement, Phoebe and Andre returned, they came through the painting and fell directly on aunt Maureen. She screamed as she fell back on a chair that saved them all from hitting the floor.


    "Get off me you two, you are so heavy. What are you feeding the kids Edward?" Maureen complained and then gasped, "My portal, ah! my portal."


    David picked up the painting, "I think you mean Phoebe''s portal."


    "Nope, no way!" Andre raised his head. "You mean my portal." he corrected David.


    "What do you need it for?" Maureen and Phoebe quizzed at the same time as they all stood up.


    "To go back and forth from the set of a movie, I could sleep at home while working across the country. " Andre answered with a shrug.


    Aunt Maureen and Phoebe shared a mysterious look and then both of them leaped out.


    "My portal."


    "No, my portal."


    The rest of the family groaned, Maureen was competitive so was Phoebe and so was Andre. They argued until grandma Mayfair confiscated the painting, and everyone moved to the dining table. They didn''t see the painting for the rest of the night and went off to bed feeling aggrieved.


    ************************


    Quiet whispers traveled throughout the Mayfair house the next morning, the servants gossiped about how permissive Jennie Mayfair had become to allow David Saxon and Luna Elithera to spend the night.


    "I know something more interesting." One of the maids began. "Mr. David sneaked out of the guest rooms and stealthily entered our young Miss Phoebe''s bedroom!" She shuffled her feet excitedly.


    "I do not think that Mrs. Mayfair will be happy about that." Said another.


    Maria dropped the knife, it''s sound loud enough to call for attention. "Not that it''s any of your business but Madam Jennie already knows, it''s not even the first time it''s happening. All of you get back to work, this food is not going to serve itself." Her head moved back to its original position; her lips grew into a small smile.


    Back in the dining room, there was happy chatter as the family joked about the previous night''s events.


    Phoebe''s shoulders danced; she was in a happy mood after seeing the trending news of her. "Have you seen the news! Everyone is talking about the necklace that I was wearing."


    "As they should, you looked like a goddess my princess." Edward stared at her admiringly.


    "I have to admit that Uncle Rufus still has a lot of influence in the society, can you believe that nothing about the auction is written anywhere! Not the TV, internet or radio it''s incredible." Maureen dropped two sugar crystals in her tea, she appeared to think about it and added another.


    Andre waved the small knife in his hand. "Even the Saxon boys fight is nowhere to be seen, I concur with you aunt, old man Rufus is no joke. I bet Dickson must be pissed off as hell, it would benefit him the most if word about the fight spreads." His perfunctory movements worried Luna who kept her eyes on the knife.


    He was waving it carelessly, so much so that someone might lose an eye accidentally.


    She let out a soft sigh. "Andre careful with the knife." Luna shifted her chair closer to Luke''s side.


    In response Andre rolled his eyes, Luna''s rejection had washed away the little crush he had on her, with that orange hair on her head he could hardly see why he found her insanely attractive in the first place. "Of course, sister-in-law."


    The statement shocked many but mostly Jennie who almost chocked on black tea. "Sister-in-law? Who said?"


    Andre shrugged not forgetting to chuckle when Luke growled quietly. "Well since she spent the night here and in Luke''s room, I believe that she now owns that tittle." S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "My thoughts exactly! It''s been the topic of gossip in this house, the servants are wondering if they should prepare for three weddings." Aunt Maureen''s eyebrows danced, she loved weddings or was it the wedding food and endless drinks.


    Jennie scoffed. "Cut it out! It was late that''s why I suggested that David and Luna spend the night. The only wedding to prepare for is that of Collin and Shanna."


    "From now on, David is free to come here and spend the night as much as he wants to. If he ever marries Phoebe he should consider moving in here, it''s way better than staying with that Viper Miranda." Grandma Mayfair''s night had barely been peaceful because of the fact that Miranda had become a problem to Phoebe.


    On hearing her words, all the Mayfair men''s eyes shifted to stare at David. None of them would even consider moving in with their wives'' families, the thought of it alone was scary, every family had its traditions after all, and the Mayfair''s were happy go lucky kind.


    "I think it''s a brilliant idea, I do not want Phoebe to suffer at the hands of my family especially my mother but just to put it out there, you don''t need to worry about her, I found a solution to calm her down." David calmly stated, unfazed by the shock on the Mayfair''s faces.


    Collin realized that David was truly loyal to his sister, nothing mattered to him than Phoebe''s comfort and happiness. "You would really move in here permanently? Do you think your parents would agree to that? You are a Saxon, have you forgotten your identity?"

 Chapter 357 - 357: About the box.

    David leaned back to rest on the chair back rest. "My parents have no hold over me anymore since I quit the Saxon group, and I already moved out of the tower. I will move in here in a heartbeat if Phoebe wants us to live here."


    A Saxon willing to leave the tower and live with his wife''s family!! It was unheard of, and it was proof of just how determined David was to win Phoebe over and prove how much he loved her.


    Luna, Andre, Luke and Jennie all had one question on their minds, what kind of portion had Phoebe fed David to make him that crazy about her? A Saxon moving in with another family was a big deal, even their daughters and granddaughter''s husbands moved into the tower.


    It was a privilege to live in that tower, every year the Saxon tower was voted most beautiful place to live in Citrus city.


    "He is insane." Aunt Maureen muttered as she looked at David through bewildered eyes.


    Collin just nodded, accepting that David had changed into a better man. It was time to give him a chance and forget the past and besides, at the end of the day it was Phoebe''s decision.


    Grandma Mayfair sighed heavily. "I do not think that Rufus would even care since he is going to be preoccupied with finding that box that disappeared." she released another sigh.


    The teacup that was on its way to David''s lips only came halfway before he gently placed it back on the table, it was bothering him as well and Roxanne, as good as she was could not find anything wrong in the footage they had acquired.


    If a human had snatched the box, Roxanne would have made out their shape on that stage but there was nothing, the box just vanished in the midst of the darkness.


    "The thief was very strategic, all this seemed to be meticulously planned out, the people were not wrong to suspect that it was an inside job. I think Rex did it, no one fits the bill better than him." David suggested.


    Phoebe let out a tiny dry cough, all this talk about the stolen box was bothering her.


    [I feel terrible too especially because I know who took it but I can''t tell.] She raised her brows and lowered them.


    She drunk her milk tea preferring not to give her opinion on the matter.


    Her thoughts were seen by Edward and David who were looking at her, they both said nothing at that moment, but Edward wanted to know more while David felt a tinge of betrayal that Phoebe had not told him, it was not like he was going to run to his grandfather and tell him.


    Did she not trust him still after all this time? On the other hand, he wondered who could have taken the box, obviously it had to be ghost related. Was it Zephyra, she was his number one suspect because Phoebe did not seem to be panicked when she heard that the box had disappeared at the auction.


    In fact, if anything, when she heard about it Phoebe seemed relieved, she had not mentioned the box at all since that auction, not even once which was unusual because she was the curious type. The normal Phoebe would be sniffing around like a dog, looking for clues.


    The talk about the disappeared box continued with everyone airing out their opinions except for the one who knew where it was and those that now knew about the one with the true knowledge.


    Once breakfast was done, David left for the Saxon tower but first he told Phoebe that he was going to meet Arrow such that he could exchange the crown of the lord of the night for the amulet of serene thought which he planned to give his mother.


    Even though his heart was uncomfortable, still he said nothing about the box but only kissed her lips lightly and left the Mayfair house.


    Phoebe had plans of her own too but before setting off she went to her father''s study; he had requested to have a word with her before she left the house.


    The door of her father''s study was partially open, so she let herself in. As she entered Oman was leaving, the butler gave her a smile.


    "Have a good morning young Miss." Oman offered a light bow


    "Good morning to you Oman, did you get a haircut?" She stopped and smiled back at him.


    Oman''s face turned red which surprised Phoebe, he touched his head and nodded.


    "Wow, no wonder you look extra handsome today Oman." She teased.


    The butler laughed and walked away; he was actually pleased by the interaction. In the whole family, Phoebe was the only one that ever noticed little things like this. She cared about the servants in her own way, lately Maria''s cat was gaining weight because she was buying it expensive cat food.


    All the maids had received secret bonuses from her, she had even given them clothes and shoes and peace pendants and amulets.


    Every once in a while, she gave them spiritual advice, she had even reminded Rita, one of the maids to take her mother to the hospital for a full body exam. As it turned out, her mother had cancer, first stage and she now receiving treatment.


    It was safe to say that she was everyone''s favorite in the house.


    Phoebe closed the door and looked at her father, she was prepared to act coquettish as usual until she noticed that his face was slightly more stern than usual.


    "Bad news?" She asked as she settled on the couch.


    Edward pushed back the office chair and moved to join her on the couch, a soft smile making sure to grow on his lips to replace the frown.


    "Nothing for you to worry about." he scratched the front of his hair, hesitating and contemplating on how to deliver his question.


    For a quick-witted person like her, it didn''t take her long to notice that something was bothering him. "Father what is it, if you are hesitant then I know the matter concerns me. Have I upset you perhaps?" She replayed the memories of the past few days, there was nothing there that she had done that could upset him.


    Phoebe reached to touch his hand. "Is it the Dickson issue? Do not worry father I will handle it....."


    Her words were cut short when her father shook his head. "No sweetheart that''s not it....I wanted to ask you about this missing box." Edward paused to scan her face.


    Instinctively she pulled her eyes and hand away from him, giving herself away immediately that she knew something however she was planning to deny having knowledge of anything because the truth was complicated.


    "Father why would you think that I would know anything about that box, I was in the rest rooms when it disappeared." she replied, her defensiveness giving her away again. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Edward was not expecting her to come out clean out rightly, but neither was he expecting her to lie so naturally. He figured that she had important reasons as to why she had decided to protect whoever stole the box. But who was this thief that his daughter needed to protect them so much?


    He was part of the council, and the council was under fire regarding this theft, he was torn between his duty and his desire for the truth.

 Chapter 358 - 358: Father and daughter with secrets each.

    He could not come outright and tell her that he had figured out her secret from reading her thoughts, he decided to play pretend.


    "Oh no is that what you thought? I am not saying that you know who took it, I just wanted to ask if perhaps with your special abilities you saw something odd or maybe you could even help old man Rufus find it." Edward patiently studied his daughter as she crafted an answer to give him.


    He had a feeling that she was about to lie to him even before she opened her mouth, and he was helpless in that matter.


    She scratched the back of her neck and smiled stiffly before responding. "I see.... well father i am sorry to disappoint you but I didn''t see anything suspicious at all because I was in the bathroom. The only suspicious thing I can recall is the power going out which everyone noticed of course."


    Phoebe lied with a straight face, she did not even break a sweat and if Edward had not seen her thought she would have fooled him perfectly.


    He lowered his head to hide his smile, he could see that she was struggling to tell the lie and was very uncomfortable that she had to do so. He decided not to push anymore, the council would figure out how to handle the matter.


    Nobody knew what was inside the box at the end of the day, they would find something similar to fool people and calm the storm. Rufus would secretly continue digging into the case of course.


    Edward sighed when he looked at his daughter that was smiling at him with a sweet innocent look on her face as if she was a perfect little angel that could do no wrong.


    He tapped her nose with a finger, "That''s okay, sweetheart if you can think of anything, you can always come and talk to me. But meanwhile, have you maybe thought about joining Andre in the field of acting? I think that you would do an amazing job and win yourself a lot of awards." He raised himself to his feet and went to sit in the office chair.


    A small chuckle came from his throat because he figured she would be confused, and he was right. Cocking her head, Phoebe''s eyes followed him. She couldn''t understand why her father was saying what he was saying.


    "Me! Oh, come on dad I would suck at it. If there is an award to win, I would win the worst actress of the year award. No, not year.... century because nobody is as bad at acting as me." She leaned back in the chair and laughed, "Back in school I tried it because acting is one of those jobs where you are guaranteed wealth if you hit it big and I wanted to become as wealthy as quickly as possible


    You should have seen me trying to act as Juliet in the Romeo and Juliet play, I thought I was awesome but everyone that watched me was horrified. The drama teacher said that if I ever became an actress, everyone would gouge out their eyes and shoot their ears and the entertainment industry would be closed down for good."


    Both of them laughed loudly at the review which crushed Phoebe''s acting dreams.


    Subsequently, she added between laughter, "Besides, I have a lot on my plate with the ghosts and the cafe, my job is not the kind anybody can do."


    They laughed and jested some more on Phoebe''s short lived acting attempt, soon a shaky smile made its way to her lips as she made a momentous decision to ask about her father and also permission to visit the Moldove founding Academy.


    "I would have loved to see it." Edward said sadly.


    Each time Phoebe spoke of her life before becoming a Mayfair, regret sank heavily in Edward''s heart. He had missed out on a lot and although he managed to conjure a smile when she told the stories, beneath it all his mind lingered with ''what ifs'' especially because the Gabriel''s had been shitty parents to her.


    "I think my teacher kept the tape; she uses it to show others what not to do." Phoebe said.


    Edward made his mind up to get a copy of the tape for his private viewing. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I missed out on a lot so please do not hesitate to tell me more stories about your school days." His face relaxed as the frowns disappeared.


    There was brief silence as Phoebe toughened up to open the can of worms, she decided to be very direct about it. "Just like I missed getting to know grandpa, Nana has told me a little about him, but I want to know more about him. I feel like the two of us would have best friends if he was still with us."


    Edward ran his fingers through his hair, his father Cillian''s face came to him and his mind was filled with bittersweet memories.


    He poked at the papers on his desk, moving them around aimlessly, he knew where this conversation would lead, just as she had her secrets, so did he.


    Slowly he replied, "Mother told me that you two took on the task of cleaning up his things in the basement. It was nice that after years of locking it up like an invisible prison, you came along and somehow convinced her to confront her grief and go in there. I don''t know what she has told you, but my father was devoted to us although he spent a lot of time traveling. You are right, he would have loved and adored you daughter."


    Edward''s tone was a little defensive, it was because he knew his mother, despite her love for his father resented him for staying away from home often and keeping secrets. Some days or nights, she allowed that resentment to seep through, so he did not know if she had said something to Phoebe.


    He went silent, pulling the room into a quietness that only made Phoebe uncomfortable even though her father appeared to be smiling.


    "How did he die? I was told that it was an accident, but no one is giving me any details. I cannot help but feel like there is more to that story, father please tell me." Came Phoebe''s question but she regretted it almost immediately for the smile on her father''s face faltered fast, a frown replaced it.


    Never had she seen frost in his eyes, the spark was gone and replaced by a glint of anger. "Why are you asking? Is he still lurking around here somewhere? Have your ghost friends seen him in this realm?"


    Edwards voice was grave and curt, the warmth had vanished, it was clear that this was a sour topic, and she was not going to get any answers from him.


    "He moved on I am certain because otherwise I would feel him, but I just feel like it''s suspicious since no one is willing to talk about the story. " Phoebe avoided his cold gaze at all costs.


    Her words were met by silence, she wanted to escape out of the room immediately. Phoebe decided that she would not ask this question again, she would just conjure her grandfather''s spirit.


    "Well, there is nothing more to that story, if your grandfather moved on so should you. Some things should be left buried Phoebe, your grandfather is one." Edward''s mildly sharp words were enough to tell her that he would never discuss his father''s death.


    Phoebe could have sworn that she felt a chill travel up her spine. What in the world had her grandfather done for everyone to be like this? Was it something bad?

 Chapter 359 - 359: More secrets on top of others.

    Phoebe thought that she was the only that had noticed the fact that there was something deeper to her grandfather''s death but she was wrong.The Saxon spirit pointed it out as well.


    "He or they are hiding something." It said.


    "You usually know everything, why haven''t you figured it out? She quizzed it.


    "I have been sleeping for close to a century, I don''t truly know what has been going on in the founding families in the last few years. The only person who will probably tell you anything no matter how small will be his sister, your aunt." The spirit communicated inwardly.


    Phoebe''s mouth twisted and she shook her head, when she thought about her aunt, she thought about the strength she had displayed and her job as a guardian. If anybody had lips that were sealed tighter than a bank vault, it was her aunt. otherwise the rest of the family would be in on her guardianship.


    "I doubt that, remember that I already asked and she didn''t tell me anything of substance." Phoebe quietly responded, her face marred with disappointment.


    The spirit''s eyes locked in contact with those of Phoebe. "That was before you had leverage, use what you have to get what you do not have."


    It''s words had Phoebe blinking rapidly, she scanned her mind in search of the leverage but it dawned on her that it was aunt Maureen who actually had something that she could use against her. "I cannot push her because she could tell everyone that I was attacked by men that worked for a warlock that harbored a grudge against me, everyone including my parents would dive into a frenzy and wrap me in a bubble called Mayfair manor."


    It dawned on Phoebe that overtime, she had truly changed after her rebirth. Her original self would have said no to the blackmail suggestion, now she was the kind of person that did not mind a little blackmail as long as it got results.


    The spirit pushed its mouth to one side, it couldn''t stop blaming itself for what had happened in it''s absence, luck was on their side because aunt Maureen happened to be there but if she had not, who knows what would have happened.


    It was time to put physical training on the menu for Phoebe, she could not just train spiritually.


    "I am sure she knows the truth, her eyes were just like dad''s when I asked." Phoebe said.


    "All the more reason to press her, yes she may tell everyone about the attack but we will do damage control if she does but as for now you hold a higher bargaining chip. She would not want anyone knowing that she is a guardian, use that." It''s face transitioned to become more serious.


    Phoebe''s eyes widened as an exasperated sigh escaped her. "I really can''t believe that I am considering this and you are seriously advocating it. I don''t know if using the weakness of a family member against them is the right thing. This guardianship thing is very sensitive, do you remember what old man Rufus said about Mayfair''s becoming guardians, he said grandpa Cillian did not want his descendants involved."


    "And yet you want to associate yourself with them." The spirit raised its brows, before meeting her real family Phoebe was unstoppable and cold as long it concerned her job and her life. Nothing stood in her way then, but now, she had to put a lot of people''s feelings into consideration.


    Old Phoebe before the Mayfair''s would be in Moldove academy by now or she would be a member of a sect. Hell, se would be a guardian in training.


    A sigh of frustration came from Phoebe. "Aah! I really want to know what''s in that school, I want to take their blood line crystal whatever test. Even if the crystal rejects me, I would have tried at least and I would not live my life wondering what if.


    I want to become as strong as those flying guardians that look like superheroes. I need to be stronger than the strongest guardian, who knows when Ruth and her helper will pop up? I have to learn to use my powers to the fullest potential before then and yet I am weaker than aunt Maureen." She sank back in the chair and released a weary sigh which drew her father''s attention to herself.


    "Your aunt has been at this job for at least twenty years and in training for longer, since childhood if I have to take a guess. You have been training for less than a year, you cannot expect to catch up to her in an instant." The spirit consoled her. "If we take short cuts, you will get there faster."


    Phoebe moved her body and she laid down on the couch sighing sadly, continuously. She had forgotten that she was still in her father''s office.


    "Is something else bothering you?" Edward asked. His voice jolted her quickly out of her thoughts.


    She turned her head his way and sighed again. [I don''t think you would want to know, it will only make you angry. I might as well keep it myself.]


    She shook her head and smiled but her thoughts as always were visible, the words cut Edward like a knife, he wanted to be close enough for her to confide in about anything no matter how inconvenient it was.


    He could not help thinking that she was drawing the line between them because of the way he had spoken to her earlier. He had not meant to be so stern and cold with her, it just came out of him when the subject of his father''s death came up.


    Edward took off his rimless glasses and rubbed his closed eyes with his fingers and then wore them again while making an apology. "Listen sweetheart, I must have sounded rude earlier yet you were only worried about your grandfather and I apologize for the way I came off. However, please lets leave grandpa to rest, it will be better for all of us, I am trying to protect you. I hope you can understand me." A rueful smile tugged on his lips. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He watched her with apologetic eyes but there was not much he could do, he didn''t want his daughter to dig deeper into the issue, God forbid if something terrible happened to her like it had done to his father. Magic was good, but it was also bad and dangerous, he could handle Phoebe helping ghosts but the rest like guardians, Moldove academy, sects and the rest, it was a no.


    She and the spirit exchanged gazes, unintentionally Edward had given her a hint by saying that he was trying to protect her. It made her even all the more curious, what had her grandfather done or what was done to him that warranted protection from? Phoebe wanted to dig deeper even more into Cillian Mayfair.


    A joyful smile grew on her lips, she turned her body to face him.


    "I totally understand father, I will not ask about grandpa anymore, I want to talk about something else, Moldove founding academy?" Her pretend clueless eyes stared at him innocently like she didn''t already know that he did.


    Edward''s index finger moved to pull the glasses forward, they perched at the bridge of his nose, and he clenched his jaw. The relief he had felt when she said she would not ask about her grandfather anymore faded and anger returned like a punch to the gut. It was not directed to her but whoever had brought this information to Phoebe.


    "Who have you been talking to? Did someone tell you all this nonsense? Was it uncle Rufus? You recently had dinner with him, and it cannot be Maureen she wants nothing to do with that school just like me." His overly suspicious eyes demanded for answers.

 Chapter 360 - 360: Edward hated the academy.

    Phoebe swallowed hard when she heard his thoughts about Aunt Maureen, it was obvious that he had no idea what she had been up to and that she was probably a former student of the academy, or maybe a current one.


    So, using aunt Maureen as a scapegoat would not work, and neither would it help to give up grandpa Saxon. Telling her father the truth about how she knew about the academy seemed to be out of the picture. There was only one place she could run to when she needed an irrefutable excuse.


    "Father no one told me anything." Her voice came barely more than a whisper, no matter what she made sure not to meet his narrowed eyes that were scanning her face for any trace of deceit.


    Edward''s face relaxed a little, perhaps he was wrong for old man Rufus knew where he stood when it came to that academy.


    "Then how do you know about that damn academy?" He pressed, determined to find out everything she knew so far. "My good daughter do not hide these matters from your father, they are very serious. The academy may sound like a noble place but it if full of dangers, whoever is whispering information about it into your ears can be considered our enemy."


    Phoebe wanted to roll her eyes; the use of the word enemy was a little too strong. If Dickson or Dorothy or any of the warlocks and shamans she had pissed off had been the one to bring up the academy sure, but it was not.


    "It''s the ghosts." Phoebe blurted out. "There has been a lot of talk about the academy in the ghost world so I became curious about it, and I figured that since you are on the founding council, you would be the best person to give me answers about it."


    Phoebe lied for the better, if her father ever found out that Grandpa Rufus told her anything about the academy their good relationship would surely break.


    "God damn it!" Edward cursed; he applied so much force on the pencil he was holding that it broke into two with one piece falling to the floor.


    Edward knew he could not stop the ghosts from talking, he could not even forbid Phoebe from listening to them, they were not human.


    Phoebe noticed that her father''s face had turned into stone, he was hardly blinking or moving. A mix of confusion and fear laced his eyes, so she decided to offer an explanation. She believed that maybe if he heard of her reasons as to why she had to know more about the academy, he would understand her position a little bit.


    "Dad, yesterday I encountered a ghost that told me that it once saw another demon roaming around the supermarket and it was apparently in human form.


    I have encountered one demon in my line of work, and I am likely to encounter more. In fact, I heard from the demon I dealt with that more are coming, and it seems Citrus is going to be their meeting area or home as they prepare for whatever nefarious plot they have. Sear?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I have heard whispers of a supernatural war, and the name Ravana has been mentioned. I have also been told that my role in this war is quite important, dad, the ghosts are scared, and you know that my work is to help ghosts.


    I need to build my strength fast and I believe that the academy can help me in that regard which is why I want to take a look and see how it can help. If they cannot help me, I will naturally abandon my interest in them."


    Her words only made the air even more tense, it''s like she had dropped a bomb containing Edward''s worst fear. His hands made their way to his chest where a knot of despair tightened. "This cannot be happening." His voice whispered.


    The mention of demons took him back to his father and all that led to his death. The supernatural world was not satisfied with taking one Mayfair, it wanted to claim another.


    He shook his head frantically and put his foot down, he was determined to deter his daughter from associating herself with the academy and whatever war she was speaking of. However, he also knew Phoebe, she was not the type to back down from a fight, especially if ghosts were involved.


    He wilted like a balloon that was running out of air very fast and sunk into the chair with his hands on his head. He was like a defeated man that had aged overnight.


    "Dad..." Phoebe called him in a soft hesitant voice.


    He raised his eyes to her and sighed. "Pheebs, I cannot forbid you from hearing about these things from your ghost clients or companions however I can strongly advise as a father that loves his daughter that he never wants to lose ever again that you should stay away from that academy.


    You have been doing so well for yourself so far; you do not need it for anything not even to build your strength. That place, it will suck everything out of you until there is nothing left, not even your sanity." His elbows rested on the table, and he lowered his head in hands again, praying that she listened to him lest she end up like her grandfather.


    "There is so much anguish in his voice, and I believe that it''s all connected to this academy, don''t push the idea for now until we find out what this is all about." The Saxon spirit sympathetically stared at Edward with a hand on Phoebe''s shoulders.


    Phoebe had so many questions about why her father harbored so much negativity about the academy but nevertheless she took the spirit''s advice.


    "Dad, it''s not a must that I should join the academy, like you mentioned earlier I am doing well on my own and I, Phoebe Mayfair will continue to do so." A big reassuring grin tugged on her lips which gave her father comfort.


    He raised his head to meet her eyes, he thought that this would be a subject that they would argue about, but he had been able to change her mind easily, warmth returned to his refined features as he returned a smile to her.


    He even sighed before he replied, "Thank you my daughter for a second there I was beginning to worry that you would persist on attending that academy.


    I am so glad that you understand your father''s worries, but I won''t make you give it up for nothing. If you need to build your strength, I will find teachers for you. I know some people that will be willing to train you." His finger''s drummed lightly on the table then he shut down his computer and stood on his feet. "I am late for a council meeting, I am sorry, but I have to leave but I can drop you and mother at the cafe if you want."


    His suggestions gladdened Phoebe''s heart, but she turned him down when it came to dropping her off for, she was not heading to the cafe just yet.


    They both left the office, him faster than her as he was in a rush. As she walked through the corridor, Phoebe called Shark to get updates on Reid''s case.


    Shark apologized for not attending to it yesterday for a big case had come up.


    "Let us meet there in thirty alright? Sorry again, Pheebs." His voice didn''t sound like that of a person that regretted nothing, and it wasn''t surprising.

 Chapter 361 - 361: Teaching a lesson.

    It was business as usual at the supermarket which gave Phoebe a hint that Shark and his team were not there yet which was not a surprise because she lived close to it compared to where Shark was coming from.


    For a while, Phoebe hung around outside, waiting impatiently but her patience run thin and eventually, she decided not to wait. Rather than wait, she figured there would be no harm heading inside to do her own investigations. Even though Reid had said his death was an accident, the police would have questions.


    They would have to ensure that he was not pushed deliberately or poisoned or even tricked into climbing to the top of the refrigerators. The supermarket itself would probably be closed for a while because a dead body had been in there for so long, who knew what other health risks were hiding inside.


    Phoebe looked at the glass doors and she sighed; a lot of founding families were going to be very unhappy if the closest and most convenient supermarket was closed.


    She opened the doors and looked around, there were countable people inside being that it was a Monday morning. She made a beeline for the closest check-out counter which Reid pointed her to.


    Sylvester and Reid were moving with her, one ghost at each side. Connie was still spending time with Collin, her brother, America was at the orphanage with Diana and the Saxon spirit was in the space.


    "Good morning." She greeted politely although the young man behind the counter barely gave her any attention.


    "That''s Tom, he is naturally rude especially on Mondays so do not mind him." Reid shook his head; he had warned Tom countless times to work on his attitude towards customers but obviously he was still the same.


    Tom could be a bit of a drama queen, especially when he was getting over a hung over after drinking a little too much over the weekend.


    Phoebe''s lips made a sarcastic sound. "He won''t have a job for long if he keeps it up."


    Her words caught Tom''s attention as he heard them as clear as a gunshot. "What did you say lady?" Tom eye''s glared at her, daring her to repeat what she had just said.


    Now that she had his attention, she introduced herself in her full glory. "I am the shaman Phoebe Mayfair; you are probably familiar with my face unless you do not follow the gossip blogs in Fog country." She waved her hand in a dismissive way. "Where is your manager? Is he in and if no, what time will he be arriving?" She quizzed.


    Tom let out a short laugh, one intended to mock Phoebe. "I know who you are I just do not care, why do you want to speak to the manager? You can tell me." His fingers positioned the plastic name tag that was attached to his T-shirt. "I am the supervisor, I basically run the entire supermarket now." He lifted his chin proudly and folded his arms. "If you are here to complain, fill out a form and leave your phone number, we will get back to you as soon as possible."


    "Since when? He doesn''t deserve that position." Came Reid''s submission of shock, he was clearly disappointed by the development.


    "Miss shaman the manager''s office is over there, just ignore him." He pointed at a blue door that was positioned at the extreme corner behind the diary aisle.


    Phoebe flicked her fingers. "Thanks for nothing Tom, I have a feeling that I will not be seeing you here next month. It was nice knowing you." Her voice was laced with loud sarcasm.


    She successfully infuriated Tom and made sure to ignore his threats as she made her way to the door. To refrain him from stopping her the ghosts held him in one place.


    "What is going on? what''s happening to my feet." Tom yelled drawing attention to himself, the louder he screamed the crazier he looked.


    On reaching the office, before she could knock on the door or attempt to go in the door swung open. Phoebe saw a bold, short man in a green sweater vest with the tag that had the word ''manager''. He faced her and stared at her quizzically, his hands fondling the bunch of keys in his hands. She could tell that he had been about to go, and she was bothering him which made him unhappy.


    "Great, you must be the manager." Phoebe pointed at the name tag.


    "Can I help you with something?" The manager shifted his attention from Phoebe to a screaming Tom. "Oh, for God''s sake, what the hell is going on!" He excused himself so as to sort out the situation.


    Phoebe followed after him, she gestured at the ghosts to let him go, he had embarrassed himself enough. Sylvester made sure to push Tom forward, he stumbled and tripped over his feet, falling down.


    "Tom, what the hell are you doing? You better give me a good explanation as to why you are creating a scene or else I am firing you right now?" The manager''s displeased eyes looked at him.


    He looked around at the customers that were looking their way curiously and smiled, trying to assure them that all was well.


    "Why are you making a scene you idiot?" he hissed at Tom.


    Tom had just picked himself up and he was looking around with a look of confusion in his eyes. "I...I do not know, I couldn''t move my feet."


    He tried to explain but the manager only sneered, he was not Tom''s biggest fan.


    "I cannot believe that the boss made you a supervisor, you can hardly handle yourself let alone handling other workers. I will write a report about this." The manager spoke with pursed lips.


    A chuckle came from Phoebe. "I told you that you won''t keep a job for long." She commented.


    Her words only infuriated Tom who pointed at her with accusing eyes and anger. "You did this!" His eyes searched for the manager whom he reported to. "That lady interrupted me when I was working, she said that she is a shaman, and I told her that I know but I need to work. She did this to me because....be...be..." Words failed him, he could not say that he was rude to her otherwise he could be in more trouble.


    He also didn''t want to say that she had said he would be fired which infuriated him and resulted in his first scream. His manager was a deeply superstitious person, if he heard that he would definitely act on it. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Cat caught your tongue?" Came a voice from behind Phoebe.


    She knew the voice, so she didn''t turn around unlike everyone else, the police had arrived, and Shark was on the scene.


    "Detective Shark, CPD." He flashed his badge for the manager to see.


    "And I am detective Phoebe, CPD." Phoebe flashed hers for a fleeting second.


    "D...detective?" Tom gasped for air.


    What the hell were two cops doing in the supermarket so early in the morning? Both Tom and the manager knew for sure that it was nothing good.

 Chapter 362 - 362: Gone and forgotten.

    Phoebe gave Tom a deliberate smirk and evil grin, she pointed to her eyes with two fingers and then turned them to him. It was the world famous ''I have got my eyes on you'' sign.


    Confusion engulfed Tom''s entire being, was he in trouble for insulting a detective? What was going to happen to him now? Was she going to write his name in her little notebook and blacklist him? Perhaps she would craft up some fake charges on him just to teach him a lesson.


    Did she know that he had smoked some weed the night before, would she put handcuffs on him and drag him to a police station where he would have to pee in a cup? The more he conjured up wild scenarios, the more panicked he became.


    Within seconds, the back of his shirt showed wet stains, he was sweating. His shoulders shrunk and since he couldn''t vanish into thin air, the least he could do was humble himself and scoot to hide behind the manager.


    "You should have told us that you are a cop." The manager pulled his brows together to form a frown as he looked at Phoebe warily, wondering if someone had made some kind of health code violation report.


    He also thought about the rest of the complaints that they had received lately, and he picked one that stood out from the pile of thirty.


    "I hope that this has nothing to do with Mrs. Gwyneth Rowland''s death, the police have already been here, and the investigation was closed. We were cleared completely, if you want to re-open the case, my statement and those of the employees are not changing." He stated furiously.


    The woman had passed by the restaurant section of the supermarket an hour before her death and there was a lot of speculation about what caused her to die. She was healthy, a faithful daily jogger, she had attended the auction last night, bought some food in the restaurant and when she reached her house, she fainted and died suddenly.


    The police had been to the supermarket restaurant, and they questioned the employees on what she bought and anything she could have eaten. They even took food samples to ensure that she had not been poisoned.


    That was not enough, they wanted to know who she talked to, what she said, if she got any phone call that they happened to overhear and took security footage for the entire day as if a hidden killer had been laying in wait and struck when she was relaxed, doing some shopping.


    The name sounded familiar to Phoebe''s ears; she knew just one Rowland family in the neighborhood. They were a self-made powerful political family in Fog country, from that lineage alone had come a few ministers and governors even the current presidential secretary was a Rowland.


    Phoebe had heard about the death through Maria, she looked at Shark knowingly, if she had to guess, it was probably a case that he was working on, it was his cup of tea.


    Shaking his head, Shark looked around and replied, "We are not here on the Rowland case, we won''t be back unless there are any new developments. Is there something about that case which you wish to add?"


    His words put the manager at ease for he wiped away perspiration from his forehead and shook his head, he had nothing to add.


    "Then what is this about?" Hardly had the words left the manager''s mouth when sirens and honking sounds were heard outside. They could all see from inside that more police officers had arrived plus a team from the medical examiner''s office.


    It was no surprise to Phoebe to see that it was Claire, they always worked together on cases.


    "What the hell is going on?" The manager asked, his eyes laced with worry.


    To answer his question, Shark reached inside his coat pocket and extracted a folded paper. "Here, you will understand more when you read this, it is a search warrant granting us access to every inch of the supermarket."


    He gestured at the police officers to escort the nosy customers out, some had their phones out recording whatever was happening while others asked various questions to the workers, the bold ones asked the officers who responded by pushing them out as gently as they could.


    Claire and her team entered, they were already dressed and prepped to start work.


    "Okay! Show me where the dead body is Officer Pheebs." Claire wore a wide grin on her face, she could hardly contain her excitement.


    Nobody loved a crime scene like Claire, especially one with decomposed bones which provided a mystery. Sometimes, Claire could be a bit of a ghoul, and to some people she was considered to be insensitive because she smiled over dead bodies.


    This was one such moment, even though she was not standing over a body, she was loud enough so the customers and employees that were yet to be evicted heard her and frowned.


    Phoebe moved over to where she stood. "Could you maybe not smile so much?" She whispered and watched as everyone dive into shock.


    "D-dead b-body!" Tom screamed on top of his voice, his face became pale white, drained of its color just like the rest of the employees.


    The manager''s breath hitched, unsure about what all this meant. "What does this mean? Are we going to close up shop? How am I going to survive in this economy? Wait, do I have to tell my boss about this?" His questions seemed to be all the wrong ones and not just selfish.


    Detective Jones wore protective gloves as he approached the freezers. "Sir you are asking the wrong questions, wouldn''t you like to at least know who died? And how or why there is a dead body in your supermarket in the first place?" His voice was curt and intended to show his displeasure. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Shark expelled a sharp sigh. "Behind those freezers is the body of Reid Fisher. Does any of you remember him? He was your co-worker, won employee of the month more that everyone else."


    Murmurs erupted among the employees; the manager''s hand rose to touch his forehead. "Reid is dead?" The weight of Shark''s words pressed heavily on his chest. "How? When? I thought that he probably found something better after he disappeared.


    Look is there some kind of mistake, I mean I would know if he was here, I am going to tell you the same thing I told his parents when they came here in search of him, he isn''t here." he said slowly.


    Phoebe let out a short sigh. "They came to the right place because Reid died, and his body has been behind those freezers all this time." She stated.


    "My God!" Tom''s knees became watery, he crumbled to the floor. "Behind the freezers, how?" He added a question.


    "You know everything exactly how Tom, the night the two of you last sat up there, he accidentally fell and got trapped behind the freezers. Didn''t you hear him screaming at all?" Phoebe narrowed her eyes at him.


    Tom was really shocked, his horrified eyes stared back at Phoebe.


    "No...I... it''s not my fault, okay. When I came back from the store he was gone, so I moved to the counter and wore my headsets. I never heard from him since then I just figured he left the job." Tom stammered as he explained.

 Chapter 363 - 363: Bearer of bad news.

    The manager transitioned from shock to anger, his eyes glared at Tom. "Why the hell did you go up there you dumb ass? What were you thinking? Do you not think at all because we could be looking at a bloody lawsuit here from Reid''s family. You have eyes, couldn''t you see that it''s dangerous?" He berated him through his questions.


    "It was Reid''s idea, I swear he suggested that we lounge up there." Tom lied blatantly after all the dead couldn''t speak. It was better to lie against Reid than to be fired.


    Reid only shook his head and rolled his eyes, something that he did a lot. "It''s a lie but I don''t even care, he has always been a selfish lying prick." S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Do not lie against the dead Tom, both of you made the stupid decision to go up there whenever you got the chance. Just because he is dead does not mean you can dump all the blame on him." Phoebe was not going to let it slide.


    The manager''s chest heaved. "You are fired!" He placed his hands on his waist, heaving as if he had just finishing running two miles.


    "Wait, he has to answer my questions first. Until the coroner gives us an explainable cause of death this is still considered to be an open case." Shark pulled on Tom''s collar. "Now tell me, did you have any grudges against Reid?"


    "No." Tom responded loudly, very agitated.


    He was feeling so stressed that he wished he had some weed and a couple of beers to help him sail through the moment.


    "Who brought the drinks that night?" Shark quizzed Tom.


    "Both of us grabbed them from the storeroom." Tom mumbled.


    The manager groaned like an angry dog, "You were stealing from us."


    "No, it was from the bad batch." Tom whined.


    The manager was about to dig more into Tom, but Shark stopped him, there was only one detective with questions, and it was him.


    "How many beers did Reid drink?" he asked and narrowed his eyes at Tom, intimidating him with his gaze.


    "Three, four, five...it was so long ago, I don''t remember." Tom winced.


    Shark asked a couple of more questions not just to Tom but the other employees, from the responses Phoebe realized that Reid was an introvert who barely had any friends at least according to his workmates.


    It was quite sad on Reid''s end because he held them in high regard and considered most of them to be his friends.


    "How mean of them to say that they barely knew me? I worked with these people for close to six years." A lump caught in Reid''s throat.


    Sylvester rubbed Reid''s back in comfort, there was nothing he could say to comfort him.


    Shark closed his notebook and gave all of his attention to the manager. "What about the smell? I do not understand that part, are you saying that the foul smell didn''t affect you?"


    The manager shrugged, "To be honest, there was a time when customers complained that there was a bad odor coming from the freezer areas but one of them had an issue at the time and some meat had gone bad. Turning off those freezers is a no since the perishables have to be kept at certain temperatures at all times.


    We threw out the meat, activated charcoal was poured below and around the back of the freezers and in no time, things were back to normal." The manager explained, he figured that he couldn''t be blamed because he knew nothing.


    "Seems like there is no foul play." Phoebe rubbed her chin.


    Claire came up from behind her. "You cannot say that until a proper autopsy is done but from looking at things, there is a high possibility that it was the injury to the back of the head and spine that resulted in death, but it was not just that.


    I think there was some internal bleeding too, I am guessing he choked on his blood. poor guy that was a horrible way to die." She took off the gloves and sprayed her hands with sanitizer. "We are done here, see you later Pheebs." She saluted dramatically and left.


    Detective Jones tapped the manager''s shoulder. "You will have to close this place for a while." He told him.


    The news was expected but nevertheless, the manager was unhappy with it. "I guess that was expected." Deep lines marred on his forehead.


    "Its not like you will be having any customers here anyway when the news gets out that there was a dead body slamming it up in here." Phoebe pulled her lips to one side.


    Shark nodded once Phoebe had a point, none of those high and mighty ladies from the founding families would be setting foot in there. The supermarket was going to become one of those places that was given a judgmental side eyes for a while.


    There was a possibility of the supermarket being boycotted altogether which would put it out of business.


    "She is right, and besides you have to clean that area, maybe throw out the freezer altogether, I know for sure that I would not ever eat anything from there. In fact, I might suggest finding a new location altogether, that''s if you still want to stay in business." He looked around and pinched his nose.


    Shark imagined the press that was going to follow when word about the body in the supermarket where the high and mighty liked to shop go out. He gestured at Phoebe to follow him, the other cops would wrap up, his job was done.


    On reaching outside, Shark told Phoebe that he was returning to the office to follow up on the Rowland case.


    "You haven''t seen her ghost anywhere, have you? It will boost my career if it turns out that this is a murder case which I solve gloriously. It''s the Rowland''s, apparently the next president could be from their family. I have a chance to get in with the next first family before they take leadership of the country, it''s the big leagues Pheebs." He blew air into his hands and rubbed them continuously.


    It was a bit frosty outside, the wind was strong, and the clouds were gathering like it was going to rain.


    His words had Pheobe sneering. "Your greed truly has no bounds but no, I haven''t seen her, and I hope that she moved on swiftly. I will go with Jones for the death notification, at least he won''t hound me, asking if I have seen any famous ghosts that were killed." She began to walk away towards her car.


    Phoebe drove straight to the area suburbs where Reid''s family home was. It was a humble home tucked between two bigger and more refined houses. She parked in the open compound near Jone''s car, he was already standing next to his car, waiting for her. He walked ahead of her and pressed the doorbell; his face was grim as it always was when he had to deliver such news to a family.


    A middle-aged woman opened the front door and looked at them curiously. "Hello there, how can I help you." A welcoming smile tugged on her lips; she wiped her hands on the apron that was tied around her waist.


    Phoebe wished that she wasn''t the bearer of bad news, it was obvious that she was going to ruin her day, and that smile would fade from her face in a minute.


    Jones took the initiative to introduce himself and Phoebe. "Good morning, ma''am. I am detective Jones, and this is officer Phoebe of the CPD. Is this Reid Fisher''s home??"


    The smile on the woman''s face quickly vanished into thin air. "Oh God." She whispered.

 Chapter 364 - 364: Operation matchmaking.

    Under normal circumstances, Phoebe was usually happy and glad when a ghost moved on especially because she was rewarded with more days to live, and her body gained more ghost energy but not this time. Reid''s case was another sad one, a young man gone too soon and undeserving of death considering the fact that evil creeps like Dickson were still walking.


    Santos took over the driving while Phoebe sat in the back drowning in thoughts, her mind was replaying the moment Jones had informed Reid''s family that their long-lost child was gone.


    Some members of the family sighed knowingly while others, particularly his mother wailed as she clawed on her chest like as though she could reach inside and pluck out her hurting heart. She had lamented and cursed, wondering why such misfortune had to befall her son.


    "I prayed so much for his safe return, why weren''t my prayers answered? I really hoped___,thought that he was out there somewhere living a good life even though we didn''t know where he was.


    We are good people, we go to church, we donate to the unfortunate even though we are not wealthy so why us? Why my son? He did right by everyone and now he is good for good, why? Someone please tell me why." Reid''s mother''s words were accompanied by tears of anguish and despair.


    She had sobbed to a point of passing out and Reid decided not to say goodbye, it would just make his mother sadder anyway. He had been anchored to earth because he wanted his body to be found, with that accomplished, he had moved on.


    Phoebe let out a long sigh. "It is always the good people that die in the most painful and pathetic ways." She voiced quietly.


    The many why''s that Reid''s mother had uttered danced in her mind, making her question why certain people died and others lived.


    She sighed sadly as Reid''s face faded from her mind like mist. It was sad but at the end of the day her job was done, and the ghost had moved on. Perhaps his next life would be much better than this one. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The car drove to the mall, a place that she was visiting with a mission that had been given to her by her grandmother, matchmaking her aunt Maureen.


    She stopped by the herb shop in a bid to speak to Mr. Alton about going on a date with aunt Maureen. He was not filthy rich like them nor was he a member of the founding families, but he was calm, well-built and always wore a comforting smile each time she saw him. After fighting evil in the day, aunt Maureen needed someone as calming and uncomplicated as Mr. Alton to go home to.


    The mall was busy as always, crowded with shoppers going in and out of different shops, many heavy laden with bags in their hands.


    Phoebe had been to most of the shops in this mall, not to buy things but to familiarize herself with the owners and drum up some business for herself.


    She did not branch anywhere else but went straight to Alton''s shop, on pushing the glass door that led inside, she was welcomed by a bright smile as usual.


    "Good morning young shaman." Mr. Alton cheerfully greeted; he was extra bright today. "I have not seen you in so long that I was beginning to think that you abandoned your business, or have you found another herb vendor that you prefer to me? You cannot believe it but that black pearl tree seeds that you were so badly in need of, I got my hands on some." He immediately ordered one of his employees to bring them out.


    Phoebe pretended to be impressed by the news however she had previously sourced out for black pearl tree seeds and had planted a few in the space and at the farm.


    The seeds were used in her high-end exotic pendants and charms which were sold for a lot of money, twenty thousand dollars and above. She liked to use them because of their unique appearance and the trees themselves were beautiful. The species however did not grow in Fog country, only on Turtle Island, on another continent.


    "What would I do without you Mr. Alton." She exclaimed; her eyes opened widely like she was looking at one of the gold deposits in the Silver nation.


    "I will buy everything!" Her hands rifled through the small round pea sized seeds which were a deep blue-black, almost like tiny pearls. "Truly beautiful." she whispered.


    She was an expert at separating real from fake, there were a lot of fake black pearl tree seeds on the market. Mr. Alton was a good man, he never sold fake things but that did not mean someone else could not fool him or his employees.


    "Are you serious? If so, then I will give you a big discount." Mr. Alton''s eyes sparkled as he spoke.


    By the time the packing was done, Phoebe had bought not just the black pearl tree seeds but also black cohosh, white cohosh, sativa, saffron, vanilla and truffles. Her bill was quite enormous, close to one hundred thousand fog dollars which did not bother her at all.


    "You should be careful with the white cohosh because it can be poisonous if not well prepared." Mr. Alton warned as he swiped Phoebe''s card in the machine. "And don''t touch it with your hands, it can cause inflammation and blistering when it comes into contact with the skin. Oh, and remember, no pregnant or breastfeeding women around it."


    "I will be careful do not worry and please deliver these to the cafe. Now that regular business is done, can I talk to you privately?" Phoebe requested.


    Mr. Alton granted her request and led her to his tiny office. "I hope that everything is okay?" His statement came out as more of a question, Mr. Alton''s brows pulled slightly together, worried about what Phoebe wanted to say to him.


    Phoebe smiled and waved her hands dismissively. "Oh yes everything is fine however I was wondering if perhaps you would like to go on a blind date with my aunt."


    Mr. Alton was quite the catch, so many single older women had been passing his information around, and Connie had told Phoebe all about it. He was a widower for over fifteen years, his wife had died during childbirth, the baby did not survive either, so the man had dedicated the rest of his life to his work.


    A guffaw came from Mr. Alton. "Young shaman, look at me? I am an old man now, way past the dating era. Also, I do not want to replace my wife with another woman, and I don''t want to make another woman feel like she is a substitute."


    Phoebe appreciated the devotion that he had for his dead wife, but the woman was gone, he had mourned her long enough and it was time to find happiness, with her aunt.


    "Who said anything about replacing your dead wife? It''s just a date besides I already told my aunt, and she really wants to meet you, please just one date." She pouted her lips and made a cute face that was hard to say no to.


    Mr. Alton chuckled. "But I am not of your status, I come from humble beginning....."


    Phoebe raised her hand to stop him. "Nobody cares Mr. Alton, just say yes. You just meet her at a nice restaurant, eat some food, drink some wine and that''s it, there are no obligations expected of you." She persuaded only to convince him.

 Chapter 365 - 365: Tension between nana and Phoebe.

    After so much whining, Mr. Alton could not take it anymore and he agreed to Phoebe''s request and then sent her away. She left with a victorious smile on her face.


    When she reached the cafe, she was met by a huge number of customers inside, more than the usual noon crowd which made her wary. People did not gather in such large numbers unless something had happened.


    Murmurs erupted the moment she entered as the customers secretly pointed at her. Phoebe noticed that these were not ordinary customers judging from the designer clothes and expensive jewelry that they wore. She made a beeline for the jewelry counter where Rosset was, she was wrapping up a protection talisman, a necklace pendant which was expensive.


    It sold for one hundred fifty-five thousand fog dollars, she had some that were worth even more expensive than that.


    "What is happening here? Is it the necklace that I wore last night?" Phoebe smiled from ear to ear.


    Rosset chortled. "That''s out of stock and it''s good that you are here. You see those uppity women that your grandmother is serving various types of lemonades and low carb scones and croissants which are not actually low carb?"


    Phoebe chuckled, Rosette did not like customers that added words like low carb and non-fat this or that to their orders. They were quite complicated to deal with and they always sent their orders back to be redone, but it could not be helped, this was a rich neighborhood after all.


    Rosette swept her hand out, her eyes roamed over the heads of all the women. "Well, they are here to purchase love portions and happily ever after talismans." A sarcastic short laugh accompanied her words.


    Phoebe''s eyes studied the group, although many were wearing various types of disguises and being discreet, Phoebe could identify at least one; Sabrina Spellcaster.


    A sigh of frustration came from her, Phoebe did not think that Sabrina would actually keep to her words to come to the cafe in search of a love portion. Who was she even planning to use it on?


    The bigger question was, should she interfere, after all Sabrina was destined to be her brother''s wife.


    "There is another problem." Came Rosset''s word''s that pulled Phoebe''s attention back to her.


    "What is it this time." She asked, slightly perturbed. It was five minutes to midday, but she was tired, Reid''s situation had drained her vigor to seize the day.


    "The part timer quit, apparently her family was not so pleased to hear that their daughter was working with ghosts. She apparently narrated the tale of Humphrey and the demon to her younger brother, and he has not been sleeping so they ordered her to quit. You need to hire another human employee full time, someone that understands our work preferably." Rosset advised.


    Phoebe nodded once. "Will do." She personally began to help the customers until the number reduced greatly. Her grandmother was invested in a gossip session with Sabrina and four other women. Once in a while she waved her hand invitingly at her, but Phoebe only smiled and continued to work.


    When she was done, Phoebe moved to her office, kicked off her shoes and sank into the sofa. Hardly had she shut her eyes when the door opened. Obviously, it was her grandmother, she was the only person who dared to enter without knocking first.


    "Nana whatever it is, can it wait thirty minutes to an hour?" Phoebe''s voice was low as it was exhausted.


    Grandma Mayfair moved to sit in the couch opposite to the one Phoebe slept in. "Not if it concerns your mental health, you seem sad, don''t you have a personal ghost therapist? I noticed that you look dejected today, what is it? Where did you go this morning?" She quizzed.


    Phoebe reached for the ginger lemon tea on her table and took a sip first.


    "Forget me, what about you nana, I noticed that you slacked off even though we had very many customers." Phoebe responded in a dull voice.


    Grandma Mayfair pressed her lips tightly shut, she wondered who or what had driven her granddaughter into this state. Not only did seem less cheerful than normal but her words also lacked energy, and she sounded displeased.


    The old lady wondered if she was bothering Phoebe or being a nuisance as she once heard a maid say about her. That maid had been fired but her words had never been forgotten.


    A stone sat on grandma Mayfair''s chest as she looked at Phoebe, some tension grew in the room which made both of them uncomfortable.


    If it had been anyone else, old lady Mayfair would not have surrendered but it was Phoebe, the granddaughter she would move heaven and earth for. She did not want to alienate their relationship which was not even half a year old, so she decided to bend first.


    "I only came to inform you that Sabrina Spellcaster wants to have a word but since you are in an unpleasant mood I will tell her to come back later." Grandma Mayfair stood up to leave.


    Regret was already gnawing at Phoebe; she sat up quickly and gave her grandmother an apologetic look. "Nana I am sorry for my words, truly I did not mean to come off as rude or sharp. I know how hard you work here; the cafe would fall apart without you. I am just having a bad day; I had another case which twisted me up on the inside. "


    Phoebe apologized and told her grandmother about Reid which ended in both women wiping tears from the corners of their eyes. This was because Phoebe describe Reid''s mother''s grief in great detail and shared her lamentations.


    "Losing a child is a different kind of pain, it happened to me too a very long time ago. I remember the grief and the darkness which hit me when I gave birth to a stillborn baby. I cried so much and spiraled into depression for an entire year which was made worse by the absence of your grandfather for six long months at my most difficult moment.


    No parent should ever have bury their children, that poor woman, she will never be the same." Grandma Mayfair shook her head gently. "I understand where your misery is coming from, let me inform Sabrina that you cannot meet her today. You stay here and rest, I will turn away all the walk ins that want readings." She shifted forward to stand.


    Phoebe shook her head. "About Sabrina did you not emphasize that we do not sell love portions here?"


    "Oh, I did but that young woman is quite persistent." Grandma Mayfair answered.


    "Kindly bring her in, oh Nana by the way Mr. Alton agreed to go on a date with Aunt."


    Grandma Mayfair clapped once excitedly. "Really! We thank the heavens. I just pray that she doesn''t ruin it by dashing out half-way through the date. I swear, that girl works for the FNBI or something, maybe she is a spy." Worry came to form on her face.


    "It''s now in her hands; Mr. Alton is a good catch." Phoebe drew a smile, amused at the reference of aunt Maureen as a girl. Apparently, no matter how old you were, in the eyes of your parents you were nothing but a child.


    It didn''t not take long after her grandmother had left to come back and this time with Sabrina Spellcaster and some of her companions. Sear?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 366 - 366: Meeting a future sister-in-law.

    As the other women sat down and minded their manners, Sabrina remained standing, her crossed arms pinned to her chest as if they had been glued there. Respect for others was a word that was foreign to her, and she liked to show superiority, because she believed herself to be superior to most people around her.


    This did not make her a bad person, it just made her unlikable to most people that met her, not that she cared much.


    Phoebe''s eyes roamed over the young woman, she was undeniably striking, you could see it at first glance that she had the kind of beauty that was written about in songs and poems. Her long flowing hair, which was dark blonde shimmered like molten gold, cascading down her shoulders in straight lines.


    Her eyes were a captivating shade of emerald, gleam with sharpness and intelligence. Her skin was flawless, but she had a few faint freckles around her cheek bones, other than that it was like porcelain.


    Going by looks alone, Phoebe could see that the three children Sabrina and Andre were destined to have would be very good looking. Their personalities however, she could not begin to guess, after all, the mother was a menace and the father childish.


    Sabrina spoke before Phoebe or any of the other ladies did, her voice had a natural quality of arrogance that was either in born or well-practiced over the years.


    "Since I have been to almost all the shamans in Fog country, I can tell a quack when I see one, you have some talent." Her wandering eyes continued to move around the office as if in search for something. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe leaned forward. "Yes, I am aware of your interest in shamans, after all it was you that gave Leslie the spell of shadow manipulation that almost killed two people. You should not dabble in things that you don''t understand." Her voice was smooth but laced with accusation. She did not care if Sabrina''s companions heard what she said.


    Sabrina unfolded her arms and snapped her fingers. "Leave." She ordered the young women with impatience in her voice.


    Missy Castille took off the veil from her head exposing her face. "Come on! We want the love portions too you cannot command us to leave like this is your father''s compound."


    "She is right!" A brunette spoke. "What Miss Phoebe has said is not even a secret everyone knows. Ashley, Leslie''s mother told everyone that has an ear."


    A chuckle escaped from Phoebe on seeing Arrow''s sister. "Missy Castille, does your brother know of these extracurricular activities of yours? Or do you want me to tell David to inform him that you are going around in search of love portions?"


    Fury etched on Missy''s face. "You cannot do that! You would be breaking customer confidentiality and if word spreads, no one will dare set foot in here."


    Phoebe lowered her head and pointed her lips. "Imagine if someone used such kind of magic to take away your will to love willingly, or if say someone used it to snatch your boyfriend or husband.


    Would that be fair to you, do you know how many lives you can destroy? I do not sell love portions however I have ornaments and talismans that could help direct and lead you to the man that could be your soul mate.


    Also, everyone has more than one potential soul mate so if it doesn''t work out with one person, you can find another. If you use a love potion however, you are trapping someone else to love you while you freely move on if you don''t like them anymore.


    What will it be ladies, should I call your brothers and mothers to tell them what you are up to or will you be good girls and just buy some talismans and charms which are helpful but not dangerous?"


    Phoebe raised her eyebrows and looked at them sharply. The young women looked sullen, but they were smiling.


    "I want one of each and everything that will lead me to my soulmate. It will be so magical if I can meet him at a ball, like the Sunflower ball, we can dance all night, have a magical romance and our story can be turned into a movie." Missy Castille fidgeted with delight.


    The Saxon spirit sneered, "This one has watched way too many fairy tales."


    "Me too, my heart has been broken way too many times, I also want to meet my future husband at the Sunflower ball. If he can get down on one knee and give me a sunflower it will be dreamy." Said another.


    The women squealed and Phoebe scowled, they were all ridiculous. And what was with this fantasy of meeting men at balls, was there a lack of restaurants, mall, sidewalks, parties and other places where normal couples met?


    Phoebe waved her hand, sending them out. "You can go get whatever you need from Rosette, however you should know that not everyone gets to meet their soulmates immediately or at a ball. It depends on what destiny has in store for you." She gestured for them to leave.


    They squealed their way out of the office and the Saxon spirit closed the door.


    Sabrina rolled her eyes and sneered, a loud condescending sound. "At first I was skeptical about these abilities of yours but now I am certain that you are not that talented. How can a young woman like you know anything about true magic, even I am better than you."


    She snapped her fingers and the lights came on, she snapped again, and they went out. A triumphant chuckle escaped her because Phoebe seemed amused.


    "How did you do that?" Phoebe''s widely open eyes narrowed and studied her. "Sabrina by any chance are you practicing magic?" She added to ask.


    From the information she had gathered so far, Phoebe was aware that Sabrina was only seventeen which meant that she had not yet been indoctrinated into the world of magic. This only meant that she was practicing magic on her own which was illegal according to the laws that governed the founding families.


    "What a sneaky little young woman this one is." The Saxon spirit hovered over Sabrina. "How did she even discover that she had traces of magic flowing in her veins? I am impressed."


    Sabrina was yet to answer Phoebe''s question, she had no answer for she had used her magic blindly. "I do not know what you are talking about." She denied strongly, if Phoebe opened her big mouth then her chances of becoming a guardian could be ruined.


    Phoebe gave her a villainous grin. "What if I told my father who by the way is a member of the council."


    Her words caused Sabrina to stiffen. Her sharp eyes stared threateningly at Phoebe. "You could but I will deny everything." Sabrina wrinkled her nose.


    "Then I will slap a truth telling talisman on your back, you know what that is, right?" Phoebe responded.


    Sabrina leaned back; her shoulders hunched. "That would be mean of you, there is no difference between what I am doing and what you are doing. Why has the council not shut you down? You are from the founding family, and you have no license to practice magic."


    "That''s because I started practicing way before I knew of my origins besides you just called me a fake a few minutes ago. But worry not, I will keep your secret if you share some information with me." Phoebe propped her clenched fist under her chin.


    "Okay what do you want?" Sabrina fidgeted with her fingers warily.

 Chapter 367 - 367: Involuntary part time work.

    The air of arrogance in Sabrina dimmed a little, she could see that Phoebe was not as soft as she imagined.


    "The manipulation of shadows, where did you get the spell?" Phoebe asked.


    "Every founding family once had a witch or witches in their line, before everyone decided that they were too modern for ancient practices and locked away the grimoires of their ancestors. I am a Spellcaster, look at my name, it could not be more obvious that our family chose not to abandon the ways of our ancestors.


    Someone needed to teach the Miller''s a lesson, what I did was for the benefit of everyone. As for death, you cannot blame it on me, the caster of the spell was willing to use her vitality to destroy her enemy. Why is that my fault?


    It''s like blaming a gun vendor for the actions of a gun buyer. If I sell the gun legally, I am not liable for any of the actions of the buyer.


    Ashley Miller has not beaten up anybody since that incident, I believe that I did a great job. You should be rewarding me with flowers and dinner at a seven-star hotel, not accusing me."


    She answered so calmly, the arrogance in her voice came back with a vengeance. Sabrina was not unapologetic about her actions, which deeply frightened Phoebe as the young woman would be a Mayfair in future.


    "Ooh, this one is going to be trouble." The Saxon spirit whistled. "I can''t decide if she is evil or simply too righteous to a point of being blind to her own faults." It gasped. "Sanctimonious, I believe that word describes her perfectly."


    Phoebe agreed wholeheartedly and she decided to tackle the matter immediately. If Sabrina was to marry her brother, Phoebe wanted to do everything in her power to help her straighten her path.


    She raked her mind for solutions on how to humanize Sabrina more and it hit her, there was only one place and one job that affected people''s attitudes: the cafe.


    "I want you to work here part time." She looked at Sabrina calmly and suggested.


    This was killing two birds with one stone, Sabrina would become more sensitive to other people''s pain and emotions, and also, she and Andre would run into each other often. Even though they hated each other now, in future, they would get along better.


    The additional bonus was the fact that Sabrina was already in tune with the supernatural world, she would not be afraid of ghosts, demons, witches, warlocks and all that came with this job.


    Sabrina stomped her foot and blew out a sharp breath; her unhappiness was very plain to see. "You have to be kidding me? First of all, I am a minor that would be child labor and secondly, I have never worked a day in my life." She flashed her newly manicured fingernails. "These hands do not do hard labor; hell, I have a masseuse that massages my hands regularly on weekends while another works on my back." She added with pride.


    She was a pampered daughter of a wealthy family; she could live her whole life without working and die a billionaire. Why would she need to work?


    The Saxon spirit scoffed. "What a brat? Are you sure it''s a good idea to keep her around. She going to be more of a headache than help."


    "All the more reason to keep her here where we can keep an eye on her." Phoebe answered.


    Phoebe pushed the chair back and got up. "Yes, you are a minor but according to Fog laws, you are over sixteen which means that you can work for four hours and more on the weekend as long as you have your parents'' consent. If you do not know how to work then you will have to learn, no one is born with a skill to work we all just learn." She walked and stood to face her.


    Sabrina waved her hand dismissively. "You cannot make me, and my parents would never agree to this shit!"


    "Then you have to make them agree or else I will go running to my father and report to him that you have been practicing magic illegally since you were what...ten years old. You already have a terrible reputation as the terror of founding lane, adding this will not do you any good, who knows what opportunities you will lose with such a reputation?


    Which founding family will allow their son to marry you, you came looking for a love potion which means you do want someone to love you in future, right? Will they love you if they know you did something that almost led to the death of two teenage girls?" Phoebe''s eyes challenged her, she had trapped her and there was no way out.


    Sabrina''s eyes watered and she shuffled her feet. "Why are you doing this to me? I am going to lose my reputation if anyone sees me working and here of all places."


    "Ouch! It hurts when she says it like that, I work here too and I used to be richer, prettier and more popular than her." Connie appeared eating an expensive gold coated jellybean. When Phoebe looked at her, she could swear that the girl had gained some weight.


    Phoebe cleared her throat. "Sabrina you can go and think about it. You have two days after that I am telling my father everything. Two days is all you''ve got, decide wisely." She tapped on her left temple.


    Whether she wanted to or not, Sabrina was going to change for the better, if she stayed on the same path, she would be a danger to others. Phoebe watched the girl stomp out of her office.


    Sabrina''s face was washed in regret, if she hadn''t gone to the cafe in the first place, none of this would be happening.


    Turning her attention to Connie, a smile returned to Phoebe''s face. "See who we have here, Is Collin finally tired of your expensive appetite that he sent you away?" She jokingly asked.


    Connie floated and sat on the couch. "My big brother would never get tired of me, but I cannot say the same for yours." Came her words that earned her Phoebe''s famous side eye.


    "I am living like a princess, if I want it, he gets it for me." Connie laughed loudly. "Anyway, Collin left for a business trip, so you have me all to yourselves. I wanted to stay longer and be with my mother, but she cannot see me and my heart breaks each time I see her, she is so sweet and kind unlike Zephyra here who always condemns me." S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The spirit scoffed. "I am not your mother."


    "This is why we need to hasten the process, has Collin said anything about allowing me to meet the other Baltimore''s?"


    Phoebe asked, she had not heard from Collin at all, in fact he had not even attended the auction.


    Shaking her head, Connie filled her mouth with another jellybean.


    "And your memories? Have you remembered anything from that trip?" The spirit asked, it''s face etched with concern.


    The door opened abruptly, grandma Mayfair''s head popped in. "You have unwanted Visitors, I tried to chase them away, but they insist on seeing you." She reported.


    "Who are they?" Phoebe asked.


    Grandma Mayfair''s lips tightened. "Miranda and Katherine Saxon, should I bring them here? I will be present so worry not." She assured.


    Phoebe shook her head and slipped on her shoes. "No Nana I will come out and face them in the open." Whatever problems they had brought to her they were going to see the worst side of her.

 Chapter 368 - 368: A changed Miranda.

    As she shut the office door behind her, Phoebe made up her mind to meet Miranda and Katherine on the same level. If it''s war they wanted, she was ready to pick up her gun and empty every chamber.


    Her immediate assumption was that they were there to persuade her to marry David as soon as possible so that they could get their hands on her recipes. However, she planned to extinguish their hope by telling them that she wasn''t planning on getting married, not now or anytime soon.


    If they kept up the pressure, never. In this life, she would never allow her feelings for David to cloud her judgement and direct the path of her life. Stupid blind love was for fools and Phoebe Mayfair was no fool.


    She spotted them from a far sitting at the same table where Sabrina and company were sitting earlier. Most of the wealthy ladies were gone, they liked to move in groups like wolves that were hunting or just interacting socially. This was because many of them were rich and unemployed, which gave them a lot of time to make many cafe owners frustrated when they showed up.


    "You missed all the fun with the wealthy size zero women of the rich and entitled society, today''s orders were two non-fat fruit and yogurt smoothies with no pineapples because pineapples are too smelly, one non-fat hot chocolate, not too hot or too chocolatey and five non-fat iced coffees with room temperature ice." Rosette cut in Phoebe''s way and said, sarcastically.


    Sylvester guffawed loudly behind Rosette.


    "Mind you, ice cannot be room temperature and pineapples are not smelly. Also, chocolatey is not a word, I swear the more the money, the less they make sense."


    Phoebe rolled her eyes; Rosette was always ready and armed with something to say about the wealthy clientele that visited their cafe. She couldn''t blame her; they brought it on themselves.


    It lightened her mood a little as she approached the table with two Saxon women but that fizzled out because even before she sat down, they started with the drama.


    Katherine met her eyes. " With all the money the Mayfair''s have, can''t you find a better space than this? Your mind is too small when it comes to making business decisions. You obviously have a successful business, why don''t you have a vision?" She flatly commented, her eyes moved from Phoebe to Grandma Mayfair who sneered.


    "Kathy watch your words and be respectful." Miranda voiced out a sharp reproach, surprising everyone.


    Phoebe scoffed and sat down to face them, her grandmother sat beside her, her face darker than usual and unwelcoming. She had more than a few words of her own to share.


    "Katherine Saxon you were nasty as a child and that has not changed to date, my granddaughter has not asked for your unsolicited advice. If you were so good at making business decisions, the Saxon group would be far ahead, but we all know that your own work has been lagging behind since David left. If you are so great, why haven''t you picked up where he left off?" Grandma Saxon was determined to humiliate her, she was not going to be one of the people that walk on eggshells around her.


    Katherine''s face paled, she clenched her hands, digging the sharp tips of her nails into her own flesh to a point of drawing blood.


    "I am very sorry for her rude behavior old lady Mayfair; I did not raise her right and her arrogance has escalated over the years. Please understand that her attitude does not represent that of the rest of our Saxon family." Miranda apologized, her eyes were laced with genuine shame and remorse.


    Anybody that knew Miranda would faint at her new attitude; it was like an alien had invaded her body. Phoebe for one had never seen Miranda Saxon humble herself for anything or anyone, she and her grandmother exchanged glances uncertain as to why her behavior had drastically changed.


    "Mom what the hell are you apologizing for? What''s with this good girl act that you are parading around now?" Katherine pressed her lips into a thin line.


    "It''s the amulet." The Saxon spirit pointed at Miranda''s arm. Phoebe''s eyes followed its hand but she couldn''t see it because it was hidden underneath the coat''s arm. She also had no interest in wasting her energy on improving her eyesight to peek at the amulet, it was enough to know that it was there.


    It seemed to be a myth initially when she heard of the amulet, but it seemed that it truly worked, Miranda''s behavior had actually changed drastically overnight. She was nicer, her face more relaxed and seemed even warm and motherly in a way that gave Phoebe the shivers because Miranda was looking at her with what looked like love in her eyes.


    Phoebe cleared her throat and rubbed her hands against her arms for a moment as if she was cold. "Listen Mrs. Saxon, if you are here to cajole me into marrying your son my answer is a no. I have explained that to David and he understands it...."


    Waving her hand dismissively, Miranda chortled. "Oh I know dear, David explained to me in great detail this morning. What matters is that the two of you love each other, who cares if you get married now or at the age of ninety. It''s your life so live it the way you desire." She sipped on the non-fat iced coffee Rosset placed before her.


    It had caught Miranda''s eye that Rosette had rolled her eyes as she put the coffee down, but she was at peace, so much so that even something like that did not bother her. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Katherine shoved back the chair which made a harsh screech on the floor. "Mother? What do you mean?" She tugged on her front hair. "I...we need those recipes! She has to hand them over as dowry if she wants to join the family, you suggested that. Those recipes are mine, why are you siding with her?"


    Her cheeks burned with fury, what was she supposed to do now? She needed to make progress before her position was taken away and given to someone more qualified.


    Sighing softly, regret fell on Miranda''s face, and she looked down for a moment. "I know what i said and I am truly appalled that I had such evil thoughts." She raised her eyes and glanced at Phoebe. "I apologize for that, those recipes are yours and I advise that you guard them jealously otherwise, who knows what my greedy daughter will do in an attempt to get them." She threw Katherine a quick sharp glance.


    Without waiting to be embarrassed any further, Katherine''s fingers clutched on her purse, and she stomped out of the cafe hissing curses.


    Grandma Mayfair laughed loudly and snapped her fingers, her face washed in disbelief. "Miranda are you alright my dear? You seem like a completely different person!" Her eyes continued studied Miranda momentarily.


    The old woman was not sure what was more disturbing, a predictable rude and selfish Miranda or this unpredictable soft spoken one.


    A peaceful smile formed on Miranda''s lips. "Honestly I do not know but since this morning after meeting my son. I began to feel a certain level of calmness and happiness deep within, it''s hard to explain but I think that I have found serenity."


    Serenity! grandma Mayfair mouthed out silently. Was Miranda on drugs, was she high? She did not want to share these assumptions, so she just put on her best fake smile. "I am honestly glad to hear that, serenity looks good on you."


    Miranda''s gaze shifted to Phoebe, worry replaced the gentle gleam as she took Phoebe''s hand in a gentle hold. "My dear there is something that I have been meaning to ask you, it''s about Dickson." Her voice quavered a little.

 Chapter 369 - 369: Unmasking a psycho.

    A topic about Dickson was never a good thing, even hearing his name was enough to give her nightmares. Phoebe wondered what he had said about her this time that had managed to get Miranda worried and bothered, she could see the hesitation expressed on Miranda''s facade, whatever she wanted to ask seemed to be a difficult question.


    She decided to nip the conversation in a bud by getting directly to the point.


    "Mrs. Saxon, there is nothing going on between me and that psycho, I can assure you that whatever he feels, says or thinks is one sided. Even if I was not dating David, I would not pick Dickson, heck, if the entire world was hit with a meteor and only two people remained, me and him, I would off myself." Phoebe said with a lot of contempt. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She hoped that this would be enough to make not only Miranda, but every other Saxon involved in the matter comfortable. She curled her lips to the side and thought that perhaps what she needed was to open one of those social media pages and write in bold letters that she had nothing to do with that creep.


    Grandma Mayfair sneered; her lips curled to one corner. "He is really a disgusting leech that one, how you all manage to live with him amazes me. Dickson is a horrible human being, I do not know why it took so long for me to see it. There has been talk in our house about decapitating or castrating him so warn him to stay far away from any Mayfair. " She gulped a sip of water and slammed the glass on the table with a lot of strength, nearly breaking it in half.


    "Phoebe pardon me for asking but has Dickson ever done anything unmentionable to you? Has he tried to hurt you physically?" Miranda''s words came out in form of a whisper, from the moment she had seen her thoughts of him attempting to molest her, she had failed to move past it. "I have heard some rumors about things he has done to women and the way you reacted last time, I just don''t know what to think." she added.


    Grandma Mayfair''s walking cane dropped out of her hands, she knew what Miranda meant by unmentionable, it was a reserved way of referring to sexual assault in their society. Now that she thought about it, there was a certain way Phoebe reacted around Dickson, the revulsion on her face whenever he came close to her and the intense unexplainable hatred she had for him. All of it pointed to some kind of past trauma, was it really just as Miranda was asking?


    Phoebe''s face went still, blood drained from it. The horrible memories from her past life returned, Dickson had really tortured her in many ways, psychological and physical.


    "He is a beast, but he is going to pay for everything that he did to me, not even his Saxon identity will stop me." Hot tears lingered at the back of her eyes.


    Her words were confirmation to the listeners that Dickson had indeed hurt her. Grandma Mayfair furiously slammed the table. "I will tear him apart." She swore, her fingers moved slowly to form an iron clad fist.


    Miranda''s shivering hand on the other hand raised to cover her mouth.


    "I...I have to tell my father in-law! We cannot live with that monster at the tower." Miranda fished out her phone, but it slipped through her fingers like water, settling in her laps.


    Phoebe waved her hands in a dismissively way, if anyone was going to deal with Dickson it was going to be her. "Forget that both of you, David and I are going to end him. Do not worry he cannot hurt me now."


    She had no idea that the two women were assuming Dickson''s disgusting groping and his many attempts to molest her had been successful, and the incidents had occurred in this life.


    Although Miranda hated the idea of not reporting, she also wanted to respect Phoebe''s decision, and she felt better knowing that David was aware, and he was going to do something about it.


    No wonder he had beaten Dickson and broken all of those teeth; he was on a revenge mission. What people didn''t know was that David had gone back to the tower and attacked Dickson again this afternoon. It was part of the reason why Miranda had brought up the question.


    "Please hurry up with whatever plan you two are having. This morning, he announced to the family that he is the sole owner and founder of DC Pharma. He has good financial strength now my only relief now is that he and his mother are no longer interested in the Saxon group." Miranda sighed in relief.


    A dry chuckle escaped Phoebe, obviously Miranda undermined Dickson''s greed. "Mrs. Saxon, I am sorry to inform you, but Dickson is still very much interested in the Saxon group. Not just it, he wants to marry me such that he can take over Mayfair corporations and swallow it, becoming the richest man in the world probably."


    Hiccups erupted from Miranda; it happened only when she was extremely nervous.


    "That will never happen as long as I am still alive, I will kill him before he ever succeeds. I am not afraid to go to jail, just wait and see." Grandma Mayfair''s face hardened; she had her own suspicions, but she only thought that Dickson was interested in what Edward would give Phoebe as a wedding present.


    She was dead set now on getting rid of Dickson, whether it was in line with Phoebe''s plan or not. In fact, she was going to tell her son and grandsons about what that monster had done to their beloved Phoebe.


    Phoebe''s hand moved to cover that of her grandmother while her eyes laced with assurance met those of Miranda. "We need to take down Dickson in a way that he can never raise to his feet again otherwise, short of death nothing will stop him. Right now, we can''t even go to the police after all there is no evidence of what he did to me and many others, but you can be sure that I will not let him succeed in destroying our families." Came her words that were coated with confidence.


    Although the ladies wanted Phoebe to share the plan, she requested that they stay out of it further highlighting that this was hers and David''s fight.


    The conversation transitioned to a lighter note when Miranda invited the Mayfair''s to a thanksgiving celebration at the Saxon tower that weekend.


    "It is to thank the heavens for restoring my father in-law''s health. He would be very happy if you attend since it''s your tonics that healed him." Miranda smiled invitingly; she hoped to build a better relationship with Phoebe going forward.


    Although she wasn''t married to David, she was still considered as her daughter in law because David had said it was either Phoebe or he died single and childless.


    "Of course we have to be there." Grandma Mayfair''s voice was laced with glee. It was an opportunity to poison Dickson, the old lady thought.


    A short sigh came from Phoebe, her mind run to Phillip Saxon. It was at about time for him to get into that accident that resulted in the loss of his legs. In this life, it was on the same day as the thanksgiving which had not happened in her last life. Would things change because of this party or would they be the same as the last life?


    "I have to be there." She nodded once. Besides grandpa Saxon had invited her to visit, and she and Miranda were now on good terms which was weird to even think about.


    Anyway, she needed to save Phillip and get a few maids that put her through hell in her last life fired.

 Chapter 370 - 370: A good cheating scandal.

    Old lady Mayfair was faking her smiles, she kept looking at Phoebe with sad eyes that made her comfortable.


    "I will get you another coffee." Phoebe told Miranda and she stood up abruptly.


    "Excuse me." Old lady Mayfair quickly followed Phoebe and caught up to her by the counter. "Pheebs..." she started.


    Phoebe shook her head, focusing intently on the coffee machine and pushing the buttons with vengeance. "Nana, no, we are not having that conversation. I do not want to hear anything like I am sorry, I understand, I want to know exactly what happened, it was not your fault.... none of that."


    Phoebe''s finger paused and she frowned, come to think of it, why had Miranda asked her such a strange question, Dickson had not succeeded in laying a hand on her in this life. Something was wrong and she couldn''t figure it out.


    "She must have assumed that he did something to you because he has been coming after you so desperately and there have been rumors about him molesting other women." The Saxon spirit filled in the gaps quickly.


    Phoebe hissed slowly and scratched her head; the explanation made some sense, but she still felt as if something was off.


    Old lady Mayfair saw the frown on Phoebe''s face deepen and she assumed that it was the memories of the assault coming back to her.


    "My baby, oh my baby." she cried weakly and hugged Phoebe from behind.


    Phoebe did not know why she was being hugged or why, she twisted back and forth.


    "Nana, you are going to spill the drinks, people are looking at us and Sylvester wants to use the espresso machine, we are in his way."


    "Don''t hold it in, just cry with me." Grandma Mayfair sobbed louder, and Phoebe rolled her eyes, could her grandmother be any more dramatic? S§×ar?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She finished making Miranda''s drink and then slowly made her way back to the table with her grandmother hanging on to her the way some children held on to their mothers and had to be dragged forcefully.


    "Old lady Mayfair, what happened?" an astounded Miranda asked.


    Old lady Mayfair put her head on the table and sniveled. Phoebe had to wipe her grandmother''s tears away while engaging in a conversation with Miranda about the party that was planned for grandpa Saxon like gifts and a dress code.


    As the ladies were talking, a new ghost with a familiar face floated into the cafe. Phoebe had a very bad feeling the moment she saw Gwyneth''s face; she had seen her sometimes on TV in the company of her husband. She always dressed elegantly, reflecting sophistication like most wives of rich politicians in Fog country did.


    Her outfits were trend setters, even though half of the population could not afford to dress like her.


    "Gwyneth Rowland, in my cafe." Phoebe''s chuckled in wonder as she watched the ghost float gracefully towards her.


    This was the kind of woman that would never step foot into the cafe while she was alive. If she needed the services of a shaman, they would be brought to her and not the other way round, death had a funny way of balancing the scales.


    Her companions'' eyes darted around, unlike Miranda, grandma Saxon wore ghost seeing glasses so she could see the ghost.


    "As I live and breathe." Grandma Mayfair scoffed. "Were you murdered? Your husband has been on every TV loudly demanding for a detailed investigation into your death."


    Miranda leaned in grandma Mayfair''s direction. "What''s happening, who are you talking to? Is Gwyneth Rowland really here?" Her whisper was loud, enough to attract the attention of some customers in the cafe.


    They all knew the deal, if you see the owner or employees talking to the air, mind your business.


    In order to satisfy Miranda''s curiosity Phoebe waved her hand giving Miranda ability to see the ghosts in the cafe. She jumped out of the chair, her eyes so wide that her whites showed.


    "Gho...gho..ghosts, are all these people dead?" Goosebumps enveloped her body when she saw Gwyneth and all the ghosts in the cafe that were acting like normal humans, eating and conversing as if they were alive.


    She knew what Phoebe did for a living and also knew that she was not ordinary but seeing ghosts in person was very unsettling, but she put her fear and other feelings aside quickly because of the ghost that had joined them.


    "Gwyneth? Oh my God, I cannot believe what I am seeing, Is it really you? What happened after you left the auction? You seemed so healthy how could you die like that?" Miranda couldn''t hold back the sadness in her voice.


    She and Gwyneth had been friends since high school, the news of her sudden death had come as a shock to their group of friends.


    Gwyneth smiled sadly. "Mira, I told you that I do not want tears at my funeral. I am too furious to care about your emotions." Anger glazed over her eyes as she shifted them to Phoebe.


    "Furious, were you murdered?" Phoebe couldn''t help but imagine Shark''s wide grin when he found out.


    "Was it Theo, did he kill you?" Grandma Mayfair asked. When a someone dies, the first suspect is always the spouse; Theodore Rowland was the spouse in this case.


    Waving her hand dismissively, Miranda used her other hand to summon Rosset and make another order. This conversation was only going to get sweater with hot cinnamon buns and a cola.


    She turned to the rest of the group after making her order, "Theo would never do that to her! That poor man has been distressed. He just won the card to represent the Liberty party in the presidential race, but he hasn''t celebrated or talked about it since her death. We all know how much he loves Gwyneth, he is destroyed, okay, destroyed."


    Miranda was very passionate in her defense of Theodore Rowland. It was almost easy to imagine that she knew him better than Gwyneth.


    Phoebe sort of agreed, but at the same time she had learned in her line of work that a lot of people were not what they appeared.


    "A detective friend of mine told me that Mr. Rowland has asked the police to investigate the circumstances of your death Gwyneth. They are following every clue and visiting every place you were seen before you died. Do you really think he would rally all that press and put pressure on the police to investigate your death if he was responsible? Only a fool would do that so...is he a fool?"


    All the women looked at Gwyneth, awaiting her response eagerly.


    Gwyneth slammed her fist on the table, because she was an ordinary ghost, it had no effect. "I wish that he had killed me, at least then it would have been easier for him to get arrested and sent to prison. Nothing would have given me more pleasure as a ghost than to watch him suffer behind bars forever." Veins pulsed in her neck.


    The listeners exchanged gazes laced between confusion and curiosity, their eyes lit up as they realized that they were about to come into some delicious gossip. A dead wife of a prominent politician wanted her husband destroyed, there was really only one thing that brought most politicians down.


    A good cheating scandal!!!


    "Oh my God he fucked a bimbo!!" Miranda shouted loudly and gasped.

 Chapter 371 - 371: Revenge or justice, choose one.

    Phoebe and Grandma Mayfair drew back and gasped, looking at Miranda in surprise. It was not just them; the few human customers and many ghosts were also looking their way.


    "Shhh!" Grandma Mayfair hissed at Miranda.


    She was too invested in the gossip to put it to a stop however and she asked Gwyneth vigorously, "So, did he have relations with a bimbo, or did he kill you?"


    "He did not kill me," Gwyneth groaned, she did not know how many times she had to repeat herself. Residents of the founding lane liked to blow things out of proportion.


    No doubt, her death would be a bigger scandal if her husband had cheated and killed her, but that was not the case. "I had a cerebral aneurysm that ruptured and caused bleeding in my brain which led to my death, the medical examiner confirmed it. My death was straight forward I don''t know why anyone would claim murder." Gwyneth turned to Phoebe. "Can I have a glass of the strongest stuff that you have here."


    Phoebe stood up and brought the order herself, she was so fast that it took her about forty seconds to return with a tequila bottle and a glass. "Gwyneth, do you want me to show you how to move on?"


    She knew that it would be better for the woman to move on than to stay around harboring resentful feelings towards her husband. She poured tequila in the glass and pushed it Gwyneth''s way.


    Shaking her head strongly, Gwyneth gulped the tequila shot in one go. "Oh no honey I want you to help me get my revenge on Theo. He does not deserve to enter that presidential palace as president of this country. I will not rest in peace unless I know that his political career has been buried with me."


    "But you are already dead, no matter what he has done, do you have to see him destroyed?" Miranda''s words earned her side glances from everyone, she had to apologize for talking recklessly.


    Phoebe waved both her hands dismissively. " I do not do revenge Gwyneth; my job is to help ghosts move on or fulfill their last wishes."


    "This is my last wish!" Gwyneth exploded and gulped her fourth shot of tequila. "I do not want to become a vengeful ghost but if you do not help me then I will be left with no choice but to use any means necessary to snap his neck and I will do it when he''s on national television. Guess what everyone will then know of the existence of the supernatural which the founding families have been hiding from everyone for ages." Gwyneth''s gaze was coated with determination, she meant every word of what she said. "I will bury everyone with me."


    With a threat made, suddenly the gossip did not seem so delicious anymore.


    Phoebe could not believe that she was being threatened by a ghost, she had two options, help or forcefully send it to purgatory, a thing she did not want to do if a ghost was not evil.


    "What am I supposed to do in this kind of situations?" She quietly voiced asking for the spirit''s guidance.


    The spirit appeared, tapped its cheek with its index finger as it pondered on the matter, and it came to a conclusion within seconds. "This is the first time a ghost is asking you to take revenge on its behalf. I think that it''s interesting, let us hear the story first and then we will see how to help her.


    Revenge is not what we do normally, but we do not want Gwyneth to become a vengeful spirit, it will endanger more than just her husband. If we cannot help her, you can call in Amon or inform Rufus, they will handle it." It sat on one of the empty chairs, waiting to hear the story.


    While Phoebe was talking to the Saxon spirit, the two ladies at the table were also talking to Gwyneth.


    "Gwyneth, revenge and justice are two different things, if you go down the path of revenge you will become a malicious spirit. Do you even know what happens to malicious spirits? They become evil and have no chance of reincarnating; I advise that you leave Theodore alone and move on." Grandma Mayfair urged.


    "I know that already, I am a strong believer in the afterlife. I am a regular attendee of mass in the church of saints and angels, you don''t need to tell me all about reincarnation. However, my heart is burning with rage, that bastard must be destroyed for what he did to me. Taking revenge personally will be my last option, I will only do it if she refuses to be my knife." Gwyneth''s tone came in a dead pan tone.


    This sounded so familiar to America''s request that she kill Humphrey for her, only America wasn''t after revenge, she wanted to protect others.


    Miranda''s eyes drifted to Phoebe who sighed over and over like all the problems in the world rested on her shoulder.


    "Phoebe dear what do you plan to do?" She quizzed; she wore a sympathetic expression because it was obvious that Phoebe was at crossroads.


    Phoebe looked up and groaned softly and then gestured at Gwyneth to open up. "Go on, tell me what Theodore Rowland did, and we will join heads to come up with a solution that will leave you satisfied." Phoebe made a smooth proposal.


    Gwyneth chuckled dryly and took another shot of tequila. Old lady Mayfair was topping the glass up whenever it emptied as if she was on a mission to get the ghost drunk.


    Gwyneth slammed the glass down and wiped her mouth before beginning her tale, she believed that no woman seated at the table would have any mercy for Theodore after listening to her story.


    "Alright....you all know our love story...." She began but paused almost immediately because Phoebe raised her hand halfway.


    "I actually do not really know, so please share something, make it brief." Phoebe requested politely.


    Grandma Mayfair smacked the table lightly. "That''s right, this one must have been a baby when your reverse Cinderella romance took the country by the storm." She giggled a little.


    Miranda added to that. "A lot of people still call Theodore ''the male Cinderella'' or was it Cinder-lad. It doesn''t help that he is blonde and blue eyed."


    "Who can forget the drama and scandal which swept through the country, it was the princess and the pauper. poor small town boy Theodore Baggins had gotten a once in the lifetime opportunity to marry the daughter of the richest politician in Fog country, the great granddaughter of a former vice president." Grandma Mayfair had a faraway look as the memories returned to her. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Gwyneth''s face flushed with exasperation. "I should have listened to my father then, he warned me not to marry a man that was below my status, but I didn''t listen because I was truly captivated by his charm, it was almost like as though I was under a love spell." Her eyes moved to meet those of Phoebe who stared at her with an expression of confusion after all she didn''t understand the story quite yet.


    "I was twenty-one when I met Theodore Baggins at Berkley University, he was one of the students sponsored by my father. We were both studying political science, he was a double major, taking law as well.


    I would not have noticed someone like him normally, but he was a star student, charming and kind. He saved me and my friends from some drunk hooligans once when we were coming from a bar and that was the beginning of our entanglement, the making of Cinder lad." she laughed sarcastically.

 Chapter 372 - 372: A cheated life.

    Gwyneth looked so bitter but the ones those that were listening did not, they looked almost mesmerized as they held on to her words.


    "He was the kind of guy that any woman would be proud to date, he was the university champion of animal rights and the environment but mainly, he fought majorly for women''s rights.


    Although he came from an underprivileged background, he had the zeal and determination to make it in life. I myself was involved in politics because it''s the family business so we usually met each other because we had to organize events related to women''s rights and other political rallies.


    Somehow, we bonded and became friends, because of his looks he was what they call a chick magnet: tall and handsome but he paid no attention to women and his reputation was stellar, he was the perfect gentleman with no rumored flings or exes which i found even more attractive.


    In no time our relationship blossomed one thing led to another, one year of dating turned into three and a year after we graduated, he popped the question, and we got married amid so much controversy." Regret filled her eyes.


    The whiskey bottle was now halfway, it was a good thing ghosts couldn''t get drunk because if it was possible Gwyneth would be drunk by now. She paused, took another shot and continued.


    "On the night I died, I found out that Theodore had made a fool proof plan to advance his life by marrying a wealthy woman. He targeted me deliberately and looked into me before we even met at the university, hell, he specifically came to Berkley for me.


    He had corrective surgery and changed his features to resemble my first boyfriend Orion Darling, that baby face of his is as fake as he is. He hired the hooligans that harassed me and my friends so that he could swoop in and play savior."


    Miranda gasped loudly and she downed a shot of tequila that old lady Mayfair had poured out for Gwyneth. Phoebe could not tell what had Miranda shook between the fake baby face and the fake savior.


    "Baby face." The Saxon spirit said to her.


    A lot of women in Fog country were in love or had crushes on Rowland because of that face.


    Gwyneth did not pause to take in anyone''s reactions, and she was still talking. "He joined politics just so that he could draw my attention to himself and get me to marry him." She let out a loud belch.


    Miranda pinched her nose needlessly. "This is unbelievable! This is like watching one of those documentaries of women that have been cat fished and swindled out of millions. Wait, it''s called a romance scam, but I don''t even understand how it''s possible. Theodore loved you religiously, he even changed his name to Rowland just to show his dedication to you." She freed her nose, her eyes stared at Gwyneth in disbelief.


    "It was all a lie, that son of a bitch never loved me! Not even for one day. The worst thing he did to me was destroy my womb such that I could not have children." Gwyneth''s eyes shone with unscheduled tears.


    Miranda grabbed the tequila bottle and drunk straight from it, what she was hearing was so unthinkable. It was worse than a romance scam.


    "No wonder she wants revenge." The Saxon spirit said slowly, and Phoebe agreed wholeheartedly, she would be the same if she was in Gwyneth''s shoes.


    Grandma Mayfair brows knitted together; a rush of betrayal run through her spine. "How could he? My God just how?" She twisted her lips wishing that she could punch Theodore in the face.


    Having been a faithful supporter of Theodore Rowland for years she was horrified to hear that he actually abused his wife in hidden ways, violating her rights and freedoms yet he claimed that to be one of the strongest supporters of those same rights.


    Phoebe run a hand through her hair, she was starting to feel the need to actually accept to revenge on Gwyneth''s behalf. "How did he do it?" She quizzed through pursed lips.


    "On our way back from our honeymoon, we had an accident. A sharp glint of glass pierced through my stomach and entered deep inside my belly. I lost consciousness, when I woke up the doctor told me that due to the damage of the accident, my uterus had been removed.


    Theodore who gave the consent for the procedure to take place convinced me that he had to do it to save my life and then he emphasized that he did not need to children to be happy as long as he had me." A sharp exhale came from her.


    Confusion came to settle on Miranda''s face. "You cannot blame him for that though." She defended, not because she was still a blind supporter of Theodore but because the accident and what happened after was just bad luck. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Grandma Mayfair nodded. "I agree, in fact another man would run to marry another woman such that he can continue his blood line. He is a bastard, but I guess even he has some shame."


    As the two older women gave their submissions, Phoebe remained silent from her experiences for such stories there was always more. "Continue." She gestured at the ghost.


    A bitter laugh escaped Gwyneth. "Initially I felt the same way as the two of you, I felt indebted to him for saving my life and staying by my side even though I could not give him children. I was racked with guilt every time I saw him carrying other people''s children and dotting on them, I knew deep down that he wanted kids, but he was stuck with me, a damaged woman.


    After about a year, I started to get depressed because of this and my mental health was not the best at the time. My family was worried about me and that was when Theodore suggested that we adopt a child. It was surprising but I was over the moon especially when we took Kevin in.


    I would have preferred a newborn, but Theo said he already had a child in mind, the orphaned son of a soldier. He was a little older than I expected for he was seven but that didn''t matter, he was our son, and I vowed to love him.


    Theo took care of all the paperwork, I did not even need to go the orphanage, he brought Kevin home personally Around the same time, he hired a female tutor for him, someone from the orphanage he said, a familiar face that would make it easy for Kevin to adapt. It was after my death that I found out that the so-called tutor is actually his secret high school sweetheart and original wife. Kevin is their biological son."


    "What?" Echoes of shock rippled through them.


    Phoebe lowered her eyes and shook her head, she was expecting a twist, but this was just unthinkable, it was simply sinister.


    "Evil, this is evil! how could be so brazen to bring in his wife and son in your house?" Grandma Mayfair fingers tightened around the empty to go cup of coffee Miranda had drunk earlier.


    Miranda''s eyes flew wide open, lit like an idea had come to her. "Wait a minute does that mean that you two were not married at all?" She paused and moved her hands around as if she didn''t have the slightest clue what to do with them. "I mean that son of a bitch how could he marry you, yet he was already married? Shameless!"


    Gwyneth laughed, a cold bitter laugh. "He cheated me out of a good life, you all do not know how much I have invested in that man, physically, emotionally and financially. I raised their son and all that time he and his wife mocked me!" She sniveled.

 Chapter 373 - 373: Web of deceit.

    "He deceived me, even the hysterectomy was not needed, he had paid the doctor in advance and engineered the accident in advance. He had no shred of love for me so he did not want me to bare him children. The only woman he loved is that tutor, and if I had his child, her heart would be broken."


    The spirit moved to comfort Gwyneth who was now crying, she released all her frustrations that she was harboring deep within her heart. "That''s not even what hurts me the most in all this."


    "Its your son." Said Phoebe, her voice soft and soothing. It was not hard to guess, she had seen the softness when Gwyneth talked about Kevin.


    "Right, she raised that child with so much love, no wonder she wants revenge that man played with her emotions and belittled her in a grave way. For most women, their children are the bottom line, if you cross it you become an enemy." The spirit sharply pointed out.


    Gwyneth slammed her fist on the table as anger swirled, renewed within her. "I am dead, I do not care about his lack of love for me or how he conned me but I truly loved Kevin like he was my own flesh and blood. Not even once did I ever treat him harshly, I gave him the best in life, he lives a better life than some of my cousins.


    But imagine the shock when I heard him ask his father whether he will be inheriting my wealth now that I am dead. He said that they could finally reunite and live as a happy family now that I, the homewrecker was gone.


    He wondered how much I had left him in the will and if it was enough for him to open a casino. My body was still lying on the floor and that stupid boy could not even wait for my blood to run cold before measuring what he was to get." Her sharp tone laced with anger.


    "Its not fair, I am not contented to be buried like this. Those thieves cannot get my money, they cheated me. Father and son are all inhumane and they deserve nothing but death." Gwyneth heaved and ranted in a deep scary voice.


    The table trembled slightly, she was closer to becoming a malicious ghost than Phoebe had realized.


    Continuously clicking her tongue, grandma Mayfair was lost for words, she shook her head over and over but remained silent, lost for words.


    For a while, Phoebe and Miranda were the same, speechless, this story was full of twists and turns and each was hard to comprehend. How did one even begin to convince Gwyneth to move on and forget everything when he entire life had been stolen?


    The air was tense as the women looked anywhere but at Gwyneth who was on her way to finishing the contents of the tequila bottle.


    "Honestly he was just too perfect, his looks are top notch, there is no single bad picture of him out there. He goes to church every Sunday and kisses baby''s cheeks and shakes hands with large smiles.


    He works at a soup kitchen that feeds the homeless twice a week, is a judge at the annual Newcastle dog show, he recycles and works out. He cooks and cleans at home, his political career is centered around his respect for women.


    Majority of his supporters are female, he is so much revered among his peers with some calling him a moral campus for all husbands." Miranda broke the silence when she couldn''t take it anymore. "Oh and let''s not forget how he saved that kitten from being run over. That picture of him cradling the kitten in his shirt with his abs on display is the third most liked picture on the internet."


    "Indeed, he was too perfect, truly all that glitters is not gold." Grandma Mayfair finally spoke.


    Gwyneth''s eyes drifted slowly to look at Phoebe. "After everything that you have heard, do you still think that i can just move on? Even in the afterlife I cannot forgive that shameless man! He played me like a puppet, pulling the strings such that I dance at his tunes. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Mariska his so called true wife, she is at my house right now because she started out as a tutor, turned nanny and finally family because Theo suggested we let her stay. I wonder how many nights he sneaked into her bedroom while I was sleeping like a fool. She is in almost all of our family pictures standing next to Theo on his right while I am on his left with one hand on Kevin''s shoulder." She closed her eyes, mortified by the imagination.


    "My God!!" Miranda exclaimed.


    Flicking her fingers, Phoebe caught her gaze with Gwyneth''s, her eyes were apprehensive and her mind made up. "You are right, he is and evil liar and loser and he cannot be allowed to get away with what he did to you. You will have your revenge but let me think about it tonight, I need to find the best way to deal with him."


    "I have a few ideas." Miranda voiced out.


    Miranda and grandma Mayfair exchanged glances, apparently they had the same idea and Miranda vocalized it out loud first.


    "Old is gold, nothing hurts a politician like a scandal, as long as we spread the rumor about this Mariska and the origins of the boy, in no time your family will take care of the rest."


    "I couldn''t agree more..... what the hell!" Grandma Mayfair broke off, her eyes were drawn to the door.


    All the women looked in the same direction, their attention was drawn to click-clack sound of tapping heels in the nearly quiet cafe.


    "That''s her." Miranda whispered.


    The universe was quite funny because to their terrible surprise it was Mariska the tutor from Gwyneth''s tale. She had a smile on her face and was looking even more sophisticated than ever, dressed similarly to Gwyneth when she was alive.


    Of all the cafes which the wealthy liked to frequent, she had walked into the Black ghost cafe, on this day of all days. They all watched her as she approached the beverage counter to make an order.


    Grandma Mayfair sneered. "She really is a cunning fox, she pretends to be someone elegant yet she schemes to steal from another woman, ha!" She suppressed her desire to walk over to Mariska and pull out as many strands of hair as she could.


    "You were much prettier than her, she has a rat face." Miranda commented.


    "There are a lot of things that make sense now, Mariska always brought me chamomile tea before bed and I loved it because i slept throughout the night without waking up but now I believe that she did it so that she and Theodore could have uninterrupted time to them selves." Gwyneth''s cold eyes followed Mariska until she disappeared out of the cafe.


    Miranda sneered. "No worries friend, by the time we are done with them, they will crawl back to whatever small town hole they came out of."


    The two women got their phones out to begin operation bring down Theo and Mariska as Phoebe invited Gwyneth to stay in the cafe or the best ghost hotel in the city as Sylvester called it lately.


    She was confident that with the gossiping talents of the many members of the founding lane rumor mill, her involvement in Gwyneth''s revenge would be minimal or unnecessary.


    What she knew for sure was that the Rowland''s would either use this disaster for public relations or cover it up. Whatever they decided to do, Theodore Rowland would soon be Theodore Baggins, a man with zero money and zero political career.

 Chapter 374 - 374: Fun before trouble.

    Phoebe left the cafe at around five, three hours earlier than the usual closing time. It was because she had plans, she was meeting Luna and Evelyn at the La Belle boutique. It was a bit hard parting ways with her grandmother that had been acting clingy for the most part of the day.


    She only escaped successfully because the old lady was going to help Aunt Maureen prepare for her date with Mr. Alton which she emphasized over and over could not go wrong for any reason.


    Phoebe had the feeling that besides spreading the news on Rowland''s deceit, her grandmother was going to follow the couple in disguise to keep an eye on them.


    Phoebe''s destination La Belle boutique was a high-end fashion boutique that catered to the wealthy. It had just the one branch in Magic city and finally the mysterious owner had decided to open a second branch in Citrus city.


    To say that the wealthy residents of Citrus were excited was an understatement, the ladies especially were ecstatic. From the moment Phoebe stepped out of the car at the high-end mall where the boutique was located, she was given VIP treatment.


    A manager was waiting for her outside with champagne, her bag and phone were carried by assistants that escorted her inside. She believed that she was being given preferential treatment because she was a Mayfair until she met her friends, and Luna dropped the bomb that she was the owner of the boutique.


    Phoebe shook her head, wondering why she had been slow at piecing the facts together.


    "I opened this branch just for you Pheebs, so that you can come in here and pick whatever you need in comfort. You complained about other places being too crowded, too noisy, too unappealing and so on and so forth."


    Evelyn mumbled. "I am jealous."


    "It all makes sense." Phoebe commented, her eyes raised as the manager assistants and manager brought another guest into the boutique which was pleasantly quiet and devoid of other people. "Shanna? What a coincidence!" she exclaimed.


    Luna raised a finger. "It''s not, I invited our sister-in-law so that she too can select a gown for the Sunflower ball."


    Shanna greeted them with a warm smile as she came closer. "Hello ladies, I cannot believe that La Belle has been opened in our city. It is the one high end go to place for the most exquisite dresses in the country and yet they won''t expand. This is exciting, everyone I know is trying to book an appointment but apparently, they have no open spots. How did you all get in?"


    "You should thank Luna for this, she owns La Belle." She raised to her feet to greet Shanna.


    As they sat down, Shanna gasped and peeked at Luna, "Wow, no wonder you are always dressed in style. Why don''t you endorse your business?"


    Luna was a brand representative for at least ten big businesses in the country, one a clothing company.


    "Because they pay me, if I endorse La Belle, I have to pay myself and that makes no sense." Luna answered confidently.


    Shanna did not really see the sense in the response, after all if Luna advertised her business, she would have more clients. But then again, La Belle was not suffering from the lack of clients, it was thriving. A single dress could fetch up to thousands of dollars, the most extravagant ones even went into the million-dollar range.


    "Guys have you received an invite to the Saxon party this weekend? We should get outfits for that as well because Saxon women always overdress, they don''t want to be out shined on any occasion." Evelyn rose to her feet when two salesgirls arrived with a clothing rack full of dresses that were new in style.


    Luna pointed at it. "Ladies this is the Lohan Collection for the next season, these clothes have not even been showcased at the upcoming fashion week. Feel free to get whatever you like and don''t worry, what you pick will not be showcased as long as you are willing to pay top dollar for it."


    Evelyn clapped her hands together and rubbed them, "We are young, rich and famous, we can afford top dollar." Her hands reached for the ethereal flowing chiffon in a soft blush hue. "Now this will definitely get me a Saxon and a happily ever after."


    The other women laughed; Evelyn was as ever true to her romantic dreaming nature.


    "Girl, you are not the only one attending that party with that goal." Luna told her.


    Phoebe was not afraid of bold choices or drawing attention to herself, so she gravitated to the striking red gown with intricate diamonds and a daring neckline. "This will keep my Saxon''s eyes on me." she declared, winking at her friends.


    "Damn, she is trying to give poor David a heart attack." Shanna giggled.


    The women got busy with the shopping, changing into whatever clothes caught their attention. Phoebe''s world turned into a blur as she exhausted herself until her fingers drifted over a dress that she felt would be perfect for the Sunflower ball. She didn''t even notice someone approach her.


    "Are you Phoebe Mayfair?" A young woman''s voice pulled her back to her senses.


    Phoebe''s eyes roamed around, her friends were not in near sight, but she could see three other shoppers, she drifted her focus on the woman who asked again.


    "Are you dumb or are you pretending to be? Are you that so called shaman Phoebe Mayfair?" The young woman asked, this time her voice was louder as it was authoritative.


    "Yes, I am she, is there something I can help you with?" Phoebe answered as politely as she could.


    Hardly had the words left her mouth, when a hot slap near landed on her cheek, her quick reflexes had set in and saved her. Without thinking Phoebe raised her hand as high as it could go and slapped the woman.


    "Are you crazy? Is something wrong with you? How dare you walk up to me and try to slap me when I don''t even know who you are."


    Her eyes burned with fury, she was tired of random people waking up to her and assaulting her just because they had an issue to address, couldn''t they talk it out like normal human beings?


    "Oh yeah? How can you be shameless? You should be on your knees apologizing to me but instead you do this? Ha!" The aggressor laughed bitterly, she reached inside her purse and retrieved one of the bestselling necklaces sold at the cafe. "There." She hurled it at Phoebe aiming for her face. S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe''s hand waved, she swatted it back into the attacker''s direction, one of the stones on the necklace scrapped her face. Upon landing on the floor, the stones shattered into tiny pieces which surprised Phoebe.


    How was that possible? The stones from the space were ancient, resilient and strong, they would never shatter from a mere fall. There was something wrong somewhere and she had to get to the bottom of it.


    Luna had not been far away, she rushed to stand protectively next to Phoebe. "Do you have a death wish?" Her barking voice resonated in the now quiet boutique; the commotion had attracted other people.


    The three shoppers that were unrelated to the group of friends had gone as far as to pullout their mobile phones to record however Luna''s bodyguards knew the drill, they began to take away such phones from their owners and even went on to request the customers to leave while making sure to compensate them heavily.

 Chapter 375 - 375: The return of the past.

    Luna was ready to attack, her body language said so, but Phoebe was holding her back, she did not want bad publicity for La Belle on its official opening day.


    Meanwhile the attacker was holding a white handkerchief to her bleeding cheek. "I am going to report this to the police, every news outlet will know what type of fraud and malicious businesswoman you are Phoebe Mayfair." Her cold dark eyes brooded a mixture of hate and contempt.


    Judging from her words, the woman seemed to be a customer of her cafe, so Phoebe really wanted to settle the misunderstanding. She pulled Luna back just as her friend''s itchy fingers started moving to the waistband of her trousers in obvious search for a gun or a knife.


    "It''s okay Luna, let me handle it."


    The Saxon spirit appeared from the space. "I heard a commotion." It dusted away a mixture of gun and star dust powder from its apron, it was busy trying to create the magic bullets that they had once discussed about. I


    Phoebe''s focus remained on the attacker. "Listen lady, I do not know what this is about, but I am willing to listen. As for reporting things to the police, I find it rather funny because you attacked me and yet you say that you will make a report, I should be the one doing that, don''t you think?"


    The aggressor scoffed. "See how brazen you are after selling this fake thing to me! I want a refund. I am going to tell everyone that those precious stone pendants are actually fake, just wait and see! You think that I will be scared because you are a Mayfair dating a Saxon, but I won''t back down."


    "Is that so?" Came a soft female voice from behind one of racks. A gorgeous red head stepped out; her striking beauty had all the eyes drawn to herself. "I have one just like it and do some of my friends."


    "Moria!" Evelyn exclaimed.


    She could not believe that she was seeing Davids'' ex... well she was not an ex because he did not date her, but she had been betrothed to him as a child. David ended the betrothal in their teenage years, Moria left the country, and she had not been seen since then.


    "Moria, as in Moria Mortimer?" Luna mouthed silently; her fingers pressed her mouth as if to stop herself from speaking.


    Evelyn and Shanna''s eyes stared wildly at Moria, almost like she was a dead person that had come back to life.


    "Fuck me! When did you come back to the country?" Evelyn blurted out.


    "It really is her." Came Shanna''s tiny voice. "Pheebs, i think that we should leave, or you should leave, I will handle this matter for you." She proposed.


    She did not want Phoebe to exchange words or get into a fight with Moria, it had not been a secret back then among the girls that Moria was very much looking forward to being a Mrs. David Saxon someday.


    Shaking her head, Phoebe shrugged away Shanna''s hand, she was not going to run with her tail tucked between her legs. She wanted to get to the bottom of the issue at hand lest it affect her business. As for the pretentious red head whose mannerisms reminded her of Ruth, she would see to that later.


    "No way, this lady must explain to me what she is talking about. I personally get these stones from a valuable supplier, so they are one hundred percent genuine!"


    "I believe that since I actually have one just like it." Moria came to Phoebe''s defense, she took off the necklace and hurled it on the ground, it remained intact. "See! Where did you buy this necklace really? Was it from the black ghost cafe or was it a copy from one of those downtown shops." She waved her hand dismissively. "You know what, never mind. Let me call the police commissioner and I will request that he personally handles this." She reached inside her purse and fished out her phone. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The attacker fell on her knees, and she rubbed her hands together repeatedly. "Please, do not involve the police i beg you. All i wanted was the compensation money to pay for the hospital bills for my sick father who is dying at the hospital."


    Moria sneered; her thumb hovered over the police commissioner''s private number. "Well, I will leave that decision in the hands of the person that you aggressively attacked." Her eyes shifted to Phoebe. "What do you want to do?" She asked.


    Phoebe looked at the woman, a sad expression laced on her features. She made a momentous decision to help her, was this not why she had the foundation? "What is your name?"


    "Gemma, Gemma Michelson, please forgive me. I bought that necklace from a vendor downtown, like I said, I have been defrauding people to pay for my father''s hospital bills but it''s a bottomless pit and I am out of a job. I rented my house, sold my car and everything worthy that I own."


    Phoebe stretched her hand to her and helped her stand. "Do not worry Gemma, I will help you pay for your father''s hospital fees, whatever the cost." She promised. "On the condition that you would never think of committing crimes like this again."


    "Really?" Gemma mouthed in disbelief, tears of joy fell down her cheeks as she thanked Phoebe over and over.


    Moria scoffed; she continued to study the woman that she had been replaced with. She came to a conclusion that Dickson was right, she was a village bimbo and not much of a competition, getting David back was going to be easier than she thought.


    "Wait, why are you showing her mercy?" The Saxon spirit held a displeased quality in its tone. "Even though she has a sick father, this is an obvious plot that has been hatched by someone. This Luna''s exclusive boutique that caters to the wealthy on appointments. How can a someone with weak finances get through the door unless she was brought in by one of the three clients that came in while you all were still shopping."


    "I know that, but I am going to let things play out and see where it will lead. Moreover, doing good deeds is a great thing. The money paying the hospital bills is going to come out of Luther''s foundation, not my pocket." Phoebe replied.


    In the meantime, Luna was grilling the boutique manager while keeping an eye on Phoebe.


    "How did these people get in?"


    The nervous manager twisted her fingers as she replied, "Three people had appointments today, they are all gold card holders of La Belle. According to the rules you set up, old card members are served at any time with or without an appointment."


    Luna looked at Moria Mortimer and she shook her head. "Yeah, that rule is no longer effective for Citrus city customers and also from now on, I will be approving all gold card holders in this city. Remove Moria Mortimer from the list of approved clients in both cities. She is as fake as that fake red hair on her head."


    She touched her pocket and felt the brand-new knife that she kept in there, there was a chance Moria Mortimer''s blood would be the first it would taste.

 Chapter 376 - 376: Why had she returned?

    The two women that were already familiar with who Moria was were already engaged in a quiet conversation, keeping their bewildered eyes on her as if she would vanish at any moment, or maybe throw out a punch and they would need to intervene quickly to save her not Phoebe.


    Phoebe had ghosts, talismans and supernatural strength on her side, unless Moria had similar means, she would be eviscerated in the fight. Shanna listened more while Evelyn did most of the talking.


    "Why do you think she is back after all this time? It can''t be good, I mean look at her, she is looking at Phoebe the way a hawk looks at fish. Wait, do hawks eat fish?" Evelyn asked, her brain spiraling with multiple questions. "You know what, I think they do because I saw it in a documentary once that was shot by an ex. I used to date a guy that takes wildlife pictures and videos for a living. I can''t remember his name, anyway, I swear to God that I already have a blood curdling feeling about this." She chewed on her thumb nail nervously.


    Shanna''s hands clutched nervously on the handles of her bag as she soaked in all of Evelyn''s relevant and irrelevant words. "Ooh, you are not alone on that blood curdling, I hope that it''s not what I am thinking, perhaps she just returned to check on her family. Old man Mortimer is very ill apparently, rumor had it that he won''t see the year''s end."


    A scoff loudly came from Evelyn. "Shanna, she has been gone for over ten years and when she returns the first thing she does is bump into Phoebe and they both happen to have red hair, hell no, she is not back to visit her grandfather. She is probably looking for an opportunity to become Mrs. Saxon, the Saxon in particular being David." She continued to grumble.


    Unbeknownst to them was that Moria with her sharp hearing was listening in on the conversation. She turned to face them after sending away the manager.


    The three women were taken back when Moria waved at them and smiled. The smile so warm and welcoming that it confused Shanna and Evelyn, Moria was a bully in the past and treated everyone like they were below her. She was the founding lane''s original bad queen bee, especially when she was still David''s publicly acknowledged fianc¨¦e, a lot of people had been happy when she left the country.


    "It was nice to see you ladies, I hope that we can meet and catch up, I am going to be around for a while." She scanned all of them, her eyes sizing them up and down and then she looked at Phoebe and said slowly, "A very long while."


    Luna laughed; the sound was as loud as it was sarcastic. "Cut the bullshit, I know who you are and if you are here to mess with Phoebe then you have me to contend with. I will advise you to think twice before you do anything, guns and knives don''t have eyes."


    Luna was very direct when she gave the strong warning, from the background research she had done on David, this Moria was a rejected fianc¨¦e that left because she was scorned and now, she was back for revenge or to reclaim the position Phoebe now occupied.


    Flickering her eyes like a confused little girl, Moria offered Luna a faint smile. "Oh, you must be the Elithera woman, the big bad wolf, I have heard everything about you." Her laugh transitioned to a dramatic one. "I am not here to cause any trouble and despite what you might have heard, I am not a bad person. You have seen me all defending Phoebe, would I do that if I had some vendetta against her? Ladies, we are grown-ups, let''s try to be civil." She turned on her heel and began to stroll away.


    She did not buy a single thing from the shop, which cemented Luna''s thoughts that she had come to size up Phoebe even more.


    Slightly baffled, Phoebe''s eyes remained fixed on Moria''s back. "Luna what is going on? Why would she mess with me?" she asked, looking baffled.


    Moria- the woman''s name seemed to ring at the back of her head but nothing came to mind, she had definitely heard of it but she couldn''t remember where. What she could guess was that the woman did not have the purest intentions in offering her help.


    Evelyn and Shanna moved closer to Phoebe with Evelyn spinning Phoebe to face her. "Are you pretending to be naive or you really do not know who that is? I assume that you have done your research on David''s exes to know who matters and who doesn''t." She arched an eyebrow, mesmerized that her friend was so trusting that she did not do a background check on her boyfriend.


    All the women looked at Phoebe, Evelyn and Shanna had the same bewildered look in their eyes, Luna just looked curious. The reason for Shanna and Evelyn''s looks was because background checks were not unusual in their society. A lot of people were looking to marry up and they told many lies to achieve their goals.


    Phoebe shrugged. "Why would I dig into his past women, he is with me now and that''s all that matters. If he wants to go, the door is wide open." Her response was colored with indifference. Even in the past life she never cared to know about David''s women and not once were they a problem in their relationship.


    Suddenly her eyes lit up like a great idea had popped in her head. "Wait a minute is she one of David''s exes? Is that why all of you were hostile to her? Come on, who here doesn''t have an ex?" Phoebe chuckled, she couldn''t help but feel like her friends were only being childish and foolish. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Oh, you poor naive thing, your innocence at times irks me." Luna''s moved her hand to pat the top of Phoebe''s head.


    "Same here." Evelyn snapped. "That woman was not just David''s woman; she was betrothed to him since they were babies." Her tone was effortlessly harsh. "When they were in diapers they used to have play dates, Moria practically grew up in the Saxon tower. She was the high school queen bee and he the heartthrob, they were like couple royalty on founding lane. Well...they didn''t really date because David was not into her, but she was into him and they were engaged."


    With furrowed brows, the dress which Phoebe had just picked up slipped through her fingers. "What? Moria, you mean that Moria!" She now recalled the name; David had mentioned it once in the past life.


    He had told her in passing about a childhood engagement that he called off which earned him a lot of criticisms from the elders. They were still dating back then, and she did not know any of the founding families, so Moria Mortimer never stuck in her mind. That''s why neither her face nor her mind struck a chord in her until now.


    "Do you get it now Pheebs?" Luna twirled her around to face her. "From everything that skunk Moria has said she is back only for one thing: David. So, what are we going do about her because Luna is ready to do what Luna does best."

 Chapter 377 - 377: A secret is exposed.

    "Ladies, in my opinion, relationships are an open-door policy, you cannot force things. If he decides to leave, I won''t hold him back and cry." She shrugged.


    Apparently, that was not the response her friends wanted to hear because they looked at her as if she was no better than a fool. They shared glances of amazement and decided silently that they would deal with the problem on her behalf.


    "Okay, she is talking crazy, and I have the urge to slap her." Evelyn commented.


    "You might need to get in line because I am willing to do the same if it will make her come to her senses." Shanna said.


    "Nobody is slapping her," Luna came to Phoebe''s defense. "But I am willing to watch you kick her butt." Looking into Phoebe''s eyes with confusion, she asked, "David is crazy about you, he lowered himself to wait on other people in your cafe, you are shopping with his black card right now; he has good looks, and he is apparently great in bed."


    "Woah.....ho ho!" Shanna squealed and then honked like a duck.


    "That...I want to talk about that." Evelyn shouted eagerly.


    Phoebe was exasperated and her face turned quite red in embarrassment, "Where in the world did you get that review?"


    Luna shrugged; her background check had been very detailed.


    "Look, I am not saying that I am going to give him up without a small fight if it comes down to that, but I am not going to lose my sanity over a man. Why are we discussing my relationship, anyway, aren''t we supposed to be holding a funeral for Evie''s latest failed conquest?" she changed the topic and turned to Evelyn.


    Every time one of her flings ended, they had to light a candle, say a short prayer and burn anything the ex-had left behind or given her. In addition to that, she had added a cleansing with sage ritual lately.


    Phoebe cleverly slipped away from Luna''s arms and sat down to enjoy some more champagne while Evelyn found herself to be the new center of attention under Luna''s questioning.


    "You dumped another one!! do you pluck them like flowers in a garden?"


    Moria''s return was forgotten and shopping turned into a girls'' night out. It was around eleven in the night when Phoebe separated from the others.


    On her way home there were a lot of questions swirling in her head. Her friends had come up with various scenarios as to how she could go about the situation if Moria decided to become a stone in her relationship. Phoebe had decided to take Shanna''s advice to wait until they were certain about why Moria was here.


    When she was with her friends, she was distracted so she did not think a lot about Moria, alone, it was harder to avoid the thoughts.


    "There is always something or someone trying to separate me and David." She voiced quietly.


    The Saxon spirit clicked its tongue. "Do not even think about backing out, that crazy woman cannot come back after all these years to claim him when he did not want her right from the beginning. I wish I knew more about their story at least then you would know who you are up against." It pulled its brows closely together in a frown.


    "One thing is for sure, that woman is truly cunning. I am not saying this out of jealousy, but I could see that her meeting me was a calculated move. Only one person can confirm this and that is Gemma." Phoebe rubbed her chin; it was why she had not let the woman go.


    At the right moment, she would bring her out and use her to expose Moria.


    Nodding in agreement, the spirit handed Phoebe a bullet that it had created. "In other news, we have succeeded in creating magical bullets. This is the first sample; all we need is a test subject."


    It was a very light silver bullet with intricate runes running from top to bottom.


    "I doubt any ghost or supernatural something is going to offer itself as a test subject." Phoebe laughed knowingly.


    "What about Sylvester?" The spirit tugged on its ear; it''s face very calm which made Phoebe realize that it wasn''t joking.


    Her eyes widened in disbelief. " You cannot believe serious! Sylvester is our ghost! He is one of us." She tossed the bullet back to it.


    A measured laugh came from the spirit which was studying her expressions. "He won''t die; it will weaken him for sure but that can be fixed by you transferring some energy to him. As long as David is around you have an endless source of energy. You have accumulated over ten years of life from him by kissing, cuddling and heavy petting, more is to come as your relationship develops so you are good to go." It made a reasonable proposal.


    Phoebe twisted her lips to hide her embarrassment, she just knew that nosy spirit was watching over them.


    "Do they hurt, the bullets?" Phoebe voiced her concern, Sylvester had been so good to her, always taking care of her like a brother, she had grown to become so fond of him.


    The spirit shrugged for it still had no idea about how the bullet worked. "This is like a prototype; I believe that we will have to make many more samples before we actually come up with the final product."


    "If this actually succeeds, I can sell these bullets to the ghost catchers." Phoebe closed her eyes and leaned back, counting how much she would make.


    The spirit sighed heavily and shook its head. "Oh, my dear I did not realize that you were considering selling these. If those are your plans, I will go and have a chat with Sylvester about his role to play in this because there will be a lot of testing." It vanished.


    Phoebe nodded, if Sylvester was hurt even once, they would have to capture an evil ghost and use it as a test subject. The conversation with the spirit helped Phoebe to take her mind off of the Moria saga.


    When the car came to a halt, a smile grew on her face for it was always comforting to come home to her lovely family that was always happy to see her. She was excited to hear about how her aunt''s date had gone.


    However, on this particular day she found no welcoming noise at home, it was all quiet as if everyone had gone to bed which was unusual. They rarely went to bed before she returned, upon stepping into the foyer, Omar requested her to go to the living room where her family was waiting.


    "Is something wrong?" She asked only for Omar to lower his head and disappear as soon as he had finished delivering the message.


    The tension was even thicker inside the living room with the air wafting with grief and heavy with words that were yet to be said, her mother was crying silently with her aunt and grandmother comforting her. The three Mayfair brothers seemed furious; some had their fists clutched. Her father had his face drawn tight with fury, his eyes colder than a winter night.


    Collin stepped forward first, grabbed and embraced her tightly, taking her by surprise.


    "I c-canot b-breath." Phoebe struggled but managed to say, her hands lightly pushed against her brother''s chest. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Collin pulled away from her, his eyes flashed with unscheduled tears. "I am sorry baby sister, I truly am, I should have found you faster." The tears came rolling down his cheeks.


    Phoebe wore a perplexed expression, a lump formed in her throat on seeing her brother cry. She was certain that something terrible had happened.


    "Wh..what''s going on? She stammered, very nervous.


    Her father exhaled sharply. "We know everything that Dickson did to you sweetheart." He spoke through pursed lips.


    "And I am going to kill him." Collin growled out.

 Chapter 378 - 378: A Mayfair foe.

    The unexpected words that came out of her father''s mouth caused panic to surge in her bones for one, it seemed like pretty soon, it was possible for this news to hit the gossip mill and she would become a woman to be pitied because Dickson had harassed her and two, never before had she seen her father''s eyes glint with a murderous intent.


    Furthermore, fear than worry spread through her veins, she was worried about what her brothers would do, one had already declared that he was going to kill Dickson, what if he made good on his words. Phoebe did not want them to become murderers, after all her harassment had happened in another life, not this one. They did not need to go to battle for her.


    She could feel their furious gazes looking at her as if in search of unsaid answers. She opened her mouth to say something but quickly closed it for she wasn''t sure about what to say, what if she aggravated the situation.


    "Tell us what happened and leave nothing going out." Edward''s voice was low but commanding, his accusative eyes laid upon Phoebe. "How could you keep something like this to yourself? Do you even consider me to be your father at all? You have men in your life that are willing to die to defend you, this is something you should always remember.


    No matter how small a grievance you suffer, we want to know about it. Your grandmother said that that bastard molested you countless times...." he paused and shut his eyes, there was pain etched on his forehead. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    His eyes were red, whether it was from tears or anger, Phoebe could not tell. Her mind delved on the fact that her grandmother was not using her gossip talent to take Theodore down, she was spreading unnecessary information.


    [Of course, grandma had to open her chatty mouth even though I pleaded for her to leave this matter alone. Now look what has happened, I should have said nothing when Miranda asked me. How the hell did she even know?]


    Her eyes which were sharper than scalpel moved to meet those of her grandmother who was already looking at her.


    Grandma Mayfair did not quiver but rather twisted her lips to the side, she hardly regretted anything. Dickson had harmed her precious granddaughter; he had to pay.


    "I am sorry Pheebs, I know you wanted to keep this to yourself, but this is not something that I could keep away from your father. My lips were on fire, I wanted to run and tell him the moment you confirmed my suspicions.


    I had made a painful decision to shut my mouth to give you time to deal with Dickson as you and David saw fit, but it didn''t help when that shameless Margaret showed up at our house today, all I wanted to do was break her shameless face."


    Collin''s eyes flickered with a thousand questions. "David knew!" He shouted; his eyes fixed on Phoebe waiting on her to confirm his words. "You trusted him but not us! I am your older brother Pheebs, if someone has hurt you, I should be the first to know." he banged his fist on the pillow furiously a few times as if it was Dickson''s face and stopped only when Luke urged him.


    "I knew that son of a gun David couldn''t be trusted, how could he keep something like this from us, at the very least he should have told me!" Collin hissed as he moved towards the window, he fidgeted with his phone.


    Phoebe cared less about that she was more interested in why Margaret Saxon had come to her home. She was truly as shameless as her son, showing up where she was not wanted all the time.


    "Why was she here?" Phoebe quizzed. "Why did that woman Margaret come here." Phoebe asked this time her voice came in a demanding tone.


    A scoff came from Jennie. "Margaret was shameless enough to come here with an official proposal of marriage between you and that molester! I had to be cordial with her because I did not know, why didn''t you tell me this? I should have slapped her face and gouged her eyes out." She lamented, as she punched her clenched fist on her chest.


    Phoebe felt sorry for her mother, but she also didn''t know how to comfort her when she was going through her own motions after hearing why Margaret had come over. "How brazen of her." She whispered. "So, does she know now? Did you confront her grandma?" She prayed not because otherwise all her plans were going to be washed down the drain.


    "She should have, if had known about this, that bitch would not have walked out of here with both legs intact. I don''t give a fuck about the Saxons, they can all rot in hell if they decide to protect that witch and her son." Aunt Maureen boldly claimed.


    She pointed at grandma Mayfair, Edward and Jennie, "Because you are all known out there to be such virtuous people, everyone thinks that the Mayfair''s are weak although we are one of the most financially strong families and have very powerful connections. We have no need to fear anyone, not the Saxon''s, police, president or press. With our power we can cover the skies in Fog country, and nobody will dare to say a word but instead look at us.


    The Gabriel''s hurt Phoebe, Ruth hurt Phoebe, Dickson hurt Phoebe, Katherine insulted Phoebe and you all just folded your arms. It''s because of you that she has a bullseye on her back that has made her a target." She spoke through pursed lips, throwing her brother scathing looks because he was in charge of making big decisions in the family.


    She harbored slight resentment inside her heart that Edward to date had refused to fully investigate the circumstances of their father''s death, instead he had banned any talk about guardians or a Mayfair becoming one. He was also the one that stopped all of his sons from being involved in the supernatural world, now they were weak and fragile.


    Edward was riddled with guilt, his sister''s words did not make him feel better, only worse. He was regretting the fact that he had ever welcomed Margaret into his house. It was her fault that she had raised a monster for a son. There were countless rumors about the horrible things that Dickson did to the young women from ordinary families that he seduced with false promises of making his wife.


    "That imbecile! He dares to walk around freely; he takes us for granted. Do you know how many girls he is rumored to have dishonored? And he even dared to lay his hands on my child! I am going to end him." The steely look in his eyes was all that Phoebe needed to know that her father was not going to just sit back and watch.


    Collin hammered his fist on the sofa armrest. "I swear to God that the next time I see that Dick one of us will be going to prison and the other will be leaving in a body bag and it will not be me." Large veins pulsed in his temple.

 Chapter 379 - 379: In the race to become murderers.

    Things took a turn when suddenly, Edward picked up a steel sword from down and laid it on the table with a slam. He did it with a lot of strength that the glass table cracked.


    "I will have his head for dishonoring my child." he declared, in a very serious voice.


    Phoebe''s eyes widened in surprise; her eyes shifted from the sword to her father. [Wait, what!! Is my dad crazy? Who beheads someone in this day and age? Someone should tell him that its crazy.]


    Phoebe looked around for another person that thought Edward was crazy, but they were nodding.


    "I will do it dad," Andre volunteered, "A brother defends his sister''s honor, it was the old way. Just like Collin, I am not afraid of prison."


    The look on his face strangely reminded Phoebe of one his characters, a villainous alien lord, he looked just like he had done in that movie, terrifying.


    Luke who was the only calm person in the room stood up, he had heard enough of the self-sacrifices. "None of that will be necessary, put away the sword dad. I will do it and make it look like a ghost did it, not one of us needs to go to prison. As a doctor, I know which areas to target without anyone noticing and besides killing him off swiftly would be a gift to him, I want to make him suffer first, very slowly. When he dies, it should be in agony, great agony that he begs for death to come quickly." His voice was carefully measured.


    Unlike everyone else that acted on their impulses, he liked to plan meticulously which made him the most dangerous one out of all the Mayfair brothers. A thing that Phoebe was just coming to realize and suddenly it hit her; no wonder he was a great match for Luna.


    "That is if I do not poison him first." Grandma Mayfair had already laid out a plan of her own, there was no way she was going to let Dickson roam around freely while Phoebe was haunted by the memories of what he had done to her. It was either he died or every bone in his body was broken, leaving him a paraplegic and was refused from their society.


    Aunt Maureen patted her mother''s shoulder. "Count me in mother, we do not even have to look so hard to get rid of him. We can put a contract on him, that is the Elithera business, and we have one in our pocket so word will never get out that we put out the contract." She went on to squeeze the shoulder reassuringly.


    "He is a Saxon, it will cost us, but we can afford it." Jennie stopped her crying and contributed to the conversation. "How much do you think it will cost, I know that Luna will not do it personally to avoid suspicion, she might send one of the highest unknown lieutenants from their gang. I would like to pay for this one personally."


    "I can pay, if this is ever traced back to us, I will take the fall and I still want to participate, he should know who wants him dead and why." Collin said through clenched teeth.


    Phoebe wanted to pull all of her hair out because she had never witnessed anything more amazing..or disturbing, she could not decide which. Her family was sitting around the table, discussing how to murder someone, had they turned into the Elithera''s?


    "Ah-ah-ah....." Phoebe crossed her hands and shook her head. "This is one of the reasons as to why I told grandma not to say anything, you are all now in a bid to become murders and I am not going to allow that happen, nobody is killing anyone." Phoebe''s voice cut through the tension.


    Andre''s fist thumped his thigh, he had run out of tears since he had been crying from the time, he heard the news and all that was left in him was rage. "Can you blame us? Father asked you earlier about how it happened, when did that beast put his hands on you?" He paused to think. "Hold on, does that mean that you and Dickson knew each other before you became a Mayfair or did he molest you after you became one." His mind sifted through the pieces of the story, but it was a jigsaw puzzle with missing fragments.


    Silence covered the entire room, they all stared at her waiting for her to say something. "Yes, sweetheart was this before? I doubt he has the nerve to do that to a Mayfair, he is too cowardly to even try." Stern curiosity lingered in Edward''s eye.


    In that moment Phoebe felt the room grow smaller which was suffocating, she wished that the ground would open up and swallow her. How was she supposed to explain this? Just how?


    [This happened in my past life, one in which you all never met me thanks to Ruth''s plots, I can''t explain, It''s complicated]


    The Mayfair''s had their eyes on Phoebe, but they were waiting for subtitles from her inner thoughts because they knew she would probably not say a word.


    Luck was on their side, but what they saw was not what they expected, they did not get an explanation, just more confusion. Grandma Mayfair was more expressive than others, she gasped in shock, her face mirroring the confusion of the rest of the family members. However, no one dared to ask a thing. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Aunt Maureen took the initiative to speak. "Listen everyone, I do not think that we should press Phoebe for answers. She will reveal everything to us when she is comfortable." Her narrowed eyes remained fixed on Phoebe''s forehead just in case she dropped another bombshell.


    Letting out a small exhalation of pent-up breath, Phoebe gratefully smiled at her aunt for coming to her rescue. "Aunt is right, I do not want to talk about this, and I do not think that I ever will. I will handle Dickson, none of you should get blood on their hands." Her low tone turned dismissive as if to lightly warn anyone that would want to bring up the topic again.


    "That is not a decision only you can make, I personally want to know what that prick did so that I can have it done to him." Countered Collin.


    Phoebe glowered at him slightly before responding with undisguised unhappiness in her voice. "Collin, I don''t know how to put this softly but among the people here, I expect you to understand me the most especially after what Ruth tried to do to you. If I remember correctly, you never wanted to talk about that incident, and we all respected that so, please respect my decision too."


    Aunt Maureen''s eyes opened slightly wider. "What did Ruth do to Collin?" Her eyes pierced her brother Edward for answers.


    Her question earned her side glances from multiple people in the room.


    "Nothing." Came a collective response.


    Edward''s fingers drummed dramatically; it dawned on him that even the CPD would not be able to get any information out of Phoebe if she did not want to disclose what happened. Things were even more mysterious with this past life that she had thought about.


    "It''s okay let''s respect Phoebe''s wishes." His eyes drifted to Phoebe. "Forget about me leaving Dickson alone, he has to pay the price whether you and David have your plans or not. If only there was a piece of evidence against him that could get him locked up for life, no matter how small."


    It was either death or prison, and as it stood now, all the Mayfair''s had voted death.

 Chapter 380 - 380: Nobody liked their plan.

    Hardly had the situation began to calm down when David arrived. Phoebe was taken aback because David had told her that he was very busy since the cough outbreak was already on the brink.


    The countdown into the three months of coughing and sneezing was now in its last hours, because the cough was deadly to children, David was working day and night, only taking small breaks between in order to ensure that there were enough vaccines to go around when the time came.


    The last place she expected him to saunter into as if he owned the house was Mayfair manor.


    "David?" Her voice cut through the weak tension, she rose to her feet and quickly moved to stand by his side, currently the Mayfair''s were not fans of his especially Collin who was giving him a scathing look. "Why are you here? I thought that you are extremely busy at least that is what you told me." She continued to ask.


    She put both hands around his waist and gave him a side hug, he looked very exhausted, as if he had not slept in days.


    David planted a small kiss on her lips then he shifted his attention to the rest of the Mayfair''s before finally settling on Collin.


    "Good evening, everyone," he greeted slowly with some hesitation in his voice. He could see that something had happened, something not good. "I heard that there was an emergency so I dropped everything that I was doing at the lab and came home as soon as I could." His eyes continued to move around, it came to his knowledge that the Mayfair''s seemed very unwelcoming.


    He frowned and looked down at Phoebe that was rubbing little reassuring pats on his back. "Did something serious happen?" His voice harbored great concern.


    Even in the midst of all the tension, Phoebe smiled genuinely, she was the only one whose mind was stuck on the fact that David had just called Mayfair manor home. If her friends heard this, she knew that they would scream and jump around just as she wanted to do.


    Collin expelled air out of his nostrils. "Why didn''t you do anything when you found out about what Dickson had done to Phoebe? For God''s sake why didn''t you tell us? You had no right to keep that information to yourself even if Phoebe asked you to!" His eyes bulged in disbelief, just when he was beginning to trust the guy, he had quickly become a disappointment.


    He was probably protecting his own perverted brother or the reputation of their Saxon family. Collin made up assumptions that stirred his rage anew.


    As his brows rose up, David''s inquisitive gaze moved to Phoebe who bit her bottom lip, her eyes looked everywhere but at him.


    "You told them?" he whispered.


    They both knew that Dickson had harassed her in their last life, not this one.


    He wondered how she had explained what had happened and came to the conclusion that she had not told them about the rebirth. It was not something someone easily explained to others after all.


    David recalled the few times he had seen the Mayfair''s react in unexpected ways while looking at Phoebe and a suspicion that had been growing in his mind for a while came to him. What if the Mayfair''s could see Phoebe''s thoughts like he could? What if that is how they found out, it was a thought that was not so farfetched, otherwise how else would they have found out something that had happened in Phoebe''s past life?


    "My sweet Nana decided to tell everyone here, something that I begged her not to do. Oh, and by the way your mother knows too, in fact all this began with her questioning me about Dickson." Phoebe briefly explained to David. "I did not exactly deny when I was faced with the question. I let my anger get the best of me."


    Grandma Mayfair pointed at finger at herself. "Are you really angry with me? Pheebs, I have already explained the reasons why I had to reveal this. I am sorry, but justice must be sought, you are my precious baby. You should be blaming that succubus Margaret and her beastly son, not me." She came to her own defense.


    David sighed, a soft sound came with it, his attention returned to Collin. "Who said that I did nothing? Have you seen Dickson lately?" His eyes narrowed at Collin.


    A sneer let Collin''s mouth. "No, I haven''t but the news is everywhere that he is soaring in the business world like an eagle, I believe that you have heard that he is the president of DC Pharma.


    While you were sitting on your hands, he was becoming richer and expanding his resources. A family with a large clan like yours does not get rid of useful children. Even if you reveal his crimes, odds are that some people will want to protect him.


    You both should have come to the family earlier, I don''t know what you two were thinking." He pressed his lips tightly shut.


    "Of course I am aware, in fact Phoebe and I put him there. You all know DP holdings, right? Well, it belongs to us, this is information that only a few people have, and we would like to keep it that way. We plan on taking everything away from Dickson, crippling him financially and ruining his reputation in a way that he cannot raise to his feet to hurt anyone else." David told them about some bits from the plan that they had.


    He left out the fact that Phoebe was turning him into a puppet to be used against the supernatural enemy behind the scenes.


    Their plan was a good one only that none of the Mayfair''s were convinced. They were out for blood, a plan in which Dickson lived was not good, it was similar to Ruth being allowed to live and look how that turned out? Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "That''s it?" Luke asked, a glint of disappointment lingered in his eyes.


    Aunt Maureen scoffed; her head moved in disbelief from side to side. "I was wondering the same thing! At the end of the day Dickson is a Saxon, he will never be as ruined completely as you both are imagining, he has the support of his mother. He is not a complete idiot; he must have money reserves somewhere and people will still be willing to do favors for him disgraced or not. Hell, some smaller founding families will still be willing to marry their daughters to him because the Saxon name opens doors. I think you two should sit this one out." Her face flashed with exasperation.


    An unnecessary cough came from Edward, he wanted everyone''s attention. "There is a way to make him lose his financial and social status plus family ties, I will have to talk to uncle Rufus about this matter during his thanksgiving party. With all the council members present, I doubt that he will blindly support Dickson''s evil deeds. I plan to make a spectacle, one that he will never forget." he stood up because he did not want to be convinced otherwise.


    As he left the room, his eyes drifted to David, in them lingered a warning not to divulge his plan, not even to his grandfather.


    Even with all the solutions presented, some of the Mayfair''s were still not convinced they planned to stick to their original plans, death to Dickson.


    "I have a date, please excuse me." Luke calmly spoke, he spared Phoebe one last glance and walked away.


    The dark look in his eyes made her shiver and wonder what he was planning. That was not the look of a man going for a date.

 Chapter 381 - 381: Pampered with more love and gifts.

    There was nothing she could do about him, so she turned to everyone else, planning to make a quick exit with David but Collin stopped them, he had a different look on his face, like a cat that had chanced upon a saucer of milk.


    Phoebe took a step back and hid behind David, "He looks like he is going to eat us." she whispered


    David could not have agreed more, Collin was like a man looking at a tasty morsel of food and it was unsettling.


    This was because from the moment Collin heard that his sister and David owned DP holdings, the long elusive answer he had been looking for was answered. He never thought the mysterious big shot that everyone was hunting for was under his very own roof.


    There were countless thoughts running through Collin''s mind at the moment, covering up the dark topic which had been the subject of conversation a while back. A very big smile lay upon his lips for he just couldn''t control his excitement.


    "Okay, is he going to fight me or hug me?" David asked Phoebe.


    She shrugged, how could she know the answer, he had gone from being surrounded by darkness to glowing light in a heartbeat.


    "You two, why didn''t you tell us about that you owned DP holdings? How did you even do it?" Collin asked back-to-back, looking from Phoebe to David.


    "Luck i guess." David remarked jokingly, no one would ever believe that within two years he had built a company from scratch, and it had grown to become one of the strongest companies in Fog country.


    Many people thought DP holdings had connections in different government agencies which was how the company had managed to grow rapidly. In a way, it was true that they had inside information, it was just inside David''s mind.


    Collin chuckled decisively. "Ha luck! that is not possible, I am not a kid that will follow you because you have offered me cheap candy." He raised his hands in surrender. "Alright, you don''t not need to reveal such valuable information, I understand the need for secrecy however sweet Pheebs this is not fair.


    Why don''t you assist Mayfair corporations that same way that you do for DP holdings? It will be nice having another sibling that is interested in the company for once." His eyes stared at her with newfound respect.


    "Wow, you are really good at hiding secrets, little sis, from now on I am bringing all my movie projects to you for investment. My money God, make me as independently wealthy as you are." Andre put his hands together and bowed while laughing lightly.


    He was still angry about Dickson, but he could see that Phoebe was happier when they were not talking about that creep.


    Phoebe waved her hand dismissively. "Brothers, you have everything mixed up, I don''t do anything for D.P holdings. On my birthday, David here gave me half of the shares in his company which is why it is our company." She jutted her chin upwards. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What?" Came a collective question from the ladies that were listening in on the conversation.


    Aunt Maureen staggered a little like a drunkard as she approached them. She put a hand in Phoebe''s shoulder and looked into her eyes.


    "Baby, you mean that this man who is not even your husband gave you half of his booming company, why? And do not say love because I will not believe it."


    [Well, we were married in our past life, technically I was his wife, or I am his wife. Does it even count anymore? Whatever, we are together again anyway.]


    There was silence and confusion again, which were the common reactions to seeing her thoughts.


    David slipped his fingers through Phoebe''s hand and held it with confidence and a smile.


    "I may not be Phoebe''s husband yet, but she is my life partner, these shares are not even half of what she is worth. I am willing to give her the whole world if she asks for it." David''s tone was laced with certainty.


    This time, he was the one that surprised everyone with his bold statement. How many men would give up half of a company worth a few billion to a woman they were not even married to?


    "Bro, have you heard of a prenup?" Andre asked.


    Collin punched Andre''s shoulder, and he winced.


    "Ohhh." Jennie let out a small dramatic cry. "I thank the heavens that my daughter found a man that is worthy of her, they have compensated her for the pain she suffered. David my son, I appreciate everything that you do for our Pheebs." She sniveled.


    "Son!!!" Andre and Collin exclaimed.


    It was official, their mother was one hundred percent team David.


    Grandma Mayfair clapped once. "See i have an eye for these things, I always told you that David was a good match for Phoebe, now see how he is loving on her by the way if you must know he keeps buying her lavish gifts like diamonds, luxury jewelry, a yacht, perfumes and many more. I have even heard something about a private plane." There was a tinge of pride in her voice. "Show me a better addition to the family." She flipped her hair back.


    It almost seemed as if those things had been bought for her and not Phoebe.


    Collin sank into the chair, he would do anything for Shanna, but David was not someone to contend with, he was over the top. "I have nothing to say, David today you officially become my only recognized brother in-law. Yachts, a company and a plane!! damn, he is one lovesick puppy." He sighed theatrically eliciting laughter from the group.


    David was beaming with pride and smiling, if he had known that revealing such information would get him accepted faster by the family, David would have done so earlier.


    "I have to leave now." He announced.


    Jennie waved her hand. "Of course you are such a busy man, go on. From today on, I will be sending you meals at your lab, make sure you send me your schedule and inform me if you will skip any meal." A warm smile continued to exist on her lips.


    "Thank you, mom." David boisterously answered.


    Collin offered to escort David to his car leaving the women alone.


    Phoebe stopped smiling as she met the renewed pitiful gazes of her mother, grandmother and aunt. "Not one word and not one tear unless you don''t want me to talk to you again." she announced very seriously.


    They all nodded and held in the emotions; to divert their minds they had dived into a different conversation on the latest topic that had taken the founding lane gossip mill by storm.


    "Guess whose ghost was at our cafe today?" Grandma Mayfair started the conversation.


    She exaggeratedly told the sad unbelievable story of Gwyneth and Theodore, leaving Jennie and Aunt Maureen stunned. They had heard snippets but Grandma Mayfair tied everything together with a neat bow.


    "My goodness! So, it''s all true? Miranda posted parts of the story in the fabulous ladies chat group, but she left out the names of the parties involved." Jennie browsed through her phone and displayed the chat conversations.


    A dry laugh came from Phoebe. "Leaving the names out was pointless, from the reactions here everyone knows that it''s Theodore that they are talking about. Which other politician in the country rescued a puppy shirtless?" Her dry laugh transitioned to a real one.


    It was ridiculous, Miranda had literally given away the identity of the involved parties in the headline which read: Exposing a fake women''s rights activist and shirtless puppy rescuing scumbag named TR for bigamy and a romance scum.


    Who else could the puppy rescuing scumbag named TR be? The options were not many.

 Chapter 382 - 382: Whose gold if not hers?

    Gwyneth''s story had been spread rather far, in the group, thousands of people were commenting, and the issue was just gaining heat.


    With or without the Rowland''s stepping out, the matter would surely hit the news the following day and it was going to be bad__, for Theodore mostly.


    "Soon he will be thrown out with nothing which is deserving of him after all, he was dirt poor when he joined the Rowland family." Jennie continued to scroll through the chat page. "Let me just say that I am so relieved that our Pheobe has David, and she will not fall prey to bastards like these."


    Aunt Maureen slammed the sofa armrest lightly. "That bastard! he should end up in prison, there has to be a charge that can be levied against him. Something like walking around with a fake face which he used to defraud us all. I cannot believe that I once thought he was my ideal man. That heifer of a tutor he had an affair with should be punished too. I just cannot fathom the fact that her son knew everything and remained silent." Disbelief etched on her face


    Raising an eyebrow in disdain, grandma Mayfair laughed dryly. "My dear an apple does fall far from the tree; a crooked mother birthed a crooked son. This will surely make all the founding families screen spouses of their children more carefully." Her face lit up suddenly as she turned her head to her daughter. "Speaking of spouses, Maureen you were yet to tell me about your date before that demon Margaret interrupted us. How did it go, should I start booking a wedding venue." She raised a question.


    Maureen pulled her head back; her face was filled with alarm. "Mother, one date, I went on one date!!"


    Grandma Mayfair was not deterred. "So...Allie Darling knew her husband for thirty minutes before they got married and they are forty years into that marriage. Your date lasted two hours, that is enough time to know if you want to spend your life with him."


    Maureen groaned; she had heard the Allie Darling story at least one hundred times.


    "Mother, how did you know that my date lasted two hours?" she questioned.


    Jennie gestured at Phoebe that they should disappear, this argument between mother and daughter would go on for a while.


    ***************************


    Later at night, Phoebe laid in her bed wide awake. She sighed and pushed the bed covers back because she was restless, it was another night of sleeplessness. Her eyes moved to the clock for the tenth time, it was some minutes after midnight, time was really moving at a snail''s pace.


    The Saxon spirit could not stand her endless sighing, so it suggested that they move to the space to train or better still experiment with the magic bullets and Phoebe agreed.


    When they entered the space, Phoebe noticed that it was bigger and lusher with matured herbs and trees of different varieties. The air was fresher, with the fresh herb smell which was only second to that of new money.


    "Boss," Sylvester called out.


    She turned her head and saw all of the ghosts, including Connie and America who she did not expect to see.


    "Hello America, is everything going on well at the orphanage?" Phoebe asked casually as she studied the space some more.


    A mineral deposit had appeared, her eyes widened on seeing the huge gold mountains.


    "I have my own gold....haha, I am rich!" She exclaimed abruptly; her eyes glinted with dollar signs. How much would be in her bank account after selling all that gold.


    She would become Fog country''s richest person; she was lost in dreams and her shoulders and feet danced for joy.


    [Take that founding families]


    The spirit was already in the know of what she was thinking. "Ha! You cannot sell as much as you want at will.


    Even though it is sitting on an eternal vein and will never run out, there are still rules for its use, you can only take as much as it decides you need, no more and no less."


    Her happy expression turned into ine of confusion. What the hell did that mean? Did it translate to she could not take the gold out whenever she wished. Of what use was it then? Was it ghost gold or something?


    "Pheebs, are you still here or are you floating on a cloud?" Connie''s fingers rummaged through a cup of caramel popcorn.


    Phoebe shook her head lightly as her senses returned. "What? I mean where were we?"


    "You asked America about the orphanage and then quickly shifted your attention to the gold without even listening to her response, how rude!" Connie commented, her tone was slightly berating.


    America let out a light chuckle and waved off Connie''s words with a flicker of a finger implying that she was not offended at all. "Anyone would be dumbfounded to see a mountain of gold. Imagine what would happen if some of the greedier founding families found out about this space? They would kill to own and control it." She sipped on the churro frappuccino that Sylvester had served her. "Oh, this is so good."


    In response Sylvester twirled around happily, he had spent a lot of time perfecting the taste. "Boss Phoebe you should try some as well, we cannot introduce this to the beverage menu without your approval." He handed her a cup from a tray which had three more similar drinks.


    With all eyes upon her, Phoebe couldn''t help but feel pressured, she only hoped that she liked it as much as America did. Her nostrils caught the cinnamon smell, it was strong


    "Goodness!" Her eyes flickered brightly. "It''s very delicious and the aroma is mind blowing." Phoebe asked.


    Sylvester squealed with glee. "It''s the cinnamon, it comes from the space here."


    Phoebe nodded slowly as she sipped through the large black straw. It was delicious, she was sure that it was going to be a best seller.


    "I just know the richies as Rosette has taken to calling our wealthy clients are going to find a way to ask if there is a non-fat, sugar free option that tastes exactly like this but with less calories."


    Connie and Sylvester laughed, they could already hear Rosette''s voice and imagine the horror on her face when someone did actually make such an order.


    "Does this mean that you approve?" Sylvester asked eagerly, his eyes shimmered with anticipation.


    Phoebe smiled warmly and nodded and so did everyone else. "You have outdone yourself once again Sylvester, I don''t know what the cafe would do without you."


    He beamed with pride, and got himself a drink as well, he could not be the only one not enjoying his own creation.


    Phoebe meanwhile turned to America. "So, how is the orphanage, is there anything lacking that I can contribute?"


    A small hesitant frown appeared on America''s face. "Honestly everything is good, but half of the kids are sick, they have come down with this cough, it''s like a croup but worse.


    The stay in doctor said that there is nothing to worry about but patient zero now has more symptoms like fever and labored breathing." She explained her observations as the frown deepened. "He now thinks it''s a variant of whooping cough, but he has to conduct more tests." sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe''s back stiffened, could it be that the cough outbreak had already began and they had no idea?


    "Does David know about this?" Phoebe asked, genuine concern laced her voice

 Chapter 383 - 383: Caught in the act.

    Shaking her head, America sighed heavily. "About that, I think that the current orphanage manager is overwhelmed since the administration team is yet to be made.


    Mr. Phelps is very good, but he has a lot on his hands, he should have informed David a long time ago, but I think he has forgotten or most likely, he is waiting to assess the situation further before involving him, after all the doctors said there was no reason to panic. I think Mr. Phelps should be given an assistant to help him."


    Phoebe nodded, she had the perfect people in mind for the positions, people she had met in her last life. "I will inform David of this, treatment for the children should not be delayed. When you leave, go with some tonics and feed them to the children, it will help." S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Shoot." Came Connie''s voice right before the gun was fired and a loud yell made everyone turn around.


    Connie looked panicked, her hand trembled and the gun fell out of her hands. "I am so sorry, my finger slipped are you okay Sylvester?"


    Sylvester did not look okay, he had fallen to his knees in a weakened state, groaning in pain. Everyone rushed and hovered above him, studying his situation. His body was faint, looking like it was about to fade away.


    "I imbued the bullet with magic, you can all see that it works, it drains the energy from any supernatural creature. This ladies and gentlemen is a success!" The Saxon spirit announced excitedly.


    She was jubilant, everyone else was horrified and Sylvester was scared, death felt so close, and he was not ready to die.


    "Boss..." he whispered.


    His voice was weak, he almost sounded like he wanted to cry and he was pleading to be saved. Guilt and despair filled Phoebe''s heart, she crouched near Sylvester and moved her hand to his forehead. She wanted to transfer some energy to him and heal him quickly, but the spirit thwarted her move.


    "Do not touch him, we need to know how long the spell on the bullets lasts or how it even works. I will not let him die, trust me, also Sylvester signed up for this willingly. Even though he is scared, he understands the need for the experiment. He will also earn a lot of merit if this is successful because the bullets will save many people, do not ruin this opportunity for him. Let''s go it looks like he will be here for a while." Came the spirit''s order.


    Phoebe shot it a piercing unwilling gaze, but she knew that it had a point and if it was for merit, she could not interfere. Sylvester needed all the merit he could gather in order to move on.


    She backed away and stood up. "Sorry about the pain." She quietly voiced before leaving the space.


    Phoebe could not bring herself to stay, she could not stand to watch Sylvester suffering. If she still couldn''t sleep, she would find other ways to keep herself busy.


    The spirit and Connie stayed behind to study Sylvester''s reaction, America also left because she had to tend to the sick children at the orphanage.


    As soon as she came out of the space, Phoebe called David to let him know about what America had told her.


    "Are you serious? I was there five days ago, and all the children seemed fine. They ate all the candy and ice cream that I took for them except for one kid that was coughing but the doctor assured me that it was an ordinary cough. Dammit! I should have suspected." David hurriedly spoke, his voice was coated with fear even though he had succeeded in creating a vaccine and medicine.


    "Its not on you, we did not see it coming." she consoled him, sure that he was racking up guilt points by the minute.


    "Pheebs i have to go, patient zero will not make it if his or her treatment is delayed." He hung up the call before she could respond.


    Phoebe put down the phone, she was aware of the severity of the situation, so she planned to send more tonics to the orphanage. In the past life a few hundred children had died during the outbreak.


    It was so bad that schools were shut down and so were playgrounds, there were lock downs in some districts and the government imposed a curfew. Even though adults were not affected as much, they played a great role in spreading it to their children.


    "I hope that David''s vaccine and medicine actually save those little lives, it will be horrifying to see another pandemic." Phoebe massaged her chest which fluttered with unease just as it had been back then.


    With no atom of sleep in her, Phoebe moved to the secret basement. She had long wanted to come back after the night she had accidentally found aunt Maureen in there. Rather than twist around aimlessly in bed, this was a better use of her time.


    She was like a thief when she sneaked inside successfully. "Now let''s see, what did you hide in here aunt?" Phoebe reached inside the drawer and pulled out the small box.


    It was very identical to the one that was displayed at the auction and the one that was found among the treasures in the cave under the Dewayne stadium. Both of those boxes which contained mystic keys she had never seen were now safely stowed in the space.


    She already had suspicions about what the keys were and what they opened.


    Instinctively, Phoebe tried to pry the box open knowing fully well at the back of her mind that it was an impossible task. She had tried it with the first and second boxes, but her efforts were unsuccessful.


    "Third times the charm." she muttered as she forced her energy into the box, hoping to find an opening.


    Surprisingly this box opened with extreme ease, for a second Phoebe was jubilant until it dawned on her that there was no key inside. The glee that had consumed her heart burnt out, like a candlelight that was snuffed out by the wind. She thought that perhaps she had discovered a third key out of the six. She even thought that the odds were in her favor, but she was wrong, apparently.


    She rummaged through the rest of the drawers, banging things around as she searched in frustration.


    "Where the hell is it?" Came her perplexed voice.


    Unbeknownst to her was that Aunt Maureen had been watching her for a while now. She had always retained a feeling that Phoebe would return soon so she usually sneaked down at night to see if something had been touched.


    Her efforts had paid off, Phoebe had showed up tonight, Maureen pushed the door open slowly and walked into the study.


    "You know about the key, ha! I got you today." Aunt Maureen smiled like a cannibal as she moved closer to study Phoebe''s face.


    With Phoebe''s subtitles, if she told a lie the truth would plaster itself on her forehead.


    Startled, the box glided from Phoebe''s hands and fell to the floor. Her hand moved to touch her chest; she could feel her heart hammering against her rib cage. "Aunt, you frightened me, My God!" Phoebe inhaled deeply and calmed herself.


    Playful curiosity lingered in aunt Maureen''s eyes. "I am sorry that wasn''t my intention dear niece but imagine my surprise when I saw disappointment etched upon your face when you found nothing in the box. That could only mean one thing, that you know about the mystic keys but how?" She paused her movements and fixed her eyes on her.


    [That is classified information my dear aunt.]


    Phoebe''s thoughts announced themselves as she bent and picked the box. "I do not know what you speak of aunt, I just noticed that it was very similar to the one that went missing at the auction." She lied blatantly as she cracked her knuckles.


    "You even know that the box is the same, you little liar. Just be honest, do you or do you not know about the mystic keys?" Aunt Maureen continued to press her.


    Shaking her head, Phoebe swore that she didn''t know anything. "I have never seen one."


    She smiled mischievously. [Hehe..I have two in my possession as we speak.] Her thoughts betrayed her.


    A chuckle came from Aunt Maureen, her niece whose smile gave her an impish adorable look. "My dear niece, you are still lying to me."


    Phoebe scoffed. "So were you when you said that you had no idea about what happened to grandpa Cillian. If you want information we should swap." Her tone harbored a slight accusation.

 Chapter 384 - 384: Niece and aunt bonding

    The accusation that came from Phoebe did not faze her aunt at all. Instead, she lazily sat in a chair next to the table, a smirk curled on her lips as she continued to study Phoebe who looked at her through narrow slitted eyes.


    Maureen was very comfortable, she could so easily do this all day and run circles around Phoebe until she broke. However, she was also quite aware that Phoebe''s mouth was hard to pry open when she didn''t want to talk. After pondering for a while, she decided to bow first, after all their goals were aligned.


    "You are like a hungry hippo, chomping down and you just won''t let go. What is your obsession with my father''s death?" She asked curiously, but knowing that she would not get an answer, she just sighed. "Hmmm, I see that you are hungry for answers just like me and you will not end your search for the truth until you find it, indeed you have Cillian''s blood running through your veins. He was as stubbornly persistent as you are, God he was a bullheaded man." She raised her sad eyes to the roof.


    Phoebe''s face lit up, as bright as a morning star, to her ears it seemed like her aunt was cracking, she just needed to chip a little more at the shell and it would open. " Aunt, a past door which is not firmly closed can reopen in the future and you never know what will come out of it. I have this feeling that I need to know what happened to grandpa, I don''t understand why everyone walks on eggshells when it concerns his death. You have to tell me the truth about what you know aunt." Her tone was low but demanding.


    "Mmm, I don''t like your tone my sweet niece, it sounds a little like you are threatening me. The only thing missing from the end of your statement are the words ''or else''. Tell me my baby, will you run to your father and tell him that I am a guardian?" Aunt Maureen leaned forward and smiled.


    Her smile was a little too wide and unnatural, it made Phoebe uncomfortable, it was no wonder her aunt was a guardian, she had a dangerous quality that slept deep beneath the surface, but she was letting a glimpse through. She felt the urge to cough, she did plan to black mail her with that, but she would never tell her father.


    "From reading your silence, I believe that was your plan. You do not have to do that I plan on letting Edward know very soon." Aunt Maureen spoke casually like what she was about to do was a walk in the park.


    Shock enveloped Phoebe''s face. "Why would you do that? You know how he feels about this issue; he will freak out." Her tone was laced with fear and uncertainty, would her aunt''s revelation divide the family? Whose side would she have to choose, she loved them all.


    "Someone has to find out about what happened to father, there so many loopholes in the story, the cause of the accident is not even clear. The higher ups are tight lipped about it, it''s frustrating. If your father doesn''t have the balls to investigate our father''s death, then I will continue to do so." Aunt Maureen spoke through thin lips.


    She stood up, walked to an old cabinet, got a whiskey bottle and a glass. Half of the whiskey in the bottle was gone; it had been drunk by Cillian when he was alive. There were ten more bottles of the same brand in his study.


    Phoebe listened attentively and watched, waiting for her aunt to settle down. "Aunt, I can help you; I have ghosts that can search for information but first, we need to form some sort of trust between us. You have something I want, and I have something you want, so I suggest that you tell me what happened to grandpa first, then I will tell you of what I know about the keys." She made a smooth proposal


    The spirit jumped out of the space. "Are you insane? You cannot go around revealing information about those damn keys." Its tone came out slightly berating.


    "I second that, even a preschooler can tell that it''s dangerous, how do you know that we can trust this woman." Connie leaped out of the space and chimed in with her own opinion.


    Aunt Maureen''s eyes followed Connie around, she had seen her and other ghosts around her niece a couple of times. There was another one she had never seen but every once in a while, she heard its voice. In her opinion, this young teenage ghost was the most annoying and gluttonous ghost she had ever seen.


    "What, you think that I am going to go running to Ravana''s disciples and reveal this information to them?" Her eyes remained fixed on the teenage ghost.


    Her words caused Connie to pause. "Y-you can see me. How?" Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "She is a guardian; it skips my mind sometimes that they can see you." The spirit explained to Connie who had missed a lot during her absence.


    Connie floated to hide behind Phoebe. "Soooo, is she a guardian like the ghost catching kind?" Her voice quivered.


    Connie knew that this aunt Maureen was stronger than Amon, if she was caught by her, it would be disastrous.


    Waving her hand in a dismissive manner, Aunt Maureen smiled warmly at Connie. "I prefer hunting for the bad boys, you know like gremlins, demons, wendigos, zombies, vamps, shapeshifters, hellhounds and the occasional fallen angel." Her eyes drifted around in search of the owner of the other voice. "Where is the other one, why can''t I see her?"


    Phoebe''s jaw had already dropped, demons, shapeshifters gremlins, vampires and such creatures, she had heard about but a fallen angel!!!!


    She wanted to ask the Saxon spirit about it but the spirit was only focused on Maureen.


    "Stop looking around for me, I can only be seen by a chosen few." The spirit folded its arms. "All this time you could hear and see the ghosts, but you pretended not to, why?" Its suspicious eyes roamed all over her.


    Aunt Maureen smirked. "I like to mind my business; it is a habit that has saved me from a lot of trouble. Besides, you didn''t seem harmful at all if anything you guys help Phoebe and protect her. Thanks for your hard work by the way." The warm smile continued to exist.


    "You are welcome, it''s not easy being Phoebe''s employee, we have to farm and if you look at Sylvester now..." Connie paused when she noticed that Phoebe and the spirit had fixed her with a steely gaze.


    Connie recalled that the space was a secret which she was not supposed to reveal.


    "But she rewards us well, Phoebe is the best." She offered a wry smile.


    Returning her attention to her aunt, Phoebe pulled a stool along with her and sat directly opposite to her. "Aunt I honestly cannot tell you where those keys are, but I can assure you that they are safe, now let''s get down to business." She nodded her head in assurance.


    "So, at the auction that was you?" Aunt Maureen quizzed.

 Chapter 385 - 385: Opening up on Cillians life and death.

    Phoebe hesitated slightly; her fingers nervously danced on the edge of the stool. She glanced up at her aunt and saw calm on her face. It seemed her aunt had already made up her mind on what the answer was.


    Since the secret was out anyway, it was best to admit it all, Phoebe figured.


    "It had to be done aunt, you are a guardian which means that you know about how disastrous things will become if these keys land in the wrong hands." Phoebe''s voice came out, carefully measured.


    Aunt Maureen sighed heavily. "I cannot lie, I am somewhat shocked by this revelation, but I am glad that you nabbed them. First of all, you are the last person anyone would ever suspect to have then and secondly, you managed to get away with it in the presence of so many people with makes it so much more fun." Her heart fluttered with glee; her niece was finally beginning to open up to her.


    They could now start getting into trouble together, going on hunting trips and training. Phoebe had said that she could help so perhaps by working together they would find out sooner what happened to her father.


    "I promise that you secret is safe with me, cross my heart." She mimicked the gesture with a wide smile on her face, "But, what are you going to do about old man Rufus, if he finds out that you are in possession of the keys, he will demand that you hand them over. I advise that you keep this information to yourself for now for everyone''s safety."


    A light smile tugged on Phoebe''s lips; she was thrilled that they were on the same page. "I have not revealed this information to anyone aunt and until the moment is right, he will never know." A frown replaced her smile. "Aunt it''s your turn now, please tell me what you know about grandfather''s death." Her expression taunt with unspoken fear.


    Aunt Maureen''s face flushed red, deep inside she felt embarrassed that after all this time she no answers that explained the situation but nevertheless she decided to tell her what she knew.


    "There is not much to tell, and I am probably going to disappoint you, but I am going to share what little I know. My father, your grandfather was a guardian, one of the greatest that ever lived. He was strong and fast, as powerful as uncle Rufus at their peak." Her voice was filled with awe and her eyes shined at the memories. "He was revered among his peers and loved by all his students at the Moldove founding academy."


    "Grandpa was a teacher at that school! What did he teach?" Phoebe interjected excitedly, this was the first time that she was hearing new information about her grandfather and already he sounded like an amazing man. Her eyes darted around, no wonder there were so many books among his belongings.


    Maureen was pleased by Phoebe''s excitement at the smallest of knowledge on her father. Her heart felt lighter; it felt good talking about him. "A professor actually, father was among the special guardians that harbored the knowledge on the old magic that was practiced in the olden days. He was an ancient magic history and spells professor."


    Phoebe''s toes danced and she vibrated.


    [Woah! spells, my grandfather taught magic spells at a magic school! I feel like I am living in a fantasy world.]


    Aunt Maureen continued her narration. "When he was not traveling, he spent most of his free time learning about the seven witches that interlaced the spells that were used in the battle that led to our victory in the supernatural war. To date among the guardians are people known as the spellweavers, their primary role is to weave together various components of magic to craft complex and effective spells. Although of late, there has been very little progress in their kind."


    The spirit sneered. "This can only mean that there has not been an actual true spellweaver in years. Lack of progress means lack of knowledge and skills, it also means that those at the academy currently would not be able to help the guardians fight in a supernatural war, let alone winning it. What is going on at that academy lately?" Worry laced its voice.


    Aunt Maureen sighed in frustration. "The Spellcasters are supposed to take the lead in that department, but Enron Spellcaster has failed. He does nothing but blame their failure on the fact that the grand guardian has not shown his or herself.


    It is frustrating because the grand guardian is not a spellweaver, he or she uses the spells, tools, sigils and weapons the spell weavers craft, it is not the other way round." She waved her hand to dismiss that conversation, but Phoebe was too interested to let it go.


    "The Spellcasters?" She asked, her eyes widening that her whites showed.


    This was a bonus, she had come to know more about her grandfather, learning about the guardians and spellweavers had not been in her expectations. How could the Spellcasters be poor at their job when Sabrina was talented at magic? She had the foundation, but she still lacked training and empathy.


    Her aunt nodded in response. "The very ones that you know, our families crossed paths in the past, we used to be on friendly terms with them. Old man Enron was pained so much when my father died, he was the one person that gave me clues when I asked him about father''s death." She twisted her face to express frustration. "Even old man Lee who was father''s other best friend held his tongue. To date, I will never understand why he chose to do that, he never really came around to Mayfair manor after we buried my father, and I don''t know why."


    Old man Lee was Shanna''s grandfather, Phoebe had heard about his friendship with her grandfather. Was he a guardian too? He had once offered to tell her stories about her grandfather but she did not take him up on it. Perhaps it was time to pay him a visit and hear what he had to say.


    "What clues did Enron Spellcaster give you?" Phoebe''s narrowed eyes stared at her aunt. S§×ar?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Shifting uncomfortably, aunt Maureen leaned forward, time had come to get into why they were really there. "You cannot divulge this information to anyone, ever. Do you understand?" She looked at Phoebe with eyes that were a whirlpool of grave seriousness. She was not even blinking, and her gaze was unwavering. "Old man Enron could get in trouble if anyone found out that he told me something, so keep it to yourself like the secrets of the keys." Her words came out more like a stern warning.


    Phoebe nodded her head continuously. "My lips are sealed." her index finger moved to meet her lips and gestured as if she was closing a zipper. It was a promise that she was willing to take whatever secret she heard to her grave.


    "Old man Enron told me that father was given a mission by the Moldove founding academy, one that no guardian in his right mind would accept. He was told to go and investigate The Island of no return." The words escaped her lips, but they were barely audible.

 Chapter 386 - 386: Fragments of the story.

    The words spoken by her aunt hovered in the air like thick smoke, ringing in her head over and over. From her aunt''s revelation, she didn''t know anything more than that. The level of secrecy at the academy was top notch, so much more than any government institutions. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "The island of no return." Phoebe''s eyes moved upwards as she repeated the name.


    "Oh crap." the Saxon spirit mumbled.


    Connie raised her hand as if she was in a class. "Ooh, I know this place, it is some sort of mythical island where no one ever returns from. It makes you wonder why people still go there despite knowing that they might not return. Humans are idiots, what kind of fool goes to a place like that?"


    Everyone looked at her with glares and she twisted her mouth nervously. "Sorry, I don''t mean your father..grandfather..Mr. Cillian. I am talking about other humans, not guardian humans that have the ability to protect themselves, just normal humans. You know, like the kind that go there as tourists and...."


    "Connie, stop." The Saxon spirit said sternly.


    She did, but that did not save her from Maureen''s glare, so she turned and looked at the wall for a few seconds as Maureen continued her tale.


    "I wanted to know about the mission so I did a lot of begging and bugged old man Enron Spellcaster as much as I could to tell me more, but I got nothing, he scolded me and ordered me to leave him alone or he would tell my family that I had become a guardian. I never questioned him about the incident ever again." Aunt Maureen sighed and ended her very short tale with a shrug.


    She could see the disappointment in Phoebe''s eyes and the spark disappearing as her niece came to realize that there was not much else to tell. It was obvious that Phoebe was anticipating hearing a lot more than she had been told.


    Connie chortled decisively. "You have got to be kidding me, that''s it? Knowing how tenacious you are, I am sure that you secretly continued to search for the truth. You have spent years in the supernatural world, do you have no clue at all?" She voiced words that the rest were thinking.


    Crossing one leg over the other, aunt Maureen''s eyes got covered with a faraway look. "Of course, I didn''t give up, but every angle was a dead end, the academy had sealed every corner. Nobody knew about this mission and none of the other guardians I knew had been to the island, so they were unhelpful.


    Besides, other than that, I had nothing to go on, I didn''t know where else to take my search and I could not go to the island myself, I am strong but not invincible. I was young and scared so I turned to the one other person that I knew could help, uncle Rufus.


    He could not help me either, he told me that he had no idea what happened because he had not been around when my father died. He had gone on a mission in the Silver nation only to come back after father was already dead.


    But he must know something because he was the head of the Moldove founding academy although during the time of his absence, when my father died, Dean Morrel was in charge. Still, he is Rufus Saxon, I know that he knows something, I just don''t know why he won''t talk." Her face flushed with mild exasperation.


    Phoebe cracked a finger, sat up straight and crossed her arms. "Oh, he definitely knows more, a lot more because when I had dinner with him and his wife, he held back from revealing anything, but he concluded by telling me to ask my father about it which means that there is something they are hiding." Phoebe''s lips curled to one side.


    A contemptuous laugh came from Aunt Maureen. "Of course, Edward knows a lot, he was a dedicated student of the academy, one of the best but after father died, he suddenly dropped out, told me to leave the school as well and commanded that no one in our family should ever speak about that place ever again.


    Everything he did and all that preceded it was very suspicious, for example our father''s coffin was sealed and nobody, not even his family members were allowed to view his body for the last time and Edward himself stood guard by the coffin to make sure that no one disobeyed his orders."


    Her index finger tapped on the side of her cheek slowly. "In fact, when the entourage from the Academy headed by Morrell came to pay their respects, Edward forced them out disgracefully. I had never seen your father so angry like he was on that dark day, his eyes were so red with fury and hatred. He came so close to bringing out that sword of his and killing them." She shuddered from recalling the memory.


    Phoebe nodded knowingly, his father''s hatred for the Moldove founding Academy could not be hidden, he made it obvious. The source of the hatred was now beginning to make sense to her, it had all started with her grandfather''s mysterious death.


    Why had they closed the casket? Why had nobody been allowed to see the body, even his wife? What secrets had Edward been guarding? Why had he thrown out some of the guests at the funeral, prestigious ones at that? Why quit the academy? Did he blame them for sending his father on the mission or was there more to the story?


    "Recently I asked father to tell me about grandpa''s death and he vehemently refused to talk about it. He was angry that I brought it up and it only got worse when I told him that I wanted to visit the Moldove founding Academy. Aunt, you should have seen the scathing gaze he shot me with. He commanded that I never speak of the matter ever again. I saw a lot of pain in his eyes, not just anger." A sad expression marred on her features.


    Aunt Maureen nodded once. "I am not surprised by his reaction but why are you interested in the school? Are you planning to rebel against your father to become a student or a guardian?" She studied Phoebe, he eyes laced with more worry than excitement.


    Maureen hoped it was the former rather than the latter, the path of a guardian was forged in loneliness and sacrifice.


    Phoebe was lost in thoughts of her own. [There are dangerous enemies that I have to face very soon people that harmed me and my children, I need to strengthen my body and soul as soon as I can.]


    Aunt Maureen stiffened, what enemy was her niece speaking of? What children, was it something to do with her past life? Was this enemy in the supernatural world?


    Shaking her head, Phoebe denied flatly. "Becoming a guardian is out of the question however ghosts have become more aggressive and now we have demons roaming around, I just think that it would be nice to get training from the best teachers, father had offered to get me a teacher but who knows how long that will take." She rubbed her brow.


    Clapping once, Aunt Maureen stood up from the stool. "You are in luck; I am a guardian, and I am willing to train you until you reach your fullest potential." She offered.

 Chapter 387 - 387: Another family employee.

    Before she could get any more excited than she already was, Phoebe retained composure. Knowing humans, there was something they always wanted in return for their help.


    Despite the fact that this was her aunt, Phoebe still had reservations, she wondered what had prompted her aunt to make the offer. Was she planning to leave her guardianship work and this was a way to pass time?


    Was she moving back home, after all she had a life in Hartoum so would she put it on pause just to train her? Was it because of the mystic keys that she had made such a decision?


    Phoebe stretched her hand forward, gesturing for her aunt to stop. Her facial features adjusted to show all the doubts she was having. "Aunt hold on, as grateful as I am for this opportunity there are some things you should clarify. I need someone that is going to dedicate a lot of their time to train me until I am confident in my magic skills and skilled in physical combat.


    How are you going to do that when you have other things shackled to you. You have a life in Hartoum, a business and other guardian duties. How will you balance all these things, my training needs to be hands on, we cannot do it over a video call"


    A knot of despair tightened in her stomach, there was no one better to teach her than aunt Maureen. She was part of the family and therefore would be patient with her and dedicated. She would also be genuine and not hide any skills that she had, most people that were in the supernatural world did not like to share skills and spells.


    Phoebe was just the same, it is why her grimmoire was locked up tight in the space where no thief could get their hands on it.


    With a light wave of the hand, aunt Maureen chuckled softly. "I know what you are worried about, but you do not have to. I was planning on moving back home permanently, honestly the shop in Hartoum was a cover for my guardian work but I am thinking about retiring now.


    After returning home I have come to realize that there is a lot I am missing out on. Mother is getting old, Collin is getting married, Luke is dating, and you are obviously not far from marriage yourself. I don''t want to be like my father anymore, missing out on all the important events.


    I don''t want to sacrifice anymore needlessly and someday be brought home in a coffin and vague cause of death, I want more for myself now, a somewhat normal life." She paused, measuring whether that answer was convincing enough.


    It was not all lies; she had thought things through after coming back this time round and hearing about most of the things Ruth had done. That fake cuckoo had almost killed her mother, if Phoebe had not discovered it, she would have returned from her mission to find her mother long buried. Also, after seeing Phoebe''s thoughts about having an enemy, how could she just leave like that.


    They were family, an enemy of one Mayfair was an enemy to all the Mayfair''s.


    "My dear niece after seeing how those two warlock minions incapacitated you, I realized that you needed to up your fighting game and I will help you do that. Think about it, where can you find a better teacher than me?


    I am now ranked the third strongest guardian of the supernatural wall and that is only because the top two are Saxon''s that probably started training in their mother''s wombs. Anyway, do you want me or not?" She offered and left the final decision for her to make.


    Still with such a good explanation Phoebe couldn''t help but be suspicious, there was definitely something her aunt wanted. "And what is it that you expect of me in return?" Her narrowed eyes studied her aunt.


    "Easy, you said that you could help me find out what happened to my father, your grandfather, or were you bluffing around?" Aunt Maureen quizzed, she still had her reservations, wondering what time of trick she was going to use that she a first-class guardian didn''t know about.


    Phoebe shrugged with indifference. "There is something, but I guess we will see when the time comes. I have tried to summon grandpa''s spirit from the other side twice, but I got nothing. We have to speak to old man Lee again, he once told me to meet with him if I have any questions about my grandpa." She cocked her head. "Aunt, is that it, just information?" She continued to ask, she wanted to know how soon they couldn''t start.


    Aunt Maureen nodded, "Of course you are my dear niece, even though I am a calculating person due to the nature of my job, I will not calculate you. I propose that we start your training soon, which reminds me that I need a job.


    Since I am going to be here for the foreseeable future and do not like to sit idly around, I will need to find some worthwhile work, maybe at the Mayfair free clinic or at the corporation.


    But first, I need to go to Hartoum to bring back all my important things." Her demeanor changed, becoming more serious as she gave Phoebe a thoughtful gaze. "I have to tell your father about this."


    The last words sent shivers down Phoebe''s spine, her father would lose his mind after hearing about Maureen''s guardian duties, if Maureen added on that she was teaching her everything a guardian knew and did, he would punch some walls.


    "Aunt why would you even consider telling him when you know how he will react? Do not bother for now, let''s keep our secret for a little while longer and train secretly. As for finding something to occupy your time, could you consider working at my cafe? It is not free; I will pay you handsomely of course." She hoped that her aunt accepted, customers had doubled, and Rossett was getting overwhelmed since there were no other employees.


    She needed at least three employees, Sabrina as a part timer, her aunt full time and another person that she was yet to find.


    "Oh, baby you want to pay me, I am afraid that you cannot afford me!


    I am a Mayfair with a heavy trust fund which is in the billion range." Aunt Maureen released a mocking chuckle.


    Phoebe''s lips curved up and she smirked. [Ha! I have an eternal gold mountain and a trust fund too plus shares in three different companies worth millions and billions, no one is richer than me in this country.]


    "I told you there are rules to that." The spirit chimed quietly.


    On the other hand, aunt Maureen was flummoxed, either her niece had a mental problem, or she truly had a wild imagination. Which gold mountain did she have? Whatever it was, she needed to find out more about her and this past life of hers and why she could project her thoughts out to some people but not others.


    "I will work at the cafe." She agreed mostly because she wanted to keep Phoebe close.


    If Phoebe was her enemy, she would consider it keeping her enemy close, but they were not enemies, they were family. She was keeping her niece close for her own protection and to uncover her secrets. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 388 - 388: Discoveries in the basement.

    Having come to terms, the two women got down to business immediately, aunt Maureen suggested that perhaps there were clues among her father''s belongings which was where they had to start. Over the years, she would come by whenever she had the chance and rummage through some of the things in the basement.


    She had looked over them with keen eyes, hoping that there was a piece of paper, a magic artifact, a book...anything really that could help guide her search, but she had found nothing so far.


    It was like digging for a well in a desert, Maureen figured that maybe Phoebe could find something that she had missed.


    It was very late in the night, around 2:00am to be specific but none of them was ready to go to bed.


    "Don''t you have work tomorrow? We can do this some other time if you want to." Came aunt Maureen''s calm voice, her hands played with a short stick which she announced was a magical wand, something Phoebe had not seen before. The more she waved it, the more it sparked.


    "Is this a wand...like magic wand?" Phoebe''s eyes sparked like the wand.


    Maureen nodded, "Every guardian has one, they are created by spellweavers."


    Phoebe almost drooled, wishing she could snatch it and try it out, but she was not a guardian and the wand, she figured only responded to its owner.


    "You have a magic space, stop drooling over a stick." Connie projected into Phoebe''s mind. She turned to the Saxon spirit and added, "Our space is so much cooler than the stick, right?"


    The spirit did not care much about the wand and more about what Maureen was using it for, she was unlocking the magic which bound the artifacts.


    "I suspected that it was her that tampered with the magic in this place, but I did not want to assume without evidence. It looks like I was not wrong, your aunt is talented. Phoebe you should pay attention and acquire her skills; they will be useful for you." It voiced quietly.


    Phoebe listened while looking around, her hands found an ancient broom black broom, it seemed too worn out to sweep anything.


    "This seems useless." She shoved it to the side, and it fell to the ground.


    "Only if you do not know it''s real purpose, that is a magical broomstick, it''s used by witches to fly and sweep away the magic of evil talismans." Aunt Maureen explained. "It was a method used a very long time ago, before the witch hunts. These days, we don''t need brooms to fly, we have private jets for that." she smirked.


    The spirit nodded, a smile tugged on its lips. Normally it did all the explaining but this time aunt Maureen beat her to it, and she even added humor to her explanations.


    Maureen saw that Phoebe''s eyes were as round as saucers and she laughed, her niece truly had so little knowledge on the world of magic and the supernatural. Then again, she only dealt with ghosts, so it was not surprising that everything else was new to her.


    "Judging from your expression you must have thought that witches flying is a myth. You have probably seen movies where witches with long noses and pointed hats in long robes fly across the moon while cackling at night. It''s not always like that, trust me but it''s also not totally wrong. Since you are from a witch''s bloodline you can try it."


    Phoebe picked up the broom eagerly, forgetting the reason why they were searching in the first place. Aunt Maureen gave her instructions of how to wake the broom with a spell.


    "Now sit on it and transfer your energy into the broom, do not forget to make a connection with it, you need to be in sync as if you are driving a car. Remember to maintain your balance as you clutch onto it, then order it to fly."


    Phoebe whose eyes had been closed this whole time opened them only to find herself hovering in space. She was not so high up, simply levitating a few feet from the ground, it was exhilarating as minor of an achievement as it was.


    "Oh, my goodness! I am flying! look at me aunt, look, look." She called out like an eager child and let go of the handle to spread her arms out like a dare devil only to fall, luckily the spirit caught her right on time.


    Laughter bubbled collectively; the loudest laugh came from Connie who found the entire thing to be extremely amusing. The teenager was already planning to steal the broom and take it on a ride.


    Aunt Maureen was recording with her phone, she knew how much her brother regretted missing out on many of Phoebe''s firsts. This was a first too, the first time she was flying.


    "Are you alright Pheebs? You were supposed to steer the broom in whatever direction chose you wanted it to go, after connecting with it, your mind becomes one....." Aunt Maureen was interjected by Phoebe who waved her hand strongly.


    "Thank you but no, save the broom flying lessons aunt, I am not using that thing ever again, sitting on it sucks."


    Phoebe wiped beads of sweat from the top of her brows, what would become of her if she went flying and the spirit was not there to catch her? She shook her head to extinguish the images of her lying there with broken legs and arms. One plunge down when she was forced to death by Ruth was enough.


    "Ha-ha alright but you need as much information as possible, you can never know when a magical broomstick might save your life." Aunt Maureen helped Phoebe to her feet.


    Phoebe nodded absent mindlessly and pointed at a large vintage wooden box, it was black in color. "What is in there?" She asked curiously.


    Narrowing her eyes, aunt Maureen quickly glanced to where Phoebe''s index finger was pointing and pulled her eyes away. "Probably some old photos, you should check and see. Although I have to inform you beforehand that your father was not a cute baby, he only got finer as he grew." A sly smile curled up her lips.


    Most of the old boxes she had rifled through always had the same thing, old business documents and photo albums of the Mayfair''s.


    Brushing off her words with a smile, Phoebe went on to open it. The first thing on top was a green woolen cloak, from its texture and appearance, Phoebe could tell that it was not made in the recent years.


    "Did this belong to grandpa as well? It looks to be so old fashioned even for him." She pulled out in a display motion such that her aunt could see it.


    Aunt Maureen dropped the forgotten letters that she had been reading and scurried towards Phoebe. "That cannot be what I think it is!" She chimed; her eyes alighted with a smile as she continued to study it.


    "It''s exactly what you think it is although I am sure that there are better ones at the academy of late." The spirit confirmed aunt Maureen''s suspicions.


    Phoebe was lost, nobody was sharing what the cloak was, and she was dying of curiosity.


    Connie could not take the suspense anymore, so she stamped her foot. "Just tell us what is instead of talking in parables." Her voice was as loud as it was demanding, mirroring Phoebe''s exact feelings in that moment.


    "It''s an invisibility cloak." Aunt Maureen responded.


    sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 389 - 389: A horrible listener.

    From the curious look in her eyes, Maureen could see that her niece wanted to try it on, and she was right because Phoebe swung it backwards to drape it over her shoulders in a heartbeat.


    It came to Maureen then that Phoebe was a lot like Andre, they rushed into things like idiots without thinking twice. Why the hell would her niece be quick to put on an old seventeenth- or eighteenth-century invisibility cloak without checking it out first?


    Where was her sense of danger?


    "Do not even think of wearing that thing! Are you just crazy? That cloak has been around for years, centuries in fact which means that we do not know it''s true magic, it looks like a prototype which could malfunction." She paused and took a deep breath to reduce her volume and the alarm in her voice.


    As her voice returned to its normal tone she added. "First lesson to learn Pheebs is that you should always be in the know of the kind of magic items that you are dealing with, or you could end up trapped inside one of them." Maureen patted the top of Phoebe''s shoulder. "Baby, you are too new to this, I feel like an infant was suddenly dropped in my hands."


    A derisive laugh came from the spirit. "You have no idea how many times that I have told her that but obviously her ears are only for decoration." It spoke in a frustrated voice.


    It had Phoebe the curious one and Connie the arrogant one, together they were a pain in the ass. Maureen was yet to understand that training or teaching an overly curious person was not a a stroll in the park. Like a baby, Phoebe wanted to touch, taste or play with whatever she got her hands on.


    "Oh come on, you guys make a big deal out of everything. If it is an invisibility cloak like you say then it won''t do anything other than make me disappear and when I take it off, I reappear. This will surely come in handy." came Phoebe''s flippant submission, confirming the spirit''s earlier theory about her ears.


    Connie shook her head, personally she was a more calculative risk taker. "It''s clearly worn out, look at the holes in it, either something made them, or the cloak just fell apart but please go ahead and wear it by all means, perhaps you will turn into a toad, and we can all get a good laugh. I have always wondered what that feels like to be an animal." She pulled her shoulders up and down, laughing loudly.


    Phoebe pulled her mouth to the side and carefully folded the cloak, returning it back to where she had found it. "It''s not like I know the spell to activate it anyway." Her lips stretched forward to form a dissatisfied frown.


    She moved on to the next item, the standing mirror which was whispering in a weird foreign language.


    "Okay, is it just me or is this thing talking?" she asked, puzzled.


    Just as she stretched her hands to pull a drape away from the mirror, aunt Maureen waved her hands and chanted a quick spell to bind the magic of the items which she had previously lifted.


    She was beginning to think that maybe she needed to teach Phoebe a few things first before she truly got herself locked away in something or ended up possessed.


    "Dear niece, did you really not understand when I said that with magic items you should trend carefully? You heard a mirror talk gibberish and you just made a dangerous momentous decision to remove drape and talk back to it. I don''t know if I should applaud you for being courageous or if I should slap the back of your head for being a horrible listener." Maureen''s tone came off slightly berating, dealing with Phoebe was going to be a battle of its own.


    Flickering her eyes unfazed by her aunt''s berating, Phoebe was even more intrigued, and she wanted to take a look at the mirror. If it tried anything, she would just send it into her space where it would be suppressed.


    She cocked her head and lightly touched the drape covering the mirror. "It was really talking, why is that aunt? What kind of mirror is it?" Curiosity lingered in her voice; she was not going to give up until she told her something. "It is better for you to tell me than leave me to my own resources because we both know that I will find a way to activate the mirror on my own." S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Aunt Maureen groaned, she was beginning to learn how tenacious her niece was but the spirit which knew that fact answered.


    "It is called the Aeloris glass, and it is both good and bad. Good because it was crafted by a sorcerer in the fifteenth century who sought to rid the world of dark creatures. He created a prison world in there, those voices that you heard are of supernatural creatures that were trapped inside.


    The bad part is that they continue to live in there without dying and they can seduce humans to release them. Leave the mirror alone, you don''t need it for any reason." The spirit threw Phoebe a warning stare.


    Phoebe waved her hand lightly. "I would never be fooled by one of those monsters." Her tone suggested that she was offended that the spirit made her look like an easy target.


    She was more alarmed by the fact that they were living with monsters in the house, one mistake and they would all be in danger. Whose bright idea was it to just put the mirror here, why not shatter it or toss it into purgatory?


    Maureen had no idea what Phoebe was thinking, and she settled for adding a word of caution to what the Saxon spirit had said.


    "You should not be too cocky, ghosts are on the bottom of the supernatural food chain, your expertise only takes you so far. Those things in there could actually seduce you because the strength of your magic is slightly above the red line. Some of the things in there can easily control your mind subconsciously and make you free them without you knowing." Aunt Maureen explained further. "That''s it for today, let''s call it a night or morning." She announced, her leg brushed aside a book that was in her way.


    She gestured for Phoebe to leave ahead of her, afraid of what else she might touch if she was left alone down there.


    Phoebe yawned loudly as her hands stretched lazily to the heavens. "Goodnight aunt....oh by the way you said nothing about the date, what do you think about Mr. Alton?" Her eyes suddenly struggled to stay open, she rubbed them lightly with her fingers.


    It was weird that a few minutes ago she was wide awake and now she was so sleepy, but she did not even think about it.


    Shaking her head, Maureen clicked her tongue continuously, then she let out a deep sigh. "I was actually meaning to talk to you about that, he talked about his dead wife a lot. Never in my life have I seen a man so committed to a woman that is already dead like that, and I don''t know if I am attracted to his faithfulness or weirded out."

 Chapter 390 - 390: Theodre Rowlands fate.

    Phoebe was rather intrigued but mostly, she found it to be a little odd. Mr. Alton had said that he did not want any woman to feel like they were living in the shadow of his dead wife, why talk about her continually on the date?


    "What was weird about it?" she asked and yawned.


    "There is something about her death that clouds his eyes with a darkness only a person that has experienced pure evil would have. I need to know what really happened to his wife before I make a decision." Maureen narrowed her eyes and stared into space.


    Phoebe frowned, her eyes were coated in disbelief, she had never seen any darkness in Mr. Alton''s eyes if anything he was always smiling, and his eyes brightened each time he spoke about his dead wife. "Aunt I think that this is a figment of your imagination, what happened to his wife is not a secret I told you the story before." She reminded Maureen, tilting her head slightly.


    "You are a baby at this my dear niece, I am a guardian with more than two decades worth of experience in dealing with darkness, death and the effects after. I once saw a man leap from a building with the corpse of his dead wife that had been possessed by a demon which made her take her own life when it was cornered.


    He kept screaming about how he could not live without her and blamed us for trying to save her. All he wanted was his wife alive, he did not care if it was a demon in her body, he would love it as long as it looked like her.


    When a person meets darkness, some switch off and become crazy, others become paranoid, afraid of their own shadows and then you have those like Alton who pretend to forget and bury things away. They would rather be anywhere in their minds as long as it is not reality.


    Some do it with work just like he has done, and they live their lives in denial. But it does not always work and what they want to forget becomes an obsession and at every given opportunity, they think and talk about the victim without realizing.


    Some are racked with guilt, so they go as far as to idolize the dead and make them out to be like saints. They devote their whole lives to them living in a two-person world; human and ghost." She offered Phoebe an uneasy smile. "Does that sound familiar?"


    Maureen asked, she had described Mr. Alton''s behaviors perfectly, she patted Phoebe''s shoulders and gestured that they walk towards the elevator rather than use the stairs.


    "In my opinion, Alton''s obsession with his dead wife is not normal, and neither is his memory of her death." Maureen tapped Phoebe''s shoulder and sighed. "Or maybe he is a sad man who desperately misses his dead wife, who knows? Goodnight Pheebs, see you tomorrow."


    As she walked through the corridor that led to her bedroom, Phoebe thought about her aunt''s words. What could have happened to Mr. Alton''s wife? What darkness had he encountered that had left him traumatized? Was there something abnormal about his wife''s death? She added that to her to find out list.


    It had been a long day, and an even longer night, with only a few hours left to sunrise, she closed her eyes as soon as her head touched the pillow and went into a dreamless sleep.


    *************


    While she slept, the Rowland''s were busy handling their own problem. First, an emergency meeting of the Liberty was called, Theodore was invited to explain himself. The most he could do was claim that it was all slander and someone from an opposition party was out to ruin his name.


    The claims were swept away when his father-in-law presented a DNA test secretly done between Theodore and his son was presented.


    He also presented text messages between Theodore and his mistress and pictures of his before and after surgery. Even a confession from the doctor that illegally gave his wife a hysterectomy was brought.


    The Rowland''s had moved so fast, and the party saw Theodore as a liability, which woman or man would vote him now? Not even animals would accept him as president. Everyone in that meeting knew that come morning, Theodore would be arrested and taken in for questioning on a number of charges including embezzlement of campaign donations.


    It was over for him, his wife had stretched her hand and got her revenge, her husband would not even be at her funeral, and neither would the ungrateful child that she had raised.


    ****************


    Phoebe woke up later in the morning just a few minutes to breakfast, after taking her bath, she walked down the stairs and scrolled through her phone. It was no surprise to see the news of Theodore Rowland having lost his seat as the presidential candidate of the Liberty party.


    Many organizations for women, animals and the environment were already rushing to cut ties with him. His condemnation online was brutal and the picture of him saving a puppy had been doctored to look like he was strangling the puppy.


    Pictures of him and his mistress together over the years with their son were rampant, all along nobody thought twice of it when they were seen together but now, it was all they could talk about, wondering how they had missed the signs.


    "Wow the Rowland''s sure work fast." Phoebe spoke up as she entered the dining room and joined the other Mayfair''s.


    Every one present seemed to be in a good mood apart from her father who was a dedicated member of the Liberty party. He knew that this scandal would deal a blow to the party in the coming elections.


    "I cannot believe that the rumors were actually true. Initially I thought that the Republicans were slandering him but no, that idiot Theodore was a fraud." Edward smacked the table lightly. "Elias Rowland told me himself right before he called for the emergency party meeting late last night.


    Now we are scrambling to find somebody to replace him, someone that is expected to perform a miracle, that bloody fake idiot has ruined a lot of things." He continued to levy curses on Theodore.


    Phoebe decided to skip on the greetings and signaled at Maria to get her something to eat.


    "Thank you, Maria." She smiled when a plate was put in front of her.


    Phoebe began to dig into her food immediately, she was very hungry. "So, what is going to happen to him? Will he be spending some time in prison?" She covered her mouthful with the back of her hand.


    "Of course, the Rowland''s are determined to see him burn. Genevieve Rowland is up in arms claiming that her daughter died because she found out about the fraud and affair. They are going to cripple him financially and socially that even if he survives prison, he will never show his plastic face in Fog country, if I was him, I would just flee the country.


    I don''t think they plan to let him live, what if he writes one of those tell all books and exposes their secrets? Lord knows there is so much scheming in the Rowland family, it is the way of politics. I will say this for sure, if they off him, he deserves it." Grandma Mayfair had no kind words for the swindler. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Jennie placed her phone down with a light thud. "It is because of incidences like these that the council had created a law enforcing that founding families had to intermarry, I propose that we Mayfair''s maintain that tradition in this family just to avoid such ridiculous scenarios." She rubbed her temples; she had a budding headache from lack of sleep having spent a big part of the night gossiping in the fabulous ladies'' chat group.

 Chapter 391 - 391: An epidemic.

    Phoebe was ready with the retort, which was to loudly oppose her mother, but her grandmother beat her to it.


    "Your proposal is denied." Grandma Mayfair shot Jennie a stern gaze. "My Maureen''s boyfriend is an ordinary man that is not from our families. Phoebe vetted him and he is a good man who will make her happy. I believe that they will be married soon." Her eyes leveled to meet those of her daughter who almost chocked on a cookie on hearing her mother announce that Mr. Alton was her boyfriend.


    "Mother!" came Maureen''s surprised outcry, her exasperated facial expression mirrored that of the rest of the members of the family except Phoebe who only chortled.


    Maureen sighed, "Mom, could you please stop with the crazy talk. How come I wasn''t aware that Mr. Alton is my boyfriend. We have only gone on one date, don''t rush things. If he is not right for me, we will find another match, at most I will settle for an arrangement with someone from the founding families." Her eyes drifted to the television. "Pheebs is that not your company they are talking about? Someone increase the volume." Her eyes drifted to Oman then back to the television.


    It looked like there was an ongoing press conference the minister for health was making and announcement that presently in Fog country and its neighboring countries there was a notable increase in persistent cough infections. He mentioned the figures which had been recorded by hospitals and informed the public that the cough was extremely deadly to children below the age of ten.


    He urged the public not to worry and encouraged parents with children below the age of ten to have them vaccinated with the Ivy vaccine that had been purchased from DP research laboratories. It was being supplied to all hospitals in the country, but the quantities were not many which is why children would be prioritized first, followed by sick adults.


    Everyone turned to Luke as the press conference drew to a close and the normal morning new resumed. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Is it an epidemic?" grandma Mayfair asked.


    Luke nodded, it could be considered that since the hospital he worked in had received over thirty sick children, all with the same cough. "It has been two weeks since some of us noticed that there was a problem.


    Some of my seniors in the medical world suspected that there was more to this cough than what met the eye but people don''t like to hear words like epidemic so it was kept hush hush by the government until it could not be hidden anymore because it is spreading too quickly."


    "Pheebs, how in the world did you guys do it? Damn, you are going to be rolling in money." Andre chimed in with some excitement.


    A scoff escaped from Phoebe''s lips. "Are you seriously mentioning money when there is an outbreak that could possibly kill many children?" A note of disappointment crept into her voice.


    The smile vanished from Andre''s face mostly because of the disgusted glances that were thrown his way, he waved his hands in denial. "Oh my God, I am not such a monster, you should all not look at me that way. What I mean is that I am happy that DP research made a vaccine which is going to save many lives.


    The money is a welcome bonus, come on, when has making money, the right way ever been a bad thing? The researchers that made the vaccine need to be paid, you need to buy herbs and equipment to make medicine. It is only justified that you make money from your research." He echoed with seriousness and dry honesty.


    Even though Phoebe did not approve of his initial words, she could not blame him because there was no death yet as a result of the cough. She recalled that she had good news to share.


    "Everyone, my plan with David was successful and right now, Dickson must be furious." She saw the questions in their eyes and expanded on her words. "There has been talk about the cough in some medical circles, so everyone has been improving their medicine or researching something new.


    We deliberately leaked the trial results and a fake recipe of the Ivy cough vaccine to a person that Dickson bribed at DP labs. Apparently, he used all the money he got as an investment from DP holdings to mass produce a cough vaccine using that recipe.


    He tweaked it by changing a few ingredients, but fake is fake, and this is going to be huge loss for DC pharma. We told you that we would cripple him in all ways and now you can tick financially off the box." Phoebe jutted her chin upwards as Andre clapped dramatically.


    Grandma Mayfair coughed dryly. "It was a very good plan; his company cannot recover from such a hit. When word gets out that his vaccine is fake, he will be done in the medical research field, nobody will ever trust him again. You laid down a trap and he fell for it like the idiot that he is." she smirked


    "Still, one cannot cripple a Saxon financially at least not completely, they get millions of dollars monthly from their family vault." Aunt Maureen extinguished the happiness in the room.


    Edward raised his hand and called for everyone''s attention. "No, we should give Phoebe and David credit, this was a good move, even if he gets money from elsewhere, he is not as financially strong as he was before and he will not be able to sit on the board of the Saxon group. They will kick him out to avoid being included in a fake medicine scandal and Like I said last time, by the time I am done with him, uncle Rufus will take him off the family register."


    Luke laughed, the sound had an edge and mockery to it. "That''s not enough but we should all do our best to end him. The best part of this is that Katherine will be mad as hell too when she realizes it''s David and Phoebe''s product. I want to be there the day she finally learns to whom DP holdings belongs."


    "She will explode." Andre snickered.


    They made jokes for a while and then Luke excused himself, the hospital was about to be flooded with patients sick or not with cough related symptoms.


    "Mother what do you think about working at David''s orphanage?" Phoebe suddenly raised a question which was unexpected.


    Jennie frowned, no surprise to Phoebe at all. Her mother was like Sabrina, she was not built to suffer, she was born for the soft life. Phoebe was suggesting this because her mother was not employed, and she had a big and kind heart.


    "Do not worry mom, you won''t have to strain yourself physically just do what you can, and David is going to ask grandma Saxon to help out too so you won''t be bored and alone. All you have to do is make sure that things are in order, you do not have to be there all day. Its temporary, just until we find suitable replacements. Please, please, please." She pouted her lips in a cute fashion, but her eyes glistened with desperation.


    "Alright but only until you find a replacement." Jennie''s lips twisted to form a smile, she couldn''t say no to her pleading daughter, not when she was acting cute.


    Phoebe clapped triumphantly. "Thank you, mother, I am sure that those cute children will warm your heart that you will not want to leave them."


    Jennie laughed with unease and hoped that Phoebe would find a replacement for her much sooner than later, she did not really like to work. "If you say so." came her voice which had traces of uncertainty.


    "Mom, let''s go to the orphanage now and assess the situation, David is already there." Phoebe pushed her chair back and stood; her eyes moved to stare at her aunt who was still sitting. "Aunt you can go and start your duties at the cafe, Rosette will teach you the ropes." Phoebe ignored the echoes of gasps that came from some family members.


    "No way!" Andre whispered.


    It seemed Maureen has not told everyone that she was sticking around for a while. To Phoebe, it was good news so why was everyone gasping as if the grinch had come to town?

 Chapter 392 - 392: Here for the long haul.

    Confusion settled on everyone''s face especially grandma Mayfair, this was the first time that she was hearing of this. It raised the question of what Maureen meant by working in Phoebe''s cafe. Was she serious about it or was this being done on a whim to kill boredom?


    The old woman''s eyes widened a little as she considered another possibility, was Maureen trying to stay close so that she could be near Mr. Alton? His shop was not very far from the cafe after all, it was within driving distance.


    Since Maureen was unwilling to admit, she decided to play it carefully and see what going on. "Phoebe what do you mean? Is Maureen going to work at the cafe with us? She was afraid of ghosts as a little girl this is not the type of work that suites her." Her grandmother''s eyes kept darting between her and Maureen.


    Phoebe had to bite her tongue lightly so as not to laugh about her grandma''s claim that her aunt was afraid of ghosts. The woman that had basically called ghosts boring and hunted monsters would fit right in with the cafe.


    She chose not to mention aunt Maureen''s special job however, "Nana you know that we are short staffed and finding people that are trustworthy and comfortable around ghosts is really hard. I believe that aunt can fill the gap for now and she agreed to the suggestion, I hope that you are okay with that." She finished uncertainly.


    In case her grandmother wanted aunt Maureen at Mayfair Corp, Phoebe did not want to get in the middle of that.


    Old lady Mayfair was not as troubled as Phoebe thought she was, she was cooking up ways of having her daughter and Mr. Alton meet up as much as possible. But she did not want to give herself away, so she acted nonchalant. "Of course not, I do not mind, as long as she is comfortable with seeing ghosts float around." Grandma raised her hands in surrender as if it was Maureen''s business and none of hers.


    Edward who was standing placed his hands on the table and leaned forward towards his sister. "If I say that I am not confused, I would be lying. You could not get away from Citrus fast enough back then and now you are suddenly working for my daughter! Aren''t you going back to Hartoum? What about your business? Maureen are you finally listening to me and giving up on your aimless travels around the world?"


    His voice tinged with great expectation, even though it was a sudden announcement that he was skeptical about, he welcomed it. Edward thought that it would be nice if Maureen finally decided to move back home. He couldn''t help but worry each time she called to tell him that she was on the road hunting for this or that special artifact.


    "Oh, was mother right about you and Mr. Alton, have you finally found someone worth settling down with?" Jennie voiced an unpopular opinion.


    Maureen stood up rapidly at Jennie''s wrong insinuation, she did not want it to excite her mother wrongly. "I can see that a lot of you are eager about this so I will answer only what you need to know." She turned her attention to her brother. "Brother you are right, I have finally decided to listen to you which means that I am here to stay, I am moving back home permanently.


    I am closing up shop in Hartoum, I will not miss it much, I hate that place anyway, but I will be going there to pick my stuff and that''s it." She offered a firm nod which gestured that she was done talking.


    Jennie was not about to let Maureen leave her question hanging. "So, it''s really Mr. Alton..."


    Interjecting with a dismissive hand wave, Maureen turned on her heel, her sister-in-law was nosier than her mother. It would not surprise her to learn that Jennie had shared the news of her date with the other gossipy women of the founding lane. "Someone needs to close that stupid chat group." she muttered.


    "You are still as rude as ever, just so you know you can''t ignore me forever." Came Jennie''s voice that was sharp with irritation. She was unhappy because only her question had gone unanswered.


    Phoebe shook her head, the relationship between her mother and aunt changed often like a chameleon changes color. One day they were the best of friends and the next they were acting like foes. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She had also realized that it was best to stay out of their dysfunctional relationship, if it was good for them, who was she to question it.


    "Do not worry about them, it has always been this way between them, they don''t really hate each other their personalities just clash occasionally. Do not mind their childish behavior." Grandma Mayfair whispered and gestured that they should leave.


    It was drizzling when they left the house, the weather was changing fast, winter was about to arrive, and Phoebe could not wait. She also couldn''t wait for founders'' day and Christmas, she had plans to decorate the cafe and make theme related drinks.


    Those were the thoughts on her mind as they were driven to their destination. They went straight to the orphanage which was as busy as Phoebe had guessed it would be. White tents set up outside in the main compound. Masked health care workers were busy vaccinating the children, checking their temperatures while isolating the sick ones from the healthy ones.


    The number of children in the compound was higher than Phoebe expected, it seemed others had been brought over from elsewhere. It was either that or the orphanage had taken in a larger number of children recently.


    When they looked around in confusion, wondering where to start. Phoebe saw David. He waved as he approached them and when he came closer, she saw that dark circles had formed under his eyes, a sign that he was tired and barely had any sleep the night before.


    "My poor babe." she hugged him tightly.


    "Ladies, good morning, it is lovely to see you here. I wish the circumstances were better though." He was respectful when he greeted and spoke to them.


    Jennie raised her hand to massage one of his haggard cheeks. "My dear son you look horrible, have you had any breakfast? I brought some for you, let me go get it." She moved quickly back to her car before he could respond.


    The three people that stayed back exchanged glances and laughed, Jennie was really taking her mothering duties very seriously.


    "I have to admit that I like how mother is treating me, I actually feel like I am her real son, I bet she adores me more than Phoebe." David voiced playfully.


    "I am glad that you said that because she will be helping here starting with today." Phoebe announced, she had sent him a text about it earlier, so it was no surprise, all that was left was for him to convince his grandmother.


    "How are the children." Grandma Mayfair asked David who nodded continuously.


    "The situation is under control here, we have tested and vaccinated most of the children. More were brought in from other orphanages around. This will be a vaccination station now for all the schools around so the tents and doctors will be around for a while." He turned to Phoebe; a devious smile lay upon his face. "We got Dickson babe; he is done for."


    Phoebe returned his smile. "It was your idea; you are really the smartest man I know. By the time our plan is completed, he will be begging for mercy."


    They shared a mutual thrill because they had taken down a foe together, if they had champagne glasses, they would be toasting to their victory.

 Chapter 393 - 393: The fragility of intimacy

    "Come on," Phoebe tugged on David''s arm and pulled him into the car. She put her hands on his cheeks, looked at his sunken face up close and sighed. "You look like a zombie, no even a zombie looks better than you. How many hours of sleep are you getting?"


    She opened her bottle and put it to his mouth. "Drink, you need fuel before you collapse and become one of the people in the tents on the beds with IV''s attached to their hands."


    He managed to take two sips of a liquid that tasted like water but had a hint of sweetness, like strawberries and honey had been added. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After drinking, he yawned and put his head down on her chest. "Let''s go on a date, I feel like we haven''t been on one in ages." he croaked out tiredly.


    She flicked his forehead, "Look at you, you can barely stand but you want to go on a date."


    "It can be a sleeping date." he suggested. He smiled as he felt his energy being renewed thanks to the water Phoebe had given him. "We can book a restaurant and turn it into a sleeping restaurant."


    "That is a hotel." she chuckled.


    "Great, that sounds like a plan, I will pick you up and if I fail to make it, I will send someone." He kissed her on the cheek and stepped out of the car.


    Phoebe followed him, she saw him take a medium sized bag from her mother and then he excused himself, leaving an assistant to show them around. She wanted to stop him and suggest he get some sleep first, but it was a suggestion that would fall on deaf ears.


    She vowed to make sure that he got to rest on their date or after. Perhaps when he was well rested, they could enjoy a more passionate time together. Each time she felt like they were going to have sex, David held himself back, he treated her like something fragile that he was afraid of breaking. The best way to change his reluctant attitude was to take charge of the situation.


    She pictured herself dressed up in leather with a whip in hand while David was tied to the bed, and she chuckled. For sure, such a thing would probably surprise and frighten him.


    "What is making you so happy?" Grandma Mayfair asked as the car pulled up in front of the cafe.


    The question could not be answered, she could not say I am considering having sex with my boyfriend, even if she used the softest words, her grandmother would clutch her chest dramatically, Also, her chatty mouth would probably inform the rest of the family about it.


    Phoebe waved her hand lightly. "This whole Dickson being ruined thing couldn''t make me happier. I just need to see him crumble with my own eyes and gloat in his face." She lied easily; she had grown to become accustomed to the habit.


    Technically it was not a lie because she was truly happy about Dickson''s troubles, Phoebe thought.


    Nodding in agreement grandma Mayfair sneered. "If he shows his face here again, I will pour hot water on him. I don''t care if I will go to jail for it." A bitter smile curled on her lips. "Damn bastard, he should burn in hell."


    "Just be careful not to burn yourself, see you later Nana." Phoebe kissed her grandmother''s cheek.


    Her grandmother returned the kiss. "Be careful my girl, we do not know what that scumbag is up to so make sure that you are never caught alone with him." Worry etched on her face; she threw a glance at Santos who nodded on understanding the silent order.


    If he saw Dickson around Phoebe, it was shoot first and ask questions later, everything else the Mayfair''s would handle.


    "Do not worry ma''am, Pike is right behind us and the Elithera boys that work for Luna are always lurking around somewhere." Santos adjusted the rear-view mirror.


    It was hard telling who around them was working for the Elithera''s, they were truly the best in the business. Sometimes, it could be the policeman controlling traffic at a random corner, or two teenagers on a bike, a mother pushing a bay in a stroller. It was hard to know who they were, their disguises were flawless.


    After dropping her grandmother at the cafe, Phoebe headed to the Mayfair free clinic. It was different from the last time she was there, the money she donated from the foundation was being put to good use.


    With new buildings being constructed, there were fewer patients waiting because more doctors had been employed to hasten the speed at which patients were seen She had also donated a lot of money to the hospital to help the poor and elderly patients get necessary surgeries.


    Seeing what was changing, Phoebe smiled, she was sure that Luther would be proud.


    She ventured into the hospital, eyes peeled for any sighting of her brother, and she found him easily. He was talking to a nurse in the large waiting area.


    "Luke!" Phoebe raised her voice and waved. She covered her mouth because she was in a hospital, excitement had got the better of her because it was always nice to see any of her brothers, it didn''t matter if they had been separated for a minute or ten hours.


    Luke looked Phoebe''s way and smiled, he concluded his conversation with the nurse and excused himself, rushing to Phoebe.


    "Baby sister, are you hurt?" he asked first, worried.


    She shook her head. "I am fine, I just came for an update."


    His eyes widened a little in realization and he smiled again, "Just that! You did not need to come in person, I would have given you an update at home. I have already worked on the patient that you asked me to look after, he has received the best services from the best doctors that we have here." His voice was smooth but tinged with curiosity. He wanted to know what her connection was to the patient. "Is this ghost related?" He continued to ask, he stuffed his hands inside the doctor''s gown pockets.


    "No." Phoebe shook her head lightly; she opened a candy as she responded and fed it to Luke. "It''s just someone whose relative I know."


    Luke led her to the patient recovery room; he made sure to explain the patient''s condition as they strolled slowly. "Mr. Michelson''s surgery was a success, and he is expected to make a full recovery."


    He stood outside of the recovery room with her, and they looked at the sleeping patient for a few seconds in silence until Luke''s pager beeped.


    "Pheebs, I have to go now." Luke''s eyes shifted from the pager to her, he planted a small kiss on her forehead and disappeared.


    Phoebe opened the door and went in but hesitated when her eyes fell on Gemma whose head turned to face her. She had been standing by the window which is why she was unseen earlier.


    "Miss Phoebe..." Gemma moved from the window and approached Phoebe, her eyes were red and swollen, her countenance soft and almost defeated. "I thought you were lying to me; I didn''t think you would actually help us after what I did. I am forever indebted to you, the doctors said that my father will live a healthy life from now on." Tears sprouted out of her eyes.


    "It''s alright Gemma, to repay me for this favor I request that you do good for others. You cannot go around defrauding people, what if you end up in jail? What then will happen to your father?" Phoebe tapped her back to sooth her.


    Gemma wiped her tears with the back of her hand. "I only did it because I was desperate, from now on I will live an honest life. I did not mean to blackmail you; never would I target someone like you in a million years. It was that woman that made me a tempting offer, she promised to change my life by finding me good employment and pay me a huge sum of money after the job was done." She confessed.

 Chapter 394 - 394: Eye opening discussion.

    The answer could not be any more obvious to Phoebe, she had already figured out who was behind the silly blackmail ploy, in fact it was a test. Still, she wanted Gemma to admit it verbally as she was recording. In future, this recording could come in handy.


    There was also an option of leaking online and just sitting back and enjoying Moria''s embarrassment.


    "Let me guess, it''s the woman that appeared to be defending me, Moria Mortimer." Phoebe said in a bored voice, and she sneered afterwards.


    Nodding her head slowly, Gemma sniveled. "Yes, she is not someone that i could say no to. I did not want to assault you, but she said that if I failed to do as I was instructed, she would pin a crime on me and throw me in prison for the rest of my life. She comes from a power family, I come from....a poor one. Poor people do not really have the privilege of saying no to rich ones." Her voice quivered, there was a tinge of fear in her voice.


    "You are ridiculous, she comes from a wealthy family but so do I, what she threatened you with, I too could do easily. If my family finds out what you did to me, they will make sure that you pay for it." Phoebe sighed heavily. "But I know now that you were only trying to save your father, so I am not holding it against you. Besides, I have also heard that Moria can be persuasive and a bully, so I understand the position you were put in." Phoebe studied her.


    The fact that Gemma had been instructed specifically to slap Phoebe, opened her eyes and confirmed to her that Moria had returned for her. She was not the kind to fight head on, so she was going to use others to do her dirty work while pretending to be incident.


    "Your family was already here, one of the women that was with you in the boutique, the mean looking one. She grabbed my throat, I went on my knees and begged for my father''s life, but that crazy lady wanted to pull off his breathing mask!" Gemma face flushed with a mix of mortification and exasperation.


    Surprise was not an emotion that Phoebe felt in the moment, it had to be Luna.


    "Was it the orange head that you saw at the boutique?"


    Nodding continuously Gemma sniffed. "That''s her, she looks like the singer Luna Elithera but Luna is sweet, I doubt that she is the type of person to go around strangling others."


    Phoebe coughed thrice and looked away from Gemma. The woman was dead wrong, the person she was speaking of was Luna the singer. A question crossed her mind, if Luna had paid a visit to Gemma, what about Moria?


    Phoebe fidgeted to fish out her phone from her bag, she dialed Luna''s number, but it was unavailable which was weird. Her heart pounded in her chest; she could hear the hammering sound in her ears. If Luna did something to Moria, the Mortimer''s would not sit back. They would strike back with vengeance and the Mayfair''s would get caught in the crossfire.


    She decided to leave the hospital and try seeking for her friend. "Gemma, I have to go but after your father gets discharged you can visit me at the cafe, I may be able to get you a job." Phoebe hurriedly spoke; she was skeptical about employing Gemma but it seemed like she had learnt her lesson.


    Luther''s foundation still needed employees, as someone that had benefited from it, perhaps Gemma would be of help to others. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Gemma''s face lit up with surprise. "Miss Phoebe you would really do that? You don''t have to; you have already done more than enough for me by saving my father." Her eyes glistened with tears. "I will work to pay back this debt and if you have to report Moria Mortimer, I am ready to confess to the police, in fact i have a recording of her giving me instructions on what to do." She painfully promised, it didn''t seem to be an easy decision to make.


    Phoebe''s eyes brightened with a smile, perhaps having Gemma on her side was more beneficial than she had initially assumed. "Really! give it to me." She met Gemma''s eyes.


    Gemma returned her gaze with apologetic sincerity. "It''s saved on my phone, and I left it at home today, I will send it as soon as I can." She smiled warmly; the guilt that weighed heavily on her heart lightened a little.


    Even after leaving the hospital Phoebe continued to call Luna''s cell, it was still turned off, she let out a weary sigh. The more she failed to reach Luna, the more worried she became, and, in her mind, she was drawing up some very ugly scenarios.


    Maybe Moria''s headless body was somewhere in a forest, or perhaps she had already been cremated, and she was nothing but ashes now. Or maybe her body was riddled with bullet holes.


    "I need to stop overthinking but what the hell is she doing?" Came a quiet question.


    "Ask Luke, he is her boyfriend so he could have an idea." Connie suggested.


    It was a brilliant idea; Phoebe called and asked her brother about his girlfriend''s whereabouts, but he had no idea.


    "Well, you better find out because I think that she kidnapped Moria Mortimer! I will tell you more later." Phoebe''s voice quavered.


    There was dead silence. "I will find her, do not worry." Luke hung up without saying another word.


    "Let me try and find that out, but I think that you could be imagining what''s not there. I doubt that she has already kidnapped Moria because as careless as she is, she knows better than to attack a member of a founding family." The spirit said to Phoebe, pulling out a map and preparing to do a spell.


    "Need I remind everyone that this is Luna we are talking about." Connie said loudly.


    They all frowned because they knew that Luna was a person who acted and thought later, her impulsiveness worried them.


    "What about Sylvester? How is he now?" Phoebe asked, guilt enveloped her for not checking up on him.


    "He is slowly regaining his energy, I did not think that the bullet would be so deadly to him but worry not, he is recovering fast because the environment in the space is a healing one. He is sleeping near the lake of life and we put healing stones around him, he will be up and about soon. We need a specimen out here in the real world to try the bullets on, I think that you should ask your aunt to take you hunting."


    "Hunting!" Phoebe exclaimed.


    The Saxon spirit nodded, "There are more dangerous things than ghosts out in the world that need to be put down. In order to know how strong the bullets are or what limitations they have, they need to be tested on different monsters. It won''t stop you from doing your ghost work, ghosts are everywhere you look."


    It gestured outside and they noticed more than ten ghosts on the road, some were standing idly, others were hailing cabs, others floating aimlessly.


    "Think about my words, it will be fun." The spirit disappeared, leaving Phoebe with some things to think about.

 Chapter 395 - 395: Dicksons failed kidnapping attempt.

    She did not hear from the spirit for the rest of the car ride and so, Phoebe put Luna at the back of her mind. At this point, if she had done something, it was too late. Also, a part of her figured Luna was a big girl, whatever decisions she made, she was ready for the fall out.


    From the hospital, she stopped by the farm, she had not been there since the failed hearing. She had been told that lately, Dorothy was trying to rally people to sign a petition for the council to root out evil witches in the founding families.


    Nobody was backing her up, at least no one important and Rufus was not going to allow such a nonsensical petition pass.


    Dorothy''s former supporter Rex was currently on suspension, a Vice President who was a Castille was now running the founding council, but everyone knew who was in charge, Rufus Saxon.


    Phoebe did not dwell on the thoughts about the council, she walked through her herb plantation with pride on her face. Rows of vibrant herbs with unique fragrances filled the air were thriving.


    She had planted lavender which had a glow and stood tall, its scent was soothing. Near the lavender was the rosemary with its shimmering leaves like tiny diamonds in the weak sunlight.


    In another section, she could see the golden sage with leaves whose golden color was like that of the sun, The further one walked, the more herbs they found like mint, thyme, aloe vera, ginger, chamomile, echinacea, peppermint, turmeric, garlic. Additionally, the trees were growing steadily like willows, ginkgo, elder trees, neem tress, eucalyptus, cinnamon, tea trees, pine and hawthorn.


    Everything was taller or larger than it should be, they had grown in a miraculous way in that Mr. Ramon Jives the farm manager was intrigued to how it was possible.


    "Boss I have been a farm manager at some of the biggest farms in and out of this country, but I have to confess that I have never seen anything like this! The speed at which these plants are growing is not natural, is there a secret about this land that I have no i do not know about?" His eyes shimmered with curiosity, a smile continued to exist on his lips.


    Phoebe leaned forward as if to spill the beans. "A secret is called a secret for a reason Ramon." Laughter came bubbling from her. "But for me, it''s no secret that I am a shaman, I prayed to the deities to make my land very fertile and my seeds very productive, so they answered." Came a lie, the spirit had added the water of life into the irrigation tanks.


    Slowly nodding his head, Ramon asked Phoebe to follow him to the accounts department, which was headed by Raymond, his oldest son. On the way there, Phoebe stopped now and then to chat with the workers. They seemed contented and happy which brought her joy and satisfaction because as long as their needs were met, the workers would work with undivided attention.


    She made sure to give them bonuses every now and then especially during the holidays. Three cabins had been built on the land and the workers slept in one, like a staff dormitory, meals were provided, and salaries were high. Life at the farm was good.


    When it came to the books, everything seemed to be as it should be, the accounts were neat, and everything was accounted for. Phoebe rested there for another ten minutes and decided to leave as her work there was done.


    "Prepare for harvesting before winter comes, the drying and processing factory on the grounds is ready." she told Mr. Ramon before leaving for the cafe. with a satisfied smile on her face.


    The spirit appeared with information about Luna''s whereabouts. "She is at the cafe eating cinnamon buns and fat free coffee." It announced. "I followed Luke, apparently Luna has a tracker in her body, and he can connect to it. If this is not love, I don''t know what it is because there is no way anybody in the world would be allowed to track me, not even my husband." It''s voice harbored judgement.


    "I guess it''s a good thing that he is keeping tabs on her, it is possible that she did neutralize Moria permanently. I cannot tell you how relieved I am to know that." Phoebe leaned back in the car seat.


    Connie curled her lips to the side. "How do you know that and what do you mean by relieved? The woman came here to steal your boyfriend and harm you! If Luna beat, her up it''s only in retaliation for her coercing Gemma into attacking you." She folded her arms. "And if she kills her, it''s a win for the world, one more bad person has been eliminated."


    Phoebe could not respond to that, she was neither on board nor off it. As the car turned to settle into a parking spot, she heard tires screech.


    "Fuck!" A sharp exhale came out of Santos, he had managed to stop the car in time right before it could collide with the black sedan that came out of nowhere.


    Phoebe''s eyes darted around, she saw the Elithera boys as Santos called them and Pike run towards them. She slowly stepped out since they had arrived already, and no sane person would attack her with all the guards around her.


    No sooner had she stepped out when Dickson came out of the luxury sedan, his left hand held a gun which he pointed in Phoebe''s direction. He had not come alone; he had four armed bodyguards. In the parking area, people started to scatter, screaming because they were terrified.


    "Stop right there you bitch." He ordered her, he took a few steps only to be stopped before he could reach her. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Pike, Santos, the Elithera boys and three masked individuals that Phoebe had not seen before all surrounded her. Santos tried to shove her back into the car, but Phoebe was immovable, like a mountain.


    Instead of moving back, she pushed all her bodyguards aside with her ghostly power and came forward. Dickson laughed happily and he put the gun to her head.


    "She is coming with me, the rest of you, step back or I will blow her brains out." He threatened.


    The men only came forward calculatingly which compelled Dickson to cock the gun. "I am not playing here i will shoot her." He hissed; his face flushed with fury as his fingers tightened around the gun.


    "Oh God this is boring, this idiot does not even have bullets in the gun. I am going to put him to sleep, I hope that you don''t argue about that." The Saxon spirit did not wait for an answer, she sprayed sleeping dust in his face, within two seconds Dickson was lying on the ground.


    His bodyguards were taken down by the three masked men who rushed away without saying a single word.


    The Elithera men nabbed Dickson quickly. "Do you want him dead; he has become a menace."


    Phoebe shook her head. "Beat him up but do not kill him, he needs to live for a while longer." She adjusted her clothes to their original position. "Make sure that he suffers, remove his teeth that he just put in, hell, take all of his teeth. He should be alive and feel the pain, and guys make sure he knows that I instructed you to do it." She ordered.


    Pike and Santos exchanged gazes." Madam Boss perhaps we should take him with us to Alfa security." Pike proposed, worry laced his eyes after all Dickson was still a Saxon.


    "Those men do not seem to care about who Dickson is, but you seem to be worried about that so leave it to them and do not inform David, I will do that myself." She turned and walked towards the elevator leaving them puzzled.


    What was the difference between them reporting it to David and him hearing about it from her?

 Chapter 396 - 396: The unwanted part timer.

    Dickson was gone, but the feeling of disgust in Phoebe remained because he had touched her. Even though it had been her clothes, she wanted to change them immediately, so she decided to visit her apartment first.


    "I can''t believe that that fool wanted to kidnap you in broad day light!'' Connie exclaimed. "It was like I was watching a movie, but it was not really movie, it was live action. He came with armed goons, wow, he is an embarrassment to the Saxon''s.


    As the elevator ascended, Phoebe wished that she could shut Connie up. She kept dwelling on what had happened, narrating it as Phoebe had not been there for it. "Imagine what would have happened supposing Zephyra was not there?


    Wait, you have magic, ghost magic, were you planning to catch the bullet between your fingers? I tell you for sure, Dickson was like a madman, not thirsty for water but blood." She shuddered on recalling the memory.


    The Saxon spirit rolled its eyes at that because it was certain that Dickson had not been thirsty for blood, if he was, his gun would have had bullets. He had been there to kidnap Phoebe, as for the reasons behind his actions, it could name a number.


    Phoebe believed that even without the help of the spirit she had everything under control, one she had a stun gun which she was prepared to shock him with, and the Kitty knuckles that aunt Maureen had gifted her with, she wished that she had used it to take out his eyeball.


    Her self-defense claim would have been unquestionable, after all he had attacked her, held a gun to her head and tried to kidnap her in broad day light,


    "Guys come on, it was obvious that after his misfortune, Dickson was going to blame me for it after all I was the one that told him to choose D.P holdings over Halstead." She stepped off the elevator and moved towards her apartment. "But that fool is a fool indeed, because he got an investment from D.P holdings and stole the formula for the vaccine from D.P research. What kind of idiot does such a thing? How do you steal meat from your own pot?" She winced, unsure if she was even saying the right thing.


    "CEOs embezzle from their own companies Pheebs, ugh I cannot believe that I have to be the one to teach you this." Connie sighed. "So, if a CEO can steal from his company, why can''t Dickson steal from a company which is not his?"


    "Point for Connie." Phoebe laughed.


    The spirit rubbed her chin. "We should just kill him and change our plan; he is an evil that we need to rid the world of." It paused to hear Phoebe''s response, but she remained unresponsive, punched in the code and entered the house. From the frown on her brows, she was not in support of the idea.


    "Dickson will die eventually but he must suffer first, death is just a punishment that is too easy for him." Phoebe poured water from the jar into the glass.


    "His attempt to kidnap you must be one of two reasons, either he thinks that you are a fraud, or he believes that you set him up to fail. This is not the end, after he recovers, he will be back for you, that is for sure. You must be on guard at all times, I cannot be with you all day." The spirit warned, not entirely surprised by her reluctance to just kill Dickson quickly.


    As Phoebe walked to the fridge and poured herself another glass of water, the spirit made a plan, if it came down to it and Phoebe''s life was in real danger, it would snap Dickson''s neck even if Phoebe wanted him alive.


    "And l will be waiting for him." Phoebe finished the last drop of the water in the glass.


    She wanted to taunt Dickson, punish him, give him ten folds of the pain that he had given her before ending him for good.


    Her phone was buzzing nonstop with continuous calls, first Luna, then her grandmother, Rosset, aunt Maureen and now David was calling. She let each one know that she was fine and there was nothing to panic about.


    While she was changing, her father called, then her mom and her brothers one after the other. She made the same reassurances. After changing her clothes in a haste, Phoebe went straight to the cafe.


    Unexpectedly, when she arrived, she found Sabrina, in a deep conversation with aunt Maureen. One would think that they had known each other for long by the way they were laughing, which was not the case, the two hardly had anything to do with each other.


    Phoebe wondered if they were talking about weaving spells or something else, she could see the spark in Sabrina''s eyes from a mile away. Not many things sparked Sabrina''s interests outside of magic, she certainly wasn''t that much interested in other people''s lives, S§×arch* The ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Phoebe my child!" Grandma Mayfair pulled her into an embrace and gently patted her back, from the moment Luna had told them what had happened with Dickson outside, her nerves had gone haywire.


    If it was not for all the girls in the cafe stopping her, Grandma Mayfair would have run off to find her precious granddaughter.


    "Are you alright? I heard that bastard roughed you up a little." Luna spoke through pressed lips. "Phoebe I am going to smash those filthy hands that he put on you, nothing you say can stop me." She added without giving a care in the world that there were people listening.


    Upon inspecting Phoebe''s body, grandma Mayfair''s heartbeat returned to normal when she saw no injuries. "If your parents hear about this, they will be furious." Her arms flailed angrily.


    "They are already aware, I have three different groups of bodyguards protecting me, I think the third one was assigned by dad. Don''t worry, I am fine Nana that bastard cannot do anything to me." Phoebe patted her grandmother''s shoulder reassuringly.


    She drifted her attention to Sabrina. "You are here on this gloomy afternoon; I take it to mean that you have accepted my proposal to work here." Came her lazy statement which shocked some of the listeners especially Rosset that had no idea the arrogant Sabrina was a potential co-worker.


    Sabrina had always been a menace as a customer and now Phoebe wanted her to work here! It was truly alarming. One needed patience to serve others, Sabrina lacked patience, she was more likely to pour coffee on an annoying customer than respond politely.


    "Come on Phoebe, this princess has never stirred her own tea talk about making a cup of coffee!" Rosset could not believe her ears; this was a mistake one that was going to cost them all.


    Sabrina gave a small wave. "Believe me when I tell you that I was coerced into this, your boss knows that I am not waitress material, but she insists on having me here." she rolled her eyes.


    Grandma Mayfair raised her hand. "I agree with Rosset; we do need workers but Sabrina Spellcaster of all people! Why Pheebs?" She shook her head disapprovingly.


    Phoebe thought about the calculations she had made, and the answer was simple.


    [Because she is Andre''s future wife!]

 Chapter 397 - 397: Grandaughter-in-law; undesirable.

    As always, Phoebe''s thoughts never failed to shock her relatives, whatever she thought was always unexpected, not something they would guess in ten lifetimes. Like Sabrina being Andre''s future wife, it was simply unimaginable, grandma Mayfair had to blink a few times to be certain that she was reading the right thing.


    Future wife! Andre''s future wife!!! Grandma Mayfair''s rubbed her eyes and saw the thought one more time before it vanished. Her disbelieving widened eyes turned to Sabrina Spellcaster and she felt a strange pang in her chest. It was similar to a bloating feeling one experienced after they had eaten too many beans.


    The brat that was standing before her was to become her granddaughter in law, how did this happen? Everyone knew of Sabrina''s horrifying reputation, as a prank she had penned several love letters to different boys leading to a series of confusing and embarrassing confrontations as different boys believed they had a secret admirer in school. When she was caught, she shrugged and said she thought it was funny.


    She had replaced real sunflowers at the Sunflower ball with baguettes which created a spectacle when nobody had sunflowers to give their dance partners.


    She had unleashed frogs in a council meeting causing chaos as they jumped between tables. She did it again at the annual founding dinner and the frogs had jumped on food and caused guests to leap out of their seats.


    When the last presidential candidate visited founding lane, she gave him a flower bouquet filled with itching powder. The president and other representatives of the founding families had been very uncomfortable and itchy at the reception.


    She was known to make false calls, her ability to mimic other people''s voices was excellent and she used it to start trouble, fuel rumors and make the most same people question their sanity.


    All this and more, her antics painted her as unpredictable and other founding families were wary of her becoming part of their lineage. For once, grandma Mayfair wondered if Phoebe''s readings were off, there was no way the menace of the founding lane was her granddaughter-in-law to be.


    "Pheebs follow me." She spoke through tight lips, from the frown that had formed on her brows Phoebe could tell that her grandmother was unhappy about something. She obediently followed the older woman who was striding quickly towards her office. Aunt Maureen had seen Phoebe''s thoughts as well, she only followed them because she believed that her niece needed a lawyer. Once her mother thought poorly of someone it was hard to change her mind, case in point was Dorothy Cook.


    When the door to Phoebe''s office was closed, grandma Mayfair who had her back turned to them, spun around. "I cannot pretend that I do not know what is happening here, I have noticed keenly that you are fascinated by that girl, and I want to know why that is the case. Why do you want her here? She is a bad girl, she will not help us, she will only get in the way." She bit her bottom lip, if not her mouth would betray her and reveal what she had read.


    Wondering what she had done that had given her grandmother that impression, Phoebe let out a measured sigh. She made a momentous decision to tell her the truth, it would only be for the better for her grandmother would help straighten Sabrina''s character.


    She blew warm air into her palms and rubbed them thrice. "Nana, I peeked at Andre''s fate, that girl Sabrina is his perfect match, of all the women in the world she is the one that will make him a great wife and give him happiness."


    Grandma Mayfair clutched her chest and closed her eyes.


    "If Phoebe had seen it in his fate, then I am on board, she maybe a little bit troubled for now but she is actually not all that bad, the only problem is that she was raised like a princess by servants. Her parents are very hands off, they are always on vacation so nobody really took the time to mold her which caused her to become too entitled but that does not mean that she is bad." Aunt Maureen gave her opinion, she also offered a faint smile.


    "Mother before you say that Sabrina is not good enough for your precious grandson, you should remember that his reputation is not perfect either. He had trouble keeping his trousers buttoned around gorgeous women for the longest time, he has only settled down in the last year. " She sat in one of the sofas, draping her legs over one of the arms.


    A loud wince came from Grandma Mayfair on hearing Maureen''s words. "Fair enough but still, I am sure that there is another option, right? The Montgomery''s have a beautiful daughter that I think would make a better wife to Andre than that troublesome Sabrina. Did you hear how arrogantly she spoke to us earlier; she did not care that I am an elder and she rolled her eyes twice when I commented on her behavior. Hmph, she thinks I did not see it but I did." Her eyes darted between the two listeners and finally settled on Phoebe. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe in turn sighed, she had long known that the battle of getting the Mayfair''s to open up to Sabrina would be a long one. Her reputation was not as easy to overlook as that of the Elithera''s. There was no bad news about Luna out there unlike Sabrina Spellcaster, one question about her in the fabulous ladies group chat would prove that. Still, fate was fate.


    "Nana, do you think that I did not do my homework? I was flabbergasted when I found out as well. I mean, look at them, they have nothing in common, in fact they loathe each other but who are we to change their fates. Sabrina has a bright future; she will become the presidential palace press secretary and an influential young lady which means she is going to change for the better. When the time is right, they will get together naturally." Phoebe ran her fingers through her hair, and she sighed tiredly.


    Her words however had left her grandmother, and her aunt intrigued. She had met seers at the academy but even they left room for doubt, but Phoebe was very certain about what or who Sabrina was to become.


    "Are you a seer now? How do you know that about Sabrina, did she come to you for a reading?" Aunt Maureen cocked her head, raising her right brow quizzically.


    The spirit whispered to Phoebe. "Maureen is as curious as a cat, you have to watch what you say around her especially with things related to the space, magic stones, star dust and the magic books in the space." Its tone harbored a warning.


    Maureen further analyzed the details, "From her words, she comes in here for drinks and snacks often but only once has she talked to you and that''s when she was in search of a love potion which you denied her. It''s impossible for you to have read her future through her which means....." she winced, "Did you see snippets from Andre''s future? Even the most talented seers I have met are not this good, they just see intertwined fates and skim over the top. They do not see detailed things like this, baby, how did you do it? What exactly is your talent?"


    Phoebe shrugged, "I don''t know, I am a shaman that is all I know." Came Phoebe''s short response

 Chapter 398 - 398: Suddenly on board.

    She looked at aunt Maureen neutrally, not admitting or denying anything. When her aunt realized that she was not going to get anything out of Phoebe, she gave up. But it strengthened her determination to get closer to this niece of hers, if she could see the future accurately, it was possible that she could see the past too.


    If she could see the past, maybe she would be able to see what exactly had happened to her father on the island of no return.


    Old lady Mayfair was also deep in thought, pondering on what she had heard about Sabrina, if you took her future into consideration, things were not all bad. She would have a respectable career and become an influential young woman worthy of everyone''s admiration. In the grand scheme of things, Andre could do much worse than a presidential press secretary, his past girlfriends were proof of that.


    He never dated women from founding families, always ordinary women in the entertainment business. Sabrina would be a welcome change despite her shortcomings. Grandma Mayfair started finding herself on board the longer she thought and when she made her mind up, she smiled.


    "Well, I guess she can stay." she said. She looked at Phoebe and asked, "How many children will they have?"


    Phoebe grinned widely, "Three, one named after you."


    Grandma Mayfair was even happier, and she laughed brightly. "Really! well, I guess that we cannot come in between their destiny of becoming man and wife. I have to help both of those children to become better people whether they want to or not." She said, playful curiosity lingering in her eye, suddenly Sabrina did not seem so bad at all, and she could not wait to brag about her granddaughter in-law when she becomes the presidential palace press secretary.


    Phoebe hugged her grandmother''s arms and kissed her cheek. "Thank you, Nana, I knew that you would eventually understand." Phoebe''s voice was filled with relief.


    Grandma Mayfair patted Phoebe''s cheek gently and then she stood up. She walked out determinedly to go and begin her mission of turning Sabrina into an upright young woman.


    Aunt Maureen laughed, a loud sound that had a tinge of mockery. "Believe me when I tell you that this has nothing to do with mother''s understanding nature. It is all because of what she has heard about Sabrina''s future, all the ill feelings she had about the girl went flying out of the window when she heard her granddaughter in law will be a presidential press secretary and continue the family lineage. Prepare to see Sabrina at family events and all dinners." She leaned forward; her face adjusted to become more serious. "Outside of this, you look somewhat agitated, and I am certain that it''s because of what Dickson did this morning, are you sure that you are alright?" Worry laced her tone.


    Phoebe rolled her eyes dismissively. "Aunt that roach does not have what it takes to scare me anymore. This time it will be I that will torture him and send him to his final resting place. I am bothered by something else....." Moria''s face flashed in her mind, and she went silent, contemplating on whether to confide in her aunt or not.


    Aunt Maureen was not that experienced in the dating field perhaps she was not the right person to talk to about her boyfriend''s ex suddenly appearing with the intention of getting him back.


    Having read the hesitation in her eyes, aunt Maureen suggested that they go for a walk at the avenue street. "It will be good for you." She proposed as she stood, leaving no room for protests.


    Phoebe followed her and they embarked on a slow walk with her aunt holding one of her hands as if she was guiding a toddler that was unable to walk on her own. Avenue street led straight to the mall where Mr. Alton''s shop was located and as they came closer to the mall, Phoebe had an idea which made laugh.


    "Aunt you do not have to meander around it, if you want to see Mr. Alton, I am happy to go with you."


    Phoebe''s playful comment made Maureen pause in her tracks. Now, she could see the similarities in Phoebe and Jennie''s characters.


    "Wipe that sly smile off your cheeks baby, it is not what you are thinking, I do want to see him, that you are right about however I am genuinely concerned about him as a guardian first. I want to know what happened to his wife, if nothing happened then my mind will be put to rest and maybe we can go on another date." She wiped invisible sweat away from her forehead and pushed her hair back. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The truth was that Maureen had liked Mr. Alton upon setting her eyes on him but the man seemed deeply troubled.


    Maureen pulled Phoebe to sit down under the chairs and umbrella of a cafe near the mall.


    "Anyway, forget me, tell me what is bothering you, if it is not Dickson then my suspicions run straight to David. What has he done to bother you other than give you queen treatment." Maureen rested her hands in her trench coat, the rain had come to a stop, but it was still very cold.


    A young waiter stopped by and they made a coffee order to go, which Phoebe found silly as she owned a cafe. Uncertainty pooled in her eyes as the waiter pulled away and she found herself alone with her aunt.


    "It is about him, his ex I mean I don''t know if I should call her that but anyway, she is back in town." Phoebe voice was calm although deep down worry was beginning to gnaw at her, not because she did not trust David but because she worried about the havoc Moria was about to cause. Havoc often left victims in the way, victims like Gemma.


    "Moria Mortimer is back?" Maureen posed a question, her right hand came out of the pocket and pulled on Phoebes hand that was resting on the black table.


    Blinking rapidly, Phoebe asked if her aunt knew her, it was not bad to gather information about her. "You know Moria!" she exclaimed, "Have you had an encounter with her in the past?" She queried.


    She had assumed that her aunt maybe didn''t know Moria, she had left the founding lane as soon as she could and rarely came back over the years.


    In response, Maureen nodded. "Most people from the founding families tend to know each other, we socialize a lot because of the social functions. Thank God the balls and parties have been cut down, there used to be two each week when I was growing up." She shivered as if she dreaded them. Anyway, I know that skunk. She was always acting high and mighty because she was betrothed to David.


    To date I still do not understand parents that think that it''s okay to make deals on their children''s futures just to strengthen their power and financial stability. Betrothals were common among the Saxon''s until uncle Rufus fell ill and aunt Prudence took over leadership of the family. If Moria is back, then she must be bothering you. Is my guess correct?"


    Phoebe did not have to admit it, Maureen read it in her eyes, and she sneered.


    "I will pluck that skunk''s eyes out if she dares to harm you. I am not kidding; I will ruin her and nobody will touch me." She narrowed her stern eyes, she was not joking about her threat.

 Chapter 399 - 399: Prisons close to hell.

    For a moment, Phoebe regretted sharing the little she had given away, one maniac like Luna who was itching to dispose of Moria was enough, she did not need aunt Maureen to join the lunacy team and do something dangerous.


    She was a shaman, she had the ability to deal with Moria, she just needed to know where David stood. Also, if Moria came after her, she would retaliate in worse ways. The attempted assault she had tried to accomplish through Gemma would be paid back in kind.


    Phoebe sneered. "If I fail to handle her, I will be a shame to my mentor and all shamans. Be reassured aunt if I fail, you will be the first person that I turn to. Which reminds me, I forgot to warn Luna not to mess with her. I don''t mind if Moria is slapped around a bit, but I don''t want her face ruined or something like that. Everyone will point at me directly because it will be obvious who wants Moria''s pretty face ruined; the woman David is dating also known as me." She paused speaking to send Luna a message.


    Their hot coffees were delivered while she was typing, out of the peripherals of her eye, she saw her aunt slip the waiter a roll of cash that he put in his pocket. It had to be at least five thousand dollars; it reminded her that Andre had said their aunt over tipped cute waiters.


    "So, Moria, did she do something? Luna Elithera wouldn''t be targeting her if she did not make a move on you. What are you leaving out?" Aunt Maureen asked, her eyes fixed on Phoebe''s forehead just in case she said one thing and thought another.


    Phoebe chuckled, a small derisive sound. "She threatened someone to attempt to blackmail and slap me. I guess that I should arm up to battle with a crazy ex-girlfriend. I don''t think she understand the power a shaman holds; I can give her nightmares for a year and drive her insane. I can give her bad luck for the rest of her life, steal her beauty, send a ghost to kill her. I am not in danger, she is." She sniffed in ice cold air.


    The tenacity in her voice was all Maureen needed to extinguish her worries. Her niece was not easily bullied, she was not one of Moria''s boot lickers. "I am here if you need me, we can throw her in one the brothels in Hartoum, you have no idea how vile those places are." She assured Phoebe. S§×ar?h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They stood up and Maureen wrapped one arm around Phoebe''s shoulders, going ahead to pull her in a small embrace before freeing her. They entered a taxi because Phoebe complained about the bitter cold temperatures, it warmer inside the taxi.


    Phoebe recognized the taxi driver; he was one of the Elithera''s and so was the person in the passenger seat. They were really efficient at their job; they had anticipated that she would use a taxi and somehow acquired on quickly. She had stopped a random taxi not knowing that it would be two of her many bodyguards.


    "That is better." She happily chimed as the heat of the warmth in the car swept over her. " Mr. mister, please circle the block and drop us off at avenue mall." She instructed the taxi driver and then turned to her aunt. "Oh, that reminds me aunt, did you find that warlock that sent his lackeys to attack me?"


    The Saxon spirit had suggested that she and her aunt go on a hunting trip, if the warlock had not been dealt with, maybe it was something they could do together.


    Nodding her head, Maureen pressed her lips in a thin line recalling the moment she had captured the warlock. "He was in the city which made it easy. After a good beating from me, I delivered him to Moldove academy where he is being held in prison, he will never bother you again. Alonso testified against him, he confessed to some of the warlock''s other crimes. You can guess what the confession detailed, a lot of crime steeped in dark magic, he won''t be coming out of that prison ever." Her voice came with undeniable assurance.


    "A prison at the school! What kind of school is this academy?" Came Phoebe''s question.


    Her tone came off as terrified, but her face however showed intrigue, it did each time the Moldove founding academy was mentioned.


    Maureen let out a short laugh knowingly. "Yes, there are five prisons actually not just one, anyone that commits crimes related to the supernatural is send to a different prison depending on the gravity of his crimes.


    All of the prisons are an imitation of hell recreated by an alchemist, a sorcerer, a pyromancer, a necromancer and a cryomancer a very long time ago. It is an icy cavern of endless cold and despair, the air is so frigid that it turns breath into shards of ice.


    The chill is so unbearable that it turns one mad, and upon death the soul is frozen in an eternity of isolation and frostbite."


    Phoebe rubbed her hands together, a chill crawled over her spine, that was not a prison she wanted to visit.


    There is the abyss prison, a dark bottomless swirling vortex filled with endless storms. It has pulsating walls of flesh that close in on the prisoners, suffocating them, leaving them in an eternal free fall and agony, The pyrehold prison is the one with fire, it is a fortress encased in molten lava surrounded by fire breathing gargoyles. The heat is unending, the prisoners withstand eternal flames, they suffer in the unending inferno as penance for their crimes.


    We have the shadow prison, a maze of impenetrable darkness where shadows come to life and torment prisoners. The walls are covered in shifting, whispering forms that amplify fear and despair. That is where the warlock is, it is the place where those who are arrested for delving into forbidden magic are held. They are haunted by their own misdeeds forever.


    Last is the venom pit prison..." She paused because her niece loudly interjected.


    "Oh, my goodness aunt please that is enough, I could have lived the rest of my life without knowing what happens to those who go down the dark path." She trembled again.


    The two men in front agreed wholeheartedly, and they were glad that they only knew about the supernatural and were not involved in that world. Human prisons sounded like five-star hotels in comparisons to magic prisons.


    "But how big is this school, where is it even located? I must have my magic wrong because all my location spells show that it''s located at the Salt Lake." She took a moment to stare at her aunt. "But as you know already, there is nothing at the Salt Lake" Phoebe drew a breath in, she would be lying if she said that this was not frustrating. She had better luck finding Ruth than the school.


    The Saxon spirit blocked the men from overhearing the moment Phoebe started asking about the location of the academy.


    The composed outward appearance on Maureen''s face could not reveal the panic on that surged her veins. It was impossible for a non-student or guardian to know the true location of the school, one had to reach to be one of them before such information was revealed to them. So how did Phoebe know?


    It was not information that she had received from Edward nor was it a guess because Phoebe was certain that the location spells had led her to the Salt Lake.


    "How did you do the spell?" Maureen calmly asked, she could shake the answer quickly out of her niece if she could.


    Phoebe pulled her shoulders up and down, a body movement that was nonchalant. "Initially I tried by myself and failed, then I tried using the location spells that were used in the olden days to find a place near founding lane where great magic was centered and Voila! I found it only that there was nothing on Salt Lake when I drove by, so I gave up momentarily." She innocently answered.

 Chapter 400 - 400: Locating the academy.

    A haze of confusion took over Maureen momentarily, she could not fathom what her niece was talking about. She wasn''t certain that Phoebe even knew what she was saying, ancient ways ha! even she a first-class guardian barely knew anything about that kind of magic.


    Knowledge on ancient magic was limited, most of the spells were lost over time, the remaining grimoires about the magic that was used in the olden days were locked away in a vault that only those at the highest level at the academy could access.


    So, how could she, a girl that could barely catch a baby demon know of ancient magic? It made no sense and yet she had managed to bumble her way through and locate the school. The mysteries of Phoebe Mayfair multiplied quickly, fascinating Maureen. She decided to indulge in the topic further and see what she could snatch out of Phoebe''s mouth.


    "Ancient ways? how did you come to possess such a strong spell? Don''t tell me you stumbled on it accidentally, if you did, I need some of your luck so that I can stumble in the same direction." Came Maureen''s question which had drops of curiosity.


    She tried to make it light by adding all the stumbling mumble jumble and laughing. Phoebe pulled her eyes away from her aunt, her body language indicating that it was not an answer that she was ready to give, at least not yet.


    "From the internet." she lied, a slight high pitch in her voice. She did not regret the lie, after all the spells were not hers to give, they belonged to the Saxon spirit.


    Suddenly she turned to face her aunt, this time she was the one that was curious. "Strong spell? Aunt does it mean that I found the school or was I close? I must have otherwise you would not be asking me all these questions. So, which is it?" Her brows danced dramatically.


    Phoebe intended to sneak into the school somehow if she had truly located it. Not that she planned to share this with her aunt who would definitely disapprove if she knew.


    Aunt Maureen''s eyes instinctively shifted to the rear-view mirror; she could feel an intense gaze burn looking at her. Her eyes met those of the taxi drivers concerned who looked like he was listening in on their conversation keenly.


    She could not answer the question if someone else was eavesdropping, as for all the magic prison talk, who would ever believe it anyway? It would be just another wild supernatural rumor out there with all the others which people did not believe.


    "We are here." The driver informed them, he stopped the taxi, and they jumped out. Maureen paid in cash, giving money to both the taxi driver and the passenger who was puzzled to be paid for no reason. The car drove off speedily and aunt Maureen guessed that they had freaked out the driver and the other passenger with their conversation.


    "I saw what you did." Phoebe said with a naughty smile.


    What?" Maureen pretended to have no clue.


    "You stuck paper talismans on the money so that they could forget what they heard." S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Maureen nodded, "Some information does not always need to be spread out."


    Phoebe didn''t bother to tell her about the spirit blocking the sound.


    "So did I find it?" Grabbing onto her aunt''s arm, Phoebe quizzed, she was not about to drop the subject.


    The spirit appeared from the space. "From her expression I guess that you found its current location, the academy keeps shifting positions but it''s only a security measure, the last time I walked the human world, it was stationed at Creedmore.


    It has portals like the painting which you found, so one can access it from different authorized places. Your aunt may not be in position to tell you where it is. This is one of those oath situations that you don''t like so ease up." The spirit silently communicated, only then did Phoebe drop the subject after squeaking victoriously of course.


    Maureen was surprised when Phoebe stopped pushing the matter and they walked to Mr. Alton''s shop. He was not expecting to see Maureen so soon. When he saw Phoebe, he figured that the ladies had come to his store to purchase more herbs which was a surprise as Phoebe had purchase a large quantity recently.


    He put on a smile and approached them, "Good evening, ladies, I did not expect to see any of you so soon but nevertheless, I am delighted to see you both." His eyes alighted a smile, they shifted from Phoebe to Maureen who had hers pinned on him. His smile quivered when he looked at her and he diverted his eyes to Phoebe. "What brings you by on this cold day?"


    It was not Phoebe that responded but her aunt, Maureen so he had to look at her again.


    "Unfortunately, Boyd we are not here to buy anything, we are here to talk with you privately." The sternness of Maureen''s voice weighed enough to let him know that whatever it is that they wanted to talk about was a serious issue.


    Boyd! The name rang in Phoebe''s mind, she did not realize that she did not even know the man''s first name, yet she had set him up on a date with her aunt. A small chuckle escaped her lips as her eyes returned to him.


    Mr. Alton''s eyes moved around; the store was almost empty save for the few lingering souls that had completed their purchase. "Please follow me." He began to move towards his office.


    Upon entering the office, Mr. Alton offered them two seats and requested that they get comfortable, he sat in the office chair behind a desk that was occupied by various herbs, and potted flowers. His office was the same, it was like a small indoor garden.


    "Okay ladies, If this is not business related then what is this about? Please do not tell that it is about my date with Maureen, I may not have shown the best side of myself I am afraid and again, I apologize Maureen. Is there anything other than that?" He cocked his head as he questioned, there was nothing else linking them together other than that.


    Phoebe cackled awkwardly. "Actually Mr. Alton that is why we are here...." She hesitated briefly because Mr. Alton raised his hand to gesture for silence.


    "I think that we are way past you calling me Mr. Alton, please call me Al or just Boyd. And also, I do not mean to come off as rude, but Maureen and I can handle our own matters, she does not need a chaperone Phoebe." His words came out as politely as they could.


    Shaking her head, Phoebe swiftly cleared the misunderstanding. "Uncle Boyd, I came here today in the capacity of a shaman." She drew in a breath, unsure about how to proceed.


    Her aunt beat her to it. "We are here about your wife." Maureen''s voice came carefully measured.

 Chapter 401 - 401: What happened to Altons wife?

    The room plunged into an uncomfortable silence; Maureen was aware that they had no legitimate reason to ask Boyd about his wife. If he threw them out like an unwanted guests, it would not surprise her.


    Phoebe was feeling awkward as well, after all, Boyd had never asked for help in dealing with the matters concerning his dead wife. This was similar to an ambush, and she did know anybody that liked to be ambushed.


    Alton Boyd secretly clenched his fists, his usual sunny smile faded, and his face became frosty. He had no idea why the two Mayfair women had picked interest in his deceased wife. It was not a chapter that he liked to divulge into.


    "With all due respect, I do not think that you two have anything to say about my wife." His tone was polite but less than friendly. Obviously, he wanted the conversation to be concluded even though it had barely just begun.


    Maureen was not very good at dealing with grieving people, she was more of a woman of action and her response was quite direct. "No offense Alton but your wife is dead. Why are you still holding on to her like she might just walk through the door and fall into your waiting arms." She waved her arms with a flailing motion. "You set a place for her at our table when we were having dinner as if she was there with us."


    Phoebe wished that she could fly over and zip her aunt''s mouth, her reckless words were not going to get them the desired result. Alton was going to throw them out if it continued like this.


    Alton did not hide the anger in his eyes and voice, he saw them as busy bodies that were prying into the deepest and most painful parts of his life.


    "Maureen like I told you last night, I am not going to explain to anyone about the matters which concern my wife, ever. They do not concern you or anyone else, I met you because of Phoebe''s insistence and I apologized for what happened at the date.


    Just because we ate one meal together doesn''t mean that I owe you any answers. So, if the reason why you came here is to pry into my personal affairs, I am sorry to inform you that it is a wasted journey." He spoke through clenched teeth, when he was done speaking, he leaned back and folded his arms.


    Just when her aunt was about to counter his words, Phoebe lifted one hand to stop her, she had already done more than enough it was her turn to take the wheel.


    "Uncle Boyd, forgive my aunt''s delivery approach on such a sensitive matter, to be honest we are not here to pry because we want to gossip or make you uncomfortable. You are a good person, you deserve to be happy, all I want.... all we want is to help you recover from this heart break but first we have to know what happened to your dead wife." Phoebe paused and looked around as if in search of something.


    She suspected that his dead wife''s ghost could be lingering around here since Boyd Alton was clinging on to her like a mad man. "This is not just good for you, but it is also good for your wife. You know that I am a shaman, and I can help her move on, I need to check your home maybe she is stuck there, I heard from someone that she fell sick and died from home.


    If you are okay with it, we can go there and see if her ghost is still around. I am not doing this so that you can date my aunt, I am looking out for you." Phoebe chose her words carefully, the last thing she wanted was to rattle him or have him shut down.


    "My wife cannot be a lingering ghost; it is not possible!" He protested strongly, his voice quavered. "Not the way she died! It just was not normal; I watched that thing destroy her until it just was not her anymore." He laughed lightly, then the laugh transitioned into uncontrollable sobs.


    Maureen and Phoebe exchanged knowing gazes; he wouldn''t have said those words if his wife had died a natural death. Their suspicions about his wife''s death could be considered to have been confirmed.


    He had his head lowered in his hands so they could not continue questioning him for a while, they decided to wait for the tears to dry up temporarily.


    Connie jumped out of the space while they were waiting. "My brother is back with so many goodies." She flaunted the freshly opened candy packet.


    "Not now Connie!" The Saxon spirit yelled, waving its hand and sending Connie back to wherever she jumped out from.


    Phoebe and Maureen had their undivided attention on Boyd Alton. He had gone from loud sobs to sniveling, it seemed like he was about to compose himself and they could finally have a good conversation. When he seemed to be returning back to his calm self, Maureen spoke first.


    "Boyd, I know that it''s hard, but you have to deal with the past so as to move forward, please tell us what happened to Hattie." Maureen had learned the name on the date as Boyd mentioned it every other minute, telling her all about the things his wife loved.


    She looked at the only thing on the table, which was not a plant, it was picture of a couple, Boyd and Hattie. Her eyes lingered on the beautiful honey blonde haired Hattie. In the picture the couple and their dog were on a yacht, they looked very happy together.


    He laughed dryly, " There is no help that you two can give to me now, any help I needed was before my Hattie died in Hartoum." He muttered slowly.


    Alton''s voice was raw with pain, and his words sounded harsh, he looked angry and Phoebe could not understand why. Instead, she lingered on the where Hattie had died.


    "Hartoum?"


    Phoebe shook her head slightly in disbelief, what were the odds. " You lived in Hartoum? So did aunt Maureen!" She exclaimed. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Nodding his head, Boyd sank back in the chair, allowing it to swing back and forth. "Yes, she mentioned it last night, all the memories from that place good but mostly bad came flooding back." He leaned forward and looked at Phoebe, the expression in his eyes was unreadable.


    "You are a shaman, I have heard people praise you, some say that you have enabled them talk to their loved ones beyond the grave. Is it true?"


    Phoebe nodded eagerly, if that was what it took for Boyd to move on, she could do it. All she had to sacrifice was some of her energy.


    "I can help you with that, we can go back to my cafe and do it immediately." she offered with happiness.


    Boyd shook his head, dampening Phoebe''s enthusiasm. "That is not what I need, I do not need to talk to her, I need her back. Can you bring her back to life?"


    Phoebe froze, and so did Maureen, what Boyd was asking for, she could not do. There were some people in the supernatural world that practiced necromancy, they could bring the dead back to life. However, what came back was never truly the original person.


    Boyd cackled and stood up, "As I guessed, you cannot help me, please show yourselves out. Let''s not meet for this reason ever again."

 Chapter 402 - 402: A lost cause.

    He waited for the two women to leave but they remained where they were, showing no indication to leave which agitated him a little. Alton''s fingers drummed on the little space on his desk impatiently.


    "Is there something else? If you are not going to leave now, then I genuinely hope that you will give my request some serious thought. Help me by returning my wife to me and I will be considered a satisfied customer." His voice was low but very authoritative.


    Maureen''s anger climbed up a notch, she could not believe that the man making this request of Phoebe was the same man that was described as nice. Nice people did not ask such heaven defying requests which led to deathly consequences. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She snapped,"You cannot seriously be asking that of my niece Boyd! Do you know the consequences of bringing someone back to life? Hattie will not be the woman you knew, for fucks sake a dangerous and evil supernatural being would come back from beyond in her form which would put other people in danger starting with you." Maureen gave him an education of something he obviously knew nothing about, she wanted to jump over the desk and jolt him back to his senses.


    His obsession with his dead wife had crossed from the normal boundary into a sick one.


    As she spoke, Boyd''s neutral eyes remained fixed on her. "So, it seems like you know a lot about this supernatural word, are you a witch? A shaman like Phoebe or an exorcist?" He asked, there was no trace of curiosity in his eyes nor voice to accompany his question. His voice was flat, almost robotic and devoid of emotion.


    Letting out a frustrated sigh, Maureen shook her head. "What or who I am is not important at this moment, I just want you to understand that your request is unnatural. I am more interested in helping your come out of that dark hole that you have buried yourself in. Tell me more about the thing you said destroyed Hattie."


    Her question only compelled him to raise his guard up. "I have nothing to say, it is obvious that you are stopping Phoebe from helping me. You heard her loud and clear that there is a way for me to talk to Hattie which means that there is a way I can bring her back. You have lived in Hartoum and I am sure that you have met people that have been brought back from the other side, everyone that has been to the right places knows it is not impossible."


    Maureen became a little wearier, it seemed like Alton Boyd had done his research on the matter, but something had not worked in his favor. Perhaps the right places he had been to had asked for a hefty fee, or he grew cold feet and didn''t dare to do it. Either way, as a guardian she wanted to see where this led.


    "Oh yes I have been to some of those places and believe me when I tell you that most of the people that engaged in such practices met their doom. I implore you Boyd that you refrain from seeking out the same thing from those sorcerers in Hartoum, nothing good will come out of it. You could even lose your life." She warned, her desperate eyes looked at him.


    He laughed, a cold humorless sound which made Maureen uneasy. "You said that they met their doom, how do you know that? Was it you that brought the doom? Which identity do you have, some kind of protector of humans? I didn''t know that you had a funny side to you Maureen." Boyd''s lips turned into a smile.


    It was not an honest smile, his quizzical narrowed eyes remained pinned on Maureen. To her ears, it almost seemed as if he was digging for information subtly just as she was doing.


    "I was not trying to be funny, believe it or not dark magic is dangerous for everyone involved. Don''t go down that path Boyd, it is not a pretty end." She harshly warned, she couldn''t believe that her warnings had come off as a joke to him.


    As a guardian she knew well what happened to humans that involved themselves in dark magic practices, they were killed or taken to one of the five prisons.


    Boyd cleared his throat and touched the leaves of a potted fairywand herb, "Don''t worry, I would never go down such a path, if I was to do it, I would have done it a very long time ago. I certainly wouldn''t have moved away from Hartoum where sorcerers promise to make such a thing possible.


    We would not be having this conversation for sure because she would be with me somewhere in a place where we can be away from the prying eyes of others. This whole resurrection thing was a stupid idea from the start, someone mentioned it to me, and I was tempted to look into it but eventually I was sane enough to understand that it was dangerous." He lowered his head as a disappointed sigh escaped his lips. "If you have nothing more to say then you can leave now, I want to be alone." He rotated the chair until he faced the wall.


    A short sigh came from Phoebe, Boyd was not going to the dark side, for now anyway. She also realized that Mr. Alton was more complicated that she originally thought. Their conversation had taken many turns, it escalated and ended on a sad note. There was nothing that she could do for him unless he was willing to accept his help.


    Sometimes. it was not just ghosts that were unwilling to move on, humans too could be the same way.


    "Uncle Boyd, I apologize for dropping in on you the way we have and resurrecting sad memories. I am going to send you some tonics to help strengthen your body and mind, a talisman to catch bad dreams and a good luck charm. If you ever need to talk about this with anyone, I hope that you will take me and aunt into consideration." She humbly spoke and waited for a response which never came.


    Alton Boyd''s attention was no longer on them, it was on the picture on the desk, he was smiling at it.


    "Let us go Pheebs." Maureen stood up and began a slow walk out of the office, as soon as they stepped out of Alton and sons herb store, she snorted. "There goes a chance at love." She pointed a finger at Phoebe. "You can stop calling him uncle, I am not getting involved with him romantically, I would be crazy to. He is a damaged man and a lost cause as he wants no help from us. This one is not fixable Pheebs, whatever happened to him broke him." She touched her pocket and brought out a cigarette.


    Shaking her head, Phoebe snatched it and tossed it in the nearest trash. "Aunt don''t be sad at the lost chance at love, you know very well that there are more matches for you, better men than Mr. Alton." She said in a comforting voice. "I feel so bad for him; he is not living he is simply existing."


    A sad expression marred her features, Mr. Alton had been so helpful to her when she started her business and always welcoming, it was a pity that she could not return the favor.

 Chapter 403 - 403: A fictional altercation.

    Before leaving the mall, her aunt stopped by a restaurant that sold soup curries and roasted chicken. She ordered enough to feed everyone in the cafe, over tipped the waiter and then they left with three bags of food in hand.


    They stood at the side walked and hailed a taxi which would take them back to the cafe, right when it stopped for them to enter, Phoebe got a phone call that made her sigh.


    A call from Shark was never a good thing, he was not the kind to call to check on Phoebe with no reason.


    "Please don''t be some high-profile murder case." she muttered and answered the call as while shoving the bag of food inside the waiting taxi, and then she followed.


    As always, she looked at the driver first and noticed that even in this case, it was the Elithera boys were inside, one in the passenger sit and another in the driver''s seat. Had they been circling the mall, waiting for them or had they parked the taxi nearby and waited?


    They were really good at their jobs; she had to give credit where it was due. She smiled at the driver and answered the call reluctantly.


    "Hello Shark, I am keeping my fingers crossed for good news, please don''t tell me something unpleasant, my day has been rough enough as it is already."


    Even as she said, this, she had a feeling that it was useless.


    "There is a problem alright, drop whatever it is that you are doing and get your butt to the station right now. It''s serious business Phoebe, personal business so hurry." Shark ordered; he hung up the call without saying another word.


    Phoebe pulled the phone away from her ears and stared at it in a haze, she added one and two together and figured that it had to be an important case, usually Shark had to first grovel and plead with her to take a look at his cases but this time he had commanded her to go to the station.


    The frown on her face alarmed her aunt whose sharp ears had managed to hear Shark''s words.


    "Is there a problem?" she asked.


    In response Phoebe shook her head. "I do not know but I am heading to the station, Shark has asked that I see him urgently. Usually that means an important person has dropped dead. I will drop you off at the cafe and then head there." She rested her phone back in the bag and rubbed her neck with one hand.


    Maureen rolled her eyes, got a paper talisman and stuck it on Phoebe''s neck.


    "What is this, amateur hour? Don''t you know about amethyst talismans which soothe sore muscles and reduce tension?" Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe shrugged, "I usually give my time to the ones that help me make money or provide protection."


    As the car traveled, Maureen introduced her to talismans that were capable of making life easier. The education lasted until they arrived at the cafe, and she bade Maureen goodbye.


    After dropping off her aunt, Phoebe went straight to the station, she went in the taxi, but a convoy of expensive cars traveled with her. Two were at the front and two were at the back, in addition to this, five motorbikes guarded the sides inconspicuously.


    When she entered the police station, she was enthusiastically greeted by other policemen and detectives. Many of them had benefited in different ways from the presence of a wealthy heiress that worked as a police consultant, the Mayfair''s had given them benefits so that they could look out for her in the field. She gave back the same energy as she responded until she reached Shark''s desk and paused for a moment.


    Phoebe could not believe her eyes when she saw Moria and Luna sitting at Shark''s desk and she knew in that moment what the important personal matter was all about.


    "I should have known." she mumbled and shook her head.


    A loud amused laughter came from Connie who appeared out of nowhere. "I knew that Luna would not disappoint me, I was rooting for her. Look at Moria''s face, Luna beat that boyfriend stealing skunk black and blue, ha-ha." She continued to bubble with laughter.


    This time the spirit did not reprimand the teenage ghost for using unseemly words like skunk, it wore an amused expression too, holding back laughter. In as much as Luna had created trouble for Phoebe, the spirit also believed that Moria deserved the beating. It was payback for the slap she wanted Gemma to give Phoebe.


    Upon getting a closer look at Moria, Phoebe fought to suppress her laughter, it took all the courage in her to maintain a straight face. The skin around Moria''s eyes was puffy and blue, one of her eyes was swollen almost shut, her cheeks were enlarged and her lips swollen and split.


    She put a hand to her chest and pretended as if she was overcome with some fright. "Holy cow Moria where you stung by a swarm of bees, you look...." She stopped and bit back a laugh.


    A woman who sat closely next to Moria sneered. "Stop pretending, do you think that we believe you?" She spoke through an angry snarl. "Detective, go ahead and charge them, we have told you that we do not want to negotiate or settle this! I can go above your head; do you want me to call the commissioner?" She harshly spoke, her glare shifted between Phoebe, Luna and Shark.


    She was a beautiful middle-aged woman, plump and dressed in very expensive clothes. "This must be the mother, aunt or something. You can tell by the way her hands are protectively wrapped around Moria''s." Connie suggested.


    Moria pulled on her mother''s arm. "Mother, I told you that that I do not want to pursue this any further, besides Phoebe did nothing wrong. I do not know why you want to involve her in this." Her voice quavered, then she winced suddenly because she was in pain.


    "Oh, come on you faker! I did not do that to you, I only gave you one slap, the same one that Gemma Michelson tried give Phoebe in my boutique. You are the power behind Gemma." Luna looked between Moria and her mother. "I do not know why she is swollen like a pregnant kangaroo. Did you beat yourself up such that you can fish for sympathy? It is not working." Luna let out a derisive laugh, she cared less whether the Mortimer''s tried to force her out of town, she had Mayfair''s and Saxons in her corner.


    "Are you suggesting that my daughter assaulted herself?" Moria''s mother stood up and shouted.


    "Yes." Luna replied confidently.


    Her answer and attitude angered Moria''s mother and she screamed, clenching her fists.


    Shark raised his hands to calm them down, luckily the station was almost empty but even then, anyone could be recording the altercation.


    "Ladies please let us keep our voices down." His voice was barely audible over the ongoing argument.


    A smirk came from Moria at the same moment, running her fingers through her red hair, Moria sneered. "Fishing for sympathy? You are the one that attacked me with some goons and commanded me to stay away from David and Phoebe, who is your friend I believe."

 Chapter 404 - 404: Who will get dragged?

    That sounded to Phoebe like something that Luna would do, but she also believed that her friend would not leave behind any evidence. The Mortimer women clearly did not understand the Elithera''s well because if Moria was at the police station, it was something Luna had possibly anticipated.


    Moria''s mother nodded continuously in support of her daughter speaking up against the injustice that had been done to her. "Reveal everything honey, tell the detective how you were threatened never to approach David Saxon, yet he is your fianc¨¦. Hmph, a mistress is attacking the owner of the house in broad daylight, what has the world come to?" S~ea??h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Luna leaped up to attack, the Saxon spirit quickly pushed her back down. As she figured one of Phoebe''s ghosts had intervened, she stayed down but she growled like a pit bull at the Mortimer women.


    Moria''s mother was busy patting the back of Moria''s head as if her daughter was still young, innocent and scared.


    "Fianc¨¦ you said?" Shark''s eyes widened; he shifted them to Phoebe. "Mistress!!" he exclaimed.


    Phoebe shrugged and laughed in an indifferent manner. Nobody in the police station or Fog country at large was not aware that she was David Saxon''s girlfriend.


    "Does David know that he is still engaged to you? If we bring him here, are you sure that he will identify me as the mistress?" Came Phoebe''s taunting question.


    Moria''s eyes sized up Phoebe, her expression reflected that of her mother, they were nervous and did not want David to show up. Their claims would fall apart faster than a deck of cards under an air conditioner. Just when she was about to say something detective Jones interrupted by announcing that there were paparazzi outside.


    "They are looking pretty hungry Shark." he whistled and laughed.


    Shark sprang to his seat. "What? Why are they here? How did they know about this?" He slammed a hand on the desk.


    He liked press but this had to do with Phoebe and Luna Elithera, he did not want Phoebe''s name to be tarnished or the Elithera''s to exterminate him in his sleep.


    In response to his reaction, Jones laughed louder, it was funny to see Shark genuinely worried about press presence.


    "They came here following Alena Cupid, the movie director from TK Entertainment. She was brought in on charges of sexual harassment, the victim is a teenage boy, sixteen!!!" He pointed at the desk of a Sergent where the victim was advocating that Alena is released because he consented to whatever they did, and they were in love.


    "He says they are planning to marry, and age is just a number, His parents and the law have a different opinion. This is a messy one Shark, do not bring it to us because I will knock Alena''s teeth out and hand in my badge." Jones''s eyes trailed over the women in front of Shark. "I am just cautioning you about the press because I do not think that it will do you ladies any good if this ends up on the news." He glanced at Phoebe with a worried gaze before walking away with two files.


    Phoebe''s eyes lingered on detective Jones back and then the boy who was still loudly resisting his parents'' control.


    She felt sorry for the parents and the boy, TK Entertainment was at it again! It was not even surprising seeing their people involved in another scandal. In the past months the netizens had cancelled twelve idols from that company and more than a few had been arrested on different charges.


    Phoebe''s eyes fell on Luna who once said that she wanted to buy the company, there had been no movement on that front which made her wonder where that had ended. TK was too hot to touch at this point, the name alone was enough to chase away potential investors and wannabe idols.


    She turned back and saw Shark folding the incident report paper while addressing the Mortimer''s. "Madam Celine Mortimer, I cannot proceed to press charges if the said victim does not want to do so. Even if you go over my head, the police chief, deputy chief, superintendent and even the president of the country will tell you the same thing. I strongly suggest that you settle this before the hungry press out there has a sniff of what is going on." Shark advised, he did not want another scandal about Phoebe out there.


    Moria''s mother held up her hand to shut Shark up. "This is just perfect, my daughter is adamant to press charges, therefore I will go out there and tell those eager news bottom feeders everything, I will get better justice with them than here in this corrupt station." As she stood, she turned slightly to give Phoebe a death stare. "Enjoy being dragged through the headlines." She pulled her daughter''s hand.


    Moria winced, her eyed held some regret and it seemed like she was being forced to follow her mother. Actually, she was mostly resistant because she did not want to be seen by the press with her face looking so ugly, in her opinion.


    She was Moria Mortimer, a former Miss Teenage Fog, how could she show this face to the public?


    "Mom please! I neither wanted to be here, nor do I want to make this issue bigger so no press, okay. We can come to an understanding after all, this is a misunderstanding between acquaintances." Her sympathetic eyes looked back at the on lookers as if she was begging to be rescued. She clutched onto a table and refused to budge.


    "Could it be that she was really dragged into this?" Luna asked, she stood and perched at the edge of the desk.


    One of her arms pulled on Phoebe''s arm so that they could whisper.


    Phoebe shrugged, "Who knows? It could be possible if she knows that we have already spoken to Gemma and acquired evidence against her. If she goes through with that whole press thing, I am leaking the evidence that she attacked me first, let us see whom the media drags through the headlines." She chuckled bitterly.


    Shark sent them away without settling the case, they used the back door from which they rushed to enter Luna''s car. Together they took a moment to look at Moria and her mother who were milking the situation for sympathy. The mother and daughter even went ahead to twist the story before the reporters by saying that Phoebe had sent goons to attack Moria leaving Luna''s name out.


    "Unbelievable!" Phoebe scoffed and knocked her knuckles on the back of Luna''s head. "You need to stop involving me in your messes, if you wanted to beat up Moria then you should not have mentioned my name." She leaned back in the seat and folded her arms.


    Luna held up three fingers as a gesture to show that she was telling the truth. "That skunk is insane; I did warn her and gave her a few slaps but not more than four and not enough to do that much damage. She did the rest to herself, believe me, that bitch is crazy." She defended herself; the last thing she wanted was for Phoebe to push her away.


    On recalling a similar incidence with Ruth, Phoebe''s face relaxed. "I believe you Luna I have been exactly where you are. Moria has very may similarities to Ruth, those two could pass for sisters." Phoebe stated.

 Chapter 405 - 405: Two faced, like a coin.

    "Oh my God, I heard everything about that lunatic cuckoo," Luna gasped and expressed herself melodramatically, rolling her eyes and throwing her arms out while grunting. It was so over the top that Phoebe managed a laugh and Connie snorted derisively.


    "She is just like you." The Saxon spirit whispered to the teenage girl.


    Connie pouted and vanished into the space; she was in one of her sulky tantrum moods suddenly, so the spirit followed in order to coax her.


    Phoebe sighed, "How did this become my life?" she mumbled. She had a moody teenage ghost, a mothering one that was always in her business, a happy one that was obsessed with food and America, the intellectual one.


    Then she had friends like Evelyn the scattered one who could not settle, Luna the maniac and Shanna the intellectual.


    She laughed silently; it looked like Luna had a lawyer in Shanna at least. Her phone buzzed for the third time; she was receiving a call from Andre which she chose not to answer. Instead, she sent a message to the family group chat requesting everyone to ignore whatever things they read about her or saw on television.


    She also urged them to refrain from worrying about her as she was fine. Phoebe also mentioned that they do not wait for her for she was not returning home, and she was spending the night at David''s lab.


    She took a picture of herself holding two fingers up to assure them that she was okay. When she was done, she switched off the phone, the last thing she wanted were persistent calls from the press bombarding her with questions of why she attacked Moria.


    Done with that, she swiveled to look at Luna. "By the way Luna it has been a while since I last heard about your father''s health, how is he doing of recent?" her voice that harbored genuine concern.


    Luna was always touched each time Phoebe asked about her father, for her it was a sign that her friendship was evolving.


    With a wide grin, she replied, "He is still faking his ruse of being bound to a wheelchair for the rest of his life appearance seriously. He wants to use the opportunity to uproot all of the enemies of the family before this year ends. But other than that he is very fine thanks to those miracle tonics that you send to him weekly. He wants to meet you one day and thank you in person, apparently the money I gave you was not enough in his opinion, he wants to give you more." She spoke with glee.


    "I doubt your mother will like that very much, that woman can execute a perfect round kick, carries a gun in her purse, and she has poison in all of her jewelry, I do not want to cross her." Phoebe snorted.


    Her words prompted laughter from the both of them.


    "So, have you given up on your music to become my personal bodyguard? Last I heard, you were planning to go on tour, has that changed lately? When you moved here you wanted to buy TK Entertainment, did you give up on it?" Phoebe put forward multiple questions however she was most interested in the last one.


    Luna let out a light sigh. "I am taking an indefinite break from the music, as for the tour it''s cancelled for the time being unless Luke agrees to come with me which I know he will not do." She stilled her words and sat up straight. "I did want to buy TK Entertainment, in fact I wanted to rescue it and rebrand it, but I am not sure that a rebrand can save it. From the look of things, it is going downhill quicker than I anticipated and everything is rotten. If nothing is done, that company is going to collapse completely especially because the owner is crazy." She clicked her tongue.


    Phoebe was intrigued on hearing the last words. "What do you mean?" She probed.


    Shaking her head, displeasure engulfed Luna''s face. "That woman is two faced, like a coin with two different sides, or faces. One is bad and the other is worse, I do not have any other way of putting it. I went to her with a great offer, one that she cannot get anywhere else because TK is now a bomb waiting to explode and nobody will touch it.


    She wanted more, a whole billion and I laughed, I told her the truth which is that I was not buying it to make profits. I just want to add it to my collection of toys to play with, the only valuable thing about the company is the building. Their celebrities are now tainted, even the innocent ones. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    I am not desperate to own TK, I have so much money lying around that I do not know what to do with it. I am sure that you can relate." She gazed at Phoebe quizzically.


    "I am not sure that I do." Phoebe cackled, she had a lot of wealth, but she would never buy a company as a toy, that was just wasteful at least in her opinion. "Go ahead tell me about the two-faced coin, how did you come to that conclusion?"


    She looked in her eyes in search for answers, sure that this was related to the malicious ghost haunting Eliza Grant.


    "Out of the blue, the look on her face changed, she accepted my offer, and she was delighted. It looked to me like she was more than ready to sell off the company__, no, get rid of it. She called her lawyers who came in thirty minutes, and I took a bathroom break before they arrived.


    When we went back to the boardroom to finalize the deal with signing of the contract of sale the woman had changed, not just her mind but her looks too. Her hair was tied different, I can swear that she had changed her blouse and shoes although I am not one hundred percent certain. But not just that her aura was just different, even the way she talked. It was all confusing, before the lawyers came, she used her left hand....."


    "Yes, Eliza Grant is left-handed, I know that for a fact." Phoebe cut in.


    Nodding vehemently, Luna ran a hand across her forehead. "I knew that I was not delusional, someone like me does not miss even the smallest details. Anyway, when the lawyers came, she was right-handed and she had changed her mind about selling the company.


    She rejected the offer and told me sternly that she was not selling. In fact, she highlighted that I should never return to her company with that stupid idea and petty cash."


    Luna leaned back and shook her head, her eyes expressed exasperation. "I offered her one hundred ten million for a dying company, how is that petty cash?"


    "Well, at its prime, TK was valued at seven billion Fog dollars." Phoebe shrugged.


    Luna raised her head and groaned, "At its prime! right now it''s not even worth fifty million. Anyway, after a few days she called asking why I had changed my mind about buying her company, according to her, I went to the bathroom and never returned, isn''t she insane?" Luna looked at Phoebe, hoping to hear her friend agree with her.


    Phoebe''s finger tapped her thigh, what Luna had told her was strange, so much so that she had to visit Eliza Grant. It seemed the malicious ghost was possibly possessing her now.

 Chapter 406 - 406: Past insecurities

    She had to put Eliza Grant''s business at the back of her mind, she had a date for which she needed to look her best, so she went directly to her apartment.


    Her plan was to take a shower and dress up but when she opened the door, she noticed the lights were on. She believed instinctively that David was the person inside because other than her, he was the only other person that knew the code, not even her family members had that information.


    The first surprise that was waiting for her inside was Sylvester, he had made a full recovery, and he was cleaning the house. From the thick aroma of delicious food that wafted in the air she figured that he had prepared a delicious meal as well


    The second surprise which was not so much of one was David, he was standing not so far from the door with a bundle of nicely designed flowers; Lily''s breath in the colors of red to symbolize love, pink for romance, purple for beauty and yellow for happiness. He had clearly put a lot of thought in the floral arrangement, she wondered whether the compliments were his or the florist.


    Seeing him standing there brought happiness to Phoebe, it was like a warm hug on a cold day. Her feet carried her to him before she could string her thoughts together and she rushed into his arms.


    He had to raise them to keep her from squashing the flowers and when they separated, he handed her the floral bouquet.


    "These are gorgeous babe, I love them. Where did you even get the time, you have been extremely busy today?" She took a moment to deeply inhale the fragrance that emanated from the flowers, appreciating the pleasant aroma. "What a silly question, you are a Saxon, they can be delivered to you, or you can send someone for them. I really, really love them." S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A smile decorated her lips, she closed the small gap between them and planted a hot steamy kiss on his lips. Her hands went around his back and the flowers dropped to the floor, like a needy cat, she rubbed herself against him as the kiss deepened.


    David pushed her away gently and stepped back, his eyes darkened with desire. "If you keep this up, I will not be able to restrain myself Pheebs." he warned.


    The warning did not frighten her, it sent excitement through Phoebe''s veins instead. She wanted him to lose control and just do what he wanted, what they both wanted.


    "Please I would like that very much." She twisted her waist and body in an arousing way to entice him but to her disappointment, David pulled even further away from her.


    His action miffed her slightly this is what she disliked about him, treating her like butter that was about to melt. Did he not know that it made her feel undesirable or that it took her back to all the times in their marriage that she initiated intimacy, and he turned her down?


    She clenched her hands, turned to Sylvester and asked about his health, it would be a good distraction and keep her from exploding. "Sylvester, you look better, your color has returned which means that you are fine, am I right?" She queried.


    She waved her hand and the flowers which had fallen to the ground were elevated, flying straight to Sylvester.


    He put them on the table next to the crystal vase while answering her question. "Yes boss, I am in perfect health now and I will not be volunteering to be a lab rat ever again." Sylvester let out an uneasy laugh. "That bullet almost ended me, I think I saw the light and it terrified me. I almost died boss." He shuddered at the thought.


    Phoebe''s upper lip curled upwards, she looked at the ghost and nearly laughed. He was already dead; he could not die again.


    David who was pouring champagne into a glass, pulled his brows together. "Did I miss something?" Why had a ghost been shot by a bullet and almost died when it was already dead? He raised the glass to meet his lips, his eyes went straight to Phoebe, the only other human in the room.


    She cleared her throat and sat on the edge of the table. "A lot actually but you have been saving the world from disease so I will catch you up to speed. First, we successfully made magic bullets and Sylvester here was the test subject." She paused and bit back laughter when David gasped loudly.


    "Magic bullets!" he exclaimed.


    Phoebe nodded, they can kill humans and supernatural creatures, it will save me from having to pull out talismans all the time when I am in a fight with a monster.


    David''s champagne holding hand moved in the direction of Sylvester, "You tested them on him, that sounds very dangerous to me."


    "I was not on board, he volunteered for it to score merit points and yes it was dangerous but look at him now, he is the same old Sylvester. He survived it, you do not need to worry about now. Second, or in other news, your ex is back in town." She casually spoke like she was not bothered about it at all.


    Perplexed, David rested the glass on the table, he wondered whom of the women he had dated in the past had made it onto Phoebe''s radar to be recognized as his ex. She once pointed out that she disregarded all of them and she saw herself as his first woman. "Ex?"


    Flipping her hair, she smiled wryly. "Moria Mortimer." She made her fingers dance and said the name dramatically as if it was the name of some mysterious ghost.


    She laughed, to ease whatever tension that was developing rather quickly. Her boyfriend was not too happy to learn that Moria had found a way to reach Phoebe.


    David waved his hand in a nonchalant way. "Oh her? So, what if she is back that has nothing to do with me. That one barely qualifies to be my ex, I never dated her or did anything to make her think that I was interested in her ever." His nonchalant tone made her happy deep within. "I never held her hand, kissed or hugged her."


    "She was your publicly acknowledged fianc¨¦, David." Phoebe stated, her brows lifted, and her eyes remained pinned on him.


    In response he shrugged dismissively. "A fianc¨¦ that was not my choice but that of my grandfather. It was a choice that I believe was very selfish of him because you cannot decide such things for other people.


    They did not know how I would turn out, or how Moria and what Moria would grow into, and she grew into a horrible person. Anyway, I decided to end the engagement, and she begged me to let her be the one to do it because she did not want her dignity to be trampled on." He smiled reassuringly which was obvious to her that he had no idea what Moria was planning.


    "Anyway, forget Moria and everything else, I switched off my phone an hour ago and I suggest that you do the same because we are going on a staycation, just you and I." He announced.

 Chapter 407 - 407: Staycation at a hotel.

    Stay-cation? the term which was not new to Phoebe lingered on her mind, it was one of those vacations that people spent at home or near their home rather than traveling.


    Was this the date he had planned? Just the two of them alone somewhere in Fog country where they would not be bothered? A grimace crossed her face, for her not being bothered was impossible, ghosts would find her. Still, the idea of time away or time alone was exciting.


    Phoebe wanted to ask where exactly they were going but she held back and decided not to ruin the surprise he had for her. "I will pack a few things and then we will...." She was interrupted by the spirit and Connie who declared in harmony.


    "No need."


    Phoebe''s brows rose in question as to what they meant, suddenly a medium sized black suite case came floating out of the bedroom and gently rested beside her feet.


    "We have packed everything for you, all you have to do is enjoy your time together and Pheebs, make this one count." The spirit explained, when it was done it winked at her.


    She wanted to barf or roll her eyes___, or do both at the same time because the spirit was like a third parent to her.


    A radiant smile spread across the Saxon spirit''s face because finally Phoebe was ready to completely bond with David, this was beneficial to both of them in ways, a lot more than they both thought.


    Nodding her head, Phoebe''s face glowed with delight. "You packed heavily yet we are going for a few hours, I presume." She knew that David could not stay away with the ongoing epidemic, he had to be at the front line as the manufacturer of the Ivy vaccine. "I do hope that you all my lovely ghosts will give us some privacy." She loudly voiced as she walked alongside David, hand in hand.


    The ghosts she wanted to keep away floated after them as if they had not heard what she said.


    "Oh, come off it," She heard the voice of the spirit in her mind. "There was a time when it was compulsory for family members to witness a couple''s first time together to make sure things were done right. I cannot miss this for anything in the world, you have never consummated before which means that I need to be there to give you instructions on how to please your man. You may not know this but to some men this can be a deal breaker. There is a sex manual in the space cabin, I will go and fetch it." It twirled and disappeared.


    Connie giggled and followed.


    "I will stop Connie." Sylvester sighed and followed.


    Phoebe let out a sigh in embarrassment and frustration, she was so grateful that Connie was a teenage ghost not a real girl otherwise they would be horrible people or ghosts for exposing her to such talk.


    She hoped that Sylvester kept her locked away because things were going to get spicy, unlike in the past life where they had a boring sex life, she planned to have an eventful one in this one. She had been reading and learning a lot about this topic thanks to Luna and Evelyn. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Is something wrong?" David asked as they entered the car, he chose to drive and further instructed the bodyguards to stay behind or at least stay invisible.


    The drive lasted nearly an hour and they arrived at the Zeus hotel, a seven-star hotel, one of the best in the country. Since they had arrived at night, they could see why it was praised for its beauty. It was a stunning symphony of lights that twinkled like a translucent rainbow. A man-made waterfall spat out water from the top floor to the ground, it shimmered with lights and reflections of bobbing boats.


    Upon stepping out of the car she inhaled deeply. "Wow, the pictures that I have seen of this place on the internet do not do it justice at all. I have long wanted to take a swim in their rooftop infinity pool, it has been described as heavenly. Ooh, Evie is going to die of jealousy, she has not been here yet." She made a squeaking and cheerful sound as she turned in a spin.


    David''s lips came to form a smile, nothing pleased him more than seeing a happy Phoebe, especially when he was the bringer of said happiness. It looked like he owed Arrow a thank you because he was the one that suggested this hotel.


    The Zeus hotel was not open to the public just yet, only the creme de la creme of Fog country were allowed to access it and they paid top dollar to get in. Many people wondered why it had received seven stars being new to the scene, some though they had bribed someone but the rich spoke up for it.


    As he took out her handbag from the car, a book fell to the ground, the breeze stirred, causing the book pages to reveal themselves one by one, in it were explicit images of couples having sex in different positions.


    The pages turned so smoothly; it was almost as though the wind was on a mission to show him the contents in the book. He thought right because it was the spirit''s doing, it wanted to get him on the same page as Phoebe.


    David could not tear his eyes away for a moment, it was as though his body and eyes were being held captive, forced to look at the content of the book. The wind even paused on some pages to let him take a longer look.


    "Holy smokes!" David''s face flushed with embarrassment as the book was closed. He quickly picked it up and tucked it beneath his shirt which proved useless, so he folded it in half and put it in his back pocket. An awkward giggle came from him as he rubbed his flushed cheeks.


    "Phoebe, what dirty thoughts are running through your mind, how can you carry around such an immoral book!" His voice was barely audible.


    He looked around like a thief hoping that nobody had seen what he had seen.


    Unknown to Phoebe was that the book that the spirit had gone to fetch from the space cabin had landed in David''s hands. She did not know that David thought the book was hers.


    She was busy taking in the scenery as they walked past the lush greenery on the path to the entrance of the hotel. Her nostrils were flared, deeply inhaling the strong scent of thriving blooming winter roses.


    It was David''s touch around her waist that brought her out of the reverie just before the temptation to cut and carry a few of the beautiful roses away grew inside of her mind.


    "Let us go in." He firmly said.


    ***************


    Back at Mayfair manor, Edward was looking at his phone, his eyes were very unhappy and there was a pout to his lips. He was looking at pictures of his daughter being led into a hotel by her boyfriend.


    "What has made you unhappy tonight?" his wife asked.


    He handed her his phone and she laughed, a reaction which he did not appreciate.


    "She said that she was going to the lab!!!!!! I am getting my sword."


    Jennie rolled her eyes, lately her husband liked his sword a little too much. She tugged on the tip of his ear.


    "You are following me to bed."

 Chapter 408 - 408: The bees and birds.

    The presidential suite of Hotel Zeus offered utmost comfort and satisfaction, and Phoebe was definitely a satisfied customer. First of all, it was very clean and spacious, the foyer was large and elegant with beautiful artwork, the floors sparkling.


    The sofas were lush, the entertainment system could be described as state of the art, and the windows were the kind that went from floor-to ceiling, providing a breathtaking view of the waterfall.


    The suite was the size of an apartment with a living area, dining space. two bedrooms; one a master bedroom and the other a guest bedroom. It also had a spectacular bathroom, private office space, private balcony and a personal butler that was available around the clock to cater to every need of the guest.


    Phoebe did not think she had ever wanted to leave the hotel; it was just so comfortable and romantic thanks to all the arrangements David had made. From the flickering soft candles whose dancing shadows reflected on David''s face, to the scent of freshly assembled flowers arranged in towering vases that were spread in all corners and tables of the room, it was all impressive.


    Rose petals lined the path leading to the master bedroom where a beautifully decorated canopy king sized bed waited. Chilled champagne and gourmet chocolates, the expensive kind Connie liked were waiting to be devoured.


    The cozy fireplace flickered, perfect for snuggling up together on the plush sofas. A table set for two waited, adorned with elegant flowers and a meal that being heated up by blue flames from below. The food had been prepared by the hotel''s top chef.


    Phoebe moved to the windows and took in the breathtaking unbelievable, listening to lullaby of ocean waves coming from the waterfall.


    "This is absolutely breath taking, it feels like I am in a fairy tale and an ocean side at the same time." She said in low and soft voice.


    David joined her and he hugged her from behind, his head leaned on her shoulder and his eyes like hers were on the waterfall.


    The spirit jumped out of nowhere. "There is no time to delay, the opportunity has come. Now follow my instructions word for word, turn around, grab him by the waist, pull him close and plant a kiss on his lips, let us see how he will resist that. The atmosphere has already been set for sex." sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Oh God!" Phoebe groaned in her mind. The Saxon spirit sounded like a drill sergeant in the army telling soldiers, go, go, go.


    Phoebe fake coughed. "Can I at least wash up first?" She voiced quietly and went ahead to excuse herself before disappearing to the bathroom.


    Once she was certain that she was alone, she opened the tap of water and left it running. She wanted to have a conversation with the spirit, a loud conversation.


    "Zephyra! You have to stop this nonsense, how are we supposed to do anything when we are fully aware that someone or something is watching? This is not a show!" Phoebe ripped off her clothes and began to exfoliate her body, she wanted it to be softer and smoother than that of a baby.


    Raising up its hands in defense, the spirit placed a sugar scrub on the sink.


    "This is a product of sugar I processed with magic in the space, it will also help with giving you a smooth body and leave a strawberry scent on your body. Listen Phoebe I only want to help, if you two follow the manual that I gave you guys you will have a wild night, one that you will never forget. This is a special night; you need to remember it fondly for the rest of your lives. Do I need to have the bees and birds'' conversation with you again?"


    "No!" Phoebe blurted out, rejecting that offer again. One unwanted demonstration with bananas, cream and round doughnuts had been enough to scandalize her for life.


    The spirit was applying a lot of pressure on this one night. The situation almost had Phoebe laughing and rolling on the floor.


    "This is not sex between a prince and princess of enemy empires who need to do it for the sake of upholding a peace treaty between their nations. You need to relax Zephyra and allow things to take their natural course, the fate of the world does not depend on my sex life. Now scoot before I change my mind."


    Phoebe gave it a small dismissive wave, suddenly she remembered something it had mentioned. "A manual? whom did you give it to? I haven''t seen one."


    The Saxon spirit chuckled, giving away the fact that it had done something naughty.


    Phoebe wanted to groan again, her eyes marred deep suspicion. "Where is the damn manual!" She crossed her fingers and prayed that David had not somehow got his hands on it, or lord knows what he would think of her.


    "Well about that, I may have wanted to give him a few pointers as well, so I did something." The spirit said in a nervous guilty voice.


    "What did you do?" Phoebe asked in an exasperated voice.


    The spirit shrugged. "I may have put the manual in your bag and made it fall down deliberately." It explained all that had happened, leaving nothing out.


    There was an abrupt knock on the door. "Pheebs are you okay in there?" David''s loud and slightly worried voice came from the other side of the door.


    "I am fine, I will be out in a minute." She shouted in response, pacing back and forth on the bathroom mat. "My goodness Zephyra what have you done? What if he thinks that I am loose?" Phoebe fidgeted with her fingers. "Maybe you need to revisit our past in which he was misled about my morals."


    The spirit moved its lips in a dismissive way. "What do you mean by the that? You should not be modest with him in fact be like a streetwalker, he is your man after all. I propose that you drop the good girl act, go wear the cat lingerie that I packed for you and get down to business. David is not shy either, he is just afraid that you are not ready so show him that you are. I am leaving now, don''t let me down." It spun around and vanished.


    Phoebe felt like the captain of a football team; a lot was riding on her first time with David apparently. She studied her frame in the mirror and shook herself like a dog shaking water out of its fur. "Come on Phoebe just go out and enjoy yourself, it is not like you have not done this before." She bolstered her confidence.


    When she was done with the pep talk, Phoebe stepped out of the bathroom with only a very short towel covering her body, leaving very little to imagination.


    "You called for me?" A seductive murmur came from her, she walked to where he stood, speechless and his eyes fixed on her wet smooth legs.


    David shook his head as if to disperse the explicit images that were running wild in his head. "I will go take a shower as well." he hastily moved to the bathroom. "I need a cold shower, very cold."

 Chapter 409 - 409: A night that was.

    As he stepped out of the bathroom in his briefs, David could not believe what his eyes landed upon, Phoebe standing at the center of the room dressed in a sexy cat cosplay lingerie which consisted of a short transparent black silk dress, a thong that covered just enough of her lower private part. To finish off the costume she wore a lace cat ears and a short faux leather whip.


    He gulped and shook his head, the sight before him was unbelievable, the old Phoebe would never have worn something like this, she was a prude.


    "Well do not just stand there I hope this costume is proof that I am more than ready to be with you." Came Phoebe''s sultry voice.


    The small towel that David was using to dry his hair, slipped through his hands and fell on the floor.


    He chuckled nervously. "Are you serious babe, I hope that you do not think that my bringing you here is for us to have sex, I am okay with kissing and holding hands. I will not apply any pressure on you to do something you are not ready for." David chose his words carefully.


    Unease shadowed his face; he never wanted her to do something that she could regret later on. Sex had been one of the parts of their married life which they failed at because he was always tired and overworked and she never showed passion when they were doing it. Eventually, it started to feel like a chore, and he figured it was better for them both to live like those sexless couples.


    When he was convinced that she was cheating on him with Dickson, he became insecure. It was not that she did not like sex, she just didn''t want it with him.


    Phoebe approached him, took his hand and squeezed it gently. "Babe why would you think that I would be forced into doing this? I want us to be together intimately, I want to do this because it''s with you and there is no man in the world that equals to you in my heart.


    I want to feel your touch on my skin, I want to be kissed senseless that I do not know East from West. Stop treating me like some fragile egg and make love to me or come out and say that you don''t want me....." Phoebe failed to complete her words because David leaned down and covered his lips over hers.


    Like an unleashed beast after years in a cage, he showed no tenderness in his kiss. He kissed the way he had wished to do many times in their last life, demanding and possessive, filled with desperation to own a part of her.


    He shivered with delight when she kissed him back, opening her mouth willing and surrendering to his plunder. So quickly, he felt a stirring in his manhood that rose eagerly. He had desired to make love to her for the longest time, thousands of times he imagined stripping of her clothes and taking her as he desired yet he had held himself back out of concern for her.


    He touched her arms, rubbing his hands up and down over them, before lowering them to her perfectly round ass. A fire erupted between them as their limbs entwined, his lips traveled from her mouth to her neck and then her chest.


    He heard a moan slip from her mouth and he kissed her again, if it was possible he was even more desperate than before.


    "I want you baby, you do not know how long I have waited for this day." He whispered to her, his hot velvety breath on the top of her ear.


    Phoebe looked deep within his eyes in search of a connection with him, a look of need which she had always wanted to see in him. She saw what she wanted, and her knees trembled, in his eyes was a fiery intense need that was unmistakable.


    There was a wildness in his expression, his pupils were dilated, his lips parted, he was on the verge of gasping.


    David pulled her up with strength and pressed his manhood against her, letting her know just how much he wanted to consume her.


    Excitement burned within Phoebe, everything that Saxon spirit had told her was thrown out of the window. There would be room for exploration of other styles later, right now she just wanted her needs to be satisfied.


    "Then do not hold yourself back." Her voice had a seductive undertone to it. "Tonight, I want you to make passionate love to me David, like we have never done before."


    She licked her bottom lip and exhaled, a shaky breath which was because he was caressing her through the silk of the cat lingerie she was wearing. There was something gentle and exciting in the simple touches.


    He could hear the hammering of his heart against his rib cage, his pulse quickened with every gasp she took because of his touch. The burning look on her face was like the burn in his manhood, hot and eager.


    There was no room for hesitation for she had given him the green light, his head swooped down and he kissed her. He lifted her in his muscular arms and laid her gently on top of the bed.


    Both of their hands were roaming hungrily all over each other''s bodies, it had been so long since they made love, even longer since they felt lust, love, want and desire all at the same time. It was wonderful, simple and pure with the right person.


    David pulled his lips from hers, he wanted her to look at him as he removed his briefs, as he took off her lingerie and they saw each other naked in every way, physically and emotionally.


    Her gaze burned into his as he undressed her leaving only the cat ears. His hands skimmed over her body with such grace and care. He was still afraid to hurt her. after all it was her first time in this life. He hesitated for a moment and looked into her eyes, as deep and endless as the sea yet filled with desire and hunger for him.


    Inside, he found assurance, it was like a wave of calm washed over him. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "It is okay David." She said softly with a gentle smile.


    Her hands roamed all over his bare chest, drawing the lines of his muscles, each trace sending shivers down his spine and finally she gripped his hard manhood with her soft hand.


    "I was made for you, born for you. I am yours David Saxon, only yours." she said in a low whisper that caressed his ears like a gentle kiss.


    He finally gave in and continued to explore every inch of her body, every touch subtle yet it made her moan with pleasure and command him to continue. At last, they joined bodies, bonding like they had never done before in this life, they felt a warmth explode in their chests and suddenly felt a connection that was unbreakable. It was like a string, one so light was tying their souls together for eternity.


    David was sure that this was more than love, but what was more than love, he wondered before all though and reason faded from his mind, and he lost himself in pleasure.


    To Phoebe it all felt like a dream, one that she did not want to wake up from-ever.

 Chapter 410 - 410: Sowing seeds.

    It was not David that woke Phoebe up in the morning but the sound of the waterfall which traveled in through an open window. The weather was not gloomy as it had been the day before, the sun though not strong had made an appearance.


    Its rays radiated through the white curtains of the suite, filling the room with its glow, bringing a smile to Phoebe''s face as she opened her eyes slowly. A serene smile came to her lips as the events of last night came rushing back. David had made love to her again not once, but three more times and each time had felt like the first-amazing than the last one.


    She was not keeping score but if she was, their sex life now kicked the sex life of their last life. She could not believe what had happened, they had gone from him showing hesitation to losing control.


    He had definitely used some of the ideas from the book the spirit had showed him. Her hand rustled through the sheets to his side of the bed, it was warm but empty. ''Is he gone?'' Phoebe''s head jerked up in search of him


    She sat up and finally saw him, David was sitting in a single chair that was positioned beside a coffee table that had breakfast on it, a generous number of diverse pastries and fruits. He was focused on whatever he was seeing on his phone, his furrowed brows warned that it was nothing good.


    "Good morning sunshine." She picked up a pillow and threw it at him. Amazingly, without looking up, he caught it and threw it back on the bed rather than aiming it at her.


    An amused chuckle came from David. "I think that I am the one that is supposed to say that good morning to the most beautiful woman that I know and love." His tone was effortlessly smooth and playful. "Breakfast or should I say brunch has been served. How are you?" His cheeks flushed, when she shyly smiled at him because his question held a double meaning.


    Phoebe rolled her eyes, pointed at the boiled eggs next to the bread and said, "Egg" then she pointed at herself, "Not egg."


    It meant she was not fragile; a few rounds of great sex would not break her. In fact, she felt stronger than before. as if her energy had rapidly increased.


    Phoebe''s eyes moved to the moved to the clock, it was almost midday. She could not believe that she had slept for so long that half of the day was already gone. Just as she had that thought, she recalled that she was supposed to be on vacation, so she relaxed.


    "What has you occupied? Let me guess, Moria and her mother?" She asked knowingly.


    It was easy to assume that it was them after all, they had run to the press to cry about the fake assault.


    In response, David assured her calmly, "I will handle it she will not bother you anymore. If it means running her out of the city, I will do so. But a few threats will work as well, either way I will put the fear of God in her again." He spoke as he filled a plate with Phoebe''s favorite snacks, after to which he took the plate to her.


    It had some mini pancakes, a strawberry rhubarb muffin, two cinnamon rolls and Sylvester''s fruit parfait which she had no idea how he had acquired in the hotel. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Have a bite, after last night you must be hungry." he gently instructed, his thumb brushing her cheek. "Why did you not tell me that she attacked you? I heard to hear it from Luna, I want to know such things the moment they happen babe, I am never busy to handle such issues." There was a tinge of disappointment in his voice.


    Phoebe raised her hand to touch his cheek. "You have to allow me to handle some of these things on my own otherwise I will remain weak, and I do not want to be weak.


    I am not a canary in a cage David, I am the eagle that is flying freely and capable of hunting. I am not intimidated by Moria or her mother, they are making fools of themselves. What I am doing is allowing them to bark like crazy dogs and then I can slap them with the truth, and they will be too ashamed to step out of their house. I request that you focus on more important things like saving the sick in the world with your medicines." She pinched his cheek lightly until he dramatically winced.


    She started eating, he stayed beside her watching her devour the breakfast with a smile on his face. Eventually, he had to stop with the gawking and smiling, the real world was calling. David''s eyes moved to the clock, he had been away from work for a while, and he needed to go back and monitor things.


    "Unfortunately...." he started, giving Phoebe an apologetic look.


    The spirit appeared and interjected. "Do not tell me that you are going to run away after planting your seed in her?" Its tone came heavy, loaded with berating.


    David raised his eyes instinctively only to see an old woman with long white hair, he lurched up to stand on his feet. It took him a while before he figured who it was. "Z-Zephyra, am I right?"


    He was familiar with the voice, the woman behind the voice had been a mystery until now. She looked nothing like he had imagined, she definitely did not have white hair when he pictured her.


    "Zephyra Saxon in the flesh or ghost, I do not know what rhymes better, you can choose which pleases you." The spirit smiled warmly and twirled for some reason Phoebe couldn''t fathom.


    David was still staring at it in disbelief. "Saxon? Like Saxon, like me?" He asked pointing from Zephyra to himself and her again. He could not make heads or tails of it.


    He was not the only puzzled person in the room, Phoebe was shocked but not because David could see the spirit now but because it said that he had planted his seed in her. There was only one type of seed planting which was not related to plants.


    "Yes, David that is your ancestor, get with the reality but ancestor what seeds are you talking about? You cannot mean that kind of seed planting, this was our first time, I cannot be pregnant!!" She exclaimed.


    The Saxon spirit shrugged. "You should have thought of that before forgetting to use rainy day umbrellas last night. You my dear are as fertile as a mouse."


    Phoebe put a hand on her head and her head fell back on the pillow. "Oh, I must be dreaming." She sat up with wide eyes and a smile. "I know the science of how a normal woman gets pregnant and it''s too soon to tell." She immediately dived into denial.


    "A normal woman, are you one? My dear you are a magical being, a cheat of nature. You are not even supposed to exist, both of you. So, are you ready to get with reality?" It laughed with mirth.


    Connie appeared from the space with her hands covering her eyes. "Are they dressed? Can I look?" She voiced innocently; she tittered playfully. "We are having babies." she squealed.

 Chapter 411 - 411: It was worth it.

    It was troublesome enough when the spirit said it but knowing that Connie was aware almost made Phoebe faint for real.


    "Oh my God, you also know! How do you know? What were you up to Connie? Were you guys spying on us this entire time even though I specifically told you not to? I should have known better, after all I know how naughty you can be Connie." Phoebe''s face flushed with embarrassment, was the word privacy foreign to ghosts. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The mere fact that the Saxon spirit was aware that they had not used protection was proof that one or all of the ghosts had been peeking.


    Connie hurriedly denied the accusation. "I was not peeking; do you think that Sylvester or this old witch would let me? They tried to get me to study mathematicians, so I run away and spent the night with my brother, we went to a concert. As for how I know, it''s from the changes in the magic space, I instinctively knew that you guys had done the deed when I saw them. Great job Pheebs, you have outdone yourself." She burst into lighthearted amusement.


    Changes! Phoebe was puzzled and she recalled that sex between her and David could also bring rewards to her lifespan and the space. Looking down at her hand, she saw that she had been rewarded with thirty years of life, and she gasped.


    "Holy shit!"


    "I know, right." The Saxon spirit laughed.


    This unexpected windfall made her intrigued know had happened in the space, the changes that Connie was talking about. Phoebe saved the curiosity for later however because this was not the time. She was still held captive by the spirit''s former words about a pregnancy.


    When she looked at David he seemed to be lost in another world, he appeared to be in a daze, standing still and thinking about all he had heard. He snapped back to his senses when he heard Phoebe call his name and the Saxon spirit knocked him on the back of the head.


    "David?" Her eyes met his. "Your Phone." She jutted her chin towards his ringing phone.


    His eyes moved to her stomach, and he looked like he was about to go into that daze again, the Saxon spirit had to knock him on the head again.


    "Move it." she said.


    He wanted to talk about what was going on, but a disheartened groan escaped his lips when he took just one look at the caller. "It is the minister of Health, there has to be something going on, perhaps a shortage, hopefully not a sabotage of the drugs or a theft." David voiced apologetically. "Babe I might have to leave even though I do not want to."


    "Go, it is okay. I am going to be occupied anyway; I have a full schedule too." Phoebe kissed his lips lightly; she understood the nature of his work especially during an epidemic like this one.


    Nodding his head, David chewed on his upper lip. "I have a lot of questions about what is going on here, me planting seeds in you does that really mean that...." He paused, his lips hesitating to say what he wanted but he did not have the time either. "And these blinking numbers on your arm, that pendant around your neck and also why I see glowing current leaving me and entering your body. I want to know everything." He emphasized the word everything. He wanted her to reveal the truth to him.


    He had long sensed that she was hiding things from him which is one of the reasons as to why he had been holding back from making love to her. Since it was already a done deal, then they just had to go with the floor.


    Phoebe blinked a few times as he saw through all of her secrets like the numbers on her wrist and the mark of the space. Would he be angry if he found out that she had been using him as a charger, initially?


    Well, she would have to wait and see how things proceeded after everything was laid out in the open.


    "I promise, whatever it is that you need to know I will tell you." She promised him and encouraged him to leave.


    After he left, her attention then turned to the two non-human beings in the room. The Saxon spirit looked proud and happy, Connie looked silly and excited.


    "I do not even know where to begin." Phoebe''s eyes rested on the numbers on her arm, but she did not dwell on them, there were much more pressing things that needed her attention.


    "Soooo" she started, "Pregnant, it was just one night, people spend months or years trying and a goal was scored on my very first night." Phoebe stared blankly, she did not know how to feel about this.


    It was exciting to know that she was expecting, her children were coming back to her but at the same time, she was terrified. One, she was not ready to be a mother, especially now that she had knowledge about the supernatural world. It was dangerous out there, what if a ghost followed her child to school?


    What if it was eaten by a skin walker or.....there were many monsters, but she could not string her spinning thoughts together.


    Secondly, after tasting the pain of losing her children, she was afraid of encountering such a thing the most in her life.


    Phoebe touched her stomach and sighed; she wondered if this was possibly the first child that she had miscarried thanks to Ruth.


    "What''s done is done, now you must protect this new life and handle other problems like your reputation which is being dismantled as we talk." The Saxon spirit handed Phoebe her phone.


    Connie chuckled quietly. "As you think about life as a new mommy, or old mummy since this is your second life keep in mind that in a few months you will be showing, and you don''t want what is being said on the internet to ferment or people will point at your baby."


    Phoebe''s back stiffened, she suddenly had more to consider, her troubles with Moria did not concern her alone now, she had a child on the way. A child that did not need the label of a mistress''s child.


    She switched her phone on, ignored the dozens of missed calls and went straight to the internet to see what was trending online.


    #Police consultant assaults civilian.


    # Mayfair heiress fights dirty for Saxon''s bed.


    # Wealthy shaman Phoebe Mayfair attacks David''s betrothed.


    They were so many that she gave up after the fourth one claimed that David had run back to his fianc¨¦ and she Phoebe was licking her wounds in despair.


    "They are truly disgusting and not afraid of the consequences. None of the mainstream media is reporting these false claims, it is those faceless blogs that post anonymously." The spirit complained


    Among the missed calls was reporter Heinz, Phoebe opted to deal with him because she knew him to some extent. Without wasting time, she sent him the recording that she had received from the Gemma plus the full confession.


    She also sent a video Luna had acquired of Moria hitting herself and instructing a friend of hers to slap her until she was swollen.


    "You want to play, let''s play then." She erupted in amused chuckles.

 Chapter 412 - 412: Three wishes.

    The spirit let out a mocking cackle, it could already the picture the look on Moria''s face when her plan backfired. "They are going to regret the decision of involving the press, it will be their downfall. Why is it that coquettish bitches never learn, I swear they are all molded from the same clay, or they are reading from the same script.


    They attack first and cry foul first and they are always pretentious it''s disgusting to watch. I used to know a witch like that, if a man was wealthy, handsome and powerful, she wanted him whether he was married or not.


    She would use her magic to seduce and charm them, I have never seen another so skilled in the art of hypnosis and entrapment like her. Funny enough she kind of looked like Moria which I guess makes sense because she was a Mortimer, dirty blood that whole lot." It sailed towards Phoebe that was dripping blood and sending energy into a paper man. sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What are you planning to do?" it asked curiously.


    Phoebe handed a paper talisman to the paper man. "I am going to send her nightmares for two weeks and some bad luck. She won''t have to go out looking for injuries, the universe will punch, slap and kick her for me."


    "Oooh, devious." The spirit laughed.


    They paper man disappeared and Phoebe smiled, Moria would learn not to mess with a shaman.


    "Do you want to go and take a look at the changes in the space? I have to tell you that it will keep expanding and growing as your connection to David grows. Even the birth of a child will come with its own rewards, aren''t you excited?" Its eyes twinkled with enthusiasm.


    "Sure." Phoebe answered, unsure of it all. She was still digesting the news of the pregnancy; it was still too early to dance for joy. "Let''s go."


    They both found their way into the space and Phoebe gasped, gushed and experienced a lot of emotions all related to excitement.


    Just like Connie had said the place had drastically changed, it was filled with intangible spiritual energy that she could not see but feel. The size had doubled to that of a small island with a forest which was home to some wildlife. She could hear birds singing, the sounds came from that forest.


    "The veil woods," The Saxon spirit pointed to the dense forest with trees that appeared almost alive, they were ancient and eternal in the space. "The creatures in there are otherworldly like moonlit stags with glowing antlers, twilight owls, ghostfire foxes, spectral beasts with no shape. You will read all about them in the library."


    At the edge of the forest was a pond of still water, the water in the pond was imbued with pure energy.


    "The water in the pond can be used to purify cursed artifacts and trap restless spirits. This water is a ghost catcher''s dream." The Saxon spirit shared.


    Phoebe spun around and her eyes widened more, another mountain had been added, it was higher than the others and a colossal waterfall was spilling from it.


    "That''s just for beauty, it''s not special." The spirit told her.


    The cabin had also been transformed, it was now a colossal building, a solemn sanctum. The spirit took Phoebe inside and she saw statutes of the past owners of the space.


    In the hands of the last statue was round green orb with flames inside, within it was a chain, an artifact.


    "That is the chain of eclipsed souls, a weapon that subdues even the most malevolent of spirits. It was forged by the former owner of the space."


    "The ghost catcher." Phoebe whispered in awe.


    The spirit floated in front of Phoebe and looked at her with an intensity that was rare. "At some point, you will have to bind your soul to the space if you want to be one of us...." it pointed to the statues, "An eternal protector of the space, I was the first, but I will not be the last. Someday, you will be me, doing what I do."


    Phoebe drew her head back, "Whoa! this is far from what I anticipated."


    The spirit nodded, "Everything is changing Phoebe, you are entering the big leagues, but we can discuss it slowly. For now, just enjoy the new changes."


    It swept one hand out and from the pond flew a bottle, it was not taller than a hand, crafted from translucent crystal. Its surface was etched with swirling patters that moved and entwined, whispering in a forgotten language.


    This is the Phantom wishing bottle, it is tied to the space and will grant your wishes." A gratifying smile grew on its lips when Phoebe hopped with delight like a little girl who had been given her favorite candy.


    "Like a genie in the bottle type of wishes? What is the catch, are there limitations to these wishes like something I can wish for?" Suspicion appeared in her eyes suddenly, the space had so many rules that she had to follow, for instance she was happy to see the gold but suddenly she was told that she could only take what she needed in the moment and nothing more.


    Shaking its head, the spirit announced that this was a gift from the space to her. "There are no limitations to this, you can ask for anything that you want however...."


    "Here it comes." Phoebe chimed in, rolling her eyes to the sparkling clouds.


    "For now, you have only three wishes, I implore that you use them very wisely, because once a wish is made, things change for a lot of people. It is best for your wishes to be pure, free of greed or harm. They should not be tainted with selfishness or greed, if the wish is tainted, it will be granted but with a cruel twist, ensuring the fulfillment leads to suffering." It cautioned her.


    "Can I bring back someone to life?" Phoebe asked with Boyd Alton in my mind, she still had the urge to help him.


    Her words rendered the spirit speechless for a fleeting minute. "Here comes another limitation, you have to use the wishes for yourself. Like ask the space to bring back someone you want back like your grandfather, although I would advise you not to do it because that would totally mess with a balance of nature.


    Secondly, my dear girl why would you go that far to bring back that man''s wife? Would he do the same for you if given the opportunity? You must learn to prioritize yourself in some cases, especially now that you have a child to protect. I have told you times without number to detach yourself emotionally from these cases. Stop going above and beyond for everyone, you are not God." Its words sounded reproachful, but they were laced with nothing but the truth.


    Nodding her head gently, Phoebe pushed her mouth to one side. "I Understand what you mean."


    She touched her stomach and recalled that she still had dangers to encounter, Ruth was still alive. If she had killed her children once, what would stop her from trying again? It was best to save the wishes for a rainy day.

 Chapter 413 - 413: Motherhood and magic.

    The spirit put a hand on Phoebe''s arms, and they floated up to visit the new expanded library. Apart from the difference in size from the old one, there was another change, a phantom outside the door keeping everything and everyone out.


    It was a spectral figure; one Phoebe had read about. It had no permanent shape, often changing shape depending on the observer''s deepest fears. To temporary visitors of the space, it looked like a faceless humanoid creature cloaked in flowing red robes whose edges dissolved into mist.


    "This is the keeper." The Saxon spirit introduced to Phoebe "It is a sentient and intelligent being that knows all the secrets of the space. It was once a mortal that married a guardian if the space and surrendered his soul to stay with her forever here, living as the library''s eternal guardian."


    When Phoebe tried to go in, it stopped her.


    "Password." It demanded.


    Phoebe looked at the Saxon spirit, her eyebrows shot up as she was confused. The spirit rolled its eyes and sighed. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Ask the question." It told the keeper.


    A whisper like voice came from it. "I am boundless but can be contained. Without me, all is lost, what am I?"


    "Knowledge." Phoebe blurted out.


    Suddenly, an axe appeared in the keeper''s hands, Phoebe got the message immediately; her answer was wrong. What the spirit had not told her was that being cut with a curse was a consequence of one giving the wrong answer.


    "Err, time." she squealed out.


    The axe vanished, as did the keeper and Phoebe marched into the library freely.


    "Will it be like that all the time?" she asked the spirit. "I am not good at guessing games."


    "No, he just likes to tease the newcomers." It answered.


    Phoebe frowned, "Hey, I am not a newcomer."


    The spirit floated high up but Phoebe could still hear its voice. "In the new space, you are. This is the real space Phoebe, not the old one, now you can even see and speak to the old guardians of the space if you wish. Be warned however, they don''t like to be disturbed so it is likely that they will not respond to your call unless the space is endangered."


    She directed some energy to her feet and followed it, floating in the air with ease. From above the library was even bigger that she imagined, it defied every sense of space and time.


    Towering shelves made of starlit obsidian spiraled endlessly into the boundless sky, the edges of the shelves glimmered faintly as though carved from stars. An ethereal mist traveled above, carrying the smell of aged parchment and ink, with other aromas Phoebe could not place.


    She glided in the air like a bird, moving from one shelf to another, most of the books were dedicated to ghosts, spirits and supernatural phenomena. Their titles glowed softly, and books whispered as if they were alive. Many were bound in materials the seemed impossible to fold like crystals and barks of ancient trees.


    A few books were related to musical spells, they put a smile on Phoebe''s face as they hummed softly, their pages vibrating with energy. There were other books which she noticed were eerily silent, their content hidden behind enchanted locks.


    Phoebe picked up a few books, reading each title loudly.


    "Journals of ghostly histories, Manual of spirit catching, Guide to otherworldly beasts, Forbidden arts and how to counter them, Spirit contracts and their making, Philosophical thoughts on the afterlife. The troubles of reincarnation. How to survive a witch hunt. Love spells and happily ever after."


    She looked at the Saxon spirit and shook her head, "Wow, who collected some of these books?" Phoebe picked up one that was moaning lewdly in a disturbing manner, "The key to magical seduction and enchantment. Who the hell wrote this?"


    "Take a look at the back, there is always a name." It answered.


    Phoebe flipped the purple book over, "Janice Mortimer," She put it back on the shelf with a look of disgust on her face. "First of all, gross and secondly, this book was written in 1656. What in the drunken mead were witches drinking in that year?"


    The Saxon spirit laughed, "I told you that Moria has an ancestor like that, I just didn''t expect you to find her book in here. I did not collect it for your information, it was another guardian, and he collected it because it is too dangerous to be out there. Imagine the damage Moria Mortimer would do with such a book, David would be bewitched."


    "Then I am glad that it''s here and not out there." Phoebe shot the book one last sneer and moved along.


    Surprise fell on her face when she found a section on pregnancy and motherhood which made her gasp as the books ranged from human to supernatural.


    "Eternal bonds, a guide to raising the mortal and immortal. The moon''s blessing, a werewolf mother''s journey through pregnancy." Phoebe frowned at the Saxon spirit. "How is this even real, I feel like I stepped into another dimension."


    She wondered how people would react if they got their hands on these books.


    "Look at this one." She pulled out a book with fangs, "When your baby eats moonlight, survival tips for vampire moms!!!" Phoebe loudly exclaimed as she read the title, her exasperation deepened as she continued on to other books, "So you''re growing a tail, strange side effects of supernatural pregnancy."


    That book made her chortle, she would probably need it too if she got pregnant and grew a tail out of the blue.


    "Soul thread, maternal love across reincarnations. From flame to flesh, a Phoenix''s guide to parenthood. Cursed cravings, how to satisfy a pregnancy appetite for stardust. My baby eats souls, but that''s okay!" She shoved the book back, shaking her head. "No, it''s not."


    The Saxon spirit highlighted a picture on the book. "It is for specters."


    Phoebe was so intrigued that she continued, "Ghost babies don''t cry but they do float." she chuckled loudly. "How to stop your dragonling from setting the nursery on fire." She looked at the Saxon spirit. Her eyes were asking, is this even real?


    "Dragonlings are children of dragon shifters." It said casually.


    Phoebe did not even know how to address it, so she just continued rifling through books. "Tentacles, wings and everything in between, a monster mom''s guide to parenting. From fangs to first words, vampire toddler tales." She paused and frowned. "There are a lot of books here on vampire babies, one in particular is a guide on how to disguise them as human babies. Now I am scared of taking my kids to daycare because some vamp baby will snack on them."


    She saw a book that made her eyes light up and she picked it up. "Check this one out. Mama needs a spell, self-care for witches expecting magical offspring." She opened the book and perused through the table of contents, there was information on building a magical nursery, potions for pregnancy glow, dealing with magical cravings, soothing hexes for hormonal mood swings, wardrobe enchantments, preparing for a supernatural birth, postpartum potions and spells."


    Her finger stopped and she raised her head in shock, "When your baby casts their first spell, what to do when your unborn magical offspring suddenly charms your broomstick or teleports your cat to a parallel dimension!!"


    She had a great desire to say, oh crap!!

 Chapter 414 - 414: Longing to stay.

    "What is it that worries you?" The Saxon spirit asked her.


    Phoebe looked at her stomach, "You said my pregnancy is magical which makes my babies magical." She frowned, "Will my child send my cat to another dimension?"


    The Saxon spirit was rather confused, it seemed Phoebe had forgotten reality for a moment. "Dear, you don''t own a cat."


    "Maria has a cat." she replied instantly.


    "It''s not your cat." The spirit emphasized. "Look, the pregnancy is not even a month old. Do not worry about nonexistent cats being sent to another dimension." S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe was not convinced but she let the matter go and they left the library to have some fun and explore the water fall and the forest. She took a swim in the lake beneath the waterfall, playing with small glowing fish which the spirit told her were called Luminax.


    She played with Yin and black kitty too, later Connie joined in the fun and the Saxon spirit dipped its toes in the water as well.


    They ate some fruits from the ancient trees in the forest and eventually, Phoebe rejoined the real world. When she came out of the space, she enjoyed a lot of the amenities that the hotel had to offer, starting with a dip in their roof top swimming pool.


    She visited their aquarium and swam with dolphins, played with the rainbow fish, got a massage, played water sports golf and finally took a luxurious bath. There was a lot to do, and the time was so little although she did not want the day to end, evening arrived soon,


    She had to leave because the following day she had to prepare for with Gwyneth''s funeral in the morning. The Rowland family was powerful and after the scandal, all the founding families would be in attendance.


    and Rufus Saxon''s thanksgiving dinner later that evening.


    "I wish that I can stay here a little while longer, it''s so peaceful, no ghosts asking for help, no monsters lurking in the shadows, no evil human beings like Dickson, Ruth and others. No stress, just fun and good food." Her remorseful eyes gazed at the spirit which was packing her belongings using magic.


    Phoebe actually found it soothing watching the clothes fold themselves and deliver themselves to the suitcase. If everyone could use magic, how simple would life be!


    "Is this anxiety coming from the fact that you are now pregnant? Do not worry yourself my dear my little Saxons that are forming in you can actually protect themselves and their host when it comes to it." It zipped the suitcase and held onto the sex manual.


    "Host? That sounds like they are aliens hitching a ride inside of me against my will. The fate of hosts is usually death after the alien rips the abdomen apart with tentacles and makes its way out. I am his or her mother not a host." Phoebe''s voice came laced with displeasure.


    She trembled extravagantly as she recalled a movie, she had watched whose plot was exactly what she had just described.


    An apologetic smile formed on the spirit''s lips. "Pardon my choice of words then."


    The apology barely crossed Phoebe''s ears as she looked at her stomach with a frown. "Magic baby won''t rip me apart during childbirth, right?"


    "No, it will be born like a normal human baby, but I suggest a home birth. I once saw a witch''s baby teleport itself out of the womb. One minute it was inside and the next it was out, and the mother freaked out because she thought it could teleport back inside." The spirit laughed, relishing the memories of its life.


    It did not see the look of horror on Phoebe''s face, magic baby to her sounded like a troublesome baby that would keep her on her toes. She took a deep breath and calmed her mind, there were other things to think about for now.


    "Have you heard anything about Dickson since he was dragged away?" She asked the spirit.


    Shaking its head, a faraway look formed in the spirit''s eyes. "Actually no, last I heard of him, Luna had handed him over to David after he was beaten brutally. David then took him to Alfa security where I suppose the beating continued." It responded, a thoughtful wince left its lips as it stretched its hands in search of Dickson''s energy. "He is alive for now." It mentioned.


    "Oh, I know that David would not be foolish to kill him off easily, not without giving me a heads up. I do think at times that he has come so close to ending Dickson, but he holds himself back because an easy death is giving mercy to Dickson." She touched her stomach and sighed. "I worry though about the fact that both of us are slowly coming to terms with shedding blood of others, even though they are evil."


    She was comfortable with supernatural related killings, humans on the other hand however evil they were made her hesitate.


    "Don''t be merciful, there are psychopaths in this story, and it is not you and David but rather Ruth, Dickson and the people that helped them. Destroy whoever you have to as long as you feel that they are a threat to you and your loved ones.


    I will tell you from personal experience, you may hesitate, but the enemy will not. So, I will be in your corner rooting and helping you, if you cannot pull the trigger, I will possess your body and do it." The spirit covered its hand over Phoebe''s, there was a connection.


    It was almost like as though Phoebe could feel the spirit''s hand and it was warm and soft, like that of a human. With wide eyes, Phoebe gazed at the spirit which was equally astonished.


    "Now this is new, do not ask why it is happening, I guess that it''s one of the changes that came about after last night." It laughed, a pleased sound.


    Phoebe wanted to try again but she did not want to make the spirit uncomfortable, she laid back on the bed and checked the internet for the latest developments in the war between her and Moria.


    All of the latest trending topics which were slandering her were gone. She took time to watch reporter Heinz''s famous celebrity expose podcast, he had not only exposed Moria''s lies but he had dug up dirt from her past.


    All of her bullying in school, maltreatment of employees in her family company, her use of pink cocaine five years ago. All the information he released with evidence painted Moria in a bad light.


    "Serves you right Moria." Phoebe let out a derisive cackle.


    "Packing is done, let''s go." The spirit told her.


    Checking out of the hotel was smooth, she was given no trouble because David had taken care of everything. Her bags were taken from her, and she was escorted to her convoy which was waiting.


    "Good evening boss, welcome back from your staycation." Santos welcomed her by offering a small bow.


    "Good evening, Santos, I am glad to be back." Phoebe replied, a small smile tugged on her lips as she entered the backseat of the car.


    When all her belongings which were not many had been loaded into the car, Santos drove off.

 Chapter 415 - 415: A closed chapter for Maureen

    On the morning of the following day, the sky was overcast, casting a somber, grey hue over everything. The heavy clouds hung low, as if mourning for the dead Gwyneth whose burial Phoebe and the rest of the family would soon head to.


    Phoebe was still stuck in bed, looking at the clouds through Yin''s eyes. The raven was perched on the sill of the wide-open window.


    The Saxon spirit floated closer and waved a hand, removing the bed covers, opening Phoebe up to the cold air which woke her up completely. "Good morning, Phoebe. Are you ready for another funeral?"


    Phoebe sighed, "You are too cheerful for someone heading to a funeral. Is there good news? You know what, don''t answer that, I had forgotten that funerals actually entertain you." She got up unwillingly and flew to the bathroom, now that she had to ability to fly in the air, she found that she enjoyed it more than walking on the ground.


    The spirit followed her to the bathroom, she took a quick shower and immediately dressed up. As always, she donned an expensive short black dress, and boots because of the weather.


    "A fifty-thousand-dollar dress to a funeral, you my dear know how to live." The spirit commented.


    Phoebe admired herself in the mirror, admiring her look.


    "It was worth it, just as all my other funeral dresses."


    "No hat today?" It asked.


    Phoebe picked up the sleeper''s hat on the vanity table. "I am going as the resident witch." She put the hat on and beamed proudly.


    "You just love to make an entrance." The spirit chuckled.


    "I attend more than fifty funerals a year, I have to find some joy in it and being over dressed and late is how I stay sane. Instead of people discussing the freaky shaman, they discuss my inappropriate outfits." Phoebe shrugged.


    Sylvester came in with a glass of an elixir from the space. "This is a magical elixir for pregnant women, it has a pure water collected under the light of a full moon, lavender, rosemary, two drops of unicorn tears and a pinch of star dust, all are products for the space, now drink up it will be good for the niece or nephew." He placed it on a bedside drawer.


    Phoebe pinched her nose because she was afraid that the taste would be disgusting, when she tasted it however, it was familiar to milk which made her relieved. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Where is Connie?" Phoebe asked, the last drop of the elixir fell into her mouth.


    A low chuckle rumbled from Sylvester''s chest. "In the space, enjoying all the amenities that it can offer. I don''t think we can pull her away from the forest and the cave under the waterfall where she is annoying the creatures which dwell there. If you want to see an angry unicorn you can head inside the space now."


    Phoebe chuckled, she could only imagine what the teenage ghost was up to. Either she was chatting too loudly, asking too many questions or trying to ride the unicorn.


    "I own a unicorn!" Phoebe sighed.


    She experienced another moment which made her want to question how this was now her life. She had gone from helping ghosts move on to owning a forest with otherworldly creatures.


    She left the bedroom and headed downstairs to the dining room, where most of the family was gathered around the table. Her eyes lit up on seeing David, he was sitting in between her mother and aunt.


    Both women were laughing, hanging on to his words which made Phoebe roll her eyes.


    [Tsk, tsk, look and my mom and aunt, they are like teenage girls in love. Mom, dad will kick my boyfriend out if you treat him so well. I should have come down early and sat next to him so that I can charge before the funeral. I just know there will be ghosts there needing favors.]


    She pulled out a chair to sit next to her brothers and looked around with a smile. "Good morning, everyone, I would say it''s a lovely day, but it is gloomy out there. Perfect funeral weather in my opinion."


    Nobody laughed at her joke, they were busy trying to analyze what they had just read. Phoebe''s thoughts were like difficult jigsaw puzzles that were too hard to piece together. What did she mean by charge and what did David have anything to do with it.


    Some like her grandmother automatically thought that she wanted to have sex with him which was weird because they were at the dining table, and it was inappropriate.


    Her father loudly cleared his throat. "Pheebs, you came home late last night, you must have worked so hard at the research labs."


    Edward''s eyes laid accusation at David whom he was looking at deliberately.


    Phoebe was absentminded as she was picking out what she wanted to eat for breakfast, so when she responded it was without thought,


    "Research labs, what lab?" Phoebe''s mind was so scattered that her face had a blank expression, forgetting that it was she that told her parents that she was going to David''s research labs.


    David on the other hand changed seats with Luke and moved closer to Phoebe. The moment he sat he took hold of her hand, he knew what she meant by wanting to charge. He had pieced some things together on his own and also asked his grandfather a couple of questions which cemented his theory.


    He watched in awe as waves of what looked like light funneled out of him and went into her. It is exactly what I thought, he laughed softly in disbelief. According to his grandfather, it was likely that Phoebe had a yin body while he had a yang body, they had a symbiotic relationship, exchanging energy to support and sustain each other.


    Her yin body was siphoning energy from his yang body, using it to enhance her powers and abilities. She had really kept many secrets from him, but he was not so angry, back then she did not have any reason to trust him with those secrets.


    While the couple exchanged shy glances, Edward watched them like a hawk. Jennie knew that her husband wanted to taunt the children, so she changed seats too and moved closer to her husband.


    "Oh honey, let the children be, Phoebe must have changed her mind about going to the research labs and went on a date with David instead. They are young and crazy about each other, let them enjoy their youthful love." She tapped his hand.


    Edward cracked a few knuckles of his hand, no matter how he looked at it, Phoebe was a little girl who was not ready for adult activities. What if she got pregnant, she was still a baby?


    Collin strolled in with a small glass box that looked like a large frozen ice cube, inside was a sunflower. "Good morning, everyone."


    "Whoa! That must be for Shanna, I never took you to be the romantic type my brother." Andre teased and laughed.


    Grandma Mayfair clapped once. "Oh, it is that type of the season again, it is raining Sunflowers. Maureen, I hope that you are going to receive one from Mr. Alton." Her statement was more of a question.


    Maureen looked physically sick at the suggestion; her face turned a little pale. "Never!" she loudly burst up in opposition. "No thank you mother, Alton Boyd will never see me ever again. That chapter is closed forever. Now, let us go for the funeral." Maureen shattered her mother''s hope into a thousand glass pieces.

 Chapter 416 - 416: A political funeral.

    During the drive to the cemetery, Gwyneth''s ghost traveled with the Mayfair''s, she wanted to witness her funeral and then move on. Gwyneth was so grateful to Phoebe for how things had turned out, the outcome was even better than she had anticipated.


    Multiple charges had been laid on Theodore, the Rowland name stripped from him. As for Mariska, her son, they had been cast out of the family empty handed, every bit of the Rowland money had been squeezed out of them.


    Rumor had it that they had been put on a plane and sent off to another city or another country, but they were not in Citrus anymore. No matter how hard reporters looked for them in order to get exclusive interviews, they could not be found. It was like they had vanished off the surface of the earth.


    Soon, they came to the church which was in the heart of the bustling city of Citrus, a somber atmosphere enveloped the grand cathedral where mourners had gathered to pay their respects. The daughter of an important politician had died, she came from a prominent and influential family. Her tragic passing and the rumor that she had died of a broken heart was still circulating.


    Wealthy elites and dignitaries had come to honor Gwyneth''s memory, her kindness, grace and charity had touched the lives of many. Her funeral was attended by all the wealthy in the city, business magnates, foreign ambassadors and even the president and his family. All these people were dressed in black as a sign of respect.


    Gwyneth''s parents were beside themselves, tortured by the pain of the untimely loss of their daughter. Where her father was more stoic, her mother cried openly, the weight of the loss of her daughter was palpable.


    The prayers for the deceased began a hush fell over the crowd. A priest from the church of saints and angels spoke of Gwyneth''s virtues and the impact she had made in her life. One by one, somber faced dignitaries approached the casket to pay their final respects and the press which could not be avoided caught it all.


    After that, a procession of black carriages carried Gwyneth to her final resting place and hundreds of expensive cars followed the road which had been cleared out because the president was among the mourners.


    In the car, Phoebe shifted restlessly in the back seat, her hand tapped on the sleepers'' hat that her grandmother had refused her to wear to the cathedral. A choice that was understandable because of the quality of mourners at the funeral. A ceremony where a president, foreign ambassadors and other dignitaries attended was not a place to mess around.


    "Nana, can I wear it now?" Phoebe''s persistent voice echoed, she was already aware that her grandmother was totally against the idea, and she was going to reject it again but still, she figured she would push her luck.


    Grandma Mayfair rolled her eyes dismissively. "Child, can you not see how inappropriate it is? You look ridiculous with that thing on your head." She sneered; her eyes drifted to the hat.


    "I have to agree, it''s not haloween or 1660 something." A familiar voice emerged as Gwyneth appeared once again. They had not seen her since her during the prayer session in the church or when her body was taken away. "Phoebe, there is nothing keeping me here any longer. My heart is contented enough for me to move on, I do not need to watch them lower my coffin down in the ground, see you when I see you." A smile of gratitude lingered on her lips as she vanished.


    Phoebe only smiled; she could feel a surge f of energy fill up her body. No matter how many ghosts she helped and got rewarded, the feeling of gaining new energy was always new each time.


    "Goodbye Gwyneth." She whispered. Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Grandma Mayfair looked around, "Is she really gone?"


    Phoebe nodded.


    "Just like that." Her grandmother said, surprised that Gwyneth had not said one last goodbye to her mother.


    "It is as painful for her as it is for her family." Phoebe muttered.


    The car soon came to the cemetery and that''s when Phoebe started to sigh. There were so many ghosts around, she had to put on her sunglasses and pretend that she could not see them.


    Just as funerals of the rich went, most of the mourners broke off into groups after the coffin was lowered and they started to whisper and judge each other. Some whispered about Theodore Rowland actually wanting to attend the funeral, but he was under arrest and the Rowland''s had forbidden it.


    Others gossiped about their outfits, who had worn a similar dress better than the other. Those that were eager to make connections shook hands with the ones they wanted to be connected with.


    Phoebe interacted with Miranda who couldn''t help but express her displeasure about Moria and her mother. It was the latest big gossip on the founding lane.


    "How could they be so brazen! Honestly, I was not even shocked because Celine has always been a schemer. She wants to weasel her daughter''s way back into David''s life but that will only happen when I am dead." Miranda pressed her lips into a thin line.


    It was a surprising change because she was one of the people that strongly disagreed with the engagement of David and Moria being broken off. At the time, she only cared about him marrying the daughter of another wealthy family which would help him secure his position as the next Saxon patriarch.


    Now, she was contented with Phoebe being David''s choice, it was a love match which made David happy and her being a Mayfair was a bonus.


    "I am going to deal with them for trying to mess with you two. In fact, I heard that the Mortimer''s were invited to the thanksgiving party tonight, I will give them a piece of my mind." She arched a brow in mild disdain.


    Rather than being at odds like they were in the past life, Phoebe was actually glad to have Miranda in her corner, especially now that she was expecting.


    "Miranda, there is nothing those two can do to get between me and David, our relationship is built on a solid foundation." She responded, all she had was confidence now.


    Miranda blinked rapidly; her gaze fixed on Phoebe. "Miranda, oh dear! You cannot call me that anymore, you are the only woman that I will ever recognize as David''s wife, married or not so please call me mother." A reassuring smile formed on her lips.


    Phoebe''s eyes increased their size by two. [Wow! Seeing this version of her truly shocks me. Who knew that Miranda Saxon could be sweet. I can''t believe it, but she is actually kind of adorable.]


    Tears pooled in Miranda''s eyes on seeing the thoughts. " Oh my goodness, look at me crying for no reason. I wonder who is cutting onions." She waved her hand over her eyes and blinked back the happy tears. It seemed Phoebe was growing to like her.


    David came up from behind Phoebe. "Mother is everything alright here?" His arm wrapped around her waist.


    "Yes...yes everything is perfect." She patted Phoebe''s shoulder.

 Chapter 417 - 417: A funeral and then a party.

    Later that evening, men and women of the high class in society, adorned in expensive attires and shiny jewels arrived in large numbers at the Saxon tower to attend Rufus Saxon''s thanksgiving dinner.


    The timing could have been better given the fact that in the morning, they had attended Gwyneth''s funeral. Rufus himself had been there; some people had wondered if the thanksgiving would be cancelled out of respect for the Rowland''s given that one family was mourning the death of a daughter, and another was celebrating the return to life of their patriarch.


    The thanksgiving was not cancelled and all the families that lived on the founding lane showed up, including representatives from the Rowland family. The Mayfair''s were also among those that were in attendance, they could not miss it given the close relationship they had with the Saxon''s.


    The lavishly decorated ball room on the fifth floor of the tower had been transformed from a dull enormous plain room to a warm and cozy hall displaying photos and mementos that highlighted the sick journey and recovery of Rufus.


    They had also included never before seen pictures of Rufus''s growth from childhood to adulthood and pictures of the founders of Fog country. Some were hand drawn portraits, others black and white pictures. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Some guests were viewing the pictures and discussing them while others feasted on nutritious meals. Those that were not standing around were dancing along to the slow music which was being played by a live orchestra.


    David was religiously sticking to Phoebe''s side at the Mayfair''s table, if they were not dancing, they were chatting, eating or flirting. At the moment, they were both whispering about some unwelcome guests that had shamelessly showed up despite the controversy surrounding them.


    "How embarrassing!" David''s lips jutted towards the Mortimer''s table, Moria had actually showed up, black sunglasses sat on her face which was covered with heavy layers of makeup. Her body was tense, and she was avoiding people, it was obvious that she did not want to be there.


    Her mother on the other hand sat up straight, unapologetic about what they had done. At one point in the night, she tried to speak with Miranda, but the woman dismissed her without a care of who was watching which had made a lot of women laugh or sneer at Celine Mortimer.


    His whisper was not so lower which resulted in some people at the table overhearing them and looking the way of the Mortimer''s as well.


    "Well at least the chat group is going to have a lot to gossip about." Grandma Mayfair raised a glace towards Miranda who nodded with a knowing smile. "Donald Mortimer looks so angry, he doesn''t want to be near Celine. Heck all the Mortimer''s are feeling out of place."


    Jennie''s lips came to form a curl. "Those two are not the only shameless people here." She spoke loudly; her words coated with contempt.


    Everyone''s eyes followed her gaze only to see Dickson who was walking in with the help of crutches, arriving in the company of his mother. His presence was not unexpected given the fact that he was Saxon, so he did have the right to be at the party.


    Dickson looked at the Mayfair''s and waved as if he was on friendly terms with them. Suddenly, cutlery dropped on plates as some people lost their appetite. Luke went as far as to excuse himself; he had quit smoking years ago but suddenly he had the urge to do so.


    "Crap!" Luna cursed; her sharp displeased eyes turned to David who she thought had finished the job.


    She did not think that he would kill Dickson, but he could have been injured enough not to show up at the thanksgiving.


    Maureen chortled, a short but derisive sound. "I do not know why all of you seem surprised. Dickson is a Saxon, and this is a Saxon party. Uncle Rufus has just recovered, he does not need one grandson killing another before his big party. Now when the party is over, that''s a whole different story." She sipped on her wine, fixing Dickson with a steely gaze.


    "Did he get in some sort of accident? Why is he walking on crutches?" Andre innocently asked, his gaze moved to David whom he expected to know the answer because he was Dickson''s cousin.


    Jennie waved her hand lazily. "Do not even get me started, I did not want anyone to know this because he has been marked by everyone in the family but yesterday while I was at the Maddie lady''s spa, I run into Margaret who told me that Phoebe had instructed some goons to beat up her son and she was going to sue us. In response I hailed my daughter for what she did after all, he attacked her with a gun." She signaled the server to fill up her champagne glass.


    "And what did she say when you told her that?" Edward asked


    "A flicker of alarm crossed her face, Margaret seemed genuinely ignorant about what her son had done. She staggered backwards and hurried off to God knows where. I guess Dickson forgot to update mommy dearest on his latest crime."


    He was already facing legal troubles for selling a fake vaccine and he had attempted to kidnap an ordinary citizen. Dickson had more problems than he imagined.


    Edward sneer. "I have requested Rufus for a meeting between us and the Saxons in which we will settle this issue. I have also invited a few other people that will put the nail in Dickson''s coffin. All will be revealed later on tonight, so stay around the real fun will begin after this thanksgiving party ends." His eyes moved to see the time on his wristwatch.


    "I just want to break his neck." Collin muttered.


    "Get in line." Phoebe mumbled.


    The number of people at the party that wanted Dickson dead was staggeringly alarming; he just didn''t know it.


    He was busy putting on his charming act, speaking to a few of the young women that had come to the thanksgiving in the hopes of netting a Saxon as a husband.


    Evelyn came to the Mayfair''s table and for a moment, everyone pushed Dickson aside and went back to smiling and interacting with other guests.


    Through the party, Phoebe kept getting cold and fierce glowers from Dickson that sent mild shivers down her spine. He was like a demon, just waiting for an opportunity to kill and possess the body of a helpless victim.


    Given the chance, he could hurt her again and now she was pregnant. These were the thoughts on her mind when David escorted her to the bathroom.


    When she came out, she turned to David feeling the urge to say something, deep lines of worry marred across her forehead.


    [I don''t think he should stay anymore, what if he hurts the baby?]


    The thought hovered over her head, causing David to clench his jaw tightly.


    "Nothing bad will ever happen to you or anyone that I care about. I will take care of Dickson, I promise." He assured her by squeezing her hand.


    When the main party was done, the guests left except for the Mayfair''s and Saxons who were guided to the large living room of the main house. Edward was ready to end Dickson''s Saxon privileges forever.

 Chapter 418 - 418: Too many thoughts.

    Low whispers erupted among the people that were confused about why they had been gathered in the living room. Apart from those that actually knew about what was going on, all the rest could do was to speculate.


    During that time, Phoebe found the opportune moment to talk to Phillip Saxon, she asked him a couple of questions about his cars and who would want to tamper with the brakes of the car.


    Intrigued as to why Phoebe whom he really did not know was asking such questions, Phillip turned to David.


    "Dude what is going on? Why is she asking about my cars? Did someone really tamper with my brakes! Is she sure about me having an accident and the fact that it''s going to happen tonight?"


    David let out an apprehensive sigh, Phoebe had told him that she was not certain about the precise time, but she was sure that Phillip Saxon was going to have an accident in his blue sports car.


    If she saved him then she would be rewarded with more energy and if she did not, then Phillip would get into an accident which would cause him to lose both his legs and his life.


    "You know that my woman is a shaman, she cannot be asking all these things without good reason. So, are you at loggerheads with anyone that would want you dead in the family or out? Probably in the family because this is the only place where someone could have possibly tampered with your car." He probed; it was in Phillip''s best interest that he answered their questions.


    Nodding his head, Phillip winced lightly. "I do not really know, I mean we are all family but if I am to suspect anyone then maybe Dickson. When he came out to reveal himself as the real owner of DC Pharma, I proposed to the board to dismiss him from the Saxon group." A frustrated sound came out of his lips.


    "The other board members were in support because he is now a direct competitor of the company. What if he stole recipes from the lab, or exposed company secrets for the benefit of his company? I was not coming from a place of malice; it was the right thing to do for the company." He rested his hands in his pant pockets.


    "Dickson was furious, he and his mother promised to kill me for even suggesting such an idea. I called their bluff thinking that it was a threat that they could not actually act upon it. My God! I cannot even begin to imagine it. Did they really do something to my brakes?" He cleared cold sweat from his brow, his eyes drifting between Phoebe and David.


    [Yes.]


    Philip blinked a few times; he wondered if his eyes had deceived him, or he really saw yes above Phoebe''s head.


    "I am not one hundred percent sure, but you can never be too cautious, just don''t drive the blue Bugatti until further notice and have all of your cars checked thoroughly. Heed my advice if you do not want to end up dead." Phoebe cautioned.


    Phillip shuddered like a gust of wind had coiled around his frame. "I promise not to drive any of them anywhere. In fact, let me call the towing company to come and pick it up. If any of this is true, I am going to kill Dickson I swear to God." He released sharp breath, casting a piercing glance at Dickson.


    With that warning delivered, Phoebe started looking around to see which other Saxon''s she could help. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Just as she was looking around, many of the Saxon''s were doing the same, looking at the Mayfair''s and Phoebe in particular. For most, it was the first time that they were meeting David''s girlfriend. What happened next, they were unprepared for.


    [Hmm, Nancy Saxon, she is so pretty but so foolish. How blind does she have to be not to notice that her boyfriend is sleeping with her best friend, and they plan to kill her soon. She has wasted almost five hundred million on that fool.]


    [Ooh, is that Dean Saxon, he is so cute. He looks a little like David. It''s too bad he doesn''t listen to his father and has the wrong friends that will take him on a gambling trip, and he will disappear never to be seen again.]


    [Quentin Saxon, your wife is sleeping with your butler, you will be the first Saxon to have a black-haired baby...hehehe]


    [Let''s see, who else is in trouble? Nini Saxon, that jade bracelet around her hand is emitting some very dark energy. If I am not mistaken, it was taken from the hand of a dead woman.]


    As her eyes moved away, she did not see Nini Saxon quickly removing the jade bracelet and throwing it to the ground with panic in her eyes. The bracelet was a gift from Margaret, Dickson''s mother, she found it hard to believe that her aunt would harm her, but Phoebe had a good reputation as a shaman. It was better to believe her and ask questions later.


    [Oh great, it''s the bitch Katherine...K to the a to the t... what the hell what am I thinking. That thief really pisses me off, when that lawsuit comes down and she is dragged through the media I will be so happy. Hahaha, look at her eyes, why is she glaring at me so fiercely?]


    [Come to think of it, many of the Saxons are looking at me weirdly. It''s probably because I am David''s girlfriend or maybe because I am so pretty, yeah, it''s definitely because I am pretty. My red hair beats their white hair any day of the week. If this was a fight, my red hair would drag the white hair around and mop the floor with it.]


    A whole pack of bamboozled Saxon''s did not know what to think anymore. They traded gazes, wondering if they were alone in seeing her thoughts. The last one left them a little disturbed, who the heck thought about hair getting in a fight?


    "Can you see this?" Nile poked David''s back and whispered the question. He did not want to admit, and he turned to Phoebe instead.


    "Stop thinking." David whispered to Phoebe.


    Suddenly the double doors that led into the living room were opened, revealing Rufus Saxon who wheeled in with a sober expression on his face. It was glaringly obvious that something was wrong, not just wrong but bad. Bad enough to ruin the patriarch''s happy mood from earlier.


    The murmurs in the room died down, those standing in groups dispersed in search of their seats.


    "You all must be wondering why I invited you all here." A bodyguard pushed the wheelchair to the front where he was in a position that was facing everyone. "I am equally clueless, Edward here requested that I call for this meeting which he said would shape the image of our family for the next few years. So, Edward my dear nephew, you have the floor." He leaned back to rest his back on the chair backrest.


    Edward made a subtle sound to divert the attention to himself, he did not have to though because everyone had their focus on him.

 Chapter 419 - 419: Chaos from the start.

    Before he could say anything, Margaret extended her arm upwards, signaling that she had something to say. Her face was awash with fierce determination, it seemed she was going to have her say with or without permission to speak.


    Rufus could tell that it would be impossible to move on before her saying what was on her mind given by the unyielding gaze that she cast upon him. He stretched his hand forward to stop Edward from saying anything.


    "Edward please allow Margaret to speak, it looks like whatever she wants to address is very important." His tone was as polite as he made the request.


    Margaret wasted no time at the given opportunity, she did not even wait for Edward to consent or reject the request.


    "Uncle in-law, you already know that it pains me to the core that you decided to invite the Mayfair''s into our home knowing fully well that they have fueling animosity between two Saxons." She looked from her son to David. "David and my son had a very public fight on the night of the auction and ever since then David has assaulted my son on various occasions and the problem all started with that little Mayfair whore." Her finger pointed at Phoebe.


    Her eyes were burning hot, if they could set Phoebe on fire, she would be ashes already.


    Margaret''s derogatory comments were met with disapproval especially from the Mayfair camp. Luke and Luna were ready to act, one feeling the needle filled with poison in the breast pocket of his jacket and the other feeling her guns.


    It was Miranda that stood up first to defend Phoebe''s honor. She was two seconds quicker than Jennie, grandma Mayfair and Maureen.


    "How dare you say that about my daughter in-law? Margaret you better take that back. Everyone knows that my son David is Phoebe''s man, all the Mayfair''s have already approved of the relationship just as the elders of our family have done. It''s your stupid son Dickson that doesn''t know how to keep his greasy paws to himself. He is shamelessly panting after his own brother''s wife, who does that? Father this meeting cannot continue after what she has said about David''s wife unless she apologizes." She pressed her lips tightly together.


    More than a few eyebrows went up in surprise at Miranda''s passionate defense of Phoebe and her reference to Phoebe as David''s wife.


    "I will do no such thing." Margaret turned her nose up.


    Rufus sighed loudly; the drama had already started yet the meeting had barely even begun. "Everyone should settle down." He ordered; however, the two women had their eyes locked on each other in a death stare, Rufus'' words only flew above their heads.


    A haughty cackle intentionally came from Margaret. "Me! apologize to that whore? Over my dead body." She rolled her eyes to dismiss the idea.


    "Then you and your son will die today." Grandma Mayfair unfolded her walking cane and tossed it towards Margaret. Dickson jumped and caught the cane, taking everyone by surprise. All this time he had been acting like he couldn''t even stand without the help of his crutches but here he was standing erect without them. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe looked at David in wonder, hadn''t Dickson been beaten black and blue? Hadn''t his legs been broken? How was he capable of jumping and moving around?


    The other onlookers reacted with audible gasps of disbelief, some went as far as to point at Dickson and put their hands over their mouths. The guesses, questions and whispers about his intentions went all around.


    "It''s Dickson, he is a habitual liar, so this is not surprising at all."


    So, if he could walk then why has he has been pretending to be in excruciating pain....."


    Viola Saxon snickered; Dickson had done well to pool a good number of enemies even among his family. Viola had been present when he threatened to kill her brother, Phillip.


    Phillip had whispered to her before the meeting begun that Dickson had messed with his car to make good on his threat. For that, she considered him to be an enemy now.


    Using a book, Rufus smacked the table with the intention of bringing all the attention to himself.


    "What do all of you think you are doing? How dare you display your rude behavior even with the adults and guests here?"


    He was not berating only the Saxons, Rufus cast a disappointed look at grandma Mayfair, she was not behaving like the adult that she was supposed to be. But who could blame her, Margaret had insulted her beloved granddaughter.


    Even though it was understandable, he did not think that her throwing a walking cane was the answer.


    "Margaret, for the demeaning words that you used against Phoebe Mayfair, I want you to apologize right now before you say anything else. This is not a request, and I will not be repeating myself." Rufus commanded; his cold voice showed that he meant business.


    Upon opening her mouth to decline yet again, Margaret met Rufus'' hostile glare, her shoulders fell as she conceded defeat. "Fine." She spun around to face the Mayfair''s. "You are not a whore, I should not have said that." She turned away from them.


    "Apology my ass, you are just stating the fact. Save your fake apology Margaret, we don''t need it but believe me, a day will come when you fall on your knees and apologize." Grandma Mayfair scoffed and sat down.


    Rufus knew that he was not going to get a better apology, but he planned to squeeze it out of Margaret later. "Going forward, no one here is allowed to insult anyone or else I will kick you out." His authoritative voice resonated through the room.


    "Margaret why are you claiming that Phoebe Mayfair is the reason for the conflict between those two boys? It is common knowledge that David and Dickson barely get along since childhood. If we are to make a list of all the reasons why they have been fighting since childhood, Phoebe Mayfair will not even make the top three." His words elicited nods from the Saxons especially.


    Margaret twisted her lips, her venomous eyes stared at Phoebe. "That wh... girl was two timing both of them. She was dating David but promised to marry my son." She thumped her chest. "She confirmed it to me herself; I am not lying to you. That is the reason as to why Dickson dived into a raging spree and almost attacked her. He was just feeling wronged and betrayed." Tears sprouted out of her eyes; they seemed genuine.

 Chapter 420 - 420: Exposing Dickson.

    The tears were genuine because Margaret felt like the world had squeezed, she and her son into a tight corner. They were not the most well-liked Saxon''s, not by the public and not even in the family. Lately, it seemed more and more as if everyone was coming after them, relatives wanted Dickson out of the company and off the board. A position which he had earned rightfully as the only son of his father.


    Had he married Phoebe at least they would have the Mayfair wealth to back up on when his business collapsed, and the board decided to kick him out of active participation in the Saxon group, but he did not.


    Dickson had divulged to her that things were not looking great when it came to the business lately. The investors had pulled out completely, DP holdings wanted a return on investment because DC pharma had breached a clause in the contract. The victims of the fake vaccine were reportedly getting ready to sue Dickson for hundreds of millions.


    At this rate, he was going to go bankrupt unless a miracle happened.


    "Ask her if I am lying, in fact Dickson can vouch that I am telling the truth. She promised to marry him, why else would I be like this if I was not sure of this fact? I am not so foolish to go around making up such lies against a Mayfair." She wiped her wet face with a white handkerchief that her son handed to her.


    The tables seemed to take a turn, some of the Saxons cast glowering looks towards Phoebe whom they now believed to be with loose morals.


    "How can she do that?" A voice whispered in the back.


    "Maybe it''s true, Margaret seems sure."


    Katherine muttered and laughed. " I can vouch for Aunt Maggie, it is true she was two timing them, I personally witnessed it." She lied blatantly. She was never going to forgive Phoebe for withholding those formulas from her.


    Also, her thoughts about the happiness she was waiting to experience after witnessing her downfall had angered her. As far as she figured, she could make a deal with Margaret, if her mother could not get her Phoebe''s formulas, her aunt would.


    [This lying bitch!! She totally deserves what is coming to her.] Phoebe sneered.


    Some of the people that had opinions decided to save them, it was best not to mess with the shaman.


    David puffed out a breath. "Stop with the lies you two, Phoebe has been my woman from the start, you all know how I searched high and low for her. The two of us knew each other and were in love long before you all came to know of her. Do not believe a word those two say, Dickson had always wanted to conquer whatever I have be it business or women. Not too long ago he was panting after Ruth, proposing to her and declaring to us all that he is going to marry her. Now he wants to swap Phoebe for Ruth without shame. He is jealous that I have all the things in the world he cannot have, it is plain and simple." His lips curled upwards.


    Unfazed by his words, Dickson rose from his seat, carefully this time, letting out a wince now and then. "My mother speaks nothing but the truth. As a matter of fact, she went to the Mayfair''s with a marriage proposal which they did not refuse. If truly she was loyal to David, then that offer should have been rejected from the start. Phoebe Mayfair played the both of us, she does not deserve to be a member of this prestigious family." He lowered himself to seat.


    In the back of his mind he was thinking that if he could not have her, David could not either.


    Rufus'' gaze turned to grandma Mayfair. "What do you have to say Rebecca? Did you accept an offer of marriage on behalf of your granddaughter Phoebe from Margaret?" He spoke through pursed lips.


    From what he knew Phoebe was going to marry David, the two had confirmed that to him so what was going on here? Was it because marriages in founding families were often decided by family elders, so Rebecca Saxon had settled on Dickson as Phoebe''s future husband over David?


    Grandma Mayfair let out an exasperated breath. "Rufus it is true that Margaret brought a marriage proposal, but we did not accept it. We even figured that it was a joke from the start because we all know that you and Prudence are the only people in charge of making formal marriage proposals in your family." She paused to sip on some water.


    "Mother do not forget to tell them the real reason as to why we were infuriated by their offer." Edward''s sharp voice echoed through the room.


    He pointed at Dickson, his eyes seething with hostility. "Dickson Saxon tried to molest our daughter."


    Gasps went around the room. Edward did not pause, he just went on with the accusations, laying them on thickly.


    "This is why I called for this meeting in the first place, to expose that monster lurking behind a pretentious kind face."


    All of the Mayfair''s had similar looks to Edward, hostile and intense as if they could rip out Dickson''s throat at any moment.


    The Saxon''s, those that had not heard about the rumor were taken aback. The whispers of their surprise echoed through the room.


    "Holy shit!!"


    "He did what now?"


    "Is he crazy? She is a Mayfair; how can he touch a Mayfair?"


    Nobody however was more surprised than Dickson, after all he had not laid an inappropriate hand on Phoebe. He had done some shady things to get her attention but molesting her was not one.


    "I did what!" he exclaimed. "Me, molest a woman? I have never done such a thing in my life!" Dickson denied strongly. "Is that why she asked her goons to abduct and beat me senseless? That was a crime, and we should be retaliating as Saxons, not listening to the Mayfair''s bullshit. As for molesting her, I have never touched her." He continued to refuse the accusation.


    He knew that nobody could prove that he had been planning on doing so the day he had made an attempt to kidnap her, but he had failed miserably.


    One of Dickson''s biggest regrets was not bedding Ruth out of respect for her identity, he did not plan to make that similar mistake with Phoebe. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Edward paid no attention to his denial, and he dug his feet deeper to exhaust the accusations. "Uncle Rufus that is not all, recently he held a gun to my daughter''s head while making an attempt to kidnap her. Do not deny because I have all the evidence with me." His chest rose and fell with rage.


    He slammed a folder down on the ground. "That is not all, he has molested one hundred twenty innocent women from the age of seventeen. He was careful in picking his victims, children of poor commoners or women from the red-light district but I found sixty-eight of them that are willing to come forward and testify.


    When that monster was done with them, he curved his initials into their backs with a hot blade. I brought those women here, so I am going to allow the evidence to speak for itself."

 Chapter 421 - 421: Face to face with his victims.

    Edward was not joking around when he said that he had brought the evidence against Dickson with him. Apart from the photos in the folder and medical reports of the women after the assaults the women were personally on ground, in the tower.


    Alfie his secretary led in a sizeable number of women at that precise moment, her had been standing by the doors waiting for as signal from his boss. The women had been brought in during the party and grandma Saxon had allowed then to stay despite not knowing why they were there.


    These were all the women that were willing to speak up without fear, not afraid of the consequences. They had all accepted a payoff from Edward his promise of protection from harm. For years they had held back their anger because they could not fight against a Saxon.


    Not all of them were angry simply because they had been molested, some were angry because he had not gone through with his promise of marrying them like he had promised. Others had only received half of the payment that they had agreed upon before he violated their bodies, and they had not consented to having their bodies branded with Dickson''s initials.


    They had not expected the cruelty with each he treated them, the pain if being branded by blades or the mental torture which followed after as they relieved what he had done to them over and over.


    Those that he had taken using force were even more angry than the ones that had consented, they wished to tear him to pieces.


    "Show them your backs." Alfie told the women.


    All of the women turned around, some were quick, and others were slow. The marks on their upper backs were the same, initials of D.S had been curved in like a permanent stamp. The initials had faded for some and for others, they were still fresh, as fresh as the previous week.


    It created the desired effect that Edward wanted, gasps all around and looks of horror from both the Saxon''s and Mayfair''s. They could not look at Dickson in the same way anymore.


    [Some serial killers brand their victims; he is just one step away. One of these days he will take things too far and then the Saxons will be the first founding family to produce a serial rapist and killer.]


    A lot of people gasped again. Rufus'' lungs seized up for a moment, an angry expression laced his eyes, he stared at the women. The impact of the accusations being levied against Dickson were heavy enough to bring down the Saxon empire. Once the name was ruined, there was no saving it.


    "Edward are you certain about what you are alleging. I need you to be one hundred percent sure about this before we take any steps because the consequences...My God!" He placed a hand to his tightening chest.


    Grandma Saxon handed him a glass of water and a pill to protect his heart.


    "Calm down." she said.


    His children that were worried also moved their eyes around nervously, not forgetting to glare at Margaret and Dickson. She was whispering frantically into Dickson''s ears, and he was shaking his head.


    Her phone was in her hand, if anybody had to guess, she was about to contact a lawyer because Dickson''s troubles were far beyond what anyone knew previously.


    They all waited for a moment until Rufus had finished a glass of water to pick up where they had left off.


    Edward let out a low sigh, part of him regretted putting old man Rufus through this but Dickson had to be stopped. "Uncle Rufus, you can ask that monster let him tell you what he did to these innocent girls! If not, the girls will start to talk after all they are here present with us and they can describe detail for detail what he did to them." His hand clutched on the papers that he was holding.


    "Innocent!" Margaret snorted. As far as she could see, they were all a bunch of whores that had been looking to climb up the social ladder. She looked at them with contempt.


    Dickson had a blank expression on his face, his eyes kept roaming from one girl to another and in all honesty, he did not remember any of them and he was unwilling to admit what he had done to them.


    They were poor bitches that should be thanking their Gods that a man of his caliber had slept with them. As for the branding on their backs, he simply wanted them to remember it all their lives.


    "This is a set up grandpa, the Mayfair''s have a clear vendetta against me, so they are setting me up. I do not know any of these women." He waved his hand in denial, pulling his eyes away from the girls that sneered collectively. "Which Saxon man has not fought off his fair share of gold diggers with fake stories about a nonexistent relationship?"


    One took one step forward. "You are such a dick; your mother knew that when she gave you that name. Do you not recall when you commanded me to call you a beast master in bed? Or when you roughed me up as I cried and begged you to stop hurting me? Do you not recall all that? Maybe this will remind you." With all rough pull, she yanked up her skirt. "You did not just brand my back; you burned me with very hot candle wax that left a mark on me."


    Another woman lifted her shirt, exposing her stomach. "How dare you deny doing this to any of us? You said that you were branding me because I was your wife to be." Another girl lamented. Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Me too." another said.


    "And me."


    "Looks like we were just prey." Commented another.


    The accusations went around from one woman to another, they shared all the things he had promised them while he was hurting them.


    "Goodness me! Why did you let him do such a thing to you?" Grandma Mayfair asked.


    "He takes you against your will and drugs you. When you wake up you are tied up. He makes you watch as her passes the knife through flames and urges you to scream as loud as you can while he laughs cruelly telling you how you will never forget him." One explained.


    Another added, "After all that, he promises to take care of you for the rest of your life. He claims that he has branded you because you are his woman and then disappears from your life. Only the memories of him burning your body with candle wax remain. You cannot report him anywhere after all he is a Saxon, and I know this because I tried and failed." The girl sniveled.


    Dickson smacked the table with a crutch. "Grandpa it is not true, whatever I did with those girls was consensual. All that these sluts want is money, just give them more from the treasury to shut them up."


    Everyone could not believe what they were hearing, Dickson seemed not to understand the gravity of the situation.


    Neither did his mother who snapped her fingers. "You cannot condemn my son for how he chooses to get sexual pleasure, those girls knew deep down that Dickson could not marry them. My son is a Saxon, they are nobody and yet despite this they went ahead to play with him. They were already paid for their services, and I see nothing wrong with what he did."


    Margaret crossed one leg over the other, her careless words had the room erupt in noise.

 Chapter 422 - 422: Compensating the wronged.

    Dickson and his mother were the definition of wealthy individuals that were out of touch with reality. As far as they were concerned, the rest of the world had to bow at their feet. They were untouchable and no matter what they did, there would be no consequences for their actions.


    "I cannot believe this." Grandma Mayfair whispered.


    "E__evil, great evil." Asha Saxon, a very old woman from the fourth branch of the clan croaked out. She closed her eyes and somehow went to sleep after that.


    It would be funny if the Saxon''s were not too horrified to laugh. Phoebe''s thoughts together with Dickson''s attitude painted an alarming picture of the future.


    The most furious people in the room however were not the Saxon''s or the Mayfair''s, it was Dickson''s victims who were feeling dehumanized. They had been referred to as worthless playthings after all.


    "We should just go to the police and report him; they can bury one case, but sixty cases are a different story." One suggested.


    Another, the one that had raised her skirt said loudly, "Not just the police but press too. If we show them all of our scars and the marks he made on our bodies, they will go crazy for the story."


    "Let us see how the world judges him and all you Saxons that do not find fault in what he did." One of the girls spoke through pursed lips. "I was seventeen when that man violated me in ways that I am afraid to talk about. I have had nightmares since then! "She screamed hysterically.


    Her moist eyes shifted to Edward, he had promised to get them justice if only they told the patriarch of the Saxon family the truth and they had done so.


    Edward pulled his eyes away and drifted them to Rufus who was raising his head, it had been lowered this entire time because he could not face Dickson''s victims with confidence. Shame was boiling in every cell of his body.


    The room was not quiet, it was abuzz with loud noise, the other Saxons that did not want to be dragged down by Dickson''s actions were exchanging words with Margaret and her son whom they labeled selfish for tarnishing the image of the family.


    They wanted him to apologize, make amends and leave the country. Others were telling him to voluntarily turn himself in and go to prison. Some people looked like they were ready to trade blows with Dickson, like Niles, Phillip, Thomas, Robert and a dozen other men in the family.


    David would be right there with them if he was not keeping Phoebe calm and protecting her stomach with one of his arms just in case people started pushing and shoving.


    "Silence!" Rufus'' commanding voice reverberated in the room; the room plunged into uncomfortable silence.


    With a sharp look in his eyes, he stared at Dickson. "Do you not see the severity of the situation? My God!! what kind of beast are you?" He shook his head in disbelief and his voice was lowered slowly. "You violated young underage girls how do you see nothing going wrong with that? Have you lost a screw in the head? What were you thinking?" You branded women like cattle, drugged and tied them up!!!! I don''t even know where to begin from...."


    "But grandpa....." Dickson interjected, trying to reason with Rufus and make him see his side of things.


    However, Rufus responded by slamming his clenched fist into the wheelchair arm rest. "Shut up!" he shouted with all of his strength and started to cough but that did not stop him from talking. "You stupid and senseless boy, you do not deserve to be called a human being. How could you do such inhumane things? How did your mother raise you? Your father must be rolling in his grave." He paused and expelled air out of his nostrils.


    "Grand...."Dickson tried again but Rufus would not hear of it.


    "I do not want to hear anything out of you." he said and then turned to the victims. "Young ladies I am deeply sorry for what this senseless thing did to you, I cannot begin to fathom the pain which you have lived with.


    I can assure you that if you did go to the police, we heard nothing of it. Nobody here would have covered up some an inhumane crime let alone allowed him to continue experimenting with his perversions. I know that money cannot fix your wounds, but I will compensate you heavily for all the pain and damage that he has caused to you. It will not help with the nightmares, but it will help you live comfortably for the rest of your lives.


    Those that need counseling will receive it at my expense. I will also recommend a plastic surgeon that will remove that marks that was seared into your skins. Please forgive me and my family, be contented that Dickson will not go unpunished for this." Rufus looked at them sympathetically. His apology stirred up emotions among the girls, unlocking floods of tears from them.


    "I am going to request that you indulge me however and sign a non-disclosure agreement because only Dickson should be punished for his crimes. The rest of the innocent Saxon''s should not be affected by what he did. Keep in mind that you can only receive your pay out if our family remains wealthy." Rufus reminded them.


    He had contacted family lawyers as soon as he heard the accusations.


    Edward gestured at Alfie to escort the young ladies away, everyone gazed upon them with sad eyes, others gaped in disbelief, heads shaking in silent shock.


    Once the girls were gone, Dickson scoffed. "That was easy to take care of, I do not understand what the fuss was all about." He exchanged glances with his mother, both of them seemed relieved.


    His voice was sarcastic as it was loud and Rufus whose hands trembled from being furious launched the glass full of water at Dickson. It crashed against his head; the water drenched his hair and some parts of his shirt. The glass had hit him with so much strength that blood trickled down. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Margaret leaped upwards. "Rufus, are you trying to kill my son?" She did not care that she had addressed the patriarch by his name, something that was rarely done. She pulled out a handkerchief and wiped away the blood from his face.


    "Get up let us go and see the doctor immediately." She urged her son.


    "Sit your ass down!" Rufus snarled with strength. It was not a request but rather a command, his voice dripped with anger. "I will not ask again." His cold dark brooding eyes gazed at them, they glinted with a mixture of authority and disdain.


    Armed bodyguards rushed to approach Margaret and Dickson. "Do you want us to force you?" Polly asked.


    They both sat down and remained quiet even though there were family members heckling at them. Margaret could not stay quiet however, not when her son was still bleeding.


    "Rufus can you not see that my son needs to see a doctor! What if he bleeds to death?" Her voice quavered, a knot tightening in her stomach.

 Chapter 423 - 423: Banishment.

    There was worry in Margret''s eyes because blood continued to ooze out of Dickson''s head. Sadly for her she was the only one that was bothered by the blood, everyone else in the room would cheer loudly to watch her son bleed out immediately.


    "He can go ahead and die." David said, loudly. He voiced the sentiments of all the Saxon''s who were unwilling to be brought down because of Dickson''s crimes.


    "If he dies, then he will have done us all a favor by leaving this life and family." Rufus added to David''s words. A deep frown creased his brows.


    Nini Saxon let out a mocking chuckle. "If we were in the old days, he would have lost his head if we punished him according to true Saxon family laws. How dare he shame the Saxon name? He is not deserving of the name, and I propose that it is stripped from him." Her curt words were also the thoughts of many that held their tongues.


    Phoebe liked what she was hearing, she liked it that very much that she wanted to clap, only that David had a firm grip on one of her hands. It did not stop her from thinking and projecting her thoughts.


    [Oh goodie! Dickson nobody is less of a threat to every woman in the country compared to Dickson Saxon. If the name is not stripped from him, nobody will ever want to be called Saxon again. Who can vote for a President Saxon if you have a serial rapist slash pedo slash killer named Saxon?]


    She was not aware that the more she thought, the more the Saxon''s saw how dangerous it was for them for Dickson to continue existing.


    Rufus''s heartbeat went up a notch and he slapped the wheelchair arm again. "Margaret, you treasure your son like a treasure, you seem to be under the impression that the parents of those girls didn''t love them or treat them like treasures too.


    Do you know that if word gets out that a Saxon molested young women and underage girls it would paint the entire family with a bad image? He did not stop there but he molested a daughter of one of the most prestigious families in this country.


    Oh, did I forget the part where he tried to abduct her in public? My forefathers would have you skinned alive, but I am not that barbaric, and I will show you mercy." He paused to sip on more water.


    Phoebe did not like what she was hearing, and she frowned.


    [Mercy!!! Oh hell no....skin him alive. Roast him over a pit of fire like a suckling pig. Stick an apple in his mouth while you are at it and when you are done cooking him, feed him to the dogs.]


    Her thoughts were a little frightening to those that managed to see them. Who knew that that the short shaman with a smiling face was dangerous?


    While the Saxon''s pondered on that, the Mayfair''s chuckled, especially Andre who pictured the image Phoebe had described.


    "It is time for you to hear your punishment." Grandma Saxon cleared her throat and spoke loudly.


    As excitement grew among those that did not like Dickson, Panic coursed Margaret''s veins. Dickson on the other hand was still nonchalant; he was ready for any punishment. What was the worst his grandfather would do? Cut off his allowance for a year at most. He let out a quiet scoff, this still seemed to be a joke to him.


    [Punish him hard, save yourselves otherwise, some of you are going to lose your lives at his hands especially if you still live under the same roof as him.] sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Some people gasped and some of the excitement died down, a somber mood was injected into the atmosphere suddenly. People traded gazes, wondering if it was true that some of them would die at Dickson''s hands. Had the shaman foreseen it or was she talking nonsense?


    Those that had an enmity with Dickson worried more than others, if he was to target anyone, it would be them. Phillip especially was more worried than others because already, he had been threatened.


    Rufus could not even believe it, and he saw Dickson as a dangerous beast, one willing to eat its own family. He stared at him directly in the eye. "Dickson Saxon, the punishment for your horrible crimes is banishment from the Saxon clan."


    Banishment! The words hovered in the air, it continued to echo in the ears of the listeners over and over. It was a surprising punishment as no one had been banished in the recent years, none of the people alive had ever seen it happen.


    Margaret jumped from her seat; she was expecting a punishment that was severe but not this kind. It was humiliating and downgrading, what did this even mean? Did the punishment affect the entire branch or just one person.


    Did it mean Dickson would be kicked out of the tower and imprisoned in that secret prison which the family owned overseas? She had just one son and the thought of him suffering out there without the cushy blanket of the Saxon name alarmed her.


    "Rufus.....uncle in-law you cannot do this? It has not been done in forever!" She exclaimed. "There are other ways you can punish him. How can you banish my son?" Her eyes darted around in search of sympathizers; she found none. "Are you all going to sit here and condone to this? It is absurd!" She smacked her chest with her hand lightly.


    "It is better he goes down on his own than dragging us with him, father judged justly." Robert commented, a smile of happiness tugged on his lips. For him, his sons had one less competitor for the position of president of the company.


    This sentiment was not shared by him alone, there were others in the room that thought the same.


    Dickson had long fallen into a momentary stupor after hearing the punishment. What did the old man mean by declaring banishment as his punishment? Was he supposed to leave the tower? Was he a Saxon?


    "I am still speaking Margaret quiet down." Grandpa Saxon''s voice pulled him back to the present.


    A stern expression formed on Rufus'' features. "I have all the authority as the patriarch of all the Saxons to punish him as I see fit. In cases where the family name and history are put under threat, I can make drastic decisions, and this is one of such cases." He elaborated. "From today, Dickson will no longer bear the Saxon name, nor will he enjoy the privileges that come with it.


    He looked at Dickson, "You are to be taken off the family register, feel free to take on your mother''s maiden name. You are to leave the Saxon tower immediately after this meeting is done, by tomorrow If you are still lurking around, I will instruct the security guards to shoot to kill because you have become a stranger and therefore will be considered an intruder.


    Heed to my warning, I will kill you myself if it comes to it. Tomorrow, we will announce it to the world that you are not one of us anymore and your affairs do not concern the Saxon family." Rufus leaned back in the wheelchair.


    Dickson stood this time with no crutches. "Fuck you old man, you cannot do this to me. I am a Saxon by birth you cannot wake up and decide to take that away from me!"

 Chapter 424 - 424: Dicksons exit.

    A lot of eyebrows shot up quickly when Dickson cursed at Rufus, exposing his disrespect to all openly.


    "Did he just say the f word to Rufus?" Grandma Mayfair asked.


    "Yup." Phoebe confirmed.


    "He has lost his mind, oh my God!" Jennie exclaimed.


    While the Mayfair''s watched the drama, it erupted into a big argument with the rest of the Saxon''s shouting at Dickson to leave. From the youngest child in the gathering who was only four to the oldest relative, Nini who was ninety-six, they all wanted Dickson gone.


    "My son goes nowhere." Margaret shouted back. "I will go to the press."


    "Try it and we will break your legs." Valerie screamed.


    "Send her away with her criminal son, she is an accomplice in his crimes." Thomas growled out.


    "Fuck you all, I am going nowhere. I don''t owe anybody a shit explanation for my actions. I am a Saxon; I dare you try and change that." Dickson bellowed.


    Phoebe wished she could get some popcorn like Connie and enjoy the show. Never before had she seen the Saxon''s this rowdy. People were lifting chairs, throwing jewelry like earrings, calling each other names. This was much more entertaining than Rufus''s thanksgiving party.


    Amid the argument, Phillip Saxon suddenly leaped towards Dickson and seized him by the neck, taking everyone by surprise. They were all furious by his behavior and disrespect towards the patriarch, but none thought to get physical after all, they had bodyguards for that.


    "You son of a bitch! You actually decided to act on your threat to kill me?" Phillip laughed, a cold mocking sound. "Well guess what, you failed miserably because Phoebe warned me that you messed with my car, and she was right." The grip around Dickson''s neck tightened, it was almost like as though Phillip wanted to squeeze the life out of him.


    Both Saxon''s and Mayfair''s were surprised, they did not think Phoebe''s random thought about Dickson killing some of the Saxon''s would be proven so soon.


    "Damn it, you beast!!!" Phillip''s mother Acacia screamed.


    She wanted to go and fight him as well, but her husband stopped her. He lifted her in the air, but her feet were kicking wildly, and she was screaming profanities at Dickson and Margaret.


    Dickson''s hands flailed wildly, he tried to free himself, but Phillips claws only dug deeper into his windpipe.


    "Let go of him!" Margaret lamented; she feared that Phillip was squeezing life out of her son.


    Phillip squeezed tighter, by all intent he wanted Dickson''s life, after all, the other wanted to kill him first.


    The Mayfair''s wanted to bury their heads in the floor, because Phoebe was cheering the fight one. The subtitles had not stopped since Phillip grabbed Dickson''s neck. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Yes! yes! yes!]


    Rufus stepped in to stop the chaos by sending in bodyguards to break up the fight. He wanted Dickson gone, not murdered by his cousin in full view of over eighty eyewitnesses.


    "Stop it! The both of you." Rufus ordered. "Phillip elaborate on what you have just blurted out." He commanded.


    Phillip adjusted his creased shirt which had a few buttons missing from it. "Grand uncle, Phoebe approached me earlier tonight and told me that someone that holds a grudge against me in the family messed with the brakes of my car. I was skeptical but still it is better to be safe than sorry.


    I then called a team of professor mechanics to take a look at all of my cars and specifically the blue sports car Phoebe mentioned. When they arrived, they checked all the cars, and I was relieved to hear that none of them had been tampered with. But then, I was told my blue sports car which I specified was missing


    I found out that my friend Darwin had taken it out for a ride as he left the party. I dialed his number with no response and that made me worried especially after what Phoebe told me. I reached out to his mother but heard nothing as well for an hour. She texted me back five minutes ago with bad news.


    Darwin got into a terrible car accident because the car failed to break, and he crushed into a trailer. Right now, he is in the operating room fighting to his life." Phillip sniveled and tried to launch a punch at Dickson.


    A low buzz of shocked voices filled the air, those that were not talking sat frozen, their faces awash with a myriad of emotions.


    More than a dozen eyes were looking at Phoebe which made her uncomfortable, so she hid her head in David''s chest like a shy child.


    "So, it''s really true, he will kill us." Someone whispered.


    "I am not even surprised by this, if he can kill his brother what can''t he dare to do?" Grandma Mayfair twisted her face to express her disgust for Dickson.


    Phillip''s clenched fist struck his chest with force. "That could have been me guys, he holds a grudge because i suggested that he is taken off the board of the company." He scoffed. "You must be thinking that you will get away with this, but you won''t. If anything happens to Darwin, I am going to kill you Dickson." He shifted his eyes to grandpa Rufus who was quiet.


    "Yes, do that because if you do not I will, how dare he make an attempt on your life?" Viola Saxon, his sister pressed her lips tightly together in anger.


    She could not help thanking God that it was Darwin that took the car out and not her brother or else he would have been the one in the hospital now.


    Valerie Saxon pulled her brows together. "Grandma, grandpa please say something, are we going to let this murderer walk. He should be chained in the basement or something forever." She let out an outcry.


    Grandma Saxon sighed; she was equally frustrated. "The fact that he is not denying it only means that he is guilty."


    "I have banished him from this family, and I am going to make sure that I cripple him financially too and see to it that he is not a danger to anyone ever again. Margaret you can stay on tower grounds however, since you knew of your sons'' crimes you will not be receiving any money from the treasury for five years. You are to move into the backyard houses to live with the servants." His fingers drummed on his thighs.


    Margaret huffed. "You cannot do this! Have you ever heard of a Saxon that doesn''t reside in the tower? You want me to live among those commoners? Never!" She yelled, her index finger pointing at Rufus.


    Rufus Saxon''s eyes gleamed dangerously but he was clam as he responded. "I am not going to trade words with you, if you desire, you can follow your son if you wish to. I doubt that anyone will miss you." Rufus signaled at the security guards to force Dickson to leave. "Vacate my premises right now because seeing your face disgusts me."


    The guards surrounded him with Polly pointing at the door. "Do you want us to carry you?" He asked.


    "This is not over, I am going to take you to court, I will fight this with all means necessary. " Dickson shouted as he was dragged out.


    Phoebe wanted to stand up and scream, her thoughts were clear for all to see.


    [That''s it!! he gets to walk after trying to kill one of you. Are you guys high on pink cocaine?]

 Chapter 425 - 425: Lost protection

    Phoebe did not think that it was possible for the matter to be closed at that, but it was and the Saxon''s acted as if everything was over and done with.


    She did not believe so and she dragged David outside so that they could discuss the matter. She traveled through the Saxon tower like an expert, as if she had been in there many times before.


    As she walked, she even waved and greeted the servants and bodyguards they met along the way which surprised them.


    She took David to his bedroom and locked the door before proceeding to push him down in a chair.


    "Is your grandfather nuts?" she shouted out loud. "You learn that your psycho grandson has just tried to kill another, and you let the psycho walk?" She questioned Rufus''s logic while pacing from side to side.


    She ended the pacing and looked at David intensely. "Have you learned nothing from Ruth? We don''t tell the enemy that we are on to him and let him walk."


    David pulled her down, sitting her on his lap. "Pheebs, my grandfather is not a fool. There are some things that cannot be decided or dealt with in the presence of others..." he tapped her nose. "Outsiders like you Mayfair''s."


    "We are not outsiders, we are close." she responded, nearly outraged.


    "Close, yes but not Saxon''s." he put both hands around her waist and continued, "The thing you ought to know now is that Dickson has officially lost his protection. The news of this will travel out before this very hour is up. Do you know how many enemies we Saxon''s have out there? A Saxon that is not protected by the family is like a sheep in a world full of hungry lions. Dickson will volunteer to go to the family prison, give him a few hours."


    Phoebe understood only a part of the logic, what she did know was that Dickson was now fair game to the Elithera''s. Luna had been longing for an opportunity to draw some of his blood.


    David was right, many people were waiting for the opportunity to deal with Dickson. He would run back to the tower and beg on his knees.


    "Come on, let''s return before your father comes looking for you with his sword." He carried her out of the room and put her down when they returned to the living room.


    *************************


    The Mayfair''s were all smiles as they drove back home, the only topic of discussion was Dickson and all that had transpired, especially the attempted murder and his banishment. They had spent two extra hours at the tower feasting and drinking champagne that Rufus had offered.


    It was a way of apologizing to the Mayfair''s for all that had transpired. The old patriarch had also said that it was a good day to make merry because a pest had been exterminated from his household.


    Edward and grandma Mayfair had been more than happy to celebrate with him. When they reached home, they discussed the issue further in their living room. sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The matter was discussed over cups of tea and sobering soup.


    Edward was one of the people sipping sobering soup out of a bowl. His flushed face had a big grin as if he had signed a fat contract.


    "Father, I do not know how you pulled that off in the shortest time possible, finding all those women and convincing them to expose their scars. You are a hero." Phoebe raised her thumb up, a smile continued to exist on her lips.


    Edward snickered. "Did you think that I would leave him alone after attempting to molest and kidnap my child! The Saxons owe us a great deal for not reporting this to the police. Their family would have fallen from grace to grass if I did that.


    Nobody would keep according to them the respect that they are enjoying now. I knew though that uncle Rufus would punish Dickson accordingly so I figured that we should handle the matter just between us." A pleased smile curled up his lips.


    Andre rubbed his hands. "So, father what do we have to gain out of this? We saved the Saxon''s image so how are they planning to repay us? How much money and what is my cut?" He licked his lips hungrily.


    His words elicited laughs from the listeners, his aunt went ahead to strike the back of his head.


    "I am worried that one day Andre might trade us for money while we are sleeping. Have you forgotten that our Phoebe is dating a Saxon and if she marries him or has his babies in future, they will be Saxon''s? It is the major reason why your father took the decision he made. It is enough that they owe us, perhaps one day we will collect that debt." Maureen said.


    Edward produced a deliberate, unnecessary cough. "Speaking of debt collecting." Upon his words everyone turned their attention on him. "I already asked that he bless Phoebe and David''s union, married or not. I believe that Celine Mortimer is not going to give up easily on the old betrothal and I wanted to be confident that Uncle Rufus will not support the Mortimer camp." He scratched his brows.


    Jennie shifted in her seat. "And? What did he say?" She probed.


    "He supports the children''s relationship; in fact, he wants them to marry because he wants more grandchild as soon as possible." He comforted his wife by tapping the back of her hand.


    Jennie let out a heavy sigh. "I do not know why these kids are dragging this marriage issue, women will keep coming for David as long as you two are not committed to each other." She finally laid out a complaint that had been weighing down on her chest.


    "And men will come for Phoebe, may I remind you that she is the catch here." Grandma Mayfair rolled her eyes. "You have nothing to worry about because these children are committed. Focus your energy on Collin''s wedding, Anna Lee complained that you two cannot seem to agree on a wedding theme which is delaying things." She arched an eyebrow, knowing her daughter in law had to be the difficult one.


    Jennie rolled her eyes in a dismissive way. "She wants the entire wedding to be in doors can you believe that? I agreed to the ancient wedding where the hands of the couple are tied with a rope. It will be an indoor ceremony for the vows but not the reception, it must be outside." She shook her head disapprovingly.


    Grandma Mayfair clicked her tongue. "What do the bride and groom think? After all you are not the ones getting married." Her eyes drifted to Collin who let out a weary sigh.


    "Just so you know mother, we do not care about the colors, cake flavor, food or decorations. We just want to be married before winter." His pleading gaze met hers.


    Jennie placed a hand to her chest. "Oh honey! You should care; you only marry once."


    "Eh!!!" Phoebe squawked.


    Everyone looked at her curiously and she laughed nervously. They were wondering if she was hinting at something like a future divorce.


    "Nothing, I just felt something in my stomach." she said. "And nobody should worry, I just ate too much cake."


    Jennie looked back at Collin. "I am sure that Shana feels different, she wants a wedding to remember. Trust me, I will wear Anna Lee down slowly. We still have a long way to go before you two marry even the wedding invitations have not been finalized."


    "Mother!" Collin let out a desperate cry, at this point he had to make a drastic decision to force their mother''s hands because winter was only weeks away. An unexpected pregnancy could certainly make them move faster.

 Chapter 426 - 426: Dickson is dead.

    5:30am at the Saxon tower.


    Those that were asleep were awoken by a shrilling sound of someone screaming. The sharp sound came from the garden to which security guards rushed, armed with guns, tasers and sticks to take on the intruder.


    They were beaten to the scene by fierce dogs whose barking alarmed those that were in the tower even more. The Saxon tower had an emergency alarm that could be sent out in case of danger.


    It was sounded and pretty quickly, all the lights in the tower were switched on. The deep sleepers also awakened, those that were exercising rushed out from the gym, the cooks run from the kitchen. Everyone found the nearest and quickest exist out of the tower.


    Those that did not get out came together in a safe house where they found refuge and started monitoring the compound from screens, observing camera footage.


    The first people to arrive at the scene were the security guards, their arrival was met by the surprising scene of Dickson on the tower grounds. Initially, he appeared to be sleeping on the grass but when the light hit him properly, they realized that was not the case.


    Dickson was lifeless, his face was pale and his lips blue. When they observed further, they noticed he had a couple of gunshot wounds to his arms and chest, multiple stab wounds, some of his broken bones had poked out of his skin. His arms and legs had been broken like those of a marionette.


    From the ligature marks around his neck, he seemed to have been strangled as well. As if that was not enough, there were huge bite marks allover his body like he had been bitten by a hell hound or a pair of normal dogs with very large teeth.


    The sight frightened even the bodyguards that had once fought wars and killed enemies of the country. They had never seen someone that had been killed so brutally in so many different ways.


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    How had he even made it back to the tower without being noticed especially with all of the injuries that he had.


    "Good God! How did this happen? What or who did this to him?" Polly covered his mouth, gritting his teeth against the urge to vomit.


    Some of the guards with weak stomachs, rushed a few steps back to throw up.


    "How did get onto the grounds, someone check through the footage and find answers." The head butler shouted.


    "How can this happen at the Saxon estate?" One rued, his hands trembled as he continued to study the body.


    He was an expert and he could see that the injuries had not all been sustained at the same time. The spots on the skin indicated poison but he was not certain if that was the cause of death.


    Another scoffed. "Am I the only one that feels he deserved it?" He settled his eyes on the waist belt around Dickson''s waist. A spider was sneaking out, the bodyguard waited for it and he stomped it to death.


    Polly began to make some calls, first to Ramon, the butler of the elderly couple whom he requested to wake the patriarch and matriarch.


    "Ramon." He paused for a bit. "It is a code red, hell not just red, we have a murder on tower grounds." Polly hung up almost immediately.


    Because of the close relationship they had, Polly called David who was still sleeping, dreaming of him and Phoebe and their daughter in the kids park. He had spent the night at the tower so when he received the news, he bolted from the bed upon at lightning speed.


    Not once did he drop the phone as he had many questions to ask, beginning with the cause of death.


    "Dead? Are you certain that he is dead and are you one hundred percent sure that it is him?" David''s voice echoed through the phone.


    He hurriedly draped a bathrobe around his shoulders. Without pause he began to walk out of the bedroom partially dressed.


    Polly sighed regretfully. "Yes it is him, I have scanned his fingerprints and face."


    Upon confirmation, David hung up and rushed towards the elevator. Once he reached the ground floor, he was greeted by a large numbers of Saxons who were rushing towards the garden. Murmurs about what might have occurred circulated within them.


    "I heard an ear piercing sound, something must have happened." Nini kept springing on her toes to see what was beyond through a window.


    Dean winced loudly. "If grandpa is heading there as well then that means that something serious happened." He suspected.


    No Saxon was satisfied with peeking through the window and they rushed out to witness in person what had the patriarch and matriarch in a rush.


    They were noisy like buzzing bees heading towards a garden of flowers. In no time they reached the garden and saw what all the fuss was about, an unexpected death in the family.


    On setting sights on Dickson''s dead body, some shuddered, others made the sign of the cross, many gasped in shock, some sighed in relief and they felt lighter as if a burden had been lifted from their shoulders but there were others that only twisted their lips in smiles. A dead Dickson was better than an alive Dickson whose whereabouts and future plans were unknown.


    "I say good riddance to bad rubbish." Philip muttered.


    Niles sneered, "Someone should pop the champagne."


    "Serves him right!" Acacia voiced quietly, she was relieved that her brother Phillip was completely safe from Dickson''s claws.


    Grandpa Saxon gave her one piercing look before shifting his eyes back to the dead body. He took in the scene quickly and drew conclusions in his mind, wondering how the matter would be concluded. Just like the bodyguards, he had a question; how had Dickson made it back on tower grounds safely?


    "Who found him?" He asked Polly who in turn pointed at the gardener. The poor guy had fallen into a deep stupor, his skin whiter than that of snow white.


    "Gomez!" The loud sound of someone calling his name made him flinch nervously. Polly has to jolt him back to his senses by shaking him. "Gomez, now is not the time to lose it. The patriarch wants to ask you a few questions." He let him go and shoved him before the patriarch.


    "In what condition did you find him? Were you the first to come across the body and what time did you find him? Lastly, why were you here so early in the morning?" Rufus'' voice was low but demanding.


    In as much as he did not like Dickson. It was horrible that he had been killed on Saxon land. The news of his banishment had already spread, no doubt Phillip''s attempted murder and the threats which had been made were possibly out there as well.


    The gardener shook his head. "I-I do not know, I came to trim the roses early because I have the afternoon off. As I was walking by, I noticed something lying there. When I took a closer look, it was Mr. Dickson." He shook his head repeatedly wishing that he would scrap the image from his head.


    "Shhhh." Someone hushed the group. "It is Margaret, she is coming over here." She alerted.

 Chapter 427 - 427: Many suspects.

    Everyone was familiar with Margaret''s irrational, nearly obsessive love for her son. They also knew that the minute she set her eyes on Dickson, she would start screaming and making unfounded accusations.


    She would not stop at that but probably call the police and name names of those that she thought were responsible for Dickson''s death.


    "What do we do?" grandma Saxon asked her husband. "Should we call someone?"


    "Like who?" Rufus asked his wife. "Let me think, for a while."


    They all turned and watched Margaret who was taking her time to approach the scene. In her bright red bathrobe and a shawl around her shoulders, it seemed like she had just been woken up as well. From the nonchalant expression on her face, she obviously did not know about what was going on.


    "What is with all this commotion this morning?" She pulled the shawl snugly around her frame. She yawned tiredly as she had barely got a wink of sleep because Dickson had stormed out of the tower without telling her where he was going.


    Margaret had only managed to get an hour of sleep before she was woken up by the scream. Initially, she planned to stay in bed but the alarms and all the servants running around had made her curious.


    As people made way for her she gave them a bored and irritated look, she was still angry about the results of the previous night. As she came closer to the front of the crowd, her had was grabbed by someone. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "He is dead." Asha Saxon croaked to Margaret. She chocked back tears of understanding. Having lost a daughter once, she knew that Margaret was in for a grief filled ride.


    Even though Dickson was a bastard, he had been a member of the family before the banishment. They had watched him grow from a baby to a grown man. How could his death not pain some people in the family?


    With a dismissive wave, Margaret shrugged Asha''s hand away with a look of disgust on her face. "Whoever died I do not care, you people deserve whatever bad karma comes to you after you kicked out my son like he was some ordinary person and threw me out to live with servants."


    Ramon paved the way through the tiny crowd at the front for Rufus to drive his wheel chair through. He only stopped when he came to be just a few steps away from Margaret.


    "Maggie listen...." Rufus started slowly.


    Margaret twisted her face and raised her hand to stop him from speaking. "Listen old man, my respect for you vanished yesterday after you banished my son, a Saxon like you. You have nothing to say to me, I do not want to hear it. As far as I am concerned, you are all dead to me and I am dead to you." She spun around to walk away.


    Margaret saw no need to be around the people that had betrayed her and her son. Whatever had happened, it was none of her business. Rather than waste her time with them in the gardens, it was better to try Dickson''s phone again and see if she could reach him.


    Her attitude made everyone unhappy and even those that were feeling sorry for her had a change of heart. As cruel as it was, she deserved whatever pain was coming her way.


    "Dickson is dead." Robert blurted out. His voice came from the back of the crowd and it was cold as he cared less about how he delivered the news after all Margaret did not care if it was one of them.


    In response to his words, Margaret let out a guffaw. It was loud and laced with scorn. "You would like that very much now, wouldn''t you? I hate to disappoint you Robert but my son will live a long prosperous life. He will be successful, more than every fucking Saxon here. I for one cannot wait for the day when he makes you all regret for the decision that you made yesterday." She cast Robert with a piercing gaze. "You will all bow at our feet you traitors and we will make you bark like dogs and lick our feet."


    "Wow!!" Someone slowly exclaimed.


    The traitors or Saxon''s were speechless, now they were glad that Dickson was dead.


    Grandpa Saxon let out a soft sigh. "Margaret, I hate to disappoint you too but that body lying on the grass belongs to your son. So, unless it''s his dead twin brother, then it is none other than Dickson." Grandpa Saxon pointed at the body which Polly had covered using his black coat.


    Margaret thought that it was a joke but when she looked around, nobody was smiling. The sarcastic smile on her face fell quickly, her breathe hitched in her throat.


    She knew that Rufus Saxon would not claim that Dickson was dead if he truly wasn''t. Dread crawled her skin with every step she took that led her closer to the body.


    First, her eyes landed on the shoes in the grass which she identified to be Dickson''s. She began to quiver uncontrollably, the shawl fell to the ground as she let go of it in a hurry to remove the coat that was covered the body.


    As soon as she drew it back, and saw Dickson''s blood stained body, Margaret let out an ear piercing cry louder than that of a newly spawned phoenix. As She shook the body and called out Dickson''s name over and over in the bid to wake him up but it was useless.


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    "We should give her some privacy." Grandpa Saxon suggested, some rolled their eyes while others were saddened by the sight of a mother crying over her second dead son.


    They returned to the house or kept a large distance , waiting to see how the death was going to be handled.


    Margaret cried for over thirty minutes and then she took out her phone and called someone. "Master, you have to help me, they have killed my son. You said that would protect him and lead him to the top of the Saxon group but Dickson is dead. This is not what you promised me, you have to get justice for me."


    She sniveled and listened to the voice on the other end of the phone for a while before hanging up. Nobody had the phone call so they were not aware that they had an enemy reaching his hands into their family affairs.


    Suddenly Margaret gently placed her son''s body on the grass, wiped her tears and walked up to the majority that were still outside in the gardens, gathered in a group.


    "Among you is the person or people that killed my son." She declared confidently, and started pointing fingers, "You Rufus, you promised to kill him today if he showed up on tower grounds. It could be the security guards that killed him on your orders or Phillip and Acacia, you both made it clear that you wanted him dead.


    Everyone here that wants to be the next president of the group and your parents that want it for you even though only my son was deserving of it." She turned and found David. "And you David and that witch of a girlfriend and her nasty family. One of you killed my baby and I am not going to rest until I get justice." She spat at Rufus'' feet.

 Chapter 428 - 428: Everyone seemed guilty.

    Margaret''s accusations hung heavily in the air, she was right, many people on tower grounds had a reason to kill Dickson. Some had made it obvious verbally and others had attacked him physically. But. of course, nobody was foolish enough to admit to it and the denials started.


    They shrugged, muttered, talked about their alibis and distanced themselves from the crime whether they were guilty or not. As long as there was no evidence, all of Margaret''s accusations were baseless.


    As the Saxons denied having anything to do with Dickson''s death, David stepped away to make a call to Phoebe. He did not want his woman to be caught off guard by the news of Dickson''s death.


    He was Margaret''s entire reason for existing, she was obsessed with her son. No doubt, she would go looking for the Mayfair''s and lay these accusations at their feet, Phoebe especially. Enjoy new stories from My Virtual Library Empire


    The phone rang five times before she picked up. "Good morning my darling....." Phoebe voice rhymed with joy.


    "It is not a good morning here babe, Dickson is dead." David informed her, cutting her off abruptly from her joyful greeting. He took deep breath before asking the question that was almost burning a hole through his head. "Honey, I am going to ask you a question now and hope you do not rip my head off when you see me." Again, he took a carefully measured breath.


    "Pheebs, did you by any chance have a hand in his death? Of course, I would back you up one hundred percent if you did, after all he deserved it. But Margaret is crazy as you know and she is not against making up stories, if you were involved then I need to know so that I can figure out how to protect you." He pressed her for answers.


    First, Phoebe sat up and her jaw dropped in shock, she had no idea that Dickson was dead. She had added a few more bad luck talismans to him the previous night but those did not lead to death. Not as far as she knew anyway.


    "Pheebs..." David called her name because she had been silent for a while and the situation was a bit urgent.


    "No! I did not, I cannot say that I am sad about his death, but it was not me because if it was, I would have made it dramatic. I would have castrated him first of all, stabbed him and stripped and hang him on that big Saxon group billboard on Kruger Street. The one with the scantily dressed actress selling those teeth whitening pills which taste like candy." Phoebe denied strongly.


    She really believed that she had nothing to do with it.


    A haughty chuckle echoed through the phone. "It was dramatic alright I have noted multiple causes of death. It was a rough night for him before he died, he has gunshot wounds, multiple stab wounds, ligature marks around the neck, signs of poison, bite marks and broken bones. It is hard to know what killed him without a proper autopsy." David went silent.


    "Woah!!" she exclaimed. "Were they done by one person at the same time or different people at different time?"


    "I don''t know, my theory is different people at different times. The gun shots did not hit any major arteries, they were flesh wounds, so he did not bleed out. Maybe it was the stab wounds that did him in, or being strangled....I can''t even guess." he sighed.


    He could guess who had poisoned Dickson and maybe who had broken his legs and arms, the gunshots....Luna was at the top of his list for that.


    Phoebe sighed, "Well, at least I got my wish, and he died terrified because it sounds to me like he was hunted. Dickson must have enjoyed his final hours, maybe he had a heart attack. Anyway, it was not me that took him out. Thanks for the heads up, babe, I will inform my family so that we arm ourselves for your insane aunt." She cut the call abruptly.


    As David moved towards his grandfather, in the Mayfair house Phoebe hastily exited her bedroom, she moved to the elevator and made a beeline for the dining area, most of the members were present having a jolly breakfast like they did every morning.


    "Dickson is dead." The words blurted out of her mouth unintentionally before she even reached the table.


    Grave silence covered the room for a few moments, those that were eating dropped the cutlery and others nearly choked on the food in their mouths.


    "Fuck!!" Andre cursed. "Dead, like dead, dead!"


    "I don''t know if there is any other type of dead apart from real death." Phoebe replied.


    "Are we not supposed to be happy about this? What''s with the sad faces? This was a bad man who got his karma, and the universe will be a better place without him." Grandma Mayfair commented, she was the only one stuffing her mouth with millet porridge happily.


    A low sigh came from Edward. "How did he die, and do they have a suspect in mind?" He asked, fixing his eyes on his daughter who brought the news.


    "Father, I do not know much, maybe we should go there and find out." Phoebe suggested.


    Luke chuckled. "Why? It doesn''t matter how he died what matters is that he is dead, and someone here did all of us a favor. We all know he would have sought revenge on our family if the opportunity presented itself. Keep in mind that we got him banished from the Saxon family." He leaned back in the chair.


    The spoon in his grandmother''s hands fell to the floor. "Child, you sound as if you are saying that someone killed him, and it could be one of us!" Her wide eyes gazed at him.


    "Grandma you said that you would poison him, I wanted to kill him, mother and father had the urge too, so did Collin and Andre. The only person that did not want him dead surprisingly was Phoebe."


    [Oh, brother you are wrong, I wanted to do very bad things to him, painful things.] Her thoughts on the matter appeared.


    Luke chortle loudly. "It is safe to say that we all wanted to kill Dickson including your sweetheart, Luna Elithera."


    Phoebe wanted to see things for herself. "I am going there now; I need proof that Dickson is really dead not hearsay." She turned around to leave but Collin pulled her back by the back of her shirt.


    "The police must be there already, we all know Margaret will point her finger at us. It will be best if we keep a distance and study the proceedings first." He advised.


    However, half of the family was already halfway through the door, including Phoebe that had somehow slipped through his grasp. He sighed and followed; it was a wasted trip in his opinion.


    In no time the Mayfair''s arrived at the Saxon tower, surprisingly there was no police in the area but heavy private security presence at the gates. Unlike the normal days when Mayfair''s could stroll in with ease, this time however the security at the gate made a call first before letting them.


    Ramon who wore a somber expression led them to the flower garden where most of the Saxons still were. Some had coffee, others tea and others cold drinks or wines. It was too early to drink but the moment called for it.


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 Chapter 429 - 429: Two options.

    Upon seeing Phoebe, Margaret who was still crouching near Dickson''s body broke into a shriek and a sprint, taking everyone by surprise. When they saw the person she was running towards, they were not surprised.


    What surprised them was Edward drawing a sword which forced Margaret to stop before she could lunge at Phoebe as she planned to do. This however did not stop the enraged woman from shouting her accusations.


    "It''s good that you brought yourself here, security curb her until the police gets here. This witch, I am more than certain that she killed my son, by the time they are done torturing you, you will mention all your accomplices." She shifted her eyes to David then Phillip.


    It was not surprising that Margaret suspected Phoebe of killing her son, they were on terrible terms before he died.


    Phoebe scoffed. "I wish I had killed him, that bastard did not deserve the life he was blessed with. Sadly, it was not me because if I was to kill him, I would have done it the shamanic way. Knives, guns and other weapons are not my style. And by the way, if I wanted him dead, I would have it long ago," Phoebe raised and lowered her shoulders. "And I would not need accomplices, I alone am enough to deal with one weak beast." She pulled her mouth to one side.


    The rage in Margaret''s blood boiled when Phoebe referred to her son as a beast. As far as she was concerned, every misfortune that had happened to her son was Phoebe''s fault. Whether or not she had been involved, she had a role to play and she may not know it yet but she was going to pay heavily for it.


    Edward put the sword away and Margaret saw her chance, she moved quickly and raised her hand to launch a slap but grandma Mayfair thwarted the move by striking her hand with a walking stick. She did it with strength and it hit Margaret''s wrist bone.


    "Ouch!" Margaret winced; the pain of the impact traveled through her arm. Tears pulled in her eyes, and she glared at old lady Mayfair. She was another party that would pay dearly for Dickson''s death.


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    "How dare you try to strike a child that is not yours? My grand baby, do you think that you can bully her in my presence? You should be blaming yourself for raising a perverted son who was probably killed by the women he abused.


    His death is your fault, instead of berating and correcting him you condoned his reckless behavior which made him garner enemies everywhere. Almost all of us here wanted him dead as did so many people outside the walls of your tower." She pointed the walking cane at Margaret. "You killed your son."


    Margaret''s moist eyes glared at Grandma Mayfair. "How dare you say that to me!! I did not kill my son, either you all did it together or at least one of you was involved. When the police get here, they will identify who did this to my son." She confidently spoke, one arm massaging the one that hurt.


    Her eyes moved to Polly. "Why hasn''t the police arrived yet? I told you to call them! Scratch that I will do that myself, I want an autopsy and a crime scene investigation team. All of the CCTV footage from the previous night will be handed over to the police, nobody will escape." She took out her phone and begun to punch in the emergency helpline number.


    Grandpa Saxon made a signal to Polly who in turn snatched the phone away from Margaret, threw it on the ground and shot it twice. These actions startled everyone, including Rufus as he had not told Polly to shoot the phone.


    "What do you think you are doing?" Margaret screeched, she drew her hand back and slapped one of his cheeks. He held back from retaliating; she was a Saxon after all, and she was grieving.


    "There will be no calling of any police or any autopsy or crime scene investigation." Grandpa Saxon announced, his words were met with resistance from Margaret.


    The Mayfair''s shared curious glances while the Saxon''s were not surprised.


    "What do you mean Rufus? How then can I find out who did this to my son if the police are not invited?" She asked.


    Rufus shut his eyes for a brief moment. "This death will not be investigated."


    "What? Rufus!" Margaret lamented. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Grandpa Saxon winced. "I care more about people finding out that Dickson died here__, was possibly murdered on tower grounds. Do you know the repercussions of such a thing on all of us? I would also not like the events of yesterday to come to light which they will if the police begin to dig into his death." He answered.


    Had this been another Saxon then he would have crossed oceans to find the killer, but Dickson was a monster who he was not willing to lift a finger for nor lose the family reputation.


    Rufus''s mind was made up. "You have two options Margaret, one, we will all keep quiet about yesterday''s events and bury your son with the honor of a Saxon not a banished rapist, defiling, killer. In return for protecting his reputation, you will forget about all this and live in repentance for the rest of your life for raising him the wrong way.


    Option two, you can go to the police and report but in return I will reveal everything that he did to those girls, and the punishment that was given to him. I will personally let those girls undress before the media and show the public what he did to them and how old each of them was when the abuse happened.


    He will be remembered as a monster; people will celebrate his death, and I will use my connections to make sure the case goes unsolved forever. In addition to that you will have to bury him in a public cemetery which I will later purchase and build a public toilet on top of his grave.


    You should know the consequences of going public because those women will name you as your son''s co-conspirator. The shame that he should have faced will be automatically transferred to you. I will throw you out of the tower in disgrace, you will probably be arrested and serve jail time.


    Even if your family pulls strings and you are not imprisoned, let us see how you hold your head high during social gatherings. You will never be able to show your face in public and you will run away from this country with your tail between your legs. The choice is yours Margaret. Which life do you want to live?" He laced his fingers together.


    From what she had heard, Margaret lost in all scenarios but the last one horrified her, Dickson was gone, and she had to move on with her life and find a chance to avenge him. She also couldn''t afford to go to jail or be chased out of the elite circle.


    "Fine! bury him as a Saxon, he would want that at least." Her moist eyes glanced at Dickson''s lifeless body. "I will not say a word of this to the police." She promised.

 Chapter 430 - 430: Where is Dicksons ghost.

    From the moment that they got to the Saxon tower, the Saxon spirit was very unsettled with deep lines of worry etched its face before it vanished, missing all of the drama that happened.


    When it returned the frown that had previously formed on its face was still there, deeper than before. So, as the Saxon''s dealt with their trouble, pondering on how to deal with Dickson''s body, Phoebe settled on quizzing the spirit about what was troubling it.


    "Zephyra what troubles you, what are you searching for with that big frown that is deeper than a gully? You are beginning to make me nervous." Phoebe communicated directly using her mind.


    It sighed, a loud and sharp sound. "I don''t want to worry you, but have you not thought about Dickson''s ghost yet? I have searched the entire grounds and bumped into some spirits but none of them is Dickson''s. He is not here Phoebe, and this worries me as much as running into a powerful demon does.


    He was a malicious person who hated you and many of the people here. On top of that, he has died a violent death. Ninety percent of evil spirits and malicious ghosts are as a result of violent deaths and intense hatred that desires revenge so naturally, I expect him to turn into a vicious and vengeful ghost." It voiced its concerns, the more the explanation, the deeper Phoebe could detect worry in its voice.


    The spirit had taught her the difference between evil spirits and malicious ghost. Evil spirits were often supernatural beings with malevolent intentions, they possessed and manipulated humans for evil purposes. Malicious ghosts on the other hand were typically spirits of deceased humans who harbored anger, resentment and other negative emotions.


    Dickson was very likely to turn into a malicious ghost, a dangerous one.


    The spirit read Phoebe''s thoughts and concurred, but it did not resound the question or voice the worry again. Instead, it continued to search for a while, questioning other ghosts on Dickson''s possible whereabouts which proved to a futile process.


    Minutes later, Phoebe who along with her family were leaving the Saxon tower paused in her steps and looked at the covered body hesitantly. She had been somewhat happy on hearing that Dickson was dead that she did not think of the after math. If his ghost was looking for people to harm, she and her family were at the top of the list.


    David was right up there with them, the personal vendetta Dickson had against them was bigger than an ocean.


    "Bloody hell!" She cursed.


    Her father stopped in his tracks; it was on rare occasions that he heard his daughter curse. "Is something wrong honey?" He asked, fixing his eyes on her forehead where her thoughts usually planted themselves.


    [Yes, actually we need to get home now!]


    "Father let''s go home." Phoebe''s pleading eyes focused on him.


    Edward clapped his hands continuously. "Everyone please pick up the pace, we need to hurry home." He pushed Andre to quicken his steps.


    "What is happening?" Grandma Mayfair asked, she could not hasten her steps, so Edward offered to transport her on his back.


    Before she could respond, he lifted her and run off, leaving the others to run after them. Grandma Mayfair did not appreciate being thrown over her son''s shoulders like a sack of potatoes.


    Once they got home, Phoebe requested them all to sit in the living room, hastily she left the room and went into the bedroom and vanished into her space. Together with the spirit they formulated stronger protection talismans that prevented vicious ghosts from attacking them.


    Even though she had given them amulets, there was no problem with having extra protection.


    When she returned to the living room, she attached the talismans on each of their bodies, on the back specifically. She watched like a hawk as the talismans were absorbed into their bodies.


    "What are you doing Pheebs?" Andre, the most curious of them all was the first to ask.


    "These are for your protection." she explained briefly.


    Some did not know why they needed more protection, yet they had the jewelry that she had given them which was also for protection.


    However, aunt Maureen knew immediately what the fuss was about. "It is Dickson''s ghost, isn''t it? I tried looking around for it at the Saxon tower, but I did not see it." She blurted out.


    Edward arched an eyebrow. "Why would you be able to see ghosts Maureen?" His tone was laced with suspicion.


    Phoebe and her aunt traded gazes. "I work at the cafe, remember?" Maureen lied quickly.


    "I work there too but I cannot see them without those special glasses." Grandma Mayfair complained, narrowing her eyes suspiciously at Maureen. She could tell that her daughter was lying through her teeth.


    Phoebe believed that she had to intervene because her aunt was lost for what to say. "I gave her a talisman to be able to see them at any time, just like Collin. Anyway forget aunt Maureen and listen to me closely. I made those talismans because Dickson''s vengeful ghost may attempt to harm you. From now on, if you sense some changes in the temperature around you or smell something rotten in the air that cannot be explained, I want to be the first to know." She huffed and sat near Luke. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She was not finished; she got a small silver needle and pricked her finger. Using her blood, she wrote symbols on talismans and also slapped them on everyone''s backs.


    "Thus is a ghostlight lantern talisman, it has a special flame that can never be extinguished, it can cast a holy light that banishes any malicious ghost that comes near you."


    Andre''s eyes sparkled, he recited the name of the talisman over and over. Maureen meanwhile was amazed, a ghostlight lantern was not something any ordinary shaman could make. She knew of only three shamans worldwide capable of making one or even knew what it was.


    Those talismans were rare because the flame came from an otherworldly fox. Where had Phoebe found such a fox?


    Shaking her head, grandma Mayfair grumbled under her breath as she felt the sting from the flame which was forced into her body. "Our happiness was really short lived, so even in death that monster is still going to try to mess with us?" Her fingers clenched around the glass of water.


    "More like try to kill us but these talismans will protect us, I wonder where he is at the moment. If he is not on tower grounds right now, then it''s possible that it is not where he died. It''s too soon for him to have moved to another place.


    Perhaps he is lurking around somewhere in the city, maybe lost and confused." Maureen shook her head to disperse the thought. "I do not even care, let me go get ready for work." She shifted forward and stood up.


    She wanted to go and make a few calls to find out if any otherworldly foxes had been seen in Citrus city lately or if any special flames had showed up at a supernatural auction somewhere. Phoebe''s secrets just kept pulling her in deeper and deeper. Read exclusive adventures at My Virtual Library Empire

 Chapter 431 - 431: Billion dollar ghost problem.

    Three women entered the Cafe, it was unusually quiet and empty, except for the Caucasian man that was seated at the table positioned in the corner. He had long hair and a golden walking stick which only the rich could afford, in his right hand was a cup of coffee which he sipped gently.


    "This is abnormal, where are all the customers?" Grandma Mayfair''s eyes moved to see the time on her wristwatch. Around this time, they would have customers that would come in for second breakfast and a lot of deliveries. "Under normal circumstances, customers would be flooding in at this time." She made a beeline for the pastry counter where Rosset was seated.


    She was scrolling through her phone with one hand and eating chips with another. Her entire demeanor was happy and relaxed because the second breakfast club which was mostly made up of the wealthy wives of founding lane that she could not stand were not in the cafe.


    "Good morning!" She put her phone down and greeted with glee. She was like an early morning bird that had just risen to the sun''s warm golden rays.


    Maureen''s brows rose quickly. "You seem very excited and yet the Cafe is empty, are you not worried about your salary being cut or your bonus going bye-bye?" She asked, her eyes drifting back to the single customer that they had.


    Maureen was already making assessments basing on the way the gentleman was dressed. Men that carried golden walking canes and wore five hundred-thousand-dollar suits, twenty thousand dollars hoes and watches that cost five to eight million Fog dollars did not visit the Black Ghost Cafe for coffee. Their coffee came from high end hotels, and it was delivered by an assistant.


    Waving her hand dismissively, Rosset laughed lightly. "Do not worry Maureen, that gentleman paid a lot of money including that of the clients who were forced out by his bodyguards." Her head danced lightly.


    "You should have seen the non-fat drink ladies of Fog country when I shooed them out. He paid two hundred thousand dollars straight up just for the privacy, we can even close right now if you want to." Her grin grew wider. "Oh, but we cannot because he has already paid the consultation fee so, please handle him with care, I think he is a mogul a czar or something else that is summed up in one word, rich, rich, rich." She began to hum a song.


    Maureen winced; her gaze fixed upon the client. "Those are three words, and I would not be so excited if I were you. Phoebe could throw him out if he had come on bad business." She tilted her head and shrunk her eyes as she observed the gentleman. "I am not sure, but I think that I have seen him somewhere." Goose bumps grew allover her arms.


    "I know all the rich people in Fog country but that is not a familiar face, I have not seen him anywhere. He is not one of us, the founding families." Grandma Mayfair harbored her own suspicions.


    "Maybe he is from an expelled one." Maureen suggested.


    Phoebe shrugged. "Perhaps he is not from Fog, what I do not like is that he chased people out of here. My daily customers are as important to me, you should not have allowed it to happen Rosette. I am not dealing with another snob, return all his money and ask him to leave." Phoebe clutched her bag and walked to her office.


    Inside was a bunch of sunflowers sitting on her table, she smelled them and read the card. They were from David who was requesting her to be his date to the Sunflower ball.


    This would be her first Sunflower ball in this life, and also as a single young woman from a founding family___ not single in the sense that she had no boyfriend but single in the sense that she was unmarried.


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    In her last life, she had been to two Sunflower balls, and she had attended both as David''s wife and he had been away on the occasions. She was not familiar with the dances like waltz, foxtrot, cha-cha or any other dance. She recalled how Miranda had sent her home within ten minutes or less on both occasions.


    A knock on the door pulled her attention from the flowers, her grandmother walked in with a knowing smile. "Oh David, is so sweet, I hope you said yes. It''s your first Sunflower ball; I am so excited, and I bet David is the same. It''s like prom!!!" Her last words caused them to laugh. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [I did not go to any prom]


    Grandma Mayfair''s smile turned into a sneer, she cursed the Gabriel''s and decided to change the subject. A stern expression made its way to her face. "Pheebs, about your guest that will not leave, he is from the Silver nation, and he happens to be as stubborn as a mule. Unless you talk to him, he is going nowhere, he has tripled the consultation fee and promised to take care of all your expenses for the job. On top of that he is offering a billion Fog dollars in total if you solve his problem, with half payment upfront." Grandma Mayfair shrugged.


    Phoebe''s jaw dropped; she thought for a moment that she had misheard her grandmother. The amount of money she had just mentioned was staggering. As the Mayfair heiress of course, this was chump change to her but as a shaman, and Phoebe Mayfair independent of her family, it was the kind of money people dreamed about making.


    "A billion what now!!"


    "Fog dollars." Old lady Mayfair repeated.


    Aunt Maureen strolled through the door, her footsteps were heavy, a concerned look clouded her eyes. "Phoebe don''t not be enticed by the money, what kind of problem requires a billion to solve. It must be something very dangerous." She folded her arms.


    "Hear me out, it could be that, or he could be just a rich generous person. We all know that from the Silver nation has some of the richest people in the world. It is the country with the highest number of millionaires in the world, money is not a problem to them." Connie appeared, Interjecting into the conversation.


    The teenager was obviously out to make some money and feed her expensive appetite.


    Maureen made sense, nevertheless Phoebe was intrigued, she tapped her index finger on her cheek, contemplating on what to do and she came to an answer that surprised no one.


    "Let me hear out his one-billion-dollar problem before I make a decision." She announced.


    The stranger was invited into the office. He walked in and first Phoebe noticed his eyes, he had striking grey eyes, but they were cold. His demeanor portrayed wealth and authority, more than that it spoke power. This was a man of influence in some circles."


    He immediately apologized for intervening with her business but promised to compensate for the loss.


    After exchanging formalities in which he introduced himself as Cain Ledger, Phoebe asked him to get straight to the point.


    "I bought a doll that was supposed to bring me luck but instead it is trying to kill me." Mr. Cain Ledger''s hands gripped the lion head that sat on top of his walking stick.


    "Fuck!!" Maureen cursed.

 Chapter 432 - 432: Lets go hunting.

    It was a little hard for Cain to continue his tale after Maureen cursed. All eyes turned to her, curious about her reasons for cursing. Maureen gave them a rather surprising answer.


    "I don''t like dolls." she shrugged. "They have those creepy black eyes, and they stare right at you without blinking as if they can see into your soul. Worse, they are made from all sorts of materials. I have seen dolls stuffed with human hair, nails and other body parts. I once found a demon with human skin in a auction house." She shivered as she remembered that evil doll.


    Maureen was certain that whatever Cain Ledger had to say, it would not be good.


    Phoebe blinked a few times and turned back to the client; she was intrigued with where the story was heading.


    Cain Ledger cleared his throat and elaborated. " Before I go any further, I need you to understand that I am a businessman and it is not abnormal in business to seek out lucky charms or talismans. They are not only for attracting wealth, but they also help you protect that wealth.


    I bought the golden doll from an antique shop found in a temple in the Hanuna Mountains where I had gone to pray with a friend. I was told that the doll brought unparalleled luck and fortune to its owner. All I had to do was burn some incense and give it some offerings like food.


    At first everything seemed to improve, my fortune doubled over night, everyone marveled at my good luck. However, it was short lived as strange incidents began to occur.


    At first, my docile cat started to hiss and claw at the doll and them misfortunes started to occur, little accidents that happened to me, my servants, family and guests in my house. It became weirder when the position of the doll started to change without anyone admitting to moving it. In the morning it would be in the living room and at night in my bedroom.


    Finally, the biggest shock arrived when the doll began to speak to me, whispering eerie things, making demands that I cannot offer."


    Phoebe and Maureen shared a knowing look, they both knew the words eerie, and whisper led down a dark path.


    "Things like what?" Phoebe queried. It seemed to her like he had purchased a possessed item.


    Cain lowered his head. "Sacrifices!!! first it was animal blood which i gave because it threatened to kill me and my family. Every day for a month, I had a cow, goat or sheep killed for it. But then of recent it changed the demands and requested for human blood." He paused for breath and looked up at Phoebe.


    Human blood! Phoebe was taken aback when she heard about the animal''s blood but human blood. Only demons could possibly ask for something like that, did it mean that the doll was possessed by a blood thirsty demon?


    "And?" Phoebe pulled her brows together; she shifted back a little.


    Cain met her gaze. "And what?" He asked. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Did you give it human blood?" Phoebe questioned, if he had she was going to hand him over to the police. He was from another country so he would probably be released within minutes and sent out of Fog country.


    Straightening his posture, Cain''s eyes widened. "What__no!" he appeared to be horrified by the question as if it was unthinkable. I would never do such a thing; I refused outright and that''s when my troubles started. Suddenly all my warehouses caught fire, storms destroyed my farms only mine in the entire neighborhood.


    My investors pulled out of various projects and my business is under investigation for food poisoning because some people died after eating produce from my farms. I risked my life to come here to see you secretly, if the police in my country finds out that I flew out they will issue an international arrest warrant because they will think I am on the run.


    Two of my children are in unexplainable comas, doctors want to pull the plug." He run his hands through his dark hair. "I have heard from an Elithera that you are good at dealing with such cases. I need your help, please. Help me before I am destroyed completely, I worked too hard to get to where I am."


    Light pity took root in Phoebe''s heart, she had to help him such that his life can return to normal. "You can wait outside, let me weigh the pros and cons of the job and I will let you know whether I will help you or not." A tiny smile tugged on her lips.


    Desperation radiated through Cain''s eyes. "Miss Mayfair, you must help me. My entire family has been affected by this thing, my wife and youngest son have boils on their bodies because of this thing and their lives are being drained. I was told by a warlock that they have three days to decide before it kills them." Tears trickled down his face and he fell on his knees.


    "Sir, you don''t need to kneel, I am going to look into your case right now and make some phone calls." Phoebe said.


    She wanted him to go out so that she could discuss with Maureen in private about the case.


    He sniveled while rising to his feet and stepped out of the door.


    Connie was wailing, surprisingly. "That poor man, what a sad story. We have to help him; we simply have to."


    The spirit folded its arms. "I know the temple in question but the monks there are such religious people that none would sell him a possessed doll. But there are crooks in the area that masquerade as monks, I believe that he was tricked by one of them. This is what happens when people are greedy." It shook its head gently.


    Grandma Mayfair walked in, from the look in her eyes she wanted to know everything that had happened. "So? What is his story?" She asked.


    After narrating the man''s ordeal, she left, and Phoebe finally asked Maureen what she thought.


    Maureen sank into the sofa. "I could feel dark energy coming from him, it must be because he has something possessed in his possession. Like you suspected it has to be a demon, but I have encountered countless evil items that are not even possessed so it could also be something else."


    She let out a low sigh. "Well, we cannot let the wife and son die and we have to know what this is and put a stop to it." She stood up and tore off her apron. "Evil items like those have a way of going around from one owner to another. Some have been at work for centuries."


    "Wait, are we actually going to Silver nation?" Phoebe blinked rapidly


    Her aunt nodded. "It will be a chance for you to use those magic bullets that you made, you wanted me to teach you how to hunt evil supernatural creatures so let us go hunting." She walked out and shut the door behind her.

 Chapter 433 - 433: Alton Boyd drops by.

    Phoebe realized that if they used the painting as a mode of transport, they could be in Silver nation within a heartbeat, deal with the case and be back in time for dinner.


    She did not even need a passport anymore, as long as they drew a picture of a street or place in Silver nation where they could exit without alarming anyone.


    "Let''s do it, I have never been to Silver nation. This will be my first overseas trip...yippee." Phoebe clapped her hands.


    It almost sounded as if she was going for a sightseeing trip and not to deal with a scary killer doll.


    Maureen opened the door and invited Cain Ledger inside.


    "We will take your case, but I need fifty percent of the payment upfront before I do anything. If I cannot take care of the troubles you are facing, I will only take ten percent of what you had offered." Phoebe spread her arms out, "Now you might think that it is too hefty of a sum to pay but it is simply the cost of buying my time. If you are ready, we can leave for Silver nation in a few minutes."


    On informing Cain Ledger that she would take on his case right away. The man''s face brightened only for the smile to fall further and further as Phoebe talked which puzzled both women. He should have been dancing for joy, not frowning.


    "Is something bothering you? Is it the fee?" Maureen inquired.


    Cain Ledger looked at them as though they had lost their minds. "Shamans, have you not been listening to me? I cannot just waltz back into the country, I told you that I sneaked out, so I have to sneak back in with caution." His hands flailed in a frustrated way.


    Aunt Maureen who had long stashed a go bag in Phoebe''s office stood up and grabbed it. She was ready to leave immediately. "I thought you said that this was about emergency and your wife and child''s life are in danger?" She arched an eyebrow.


    "Yes, they are but I also said that the doll will not kill them right away, it gave me some time." He paused to take in some breath. S~ea??h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe scoffed in disbelief; this man was not acting as desperate as he sounded. Desperate people did not care if they were arrested, they just cared to be saved.


    Cain rolled his hair up in a bun and fished out the black glasses that he had stashed in the left pocket of his coat. He stood up from the chair and locked eye contact with Phoebe. "You will receive a notification from me after I have safely returned to the Silver nation and then you will come over." His eyes roamed around in search of something. "Do you have a back door that me and my men can use?" He asked, there was a trace of hope in his eyes.


    Phoebe nodded and led the way, when they got there Cain took hold of her hand. "I hope that you are as powerful as they say you are, many have tried to help me but nothing good came out of it instead the doll got feistier." Cain let go of her hand when a black SUV pulled up. "See you soon Miss Mayfair." He jumped into the car which drove off at full speed.


    Phoebe cocked her head for a fleeting second and shrugged, her hands were tied on this, she could not just budge into his home and help if he was unwilling to welcome her. He was a foolish man though, just because the evil doll gave him a three-day deadline did not mean that it would wait for that deadline to elapse.


    Evil liked to cause pain, rarely was it reasonable and that doll did not sound reasonable to her.


    "There goes my hunting trip." She whispered inaudibly and turned back.


    Back at the cafe, the door was once again open for business and a guest that she was not expecting was seated with her grandmother and aunt.


    "Mr. Alton!" Phoebe spoke in a hushed tone.


    Hastily Phoebe moved to the table on which they were sitting.


    "Uncle Boyd!" Phoebe chimed. His was not a face she was expecting to see anytime soon, especially not in her cafe. They had not left things off on the best terms the last time she saw him.


    Maureen shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "I told you to stop calling him that." Her tone came off as slightly condemning. She had no interest in becoming Mrs. Boyd, and she would have preferred it if Phoebe had less interactions with him.


    "Maureen! What is with this foul attitude? Phoebe can call Mr. Alton whatever she wants. There is nothing wrong with uncle, it is respectful." Grandma Mayfair pinched her lips together, her hope of Mr. Alton and Maureen dating reignited, she just didn''t understand why her daughter was acting so mean towards the man.


    Phoebe wanted to explain that it was a slip of the tongue, but she let it be.


    Mr. Alton gave grandma Mayfair a little wave. "No, no old lady Mayfair, Maureen must be angry at me, and I honestly understand why. I did not make a favorable impression on her so I would be angry too if I was I her shoes."


    He looked at Maureen endearingly, "Please Phoebe and Maureen forgive my behavior the last time that you visited. I have thought things over and done some healing and soul searching. I am here to show you that I am willing to move beyond my past.


    Phoebe those tonics that you offered me in the past and I always turned down, I am here to collect." He paused and let out a small laugh. "Also, I am hoping to pursue my feelings for Maureen." He turned to Maureen. "I do genuinely like you, I was just in a bad place when we met." Alton placed a gift bag on Maureen''s side of the table, she only looked at it however and did not attempt to open it.


    Grandma Mayfair on the other hand opened it with her grubby hands and quickly revealed what was inside.


    "A sunflower!" She squealed excitedly.


    Phoebe and Maureen exchanged gazes before transferring their quizzical looks to Mr. Alton. Both of them knew what it meant, they just didn''t know if Alton did.


    "Please Maureen grant me the honor of being my date for the Sunflower ball." He proposed, offering a tiny but respectful bow like a perfect gentleman.


    Grandma Mayfair clapped once. "Yes of course she will."

 Chapter 434 - 434: A secret marriage marriage!

    One of the most exciting days in Fog country arrived, the official day of the Sunflower ball. It was a day that was celebrated all through the country, sunflowers could be found in every flower shop. Like lovers gave away roses on valentine, sunflowers were given away on this day.


    Their yellow petals could be seen in the window of every store and inside every garbage dump in the cases where the woman broke some poor man''s heart by rejecting them.


    Bars, restaurants and hotels served sunflower themed drinks and food. Women could be seen wearing sunflower hairpins or dresses with sunflowers. Yellow was the theme of the day for most people. At least one piece of clothing on their bodies had to be that color.


    Even though the official ball was mostly attended by founding families, politicians and other elite, parties and balls were thrown in other venues around the country to celebrate the day. In the old days, it was like a debutante ball, now it was less of that and more of an opportunity for young wealthy women to show off their sunflowers, dresses and diamonds.


    It had become a competition, the more sunflowers one received from potential suitors, the more they were seen as desirable. It often elevated one to the list of most wanted bachelorettes in the country quickly.


    Ruth had been topping that list for the past five years in a row, for Phoebe, everyone was waiting to see. They did not anticipate much as she was already taken anyway.


    Phoebe was unaware of all the expectations that strangers around the country had of her, and she was lazing around in her bedroom when she got a text from Collin her eldest brother asking her to meet him at the courthouse.


    When she saw courthouse, her heart skipped a beat and quickly, she read the follow up message. It highlighted that she should not inform anyone and that she should go there alone.


    "What trouble did he get into?" she muttered,


    She dressed up quickly and practically flew out of the house because she run faster than she usually did and drove herself there.


    To her surprise, on getting there she realized that her other brothers were there already, not just them though as Shanna was there as well, holding Collin''s hand. She wore an all-white body hugging dress with ruffles around the arms, a big white ribbon was fixed at the back of her hair which cascaded to her lower back. Her face a mixture of excitement, shyness and worry.


    A woman wearing white at a courthouse, there were very few guesses to explain the reason why.


    "Guys." Phoebe said, slowly, drawing out the word before speeding up. "What the hell is going on?" She looked from the couple to Andre and Luke last.


    He had a blank expression on his face, which was his usual look. A thing that made him the hardest Mayfair to read. And yet, if anyone knew anything, it had to be him.


    Andre immediately covered the gap between them and took Phoebe''s arm. "Pheebs, you got a message too! I thought it was just me and for a moment my heart dropped. I thought I was being sued or had forgotten to pay off a parking ticket. Worst case scenario was that our big brother had managed to get himself arrested or something. What do you think they are up to?"


    His narrowed eyes shifted to Collin who had moved away from their group. He and Shanna were talking to a woman that sat behind a short glass counter.


    Luke thought his younger siblings were idiots and he rolled his eyes before responding. "Are you two sharing one brain cell or just individually slow?"


    Phoebe and Andre glared at him with the same expressions of anger on their faces.


    Luke sighed and pointed at Collin. "No offense, I love you guys, Anyway, can''t you two take a guess? Shanna Lee is dressed in all white, our brother in his best black tuxedo and we are at the section of the court where marriages are registered. Look around, you can see couples all around."


    He was right, to their left, right, front and back, couples were holding hands, filling in paperwork and taking photographs.


    Phoebe''s breath caught in her throat, surely her brother cannot be that stupid. Their mother was going to kill him!!! She was planning the wedding as if it was not Collin and Shanna''s but hers.


    "Crazy! crazy! crazy! Oh, she is going to kill him. Mom is going to going to kill him and the rest of us because I am sure that our dearest brother wants us to be his witnesses. I love Collin but our mother and grandmother will skin us alive for being accomplices in the crime of an illegal wedding." Phoebe''s voice quivered a little.


    "Illegal wedding!" Luke laughed.


    The spirit came out of the space. "Oooh, you are so screwed little one, forget your mother, old man Lee will not like this one bit, and you will all pay dearly." It clicked its tongue continuously. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Andre chewed on his nails. "I am with Pheebs on this, do you know how many people this will piss off! Why can''t they wait?" He twisted his lips.


    "Is Shanna pregnant? " Phoebe blurted out.


    The question was heard by those that were approaching, namely Minka Lee and her husband Gerald Osborne.


    Minka rushed to stand in front of Phoebe. "You think so too? I suspected as much, otherwise why would she be rushing to marry if she was not pregnant?"


    She did not wait for a response but rather walked towards the couple to confront Shanna, her husband offered a bow to the Mayfair''s and rushed after his angry wife.


    Phoebe watched them go, more interested in the female ghost that followed them than the fact that Minka who was arguably one of the biggest gossips of the founding lane now thought Shanna was pregnant.


    Luke scoffed and diverted his attention to Phoebe. "Pheebs, have you heard anything about Dickson? What''s going on with that?" He arched an eyebrow.


    "David said that the b-o-d-y is frozen, and they are still searching for a perfect cause of death, one that wouldn''t require people to view his body or the police to nose around" Phoebe answered, she had a couple of ideas that she wanted to run by David.


    She spelled the word body instead of saying it outright in case Minka appeared again.


    Luke crossed one leg over the other. "That is easy, they can just claim that he got infected with a deadly contagious disease. That means sealed coffin and incineration." He casually spoke.


    "It won''t do because that means that all the people that were at grandpa Rufus'' party will be quarantined and tested. A car, boat, ski, fire, accidental fall and such will make the police nose around. They take deaths of people from founding families seriously and always want an autopsy." She let out a tiny sigh.


    Luke nodded in agreement. "I didn''t think much about that, that asshole is still being a headache even after death."


    "Me and my ghost team came up with a perfect plan, stay indoors after the ball, there is going to be a storm." Phoebe warned.


    Collin and Shanna approached them, the expression on their faces stern like they would not be taking no for an answer.


    "I will kill you first if you don''t sign." Collin threatened his younger siblings.


    "Please guys, if we do this our mother''s will have no choice but to rash the wedding." Shanna politely said to them.


    While they could resist Collin, Shanna was different. Who could say no to those big blue eyes? They all signed as witness to their marriage.


    "We are all dead." Andre''s fingers clutched onto the pen after signing his name.

 Chapter 435 - 435: The Sunflower ball.

    After agreeing to keep the marriage registration a secret, the siblings and Shanna spent the rest of the day together, celebrating the new couple. At around three in the afternoon, they returned home to start preparing for the sunflower ball.


    Phoebe was assisted by her mother and Maria, and her mother was like a dragon breathing fire down her neck at every step. She perfected every detail of Phoebe''s appearance as if she was about to go and meet a crown prince!


    "Phoebe, you must remember every word I''ve told you," Jennie whispered urgently. "Tonight, you must secure your position as the most outstanding debutante at the ball."


    Phoebe nodded, her expression a blend of determination and anxiety. Normally, she would brush off her mother''s words, but she was going to that ball as the Mayfair heiress, not just shaman Phoebe.


    Jennie gently placed the sparkling diamond necklace around Phoebe''s neck. She added a tiara to her hair, one that symbolized the lineage of the Mayfair''s. Not even Ruth had ever worn it as it had been in Cillian''s basement.


    "When you are approached, remember to speak with confidence but be humble. The matriarchs of top families appreciate wit and intelligence, they look out for potential wives for their grandsons at this ball. Even though you are dating David, you are not married, and some people will not shy away from approaching his grandmother on behalf of their daughters.


    Old lady Saxon likes kind women so remember to show your kindness; It''s the quality that will set you apart." Jennie advised.


    Her hands were trembling as she prepared Phoebe to attend her first social event. For some reason, she was more anxious than she had been when she prepared Ruth. Maybe it was because Ruth had been raised in their society while Phoebe had not.


    Or perhaps it was because Phoebe had secured a Saxon that was potentially the future patriarch of his great family. If they were living in the old days were royalty existed, Phoebe could be considered to have secured herself a prince, one that had a great chance of being the king in future. To Jennie, Phoebe had a lot to prove at this ball.


    When she stepped out of the bedroom Phoebe felt as if she could breathe finally. Thirty minutes later, satisfied with her look, she left her room with a sniveling Maria who could not stop fawning over how beautiful she looked in the elegant off shoulder white and bright yellow ball evening dress. The sunflowers looked like paint splotches and yet they were still beautiful.


    Phoebe felt beautiful and confident she was aware that everyone was waiting to see her. "Here comes the highlight of the night." She yelled from above the staircase.


    Everyone heard her yell from where they waited for their debutante in the foyer where the staircase led to, and they raised their heads. Jennie was still a nervous wreck; Edward was ready to cry and grandma Mayfair was nervously tapping her hands together. The three brothers were relaxed, whether Phoebe was dressed in rugs or dripping in diamonds, she was perfect.


    Luna came down first, she was not really a debutante as she was not from the founding families, but none the less they treated her as such since it was her first sunflower ball.


    Then came Maureen who lacked a smile on her face, she walked gracefully, however. Grandma Mayfair knew that her daughter was still unhappy about Mr. Alton accompanying her to the ball.


    The old lady rolled her eyes and warned Maureen to treat Mr. Alton with the utmost care and behave at the ball.


    "Mother please! Cut down on the pressure, will you?" Maureen curled her lips upwards.


    Although Boyd had indicated that he was ready to move on from his past, she wanted to take their situation as slow as she could. When the opportunity presented itself, she could let him down slowly and they would each go their separate ways.


    Grandma Mayfair moved her lips in a dismissive way. "Be serious about this Maureen, I don''t want my daughter to die a spinster. You have been debuting for as long as I remember, is it not embarrassing for you. Mr. Alton is a good catch for you, Even though you still have your looks we have to be realistic. At your age, I doubt that you will find many options like him." Her words were intentionally harsh.


    Maureen was angered by her mother''s words and immediately she got defensive. A retort was on her tongue and everyone tensed up. Luckily, that was when Maria announced that Phoebe was coming down, so their attention was diverted.


    As Phoebe transcended the stairs slowly with grace and poise, everyone''s mouth fell open on seeing how gorgeous she looked. It was not her usual exaggerated and provocative looks which she deliberately chose.


    Instead, she looked like an innocent, soft, charming young woman whose beauty shined naturally. Her eyes sparkled with a gentle light. A soft smile played on her lips, hinting at an inner kindness and warmth.


    Grandma Mayfair dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief. "I have to admit, no one has ever looked this gorgeous on their debut my darling child." She smiled through her tears.


    Shaking his head, Collin sighed appreciatively. "It is obvious that Pheebs is an angel because wow baby sister, you look amazing. Of course you come second only after Shanna." His words elicited laughter from the others.


    Jennie only sniveled, short of words and Edward was yet to pick up his jaw. "Honey you remind me of your mother at her debut." He nodded gently.


    "Please!! they look nothing alike." Grandma Mayfair blurted out.


    For a few seconds, everyone laughed because it was true. Phoebe looked like Edward and old lady Mayfair, not Jennie.


    "Father prepare to get thousands of proposals tomorrow." Andre laughed playfully. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Edward shook his head vehemently. "I do not expect many because I intend to let everyone know that my daughter is spoken for." He smiled as he urged everyone to leave the house.


    As always, the event was taking place at the Victory Hall which was also part of the founding headquarters.


    Everything was very familiar and at the same time unfamiliar to Phoebe. The excitement in the air amidst families arriving with debutantes who were dressed in the most flattering gowns caught up to her and she found her heart picking up its pace.


    Phoebe walked into the hall with her head held high, on the arm of her grandmother. Her heart was pounding with each step that she took; it was if she was not just walking into a ball, but into destiny itself.


    "I am actually here." Phoebe took a deep breath, her eyes kept wandering around through crowd in search for David until she spotted him standing with Arrow Castille. They were talking, laughing and so comfortable and confident with drinks in their hands.


    Grandma Mayfair covered her arm over Phoebe''s. "The way you are nervous, one might think that you were expecting David to stand you up." A warm smile graced her lips.


    A laugh of unease came out of Phoebe, she just needed to be with David because he knew how to calm her raging nerves. "We should go Nana." She quickly began to walk towards David only for her grandmother to pull on her hand.


    "Oh no sweetheart, do not seem so desperate for him, debutantes must gather in the next hall with a chaperone until later when they walk out and are introduced." Grandma pulled her away, but Phoebe had to be dragged a little as she was unwilling.


    David who was watching only smiled knowingly as his girlfriend''s eyes appealed for help.


    Once grandma Mayfair had delivered Phoebe to the debutante hall, she left for the Victory ball hall where the main event was happening.

 Chapter 436 - 436: Making a debut.

    Phoebe had no idea how ridiculous she looked. She was like a kid being dragged out of an ice cream shop. David who was watching only smiled helplessly as his girlfriend''s eyes appealed for help.


    As much as he wanted to rescue her, he could not fight with her grandmother. Anyway, he would see her soon enough.


    "Are you excited?" Arrow bumped David on the shoulder with his fist. "Your girlfriend is making her debut in society today." He slowly nursed his drink and gave David a look of mischief. "I really wouldn''t want to be in your shoes tonight."


    David raised his eyebrows, so Arrow clarified what he meant. "The Mayfair heiress is making her debut; you are going to have to guard her tightly to keep the wolves at bay."


    "As if any of them can compare to me!" David smugly answered.


    Arrow shrugged, "It''s not about the money, it''s about charm. If she was not spoken for by you, I would have put my hat in the ring."


    David patted Arrow''s back. "You are too late, just like every other man. Evelyn, her best friend is single, maybe you can put your hat in that ring."


    They laughed; Evelyn was never single for more than a week.


    "It will take a man plucking a star from the sky to impress that woman or make her heart crack." Arrow joked. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They were joined by two of David''s cousins and one of Arrow''s sisters, so the topic was changed.


    At around that time, grandma Mayfair had just finished delivering Phoebe to the debutante hall and she left her there to return to the Victory Hall. She wanted to record Phoebe making her debut. In a way it could be equal to her taking her first footsteps as a baby.


    One by one the forty-three young women and women who were paraded on the grand staircase which led to the ball room were called. The individual that was called walked down a few stairs and then curtsied.


    Their respective dates came to pick them up, offered them a sunflower and headed to the dance floor for the first dance.


    In Phoebe''s case, David was naturally her chosen date. He was all smiles as they joined other couples that waltzed across the ballroom floor gracefully under the watchful eyes of other guests. Their families had to be on the front line, a silent gesture which was agreed upon many years ago when cameras were invented.


    While most families gave silent acknowledgement, the Mayfair''s chose to be loud. Miranda was the first to speak up, surprisingly.


    "Great job honey, you are killing it."


    Phoebe stepped on David''s foot immediately after that. For some reason, she felt a little embarrassed, like a high school girl whose cheer leading talent was mediocre but had the loudest mother in the crowd.


    In a way, this too was a rite of passage for her, and when the embarrassment died down, she found herself liking it.


    "That''s my sister, go Pheebs." Andre bellowed through his hands that he was using as a speaker.


    Grandma Mayfair was a little more encouraging in a different way.


    "Hold her waist a little tighter David, did you forget to eat today?" Her loud shout elicited laughs from those that heard her words.


    Phoebe blushed, "Oh my God! Someone needs to make then stop."


    The night was a beautiful for all the debutantes except for one who was put to shame when the registered date she had put down refused to offer her a dance. This unlucky debutante was none other than Moria Mortimer.


    She was now sitting uncomfortably with her family at table, and they dared not to move. She and her relative''s faces were painted with shame from how David Saxon had chosen to embarrass them by leaving Moria standing on the staircase like a fool. Some like her grandfather had chosen to leave the event early.


    "See how you have embarrassed your grandfather! Is this the plan you said that you had to get the Saxon boy to marry Moria?" Ocean Mortimer asked his wife.


    He was among the people that wanted David and Moria to reunite but he did not just have his focus on David alone, after all, the Saxon clan had other available men. He preferred that their daughter just marry any Saxon, whether it was a twenty-year-old young man or an eighty-year-old od one. As long as the surname was Saxon! The dowry they gave in terms of cash would be enough to resuscitate their struggling company.


    Celine huffed. "This was just part of it, how was I supposed to know that David would leave her standing up there at her very first debut."


    Moria had been out of the country when she turned eighteen, so she missed the right age to debut.


    "He is heartless my God! We are going to be the topic of gossip for yet another week." Celine pressed her lips tightly together. "None of this is going to work so convince your father to play our ace card unless you want to be eating scraps on the streets in a few months."


    Her tone was low but assertive and threatening. "Where the hell did Moria go?" Her eyes darted around the hall. Her daughter had been sitting next to her and now she had vanished.


    A scoff came from Ocean. "Did you seriously expect her to stay here with everyone laughing and gossiping about her?" He signaled at the server to fill his glass to the bream. "This was a stupid plan."


    "And what was your plan genius?" Celine sneered. "Oh, that''s right, nothing!" She hissed.


    Meanwhile as David and Phoebe danced like they had practiced; they discussed Phoebe''s plans on how to dispose of Dickson''s body.


    "A plane crash in the storm, his body will never be found, not in full pieces anywhere." Phoebe suggested, there idea had come from the spirit.


    David looked into her eyes, it was a genius plan after all, nobody would investigate an act of nature. The question now was how to create a storm.


    "Can you conjure a storm?" He quizzed.


    "Of course I can, let us do it tonight. That is if your grandfather buys the idea. If tonight is not convenient then tomorrow morning." She proposed, and he nodded.


    With the way they were whispering, it was easy to think that they were just a normal couple whispering words of love to each other. That is what those that were watching in admiration or envy assumed.


    Phoebe caught sight of Margaret as David twirled her around once. "How did you get his mother to come here? Is she sane? Look at her smiling like her son''s body is not lying cold somewhere. It is actually very disturbing, was she forced by your grandfather to make an appearance?" Curiosity tinged her voice.


    Shaking his head, David let out a tiny cackle. "She personally proposed this and said that there would be questions if both she and Dickson were a no show. The thing about aunt Maggie is that she is one to always look out for herself. She is afraid that grandpa will make good on his threats, and she wants to keep her virtuous son''s image." David explained.


    The music came to a stop, and he stopped talking. They made their way from the dance floor to rejoin their respective families.


    David took the opportunity to explain to his grandfather about what he and Phoebe had discussed; after getting the green light, he went out in search for Phoebe.


    "She went to the outside gardens to take a call." Maureen told him.

 Chapter 437 - 437: Red head mix-up!

    Hastily, David made his way to the gardens passing by a lot of couples on the way. The lavish tourist gardens which were usually a feast for the senses were not overcrowded at night. Under the dark sky, the meticulously manicured lawns and colorful flowerbeds could not be seen clearly.


    The dim lighting did not dull smelling senses from sniffing out the sweet fragrance of the blooming flowers.


    The gardens were large, David had no idea if Phoebe was in the elegant gazebos or somewhere under the tall, majestic tress which provided shade during the day. There was also the possibility of her being around one of the six fountains in the gardens. As ridiculous as it was, people treated them like wishing wells, so they were always crowded at different times of the day.


    He patted himself down in search of his phone to call her, but he did not have it with him, he had left it in Arrow''s hands. He started walking around randomly, his eyes roaming around in search of a red head.


    In the dim light, he finally saw a red head in a white and yellow dress standing under one of the tall trees, she was engrossed in a phone conversation with her back turned.


    David smiled and peep toed making sure not to spook her with his approach. He wanted to scare Phoebe but recalled that she was supposedly pregnant, so he just wrapped his hands around her waist.


    "There you are, I have been searching everywhere for you." He shut his eyes for a moment as she turned around.


    It was the smell of her perfume which first alarmed David to the fact that the woman he was holding was not Phoebe. He opened his eyes in horror only to see Moria Mortimer, her pointed lips were pouted as if to reach his in a kiss.


    "What the fuck!!" he reared his head back. Not only was Moria''s hair designed like Phoebe''s but the dress she was wearing was similar as well.


    "Oh David I have been waiting for you to realize that I am the only woman meant for you. I knew that you would come back to your senses, and we would get back together and be the perfect couple like we used to be." Moria spoke in a sultry voice; she wrapped her arms tighter around his waist.


    David was disgusted, he felt dirty, and he shoved her back with strength.


    "You crazy bitch..." he started and stopped when he saw the actual head red that he had been searching for.


    "David?" Phoebe called his name, she was standing a few steps from them, her eyes that were laced with confusion and anger stared at him and Moria.


    Waving his hands in denial, David immediately set out to clear up the misunderstanding. Depending on how long Phoebe had been standing there, he could see how bad the situation looked to her. "Babe it is not what you are thinking...."


    Moria cut his talk by releasing a guffaw, it was laced with sarcasm. "Oh, it is exactly what you are thinking deary, we have been sneaking around your back and sleeping together ever since I returned. I am Moria Mortimer, his one true fianc¨¦, the woman that was always meant for him.


    Do you think that a bumpkin like you can take a man that I want? You are just a distraction, my substitute, a plaything to satisfy his boredom. David is my husband, my betrothed and we are going to marry." Her voice dripped with malice, becoming louder as she expressed her thoughts vocally.


    For the second time in his life, David wanted to put his hands on a woman, and he did. He reared his hand back and slapped Moria on the cheek.


    "I dare you to repeat that nonsense one more time and I will break your neck right where you are standing. When are you going to stop? When will you get it in your head Moria that I do not like you not then, not now and not ever. Phoebe Mayfair is my woman, my life and my wife."


    He turned to face Phoebe who was chewing on her bottom lip. "Babe, nothing has ever happened between me and her. I saw a red head in a dress similar to yours and thought it was you. My eyes were closed when I hugged her. Please don''t be angry with me, it is all a misunderstanding." He rubbed his hands together.


    "Is it?" Phoebe arched an eyebrow.


    The spirit wasted no time in slapping a truth telling talisman on Moria''s back, she fell to her knees and began to blabber out everything like it happened. She even admitting to stepping out and ordering for dress that was as close to Phoebe''s in appearance as possible and changing her hairstyle.


    "See!" David sighed in relief; he wanted to kiss the Saxon spirit on the cheek for it had saved his life. "Babe, now that my name has been cleared up, let us go deal with the other problem on our hands, my grandfather wants to talk to you." He began to walk towards Phoebe but paused when Moria grabbed his leg and refused to let go of it. S§×ar?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "You cannot abandon me, David." She cried. "My family wants this marriage; it is the only way to save us from bankruptcy after that scam Quincy Falcon stole all our money and disappeared. If you don''t marry me, he will sell me to any old man with significant wealth to offer. I must marry you David Saxon, I must."


    David kicked her away without mercy. "Stay the fuck away from me Moria or you will take a trip to hell and marry the devil."


    Phoebe slowly pulled the pins out of her hair; she did not want to look like Moria in any way. "Well at least now you know why she is hellbent on marrying you." She began to walk away.


    "Babe you are not mad at me, are you. It was a mix up I swear." David followed her like a puppy.


    The two did not return to the Victory ball, they had important business to handle. Phoebe sent a text to her family informing them that she was leaving with David and would be returning home late. Then, she entered in the awaiting car and sat a distance away from David.


    Although she said that she understood the mix-up, she was still unhappy about it. She did not push David away when he snuggled next to her, but her lips were pinched together, and she did not say a word until they reached the Saxon tower.


    Grandpa Rufus was already there, he greeted them and apologized for inconveniencing Phoebe. Without losing a moment, he went straight to what was on his mind.


    His eyes narrowed at Phoebe as he did not think she could really do what David had said. It took great power, and she did not seem to possess such power. If he was at peak strength, he would have done it on his own, but he was still recovering.


    "So, can you really conjure a country sized storm? I only know a small section of people that can do that, how did you learn the skill?" Curiosity tinged in his question.


    Phoebe folded his arms; he had his secrets and so did she. "I just do."

 Chapter 438 - 438: Conjuring a storm.

    Rufus''s eyes were intense and heavy with suspicion, he looked at Phoebe like he wanted to dig all of her secrets out of his head at that very moment. Any other person would have trembled or fallen on their knees under intense scrutiny from the great Rufus Saxon, but Phoebe did not break a sweat.


    She stared right back at him before dismissing his gaze as if he was nothing more than a mosquito. The advice on kindness and having positive attitude her mother had told her to have had gone flying out of the window. In all honesty Phoebe was in no mood to indulge in small talk, she wanted this done and over with.


    "Can we start, is everything ready? I cannot wait to close the Dickson chapter in my life." She shot David a piercing look, this was his grandfather after all. If anyone could get him to move quickly, it was him.


    David sighed sadly; he figured that she was still sulking about that hug. He even took a step back as if she was about to electrocute him. It rained on him that he should try more often to avoid annoying his girlfriend that could conjure up storms.


    Their lack of lovey-dovey behavior was naturally noticed by grandpa Saxon. The two were always hand in hand, snuggling, laughing, chuckling, and acting as if only the two of them existed in the world. Their behavior now was as abnormal as seeing a live dinosaur in the world today.


    "I will go make sure the helicopter is ready." David run off.


    "Are you two alright? Did you have a fight because I swear that David is avoiding you like you might strike him to death with lightning." Rufus asked Phoebe. Not just because he wanted to gossip but because he was concerned.


    A scoff let Phoebe''s lips. "He will be lucky if I do not toss him inside that storm." Perhaps while I am at that, I could toss Moria in as well, she thought.


    This thought was not broadcasted unfortunately, or else Rufus would have something to discuss with his wife before bed. She was always the one with all the gossip on the love life of everyone in the tower.


    Her words only elicited laughter from the old man. A lovers quarrel he assumed. In his unvoiced opinion, it was normal to have disagreements in relationships. It would strengthen the bond between the couple.


    David rushed back with a remote controller in his hands which would be used to fly it. "Everything is ready, Thomas got a body from Fog University''s body farm which has been put in the pilot''s position. Dickson''s body has been strapped into passenger seat. We are ready when you are Pheebs, let''s do this!" There was a trace of excitement in his voice, his fingers hovered over the buttons on the remote. S~ea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Son you are sure that you can fly this thing from here. I do not want any mistakes." Grandpa Saxon was a bit skeptical. He did not trust machines, if his body and energy had recovered, he would have controlled the helicopter personally using magic.


    Phoebe had come with her bag from which she pulled a small golden chalice. She filled it with water from an ordinary bottle__, it was water from the lake of life and death. Then she got a bundle of dried sage and lit it, allowing the fragrant smoke to rise and cleanse the air.


    She then carefully poured a vial of dragon''s breath into the chalice, causing the water to shimmer with a magical glow.


    From the bag she pulled a red feather belonging to a thunderbird in the forest, in her space. Holding the thunderbird feather in one hand and a piece of obsidian in the other, she began to chant an ancient incantation.


    "Let us begin." Phoebe announced as she listened to the instructions of the spirit on how to create a magical storm. She moved a little further from the group and began to chant.


    "Powerful winds from the East, west, north and south listen to my call and gather. By the power of the elements, I call upon the storm, let the winds howl and thunder roar. With water, fire, air and earth, bring forth the tempest, give it birth."


    As she chanted, the sky darkened, and the air crackled with energy. The trees swayed violently as the wind picked up speed. As the first drops of rain started to fall, David started the helicopter and guided it into the skies.


    Phoebe chanted more fiercely, "From the depths of the earth to the heights of the sky, let the storm rage. By my will and by my might, I summon the storm, bring forth the night."


    She pricked her finger and flung a drop of her blood into the air. "I sacrifice a month of my life, protect the innocent," she whispered.


    Threads of red were created from her blood and flew out on different directions. Phoebe did not want other planes crushing, just Dickson''s.


    With a final move, a powerful gesture, Phoebe thrust the thunderbird feather and obsidian into the chalice. The water within erupted into a swirling vortex of energy that was so strong that it swept her off her feet.


    "Phoebe control your emotions, you are the master you cannot let the winds sweep you away or the onlookers." The spirit held her to the ground.


    The spell worked for the sky split open, revealing a swirling vortex that was accompanied by stronger lightening, thunderstorms and heavy rain. The storm burst in all of its fury, lightning streaked across the sky and thunder roared like a mighty beast. Heavy rain, the kind which had not been seen in at least a year poured down in torrents, drenching the city.


    Connie gave David the signal to guide the helicopter into the swirling vortex that was positioned in one place. The moment the helicopter entered the vortex; it whirled around uncontrollably. Because of the pressure applied to it, the helicopter swirled around uncontrollably with some parts breaking away from it.


    Phoebe''s entire being coursed with fury, she directed all her pain and hatred into her hand creating a fiery ball of red fire which she tossed at the helicopter. It was like a bomb had come into contact with it for it blew up into thousands of pieces.


    Margaret''s screams were as loud as the rumbling sounds of thunder. Rufus had invited her over so that she could witness the final moments of her son''s true burial.


    "You killed him the second time you witch! Did you have to be so cruel?" She lamented; the guards had to hold her back from attacking Phoebe who seemed to be out of control.


    Her eyes were glowing with a bright light, shimmering tendrils of light radiated from her body.


    Rufus rubbed his eyes unsure about what he was seeing. "What the hell is going on with your girlfriend David? Why does she have dragon''s breath and this kind of power...." He muttered and shook his head.


    The spirit struggled to bring Phoebe back to reality, she had lost control of her power due to the rage that she felt.


    "Phoebe! Enough, it is over. Think about the child in your womb, you are endangering it." It hugged her tightly.


    It worked like a charm, slowly by slowly, she began to return to normal and her feet touched the ground once again.


    "Do you feel much better now?" The spirit asked when she became stable. "Is this rage from that hug Moria gave David? Truly hell has no fury like a woman scorned. Do you feel better now?" It quizzed.


    Nodding her head, Phoebe''s knees melted as everything around her went dark and she fainted.

 Chapter 439 - 439: Misplaced chapter...dont read.

    Ignoring the question as a result of intense hunger, Phoebe''s greedy mouth and hands concentrated on nothing but the small bowl of creamy ginger carrot soup.


    Her grandmother and mother allowed her to satiate herself first, patiently waiting for the bowl to be emptied. With a satisfied look in her eyes, Jennie handed it to a maid.


    "Bring the oatmeal bowl." she ordered.


    It was loaded with fresh fruit on top and after thanking her mother, Phoebe started eating, slowly this time round.


    "I have never been inside David''s bedroom." Grandma Mayfair looked around. When she saw different pictures of Phoebe on the wall, she was not even surprised.


    That boy is really obsessed with my granddaughter, she thought. "So, why did David rush out of here? Does it have anything to do with Dickson''s death?"


    Phoebe swallowed the berries in her mouth. "I guess you have not heard that the Mortimer''s are here."


    Jennie''s eyes moved about in confusion. "Here? Here like in the tower right now"


    Phoebe brought another spoonful of oatmeal with a slice of banana to her mouth and nodded.


    Jennie did not like what she heard, not one bit. Like everyone on the lane, she had heard about Moria sniffing around David like a dog in heat. A reconciliation between the two was not good news for her daughter. She clenched her fists and decided there and then to put a stop to whatever evil plot the Mortimer''s had hatched.


    "This cannot be good! I have to know what brings them here and if it is what I am thinking, I will not hesitate to throw fists." She dashed through the door way leaving a gust of wind behind.


    Old lady Mayfair turned to follow her but first, she spared Phoebe a glance. "Why are you still sitting on your bottoms? Let us go and assassinate the character of that man stealing Mortimer witch."


    Phoebe did not need to be told twice, she was tired of the Mortimer''s, like flies they seemed to be everywhere. It was time to get rid of them for once and for good.


    It was surprising to see that half of the entire Mortimer clan had come to the tower. They were sitted in Rufus''s guest living room on the second floor with the elders from the Saxon family. What was even more surprising was that there were Mayfair''s present at this meeting.


    Collin, Andre, Luke, Edward, Maureen and Jennie that had beaten Phoebe and her grandmother to the living room, all looked a little too comfortable. They were relaxed, sipping tea or wine as if this was their home.


    Phoebe''s arrival surprised the Mortimer''s, and it brought out significant unhappy changes on their faces.


    "You have not left yet? When I heard that you spent the night in this tower I could not believe my ears. An unmarried woman slept over at a man''s house, hmph! I am not surprised, this is to be expected as a result of your loose upbringing." Celine Mortimer''s words sounded in the quiet room. "You were raised among the commoners after all."


    Miranda hissed through pursed lips. "And who told you that my daughter-in-law spent the night here Celine? Have you planted spies in my home? The only loose person here is that daughter of yours who doesn''t know when to stop chasing after a married man." She folded her arms.


    The word married caused a few eyebrows to go up and many eyes to question David who made no attempt to clarify his relationship status. Furthermore, to the disappointment of the Mortimer''s, nobody stepped up from the Saxon or Mayfair side to correct the false narrative either.


    "If you look at the Mortimer history, you would not be too quick to call anyone loose." Maureen commented.


    "That''s right." Old Mayfair stomped her walking cane on the ground. "This is a thief shouting thief."


    "Or whore shouting whore." Andre snickered.


    As some people giggled others scowled and a few wondered what the Mayfair''s knew about the Mortimer''s that the rest of them did not know. In this case, Phoebe was to blame, she had given the Mortimer witch''s seduction guideline book to her aunt just for a laugh. Her aunt had shared it with the rest of the Mayfair''s.


    Celine opened her mouth to speak but shut her mouth when her father in law Jericho instructed her to.


    Jericho Mortimer forced a smile on his face. "I know that this is bad timing since there has been a death in your family Rufus but this cannot wait. How is it possible that your daughter in law says that David is married yet he is betrothed to my grand daughter?" He presented the betrothal paper that had both their signatures.


    Rufus was calm, he did not panic like some people expected him to do. First, he brought a cup of chamomile tea to his mouth and took a small sip. Then he put it down and faced his old friend that was now practically a stranger. "Jericho, I heard that you were not feeling well but seeing that you have come to my house to confront me you must be feeling a lot better." He took hold of the paper presented.


    Shaking his head Jericho Mortimer sighed deeply. "Do not let my complexion deceive you, doctors advised me to stay home but this is a matter of urgency. As per our old agreement, your grandson must marry my grandson daughter but he is determined to fight against the inevitable waves. As adults, I believe that we have a duty to set him back on the right path." He twisted his lips. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [What a wicked old man! He is here for money, why not just admit that your family is broke and keeping up appearances.] Phoebe''s narrowed eyes studied the old man.


    Rufus cleared his throat upon seeing Phoebe''s thoughts. He knew the Mortimer''s were having financial trouble but he did not think they were that deep in the hole. "Why do you still have this Mortimer? The children broke off this engagement years ago. You cut my family off because you were furious so why are you here now?"


    Jericho Mortimer pointed his index finger at David. "That is because your grandson decided to act stupid by calling of the engagement by claiming to be terminally ill. It was a lie we can see that now."


    A sneer escaped David''s lips. "So Moria never told you that she agreed to call off this sham of an engagement as well?" He stood up and sneered at Moria. "You know what, I am tired of keeping this secret so I might as well put it out there.


    First of all her character was poor, she bullied a lot of people and maimed others using my name as an excuse.


    Two, she had loose morals, we were still teenagers but she went off and got herself pregnant for Quincy Falcon, the son of billionaire Callisto Falcon and current vice president of Eagle country."


    He provided paper receipts that confirmed that information which included Moria''s secret son that she gave birth to and her secret wedding. He had printed them out personally as soon as he heard that the Mortimer''s had arrived.

 Chapter 440 - 440: Misplaced chapter...dont read.

    Ignoring the question as a result of intense hunger, Phoebe''s greedy mouth and hands concentrated on nothing but the small bowl of creamy ginger carrot soup.


    Her grandmother and mother allowed her to satiate herself first, patiently waiting for the bowl to be emptied. With a satisfied look in her eyes, Jennie handed it to a maid.


    "Bring the oatmeal bowl." she ordered.


    It was loaded with fresh fruit on top and after thanking her mother, Phoebe started eating, slowly this time round.


    "I have never been inside David''s bedroom." Grandma Mayfair looked around. When she saw different pictures of Phoebe on the wall, she was not even surprised.


    That boy is really obsessed with my granddaughter, she thought. "So, why did David rush out of here? Does it have anything to do with Dickson''s death?"


    Phoebe swallowed the berries in her mouth. "I guess you have not heard that the Mortimer''s are here."


    Jennie''s eyes moved about in confusion. "Here? Here like in the tower right now"


    Phoebe brought another spoonful of oatmeal with a slice of banana to her mouth and nodded.


    Jennie did not like what she heard, not one bit. Like everyone on the lane, she had heard about Moria sniffing around David like a dog in heat. A reconciliation between the two was not good news for her daughter. She clenched her fists and decided there and then to put a stop to whatever evil plot the Mortimer''s had hatched.


    "This cannot be good! I have to know what brings them here and if it is what I am thinking, I will not hesitate to throw fists." She dashed through the door way leaving a gust of wind behind.


    Old lady Mayfair turned to follow her but first, she spared Phoebe a glance. "Why are you still sitting on your bottoms? Let us go and assassinate the character of that man stealing Mortimer witch."


    Phoebe did not need to be told twice, she was tired of the Mortimer''s, like flies they seemed to be everywhere. It was time to get rid of them for once and for good.


    It was surprising to see that half of the entire Mortimer clan had come to the tower. They were sitted in Rufus''s guest living room on the second floor with the elders from the Saxon family. What was even more surprising was that there were Mayfair''s present at this meeting.


    Collin, Andre, Luke, Edward, Maureen and Jennie that had beaten Phoebe and her grandmother to the living room, all looked a little too comfortable. They were relaxed, sipping tea or wine as if this was their home.


    Phoebe''s arrival surprised the Mortimer''s, and it brought out significant unhappy changes on their faces.


    "You have not left yet? When I heard that you spent the night in this tower I could not believe my ears. An unmarried woman slept over at a man''s house, hmph! I am not surprised, this is to be expected as a result of your loose upbringing." Celine Mortimer''s words sounded in the quiet room. "You were raised among the commoners after all."


    Miranda hissed through pursed lips. "And who told you that my daughter-in-law spent the night here Celine? Have you planted spies in my home? The only loose person here is that daughter of yours who doesn''t know when to stop chasing after a married man." She folded her arms.


    The word married caused a few eyebrows to go up and many eyes to question David who made no attempt to clarify his relationship status. Furthermore, to the disappointment of the Mortimer''s, nobody stepped up from the Saxon or Mayfair side to correct the false narrative either.


    "If you look at the Mortimer history, you would not be too quick to call anyone loose." Maureen commented.


    "That''s right." Old Mayfair stomped her walking cane on the ground. "This is a thief shouting thief."


    "Or whore shouting whore." Andre snickered. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    As some people giggled others scowled and a few wondered what the Mayfair''s knew about the Mortimer''s that the rest of them did not know. In this case, Phoebe was to blame, she had given the Mortimer witch''s seduction guideline book to her aunt just for a laugh. Her aunt had shared it with the rest of the Mayfair''s.


    Celine opened her mouth to speak but shut her mouth when her father in law Jericho instructed her to.


    Jericho Mortimer forced a smile on his face. "I know that this is bad timing since there has been a death in your family Rufus but this cannot wait. How is it possible that your daughter in law says that David is married yet he is betrothed to my grand daughter?" He presented the betrothal paper that had both their signatures.


    Rufus was calm, he did not panic like some people expected him to do. First, he brought a cup of chamomile tea to his mouth and took a small sip. Then he put it down and faced his old friend that was now practically a stranger. "Jericho, I heard that you were not feeling well but seeing that you have come to my house to confront me you must be feeling a lot better." He took hold of the paper presented.


    Shaking his head Jericho Mortimer sighed deeply. "Do not let my complexion deceive you, doctors advised me to stay home but this is a matter of urgency. As per our old agreement, your grandson must marry my grandson daughter but he is determined to fight against the inevitable waves. As adults, I believe that we have a duty to set him back on the right path." He twisted his lips.


    [What a wicked old man! He is here for money, why not just admit that your family is broke and keeping up appearances.] Phoebe''s narrowed eyes studied the old man.


    Rufus cleared his throat upon seeing Phoebe''s thoughts. He knew the Mortimer''s were having financial trouble but he did not think they were that deep in the hole. "Why do you still have this Mortimer? The children broke off this engagement years ago. You cut my family off because you were furious so why are you here now?"


    Jericho Mortimer pointed his index finger at David. "That is because your grandson decided to act stupid by calling of the engagement by claiming to be terminally ill. It was a lie we can see that now."


    A sneer escaped David''s lips. "So Moria never told you that she agreed to call off this sham of an engagement as well?" He stood up and sneered at Moria. "You know what, I am tired of keeping this secret so I might as well put it out there.


    First of all her character was poor, she bullied a lot of people and maimed others using my name as an excuse.


    Two, she had loose morals, we were still teenagers but she went off and got herself pregnant for Quincy Falcon, the son of billionaire Callisto Falcon and current vice president of Eagle country."


    He provided paper receipts that confirmed that information which included Moria''s secret son that she gave birth to and her secret wedding. He had printed them out personally as soon as he heard that the Mortimer''s had arrived.

 Chapter 441 - 441: The aftremath of a storm.

    Phoebe woke up the next day in a place that was both unfamiliar and familiar, David''s bedroom at the Saxon tower. She had no memory of how she had made it there or why she had spent the night there.


    She blinked rapidly and tried to sit up and found that it was a task because she was not alone in bed. David was holding onto her body tightly like as though she would disappear at any moment in her sleep.


    She grunted and tried to loosen his arm, but it was like being held down like an iron rod. She could have used her energy or magic but chose not to do so. Instead, she mumbled and tapped the hand.


    The soft sounds of complaint that came from her woke him, he leaped from the bed like a soldier that just heard a siren. First, he poured some water into a glass and gently moved it to her lips, holding it for her as though she had no hands.


    "Drink this first." He instructed, when she was done, he studied her face. "How do you feel? You fainted last night and gave me quite the scare. We called the doctor to examine you, and he found nothing wrong. You developed a fever and cried while you were sleeping. Thank God the fever is gone now." He placed the back of his hand on her forehead to feel her temperature.


    Phoebe knew her body better than anyone, it felt fine, there was no trace of illness within her.


    "I am fine. Did I spend the night here?" Phoebe asked, her eyes moved to the clock that was pinned to the opposite wall. "It''s 2pm!!" She exclaimed in disbelief. She had no idea how she had slept for so many hours. "My family must be worried!" She tossed the covers aside, planning to rush home and reassure them, especially her mother. Jennie was a bit of a mother hen.


    David pushed her back on the bed gently and tucked her in. "Calm down, I called them already and they rushed here. The Mayfair''s are all over the place in the tower running it and giving instructions as if they are residents, which is funny." He chuckled.


    A few people like Katherine and some of his uncles were not pleased. They thoughts guests should behave like guests.


    "Your mother is making you soup in the main kitchen right now; she has also prepared some porridge and a few light foods. Let us handle your business first, from what I figured out on my own you have to charge so I made sure to hold you tightly until that pendant around your neck began to glow. I guess it is full because it is no longer siphoning energy from me." He propped pillows behind her back.


    Nodding her head, Phoebe gave him a warm grateful smile. "It is full but gluttonous so it will keep eating for as long as you are available." She grabbed his hand and kissed the back. "Thank you for all your sacrifices, you must have stayed up all night to take care of me. I must have lost a lot of energy last night....." She searched her mind for the memories of the previous night, but they were slightly vague.


    Connie sneered. "You would have depleted all your energy; did you want to kill yourself just because you were angry that Moria hugged David?" She pointed a nail filer that she was waving around for no reason in Phoebe''s direction.


    "Moria? Babe i already explained this....." David''s eyes flew wide open, and he glared at the teenage ghost who was resurrecting something that he hoped had been buried. He and Phoebe were getting along well now, why did the girl have to bring up Moria?


    Phoebe raised her palm to cut his explanation. "You don''t need to explain much, I understand. But it doesn''t mean I am any less pissed at her. Just so you know, if there is a next time I am going to pull out her fake red hair." She laughed lightly as did he.


    "And Dickson?" She asked. "What happened?"


    David gave her a little dismissive wave. "There was nothing left of him. My grandfather has put on this big play, search dogs have been searching for remainders of his body since morning all over the lane but come up empty. His empty coffin will be lowered in the grave tomorrow or the day after. Margaret is still cursing you for burning him to ashes just so you know."


    Phoebe rolled her eyes on hearing what he had to say about Margaret. David excused himself to answer a call and Phoebe took the opportunity to browse through hers.


    There was a lot of the news was about reports on the sudden death of Dickson whom they highlighted died in a helicopter crush.


    There was also news on the sudden storm and all of the damage that it had done. Phoebe made a mental note to ask her mother to use some of the foundation''s funds to help those that had lost property.


    The news was calling it a miraculous storm, apparently in some places, flowers had sprouted, and many pregnant animals had given birth. Some people were claiming it had been a result of alien activity.


    "I am not an alien." Phoebe mumbled.


    She opened another message that was the weekly newsletter from the founding council which was confirming the news of Dickson''s death. It also shared that he was to be buried later that evening at the Saxon burial grounds.


    What caught her eye however was the surprising part where Rufus Saxon stated that the box that was lost at the auction had been found and various relics that had been illegally taken from the council coffers. There was a picture of the said box in his hands.


    It continued on to share that Rex Chapman had been officially dismissed from his position and was to be replaced temporarily by Agatha Hipman as head of the council until a formal election was held. The date of the election would be announced but all candidates interested could submit their resumes and start campaigning after being validated.


    The spirit made a loud sound, one that seemed to be of relief. "They faked it! I guess that was the only way they had to get out of it. By lying to everyone, after all no one will ask to see what was in that box, the auction already ended." A faraway look came to form in its eyes. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Unwanted visitors are here in the tower, I can feel the tension grow from here. It is the Mortimer''s." The spirit vanished.


    David who was approaching her heard its words; he stormed out without saying another word.


    Grandma Mayfair rushed in with her mother behind her. "Sweetheart you seem fine, oh thank God! You had us all scared. Why is David running out in a bathrobe?" Jennie chimed.

 Chapter 442 - 442: Mortimers and foolishness go hand in hand.

    Ignoring the question as a result of intense hunger, Phoebe''s greedy mouth and hands concentrated on nothing but the small bowl of creamy ginger carrot soup.


    Her grandmother and mother allowed her to satiate herself first, patiently waiting for the bowl to be emptied. With a satisfied look in her eyes, Jennie handed it to a maid.


    "Bring the oatmeal bowl." she ordered.


    It was loaded with fresh fruit on top and after thanking her mother, Phoebe started eating, slowly this time round.


    "I have never been inside David''s bedroom." Grandma Mayfair looked around. When she saw different pictures of Phoebe on the wall, she was not even surprised.


    That boy is really obsessed with my granddaughter, she thought. "So, why did David rush out of here? Does it have anything to do with Dickson''s death?"


    Phoebe swallowed the berries in her mouth. "I guess you have not heard that the Mortimer''s are here."


    Jennie''s eyes moved about in confusion. "Here? Here like in the tower right now"


    Phoebe brought another spoonful of oatmeal with a slice of banana to her mouth and nodded.


    Jennie did not like what she heard, not one bit. Like everyone on the lane, she had heard about Moria sniffing around David like a dog in heat. A reconciliation between the two was not good news for her daughter. She clenched her fists and decided there and then to put a stop to whatever evil plot the Mortimer''s had hatched.


    "This cannot be good! I have to know what brings them here and if it is what I am thinking, I will not hesitate to throw fists." She dashed through the doorway leaving a gust of wind behind.


    Old lady Mayfair turned to follow her but first, she spared Phoebe a glance. "Why are you still sitting on your bottoms? Let us go and assassinate the character of that man stealing Mortimer witch."


    Phoebe did not need to be told twice, she was tired of the Mortimer''s, like flies they seemed to be everywhere. It was time to get rid of them for once and for good.


    It was surprising to see that half of the entire Mortimer clan had come to the tower. They were sited in Rufus''s guest living room on the second floor with the elders from the Saxon family. What was even more surprising was that there were Mayfair''s present at this meeting.


    Collin, Andre, Luke, Edward, Maureen and Jennie that had beaten Phoebe and her grandmother to the living room, all looked a little too comfortable. They were relaxed, sipping tea or wine as if this was their home.


    Phoebe''s arrival surprised the Mortimer''s, and it brought out significant unhappy changes on their faces.


    "You have not left yet? When I heard that you spent the night in this tower, I could not believe my ears. An unmarried woman slept over at a man''s house, hmph! I am not surprised; this is to be expected as a result of your loose upbringing." Celine Mortimer''s words sounded in the quiet room. "You were raised among the commoners after all."


    Miranda hissed through pursed lips. "And who told you that my daughter-in-law spent the night here Celine? Have you planted spies in my home? The only loose person here is that daughter of yours who doesn''t know when to stop chasing after a married man." She folded her arms.


    The word married caused a few eyebrows to go up and many eyes to question David who made no attempt to clarify his relationship status. Furthermore, to the disappointment of the Mortimer''s, nobody stepped up from the Saxon or Mayfair side to correct the false narrative either.


    "If you look at the Mortimer history, you would not be too quick to call anyone loose." Maureen commented.


    "That''s right." Old Mayfair stomped her walking cane on the ground. "This is a thief shouting thief." Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Or whore shouting whore." Andre snickered.


    As some people giggled others scowled and a few wondered what the Mayfair''s knew about the Mortimer''s that the rest of them did not know. In this case, Phoebe was to blame, she had given the Mortimer witch''s seduction guideline book to her aunt just for a laugh. Her aunt had shared it with the rest of the Mayfair''s.


    Celine opened her mouth to speak but shut her mouth when her father-in-law Jericho instructed her to.


    Jericho Mortimer forced a smile on his face. "I know that this is bad timing since there has been a death in your family Rufus, but this cannot wait. How is it possible that your daughter in law says that David is married yet he is betrothed to my granddaughter?" He presented the betrothal paper that had both their signatures.


    Rufus was calm, he did not panic like some people expected him to do. First, he brought a cup of chamomile tea to his mouth and took a small sip. Then he put it down and faced his old friend that was now practically a stranger. "Jericho, I heard that you were not feeling well but seeing that you have come to my house to confront me you must be feeling a lot better." He took hold of the paper presented.


    Shaking his head Jericho Mortimer sighed deeply. "Do not let my complexion deceive you, doctors advised me to stay home but this is a matter of urgency. As per our old agreement, your grandson must marry my granddaughter, but he is determined to fight against the inevitable waves. As adults, I believe that we have a duty to set him back on the right path." He twisted his lips.


    [What a wicked old man! He is here for money, why not just admit that your family is broke and keeping up appearances.] Phoebe''s narrowed eyes studied the old man.


    Rufus cleared his throat upon seeing Phoebe''s thoughts. He knew the Mortimer''s were having financial trouble, but he did not think they were that deep in the hole. "Why do you still have this Mortimer? The children broke off this engagement years ago. You cut my family off because you were furious so why are you here now?"


    Jericho Mortimer pointed his index finger at David. "That is because your grandson decided to act stupid by calling of the engagement by claiming to be terminally ill. It was a lie we can see that now."


    A sneer escaped David''s lips. "So, Moria never told you that she agreed to call off this sham of an engagement as well?" He stood up and sneered at Moria. "You know what, I am tired of keeping this secret so I might as well put it out there.


    First of all, her character was poor, she bullied a lot of people and maimed others using my name as an excuse.


    Two, she had loose morals, we were still teenagers, but she went off and got herself pregnant for Quincy Falcon, the son of billionaire Callisto Falcon and current vice president of Eagle country."


    He provided paper receipts that confirmed that information which included Moria''s secret son that she gave birth to and her secret wedding. He had printed them out personally as soon as he heard that the Mortimer''s had arrived.


    "What? This is all photo shop! A ploy to slander our family name. Rufus, are you going to just sit there while your grandson disrespects me?" Old man Mortimer barked, suddenly his weak facade had come crumbling.

 Chapter 443 - 443: Liars undressed.

    The silence that fell in the living room was like a bomb going off and reducing everything to smithereens, eliminating all life on earth. After a few seconds of silence, the riffling of papers and mutters of disbelief could be heard.


    David had prepared financial records, medical records, private text messages and pictures too. Even the Saxon spirit came out of the space to take a look at the evidence which was damning.


    Rufus could not believe his eyes and ears, but the evidence spoke for itself. His curious eyes moved to David, wondering where he had found all the pictures of Moria, Quincy and their love child.


    Even though he did not know from where the evidence had come, he was grateful because it gave him the upper hand.


    "You have to forgive me my old friend," He began to speak, trying to sound serious but the amusement in his voice could not be hidden. "But I have to say that these pictures paint a different story from what you are claiming! In fact, I am beginning to feel offended because you had the guts to show up here at a time when my family is in mourning to hoodwink us." He arched an eyebrow, trying as much as he could to stop himself from snapping at the old man.


    "You must think that we are easy to fool." Grandma Saxon chimed in.


    "Who is loose now?" Valerie cackled softly.


    Edward let out a pretend cough. "Actually, there was a rumor about Moria possibly being pregnant around the time she disappeared." His head spun to the left to look at his wife. "You remember honey? You told me so yourself." He had a mild faraway look in his eyes.


    Under normal circumstances, Jennie would be angry that her husband had revealed information that she had told him in confidence, but this was not one of those times. "Yes! Of course, I remember it was a quiet whisper that died down quickly. Someone mentioned that she had been seen throwing up more often and her stomach was rounder." Her shoulders lifted and fell.


    Celine let out a loud scoff, the sound was rude as it was demeaning. "Of course you did, it was you that spread those baseless rumors because you were jealous of my daughter.


    Initially you sent that pretentious cuckoo of yours Ruth after David, but he did not want her and when you found your real daughter, you sent her to him as well. If this is not a conspiracy by the Mayfair''s I don''t know what is.


    All this time you had your eyes on our son in-law. Who knows what this little witch of yours may have used a charm him after all that is her specialty." She flipped her hair and rolled her eyes towards the artistic ceiling.


    "I have to say the same thing." Katherine''s voice dripped with malice as she chimed in. "We would rather have Moria as David''s wife than that shaman witch."


    The smug look on her face was wiped away quickly when her mother slapped her, stunning everyone. Nobody ever imagined that a day would come when Miranda would slap the daughter she once pampered like an egg.


    "Mom!" Katherine massaged her flushed cheek, tendrils of pain navigated through her flesh.


    Miranda''s unapologetic eyes glared at Katherine fiercely. "No Phoebe slander will be tolerated in this house!" She snarled.


    Miranda clenched her fingers to hold back from adding another slap to the first one. Everyone else digested the surprise slap and Miranda''s newly found obsessive defense of Phoebe for a while.


    Phoebe blinked a few times; she was the most confused person out of everyone. Surely, the bracelet was not so effective that it made mother turn against her daughter completely!


    "I agree, there will be no Phoebe slander in this house, or I will apply the Saxon family law." Grandma Saxon backed up Miranda''s words. "And as for you Celine, there is nothing we can do now for David has already found a wife. How dare you plot to get him to marry your secondhand daughter! If your intention was to make us a laughingstock of the founding families then it has failed." She spoke in a dead pan voice.


    Tension ravaged the room and tempers flared, but there were muffles of laughter from people like Maureen, Acacia and Andre.


    "Second hand? Did you call my daughter a secondhand product?" Celine questioned furiously.


    "What else should I call her?" grandma Saxon retorted.


    "Harlot." Grandma Mayfair muttered.


    As words were exchanged, people''s heads moved back and forth from one woman to another and then Moria who looked like she wanted to melt into the floor. If nothing was done the ladies were about to start exchanging words. sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Grandpa Rufus requested for silence. "Now, I think there are some things that need clarification because you Mortimer''s are wrong about the Mayfair''s.


    First of all, Phoebe Mayfair did not throw herself at David, he threw himself at her."


    Some people guffawed loudly and only stopped when Rufus glared at them. When silence was resumed, he continued.


    "I for one know that a lot of founding families are interested in Phoebe Mayfair. It is not the Mayfair''s fault that David fell madly in love with their daughter, and we have all blessed their union. There is nothing anyone can do to change that." His voice was smooth but tinged with sarcasm.


    Jericho Mortimer sneered at the words. "That does not matter, the betrothal still binds us. It is a good thing those two are not married and they can be separated whether they are in love or not. No matter what Moria''s past is like, we took an oath that must be fulfilled." He countered sharply.


    "Surely you jest." Rufus sneered right back. His temper was beginning to rise. He was now considering punching his old friend in the head.


    The spirit was exhausted from all the drama, so it slapped a truth telling talisman on Jericho''s back and suddenly he started to reveal their true intentions.


    "David must marry Moria, it is the only way to save our business if not we will go under. That bastard Quincy eloped with his lover after stealing all my money through a fraudulent investment. He has abandoned Moria and their child behind. If you want to break the betrothal officially, you must pay us money." He confessed.


    The shock on Celine and Ocean''s faces mirrored the expression of everyone. They could not help feeling betrayed, why the fuck had their father confessed?

 Chapter 444 - 444: The end of the Mortimers.

    The first reaction of the people in the room was shared gasps of surprise which were followed by even bigger gasps as those that saw Phoebe''s thoughts realized her thoughts were true.


    After getting over the initial shock, some people in the room burst out laughing. Finally, it made sense why the Mortimer''s were so determined to see the betrothal through, they were desperate.


    "I knew there was a hidden intention, they were after the Saxon wealth." Grandma Mayfair clicked her tongue continuously.


    "Everyone knows betrothals are not legally binding contracts, we all knew that something was fishy. What a good family you are Mortimer''s?" Robert derisively stared down at the Jericho and Ocean.


    In a moment of anger, Rufus yanked the old betrothal document from Jericho Mortimer''s hands and tore it into as many pieces as he could. "How dare you?" He fixed a glare upon the Mortimer''s. "You must have come here planning to blackmail us into filling the hole you dug yourselves in.


    When your daughter married that fraud, you did not stop her and even snubbed us because you thought that you had climbed a high branch. Now that he has bled you dry, you have come running back with your tails between your legs. Well too bad, it''s too little too late."


    While he had been expressing his rage, a maid was collecting the pieces of torn paper, and they were tossed into a fireplace.


    When Jericho Mortimer came to, he could not understand what had just happened or how the betrothal document had been ripped out of his hands. The Saxons were heckling curses at them, his family lowered their head in shame and Rufus glancing at him with frost filled eyes.


    "W-what is happening?" He asked, looking at his son Ocean for an explanation.


    "You messed up father, you confessed to everything." Ocean pressed his lips tightly together. "You even revealed stuff about Moria and Quincy and the fact that we are now broke." He hissed.


    Confusion glazed his father''s eyes. "Me? When? How?" He lowered his eyes for a second then raised them to meet Rufus'' unkind ones. The mist evaporated from his mind slowly and he saw himself confessing. He couldn''t believe it. It was as if he was watching someone that looked and sounded like him confessing.


    "Rufus, old friend, I am sick and dying help me out this once. I was confused for a moment and chose to handle this the wrong way. It was not my idea; I should not have listened to some instigators and made the wrong decision." He imploded.


    "Then you should have asked for help genuinely instead of plotting against my family." Rufus barked. "When David broke off the engagement I was on my sick bed. Instead of sitting and talking about the matter with my wife, you spread the news that your daughter found my grandson lacking and she had ended the betrothal.


    As if that was not enough, you personally berated my stressed wife said our relationship was over and we Saxon''s should never bother your Mortimer family ever again. I say the same thing to you now, our friendship is over Jericho, now leave my house and do not ever seek my family out again for any reason." His voice came sharp with irritation.


    Moria knelt and rubbed her hands together. "Please uncle Rufus, it is true that I married someone else and had a baby, but I was young and confused. I have come to realize what''s important, and I really love David. I did not know about my parents plan to blackmail you for money."


    Her plea fell on deaf ears. If David was anywhere close to her, he would have kicked her away. Phoebe in the meantime scraped the bowl of oatmeal, finishing her breakfast.


    [Young and confused!! You have been in wedded bliss for years with the son of a political enemy of our country. Who knows if you have been involved in espionage and treason? Your family was targeted for a reason.]


    Rufus, like some of the Saxon''s had a habit of keeping an eye on Phoebe at all times. When he saw that thought, his eyes widened, and he thought of something that had not crossed his mind before. Moria had been in bed with the enemy for years. Who knew what financial secrets her family had sold?


    Edward and grandma Mayfair exchanged knowing gazes, they did not want to be tied to the Mortimer''s in any way. A founding family involved in espionage had only one ending, execution. It was the law which was made in order to keep the families in line because they had too much power. If they wanted to destabilize the country, it would be so easy.


    They were also involved in businesses all over the world, it would be easy for them to sell national secrets.


    Edward figured it was time to go. "Well, I guess that we better leave now." He proposed to his family.


    "No Edward, it is not you that should be leaving." Rufus signaled at Polly. "Throw the strangers out." He instructed. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Bodyguards descended on the Mortimer''s and dragged them out. Some resisted and walked out with their heads held high.


    After the Mortimer''s left, Rufus excused himself and made a phone call to general Drusus informing him about the relationship between the Mortimer''s and Eagle country''s vice president.


    The Mayfair''s stayed longer and discussed what had just transpired with the Mortimer''s. They left at around the lunch hour to freshen up to attend Dickson''s burial at Rufus'' request.


    Initially they had been hesitant, but Rufus raised a valid point that their families were very close, and suspicions would arise if they did not attend.


    ***********


    Later that evening at the Saxon tower, many people from the elite walks of life showed up in large numbers for Dickson''s funeral. The smiles on their faces portrayed the fact that they were there for anything but a burial.


    It was better to miss a wedding than miss an opportunity to visit the tower no matter the event. Most people were engrossed in personal discussions, others even took pictures near the lake while the priest prayed for Dickson.


    The only person that was truly sad was his Margaret who wailed loudly even though she knew the coffin being lowered into the ground was empty. After Dickson''s coffin was lowered into the ground, Margaret disappeared without attending to the guests that stayed behind for the funeral dinner.


    The funeral was surprisingly lavish and when guests left, many were joking about it being the best funeral of the decade.


    Phoebe was exhausted by the end of the night; she and Maureen had stayed back at the Saxon cemetery and spent a lot of time at the Saxon guiding random ghosts into the light.


    When they got home, Phoebe washed up and went down to meet her family in the living room, they were watching the dreaded video from her teenage acting days.


    "Father, I cannot believe that you actually got your hands on that video." Her face flushed with embarrassment; she was never going to hear the end of it from her brothers who were snickering like menaces.


    "Oh, sweetie come on, you at least tried, Collin has no talent at all." Edward laughed sarcastically.


    She joined them and laughed as the video was re-watched over and over. Soon, Andre was mimicking her to her great mortification.


    In a way, she was glad to get a notification from Cain Ledger saying that he had arrived safely in the Silver nation. Finally, a hunting trip was on the horizon.

 Chapter 445 - 445: Phoebes new trainer.

    In the middle of the night, while many people rested, military vehicles rolled into the founding lane and parked outside the gates of Mortimer manor. Armed soldiers stormed it, breaking down the doors with force and everybody that was in the house or on the grounds was arrested and driven away for interrogation. The secret that they had long kept had come back to haunt them with a big bang.


    The first witness to the event was Mrs. Josephine Castille, she was on her usual midnight run when she saw the military vehicles turning up the driveway. She took a picture that she sent to the fabulous ladies group chat.


    The second witness was a pair of dogs that belonged to Dorothy Cook. They were on their way to play with Zack Cunningham''s dogs but were startled and turned back in the direction they had come.


    The third witness was a maid that worked for Merline Renner. She was returning from the fish market when she saw and heard Celine Mortimer screaming her innocence in the back of a military SUV. She ran home and whispered what she had seen to another maid.


    By morning, the news had traveled far and wide, the Mortimer''s had been arrested and everyone wanted to know why. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    After breakfast, Phoebe left the house along with her father who insisted that she follow him because he had prepared a surprise for her. Apparently, it was a father-daughter date at least that is what Edward told everyone the asked.


    Everyone set out on personal business with a smile except for Maureen who was all packed and ready to leave for the Silver nation. The father-son date was a delay in their hunting trip. She could only watch with reluctance as Phoebe was stolen away by her father.


    Phoebe was reluctant as well, and as they drove away from the house, she bit her tongue to keep from insisting that they postpone their date. She did not want to disappoint her father that had planned the date.


    "Father where are we going exactly?" Phoebe''s voice echoed innocently.


    She wanted to calculate how much time it would take to go from the date and then back home. If the father-daughter date was an all-day event, she needed to cut it short.


    Edward breathed out heavily, there was a tinge of regret in the sound. "Unfortunately, my dear we are not going on a date. I am sorry that I lied to you and got you all excited over nothing, but it was the only thing that I could say that would not raise suspicion from your grandmother. We are going to meet someone, just be patient and wait." He explained.


    He distracted Phoebe by making her play a game of rock, paper, scissors and keeping score. He also fed her candy, using childish means to keep her mind off their journey.


    The car halted in front of the Druhill restaurant, it was popular for its privacy and good cocktails.


    The further they walked inside; the more curious Phoebe became.


    [I wonder who we are here to meet, it must be important if dad is being shady. I feel like an agent on an undercover mission.]


    As though that was not ridiculous enough, Phoebe started humming a tune of one the most popular crime themed cartoons on television.


    Edward fought the need to poke his daughter gently on the head and ask her what she was thinking. What undercover mission?


    He put a hand on her back and pushed her forward gently until they reached a private dining room. "Sit, our guest will be here soon." He sat next to her, but he kept on shifting uncomfortably which spurred on Phoebe''s silly thoughts.


    [We are in a private dining room and my dad''s nervous. This is part in the movie where the undercover agent meets his informant, and they pass secret information.]


    Edward raised his head and prayed to God to give his daughter some sense. He decided to just tell her why they were in the restaurant,


    "Do you remember when I told you that I would find you a trainer? Someone that will help elevate your fighting skills?"


    [Oh! I forgot about that.]


    Phoebe blinked rapidly. "Father that is really not necessary. I will find my own way of navigating the supernatural world, do not worry. Is that why we are here?" She raised a question.


    Shaking his head, her father sighed heavily. "I thought about all those dangerous things that you could find while helping ghosts and I realized that I was being too narrow minded.


    Your safety is more important than anything else and I understand why you wanted to learn fighting skills from that school. Since I kept you away from the school, I must make it up to you.


    The person that I am going to introduce you to is one of the most extraordinary people I know of and if you can get half of her skills then that will be great." Edward explained.


    [Her?]


    Phoebe had no time to ask any follow up questions because there was a slight knock on the door. The guests they had been waiting for had arrived.


    "Come in." Edward responded.


    The door slid to the side revealing a face that was familiar and yet unexpected. It was Rekha, the exorcist that she had met a few times.. Phoebe was surprised to see her, but Rekha was not judging by the expression on her face.


    Phoebe guessed that it was because her father had already explained everything to Rekha.


    "Good morning Mr. Mayfair." Rekha greeted politely before sitting down.


    After exchanging pleasantries Edward introduced Phoebe to Rekha.


    [Is it her, dad she is no stranger, we have met before.]


    "Have you met before, you two are acting odd as if you have seen each other before?" Edward asked after seeing the thought.


    Phoebe nodded with ease. "Yes, father once or twice while fighting evil ghosts. She was also their last time at the stadium when you went with me to another city on our first ghost case together, don''t you remember?"


    Pulling his brows close, Edward feigned ignorance. "Oh, there was so much going on that day that I do not recall. In that case, things will be much easier as you two are familiar with each other. Rekha here is going to be your trainer." His eyes moved to Rekha, they shot her a warning and a reminder. She was not to talk about the academy, ever.


    Phoebe sat there wondering how Rekha and her father were acquainted, did he know that she was from the academy. What was puzzling further was that Rekha acted like she had never met her before, yet she even had her personal number.


    Edward left the two young women together to talk and get acquainted with one another. Phoebe could swear that Rekha let out a breath of relief after he left.


    "So." Phoebe began. "What is the story? How do you know my father?" She asked.


    Rekha rose to her feet. "We are not talking about that, if you are ready, we can begin today."


    "Thank you for the offer but I do not need you to train me." Phoebe crossed her arms.

 Chapter 446 - 446: Repaying an old debt.

    The words were uttered blindly, Phoebe had given a long hard think to what Rekha did, she was a ghost catcher or an exorcist. She re-arranged the thoughts in her mind and settled on one, exorcist.


    While their paths crossed often, Phoebe herself was not in the exorcism business. She would choose ghosts any day over demons. Also, Rekha was a hard book to read, the first time they met she been overly familiar as if they were old friends and today, she was closed off like a stranger.


    Then there was the part about her fate, Phoebe looked into the fates of everyone that she met as long as they were involved in the supernatural world. Some could not be seen; others were open books and Rekha was among those that could not be seen.


    In a world where nothing was as it seemed, she did not like mysteries, she had enough of those on her plate.


    A weary breath came from Rekha. "I reject your rejection of me. I already gave my word to Mr. Edward, and I cannot go back on it. He will be very disappointed in both of us if this does not work out, you especially because he was excited at the thought of doing something for you"


    She put her hands down on the table and looked Phoebe in the eye adding to her words, "So do not be difficult and just let me be your teacher. I promise to be the best all things supernatural teacher that you will ever have.


    I will pass down all of the knowledge I have and all my experiences from spiritual battles, ritualistic ones and the action-packed ones. You will be as good as any student of the academy within a year."


    A little snort that Phoebe was holding back escaped her nose. In her mind, she was already thinking that Rekha''s offer was not good enough. Phoebe did not want to be as good as any student, she wanted to be as good as the best guardian the academy had.


    Rekha gazed at Phoebe, her expression taunt with unspoken frustration especially when Phoebe did not jump at the opportunity and even snorted a little derisively.


    She attributed it to the fact that Phoebe was unaware of how many people would kill for the opportunity to learn from her.


    "I am the best out there." Rekha declared. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Suddenly, Phoebe giggled, thinking to herself that when it came to experience. aunt Maureen had more. Action-packed fights, Maureen had battled more__ in everything, Maureen came out on top of Rekha. Rekha''s ego was really big.


    "What is funny?" She asked, raising her brows.


    Phoebe gave a false cough, placing the glass of water back on the table after taking a sip. "You are the best, Rekha but I am not kidding here I have got a trainer already. You can go back to the academy because this will be a waste of your time and look at you, it doesn''t look like you are excited to become my teacher." She curled her lips upwards, raising to her feet to leave.


    Suddenly Rekha''s tone softened. "Pheebs please.....I cannot...I cannot disappoint your father more than I already have. Our relationship will be ruined if I can''t do him this favor. I was hoping that by training you he will stop looking at me with cold eyes at least." Rekha''s voice was smooth yet there was a trace of a plea in it.


    Relationship!!! Phoebe sat back down. "Rekha how exactly do you know my father? If you tell me why you are so desperate to please him then perhaps I will add you to my list of trainers." Her tone echoed with sincerity that urged Rekha to open up. "Quick warning, if you are his mistress I will send you to purgatory faster than you think."


    Rekha lifted her head to look at Phoebe, locking her gaze. "Firstly eww, your dad is hot but he is like my father''s age so why would I date him? Secondly, are serious about this having a trainer thing? I thought it was a ruse to get me to go away.


    Who is it? No one can be better than a guardian and I am a junior guardian, the best in my generation. If you have someone better, it has to be one of the seniors, their identities are not known, not even to us. Who is it?" Her eyes narrowed, as though she could find the answers in Phoebe''s eyes.


    Twisting her lips in a playful way, Phoebe only shook her head. "I have no idea what you are talking about, all I know is that my trainer is the best. Now, answer my questions first Rekha, you and my father what is going on between the two of you." She probed.


    Heavy breath escaped from Rekha''s lips, leaning her back in the chair back rest. The look on her face was solemn and her eyes downcast. Her demeanor was like that of someone that was about to share terrible news. " Mr. Edward, your father is the closest person I have to a parent." A shade of darkness clouded her eyes. "A long time ago my family was involved in an accident. I was the only survivor, the rest of them died." She bit back breath.


    Phoebe''s trembling hand moved to cover her lips. "Oh God Rekha, I am so sorry." She knitted her brows.


    With a little wave, Rekha dismissed Phoebe''s hasty but sincere apology and sympathy. She was not looking to be pitied. "It happened a long time ago, I barely recall anything thanks to Mr. Edward who watched out for me and had those painful memories blocked because I was having nightmares.


    Anyway, my extended family did not want me, they labeled me a cursed child who had killed their son, my father. They hated me for surviving and always told me that I should have died too. My grandmother did not just blame me, she blamed my dead mother too. She had not been the perfect chosen wife for my father. My parents married against the wishes of my father''s family.


    Mr. Edward stepped up, he bought me a house, hired the best nannies and caretakers who became my new family. He took me to the best schools, always attended parent-teacher meetings and planned for me to work in Mayfair Corp.


    I disappointed him by making an alternative choice. I joined the Moldove founding academy against his wishes and things between us changed. He just stopped checking up on me, became cold and cut me off completely. He turned into a stranger, and it killed me Pheebs.


    I thought he would acknowledge me again until recently when he approached me and asked me to equip you with better fighting skills. I was so happy because I finally get to pay the debt that I owe him. I can get rid of this guilt and maybe we can both return to that uncle-niece relationship that we had. I ruined it, I always felt like I betrayed him more than I could ever understand." She curled her lips upwards. "I just want to make things right."

 Chapter 447 - 447: Trust issues.

    A lot of questions swirled up in Phoebe''s mind like one, why did her father go out of his way to help Rekha so much? She was not his illegitimate child, that was for sure. If she was, the Saxon spirit would have sensed it. What kind of relationship did he have with Rekha''s parents?


    Two, which founding family had discarded one of their own so cruelly, a child for that matter? Founding families were the type to raise even their bastards because they could afford it. Rekha was a little child, yet they turned their backs on her when she needed them the most.


    Thinking back on her own miserable childhood, Phoebe could only imagine what suffering Rekha had endure. Emotional assault from her relatives, the feeling of being rejected over and over. It was like being killed over and over again. She knew because she had also experienced it.


    Her finger flicked away a tear from the corner of her right eye. She was aware that it must be a hurtful topic, so she did not pry into that and decided to move on with questions that mattered like her father and the academy.


    A small voice in the back of her mind questioned whether her father would have cut her off too if she joined the academy against his wishes. She shook her head and sighed, chasing the thought away.


    "So, Rekha did my father ever tell you more about why he hated the academy so much? Does it have anything to do with my grandfather''s death?" Phoebe asked.


    On asking, Rekha stiffened. "I am sorry, I cannot talk about that because I made a promise to your father not to talk about it with you. In fact, he told me not to discuss the academy at all so do not ask because I will not answer you." Her voice was smooth yet stern and unyielding.


    Phoebe was not so surprised to hear that response, it seemed to be the answer with everyone she asked. But Rekha knew something, and it was best to keep her around and wear her down with time. Eventually she would reveal the secret. If using a truth telling talisman on Rekha was possible, she would have done it immediately. Unfortunately for Phoebe, most individuals associated with the academy had talismans that blocked their senses from being controlled by third parties.


    "I am not surprised, just do not tell him that I asked." A faint, dry smile curled up her lips. "In fact, if you are to be in my circles, you cannot tell him about extra-curricular activities. You are to be loyal to me as you are to him, and I sniff that you are his spy then I will have no option but to let you go. I will not just let you go; I will make sure to end whatever relationship exists between you and my dad." Phoebe voiced threateningly.


    Rekha sighed heavily, she could see that Phoebe had changed and she was no longer the soft young woman she used to be. This mission from her uncle was going to be harder than she initially thought. Edward had instructed her to report to him on Phoebe''s dealings, and Phoebe was instructing her to do the opposite. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Nonetheless, she nodded because at least she had a foot in the door. "I will do my best to share as little as possible and make it look like you only help ghosts."


    Satisfied with that, Phoebe announced that she had a place to be. "You can go to wherever; we will come up with a schedule that we can go by. I will send it to you in a text or you can come to the cafe when you have time, and we can work out training hours." She picked her phone and stood.


    "No,no,no it is better to learn in the field, my cases or your cases I do not care which so we are stuck with each other unless I am summoned by the academy. I make my living like you, handling supernatural cases for whoever is paying me and right now, uncle Edward is my employer. We are stuck together for as long as it takes." Rekha''s eyes bore into hers, unyielding. "Let us go, you said that you have a place to be which means that we have a place to be." She walked ahead of Phoebe and slid the door to the side. "Boss." She joked gesturing for Phoebe to step out first.


    As they left the restaurant, Phoebe glanced at Rekha sideways. "Are you sure that you want to follow me? Aren''t you busy with Ravana''s minions at work, running around to free their master?" She casually asked, she still had her reservations about trusting Rekha. If she blurbed about how dangerous some of her cases were to her father who knows what he might do? Lock her up in a tower like Rapunzel.


    Rekha''s steps halted; she spun to gaze at Phoebe. "You know about Ravana! How? I mean what do you know? That is like top secret information at the academy." Confusion pooled in her eyes.


    A chuckle came from Phoebe, the sound was loud as it was sarcastic. "I thought you were not supposed to talk about the academy with me, if my father hears of this you might land into trouble." Phoebe hailed for a taxi which parked in front of her.


    Rekha entered the car with a gloomy face and Phoebe laughed. "I am kidding Rekha, loosen up! Anyway, I do know about your ancient demon, a lot more than you I believe." She jutted her chin upwards with pride.


    Rekha released a loud scoff, one that insinuated that she did not believe Phoebe. Maybe She figured that maybe Phoebe had heard the name from a ghost in passing but there was no way she knew about Ravana. "Where are we going?" She asked.


    "To the Silver nation, let me just find out where Andre is." Her brother had a habit of hiding the painting sometimes. Their mission was important, lives were at stake.


    She called Andre who informed her that he was already in her office with the painting and a rather impatient aunt Maureen.


    "Why are we going to Silver nation?" Rekha probed.


    "Work."


    When they got to the cafe, Phoebe introduced Rekha as a new part time employee and friend.


    "She will be helping around from now on." She bounced on her feet slightly.


    Rekha cast her a side glance, one that disapproved of her words. She was not on board with being made to serve coffee and cakes.


    "The more the merrier." Grandma Mayfair smiled warmly at the new addition. One whose name and pictures she had seen before. She was the little girl her son had raised after the death of her parents. One day, he just stopped mentioning her.


    Phoebe''s eyes roamed around the cafe, she saw Sabrina wiping the tables with one hand and expertly carrying a tray with two coffee mugs in another. The girl was adjusting rather nicely.


    Of course, she was using magic to balance that tray, but Phoebe just walked away and entered the office. Inside, Andre sat in her chair holding onto the painting like it might escape. Aunt Maureen sat in a couch casually turning pages of a magazine.


    "Finally." she said in a happy voice, when she Phoebe.

 Chapter 448 - 448: Another secret to keep

    There was some mild tension in the room so Phoebe could tell that something had happened between her aunt and Andre. "What is going on?" She asked as she walked in. Rekha followed her inside and closed and the door.


    Like Amon, her fingers itched to do something about all the ghosts that she had seen eating and drinking in the cafe or engaged in conversations as if they were still alive. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was unnatural to her, the ghosts needed to move on not play pretend. But she kept her mouth shut because she saw something else that was better than ghosts, Maureen Mayfair!


    The moment she saw the woman that she considered to be an idol, her eyes flew open. "Senior Maureen! What are you doing here?" She paused to think. "That is a stupid question since you are a Mayfair, and this is your niece''s cafe so it not surprising that you would be here. Forgive me, I will be sure to think things through before talking next time."


    Her face brightened with her eyes glistening with awe as she took in the sight of one of the strongest former students and teachers at the academy. "It is a great honor to meet a legend like you. I have attended some of your classes in the past and we use your cases as case studies! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! oh my gosh! It''s truly an honor."


    She looked as though she was about to run into Maureen''s arms and hug her or maybe ask her to adopt her.


    Phoebe stepped in front of her aunt and like a child with the most desirable toy on the playground that only she could play with, she embraced her aunt form the side. "This is my aunt; she is the one that is training me. I told you my trainer was the best, now do you believe me?"


    Maureen immediately caught on that the young woman before her from the academy and happened to be a junior guardian. Maureen did not interact so much with the junior guardians unless she was teaching them and she always kept things professional.


    She was not a sweet teacher that cultivated close relationships with the students, she was a stern cold one that simply passed on knowledge, gave some advice and then left to take care of her business. Six months out of the year, she was always away on cases. She recognized the face but couldn''t place the name.


    As this young woman was going to be around Phoebe for a while, she adjusted her attitude. She respectfully and smiled warmly. "Your name is?"


    Rekha wiped her hands over her jeans and stretched her right hand forward. "Rekha Montgomery." A wide grin tugged on her lips.


    "Montgomery? From the founding Montgomery family?" Maureen asked, she knew all of them but had never heard of a Rekha.


    Rekha only nodded softly and pulled her hand back to her side. She did not want to explain her family background again or talk about why they did not want her. The only reason why she had kept the Montgomery name was because it was her father''s, and she had a right to it.


    Also, without it, she had no legitimate identity allowing her to go in and out of the founding lane or attend the academy. She both loved and hated her name.


    Phoebe who was watching them came to know which founding family had cast Rekha away as a child, she prayed that they never crossed paths because she would treat them exactly like they had treated Rekha, coldly.


    Andre on the other hand was puzzled, he was the celebrity in the room, his aunt sold antiques in Hartoum. Why was Rekha drooling over his aunt rather than him?


    Placing the painting gently on the table, Andre was determined to dig into the strange situation. "A legend? Aunt what kind of legend are you? Ha! Perhaps in an eating competition." His face suddenly lit up like a light bulb as his mind finally placed Rekha. "Y-you I know who you are, you were among those ghost catchers that came to our rescue at the stadium." He had been wondering where he had seen Rekha.


    "Where you almost got everyone killed." Maureen mumbled.


    Andre was not too pleased when those mumbles passed by his ear and he went back to sulking and glaring at his aunt.


    "Her name is Rekha." Phoebe introduced casually, ignoring the feud between aunt and nephew. It would not last long anyway.


    Andre was rather adding one and two together. "Classes, former student, case studies, Legend!" He voiced quietly. His eyes widened and he naturally came to correct conclusion. "Aunt Maureen are you like her? A ghost catcher or guardian, that is the only reason which explains all the weirdness. Oh wow! How? Does dad know?


    What about grandma? Holy crap everything about you makes sense now." He sank in the sofa, letting out a soft guffaw of disbelief, processing the most absurd thing that he had heard about in a while.


    Maureen had been expecting the secret to come out sooner or later, but she was planning to share it with the rest of the family on her own terms.


    "You better shut your big mouth Andre, if anyone in the family hears of this i will cut out your tongue." Maureen warned, she wanted to seal his mouth because sometimes, he was like old lady Mayfair, too talkative for his own good.


    Andre rubbed her hands together. "Just don''t threaten to take the painting away from me, or else the whole family will know." His tone was more serious than ever. "I have all the power now aunt, and I am going to use it." He laughed in a shrill comic villain like way.


    "You laugh like a hyena." Maureen responded.


    "Stop it you two." Phoebe told them. They were always fighting over the teleporting painting.


    Rekha''s eyes shifted from Phoebe to Maureen, she could not help feeling like she had stepped in the middle of something. "He did not know, why didn''t he know? I figured that since Phoebe knows about it then he must know. Does that mean that Mr. Edward does not know as well?" Lines of worry formed on her forehead. She knew the answer without being told, this was another secret that she had to keep from Edward.


    "Great." She whispered.


    Maureen arched an eyebrow. "What do you care if Edward does not know?" She asked


    Phoebe clicked her tongue. "Father sought her out to be my trainer, also it seems that she is his prodigal foster daughter or niece and therefore family."


    "He took care of me when the Montgomery''s cast me out after my parents died." Rekha explained as easily as she could.


    Maureen folded her lips knowingly, she knew of that story, she just didn''t know the little girl in the story. Suddenly she pitied Rekha, what had happened to her was unfair but what could she do?


    "Alright enough of the somber tone, let us go to the Silver nation. We have lives to save."


    "Yippee!" Andre chimed excitedly.


    "You are not going with us." Maureen told Andre. His excitement came to a sudden stop.

 Chapter 449 - 449: Andre, a menace worth taking.

    Andre shot his aunt a piercing defiant look that depicted determination. His narrowed eyes blazed with unrelenting fire and a chill one that would send shivers down anyone''s spine.


    Rekha figured this was a family fight and she stepped back. Phoebe wanted to applaud, no wonder her brother was an award-winning actor, his facial expressions were perfect. If she did not know him personally and bumped into him looking like this, she would cross the road and walk in the opposite direction.


    "What do you mean by saying that I am not going?" He crossed his arms.


    Maureen released a weary sigh; she was honestly tired of dealing with him. Andre was like a toddler that had eaten way too much sugar. If he followed them, he was bound to create some mischief. Maureen was usually a solo hunter; she rarely took on group tasks unless the case proved to be difficult.


    Phoebe and Rekha could take care of themselves, Andre on the other hand, he was more of a burden to the rest of the group. She loved him, but she wanted him to stay back and maybe read some scripts or take some pictures of himself and post them online.


    Maureen decided to explain why he could not go with them. "We do not know what we are walking into or what we are going to deal with. It could be something extremely dangerous. What will we tell your father when something happens to you? You are also famous, if your face is seen in Silver nation you will draw unwanted attention to us. Lastly, Andre you are loved but you sometimes you are an idiot and a menace, and I am sure that you will land yourself in trouble. I don''t want to wipe your ass when we are fighting for our lives." She stowed her hand fan in the backpack.


    Rekha''s pitched in unexpectedly. "Senior Maureen is right, you should stay back. This is not like the movies, if you die you will not be resurrected heroically at the end. At the stadium when I met you, I heard from some other ghost catchers that you almost got your companions killed by running straight into the arms of the grave robbers. I vote that you stay back, you will only create problems for us."


    She crossed her arms over her chest and gave him her best minimizing look.


    Andre waved his hand dismissively at Rekha and Maureen''s words. "I learnt my lesson then and I am much more careful now. Also, unlike the two of you I have been on multiple missions with Phoebe, and I have been very useful. We have good working chemistry." He looked at his aunt directly. "That aside, aunt Maureen I do not think that you understand the gravity of your situation here.


    I have the upper hand because if I make one phone call and open my mouth, our family members will know what you are. I bet my dad will be really proud of you for joining the academy. Did you graduate? Perhaps he will throw you a graduation party and invite all your classmates.


    I bet he will be really interested in hearing that you are Phoebe''s teacher. What have you been teaching her by the way, it''s not academy related, is it?" His voice drawled with smug satisfaction and sarcasm.


    Maureen''s face froze, she broke her knuckles for a few seconds, considering the idea of breaking her nephew''s nose. The little brat was really ruthless when he wanted to get his way, she was both proud and angry with him.


    When she considered the options, she came to a decision that made her shoulders fall back in defeat.


    "Phoebe you decide, if he dies out there it is not on me." She spared him one quick glance before shifting her attention to Rekha that was adding more details to the painting which Andre had put down. It was a picture of Crested town in Silver nation. Rekha''s additions made it even more vivid which was beautiful and life like but unnecessary as they only needed one entrance and exist. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe was done pondering on Andre''s issue, she expelled heavy breath from her nostrils, if their secret was to be kept then Andre had to tag along or else they had to wipe his memory.


    "He is coming with us." She announced and looked at him, rolling her eyes at the smug way he was looking at their aunt. It was if he was bragging that he had won or saying I told you so. "Listen Andre, if you misbehave, I will teleport you back here within seconds." Her warning was stern, and she was pointing her index finger at Andre who nodded vehemently.


    Narrowing her eyes at him, a thought appeared on her forehead.


    [I am not joking here; your death cannot be on me otherwise I will blame myself forever and everyone will hate me at home for getting your silly ass killed.]


    "I know the rules sister, please trust me." Andre assured her.


    Phoebe''s last thought which did not appear on her forehead was that if things got too dangerous or he was injured, she would just throw him in the space.


    As the two guardians concentrated on the painting, preparing an emergency exist, Andre and Phoebe dived into a conversation.


    "Pheebs is that Sabrina Spellcaster that I saw out there waiting tables or is it someone that looks like her?" Andre arched an eyebrow. "If it is her, are you crazy? That menace cries if she breaks a nail!"


    A fleeting breath of laughter that came from amusement came out of Phoebe''s nostrils.


    [Are you just playing the fool? Obviously, it is her. How funny is it that you are considered a menace in the family, and she is the menace of the founding lane?]


    "It is her; she works here now, part time and you better be nice to her. You do not know what the future has in store for you, maybe she will save your life someday." Phoebe''s words were more of an instruction.


    Andre stifled an imaginary cough. "Be nice? Why do I have to do that? I am certain that my glorious future is unrelated to that spoiled brat. Pheebs, if I was on fire and she had a glass of water, she would drink it in a heartbeat. Hell, she wouldn''t spit on me if it was to save my life. But I am sure she would spit on my grave." The words came from him casually, he had no plans to get familiar with Sabrina.


    Something about her creeped him out or frightened him, he just couldn''t point it out.


    [I wonder how what he would say if I told him that she is his future wife, and he will regret every nasty thing that he has ever said about her. Someday brother, you will eat humble pie.]


    Phoebe remained silent but her thoughts were louder than words.


    Andre did not believe what he had seen for a single second. It was impossible and he laughed, a loud, cold and mocking sound. Phoebe had to be wrong about this him and Sabrina! Hell no!


    In fact, he made his mind up to keep a wider distance between him and the menace of the founding lane.


    "Is something funny?" Grandma Mayfair asked as she entered the office.


    Phoebe''s eyes moved to Andre. "I was about to ask the same thing."


    Andre rubbed his nose and avoided their gazes. "Nothing, i remembered something."


    Phoebe then explained to her grandmother that they were going to attend to Cain Ledger''s case.


    "All of you?" Grandma Mayfair''s eyes drifted to Maureen. "Even Maureen?"


    Andre laughed sarcastically. "Yes nana, even her. I bet you would love to know why." His eyes had a little evil glint as he looked at his aunt.

 Chapter 450 - 450: In Silver nation.

    Maureen growled a warning to Andre; the sound was like that of a wolf on the precipice of an attack. Phoebe could not help thinking that Andre was treading in very dangerous waters. Maureen was not a woman to cross.


    [This fool!! His mouth is really troublesome. You are skating on thin ice brother, thin ice.]


    Old lady Mayfair was not sure what they were up to, but she was displeased for sure. "Phoebe, I hate to go all in on your personal business, but you said they would be helping out in the cafe."


    "Nana, helping out is more than serving coffee, selling potions and faking smiles. Ghost work is also cafe work, our main work as a matter of fact. Haven''t you always been worried when I go out to work cases on my own?" Phoebe put her hands on her grandmother''s shoulders and turned her back in the direction of the door. "Now, you won''t have to worry anymore because I have help. We will be back in a jiffy."


    She kissed her on the cheek and got rid of her. Through the painting, Phoebe and her companions left Citrus city and landed in an alley behind a mall in Crested town within the blink of an eye.


    Phoebe eagerly looked around for it was her first time in Silver nation. Crested town was a charming place, a modern village that had preserved traditional appearances. It had cobblestone streets, lined by mismatched buildings that went back for generations. It was a tourist town that housed lot of family run cafes, handcraft shops, and street musicians.


    "Rekha your painting skills are top notch; this place looks exactly how you painted it." Phoebe praised. Her nostrils sniffed the air that was heavily scented with the smell of heavenly pastries.


    She bought herself some of their famous candies like honeyberry lollies, candied peels and rose sugar peels. Andre added more to the pile by purchasing spiced toffee drops and maple nut clusters.


    Phoebe had come with the traveler''s backpack, so everything went inside.


    "She even drew the candy hawking shops perfectly!" She exclaimed.


    Andre was a little jealous because he had also drawn part of the painting, but he had not been praised. He twisted his lips in a dismissive way. "Oh, come on, I have been drawing using this painting to travel around the world. One doesn''t have to be a genius to draw or paint." He blurted out.


    Phoebe was quick to smack him on his back. "You did what Andre? You are not taking back my painting for sure, you will ruin it and alert others to its presence. Do you know how many people and creatures involved in the supernatural world would love to get their hands on it? Do not play around with the supernatural stuff Andre, they are not toys." She cast him a disappointed look.


    Blinking rapidly, Andre bit his bottom lip. If only he kept his mouth shut no one would find out. He could fight Maureen for the picture, but Phoebe was his baby sister, with one word she could have him eating out of the palm of her hand.


    Maureen shook her head, took a few steps away and called Cain Ledger''s number while the rest continued with random shopping for souvenirs like ordinary tourists.


    When Maureen reached Cain on the phone, he was surprised to hear that they had already arrived in the Silver nation and were in Crested town. Realistically, it should have taken them hours to get there, not minutes. He did not ask how they had made it and gave her directions to his house.


    They took a taxi to his house which was in an estate just beyond the town. The estate was home to a lot of Silver nation''s elite and wealthy, graded according to the size of their bank accounts. It was separated from Crested town by a glittering wrought-iron gate which was heavily guarded. sea??h th§× n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    At the entrance was a huge billboard reading, "Welcome to Silverleaf Estate."


    It was heavily guarded on the inside, and they were allowed in after a call was made to Cain Ledger. The inside of the estate was as beautiful as Founding Lane. Sprawling mansions perched on rolling hills, manicured gardens and shimmering pools.


    Cain Ledger''s house was as they expected, a mansion built on acres of land. There were police men who questioned them shortly before they were allowed to drive through the gate leading into the mansion.


    "Well, he did not lie about the government watching him." Maureen commented, counting the number of police officers at the gate. More than twenty officers were loitering around or sitting in their squad cars.


    Rekha scratched the back of her head. "Could you brief me about the case? I forgot to ask."


    "Evil doll." Maureen stated, her words made Rekha groan in the same way Maureen had done when Cain first said it.


    She had encountered at least two evil dolls in her career as a guardian and they all involved kids. One had not ended well. If there was an option, she would have preferred to skip this case.


    The taxi dropped them near the entrance of the house, after clearing the fee Phoebe led her group inside where a butler that seemed to have been eagerly waiting for them led them straight to the lounge where Cain Ledger was waiting.


    He stood at the center of the room holding a glass of an alcoholic drink__rum from the smell. He was not alone, a man that looked exactly like him sat on a sofa that was positioned close to the wide window framed by open velvet curtains.


    Cain''s face brightened upon seeing them. "My saviors you are finally here!" His voice echoed through the room, he shifted his eyes to the man and introduced him as his younger brother, Clifford Ledger.


    Maureen nodded once. "You could pass for twins." She commented.


    Her words elicited a laugh from Cain. "How do you think I was able to come to Fog country. Clifford pretended to be me for some days."


    Clifford remained seated; he did not look as excited as Cain to see them. His demeanor was almost unwelcoming with his narrowed and suspicious gaze pointed at them.


    ''Who is the shaman of the three of you." He quizzed, his eyes shifting among the three women.


    Phoebe raised her hand halfway. "I am."


    Seizing Phoebe with his eyes, Clifford sneered, his head moved from side to side. "Really Cain! She looks like she stopped breastfeeding yesterday. Is this the expert you brought? She must be a fake or a baby shaman learning the ropes. She cannot handle that thing...."


    "Shhhh" Cain hushed him. "You know that it hates it when we call it that! We have incurred enough bad luck." Worry marred on his facial features.


    Clifford rolled his eyes. "Fine, I am sorry but look at her size and height. She is way too young! Are you not tired of killing innocent people over this?" A mix of genuine pain and fear pooled in his eyes.


    Instinctively Andre took a few steps back, his eyes looked at the door, which was now shut, tightly in his opinion. "Killing?" His voice came out barely more than a whisper.


    "Who is killing who here? What the hell is going on here?" Rekha barked, her body shifting into combat mode.


    The Saxon spirit suddenly appeared before everyone with a pink gun that it aimed at Cain''s head directly. "I am not supposed to kill humans randomly, but I will shoot if you do not start talking." Its finger moved to the trigger.

 Chapter 451 - 451: Those that fail die.

    A ghost with a gun!!! Rekha blinked a few times, uncertain if what she was looking at was real or a mirage somehow. Maureen took a silver knife from the belt of her pants.


    Uncertain whether the spirit would act on its words, Phoebe requested it to hold off on threat.


    "Clam down." she urged. She wondered how many more people she would have to urge to do the same because her companions looked ready for battle, except for Andre. "Aunt, can you sense it?"


    Phoebe had expected the evil doll to jump out at them as soon as someone said the words shaman, but it was nowhere to be seen.


    Maureen was already trying to feel the energy of the place, she could not find anything evil in the house, so she shook her head. What she did not share with Phoebe was that it was never a good sign of evil could veil its presence even from a guardian. This meant it was strong.


    "Phoebe did this man tell you anything about killing. I seem to recall a different conversation in which he assured us that he had not harmed any humans." Her voice was as sharp as it could get, what worried her was keeping her nephew and niece safe.


    "Your memory is the same as mine aunt." Phoebe cast Cain a cold gaze. "Start talking! No wonder you were willing to pay a billion, you were hiding some things from us." She commanded.


    Everyone''s eyes turned to Cain Ledger, but they kept their senses alert in case the doll sprung from the air and attacked out of the blue.


    A sarcastic laugh came from Clifford. "You did not tell them? We agreed that you will not bring any more spiritual people here without letting them know that if they fail to destroy that thing it would kill them instead." He spoke furiously; his tone was as accusing as it could get.


    So far, every priest, shaman, sorcerer, witch, pastor or anyone that tried to get rid of the doll lost their lives instead.


    Holding his private parts, Andre suddenly felt the need to urinate. "Phoebe is there a way for you to send me back to Fog now. You guys were right, this is not the kind of case I should be following you on. Perhaps we should return their money and all go back home....


    The spirit created a void passage into which Andre was pulled. The onlookers gawked at her including the guardians, they wondered how she had created a void passage that was only done by top tier magicians. Only a handful of the best guardians could do it because it required a lot of energy to create a passage in space. This ghost had done it so effortlessly! sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rekha and Maureen shot Phoebe even more awed glances. What kind of secrets did she have really and what was her relationship with this mighty ghost?


    A victorious laugh came from Cain, after witnessing the creation of the void out of thin air he was more than sure that he had picked the right person for the job. "See she is not a little girl but the best shaman from Fog country. Did you see what she just did? " The question was directed to his brother.


    His brother did not look very impressed, he was still worried because the doll was not weak either and there was no guarantee the shaman would stay after hearing of the possibility of dying on the job.


    "Even if that is the case, you had to disclose all the information regarding that....that..." He released a defeated sigh. "We cannot keep endangering the lives of others."


    Every death was weighing heavily on his conscience, at this point he was just waiting for the doll to kill him and get it over and done with.


    Phoebe sharply concurred. "I agree with him; Cain Ledger you lied to us and therefore we are leaving this place. We will not be helping you because you have broken your word to us. I was straight with you and demanded one hundred percent honesty. Do not expect a refund of the deposit." Phoebe signaled at her companions to follow her.


    Cain cried out a no, but Phoebe remained unbothered by the wail.


    "Please no! I am sorry my family will die if you do not help me." He lamented, quickly he pulled out his phone. "How much more do you want? I will send it right now." He fidgeted to punch his password into the phone.


    Phoebe''s steps halted midway, not because the man had offered her more money but because the guardians were just standing there like the statue of national liberation that was back at home.


    "Aunt, Rekha, aren''t you coming? I will leave you behind then, I believe that you will find your own way home as you are both more than capable." She raised and lowered her shoulders.


    The spirit lifted its brows, mesmerized. For the first time it had witnessed Phoebe reject money, a boatload of money. It was impressive, however now was not the time for that, it floated towards her. "You cannot leave this problem unsolved." Its voice was gentle but serious.


    The two guardians had already approached her as well. Maureen put a hand on Phoebe''s shoulder to keep her in place. "We cannot just leave! We have to root out this problem." Maureen informed Phoebe. "I told you that evil like this travels from one owner to another, one country to another. Today it''s here and tomorrow it could be in our house or that of a relative."


    As guardians it was absurd to leave this evil roaming around freely. It would only grow in power and harm more people. Being a guardian meant that you protected the entire world, not just your family. A supernatural guardian was not limited by boarders or nations.


    "Yes,yes!" Cain chimed in.


    "SHUT UP!" The guardians shouted collectively. If there was an option, they would be unwilling to help him too because he had lied. What was a little lie to him was the difference between life and death for them.


    Running her fingers through her hair, Phoebe sneered. "Not you guys too, that man intentionally put our lives in danger. My brother could have been killed by whatever evil is here!" She chewed on her bottom lip. "I am beginning to think that he deserves his fate because he is providing victims for that evil doll."


    For all they knew, maybe the doll had asked him to sacrifice shamans, priests and the sort and his requests for help were nothing but a front to hide the true intention.


    Maureen patted her shoulder. "I know he did wrong but if we leave that evil doll, it will kill this family and move on to latch onto another. It will do the same and then continue the cycle. Let''s deal with it for the good of humanity and not this lying jerk." She proposed, Rekha only nodded.


    Phoebe stormed back towards Cain. "You better spill everything if not we will leave that evil doll to finish you off, greedy bastard." She curled her lips to the side.

 Chapter 452 - 452: The counted and uncounted.

    Having been given a second chance, Cain nodded religiously as he prepared himself to deliver the horrific details he had left out of the story because he was afraid the shaman would not have taken on the case if she knew.


    "Well obviously you are not the first person that I or we have sought help from. I already told you all this and told you that they all failed."


    Rekha held a hand up and asked, "Who have you sought help from? Most of us do different things, we do not fall under the same categories. An exorcist is not a shaman, a priest is not a ghost catcher. A witch is not a priest. If we know who you invited, we can try to deduce what we are dealing with." S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Cain counted off on his fingers the people that had been invited. "We have sought help from different experts including priests, exorcists, shamans, monks, witches and a diviner. Those that came here to tackle our problem lived for three days maximum after leaving." He paused to take a breath. "It killed them in their homes."


    One thing was clear to the two guardians, nobody from the Moldove academy had been alerted to this case. It made sense though, the problem was still contained, and information had not reached them yet. If Cain had not come looking for Phoebe in Fog country, the doll would finish off his family and move on.


    Rekha rubbed her chin, her eyes glistening with curiosity. "Do you know the specific cause of death?" She asked.


    A cause of death could provide more answers than any information he provided. Every supernatural creature had its own way of killing.


    "That is the strange part, they all died in the night and their bodies were found in the morning. Their eyes were wide open but other than that there were no signs of foul play. They simply went to bed and failed to wake up, medical examiners came to similar conclusions that they died naturally in their sleep.


    I have followed up on all of these deaths even peeked at the postmortem reports but there was nothing that pointed to a unique cause of death. But we all know what killed them." Clifford faced the three women. "I....I do not want any more people to die." He added.


    Cain closed the gap between them, shoving his brother''s shoulder the moment he approached him. "Stop scaring them away! I traveled for miles, risking my freedom and life to beg for help and you keep trying to send them away. Is it because it is not your wife and kids whose lives are in danger? Have you forgotten that I am next and maybe even you after me? Do you wish for me to die?" His voice trembled, a mixture of anger and fear stirring through him.


    In a state of disbelief, Clifford could not believe that his brother thought that of him, he had been there with him through his ordeal, risking his life but his brother had the nerve to confront him like that.


    He took in heavy breath and stared at Cain. "I just want them to know what they are facing. After that diviner died, we agreed to be truthful about this to everyone brother." His voice was calm, it was obvious that he was the rational one of the two.


    Clapping her hands continuously, Maureen called for their attention. "And how many people are talking about here." She asked.


    "Eleven." Cain admitted.


    "Eleven!!" Phoebe''s voice sounded, mortified. That was a big number, whatever they were going to face was not playing around.


    Suddenly she wondered if maybe the eleven deaths had something to do with the heavy police presence. A good detective was bound to connect the eleven dead people to Cain Ledger''s home. They had all died three days after visiting him after all.


    Clifford lifted his index finger. "Actually, they are thirteen when you include the two servants who tried to perform some kind of native exorcism." He corrected, only making things worse.


    "Oh good Lord!" Maureen rolled her eyes. She was a little frustrated because the Ledgers were morons. Thirteen deaths and yet Cain still sought to hide the deaths from them.


    If his brother had not blurted out the truth, maybe there would be seventeen victims before the day ended.


    "Alright, so you said that this thing can talk? How exactly?" Phoebe sat down and began to draw formidable talismans as the spirit instructed.


    Cain sat in a single chair. "It does not open its mouth; the communication is telepathic but of late the words carve themselves into my skin which hurts a lot. It is as if I am being dissected from the inside with a sharp knife." He elaborated.


    "Through dreams too, remember Cain you told me that." Clifford reminded him.


    Cain nodded, "That is true, sometimes it sends me into nightmares and tortures me when I am sleeping."


    Phoebe stood up and distributed the paper talismans. Upon attaching the talismans on each of their bodies, strange glowing ancient marking appeared on their bodies. It was a golden circle surrounded by eight smaller orbs.


    On Rekha''s body, the mark was on her hand. She recognized it as a seal that she had seen in a book, one that no ordinary shaman could draw. "Maureen did you teach Phoebe this?" Rekha was not just surprised, she was mortified.


    This was the kind of knowledge taught to fourth year students at the academy. Was Phoebe''s knowledge equal to that?


    Maureen quickly closed her open mouth; she was in shock too but not so much for she knew that Phoebe had a supernatural helper. "I guess this means that we are taking on the case." She bounced on her feet.


    She could not wait to see what kind of evil they were dealing with.


    The brothers expelled pent up breath, relived. "T-thank you, you will not be forgotten." Cain wiped a rolling tear.


    Rekha scoffed, Cain''s words were equally funny and ridiculous. Did he mean they would be remembered if they were victorious or if they died? "Says the man that forgot to add his own servants to the list." Rekha went ahead to roll her eyes, pulling out her weapon, the hand fan.


    Every guardian was given a hand fan, which was imbued with runes and crafted from bamboo. In addition to that, they had other weapons that they chose according to personal preference.


    Phoebe waved her hand and released paper men, they flew of the windows with warding talismans to keep the evil doll inside and keep other humans outside.


    "What the...." Rekha whispered.


    Maureen shook her head and laughed. It looked like her Mayfair family had produced a child with the potential to be the strongest shaman in the world, or strongest guardian with the right training.


    Phoebe stretched her hands over the floor, moving them around as she drew symbols to detect any kind of spiritual energy in the house.


    "Aunt, I can feel some energy a little far from here, it is not entirely evil, but I can sense white hot fury and excruciating pain." She opened her eyes.

 Chapter 453 - 453: How to kill a deity.

    Blinking rapidly, Rekha wondered why Maureen a legend in the guardian world could not sense anything, but Phoebe could. How vast was her energy to spread so far and not cause her to become pale or tired?


    First it was the void and now this, what kind of energy reserve did Phoebe have?


    She spread her arms out, her energy was limited and could only spread inside the house. But just like Maureen she sensed nothing which she found a little frustrating. Her hand fan showed no significant changes however which assured her that she was not incompetent, what they sought was not in the house.


    "Where is this doll? I am certain that it is not in this house." Rekha''s eyes roamed around.


    Cain let out a pronounced sigh, placing his hands on his waist. "It is no longer in the house, the first thing the doll demanded for when it started to change was for me to build a temple of worship. Then came an instruction that I had to construct an alter where gifts and blood sacrifices were placed." He curled his lips to the side. "It was easy, my compound is large anyway, so I built the temple at the backyard. I never thought things would come this far." he whispered.


    There was no time to listen to him throwing himself a pity party of remorse. The three women had all figured that Cain was more remorseful about how the doll affected his life and that of his loved ones. As for the experts that died, he saw it as nothing more than collateral damage. Cain Ledger was a bastard; nothing would ever change that fact.


    Phoebe fished for the coins from her bag, flipped them and sent the pets to canvass the area. The onlookers stared in awe, how Phoebe had come into possession of undead magic pets was a story that Maureen wanted to hear.


    "I will go with them." The spirit vanished.


    The women created a small circle to discuss on a way forward. One did not just walk into a temple randomly without knowing what was worshiped inside. Moreover, the word temple presented more questions and possibly bigger problems.


    "You heard him, right." Maureen said.


    She looked at Rekha and Phoebe, wondering if they were on the same page and they were as both women nodded.


    "A temple! I thought that we were dealing with a ghost or demon maybe but neither of those two ask humans to build them places of worship." Rekha gave her opinion.


    "It could be a higher-level demon." Phoebe suggested.


    Rekha shook her head. "My fan would know, and it would have reacted as soon as you started drawing talismans. Demons are not patient, and they certainly don''t kill with stealth because they like to cause pain, to torment the survivors. They are bastards that always want you to know they were responsible for whatever evil has happened."


    The other two women nodded; Maureen especially was on board.


    "There is only one type of supernatural being that would care about that, a god or deity of some kind. There are at least twenty thousand different gods, goddesses, animals and objects that humans have worshiped since the beginning of time. It is possible that we have stumbled on one." Maureen shared her view.


    Phoebe''s eyes flew open. "A deity? A god!" She exclaimed. Never in her wildest dreams did she think that she would meet one. "Aunt have you met one before by any chance?" Her voice echoed, in it was a trace of intrigue.


    Nodding her head, Maureen admitted to having met one. "I have, one time in Creedmore. I was a junior guardian back then, part of a team of guardian with our seniors. We went out on a simple case which turned out to be a forgotten deity of fertility. It was not hostile, did not ask for blood nor did it kill people, but it had made the land and women infertile." She elaborated.


    Rekha and Phoebe held onto Maureen''s eyes with eager eyes.


    "Did you capture it and did it ask for a place of worship too?" Rekha quizzed.


    Maureen nodded. "Our professor explained that deities were not all harmful. Most just liked to be worshiped and appreciated by humans and in return they give them things like wealth, fertile lands, rain and many more.


    We oversaw the construction of a temple for it and explained to the people that they had to offer some incense and gifts occasionally. It was the deity of their town after all, even though many had forgotten it and did not believe anymore. They had the duty to maintain it, even though it was perfunctory. Creedmore town changed for the better after that." She narrated.


    "If I remember correctly, we were cautioned never to approach deities in combat mode or else whatever deity this is will fight us back and chances were ninety nine percent that we would die. The best way to protect yourself is escape and report back to the academy." She continued to speak. "Only the best of the best can take on a deity, professors and a grand guardian."


    Phoebe clicked her tongue. "And what if we cannot escape or call for help or worship it, then what? This thing has killed many people already. It can be considered to be hostile, and we cannot just go in there and cuddle it, I say we destroy it." She proposed.


    "I am with Phoebe on this one. This does not sound like a good deity; in school we are told that they are divided into good and bad ones. The bad ones must be destroyed for the safety of humanity. So, how do we kill a deity or are we reporting this to the school and letting them handle it?" Rekha drifted her eyes to Phoebe and Maureen.


    She had been on many cases, but this was new to her as a guardian that specialized in exorcisms. One could not exorcise a deity as far as she knew.


    Maureen scoffed. "We could if we had help from another deity or a divine weapon created by another god. Preferably one that has been blessed by our God that we worship, the one in heaven."


    The Saxon spirit returned in time to give a report on what it had found. "It is a deity alright, a malicious one you cannot please by worshiping, offering incense, gifts, gold, food or flowers because all it wants is blood. Destruction is the only route here."


    Phoebe nodded, the message was received, the question now was how to proceed. "We have come to the same conclusion but what weapon can we use to destroy it?" She asked. S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Maureen opened her mouth to suggest that they turn back first and return with professors from Moldove. Her hand on her back pocket, she wanted to call in other guardians because this was a big case.


    "The crimson sabre." The spirit announced.

 Chapter 454 - 454: Consequences of greed.

    The magical weapon that the spirit talked about was new to Maureen''s ears. She had never read about it in any of the books at the academy or those in her personal collection which she had acquired over the years.


    On seeing their confusion which was expected, the Saxon spirit went on to explain. "It is a formidable sword that was forged from the blood, bones and tears of the god of war. The ingredients were mixed with molten celestial steel.


    The blood represents unyielding rage and power, the tears embody profound sorrow and sacrifice and the bones, strong will and strength. Its nature is destructive and redemptive, it was a weapon created to help humans slay gods and deities many centuries ago.


    I am surprised that you don''t know about it. It should be recorded somewhere in the books at your academy."


    Shaking her head, Maureen''s eyes that glistened with worry stared at Phoebe. "I have never heard about it. If it is at the academy, it will be in the armory." Her eyes widened. "You cannot possibly expect us to break into the armory of the academy to steal that sword!" Her voice quivered a little just by the mere thought of it. If they were caught, one of the prisons would be their home for a day or two.


    "Steal from the academy! I am out on that one, if we are caught...." Rekha shuddered. Like Maureen, her mind traveled to the prisons. If they were not caught alive, they would be killed during the chase or trapped by the artifacts protecting the armory.


    Phoebe gazed curiously at the spirit. "This crimson sabre is at the academy." She quizzed.


    The spirit responded by shaking its head. "I never said that."


    The response confused the guardians who had already come to assume that the sword was on academy grounds.


    "Now I am confused." Maureen huffed. The more time they spent on chit-chat, the more time they wasted getting nothing done. So, which was it, would they be fighting a deity or running back to Fog country and calling the professors?


    "There is one at your academy, but it is a fake, i know where the real one is." The spirit shared.


    As Maureen and Rekha pondered on that, the spirit vanished into the space and retrieved the sword from an armory that had appeared with all the big changes. It sent the sword into Phoebe''s backpack but bound it''s magic first to prevent the evil deity in the doll from sensing it.


    "I have got it, now let us go and meet this deity." The spirit told the ladies.


    Maureen opened her mouth like a fish on a hook and then closed it. She had a few questions to ask like where had the sword come from? How had the spirit found it? Why was she in possession of it? She wanted to look at it but time was not on their side.


    The Ledger brothers led the way to the temple which turned out to be bigger that they expected. It was the size of a fifteen-room house with very large rooms. It made them wonder why Cain had called it called it small.


    He had obviously invested a lot in its appearance. There were vines of gold and silver framed on the outside walls. There was a big diamond that was attached to the arch of the temple at the entrance. Even the pillars outside were coated in real gold.


    "Wow! You must have spent a fortune to construct this temple. I bet you are regretting that decision now." Emerged Phoebe''s entranced voice.


    Her words irritated Cain a little. "Well yes, I thought that if I gave it a beautiful home it would be appreciative and in return grant me more fortune." His voice was stern but edged with frustration. If he had known things would turn out this way, he would have used his gold and diamonds to supplement his income.


    He had spent at least twenty million on this temple thinking his wealth would multiply to two hundred billion.


    "Your greed got you here Mr. Ledger, if only you had been contented with what you had you would not be in this position." Rekha''s words came out sharp with judgement. To her, Cain Ledger was already wealthy, what else did he need?


    She had seen poor people that sold their souls for wealth but never a super-rich person seeking for more wealth like this.


    Nodding his head gently, a rueful smile came to form on Cain''s lips. "I can see that now, honestly I had it all, health, wealth and a loving family but it looks like I am about to lose all of it." He said regretfully, a lump forming in his throat.


    "We will do the blame game later, let us move in." Maureen''s hand moved to grab the bow and arrows in her bag.


    The pets returned and reported that it was indeed a deity, Raven Yin was able to identify which of the deities. "A female deity of prosperity, fortune and abundance." It reported.


    "Thank you, both of you." Phoebe told her pets before they jumped back into the coins.


    Maureen''s mind sifted through all the female gods and deities of prosperity she had read about. Ideally, if it was a good deity, Cain would have thrived. He was in the food business so his fields would have been rich in produce. His animals fertile should have been fertile as would his wife and his children. Cain''s family would have grown larger by the year. Instead, the opposite had happened to him.


    "We might as well enter." Maureen said.


    They all adjusted their attitude and got into combat mode with weapons in hand. Upon entering, their eyes did not roam around in admiration of the beautiful temple but rather moved straight to the doll that occupied the middle of the alter.


    It was a female doll with a body of gold. The bright golden statue had one enormous unblinking eye which was a red sapphire. In the middle of the sapphire was a black spot which resembled a pupil. Looking at the statue was enough to give Phoebe chills.


    The deeper they ventured, the more she felt like they were being watched.


    "Very creepy, why would anyone purchase something like that?" She whispered to her aunt. "I would not buy it even if I was told it shits gold every two seconds."


    She tightened her hands around her two pink guns, if anything moved suspiciously, it was getting a bullet.


    "You can tell that something about it is off even from a distance. I cannot believe that this moron brought it to his home which is supposed to be a safe space for his family." Maureen let out a loud scoff. "You guys can go now. We will take it from here." She commanded the brothers who willingly left the room. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They slowly approached the doll, nothing seemed out of place until Phoebe noticed that the eye was moving, following her movements.

 Chapter 455 - 455: Furious deity.

    Terror grappling at her entire being, Phoebe froze unsure about what she had noticed. It was as if she was caught in a scene in a horror movie, a character that was about to be killed at any moment by a powerful evil force. She pointed her gun at the eye, watching it warily and then, as if to add to her fear, the eye blinked.


    Phoebe gasped and took a step back, dealing with ghosts was a walk in the park compared to moving eyes on statues.


    "Oh sweet Lord please protect me." She muttered.


    Her companions rushed to her side wondering what may have frightened her. All three women stood close with their backs leaning against each other, eyes cautiously moving from left to right and all around.


    "What is it? Have you seen something" Maureen asked in an alert tone.


    Phoebe''s eyes shifted back to the doll. "Did you not see that? The eye kept following me and it blinked."


    She explained, pointing her gun at the doll whose lips were stretching into a smile. Her finger was itching to pull the trigger but that would not destroy the deity hiding inside.


    The spirit waved its hand to make the guardians spiritual eyes even clearer. "Pheebs they cannot see what you see, the deity has cast a veil upon any human eyes to create an illusion. It is just that you are a powerful magical being, that is why you can see through the veil." It clarified.


    Once the illusion was lifted, the guardians saw that Phoebe was telling the truth. Not only was the eye moving but the doll was smiling maliciously.


    "Bloody hell!" Rekha''s words came barely a whisper. "Is it that thing laughing?"


    The smile that Rekha was looking at was unnaturally wide, curling upwards in a way that felt sinister. The corners of the mouth were too sharp, as if the smile which had not been there before had been carved in freshly with precision. The eerie eye coupled with the malevolent smile made it seem as if the doll knew something they did not and none of the three women liked that one bit.


    "Won''t you say hello to us?" Phoebe asked, boldly.


    Rekha''s head tilted to the right as she looked at Phoebe with astonishment. What the hell did she mean by say hello? Would she invite it out to dinner next?


    Knowing that it had been caught, the deity let out a shrill chuckle that pierced through the walls, the sound reverberated in the temple. It echoed with a twisted glee, as if the doll was reveling in some dark sinister joke at their expense.


    "I see that those idiots brought guests with special abilities today. I have been so bored lately, at least I get to face some serious competition now. It will be a pleasure tasting your blood, one of you smells really sweet, or is it two of you?"


    The cryptic last words confused the women, which two tasted good among them? Phoebe on the hand thought of herself and the child in her womb. If anyone had special blood of any kind, it was probably her.


    Maureen quickly knelt and offered a bow, following the script that was given at the academy. "Almighty deity, your servant humbly greets you." Her voice came out smooth but laced with mild fear.


    Rekha followed suit, kneeling before the deity, it was better to show that they were not enemies.


    Phoebe remained standing, she was not kneeling, not even if they were playing pretend to catch the evil deity off guard.


    "You? Are my servants? Do you even know who I am?" It quizzed; suspicion laced its voice.


    Phoebe who already knew answered. "You are a female deity of prosperity and fortune." She spoke with certainty.


    The deity let out another laugh, one that tinged with mockery. "You say that you are my servants and yet you visit my temple with weapons like you are going to war?" The eye narrowed, fixing a gaze upon them. S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Shaking her head, Maureen lifted her head. "We were told that something evil had infiltrated his home, so we came to help. We were not informed that it was a great female deity of wealth and fortune." She elucidated in a polite tone.


    Another guffaw escaped the deity. "Evil you say?" The eye began to shine with a deep red glow. "What is eviller than a human being? Your hearts are infested with wickedness and greed. There is no satisfaction with your kind, you are like babies whining about what you want, and you never stop wanting." Its voice was laced with contempt.


    "I was good to your kind; I filled your lands with silver and gold. I bestowed prosperity and all I wanted in return was your faith, to be worshiped and appreciated.


    Long ago, I was powerful, and I had a human form, I would don golden robes, golden rings and a golden scepter that dripped with liquid gold. When I was abandoned, the golden robes which radiated abundance became tattered and stained.


    The rings which on my fingers faded, my scepter stopped dripping liquid gold, and it started dripping acid that corroded the earth.


    My body started to decay and smell like overripe fruit and my temple was abandoned. I shrunk until I could only survive inside this abominable doll." It''s voice that was once a melody of hope echoed like the clinking of cursed coins as it told of the story behind its ruin and anger.


    "I was turned into an object to be possessed by the highest bidder and thrown out if another wealth giving charm or trinket came by. From house to house, your kind passed me around, demanding wealth, greedy for more even after I gave and gave and gave..." It laughed in a chilling tone, one that haunted the listeners. "This man Cain Ledger, how much wealth did he already have before bringing me into his home and demanding for more.


    The greed of your kind knows no limits and yet you won''t worship me and attribute the wealth to your hard work and sacrifice. You live like kings while I dwell on top of shelves or in boxes hidden under your beds. I used to have a husband you know, the deity of ambition and power but humans killed him because not everyone can be powerful. His blessings were limited so he was abandoned quicker than I was.


    At that time, I decided that I would not be kind to you anymore, instead of offering wealth, I now offer despair. You forgot the good deity that gave you wealth, but you will never forget that one that took your loved ones and made you shed the blood of your kind."


    For a few seconds, the three women digested what the deity had shared. In a way its anger was justified but taking human lives was not a solution either.


    "On behalf of those humans, I apologize but you are not without guilt either." Maureen stated. "Deities are supposed to be loving and kind not ruthless and malicious." She added without resolve. "I implore that your vengeance and promise to find the male deity and reunite the both of you." She made a proposal.

 Chapter 456 - 456: Go to hell.

    Suddenly the temple began to tremble as if it would collapse at any moment, the weather outside changed as the clouds darkened. The fury of the deity could be felt and its unwillingness to end its actions was declared without a word being said.


    "If I refuse to stop, what will you do? My husband was destroyed, his divinity vanquished the moment he was slayed by humans unfairly because they lost a war and claimed he did not give their leader sufficient help.


    Why didn''t they go to the god of war or the thousands of other deities and blame them? Your kind expects to ask and be given instantly forgetting that millions of others are asking so not everyone will get what they desire.


    You are all selfish and you do not serve to live so you must suffer, all of you. Your greed will be your downfall, fathers will kill sons and husbands will kill their wives. You will destroy each other, and I will watch in pleasure for eternity." The words flowed with anger like a river of molten lava.


    At that point, they realized that they deity was too far gone, and she would not stop unless she was stopped. Maureen chanted some words as she aimed her arrow at the golden statue, without warming she shot the arrow at it.


    The arrow was intercepted by a twisting vine like strand that emerged from the flames of the fire torches that were mounted on the walls.


    "Ha-ha-ha!" The deity let out a taunting laugh that was full of mockery. "How dare you walk in here and fight me in my own temple." It continued to laugh.


    More snaking tendrils sprouted out of the fire were formed and the deity commanded them to attack Maureen who shot the arrow.


    Maureen was flexible, jumping running and leaping in the air, she avoided some but was lashed by others, with every lash that touched her body, she let out a piercing cry.


    "Now would be a good moment for you guys to step in." She yelled.


    Rekha was fighting her own battle; with her fan she was slicing the red eyed bats that had suddenly flown in through the windows that were opened by a gust of strong winds.


    "Stop slicing through them!" Phoebe yelled from the protective bubble that the spirit had put her in.


    Rekha spared her a quizzical glace. "Why would I?" She lost focus briefly and got bitten by one.


    There was no time to cry out, she picked it up with her hands and tore it apart by the wings before thrusting it at a group of others heading their way.


    "Look at the dead ones." Phoebe pointed at a tiny heap of dead bats, the lifeless bats did not perish but instead reconstructed their form, one sliced bat multiplying into two.


    "I hate this fucking shit! Rekha cursed, she began to chat a spell that weakened everything supernatural that was formed from the elements or controlled by them. The birds were being controlled by the wind and the snaking tendrils had been formed from fire. Maureen joined and so did Phoebe and the spirit.


    Phoebe drew a circle in the air and scattered salt infused with herbs on the ground and in the air as they chanted, "Elements twisted, now undone, return to the void from which you have spun. We call forth the power to unbind thee, we sever your strength, we end your fight."


    This was one of the most common spells taught in the academy and it worked for the dead bats began to vanish while the snaking tendrils of fire that were now coiled around Maureen''s feet pinning her to the floor dwindled into nothing.


    In response the deity let out a haughty laugh. "I was just warming up, I guess that i have to pull out my real powers and show you the difference between a deity and a demon."


    The spirit which had the crimson sabre in its hands locked eye contact with Phoebe. "When the eye blinks you shoot." It communicated inwardly.


    Even though the bullet had been modified to be soundless and invisible. They did not know how the deity would react to it. The deity was quick so she she had to faster than the speed of thought just like the bullet was.


    Maureen and Rekha were still chanting a spell taught to guardians, one that vanquished the strongest of evils.


    "By the ancient light that never wanes...."


    As they chanted, they held enchanted mirrors in the direction of the eye, pulling out the energy that was within. While it would not kill the deity, it would weaken it enough to be captured or killed by the sabre.


    Phoebe seized the perfect moment and started running towards the doll, shooting at the eye where the power of the doll was centered. Her bullets did not just pierce into the eye, they pierced into the body of the doll itself.


    The deity was fighting back, trying to manipulate their thoughts with illusions of wealth and greed. Phoebe saw herself sitting on a mountain of gold. She broke through the illusion quickly because she did have an actual mountain of gold.


    Maureen saw gold coins raining down on her like drops of rain from the sky. She sneered and said, "I hate rain." Like Phoebe, she broke through the illusion quickly.


    Rekha saw herself lying in a forest surrounded by precious gems scattered on the ground. Rekha was bewitched for a moment and almost dropped the mirror as the beating of her heart started to slow down. Maureen slapped a talisman on her chest to draw her out of the illusion. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe in the meantime did not stop shooting until there were no bullets in the gun. She had trained hard at aiming at a target, every last one of those bullets hit the doll.


    Silence enveloped the temple, neither the deity nor the people in there were talking.


    "Is it dead?" Phoebe finally asked, unsure but her feet carried her closer to the shards of gold that had once made up the body of the doll.


    The weather outside began to get clearer, the fire torches extinguished themselves.


    "Let me see those guns, what the hell did you do to those bullets for them to kill a deity?" Maureen asked, she crouched, picked up her bow and arrow. Taking aim at the ground, she shot it in the eye which was still intact.


    A groaning sound came from inside indicating that the deity was not dead but rather weakened. The Saxon spirit wasted no time in slicing the ruby in half as it made scary loud chants in an ancient language.


    Dark energy emerged from the split eye, wailing in a language that they did not understand.


    The ground shattered, exposing a dark abyss filled with echoing cries of the tormented. The eye and all the remains of the doll were pulled into it and it closed up.


    "Go to hell!" Maureen spat on the floor, rubbing the burnt marks on her arms.


    Phoebe dropped to the ground, her shock outweighing her fatigue. "Was that hell? Was that hell? It went straight to hell. Do deities go to hell? Where was the fire?"


    She wiped the beads of sweat that had formed above her sharp nose.


    "There was no other place to send that thing." The spirit answered.

 Chapter 457 - 457: More fortune dolls.

    As the dust settled, the three ladies suddenly came to realize what had just transpired and they processed it differently. Phoebe was already analyzing the battle, wondering why the deity had been far weaker than she expected.


    Maureen was thinking about the weapons that they had used, and every move Phoebe had made. She thought about the bullets especially and wondered what else they could kill and how they were made. Her eyes flashed to Phoebe and the Saxon spirit, and a heaviness settled in them.


    If anybody learned about the fact that she possessed a sword that could kill a deity, they would come looking for it. In her line of work, Maureen had learned that there were things far scarier than an angry deity.


    The deity had been right, humans were greedy and everything Phoebe possessed was too outstanding. Her niece had to watch her back and trust people a little less.


    Maureen''s eyes traveled to Rekha then and she wondered if they could trust the woman to keep some of what she had witnessed a secret.


    "Will I have to kill her?" Maureen asked herself. Only dead people could keep secrets after all.


    Wriggling with glee, Rekha who was unaware of how close she was to sharing the same fate as the deity was laughing with glee. She was ecstatic because they had just killed a deity. How many guardians could say that?


    Not just guardians but professors and other supernatural related people and creatures. How many had ever tangled with a god and come out alive? S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Blood rushed to Rekha''s heart, elevating her heartbeat. "Holy shit this was awesome. We just killed a deity!!!! Fuck!" She bellowed. "This was fun, now I can add killing a deity to my resume. In no time I will become a legend like senior Maureen." She sat on the floor and went ahead to lay on her back laughing like a maniac.


    With the back of her hand, Maureen brushed the sweat from her brows. "I hate to be the one to burst your bubble but that will not be happening. This mission was off the books so you cannot register it as one of your achievements.


    You cannot share the important details of what has transpired here because you will put yourself in the crosshairs of some dangerous people. Even if you tell your friends about it but I am more that certain that they will brand you a liar." She settled on a fractured pillar. "Keep in mind that Edward will not be too pleased to hear that you took his precious baby girl deity hunting. Also, I will slit your throat if you mention Phoebe''s strength or her weapons to anyone."


    Rekha sat up straight, the excitement that was on her face gone. "You are right, I did not think things through senior. I will not tell anyone about this, my lips are sealed." She curled her lips to the side, saddened that nobody would ever hear of this.


    "Is any of you wounded?" Phoebe asked.


    She passed around tonics made with water from the lake of life and started purifying the air with sage, erasing every trace of the deity''s dark energy that had remained.


    The Ledger brothers returned to the temple; Cain peeked in first. "Is it over?" His eyes roamed around. "We heard a lot of noise but suddenly there was silence, we thought you were dead." A sigh of relief came through his mouth loudly when he saw that they were alive.


    Nodding her head, Maureen gestured for him to come in, his brother followed right behind him. "It''s over, we won. The doll will not be bothering you anymore, your wife and son will make a full recovery."


    She did not want too many people realizing that it had been a deity, so she settled on calling it a doll. Before they left, she would put talismans on their backs to ensure that if they told anyone about what had transpired, they would call it a doll.


    "Y-you really destroyed that thing. I can''t believe it." Clifford''s eyes widened. He really undermined them at the beginning especially Phoebe. "I am sorry for not having faith earlier and for what I said about you Miss Shaman." He apologized, his fingers scratching the back of his head.


    Phoebe gave him a little dismissive wave. "No apologies necessary, I get that a lot. It must be my height; people look at me and think they are looking at a sixteen-year-old."


    Rekha snorted and Maureen laughed.


    Cain stepped away to answer his buzzing phone, when he returned, he informed them that his wife and son had woken up from the comma. "I have to go but I will send the balance and even add a bonus to it." He promised.


    "You better or else you will face tough consequence. I promise you that we will be worse than an evil doll if we don''t get our money." Rekha threatened, her gaze shifted to Caine. "Mr. Ledger, I hope that there are no other dolls around here and we will not have to return in a few months because another one is trying to end you." She laughed teasingly.


    However, blood drained from Cain''s face which caused them all to frown. They could all read from his terrified expression that something was wrong and perhaps Rekha had hit the nail on the head.


    "Son of a bitch! You lying asshole, what is it now? Do you know what we had to do to get rid of that thing?" Rekha raised to stand on her feet, Maureen followed suit.


    The spirit''s eyes narrowed. "Let us give him a chance to explain, I did not feel any other energy coming from this residence other than that of the deity." It made a suggestion.


    "Get more bullets just in case." Phoebe spoke; her eyes glued on Clifford the more truthful of the brothers. Cain was a greedy fool; it was not impossible for him to hide another evil doll if her thought it would benefit him.


    He stretched his arms to calm them down. "Shamans please stay calm, you asked if there are other dolls and indeed there are more of them. However, I have to say that they have never caused any trouble. Cain brought them home from a shaman who claimed them to be that they were fortune dolls." Clifford explained.


    "Lead the way." Maureen immediately instructed.


    Clifford began to walk towards the house dragging his mother along. As they walked, Clifford explained why he wanted them to look at the dolls.


    "My worry is that they might turn on us like that thing did so I would like it if you took a closer look at them." He hurried his steps.


    Without making any stops they went to a basement, inside were multiple golden statues that looked like babies resting in glass cabinets.


    They were all harmless, Phoebe figured that out immediately.


    "Lucky charm dolls?" Rekha raised her hands to feel their energy, there was none. "If your brother keeps bringing strange things home then prepare for them to actually kill you one day." She warned.


    "Where does he even get these?" Phoebe asked, examining them closely.


    Clifford shrugged. "From that shaman, Gecko in Hartoum." He replied.


    "Gecko!" Maureen exclaimed.

 Chapter 458 - 458: Back to Fog.

    "You know him?" Phoebe asked Maureen.


    Maureen nodded and said nothing else on the matter. Phoebe could not tell if this Gecko was a friend or a foe.


    They looked at all of the dolls and Phoebe stopped at one that looked different. She stopped because the Saxon spirit was hovering around it. The doll was not golden, it was carved from wood and stood are a foot tall. It was also a female doll with a beautiful, delicate face. The features seemed to be alive, especially the eye that shimmered with hues of blue and silver. The expression inside was enigmatic as if a storm was held within.


    "This is no fortune doll." Phoebe declared.


    It was too beautiful, with hair flowing like silk threads, ending at a rain cloud that was gray. The doll was wrapped in a smooth robe of layered silk in shades of azure and pink, patterned with gold and silver embroidery that resembled an extraordinary swirling storm.


    In her hands was beads were falling down; they looked like drops of rain suspended in the air.


    "What is it?"


    Phoebe whispered to Maureen, "A rain goddess, she is not harmful. Apparently, she is lazy and retired, all she wants to do is relax."


    Maureen glanced at the doll and nearly laughed, who had heard of a retired goddess!


    "I will be taking this one, it is too dangerous to leave behind." Phoebe informed Clifford.


    Not waiting for a response, she placed it in her bag with Clifford''s blessings. The man was glad that he had brought the shamans down to the basement. It looked like his wise decision had helped them dodge a bullet. "Are you sure that the rest are, okay?" he asked anxiously.


    Phoebe nodded. "Time to go." she declared. "Next time you want to get lucky or increase your wealth, buy talismans from my cafe. I promise that I don''t sell evil dolls."


    The Saxon spirit created another void, and the women disappeared from the basement.


    **


    Within a heartbeat, they were back in Fog country and in the cafe. They all stepped out of the office with normal looks on their faces as if they had just been in there having a meeting. With the exception of their ruffled appearances, they appeared ordinary.


    "Oh finally!" Grandma Mayfair breathed a sigh of relief, she went on to hug the women whose appearance suggested that they had been in a skirmish.


    Andre moved in to hug his sister and his aunt, from the moment the painting spat him out, he had been praying for their safe return.


    "I am so happy that nothing happened to you guys, did you find the evil doll?" The words came out rather quickly. "Please tell me one of you recorded the fight. The shooting of my movie Fifi May; ghost hunter which is basically based on you and some of your adventures starts next week. I need all the ideas I can get."


    "Fifi what now?" Phoebe frowned. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Give them some room to breathe Andre." Rosset who was holding refreshment drinks and snacks pushed him aside.


    Sabrina chuckled behind a lightly clenched fist. "You should have seen his face when he returned, he looked like a wet and scared little cat." She breathed a whisper to Maureen however Andre heard her loud and clear.


    He clenched his jaw and fixed her with an intense stare.


    "Nobody asked for your input Sabrina, your malevolent presence....." Andre paused mid-sentence on realizing that everyone had their eyes on him, and they were not smiling. "She started it." He whined.


    "What are you twelve? She is younger than you Andre, leave her some wiggle room. You don''t always have to win the argument or fight." Phoebe said to him before gulping down a sip of orange juice.


    The three ladies sat down for a temporary break and told the story of the evil doll. As they recounted the details, they were willing to share, Phoebe distributed some of the candy and snacks she had brought back.


    Connie arrived on time to enjoy the snacks when Phoebe got to the part where they entered the temple. "Looks like I missed a lot." She commented, her hand reaching for a silver petal puff, a pastry unique to Silver nation. "You guys should have told me about this, I am bummed that I missed out on this, and a stranger took my place." She added her gaze pinned on Rekha.


    No one cared enough to pacify her, the three women only ate and drunk like hungry horses. When they were finally full, Grandma Mayfair asked them to share how they had killed the doll.


    "Andre rushed in here saying that you guys are going to die. We closed the cafe immediately and prayed to the heavens to help you. That doll thing did you kill it?" She asked.


    As they narrated the story pinning Phoebe as the heroine who saved the day. Grandma Mayfair and Rosset checked the women for signs of injury, and they saw fading marks. Old lady Mayfair was frightened and immediately sent for a first aid box, personally tending to Maureen''s already healing burn marks and Rekha''s bite marks.


    Sabrina winced inwardly; she felt like the story was lacking in some ways. "So how come Phoebe who saved you guys doesn''t even have a scratch on her?" Her index finger tapped on her cheek.


    "Our Pheebs is a powerful shaman, she must have protected herself with her abilities." Grandma Mayfair answered, was it not that obvious? She turned her attention on her grandmother daughter.


    "So that thing is dead and gone?" Her voice was laced in fear. A thing like that, she knew of a few people that would not mind getting their hands on it no matter the consequences. They would be willing to sacrifice everyone if that was what it took.


    "Straight to hell, I saw it Nana." Phoebe nodded lightly.


    Grandma Mayfair made the sign of the cross. "Good riddance." She answered.


    After the story was done, the women excused themselves and went to Phoebe''s apartment where they planned to wash away the sweat and stench of evil. It was coming to evening hours the cafe had to reopen, and they wanted to hurry back and work. Some ghosts had been waiting all day to be helped.


    As they stepped off the elevator, Collin Baltimore was waiting to enter it. Phoebe had not seen his face in what felt like a century.


    [Goldie? It has been a while. His hair is still as perfect as ever. I wonder if it would like a lion''s mane if it was grown out.]


    Collin smiled and greeted them all, bypassing Phoebe to step into the elevator.


    "Collin, can we talk about your sisters? Did you tell your mom?" Phoebe probed.


    Collin pressed the elevator button over and over like it was not hurrying enough. "Not now Pheebs, I am busy." He spoke hurriedly


    [Liar! You are avoiding me and this case. What is it about your sister''s death that you are all scrambling to cover up?]


    It was the last thought Collin Baltimore saw before the elevator door shut tightly.


    "What is going on there?" Aunt Maureen asked. "Boy is his hair gold, it is thicker than mine and I am jealous."


    Phoebe snickered and answered, "He is a person in denial but yes, his hair is amazing." She punched in the door code.


    Once inside they cleaned up and borrowed some of Phoebe''s clothes. They also spoke more on the doll case wondering how many more deities were out there causing chaos and the perfect weapons for hunting which brought them to Phoebe''s bullets.


    "Speaking of bullets, I need some of those that you used." Rekha said casually.


    Maureen wagged her finger. "You cannot have them unless you are going on a mission with us, who knows how those people from the academy will react to Phoebe being able to make these. I know they will expect her to make them for everyone or hand over her formula. by force using moral blackmail." She answered.

 Chapter 459 - 459: Sharing secrets.

    After a long tiring day, Phoebe decided to spend the night at her apartment rather than go all the way back to the Mayfair manor. It was said that there is no rest for the wicked, in her case, there was no rest for the ghost catcher.


    When she was about to have dinner, a human client knocked on her door. It freaked her and the ghosts out a little because none of the people in the building ever knocked on her door.


    On opening, her eyes fell on an anxious looking young man. His feet were restless as he paced in small circles around, blowing air into his hands as the weather was cold.


    "Can I help you?" she asked.


    "Hello," he waved nervously, "Are you the ghost lady?"


    Phoebe couldn''t help herself; she rolled her eyes. Ghost lady was not a name!!


    "I am Phoebe Mayfair, the shaman." she answered. Reluctantly, she mumbled, "Yes, the ghost lady. What do you need?"


    The young man pointed up to the ceiling, "I am Jackson Kuan in apartment 22 on block C." He run a hand through his hair nervously. "Look, something has been crying in our house for two weeks. Can you take a look?"


    Phoebe looked over Jackson Kuan, he had dark circles around his eyes, looked stressed and exhausted, his face was pale and his eyes glassy. There was some residual undead energy around him.


    "It''s a ghost." The Saxon spirit declared.


    "Give me a moment." she sighed and went back into the apartment. After instructing Sylvester to keep the food warm and grabbing her bag, she followed Jackson.


    One of the first things she noticed was a wreath outside the apartment door. It was a sign of a recent death in the family. When she entered the apartment, she found five people, all showing sadness, crying or brooding. Like Jackson, they shared the similar signs of being haunted.


    "I brought her." Jackson said.


    The rest of the family looked at Phoebe with hopeful eyes as if she was the savior come down from heaven.


    "Please make it stop." An elderly woman said in a weak voice. "We can''t sleep, eat, or do anything. It''s always cold and the noise....." she started crying again.


    "Who died?" she asked.


    "My father." Jackson answered.


    Phoebe looked around the room and she saw the ghost which was haunting the family. It was standing behind the elderly woman. Normally, Phoebe would sit down and take her time, but she was tired, and she decided to go straight to the point.


    "Mr. standing over there." She pointed at it. "What do you want? State your business and move on."


    As if it could tell that the shaman it was looking at was irritated and tired, it gestured for her to follow and led her into the bedroom, pointing to the bed and explaining what was keeping it back.


    The Kuang''s followed Phoebe, waiting nervously to hear what she had to say.


    When she turned around, she said to them, "Your father says that you do need to move away from the apartment or worry about money anymore. This bed was carved out of a special tree, you can get thirteen million if you sell it to a wealthy person that is knowledgeable on antiques." She pointed to an old wardrobe that had maintained a shimmering glow for over fifty years. "The wardrobe can get you six to seven million."


    The ghost seemed to be in as much of a hurry as Phoebe was, as soon as she delivered the message, it vanished.


    "He is gone." she told them. "If you want your money to last, I suggest that you consider handing it to D.P investments. They will make you wealthy and you will never have to move again."


    While Jackson gushed over the bed and his sister the wardrobe, Phoebe excused herself and left the apartment quickly. She did not ask for payment; she was just really hungry.


    In her apartment, she devoured her food quickly and went to sleep. By the time David arrived, close to midnight, she was completely out.


    In the morning, she woke up to the sight of David, in his boxer delivering breakfast in bed. The breakfast formed the size of a small hill.


    [Oh gosh, I hope you did not cook that personally or I will die.] A soft laugh with a trace of unease accompanied her thought.


    David knew why she would think that, in the past life he had been a terrible cook. He had once made breakfast for the twins, and it had turned out to be extremely unpalatable.


    "Do not worry baby, I have been attending cooking classes because I want to make delicious and nutritious meals for you and our child or children. I will take as many of those cute bastards as you can give me. I hope that we have a full house of red- and white-haired mischievous kids someday." He smiled warmly and urged her to take a bite of the pancake.


    The imagination of having many kids running around on her farm or the Mayfair manor forced a smile onto Phoebe''s face. She took the fork as her eyes drifted to the tray of food, still skeptical about the taste.


    First, she made the sign of the cross with her left hand and sighed as if she was about to walk on sharp glass. Then, she took a sip of milk and went ahead to take a small bite of the pancake.


    Her face brightened as she chewed, it was surprisingly delicious. "Oh wow! You are not actually trying to kill me with your bad cooking. This is actually good; are sure you cooked it? What did you put in this?" Phoebe blinked rapidly.


    Leaning forward like he was about to divulge a top secret, David whispered. "I added a pinch of cinnamon because you love that herb." He gestured at her to eat more. "So, Maureen told me all about your dangerous adventure in the Silver nation"


    David knitted his brows. "A deity Pheebs! This sounds like dangerous stuff. Now, I am really worried about you taking on jobs that could harm you and the baby. Maybe you should stop going out in the field until you give birth." He rubbed her flat tummy.


    Swallowing prematurely on hearing his suggestion, Phoebe placed the fork on the tray. "Stop! that is an absolute no. You have nothing to worry about, we are okay, I have protection measures in place. The child can protect him or herself and I can protect our baby too. Besides we have Zephyra and our ghost friends who would rather perish than let anything happen to me." She reminded him.


    The frown on his face did not die, and she sighed. "David, I would never stupidly run into danger when without being one hundred percent certain that I will make it out alive."


    He sighed, the determination in her eyes was not something he could wear down easily. For the moment, he decided to let it go. Sooner or later, he would bring it back up again.


    "Let us discuss something else, tell me about your rebirth, did it come with terms and conditions?" He probed. "And those numbers on your hand."


    She continued eating for two minutes straight before letting out a sigh when he wouldn''t stop watching her. "This pendant around my neck is a Saxon pendant that your grandmother gave to me in my past life. It is because of it that I was given a second chance at life, I was wearing it when I jumped___, no, was pushed off the building." She paused for breath.


    Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 460 - 460: Davids visit to the space.

    She took the physical pendant off and gave it him so that he could look at it. Confusion clouded David''s face.


    "I did not know that we had such a pendant in the family." He said and continued to study it. The pendant did not look special to him, it appeared ordinary like something you could but with five dollars at any street market in Fog country.


    He handed it back to her and decided to massage her shoulder gently with his fingers as she ate and continued sharing her secrets.


    "And the numbers." he inquired.


    "The days or years of life I have left on earth." She informed him so casually as if she was telling him about her favorite ice cream brand. "After I was born again, I discovered that I had limited time to live and one of the conditions of my rebirth is that if I want to live a long life, I have to help ghosts.


    When I help them, they move on and transfer energy to me which can be considered a reward. The energy adds more days to my lifespan and magical energy flows into the pendant as well." Phoebe explained in the best way she could.


    David''s breath caught in his throat; he felt like the entire universe was spinning around nonstop. He stared at the numbers again; it was blinking 27:6:1.


    What the hell did it mean? Did she have four days of life left. He could see now why she took her ghost work very seriously. His mind felt broken as he looked at the figures again.


    "W-what..." Moisture grew in his eyes, he could hardly get his next question out.


    Phoebe touched his chin and raised his head. "I know that you are scared baby, but you don''t need to be. At the moment I have Twenty-seven years, six months and one day to live on this earth. Do not worry these numbers fluctuate according to how I use my energy.


    When I conjured the storm I sacrificed a year of my life, I sacrificed two more when I was killing the deity but there are ways of gaining that time back." She hastened the last words out when she saw the cloud of anger forming in his eyes.


    David folded his lips in a thin line, furious at everything. How could they universe be too cruel to have her carry such a heavy cross? He was given no conditions for his rebirth; he was the sinner here and it seemed like the punishment was given to Phoebe. He made up his mind to find a way to change it.


    "What else can we do to increase these numbers then." His voice queried softly.


    "There are only three ways, helping ghosts, preventing tragedies among the Saxons and making love to you." She answered cheerfully, trying to uplift his emotions.


    His face perked up. "Then what are you waiting for to get naked right now?" He jumped up, ready to strip naked and get the job done. He would not get off her until those numbers were firmly at one hundred or more. "From now on, we have to make as much love as we can, six times a day is good right?" sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe let out a guffaw and playfully swatted his arm. "Put your boxer briefs back on you lunatic. Six times a day, are you crazy? That is a bit too much. You are not related to a Bonobos, are you?" Her words elicited laughter from them both.


    Somehow, the laughter eased the tension, guilt and whatever other emotions David was experiencing.


    Phoebe leaned her head against his shoulder and said, "Listen babe, this is not all bad. I am happy that I was given a chance to come back and be with you again, a chance to protect my family. Besides, I was rewarded with weapons, gifts, helpers and many more amusing things in the space." Phoebe revealed.


    David arched an eyebrow. " Space? What is that?"


    "How about i show you." Phoebe chimed. She took his hand, and they vanished into the space.


    David felt as if the earth was spinning and he had gone mad because they were not in the bedroom anymore, they were somewhere else. He blinked rapidly, rubbing his eyes over and over as he stared in disbelief. "Where the hell are we."


    "Pheebs, David. What are you both doing in here? Are you giving him a tour?" The spirit approached them. It was aware that Phoebe planned to bring David into the space one of the days.


    "What is this place?" David asked, his eyes roaming around. "Is this place real?" He asked.


    Nodding her head, Phoebe smiled. "It is very real, the energy in the pendant keeps this place alive and you my love are the charger to that pendant." She told him. "In technological terms, you are a charger and this is the phone, laptop, electric car."


    "I figured that my energy was going somewhere a long time ago. I just didn''t know where." He muttered; his voice was filled with wonder.


    Phoebe started giving him a tour of the place, she was excited to show him around. This was her kingdom; she was the queen of the space, and the king had come home.


    David was admiring the gold mountain, filtering his hands through gold nuggets that lay untouched on the ground. "Goodness gracious! how much is this mountain worth?"


    "Do not be tempted to take anything." The Saxon spirit warned.


    As he saw other precious stones and gems, a lot of things made sense to him, the precious stones that Phoebe used to make jewels, the herbs that she used to make tonics, the vegetables that were abnormal sized and always fresh. The way she never run out of snacks and drinks, the special water which renewed energy and healed wounds. How she carried a small bag and yet she could pull guns out of it or a spade!!!


    "I am dumbfounded." David gushed, he shook his head in wonder, he shifted his attention to the spirit. "This is a legacy of some kind, right? I remember Phoebe saying that you are a Saxon ancestor so this must be the Saxon legacy or inheritance. Is that right?" He asked, uncertainty lingered in his voice on whether it would give him a truthful answer.


    The spirit nodded once. "Of course I am a Saxon, can''t you tell from my beautiful snowy white hair?" It tucked an unruly strand of hair behind the ear.


    "No actually since Phoebe said that you are old, I assumed that the white hair came with age until that day when I saw you." David studied the spirit''s face more.


    In response to his words the spirit scoffed. "I am not that old. Anyway, now that Phoebe has opened up to you, I hope that you will be the best version of yourself for her. Do not let her down again or the child she is carrying. Nothing should happen to that child." Its tone was a mix of counsel and caution.

 Chapter 461 - 461: Interrogation.

    The emphasis of the child made David a little worried, it seemed to him like his ancestor had plans for the child, but what? He did not get the chance to ask more questions as the spirit floated away, going out if his sight.


    Phoebe came back to his side and dragged him to go swimming and play under the waterfall. After that, they ate some of the fruits from the trees she planted in the space and then visited the library.


    David thought it was cool seeing the statues of some of his other ancestors, the ones that got to be guardians of the space. While they did not react to Phoebe''s presence, they lit up when he entered the hall.


    It was if they were welcoming one of their own into their home which made Phoebe sulk a little. When they visited the library, the keeper did not give David a hard time. It even laughed and followed him, recommending books to read.


    "Biased! You are all biased!" Phoebe stomped her foot angrily as she watched them go. Clearly, not everyone was in support of a Mayfair being the guardian of the space as it was a Saxon legacy.


    After spending some quality time in the space, David had to return to the real world because he had work to do. Zephyra gave him a token that he could use to go in and out of the space as he wished.


    David was grateful, he thanked the spirit for taking good care of Phoebe and assured it that he would not mess around in this life. Phoebe would be well taken care of and well protected.


    "Who will protect my herbs from him." she mumbled. David was surely going to reap her some of her harvest and use it in his research. "Biased, you are all biased." she mumbled again.


    When they returned to the bedroom, David gave her a light kiss, took a bath and rushed out of the door to face the day with vigor.


    Phoebe was slower in her movements, she took her time in the shower and dressed in pink lounge wear it was a workday, but she just did not feel like it. When she finally came out of the bedroom planning to watch TV and be lazy, a surprise awaited her. Her aunt was sitting on a couch watching TV, a ghost hunting show.


    "You are still here? How are you still here?" Phoebe asked. She went to the kitchen in search of ice cream in the fridge and was pleased to find new flavors stocked by David. She got one and returned to the living room.


    Maureen''s hand rummaged through the bag of popcorn. "I like it here; we should become roommates. When you go home later get me clothes and other necessities I will be staying here for a while. I cannot go home with these burn marks on my body Edward will get suspicious." Her eyes shifted back to the TV.


    "They are barely visible!" Phoebe exclaimed.


    "Edward was once a student at the academy, he sees things Pheebs." Maureen sent a handful of popcorn to her mouth.


    Phoebe could not understand her aunt''s motives. "You are a millionaire, you know that you can afford an apartment here, right?"


    "I can afford the building, it doesn''t mean I am going to buy it. Get comfortable kid, training hours can last till three in the night or start at three in the morning, it depends on which way you look at it." Maureen answered.


    Raising her shoulders up and down, Phoebe scooped half a spoon on the pistachio ice cream and inserted it in her mouth. She cared less if her aunt stayed for a day or a month.


    "So, you are not going to work?" Phoebe asked, maybe her aunt could not go home but she could surely go to work.


    Maureen arched a brow and stared at her niece defiantly. "I could ask you the same thing anyway tell me about how you came into possession of those undead pets." Her eyes fixed on her forehead.


    "I bought them at an auction." Phoebe stated calmly.


    "Ha!" Maureen answered, skeptical because there were no such auctions. "And when was this, I want to acquire them too."


    Phoebe licked her lips. "A long time ago in a village when I was cleaning out a haunted house. I think I got them from an old shaman, but I don''t remember the details." She waved her hand dismissively.


    Maureen cocked her head, not convinced. "Was this before you became a Mayfair because from what I learned about your history, you would have been too poor to afford them." She probed deeper, waiting for Phoebe to fall into a hole and reveal more of her secrets.


    [I got them when I was reborn, they are my familiars. Doesn''t the academy give guardians familiars? Wait, the academy would not keep around undead things, they would consider it an abomination which is stupid because being undead does not mean being evil. Anyway, what is with the interrogation? I feel like I am in a police interrogation room and not my apartment] S§×ar?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe let out a weary sigh. "When I started my shaman job." She raised herself to her feet. "I am going to the cafe." Her tone carried a hint of irritation.


    Maureen gawked at Phoebe, reborn! It was this thought again. She had clearly seen right, and it was not the first time. What did this mean exactly, she questioned quietly. She had read and heard of rebirth stories, but it was mostly considered to be fiction and people that made such claims were often sent to mental institutions. She had not met anyone that was actually reborn.


    She could not consider Phoebe to be a liar or a nut case. For one, Phoebe had thought about it and not said it out loud. Clearly, it was a secret and if it was the case truly then it made sense in some ways. Sometimes, it almost seemed as if Phoebe could predict the future of the world.


    Perhaps Phoebe had truly lived one life, died and resurrected to re-live her life. But what did it mean for the rest of them, were they also reborn? Had the world turned back just so that Phoebe''s life could be restarted? Or maybe Phoebe had dreamed of what her life would be and awakened with this knowledge.


    "I''ll be damned!" Maureen voice echoed; she hoped that one day Phoebe would shed more light on the matter.


    For now, she would have to keep studying her. Maureen considered her mission of uncovering something about Phoebe done for the day. She stood up, draped her coat around her shoulders and went to the cafe.


    Phoebe reluctantly followed her and found Gemma Michelson waiting to see her which was surprising. The young woman grabbed her arm as soon as she saw her.


    "Miss Mayfair i cannot thank you enough for helping my father, he has made a full recovery." A big grin drawled on her lips.


    Phoebe returned the smile. "There are a lot of stake holders that played a major role in that. It is good that you are here because I wanted to offer you a job, working at an orphanage. You will be compensated very well and there are additional benefits that come with the job like a car, housing fund, retirement benefits and time off."


    Tears glistened in Gemma''s eyes, Phoebe had already done so much for her, all she could do was appreciate her. "Of course, of course I will take it. Thank you so much Miss Mayfair, I will never take your kindness for granted."


    Phoebe touched her stomach, she hoped the charity she was doing would accumulate blessings for her baby.

 Chapter 462 - 462: Change in the seasons.

    Warm days gave way to cold ones as the winter season took over, sweeping through the country with vengeance and burying the streets in white snow.


    The cafe was an even busier place as people flocked to it for its natural warmth and they spent hours inside enjoying hot tea, coffee and a myriad of other drinks that were favored in winter. Surprisingly, it was also a good time for ghosts to move on. Even though they were dead, many did not enjoy the cold and those that were stuck for flimsy reasons decided to move on.


    Phoebe spent most of her time helping those ghosts as best as she could, and helping the Saxons avoid many tragedies. So far, she had ended the beginning of the birth of genetically deformed babies, more death, Katherine''s lawsuit and the theft of secrets from the company.


    David made it his mission to ensure that she never missed getting a reward for helping the Saxons. If they had even the smallest problem at home, he called her in as if she was the Saxon cleanup crew. He also wore her out most nights sacrificing his body to increase her life span, not that she was complaining.


    Her schedule was very packed and in those two months she trained hard with the guardians and expanded her skill set in a lot of areas, be it magic or fighting. Together as a group, the women hunted multiple demons, ghosts and supernatural creatures with each widening Phoebe''s knowledge as she got to realize that there were more evil creatures than she ever knew existed.


    Phoebe was drinking hot chocolate out of a mug, watching a few families enjoy skiing and other snow activities on a mountain at night, unaware of the danger that they had just been saved from. The trio had just taken down five frostbite golems, creatures whose eyes glowed with an eerie blue light and were formed from frozen boulders and packed snow.


    She had never heard of frostbite golems, not even in a whisper of mythical supernatural creatures. It left her wondering just how many other unknown creatures were lurking out there in the dark, striking and moving on without anyone ever knowing.


    A baby girl in a yellow jacket saw her from where she was hiding behind the trees and waved. Just as she was about to wave back, the Saxon spirit dragged her into the painting and three women returned to Phoebe''s office in her cafe.


    "If people knew how dangerous the world is out there, they would stop roaming around aimlessly especially at night." Phoebe placed the gun on the work desk, taking off the traveler''s backpack that she had been carrying on her back. She started dusting snow crumbs off her jacket and noticed rips in a few places where shards of ice had cut through. "Stupid frostbite golems, this is a five-hundred-dollar jacket!" sea??h th§× n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The spirit scoffed. "To be fair you guys are the ones that entered their territory in the name of hunting for prey." It reminded her, it had not been on board when Maureen made the suggestion to go hunting in the dead ice mountains which was believed to be the end of the earth and home to winter monsters.


    In the dead ice mountains, you could find snow wraiths, ghostly creatures with translucent bodies made of compacted glittering snow that drained warmth from their surroundings. You could also find icebound sirens, elegant and beautiful deadly beings that resembled humans but carved from ice. They were known for singing melodies that lured wanderers closer only to encase them in ice with a single frozen touch.


    The mountains also housed blizzard hounds, the avalanche colossus, the Snowshaper and many other creatures. It was a good hunting ground but a dangerous one. It was also a famous tourist spot so the monsters that dwelled there were never short of victims.


    Maureen settled in a chair and propped her legs up in a chair. "Oh, come off it, at the end of the day we all made it back alive, and we had fun. None of you are hurt, right?" Her eyes shifted from Phoebe to Rekha.


    "Are you joking senior? We only survived because we hid inside Phoebe''s hunters backpack and devised a plan to fight those things. I have never even heard of frostbite golems, if we did not have Phoebe''s knowledgeable ghost, we would be dead right now."


    Rekha''s tone was effortlessly laced with frustration. She hissed as she cleaned the cut on her arm where a shard of ice pierced through. If Phoebe had not intervened, it would have gone through her like a nail being drilled into a hand.


    Rekha''s frustration was not unwarranted, in the last two months she had noted that Maureen was a reckless hunter that dragged Phoebe all over the world in the name of training. She did not make plans before a hunt, nor did she make any strategies. She just searched the internet and academy boards for weird deaths anywhere and picked up her hunting tools, ready to go. She basically went with the flow which was the exact opposite to who Rekha was.


    Rekha was meticulous, she liked to research, make a plan___three plans because it was important to have two exit strategies. Sometimes two were not enough and one needed five, depending on what they were hunting.


    Phoebe poured a white powder on Rekha''s wound and the woman screamed as the flesh started coming back together magically. This did not stop her from further berating Maureen.


    "What if something happens to Phoebe what will we tell Mr. Mayfair?" His one instruction had been that she keep Phoebe out of danger and lately it was beginning to feel like she was doing the opposite. She felt the urge to bolt and reveal everything before he caught on.


    Maureen was not bothered by what she considered to be more whining by Edwards spy. "Rekha, you need to calm down, do you think that Phoebe would have progressed this much if we sat here making plans and taking things slow?"


    "We..." Rekha started her response but Maureen stopped her.


    She waved her hand dismissively. "Next time we will plan first, we can even scout the target area ahead of time and take notes." Maureen made the same promise for what seemed like the hundredth time.


    Rekha faced away from her and sneered. "That is what you say each time." She spoke in a hushed tone. "Phoebe, are you going to weigh in here?"


    Phoebe was on board with Maureen, she was terrified at times, but she always found means to survive and her progress was phenomenal. "Rekha if you are going to be a standing block to my progress then you cannot be part of this group." She drummed her fingers on the table.


    A gentle sigh drifted from Rekha, she did not want Phoebe to give her the boot and despite her discomfort, she was enjoying what they were doing.


    "All I am saying is that we should be more careful, last week we were almost killed by a group of Wendigos. We could all have ended up as Wendigo dinner because we did not realize they were acting as a group and not one. It is winter, many creatures are starving, I don''t want to be eaten." She looked in the direction of the Saxon spirit and asked, "Why don''t you weigh in here."

 Chapter 463 - 463: Edwards birthday dinner.

    The Saxon spirit was all about Phoebe and what was good for her. On one hand, she was progressing which was awesome but on the other hand, Maureen was a little reckless. Phoebe was pregnant, her first trimester had just passed. It was a miracle that the pregnancy was unharmed given all the intense physical fighting she had been doing.


    Thankfully, magic was involved, and David''s energy was being used to protect the baby.


    "You are all right, Maureen needs to pull back a bit.."


    Rekha threw her fist in the air jubilantly.


    "But being too cautious will also delay Phoebe''s progress. I don''t need to remind you all about Ravana''s impending return, more demons are infesting this city as we speak. Just combine both approaches." Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Maureen threw her fist in the air and looked at Rekha provocatively. The ladies left the office, cleaned up in the cafe employee bathroom and went to work.


    **************


    One thing that had advanced more than Phoebe''s skills in the last two months was Maureen and Mr. Alton''s relationship. It began by him asking her to help him overcome his past and quickly the situation had turned into them seeing each other.


    The happiest person with this development was grandma Mayfair who kept mentioning the word wedding at every given opportunity. Despite her hints, Maureen was unmoved which resulted in many arguments between mother and daughter.


    Alton Boyd had become a regular visitor at the Mayfair manor. That evening too during dinner, he was invited over. He was not the only invited guest to Edward''s birthday dinner; Sabrina was there as well.


    Andre was still not comfortable with her coming to the Mayfair manor for any reason and yet she regularly came over for family dinner. She was always welcomed with hugs and a guest room had been fixed for her and set aside for her use permanently. It was obvious that everyone thought of her as part of the family. Ever since she came of age, his mother kept instructing him to chauffeur her around the city and take her on walks.


    Andre had been staying away from home for longer periods now to avoid Sabrina and the uncomfortable situation. His movie was keeping him busy and mostly out of town which he was thankful for.


    When he walked into the dining room that evening with an armful of gift bags that were handed to the servants, he was not surprised to see her at the table.


    "You are here again. Is your home infested with termites or what?" His snide questions came through a whisper as he sat down. He made sure that his mother who sat next to Sabrina did not hear him.


    Sabrina only smiled back politely, deep down her blood was boiling with fury and she wanted to snap back a sharp retort, but she was just as guest in the Mayfair house and therefore had to be on her best behavior.


    If it was any other family, she would not care but apart from Andre, the rest of the Mayfair''s had been kind to her. Mr. and Mrs. Mayfair treated her as one of their own. When they bought presents for their children, she got one as well. Old Lady Mayfair was teaching her etiquette and made her join social clubs. She even helped her with her university application.


    They did things for her that her own parents and siblings did not bother to do so she liked them, and she did not want to disappoint their expectations in her. After all, for the first time in her life, someone expected her to do great things.


    "Good evening to you too Andre." She responded, wishing she did not have to sit next to him. It happened every single time. What kind of coincidence was that!!!


    Oman appeared and announced that the Lee''s had arrived and so had the Saxon''s. They had all come for Edward''s birthday. It was a small celebration and only people from his inner circle had been invited.


    After the initial hellos were exchanged, they sat to enjoy the meals that had been prepared by the chefs.


    Grandpa Saxon gazed at Phoebe whom he had requested to see in private countless times, but the girl never acted on her promises to see him. Then he drifted his gaze to David.


    "It is nice to finally see you, we barely hear from you since you decided to move into the Mayfair manor." He feigned a cough to cover up the disapproval in his tone, still not happy about the idea.


    "Grandpa I am sorry for not calling you or Nana lately, I will do better. About me staying here, well the Mayfair''s are my family too just like you are." David squeezed Phoebe''s fingers. The two happened to be comfortably holding hands even at the table. Everyone had grown used to it ever since David moved in.


    It had come out of the blue for them. When Phoebe had refused to move in with David or buy a home with him, he had made a sudden decision to move into the Mayfair manor permanently. After the entire family got over the initial shock, they were overjoyed because it meant Phoebe did not have to leave.


    They had not lived with her for even a year, if she left, they would be sad. The Saxon''s however found it odd, he and Phoebe were supposed to move into the tower not the other way round. When did Saxon''s start living with their in-laws? David was breaking all kinds of family traditions to accommodate his girlfriend.


    Grandpa Saxon brushed off the apology with a wave of his hand. "Of course, I am certain that the Mayfair''s care for you." He shut his lips although there was more to say.


    "Just do not be strangers, both of you." Grandma Saxon smiled at Phoebe mostly.


    What the elders didn''t know was that the couple was simply trying to hide Phoebe''s pregnancy. David had told her that his grandmother could sense a pregnancy from a mile away.


    Miranda held her chest. "Have you thought about having babies yet? At least I will find solace in my grandchild." She said abruptly.


    [Oh crap!]


    Phoebe almost spilled her apple juice when she had Miranda''s words. If only Miranda knew that her wish was already baking.


    Anna Lee''s face turned ashen. "Are you serious Miranda? They are not married yet so how can they have a child? Why would you even say that out loud?" She gulped on her husband''s whiskey; passion fruit juice was just not hard enough.


    The shock on her face reflected that of the entire Lee family, chastity was a big deal to them.


    Miranda clucked her tongue in disapproval. "Oh my God Anna we are no longer in the old days where purity of a woman was everything. The young people of these days are very liberal about such matters. As long as they are willing to be together just like David and Phoebe are, I do not think it is a problem." She spoke casually. "Besides, a family like ours can rise any children that they have with or without a wedding license."


    Minka gave Shanna a side eye. "So, the rumors about Rose-bell being pregnant before her wedding were true?" She innocently asked.

 Chapter 464 - 464: A proposal, suddenly.

    The question was met by silence, awkwardness enveloped everyone in the room. Suddenly, Jennie started to re-arrange the seating arrangement for the next party or dinner that she held. It was best to know who could not sit next to who and who to give less alcohol as they had a loose mouth.


    [Is it wrong that I almost wish they would fight...heheheee]


    Phoebe snickered and those that saw her thoughts shook their heads.


    Miranda raised her brows and adjusted them to their original position. She had no plans of fighting and disgracing herself, so she answered rationally. "One, that is none of your business and a very inappropriate thing to say. Two, I can neither confirm nor deny the allegations, but I can assure you that I am proud of my daughter and love her." She hailed for the server to add more wine to her glass.


    "Oh my God mother just tell them already after all I married the father of the baby." Rose-bell rolled the eyes, she was a very open-minded person, one that was not shackled by the norms and traditions of the founding society and some of their hypocritical families.


    Anna sipped more whiskey, shaking her head in disapproval. "If that ever happens in my family all hell will break loose, we are taught from childhood to protect our chastity with our lives until marriage." Her voice was effortlessly smooth.


    "Speaking of marriage, how far have the preparations gone? These children should have been married a long time ago. I do not know what the problem is." Grandpa Lee sliced through his medium rare stake slowly.


    Grandma Mayfair looked at the two problematic women that had delayed the wedding. "The mothers are always the problem because their ideas keep clashing. Perhaps we should just get an external wedding planner and get this done with." She suggested.


    "What? Old lady Mayfair, how can you make such a suggestion?" Anna''s eyes widened. She looked at grandma Mayfair as if the old woman had betrayed her greatly.


    She considered the words as an insult because she had the best wedding planning company for the rich and wealthy in Fog country. Who else could plan her daughter''s wedding if not her?


    "The budget was twenty-five million, then it was increased to thirty and then fifty. Today, we are at one hundred million. As much as both of our families have money, I do not think a one hundred-million-dollar wedding is a sensible thing. Do you know how much good that money can do for all the less fortunate this in this weather?" Old Mayfair shared another of her opinion.


    Both mothers looked down, a slight flicker of guilt struck them.


    "We can adjust the budget." Jennie mumbled.


    Anna Lee nodded as well, as suddenly for the first time, they agreed on something, but that peace did not last long and both women narrowed their eyes at each other. No matter what the budget was, their ideas would still clash.


    Miranda on the other hand blinked rapidly. "A winter wedding? You cannot be serious! How is that supposed to turn out, forget that maybe in the spring." She chomped on some vegetables, unbothered about the budget size.


    "This wedding would have happened a long time ago if only Miranda did not argue about each and everything. Even in spring, I am very sure that she will complain about something else like maybe waiting until the flowers bloom, tsk." Anna''s face flushed with exasperation.


    Just before Miranda couldn''t counter her words, Collin dropped the cutlery onto his plate with a loud clang. He said nothing even though all the attention was now on him, instead he wiped his mouth with a tissue.


    Edward cleared his horse throat and then said, "Since the ladies cannot come to an agreement, we gentlemen have talked things over. The wedding will happen next week on the weekend. Alfie and I will handle everything, the children do not want anything extravagant they just want to be married." His tone was smooth yet authoritative.


    "I cannot agree more." Grandpa Lee concurred.


    Displeased, the former wedding planners locked gazes and looked away from each other as if they were permanent enemies that could not stand sitting at the same table. Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Thank God that is out of the way, now what about you Boyd?" Grandma Mayfair stared at Mr. Alton. "Why is it taking you too long to propose? My daughter is not getting any younger, the quality of her eggs keeps diminishing with each passing day. The sooner you marry her the better." She croaked.


    "Mother!" Edward exclaimed immediately.


    Rose-Bell choked on wine and Phoebe gasped. Even though older people in society were fond of blurting out things candidly, this was a little too extreme.


    [For heaven''s sake nana, you need to chill, or aunt will move back to Hartoum.]


    Old Lady Mayfair decided that she had not said enough and decided to add more to her words. "I am being truthful because none of them is getting any younger. No matter how good they look, Boyd is pushing fifty and Maureen is halfway into her forties. If you two have plans to have children, now is the time to get on it. I don''t have many active babysitting years left in me so you must take advantage of me while my old bones are still active."


    Maureen could not believe that her mother was airing her business out there for the entire world to listen. She had no plans of marrying Boyd Alton, not until she had the man figured out.


    "Mother please! Let him be, let me be. I prefer the situation that Phoebe and David have." She gave her boyfriend an apologetic gaze.


    "No,no,no Maureen I want to marry you, I want you to become my wife soon." Mr. Alton declared strongly and surprised everyone by pulling out a ring from the pocket of his shirt.


    Maureen gasped in a mix of shock and disbelief. They had only dated for three months, and he wanted her to be his wife? The man that could not let go of his old wife three months ago!!! Someone was crazy and it was not her.


    Jennie''s thoughts were on board with Maureen''s, and she pulled her brows into a frown. "So soon? I mean shouldn''t you date a little bit more? Alton are you sure that you want to marry Maureen?" She seemed more worried for him than her sister in-law.


    Jennie was sure that sooner or later, Maureen would be back to her life of wandering around the world. Any man she married would be abandoned like a lonely unwanted old sock.


    Grandma Mayfair cast Jennie a piercing look. "What do you mean by that? David wanted to marry Phoebe before knowing who she was. He saw her in his dreams and decided that she was the one for him. Maureen and Alton have been dating for three months. I have a good feeling about this just say yes to the man already." She pressured.


    Maureen froze, she did not know what to say. Boyd Alton was looking at her with eyes all filled with hope. No matter, Maureen felt uncomfortable about the situation. Before she could respond, he took her hand and slid the ring onto her finger.

 Chapter 465 - 465: Fertile but no baby

    [Shit!!! he actually proposed and had a ring ready. What the hell!! Old me would be happy for aunt but now I have some reservations. He is a good guy according to supernatural research but...]


    Phoebe''s incomplete thought left those that had seen it a little unsatisfied. Andre for example wanted to shake his sister and ask what she was leaving out.


    More than the Mayfair''s, David seemed concerned about the new guy that was about to become his uncle in-law. If there was something about him which was troubling Phoebe, he wanted to handle it.


    He leaned towards Phoebe and asked. "What do we really know about this guy? I don''t trust his quick proposal; he might be up to something. I am going to run a background check on him. If he is messing around with aunt Maureen, I am going to shave off his kneecaps." His wary stare remained fixed on Mr. Alton who seemed to have blended into the family already.


    David had only come to know him of recent but here he was already popping marriage proposals. If the man was not down to earth, he would have written him off as a gold digger taking advantage of old lady Mayfair''s blind desire to see her daughter married at all costs.


    "Come down tiger, do not shave any kneecaps just yet. I did a reading on him and discovered he is a good man, faithful and loyal. He seems to be a good match for aunt but he seemed unable to let go of the past initially. Apparently, he is overcoming that now which is a good thing, I guess. I am just not too comfortable with the rushed proposal; people don''t just erase their obsession for dead spouses in three to four months. " Phoebe massaged her knuckles. Her eyes followed Boyd around the room.


    The dinner party had split into groups because of the proposal or desire to have personal conversations.


    She excused herself to join the Lee sisters, they seemed to be engrossed in a deep conversation, upon seeing Phoebe approach they went silent.


    "Everything alright?" Phoebe asked, she could swear that she could see moisture in Shanna''s eyes.


    As Shanna''s sister-in-law, she was not comfortable with seeing tears in Shanna''s eyes. Who had the heart to harm the owner of those precious beautiful blue eyes?


    Minka sneered and mumbled. "Well, it seems that some people are more favored by the heavens than the others. I have been trying to get pregnant for three years...." her voice trailed off as a lump formed in her throat.


    Shanna only remained silent; her remorseful gaze met that of her sisters. "Minka it is not your fault." Her voice escaped as a faint murmur.


    Minka snapped at Shanna out of anger, "Tell that to mother and father or the entire Lee clan. Do you think that I do not know that I have become a laughingstock in the family. Three years! three fucking years!!! Some people do it once and get pregnant why do I have to endure such pain and humiliation?" A tear rolled down Minka''s cheek.


    To an extent Phoebe felt like Minka''s last words were directed towards her, she and David had been together only once, and she became pregnant. Suddenly, Phoebe started to realize why Minka was fond of the bottle__, drinking was her way of escaping the pain she was suffering.


    Phoebe winced lightly. "Maybe I can be of some help Minka, I have helped many women conceive with my herbs. How about we try them and see or perhaps you could let me do a reading and see if there is a negative energy that is preventing you from conceiving."


    Her eyes shifted to where George Osbourne, Minka''s husband was sitting, the female ghost that she had seen following them at the courthouse floated around him possessively.


    Immediately, Minka dried her tears with the frown on her face vanishing. "Really? Can you help me have a baby? I have been to every specialist in the country and more than a few abroad.


    The reports are all the same, George and I are in good health. We keep being told to wait and it will happen, but nothing has happened. If you can help us, I will forever be grateful. Truthfully, I wanted to tell George that we should seek out your help, but I was not sure that he would go for it.


    George''s family does not believe in shamans or things like that. His parents have labeled me infertile, and his sisters even came home asking that the marriage be annulled." Minka held onto Phoebe''s hand for dear life.


    "Annulment? Is that not going too far?" Phoebe asked, she further released a scoff.


    Shanna clucked her tongue. "They claim that since the marriage had failed to be fruitful means that it was invalid from the beginning. Mrs. Osbourne said that it is always the woman''s fault if the couple fails to have children. You should have seen them with their righteous attitudes, arrogantly accusing our Lee family of giving them an infertile hen. Minka brought out the test reports, but they tore them all up and claimed they were fake; those Osbourne''s are very irrational people." She twisted her nose in disgust.


    She shot her sister a look that was a mixture of apology and defiance after all, Minka''s beloved husband was an Osbourne. Almost everyone on the lane knew Minka loved Osbourne, some even knew that she had been the one that went on one knee and proposed to him.


    She had been the one to plan a surprise proposal and sweep him off his feet. Her love for him was as blind as a moth to a flame, oblivious to the danger yet irresistibly drawn to the light.


    Minka sighed, she could not fault Shanna or any other member of their Lee family for their attitudes towards the Osbourne''s.


    "It is my fault, grandfather warned me about marrying into that family but i insisted and even threatened to run away with him. I love George but lately I have come to realize that love alone is never enough to sustain a marriage. I am turning into an alcoholic day by day and losing my mind. Who knew that marriage could break a person?" Minka let out a weary sigh, she tired of holding onto a marriage that was about to break anytime. S§×arch* The Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Getting pregnant was the last hope they had as a couple and Phoebe Mayfair was now her only and last hope. If it did not work out with her, it was time to wrap up the marriage.


    Phoebe put a hand on Minka''s back, gently comforting the woman with some energy and light pats. Her statement about marriage breaking a person was relatable. Indeed, love alone did not always sustain the marriage.


    The spirit was with them, and it said to Phoebe, "How much are you willing to bet that whatever problems they are facing that ghost has a lot to do with it, see how it is lusting after George Osbourne. It keeps licking and kissing him, maybe it even sleeps with him at night!" It shook its head in disgust.

 Chapter 466 - 466: A promise is a debt.

    Phoebe watched the ghost, blown away by its brazenness for crossing into her territory. Was its desire for George Osbourne so great that it ignored the talisman at the door which warned all ghosts that a powerful shaman lived inside the manor?


    "So, what is our guess, virgin ghost with unfilled desires? Ex-girlfriend that has not let go of her boyfriend? Victim haunting the one that caused her to die?"


    "It''s not talking, I tried." The Saxon spirit responded. "But I am determined to find out." It vanished away to search for the answers which they wanted.


    After a few last words to Minka and resurrecting her dead hope of having babies, Phoebe found her way to old man Lee. He was sitting alone, enjoying the soft music that was coming from Luna''s singing. It was supposed to be ordinary karaoke, but Luna had brought a band and decided to put on a full show for the few guests at the dinner.


    "Grandpa Lee, it is nice to see you again." Phoebe''s voice chimed with glee.


    Adjusting his glasses that sat at the bridge of his nose, grandpa Lee smiled warmly upon seeing who it was. "Oh, look who it? If it is not Cillian''s only granddaughter. Your grandfather would have loved to meet you, he would be bragging so much about having such an intelligent and beautiful granddaughter and keeping all of our grandsons away with a shot gun."


    Old man Lee was more than certain that if Cillian had been alive, David would not be living in the Mayfair manor. He would have shot him down and run him off with dogs for daring to covet his only granddaughter.


    He whispered in a low and sorrowful voice. "I miss that cranky old bastard."


    Then, he raised his glass up, toasting to his old friend. Life had certainly been lonelier without him; fishing was not the same anymore.


    Phoebe chewed on her lower lip. "Actually, I have been meaning to come and talk to you some more about that grandpa Lee. I know that we have talked about my grandfather Cillian before, but I still want to know more about him. Lately, I find myself missing him so much despite the fact that I never even met him. Will you tell me more stories about him?" She pouted her lips a little.


    Old man Lee knew what Phoebe was up to, he was ready to turn her down when she grabbed onto his arm, looked into his eyes and batted her eyelashes. Her eyes were moist as if she was about to cry at any moment.


    Dammit! I can''t make Cillian''s granddaughter cry, he thought. His old friend would have skinned him alive for causing his precious granddaughter misery. Covering his wrinkled hand over hers, grandpa Lee gave her a rueful smile.


    "Cillian was my best friend, there is no one that knew him better than I did, except maybe Rufus. I will tell you as much as I can about him, so whenever you have time come to the Lee manor. I will tell you everything that you want to know." He tapped her hand gently.


    Phoebe''s brows raised high up, and she let go of his arm with a smile on her face. "Everything? Do not forget you said that grandpa, no more hide and seek." She warned dramatically for she planned to ask him about her grandfather''s death. For now, she decided to ask random questions to make him comfortable. "Mimm, if he could have personally named me, what name do you think he would have given me?"


    "Angel, Angela, Celeste, Gabriel, Evangeline or Seraphim."


    Phoebe giggled a little. "My grandfather liked angels, huh."


    Old man Lee nodded, "Your grandmother named Maureen, so Cillian lost out on that one but for his granddaughters and great granddaughters, he had a list of names ready and all of them were angel related."


    "Why?"


    Old man Lee''s eyes twinkled as he recalled something and he said with amusement in his voice, "Believe it or not, Cillian once had an arch nemesis that was of the angelic kind." He folded his lips and laughed nervously.


    Phoebe quickly asked another question. "I like strawberries, did he like strawberries?"


    She played around like that and got to pull some answers out of him. It helped that he was partially intoxicated. After her conversation with old man Lee, Phoebe found herself engaged in another conversation with grandpa Saxon.


    Just as he had been doing lately, he requested that she once again to visit the tower for a private conversation. Phoebe wondered why he was so persistent about her going there, nevertheless she promised to do so like she had done many times before.


    "Make sure that you do, it is important." Grandpa Saxon urged. He had a lot of questions swirling in his mind about Phoebe, him seeing her thoughts, her ability to conjure a powerful storm, her possession of extraordinary magic items.


    He was also worried about her intentions and reasons for getting involved with David. Was it because of her yin body? She was a mystery he was determined to solve.


    Phoebe escaped his intense gaze and joined the women who had gathered around Luna, cheering her on like fans. Even Jennie was applauding, the relationship between her and Luna had come along way.


    Luna was singing one of her most famous songs. When she was done, she moved to hug Phoebe.


    "Is it just me or have we taken long without seeing each other?" Luna''s hug got tighter by the minute. She squeezed Phoebe as if she was squeezing a soft teddy bear.


    Phoebe laughed softly. "If you squeeze any tighter, I will pop or go out of breath." Phoebe tapped her arm.


    On hearing her words, Luna relaxed the hold she had of her. "Sorry, it''s just that you are my favorite human."


    "More than Luke?" Phoebe sighed dramatically.


    Luna nodded and both of them laughed. Luna had moved back briefly to Magic city because her grandmother had passed on last month. The Mayfair''s were the only founding family to attend the funeral. It made the news and officially worked as the public announcement of Luke and Luna''s relationship.


    "Join me." Luna pulled Phoebe and handed her a microphone. The simple birthday quickly turned into a sing and dance party. Everyone wanted to show off their skills.


    After the guests left, old lady Mayfair wanted the party to continue, she wanted to celebrate Maureen''s engagement despite everyone''s protests, and they wanted to go to bed.


    Phoebe sneaked away and went to her aunt''s bedroom, she could not help feeling that for someone that was newly engaged her aunt didn''t seem excited.


    "Aunt? Are you sleeping already?" She lightly knocked on the door.


    The door swung open just when Phoebe was about to knock the second time. "Like as if I can even sleep after the unwelcome shocking surprise." Maureen gestured for her niece to enter.


    "You do not seem too thrilled; I could tell that you were not pleased. What is it that is bothering you?" Phoebe wiggled around and found a comfortable spot on the bouncy bed.


    Letting out a pronounced sigh, Maureen sat by Phoebe''s side. "I do not know Pheebs, I feel like we are rushing things. Boyd is still in recovery, I think he still loves his dead wife...not love, obsessed. He got rid of all her pictures and won''t talk about her. It is as if she did not exist at all.


    To me, that is denial, I can''t tie my life to a man like that. What if he relapses then what? I will have to live with an emotional damaged man for the rest of my life, ha!" She fell back; her eyes fixed upon the ceiling.


    "Who said that you marry him tomorrow? You can drag this until you get comfortable marrying him, you can drag it until you are eighty. I suggest that you talk to uncle Boyd about taking things slow and if he refuses, give him his ring back and leave the country for a while to avoid grandma. Marriage is not by force aunt, sometimes it''s a grave one should not enter." Phoebe advised. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The spirit nodded. "Good advice child."

 Chapter 467 - 467: Slow your horses.

    That night Phoebe and David lay in bed, reading Alton Boyd''s information that had been sent over by Roxanne, his hacker.


    "Did you know that he comes from money? His family owns many high-end golf courses, two golf resorts and two dozen country clubs globally. Why hasn''t he shared this fact with your family?" Davids right hand caressed Phoebe''s lower belly as he looked at the various pictures of the properties the Boyd family owned. "They are not founding family wealthy, but they are elite wealthy, financially speaking he is not a bad match for your aunt."


    "It is not the financial part that worries me, it''s the spiritual one." She responded softly, breathing heavily because she had a great desire to sleep.


    "Why the hell is he selling three-dollar seeds in a mall when he could be living large?" David replied with a question. "Mmm, I have found the answer, his family gave him an ultimatum, money or the woman he loved, and he chose love."


    David started to think that maybe this Alton was not so bad, minus that spiritual stumbling block which Phoebe had told him about.


    "When are we telling your family about the pregnancy?" He looked down at her head, expecting to meet her eyes and answer. His ears were met with the sound of light snoring. S§×ar?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He kissed Phoebe on the cheek, put away the small laptop and went to sleep as well.


    ***********


    The next morning at breakfast, the topic of discussion was not the usual gossip, It was national affairs instead. It had to do with the collapse of Fog country''s first underwater resort that had happened at around three o''clock in the night. It was a key national project that only been announced recently.


    "I do not want to hear about this anywhere because it was given to me as confidential information. The president does not want this information out there yet. His team must find a way to spin the story and not make it appear as the disaster it truly is." Edward cautioned his family members upon revealing the information.


    Collin shook his head lightly; he was sure that any moment soon an eager network would break the news. "Father, you know that sooner or later the public will find out, twenty-two people are dead. The president is in trouble, he bragged about how this underwater resort was going to create more jobs for the people of the country, Cantona Bay especially.


    It was his launch project into the next presidential campaign, he already had one hundred more resorts like this lined up ready to be built all over the country. No matter how the presidential palace spins it, people are going to demand for answers, accountability. Who cut corners that led to this nightmare and where did the money go?" He gave his submission on the matter.


    "Can you blame us for wanting accountability? It is our hard earned taxpayers money after all." Grandma Mayfair commented. "I make coffee for a living and my hair smells of food and beverages daily. My feet have to be massaged three times a week because they get sore from standing for long hours. Yesterday, we had a ghost customer that was a jerk, he threw an iced margarita at me. Do you know how hard it is to make money? How dare they play around with our taxes?"


    "You serve alcohol now!" Edward exclaimed.


    Phoebe shook her head quickly; they did not have a liquor operating license.


    "What did you do about the jerk ghost?" Jennie asked curiously.


    Old lady Mayfair eyes roamed around in search for Maureen whom she had not seen since early morning, she did not hear Jennie''s question.


    Edward filled Jennie in on the jerk ghost according to what Rekha had told him. She had thrown it out with a talisman and told it to return when it had learned to be polite.


    Phoebe tugged on her father''s arm, drawing his attention away from her mother. Twenty-two people had died, she was more interested in hearing more about the tragedy of the collapse of the underwater resort


    "Dad, do they know what caused the collapse? Is it human error? Something is strange about this because I seem to recall that they brought out the best building and ship engineers in the country to construct it. They even hired some experts that were part of the team that constructed the underwater marine hotel in Eagle country." She pulled her brows closely together. "Could this be an attack from an enemy nation?"


    "Investigations are still on going, I bet the president will say exactly what you are thinking. He will likely call it an act of terror. No matter what went wrong, the blame cannot be on him or the people he praised on national television." Edward pulled his shoulders into a shrug.


    "Has anyone seen Maureen today? We need to choose a date for this wedding." Grandma Mayfair said abruptly.


    Jennie nearly scalded her lips with steaming tea. "Mother! Don''t you think that you are going too fast? Why are you choosing dates already?" She asked, impatience spilling from her lips.


    Grandma Mayfair let out a short sigh, the sound was heavy as it was sharp. "You must be the least pleased person to hear that Maureen is finally off the market because you use it to taunt her when you two argue. Keep your nose out of this." Old lady Mayfair doubted Jennie''s intentions. Never had her daughter-in-law been on the best of terms with Maureen. Why then was she suddenly acting concerned.


    Before the atmosphere could grow anymore strained, Phoebe scraped her chair backwards with a piercing squeal. "Nana can we go now, there is something important that is going to happen at the cafe." Her voice was openly demanding.


    Grandma Mayfair sneered at Jennie, raised to her feet and stormed out of the door.


    Jennie scoffed and said to Edward, "Your mother is getting more and more sensitive. Thank God she has a job to keep her busy."


    In the car grandma Mayfair spun to the side to face her granddaughter, there was a little pout on her lips. "Is something happening at the cafe or did you want to save your mother from my wrath by getting me out of there?" Her narrowed eyes stared at Phoebe suspiciously.


    Phoebe pouted too and old lady Mayfair sighed. She felt as if she owed Phoebe an apology or an explanation.


    "I am not fool child, and I don''t hate your mother, we get along well, and I like her. Anyway, you did good because I was about to bite off her head. Maureen''s situation has me on edge a little." Her words were cold and definitive.


    Phoebe''s face twisted with unease. "Nana, I am not taking sides between you and mom, I love you both equally.


    About aunt Maureen''s marriage, I am going to offer some advice as a shaman. You need to slow your horses, Alton Boyd maybe a nice man but there are still doubts and questions. Do not pressurize aunt Maureen into marry him or you and her might both have regrets. Nana, what do you really know about Alton Boyd except the fact that I said he is a nice man. Even if you did a background check into him, there are some things it cannot tell you, emotional and spiritual things.


    I suggest that you let things flow naturally, you do not want aunt to marry and then get a divorce a few months down the road. Alton Boyd is dealing with a dark past and aunt is helping him overcome it that''s why they have been close. Please, do not force things or aunt might leave the city and not return."

 Chapter 468 - 468: Jennies big budgets.

    A mix of confusion and sock etched on grandma Mayfair''s features. This was the first time she was hearing of this, and she wanted to know more. It was true she desperately wanted her daughter married off, but she was not so foolish as to push her into a fire pit.


    "What dark past? Does this mean that he is not a good match for Maureen? Will something bad happen to her if she marries him?" Her mind twirled with multiple questions and scenarios that all ended in her daughter''s death.


    Her heart was beating irregularly, skipping beats and she started to breathe ruggedly like an asthma patient.


    Phoebe gently pasted a talisman on her grandmother''s back and smiled gently and warmly in a reassuring way to calm her down.


    "Nana, breathe, even though he has some issues he is working on them just to be a great man for aunt but like I said let them work through it slowly on their own. Stop adding pressure to the situation or you will worsen it." She folded her lips.


    Old lady Mayfair closed her eyes, breathing in and out slowly. Like Maureen, she started reconsidering this association with Alton Boyd, if he had issues maybe he was not the right man for her daughter. Just because Phoebe had said he was good; did not mean he was the best.


    ********** S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Margaret Saxon had been a very busy woman after her precious son''s death. She was determined to take over his business empire or at least what was left of it. The company was suffering from a lack of leadership, and the impending lawsuits had not been settled.


    Rufus Saxon intended to settle those financial problems which made Margaret relived as she believed she could take over the company easily. The only problem she had was that she had failed to meet face to face with Morgan Skesgard, the managing director of D.P holdings.


    She had been to the headquarters of D.P Holdings many times but she was told that the man was not available. The trick had worked a few times, but Margaret was determined not to give up, she was like a detective that was hungry to close a case. She stopped visiting D.P Holdings and planted spies in different buildings around, masquerading as cleaners or waiters. Their task was to watch Morgan''s movements and alert her the moment he entered the premises of the company.


    It paid off because she had received a phone call that morning informing her that Morgan had arrived.


    "Are you sure that he is there right now? You have to make sure that it is the right man." Margaret asked her most trusted man, a bodyguard named Nut.


    "Yes ma''am, it is him for certain." He responded right before his boss cut the call.


    Without wasting any time, Margaret dressed in a red suit that she had selected purposefully to radiate power. When she was satisfied with how she looked, she stepped out of the house and left the tower grounds.


    The servants who were hiding from her sighed with relief to see her go. Ever since the death of her son, she had become insufferable.


    "Finally, she is gone, we can breathe now." One placed a hand to his chest.


    "Where is she going anyway?"


    "Who cares, as long as she is gone."


    Gomez, the gardener that found Dickson''s body shuffled his feet. He was the most uncomfortable person around Margaret. "I feel like the old patriarch punished me by sending that wicked witch to live in the houses near the servant quarters, each time I run into her that woman sends me death stares. It''s almost like as though she blames me for her son''s death." He shuddered not from the freezing breeze but from the remembrance of Margaret''s icy glare.


    "It was your bad luck that you found Mr. Dickson''s body. If it was me, I would have walked past it like I had seen nothing especially because Mr. Dickson was a pain in the ass. Many of us were harassed by him but we kept quiet because we did not want to lose our jobs. You are just too nosy for your own good Gomez now see where it landed you." A maid clucked her tongue and added an eye roll.


    "But I did not kill Mr. Dickson, I just stumbled on the body....."


    Catalina the head maid of the Saxon household walked in and feigned a cough that brought Gomez''s explanation to a hold.


    With stern eyes, she looked at the ten servants that were discussing Margaret. "I do not believe that I need to remind you all that you signed a non-disclosure agreement not to talk about any issues surrounding the late Mr. Dickson especially anything related to his death. Besides, don''t you have jobs to do or do you want me to relieve you of your duties right now?" The last words thundered out, commanding attention. Everyone scattered and went back to their specific duties.


    *******


    Unaware that Margaret was heading their way, it was business as usual at D.P holdings. David happened to be inside the building on this day. He usually passed by the headquarters when he had free time and when an important meeting was being held. It was important to him to see in person the progress of the company as one of the owners. In the past two months, Phoebe had come along a few times, today was supposed to be one of those times but she was advocating for Maureen, so she chose not to go.


    He had finished going over the quarterly report which made him happy as he was grinning like a Cheshire cat.


    "I like this Morgan, I knew I chose the right man for the job." David laughed.


    "In that case, can you return Hobbi to me? You took a good right-hand man and sent him to help out at the orphanage where his skills are underutilized. He was a great help around here." Morgan echoed a complaint.


    David let out an amused measured laugh. "Are you not the same man that was against me bringing him here because you wanted only your own people that you trusted? So, get one of them to fill the void." He answered. "There is no one that will run that orphanage more efficiently than Hobbi. My mother-in-law was sending me large bills like five million on blankets. She bought the children high end wool blankets that cost over two thousand dollars each!!"


    Morgan laughed at his friend; he had seen Jennie''s price list. She was running the orphanage as if it was the Mayfair Manor, buying the best of everything and to her the best meant high end and top dollar. The children in the orphanage were living like children of wealthy families. They used cups that cost one hundred dollars each, plates cost eighty dollars each, their clothes fell in the three hundred-to-ten-thousand-dollar range.


    Jennie Mayfair had only bought designer brands or sustainable luxury that was also known as eco-friendly. The pens the children used in class cost between four hundred to two thousand dollars, imported brands at that!


    "She was killing me with her budgets, and even though I can afford it in the short run it was not feasible in the long run. When I told to cut back on the spending, she did not bring me a lunch box the following day and claimed she was cutting back on spending her money on me." David groaned and Morgan even louder.


    After sharing his troubles of working with his mother-in-law, David started guiding Morgan on which companies to purchase or invest in.


    "I do not know how you always know where to invest, this is surely more than intuition boss. It is almost like you know the future." Morgan''s tone was laced with intrigue.


    Letting out a chuckle, David peered directly into his gaze. "You keep forgetting that i have a shaman for a wife, you have her to thank for all this." He spoke casually.

 Chapter 469 - 469: D.C Pharma Take Over.

    Morgan stood up, walked to the coffee machine and replenished their empty mugs. As he walked back, he said, "It is interesting how you comfortably say mother-in-law and call your girlfriend your wife without hesitation. Did I miss the wedding?"


    "She is my wife, wedding or no wedding. In my life, I will only ever have one woman and that is Phoebe Mayfair." he declared.


    Morgan had never seen his old friend so devoted to woman and willing to give everything he had to her. What was it about Phoebe Mayfair that made David crazy in love with her? When it came to looks, she was pretty but not stunning. Her height was....Morgan tilted his head to the right and giggled. As for her job, it was not the most ideal occupation. Her background was more than impressive, it put her toe to toe with David.


    As Morgan was still pondering on that, there was a knock on the door. His secretary poked her head in and informed them that Margaret Saxon was in the lobby and that she was not leaving until she had spoken to Morgan.


    David arched an eyebrow. "My aunt? What the hell does she want? Could she have figured that I am the real owner of the company?" He spoke with unintended urgency; he was not yet prepared for people to find out especially people like Margaret.


    She would blast it to all the family members and a few greedy elders in their family would start harping about how he should merge D.P Holdings and D.P research into the Saxon group.


    He had no plans of merging his personal companies which was why only his in-laws knew the truth and they had agreed to keep the secret.


    "She doesn''t know David, if she did it would be your name she would be screaming right now." Morgan answered quickly to calm him down. "She has been here countless times; I am certain that she wants to talk about DC pharma." He explained further.


    Narrowing his eyes, David scoffed. "What is there to talk about DC pharma? We own that company now; I thought that chapter was closed. Have you not told her the decision that we made? Go deal with it now Morgan, that woman is tenacious like a mad pit bull. Call the legal department too, when she loses her mind aunt Maggie throws her hands." He touched his cheek to clarify that she slapped others. "I will be listening and watching from here." He gestured at Morgan to hasten up.


    David moved his fingers around on a keyboard and accessed the footage from the cameras inside the building. He watched his aunt stroll into the board room after two secretaries, upon seeing a room almost full of people that no doubt were attorneys, she sneered.


    Margaret knew instantly that this was not a peaceful meeting. "What is with all the hostility Mr. Skesgard? I come in peace. There is no need to bring in the lawyers, at least not yet. I have legal representatives too, but you do not see them with me." Her voice was smooth but tinged with sarcasm. She settled in the middle empty chair and faced Morgan and the ten legal representatives of DP holdings.


    The lawyers, men and women were dressed in expensive suits, their faces were stoic, and their demeanor was cold. They were at the top of their different fields and had been recruited at great expense by Morgan and David.


    "Let us get straight to business Mrs. Saxon, I do not know why you have been persistent in your search for me. I am a very busy man, and many people here would have helped you even without my intervention." Morgan reclined in the chair, rocking it gently as if to indicate that he was not really taking her seriously.


    Margaret pinched her lips and exhaled sharply, then a bitter smile formed on her lips, and she said sharply. "I want to let you know that I am taking over the position of CEO at DC pharma. Since you are the major investors, I had to inform you of that." Her authoritative voice resonated in the room, her words however were received by a chuckle and then a sneer on Morgan''s face.


    "Only investors you mean." Morgan scoffed. "We are the only investors in D.C Pharma, perhaps you ought to return to wherever you came from and investigate your facts again." S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Margaret''s sharp eyes traveled around the room, failing to catch the joke in what she had previously said.


    "No matter what, it is my son''s company and as his mother I have the right to inherit it." She pulled her brows together.


    The corporate finance lawyers had something to say about that, they obviously disagreed with her and pushed paperwork her way. Margaret could not understand what the paperwork said, the legal and business terms were too complicated for her.


    Leaning forward, Morgan caught her gaze and said lazily, "Mrs. Saxon we invested a huge sum of money in that company with the promise that we are going to start receiving a return on investment in the very first month. The former CEO failed to do that, so we informed him that we were pulling out our investment out of his company.


    Sadly, he passed away and we tried to recoup our investment, but the company is bankrupt and facing multiple lawsuits. One of the lawsuits is related to us because Mr. Dickson Saxon stole intellectual property from D.P research labs. We helped him but he stole from us."


    Different papers were pushed Margaret''s way from the investment lawyers.


    "As per the terms of our agreement with the late Mr. Dickson, the now bankrupt D.C Pharma cannot pay us what we are owed so naturally according to the contract that was signed, DP holdings will be absorbing DC Pharma." He shrugged his shoulders like it was not a big deal.


    The lawyers that handled bankruptcy handed her paperwork to do with that.


    Margaret found herself holding a dozen papers while absorbing this shocking news. She stood abruptly, threw the papers at the lawyers and shouted, "What do you mean by absorb DC Pharma? Are you trying to merge it into your company? That is impossible! I will not allow you to do that, I cannot allow my son''s hard work and sweat to go to waste just like that. You must have tricked him into signing this contract so that you could steal from him." She lamented, pointing her finger at each one of them.


    Mr. Cade the head of the corporate finance lawyers knocked twice on the table with his knuckles to get Margaret''s attention. "There is another way to remedy this, Mrs. Saxon. You will have to pay back all the money that we invested plus the profits which we never received, the cost of the stolen formula and the loss D.P research incurred plus a distress fee." He slid to her an A4 paper which had a number that had just been scrambled down but had long been arranged.


    Margaret grimaced. "I am a Saxon; this must be petty change...." She stopped speaking when she saw the total figure. "Eighty billion!!" she gasped.


    "Yes." Cade answered. "To be paid in a week or else we absorb DC pharma."

 Chapter 470 - 470: No ghost in sight.

    Margaret''s eyes rolled back, and she fainted. After she was rushed away, Morgan returned to David''s office. He did not need to narrate all that had happened as David had watched the entire thing.


    "So, do you think she will pay up?"


    "I don''t know, but I know it will not be coming out of the Saxon group. The most my grandfather can give her is one billion, it can be considered Dickson''s inheritance.


    As for her individually, she married a Saxon, but she is not a Saxon, and she doesn''t have much support in the family. Nobody in the family will be lining up to fill her pockets with money."


    "But what if she comes up with it?" Morgan sat down and leaned forward. "What do we do?"


    "We take the money." David laughed. "Hell, if she can come up with two billion, take it and give D.C Pharma to her. In fact, you can have one of our lawyers suggest it to her later, after she is done agonizing. That company is now an empty shell with a bad reputation in the industry. We don''t need it, we already got what we needed from it."


    Dickson might have been a greedy bastard, but he had struck gold and employed a few researchers from abroad. One of them, had been successful in coming up with a treatment for Alzheimer''s disease.


    In this life, after the scandal and collapse of D.C Pharma, that researcher had been poached by D.P Holdings and he was working in the research lab. He would make them the eighty billion and more.


    On another side of Citrus city, Phoebe was entertaining special guests that had come to the cafe in early in the morning. The couple had arrived at the cafe so early that Rosset found them waiting by the door, fighting off the cold. Of course, like other rich folks they were covered up abundantly in luxury winter furs.


    It had taken everything in Rosette not to ask Minka how man chinchillas had been killed to recoup the required fur to put together her thousand-dollar fur coat.


    Rather than that, she invited them in and smiled politely before giving them some tea to warm up. She was still judging them of course, mostly because they were trying to disguise themselves stupidly.


    Minka not so much as she was simply wearing sunglasses inside a cafe, in winter! But George looked like an undercover spy with the collar of his coat pulled up, a hat on his head, sunglasses over his eyes and he even wore a fake beard. The worst part of the disguise was the woman''s blonde wig covering his natural black hair.


    "Do not mind him, I had to force him to be here." Minka told Rosset who had questions in her eyes.


    George secured the shades around his eyes. "Just tell her that you threatened to agree to the annulment if I refused to come." He moved to the table at the corner and sat facing the wall like a child being punished for misbehaving only in his case, he was volunteering for the punishment. S§×ar?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Minka left him alone and she sipped her tea, eyes peeled to the door waiting for Phoebe''s arrival. Upon Phoebe''s arrival, they were invited into her office where George felt safe enough to take off the bucket hat whose straps where tightly tied under his chin.


    "Phew that feels a lot better, can I have a cup of coffee and a doughnut? Minka did not even allow me to have breakfast." George requested, placing the shades on the center table in the open area.


    Minka wanted to remind him of the tea Rosette gave them which he had left untouched because he was sulking.


    Phoebe nodded and called her grandmother, placing a breakfast order for both of them. "It is on the house after all we are family." She smiled warmly, her eyes moving around in search of the ghost that haunted George.


    The spirit did the same thing. "That lady ghost is not here; it has been hanging around them or him everywhere so where is it now?" It quizzed like as though Phoebe had the answers, yet she was just as clueless.


    Phoebe gave the couple time to eat a filling breakfast and after they filled their bellies, she moved and sat on the couch that was opposite the one they were sharing.


    "Okay let us get down to business." She announced, pressing the pen button which she pulled out of the notebook.


    On hearing her words, George chuckled dismissively, garnering attention to himself including grandma Mayfair who had just joined them, not about to miss gossip on the Osbourne couple.


    "Is something amusing you George?" She asked.


    "Forgive me old lady Mayfair and I do not mean to be rude, but I just do not buy into all this. All this supernatural stuff is fiction, but my wife is under some miscalculated impression that we will find the solution to our problem here in this little cafe." His eyes sized up Phoebe''s office and then the owner of the cafe, Phoebe herself. "I have heard rumors of your supposed skills, but you don''t look like any shaman I have ever seen."


    Phoebe released a knowing sigh; it was another day to be undermined by a client. "Why do you say that? Is it because you think that I am too young for the job?" Her lips curved into a knowing smile.


    George tilted back in the couch. "No that is not it completely, it''s just that we have been to countless spiritual people. Ones are the best in the business but still nothing worked. Mother-in-law has made us drink repulsive tonics from all over the place but those did not work either. We tried scientific means like artificial insemination, IVF but still we failed to have kids at this point I am tired and over it." He let out a weary sound.


    With sorrowful eyes, Minka stared at him. "But I am not tired, I want children babe. I want to shut your sisters and mother up. I will not stop trying even if you do." She shed a tear.


    Grandma Mayfair pointed her lips forward. "Are you sure that you are doing the deed properly? Maybe you ejaculate prematurely, Minka does he do it well?" She probed.


    The tears in Minka''s eyes dried up quickly after what old lady Mayfair said. Shocked, Phoebe''s wide eyes stared at her grandmother. "Nana!" She called loudly.


    George raised his hand to stop Phoebe. "I want to answer that, old lady Mayfair I am a stallion in bed, all the women that I have slept with can attest to that, my sperms are in as good shape as I am. At this point I just believe that I was not meant to have kids." He twisted his lips to one side.


    Old lady Mayfair had become famous on the founding lane for her gossip from this cafe. He did not want her running her mouth out there about his sex life and saying things like premature ejaculation.


    "Hmm, so what about your ex-wife. Did you two have a child or did she not get pregnant for you as well?" Phoebe asked casually however, she had activated the detonator.

 Chapter 471 - 471: Marriage markers.

    The room suddenly shrunk, becoming so much smaller. In that small room, it was as if someone was holding a bomb, and the timer was counting down to something___, an explosion. The air was thick, almost alive as if it had a pulse and weight, unbearable weight that no one could hold.


    No one moved. No one spoke, Eyes darted around the room--seeking understanding, seeking denial, seeking answers but found none. Mouths hung slightly open, frozen in unvoiced questions that refused to be asked.


    Minka''s fingers hovered over the edge of the armrest, Phoebe''s words rebounded in her ears over and over persistently like the ticking of a timer of a bomb. She could not comprehend whether she had heard right.


    George Osbourne was gawking at Phoebe; he was as surprised as Minka was that a truth which had been buried so deeply for so long had made it to the surface somehow. How did she know? This was a secret that was not out there, his parents had told him never to mention it to anyone. Outside his immediate family, nobody knew.


    "How did you know?" He asked. The question came out unintentionally, admitting that indeed he had been married before.


    He closed his mouth, opened it, closed it again. It was if he was trying to decide if he should take back the question or double down as he had admitted the truth without meaning.


    Minka leaped from her seat, she settled into a confused pace from left to right. "Wait George, is this really true? No__it is true because you have just basically admitted to it." She laughed harshly, "So you have been married before and you never thought to share this with me, your fucking wife!!!!Who did you marry and when was this marriage?


    Why did you keep this from me?" She screamed and then laughed again as she came to another realization. "Your family knows about this, don''t they? They have always been certain that the problem was me not you, so it seems they had a good reason to believe so. To think that they been claiming that we lied to them, yet you people are the ones that lied about such an important thing." Her tone was sharp as it was condemning.


    George folded himself a little in the corner of the chair, he was a puppy being barked at by an angry large dog.


    Phoebe poured water into a glass and handed it to Minka. "Please calm down, screaming at him will not get us anywhere." She urged her to take some water. She had no plans to comfort George, he was the sinner here and he deserved to be shouted at.


    Grandma Mayfair was in a stupor of her own, the Osbourne''s were a private family, they acted snobby and polished like gentlemen or noble women from a Victorian era. Their manners were usually refined, and they frowned upon those families that raised unruly children like the Mayfair''s Spellcaster''s Saxon''s, Darling''s and others. This was the first time she was getting any dirt on them, and she was going to spread it everywhere.


    She moved closer to George, hiding the smile on her lips. "What is the story here George? Why did you hide your first marriage."


    Phoebe rolled her eyes; her grandmother was like a paparazzo or news ghoul. Her posture was like that of a reporter and all that was missing was a microphone for the interview she was conducting.


    George shook his head, cheeks flushing with a mix of embarrassment and regret. "I never hid it, I did not mean to anyway. And it was so long ago when I was still young and foolish during my university days. I fell in love with a girl whom I decided that I wanted to marry. My parents rejected her right away, but we got married nevertheless and run away from home. My parents continued to search for me until they found us after three years. They offered her a huge sum of money which she took and left, I never heard from her again." He wiped his hands over his face.


    His emotions clearly depicted a man that was still in love with his ex-wife and hurting over her abandonment even after so many years.


    "Just like that? Why I mean you loved each other enough to elope so why did she agree to abandon your marriage?" Grandma Mayfair asked.


    George shut his eyes briefly. "She left me a letter in which she said that she was frustrated because we had been trying to have a child for two years and it was not happening. She admitted that it was her fault, and she said that she was freeing me to find a woman that could have babies for me. Also leaving a life with in-laws that hunted her down and always being on the run or hiding from them was exhausting so she left." He made eye contact with Phoebe. "But how did you know? That marriage was never registered." His voice was tinged with curiosity with his question directed at Phoebe.


    Requesting for his palm, Phoebe began to interpret what she saw. "Maybe the marriage was not registered but you two were wed in a temple, you entered into a spiritual covenant when you exchanged those vows. You have a marriage marker, a shared thread that tied your souls together." Phoebe explained the best way she could.


    "Pheebs, he has two marriage markers actually." The spirit pointed out quietly. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe could see that too but was this the time to detonate another bomb?


    Minka who had been quiet pulled her lips to one side, sneering greatly. "So, what was so hard about sharing this with me, George? What was so shameful about it that you had to keep it a secret? You watched your family condemn me when you already have history of an ex-wife that coincidentally failed to give you children too" She threw him a disapproving stare. "It seems to me like the problem is not me and your family knew this. You are a bunch of malicious people I will tell you that. You all trampled on my self-esteem and made me feel worthless, you watched me down one bottle of a wine after another, blaming myself and you never thought to mention this."


    In response George apologized for the trauma his family caused his wife. "Honey I am sorry; I just didn''t want the past to affect us. That marriage is not related to us or the live we are leading now. I forgot that woman a long time ago, all that matters is that we stick together from now on no matter what. I promise that I will never keep a secret from you again." He grasped her hands and held them tightly.


    Phoebe smiled warmly, they did not know just yet, but their situation was not plain and simple. "George do you perhaps have a picture of this woman? I would like to see it." She inquired, hoping that it was the ghost she had seen hovering around him.


    Minka and George exchanged gazes. "Why? What has that got to do with you helping us conceive." He answered a question with a question, his tone filled with doubts.

 Chapter 472 - 472: Severing marriage ties.

    Scanning her brain for a good answer, Phoebe''s face lit up at once upon finding one that explained the situation simply. "Your wife left you but you two never divorced. Marriage vows can be serious depending on where you got married and how. The problem is that people don''t know this, and they just take vows thinking that there are no consequences.


    In a courthouse you sign papers and say vows that have no effect, except for the legal ones of course. In the temple where you married, things are a little different, you united pieces of your souls. Some ties bind you forever, you need to divorce her spiritually, sever all last remaining ties with your ex-wife." Her tone was effortlessly smooth and assuring.


    Minka shook her head rapidly. "My God!!! Pheebs, do you think that maybe this has something to do with our childlessness?" Hope shrouded her face and voice because if that was the problem then the solution was easy. "Let''s do it right there."


    Grandma Mayfair was fighting the urge to slap Minka on the head and perhaps help her regain her senses. George and his family had lied to her!! Was she really going to just embrace him back so easily?


    "I am not certain about that, but we will see, like I said I am going to see this to the end and find a solution to your problem." Phoebe''s fingers drummed lightly on the desk as she waited for the picture.


    George was dawdling, making no move to share any picture of his ex-wife. Grandma Mayfair reminded George to bring out the picture.


    "Don''t you have any pictures of her, what about in your wallet?" She asked.


    Shaking his head, George flicked his fingers lightly. "I don''t, but in this day and era who does not have a social media presence. We should search for her on online social platforms." He suggested.


    "Right!" Minka lit up like a light bulb.


    "Just give me the name." Phoebe told him. On getting the name- Grace Bauer and her age plus where she had gone for university, Phoebe sent the details to Roxanne whom she requested to send back any information that she found about her, especially pictures.


    In the shortest waiting time, which was one minute, Roxanne forwarded pictures of Grace Bauer from childhood to adulthood. Immediately Phoebe showed them to George who confirmed that it was her.


    A disappointed sigh came from Phoebe. "Are you sure?" She asked him to take a closer look, Grace Bauer was not the ghost he had seen floating around George. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Yes of course I am sure, I have not seen her for so many years, but I remember her face. She has added a pound or two and colored her hair but that is her." He answered strongly.


    The spirit rubbed its chin. "Grace Bauer is alive, obviously. So, who was the ghost that we saw?" It voiced silently.


    "Phoebe, whats next? Should we reach out to her to take part in the ritual?" Minka asked, her voice coated with excitement.


    Phoebe shook her head slightly. "That is not necessary, a talisman will do the job but there is something I have to tell you and you better brace yourselves." She used a sterner tone.


    The smile on Minka''s face fell, fast. "Oh God, I knew that it was too good to be true." She made the sign on the cross. "What is it now?"


    George on the other hand remained silent, he shuddered when Phoebe cast him and intense stare. He could not help dreading what was going to come up next, but he was certain that he had no other secret left, not like his first marriage.


    "What now? Is it about me again?" His voice was a mixture of fear and worry although he did not know what was going on.


    "Mr. Osbourne did you marry someone else other than Grace Bauer? I ask because you have two marriage markers, and none belong to Minka it seems." Phoebe raised her hand to stop him from speaking yet. "Before you say anything, just know that if you lie, I will still find out so please save us both sometime and tell the truth." Phoebe offered him advice mixed with caution.


    Shocked, George placed a hand to his chest. "I-I do not understand what you mean. What other marriage?" His voice was low and shaky.


    Minka was already panting heavily, her red moist eyes glared at her husband whom she had branded a rouge. "Tell the truth you son of a bitch!" She yelled at him, tears finally sprouting out of her eyes.


    She could not help feeling like the biggest fool on the planet. Her husband had two marriage markers and none was hers!! He had bonded his soul with others but never did so with her. Had he ever loved her truly?


    As she thought about this, the tears spilled out of her eyes even faster. Memories of his reluctance to date her back then came forward. Images of herself proposing to him floating in front of her eyes and almost drove her mad with fury.


    "What have I done to myself?" she laughed while crying at the same time.


    Raising to his feet, George tried to hug Minka, but she shoved him away. "Get away from me you bastard. I am done with you; how can you lie like that?" Minka lamented. "How could you do this to me? If you didn''t want to marry me you should have said no., I would have been hurt but I would have recovered after a month or three. How could you ruin me like this!!!"


    She drew her hand back and slapped him, screaming profanities that escaped through the gaps in the office, reaching the counter of the cafe. Whatever was happening in the office, those at the counter wanted to know so badly.


    Old lady Mayfair had to pull Minka away from George or else she was going to murder him. His face and neck were covered in scratch and slap marks.


    Minka broke down in old lady Mayfair''s embrace, bawling like a newborn in the cold.


    The spirit which felt terrible for Minka planted a truth telling talisman on George''s back, he fell back in the sofa with his eyes flickered uncontrollably upward, as if in a spasm and then he froze as if he was a robot.


    "Tell us the truth about your marriages. What are the names of all the women you have married, George Osbourne." Phoebe commanded.


    "I was once married to Grace Bauer and now married to Minka Lee." He stopped talking.


    Phoebe''s eyes flew open. "Is that it? You did not marry anyone else?" Her tone dripping with discontent.


    "No!" George answered.

 Chapter 473 - 473: Spilling many beans.

    "How can this be, it seems he is actually telling the truth!" Phoebe gasped.


    Everyone in the room was consumed by a mix of confusion and wonder especially Phoebe who was more than certain that George had to be lying but she was also willing to accept facts. People could lie but facts could not. It was a fact that George Osbourne had two marriage markers. It was also a fact that none belonged to Minka.


    It was also a newly established fact that George did not have a hidden wife. No ordinary person could resist the power of a truth telling talisman, and George Osbourne was as normal as they came.


    The facts were not lining up, something was missing. How could a man have a wife that he did not know about?


    "What the hell is going on here?" Phoebe whispered, her eyes lifted to meet those of the spirit. "Is there something that you can see that I do not. What am I missing?" She communicated quietly.


    The spirit only shook its head, puzzled too. It was the first time it was encountering such a situation; it had seen ghost marriages but, in such cases, the man or woman involved was always affected. They would lose energy, were always pale, often afflicted with illnesses. They did not look as healthy as George.


    "Something deeper is going on here and I am going to figure it out but what I can tell you for sure is that this man married twice. The marriage markers don''t lie Phoebe. How someone marries and they have no idea is dumbfounding though." It replied.


    Minka''s tears on the other hand had quickly dried up and she had left old lady Mayfair''s embrace. She was feeling guilty for beating him up and was crouching next to her him. She slowly fed him a rejuvenating tonic like Phoebe had instructed her too. While she was doing that, she also tended to his wounds.


    "George! Babe, are you alright?" She asked as he came around.


    Sitting up, George massaged the back of his neck, he felt almost like a while ago he was no longer in control of his mind. "Did you cast a spell on me or something I feel weird." He groaned weakly, relaxing the tense muscles around his back area.


    He was surprised to see that Minka was trying to rip his head off his neck anymore.


    Phoebe nodded. "Yes, I did do something to you to compel you to tell us the truth. We had to know if you were lying or not." Phoebe emitted an anxious murmur.


    With a wounded stare, George looked at Phoebe and then Minka. "I swear that I am telling the truth!" His tone was tinged with both frustration and disbelief. "Why won''t you believe me? I have one ex-wife, and I am so sorry that I hid that fact but now I am married to Minka and only Minka. I love my wife even though our marriage has had its fair share of troubles." He grasped Minka''s hands. "Honey, I have always loved you, I was just pretending to be reluctant about you in the past because my family can be complicated sometimes but I love you."


    Minka nuzzled her forehead against his. "Of course, babe I believe you and I am sorry for doubting you. I only believed that what Phoebe said was right because of what had just transpired. I mean she was right about Grace Bauer. How could I not believe her?" She threw him a contrite expression.


    Before they could brand her incompetent or a liar, Phoebe simulated a cough. "For your information I am still right, I do not know how but Mr. Osbourne you have another marriage marker." She momentarily stopped speaking. "Which brings me to my next question, George did you have a list of any clinging girlfriend? Perhaps one that did not want to let you go or vowed not to let you have peace?" She asked, her eyes studying him for a trace of deceit.


    "I have not been in many relationships; I have two ex-girlfriends and we had clean break ups. But why do you ask?" He posed a question.


    "Do you have any stalkers? An insane woman perhaps that was obsessed with you even though you were not interested?" Phoebe presented another alternative.


    Once more George rejected the idea, grimacing even as he could not imagine it.


    "Is that what you think happened? Did some insane stalker marry him and he never realized?" Minka asked worriedly.


    "Hmm." Phoebe delayed her speech for a bit and took a deep breath. Since it had come down to this, it was best to just put it all out there. "What I am about to say might be horrifying to you, but you have to know anyway. Perhaps we will find a solution quicker if we get it out of the way." Although her voice was stern, it was both assuring and encouraging.


    Minka perched at the edge of the chair. "Horrifying. Does this have something to do with preventing us from having kids?" She asked, trembling slightly.


    Phoebe cocked her head to the side for she was not sure. "We should rule it out, but I strongly suspect that it does." She offered them a faint smile.


    "Then tell us!" Grandma Mayfair commanded; she was now deeply engrossed in the case.


    "Yes please, leave nothing back." Minka tugged on George''s hand, and they comforted each other. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe leaned forward. "There is a female ghost that is always around George, it follows him almost everywhere and seems to be quite possessive of him. I suspect that...."


    "What!" George chimed in loudly, exclaiming in shock.


    Minka was too shocked to say a word. Her eyes however roamed around her husband as if she could somehow find the ghost if she looked hard enough.


    Phoebe expelled heavy breath. "I have seen it around you both two times, first at the courthouse the day Collin and Shanna got married and second at our Mayfair manor on the day of my father''s birthday dinner. At first I was not sure whom it was following at the courthouse but I came to confirm that it was George at the party." Phoebe ceased speaking; her eyes moved around only to notice that her grandmother''s face had been drained of its color. She seemed to be even more surprised than the Osbourne''s.


    "Nana? Are you feeling sick?" She asked.


    Grandma Mayfair looked her straight in the eyes. "Collin and Shanna are married? When and why do the rest of us not know about it?"

 Chapter 474 - 474: A new co-conspirator.

    On the day Shanna and Collin got married, all the witnesses made a vow on that day too. They promised to never disclose the marriage to anyone until the couple was ready to share their good news with their families, but Phoebe had unintentionally let the cat out of the bag.


    "What?" Phoebe asked, acting as if she had not heard her grandmother''s question.


    "You just said something about Collin and Shanna." Old lady Mayfair keenly looked at her granddaughter.


    "Who?" Phoebe blinked a few times, looking confused like a lost little lamb on a highway.


    Old lady Mayfair made a soft growl, "My baby girl, if you do not spill, I will be worse than your mother." She warned softly and yet her voice promised consequences.


    Phoebe had no doubt that the news on Collin and Shanna''s marriage might make the rounds on the founding lane gossip mill before George and his three wives.


    "Huh?" Phoebe scratched her head, uncertain about where to begin. "Grandma I-l....." She began to speak only to fold her lips when the words failed her. "It was....haha." She looked down and squealed like a baby mouse caught in a trap.


    Old lady Mayfair was not observing only Phoebe, she was looking at Minka and George as well because Minka and Shanna were very close. If anyone on the Lee family knew about a marriage, it was Minka.


    Minka and George turned to face away from grandma Mayfair, their demeanor betrayed their knowledge of the secret.


    Grandma Mayfair scoffed and moved her eyes from one guilty party to another. "Say no more, the stuttering and avoidance gave you away. You two must know about this as well." Grandma Mayfair accused, pointing her index finger at Minka and George. "Turn around and face me! I want to see how you will all lie straight to my face. I want to see if you can lie to an old woman." Her words carried an air of authority.


    On facing her, they were met with an angry glare of an old woman who was about to extract the truth out of them using any means possible.


    Minka broke first, chewing on the nail of her pinky finger, in a muffled voice, she said. "Well grandma Mayfair to be fair we did not know what Collin and Shanna were planning until we got to that courthouse. I bet it was the same for Phoebe and her brothers because they looked surprised as well." She casually mentioned more accomplices, if they were going down, everyone had to sink, not just the three of them.


    "Her brothers?" Grandma Mayfair repeated some of Minka''s words. "I am certain that you mean Andre and Luke."


    Minka nodded quickly, George groaned, and Phoebe covered her eyes with her right hand for a moment. Between her mother and Collin, she did not know who would fillet her skin first for the accidental spill.


    Old lady Mayfair slapped the chair and Phoebe jumped up slightly.


    "How could you children do this? Do you all know how important this wedding is to both families? So, whose dumb idea was this? What exactly happened? You better tell me everything or I am calling the mothers of the bride and groom." Her gaze drifted directly at Phoebe.


    Maybe she could not scold the Osbourne''s but with her granddaughter she could.


    Breathing a reluctant sigh, Phoebe moved a little closer to her grandmother and made her tone coquettish, acting like a spoiled child as she shook the old woman''s arm slowly. "Nana, don''t be mad at me, I was also a victim. How could I say no to my elder brother? Honestly, we had no option but to be witnesses however we are not at fault here, mom and Mrs. Anna Lee are the culprits. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They just can''t seem to agree on anything, ignoring the feelings of the couple that just wants to be together and start a family. I would do the same thing if I were them. A wedding is not that special after all, it''s the vows that count and the marriage license." She pulled her lips to one side; in her heart she hoped that her grandmother would understand the dilemma that the couple was in.


    She figured her grandmother wanted Collin married and he was now married so it was good news. It wasn''t as if the wedding was off anyway, it would happen soon.


    Grandma Mayfair''s shoulders fell back, somewhat relaxed as she calmed herself after listening to her granddaughter''s reasoning. "You are right, I cannot entirely blame the children entirely when the adults are the ones acting childish.


    Imagine being unable to come to a decision on the sitting arrangement, cake choices, floral arrangements, even the venue is being questioned again. I should have been sterner and more involved in the decision making. Perhaps then Collin and Shanna would not have been pushed do this." Her tone came laced with remorse.


    "It''s good news that they are married right?" Phoebe pounded gently on her grandmother''s shoulders, giving her a massage.


    Old lady Mayfair nodded and grinned.


    "Soon you will have grandchildren." Phoebe added.


    Old lady Mayfair grinned even wider, picturing Collin and Shanna''s children running through the manor, getting into trouble and giving Collin a taste of what he put them through. Collin had been very wild and energetic as a child.


    The Saxon spirit shook its head, old lady Mayfair would be in for a shock when she found out who was giving her a grandchild first.


    The bomb had been detonated safely so everyone relaxed.


    "Phew!" Minka murmured, placing a hand to her heart as relief set in. "For a second there i thought that you were going to give us up old lady Mayfair." A smile settled on her lips.


    Arching an eyebrow, Grandma Mayfair let out heavy breath. "I never said that I was going to keep your secret my dear. The rest of the elders have to know especially the Lee''s. If Shanna is discovered to be pregnant at any moment before the wedding, I am afraid of what will happen. Your grandfather might take my Collin''s head off with a gun." Her voice was smooth but grave.


    Minka blinked fast, her head moving from side to side. "My mother will kill Shanna if she hears of this, who knows what my father will do? He is not a man that reacts well to disappointment and Shanna marrying herself off qualifies as a disappointment. It''s no different from eloping. Grandma please keep this to yourself after all I heard from my cousin Shanna that the couple is getting married on the weekend instead of waiting three to four months. Both fathers have agreed on this, so as long as they marry the secret can die with us."


    They all cast her beseeching gazes that compelled her to rethink her decision.


    Old lady Mayfair would have said no if it was just Minka pleading alone but Phoebe was pouting adorably which melted her heart and she gave in. "If word ever gets out, make sure that no one knows that I knew of this. Do you understand? I do not want to have problems with old man Lee."


    They all nodded in agreement.

 Chapter 475 - 475: Up to speed

    Now that the little episode was out of the way, it was time to get back to business. Phoebe left her grandmother''s side, Minka and George held hands again. Tension and worry flooded their bodies again, the change was so visible in both of them.


    Before they could begin, there was one knock on the door and then it was opened. Maureen poked her head inside first, widened the door and entered fully. Rekha followed, discomfort shining in her eyes as it always did when Maureen made her invade Phoebe''s office when she was dealing with clients, and they were idle or had little to do.


    "Everything alright in here? We heard screaming, cursing and then silence which was worrisome." Maureen asked, strolling in with her suspicious eyes roaming around. "I can cut the tension in here with a blunt knife." She continued to say. "Do you need help?"


    She noticed the first aid box and a wound cleansing tonic on Phoebe''s desk which made her frown.


    Rekha followed right behind her with her arms crossed. "You have been in here for far too long, there is a movie theater haunting case that I want us to check out as soon as possible." Her eyes dropped to see the time on her smart watch.


    Shaking her head from side-to-side Phoebe requested them to sit. "We already have a case actually." She informed them.


    Maureen and Rekha traded gazes and then looked at the Osbourne''s.


    "Meet the Osbourne''s." Phoebe gestured at the couple and then Maureen and Rekha. "Osbourne''s meet the rest of my team."


    "Are Minka and George our clients?" Maureen asked, settling into one of the sofas. "I have to say that it is not that shocking since I saw a ghost touching George provocatively." She stated. Crossing one leg over the other as she got comfortable, she clucked a few times like a hen. "If I was you George, I would be taking ten showers a day in a bathtub filled with holy water."


    George shuddered; it was if he could feel the ghost touching him at that very moment. Phoebe raised her hands to the sky and rolled her eyes. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Why aunt, why?" Phoebe wanted to ask Maureen how many times they had had the ''don''t scare the clients talk.''


    Minka''s eyes flew open. "Miss Maureen, you can see ghosts too. Is it like a family thing?" Her voice dripped with surprise.


    Waving her hand to dismiss the words, Maureen quickly cleared the air. "My niece lent everyone that works here the ability to see ghosts because it is part of our job to help people like you and then move on." She coughed lightly. "So, what is going on really, who is haunting you?"


    Phoebe explained everything to the point of where they were standing at the moment.


    "I still cannot believe that a ghost has been haunting us." Minka twisted her nose to express her disgust. The idea of a ghostly woman constantly touching and licking her husband was gross and disgusting. Minka had made up her mind, the ghostly woman was responsible for their inability to have children.


    Maureen winced lightly. "Well....not you but Mr. Osbourne, that ghost is as straight as a ruler, she had no interest in you Minka. Let us see the pictures of these exes of yours perhaps one died and is making life miserable for you." She proposed.


    Like Grace''s situation, George did not have the pictures, so they checked the social platforms and school yearbooks that were online where they found the pictures.


    "None of them looks like that ghost." Maureen stated her eyes roaming around. "Where is it anyway? It was fawning over you like you are some delicious box of chocolates. I find it hard to believe that it has allowed you to go out of its sight for so long." She spoke with doubt, her eyes wandered around the office.


    Rekha made a humming sound as she thought of a possibility. "This is a ghost sanctuary which keeps out evil ghosts. Perhaps the fact that it did not follow him in here means that it is a ghost with bad intentions hence the fear and inability to waltz into the cafe." She spoke; her tone laced with uncertainty.


    Cocking her head to the side, Grandma Mayfair nodded. "I agree, it must have figured things out when Minka and George talked about coming here at home, so it run away or stayed at their place."


    Maureen shook her head slowly, disagreeing with one of the guesses her mother had made. "Yeah.....that thing is not running away. It loves George as much as I love Ghost cherry candy, especially the pepper flavored ones. It is not meant for humans and yet I keep eating it anyway."


    "Ghost candy!" Grandma Mayfair was confused however nobody bothered to explain what it was. Those answers could wait.


    Rekha grabbed their hunting bags from the top of a bookshelf in the office.


    "I guess that we are going ghost hunting at our in-laws place." Phoebe stated.


    George let out a pronounced sigh. "So, you guys really believe that a ghost of a person that I do not know is haunting us...me. Even though we Osbourne''s turned our backs on the supernatural world long ago I have kept up with some affairs when I married Minka because the Lee family is active in that field. Why is it that my grand father-in-law has never seen or said anything about this ghost? He is or was a guardian, one of the best that ever lived! Surely a ghost like this would not escape his eyes." He raised a good question and made other valid points.


    "Old man Lee has aged, and he quit being a guardian many years ago, over a decade and a half I believe. Magic is always changing, ghosts like other supernatural creatures adapt to circumstances, if he missed something it is not surprising. But yes, with his abilities he could figure things out, but you should understand that ghosts are not stupid. They know how to run when they see a threat, it would not appear when your grandfather-in-law is around, especially if it has ever seen him using magic to deal with another ghost." Rekha explained briefly.


    Maureen raised her hand halfway. "George let me ask this, instinctively do you sometimes feel like you are not alone? Like maybe someone is watching you?" She asked.


    "Yeah, aliens." George responded, he sometimes felt like he was being watched but as a person who chose to believe in science, he always wanted it to be aliens. Even though he knew of the supernatural world, he always assumed there was a scientific explanation for it.


    Maureen shook her head lightly. "No George that was the ghost''s presence that you felt. How many times did you get that feeling when you were in bed?" She quizzed with a smile, her words hinting at something.


    Those words made him shudder. "Well then let us go home and find out what the hell that thing wants from me and why it chose to haunt me of every man in the world. After questioning it, I hope you kill it. Permanently."

 Chapter 476 - 476: Weakened protective shield.

    The Lee family house was built on vast acres of land just like most founding family mansions. It was on the hilly side of the lane and sat atop a gentle, rolling hill that was always shrouded in mist during early mornings. It was an imposing house, a blend of Eastern and Western styles of architecture.


    The winding path that led to the mansion was flanked by intricate stone statues, each one depicting a mythical creature like dragons, qilins and phoenixes. They followed fengshui principles to harmonize the flow of energy up the hill.


    In the middle of the compound was a laughing gold Buddha statue. To its left was a water fountain carved from jade that emitted a gentle trickle that flowed down the hill.


    The compound had been designed on purpose to create harmony, wealth and prosperity for the descendants of the family. The most famous part of the mansion was the koi pond with delicate lotus flowers floating on its surface. It was surrounded by bonsai treed pruned daily, meticulously. It was no doubt one of the best houses on the founding lane. For now, it was completely frozen so it''s beauty could not be seen. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    On getting there, they found grandpa Lee who was just about to enter the car and leave on personal business. His plans flew out of the window as soon as he saw the cars arrive and the people that stepped out of them.


    He adjusted his glasses that had slipped down his nose and frowned a little upon seeing the guests. His very first assumption was that Phoebe had come to him to hear more about her grandfather, but she had come sooner than he expected.


    "Phoebe Mayfair, what a surprise, so you have finally decided to pay me a visit in my home?" His voice was as warm as the smile on his face. His body language was welcoming towards her.


    As for the rest, he did not remember inviting them to his home. He pulled his brows closely together wondering why she had come with Maureen Mayfair and another young woman who bore the mark of a guardian had just showed up to his home. What puzzled him even further was that his granddaughter and her husband walked alongside them.


    "Hello, grandpa Lee." Phoebe smiled widely and introduced her aunt and Rekha.


    The introduction for Maureen was unnecessary as was Rekha''s but grandpa Lee did not stop Phoebe anyway.


    "I brought gifts." Phoebe announced.


    She had two gift bags in her hands which she handed over. A bodyguard took them from her and into the house.


    Once that brief introduction was finished, grandpa Lee''s face became more serious. "I cannot help but feel that this is not just a social visit, what is really going on? Why are you here?" He shifted his eyes to Maureen who was the eldest of the group. They fixated on her the most and his last question was aimed at her and Rekha.


    Guardians rarely made social calls to each other''s houses unless they were friends. While he was familiar with Maureen and she called him uncle on occasion, they were not best friends. As for Rekha, she was mostly an acquaintance.


    Maureen let out a short sigh. "Uncle Lee, may I suggest that we talk about this inside the house. There is something that you must know." She stretched her hand towards the entrance of the house, one more minute in the harsh cold weather and she thought that she would freeze.


    Old man Lee permitted, and they all moved inside the house. Because they were guests, they were served tea, water and any refreshment they desired. When everyone had settled down, Maureen requested Phoebe to explain since she had more knowledge on the case, and she was the boss.


    Nodding once, Phoebe immediately dove into the reason for their visit. "Grandpa Lee, there is something sinister in regard to the supernatural that is going on under your roof." She began to explain.


    "Sinister? On this land?" Grandpa Lee interjected.


    It could be seen on his face that he did not believe it to be so.


    Phoebe had come expecting the doubt, after all, old man Lee could be considered an expert on the supernatural. Nevertheless, she nodded continuously and went on with her explanation. "Yes, we believe__no, it is confirmed that a ghost has been haunting your granddaughter and grandson in law. It might also be the reason as to why they have not had children yet." Her voice was steady but edged with worry.


    "Ha-ha-ha!" Old man Lee cackled till tears came from his eyes.


    The onlookers traded gazes wondering what the old man found to be so amusing.


    "Gramps, stop laughing this is serious!" Minka shuffled her feet unintentionally acting spoiled as she added a pout.


    Shaking his head, grandpa Lee lifted the land line slowly and requested Ken his first son to come to the lower living room.


    "Let us wait for your father to get here princess." His eyes locked with those of Minka.


    During the short wait, everyone filled up on the warm drinks they had been served and looked around the carefully designed living room. Phoebe did not look around, her eyes were glued on the television, someone had been watching a documentary on deep sea creatures when they arrived, and it had been left on.


    After Ken Lee came, old man Lee told him what Phoebe had said. In response, he laughed as well and this annoyed those that had come on serious business.


    "That is not possible, these lands are protected by a shield." Ken touched a pendant on his neck causing the protective shield to become visible. It was a shimmering barrier composed of pure light blue energy. "This is a lightveil ward, no ghost with evil intentions could get through it, the force of it alone would shred it to oblivion." He folded his arms across his chest, putting his jaw upward proudly.


    Maureen clucked her tongue. "But as demon can, a ghoul can, a warlock can, a dragon can, an angel can, a fox spirit can, a human that hates you can." She gave a few examples, desiring to deflate Ken''s boastful words.


    "Stop, I get it, the lightveil ward is not invincible but even then, I would still sense demonic activity in this area Maureen. We have other wards in place, talismans of protection. Besides, despite all the things you have mentioned, Phoebe here is certain that it is a ghost." Brandon retorted. His eyes dared Maureen to contradict him.


    The spirit returned from canvassing the area. "Pheebs, I have found it. It is in their bedroom methodically filing it''s toenails. I don''t know why it''s so bold as if it is untouchable."


    Phoebe tied her hair in a high puff, getting ready for war. "It is here; I have confirmed it. I do not know why you got no signal when that ghost came to your home, but I can authoritatively tell you that you have a ghost in this house right now." She announced, turning to look at the Minka and George. "Which one is your bedroom? Lead the way, hurry up." She gestured for them to get up quickly.

 Chapter 477 - 477: The identity of the ghost, finally.

    Grandpa Lee did not know what to think of Phoebe''s persistence. "You are actually serious?"


    "Yes, now chop chop! Let us go and tackle this thing, I don''t have all day." She responded with certainty.


    Before entering the bedroom, Ken cast a sealing spell to prevent the ghost from disappearing from the bedroom. He was very nonchalant and doubtful, but his father told him to do it anyway.


    He was not the only one to cast a sealing spell, Phoebe did the same and Maureen too. The ghost was now in the equivalent of a maximum-security prison.


    Phoebe sprinkled rock salt in front of the door and pushed the door open slowly, the moment of truth had come, and everyone was anxious to see if it was as she had said. It was true, just like the Saxon spirit had told her, the ghost was inside. It stood by the window with an anxious look on its face, trying to jump out but the spells that had been cast would not allow it to run away this time round.


    Phoebe widened the door for everyone to get a clear look. It was a double door, so Ken pulled the other side open and everyone finally saw it.


    "My goodness how?" Grandpa Lee yelled.


    With no incantation or effort, he waved his hand effortlessly and the vines on the tree outside the window moved, entering the room through every open access they could find. Old man Lee manipulated the vines, using them to strike the ghost endlessly making it weaker and weaker.


    Each strike was loaded with magic, and the old man chanted a spell whispering slowly. He looked impressive and fierce with both hands held out, controlling many vines at the same time. Phoebe was impressed and she was planning to try that trick out later.


    For now, she looked at the pale ghost that was struggling to escape the vines, screaming loudly. Its haunting cries were heard all through the house.


    "Please, please I mean no harm, make it stop." The ghost pleaded as it sprawled on the floor, powerless.


    Grandpa Lee sneered. "You mean no harm and yet you haunt the living, the dead should stay dead and move on. How dare you trespass on my land!" He growled out angrily.


    His wrist flicked, commanding the vines to move again. They became tangled into living ropes that coiled around the ghost''s hands and feet, securing it tightly.


    "Wow!" Phoebe was amazed at how smoothly and effortlessly grandpa Lee used his magic. Why chase after ghosts when you can tie them up with vines?


    "These are special vines, there is no such thing as an ordinary tree on this compound." The Saxon spirit told Phoebe just in case she thought any tree at the side of the road could bind a ghost. "We can always borrow a tree or two."


    Phoebe''s lips curled upwards. Her smile was abnormal, given the situation that they found themselves in.


    Minka and George certainly thought it was as scary as the ghost. Phoebe had temporarily given the ability to see ghosts and now that they had seen one, they were frightened. They had their arms locked together, with fear welding them together.


    "I-i cannot believe that it is actually real." George struggled to let the words out.


    "What''s the matter George, you don''t like you ghost girlfriend." Maureen laughed.


    Minka yanked him in a fierce embrace, burying her head into his chest. "This is your fault! You must have done something for that thing to be stalking you." She accused strongly.


    "Are you blaming him or just hugging him?" Maureen sneered.


    Minka''s body language was confusing for them, one minute she seemed angry with George and the next madly in love. Which was it?


    The ghost began to fade because incantations were spilling rapidly from Ken''s lips. He was chanting a spell to cleanse the undead being in their presence which was erasing the ghost.


    "Stop Ken!" Grandpa Lee ordered. "We need to know why it was after the children and also how it passed by the protective shield. Who knows what else has been coming through while we were not aware and for how long this had been going on. The shield might have a weakness that we are not aware about." He patted his son''s shoulders.


    Phoebe sent a shot of energy to the ghost, restoring it to its earlier appearance. It was still pale and mostly grey, but its features were clear.


    "Do you know her?" Phoebe asked George, giving way for him to take a clearer look.


    Shaking his head, George denied ever seeing the young female ghost which was now unconscious.


    It was as if they had ten steps forward and nine back because they still had no identity for the ghost. "Aaargh! I am sick of this, Who the hell is she?" Phoebe exploded. She run her fingers through her hair, if only she could take pictures of ghosts and send the picture to Roxanne. Her face lit up on remembering that Rekha can draw.


    "Rekha, can you sketch her face, maybe we will be able to know who she is if we search the internet." Phoebe proposed.


    A wince left Ken''s lips. "I may be crazy but she looks a bit familiar." He flicked his fingers over and over.


    "Or better yet let us just wait for it to gain consciousness and interrogate it. Ken, invite Abraham Spellcaster to create a spell that will rebuild and strengthen our protective shield." Grandpa Lee ordered.


    Ken''s lips formed a smirk. "Oh please he can barely create a spell to save himself from illness." He sighed theatrically words.


    The Spellcaster''s were not the spellweavers they once were, they had declined because they fell into a life of lavishness and laziness. They were the kind of people that took vacations from their vacations. They did not have time to perfect their craft anymore. Perhaps it was why the protective shield had failed to work in the first place, maybe Abraham had screwed it up originally. Ken did not say this to his father, he stepped out and made the call as told.


    When Rekha was done with the sketch, Phoebe took a picture of it and forwarded it to Roxanne. What followed next was sitting around, peeking at the ghosts and nervous pacing. Only Phoebe and Maureen were comfortable enough to eat or drink. They were enjoying matcha hot chocolate.


    Ten minutes later, a message popped up on Phoebe''s phone that the sketch was a strong resemblance to someone identified as Sally Diggens. Attached were photos of Sally Diggens, indeed there was a strong resemblance, but the ghost was a lot younger than the person in the pictures. Its nose was also sharper, Sally''s was a bit flat.


    "Does anyone here know of a Sally Diggens?" Phoebe asked the group.


    To her, the Diggens name was familiar because they were a founding family, but she really knew nothing about them. She knew all or most of the founding families by name, mostly because Miranda had forced her to study their printed history and know the families in her past life. sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ken laughed loudly as he put away his phone. "So that is why this ghost looks so familiar! She is a more beautiful version of Sally Diggens." He cackled upon figuring it out.


    "I see it too." Maureen''s narrowed eyes studied the ghost.


    "Me too." Rekha added. "But something is strange here, has any of you ever known the Diggens to have a grown daughter this size that died?"

 Chapter 478 - 478: Another wife is found at last.

    It seemed that apart from Phoebe, everyone else was somewhat familiar with the Diggens.


    Maureen pulled her lips to one side. "Currently there are sixteen women in the Diggens family. Of them all the one that suffered a tragedy which I recall is one. The daughter of Levi Diggens that had a bicycle accident as a child, but she is in a comma to date as far as I know." She shared.


    "Then it definitely cannot be her because one only becomes a ghost after death." ken pointed out.


    Grandpa Lee winced inwardly. "First, we need to confirm if this ghost is truly a Diggens before making assumptions. It could be just a resemblance, with the advancements made in public surgery today, the ghost could have bought herself a plastic face. If she is truly a Diggens, then we have to find out why a Diggens ghost would haunt Minka and George." He voiced out.


    "Gramps, that thing is after George, not me. He must have entangled with it somehow and now it is here for revenge." Minka freed herself from her husband''s embrace.


    She seemed to have forgotten that the ghost was not interested in revenge as much as seducing George. The Lee men cast George with a piercing gaze which communicated how much they barely liked him. They disliked the fact that he could not stand up to his family that was always haunting Minka.


    "What the hell did you do George?" Grandpa Lee asked, his tone was stern. "When you married my princess, I told you never to put her in a position where she would have to shed a tear for you. I have kept my calm as much as I could every time your loud-mouthed mother and sisters...."


    He had to pause the rant when soft moans came from the ghost''s lips.


    "Ouch my head." It tried to move but failed for its hands and feet were still bound together.


    "Wakey wakey." Maureen sprinkled rock salt at the ghost and some pure holy water.


    The ghost screamed as if it was on fire for the pain was equivalent to an acid burn.


    It stretched its hands forward in Maureen''s direction, it''s eyes pleading with her to stop. "Please stop! Why are you hurting me? What have I done?" Its voice sounded so innocent but none of the people there were moved.


    Except Phoebe, just a little bit. She thought there was some genuine confusion in the ghost''s voice. Maybe it did not know that what it was doing was wrong. But when she recalled that it had followed George to the cafe, she changed her mind.


    Maureen laughed derisively. "Where did you learn to manipulate like this? Your skills are similar to those of a demon." She sprinkled more salt on its face, the ghost thwarted the move by shielding its face with the back of its arms.


    The beseeching tone disappeared and the look in its eyes was now replaced by frost. The aura of the ghost changed as well from scared to angry.


    "What do you want?" The ghost asked, speaking through pursed lips.


    Maureen pointed at George. "I want to know what your business is with him. Why are you haunting this young man even going an extent to prevent him from having children." She interrogated. "Don''t tell me that you are in love with him and want to be with him forever because news flash, you are dead. You cannot be with him, you cannot bear his children, and you cannot grow old together Casper."


    "Casper!" Phoebe whispered. She couldn''t decide if she wanted to laugh or stop her aunt from taunting the ghost unnecessarily. Maureen was one of those hunters that had to say something funny before she killed a monster.


    The ghost shifted its eyes from Maureen to George, according him with a warm smile or the creepy ghostly version of a warm smile. "He is my husband; I have every right to be around him." It responded, still smiling at George.


    George shivered; it was if someone had poured a bucket of cold ice water over him. He looked at Minka and shook his head, denying what the ghost had claimed.


    Minka''s hand flew to cover her open mouth. "H-husband?" The word stuttered out of her mouth, she looked at her husband, bewildered. Suddenly she felt foolish for believing in him again.


    Phoebe nodded knowingly. "She must be the other unknown marriage marker." She stated.


    "Other? He has more than one marriage marker?" Ken asked, shocked to his bones. He had done a background check before George married Minka, and it came back clean. If he had married, it was not legally registered.


    Giving him a little dismissive wave, Phoebe turned to the ghost. "How is he your husband? Where did you meet him and when did the two of you get married? In case you cannot tell by the look of horror on his face, he is not aware of this marriage. He does not recognize you and said that he has never met you. So, tell us, how can he be your husband when you are strangers?" She probed.


    "We were married as children, ask his family if you think that I am lying. The ceremony was held under the Jacaranda tree on his family''s ground. It was a handfasting ceremony. We were joined by the ropes which tied us together physically in body and soul forever. He is mine; I do not like him being happy with those women that is why I cannot allow them to stay by his side. They are all temporary, they don''t deserve to have his children. I am the only permanent one and once he joins me this side we will have as many children as we want." The ghost blinked seductively at George.


    George scoffed. "Married as children? I do not remember any of that! That thing is lying!" He denied vehemently.


    The ghost became very unhappy with George''s denial and its eyes flashed red for a moment. "I am not lying, both of our families witnessed it, your mother proposed that a betrothal was not enough, so they bound us together through marriage. My mother told me about it, and I grew up knowing that I was already married to you." It responded sharply.


    As soon as she mentioned betrothal, everyone jumped to the same conclusion. The ghost was from the founding family, ordinary people did not betroth their children normally.


    "Your family? Is it by any chance the Diggens family?" Phoebe asked. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The ghost nodded and everyone turned to George once again. Surely, it was impossible that he had no clue at all about what was going on. He had to know something, no matter how small.

 Chapter 479 - 479: Help of a demon.

    The admission stunned them all, they were certain that if the Diggens family had lost a daughter, there would have been a funeral. Forget the funeral, there would have been announcement even if other families were not invited to the funeral.


    It left them wondering if the ghost was lying or the Diggens were hiding something. With some doubts still lingering around, Maureen had a thought. "You would not by any chance be the one that is in a coma, right?"


    In response it laughed menacingly. "Oh dear, I am afraid that coma period came to an end long ago. I died about five years ago; those shameless people buried me like a stray cat. No coffin or send off party, they just wrapped me in a bed sheet and tossed me in a cold dark hole as if I never mattered." There was resentment in its tone.


    The people in the room exchanged confused looks, why would the Diggens do something like that? They could afford to hold a respectful funeral for their daughter. Even a cheap one would be better than what they had done.


    It made them wonder if the ghost had remained behind because it was resentful and wanted a new funeral--a proper one.


    "Why did they bury you like that?" Phoebe asked.


    The ghost shrugged. "I don''t know, they did what they wanted to. From what I figured, I had become a burden, and many were relieved after I died. I guess someone figured that the two million being spent every year on nurses, caretakers, medicines and medical equipment would be better spent elsewhere."


    Money and selfishness, now that was something everyone in the room could understand.


    "So why haunt George? From what you just said you should be haunting your family not him." Ken curiously asked.


    The ghost lifted its bound arms and pointed at George. "It is the Osbourne''s fault that I ended up being thrown in a hole like an unwanted dead rat. After I got into the accident, the Osbourne''s went back on their word and retracted the betrothal. They claimed that the marriage was a joke, child''s play for amusement.


    They did not want me anymore, so they tossed me aside. My family values girls because we are used for financial deals. When the Osbourne''s retracted the betrothal and denied the marriage, I lost any value to my family. I was seen as useless, a body sucking money away without contributing anything to the family.


    If the Osbourne''s had not done that my family would not have seen me as a burden or buried me like that. So, I decided to stick with their son for eternity. He is my husband, we belong together, he should have taken care of me in life, so death made no difference." It confessed, its voice carrying a hit of pride.


    Rekha lashed out at nothing, her boot meeting empty space. "This is one messed up story, so many guilty parties. First of all, a child marriage has got to be illegal even if it''s between two children. Two, if they wanted to pull the plug, they should have done so to relieve the suffering of the sick person, not because someone wanted an extra two million in pocket money."


    "What was done was wrong! Very wrong see how George''s life became messed up by the greed of his family.... both families. I have to confront both of them and give them a piece of my mind." Grandpa Lee spoke in a frustrated tone. "I should also talk to the founding council president about this marriage between children bit, it should be ended if it''s their tradition."


    George stepped forward, putting his fear for ghosts aside. "Listen miss ghost, I am sorry for what happened to you, but I am a victim too. I had no idea about any of this so please leave me alone. Go and punish your family for what they did and not me." His face flushed with exasperation.


    Looking at him with a glint of adoration, the ghost only smiled at him. "Husband my name is not Miss ghost but Levi, do you not remember? " It batted its eyelashes seductively.


    George was not seduced; he was freaked out all the more and he panicked. There was no way he was spending eternity, dead or alive with it. "I am not your husband!" he exploded in anger and turned his eyes to Phoebe. "Phoebe do something sever the marriage ties please." George''s eyes grew moist.


    Minka peeked from behind her father Ken''s back where she was hiding. "Father, I want a divorce, I cannot stay with him. The Osbourne family is too ruthless, if someday I end up in an accident or bedridden due to illness, I might be abandoned as well. That family is really cruel, they are heartless, I cannot put up with them anymore." She whispered to him.


    The temperature in the room began to plummet as the ghost became angry. It''s eyes glowed burning like two smoldering coals. "Husband how can you suggest that our marriage ties be severed? Is it because of that slut, I will end her life right now so that we can finally be together as we were meant to be." Its tone was from out of this world, it came with multiple voices speaking at the same time. S§×ar?h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was if it received a surge of energy from somewhere, becoming powerful enough to untangle the vines and cause the house to shake. Phoebe pulled out her gun and shot it in the chest without hesitation. She had been around enough ghosts to know that this one was the kind that would not be moving one. Red eyes plus multiple voices equaled evil.


    It fell back, weakened as it moved in jagged bursts.


    Those that did not know that a ghost could be shot stared in surprise, searching for the gun which was already hidden in the space.


    "It will vanish soon." Phoebe announced.


    Grandpa Lee took a step forward and squatted near it. "How did you move past the protective shield? Tell me." His question was met by total silence.


    He took a two kilo grams bag of salt and poured it over Levi''s would. The ghost let out a screeching cry, it was like that of a bird whose feathers were pulled out.


    "A demon helped me." It confessed quickly. "A high-level demon created a void through the shield."


    Everyone traded gazes upon hearing the confession. Demons were helping ghosts now!! What in the evil alliance was going on?


    "Which one?" Phoebe asked.


    On opening its mouth to respond, greenish matter in form of blood came oozing out of its mouth. Aileen struggled to say which of the demons, but she faded to oblivion.


    "Was that the effect of the bullet?" Phoebe asked.


    Maureen shook her head. "I doubt that it has never happened before."


    Grandpa Lee sighed deeply. "I have; those demons cast spells on the souls of their victims. Humans or non-human, if they try to reveal their identity they perish. If we had known this, we could have prevented it before hand." He informed them.


    The frown on his face was really deep, he was thinking about calling for an emergency meeting of all the elders of the Moldove academy. Bad things were beginning to rise out of the abyss.

 Chapter 480 - 480: You are not welcome.

    Shaking her head, Phoebe was at a loss. She could not imagine what it had taken for Levi to trade her soul perhaps for the opportunity to be with George in life and death, keeping any woman that he was with from giving birth. She wondered if Aileen Diggens had done it out of spite or out of love.


    "That poor misguided girl!" She breathed sympathetically words. Why couldn''t she have moved on simply. Sticking around as a ghost for a family or husband who did not want you was not worth it.


    George smacked his chest lightly with a clenched fist like he was in penance or maybe having heartburn. "What? That poor girl you say. I am the real victim here! My family toyed with my life by marrying me to that girl at a young age. I could not give consent to that marriage, like as if that was not bad enough, the girl got into an accident, and they decided they did not want her anymore.


    Then, her family pulled the plug because they found her to be a financial burden, she died and decided to make my life miserable even though I did not participate in any of these decisions.


    My family did not tell me any of this, they frustrated my first wife to the point of divorce and then attacked Minka persistently in public and private. At this point I will not blame Minka if she decides to walk out of my life. I would be disgusted with me too." His eyes drifted to find his wife, she was all the way at the other end of the room with her father and grandfather.


    They were whispering, glancing at him on and off and he had a feeling that he was the subject of discussion. George had never wanted to disappear from a place so badly as he did now.


    Old man Lee was already working on his momentous decision to invite all the parties involved such that they could get to the bottom of the issue and explain why they lied to his family. He made one phone call after another and made sure to invite the Diggens as well just in case the Osbourne''s decided to deny everything.


    Rekha''s eyes followed those of George to Minka. "She needs time to understand all this so just let her think everything through." She counseled him.


    Rekha was certain that if she was Minka, the ink would be drying on those divorce papers by now. George was an Osbourne, unless he cut ties with his family, he would be one of them forever and always. That meant they would be part of his wife''s life forever and always too.


    "Both of you have been through quite a lot at such a young age, look at this as another test of your love. If it was meant to be, you two will survive this." Maureen patted his shoulder, sympathizing with him. "From where I stand Minka married you because she loved you but honestly you have been a piece of trash for allowing your family to bully her low key and hiding your first marriage.


    If you want Minka to consider staying with you, then you better stand up to your family otherwise they will ruin you that is if they have not done so already." Her words of advice came off as berating. "Child marriage!!! they all deserve prison from where I am standing." she muttered. S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If that marriage had not happened, perhaps Levi would not have been ruined.


    They returned to the sitting room, were served more drinks and waited for twenty minutes, discussing random things until the guests started to arrive.


    "The Diggens are here father, they are just getting out of their cars." Tom Lee the second son of the family stood by the door and announced loudly.


    Old man Lee nodded once. "Thank you, Tom, lead them to the lower living room and do not offer them anything because they are not welcomed guests in this house but evil people masquerading to be good." He spoke with compressed lips.


    After Tom shut the door behind him, old man Lee spun around to face Phoebe and her group. "I would appreciate it very much if the three of you joined this meeting even though you are not part of the family. First, because you brought this issue to me and second because you witnessed everything that happened here." Hie requested.


    Phoebe and her companions nodded eagerly. There was no way Phoebe was leaving without knowing how those shameless people were planning on defending themselves.


    Maureen had been instructed by her mother to get every detail of what happened, if she went back to the cafe with a half story, old lady Mayfair would wipe whipped cream on her hair, so she had to stay for the gossip.


    Rekha was the self-righteous one, she wanted to give the Diggens and Osbourne''s a piece of her mind.


    Tom came back in to announce again that the Osbourne''s had arrived as well. He sent them to the same place the Diggens had been sent to.


    "Let us go and deal with this then." Grandpa Lee gestured for them to speed up.


    Meanwhile in the lower living room, some of the Diggens family members who had rushed over upon old man Lee''s emergency call were puzzled by how rude they were being treated, not even a cup of tea was offered to them.


    It was cold outside, where were the hot beverages? Where was the famous Lee family matcha hot chocolate?


    Surprisingly, when other people walked in, it was not the Lee''s or their servants but the Osbourne''s. They swaggered in with confidence like they owned part of the home. Immediately on coming face to face tension began to surge with the Diggens sneering and the Osbourne''s throwing them piercing looks.


    The two families now held great loathing for each other, whenever an Osbourne met a Diggens, a fight was likely to occur. At one time, the Diggens would even spit on the ground when saw the Osbourne''s. Their feud was only short of becoming a practical blood feud because of the law.


    "Why are you blood leeches here? What business do you have at our in-law''s house?" Tracy Osbourne asked, her voice sounded boastful and authoritative.


    Agatha Diggens snorted condescendingly. "Oh look, it''s the cannibals of the founding lane. Throw that bossy attitude out of the window because this is the Lee house not yours."


    The wide doors opened before Tracy could counter but still, she skewered Agatha with a scorching glance promising payback.

 Chapter 481 - 481: Verbal exchange.

    Old man Lee walked in with his family; he offered none of the unwelcome guests a greeting which surprised them since he was the one that had invited them over. But since he was older, they accorded him respect by greeting first.


    To add salt to injury, the old man ignored their greetings, settling instead into a solitary armchair that was facing them. When he looked at them, it was with disdain, the way one would like at unworthy worms. It made the guests uncomfortable. Some even squirmed under old man Lee''s gaze and none dared to move.


    Those that could look away turned their eyes to other people in the room, especially the unfamiliar ones like Phoebe. They knew her as the Mayfair heiress that had been replaced by a cuckoo, a shaman and David Saxon''s girlfriend.


    She had not grown up in their circle so there was nothing else they knew about her. Maureen was a familiar face, the Mayfair spinster that was still unmarried to date. Rekha was also familiar to them, the unwanted child from the Montgomery family.


    Agatha could not help wondering why old man Lee was collecting strays to join them in this meeting.


    "This is not a social visit." Old man Lee announced. "There is something that was done by both of your families and the consequences of what you did had turned my house upside down." He continued to speak, his voice carried authority, and it was cold.


    Murmurs erupted in the room among the guests, what exactly did the old man mean? None of them could think of a single thing that they had done to warrant the accusation.


    "With all due respect old man Lee, you have to give us more than that! What could our family possibly have done to yours?" Jack Osbourne asked. He looked at his wife and shrugged, while his eyes asked if she knew what was going on.


    His wife Hazel raised her voice and added to her husband''s words. "I am wondering the same thing! All our family has ever done was to be nice to yours even though you tricked us by marrying your infertile daughter into our family. We have never held it against you. If anybody''s house has been turned upside down, its ours." She carelessly submitted, her scathing gaze drifted to Minka who loudly sneered.


    Her reaction did not please Hazel very much as the woman expected to see shame and remorse on Minka''s face.


    Grandpa Lee clenched his fist so hard that his knuckles turned white. "You...you have the audacity to talk about tricks in my house! How dare you open that foul hole on your face to insult me! We tricked you?" He let out a derisive laugh, one meant to taunt the Osbourne especially Hazel.


    It took a lot of restraint for Ken not to attack the Osbourne''s. Minka had told him all that they had put her through a while ago, how they ridiculed and heckled at her especially Hazel and her daughters, yet it was their fault that the couple was childless. Their sins had landed on his innocent daughter.


    "What a bold loudmouthed bitch you are Hazel; you have always had no shame. I am going to declare right now that the annulment that you threatened us with can happen...in fact no, Minka Lee is filing for divorce first thing tomorrow morning." He announced.


    Ken might as well have fired a bullet in the room, shaking a lot of people up, Phoebe included. Was this Minka''s decision or her father''s?


    "What!" Hazel was sincerely shocked, a few days ago Ken Lee was imploring her to rethink the decision of forcing George to divorce and annul the marriage, he even sent her ten golden toads to bribe her but here he was threatening them with a divorce. Had something changed overnight?


    The Diggens were very happy to see the Osbourne''s in misery. They made it no secret that they were laughing at them.


    Jack''s face twisted in disgust. "On what grounds are you demanding an annulment? My son should be dumping that childless secondhand daughter who lived a wayward teenage life and ruined her womb." He yelled; his cheeks flushed red from embarrassment.


    How could the Lees humiliate them in front of the Diggens their enemies. The sounds of their mocking laugh rebounded in his ears.


    "Father do not mind him, we all heard that she aborted a couple of times that is why she cannot have children her ovaries are empty." Lona Osbourne who was the first daughter of the couple commented.


    She was the ringleader of Minka''s tormentors, always seeking her out to remind her of her childlessness, accusing her of wasting her brother George''s youth. One time, she had blatantly accused Minka of eating her children!!


    Grandpa Lee''s shaky middle finger pointed at Lona. "Shut that wide disgusting mouth of yours which smells like shit."


    "Woohoo, go grandpa." Phoebe cheered in her mind. She had no idea that old man Lee was very feisty, he normally came off as reserved and polite.


    Old man Lee was still going on, "Your brother George is the one that lived a wayward life. Do you think that we do not know that he married during his university days and that woman did not children for him as well? You knew this and kept it from us! So, who are the liars here? Who sold the other secondhand goods?" He fixed Jack with a penetrating stare. "Our Minka was pure when she married him, look at how you have ruined her life with your deception!"


    Louder murmurs and gasps of disbelief erupted from the side where the Diggens sat. Some like Agatha were already posting the gossip about George''s first marriage in the founding lane chats. Next to her Sally Diggens was doing the same thing. S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Unbelievable!" Sally Diggens'' fingers attacked the screen of her phone with urgency as if she didn''t want Agatha to beat her to it.


    Jack Osbourne swallowed hard; his embarrassed facial expression mirrored that of his whole family. "How..." he closed his mouth. His accusatory eyes turned to George who he assumed had revealed the secret.


    George remained silent, he could neither deny nor confirm the suspicions. He did not even know who to stand with yet, his family or his wife''s family.


    "So what if he was married before?" Hazel asked, her voice fearless, her shame turned into anger, igniting hot and white fury. "That does not mean that he is responsible for your granddaughter''s failure to have children!"

 Chapter 482 - 482: Exposed.

    George raised to his feet. "You are wrong mother as it turns out I am actually responsible for Minka''s inability to have a child." His admission shocked everyone especially his mother who was defending him a few seconds back.


    G-George? Honey are you...." Hazel began to speak but George silenced her by raising a finger.


    He stared at them all. "No, scratch that I am not responsible, you are." He looked at his parents, sisters and the Diggens as well. "The Diggens and the Osbourne''s! You are all responsible for our predicament. It is because of what you did that I cannot have children, actually maybe now I can but it is too late because it has shattered my marriage." He accused with anger in his voice which was on the brink of cracking.


    His face was a storm-- eyes blazing with fury. The muscles of his jaw were set, twitching with the effort to hold back the tears he refused to let fall because he believed a man should not cry so easily in public. The way he looked at his parents however, it was if he wanted to leap from where he was and strangle them.


    The room buzzed with wordless, loaded stares, there was genuine confusion etched on their faces. What had they done to cause him and Minka unable to bear children?


    The Diggens were even more confused than the Osbourne''s after all they had no ties to George and Minka, they were not even friends with the couple.


    The spirit watched from the back with Phoebe and her companions. Even though the situation was sad, they were entertained a little. It blew their minds when all of the people George accused looked clueless.


    "Do they seriously not remember what they did? I mean by now they should have a hint, don''t you think?" It asked Phoebe who was secretly munching on popcorn partially listening to Maureen who was kind enough to give her detailed information on each and every one that was there.


    "Just like I imagined, these people are rich snobs that care about only themselves. Their brains do not retain what they consider useless or expired information. They remind me of the Verdemont''s." Phoebe answered.


    "We all know how that ended." The spirit snorted.


    It grabbed a handful of popcorn; Maureen did the same and they secretly continued to munch and watch.


    "What are you rumbling about George, how can we be the cause of your problems? Have you forgotten that we have been the ones urging you to have children as soon as possible. What is going on here? Someone say something!" Hazel yelled; her eyes grew fierce. She shot Minka a glare, blaming her for George''s outburst. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Grandpa Lee was about to say something, but Maureen beat him to it.


    "Oh shut up Hazel! Why are you acting dumb? And that question goes to the rest of you. I have had enough of this crap so let''s go straight to the point. Are you seriously going to act as if none of you remembers attending the handfasting wedding of young George to young Levi Diggens?


    What the hell were you morons thinking when you bonded young children''s souls together? Didn''t you think that perhaps they would have a change of heart when they grew up and decided to marry someone else? What do you people think happens to soul ties? They don''t just vanish because they are forgotten about.


    I hate idiots like you, My God!" Her voice dripped with condemnation. She brushed her eyes over them once more and repeated herself, "Idiots."


    Popcorn fell out of Phoebe''s mouth; she could not believe that her aunt had just called them all morons and idiots to their faces. For five breaths, no one dared to speak, some were feeling uncomfortable because of Maureen''s direct insults and others were recalling the forgotten wedding.


    Then whispers of questions came from those that were too young at the time and had no memory of the wedding. They wanted to know from the adults what Maureen was talking about.


    Hazel shook her head in denial very quickly. "George dear whoever told you that lied to you. There was no such thing as a wedding. Yes, you and Levi were engaged once but when she became a vegetable after the accident and failed to wake up for over three years, we called it off because we could not allow your life to be ruined." She lied blatantly, hoping that those words would calm him down.


    However, her lies only incensed him for George barked at her. "Don''t you dare lie to me mother unless you want me to drop dead right now. You think I don''t know." he spat, his voice cracking under the weight of his emotions. "I know everything. That girl Levi Diggens turned into a ghost that has been haunting me and preventing me from having children." He informed them.


    The room was once gain silent except for the sound of ragged breathing. George''s eyes glistened, but he blinked rapidly, refusing to let the tears fall.


    "How could you not tell me such an important thing?" His voice started off low and then rose sharply as the fury returned greater than before. "What else have you lied to me about?"


    Deep lines of confusion and discomfort marred into Hazel''s face. "Oh, honey we did not lie to you, the shaman did. How can Levi Diggens be a ghost, yet she is alive....a useless vegetable but alive." She looked at Agatha Diggens whose face had turned whitener than snow.


    "Say something..." Hazel commanded Agatha.


    "You mean Levi turned into a ghost? And she has been haunting you?" Agatha asked, shock coursing her veins. "Who the hell told you that?" She quizzed.


    "I did." Phoebe raised her hand halfway, and she was prepared to say more but she was shushed by Hazel.


    "Levi Diggens is dead. How? Why didn''t you tell us?" She asked.


    Agatha let out a loud sneer. "Why should we have told you? Did you want to eat her corpse? She was no longer your son''s wife so whether she was dead or alive was of no concern to your family. I blame you for this mess Hazel after all it was you that suggested that they get married." She wrinkled her nose.


    The words did not settle well with Hazel who grabbed a handful of Agatha''s hair and shouted. "You stupid bitch! you could have said no. It wasn''t as if we kidnapped your daughter and did a shotgun wedding."


    Agatha scratched Hazel''s face, and she screamed. Her grip tightened on Agatha''s hair.


    Maureen laughed, she held her phone out, making it no secret that she was recording. "Dumb asses." she muttered.


    Others got involved in the fight, trying to separate the two women and it became even more chaotic. The fight turned into Diggens vs Osbourne''s.


    Old man Lee requested his security to throw them all out of his house. "The council will be hearing of this! Filthy animals." He hissed and left the living room.

 Chapter 483 - 483: A favor for a favor.

    George lingered around, not ready to leave. Even though his father-in-law had said the marriage would be annulled, Minka had not added her thoughts to the matter.


    He was scared that if he left her behind, when he heard from her next, she would be asking to meet him in the office of her attorney and handing over signed divorce documents.


    "Minka..." he started.


    Ken Lee would not hear of it, he turned Minka around and sent her out.


    "You, follow your family." Old man Lee gestured for George to leave. "You must have things to discuss with them. It will be best if you sort out your matters before any other step is taken. One thing I can assure you of is that Minka will not be getting involved with your family again."


    George could tell from the finality in his voice that there was no room for bargaining. He left with his head bowed like a sad dog that was being punished by having its favorite bone taken away.


    "We have seen enough of the drama, let us go back to the cafe." Maureen suggested, massaging her belly which churned for the second time. All the snacks she had eaten failed to satiate her hunger.


    Finding the cause of Minka and George''s troubles was not the only reason why Phoebe had come to the Lee house. She wanted to kill two birds with one stone.


    She pulled on Maureen''s hand and spoke. "Aunt I want to talk to grandpa Lee about grandpa Cillian. The last time I spoke to him, he said grandpa had a nemesis that was an angel. Who knows what else he could reveal today?"


    Phoebe figured that old man Lee was emotional today and she had just helped his granddaughter. Maybe he would be generous in sharing information. There was a glint of hope in her eyes, one that Maureen quickly extinguished by responding quickly.


    "Oh, you poor thing, you actually think that old man Lee would risk his reputation by telling you top secrets of the academy. That old man is playing you by feeding you scraps that he knows will excite you, his mind is still as sharp as iron. I suggest that you do not waste your time, let us go." Maureen turned to leave.


    Phoebe pulled her arm to her side, her gaze defiant and unyielding. "I must still try my luck, don''t they say you must dig deep if you want to strike gold. Go without me, that man promised to answer my questions so I will get something, no matter how small. Besides, what better way for him to reward me for helping his granddaughter than to give me this so-called top-secret information." She pushed Maureen out and strolled towards the door through which grandpa Lee had gone through.


    Watching Phoebe leave, Rekha pressed her lips together, she was exhausted from telling the two stubborn Mayfair women to forget about their investigation. If the academy had decided to bury all the information on Cillian''s death, then perhaps it was better not to dig it out.


    "Does she really think that she can get him to talk?" She whispered to Maureen.


    Maureen shrugged in response, who knew. As skeptical as she was, she could not stop Phoebe. A small part of her was actually hoping that her niece succeeded.


    Phoebe paused in her tracks suddenly upon running into Shanna in a long corridor adorned by wooden walls.


    "Pheebs? It''s good that you have not left. I was just about to go out looking for you, grandpa wants to see you in his study." Shanna smiled warmly and hugged Phoebe. "Thank you for helping my cousin."


    "Your cousin is my cousin; we are all family." Phoebe pinched Shanna''s waist and giggled.


    Shanna''s waist was sensitive, she jumped back and pouted before leading the way to old man Lee''s study. She pushed the door open, and they walked in without knocking.


    To Phoebe''s surprise, Maureen''s figure followed them in. Her aunt had not left as expected.


    "Where is Minka right now by the way?" Maureen asked, her voice was carrying genuine concern.


    The question went to Shanna who sighed. "In the master bedroom crying her eyes out. She is confused about what to do next about George. She still loves him, but his family is a lot to deal with. Honestly, George is led around by the nose by his mother a lot. When they had just met, I told her that he was a mama''s boy."


    Rekha popped up behind Maureen with an opinion on that matter. "In that case the mother should marry him and keep him by her side forever to save other women from being harmed. She wants to control her son so much that she will never allow another woman to fully possess his love. Did you hear the way she said, ''Oh honey...."


    Rekha''s mimicking elicited laughs from the listeners. They stopped when Shanna put a finger to her lips asking them to keep quiet for, they were inside her grandfather''s personal sanctuary, his home office.


    The room was enormous but a little smaller than Edward''s. It was much brighter though, with wide glass windows which had a view of the frozen koi pond. Phoebe settled in one of the sofas, looking around curiously. Her eyes settled on the wall which was adorned with time worn portraits of the Lee ancestors.


    Grandpa Lee who was standing close to the window spun around, a rueful smile plastered on his lips. "Ladies, I do not know how to thank you all for bringing this problem to my attention. I suppose we owe you a fee for your work, don''t worry I will not be stingy." He moved to the single sofa and sat behind his desk.


    He instructed his personal assistant to request the chef to make special meals for the guests.


    Maureen rubbed her hands in glee. "Please do not take too long, I am famished." She told the assistant. "Something about winter always drives up my appetite."


    "Probably all the hunting you do." Rekha mumbled. She had never seen a guardian that loved to hunt as much as Maureen Mayfair did. It was if she had a personal vendetta against every supernatural being in the world. When it came to demons, she was even worse, merciless and fearless.


    How could she not have the appetite of four men when she was doing the work of four men? S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe leaned forward and tried to look as serious as possible as she addressed old man Lee. "Grandpa Lee, I will not beat around the bush, if you want to thank me the money is not necessary. You can thank me by telling me about my grandfather''s death. I am not interested in how good a fisher, horse rider or prankster he was. I have been told a lot about him but nothing about his death and yet it matters the most. You should understand that I have reasons for asking, it''s not for fun or curiosity." Phoebe fixed him with a piercing look and requested boldly. Her eyes were intense and unwavering, full of purpose.


    In them was a message, I am not leaving without something, game time is over.


    Old man Lee licked his dry lips, of all things that he expected her to ask this was not one of them.

 Chapter 484 - 484: Answers at last.

    Maureen wanted to whistle, that or hide behind a chair because old man Lee and Phoebe were staring at each other as if they were involved in a standoff, one that involved invisible weapons that would be pulled out at any moment.


    "Are you sure that you want to open that can of worms?" Old man Lee asked Phoebe. His eyes didn''t flinch, meeting her intense ones in a similar way.


    The tension was thick, the air hung heavy with a promise of a beat down even though everybody knew that nobody was going to be beaten. Surely, Phoebe would not beat up an old man for answers!


    "Bring it on, I eat worms for a living." Phoebe replied.


    Just like that, the tension vanished, Rekha and Maureen burst into laughter. Even old man Lee could not help himself; he joined them in laughing. Phoebe was feeling embarrassed, and she winced, she had not meant to say that.


    Her intention had been to say something domineering, not ''I eat worms for a living.''


    "Stop laughing." she whined.


    Her whining made it worse, they giggled and cackled in a way that was even worse. It was if she had inflated laughing gas in the room. Phoebe had no choice but to sulk until they got all their laughter out. She had a dreadful feeling however that this would not be the last time she heard of her blunder. Lord save her if it got into Andre''s ears. He would find a place for it in his movie for sure.


    Eventually the laughter died down and Phoebe could not have been more relived.


    Wiping cold sweat away from his pale skin, grandpa Lee let out a long and weary sigh. "I haven''t laughed like that in twenty years. I think that I have grown quite old, and I should unburden myself of some things." His eyes turned wistful as he turned around and looked out of the window, recalling past events. "Honestly I don''t remember or fully know the details of the things that happened around the time your grandfather died. His death is something that I find truly regrettable. If only Cillian listened to me and did not go on that mission maybe he would be alive today." He paused his speech and returned his gaze to the listeners.


    Phoebe and Maureen''s attention sharpened like a sword; this was the first time someone from Cillian''s inner circle was willing to give them any real information.


    Maureen could not believe that it was happening, finally. The last time she had approached grandpa Lee on the matter, he had ordered her never to speak on it again. He had even gone so far as to ban her from visiting his home. She did not know if she had Phoebe, Shanna, Minka, George or the ghost of Levi Diggens to thank for this opportunity.


    She pressed record on her phone, not wanting to miss a single word. As for Rekha, she was partly nonchalant because nothing in the conversation concerned her. She knew however that the subject of Cillian''s death was a taboo to Edward. If he knew that his sister and daughter were looking into it, he would not be very happy. Nevertheless, she sharpened her own ears to listen because Cillian Mayfair was a legendary guardian.


    "What happened grandpa Lee?" Phoebe''s voice was smooth and encouraging as she urged old man Lee to go on.


    A breath heavy with exhaustion escaped his lips once again. "While I don''t remember some things, there are other things that happened around that time which I recall like it happened yesterday. Your grandfather had what they call curious cat syndrome, he just had to know everything. He collected all sorts of artifacts and studied them as a scholar on mystic artifacts. That path led him to the six mystic keys, Cillian was very interested in those damn keys....." He paused because Maureen interjected.


    "Speaking of keys, there is a box in his desk drawer in which a mystic key was supposed to be resting but there is no key. Do you know what happened to it?" Maureen''s brows rose up.


    Phoebe remembered that she had seen the box too, she had wondered where the key had gone or who could have taken it.


    Nodding his head, grandpa Lee''s face grew more stern. "I know the box you speak of; we found it in the Gumbo spring highlands on a demon hunting mission that we had gone on together. We went after a collector demon, that would kill humans in possession of artifacts which possessed special energy. The key was among the artifacts that the demon had collected. We took everything back to the academy except for the key." Grandpa Lee narrated. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rekha scratched her head; she carried out her missions by the book so hearing what Cillian had done she could not help but judge him harshly. "Why would he do that? That was the academy''s property! What he did was wrong."


    "Calm down tiger! We do not know why my father decided to do that, he must have heard a very strong reason." Maureen gave Rekha a little dismissive wave and drifted her focus back to grandpa Lee. "Please uncle Lee tell us why my father did such a thing." She requested politely.


    Grandpa Lee cast Rekha a brief glance, letting out a small cackle. "I was as strict on following the rules like you young lady once upon a time. In fact, I opposed strongly when Cillian hid the mystic key, but he told me that all he wanted was to study it and he would hand it in within a period of two months.


    Actually, he did not believe that the academy was secure enough to protect the key under Morell''s administration. Things had changed drastically at the academy after Rufus was struck down with a strange illness. The academy was honestly a mess, a few trespassers had been caught on the grounds. Everyone knew that we were vulnerable." He chuckled remorsefully. "I wish I had listened to Cillian. At the time, I thought that he was being paranoid, but I gave him the time that he requested for."


    He paused his words to sip on a glass of water and continued. "A month passed and everything was calm. Out of the blue one day, Cillian was given a confidential assignment by the academy, the type that was off the books. He was to go with a team to the Island of no return to handle some problems." A measured gust of air came through his nose. "He never should have gone on that mission. If he had told me about it, I would have said so to his face and told him to turn it down because he was not the first to be assigned this mission. The fact that it was still being assigned was a bad sign in itself. You could smell the doom from a mile away."

 Chapter 485 - 485: Gaps being filled.

    Questions swirled in Phoebe''s mind when grandpa Lee informed them that her grandfather was not the first guardian that had been given this mission.


    "Grandpa Lee do you mean that there were other guardians or supernatural hunters that were assigned this mission before my grandfather? Had you been given this mission as well?" Phoebe asked, her unblinking eyes staring at him.


    The old man nodded. "The name of the island itself spells trouble. A place called the island of no return is not a place any sane person should visit, even a guardian should think twice before venturing there.


    Every year about one hundred or more people just vanish into thin air when they visit that island. There are rumors about mist as night that whispers, winds that carried cries, rain that falls with blood. Even though supernatural guardians and others in our fields are protected more than ordinary humans, that place is still dangerous." Again, he posed and drunk some water.


    The food which had been delivered remained untouched, nobody was in the mood to eat. It''s delicious aroma was less enticing than the answers being received after a long fruitless search.


    Old man Lee put down the glass and continued in a bitter, shaky voice, "The fact that the mission was off the books worried me more than anything. You see, Rufus had banned off the books missions because it meant when you were in trouble on a secret mission, nobody came for you. If you died, nobody looked for your body because they don''t know how you died. Your loved ones would spend their lives wondering what happened to you.


    You would end up being just another missing person in the country with no one really looking for you because they didn''t even know where to begin. When Morell took charge of the academy, he restarted off the book''s missions and because of that, we have at least thirteen hunters and two guardians whose whereabouts are unknown today. I know some of their families and every time I look at them, I feel guilty."


    He sighed and calmed himself, "Anyway, I rejected it immediately and even told Cillian about a dangerous off the books mission going around. Imagine my surprise when I found out that he had accepted that same mission! I thought he was crazy." He twisted his mouth in a dismissive way.


    Maureen''s eyes grew moist. "So, my father decided to put himself in danger knowing that there was a possibility he would not make it back to us! Why would he do such a thing? He knew that there was a possibility of him dying but he still went. Did he think of us or how we would live after he died? Why did he make such a selfish decision?" She burst out into an angry rant, groaned and clenched her hands into fists, digging her nails into her palms.


    Her anger was justified to a certain extent but grandpa Lee did not believe that Cillian''s motives had been selfish. Every guardian and hunter was the same as Cillian, driven by the same desire to serve and protect. He felt the need to defend his friend.


    "Your father was not the kind of man to overlook the death of innocent people. Among those that had undertaken the mission before and failed to return were some of his students and friends. Your father wanted to know why it was the case so when everyone refused the mission, he decided to go himself and save them, bring them back or kill what had killed them. He was a guardian doing his duty at a great personal cost." Old man Lee hoped that Maureen understood this and let go of her anger towards her father. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    No hunter went for a mission hoping that their prey would kill them. They all hoped to kill the prey and return home. But the path of a supernatural hunter was one littered with danger, their lifespan was not guaranteed.


    Phoebe patted her aunt''s hand, now was not the time to grow sentiments. "Go on grandpa Lee, what happened next? Did he leave immediately?" She asked.


    Grandpa Lee nodded once. "Almost immediately but before he left, Cillian came to see me, at the time I had no idea that it would be the last time we would see each other. He brought that mystic key with him and wanted me to keep it for him because his research was unfinished. He was hoping to pick off from where he left off when he returned. I refused the moment he told me this. Why, you may ask." He let the silence stretch on as if he was waiting for a response.


    "Yeah why? You should have taken it because now he is dead, and we do not know who took it, but we all know how dangerous it is." Maureen carefully measured her voice, although on the inside she wanted to scream.


    Rekha lightly snapped her fingers. "Or better still, you should have accepted it and taken it to the academy." She stated.


    "Hmmm." Grandpa Lee made a small snorting sound. "I take risks with my life but calculated ones only. Those mystic keys fall in the cursed relics bracket. They are connected to Ravana and everyone at the academy knows that demons and monsters and all sorts of people are looking for them. I did not want such trouble to come knocking on my door, I had to protect my family. Cillian made his choices, I made mine."


    His answer had Phoebe and Maureen locking gazes. Maureen was wondering if a demon had ever come knocking at their house and worried because Phoebe had two keys.


    Phoebe was also wondering how safe the two keys were.


    The spirit which had been sitting lazily on the arm rest of the chair between her and Maureen, leaped into communicated to Phoebe directly. "The space is very safe; you have nothing to worry about my dear."


    "So, what happened? Did grandpa Cillian go with the key?" Phoebe asked.


    To grandpa Lee, the world seemed to grow still, he drew out deliberate breath and shook his head slowly. "He did not, he left it with the only other person that he could trust, Bernard Montgomery."


    Phoebe did not fathom the gravity of grandpa Lee''s words until she heard a dull thud. Everyone''s attention moved to Rekha whose plate of food was now overturned on the fluffy red carpet.


    Rekha''s wide eyes remained glued on grandpa Lee who was staring at her with genuine concern.


    "Child, are you alright? Your skin has gone ghostly." He asked, wondering why she seemed too startled.


    Rekha blinked rapidly. "Did you say Bernard Montgomery?" She quizzed, still pinning her gaze onto him.


    Maureen touched her forehead in dread as she came to realize why Rekha had reacted like that. "Oh my goodness! It''s your father, right?"


    On hearing her aunt''s words, Phoebe caught up to speed at airplane speed, a gasp escaped her lips. "Bernard Montgomery is Rekha''s father?" She voiced loudly.

 Chapter 486 - 486: Memories in a locked mind.

    Not surprising, there was some discomfort in the room for a moment. Nobody knew what to say next, did they have to give Rekha condolences, did they have to comfort her, did they have to apologize to her.


    Phoebe and Maureen shared a similar distressed look as they started drawing the same conclusions. The key was likely connected to Rekha''s parent''s death. They had died in the same year as Cillian.


    It made sense now why Edward had taken responsibility for Rekha, why he gave her everything she ever needed. It explained why he bought her a big house and assigned her dozens of maids, why he attended her school meetings and did everything a parent ought to have done. Maybe guilt had been eating him up all these years.


    A tomb like silence continued to swallow the room, as all eyes focused on Rekha who appeared to be in distress and confused. She was looking at old man Lee with unanswered questions in her eyes.


    "Girl, was Bernard Montgomery your father?" Grandpa Lee asked Rekha, breaking the silence.


    Nodding slowly and a bit absentminded, Rekha smiled mildly with unease. "Yes, he was, I didn''t know that he had ties to the academy. Please tell me, did he do the right thing by taking the key to the academy?" She crossed her fingers and hoped that her father was a righteous man.


    "Right thing, I see that you really hold the academy in high regard. Your eyes have been glued shut so much that you cannot see what is in front of you. I was once like you; we were all like that until what happened to Bernard and Cillian." Grandpa Lee softly voiced.


    The women traded gazes; Phoebe stretched her hand forward. "So does anyone else also think that their tragedies are linked?" She asked as question that lingered on everyone''s mind.


    The dots were there, they just needed to be connected with s string, pen or a pencil.


    "I do not think, I believe so. Bernard died only three days after Cillian left for his mission. This was after he told me that he was going to take the key to safety because he could not keep it in his house.


    I assumed it was the academy, and I encouraged him to do so. To my shock after he informed the academy heads that he would be bringing in a mystic key which Cillian had given to him, he ended up dead. He and his family got into an unexplainable accident only one child survived." Grandpa Lee turned his gaze to Rekha.


    Phoebe and Maureen also looked at Rekha, feeling sorry for her. They wondered how she was feeling after so many years of being accused by the Montgomery family of having brought bad luck to her father which led to his death. The same accusations had been levied at her dead mother. Rekha had to be relieved surely.


    Old man Lee shook his head and sighed for the umpteenth time. "My words are not evidence of anything child. It could all be a coincidence but come on, just do the math. Isn''t the timing too suspicious? Don''t you remember anything about that night? How did you survive the accident? What bumped into the car and forced it off the road?" He queried, hope of finding answers glinted in his eyes.


    Rekha shut her eyes closed tightly, trying to recall the accident but her brain was as blank as a cloudless sky. The more she tried to recall, the more she felt a sharp ache which threatened to tear her brain apart, so she gave up. It was always like this when she tried to remember past events.


    "I-I do not remember anything." She buried her head in her palms like as though her head had grown too big for her neck to lift.


    "Because you said that my father blocked your memories, whatever it was that he blocked must have been very terrifying for you to live with as a child." Phoebe reminded her, her eyes lingered on Rekha with unspoken remorse.


    Rekha shifted from her seat such that a maid could clean where she had been sitting. For a moment, they remained silent and waited for the maid to do her job which was done in two minutes.


    "I think it was demons." Old man Lee suddenly said when they had privacy again.


    "Demons? Mr. Lee you really think that demons had something to do with the accident that killed my family? And the academy, were they really involved?" She asked, her tone laced with disbelief especially regarding the academy in which she had so much faith and trust.


    Grandpa Lee wiped a handkerchief over his face as he gestured indifferently. "Honestly I am not a hundred percent sure, but I suspect it to be so. I started distancing myself from the academy back then because there were more questions than answers, eventually I left because I did not know who I could trust anymore.


    I have been sniffing around still; I intend to find out why Cillian thought the academy could not be trusted. Why Bernard died, what happened on Cillian''s mission? If possible, I want to help in cleaning house and restore the academy to what it used to be. I am an old man now with not many years left so I am not as scared as I was in the past." He pulled his shoulders down and leaned back in the chair, sinking in the leather almost completely. S§×arch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "How do you intend to do that?" Phoebe asked, curious to know his plan.


    "Rufus is back at the academy, he asked me to go back there, apparently things are messed up. Morell run the academy as if it was his personal playground, he ruined it with politics. I am going to take Rufus up on that offer and I will do some digging while we restore the academy to what it used to be." Grandpa Lee explained.


    Maureen arched an eyebrow. "You alone cannot take them on join our team, secretly of course. We will tell you what we find and vice versa." She proposed.


    Grandpa Lee grabbed a hold of the offer immediately, he drifted his eyes to Rekha whose eyes were closed digging for her lost memories once again.


    "I can return back those memories to you if you are up to it." He offered his services.


    A shudder rolled down Rekha''s spine, even as a grown-up she was terrified about what was buried in her head. "Thank you and I will seriously consider it but finish Cillian''s story first." She proposed


    The other two women nodded. "She is right, what happened when he got to the Island." Maureen asked.


    "Now that is still a mystery to me. I wonder who knows what happened?" His eyes narrowed in Maureen''s direction. "I think your brother does actually. On the day of Cillian''s funeral when he was chasing away the elders of the academy, I remember him accusing them of not sending help to your father. He called them hypocrites, spat in their faces and said the Mayfair''s would never be connected to the academy again. If you want to know more, find a way of asking him." Grandpa Lee suggested.


    In response, Maureen clicked her tongue. "It will be easier to kill a high-level demon than get any answers out of him."

 Chapter 487 - 487: Pain of knowing the truth.

    As they left the Lee''s residence, Maureen continued trying to convince Rekha to allow get her memories unblocked. She was convinced that something in them might hold the key to finding out who killed her father. If it was true that the Montgomery''s had been killed as old man Lee suspected, then it was possible that her father had suffered the same fate at the hands of the same culprit.


    If it was the reality, Maureen was ready to pursue justice even if it took her the rest of her life.


    Maureen cozied up to Rekha in the backseat of the car in a way she never did before. "Listen Rekha we are not far off yet; we can just turn the car around and old man Lee will do his magic on your head. I believe that some of the critical information that we need right now could be hiding deep within your memories." She poked Rekha''s shoulder gently but got no response.


    Rekha was quiet, her fingers tightly coiled around the small pendant around her neck which had been a gift from her parents when she was born.


    Maureen was not giving up and she continued to apply pressure. "I won''t lie, I am not making this request selflessly, I do have an ulterior motive but think of it as a win-win for all of us. If those memories return, we will know which demon or monster killed them and you get to gut them like fish. You also seemed to be worried about the key, we can find out who took it and retrieve it." She added to her previous words.


    A mournful whimper was expelled from Rekha''s lips, the sound was heavy with unspoken sorrow. All that Maureen had just said had gone over her head because she was lost in her own thoughts.


    In a distressed voice, she said, "I cannot believe that the academy that I have dedicated my entire life to had something to do with my family''s demise." Her tone was teary, the pendant dug into her palm as her grip tightened. Inside the pendant was the last family picture they took as a family.


    Fury burned in her bones as she thought about the harsh words the Montgomery''s had hurled at her and how she had disobeyed Edward, throwing away his kindness to join the academy.


    "Uncle Edward must have known something. He warned me when I told him that I wanted to join the academy, he even gave an ultimatum that either I am with him or with the academy." A lump caught in her throat. "I choose the academy guys....." Her words dissolved into tears before she could finish.


    Her heart was shattered, and she had no idea how it could be glued back together except with the blood of her enemies.


    Maureen was at a loss on what to do so she just put an arm around Rekha''s shoulders as a comforting gesture. "There, there, we all make wrong choices sometimes. Look at me, I am in the academy too and he will be mad when he finds out."


    "Is she making it better or worse?" The Saxon spirit asked Phoebe.


    Phoebe adjusted the rear-view mirror such that she could see Rekha clearly. She was still crying so Maureen was not making it better.


    "Rekha, you did not know about it so you cannot blame yourself for that. Honestly, I believe that my father was wrong for cutting you off, it was a childish move. He was too harsh on you; the least he could have done was tell you why joining the academy was the wrong choice." She spoke thinking that blaming her father partly would lessen Rekha''s guilt.


    "No! No matter what I should have listened to him, uncle Edward had my best interests at heart. He was trying to protect me, yet I did not even flinch when he said that our relationship would be over once I joined the academy, I just turned and left even though I noticed the cloud of sadness and betrayal in his eyes.


    I was brainwashed into believing that I had been chosen to save humanity from all evil. What kind of savior turns their back on family? It was me that betrayed him; it is all my fault." Came Rekha''s trembling confession, barely audible over her crying.


    Maureen pulled Rekha in for a full body hug, the side shoulder hug was not working sufficient it seemed. "There, there, there is still time to make it right."


    The spirit shook its head. "Oh, that poor child, she is truly remorseful perhaps you could help mend the broken relationship." It made a suggestion that Phoebe was considering already. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Maureen soothed Rekha until she stopped crying. "It will be alright; my brother Edward may seem like a rock on the outside, but he is as soft as a fresh croissant. He has a soft spot for you I am sure, maybe he was mad at you then, but he has moved past his anger now. Think about it, who was the first person that he turned to when he needed a trusted person to train his daughter, you! As long as you approach him slowly, things will work out between the two of you." She assured Rekha.


    The words were reassuring but Rekha had many doubtful thoughts running through her mind. "Not if he finds out that I have not been disclosing all the information on the activities that Phoebe is engaged in. The situation will only get worse if he knows that I even joined you in your dangerous adventures." She hiccupped and laughed, swiping at her eyes to wipe tears away. "He will kill all of us but senior Maureen, he will grill you the most at least." She said, wincing as she imagined that dreaded day arriving.


    Maureen sighed softly, imaginations of her brother condemning her in his angry voice raced through her mind. "Well, I believe so too, we will cross the bridge when we get there. When the time comes, I will be very happy to fall on the sword for both of you. Your aunt is here, you don''t need to be afraid and when you are comfortable Rekha, start calling me aunt instead of senior."


    Her words were actually very comforting, and Rekha appreciated them very much. For the first time, since they met, she felt close to Maureen.


    "My loyalty to the academy just dissolved in water, I am done with it, but I will stay only because we have a mission with grandpa Lee. When I find out who in the academy was behind my parents murder, I will show no mercy." Rekha spoke through pursed lips.


    Maureen arched an eyebrow. "Try to keep to your original self while you are there Rekha, don''t give anything away. As for the academy don''t give up just yet, it was a different place when uncle Rufus was running things."


    Maureen and Phoebe were very worried about the flame of anger and revenge that had been ignited in Rekha. If it exploded, who would it take out?

 Chapter 488 - 488: Behind Phoebes interest in the past.

    It was not unexpected for them to see grandma Mayfair anxiously waiting for them at the cafe, eager to hear about everything that had happened at the Lee family home.


    She was like an addict waiting for her favorite drug of choice as she dragged them to sit down so that they could share every detail without skipping a beat.


    Old lady Mayfair did not abandon her job, she cleaned the counter while telling them where she was up to on Minka''s affairs. The gossip had already started making the rounds and she was the one that had started it.


    "One moment Sally and Agatha Diggens were updating everyone about George''s first wife and then suddenly they went silent! No more updates can you believe that! How can they do that to us after sharing a few measly details? What happened there?" Grandma Mayfair sat down opposite Maureen.


    She concentrated on Maureen the most because she knew that Phoebe was not a fun of all the gossiping on the founding lane and neither was Rekha. They participated but they did not relish it the way others did.


    Maureen did not disappoint. She narrated everything that happened exaggerating a few parts, but she left nothing out.


    For Phoebe it was rather fun watching Maureen bring the gossip to life, reenacting some parts, changing her voice to mimic the different parties involved and moving around to show where the sworn enemies were sitting or standing.


    "And then Tracy said what are you leeches doing here?"


    Grandma Mayfair gasped.


    Maureen changed her position, moving to the right. "And Agatha replied, Oh look it''s the cannibals of the founding lane!"


    Grandma Mayfair squealed and clapped. "Oh no she didn''t."


    Maureen even pulled Phoebe in to reenact the fight which was started by hair pulling. By the time she was done grandma Mayfair''s jaw had to be picked from the floor.


    "Let''s go back, George was married as a child!" She exclaimed. "Idiots! Morons! What were they thinking? It is not even part of any tradition of our founding families that I know of. If old man Lee reports to the council, they will be in big trouble. Poor George, tell me he cut his family off for this." Grandma Mayfair inserted a cashew nut in her mouth.


    Phoebe was quick with an answer on that front. "I think it will be a long wait for most people that are hoping to see that happen. I honestly doubt that he has the balls to walk away from his toxic family." She leaned back in the chair. "I feel bad for the next woman he will marry. I don''t think any founding family will be volunteering their daughters for that spot."


    "Minka has to divorce first, some women stay in unhappy marriages to avoid the imaginary stain of divorce." Maureen commented.


    "Minka is young, beautiful from a great family, I am not worried about her finding another man if things with George do not work out." Grandma Mayfair spoke regretfully. "I hope she divorces him."


    A chuckle came from Maureen. "After what she has been through, it would be surprising if she doesn''t divorce him and end up in a convent or a temple as a nun." She let out a snort mixed with a laugh. "Two marriage markers and none hers!!!! that''s just foul."


    Being that she was an observant person, grandma Mayfair noticed that Rekha seemed off, she sat at the farm end of a sofa next to the counter, staring at a pendant without blinking. She was like a statue that was frozen in time.


    "Are you alright Rekha dear?" Grandma Mayfair asked.


    The question jolted Rekha from her thoughts, and she answered honestly. "No, old lady Mayfair and I do not know if I will ever be." Her sad eyes stared at the old woman.


    Confused, Grandma Mayfair''s eyes shifted to Phoebe who let out a soft sad sigh. "Nana, Rekha needs all our love and support at the moment, she just found out some terrible things about how her parents died." She explained.


    "The accident? " Grandma Mayfair asked.


    Phoebe nodded. Rekha stood up and excused herself, it was obvious that they were about to dive into the story again and she was not up to it. She could not stop them from talking about it because it involved their family as well.


    After she left, Maureen carefully told grandma Mayfair bits and pieces of the story, leaving out some parts about Cillian like the mission to the Island of no return.


    Grandma Mayfair''s smile that had accumulated due to the gossip session faded and confusion arrived. "So, you mean to say that Cillian gave Bernard something to keep, and it is possible that this somehow caused his death?" A tear rolled down her cheek, but she did not bother to wipe it away. She did not even realize that it was there.


    Phoebe leaned forward on the counter. "Yes, it seems that way." sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Mother no one should hear a word of this especially not Edward. He doesn''t want us digging into it." Maureen warned.


    Grandma Mayfair shook her head. "He won''t be hearing it from me you can be rest assured. Why would I bring it up now? That boy never wants to hear me talk about his father. At the funeral, he would not even let me see his father''s corpse. Not even when I pleaded in tears.


    I have always known since then that there was more to the story about my Cillian''s death than met the eye. I just feel terrible for Rekha, her father''s death was partly my husband''s fault." She pushed forward in the chair. "Do you think that Edward knew and that is why he took care of her?" She cocked her head and winced inwardly.


    She suddenly felt as if they had not done enough for Rekha. If they had known, they would have adopted her into the Mayfair family.


    "I don''t know Edward''s secrets mother but one thing I am coming to learn is that my dearest brother is hiding a lot of secrets concerning father''s death. It is suspicious that he suddenly became Rekha''s guardian out of the blue and cared for her as if she was his own." Maureen twisted her nose. "There was a time when some people even thought she was his illegitimate daughter."


    [Aunt, you are a guardian, don''t you have special means to pry dads'' mouth open? Should I try using a truth telling talisman on dad, I need to know what he knows about grandpa''s death.]


    Maureen frowned on seeing the thought. It had been bothering her for a while that Phoebe was doing all this digging into Cillian''s death as if she was on a mission. Even if Cillian was her grandfather, Phoebe was too invested in finding out what happened in the past.


    "Let me go and find Rekha, I am her guardian going forward whether she wants me or not." Grandma Mayfair stood up and left.


    Maureen turned her attention to Phoebe immediately and asked the question she had been holding in for months. "Why are you so interested in my father''s death? Truth only."


    Phoebe held her aunt''s gaze for a moment. It was true that there was something she had been holding back for so long. They shared a burden half shared was a burden half solved. Cillian''s matter did not concern her alone, it concerned all the Mayfair''s.


    Looking at her aunt, she opened her mouth and said, "I am not sure he is truly dead." Her voice was steady and stern.

 Chapter 489 - 489: Is Cillian alive?

    The words hit her like a thunderclap. Maureen gripped the edge of the chair to steady herself. Shock and hope warred within her, disbelief soon joined them, and it led to a dance of conflicting emotions inside of her. Maureen''s breath shattered on its way out, it caught in her throat, nearly choking her.


    Of all the possibilities that she had come up with to explain Phoebe''s obsession with Cillian''s death, this was not one of them. This was like pulling a rabbit out of a hat!!


    Maureen could not believe it, her mind simply refused to accept it. Her little niece truly had a wild imagination or maybe it was being around ghosts so much that had her mind thinking up crazy things. She had looked into Phoebe''s past and discovered that Phoebe had spent two weeks under psych hold after she woke up from a short coma. This was after she fell into the lake while working a part time job as a tour guide.


    Maybe that brief coma had affected Phoebe in some ways they were not aware of.


    "It''s impossible." Maureen whispered.


    If the words had come from old man Lee or Rufus, men that possessed great supernatural power and insight she could have believed but not Phoebe. She respected her niece, but Phoebe was a baby in the supernatural world. She was not the master of everything. This Alton Boyd business was evidence of that.


    Unintentionally, Maureen let out a guffaw, she waved her hand dismissively such that Phoebe did not feel too bad about her reaction. "I am sorry baby girl but sometimes I think that you have loose screws in your head. What in God''s name made you say that?


    I hope that you will not repeat this in front of my mother because you will break her heart and maybe give her a heart attack. I was there when old man Lee confirmed that my grandfather was dead. They found his possessions, things he never went anywhere without.


    I saw the coffin get lowered in the ground. I and mother cried our eyes out. Edward was emotional and beside himself, there is no way he would watch us in such pain and not say a word if father was alive. My father is dead! I am certain of it." She asserted boldly.


    In all honesty Phoebe was not surprised by her reaction, it was exactly what she had been expecting. This was one of the reasons as to why she had kept her suspicions to herself, knowing very well that it was hard to believe.


    If she was Maureen, she would react in the same exact way after all, even if Cillian was not dead, where was he? Why had he not come home for over twenty years?


    Phoebe pushed forward and said, "Aunt I am sorry for digging up old wounds. I have not confirmed this theory, and I know that I sound crazy, but I would not say this out of the blue without being at least eighty percent sure." Phoebe calmly explained.


    Her aunt who was dabbing the corners of her eyes looked at Phoebe- then stiffened. It suddenly dawned on her that her niece was not joking. She looked dead serious, eighty percent serious.


    "Wait you are actually serious about this?" She asked, with a swift motion, she uncrossed her legs and pulled herself closer to Phoebe.


    The spirit floated closer to Maureen. "You need to take Phoebe very seriously on this, you should believe her." It advised her.


    Shaking her head like she was having spasms, Maureen laughed as if she had lost her mind, muttering the words, how, impossible and unbelievable.


    One thing she had learnt about this invisible spirit was that it was very powerful. It knew a lot of information about things past and things future. It would not be supporting Phoebe''s claim if they were not true.


    Hope blossomed in Maureen''s heart, and she allowed herself to believe for a moment. "W-why do you guys think that my father is alive?" She stammered, her mind still racing over memories of the funeral, the echoes of grieving wails and condescension. She placed a hand over her head. "This is honestly absurd! Have you seen him? Where has he been, I want to see him." Her voice was a mere whisper at the last request.


    She had been looking for answers to his death for years and now she was being told he could be alive!!!Maureen thought she was dreaming, she pinched herself.


    "Not a dream." she muttered.


    The Saxon spirit hovered above Maureen, stepping in for Phoebe because it knew she would listen to it. "We searched among the dead and he was not there. Cillian Mayfair is not written among the dead; this we are certain of." It rubbed its chin. "The odd thing however is that even if you try to locate him among the living, he cannot be found. The location spells we tried failed completely, I am still trying to find newer spells. All I can clearly say for now is that it is as though he has veiled or hidden himself deliberately in order not to be found." It elaborated. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It spoke with authority that doubt was erased from Maureen''s heart. "So you think that he is alive but in hiding? Why? What in the world would have sent a great guardian like my father into hiding? Is he being hunted by someone or something?


    Grandma Mayfair was returning so Phoebe gestured for Maureen to follow her into the office.


    The moment the door was closed, Maureen said, "First, I want to see you check the other side with my two eyes, that is the only way I will believe you." She perched on the edge of the seat.


    Phoebe''s gaze drifted to the spirit as if seeking for permission from it, the spirit nodded in response. It vanished into the space and returned with the ghost''s notebook.


    "What is that? Some special kind of book that tells you who is dead and who is alive? Explain what you are doing please." Maureen asked, studying every move that Phoebe made.


    Phoebe who was writing a request to her grandfather to appear before her paused and met her aunt''s curious gaze. "It is a special book that one can use to communicate with spirits on the other side. You can pass along messages, ask for information and make requests. All you have to do is write them down politely and when it pleases the ghost it responds. In fact, if you are nice the spirit may appear to you." She explained.


    "And you have done this how many times exactly?" Maureen quizzed; her voice still laced with doubt. This was the first time she was seeing or hearing of such a book.

 Chapter 490 - 490: Confirmation of life.

    Phoebe did not keep count of the number of times she used the ghost notebook to help her clients. It wasn''t as if the ghosts wanted her to keep track of how many times, she disturbed their rest.


    As for her grandfather specifically, she had tried many times and stopped counting, there was a time when she would reach out ten times a day. When it did not work, she asked other ghosts if they had seen him on the side, never before had she got a positive response.


    A sigh uncoiled from her. "I have lost count, but I can tell with full authority that never have I ever gotten a reply which confirms that grandpa is on the other side. It is why I started to suspect that he was not dead at all and something else had happened. He is out there; we need to find him and bring him home."


    She thought Maureen would be on board immediately, but her aunt shuddered, suddenly feeling colder. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Or....there is another theory." Maureen countered. "It could be that maybe his soul was consumed by a demon or perhaps he is in oblivion or hell!" She stated, sharing some of the scary thoughts that were running through her mind. "I hate to break it to you Pheebs but not every soul ends up in purgatory."


    The spirit shook its head. "Cillian was not an ordinary person that would just go to hell without ghosts, demons and other dark creatures noticing. There would have been whispers and you would all have heard of them. He was a high-level guardian if a demon had killed him or managed to get his soul, it would have bragged about it to every hunter it came across. If he was in hell, they would be boasting and using it to demoralize the students of the academy. When have you ever known demons not to brag about such things? Besides, he is not in the book of the damned." It untangled the confusion.


    Thinking on it''s words, hope began to surge again in Maureen''s veins. Could her father really be out there? Why was he not coming home then? It was impossible for her father to be alive and not reach out to his beloved wife.


    Suddenly she thought of another possibility and her eyes lit up like a bulb. "Or....or, there is one other probability. Pheebs, my father did not know you so perhaps he is not responding because you two are strangers. Tell him that I, his favorite daughter in the world wants to see him. Try that in your little magic notebook." Maureen rubbed her hands together.


    To Phoebe it made a little sense so she tried imploring Cillian to appear and speak with his daughter, but they only got silence as a response.


    "And you are sure that this book works? You have tried summoning others, and they appeared?" Maureen asked, her voice laced with doubt.


    Nodding Phoebe dropped a few names of people Maureen was familiar with. "Even Linda Verndermont and last week I spoke to Luther and told him to see if grandpa is over there. He said no, your father is not on the other side aunt." She shut the book which vanished immediately for its purpose was done.


    "I also asked for a few favors in places that I cannot mention but he is not in hell or any place qualified to be heaven. He has also not reincarnated." The Saxon spirit spread its arms out, gesturing at Maureen. "Do you get the general idea now?"


    Maureen raised her hands to her trembling mouth. "My goodness! My father is alive, he is really alive." She stood up, her body shaking because she did not feel stable. "What do we do? How do we find him?"


    A knock on the door elicited silence in the room, dropping the topic immediately.


    Grandma Mayfair''s head popped in. "Boyd is here, should I chase him away?" Her voice lacked the usual enthusiasm which she had when she was dealing with Alton Boyd.


    Maureen raised her brows. "You! Chase him away? Am I missing something?" Questions tumbled out of her, one after the other. "Who are you and what have you done with my mother the Alton Boyd obsessed woman?"


    Maureen was not finished, she opened her mouth and mimicked her mother, "Alton Boyd is the best, Alton Boyd is so sweet he brought you flowers, Alton Boyd...."


    Grandma Mayfair pushed the door wider and entered putting a handout to stop her daughter. "Listen honey, I noticed that you were really uncomfortable when that man proposed. I will admit that I was happy when I thought it was a great thing but that was before...." The rest of the words dried on her tongue because Phoebe had told her about Boyd''s problems, and she did not want her daughter to know. "So, what do you want me to tell him." She diverted to a question.


    Maureen twisted her lips, wondering what had caused the drastic change in her mother. "There is no point in avoiding him, let him in." She gestured.


    Grandma Mayfair stepped out for a minute and returned with him.


    "Maureen..." Boyd appeared with his charming enthusiastic smile. His smile fell immediately when he noticed that Maureen was not wearing the ring. "I see that you are not wearing the ring I gave you. Do you not like it? That''s okay, I promise to get you a better one when I make more money." A rueful smile made its way to his lips.


    Grandma Mayfair rolled her eyes. "The courteous thing would be to greet her first and those in the room like Phoebe. Anyway, give my child time to think about this marriage first Mr. Alton, do not pressurize her into anything. If she doesn''t want to wear a ring, let her."


    Boyd was taken aback by the old woman''s words. She was normally his biggest fun and was the most excited person about the proposal but now she was talking about pressure! Was she not the one that was applying it on her daughter when it came to getting married?


    "Mr. Alton?" He repeated, wondering why she was referring to him by that name as if they were strangers. What had happened to Boyd?


    Phoebe pulled on her grandmother''s hand. "We will give you guys some privacy, Nana come on."


    The spirit had to help in dragging the old woman away because she had her feet pinned to the floor. She did not want to leave Maureen with Alton now because when she looked at the man, she saw trouble.

 Chapter 491 - 491: A broken engagement.

    Phoebe did not stray far when she stepped out of the office, she hung around the counter area peeking at the door, craning her neck as if it could somehow grow longer like that of a giraffe and enable her to see inside.


    A call from her mother distracted her for a moment.


    "Mum, can you call back later?" She said as soon as she answered the call.


    "Why? Are you with a client or is the cafe flowing with customers?" Jenny quizzed.


    Phoebe looked around; the herb counter was packed but Rosette was working on it. All the customers that had come for drinks and snacks had been tended to. Sabrina and Sylvester were cleaning the juice machine. There was no client waiting to be seen, only gossip waiting to be heard.


    "We are busy, there is so much going on. Do you have an emergency?" S~ea??h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Nothing, I am just calling to get an update on Minka''s situation. Is she divorcing or not? Do you know how many of us are dying to know? Is it true that the Diggens and Osbourne''s fought?"


    As quickly as she could, Phoebe went through as much of the story as she could and then hung up and continued watching the door. After about thirty minutes, it opened, and Boyd Alton came out. He wore a sardonic expression; it was obvious that whatever they had talked about in there had not pleased him.


    He glanced at Phoebe and Rekha that were pretending to be busy, and they looked away quickly acting as if the walls, tables and chairs were more interesting than anything else around. It was awkward, not just for them but him as well.


    "Uhm, goodbye." Alton gave a quick wave and hurried away.


    As they watched him leave, Rekha said, "She must have broken it off I can tell from the resentment etched on his face."


    They looked at each other and bolted to the office in desperate need to know what had transpired between the couple. Old lady Mayfair was not far behind them, and she nearly shoved Rekha out of the way to get to Maureen.


    "Aunt what happened?" Phoebe approached her aunt who sat with her head resting in the palms of her hands as if she was extremely sad. "Are you crying?" She suspiciously asked.


    Maureen lifted her head, her eyes as dry as a desert. "Crying! Oh hell no. Why would I cry over a man I don''t love? I just told him that I will not be marrying him. At least not until I am certain that it is the right move for us both. I insisted that he heal fully spiritually, do some soul searching and after that if fate wills it, we will find a way back to each other." She relayed to them.


    It was not surprising to Maureen that relief actually appeared on the faces of the listeners. She had not been the only one experiencing discomfort with this relationship.


    Grandma Mayfair went ahead to make the sign of the cross and sigh in relief. "Lord, I thank you; I was going insane." She raised her hands to the heavens before returning her gaze back to her daughter. "You have come back to your senses finally. I was right when I wanted to chase him away earlier. How did he react to what you told him?" She asked.


    She ignored every look of disbelief on the faces of everyone around her, acting as if she had always been against Maureen''s involvement with Alton.


    Laughing casually, Maureen ignored her mother''s shameless ability of turning black to white and twisted her lips to one side. "Actually, it went better than I expected, he said that he understood where I was coming from, and he was willing to give me all the time in the world."


    Her words produced a deep scowl on Phoebe''s forehead. "That''s not how he seemed to me aunt, he seemed furious when he left." She spoke.


    Rekha raised her hand halfway. "Me neither." She added to Phoebe''s words


    "Maureen that man seemed gravely disappointed, we all saw it." Grandma Mayfair stated, worry marred on her face. What if he did something to her child? She was going to have assign secret bodyguards to Maureen and also remove Alton Boyd from the list of guests that could access the Mayfair manor.


    Giving their worries a little dismissive wave, Maureen snorted. "Well naturally of course he had to be disappointed, look at me, I am a catch."


    The others rolled their eyes, they wanted to tell Maureen to be serious for a moment.


    "I am not blind; I could see through his calm facade." Maureen shared.


    Letting out a weary sigh, Rekha sat close to Maureen, her troubles temporarily paused to deal with Maureen''s troubles. "I am not a relationship guru, but that man is hiding something, please be careful senior Maureen." Unease flickered in her expression.


    "Why are you calling Maureen senior Rekha?" Grandma Mayfair eyes roamed the two women, confusion drawn in them.


    Blinking rapidly, Rekha cleared her throat. "Well, it''s just to accord her with respect because she is older than me, that is all." She shut her lips tightly.


    Maureen raised her index finger. "First of all, drop the senior Maureen and start addressing me as aunt because you call Edward uncle. And secondly, all of you do not worry about Boyd, I can handle him. I know that he is hiding something and until he comes clean, I see no future with him even though he is as handsome as a devil." She giggled but the others remained still, not finding her words funny.


    Old lady Mayfair made the sign of the cross and briefly glared at Maureen. "You are following me to church on Sunday and getting dunked in a pool of holy water."


    "It was a joke mother." Maureen whined.


    Old lady Mayfair would not hear of the excuse, she had turned back to Rekha. "My dear girl you are coming home like we discussed, do not say no to this grandmother of yours." She patted Rekha''s hand.


    If she had any doubts before, Rekha became certain about accepting the invitation after seeing the hopeful gazes of Maureen and Phoebe. "Of course, Mrs. M...." her words drifted off when she noticed the frown on the old woman''s face. "G-grandma Mayfair."


    Gales of happy laughter escaped them at Rekha finally conceding defeat. They were all relieved to have the opportunity to somehow pay her back for what she lost in part due to Cillian''s request in the past.


    Later that evening after dinner at the Mayfair household, Edward was shocked when his mother raised the subject of his father to him.


    He was even more surprised to find out that she knew his father was partly responsible for Bernard Montgomery''s death because he entrusted Bernard with an important relic.


    "You should have told me! I deserved to know what your father had done because I am his wife. Do you know how I feel now knowing that he did not trust me with even more of his secrets, but he told you. Do you even think of me as your mother if you could hide these things from me? Poor Rekha, I find it hard to look her in the eye now.


    You knew the truth and nonchalantly raised her while lying to her and us about your reasons why. Do not act like you helped that poor girl out of the goodness of your heart. Guilt must have been the motivation." Grandma Mayfair scolded him in a rage filled voice. "Why didn''t you come to me Edward? Why?"


    Edward''s hands lightly smacked the table. "I couldn''t say a word; father told me to keep it a secret." He confessed abruptly.

 Chapter 492 - 492: Last message from Cillian.

    As soon as he blurted these words out, Edward realized the blunder he had made. His intention had not been to reveal the secret but something in him had just snapped. He was tired of holding in so many secrets, perhaps releasing some of them could help him unburden himself.


    Besides, it seemed like his mother had found a great detail about some of the things that transpired back then. Maybe it was better to just let it all out.


    Grandma Mayfair''s index finger dug deep into her ear and wiggled somewhat violently like it could reboot her brain, she thought that maybe she had heard her son wrong because of the nonexistent excess wax inside the ear.


    "What did you say Edward? Repeat what you just said." She finally managed to ask.


    Edward stared blankly at his mother, his face showing no remorse. "Mother you heard me right, I did it because father asked me to. I barely even knew the dead Montgomery''s, but I had to claim that Bernard was my friend in order to hide the fact that father had been involved somehow in the tragedy, and he did not want people connecting the dots.


    Most people thought that I was being a good Samaritan by helping Rekha, but they had no idea that guilt was eating me up inside.


    Every time I heard Rekha cry out for her parents; I blamed myself as if I had somehow caused the accident. I blamed father even more for involving Bernard in his business. Nothing we do for Rekha will ever bring her parents back to life. I would not blame her for hating our family." He fell back in the sofa, feeling relief because a secret that he had carried for many years was now off his shoulders.


    In reaction to his confession, his mother clutched on her chest dramatically like as though her pounding heart was about to escape from the rib cage. Slowly she sank back in the chair, her mouth hung wide open as it let out a stiff cry.


    "Mother!" Edward leaped from his seat; it seemed like his mother was in the process of getting a heart attack.


    "Alfie? Alfie!" He shouted on top of his lungs, but the secretary did not rush in. It was around 11:00pm in the night and all the employees had retired to bed.


    "God damn it!" Edward fidgeted to fish out his phone that was inside the side pocket of his grey pants. "Mother, are you alright?" He asked over and over as he dialed the emergency helpline.


    Grandma Mayfair snatched the phone away from him and cut the call. "I am not alright! I am in shock Edward." She snapped at him, straightening herself to a better angle in which she would be comfortable and not hurt her back.


    "Edward, I am going to ask you a question and I expect nothing but the truth. Does this mean that you spoke to your father after he left for that damn mission that killed him?" She asked, her fingers pinched his chin as she lifted his face like as though she could discern his truth from his lies.


    In response, Edward''s head bobbed like a dashboard puppy on a bumpy road. "Yes, mother I did. I am so sorry that that I hid from you the fact that father called me. It''s just.....things were complicated, he was not trying to protect Rekha only, he was protecting us too." He whispered but in it, the whole truth unraveled.


    Grandma Mayfair''s brows shot up towards her hairline, she almost got up to scream or curse at her dead husband for putting their son in such a position, but she held off on it. She could tell that there was even more that had not been revealed, and she wanted to know everything.


    Leaning forward she said, "Listen to me Edward, you are going to tell me everything that you and your father talked about that day. Do you understand me? I am tired of living in the dark on this matter. I have failed to move on, to this day, I still cry myself to sleep. I stay up late at night in my bed, alone, wondering if I could have stopped him from going if I knew what he had been up to. S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If he had been thinking of me when he died, or if there was a way that I could have saved him. I keep imagining what his dead body looked like because you wouldn''t let me see it." She spoke hastily, unearthing the buried ache that lay within her heart. Many had moved on, but she had failed to, after all he was the love of her life.


    "For a while there, I even suspected that we buried an empty coffin, and he run out on us and that is why you were acting like that at the funeral." She sniveled and wiped tears from her eyes. "Sometimes I hate him so much for making me a widow and I wake in the middle night, get a drink, look at his pictures and I tell him just how much I hate him." She looked around Edward''s office, hoping for that drink now because she needed it.


    Shock coursed through Edwards veins on listening to his mother''s words, it was her that urged them to move on with life and stop mourning their father. Not once had he seen her crying over him except for that day when he was lowered in the ground. He always thought that she had handled her grief gracefully and thought that he had been shielding her by not telling her the truth. Now he was realizing that he was wrong, she was in pain and carrying her pain alone. Maybe if he had told her everything it would have eased her hurting heart somehow.


    Edward relaxed his fists and opened his mouth to say, "He called me three days after he set off and told me that he had gone to the Island of no return. It is a doomed island mother I will never understand why father decided to go there knowing all the bad things they say happen there or that people tend to go missing over there. He said he had gone to help a friend that was missing." He paused, waiting for her submission.


    Grandma waved dismissively. "He had the savior mentality; Cillian would catch a grenade for anyone it was his nature. It is why he chose to work for the academy." She elaborated.


    A tiny scoff came from Edward. "Whatever you say mother, I still think it was the worst decision he ever made in his life and the results speak for themselves. Anyway, father called me twice. First it was to tell me to request the academy to send back up to the Island." He shuddered, on remembering how terrified his father''s voice sounded on that day.

 Chapter 493 - 493: No back up.

    Edward would never forget the terror in that voice, the urgency, the chill and the sense of panic in that phone call. Those emotions had not just been felt by his father, he had felt them as well during that call. He would never forget how his own heart dropped and a sense of dread run through his entire body.


    Through the years, he always replayed that phone call in his mind, he would never forget a single word that had been said.


    "It''s dad...Listen, I....I need help. Now." Cillian had stammered; his breath rugged. His voice had been heavy with tension and there had been cracks in it. "They were waiting for us, traps-they were everywhere....The weapons didn''t work at all, something is wrong, tell Rufus. Run."


    The call had been ended abruptly but not before Edward heard chaos in the background, loud voices, whispers and scraping as if something or someone was being dragged. S§×ar?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lifting his eyes to the ceiling as the memories of that day came flooding into his mind, he narrated what had happened after the phone call. "I was at the academy when he called, and I run as first as my legs could carry me to the office of special missions. Professor. Derek Cumberbatch was in his office talking to Professor Simmons and professor Gratter.


    I told them exactly what my father had said and told them that I had heard fighting in the background and yells. The two professors panicked, Mr. Cumberbatch jumped to his feet and broke into a run, and I followed. I asked where he was running to, and he informed me that he needed permission from the acting dean to set up a rescue back up team.


    Four of us rushed to the dean''s office, uncle Rufus was not around, he had been away for a fortnight, so Morrel had taken over his duties. He was in the office standing near the window. Upon hearing what I had to say he ordered Mr. Cumberbatch to go ahead and send the team. I never rested until they set off." He paused and sniveled.


    Nodding her head, grandma Mayfair recalled the day she was told that her husband had died in an accident on the mission. Mr. Cumberbatch had pulled her aside to explain some things but at the time nothing made sense, and she could not recall what had been said.


    "Yes, they explained some of that I think but my thoughts were everywhere at the time on hearing that my husband had died. But I remember them saying that they sent a rescue team but unfortunately it was too late, the car had gone up in flames with Cillian''s body in it." Sadness shadowed her eyes, shaking her head to dispel the pain.


    They had not told her about the Island of no return, of that she was certain.


    Letting out a sharp sigh, Edward twisted his face. "Well, here is one thing that I bet they never told you mother, those idiots never sent any backup. That whole rescue mission, it was for show, a lie to pacify me because they knew I would raise hell if nothing was done, and Morell couldn''t have people thinking he was not up to the task of running the academy.


    Father somehow managed to save himself and return from the island on his own. I do not know how he did it, but he did and that''s when I got the second phone call. He called again and told me that those hypocrites never sent anyone to rescue him or the others.


    Then suddenly he asked about Bernard Montgomery, I gave him the sad news that he had died in an accident along with his family except for one, a little girl. Father cursed loudly; I could hear the sadness in his voice. He blamed himself for their death and ordered me to take good care of that little girl like she was my own. He said that if anyone asked me why I was taking care of her, I should just say Bernard was a friend.


    He asserted that I should quit the academy and never trust anyone from there because something was wrong somewhere. He told me that he had something to do before returning, that he had to set things right at the academy. His last instructions were for me to be a strong man and take care of the family and then he cut the call abruptly. Two days later, news came out that the rescue team found him burnt to crisp in a car." He closed his eyes tightly.


    He took a deep breath, the kind that made one feel at ease after holding in air for so long. "After everything that happened, I figured he knew what he was talking about. Someone at the academy, someone high up in office was up to no good. I know for sure that someone there knows the truth about what happened to him.


    They also know the truth behind that mission because why else did they not send the back up? Did they intentionally set him up to die there? Over the years I have asked myself why they hung him out to dry. Father was unhappy with how things were being run at the academy under Morell, could that be why they sent him on a deadly mission?


    Was there some other secret he had discovered that they were hiding? How was Bernard Montgomery connected to it and what relic did father give him that got him killed?


    What if they realized that he made it back alive from the island and decided to get rid of him. Could the car accident have been staged? Was I wrong to ask for help, or did I ask the wrong people?" A tear escaped; Edward wiped it away as if he was ashamed.


    Grandma Mayfair pulled him to her chest. "It is okay Edward let out all your frustration. Now I understand why you chased those good for nothing pretenders away from his funeral, go ahead and cry my son."


    Ragged sobs tore from Edward''s throat, his cries were the sound of a soul unraveling. "I am sorry mother; I should have done something to avenge father''s death, but I was honestly too afraid to tackle the issue. Instead, I left that school and swore that none of Cillian''s descendants would associate themselves with a place that caused his death." He blurted this out before he could stop himself.


    Maureen was right he was a coward but at least they lived longer. He had always been afraid that if he dug into the matter, they would end up like the Montgomery''s. All he wanted to do was protect the family and make sure they all stayed alive otherwise, all of his father''s sacrifices would be for nothing.

 Chapter 494 - 494: Bringing Rekha closer.

    For so many years, Edward had carried the weight of his problems alone. Like his mother, he had managed the weight of a grief so profound that it became a shadow of his very being. Fear had made him harden his heart and bury away every emotion related to his father''s death. But now, the dam he had meticulously built began to crack.


    He buried his head in his trembling hands as sobs escaped his lips, one after the other until his body convulsed with the full force of his anguish. His cries were raw and guttural, they escaped the office and echoed in the hallway.


    His sobs echoed with the heartbreak of a young man that had loved and lost his father so quickly and them held on to his pain in silence for decades.


    Old lady Mayfair''s heart broke for her son, the burden left to him by Cillian had been too great. The questions, too many and the anger, explosive. "Look at me." She commanded. She moved to him and held his head, staring deep into his red rimmed eyes. "You did the right thing by not investigating blindly and stupidly. I would have died if something happened to you too. You have done a great job by running the company and protecting us all. Your father would be proud Edward. I know that because I am proud of you." She assured him.


    Deep down she was determined to find out what exactly happened to her husband. She knew that if there was someone that could unearth the truth about this, it would be Phoebe and her ghost team.


    Something in Edward shifted amidst the agony, a catharsis he had needed for a long time, The burden eased bit by bit as if it had been squeezed out, one tear drop at a time. For the first time in three decades, there was a faint calm within Edward. His mothers'' words somehow carried his grief away, scattering it into the air and it was carried out through ventilators.


    After Edward composed himself, grandma Mayfair diverted the conversation to Rekha. "Edward, you did your best for her, but I think it was lacking. We should have been her new family. We need to embrace the girl fully, in fact that is long overdue. We should have welcomed her here as soon as her parents were put in the ground. I should have taken care of her like a mother does her daughter.


    I feel terrible that I never got the chance and what makes me feel worse is the fact that you cut her off Edward. No matter what she had done you had a debt to pay, her family''s blood is on our hands to an extent." The words left her lips, tinged with quiet let down.


    Edward inhaled deeply, regret enveloped him regarding how he and Rekha ended things in the past. "It was never my intention to cut her off I was trying to protect her without arousing her suspicions. I gave her two choices mother, to either stay by my side or go to that school. She chose that school, and I want nothing to do with the school.


    I still checked in on her and continued providing for her. Nanny Fey who takes care of her daily life kept me updated on what she was up to. As long as she was healthy and happy I considered it that my job was being done. I just couldn''t see her anymore because she turned into one of them." He admitted. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Shaking her head, grandma Mayfair''s wiped the corners of her teary eyes. "Even so Edward, she was like a daughter, and you just threw her out of your life like an old rug. That was heartless of you. You should have told her the truth and let her decide for herself what she wanted. She should have learned about her parents from you and not old man Lee.


    Imagine if she had heard it from a malicious person out to make her an enemy of our family. They could have twisted the truth and pointed to us as the killers of her parents rather than fellow victims of a sinister plot. Thank God that she is a sweet kid, and she holds no grudges against us." She stopped talking and sneezed into a tissue from a box sitting on Edward''s desk.


    Edward''s ears perked up; a calculating gleam flickered as his gaze narrowed. "Old man Lee told her? He knew the truth about the accident, how? Why was she even there in the first place?" He bubbled over with questions, eyes alight.


    Grandma Mayfair shrugged once. "Have you not seen or heard the gossip regarding George Osbourne?" Her brows shot up in surprise, the news was all over their estate.


    A slow head shake was his only reply, Edward was not one to follow up with the town gossip, unless it was economic, political or sports and even that was limited to golf and polo.


    "Oh dear, George had a ghost wife, he was married off to Levi Osborne when they were just toddlers. A real marriage in which their hands were tied with a rope, there was a ritual, and their souls were bound together. It''s sick, is it not? Anyway, Levi died and the ghost haunted George and his first secret wife which led to a divorce. Well___that and the Osbourne''s thinking the girl was no good for him. Then George married Minka, and the ghost haunted them, making it hard to have little Osbourne babies so Phoebe and Rekha dealt with it." Grandma Mayfair rushed through the story.


    Edward scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief. "They are insane, and the guilty parties deserve to be punished for what they did." He commented. "So, uncle Lee then told Rekha about her father just like that? It is very strange; I did not even know that he knew that father had given Bernard anything." He rubbed his chin.


    Old lady Mayfair shrugged, she also didn''t know anything until now. "Rekha was distraught because old man Lee told her that the academy could be responsible for her family''s death. She remembers nothing about the accident, but she feels terrible that she chose the academy over you. As the super adult here I am giving you the task of mending your relationship Edward, she was naive back then and you kept the truth from her."


    Edward nodded__then paused and winced. "Mother, I don''t think that Rekha wants to remember what happened during the accident. I blocked her memories because she was having nightmares and drawing horrific pictures of demon like creatures." His thumb tapped on the sofa headrest.


    Grandma Mayfair patted his shoulder. "Ask her tomorrow, she is spending the night and if it works out, many more nights after that." Grandma Mayfair stood up and left the study, wishing him a good night on her way out.


    With his hands in the pant pockets, Edward walked to the window and stared at the bright stars thinking about his talk with his mother. The urge to look into his father''s death began to gnaw at him, he was stronger willed now and with Rufus'' help maybe the truth of what happened back then could finally come to light.

 Chapter 495 - 495: A Lee daughter is pregnant!

    This same night, Phoebe was awoken by the sound of something scratching on her window. She opened her eyes, sat up and threw a pillow at the window.


    "It is bedtime, don''t you guys sleep?" she croaked out crabbily.


    Her voice woke David up, he sat up and looked in the direction of the window. "What''s wrong? Is it another ghost?"


    She nodded, waved her hand and the window opened. The air grew colder as a figure emerged out of the darkness-a man, translucent and pale, his eyes dark with sorrow. The Saxon spirit, America and Sylvester came out of the space to see what help the ghost needed to come looking for a shaman in the night.


    "Do you need my help?" Phoebe asked. S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Please," the ghost said in a voice that was softer than the wind rustling through dry leaves. "I am Stanley Basten, I was in the underwater hotel that collapsed. I need you to deliver a message to my wife Catia Basten. I heard from others that you do this sort of thing."


    Phoebe and the ghosts exchanged solemn glances before she turned to the ghost. "Speak and I will deliver your words to her."


    "Tell her..." the ghost hesitated and sobbed, "Tell her that I am sorry for taking on that job and breaking my promise never to do dangerous work again. Tell her that I am sorry I could not make it home to her, that I held her locket in my hand in my final moments." His voice cracked and Phoebe felt a pang of empathy pierce her heart. David sensed the change in her, and he put his hands on her waist. "And tell her....tell her not to mourn me for too long. I want her to marry again, she deserves to live a full life." It finished off.


    Phoebe nodded, her voice soft, she replied, "I will tell her. You can move on with ease knowing that your love will reach her one last time."


    She opened her mouth to ask what had happened down there, but light flashed, the ghost vanished, and Phoebe was rewarded with energy.


    "Dammit! she muttered. "Back to bed everyone." She sighed, pushed David back down and closed her eyes.


    ***


    The peaceful breakfast of the next morning was interrupted by the announcement of the arrival of an unexpected visitor, Mrs. Anna Lee, Shanna''s mother.


    "What?" Jennie screamed.


    While everyone was surprised by Anna Lee''s arrival, it was Jennie''s reaction that had them astounded. She was gazing at the casual dress that she was wearing in horror as if it had been stained with blood or some other rotten thing.


    "She can''t see me dressed like this." Jennie wailed. She wanted to rush upstairs and change into something better, but she did not get the opportunity because Anna stormed into the dining room like a storm on heels. The quick clicking of her high heels was a warning of the danger that had come.


    Collin jumped to his feet when he saw his mother-in-law drag his distressed wife in. She had not come alone, Minka followed closely right behind her.


    "Mrs. Lee." Her name burst from his lips, only to fold his lips when Anna shot him with a scathing gaze. Her face burned red with fury, almost the color of a boiled lobster. It was obvious that she was unhappy about something which had to do with Shanna judging by the way she had shoved her into a chair.


    "My goodness Anna! What did the girl do for you to treat her this way?" Jennie rushed to check on her future daughter in law. "My dear, are you alright? Did something happen at your house? Is your mother being her normal annoying self?" She probed, her eyes moving back and forth between Anna and Shanna who was now sniveling.


    Collin moved to approach his wife, ignoring the fierce intense gaze of his mother-in-law. Everyone else wondered what it was that had Anna Lee up in arms and Shanna down in tears.


    Grandma Mayfair came to one conclusion only, Anna must have found out about the secret wedding at the court, nothing else could have infuriated her more than that. Collin who was now comforting Shanna thought the same thing, so he made a decision to shield Shanna by taking all the blame.


    Phoebe drew the same conclusion, and she eyed the closest exit point out of the dining room, as did Andre. Luke was unbothered, he was calm and steady. A doctor like him was used to chaos, normally that chaos included blood and an operating room. To him, this was nothing.


    Collin gulped and faced his mother-in-law. "Mrs. Lee..." he started in a serious but apologetic voice. "I can honestly explain, please calm down." His lips twitched into something resembling a smile.


    Anna released a scoff so sharp that it could slice through the loaf of bread that was on the table. "Explain!" She run her fingers through her uncombed hair, from her disorderly state anyone could tell that she had rushed to the Mayfair house straight out of bed. "Okay begin by explaining to me in great detail how you got my daughter pregnant out of wedlock." Her wide eyes glared at him fiercely like a tigress guarding her cubs. Only, in this case one of those cubs had been touched by someone.


    The Saxon spirit quickly sealed Phoebe''s thoughts, shielding them from being seen to avoid trouble. A sudden hush fell over the room, those chewing like grandma Mayfair and Phoebe stopped midway. Grandma Mayfair''s fork even fell out of her hand.


    "Pregnant!" David was the first to react. He mouthed the word, stunned by the revelation. "Wow Collin you do not waste time now do you!" His words came with a smile which dropped immediately Phoebe pinched him, they were almost in the same predicament.


    Anna''s eyes drifted from David back to Collin. "Cat caught your tongue. Speak! Tell your parents about the shame you have brought upon the respected house of Lee." She ordered him.


    Nervous because he too was finding out about this for the first time, Collin opened his mouth, but no words came out, he wiped cold sweat and stared at his father for help.


    Edward took the initiative to take control of the situation after all, this was his first grandchild. It could not be pointed at as source of shame by the Lee''s. "Anna you must be pissed off as hell but please let us talk about this in a calmer environment, shouting and pointing fingers is not going to help as the deed is already done. We need to forge a way forward from this." His calm countenance could not depict the excitement that danced within him, he was about to become a grandfather. A little Mayfair baby was on the way. Would it be red or black haired? Maybe a mixture.... what was in between red and black?


    "Yes please Anna, listen to Edward. Come this way." Jennie held her by the hand and urged her to follow her to the living room. She was as excited as Edward, the deed was done, finally she could start sharing baby pictures again.


    "Congratulations Collin and Shanna, I am honestly happy for the both of you. Oh it will be nice to hear the sound of a crying baby in this house and I get to see another generation of Mayfair''s, ha-ha." Grandma Mayfair smiled widely.


    Phoebe chuckled lightly.


    [Two crying babies actually]

 Chapter 496 - 496: Twins!

    If the humans had been shocked to learn that Shanna was pregnant then the Saxon spirit was shocked to see a baby thought escaping from the spell, she had just used on Phoebe to hide any thoughts about her own pregnancy.


    "What the hell!" She exclaimed from where she was in the space. "Who is missing with my spells?"


    Meanwhile, old lady Mayfair was the only human that had seen the thought, and she was not just surprised but excited too. Grandma Mayfair''s lungs betrayed her with violent hiccups that were loud enough to startle a rat stealing cheese into abandoning its mission.


    "Nana are you alright?" Phoebe asked, she pulled her brows closely together.


    Grandma Mayfair drunk some water which Maria offered quickly, and it was followed by a sip of her heart calming tonic before she answered. "I am fine dear, more than fine now that I know Shanna could be carrying twins." She blurted out unintentionally.


    Everyone that was on their way to the living room paused and turned back. Shanna almost lost her footing, and she would have fallen were it not for Collin that was supporting her.


    "Twins!" Shanna''s brows shot up as if they were about to launch off to the ceiling. "What...why would you think that grandma?" She asked. Something inside of her bubbled, excitement danced within her heart, momentarily forgetting the trouble that she was in.


    Giving Shanna''s words a little wave Grandma Mayfair smiled at her. "Just call it an old woman''s intuition." Her smile grew wider as she got to her feet. "I will go and talk some sense into your mother, this is a blessing something that should be celebrated. All of you young ones stay back and let the adults do all the talking." She hummed as she strolled away.


    After all the elders were gone, the tension in the room evaporated with them. Everyone sat down again and those who were already sitting made themselves comfortable.


    Shanna let out a sigh of relief because her fire breathing dragon like mother was gone. Gently, she patted her chest, sipping on what remained of Collin''s black tea before nearly spitting it out as it was bitter.


    As she put the cup back down, her accusing eyes found the perpetrator of the crime, Collin. "You did this to me."


    "I am so sorry." Collin apologized while his siblings laughed.


    "Mother is on a warpath. I was scared that she would tell father and grandfather but luckily she just dragged me out of the house or else I would be dead by now." Her puffy eyes stared at Collin.


    "Why did you not tell me? Since when did you know? How far along are you?" Collin rubbed her cheek as he fired off one question after the other.


    "I found out two weeks ago but thought there was no harm in waiting to tell you until after our wedding which is four days away if things go according to plan." Shanna explained. Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Minka huffed, sat in one of the chairs and served herself a plate of snacks. "She is two months and half now, I kept telling her to tell you, but I do not know why she didn''t until mother heard us talking about it this morning, you should have seen her face ho-ho." She stuffed her mouth with food because she had run after them before getting to eat.


    A soft smile formed on Collin''s face. "Thank you for this special gift, I am very thrilled my love." He embraced her.


    "Oh how sweet." Phoebe''s hands fluttered together, making little clap sounds.


    David leaned towards her and whispered. "Maybe we should also tell them that we have a little one on the way, Shanna and Collin did not die, we probably won''t die as well." His lips grazed her ear as he murmured.


    "Not yet, you forget that Shanna is not their daughter. They will be as angry with you as Anna Lee is with Collin." Phoebe sipped her tea. "My family has received enough shocking news for today, let us tell them another time babe, not today."


    "Luke, can you take a look at Shanna and the baby?" Collin asked.


    The spoon of jam cheesecake which was on its way to Luke''s mouth was stalled. His face twisted into a light scowl. "Collin, how am I supposed to look at the baby? Do I have magic eye vision? Besides, I am not an obstetrician or pediatrician. You should talk to Pheebs, she has delivered a baby before."


    Shanna and Collin looked at Phoebe and in their eyes was actual expectation.


    "That was a fluke." Phoebe said to them and turned to Luke. "You have a pregnant sister-in-law and a sister who will have a baby someday in future. Maybe you should brush up on your knowledge in those fields for emergency."


    Luke responded with a snort and went back to enjoying his jam cheesecake.


    Oman appeared and told Shanna and Collin that they were needed in the living room.


    "Is mother still angry?" Shanna''s fingers tightened around those of Collin.


    Twisting his lips to the side, Oman smiled warmly. "Not as much as she was when she arrived earlier, at least her normal color has returned to her face." His last words were assuring and funny at the same time.


    Collin led Shanna to the living room, the rest just followed because they couldn''t miss the drama if there would be any.


    Anna who was now more relaxed, shut her eyes briefly on setting her eyes on Collin and Shanna. There was naked disapproval in there. "I do not know what is wrong with the Lee girls of this generation. One is pregnant before marriage which makes that child a bastard and the other is getting divorced! It is unheard of, thus goes to show that I raised you all wrong. This ugly mark taints me not both of you." Anna fell back in the sofa. "I don''t know how I am going to face my father-in-law."


    "It''s not a bastard; it is a Mayfair." Collin clarified.


    "And I am not to blame for that divorce, George had two marriage markers and none is mine. On top of that, his mother and sister are going around tarnishing my name and he is holding his silence. He chose them over me, I cannot tolerate him for one minute." Minka defended herself.


    Shanna let out shaky breath. "I did not do anything wrong either since Collin and I are already married. So please mother stop saying that I am a disgrace nor should you refer to our child as a bastard." Her voice was stern and unapologetic.

 Chapter 497 - 497: Already married!!

    For the first time in her life, Shanna Lee stood up to her mother. Perhaps she could have picked a better time, or she could have chosen her words more carefully and not sent everyone in the living room into shock.


    The words that came from her mouth had the Mayfair''s gasping, those that were aware of the marriage and those that were not aware.


    For those that were aware, what caught them off guard was the way Shanna blurted out the fact that she and Collin were married. They thought it was something that would come up when Collin and Shanna were alone with the adults.


    At a time preferably when the rest of them were away from the house and away from the consequences of the confession.


    "Dammit!" Phoebe whispered. Once again, her eyes located the nearest exit.


    Anna held her head like her neck could not support it anymore and groaned like she was in physical pain. The groans transitioned into little catlike growls and hisses which had everyone trying to distance themselves from her.


    "My lovely niece in law Shanna, perhaps next time you will think and pick the right moment to light a match before throwing it into gasoline." Maureen let out a muffled chuckle.


    As she laughed, she looked at her nephews and niece that knew of the marriage and wanted to disappear through the walls.


    Minka wanted to launch a punch at her sister. "Really Shanna! Now, you pick now to stand up to the dragon." Minka did not realize that she had just called her mother a dragon, she was caught up in berating Shanna. "Why in God''s name did you choose now to speak up? This was over and mother was finally calm about the pregnancy thing."


    Her voice came sharp with irritation, she did not know whether to condemn Shanna for her stupidity or to praise her for the display of bravery, never before had she stood up to their mother.


    Edward blinked at his son, his eyes were asking for a clarification and detailed explanation. "Son is this true?" He asked, his tone calmer than expected.


    Nodding to confirm the suspicions, Collin stood at ease. "Yes sir, Shanna speaks the truth. We did get married about two months ago at the courthouse. It was entirely my idea, my wife had nothing to do with it. In fact, I forced her into it, blame me all you want." He replied swiftly, his words intended to protect Shanna. "I kidnapped her, put her in a wedding dress and dragged her to the courthouse. She was very clear about not wanting to marry like that, but I forced her."


    "Collin!" Jennie''s face went pale, she clutched on her chest like her heart was about to escape. She could not help but feel betrayed, this was her first child''s marriage, yet the ceremony had happened without her! "How could you?" A tear rolled down her cheek.


    If Anna Lee''s growls and hisses were considered dramatic then Jennie''s tears were melodramatic. Phoebe''s jaw dropped open when she saw her mother crying as if it was the end of the world.


    Edward was comforting Jennie and shooting Collin eyes that said, ''see what you have done.''


    The Saxon spirit shook its head. "Your mother deserves a round of applause; she is very dramatic. She would have been a great theater actress." It told Phoebe.


    "I have no doubt about that." she replied. She was glad that David had not chosen to share the news of their own little bundle of joy on this day.


    "Or perhaps this is the best moment." The Saxon spirit suggested.


    Phoebe shook her head; Jennie would faint as would her father probably. The way she was looking at Collin now, it was as if he had been caught selling company secrets.


    Edward''s chest made rapid movements. "You are the first child in this house which means that you are supposed to be the sensible one. If Andre had done this then perhaps it would not be very shocking...."


    "Father please!" Collin interjected strongly. "Put yourself in my shoes, mother and Mrs. Lee had decided to make our wedding a competition between them.


    We did not want a gold coated twenty tier cake from a famous bakery in Galondore country nor did we want a thirty-foot-high chocolate fountain or a dozen white swans marching orderly with white veils on their heads. We did not care about who sat next to whom because they were feuding over petty things that happened in that gossip group." He raised his voice which had a frustrated growl in it. "When mother told me that the wedding card designs were not completed yet because she wanted a specific type of luxury glitter, I lost it. Shanna was oppressed too by Mrs. Lee, but she kept silent, so I convinced her to let me marry her because that is all we wanted__, to be married." he finished off in a raised voice.


    Jennie''s tears had long ceased, Anna Lee''s jaw had dropped and everyone else was surprised by Collin''s outburst. Obviously, he and Shanna had been holding in so many things.


    The hard stare in Edward''s eyes softened, understanding his son''s predicament. "I am lost for words; I cannot praise or berate you." His gaze drifted to grandma Mayfair whose chin rested at the tip of the walking cane. "Mother you are unusually quiet on this matter, say something, after all you are the head of this family." He sank into a sofa chair.


    "I am with the children on this." Her words were truly surprising because she was expected to be condemning this. "The mothers made this wedding impossible, and they are to blame. The deed is done there is nothing we can change. Everyone should shut up about it until they get married this weekend."


    Her eyes moved between Anna and Jennie. "You two, I am sure that if you put your minds to it, you can make sure that the wedding is as beautiful as it should be without the stupid exaggerated nonsense you kept adding to the list before.


    Now cut out all these fake crocodile tears and stupid hissing and get to work. I doubt Edward and Shanna''s father can put this wedding together on their own besides Anna knows everything to do with weddings, so she is in charge, the rest of you follow her lead. Especially you Jennie am I understood?"


    "Yes." Came a collective response. S~ea??h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Jennie twisted her lips, even now she was unwilling to surrender.


    "Your son put a child in my daughter." Anna Lee snarled.


    Jennie recalled that Shanna was pregnant, it was a win for her. "It''s fine, you can take charge," she replied with her eyes glued to Shanna''s stomach greedily as if she wished to pull out a fully grown baby immediately.


    "We do not want any word out there about any of this not about the pregnancy or marriage, keep your mouths shut." Grandma Mayfair cautioned.

 Chapter 498 - 498: Visiting a young widow.

    When everything was settled at home, Phoebe and Maureen went to the Basten residence to deliver the last words of his widow. His residence was in an area called Ruby alley in the red district where majority of the less fortunate lived. It explained the reason as to why he had chosen to take part in such a risky job, he was desperate for the money.


    He had been like many residents that found shelter in the embrace of the rugged district__desperate for escape.


    The buildings in the district were a chaotic mix of brick houses, neon lit establishments, unfinished skyscrapers and abandoned warehouses. Nearly every wall surface was painted with graffiti, some inspirational and most just ugly.


    No matter the time of day, the air in the district was thick with music from nightclubs, loud arguments, singing of drunkards, and cries of street vendors hawking wares both mundane and illicit.


    It was not all bad, the red-light establishments there were famous for performers, courtesans and entertainers which made it a tourist hub.


    Despite its grim reputation, many artists flocked to it to find inspiration, steal the original work of lesser-known creators, partake in illicit pleasures or flee from their troubles. It was another reason why the red-light district was famous. You could always see a celebrity or a rich person skulking in the alleys nearly every day.


    Maureen was not too happy to be in Ruby Alley. Heck, she was not happy to be in the red light district at all. As always, the streets stank with urine which had formed frozen puddles almost everywhere and it agitated her greatly.


    Every campaign round, some politician promised to fix the red-light district and nobody ever did. The cycle of never-ending promises concerning this part of the city was like an accepted political lie.


    "Did we have to come here? It stinks Pheebs, stinks worse than the inside of a goblin''s anus!" Maureen complained, kicking through the foul-smelling snow.


    Phoebe chuckled; the sound was soft but mocking. "I don''t know what the inside of a goblin''s anus smells like aunt but you know the residents of this district, most of them are wary of rich people so its easier to go to Catia than bring her to us. I am very sure that you have been in worse places than this aunt, toughen up." She spoke teasingly.


    Giving her niece an eye roll, Maureen rejected the advances from a female prostitute that was wearing her lingerie out in broad day light. A large part of her ass was peeking out and she was unbothered.


    "Cover it up, its winter and there are kids here." Maureen shouted to the prostitute.


    The kids Maureen was talking about were running through the alley in their school uniforms, on the way to school. They were not bothered by the prostitute like Maureen imagined.


    "Fuck them kids." The prostitute answered in a deep voice.


    "Oh my God it''s not she!!" Maureen exclaimed in a squeaky voice.


    Phoebe laughed in turn and shook her head. It was never a dull day with Maureen around.


    Maureen wrapped her jacket around herself tighter and decided to ask for more information on the matter that had brought them to the alley. "So did this ghost tell you what happened in that underwater hotel by any chance? Is it like the government said that it was an innocent accident? Or is it something deeper?" She asked multiple questions.


    "Unfortunately, we did not talk much before Stanley Basten moved on." Phoebe pulled her lips to one side. "But if that is what they said happened then it probably is, I have been too exhausted lately to watch any news and keep up with the collapse." Phoebe halted her steps for they had arrived at the rickety apartment building where the Basten''s stayed.


    "Is this it?" Aunt Maureen asked.


    Phoebe nodded and headed straight to apartment 2B. She knocked once before the door flung open.


    The young woman who opened the door in fading grey pajamas had a large mop of disheveled blonde hair and she did not look too pleased to see the guests at her door. She had hollow eyes with dark circles around them. It seemed like she had not slept well for days.


    "Are you Mrs. Basten? Catia Basten?" Phoebe asked her.


    The woman placed one hand to the waist and stared suspiciously at the duo. "Who wants to know?" She boldly asked.


    "I am Phoebe Mayfair a shaman and this is my aunt Maureen Mayfair a shaman too. May we please come in." She politely requested.


    Catia pulled her lips upwards, browsed through her search engine for a shaman named Phoebe Mayfair. Her eyes lit up on finding out who Phoebe really was. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "M-Mayfair? You are one of them rich folks from the founding families? What brings you to the poor part of the city? This is a dangerous place for a rich heiress to be." Catia blinked rapidly, inviting the visitors inside her dirty home. She had not cleaned the house since she had heard of the news of her husband''s death.


    "Sorry about the mess." She smiled uneasily; her cheeks burned red from embarrassment. Quickly, she picked up the crumpled tissues from the floor.


    Phoebe gave her a little dismissive wave. "We are not bothered by the mess, your husband just died I am sure that you are going through a lot, and a little mess is to be expected." Her tone was soft and comforting.


    As they sat down, Phoebe could tell that Maureen''s patience was running thinner because of the mess in the apartment. Her aunt did not like messes, so Phoebe decided to rush through things.


    "First of all, I am sorry for your loss Mrs. Stanley. I cannot fathom what you are going through right now. Stanley sent us here because he wanted us to deliver a message to you. He wants you to know that he loves you and he is sorry for taking on that job.


    He always planned to come home to you. When he died, he was holding on to your locket. Stanley told me to tell you not to mourn him for too long, he also wants you to get married again because you are still young and beautiful." She delivered the message.


    Upon hearing Phoebe''s words, Catia''s eyes bled wretched, salt heavy with tears. "How can he ask that of me! How can he ask me to forget him? I do not know how to do that?" More tears spilled down her cheeks.


    She did not question the message because she knew two rich women would not be there to defraud her of the six hundred dollars in savings she had.


    Maureen pushed the tissue box closer to Catia. "He just didn''t want you to become depressed my dear, please take heart. The dead rest better when they know that their loved ones continue to live on happily." She told her, her tone was very sympathetic.


    "I understand what you are saying, and I know that I should move on but to what? I have no job; Stanley was the one that has been taking care of me. Or am I supposed to go back to prostitution? Stanley had saved me from that. What other man would want a former prostitute for a wife! My life ended the day Stanley died." Her words came heavy with both sadness and regret.

 Chapter 499 - 499: Saving Catia.

    Maureen and Phoebe exchanged a quizzical glance, then drifted their eyes back to the young widow.


    "Catia what do you mean?" Maureen asked, she was not about to leave with just half the story.


    After sneezing in a tissue, Catia tossed it towards the bin, but it fell on the floor beside it. "Take a look around you, we are in the Red-light district, not the cushy estate where you all live. Half the women that live here have sold their bodies in the past, present and others are on their way to doing it in future.


    Most of us don''t even have a choice, we are pushed into the lifestyle by circumstances that are not of our own making. My parents were poor, my father used to work in a factory, but he lost an arm which turned him into a useless drunk, so my mother started turning tricks for a living to put food on the table.


    One day a client said she was too old for his taste, and it opened her eyes to the realization that she had a fourteen-year-old daughter. You can guess what that crazy woman thought of next."


    Maureen''s face turned many shades of ugly when she heard that. She knew what was coming next even without narration.


    Catia continued as if she had not noticed their discomfort. "She groomed me into prostitution, first she would take pictures of me and sell them. When I turned sixteen, pictures were not cutting it anymore. I entered the trade officially." She paused to sneeze again.


    Phoebe shut her eyes tightly for she was yet to hear another devastating story that would make her believe less in humanity. She could not close her ears however, so she heard to listen when Catia resumed her story.


    "They brought men home for me, I fought them at first, but I stopped when my father said that everyone that stayed under his roof must pay their dues or else leave his house. I could not run away, there was nowhere for me to go but the streets. So, I stayed, but I still fought off the clients all the time which made it very difficult for them to make money. They had to resort to tying me up, but I would use my teeth to bite.


    Eventually they grew tired of my defiant attitude so at the age of seventeen, daddy dearest sold me to a pimp who owns the biggest brothel at the river east side for eighty grand. His name is Slime, purple slime. He broke me in a way that my parents never could and soon I was put to work."


    A smile crossed Catia''s lips which left the listeners wondering what was so amusing. Her story was tragic, there was nothing smile worthy about it.


    Catia''s voice softened as brought them in on what made her smile. "On my twentieth birthday I got a client that just wanted to talk." She laughed softly. "Who buys a prostitute just to chat? Only a fool does that, and he was. Stanley Bastien is.... was the cutest fool I ever met. We talked for three hours, at first it was unbelievable because I expected him to make a move at some point, but he didn''t.


    He returned again for the same thing, and again, and again. Stanley visited me once a week, then thrice, he became my regular, but he never touched me. We became friends and as years went on, we fell in love. Later on, to be precise on the day of my twenty fourth birthday he used most of his savings to buy my freedom at one hundred sixty-three grand and Purple Slime happily let me go." Her eyes grew moist once again. "I did not know that my happiness would be so short lived, we have been married for just a year and a half, and he is gone now. Why is my life so miserable? I feel as if I am cursed." Her head dropped like a wilted flower, bursting into more tears.


    Phoebe saw her aunt wipe away tear from the corner of her eyes, not many things made Maureen cry so to see tears in her eyes was a surprise. She cleared her horse throat and leaned forward towards Catia.


    "Well, Catia, Stanley knew that you would worry about finances, so he left you something." Phoebe lied because she did not know what else to do. This was what Linda''s foundation was meant to do anyway. "Stanley had more savings set aside, a total sum of five hundred thousand dollars. He asked us to give you that money, if you could give me your bank account number, I will transfer it right away. However, he wanted you to use it carefully, go to school, start a small business, move out of this place and live a good life." She explained further.


    The news echoed over and over in Catia''s ears; her eyes grew wider that the whites showed. "Are you serious? How is that possible! We have been having financial difficulties that is why he took on that risky job that killed him." She blinked rapidly and pinched her arm to check whether it was a dream or not. "I am not dreaming." she whispered to herself.


    Phoebe shrugged. "I am only the messenger; I cannot answer for him. All I can advise is that you use the money wisely and live the life that Stanley wanted for you." A smile tugged on her lips, she was glad that Catia''s life was about to change, giving Stanley the credit was the cherry on the cake.


    "Thank you so much." Catia smiled with gratitude through her tears, her eyes raised upwards like she could see her dead husband.


    Phoebe stood up and touched Catia''s shoulder. "I hope that you will not let him down."


    Catia shook her head, responding through broken sobs. "I won''t, I really won''t. I will go to school and become a nurse. I will move out of this place, and I will have a baby named Stanley." She sobbed even louder.


    Catia''s crying worsened after the money was transferred and before leaving, Phoebe gave her a business card and told her to call in case she was in trouble. Done with the case, Maureen and Phoebe left the Basten residence.


    "I know for a fact that it was you that gave that girl the money." Maureen said menacingly as she cracked her knuckles. "I am a proud aunt. Thanks for saving my money because I also had the urge to leave her with some." She patted her niece''s shoulder. "I was going to going to give her a million or two."


    Phoebe shook her head. "The money I am giving her is from the foundation, if anyone should be thanked, it''s the late Luther V. One million or two would be too much, it would make her lazy. She must work hard and pull herself up. We don''t know her, for all we know, she will squander the money and go back to prostitution."


    Maureen scoffed. "And here I thought I was the pessimist."


    They entered a taxi, and Maureen finally drew a loud relieved breath to be leaving the smelly red-light district. As the taxi drove them to the cafe, Phoebe wondered on how the reconciliation talk between Rekha and her father was going. S§×arch* The Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 500 - 500: Reconciliation talk.

    David was in a meeting with some of his men from Alfa security when he got a message from Phoebe saying that she had just wrapped up Catia''s case. Usually, when Phoebe wrapped up a case, she would celebrate or become a little depressed. It depended on how the case went.


    He excused himself from the meeting and called her.


    "Are we celebrating or do I need to buy a dozen strawberry cream puffs. Unless you are not craving them anymore and you want something else like chocolate stuffed pancakes."


    "You might need to buy me both." she answered.


    David chuckled lightly and leaned against the wall. "That bad huh!"


    "I gave her half a million." Phoebe admitted. "I wanted to give more but there are many people in the world that need the foundations help."


    "Sounds to me like you have helped her a whole lot." He answered. "That is a life changing amount of money."


    Phoebe could not deny that. Once upon a time, that money would be life changing to her as well. "She said half the women in the red-light district have sold, are selling or will sell their bodies in future. It kind of puts a damper on saving her because now I am wondering how many more Catia''s are out there. Her parents sold her David, her mother and father!!!! What kind of parents traffic their own child?"


    "Monsters." he told her.


    "Demons." she corrected. "She mentioned the river east side brothel or a place like that. It sounds like they don''t even care what age the girl is over there. They deserve death, all of them. Catia''s parents, that pimp Purple Slime and everyone that thought it was okay to abuse a sixteen-year-old girl. God!! how many Catia''s are out there." Phoebe sighed.


    As she continued to vent, David walked to Roxanne''s office. He wrote down the name of the brothel and the pimp Purple Slime. The he wrote ''clean it up'' and handed the note to Roxanne.


    With a few complaints to her boyfriend, Phoebe had no idea that she was about to bring a lot of change to the red-light district. All David wanted to do was give her peace of mind, even if it meant razing the district down and rebuilding it.


    ******


    Elsewhere, across the lake in a quiet home on the founding lane, Edward and Rekha sat on a couch in the indoor patio acting awkward. They were in the house Edward had purchased for Rekha many years ago, the house in which she had been raised.


    When Edward reached out to her by phone requesting to have a serious talk with her, Rekha suggested that they meet at the house.


    Edward had let himself in but so far, they had yet to say anything aside from exchanging greetings.


    "Phoebe is doing great." Rekha blurted out.


    "That''s great." Edward answered.


    "Are you eating well?" he asked her.


    He continued to ask random questions, and she continued to respond. For some minutes they talked about life in general with Edward making sure to keep the conversation light.


    The door suddenly creaked as Nanny Fey walked in with a fresh pot of coffee and cookies. On her face was a wide grin. "Mr. Mayfair you do not know how it gladdens my heart that you have visited us after so many years." Nanny Fey''s attitude was gentle, she was glad to see that old fences had been mended.


    Nodding his head, Edward sipped on the coffee and nodded even more strongly. "Oh nanny Fey, how I have missed this delicious coffee of yours!" He paused and met her gaze. "How is your back? I hope that the tonics I sent you are helping." Worry clouded his eyes.


    The smile in Nanny Fey''s eyes was replaced by a glint of curiosity. "Oh, Mr. Mayfair those tonics are truly out of this world. I feel stronger than I have in years and that pain in my back is gone!" She praised, wiggling from side to side to show him that her back was really firm and strong. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Letting out a knowing laugh, Edward jutted his chin upwards. "My daughter Phoebe makes them, and I help. You won''t find tonics more miraculous in the world than ours. Pass by the Black Ghost Cafe if you need more." He spoke with pride.


    Rekha narrowed her gaze, shifting it between the two adults curiously. "Wait a minute, you two have been in touch? Since when?" She asked.


    "Why would you think that we lost touch kiddo? I had to keep an eye on you somehow and know what you were up to. Nanny Fey kept me updated about your life, I watched over you kid, you just did not know it." Edward informed her.


    A lump formed in Rekha''s throat; she used a lot of effort to blink back her tears. All these years she thought that Edward hated her and had abandoned her, but he had not.


    Nanny Fey rubbed her back. "Child how do you think we managed to pay all the servants, the gas, the food and much more before you started earning some money? Mr. Edward sent me a lot of money every month to facilitate for your needs. He still does that to date, so your money is sitting in a trust fund that he set up for you. Your father must be happy wherever he is, God rest his soul." She made the sign of the cross and excused herself, leaving the two of them to talk.


    Tears erupted from Rekha like a dam breaking. "I am sorry Uncle Edward; I am sorry for it all. I should have listened when you warned me, but those people said that I was among those chosen to protect the world and I was looking for a cause." She wiped her tears with the back of her hand. "On the day I took a tour of the academy I found out that the Montgomery''s had their children there, so I wanted to go there and be better than all of them. I wanted to prove to them that they made a mistake throwing me away, I was stupid." She confessed, sniveling loudly.


    "And did you? Did you become better than those good for nothing Montgomery''s?" Edward asked, twisting his face in a hilarious way.


    Nodding her head strongly, they shared a glance and laughter overtook them, loud and unhinged.


    "I beat them all." she croaked out.


    "You did good my girl, you always made me proud." Edward praised her. "Hear me Rekha, I apologize deeply because as the adult, I should not have given you an ultimatum to begin with. I should have guided you better and made you understand why the academy was a dangerous place. I also apologize for not telling you about your parents sooner." He squeezed her fingers lightly. "You should have heard it from me."


    Rekha''s eyes crinkled at the edges as her lips gave way for a smile. "Uncle Edward, I appreciate your apology, and I hope that you forgive me too and we move on from all that." Hope trembled in her words, delicate like a glass.


    "We already did my dear, come home whenever you like, there are two bedrooms waiting for you and nanny Fey." He paused for breath and asked seriously, "Do you want your memories back Rekha?"

 Chapter 501 - 501: Getting the memories back

    The question echoed wildly in Rekha''s ears over and over like the ringing of a tiny bell. She was not expecting Edward to ask her such a question, especially since he was the one that locked her memories away.


    The thought of her past erased memories had been on her mind since the moment she had talked to old man Lee. Rekha had thought long and hard about what she wanted and decided that she would request Edward to unblock her memories because she wanted to know what had happened in the last moments of her parent''s death.


    She wanted to hear their last words, perhaps they had told her to do something or pass on a message and she had no idea.


    She had been worried about how to broach the subject with Edward. In case he refused her request, she planned to ask the Saxon spirit to help because Phoebe had told her it could do it.


    If she had the ability, she would have done it on her own, but the art of unblocking memories was not as simple as it seemed, not every guardian could do it. One needed to know the exact spell and method that was used to block them and where to poke around in the mind otherwise the one whose memories were being tampered with could get injured up in the head, sometimes even the slightest mistake could cause situations like madness, brain hemorrhage and death in the worst-case scenario.


    Edward continued to study her quiet reaction reading anything he could from her facial expressions. "I am still against it to be honest with you Rekha. Maybe you don''t remember the past, but I do. Back then, you hardly slept without sedatives and when you managed to sleep you would jolt out of it because of nightmares. You were losing your mind, you walked around like a zombie and during the day, all you did was sit in the corner and draw horrific pictures of creatures that looked like demons." He paused to recover his breath as cold air seeped into the house through a partially open window.


    Some of the pictures the spoke of where in a desk in his study, locked away. If she wanted to take a look, he was willing to show them to her.


    "And did I ever tell you how I survived or what I saw?" She asked, cocking her head to look at him.


    Shaking his head, Edward took another sip of the coffee. "You were in no condition to talk to anyone, as soon as the question was asked, you would scream and cover your ears. I found the best psychiatrists for you, but they were unable to get you to say a word. I was left with no option but to seal those memories, they were too disturbing for a child to live with.


    The moment I did, you became a happy child with no worries or pain. You were curious about the whereabouts of your parents of course so I told you about the accident but made it sound simple. You have lived a pretty okay life without those memories or the knowledge of your parent''s death, but things have changed, now you know. So, I ask again, do you want those memories back? I will respect whatever choice you make; those memories are rightfully yours." His voice was steady but edged with worry. She had a good life, what was the point to recalling such painful memories?


    He was worried that she would go back to being that haunted little girl she once was and walk down a dark lonely path of revenge, consumed by hatred.


    Rekha was glad to hear the concern in his voice and even gladder that he was being honest and leaving the final decision in her hands. "Uncle Edward, I have thought long and hard about this and I have come to the conclusion that it is best that I remember what happened that night. I am an adult now; I cannot run from it forever.


    Besides, I have seen a lot of scary things as a guardian which means that I can handle whatever is in those memories better today than I did when I was child. So, the answer to that question is yes. I want my memories back." She answered calmly, though with steel in her voice.


    It was the answer he had been expecting to hear from her. If he was in her position, he would make the same choice hell if somewhere in his memory was the truth about his father Cillian''s death, he would be the first to want to know.


    Nodding his head, Edward raised his eyes to meet hers. "Rekha I am not a fool; I cannot pretend not to know why you want your memories back now. From the determination in your voice I can tell that you plan to find whatever person or thing that killed your family and return the favor. Am I wrong?" He asked, cracking his knuckles one after the other.


    She looked away from him for a moment, knowing that she did not want to lie to his face or disappoint him again. A momentary hush fell between them before Rekha responded.


    "You are wrong uncle; I just want to find out who took that key because it is important. As for whoever or whatever killed my family, I would never tackle that matter on my own. To ensure that they have no chance of escaping, I will seek help from those I trust to help me bring the enemy down. If I remember something important, you are the first person that I will tell, I promise." She made an empty promise.


    She did not want to lie but knowing Edward, he would tell her to stay out of it and leave the revenge and matters of the key to him. She was already on team Phoebe, Maureen and old man Lee and they were after those things too.


    Letting out a heavy sigh because he could tell that she was not being truthful, Edward nodded once. Rekha was an adult; she had made her choice. "Okay, let us do this, I have to warn you that you will feel heavy pressure and sharp intense pain as those memories bombard your head like a ten tonne truck." He warned.


    "I am ready." Rekha said without hesitation,


    Edward stood and moved to where she sat, he placed his hands on top of her head and began to chant the spell. A light glowed in his hands as the energy flowed into Rekha''s head hitting her like a tidal wave.


    Rekha''s head fell back with her body twisting in unnatural contortions as though current was passing through her. Loud screams came from her mouth and her nose started to bleed, it went on like this for two minutes and Edward withdrew his hand. Sear?h the ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Then, Rekha stopped shaking abruptly, opened her eyes and tears flowed out of them. Ugly sobs wrecked her body and nothing Edward said or did could make it better. He waited for her to compose herself before asking what she recalled.


    "I think it was demons, but I could not figure them out because it was dark. My father protected me with all his energy by putting me in a protective bubble tied to this pendant around my neck. He told me to survive, that I had to live no matter what." She answered, wiping away the tears.

 Chapter 502 - 502: Meddling in Sabrinas love life.

    Not far away at the Black Ghost Cafe, everyone was celebrating because Sabrina announced that she had been given an internship at the presidential palace. What was even more exciting was that she had applied at old lady Mayfair''s encouragement and gotten the position on merit.


    Sabrina was about to start her university life, and she was already an intern at the presidential palace. She was still indecisive about her major because she could not decide between law, journalism, political science and public relations.


    Once she decided to become serious about her life with all the expectations the Mayfair''s had of her, she had mapped out her life. She wanted to intern in government, media and political campaigns. Even a one-to-two-month internship at the Founding Council was not off her list of choices.


    One rule she had set for herself was no dating for three years, she did not want any distractions. She had help coming to that decision and that help was in the form of a mosquito in her ear named old lady Mayfair.


    Sabrina did not know that the old lady was agonizing over the possibility of the ''young hunks'' at the university stealing her away from Andre. Phoebe laughed every time she thought about the word ''young hunks.''


    "Should we throw you a party?" Phoebe asked Sabrina. She looked at the young woman and winced. "Your whole wardrobe is going to need upgrading. Jeans and crop tops will not pass in the presidential palace."


    "While you are at that, buy her a new attitude too." Maureen joked and everyone laughed. Sabrina''s attitude had long been adjusted, over the months with old lady Mayfair''s tempering, she had become more well-spoken and good mannered.


    Andre joined in the conversation after staying silent through it and helping with moving dishes after the morning breakfast rush. "I know people in the presidential spokesperson''s office that owe me favors, I will give them a call and tell them to treat you well." He made a surprising statement that silenced everyone.


    Looks of wonder passed between the listeners, then they suddenly burst into doubtful laughter.


    "You? Andre? Why would you do that?" Sabrina asked, her stunned expression was echoed across every face in the room. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I am wondering the same thing. Who is this and what has he done with my brother Andre?" Phoebe threw in, wondering whether her brother''s heart was softening towards Sabrina.


    Andre flicked his fingers in a dismissive way. "What the hell do you people want from me? You asked me to treat her nicely and when I finally do you are making a big deal out of it and doubting my intentions. Anyway, I am not being nice to her because I am plotting something, I am looking out for her because you all like her and she is not as annoying as she used to be." He defended himself aggressively like his reputation was on the line.


    Grandma Mayfair smiled to herself. "Of course, we like her because she is family, you will be missed around here my dear Sabrina." Her voice suddenly frayed at the edges. "The cafe won''t be the same without you. You have become the customers favorite waitress in the last two months. We are all going to be sad without you."


    Waving vigorously, Sabrina swallowed the liquid in her mouth hastily. "Oh no you won''t! You are not getting rid of me that easily. I will still be working here on the weekends like I have been doing." A cheeky dimpled smile appeared on her face. "How will I catch up on all the gossip on the lane if I am not here?"


    The Black Ghost Cafe was slowly becoming a hang out spot for the wealthy ladies of the founding lane because it was the number one source of interesting gossip in the city.


    Andre couldn''t help but to groan, he could see traces of his grandmother in the new Sabrina. He had a feeling that they would be on the receiving end of all the gossip from the presidential palace as soon as Sabrina stepped foot in that place.


    "God save the president." he muttered.


    A chime on grandma Mayfair''s phone made her let out a gleeful sound when she read the message. "Wow, your mother and Mrs. Lee are a force to be reckoned with. They have decided to invite the guests for your brother''s wedding via text." She laughed softly. "I guess those invitation cards are no longer necessary."


    "When you think about it, it''s faster and cheaper that way." Andre looked at the message on his own phone, wondering why he was sent one when he was a groomsman. He put his phone in his pocket and stood up. "I better check on my tailor, I made a suit order this morning." He moved closer to hug his grandmother and kiss her on the cheek.


    Grandma Mayfair stretched her hands to block him. "And I know the perfect date for you to the wedding, Sabrina will give you good company. Maybe you can talk about your tailor, she will be needing suits if she is to work for the president." Her words tumbled out in a breathless rush.


    Exchanging a quick glance, Andre and Sabrina opened their lips to refuse but grandma Mayfair lifted her index finger.


    "Do not say no to this old woman who may die at any time." She coughed and placed a hand to her chest. "It could happen now; my heart might give out if I hear bad news or a disappointing response from certain people." Her right hand moved to her forehead, and she sighed softly in an extravagant manner.


    They all knew she was faking it, and they laughed.


    Andre rolled his eyes and gave in. "Fine, you win, please don''t drop dead nana. Collin''s wedding will be pushed if that happens." He turned and looked at Sabrina with an apology in his eyes because he knew she was being pushed into it as well. "I will pick you at 7pm before the handfasting ceremony."


    "I am only doing this because of grandma." Sabrina loudly replied to Andre who was halfway through the door.


    Grandma Mayfair raised a clenched fist, savoring the sweet taste of success. In those three years of not dating, if Sabrina and Andre could overcome their mutual dislike of each other, the future would be smooth sailing.


    "Grandma I love you, but you cannot keep forcing Andre on me, he is immature and does not like me just like I do not like him." Sabrina shuffled her feet and complained.


    Phoebe tapped the girl on the shoulder and looked at her with pity "Sabrina I hate to be the one to give you terrible or good news depending on the way you prefer to see it but that soul mate that you were desperately trying to find is Andre Mayfair. He may be immature now, but he will be the best husband and father to your children in future." Her words came out promising and comforting.


    Sabrina''s mouth opened and closed, she sank into the chair, staring at Phoebe in disbelief. "Andre!!! That playboy!! No way, are you sure?" She asked in a horrified voice.


    Nodding, grandma Mayfair laughed softly. "Why do you think that we have been trying to get you both to lose the animosity?" Grandma Mayfair asked.

 Chapter 503 - 503: Positive response.

    Before she could answer, the door opened, and Rekha walked in. A mask of grit settled over her usually somewhat soft features. After everything that had happened the day before, nobody rushed to jump on her with silly ass grins and boldly declare it a wonderful winter morning.


    "Can I get my Spiced Chai Latte and hot cinnamon rolls, seriously, you guys have the worst service in the city. You are lucky that what you serve tastes really good otherwise I would be gone already." A disgruntled man complained.


    "Coming Mr. Beagle." Sabrina yelled and rushed away.


    He was a daily customer that always came at the same time every day. He was an old man with a large appetite who disliked it when he saw them huddled and whispering or laughing before his order arrived. He was also peculiar because he did not mind sharing a table with the same ghost and playing a game of chess with it.


    Phoebe had even put a timer out of them which the ghost could tap. Because he complained a lot, Phoebe waved at him and gestured at Rekha that they should talk in the office.


    "Is something wrong?" Maureen asked, her instincts warning her that something was off.


    Rekha responded by putting her chin towards the office, suggesting that they follow Phoebe. After those concerned entered the office and closed the door, Rekha paced around an indication that something was bothering her.


    "I just spoke with uncle Edward." She announced.


    The Mayfair''s traded gazes coming to a conclusion that the conversation must not have ended well.


    "That senseless son of mine! Even after I warned him to forget the past and mend your relationship, he chose to be stubborn." Grandma Mayfair grumbled. "Forget whatever he has said dear, you are one of us now. I would even suggest changing your name to Mayfair if I did not know how much you loved your parents and how much they loved you."


    Maureen sat on the couch, her legs apart, so unladylike. "Listen Rekha, getting through Edward is not a walk in the park and I say this as his only sister. He will eventually warm up to you and get over his grudge. Do not take it to heart. When I go home, I will smack him on the back of the head for you." She spoke nonchalantly, chewing on a long nail that was bothering her. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was grandma Mayfair who had forced her to do the nails to stop her from biting her natural nails and be more ladylike.


    Waving her hand to dismiss their words, Rekha stood and stared at them. "Oh about that, we talked out our differences and we are good now." She corrected the misunderstanding.


    "Just like that?" Maureen threw in. "Well, it''s good news anyway, at least one problem has been fixed. So then what has got you so worked up?" She continued to ask.


    Rekha lowered herself into a chair. "He did something and all those memories that were buried in my head resurfaced." Every word that came from her mouth was like a shard of broken glass, stinging and sharp because it was accompanied by the image of her parents last minutes.


    Those that were still standing like Phoebe and her grandmother found seats. It was time to share their sincerest sorrows again.


    "And?" Maureen asked, her voice extremely impatient.


    Phoebe gestured at her to take it easy. "Aunt please let us let Rekha breath, shall we? I know that we are all anxious but dial it back a bit." Phoebe requested, it was obvious that those memories were weighing heavily on Rekha, it was better to wait for her to reveal things at her own convenience.


    Lowering her head in her palms, Rekha let out a frustrated sigh. "You guys cannot tell uncle Edward that I remember anything important. He asked and I lied that I do not remember, I did not want him to keep his eyes on me because I am going to hunt for that demon. I remember it''s facial features, both human and the other form. When it changed, it had a red face with black spirals and three short horns." Her words bit the air, edged with the spirit of vengeance.


    Maureen sprang from the sofa. "Horns and spirals!!!" She run her fingers through her hair. "Rekha listen to me, you need to draw me a picture of what this demon looked like." She ordered, for a heartbeat, her pupils dilated with raw alarm.


    Grandma Mayfair stared at her daughter, she seemed worried and excited at the same time.


    "Maureen what is it? You seem very scared, is it because Rekha has mentioned a demon." She asked, suddenly feeling colder than usual. Anytime she heard about demons, she felt uncomfortable all over.


    "If it is the demon that I think it is then we should all be scared! Afraid because....." the sentence dried on Maureen''s tongue for she did not want to reveal too much nor scare them, especially her mother.


    "Demon, you know a demon!!!Wait, how do you know so much about such stuff and do not try to lie to me. I checked your belongings that you brought over from Hartoum and found all sorts of weapons. Some are like those that your father used to carry around. Why are you walking around with those." Grandma Mayfair asked, she was determined to find answers today.


    The spirit came from the space. "I have heard everything, Rekha you need to tell us what demon you saw." It voiced quietly.


    Old lady Mayfair ignored the spirit and bellowed out, "Maureen Mayfair, out now with the secret."


    "Nana, aunt is a guardian, now let us focus on Rekha and that demon." Phoebe fumbled the secret out in the open. When it dawned on her she gasped loudly, covering her hand with her mouth. She didn''t mean to blurt, she just felt this urge to spill the secret, something had pushed her to make the revelation.


    The Saxon spirit looked at Phoebe''s lower belly while all eyes drifted to Phoebe who shut hers tightly.


    "Phoebe Mayfair! " Maureen roared. "Not only is your head giving away secrets like a signboard, but your mouth is doing the same too! " She looked to the side and cursed, wondering how much trouble she was in.


    Grandma Mayfair stood up, her hands to her waist. "Guardian! You are actually a guardian of the supernatural wall. This makes a lot of sense now, I can finally understand why you have always been hard to pin down. If this was before I would be mad at you but now, this is good. I need a person from that school that I can trust. I talked to Edward, and he told me everything that happened around the time of your father''s death." Her eyes brightened. "Did you join that place in search of your father? What have you found out?" She asked.

 Chapter 504 - 504: The demon in the memories.

    Maureen''s mind short circuited, this was not the response she had embraced herself for. She was expected to be condemned for going against her brother''s order. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She was not alone in the shock, everyone had been expecting old lady Mayfair to take a ladle to Maureen''s ass, after all anything connected to the academy was a very big deal at the Mayfair house.


    "Mother what did you just say? You mean that Edward really opened up to you? After all these years?" Her lips parted in slight disbelief.


    Maureen was not sure if her ears were deceiving her, but it sounded as if Edward had shared some things with their mother. While it was not easy prying Edward''s mouth open, it was a different story for her mother who was as chatty as a chicken at sunrise.


    "That can wait." The smile on grandma Mayfair''s face fell as her face sobered, shifting her attention back to Rekha. "Let us first focus on what is in Rekha''s memory. Child you can continue from where you stopped. Tell us what you saw, and we can figure out why we need to be afraid or how we can protect ourselves" She asked, her voice was like velvet, smooth and unhurried.


    Rekha run her fingers through her hair and sat down, her eyes focused like a laser slicing through steel as she called to mind the image of the demon. "In human form, it was very good looking, sandy blonde hair, blue eyes that were cold as ice and a nose that was a little crooked to the right. Either his plastic surgeon did a poor job, or he got into a fight.


    In demon form it was red but not like fire, kind of like maroon red. It had those spirals, here and here and three short horns." She touched her face to show where the spirals were and the horns. "But it walked on two legs---oh and a tail, I think it had a tail. Its demon form looked nothing like the human one." She described the best way that she could.


    Feeling that the description was not enough, Rekha requested Phoebe for a pencil and notebook, she could draw better than she could describe. "There was something eye catching about those horns, they had glowing lines that were carved into them. These lines were colored yellowish and were throbbing like a heartbeat especially when it quizzed my father to tell it where the mystic key was." She narrated while adding details to those horns.


    "By this time of course the accident had already happened, and the car had somersaulted violently. I could tell that my mother was already dead. It held my dad by the neck, he was struggling to breathe, and I could not do anything because I was in a protective bubble. At the time I had no idea what it was, I just kept banging on it with my fists shouting for that thing to let go of my dad." Rekha went silent briefly, swallowing the lump in her throat.


    "He died a very painful death, that demon tortured him by stabbing him with its long nails because he refused to tell where the key was. However, he gave up when the demon threatened to go murder the entire Montgomery clan." She brushed a tear away before it could fall. "He decided to save them by telling it where the key was, all I heard him say was a crypt on the Montgomery estate." A furious scrub of her sleeve betrayed her frustration. "The last thing he did was save the Montgomery''s and the first thing they did after his death was to disown me."


    Sucking in a sharp breath, Maureen pointed at the picture if the demon that she had only read about. "That is a Azur, the demon commander in charge of Ravana''s army. He is known for being brutal, his loyalty to Ravana made him her best enforcer. If she needed something done efficiently, he was the demon for the job. " She tugged on her front hair; the feeling of dread grew within her. "Azur is not supposed to be roaming around in the world because we were told that it was locked up in one of the prisons of the academy after the last supernatural war."


    She raised her foot and kicked the air; it looked like there was a traitor after all. Her kick sliced through the air, fueling her irritation. "This happened over twenty years ago guys who knows how much progress he has made over the years without the guardians knowledge. This is the kind of thing that the academy is supposed to know ahead of time and stop." She keeled over and took a deep breath, panting slightly as if she was experiencing labor pains.


    Maureen was not done freaking out because the next thought struck her out of the blue like a lightning bolt. "How many keys has he collected so far! Oh my God!! We are doomed; we only have two." The last words came out faster than her thoughts, she shut her eyes tightly.


    Rekha pulled her brows together. "We do, since when and where are those keys?" She asked, confusion swirling in her head just like grandma Mayfair.


    The old woman was not dumb, she had already figured out that the key was the relic which her husband gave Bernard Montgomery to keep. He had been killed for that key and there were more of those keys out there. What they did, she had no idea.


    Maureen was determined to avoid answering that question, so she put her head in her hands and groaned. Everyone figured that she was still freaking out over Azur walking the earth.


    "We should talk to Rufus perhaps he has more of them, we need to know if he does. As long as we have more keys, we have the bigger advantage and all we have to do is hunt down Azur and send him to hell rather than dropping him off in the seven prisons." Phoebe suggested.


    Grandpa Rufus had long wanted to speak to her, and this seemed like it was the perfect time to meet.


    They all agreed to the thought, Maureen sat near her mother. "What did you and Edward talk about mother." She asked, desperation lacing her voice.

 Chapter 505 - 505: Azur is not immortal.

    A heavy, searching sigh left grandma Mayfair''s lips, she was tired of all the secrets. Since all these matters concerned her husband Cillian, she figured adding the knowledge together would help them draw a picture of what happened in his last days.


    "Edward heard from your father twice after he left for the mission to the island of no return. In the first call he asked Edward to tell the academy to send back up to the Island because something had gone wrong on the mission. From what he described, it sounded to me like they were ambushed or overwhelmed. This prestigious academy chose not to send that back up though." She told them. S§×arch* The n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What? Are you serious mother!" Maureen growled and boxed the air. "This must be why Edward chased those hypocrites away from the funeral. No wonder Edward hates that school, they hung our father out to dry." Maureen''s eyes flew open.


    Nodding in agreement, Phoebe winced inwardly. "I always wondered why father hated the academy so much and now I know why. But Nana from what I heard it was the academy that found his burnt body and belongings. If they did not send backup, how was the body found?" She asked, hoping that her grandmother had the answer.


    "Oh, they put together a team which was sent out as if they were going to rescue them, but that group never went to the island. Cillian saved himself and called Edward again before his supposed death. He told him that there was no back up and the others had all died.


    Most importantly after finding out about Bernard''s death he asserted to Edward not to trust the people from the Moldove founding academy. Then he told him that he was going somewhere but promised to be back to set things right. The next thing Edward heard was that his father had perished in an accident." Grandma Mayfair narrated what she knew as briefly as she could.


    Phoebe and Maureen shared questioning and affirming looks, this made them believe all the more that it was possible Cillian was alive.


    "So grandpa never told him where he was going?" Phoebe asked, it would be a great starting point of their search for him if they had a clue about where he had gone.


    Shaking her head gently, grandma Mayfair sighed wearily. "No, if he knew I am certain that he would have told me. Knowing Edward as a matter of fact, he would have gone looking for his father already."


    Maureen snorted. "Now that is another dead end, how do we find my father? What about that body that we buried? Whose was it and who even planted it there." She asked questions that no one had answers to.


    Once again, she blurted out information that took old lady Mayfair by surprise. "Alive!!!! Maureen did I just hear you say that your father is alive."


    Maureen rushed to her mother''s side to calm her down before the old woman could get too excited and tell the whole world that her husband was alive and well. "Mom, now I know that this is exciting, but it is not one hundred percent confirmed. Phoebe and I think that there is a possibility that dad is alive, but something is hiding his true location."


    "He is alive..." Old lady Mayfair croaked out in a happy voice.


    "Mom..." Maureen shook her. "I said possibility, don''t excite yourself and everyone else without proof." She spoke with stern emphasis on the word proof.


    Old lady Mayfair momentarily dulled the hope in her heart, and she nodded. Maureen was right, premature excitement was not the way to go. "But if he is alive, where had he been and....."


    "Mom..." Maureen sternly called old lady Mayfair again.


    Old lady Mayfair winced as if she had been pinched. "Fine, I got it. I will calm down and not assume anything. Don''t worry even though I am talkative I know what not to say. If this information falls in the wrong ears, even if my husband is alive, he will be in danger."


    "It seems we are all on the same page." Maureen said.


    Everyone nodded, they would not be sharing this theory randomly.


    "If truly the legendary master guardian Cillian Mayfair is alive, we need to find him. He is the only person that can expose that school for what it truly is, or he could be knowing the culprits at the very least. He must have known about Ravana''s minions being released from the seven prisons and that is why he said nobody at the academy could be trusted." Rekha threw in.


    The spirit which had vanished into the space came back with books that contained information on the demon Azur. "And to add on that, Cillian was a great supernatural warrior, having him in this fight against Ravana will be a great advantage." The spirit supplemented as it lowered the books on the coffee table.


    "This is everything that you need to know to destroy that demon." It told them.


    Maureen waved her hand. "Wait, Azur can be destroyed forever! It is believed that like his master he is immortal, apparently some dark magic made them indestructible. At least that is what we were told at the academy." She picked up one of the books.


    The spirit scoffed. "That is just preposterous! The academy has really fallen behind on their knowledge. They used to have books on demons and various strategies on how to vanquish them forever, perhaps they are locked up in a vault, but that information should be available for first class guardians like yourself." It addressed Maureen. "Anyway, Azur''s Achilles heels are his overly decorated horns. Once shattered with the help of the crimson sabre, Azur will lose his power and vanish into thin air, never to appear again. So, he is not immortal like he like they want you to believe. Every supernatural creature in existence has a weakness." It elaborated.


    "That is stupid, I was expecting something more...I don''t know what I was expecting but just more. I mean think about it, who puts their weakest point on the top of his head and adds light to it as if saying ''over here, look here." Rekha chuckled derisively. She clenched her hands. "Now that I know, I will rip those horns out one by one with my bare hands."


    "You think demon horns are soft like butter." The Saxon spirit rolled its eyes.


    Phoebe chimed in on the horns. "Actually, Azur is not stupid. Not many people would choose to aim for the horns. Those with weapons will often automatically aim for the chest when killing anything. Excuse me, I will go and call uncle Rufus, he needs to know about all this." She stepped aside.


    Upon returning back to the group, the conversation had switched to the Montgomery''s.


    "Let us assume that Azur did go to the Montgomery estate, isn''t it strange that they never reported anything about a demon trespassing on their land? Especially a powerful one like Azur?" Rekha stood up and tapped her fingers together as she thought about the cold eyes that she had seen that night. "Even if he went there in human form, he had to have created some chaos."


    .

 Chapter 506 - 506: Scammers, maybe.

    What Rekha pointed out was something thought worthy indeed. The Montgomery family alone had produced three guardians so far and more than three dozen hunters through the years. Their home was protected with talismans and shields and runes from the gates to every toilet on ground. If a demon had visited the Montgomery home, there was a ninety percent chance that the residents would have known.


    If they had taken down Azur, they would not have missed the opportunity to brag about it. If he had attacked them, they also would not have missed the opportunity to publicize it.


    So, what had happened over two decades ago?


    Maureen made a hissing sound. "It is one of two things, either Azur paid them a visit and they did not even realize it which is strange because at least the guardians in that family would have found demonic residue or he overpowered them, so they made a deal with that demon for their own survival." She aired her suspicions.


    "Or Azur did not make it on the grounds of their estate. Maybe their home is demon proof like ours." Phoebe pointed out.


    Grandma Mayfair let out a soft sigh. "I do not care about those shameless Montgomery''s all I want is to find my husband." From the time she found out about Cillian possibly being alive she could barely think about anything else.


    "Mother, do you think that this is going to be easy? Father has veiled himself in some spell and we cannot locate him." Maureen rolled her eyes. Her mother was not the only frustrated person on the matter and applying pressure was not going to help.


    Grandma Mayfair''s eyes drifted to Phoebe. "And our very powerful spirit friend cannot help? Now is the time to do that voodoo which you do so well." She posed the question respectfully and stated her expectations.


    The spirit cleared its throat, preparing itself to dash grandma Mayfair''s hopes. "I am still researching on a spell that is powerful enough to break through this shield that he put around himself." It explained. "It is possible that he is not hiding himself but something or someone else is hiding it. However, whatever it is, I will find a way through."


    The spirit wanted to add that it could make no promises because it was not the most powerful being in the world. There were other things that could hide Cillian in places that even it could not penetrate.


    "Thank you, ancestor, now all we can do is wait." Phoebe replied swiftly, then her eyes shifted to her desk and paused on a full basket of sweets. The fact that the basket was still full made her worry about a certain ghost that would have devoured all the sweets in two days. "Has anyone of you seen Connie lately? I feel like i have not seen her in a very long time." Her eyes roamed around quizzically, having Connie around was stressful but at the same time cases were less boring without her.


    Moreover, she had been a constant in Phoebe''s life for more than a year now. Her absence lately was exceeding beyond normal.


    The spirit pulled its lips to the side. "She has not been in the space either for an entire week maybe she is having so much fun being with her brother." It gave a logical response. S~ea??h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe rose to her feet. "We will be meeting with grandpa Rufus tonight at the Saxon tower so I will go upstairs and get some rest before the night comes. While on that I will check up on Connie." She shared with them.


    Before she could leave, Rosset knocked once before opening the door. "Pheebs, there is a human consult for you here, the man looks pretty horrified." She informed her.


    Phoebe nodded once and sat back down, there was no rest for the shaman. "Send him in."


    Grandma Mayfair excused herself, leaving the matters to the ghost hunting team. If there was something fun to gossip about, they would catch her up on it later.


    The women settled down and a short man crept into the room, his feet tiptoeing like he was afraid of the very place that he was in.


    "This is the shaman''s place?" He asked, his eyes darting around. This was the third shaman he had been to, and this place looked nothing like the last two. There were no scary symbols painted on the walls or herbs swinging from the ceiling.


    There were no statues of any kind or marking to show what deity the shaman served but rather it was an office, a normal one like that of an accountant. The man pulled his mouth to the side when he saw the maps on the desk and some on the wall. Maybe not an account, perhaps a geography teacher or a sailor. Whatever it was, the office did not say shaman.


    The man was hesitant, he had no idea what kind of shaman this was. Was she a cooperate one?


    Nodding her head, Phoebe wore a welcoming smile. "Yes, this is the office, and I am the shaman. We all here are ready to help you so why don''t you take a seat and tell me what your problem is?" She asked, her eyes studying his trembling hands. "You seem uneasy, why don''t we get you something to drink?"


    The man sat down, and Rekha brought him a cup of hot coffee. She smiled reassuringly as she returned to sofa and sat down to his left.


    He held the coffee cup in his hands, using it to warm them. "My name is Fin Rhode; I am here looking for help because I bought a photo studio recently using my life''s savings. It was cheap but located in a prestigious neighborhood on Plum Street." Fin began to narrate.


    Maureen raised her hand halfway. "And how much did you buy it Fin? Because property on Plum Street costs and arm and a leg." She seized him up. "No offense but you do not look like the type that can afford it." Her words were polite but carried a tinge of slight arrogance.


    "I thought that it was just my luck, I bought the studio at only two hundred thousand." Fin answered.


    Maureen made a wincing sound. "Oh dear Fin, you should have run for your life, hell if I was sold property on Plum Street at that price, I would think that I was being scammed! The cheapest property on that street goes for close to ten million."


    She gawked at him, wondering why he never got suspicious. He should have called the police to arrest the seller immediately.

 Chapter 507 - 507: No deal.

    Phoebe was in complete agreement with her aunt, if something was too good to be true, it''s because it was. How can you buy property worth ten million at two hundred thousand dollars? Even a blind cat would not make such a deal.


    As she pondered on it, waiting for Fin to clarify why he had made the decision, she felt sensed something cracking and her eyes widened. It was the tracking bug she had planted in Ruth, after so many months it had matured. S~ea??h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    It was now breaking out of its shell and the cloaking spell hiding Ruth would be shattered. It looked time it was time to locate her good sister and see what she was up to. Maybe even bring her back to Fog country and finally put her in a grave for good.


    Meanwhile, Fin wiped cold sweat from his forehead, thinking about it now as Maureen hurled the words scam and stupid at him, he felt dumb. "I know I-I was stupid but can you blame me? I thought luck was on my side, you see a few months ago I was on a trip to Hartoum and on a whim I swung by a temple of a shaman called Gecko who gave me this bracelet." He presented his arm on which a gold bracelet dangled loosely from his wrist. "The shaman told me that it was a powerful good luck bracelet and all I had to do was listen to its voice and to fulfill its wishes then in return it would make me very fortunate in life." He continued to relay to them.


    The women shared looks of recognition at the name Gecko, he was the same shaman that sold the doll of the deity of fortune.


    Arching an eyebrow, Maureen winced. "Gecko again? Why is this idiot everywhere lately?" She muttered.


    "That is the strangest thing I have ever heard! I have never heard of a bracelet that makes demands. Mr. Fin it is mostly evil spirits and demons that attach themselves to relics and masquerade around as fortune bringing items as long as certain conditions are fulfilled. Normal luck attracting bracelets don''t make demands as far as I know, and I know because we sell them here." Rekha scoffed loudly, her disbelief presently showcasing on her facial features. "Has it made any demands from you yet?" She asked.


    Fin shifted forward and perched at the edge of the seat. "I am getting to that." he said in an uncomfortable voice. "You see, I am a strong believer in the faith of saints and angels...." he began to speak.


    "And yet you visited a creepy dark shaman." Maureen chimed in; her voice carried the weight of a gravel slamming down.


    Phoebe rolled her eyes to the ceiling. "Aunt come on let us not be judgmental here he said it was done on a whim, go on Fin." She urged the man who had gone silent.


    "Just so you know I was only testing the waters, there is nothing wrong with that. It is not like I was leaving my faith or anything like that." He defended himself, leveling a measured stare in Maureen''s direction.


    Maureen''s hands shot up immediately in surrender. "Apologies, continue." A rigid smile flickered across her lips however it did not reach her eyes.


    "Like I was saying before I was rudely interrupted, I am a strong believer in my faith and the first thing I put in the studio is a big crucifix and the holy book. I followed it up by sprinkling some holy water in every corner and saying a prayer. Only then did I start to hang up big portraits displaying my works.


    However, weird things started to happen like the crucifix for some reason would turn upside down on its own and I would right it, but it would the same thing again. At first, I thought maybe the hook was not strong enough, so I got a stronger one, but the case was the same. Then I put in a magnet and still, the same thing happened."


    Goosebumps rose on his skin, he clenched his own shoulders, bracing for something like an impact. "Then the pictures would rearrange themselves every night, I swear to God at first I thought that I was going crazy, but I was not, they would switch positions. One morning, I found blood like tears pouring out of the eyes of a woman''s portrait.


    Then a voice came from the bracelet demanding that I make a deal with it, that I could get external fortune in exchange for my soul. I tried to take the bracelet off, but it won''t come off. I lost control of my hands when I tried to rip it off again and the voice got really mad, and things started flying around." He leaned forward and whispered. "It is the devil.....I am certain of it." He clenched his teeth for a chill hit him like a wave.


    Rekha clapped once and a victorious fist. "Demon! I was right." She exclaimed; her excitement earned her an unappreciative side glance from the man.


    Maureen nodded, agreeing with Rekha. "Tell me that you did not take the deal Fin." She asked, her tone coated with worry, few humans could turn down such an offer after all. The benefits tied together with a threat that aroused fear was a good way of motivating humans to do as the dark forces wanted.


    "Me! Make a deal with the devil? Never! I would rather die and go to heaven. That is why I am here." Fin responded, offended that Maureen even asked.


    "Look at the bracelet." A young soft voice came to her from within, it was not the spirit''s voice for she could identify it even in her sleep.


    Blinking rapidly, Phoebe''s eyes moved to the bracelet, to her it felt as if she was not the one controlling her eyes. She was the driver but someone else was controlling the car. With fresh eyes, she noticed that the bracelet was not immobile as it seemed, and it looked nothing like the shiny gold appearance it was using.


    The bracelet was old black and brown wood, it had beads which were moving in a circular motion. On the beads were moving faces that twisted in silent screams.


    She jumped back as her face became pale. "Oh my God!" She shouted, startling the rest.


    "Something is off about that bracelet." The spirit quietly voiced to Phoebe.


    Phoebe pulled her brows together. "I can see that!" She practically shouted, never taking her eyes off the bracelet.

 Chapter 508 - 508: Cut off his arm, maybe.

    More than anyone else, the spirit was even more puzzled. It had not lifted the supernatural veil that was coated on the bracelet so how was it possible that Phoebe could see its true form. "Phoebe...how...." It paused the question for now was not the time for such questions. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They had to help the man get rid of the bracelet and see what was on his arm. It chanted a spell and lifted the veil off the bracelet. Slowly, the gold faded from the bracelet and its true appearance started making an appearance.


    Maureen and Rekha traded confused gazes and then followed Phoebe''s eyes; their faces mirrored the same expression when they saw the true form of the bracelet.


    Rekha leaped up and put some distance between herself and Fin. "Oh shit!! Are those souls trapped in there?"


    Fin could not answer the question, he was about to lose his mind, his whole body was trembling, and his teeth were chattering. He could not believe that he had been walking around with this thing on his arm.


    "Get it off, get it off..." he cried out loud. He was freaking out, shaking his hand up and down.


    "Okay listen to me Fin, you are going to need to calm down and take that damn bracelet off before we even think of continuing this conversation." Maureen told him, her voice was soft so as not to scare him, but it was also commanding.


    "He is already sacred." Phoebe reminded her aunt.


    Fin did not want to touch the bracelet. "What is going on? What is this thing?" He asked in a panicked voice filled with tremors. He touched the bracelet in an attempt to rip it off with all of his might. To his surprise the bracelet became tighter, a burning sensation was felt on his skin where the beads nearly seared into the skin. "I__i cannot get it off, ouch it hurts." He shouted at the top of his voice, the more he pulled the more the beads dug into the flesh of his wrist. "Help me please." He requested, his voice awash with desperation.


    Phoebe grabbed some salt from her bag and threw it on Fin''s hand to stop the bracelet from further tightening around it.


    "Let''s just cut off his arm." Maureen suggested.


    "No...please. No." Fin cried out. Even though he was afraid, he still needed the use of his arm. How would he work if he had no arm? If he couldn''t work, how would he feed himself and his family?


    Voices, cries from the bracelet echoed in the room. The shrill sounds were very painful to the ears of those that listened. Outside the door, grandma Mayfair knocked with little patience.


    "What is going on in there?"


    Maureen thrust a talisman at the door, sealing off all sound.


    "How do we get it off?" Phoebe asked the Spirit.


    "This bracelet must be what is linking him to the demon, and it is aware that we are trying to remove it from a potential target." The spirit told them.


    Rekha and Maureen began to chant the demon extinguishing spells that were taught at the academy. Their voices were in competition with that of Fin who held his now bloody, trembling hand while crying out for his hand to be saved.


    Phoebe was still sprinkling salt on the bracelet which had slowed down its progress of tightening around Fin''s hand. Next, she planned to pour some purifying water on it to extinguish the evil. As for the souls trapped in there, she was not sure what would happen to them.


    "Add a drop of your blood in the holy water and rock salt, then pour it all over his wrist as you say the words that I will tell you to say." The strange voice came again, instructing her.


    "Who the hell are you?" Phoebe asked, her hands were at work doing like she had been told.


    The spirit on the other hand forced holy water into Fin''s mouth, upon drinking it he expelled black matter from all the holes on his face, including his mouth.


    Like the inner voice had instructed, Phoebe poured the liquid mixture all over Fin''s wrist targeting the beads. A howling scream that sounded like a curse came from the beads as they snapped loose and fell on the floor.


    "Look." Rekha whispered to Maureen, pointing at the beads that had become ordinary. However, Maureen was focused on Phoebe whose eyes had glowed as she recited a spell in a strange language. She assumed that the spirit had to be guiding her and working through her.


    However, she was wrong because even the spirit had no idea about what was going on. It had a clue, but it had not yet got satisfactory proof that what it thought was actually happening.


    "How? What the hell is going on here!" The Saxon spirit was at this very time looking at Phoebe''s lower belly. "Has she awakened before time? How is that possible?"


    Phoebe returned from the trance like state that she was in as if everything was normal. She saw that the spell had worked, and Fin was no longer crying for help. He looked drained; however, his face was as pale as white snow.


    In a matter of seconds, his lips had become cracked as if illness had been his friend for weeks now. The area where the bracelet had been had fresh wounds that looked like burns.


    Despite it all, Fin had a small smile on his face for his soul had been saved.


    "Fin you are free from that evil thing now, I will write you some tonics to buy on your way out You need to do a cleansing ritual too for your studio, Rekha will be by to do it when she gets time." She got a pen and paper and jotted them down.


    She also jotted down his bill, they had not talked price, and she only charged him twenty thousand dollars.


    "Do not forget to go to the bathroom and wash away all that black slimy stuff on your face." Maureen advised.


    Fin offered them a tiny bow. "Thank you so much shamans." He drunk the revitalizing tonic that had been given to him by Phoebe and slowly walked out of the door.


    "What the hell just happened back there? How were you able to do that? A spell in the ancient tongue? How?" The spirit asked quietly. She wanted Phoebe to confirm whether she was aware of these new changes within her or not.


    Maureen pulled her brows closely together. "I thought that you did that!" She batted her eye lashes, confused. "Aren''t you Pheebs supernatural teacher that taught her everything? For a moment there, I thought you are the one that possessed her."


    "I do not know how I did that, a voice told me to, and I did." Phoebe answered nonchalantly, falling back in the sofa. "I don''t think the owner of the voice is out to harm me. It felt warm and familiar."

 Chapter 509 - 509: Pheebs...pregnant!

    Her eyes moved to the pendant; it was glowing brightly which was strange because she had just extinguished a demon not even one drop of her energy had been extinguished. "How is this still full, I used at least a week''s energy to solve Fin''s issue." She muttered to herself.


    "Hey, what language was Phoebe using?" Maureen asked the Saxon spirit. "What spell did she chant? Is it something in another special book? Can I find that book at the academy?"


    Maureen was asking questions, Rekha also had questions. The Saxon spirit ignored multiple questions from the women who were not up to speed with the newest changes in Phoebe. It began to put one and two together, someone was messing with its spells, Phoebe had acted very strange as if she was not in complete control of her body.


    She had recited an ancient spell that it had not told her furthermore her energy levels remain intact as if something else had provided her with energy and she was hearing another voice.


    These changes had not happened before the pregnancy and the conclusion was the same one it had come to earlier. It gasped when the theory started to look more and more real.


    "Oh my God, the energy of the pendant is still full because you did not rely on it for energy. It''s.....it''s the baby." It pointed at Phoebe''s tummy.


    "Baby!" Grandma Mayfair burst into the office at that exact moment and then she collapsed in the sofa, her head spinning.


    Maureen and Rekha had questions too, but they paused the conversation to tend to the old woman whose chest was heaving. She had her hands placed on her head like it might burst at any second.


    "Mother, are you alright?" Maureen flattened a piece of paper and used it to fan her mother, helping her to cool her down.


    Phoebe urged her grandmother to take the calming tonic. It seemed as if her grandmother''s hands had been rendered useless, so she personally fed it to her.


    Old lady Mayfair was like a sulking baby, Phoebe had to encourage her to open her mouth. "Nana, come on, just take a little bit. I promise that this will make you feel a lot better." Her voice had a tinge of worry in it.


    Old lady Mayfair whimpered like an old dog in pain. Maureen took it upon herself to pry her mother''s mouth open and they poured the tonic down her throat. After taking the tonic, grandma Mayfair shifted to seat properly in the sofa. Recognition of what had happened earlier flashed in her eyes.


    "I clearly heard Zephyra say that it''s the baby and she was pointing at your tummy. Now that I look at it closely, I can see the small bulge which you have been hiding behind buggy clothes lately. Even your appetite has experienced significant changes. Maria mentioned that some of your old dresses and shirts no longer fit you. Oh my God! how could we all have been blind?" She squinted her eyes, "Tell me the truth right now Phoebe Mayfair are you pregnant?" Her tone signified that she was not happy with the news.


    Maureen and Rekha also had their ''Oh my God, she is pregnant!'' moments. Some of Phoebe''s actions made sense to them now. Like why she was always careful not to bump into things with her stomach. When they fought monsters, she always protected her stomach first, even if she fell, she made sure not to land on it. Many times, they had seen her patting it the way pregnant women did often.


    Phoebe was taking too long to answer so her grandmother copied Anna Lee''s hissing actions.


    "Mother you need to calm yourself down, at this rate you may actually faint for real or scare the baby. So, what if Phoebe is pregnant, is it a big deal?" Maureen spoke softly moving to shield Phoebe just in case of anything. She knew her mother''s stance on pregnancies out of wedlock.


    When Rose-bell Saxon got pregnant out of wedlock grandma Mayfair was among those that criticized her upbringing and spread the news all over town. And now the same thing had happened in her household, how ironic.


    Phoebe tucked her hair behind her ears and blew some air out of her mouth. The cat was out of the bag, there was no taking it back. "Nana it is true, I am pregnant, its coming to five months now." She stated confidently, prepared to take any heat and consequences.


    The whimpering sound was heard again, grandma Mayfair''s mind scrambled to process what she had just heard. She stared blankly at her granddaughter, her mouth opened but she couldn''t form words.


    "Is it David''s?" Maureen asked, just to get that out of the way. Young people of Phoebe''s generation had a way of surprising you. They could date one person and get pregnant for other, such scandals had happened on the founding lane.


    Phoebe scoffed loudly; a flicker of offense flashed in her eyes before settling into a cool stare. "Aunt really? Have you seen me around any other man other than David?" She replied by asking, leveling her aunt with a measured glance.


    "I have heard about that golden haired boy and how you two were really close until only recently. Honey I mean no offense I am only looking out for you. I wanted us to get our stories straight in case it was not David''s." Maureen lifted her shoulders dismissively.


    Grandma Mayfair made the sign of the cross, relief setting into her bones. "Thank God its David''s. My child does this mean that you and David are to marry. I know you said you don''t want to marry but it is hope that this changes your perspective. Surely, you are not going to raise the child on your own." She asked, her eyes widened with anticipation.


    [I am not going to marry, not in this life. The shackles of marriage led to my death in my past life. How can I run back into that pit with two arms?] Her thoughts displayed.


    Old lady Mayfair whimpered again and then looked at Maureen. While the death in her past life thing due to marriage was shocking, the old woman did not dwell on it. This present life was the one that mattered, and her granddaughter was pregnant but had no plans to hold the father of the child responsible. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Making another sign of the cross, grandma Mayfair said abruptly silent prayer. Her mind continued to ponder on Phoebe''s thoughts. Both women wondered what exactly it was that had happened in Phoebe''s past life to merit such a reaction.


    How did she die? Why did she have memories of a past life in the first place?


    "No Nana, this changes nothing and please respect my decision on that, I have strong reasons for not wanting to marry." She said, unwavering in her stance. The strength in her voice left no room to debate on the matter.

 Chapter 510 - 510: The secrets in her thoughts.

    Phoebe poured herself a calming tonic too as she waited for her grandmother to say something. The old one appeared to be deep in thought, just as aunt Maureen was. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Maureen was once again analyzing the rebirth thoughts, a thing she had been doing a lot for months. Previously, she thought Phoebe maybe had memories of her past life before reincarnating but the deeper she analyzed her niece''s movements, the more she came to believe that she was wrong.


    A lot of things had not made sense, like Phoebe knowing a lot of random things about the future of the country. Knowledge like that did not come from making predictions the shaman way. There was also her extensive knowledge on medicine as if she had ever worked in a hospital, rare herbs, and scientific research. According to Phoebe''s records, after graduating from school, she fell into the lake, went into a coma and started seeing ghosts. She had been a shaman since then.


    There was her knowledge on the founding families, who would marry who and who would divorce in a few years. She knew who would die when and why they would die.


    Maureen sank in her chair; her niece had lived this exact life before and she was just making different choices now. That was the rebirth she was talking about.


    Grandma Mayfair was even sharper than Maureen and she came to that conclusion quickly. Her reason was simple, there was an ongoing drama on TV about a young woman that had been reborn after marrying a CEO who cheated with her best friend and killed her. She was using her memories to navigate her life differently now. It sounded to her like this was what Phoebe was doing.


    The old woman decided that if Phoebe''s life was anything like that drama, then her granddaughter did not need to be pushed. The Mayfair''s could afford to raise the child. She imagined Phoebe and Shanna''s children laughing in the gardens, climbing over her back as she did yoga.


    Instead of goat yoga, she could do baby yoga. Grandma Mayfair clapped once as her face brightened. "The twins! I thought Shanna was having twins but no, we are just having two different Mayfair babies." A wet laugh escaped her, tears rolling down her cheeks. "Do not worry these are joyful tears. I am just overwhelmed because there is so much good news lately. I am so grateful about a lot of things like my husband being alive, the two incoming Mayfair''s...."


    Maureen interjected, rolling her eyes. "Well technically the child is a Saxon." She reminded her mother.


    Blinking rapidly, a thought of Phoebe leaving the Mayfair manor for the Saxon tower sent shivers down her spine. Unwillingness brewed in the old woman''s heart, her grand babies! her baby yoga!!


    "Dear does David know. Are you leaving us to live with him in that tower?" She asked, clutching onto her chest for dear life. "Oh my goodness that would be terrible! Can''t you stay with us? We just got you back, you cannot move out." The words came softly with raw sadness. "I will die if you leave me Pheebs."


    Maureen rolled her eyes.


    Phoebe frowned and waved her hand, brushing off the thought. "Oh nana you are way ahead of yourself on that one, yes David knows that I am pregnant. We both decided that the safest place for us to have our child would be the Mayfair house because you all will protect the child with everything you have got." She told them.


    Why does the child need protection? Maureen wondered.


    Phoebe meanwhile recalled the last phone call with her twins before they died. [We lost a lot of children in the Saxon house because we were blind. Even if things have changed in this life. I do not want to risk my child''s wellbeing.]


    The thought that displayed across her forehead puzzled them. Lost children at the Saxon house!! Did this mean that David and Phoebe were married before? How many children was Phoebe talking about and why did they die?


    It made sense especially to Maureen, a thought of David being reborn as well crossed her mind. "No wonder David went in search of you when he woke up from his coma, he knew who you were already." She spoke out her thoughts loudly, her face brightening like a Christmas tree. Finally, the dots about her niece where connecting.


    Grandma Mayfair''s body decided that it was time for a hiccup symphony, she was thinking the same thing as her daughter. In that drama on TV, the female leads suitor was also reborn. He had loved her from a distance in their last life, but he was actively pursuing her after rebirth.


    "Senior Maureen what are you talking about?" Rekha asked, completely lost.


    Phoebe gave water to her grandmother to ease the hiccups. "I am wondering the same thing." Each of her words were filled with wonder.


    Shaking her head, the tiny smile on Maureen''s lips stayed there. "Ah! Do not mind me, Phoebe and David''s love story wraps around me like a melody that I never want to end, it is very magical." The ceiling absorbed her stare, her thoughts traveled a thousand miles away.


    "What, you are a poet now?" Phoebe scoffed loudly.


    Grandma Mayfair only laughed; her eyes drifted from Maureen to Phoebe. "My dear child." She spoke in the softest tone, taking a hold of her granddaughter''s hands. "I am happy if you are happy, know that this grandmother of yours is going to support you in every choice that you decide even if I have to step on Rufus'' toes." She shut her eyes tightly.


    "Grandpa Rufus? Why would you have to step on his toes?" Phoebe asked innocently.


    Maureen sneered softly. "Sweetie, do you think the Saxon''s are going to just sit back and let us raise a first clan Saxon in Mayfair manor? By right and tradition your children with David are in running for the next clan head of their generation. They could be little geniuses that take the Saxon group to higher heights.


    They could be the next guardians or grand guardians. The Saxon''s have produced the best supernatural hunters and guardians in history. With all this Ravana business Rufus will want to start their training early. I am certain that they will put up a fight for the snow haired little one you are carrying unless otherwise. I could be wrong, but I don''t think so." She submitted her thoughts on the matter.


    "If they want a fight, we will give them one." Old lady Mayfair declared. How many babies had Phoebe lost in that tower in her last life? They had not protected her children, so they did not deserve to have a say in how Phoebe chose to raise them now.


    Rekha clucked her tongue. "Well, if it is any consolation, I think that they are adjusting their rules after all they allowed David to live outside the tower and he is a first clan Saxon." She said simply. "I hope this won''t become a legal custody battle issue. Surely, they will not try to rip the child out of Phoebe and David''s arms. Will they?"

 Chapter 511 - 511: Pet names.

    [If anyone tries to take my child or harm any of my children in this life, I will kill them first. I will be ruthless; no mercy will be shown to the wicked. I don''t care how powerful Rufus is, I am also powerful. I will use all my magic to keep my baby safe. Besides, legally, the Saxon''s cannot take my child unless I am proven to be a bad mother which I am not. ]


    Phoebe''s determined thought appeared.


    Maureen feigned a cough. "You don''t have to worry about all that Phoebe. We Mayfair''s may be polite, but we are not weak not even the Saxons can walk over us. We should all keep in mind that you and David are not married yet at least not legally I don''t know if you secretly held some spiritual wedding.


    By law, the child will be where the mother wants it to be and if that''s with us Mayfair''s then that is where it will be. You should know that your father Edward may seem weak, but he is not. He was our father''s best student and about to be confirmed a guardian when tragedy struck. He is also the chairman of Mayfair Corp.


    Be it a legal or magical fight, he will not let anyone, and I mean anyone including the Saxon''s to take his precious grandchild. So Pheebs do not worry you have a lot of back up including your brothers. I know Luke won''t play around and neither will that secret assassin girlfriend of his." She guaranteed her niece, her words very assuring.


    "Secret assassin!!" Rekha whispered. She was bewildered but nobody clarified anything for her.


    As for Phoebe, it was nice to hear the affirmations from her aunt but she was not worried at all, in fact she and David had already spoken at length about the pregnancy and what to do after the baby arrived. He was giving her free reign to make the important decisions, and he was okay with extending his residence in the Mayfair manor indefinitely. sea??h th§× ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Phoebe met her worried grandmother''s gaze and smiled warmly. "David and I will handle grandpa Rufus, even if it means revealing our genuine reasons why we don''t want to live in the Saxon tower. I believe that Rufus is a reasonable man and although there some stubborn and unreasonable older generation Saxon''s that will want the baby to grow up in the tower, he will stop them.


    Moreover, I have been collecting Saxon friends in the last few months, all those Saxon''s that I have helped will stand by me and my child." She rested her case.


    Maureen asked. "Let us hope that they remember the favors they owe you, especially that skunk Katherine Saxon. You saved her from going to prison and having her reputation ruined but she never even thanked you." She shook her head gently.


    When she thought about her niece or nephew growing up around someone like Katherine and growing up under her influence only to end up becoming like her made Maureen support Phoebe''s decision all the more. Besides, with Margaret still living in the tower and hating Phoebe the way she did, there was no guarantee that the child would be safe over there.


    Margaret still blamed Phoebe for Dickson''s death, it was not farfetched to worry that she would try to harm Phoebe and the child if she got the opportunity.


    "You are staying with us." Maureen suddenly said to Phoebe in a voice that left no room for debate.


    For three breaths no one said a word and Phoebe said nothing more on the matter, abruptly Rekha broke the silence.


    "Well, if we are done with the sentiments, I want to know more about this thing that is talking to Pheebs." Her brows raised in question.


    "The baby!" The grown Mayfair women let out a uniform out cry. Calling their incoming family member ''this thing'' sounded unpleasant.


    Rekha tossed her hands in the air, surrendering. "I beg your pardon; what should we call it then?" She asked innocently and hurriedly.


    "It." Maureen shrugged.


    "She." Phoebe corrected. "It is a girl." She notified them all.


    Rekha raised a finger. "We can call her Jellybean." She suggested.


    "Really! bean!! you think I don''t know beans! Don''t you dare call me that." The baby''s voice warned seriously. Only Phoebe could hear it. It was childish and cute; it made her want to give birth quickly so that she could hug her baby.


    Phoebe chuckled softly. "She does not like that one." She told them.


    "Oh okay I have a long list, Button, cupcake, squishy, wiggles, muffin..." Rekha went on and on until Maureen hushed her for her ears were about to stage a silent protest as Phoebe continued to relay the baby''s protests.


    "Rekha enough my God, this child is a difficult one I can tell, just call her parasite or tenant." Maureen said lightly, laughing at her joke.


    Grandma''s brows almost launched off from her forehead. "Maureen Mayfair, I dare you to call my great granddaughter a parasite one more time." She shouted in shock; how could she choose those as baby pet names? Her daughter clearly had no maternal instincts in her. "How about Star? Ask the baby if she likes it." She jutted her chin towards her granddaughter''s tummy.


    "That will work although parasite was not bad either after all you are my host, mother. I like grandma Maureen and I can see myself getting along with her in the future." Came the baby''s voice.


    Phoebe nearly let an oh-oh sound slip form her mouth. One Maureen in the family was enough, they did not need another. "I am your mother, not your host." She corrected the baby first.


    Then, Phoebe giggled because Maureen had no idea the baby had just called her grandma. Knowing her aunt, she would not like that very much. She stretched her legs forward. "Alright everyone Star it is."


    Maureen let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, we are all glad she finally likes something. You are going to bend over backwards for the rest of your life to please miss picky over there. She is like a mini Sabrina and she hasn''t even been born yet."


    "I like aunt Sabrina." The baby told Phoebe.


    Phoebe groaned a little. Her baby liked Maureen and Sabrina!!! Would she be the next trouble maker of the founding lane?


    Grandma Mayfair''s hands flew together in glee, her face alight with uncontrollable happiness. "Another female in the house! Finally, the number of women will exceed the men in the house, voting on where we go for vacations will be more interesting don''t you think Maureen? If I have to visit another golf resort or live on a yacht for two months while the men fish, surf, snorkel and do all sorts of dangerous or boring things, I will shave my hair off." She groaned and laughed with glee, meeting Maureen''s equally enthusiastic eyes.


    "Not if Shanna has a boy and then father returns which makes the men six ha-ha." Maureen laughed as the light in her mother''s eyes died out.


    Making a disapproving sound, grandma Mayfair dismissed Maureen''s words. "No one kills a good mood like you my child, fighting all these demons has made you a sarcastic person." She complained, returning her gaze to Phoebe''s stomach__the enthusiastic smile returning.

 Chapter 512 - 512: Baby Star, the bomb.

    Suddenly, Old lady Mayfair realized that Phoebe''s stomach was too small for a pregnancy that was already in its fourth month. She was almost at five months, by now, her stomach should have been the most noticeable thing about her.


    "Pheebs, are you binding your stomach to hide the pregnancy?" she gasped, terrified at the thought. "Please don''t tell me that you are doing the same thing Esmeralda Cunningham did in order to hide her pregnancy!!! It''s insane, take those things out right now." Sear?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She literally jumped up, grabbed a hold of Phoebe and tried to undress her right there.


    "Nana, relax, that''s not it!!!" Phoebe fought off the old woman. "I have been hiding it with magic." she rushed to say.


    She chanted a spell, and the real appearance of her stomach was revealed to them.


    "Holy shit!!" Maureen exclaimed. "Look at that, a new way to use magic has been invented. I should try that."


    Old lady Mayfair glared at Maureen and Maureen folded her lips together. Meanwhile, old lady Mayfair examined Phoebe''s stomach and then sat back down, satisfied that all was well.


    When she was done, Rekha slid where she had been and started poking the stomach gently. "This is so weird I cannot believe that you are actually pregnant..." she said.


    "So dear does this mean that you already did a sonogram? Can I see the picture?" She asked, a wistful flicker shadowed grandma Mayfair''s gaze for she had missed out on that.


    "No Nana, I actually haven''t been to a hospital at all. The spirit tells me all I need to know about the development of the baby. As for the sex, if I doubted the spirit before, I don''t anymore. That baby voice is definitely girly and let''s be honest, baby boys would not choose Star as a pet name." Phoebe replied smoothly, rubbing her tummy gently.


    Grandma Mayfair bounced lightly on her toes. "Are you crazy!! You are taking pregnancy notes from a ghost! You need a hospital Pheebs, you are having a human baby not a ghost baby. I will make an appointment with Dr. Sanders immediately or do you prefer the Mayfair free clinic...."


    "Don''t you dare send her to a hospital Rebecca Mayfair." The spirit threw in, it''s voice stern. "This is not an ordinary baby she is special. Keep in her mind that her mother is a also special. We do not need humans monitoring Phoebe or the baby. Imagine what would happen if baby Star suddenly fried the obstetrician because mommy here cried out for some reason during the checkup.


    Right now, she is only forming and very unstable. She has no control over her magic, think of her to be a destabilized EMP or a bomb with a few loose wires. If the wrong one is touched, it could explode." The spirit cautioned, there was a lot going on that it still did not quite understand yet.


    This was the first time it was seeing a supernatural baby form, and so far, things were not going like it expected. For example, how come Star was already using her magic? What was even more puzzling was the fact that she could interfere in its spells.


    An awakened baby could land Phoebe into trouble if it took her body for a ride. The other thing was that Star could communicate with her mother, give her commands and already could funnel energy to her which was a good thing and a bad one at the same time. It was good because then perhaps Phoebe could control the baby and more still have a bottomless source of energy. But it was bad because one of them could drain the other if they lost control which might result in the death of one.


    Why did the baby have too much energy already? The spirit had so many questions swirling in its mind and there was a lot of research to be done.


    "Maybe we should not compare Star to a bomb when she is still inside my body." Phoebe suggested.


    Grandma Mayfair rubbed her chin, winning inwardly. "I agree, please don''t say bomb. I have to admit my girl you are very strange but why does Zephyra call you magical? Is it because you are a shaman? How did you even wake that kind of ability by the way? I know the Mayfair''s have had shamans in their lineage but not the last two generations. Will Star also be a shaman?" She asked.


    "Aha? I want to know that too?" Rekha leaned forward, propping her clenched on one side of her cheek.


    Maureen rolled her eyes, wasn''t the answer about how Phoebe got her abilities obvious? It was in her blood. Even if some generations had been skipped, it did not mean the gift had been lost. "She got her gifts from our ancestors, you already know this mother. Let us stick to relevant questions" She pushed herself forward. "So, what does this mean for your training Pheebs? No more hunting? Because I do not want to get in any trouble if something happens to that baby." Maureen made her feelings known, a flash of worry crossed her eyes.


    Grandma Mayfair nodded strongly, agreeing with Maureen, her feelings on the matter matched strongly with those of Rekha too.


    "I agree, we should postpone all this vigorous and reckless hunting until Phoebe has little Star." She stated in support.


    "And you wonder why I took so long to tell you? It was because I knew that you would react this way." Phoebe added a suppressed scoff. They were going to start treating her like an invalid.


    The spirit raised its brows and let out a weary sigh. "None of you needs to worry about Star. She can protect herself; you need to concentrate on eliminating the demons that have been roaming around for years and finding the keys." It assured them.


    "Are you certain the baby that is as soft as butter, has no teeth and still living inside of her mother can protect herself?" Maureen asked, her words came from a place of doubt.


    Nodding, the spirit smiled reassuringly. "Very much so, and again you do not have time for this with all the things that you need to do." It reminded them.


    "Please highlight that part, with demons running crazy, an immortal demon commander on the loose and a supernatural war on the horizon we do not have time to worry about a supernatural baby that has magic. Moreover, I think that you have all forgotten that we have been hunting all this time, and I have managed just fine. Do not try to babysit me, we have a world to save." She chanted the spell again and her stomach took on a normal appearance once again. "Also keep the news about baby Star to yourselves. I don''t want others aiming for my stomach deliberately in a fight." Phoebe added.

 Chapter 513 - 513: What is Collin Baltimore hiding?

    That night, David whisked Phoebe away on a date. They were both busy during the day, so their nights were always dedicated to them. He had taken her to dates all over the city, on this date they had to fly to the restaurant which was a first for them both.


    Phoebe could not help laughing and marveling at the same time. "You have invested in this one."


    "I aim to please mi lady." He joked and laughed with her.


    He took her to a rooftop restaurant called Le Mirazur, one of the most expensive places to eat in the city. This was because the food was more of art than food. It was simply too beautiful to be eaten.


    Like many of the patrons that night, Phoebe took a picture of the creative almost lifelike koi fish looking sushi and bunny shaped coconut rice. They were served with glossy chicken cubes on a stick that were shaped like octopuses.


    The experience was great, but Phoebe was left feeling hungry so when they returned to her apartment, she gobbled up more food in the bedroom while complaining about the delicious food from the date.


    "One bite David, one bite and all the food is gone. What lunatic goes to a restaurant where they serve one bite of food?"


    "It''s the experience Pheebs." He said, for the umpteenth time.


    "Yeah, the sucker experience." she replied and laughed. "I loved it, but I am not paying ten thousand dollars for one bite of food." Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    David, the poor sucker just shook his head. Next time, he would remember to take her to a place where they served full plates of food because she was eating for two.


    He waited for her to fill her stomach; gave her a bath and they slept.


    While they were sleeping, masked figures invaded the red-light district with a list of criminals to deal with. Some were injured to the point that they would never step out of bed again. Some were killed and their bodies dumped in the alleys with various words painted across their foreheads stating what king of criminal they were.


    Dozens of men and women of different ages forced to work in brothels were released. Many were transported and left on the doorsteps of various charity organizations. Those that had been trafficked from different countries were left outside the embassies of their countries.


    Come morning, it was all anyone could talk about in the country because sixty-four known and suspected criminals had died. The news had no idea what to call it so they reported it a fight between pimps and crooks, others reported it as gang violence. Whispers of a vigilante known as Midnight walked in the alleys of the red-light district however and the criminals that survived trembled in fear.


    "Ha!" Maureen made a sound of surprise as they watched the news. "What do you make of this?" she asked.


    Phoebe shrugged; she had no idea what to make of it.


    "Someone cleaned the trash the politicians and police have dragging their feet to clean....." Maureen posed because Phoebe switched the Tv off.


    She opened the apartment door for Rekha that had come over, worried that they might go and see Rufus without her. Yesterday, he had been too busy to see them, so they were meeting him this morning.


    "Can we go now?" she asked, shaking her shoulders and exhaling as if the winter cold had infected her.


    "Not yet, I did not see Collin Baltimore yesterday either, so I am going to check right now and see if Connie is at the Baltimore residence. I met their mom yesterday, she let me into the apartment and Connie was not there too." Phoebe informed them.


    Using her thumb, Maureen scratched the top of her brow. "Why don''t you just call her brother and ask him where she is. I mean she is spending time with him so who better to keep track of her whereabouts."


    In her opinion it was better than going to the Baltimore apartment to engage in small pointless talk. From the time Phoebe had introduced Lydia Baltimore to Maureen, the woman had made it her mission to engage her in conversations that Maureen had very little or no interest in. The one downside of living in Phoebe''s apartment on and off were the nosy neighbors.


    Pausing in her trucks, Phoebe raised her brows for a fleeting second. "I will try for the hundredth time; Collin is not answering my calls. I even saw him switching paths just because he saw me walking towards him two days ago. With Connie missing for this long, I am certain that something is definitely going on here." She declared, stuffing her phone back inside the bag because the call was not answered again.


    The three women headed out, still discussing Collin''s suspicious behavior.


    "And you think this Collin knows something and that is why he is avoiding you?" Maureen asked, arching an eyebrow.


    Rekha sliced into an apple she had taken from Phoebe''s kitchen. "You need to confront him, I suggest we track him down and get to the bottom of this. That being said, let us start the search from their home." She tipped her chin towards the doorbell.


    The spirit was way ahead of them, it had occasionally been searching for Connie at the Baltimore residence, but she was not there on most days just like today. "The golden-haired boy is in there locked away in his room drinking like a fish. Something is definitely up; I have never seen him so distraught." It revealed to them.


    Maureen wasted no time in pressing the doorbell, her curiosity heightened. She was not the kind of person that liked to postpone such matters, if Collin was inside that house, she was going to pry his mouth open until what he was hiding came out.


    The door swung open and as usual; Lydia Baltimore beamed with a smile upon seeing the visitors. "Phoebe, Maureen and this time you came with a friend." She used the yellow-colored apron to wipe her fingers. "I was just baked some fresh cinnamon cookies. I hope that you three are staying for breakfast." Her eyes were wide, a flicker of hope danced inside.


    "That would be nice Lydia, but we are here because we are want to talk to Collin." Phoebe calmly spoke with the intention of not spooking Lydia.


    Letting out a mild scoff, Lydia let them in. "He is locked away in his room, good luck trying to get him out of there. Same thing with my ungrateful daughter Cassie, she too has been locked in her room she only comes out of there to get something to eat. Ha! Can you believe that she dropped out of school too? I don''t understand what is going on with them." She pushed herself hair back wearily.


    Maureen grilled her with unblinking eyes. "Lydia did he happen to tell you what was bothering him?" She questioned earnestly.


    Shaking her head, Lydia''s frustrated eyes became moist. "My son is a jolly young man normally, in fact a few months ago he was over the moon and then then out of the blue he became a shadow of himself starting a few weeks ago." She narrated.

 Chapter 514 - 514: A different side of Collin.

    The whisper of footsteps coming from the direction of the bedrooms snapped everyone''s focus from Lydia. They figured immediately that Collin was on the move as he was the only person in the apartment capable of making such loud strong footsteps.


    For some reason, Phoebe felt combative, as if she was about to fight some kind of war. She had this feeling that trouble was brewing, but what kind of trouble it was she had no idea.


    Collin Baltimore whose head was lowered yawned loudly as he ventured into the living room. "Mother I heard voices...." he lifted his head, immediately he saw Phoebe and her companions, his expression hardened.


    His jaw tightened and his eyebrows shifted slightly. In his eyes, Phoebe could detect annoyance or hostility, maybe a mix of both.


    The spirit asked. "I am sure that you owe me a thank you which I will take after we sort out this mess. You made the right choice by choosing David over him, look at how he handles stress and pressure. More importantly, look at the way he is looking at you. With David, no matter how bad things got between you two in the past, he never gave you such a look." It spoke with moral superiority shaking its head in disapproval.


    Phoebe did not respond to the spirit, she just stared at Collin, his appearance was similar to that of a stray cat that had survived a thunderstorm. He was a complete wreck, hair tangled like he had fought the wind, his beard in desperate need of a razor and clothes that hung off him like crumpled rags.


    He also smelled of booze, as if he had taken a bath in a tub of booze the night before.


    "When was the last time you took a shower?" Maureen pinched her nose when the stench of alcohol wafted to her nose.


    Unfazed by her attitude, Collin crossed his arms as he stared at all three women at the same time. "Why are you here? When someone refuses to pick your calls that usually means that the person is not interested in talking to you. Don''t you know how to take a hint Phoebe?" He spoke menacingly and carelessly.


    Not waiting for a response, he started walking towards the wine bar in the apartment.


    His cold and sharp words rendered Phoebe speechless, she had never known him to be so discourteous. She held back her tongue and continued to watch him as he poured brandy into a glass and then he leveled his eyes to meet hers.


    Phoebe took a deep breath, stopping herself from shooting the glass out of his hands. Connie was the important matter she had come to deal with.


    "Baltimore, we need to talk about your sister." Maureen spoke up first, her voice carried authority veiled threat that made it clear she did not plan to play any games with him nor baby him around. "Do you want me to continue with this conversation with your mother here?" Her voice was deceptively soft, yet it continued to harbor a threat.


    Lydia leaped from her seat; her eyes widened open with a glint of terror. "Cassie? Oh my goodness has something happened to her? What is it?" Her eyes darted around from one person to the other in search of answers but all she heard were crickets. "Collin say something for Christ''s sake!" She raised her voice, staring towards the direction of her daughter''s room. It was almost like as though she wanted to launch like a kite and check if her daughter was okay.


    A low, angry groan grumbled from his chest. "Mother stop with the theatrics, will you? Cassie is fine, I only requested Phoebe to come check on her since she has been behaving strangely." He told her.


    The lie came out naturally and it was believable at least to Lydia because she let out a loud exhalation of pent-up breath.


    "Oh that makes sense." Her eyes moved to beseech Phoebe. "My dear you helped her once please find a solution for her or else I am going to go crazy. What will she do with her future if she drops out of school? That girl has lost her damn mind, and I am going to admit her to a mental institution or send her to rehab. It is obvious that she is either losing her mind or she is doing drugs." Lydia''s trembling lips came into a fold.


    Everyone could see that she was trying her best not to burst into tears. The tense uncomfortable situation at home had taken a toll on her.


    Collin put down the wine glass and hastily walked to her, picking a shawl from the sofa. "Mother take a long walk such that Phoebe can work without any interruptions." He draped the shawl over her shoulders and further handed her a purse.


    Nodding stiffly and continuously, Lydia left although she would have preferred to stay back.


    "But..." she started.


    Collin would not hear of it, he practically pushed her out of the door. Following her exit, the warm smile on Collin''s face disappeared with his mother''s departure. Once again, his body language changed abruptly, it went back to hostility.


    "I will repeat myself again, I don''t want you here and I do not appreciate you all forcing your way into my house like this."


    "Your mother let us in." Rekha felt the need to share a minor fact.


    Collin gave her a disinterested gaze; it did not matter if his mother had opened the door or driven out and invited them over one by one. It was all the same to him, they were not welcome.


    "Let''s make this conversation brief ladies." he said curtly. "What is it about my sister that you want to talk about so badly that you had to almost drive my mother into shock?" He asked. He deliberately sent a razor-sharp look Maureen''s way.


    Maureen met his hostility with arrogance and boredom. No matter how he viewed her, she was losing hair or sleep over it. She further responded by smirking to show him just how unbothered she was. "We are not looking for your sister that is alive, we are looking for your ghost sister. You know her, right? Her name is Connie, she is about this tall, happens to be a smart ass and is always talking smack. When was the last time you saw her?" She went straight to the point. "I better like your answer Baltimore, or I will kick your booze smelling ass back to Eagle country." S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 515 - 515: Connie on the loose.

    Collin''s shoulders tensed up and so did Phoebe''s. For her, it was because she noticed the unease in Collin all of a sudden. That dreadful feeling which she had from earlier returned once again. Before he could say a word, Phoebe had a feeling that something had gone wrong in the Baltimore house.


    Collin moved backwards, found his wine glass and gulped down all of the contents first. Then, he pulled his brows together and faced the women. "Why are you searching for her? Did she do or say something? Did something happen?" His voice veiled mild desperation.


    The women exchanged curious glances first, wondering what exactly it was that Connie could have said to them that made Collin worry.


    Phoebe gestured at her aunt to remain calm, and she turned her eyes back to Collin. "Collin, I have known Connie for more than a year now and I know her habits. Even when she runs off to sulk because of something we have said or done, she always returns for candies or to gossip. It is not like her to just wander off to anywhere without informing anyone, me especially." Phoebe effortlessly explained to him, yet her tone carried a lot of worry. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If it was not for the fact that she had protected Connie''s ghost tightly, she would be worried that some ghost catcher had dealt with her.


    Letting out a heavy sigh, Collin sat in a single sofa chair and run a hand through his locks of golden hair. "I...I..." He stammered first. "It has been a while since I last saw her. I have searched for her in all the places we have been to together, but I cannot find her. I thought that she had returned to you--to the cafe." He huffed impatiently, avoiding Phoebe''s scanning gaze.


    "That is strange! She was very excited to be around you like a duckling clinging to its mother; in fact, she would not go a day without coming over to boast about her generous brother and all the things you had bought her." Maureen massaged her chin, shackling him with a suspicious gaze.


    Maureen was sure that there was more to the story than Collin was sharing. Teenagers did not run away from home without a reason__, heck nobody run from their home without a good reason.


    The spirit floated towards Collin. "There is more, he is hesitating." Just like Maureen, it had also noticed something was off.


    "Alright Collin out with it, what happened the last time you saw her? What was her mood like and what was done or said before she left home?" Phoebe asked, the desperation within her surging.


    Closing his eyes tightly shut, a curse grumbled out from his chest, but he kept his mouth shut. When he opened it, no sound came out, it seemed like he was struggling to find the right words, or he just didn''t know where to start from.


    "Alright I have had enough; we can do this the supernatural way and save time." Maureen pulled out a truth telling talisman from her pocket, she had come prepared.


    Phoebe stretched her hand to stop her. "Aunt please." She requested with grace and returned her eyes to Collin. "She is a young ghost that could be in trouble, what happened Collin, don''t make us force the answers out of you." She asked again.


    Collin cracked his knuckles, but he finally found his voice. "We had a conversation about Cassie. I felt horrible that I was the only person in the family that could see and talk to her. So, I asked her if she wanted to speak to mother and Cassie. In response, Connie reluctantly agreed to speak to mother only.


    Truth be told, just like you I wanted to know why the relationship between the two is tense. They are twins, they used to be so close before our father passed. I couldn''t stand not knowing the truth, so I asked her why she did not like Cassie. I shared with her my suspicions of Cassie having something to do with her death and asked her if there was any truth to them." He confessed, the words came out only barely a whisper.


    Rekha was only an observer until she heard that statement. "I am sorry you did what? Why would you ask her that? Why would you force a ghost recall their last moments if they are not ready to face what happened?" She quizzed. "You are not a shaman, seer, warlock or supernatural related in anyway. Doing something like that can be catastrophic sometimes."


    "I know that I should not have said anything, but I was tired of walking on eggshells when it came to this one subject. At home, I had to act as if Connie was not around even if she was in the living room.


    Connie asked me why we don''t talk about her at all, and I had no answer to give, none that would make her happy anyway. Cassie wanted to know why I was spending less time with her and hanging out by myself. She was curious why I was buying all this stuff for teenage girls which was not for her.


    I snapped finally and I just wanted the truth so that our family could reunite. Something happened on that school trip because Cassie was never the same again. She spent months having nightmares, headaches and sleepwalking. It was only until we moved here and met Phoebe that her situation was remedied." He inhaled deeply and exhaled.


    Maureen shook her head." Her sister had just died, she was traumatized. That is not enough reasons for you to become suspicious of her." She raised her doubts.


    "No, that was not enough but after Connie''s ghost started coming over more and more often, Cassie''s nightmares returned. One night, I was keeping her company, and I heard her talking in her sleep. She said that it was her fault Connie had died." Collin gulped and covered his eyes. "I told that to Connie when I asked her if Cassie had a hand in her death and she just went crazy, she held her head and said that it hurt like hell. I can never forget the ear-piercing scream that came from her." He narrated between regretful moans.


    "Shit!" Phoebe whispered.


    The spirit cursed silently. "The girl got her memories back, that is the only explanation here. Whatever she remembered it cannot be good otherwise she would come straight to us and said she was ready to move on. She has not moved on Phoebe; I can still feel her presence on earth." Its voice trembled slightly, a mixture of fear and anger trembling through it. How could Collin be so careless to bring these things up when they were not around to run interference?


    "And what happened after?" Rekha asked, her hand massaging her weapon, having a reckless angry ghost on the loose was not a good thing.


    Collin tugged on his front hair. "She vanished into thin air; I have not seen her since. I know I messed up and now Cassie has returned to an unstable mental state. I don''t know what Connie will do to Cassie, I am afraid." His voice dripped with fear.

 Chapter 516 - 516: In the worst case scenario.

    "You are a moron." Phoebe blurted out.


    Maureen raised her head so quickly and poked her head in front like the most curious of cats. It was rare to see Phoebe call a client names and right now, Collin Baltimore was very much a client.


    "Pheebs..." Rekha started but Maureen was not having it.


    "Shut up." she hushed at Rekha. She wanted to see where this was heading.


    Ignoring her aunt, Phoebe jutted a finger in Collin''s direction. "You are not just a moron but a selfish bastard too. I have begged you many times to let me speak to Cassie, but you refused. You knew....deep down you must have suspected that she was related to Connie''s death directly, but you kept a lid on it. If you had allowed me to speak to them and find out the truth and then help them come to some kind of understanding, we would not be here." S~ea??h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "It''s complicated, I wanted to protect both of my sisters." Collin defended himself.


    "No.." Maureen moved a finger back and forth speedily, "You wanted to protect your sister that is alive. No matter what she did, you wanted to bury it and move on."


    Collin winced.


    Phoebe before he could defend himself again. "I don''t care what your reasons were just lead us to Cassie''s room. Before she could think of locating Connie using the central map, she had to make sure that Cassie was out of danger.


    "This way." Collin hastily led them out of the living room and mounted the stairs. "I was going to tell you everything Phoebe, I swear but the thought of my family getting destroyed over all this has not left the back of my mind. We have already lost enough loved ones; my mother will never recover if she finds out that Cassie did something that resulted in Connie''s death." Moisture formed in his eyes.


    Maureen''s fingers curled around the doorknob. "Yeah well, she will die quicker if her ghost daughter kills the one that is left. Mind you, if Connie goes on rampage and starts killing, you and your mother are probably on the hit list too. Now is not the time to fish for sympathy Baltimore, you were wrong on this one. You should have informed us immediately things went south. What if that teenage ghost whose whereabouts are unknown has already killed Cassie while you drowned yourself in a bottle to escape reality?" She condemned him sternly, wishing to pinch any part of his flesh because he was truly an idiot.


    When they reached the door, Collin tried it and discovered that it was locked from the inside. When he knocked, there was no response and so panic set in as Maureen''s words echoed through his mind.


    "Cassie, Cassie." he called out twice in a desperate voice.


    "The door is locked, perhaps fetch another key." Phoebe suggested.


    Rekha twisted her hand and created a circular ball of dark blue sparkling current which she thrust towards the door. "No need for a key, we need to get to the girl as soon as possible." She told them.


    The door fell backwards with a big hole in the middle, and they all rushed inside. The Saxon spirit was already inside attending to Cassie.


    When they came closer to the bed, Collin was still frantically yelling his sister''s name. The ghost team noticed that the girl was lying on the bed with her eyes closed, she seemed to be sleeping peacefully.


    The spirit faced Phoebe and said, "I had to knock her out because she was delusional. If she goes one more day without sleep and she is probably going to go insane. She was rumbling words that just did not make sense when I found her. I can smell our missing ghost, it seems to me like Connie had made it her mission to haunt and scare her, to what end? I have no idea." It informed them.


    "Is she going to be alright?" Collin asked, his voice shrouded with a mixture of worry and fear. He was checking Cassie''s head, trying to see if she had a fever. "How do you plan to help her? What should I do?"


    He made it obvious that he cared about her more than Connie who was already dead. As sad as it was, the living had moved on, and they had to keep living.


    Maureen sneered. "So now you care? If you were worried so much then you should have run to Phoebe the moment this girl began to get nightmares again." She twisted her nose to express disgust.


    "Aunt my God! Let it go, now is not the time." Phoebe let out an outcry. If she heard her aunt''s condemnation one more time her ears would go on a strike.


    Rekha began to pour rock salt around the bed while chanting spells of protection, Maureen followed by spraying holy water into all corners of the room.


    "I guess that it is time to force Connie to move on to the other side." She stated nonchalantly. She was still lighting sage by the window, so she did not see the immediate reaction of the people in the room when she said it.


    When she turned around however, she realized that she had earned herself a number of mixed gazes. Some had disbelief and shock, others anger and one betrayal. Phoebe was the one that looked betrayed which made Maureen realize she had said the wrong thing.


    "Before you chew my head off, please understand that I am speaking as a guardian not Connie''s friend__if you can call it that. We don''t pick and choose how we deal with ghosts that have crossed the line, we do our job because that is how we protect humanity. The girl is angry, reckless and a danger to herself and to others. Do you want to tell me that you are confident in allowing her to continue running wild out there doing who know what?" She stated her reasons using logic to appeal to them, especially Phoebe.


    Rekha would do her job, this Maureen was sure of, But Phoebe.....she would probably fight them to protect Connie.


    "Connie is family aunt, we are not vanquishing her. She-- is-- my-- family." Phoebe slowly repeated in a stern slow and deep voice. "Erase that thought from your head immediately or you and I will face off." Phoebe threatened Maureen through an angry voice with a snarl at the end.


    Maureen backed off with her hands held up as if in surrender.


    Rekha scratched her nose. "Pheebs, in this world the humans are the priority, it is possible that this new angry Connie is not the ghost that you used to know. See what she has done to her sister, she has driven her insane. This is clearly an angry ghost on a revenge mission." She tried to make Phoebe see reason.


    "They are right dear, while I am all for saving Connie, in the worst-case scenario, we will have to vanquish her." The spirit gave its submission.


    Collin''s legs trembled but he remained silent, his eyes drifted to Phoebe who was the only person on the team that was on his sister''s side.


    "It will not come to that; I am going to save Connie no matter how lost she has gotten because she is my family." Phoebe told them. "Now Zephyra wake Cassie up, she needs to tell us what she did to Connie that resulted in this." She commanded, the warmth in her voice gone.

 Chapter 517 - 517: Casssies side of the story.

    "Before we do anything, can we take a vote on how to handle things if Connie has become an evil spirit?" Maureen took two steps towards Phoebe tentatively.


    The glare she got from her niece made her take four steps back. "So that''s a no." she muttered. She could not believe that she was being intimidated by her niece. Not only was Phoebe younger but she was also shorter and when it came it came to experience with dealing with the supernatural, she still came up short. "The things we do for family." she whispered to herself.


    She was officially compromised on this mission. Maybe Rekha would be the one to save them if Connie tried to rip their heads off. Perhaps Phoebe would be the one to end it all.


    As the spirit got to work, Phoebe took out the central map and began to search for Connie.


    "I have found her; she is in the Salt Lake caves." The words came out in a fragile murmur. Connie had gone back to her place of death.


    Collin who had not once taken his eyes off her, heard the location and he stood up. "Is that where she is right now? I will go find her and bring her back here." He suggested. sea??h th§× N?vel(F)ire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    He was trying to make an effort to sort out the mess that he had created, and he was worried about Connie. He did not want his sister to be vanquished, no matter what she had become. Collin was sure that if he brought her back, Phoebe would find a way to save her.


    "No" Phoebe nearly jumped over the bed to stop Collin. The last thing she wanted was for him to aggravate the situation even more. "You do not have to, I have means of watching over her. As long as she is not hurting people wherever she is then it is okay for now."


    [You have done enough; I never should have allowed Connie to go with you.]


    The thought was like a slap to Collin''s face which paled as he fell back on the bed, sitting beside Cassie again.


    Phoebe dug into her bag and pulled out two coins which she flipped. She ordered raven Yin and black kitty to keep an eye on Connie, they were not to engage her unless it was necessary.


    After the departure of the undead pets, Phoebe returned her attention to Cassie, she was awake and drinking a tonic that Maureen was feeding her.


    "How do you feel Cassie?" Phoebe moved closer to the girl and spoke to her in a soft voice.


    With grimace, Cassie made an attempt to spit out the bitter tonic. It was Maureen''s warning stare that stopped her from even thinking about it.


    Still, the girl made sure to glare at Maureen. "I hate this stuff, that drink tastes like shit! All your tonics do." Cassie complained.


    It was not true but it was not the most important matter to deal with, so nobody corrected the girl. Her attitude was also less than pleasant but nobody commented on it too.


    A wave of relief flooded Phoebe''s body because it seemed Connie''s damage was not irreversible. Clearly, she was not out to kill Cassie just yet. "Seeing that you are back to your usual arrogant self, I guess that you are feeling much better and back to your usual self." Phoebe calmly replied swiftly.


    Cassie scoffed. It was no surprise to them.


    Maureen dragged a pink office chair from where it was by a desk and brought it closer to the bed. She sat down and looked at the girl like a detective prepared to interrogate a criminal. "Now, that everyone is awake or alert, there is no need for anymore meandering. Cassie your sister''s ghost has been haunting you and it is because something happened between the two of you which resulted in her death. We want to know what happened__, the whole truth child." She told it like it was with no sugar coating.


    Alarmed, Cassie''s body visibly stiffened. "Wait, haunting, so I really saw her! That was not a dream?" She shifted with unease, pulling out the holy book of saints and angels from under the pillow. She hugged it tightly as if she was trying to keep a demon from invading her body. Her nervous eyes moved from left to right, up and down, seeking the vengeful ghost of her sister.


    "No, you were not dreaming, Connie had been living here for a while. All was well and good until she got her memories back and now your sister is out to get you. You can put the holy book down; she cannot harm you with us here." Rekha assured her, tossing rock salt at her.


    Cassie was not too pleased to be hit with salt on the face, but she did not dodge it.


    Maureen snapped her fingers. "Start talking, we do not have all day, we already know that you know what happened to Connie, if you want our help then you better start talking or else we will leave and let her finish you off."


    Collin glared at Maureen, he did not like the threat, but he could not pitch in as he was useless.


    "Is Connie''s death your fault?" Maureen questioned.


    Tears spewed out of Cassie''s eyes, and she nodded. "Yes, maybe it was my fault, but I don''t care. In fact, it was not my fault. It was her fault, everything was her fault, our father died because of her. It was late at night, and it was raining. There was a weather alert on the news, and everyone was told to get to safety. She wanted to eat ice cream!!! Can you imagine!! she wanted ice cream in that weather. Our father decided to go out in person to buy the ice cream and he died." She yelled out the rage filled words between tears.


    Collin pulled his brows together, confusion cooling in his eyes. "It was an accident, Cassie; you shouldn''t have blamed Connie for that." His voice carried the weight of shared sorrow.


    "Yes, it was. Just because you deny this fact does not mean that you are right. Dad did not want to risk the lives of the servants or anyone else. He did not want to go out that night as well but that ungrateful brat made a fuss, so he went to get her ice cream and he never returned, he died because of her." Cassie continued to emphasize in an angry voice.


    She looked at Maureen and said, "You want to know what happened between us I will tell you what happened. I was so mad at her for killing our dad that I told all our friends at school that his death was her fault. That was when all it all begun, they labeled her a murderer, alienated her and bullied her."


    "Cassie, my God!" Collin exclaimed.


    Cassie just went on explaining what had happened, "I did nothing to stop it because I was just so angry. She always took everything from me, first it was the attention of the boy I loved and then my best friend and my spot as head cheerleader. She also joined the math Olympiad and took away my championship. Finally, she took away my dad and I will never forgive her for that." She buried her head in her hands and wept.


    "Oh Cass, what did you do?" Collin whispered.

 Chapter 518 - 518: Connies death

    He had a feeling that she had done something very terrible, and Collin was not certain if he wanted to know what it was.


    They gave Cassie a moment to pull herself together and the women backed off for a moment. They huddled in a corner and dived into a conversation of what they had just heard.


    "Poor Connie no wonder she blocked those memories; her own sister was the leading villain in her story, but I have a feeling that there is more to the story." The spirit shook its head, its expression heavy with sadness.


    Rekha let out a loud sigh. "I understand that Cassie was angry, but I believe that she went too far. How can you stand by and watch your twin sister being bullied by others? How can you label her a murderer? That kind of stain does not go away for the rest of one''s life." The hand fan twirled in between her fingers.


    "Well, she clearly regrets all of it now, those tears are filled with regret and self-blame. Her conscience is weighing on her heavily." Maureen checked the time on her watch. "We do not have the whole day guys; we still have a meeting with Rufus let us get this done with." She shifted her eyes to Cassie whose head was resting on her brother''s chest.


    The women returned and sat around the bed; Maureen pried Cassie away from Collin. She needed the girl to be raw and honest. If she had a place to hide, she would become defensive.


    "Let''s continue." Maureen said in a tough voice.


    Phoebe smiled ruefully at the teenage girl. "Cassie tell us what happened next....especially that trip to the Salt lake caves. How did Connie die?" She gently pushed.


    Sniveling, Cassie sneezed in a tissue and dropped it in a small waste basket before saying, "I can never forget that horrible summer, every time I close my eyes it comes back to me. I do not understand why Connie insisted on going to the trip. She had no friends anymore, no one wanted her to tag along but she did anyway.


    I just wanted to get away from her and have fun with my friends, but she followed us. We went snorkeling inside the caves, the guide asked us not to go deep inside the caves, but I and my friends sneaked away and went further inside. We wanted to confirm the rumors about Mermaids living there.


    None of us noticed that Connie had followed us!" Her fingers clenched onto the bed covers. "Why couldn''t she just mind her business and stay with the rest of the class? Why did she have to follow us, why?" She slapped a pillow a few times as she yelled the question why two times more.


    "It''s okay Cass." Collin said softly and he reached out to comfort her, but Phoebe slapped his hand away and glared at him.


    Maureen waved her hand in the bid to get Cassie to spill more. "And? What happened deep inside the caves?" She asked.


    Cassie brought her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. She started rocking herself back and forth and shook her head. Maureen who was impatient put a truth telling talisman on the girls back.


    "What happened in the caves?"


    Cassie raised her head, went still and said in a flat tone, "Meredith threw a tantrum when she saw Connie, she had always disliked Connie because she was second most popular girl in school. Just like me, she always fell short of Connie in many ways, so Connie''s downfall was welcomed greatly by her. S§×arch* The novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She thought that Connie would report us to the guide, and she was so furious. She asked the girls to teach Connie a lesson and they started beating her. Even though I was mad at her I could not watch as they tormented her, so I turned around and left." Cassie shut her eyes tightly expelling drops of tears. "I heard Connie call my name as I swam away so I decided to stop them. This dreadful feeling came over me even before I turned around and saw Meredith push her towards a sharp rock. I was about to swim back but she stood up, so I left."


    "Cass!" Collin shouted; his wide eyes welled up. "My God!" Shaking her head frantically, he further yelled, "What were you thinking? How could you just leave her?"


    Cassie looked at him. "She was fine I swear on the church of saints and angels. I saw her standing with my two eyes, the other girls followed me immediately after and we left her there to swim back on her own just as she had done when she followed us.


    Connie was an expert swimmer we all expected her to swim out of there. That is why we did not bother looking for her or telling anyone that she was gone, we just assumed she had made her way back to the yacht." She protested, her voice trembling with denial. "I do not understand how she drowned."


    Collin raised himself and placed his hands on his waist. When he spoke to Cassie this time, it was through a loud angry voice. "Connie drowned because the snorkel got a tear probably from the rock onto which she was pushed. Water entered the tube which resulted in her accidentally inhaling water instead of air. The coroner said that she must have panicked, and the end result was drowning. He also said that she in waters that were too deep for snorkel use. That is why the guide told you all not to go deeper into the caves." He choked on his words, failing to explain any further.


    "So, she chocked and finally drowned after a long struggle. In addition to this, she was in pain because she had been beaten. Worse than physical pain was probably emotional pain because her twin sister turned her back on her when she called out for help." Phoebe whispered.


    Maureen felt some pity for Connie, the girl must have been frightened as she was dying. "That was a horrible way to die, what makes this even sadder is the fact that you girls could have saved her, but you never looked back." She shook her head in disapproval.


    "This Meredith is not safe either unless we deal with Connie as fast as possible." Rekha stated. "Cassie I am going to need her home address; in fact, I want the addresses of all the girls that were involved in that bullying incident." She fished out a pen and paper.

 Chapter 519 - 519: Mercy for Cassie was thin.

    Rekha tapped the small notepad impatiently; each tap was sending a message that said, ''hurry up.'' Time was of the essence especially because they did not know the state of the other girls that were involved. Odds were high that if Connie was haunting Cassie, she was haunting them too.


    However, Cassie was in no state to respond to Rekha, from the time she heard about Connie''s real cause of death she was inconsolable. She was back to hugging her knees, chocking on tears that burned her cheeks like acid.


    Maureen gestured for all the women to step away from Connie and form a circle initiate a whisper session.


    "Okay I am just going to put it out there that I have dealt with my fair share of ghosts of victims that were bullied and go on rampage seeking justice for themselves and let me tell you that those stories rarely end well." Maureen looked at Phoebe deliberately and added, "For the ghosts especially because most of them are laser focused on revenge."


    "Connie is different." Phoebe replied quickly.


    "Can we find the girls first; I know that they are bad, but we cannot just look away." Rekha shared her own thoughts on what she considered to be most important at the moment.


    Cassie''s sobs became louder, and all the women looked back at her.


    Phoebe shook her head gently. "Seeing her like this makes me pity her. How is she going to recover from this? For the rest of her life, she will have to carry the knowledge of what she did or did not do."


    "Yeah boo-hoo she is half a murderer so I am not that sorry for her, she made her choice. I am almost tempted not to help her but my oath as a guardian compels me to do the right thing and help her and her bully friends. We need to find the rest of the culprits as soon as possible." Maureen looked again at the sobbing teenager once again.


    She was one step away from slapping Cassie out of her grief. They walked back to the bed and asked Cassie again for the numbers and addresses of her friends.


    "Here, you can browse through her phone for their numbers." Collin tossed his sister''s phone towards Rekha.


    The spirit kept it''s eyes on the central map, not wanting to lose sight of Connie for a single second. "Call Rufus and tell him that you will be late, this is not a matter that you can postpone." It advised Phoebe.


    The spirit was worried because none of them knew what Connie was thinking. This could be like the calm before the storm and all those bullies could be living their last day or days on earth.


    After Placing the call to old man Rufus, Phoebe asked Rekha and Sylvester to go check on the girls. "Make sure that you give them protection bracelets, the rest of us will go to the Salt lake caves and meet Connie. Let us meet at the Saxon tower when all this is over." She dragged her gaze over to Cassie who let a silent scream of air escape from her.


    "You want me to go back there! Never! I-I cannot." Cassie swore, grasping at the covers on the bed, she sought to cover her body and hide in her body forever.


    "Maybe you should not have left your sister there then." Rekha scoffed and excused herself.


    Maureen scoffed loudly as well, clearly Cassie still thought that she had a say in the matter after what she had done. "Yes you are, whether you want to or not. You must get on your knees and beg your sister to forgive you for your stupidity which by the way led to her death. That is where we start, and you better pray that she forgives you or else things could go south." Her words were not a request but a command.


    She opened her bag and picked out a few talismans, one effectively shut Cassie up.


    "I am going with you guys." Collin said.


    Phoebe slung the bag straps over her shoulders. "I am going to need a big heavy jacket because we are going to visit a frozen lake." She twisted her hair back, securing it with a hair band. "I hate caves, why does it have to be a cave?"


    Just as they were about to leave, the sound of an electric keypad alerted them to the arrival of someone outside the apartment.


    "Lydia is back." The spirit told them, it''s words were more of a warning than simple information sharing. She wanted them to prepare themselves because Lydia would want to know where her daughter was being taken and why she seemed incoherent.


    Not to forget, Lydia was the talkative sort, she would chat their ears off as long as the opportunity was presented.


    Letting out a frustrated sigh, Maureen stared at Phoebe knowingly, they had to deal with her too. "I had forgotten about her." She commented.


    Collin quickly spun around. "I will go and get rid of her." He told them. As he moved to the door, Maureen stopped him.


    "And how long do you plan on hiding this from her? I suggest that you go and fill her in on everything. We do not know how this is going to end for both girls. She needs to be aware of what is going to happen." Maureen proposed. S§×arch* The N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In her opinion Lydia Baltimore had a say in the matter. This seemed like it was going to be easy just because they knew Connie, but vengeful ghosts were unpredictable. It was possible for Connie to forgive Cassie but not before taking an eye, an ear or a leg. It was also possible for Connie to escape and come looking for Lydia, blaming her for something, like failing to notice the bullying.


    Maureen really couldn''t understand how parents missed those signs when they were so obvious sometimes. The relationship between Connie and Cassie had been so strained in the weeks leading up to her death. How had Collin and Lydia missed it?


    She recalled that they had both just lost a husband and a father, so they had probably been drowning in their own grief that they missed what was happening.


    "I agree, in fact we need her consent. If she says no, then we will have to find other ways of saving Connie without involving Cassie." Phoebe told a hesitant Collin.


    Collin took a deep breath and readied himself to share with his mother the truth about Connie''s death. Phoebe and Maureen stuck by him because they did not trust Collin to reveal the whole truth. As Lydia''s figure appeared, he stepped away from the women.


    "I will do this alone, don''t worry I will be honest." Collin assured them.


    He pulled his mother aside before she could speak to Phoebe or Maureen. After a few minutes of watching mother and son, they saw Lydia gasp in shock, cry, and then scream__No!

 Chapter 520 - 520: Journey to Salt lake

    "Uh-oh....she looks more angry than shocked now." Maureen scratched the back of her head, setting herself to stand upright for Lydia was bolting towards their direction.


    She was like a herd of angry elephants if they could fit into the body of one small angry woman. The way she was stomping on the floors, the sound was louder and stronger than Collin''s footsteps.


    "Which daughter do you think she is going to side with?" Maureen quizzed.


    Phoebe had no answer to that question and neither did the Saxon spirit. The Baltimore''s were somewhat an unpredictable family.


    "Phoebe, Phoebe," Lydia called the name twice as if the owner of the name was deaf and not standing before her. "Please tell me that what Collin just told me is not true! There is no way Cassie mobilized her entire squad of friends and the school to bully Connie. There must be a mistake here, the relationship between the two sisters was very close.


    They are twins for heaven''s sake! It is one thing to be sisters and another to be twins. That bond is more special than others. Cassie fell sick after Connie died because she could not live without her twin. She knew nothing of Connie''s death; I refuse to believe any of this nonsense." Lydia held onto Phoebe''s arms, jolting her like that would erase everything that she had been told.


    Maureen clawed at Lydia''s grip, tearing her hands off her pregnant niece with a mild snarl. She pushed Lydia away from Phoebe. "Keep your hands to yourself, will you? Phoebe is just the messenger here, what you have heard came straight from Cassie''s mouth. It does not matter whether you believe it or not Lydia, it is the truth. And now we need to save both your daughters, the dead one from going to hell and the alive one from being killed or driven permanently insane. We do not have all day, I suggest that we go down, enter the car and then we will explain more of the situation to you as we rush to save Connie." She suggested, taking a step closer to the door.


    Collin walked toward them, carrying a semi conscious Cassie. Like a lion protecting its curb, Lydia embraced Cassie''s arm. "You said Connie wants her dead; shouldn''t Cassie stay behind? Why do you want to take her there knowing that she might be killed? I will go and beg....plead on her behalf. I am Connie''s mother she will listen to me." Tears streamed down her face as she implored them, her words raw with fear.


    Just like that, the question that Maureen had asked earlier was answered. Lydia was choosing to side with Cassie over Connie. The living had to move on as did the dead. Lydia had not even said a word about Connie or expressed grief for the way the young teenager had died. It took everything in Maureen not to shove Lydia Baltimore through the door.


    Phoebe knew that her aunt was struggling mildly to reign in her emotions, so she stepped up to handle Lydia.


    "Lydia, we will have to try everything that we can to save them both and Cassie asking her sister for forgiveness is the quickest way to do it. Please do not be an obstacle, whatever we will do when we get there, we will make sure that Cassie is safe." Phoebe squeezed her hand; her words were truly reassuring.


    Phoebe hoped that her face or her tone did not give away the fact that her own priority was Connie. Since everyone was picking sides, she had picked hers as well. If the Baltimore''s spoke for the living, she would speak for the dead.


    "Fine, I am choosing to trust you." Lydia gave a Jerky nod, like as though her head was fighting the motion.


    Without wasting time, they rushed to the parking where Phoebe''s luxurious minivan was waiting for them. As soon as they settled in, Santos drove off to the Salt lake caves.


    On the way there, Maureen explained in great detail the circumstances of Connie''s death, all Lydia did was nod on silently, occasionally wiping away tears. Not once did she blame Cassie but once in a while she expressed her sadness towards Connie.


    It was a change in her earlier attitude, but it was not enough in Maureen''s opinion. Lydia was ninety percent worried for Cassie and ten percent sad for Connie. It startled Maureen when Lydia suddenly started to sob and lament.


    "My poor Connie, I cannot believe that she has been around and so close to me, but I did not know all this time. What kind of mother am I? How come I never felt her presence? Is should have known....I should have." She smacked her chest lightly in regret.


    Collin swallowed hard, guilt enveloping him because he had hidden the secret deliberately. "Mother you did not know and clearly the situation was very complicated." He comforted her.


    "We are here." Santos announced.


    Collin''s eyes narrowed when he spotted David and Arrow Castille already waiting for them. "Why are they here? Did you call them over?" His questions were directed to Phoebe. S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Maureen chuckled derisively. "Is there a way you were going to get us permission to access a frozen state lake Baltimore? Do you know how long it would take us to get the right permissions? You better thank the Saxon because he dropped everything after hearing what was going on with Connie. He considers her family because she is our family." She stepped out of the minivan.


    Maureen did not think that she could stand another second of Collin Baltimore. She had developed a bias against him that was spelled out in capital letters...BIAS!!!


    After the pleasantries, Arrow chanted a spell while placing his hands on the frozen lake. The lake started to shimmer, and the surface took on a more enchanted appearance. Wisps of mist swirled above the lake and the air became thicker and colder than before. Phoebe could already tell the difference between a natural winter and a magical one.


    "I am not even surprised that you know magic Arrow, but may I know what you are doing?" Phoebe asked while adjusting her hand gloves.


    The spirit hovered above him. "He is strengthening the ice; you do not want it to melt while you are walking on it." The spirit informed her.


    Arrow smiled at Phoebe. "My fair lady I am trying to prevent any accidents and keep David from perpetual widowhood for the rest of his life. Now let us go and find this teenage ghost that he has told me is like a sister to him." He took the first bold step on the frozen lake.


    Pointing at the map, Phoebe jutted her chin. "She is that way."


    David joined her and took her hand but not before he sighed. "Not once did I think that Connie would ever go rouge and become a hunted ghost. She is one of us, this is wrong Pheebs, it is so wrong, and I hope it ends well."


    Phoebe shook his hand away, so he draped an arm around her shoulders.

 Chapter 521 - 521: Inside the ice caves.

    The daring journey across the lake seemed to be almost endless and it only grew colder the more they walked. Phoebe had to use her energy to regulate heat inside of her body. As for the non-magic related humans. Maureen gave them all self-heating talismans that kept the cold at bay.


    When they came to the center of the frozen lake, their breaths fogged the icy air. Arrow came to a sudden stop and turned to Phoebe that had her eyes on the Central map.


    "This is it." Arrow knelt down and observed a particular spot through his red eyes. "The path to the caves is here, I believe what you are seeking is below the surface here."


    With his hand, he tapped the ice three times, invoking an ancient rhyme. A cracking sound was heard and a gash formed. It widened silently and created a gaping frozen hole in the middle of the lake. Arrow was not finished; he spread his hands apart and clapped together suddenly. His lips were still moving and snow in the air swirled around them like a vortex. S§×ar?h the N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    When Arrow was finished, a staircase of ice had been formed.


    "Cool, right?" He looked at Phoebe and winked.


    David rolled his eyes while Phoebe and Maureen peeked down, peering into an entry way to the ice cave they sought.


    "I will go down last," Arrow said.


    "I will go first." Maureen said. She wanted to make sure that they were not slippery.


    The descent into the ice caves was not treacherous but nevertheless it was frightening. Lydia in particular was frightened, she had never met a magic user before and she did not trust the ice not to bury them all down there. If Collin had not ventured in with Cassie, she would not have followed willingly.


    Phoebe took care of illuminating the path, she gave everyone a pearl that shined as bright as an electric bulb when it was switched on.


    Soon, they found their way to the part of the which a now awake Cassie identified as the one where the accident happened. Everything was frozen but she would never forget every detail of the cave.


    A frost wall grew out of thin air, ceiling them inside without harming them. They all paused their trucks, some like Cassie and Lydia shivered as the temperature dropped lower.


    "It does not seem like she is too thrilled to know that we are here." Arrow stated. "I am not a ghost hunter, but this is the part where sane people turn back and leave the dead alone."


    When he saw the looks of unwavering determination on the faces of Phoebe and Maureen, he brought the ice wall down.


    The welcome they received was not warm, Maureen''s fingers clenched around a sleek silver dagger that was named the moonfang, it was a magical dagger which had been forged by an exorcist that had lost his family to a vengeful spirit in the seventeen hundreds. It was rumored that the dagger carried a bit of its creators soul and unyielding resolve to vanquish anything undead.


    The moonfang blade drew its power from moonlight and when it was used against a ghost, it would disrupt the ethereal form of the ghost, binding it to the blade. After binding, the ghost would dissolve into harmless mist.


    Maureen planned to use it just in case the situation escalated out of control and Phoebe''s life was endangered. As far as she figured, dissolving Connie was a better fate than sending her to hell.


    Behind them, another ice wall was formed, and the ordinary humans were frightened.


    "Let us move forward, we will find an exit when we are done, you have nothing to worry about when we have a living ice god with us." Maureen told them, assuring them of their safety.


    Arrow was not an ice god; she was just making a statement to ease the hearts of the Baltimore''s.


    "Connie? Connie?" Phoebe called out loudly, her misty breaths swirling in the cold. Her voice was quoted in desperation and fear of what she was yet to find. "It''s me, Pheebs, we need to talk. I heard about what happened to you and I know that you are angry....no furious about everything that happened but I need you to calm down." She gestured at the Baltimore''s to halve their steps. ''We are going in first."


    She and Maureen went deeper into the cave on their own and they finally found her. Connie emerged from behind a frozen rock; it seemed like half of it had been smashed by an angry person with an extraordinary fist and strength.


    "It took you long enough to realize that something was off about me. I cannot believe that you are just looking for me now, hmph!" She smiled but a glint sadness crossed her eyes. "Those memories returned to me sister Pheebs and I wish that they hadn''t at least then I would not know why I resented my twin sister. I would keep thinking that we loved each other but fought over a dress or a skirt or maybe she stole my favorite candy." She laughed a kick at the rock. "It was worse than candy, she stole my peace and life. I wanted to pluck out her heart, I really did but I did not want to ruin my chances at reincarnation." There was quiet ache in her voice.


    A great feeling of relief seeped through Phoebe''s blood stream, the fact that Connie had chosen to take her anger out on a rock rather than Cassie''s head was excellent.


    "You did good my girl, you really did. I knew that after all you have seen in the world and the evil ghosts we have dealt with, you would not let yourself become evil. Thank you, Connie." She let out grateful whispers, urging her to float to her by making hand gestures.


    Maureen hid the Moonfang in her back pocket and wiped cold sweat from her brows as she let out a short laugh. "That was way easier than I anticipated, Connie, you gave us quite a scare." Her voice cracked with relief.


    "Connie? My child, are you here?" Lydia stumbled onto them unexpectedly.


    "Get back here." David hissed at her.


    It was too late anyway and everyone found them. Phoebe sent talismans to Lydia and Cassie which allowed them to see Connie. In response to their arrival, Cassie pulled a few steps back while her mother bolted forward with open arms.


    Meanwhile, Connie cast a scathing look towards Cassie. "Why is she here? Why did you bring her here? It is her fault that I died so unfairly like that. I recall everything that she and her friends did to me after she accused me of killing our father! I don''t want to see her." Connie twisted her face to express her displeasure.


    Maureen''s hands moved in a motion that gestured at Connie to calm down because her eyes were darkening as the rage within her took over. "Girl, you need to calm down, do not let that rage fill you up." She warned.


    Cassie did not help matters when she deviated from the original plan, she was supposed to plead for her life instead she pointed an index finger at Connie. "But it was because of your greed for ice cream that our father died, you were a selfish person who took things which did not belong to you! You are not entirely sinless Connie!"


    The sound of Connie''s scream compelled the ice to explode around them and cracks began to form on top of the frozen lake.


    All the magic related individuals felt that change and heard the cracking.


    "That cannot be good." Maureen murmured, brows furrowed.

 Chapter 522 - 522: Back from the brink of death.

    "How does an ice burial sound?" Arrow asked lightly. It seemed like he was trying to infuse humor into the situation, but the humor was not well received.


    Maureen in particular glared at him. "You shut up."


    Arrow raised his hands and backed away from the ghost hunters. He started clearing the broken pieces of frozen rocks away and fixing the cracks in the cave so that it would not collapse on them.


    "If she keeps that up much longer no amount of patching will be good enough." he reminded the ghost hunters.


    Maureen and Phoebe knew this, but that was not all that they had to worry about. Blood had entered into the equation, and it was freezing as quickly as it touched the ground. Multiple shards of ice had torn through Cassie''s body, with one sliding in between her ribs.


    It was not an accident that she was injured, Connie had been deliberate. Having learned a lot from Phoebe about how to control her energy, Connie knew exactly how to control the ice shard that narrowly missed her sister''s heart.


    The shard was still moving, continuing its journey through Cassie''s body under Connie''s careful ministrations.


    "Connie!" Phoebe screamed out in desperation, her moist eyes stared at Connie in a mixture of shock and disbelief. "Do not do it, do not kill your sister. There is no turning back after you take her life you will become an evil ghost. Your chance at reincarnation will be gone and you will go to hell." She implored her.


    Not being able to watch what would happen next, Lydia collapsed and fell on the floor in tears, and she begged for Cassie to be spared but even that did not deter Connie from trying to kill her sister.


    "Why should I spare her when she shows no remorse for what she did to me? I want her to suffer just like I did, I want her to feel the pain that she made me feel. I want her to call out my name and beg for help just as I did when I was drowning, alone and frightened. After she begs me for her life then I will be merciful and kill her." Connie''s eyes glowed like two hot molten coals.


    Phoebe''s face paled, she was on the brink of fainting. never had she seen such hatred burn in Connie for anything.


    "What do we do?" Maureen yelled to Phoebe.


    Arrow formed a frozen arrow, and he aimed it at Connie. "I have the target in sight; I am going to shoot." He informed them.


    His words elicited a "NO!" from the spirit and Phoebe, they did not believe that Connie was too far gone. When they found her, she was rational---angry but rational.


    "Mother, he can''t shoot her because it''s dangerous for them both." Baby Star pitched in. S§×ar?h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "If you shoot both of them will not survive, the ice shard is too close to Cassie''s heart that it will kill her if Connie loses control over it." Phoebe explained exactly like baby Star told her to.


    Arrow lowered his hand, and the arrow melted, vanishing into the air. One problem was solved but the biggest problem was still waiting to be handled.


    "Connie, look at me." Phoebe pleaded.


    An outwardly laugh came from Connie, her eyes drifted to the crimson liquid that had formed a frozen pond. More was being added to it, every second that passed.


    "Do you know what the saddest part in all this is. That damn ice cream was not even for me! It was a gift for this selfish sister of mine because I was trying to lighten her mood after the fight we had at school. That boy that she accused me of taking from her, I never liked him! When he hit on me, I told him so, but he went out and spread rumors about us both around the school.


    The actual boy I liked refused to speak to me because of the rumors. While I was handling my own pain I put aside time to deal with my sister''s tantrum. I wanted to give her that ice cream as a peace offering and then explain the misunderstanding.


    I wanted to go out for the ice cream myself, but our father stopped me, and he went out in person. Unfortunately, he died and suddenly I became the evil brat that killed her father because I threw a tantrum, demanding for ice cream in heavy rains." She twisted her wrist, causing the ice dagger to move. "If you had bothered to check the fridge, you would have found my favorite brand of ice cream was fully stocked. If you had checked the ice cream our father bought you would have seen that it was foie gras ice cream which is your favorite Cassie."


    Cassie let out a painful groan. "How was I supposed to know that? You never said anything about that but even if you did, I would not forgive you for causing father''s death because you did. I did not ask you to buy me ice cream so why did you assume I wanted it. Why couldn''t you mind your business? Kill me if you want, I won''t apologize." She maintained her stance about the matter.


    "Gladly." Connie said and she twisted the shard again, making Cassie scream.


    "Fuck you bitch..you took everything from me, and I hate you." she whimpered.


    "Both these girls are stubborn, this is going to end badly no matter what." Phoebe silently voiced to the spirit.


    Star kicked inside the tummy to draw Phoebe''s attention. "Not if you erase both their memories, in fact the entire family''s memories such that no thoughts or attempts can be made to conjure Connie''s ghost." She made a suggestion.


    "But..." Phoebe was hesitant but Star kicked her again and this time, it was painful.


    "You will have to distract her with something, then I will take her from behind." The spirit silently communicated. It was on board with the baby.


    Maureen stared at her niece. "Pheebs! You are a little too quiet over there." Her voice trembled__quiet yet ferocious.


    "Connie, while you were away, I began to talk to the baby. It''s a girl and we are calling her Star." Phoebe informed Connie whose neck adjusted such that she could face her.


    Confusion pooled in Connie''s eyes. "You gave her a pet name? Without me there!! How could you, I had dibs on pet names." Connie unintentionally pulled out the ice dagger from Cassie''s chest.


    In that moment of distraction, the spirit grabbed her and vanished with her to the space. Phoebe sealed Cassie''s wound to prevent further bleeding.


    Collin quickly rushed to Cassie''s side and suggested that they rush her to the hospital. "Please hang in there." He lifted her and rose to his feet.


    His eyes darted between Phoebe and Arrow, wondering who would pave the way.


    "Mother do not just stand there, the girl will die if you don''t heal her at least to some extent." Star reminded Phoebe.


    Quickly, Phoebe placed her hand on Cassie and funneled some of her energy to Cassie, surprisingly the cuts on her body began to close themselves up.


    Once again, the Baltimore''s were befuddled and so was Arrow.


    "Who are you?" Arrow whispered to Phoebe. He was a guardian who had seen a lot of strange things but not a shaman healing wounds magically without a talisman or chanting a spell.

 Chapter 523 - 523: Erasing memories.

    Phoebe did not have the time to respond to Arrow''s question and even if she did, she lacked the desire to talk about herself. She was not asking him about his ice magic and spells so there was no need for him to ask her about her magic.


    Aside from Arrow, another curious person in the cave was Maureen. She knew Phoebe was really great with magic, but she had not seen her heal a person before. If she had known that her niece could insta-heal like a gaming character, they could have hunted more than they did.


    She was literally a walking hospital so what did they have to fear?


    "Hey, what''s the deal with her?" Arrow took his question to Maureen.


    Blinking rapidly, Maureen stretched her hands towards Arrow and shook them, gesturing that she had no clue what was going on. "Do not ask me, I do not know what is happening either, my niece has her secrets like the rest of us." Her voice came laced with curiosity, suddenly her eyes lit up like a bulb in a dark room when she remembered the baby. "Its Star is it not?" She carelessly uttered.


    She folded her lips quickly and suddenly found something interesting in her bag that she needed to find.


    "Aunt, prepare some memory erasers." Phoebe shouted out.


    Meanwhile, David was in a daze. "Star?" He whispered. Phoebe had told him about the baby being named Star, but she had not told him that she could bring a person back from the brink of death. David shook his head, maybe he was thinking too much, he figured.


    There was something else even more puzzling and it was that Phoebe did not need him to provide energy at this moment, yet he was her charger. Insecurity flickered within him momentarily, what did this mean for him? Was he useless to her now? The only reason why she had ever allowed him to come back into his life was because he was useful. She had made it clear that she did not want to marry ever again. David pulled his brows closely together.


    David''s worry pushed him to approach Phoebe, and he put a hand on her waist, replenishing the energy that she had used.


    "Arrow, can you start clearing the way?" Maureen asked.


    Arrow was glad to have something to do so he started working on clearing the path. Magic was not predictable, even if Phoebe healed Cassie, there was no guarantee that she would heal completely. It was best to get the child to a hospital.


    "How are you doing this?" David asked Phoebe.


    Phoebe lifted his hand and placed it on her tummy. "It''s her David, we named her Star, I told you about it. She is a very special kid." She covered her hand over his.


    Suddenly David jerked his hand back as if it had been burned. "Ouch! What was that?" He stared at her quizzically, the feeling of current shock tingling in his hand.


    Arrow had not gone far, and he returned at the speed of light, worried about his friend. He was in time to hear about the baby.


    "Daddy-daughter bonding I guess or maybe you did something to piss her off because she did not shock the rest of us." Maureen let out a measured laugh. "Your baby has quite the temper for a tiny human."


    "Woah! your girlfriend is pregnant. I have a lot of questions but congratulations man." Arrow met his fist with that of David, grinning. "Drinks are on me tonight."


    "I am having a daughter; I am so frightened. Girls are very tender and cute and cuddly. You do know that I intend to name you godfather, right?" David laughed.


    "Awesome." Arrow shot a fist out. "Roman and Thomas are going to sulk."


    Collin who had been tending to his mother and sister lifted his eyes to Phoebe''s stomach. "You are pregnant!" He seemed stunned, the element of surprise coated in his tone. He still harbored that perhaps Phoebe would leave Saxon and run into his waiting arms, this was the nail in the coffin that confirmed that he had no chance with her, ever.


    "A lot has happened during your absence Baltimore." Maureen responded, her tone nonchalant. "Back to our business, I hope you understand that we have to erase all your memories starting from the day you met Connie, maybe even before. Your sister Cassie is unrepentant, reconciliation and forgiveness between the two is impossible it seems." She informed him. "Moreover, you all seem not to care much about Connie and more about Cassie. I understand that you want to move on with your lives and that is exactly what is going to be done."


    A groan left Lydia''s lips as she regained consciousness, then panic set in. "What__ where_Connie?" Her eyes moved to Cassie who was laying in her brother''s arms. "Is she__she dead?" The question trembled out of her quivering lips.


    "You missed all the fun Lydia but that aside, you should know that this is not really over. These girls will never get along and Connie will not stop tormenting Cassie and there are other girls whose lives are at stake. So that means that we have to erase all the memories of Connie ever existing in your lives." Maureen relayed to them, it was the only plausible solution. S§×arch* The NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Lydia tucked in breath like she had been punched. "What do you mean erase her from our memories? She is my daughter; how can you make me forget her? Listen if Cassie asks Connie for forgiveness sincerely then everything will be okay. We are her family; how do you expect us to live like she never existed? How?" Tears spewed out of her eyes.


    Walking up to Lydia, Phoebe took hold of her hands. "While you were unconscious, Connie almost killed Cassie and Cassie said that she would rather die than apologize. She was willing to give up her life rather than admit that she was wrong. The two cannot co-exist especially not if Connie still remembers what Cassie did because she will always be out to get her. We cannot risk this happening again. I am sorry but for Cassie and Connie''s sakes, you need to forget some things. You do not have to worry because Connie has a new family with us already." She squeezed her fingers a little. "We will take care of her until she moves one."


    Lydia''s lips parted to say something, but her son tapped her shoulder and nodded. "Mother if you saw how resentful and angry Connie was, you would not object. If Phoebe says that this is the only way then it probably is. I don''t like it either, but we have lost a lot. What if we lose Cassie too? What if I lose you? Let''s keep the childhood memories, maybe it will be better if we just think that Connie died young." A sob tore through him, tears following like an afterthought.


    Phoebe got a pen and notebook; she wrote down a spell that baby Star gave her and then she passed it out. "Let''s use this spell, it will erase all the pictures, records and memories of her in existence everywhere."


    "You can do that!" Collin exclaimed.


    Phoebe did not answer him; she prepared the materials needed for the spell like a drop of water from fountain in the space. A shard of a mirror that had been bathed in moonlight, a piece of Connie''s memories and an hourglass. Maureen and David placed the physical objects at cardinal points.


    The guardians and Phoebe placed their hands on the Baltimore''s heads and got rid of all memories that had a link to Connie, ending at the age of four when she drowned in a pond.


    Over and over, they chanted, "Weave into oblivion, erase the name, let shadows be all that remain. Eclipse the life."

 Chapter 524 - 524: New family.

    As they did that, the spirit explained the same thing to Connie who was sitting by the lake of life and death. The ghost was finally exhausted after trying to leap out of the space countless times but in vain.


    "Connie." The spirit called the teenager gently.


    Connie turned around and gave the spirit her back, but the spirit did not give up. It floated to the front and then froze Connie in place so that she could listen.


    "You were happier without the memories Connie. Things will go back to when it used to be just us, and you can earn your way to reincarnation like Sylvester. Do you remember when Phoebe refused to learn your name?" The spirit gently touched Connie''s head. "She said that she did not want to get attached to you and yet she eventually accepted you.


    She started indulging you, buying you expensive candies. All this time while you were away, she kept filling that bowl and her drawers with sweets. She missed you so much child. She loves you so much that she was ready to fight against her aunt for daring to suggest that you be vanquished if you had turned evil.


    Sylvester told me to bring you back home and David came here because he is worried about you. Old lady Mayfair has been calling since morning, asking if we had found you.


    You are loved more that you know. Of what use is it to throw your whole future away for a sister that never loved you? Just let it go Connie and let us go home."


    The spirit unfroze Connie and waited for around ten minutes for a response.


    Eventually, Connie responded. "Do it, those are not memories that I even want to have, I already have my family with you guys." She granted the spirit permission to erase her memories.


    Outside the space meanwhile, Phoebe and the guardians finished erasing and rearranging the memories of the Baltimore''s. All traces of a teenage Connie successfully vanished from the world.


    It was a strong ancient spell and Maureen and Arrow felt drained. Phoebe had to give then rejuvenation potions with a few drops of water from the lake of life so that they could restore some energy. S§×arch* The N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "It is done, all memories from this trip are also gone." Star quietly stated. "Now that they are unconscious, I propose that you take them to a familiar environment. When they wake up, they won''t be overwhelmed by confusion." She continued to suggest.


    Phoebe nodded, agreeing with her smart baby but her eyes fell on Cassie. "And her? Doesn''t she need a hospital?" She asked, studying the area where a shard of ice had torn through her flesh.


    "She is fine, you may prescribe some tonics for strength, but we patched her up really well. Mom, I am tired." Star yawned loudly and went silent.


    Phoebe put the Baltimore''s in her traveler''s backpack which made Arrow''s jaw drop open. Maureen stopped him from asking questions. All was said and done so they embarked on the journey back to the surface with Arrow leading the way, clearing up the ice.


    They took the Baltimore''s to their apartment and laid them down in their beds. Phoebe found Maureen in Cassie''s bedroom. It seemed her aunt was reluctant to depart.


    "What''s wrong aunt?" She put a hand on Maureen''s shoulder and asked.


    "She is going to get away with it, all of it." Maureen answered.


    From the voice, Phoebe detected unwillingness, which was no surprise. Maureen was a guardian; she could not stand injustice.


    "It is not fair." Maureen said, choking back a sob.


    Phoebe sighed, deep down she thought the same but what could they do? For Connie''s sake, it was best to cut off all things Baltimore.


    "It is not right." Maureen said. "I am not comfortable leaving it like this. I want her to pay, no matter how small the price, I want her to pay."


    Maureen approached the bed and Phoebe''s heart beat escalated. "Aunt what are you going to do?"


    "I won''t kill her." Maureen answered.


    She shaved off Cassie''s eyebrows and hair, all of it.


    "It''s not enough but karma will do the rest. Someone as dark hearted as her will suffer in future. It is likely that in future or in her next life, she will be deprived of family as she hated and contributed to the death of her twin sister." Maureen sighed, turned and left the room.


    Phoebe was simply relieved that Cassie''s head was still attached to her body. She closed the door and went to her apartment where everyone had gathered.


    Maureen had sunk into a singular chair, she was nursing a whiskey already and brooding.


    "Is all good?" David asked Phoebe.


    She nodded, "I still have to check on them later to make sure that their minds are still sound and they remember nothing from our trip."


    "Perhaps tomorrow since we are meeting with old man Rufus today, or we can ask mother to drop by later in the day and chat Lydia up." She thought up a better alternative.


    Phoebe gave her aunt a thumbs up for the genius idea. "That is a good idea. It is my first time casting a spell like that and I am worried about possible side effects."


    Raven Yin made a sound, with all that was going on Phoebe was yet to return him and black kitty inside the coins. "You don''t not have to worry mistress, we will watch them and report back to you." Yin offered.


    "That would be nice Yin." Phoebe threw Arrow a frosty side eye, he kept making various attempts to pat Yin''s head and the bird was avoiding his touch. "Leave him alone Arrow he is not a dog in need to belly rubs." She rolled her eyes and began to walk towards the door. Phoebe figured David would lock up behind them.


    Maureen''s eyes lifted upwards as she remembered something. "What about the door which Rekha broke?" She asked, rushing her steps to catch up with Phoebe.


    "Pike and the cleaning crew are already working on that." She informed her aunt.


    Maureen blinked rapidly. "We have a cleanup crew. Ha! I thought that only the academy had those. You know that magic cleanup crews are different from ordinary ones, right?" Her voice dripped with skepticism.


    "Actually, I borrowed that idea from the academy, they use equipment I provided. Equipment that was built by Connie and Sylvester is part of the crew, so he takes care of what they miss. I guess i learnt something from that academy even though I did not attend it." Phoebe pulled her shoulders into a nonchalant shrug.


    They passed by the cafe to give grandma Mayfair a brief update on Connie and remind her to check on the Baltimore''s.


    Old lady Mayfair pointed Phoebe to another client, a teenager that had come in seeking for help. Phoebe spared a minute to hear her out and the problem was similar to that of the client of the previous day.


    "I got this lucky charm bracelet since I was about to write the Fog state exam, but this thing keeps talking to me! My friend said I should come and see you because you sell lucky charms." Her eyes rotated around her sockets as confusion pooled in them.


    Maureen leaned forward. "Let me guess, you bought it from a shaman named Gecko?" She asked suspiciously, arching an eyebrow.

 Chapter 525 - 525: Catching David up.

    There was a twang and sarcasm in Maureen''s words which confused the teenager.


    Shaking her head, the girl stared at Maureen through lost eyes. "I honestly do not know who Gecko is. I know what a gecko is...the lizard that is."


    Maureen waved her hand, gesturing that it did not matter. "Just tell us where or how you acquired the bracelet."


    The girl looked at her wrist with apprehensive eyes and replied, "I got it from my friend who has a family in Hartoum. They sent her some and she gave me one as a present ahead of the exams. She has one too." She relayed to them, her fingers kept trying to pry the bracelet off, but it was immovable.


    Phoebe and her aunt exchanged gazes before getting to work. Just like they had done for Fin Rhode, they managed to get the bracelet off the girl''s arm. The process was easier this time round because they had already gone through it once.


    The young girl also vomited and in case, she made a mess of herself. Phoebe had to give her one of Connie''s dresses and sent her to the bathroom.


    "Do you think that this is Gecko''s work?" Maureen asked Phoebe.


    "Sixty percent yes." S~ea??h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Both women remained quiet as they waited for the girl to return. They were tired, Maureen actually wished to wrap up the day and just go to bed.


    The girl returned from the bathroom and Maureen stopped her before she could leave. "We need information about this friend of yours because she is in danger."


    The girl nodded frantically, and she gave them the information they wanted. She was young, she did not have much money, and she paid them twenty dollars which Phoebe accepted.


    She could tell that the girl was not from a well-off family, so she gave a real good luck talisman and sent her off.


    Phoebe''s eyes moved to watch for the time. Once again, they were late. "Let''s go aunt, grandpa Rufus must think that we are taking him for a joke. Do you know how many times we have canceled or postponed this meeting?" She picked her phone and hurriedly walked towards the door.


    "It is not intentional and although it is approaching evening, we can still make it in time to have the talk with him and dinner at the Saxon tower, let''s not keep your boyfriend waiting, he is already in the car." Maureen followed after her.


    They picked up some snacks from the counter and took the minivan again. During the ride to the tower, Phoebe asked Maureen about the shaman Gecko from Hartoum. "You know how grandma likes to call some people agents of darkness; I am beginning to believe that he is one."


    A snort came from Maureen. "My mother called Dorothy Cook an agent of darkness. I would not read too much into those words but when it comes to Gecko I am inclined to agree. Calling him a shaman is wrong in itself, I mean that is what he calls himself, but the man is more of a sorcerer who deals in black magic.


    There have been rumors about his evil practices like human sacrifices, soul transfers and others but apparently there has been no damning evidence that would be used to lock him up in one of the academy prisons. Sometimes I hate the fact that the academy and guardians are bound by laws." Her face twisted like she had bitten something rotten.


    "The laws keep you in check otherwise you would arrest or kill anyone you suspect of doing something evil. That is how the witch hunts started, isn''t it? But this Gecko, he is as guilty as sin.


    He is dealing with demons that is for sure, because why else is he handing out such bracelets that are hungry for souls? Someone like him should have been caught by your academy already. Maybe someone at the academy is covering for him, I do not know but I will surely find out." Phoebe pledged, she was not going to allow those bracelets to continue to circulate among innocent humans.


    Clearing his throat to remind them that he was around, David leveled his eyes to meet Phoebe''s. "Take it easy babe, you are pregnant after all." He cautioned her.


    Acceptance had already formed in him that Phoebe was going to continue with her dangerous work, all that he could do was beg her to be careful. "Why are you meeting grandpa by the way? Is it something related to the supernatural?" He asked, curiosity lingering in his voice.


    He hoped it was not about the baby because he was not ready to fight with his grandfather everyday about where the baby should be raised and what was best for her.


    "Oh right, I forgot to update you." Phoebe smacked her forehead gently.


    David took her hand away and kissed the part she had smacked. "Don''t hurt yourself," he said gently.


    Maureen rolled her eyes. The couple was sweeter than honey and it was irritating. For the rest of the journey, Phoebe used that time to explain in detail all about the new developments in relation to Cillian, the key and the academy.


    "So, grandpa Cillian is alive! He is out there somewhere. Why has he not come home for all these years? Did he not reveal anything useful in that cryptic phone call? What the hell is going on!" Questions tumbled out of David''s mouth, he had so many of them but there were few answers to give him.


    Maureen folded her arms. "This is why we need to let uncle Rufus about all this and ask him some questions about what he knows. He has a lot of power especially over the academy so he can easily find out what is going on there and what other demons are missing. We need to start preparing an army, I mean it is long overdue especially with Azur out there trying to free his boss, Ravana. At this point I feel like the demons are more prepared for this war than us. They only need all the mystic keys, and they are good to go." She scratched the back of her neck.


    "Well, they won''t be getting all six of them, I can assure you." Phoebe spoke with certainty after all she had two of them already. As long as he kept them in the space, Ravana would never be freed and there would be no supernatural war.


    Star gave her a light kick which still made her wince because it was a little too close to her bladder. "Oh dear mother your information is so outdated. There is another way for Ravana to free herself. Many do not know this but the sacrifice of the heart of a pure human that is descended from any of the seven witches that weaved the spell which locked her up. If it is done on the night of a full red moon, they can free her without the mystic keys." She revealed.

 Chapter 526 - 526: What did baby Star know?

    The hairs at the back of Phoebe''s neck stood up, she heard never heard of search a theory before. Then again, she was new to the supernatural world so there was not much that she knew. Despite this shortcoming, she had done ample research into Ravana and the demons, reading as many books as possible that the Saxon spirit recommended.


    This was something that was not in any of the books and it was likely that the guardians were not aware of it. Before she could reveal it to the rest of the team, she had to consult with the Saxon spirit first.


    Phoebe did not understand why she was hearing about this for the first time. Could it be that the spirit did not know and how did baby Star know about it then? Why did Star seem to be as knowledgeable or maybe even more knowledgeable than the Saxon spirit? A storm of questions raged in her head.


    "Star, is there something you need to share with mommy?" S§×ar?h the N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    She got no response from the baby, and she could not question more because they arrived outside the gates of the tower.


    "We are here." David announced just as Santos turned off the engine. "I believe that my grandparents are yet to have dinner, we should join them." He spoke as he opened the door for Phoebe to step out of the car.


    Phoebe''s eyes moved around, she inhaled the cold air and pulled her jacket closer around her body. "I swear that I can never get used to coming back to this place." A whisper of her thoughts escaped her lips.


    Pulling her close, David''s arm snug against the curve of her hip. "Honestly, I am not fond of this place either especially with everything that we went through in our last life." He murmured but his words were heard by Maureen.


    "And what exactly did you two go through? As long as I am aware the two of you have never lived here." She adjusted her winter coat, finding a thrill in making them uncomfortable. "Or have you?" She smiled mischievously.


    In that moment, she resembled Andre a lot.


    Maureen put her hands behind her back, acting an old detective pondering on a matter while questioning suspects. "Perhaps in your past lives or something like that?" She continued to taunt them with her questions.


    Being that he was quick witted, David realized that there was a possibility of Maureen having seen Phoebe''s thoughts regarding the matter and he figured it was best to come clean. Maureen was a bloodhound, and she had been digging into Phoebe''s life for months now.


    Mostly, he decided to come clean because he thought Phoebe could finally have someone to talk to about the things she did not share with him.


    He kept in mind that Maureen was a powerful guardian, she could protect Phoebe from some of the dangers they faced in their last life.


    "Oh you are spot on aunt Maureen, we were married in our past lives, and it ended in tragedy because of Ruth Mayfair or should I say Gabriel and some other people that plotted against us from the beginning."


    "David!" Phoebe exclaimed, disbelief engulfed her. "You cannot just let such things spew out of your mouth or else you will end up in a mental asylum and I know because I have been there. Even if she believes you, what if she asks you for the lottery winning numbers for Gumball next week? Please consult me next time after all both our lives are affected by such big reveals." Her tone was sharp as she scolded him.


    "I am sorry my darling but believe me when I tell you that your aunt had caught on already and she is simply trying to trick us." David chuckled ruefully.


    Maureen paused midway her step. "Wait a minute, so it true? I figured it out on my own, but I still wanted to hear it from you. Does this mean you know about the discoveries that are to happen in the near future? About those lottery tickets maybe we should talk....." She kept hot on David''s tail, encircling her arm in his.


    Her nagging statements compelled Phoebe to let out a guttural growl, she was never going to hear the end of this.


    "I don''t need the money; I just want the feeling of being a lottery winner." Maureen whined.


    "No." David and Phoebe rejected her.


    "Just one win, I will donate the money to your orphanage." She spoke with a plea in her voice.


    "No." They rejected her again.


    "Aunt, if the opportunity falls on you, another person will lose out. I worked on a case where a man killed himself the day before he won the lottery. You should have seen the sadness in his eyes. That win changed the lives of his brother and his family. Some people need the money desperately." Phoebe explained.


    They arrived at the first floor of the tower and met the two elders. Just like they anticipated, Rufus requested them to join him in the dining area. Maureen was the most thrilled for she was famished.


    "This is delicious Catarina, you should come and work for us at Mayfair manor." Maureen took another bite of the freshly baked butter bread.


    Miranda rolled her eyes. "The chefs may have cooked but these are all my recipes and besides it was I that came up with the menu." She gestured at Catarina to fill up the basket with more butter bread. "You should try this with some tomato soup."


    Miranda was not confident in many things but when it came to cooking, she was at the top of her game. If the Saxon group had been in the food business, Miranda believed that she could have competed for the spot of president.


    "I am surprised to see you here Maureen, what business do you have with my father. Phoebe is my daughter in-law, so her presence is not shocking but you! You have never been one to visit this tower willingly except for when you wanted to engage in some mischief." Robert raised a glass of wine to his lips. "Whatever you are up to, I hope that you don''t give my father a heart attack."


    Old man Rufus stopped his son. "She is my guest, I invited her Robert, and you are being rude."


    More people joined them at the table, and most were polite to Phoebe. They crossed their fingers and hoped that she kept her thoughts about them to herself. It was good when she saved their lives but when she started thinking about their less than appropriate love lives or who was sleeping with a maid and who was hiding a bastard outside, it was a different story.


    Thanks to her however, three children had been found and returned to the tower. All this time, the fathers had no clue about their existence because their mothers constantly dyed their hair and hid them. Saxon blood was not allowed to be raised outside.


    Rufus''s eyes moved around the dining area, studying the faces of all those that were present. "And where is Margaret and this special friend of hers that she said that she would be introducing to the family tonight?" His question was directed to his wife who managed the affairs of the house.

 Chapter 527 - 527: Not an outcast.

    Prudence Saxon did not have an answer to her husband''s question. For starters she was of the strong opinion that Margaret be kicked off tower grounds. She was not a Saxon, and her husband and child were now dead, cutting off her ties to the family.


    The only reason why she was still there was because she was using Dickson''s murder to blackmail them. Prudence often thought that Margaret would someday end up like her son if she was not careful. There was only so much of her blackmail that they could take.


    Eventually, someone would get fed up with her threats and decide to get rid of her; permanently.


    She was not pleased that Margaret was now bringing strangers into their home, and she intended to have a conversation with her husband later about this. Before she could respond to Rufus''s question, Ramon walked into the dining room and announced that Rekha Montgomery had arrived.


    "Who?" Rufus asked, uncertainty flickered in his stare.


    Quickly Phoebe raised her arm halfway. "She''s with us, I told her to meet us here." She almost winced on realizing that she had forgotten to inform him of the exact number of people that was coming.


    A quick shake of Rufus'' hand indicated that it did not matter. "Please show her in." He ordered Ramon. He recalled the name and put a face to the name, she was a guardian. Rufus knew all the guardians, the juniors and seniors.


    He was just beginning to familiarize himself with the new generation however because his return to the academy had been recent. For this reason, he barely knew Rekha.


    After settling into one of the seats, Rekha focused on serving herself some food until she heard Rufus speak. "I heard that your family lost someone recently, I am so sorry for your loss." He offered her a regretful smile.


    Everyone at the table went from smiling to looking sad because it is what one did when death was brought up. Their sad eyes fell on Rekha who returned to eating with a zeal, surprisingly. Nevertheless, they shared their condolences with her.


    "Oh yeah Obed Montgomery, I heard about his death, but I did not attend the funeral. It''s too bad that he has passed on, he had such a promising future. I for one believed that he would become one of the best guardians to ever exist after he single handedly solving the Cassole school haunting case. I am truly sorry for your loss, we at the academy all feel sad about it." Robert lowered his eyes, shaking his head almost imperceptibly.


    Lifting her shoulders with indifference, Rekha reached out for the garlic cheese bread while saying. "You don''t not need to give me any sympathies for I did not really know this Obed Montgomery. Apart from seeing him in the academy once in a while our paths rarely crossed. Although I bear the name Montgomery those people are not my family or anything. I am sure that if I died today, they would respond in the same way I am at this moment." She spoke without an ounce of regret or sorrow and bit into a piece of bread, pulling the strings of cheese into her mouth with delight.


    The Saxons traded gazes, confusion engulfing some while recognition fell on others.


    "You said that you are a Montgomery or are you not? Why are you trying to sound mysterious?" Katherine asked, she spoke in a needling tone designed to irritate. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Throwing her a sharp look, Phoebe feigned a cough that said please shut up. "It is complicated and obviously Rekha does not look comfortable discussing this as it is her personal life. Have some more bread Katherine." She almost wished that she would stuff all the bread on the table into Katherine''s mouth.


    Thomas Saxon smacked the table lightly like he recalled something. "Oh, she is the girl that was thrown out by the family, Bernard Montgomery''s child. I remember the outrage that happened around that time because many people did not agree with the decision they made, they did not even wait for his funeral to kick you wait. I cannot imagine what it''s like for you seeing them all the time."


    It was the enthusiasm in his voice that miffed Phoebe, he seemed to be enjoying revealing the details.


    [Could you smile a little less! You look like a ghoul.]


    Thomas closed his mouth and looked at his plate. But someone else picked up the invisible talking stick and became the new ghoul.


    "You are the outcast, now I remember who you are. I have been racking my mind to figure out why I know your name. All the kids in the academy used to call you that, I remember this well. Some people used to say that you walk around the lane at night rummaging through trash for food. The little Montgomery outcast! How the great have fallen, now we are sharing food with outcasts." Katherine chuckled derisively before raising the wine glass to her lips.


    Phoebe dropped the cutlery onto the plate. "Oh shut your big mouth Katherine, she is not an outcast, she is my sister. My father welcomed her into the Mayfair family, so she does not need the Montgomery''s because she has us. If she wishes to change her name to Mayfair, we will go down to the courthouse with her and see to it that it is done and when it''s over, we will throw her a big party. You should know when to stop running your mouth, Katherine." Her tone was similar to a still lake hiding riptides.


    [I will cut you with a fork, try me.]


    David''s jaw collapsed, he closed it quickly and urged Phoebe to calm down. There was no need for murder by fork at the table.


    Nile Saxon wanted to tell David to remove the forks around Phoebe before the rest of them became victims of Katherine''s rude mouth. Thomas was just glad he had not made the fork hit list.


    Grandma Saxon expelled a loud sigh. "That was very rude Katherine! Not that I am surprised that this is coming from you though." She condemned strongly, casting Miranda a loaded look. It was her fault after all that Katherine had grown up to become a disrespectful brat.


    Old man Rufus intervened. "I agree with Prue about your rudeness Katherine especially because Rekha is a guest of mine since Phoebe invited her. Katherine, apologize immediately before I give you a suitable reward and it will not be one you will like." He threatened with his eyes narrowing to slits sharp enough to draw blood.


    For the fear of what her grandfather would do, Katherine quickly apologized and then stormed out of the dining room. She almost bumped into those that were entering.


    Among them was Margaret who was clapping her hands because she had been entertained. she let out a loud cackle dripping with contempt. "It would not be a complete family dinner without drama, so what did we miss?" A lunatic''s giggle curled around her question.


    Her question however was met by silence, no one bothered to answer her mostly because they were mesmerized by the striking handsome man that stood beside her.

 Chapter 528 - 528: Margaret and her new man.

    Whispers about Margaret''s handsome new companion had traveled all over the Saxon tower even before he arrived on the top floor.


    This was because the servants were the first to notice, of course. They always were. The maids drooled all over him, even the men stood and gawked at his beauty, jealously insane of his otherworldly looks.


    The maids made calls from one floor to another or stood in corridors and whispered.


    "Have you seen him, he looks like he walked straight out of a underwear commercial." The cook of the third branch said to a gardener.


    The head maid Catalina was overheard telling Wilder, the head of the chefs, "Have you seen his jawline? It is sharp enough to cut through glass."


    To that, Wilder replied, "It can cut through stale scones I tell you. Have you seen his ass in those jeans?" Sear?h the n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Leona, one of the younger maids managed to take a picture which she sent to Valerie Saxon along with a message that read: [Have you seen lips which look this soft? He is hotter than your brothers and most Saxons. Gaaaaaaah!!!]


    When one of the servants suggested that he was Margaret''s boyfriend, the phone calls multiplied and chaos brewed among the servants even more, taking then away from their duties.


    "He is a little too young for her." Catalina whispered to Ramon.


    Ramon scoffed. "He is after one thing only, her money." He replied swiftly.


    "As if she has any." Tom, another gardener snorted.


    They all knew that Margaret had given all of her money to Dickson, and it had died with him. She was living with the Saxon''s because she had no one else to leech off of.


    The real chaos however was on the top floor of the tower where Margaret was shooting provocative looks at everyone that so much as looked at her. The servants, lurking just out sight, strained to hear the conversation from behind various doors and curtains.


    It was hard for them not to enjoy the daily soap opera that was life in the Saxon tower.


    Grandma Saxon was the first to react, she folded her arms across her chest and shot Margaret a look of contempt. "Margaret," she began, her voice syrupy sweet to hide the loathing she felt. "I must say that you are very rude for a woman of your age, first you make an appearance halfway through the dinner after keeping I and my husband waiting and then when you finally show up, you decide to use an impolite language. Let''s not forget about your tone."


    Dramatically, Margaret placed a hand over her chest. "Oh, that was such a burn, bringing up age like that cleverly. Anyway, it was not my intention to be late or rude dear aunt in law. As for my tone, I was trying to ease up the tension in the room because Katherine looked like she was ready to bawl her eyes out when she ran out." Adding sarcasm to her voice she said, "Please forgive me for all of it especially for keeping such important people like you waiting." She apologized, adding a little bow to it theatrically.


    A silent scoff came from Phoebe; she could not help but detecting how insincere and hollow the apology was. Obviously, Margaret did not have any love left for the Saxon''s now that her son was gone. Phoebe decided to focus on finishing her food and staying out of the drama.


    The ghosts however were happy to witness the drama, Connie especially. She was floating between David and Phoebe, back to her old self completely which was a relief to everyone.


    "So, who is the dude in the tight pants?" She asked.


    She was referring to Margaret''s companion. The Saxon spirit was already hovering around him, trying to figure out the answer for them all. "I do not know who he is but rumor in the tower is that he is her new boyfriend. There is no way he is genuinely in love with botox face Margaret. It has to be the money; we should warn her." It proposed.


    Shaking her head, Connie chuckled lightly. "Why should we warn her? She doesn''t deserve our help and who says that she will believe what Pheebs has to say? She hates her with a passion, remember?" She massaged her chin slowly. "This is a waste of a handsome face. He should be a model or an actor, he could make millions off of his face alone. Why is he a sugar baby to botox Margaret? He is a swan, and she is frog, it is beauty and the beast over here."


    She broke into a rendition of one of the songs from beauty and the beast. Maureen and Phoebe traded light smiles because Connie seemed to have moved on already. Star''s suggestion had worked after all. They did not even stop her from singing, not even when she was off key.


    On returning their attention to Margaret, they realized that they had missed the highlight of the evening, which was Margaret introducing her boyfriend, Bradley Taylor.


    "You can all call him Brad like everybody does." Margaret bounced on her feet, a wide smile tugging on her lips like a love-struck teen.


    The servants sent messages to confirm this fact while the Saxon''s and their guests digested the shock. Old lady Saxon was already sizing him up with the precision of a hawk sizing up prey.


    Brad smiled warmly and offered the elders a bow. "It is lovely to be in your home, Mr. and Mrs. Saxon." He greeted, going ahead to great the other Saxons after. "Thank you for inviting me over."


    Miranda sneered. "Stop! We did not invite you and Margaret." She looked her eyes to the woman next to Bradley. "Why should we call him that? It is not like he is joining the family or anything like that." She twisted her nose and looked the other way.


    "Easy Miranda, we cannot be rude to Margaret''s guest." Grandma Saxon said gracefully. "We must be considerate towards Maggie, she lost her husband a long time ago and has remained celibate for all this time, it is a great thing that she is finally back on the horse because it means she will move on with her life. Besides she has just lost her son, whatever support she needs we will give it." She moved her hand under the table and squeezed her husband''s fingers because he looked like he was about to explode into a thousand little pieces.


    Shaking her head gently, Margaret smiled warmly at Miranda. "No_no aunt in law, Miranda is still furious with me because of what I said about David and Phoebe regarding Dickson''s death." She paused for breath and stared in David and Phoebe''s direction. "I would like to take this opportunity to apologize to you two, I was wrong for what I said." She deliberately stilled, inhaling deeply to reset.


    Whispers broke out for the listeners could not believe what they were hearing. Margaret apologizing!!!! Pigs were about to fly. Even the servants collectively stiffened.


    "Are you serious?" Miranda leaped from her seat.


    Meanwhile David''s brows almost declared independence from his face. "And why this sudden change of heart aunt? Did Bradley help you find God?" He narrowed his eyes, his fingers covering Phoebe''s own.

 Chapter 529 - 529: Bradley made it to the fabulous ladies.

    His suspicious eyes challenged her to answer him, and she knew that there was no way he was going to believe her, not even if the leader of the church of Saints and angels himself vouched for her.


    Rufus cleared his throat. "Yes, Margaret please explain this, did you perhaps find out the truth of Dickson''s death?" He scrutinized her with suspicion especially because her face was turning red.


    Some people thought it was from shame, but it was from the fury that was burning inside of Margret. The doubts and questions continued around from one person to another.


    Only Maureen was less interested in Margaret''s fake change of heart. She was texting on her phone and laughing softly. This was because she had managed to take a picture of Bradley which she had sent to her mother.


    Old lady Mayfair had immediately shared the picture in the fabulous ladies group chat and highlighted in bold that he was Margaret''s new beau. The chat group was on fire. Maureen was being hounded for details about Bradley, his age, his job, the color of his underwear, which family he belonged to and how he liked it in bed.


    That question in particular had been asked by Ruby Castille a famous cougar on the lane. She was always on the prowl for younger men.


    Meanwhile, Margaret clenched her fists and spoke in a raised tone. "Just believe me!" Her abrupt intensity took them by surprise.


    "I was wondering how long her calm facade would last." Nile whispered to Nini.


    A smile formed on Brad''s lips as he took hold of Margaret''s hand. "Maggie dear," He made eye contact with her. "That is no way to talk to family, it is normal that they doubt you remember that it was you that made such grave accusations. You cannot expect them to forgive you immediately; you have to work at it. We have discussed this, remember?" He spoke in a tone that was quite threatening and calculative but sweet at the same time.


    It was one of those tones that you could tell had a double layer.


    Margaret closed her eyes and inhaled before expelling air through her mouth. "Of course, Brad I am sorry for stepping out of character." She told him.


    Almost choking on white wine, Maureen scoffed loudly and placed her phone on the table. "Did you join a cult or something? Is this man threatening you because this is way beyond stepping out of character? Honey a leopard does not change its spots, and you are all leopard." She added a mocking short laugh.


    "But Maggie has." Brad commented, his eyes locked with those of Maureen. "She has changed for the better, you will all soon realize this." He continued to assure them.


    There was a darkness or coldness in his eyes that made Maureen uncomfortable, further growing her cult theory. It was either that or Margaret had found herself a controlling psycho.


    Nile hissed loudly. "While we are on the subject of apologies, she owes me one too for accusing me of harming her son. And also, I want to know the reason for this drastic change of behavior, maybe I can recommend her method to some clients." He slowly sipped on the contents of the glass that he was holding.


    He was drinking warm coconut milk in a glass and swirling it as though it was wine.


    "Maggie?" Brad called her name. "Apologize to the man."


    Margaret was not the kind of woman that followed commands. Everyone waited for her to snap at Bradley and stomp off.


    They were shocked when in response, Margaret nodded and took some steps toward Nile, stopping when she neared him. "Yes, Nile you are right, I owe you an apology as well for the cruel words that I said to you I should never have accused any of you for causing Dickson''s death. As for my calming methods, Brad has counseled me and helped me see the error of my ways. I now see where Dickson and I went wrong.


    I also understand that Dickson caused his own death. He provoked a lot of dangerous people in his life and also harmed many others. It should not have been surprising that these people wanted revenge." She lowered her face, wiping a stream of tears that rolled down her cheeks.


    Conrad Saxon applauded by clapping his hands. "I already like this guy. I did not think that there would ever be someone in the world that could get our Margaret to behave herself." He rose from his seat, walked up to them and patted Brad''s shoulder. "You have my full support to marry her; I will be there for your wedding and also personally help in moving her luggage when she leaves the tower."


    "I appreciate that." Brad replied with a smile.


    There were no more questions, and it seemed that all was well and they could get back to the meal.


    "Please sit." Rufus invited them to sit down.


    Maureen hummed silently and leaned towards Phoebe and David. "Hmm the Bradley guy may not be bad for your aunt after all. The fact that someone can finally put that monster Margaret in a cage makes me happy, mother should have been here to see this, ha!" She poured herself a big serving of Nile''s coconut milk, earning a glare from him which she pretended not to see. "I do think you should keep one eye open when he is around."


    Connie squeezed between them to share her opinion. "I thought it was just me. I don''t know why but he is giving me weird vibes, I mean it''s almost like he has a remote control that he uses to tune her. Did you hear him call her name in that cold stern kind of voice? He must be a violent man or narcissist or something along those lines. I should have known that a man that handsome was not perfect." She voiced her misgivings. "Why couldn''t he just have crooked teeth or something?"


    "I do not like Margaret, but I will still run a background check on this Bradley guy. It seems like he is going to be a regular here at the tower and if he is trouble, I must have him banned from the grounds." David slipped in, not once breaking his eyes away from Bradley who was answering Rufus''s questions.


    Phoebe jutted her chin towards the spirit. "Zephyra what do you think?" She asked. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    The spirit huffed. "I have to go with Connie on this one, it seems like he''s controlling her somehow or perhaps Margaret is so much on love with him that she just wants to please him. Either way, something is not right with him...even the way he smells is off."

 Chapter 530 - 530: Questioning Bradley.

    All the secret whispering between Phoebe, David and Maureen caught Miranda''s eye and she decided to poke her nose into the conversation. "What are we whispering about?"


    "Tight pants Brad over there." Maureen whispered. "We think that something is off about him."


    Miranda sighed in relief. "Oh, thank God it''s not just me. I thought that I was just imagining things and I did not want to say anything and be called rude. He is too young for her, right?"


    "Agreed." Maureen confirmed.


    Miranda covered her mouth, lowered her head even more and whispered. "It''s what everyone in the chat is saying. They think he is a sugar baby, and Ruby is willing to poach him. She is paying as much as fifty thousand dollars for his information."


    Phoebe was observing everyone else at that table, and she had noticed that Thomas could not take his eyes off Bradley.


    [Why is Thomas looking at Bradley like that. Is he attracted to him or is he also wondering if he is a sugar baby? Of course he is a sugar baby, look at him. Can he even walk in those pants? The man''s junk is not breathing,


    Hehehe...It would be awesome if he dropped dead and ended up on Claire''s table with the cause of death being suffocated junk. But Ruby Castille is shameless, how can she poach a man from Margaret so openly? Oooh, I hope she does because that will be an epic fight.


    The lane has been too quiet lately; someone needs to start some shit. Maybe I should have grandma and Dorothy Cook meet accidentally.]


    Phoebe did not know that their little group of whisperers was being watched as closely as Thomas was watching Bradley and when they saw what she was thinking, they snickered.


    "Ahem...Hmmm. mmmm." Grandma Saxon cleared her throat and glared at the group. If she could, she would tell Phoebe to shut her mind up too because it was talking nonsense.


    They stopped whispering but Miranda who liked prying into other people''s businesses began to ask the questions they were curious about directly. "So Mr. Bradley, how old are you and what do you do for a living?" Her nosy stare lingered on him.


    [That''s it Miranda, start some shit...hahahaha]


    On the surface, Phoebe looked calm and innocent but, on the inside, she was anything but that. The rest of the Saxon''s that could see her thoughts were trying to laugh.


    The steak knife in Margaret''s hand hit the plate with a thud. "In the name of the Saints and Angels can the man have his meal first before you begin the questioning and accusing Miranda. I already know what you are thinking." Her tone was armored, every word a shield almost like as though she did not want him to answer the question.


    Brad moved his hand to pat the top of Margaret''s hand. "Oh, it is alright sweetheart, I can answer that, I have nothing to hide." He craned his neck to meet Miranda''s gaze. "I am a freelancer, meaning that I do a lot of things as long as I financially benefit from it." He gave her a vague answer.


    [Bum, he is a bum!] Phoebe thought.


    Maureen, Nile, Nini and a few people burst into laughter.


    "Phoebe Mayfair!" Grandma Saxon called her sternly. "Stop talking."


    Phoebe blinked, confused because she had not said a word. [Is grandma hearing voices?]


    Grandma Saxon sighed and decided to just let things be. How would she begin explaining that they could see Phoebe''s thoughts.


    A cackle left Miranda''s lips. "So, you are unemployed. I would hate for Margaret to end up with someone that cannot take care of her. We are like sisters and as a sister I must tell you that she has expensive taste." She stretched her arm to wave over Bradley from head to toe. "And no offense but you look a little too young to be able to afford the things she fancies." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ears, her eyes shifting to Margaret.


    Margaret sneered at Maureen and replied, "Well then, sister be rest assured not to worry about that because Brad is a man with strong financial backing. He gave me a hefty sum, and I have been able to settle the debts of D.C pharma today." Her cold but smiling provocative eyes drifted to David.


    She looked at him specifically because he had been among those that stopped Rufus from giving her the money.


    It was not new information to David that she had settled the debt because he got a call about it. But he had wondered how his aunt had been able to come up with such a huge sum of money without the help of the Saxon''s or her maternal family.


    "You don''t say?" David feigned shock and twisted the stem between his fingers, sending the wine into a lazy swirl. "It is interesting that a young man like yourself is vastly wealthy so much so that he can throw out billions easily. So, is your family from here? I have never seen you here before and I know all the rich folks in this town, or might I say this country." He continued to ask, hoping to get a lead on who Bradley was.


    It was odd that he had no knowledge of such a rich young man. Roxanne had a list of all the wealthy people in the country. Alfa securities secretly monitored them and there was no Bradley Taylor or Taylor family of billionaires. S§×arch* The n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A smile formed on Brad''s lips. "David, was it?" He playfully pointed at a butter knife at him. "Don''t you know that curiosity killed the cat?" A dry laugh rattled out of him, as if daring David to find the joke in his words.


    He did not and neither did Miranda who snorted loudly. "Good thing a cat has got nine lives, so tell us about your family." She propped her fingers under her chin.


    The smile on Bradley''s lips continued to exist. "Well, everyone I meet tends to become family to me, but I have a daughter whom I hope that you will meet very soon." He stated smoothly.


    Eyes moved around in search of another new face. "Is she joining us?" Nini asked.


    "Not tonight. Clarisse is not feeling well so she skipped dinner, but she is in my residence." Margaret''s eyes moved to the head maid. "Catalina please make sure to take a plate of food for her." She politely requested, leaving Catalina speechless.


    "Did she just say please?" Ramon whispered a question.


    Because she was short of words, Catalina responded by nodding vehemently.


    On the other hand, grandpa Saxon was not thrilled by what he heard. "Wait a damn minute, does this mean that there is another stranger roaming freely on my lands without my knowledge?" He dropped a question; a dull ache of disappointment shadowed his gaze.


    On realizing it, Margaret shifted her attention to old man Rufus. "Actually, I was hoping that you would be gracious enough to allow me host my guests here at the tower." She gently made a request.

 Chapter 531 - 531: Request denied.

    [This is the part where aunt Maureen calls someone a moron, a fool, an idiot. She is not even a Saxon so why is she bringing uninvited guests to the tower as if she owns it? I am so mad, I am so mad...arrgh!!]


    Phoebe''s sentiments were shared by all the table. They were all surprised to hear that Margaret had not spoken to the old patriarch about Brad and his daughter staying in her quarters at the tower.


    Didn''t she know that strangers were not allowed on the grounds for so many different reasons? How many demons and other supernatural creatures were looking for a way onto the grounds of this tower? How many criminals__human criminals, were waiting for the opportunity to search the tower for jewels and cash?


    [Fool, fool, big fool. Someone should get up and slap her, punch her teeth out and slam her head into the table.] sea??h th§× nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Maureen pinched Phoebe''s hand and she winced. "Aunt." she whined. She did not notice that almost every Saxon was looking at her.


    Bradley noticed the change in the mood, and he shook his head. He frowned and appeared to disapprove of Margaret''s decision "My goodness Margaret! That is just very disrespectful to the elders here. I thought that you had done that already!" The light in his eyes fractured as he turned from her to the elders. "Mr. and Mrs. Saxon, I apologize for our intrusion


    [Apologize, shmologize!!! I hope grandpa doesn''t allow this. We are living in dangerous times where strangers could be anything in disguise. He could be a demon, a shape shifter, a vampire, zombie wearing good make-up. No stranger comes to this tower without a hidden purpose especially not with Ravana''s minions running around.]


    The Saxon''s that saw the thought gasped silently, they could never get used to seeing Phoebe''s thoughts. They wondered how she knew about Ravana but then figured she had heard the story from Edward or anyone in the founding families. The supernatural war was not a secret among the founding families.


    The old patriarch lifted his arm, a quiet but firm demand for silence from Margaret who was grumbling. "It does not matter whether I was told or not because it will not change my decision Mr. Bradley. Neither you nor your daughter can spend any night here at the tower. Not even if you are Margaret''s guests." He informed them.


    "B-but that is just unfair! They are my guests, and I have every right to host them here because this is my home, I am a Saxon too." Her words wavered, not from fear but the effort to leash rage she was feeling.


    A part of her wished that she could grow claws and use them to rip out Rufus''s throat. Why had the old man come back to life? Things were easier when he was half dead and bedridden.


    Robert let out a measured sound, one that was mocking. "Yes, a Saxon by marriage and by the looks of things you might end up having to drop that name and adapt to calling yourself Taylor. What you did is disturbing because even we real Saxons request for permission from father or mother before bringing strangers on the tower grounds. If you truly considered yourself as one of the family, you would not flaunt the rules of the family." He condemned strongly, justifying his father''s decision.


    "I don''t see what the big deal is, you are all simply being cruel and uptight. Brad is rich, he can afford to buy himself a nice and comfortable home. He just wanted to stay for a few days, not even a week." Margaret chimed in.


    "It is still a strong no." Grandma Saxon said. "Some of the women that married into this family have never invited their family members to sleep over, but you think you can just bring in a stranger. Does it make sense to you?"


    "Not even my husband slept over when we were dating." Rose-Bell snickered.


    Defeated, Margaret cast her gaze heaven ward, as if begging for crumbs of patience. The Saxon''s were really compelling her to step out of her new good woman character.


    "It is okay Margaret; I can always come here to see you or is that forbidden too?" Brad squeezed her fingers lightly; his eyes moved to the old patriarch Rufus in search of a response.


    Margaret answered swiftly. "Of course you can, everyday if you like, right uncle in law?" She quizzed.


    "No." Grandma Saxon said firmly.


    Rufus let out a loud weary sigh and pushed his wheelchair away from the table. "Phoebe and your companions please meet me in my study after your dinner." He politely requested.


    "Yes sir." Phoebe answered smoothly, stealing another glance at Brad. She sniffed his scent from a distance because the spirit said that he smelt off, but she couldn''t smell anything funny.


    Maureen belched softly, covering her mouth as she excused herself. "Alright let''s get down to business, it is getting late." She told Phoebe. First, she thanked Miranda and grandma Mayfair for the food and then excused herself.


    After about five minutes, Phoebe led her group into the old patriarch''s study. He was swallowing his vitamins and tonics from Phoebe when they arrived.


    "I see that you are religiously taking your tonics grandpa, your legs must be very strong by now." She spoke as they settled in the brand-new sofas that were placed in the open area.


    Grandpa Rufus shifted forward and stood up; he went as far as to waggle his legs like a rooster fluffing its feathers. "Actually, I can walk now but I am keeping things low key. Child, I do not know what you put in those medicines of yours, but it must be magical because I feel stronger than I felt before I fell ill." He praised her skills.


    "Hold on." Maureen blinked rapidly. "Uncle Rufus, you can walk?" The words left her lips like a gasp. "Why then are you still driving that wheelchair around and keeping things low key? Are you trying to lure out an enemy?" She continued to ask, her eyes never leaving his perfectly normal legs.


    A measured laugh came from Rufus. "Child always learn to confuse your enemies. When I first returned to the academy I had no idea how things were run in my absence, and I needed to probe around without coming off so strong or threatening. You can never underestimate a wheelchair or a walking cane in an investigation, it can be a good disguise and misleading tool. Those dingbats from the school thought that I was still weak just because I was using this wheelchair.


    I pretended to be so weak that I needed to nap in hidden corners and support to go from one place to another. It gave me the opportunity to plant listening bugs and eavesdrop on conversations. This helped me to do my investigations thoroughly, now it is time for a cleanup. That is one of the reasons I called you here." He settled in a single chair.

 Chapter 532 - 532: Great grandpa.

    Phoebe stared blankly, she did not know what kind of service he needed from her and one that had to do with the academy at that. It was not as if she was a student of the academy and given her father''s relationship with the school of magic, she did not think that she was the best person to come to.


    Nevertheless, she felt obligated to keep an open mind and hear him out. "It sounds like you have accomplished your goals a lot sooner than we all thought. What does this have to do with the reason why you wanted to see me so desperately?"


    She studied him, but Rufus had one of those impassive faces that were just so hard to read. He was the worst kind of opponent to face off in a game of cards because he could pull off the blank face so well.


    Massaging the lower end of his chin, Rufus'' eyes moved around with unease. He was not sure whether to speak on the matter with other people present.


    Phoebe finally saw a crack in the blank face. On noticing his hesitation, she decided to say something to reassure him. "Grandpa Rufus believe me when I tell you that the people in this room are some of the most trustworthy people I know. Feel free to say whatever you want to say." She assured him.


    "Or we can give you two some privacy if it will make you feel at ease." Rekha edged forward in an attempt to leave the room. This was because she respected Rufus so much and unlike Phoebe, she held the man in high esteem because she was a student of the academy, and he was the dean.


    Using her hand, Maureen pinned Rekha down and gave her a stay put look before turning back to Rufus. "You heard my niece uncle, we are people she trusts. Besides whatever uncle Rufus has to say cannot be juicier than what we have come to tell him." She remarked.


    Maureen was sure that Rufus had a secret or secrets to share and there was no way she was missing out on whatever he was about to reveal.


    "Alright then." Rufus shrugged. He tilted his head downwards and coughed three times, relieving the itch in his throat. After that, he got a cough drop and put it on his tongue before looking up. "You will have to excuse me, I am coming down with a little cough." sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Everyone shrugged it off.


    Rufus placed his hands on the table and leaned forward, going straight to the point. "Phoebe, I am sure that if these people with us are observant as I am, then they must have noticed your special abilities. And please do not say that they are shaman abilities because they are not. Your abilities go beyond simple shamanism, and you serve no deity like most shamans do.


    You are not a trained guardian; hell, most trained guardians cannot conjure a storm even at their strongest! And that day, you hovered in the air with your eyes glowing brightly like the sun. It was something that I have never seen before and trust me I have seen a lot.


    I am not a nosy old man but when it comes to magic, caution must always be taken. It is yet to be determined if you are a friend or foe. What your source of power?" He asked with measured interest, leaving no room for evasion from his questioning.


    Maureen waved her hand which had a half-eaten strawberry in it, the other half was in her mouth. "Oh, I will take this one. Her source of power is nature and the glowing eyes, that was either baby Star or Zephyra our friendly neighborhood ghost. Pheebs cannot control her power fully like that." She paused and smiled mischievously. "At least not yet. She is not a foe; she is a friend." She fixed the other half of the berry in her mouth.


    "Senior Maureen!" Rekha gasped, her voice exploding in disbelief. "Pheebs clearly told us that she wanted to keep her pregnancy a secret and you just sang out the words like a parrot." Her voice shuttered the air, jagged with shock.


    Blinking because she was taken aback by Rekha''s reaction, Maureen let out a laugh which was brittle with disbelief. "Wait I thought that we are here to tell Uncle Rufus everything, out of all the details we are going to disclose tonight Phoebe''s pregnancy is the least shocking thing." She threw a quick glance at the parents to be before leaning forward to pick another strawberry from the fruit basket on Rufus''s desk. "Let''s get the simple secrets out of the way and get to the big stuff. We know what the big stuff is."


    Maureen was tired of the secrets, and she knew that sooner or later, the pregnancy would reach the ears of the Saxon''s. If they were going to decide where Star would be raised, it would be best to do so before the baby arrived.


    For that reason and more, Maureen decided to be the bad guy and take the bull by the horns, revealing Phoebe''s little secret. Besides, with the power that the baby was exhibiting, it was best for Rufus to be in the know before Dorothy and her witch hunting group tried to harm Phoebe or Star.


    A dumb founded stare was all that Rufus could muster for a few seconds, then a laugh burst from his lips, bright and unexpected. "You two is it true? Are you really having a baby? Oh my goodness what would he call me__great grandpa, right? I am going to be a great grandpa again. I did not think that I would ever see David''s children in my lifetime. The ancestors of my clan have truly blessed me in many ways after my revival." He sprung up, arms flung wide as if to hug the sky when they nodded in unison.


    It was a beautiful moment to witness in Phoebe''s opinion. Rufus had not met any of their children in the past life.


    "Grandpa." Phoebe politely called him; her tone was serious though. "Can we keep this between us for now?"


    She made a difficult request, and it showed in Rufus''s response. He appeared confused.


    Pulling his brows closer together, Rufus quickly sat back down. "Why? Is something wrong with the pregnancy? Or is it because you are not showing yet and you are waiting to pass the first trimester? Is it a supernatural problem?" A glint of worry crossed his eyes.

 Chapter 533 - 533: A baby Saxon on the way.

    The questions were many, Phoebe could not decide which one to answer first. David was worried about his grandfather, and he urged him to calm down.


    Phoebe stood up and removed the supernatural veil that was hiding her belly. "We are way past that first trimester gap. I am five months gone as of today." She smiled warmly at him while rubbing her belly. "It is a girl that we named Star. It is not her real name, just a pet name. We are yet to decide on what her real name will be, but we are going to pick an angel related name to fulfill my grandfather''s wishes."


    Rufus wriggled his fingers, uncertain on whether to touch the little bump or not and yet desiring it so much. He chose not to touch Phoebe''s belly because he felt like he would be crossing a boundary. "Baby Star, I cannot wait to meet you my dear little one." Moisture grew in his eyes.


    This would be the first child born in the family after his recovery. The first one in his branch of the family too. It had actually been many years since someone from his branch had a baby.


    He sniveled and wiped away his tears. As an old man, he did not want to make the younger ones laugh by crying in their presence, but he could not help himself. Their home would be filled with the laughter and sweet smell of a newborn soon.


    "Little Star, if you are born safely, great grandpa will give you lots of golden toys and beautiful dresses and a large trust fund and many cars and....I have to think of other things."


    "Wheee!" Star cartwheeled inside her mother''s belly. Rufus''s words sent her spinning with happiness.


    Laughing under her breathe, Phoebe kneaded her belly in slow circles, anymore bounces from Star and she would pee unintentionally. "She likes you already." She relayed to Rufus.


    Replying with just a noncommittal hum, Rufus tore his eyes away from Phoebe''s belly. "Thank you for saying that even though it is too early to tell that she does." He smiled warmly.


    "Actually, she just told me that she does and the somersaults she is making close to my bladder are not funny at all." Phoebe laughed with unease on saying the last words and holding in a wince.


    A hollow laugh escaped Rufus. "A baby that can speak from the womb! No way, that cannot be. You must be teasing me." He paused when Phoebe shook her head, indicating that she was more than serious.


    "Wait.....so you actually have conversations with the baby? That is ridiculous! I have never heard of such a thing except for the cases of demon babies, and this is not a demon baby!


    The other option is that she has magic but even babies born with magic must first exit the womb before using it. Does this mean that she is tapping into your abilities already?"


    Phoebe nodded and this delighted Rufus to no end. S§×arch* The nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Amazing, she is so amazing. She is going to be one smart...no genius little kid which is not shocking as Saxon blood runs in her veins. My God, she will be a guardian for sure, the Saxon''s have produced another guardian, and I will live to teach her magic. I never thought that I would have this opportunity ever again, especially not when I was dying only a few months ago." Once again, he wiped tears that were just forming in his eyes.


    Maureen nudged Rekha with her elbow. "Would you look at that? I just made the great Rufus Saxon shed a tear." She boastfully said, lifting her chin.


    "You did not, Phoebe''s baby did." Rekha amended.


    Rufus was so emotional that they had to give him a moment to calm himself. The moment lasted ten minutes, after which he wiped his damp with a small warm face towel that David had asked a maid to bring in.


    The maid saw Phoebe''s baby bump and her jaw dropped open. She experienced both shock and confusion because she was sure that Phoebe had not been pregnant when she arrived in the tower.


    "She ate so much bread," Maureen said to the maid. Her voice became colder, and she added, "Do you understand?"


    The maid smiled nervously and started to back out of the office. Maureen pulled her back, put a hand on her head and erased the memory of Phoebe''s pregnancy. She pushed the maid out and closed the door.


    "The maids in this tower gossip a lot." she said when she noticed all the eyes on her.


    Rufus returned to reality. "So, about your desire to keep the pregnancy a secret. Should I really not tell anyone, not even my wife? I-i do not think that I can do that, it does not feel right hiding this from her." More of fear than worry marred his face.


    He was afraid of what his wife would do to him if she found out that he knew such an important secret and hid it.


    David gave his grandfather a wry chuckle, his eyes glinting with unspoken understanding. She was the only person in the tower that could take a firm hand to his grandfather. Before her, he was like a meek kitten.


    "Grandpa, the news will sound better coming from us, we plan on telling the rest of the people that need to know soon." He explained to him.


    "You two better share the news soon because in a few months she will pop that Star. Keep in mind that the longer you take, the more some people will feel betrayed, Jennie especially. She won''t take the fact that you hid your pregnancy well." Maureen''s words were dipped in caution.


    Rufus rubbed his hands together, excitement still bubbling in his veins. "So, when are you moving in Phoebe? I need time to enlarge David''s quarters and prepare the nursery. I mean now we have to meet with your family and discuss a wedding..."


    "Gramps please slow your horses about that, we have decided that Phoebe should stay at the Mayfair manor for now." David quickly chimed in.


    [For now! Try never, there is no way I am going to live in this house, not in this life. There are too many bad memories and scheming relatives.]


    Her thought rendered Rufus speechless, what did she mean by saying in this life? Did it mean she had lived a life in which she lived in the tower before? What was the mystery surrounding this girl? His skull thrummed with relentless unanswered questions.


    "I really do not understand any of this, but I will respect your wishes for now because the baby has not been born. However, no Saxon will be raised away from the tower, it has never been done." His words were a warning disguised as a reminder.


    [Until now.] Phoebe thought.


    Rufus gave David a steely eyes gaze that demanded an explanation.


    David lifted a pacifying hand, intercepting the brewing storm between his grandfather and Phoebe before words could ignite. It was not something that could be settled in one night. "We will have a deep discussion about that later on, but as for now you have bigger issues to deal with than where Star will be raised." He spoke in a grave tone.

 Chapter 534 - 534: Earth shattering disclosures.

    Rufus wore a blank expression, uncertain about what his grandson was referring to. Wat bigger issues did they have to discuss? "But before we start on that, Maureen said something about Phoebe''s powers coming from Star or Ze__something." He directed the question towards Maureen.


    Suddenly the spirit''s voice echoed in the room. "Zephyra! You old fool, I am your ancestor don''t you dare address me by my name call me nana, none of that great, great, great, great, great.....there is too many of them before we get to me. Just call me nana and be respectful." Her words came out faster than her thoughts, for someone that often-preached patience to Phoebe, she lost hers in a flash.


    The spirit''s outburst left Rufus stunned and his eyelids fluttered like flower petals in the wind. "My ancestor?" His repetition of her words was selective, since he could not see the owner of the voice, his quizzical gaze drifted to Phoebe whom he believed to have the answers.


    In response to his unasked question, Phoebe nodded. "Yes sir, there is a lot that you do not know especially about a lot of things. That night when I conjured the storm a spirit helped me. It is the spirit of Zephyra Saxon, your ancestor." She cleared the air on that.


    Maureen huffed softly, the progress of revealing what they knew was relatively slow and they needed to hasten up so that they could get to Cillian''s topic. "Uncle Rufus, if you are well conversant with your family tree like I am with mine then you must know who Zephyra is or was or at least you must have heard of her name even if she is not on the family tree." She pushed herself lips to one side.


    Jaw clenched, Rufus willed the heavens to spit back the fragments of the memories that he had lost. He used to be so much sharper than he was now. Rufus missed being young suddenly.


    "Well, the name does ring a bell, I believe that it belonged to an ancestor of mine, she was one of the seven witches that helped put Ravana away. In fact, she was not just that for she was rumored to be the head of the seven witch''s coven. There was also a rumor that she was the personal assistant or servant to the first ever guardian.


    Surely you cannot be talking about that same Zephyra. There are no pictures of her anywhere or records of what happened to her after the war, but it was said that she died. There is burial plot for a Zephyra in the Saxon cemetery. Honestly sometimes I think that she was a ghost that someone made up." Doubt seeped through his words like cracks in a glass.


    "Hmm, I did not know that much about her, but I am certain that you are talking about that same Zephyra grandfather. She is certainly powerful enough to be the one." David scoffed, his amused eyes meeting those of the spirit.


    Rufus run his fingers through his white thinning hair; more confusion sparkled in his eyes. "That cannot be! Do you know how many years have passed since she was said to have died? Where has she been all this while, where did she disappear to after the war and why would she be in touch with Phoebe__ a Mayfair and not me? It makes absolutely no sense." He continued to deny the revelations strongly, not wanting to believe.


    Wriggling its wrists, the spirit removed the spiritual veil that shielded it. "It is too bad that there are no pictures from that time to convince you, but it is I." It offered a dramatic bow. sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "What do you mean no pictures! I think that there is a portrait of you on the staircase." Rufus replied, comparing the spirit''s image to that of the portrait.


    Flicking its fingers to dismiss the words, the spirit sat next to Rekha. "Forget that stupid excuse of a picture, it was me but also not me at the same time." Its displeasure was draped in diplomacy after all it was not the time to talk about nonsensical issues.


    The explanation did not make sense to Rufus. Phoebe on the hand drew her own conclusion, Zephyra had probably possessed the body of one of the Saxon''s at the time to help them fight in the supernatural war. Maybe it was another guardian of the space the way Phoebe was now.


    Or maybe it was her and she used magic to create a body for herself which made it simpler for her to walk in the human world. Phoebe had read in a book that it was possible.


    Maureen groaned, the spirit and her descendant were very slow and annoying. Since when was Rufus long winded? He used to be a straightforward person in the past. Old Rufus would have started chanting spells by now to force the spirit to show itself.


    Maureen put one foot forward and she turned her head from Zephyra to Rufus and then back to Zephyra. "Maybe you should just show yourself to make this transition quickly because seeing is believing."


    "Right, I forgot that he cannot see me." Zephyra chuckled.


    She revealed herself to Rufus fully, relishing the look of shock on his face. She flicked her long white hair back and gave him an unnecessary smug look. She was daring him to argue that she was not his ancestor.


    "It really is you!" Rufus uttered, still in disbelief. He put a hand on his mouth, stood up, sat down and stood again. His body could not decide where it wanted to be. "Wait if you are my ancestor then why did you choose to make contact with a Mayfair? Our very ancestors preached that Saxon''s should always stick together, dead or alive. Why are you roaming around outside? Why haven''t you moved on? I-i have a million questions, you can understand why."


    A fond smile appeared on his face because he could feel warmth and familiarity coming from the ghost. He was also in awe, after all it was not every day that one got to meet a great ancestor of their family. She could tell him so much about their family history and old magic. He could hardly compose where he wanted to start from with his questions.


    The spirit leveled its eyes to meet him. "I am with Phoebe because of the family inheritance, the Saxon pendant. Phoebe had it on her when she died and I was awakened at that moment." It unleashed a grenade of truth. There was no more time chit chat but earth-shattering disclosures only.


    The revelation hit him like a gut punch and sent his knees buckling under his weight. His body finally decided which position it wanted to be in, sitting.

 Chapter 535 - 535: Too many shocks in one night.

    Rufus had heard of many extraordinary things, but this was more than what he expected to hear when he entered the office with Phoebe and her group today. The information, like his emotions were a roller coaster, up one moment and down the other.


    He was sure that his body was trembling, and his legs were weightless, they were as weak as jelly, and he was glad that he was not standing anymore. His right hand reached for the glass that was half filled with water, but his quivering fingers could not grasp it, and he almost sent it flying. The panic in him flared but with it came odd relief at least now he was getting some real answers.


    His eyes went to Phoebe''s neck, peeking at the pendant which Zephyra had made visible. Indeed, it was the Saxon family heirloom. The situation confused him even more now because his wife was in possession of the pendant currently.


    Did she have a fake one? Did this count as losing that family heirloom? It was the most important and most valuable possession of the Saxon''s. As he thought about this, his breathing increased.


    David rushed to his grandfather''s side and put his arm around the old man. "Grandpa are you alright? Do we need a hospital or medicine?" He lifted the glass of water to the old man''s lips, urging him to drink. "Pheebs get one of those calming and soothing tonics." He turned his head and politely requested.


    Already one step ahead, Phoebe stretched her hand to David, handing him the tonic bottle. "Here it is." Her words slipped out, barely audible. Rufus''s freak out was also making her freak out somehow.


    Craning her neck to see what was going on, Rekha said a silent prayer. Everyone was aware that Rufus had been on his death bed. Many had been waiting for an invitation to his funeral before this year ended. Instead, they received news of his recovery, albeit he was old and still recovering. It would not take something big to send him back to his sick bed. "Maybe we should go back and return when he feels better. We have shared enough information today." She suggested.


    She also wanted to take a moment alone to process the information she had just heard. Phoebe had died once upon a time so how was she standing there with them? What or who was Zephyra and how old was she? Like Rufus, she had many questions she wanted answers to.


    "This might be surprising, but I think that I agree with Rekha." Maureen lazily pushed herself up. "In fact, it is late, and I would not like to be one of the people that causes the death of the great Rufus Saxon. Tomorrow, we can start from here with fresh minds." She picked up another strawberry to go.


    Rufus'' voice frayed into a growl. "I will not die too easily Maureen Mayfair, sit back down and don''t treat me as a dead man walking. I get enough of that from Prue who treats me like a baby." He rumbled like an old engine starting, then he shifted his attention to the spirit. "Phoebe died? I hope that you can explain the fact that she is standing here and pregnant with my great grandchild."


    He paused to catch his breath. "So, does this mean you reincarnated into yourself again or you came back from death, something like a rebirth? When did this happen?" He shifted his focus to Phoebe. He was not unfamiliar with the subject he had read books on reincarnation, rebirth, transmigration and all the possible impossible things that could happen.


    But all he had done was read about these things theoretically, never had he met once person that had actually gone through it. Not only had Phoebe died and been reborn but it seemed like she had kept her memories about her past life intact.


    He had met human shells whose bodies hosted souls that had been transferred in them using black magic. However, he had never met a human that had gone through a successful soul transfer, most of these human shells became something evil and uncontrollable because of the struggle between the two souls.


    To answer his question Phoebe nodded. "I was reborn, not just me but David too." She revealed more on that story.


    Rufus'' mouth dropped to the floor; it opened widely but no words came out of it. He shut it after a few seconds and let out curse words. "You must have been killed, right? Who did it! Which son of a gun dared to lay a hand on a Saxon and....."


    The spirit raised a silencing finger. "Not now Rufus, that story is a long one and you will surely hear about it just not today." One icy note in its voice was enough to let him know that the subject was closed. sea??h th§× n?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Nodding his head because he got the message loud and clear, Rufus tilted his head to the side with curiosity taking over. "I only have one question though and I do not want to sleep tonight with it swirling in my mind. You said that Phoebe died with the Saxon pendant? How is that possible? It belongs to my family so how come it was in her possession?


    Also, you said that Phoebe was reborn due to your awakening Zephyra, because of the pendant. How was David reborn? I don''t suppose that there is another Saxon inheritance that I am not aware of." He held his head in his hands, not understanding a lot of things.


    A chuckle left Maureen''s lips. "Those are two questions uncle Rufus, yet you said that you had one question." She commented, earning herself a frown from him. Quickly Maureen raised her hands in surrender. "Not that I am complaining because I would also love to know how David was reborn.


    I have been itching to know how they were reborn and now that we have the answer to Phoebe, it would not be so bad to know David''s end of the story as well." She said, texting her mother to let her know that they were spending the night at the tower.


    It was coming to nine o''clock and it did not seem as if this meeting was going to be ended anytime soon.


    "For now, I will give you a short answer, in their past life you never recovered from your illness Rufus. You died and shit hit the roof or tower because you never trained a worthy successor while you were alive. Competition, selfishness and greed devoured the family internally while outside enemies used the opportunity to pick the family off one by one." The spirit began to narrate.


    It did not wait for Rufus to digest the horror and just went on. "Before the situation came to that, David married Phoebe, and your wife was the one that gave her the Saxon pendant. This was before your wife died and thank the heavens, she gave the family inheritance to Phoebe because her rebirth changed a lot of things for this family. Starting with bringing you back from the brink of death." It shortened the story.

 Chapter 536 - 536: The origins of the Saxon pendant

    The story just seemed to become more and more unbelievable. Rufus could believe easily that he had died in their past life because he had been on his way to death only a few months ago.


    What he found hard to believe was that his Prudence had passed on early and the great Saxon family had fallen. He couldn''t help feeling like a sinner because he had not protected the legacy which had been passed on to him.


    He was so grateful that the Saxon pendant had given Phoebe a chance to be reborn and granted them the opportunity to change things. He would make sure that when he died, it was not as a sinner that had left behind a weak fractured family.


    There and then, he decided to double his efforts in training David as a worthy successor. He was a better fit for patriarch than his father Robert. If the generation gap was an issue, he would pass on the position to Robert and declare David his assistant so that he could naturally inherit the position after his father.


    As for Phoebe, she would be a greater matriarch than Miranda, that much was obvious. She was fated to be a Saxon, all of the mysteries about her were tied to the Saxon family and their inheritance. He recalled the fact that the Saxon''s could see her thoughts.


    "This makes perfect sense, my goodness!" Rufus'' hand flew to cover his open mouth, staring at his grandson and his woman. "All this time, I tried my best to study the pendant as much as I could, hoping to see a little bit of the inheritance. It looks so ordinary, one could never suspect that it wields so much power like bringing someone back from the dead." He maintained his stunned reaction.


    Waving its index finger to disapprove his words, the Saxon spirit leveled it''s eyes to meet those of Rufus. "Ordinary! that is not true at all! That pendant is one of the most powerful magical relics to ever exist in the universe. It was created from the tears of a whispering star and crystallized by an ancient sorcerer long before my time. It found its way to our family sometime in the thirteenth century when a dying witch passed it on to Ysabeau Saxon, the first Saxon guardian of the pendant.


    From then on, it was passed down from one Saxon witch or warlock to the next. After the supernatural war, I passed it on to Leofrun Saxon. I stressed that it should be guarded jealously. I will never understand how or why Prudence, your wife gave it to Phoebe because she is not a Saxon, but I am glad that she did because it all worked out in the end thanks to the fact that Phoebe was a Saxon by marriage and she had carried Saxon children." It draped one leg over the knee. "I will stress however that after Phoebe; we go back to tradition and keep the pendant in the family."


    Rekha rubbed her chin; she had questions of her own. "Why must the pendant be passed on to Saxon''s only? I have heard all the founding families shared powerful relics after the supernatural war. How were those powerful relics shared at the time? Who decided what family got what relic?" She asked with measured politeness.


    The spirit leaned forward, a faraway look crossing its eyes. "This pendant is different from those relics; it is a blood bound pendant. To be honest when it comes to shared relics, it was the relics that chose their owners and not the other way round. That is why no family complained about which relics went to whom.


    It saved us a lot of trouble which would have resulted from greed. A perfect example of this is the mystic keys, after the war almost every family wanted a key for genuine or selfish reasons. I decided the distribution of the keys myself. Look at the results now! with time, the descendants of those families betrayed the cause by either neglecting the safety of the keys for they did not believe in the supernatural anymore or they sold them to God knows who.


    The founding families have failed in their duty of educating the younger generations on the supernatural. They lost themselves in the lust for wealth The worst crime they committed is that they hid information about Ravana and brought danger back to the world."


    "This is all interesting." Maureen said in an awe filled voice; her curiosity however was still shackled to the Saxon pendant. "Can I have a look at this pendant uncle Rufus, it seems like a relic one should have a look at before death, sort of like one of the wonders of the world. The real wonders, not Saxon tower kind of wonder." Maureen felt the need to add the last line because the Saxon tower was not one of the wonders of the world in her opinion.


    Before the old patriarch could answer, the spirit spoke first. "Not now Maureen because we need to tackle the issues that brought us here." It shifted its attention from her to its descendant. "Please Rufus tell me that you have some of the mystic keys." It looked at him with eyes that were a mix of impatience and desperation. Sear?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Rufus opened his mouth, but no words came out, he contemplated on whether to tell the truth or not. The information about the keys was top secret, only a few people were supposed to have such dangerous knowledge. Maureen, Rekha Phoebe and David were not on the list.


    They all could see that he was hesitating, so Phoebe let out a short but heavy sigh. [He must see no reason to trust us with such information.]


    "I am sorry, but I cannot confirm or deny if I do. Even though we are sharing all of our information there are some things that I cannot just come out and expose." He let out an uncomfortable laugh.


    Frustration formed in the spirit''s eyes. Like Maureen, it was tired of all the unnecessary secrets and information about the keys was on that list. They needed to know how many keys they had altogether. "Even though Azur is back?" It asked in a sharp tone.


    Pulling his brows closely together, Rufus repeated the name. "Azur? I only know one Azur and he is the demon commander of Ravana''s army. That cannot be possible! how can he be back? He has been locked up in one of the prisons in the academy for a very long time." He remarked off handedly because he was certain that they were wrong.

 Chapter 537 - 537: You have been gone too long

    Rufus''s mind refused to comprehend what they were saying to him. It was beyond believable what they were implying, and it was terrifying. Of all the places in the academy that he had investigated, the prisons had been left untouched.


    Rufus had never fathomed that the betrayal in the academy could run so deep that it had reached the prisons. Was nothing sacred anymore?


    "You might want to brace yourself for this uncle Rufus." Maureen spoke lightly, each syllable designed to sting and make him understand just how wrong he was, which was her intention since he was not taking them seriously just yet. "Uncle, you have been gone for too long. Azur has not been in any prison for a very long time, hell we do not know if he was in any prison in the first place since nothing that comes out of the academy can be trusted anymore." She informed him.


    Rufus'' head suddenly seemed to be so heavy for his head as it fell forward, it was like his world had turned upside down in a minute. He wanted to protest strongly but no sound came from his open mouth and when it did, it was a whisper. "H-how d-did you.....where did you hear that from?" He stammered but managed to say when he came around.


    Surely, if this was the case, why wasn''t the academy on high alert? In the academy, Azur''s picture should have been put up already with a bounty on his head. Every supernatural hunter in the world should have been hunting for him.


    Others that were not part of the academy but involved in the supernatural world should have been calling in tips for cash rewards if their information was proven credible. They had rules and guidelines for this kind of thing.


    To answer his question, Rekha told him that it was Azur that had killed her father Bernard and her mother. "Dean Rufus, I saw him. With my two eyes I saw that hellish demon, it tortured my father and threatened to wipe out all the Montgomery''s. My father had no option but to tell him where the mystic key was. It still killed him anyway." She exposed the whole truth to him.


    She fumbled around in her pocket and retrieved a black weather wallet with a good luck charm bracelet. From the wallet, she pulled out a picture of Azur that she had drawn, the demon and human form side by side. She slid the picture to Rufus.


    He knew what Azur looked like, they had books on demons in the academy and for most demons, there were pictures of their demon forms drawn besides their names and other information.


    "I can never those horns, those eyes---him, I can never forget him." Rekha said in an angry voice.


    Rufus confirmed that it was him. He folded the paper and returned it to Rekha. Drumming his fingers nervously on the sofa armrest, Rufus shut his eyes for a fleeting second. "I need a drink." He grumbled audibly, pointing at the hidden cabinet that stored his liquor. His wife of course had no idea for he was forbidden from drinking. "Check there for the good stuff and shut your mouth about this David." He wriggled his wrist instructing him to hurry up.


    David pinned his feet on the ground; he was aware that drinking was not good for his grandfather''s health. "But grandpa you are not supposed..."


    "Just get the man the damn stuff! He won''t die if he takes a glass or two and even if he dies, Phoebe here will bring his back to life somehow. With all the bombs that we have to drop today he needs it and so do I." Maureen threw in cutting David off.


    Rufus drew in breath and let it out slowly. "Thank you, Maureen."


    David had no choice; he poured them some whiskey and did the same for himself. Aware of the state of his health, Rufus only gulped down one sip of the whiskey before pushing the glass away. S~ea??h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    They all waited for him to compose himself. Maureen finished her glass and David topped it off. Rekha decided that she could use a drink as well, so she joined in the alcohol festivity.


    Phoebe could not join them because she was pregnant. Instead, she placed two magical hangover tonics on the center table. "Grandpa drink this, the whiskey will not affect you as much as it should and your health will not be affected at all." She advised.


    Nodding, Rufus thanked Phoebe and drunk an extra sip of whiskey. He turned his head to the left and made eye contact with Rekha. "Who else knows about this?" He asked. Worry plagued his voice because he could already imagine the storm this information could set off.


    If people from the founding families became aware that Azur was had been out there roaming among them all hell would break loose. Fear would become prominent as it had done in the past.


    Some people would join Ravana''s believers out of fear while panic and suspicion would engulf others leading to the creation of vigilantes whose mission would be to kill off Ravana''s believers. Innocent lives would be lost; it would be the witch hunts all over again.


    There were those that would decide to hide in their bunkers until the war ended. It would be the safest place or so they would believe. Demons were not afraid of underground bunkers unless they were warded.


    "Grandma Mayfair and also old man Lee knows, he is part of this team." Rekha answered.


    A knowing chuckle came out of Rufus. "So that is why he asked me to give him a position at the academy, he is on a mission to investigate this, isn''t he?" He asked, taking interest in the matter.


    "Yes." Maureen and Rekha answered in unison.


    Rufus nodded once. "You are lucky that it was Lee you approached with this information, he is one of the trusted ones. I have come to discover that the academy is filled with moles, and I plan to root them out. It will be much easier with Lee there now. He is one of the most ruthless guardians I have ever met despite his docile looking appearance." He spoke with a smile.


    The smile was lost, and his next words were said through pursed lips. "I am now certain that a supernatural war is brewing. I wonder what Azur has been doing all these years. He must have been busy freeing other demons and making a plan. I have been tracking all demon activity that happened since I fell ill.


    I have discovered that their activities have doubled over the years and yet our response time has become sluggish." He relayed to them. "Those idiots at the academy have been sleeping on creating a strong supernatural army to protect the world." He swore, letting out a string of curses that surprised everyone in the room.


    "Are we doomed?" Maureen asked.

 Chapter 538 - 538: Two more keys.

    Maureen had a way of bringing a dark cloud at the right moment and adding bad news to an already bad moment. Everyone was thinking about the demon army when she asked if they were doomed.


    David was recalling the day his mean had faced off against the demon in Humphrey. Phoebe had called it a minor demon. His men with their training and guns, had failed to fight off a minor demon. What would they do when faced with an army of the major players?


    Rekha was thinking about Azur--thinking back to the day he killed her parents. One Azur had overturned a car, what an army of demons like him do?


    Phoebe was thinking about the ice cream she had left on the table. Now would be a good time to eat that pistachio ice cream.


    "We are not doomed." Rufus said slowly. He was trying his best to sound enthusiastic and he was already coming up with a plan. They needed spell weavers, stronger guardians, expert hunters, witches.....shamans. He looked at Phoebe, she was a shaman, and she was powerful.


    "God, I hope you are right." Maureen sighed. "I can authoritatively tell you that Azur and his demons have been searching for the location where Ravana was locked and hunting for the mystic keys. We do not know how many they have in their possession as of yet." She poured herself more whiskey emptying the bottle.


    Without waiting to be asked to bring more alcohol, David took the initiative. "There is more where this came from." He placed two bottles on the table.


    [This is why we need to know how many keys you have grandpa Rufus. We should know where we stand and who is winning so far. We can also tell how much time we have until the supernatural war.] A thought appeared on Phoebe''s forehead. Sear?h the nov§×lF~ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    A sigh of defeat came from Rufus. "So, this is why you all wanted to know if I was in possession of the keys. As the Saxon''s we have protected the key that was entrusted in our care. And also, there is one stowed in the coffers of the academy making them two." He confessed to them.


    "Two! Oh, thank goodness." Maureen placed a hand on her chest and let out a huge exhalation.


    A wave of relief washed over the spirit''s entire being, the frown on its face disappearing.


    Some of the people in the room just could not understand why the others seemed relieved. Those were just two keys. Maybe Azur and his side had the other four.


    "What is happening here, am I the only person that is worried that this Azur could be having the other four keys? Four beats two unless my math has suddenly decided to take a vacation right now. So, why are some of you acting relieved?" Rekha dropped a question; her thoughts were similar to those of the two men in the room.


    The spirit quickly answered. "We are relieved because I know of two keys and where they are. You don''t need to ask me where, just know that they are in the safest place in the world." It revealed. "We need to get our hands on the rest of the keys before they are snatched."


    "Four out of six, that means that the odds are in our favor. We can assume that Azur has two but that is not a number to brag about because it means we are winning. I can see why you are relieved." Rekha slumped back in the chair, releasing breathe that she did not know that she was holding.


    A faint, almost involuntary smile touched David''s lips. "That is great to hear but this key at the academy is it still there? Grandpa a while ago you said that there were moles, and someone released Azur from prison so how do we know that the key stowed there is safe and sound?" He asked, airing his concerns.


    With everything that he had been occupied with, Rufus had not for once suspected that the key would not be at the academy. But now that David had spoken about it, worry began to consume him immediately.


    He wished he had wings to fly there and check immediately but that was complicated too because to access the vaults, at least four people needed to put a password.


    "The storekeepers are the most trusted guardians in the academy. From my investigations so far, they have remained loyal and true to their mission. There is no way that key was stolen under their watch. Besides, the key is floating inside a magical ball that is full of energy left there by the grand guardian. That energy will kill anyone that attempts to access the key, I am certain that it is there even though I have not confirmed with my eyes.


    Phoebe shifted to the edge of her seat. "I want to see it; no I have to see it for myself." She made a demand.


    Arching an eyebrow, Rufus stared at Phoebe. "Is that necessary especially since your father does not want you near that academy? Do you plan to just waltz in there, say hi to the storekeepers and enter the vault as if it is the Mayfair manor? I am sure that someone will mention it to your father." He scoffed like it was all a joke.


    "Sneak me in if you have to, I will even wear a disguise, but I have to be sure about what you are telling me is the fact." Phoebe answered swiftly, the desperation in her tone got him interested.


    Rufus continued to study her, his instincts warning him that there was more that she was not revealing. "Why? Tell me the real reason and I will speak to Edward myself in case your visit to the academy brings trouble." He made a reasonable proposal.


    Looking at the spirit as if seeking for permission, Phoebe''s eyes shifted to Rufus after the spirit nodded. "Those two keys Zephyra told you about are in my possession and the keys are not the only way to unlock burial Ravana''s place." She revealed.

 Chapter 539 - 539: Bloody damned witches.

    Hearts began to hammer against rib cages on hearing Phoebe''s newest revelation especially for the last part of her statement. There was another way for Ravana''s burial prison to be unsealed!! Did this mean they had been running around for nothing? Did it also render the mystic keys useless?


    Why the hell had they been searching for them and making sure that they were safe?


    "What? I don''t think that I heard you the first time. Could you repeat that please." Rufus said, voice tight.


    Phoebe repeated herself, telling them again that the keys were not the only way to unlock Ravana''s prison.


    Maureen, mid-sip of her wine, lowered her glass. "Bloody hell! Where did you hear that from? From the expression on Uncle Rufus'' face it seems that he has no idea about what you are talking about. Is it a rumor because there are many stories in circulation about Ravana." Her eyes probed for answers.


    David just stared, his casual self-scattered. "No_no_no, Phoebe never says things without being certain. If she says that there is another way, then there is another way. But grandpa is what Maureen saying true? That you have no knowledge about this other way?" He asked in a concerned voice, his eyes never leaving his grandfather.


    It seemed to him like they were running a marathon but while they were just joining and lagging at the back, others were almost as the finish line.


    "Witches, I fucking hate witches." Maureen finished off the glass of wine, slurring her words a bit. "Why do they always leave loopholes when they deal with evil? I bet it''s not just a red moon and pure.....err...whatever the other one is. There should be a spell too to accompany the ritual." She sneered, "Bloody damned witches, they can''t just seal evil up forever and move on. They always go...." She made her voice tiny and mimicked what her intoxicated self-thought witches sounded like. "We locked away this evil but in five hundred years, the blood of a blonde-haired baby with eyes of different colors who has no relation at all to this matter will open the doors and the evil will roam the world again. To keep the world safe, you must kill the baby. Am I right or what uncle Rufus?" S~ea??h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Shaking his head gently, Rufus lifted his clueless eyes. "I_I think that we have heard enough for the night. Maureen obviously needs to lay her head down. You are all welcome to spend the night here. I am going to look into this other way, and we will all meet first thing in the morning after breakfast." He pushed himself up, only to fall back into the leather chair.


    A sharp chorus of gasps erupted from the onlookers as he went down. Their first thought was that he was in danger--a heart attack kind of danger. Phoebe was now regretting her words, had she spoken too soon? The words had come out unintentionally for she had planned to ask the spirit first about the other way before bringing it up.


    Now, Rufus was pale and yet flushed at the same time. Phoebe could not decipher if it was low blood sugar, a fever or anxiety.


    "Anxiety." The Saxon spirit told her, which relieved her.


    "Grandpa, are you alright?" David was already trying to unbutton Rufus''s shirt and check his pulse and body for signs of distress.


    Shaking his head softly, Rufus pushed away David''s hands, ripping off a button from his shirt in the process... "I am fine David, shocked but fine. You all can go to bed right as I have calls to make and books to read." He politely made the request.


    Letting out a weary sigh, Rekha launched to her feet. "Just when I was beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel by thinking that we were on the winning side because we had four keys, darkness covered the light. The sad part is, maybe my parents did not have to die after all because the keys are now useless." She muttered, walking away slowly as she quietly drowned in her thoughts.


    "I will show you to your rooms personally." David quickly strolled ahead of them all, sparing a worried glance at his grandfather who was getting to his feet as well.


    He and Phoebe supported Maureen and left her in the care of a servant. She was loudly singing a song called the final countdown which was about the world facing destruction.


    David left Phoebe in his bedroom and returned to the study, checking on his grandfather once again before joining Phoebe permanently for the rest of the night. She was right where he had left her, sitting on the edge of the bed, lost in an abyss inside of her mind.


    "Babe, you know that you do not have to worry about grandpa, he is okay I just came from his study, and he is drinking hot tea and on a video call with old man Lee." He suddenly spoke, jolting her out of the half like trance that she had dived into.


    His voice tugged at Phoebe''s heart; she leaped from the edge of the bed and rushed towards him. "Are you sure he is, okay? Maybe I should give him a heart protecting tonic. We dropped a lot of bombs tonight and I came in with a bazooka at the end that basically brought every building down." The words clawed out of her, ragged with guilt.


    David smiled while gently spinning her around, he sat her on the bed and began to massage her feet. "Believe me, I would not have left him alone if he was feeling sick." He assured her as he stretched her toes one by one. "It must have been a long day for you too my love, don''t just worry about others, worry about yourself as well." He rubbed her feet, with the intention of relieving all the stress that weighed on her like a huge rock tied to her feet.


    Phoebe exhaled for the tension was melting from her shoulders slowly. "You do not know how relieved I am to hear that. If grandpa dies, I know grandma won''t be able to hold on for long. She will age quickly and die of loneliness. It cannot happen in this life; I must buy them more time together." She relayed to him, laying back on the bed. "Are you not going to ask about why I did not tell you about the other way? It is not that I did not trust you, this whole thing is just so complicated." There was a faraway ache in her voice, part of her thought that David was miffed that she was still keeping things from him.


    However, David let out a soft sigh and started working in massaging her shoulders. "I am saddened that you have to carry this knowledge around. It is a big burden that was handed to you. It must not be easy being you." His reassuring words were a balm to her aching invisible wounds.

 Chapter 540 - 540: Phoebes secret is on the move.

    Somewhere in the city, Luna and Luke were on a date and part of that date had taken them to a children''s baby shop in one of the high-end malls. Luna was cooing over every tiny shoe and clothing, dangling them before Luke before dumping them in a shopping cart that he was pushing.


    The cart was filled to the maximum, but they were not even close to finished. Luna had yet to visit the larger half of the store.


    "More shoes! It''s the same pink shoe Luna!" he exclaimed when she added another pair of pink shoes with a big bow.


    Luna held it up and clarified the difference between the shoes. "This bow is fur, the other is fur with diamonds and the first one was a ribbon with gold thread. They are different."


    Luke groaned. It was his night off; they could have been having sex right now. Why were they shopping for Collin''s child? The question made him freeze and suddenly he realized that there had been no confirmation of the gender of his brother''s child. Shanna wanted a baby shower were everyone would find out at the same time.


    Luke''s eyes darted to Luna''s stomach, and he frowned. "Luna, whose baby are we shopping for?"


    "Phoebe''s of course." she answered without thought. "We are shopping for baby Star."


    "Phoebe''s what now?" Luke bellowed.


    Luna eyes met Luke''s and gasped. "You have no idea, Oh my God! How is my information route better than yours? Arrow is like David''s best friend, and he knows. He told his sister Missy who told Sabrina, and she told me."


    Luke held back his response, he digested the fact that his sister was pregnant, and the family was not aware. He thought about his parents and how they would react and recalled Phoebe''s words when they found out that Shanna was pregnant.


    It seemed she had been giving them a hint.


    "I am going to kill them." Luke muttered. He also realized that they would be needing another cart because he had things to buy, pink, red, white, yellow and every color of cute girly things in the shop.


    ****************


    The morning of the next day, Phoebe woke up with a mission of her own. While David was still fast asleep, she stealthily stepped out of the bed and sat on the soft carpeted floor with both legs crossed in a meditating position.


    "Let''s see where you are hiding my dear sweet sister, it has been a while." Fingers twisting, she muttered to no one but herself.


    Like a professional that had done this many times, Phoebe made a connection with the tracking worm inside of Ruth. Indeed, it had hatched into an adult. She connected to it spiritually; within no time she had found the location of Ruth Gabriel. However, her findings were far from what she was expecting.


    "What the fuck!" She cursed loudly, springing up from the ground, eyes wide with shock.


    Her loud voice which could have woken the dead ripped David from his sleep. He reached under the pillow for the gun which he kept there. "Pheebs! What is going on?" He squinted his eyes, lifting the upper part of his body, armed and ready to shoot. There was no intruder, so he put the gun away.


    This did not mean that there was no trouble brewing in the air. It was on rare occasions that he heard Phoebe curse, and it was mostly not a good thing.


    Pacing back and forth, Phoebe stood still when she heard his voice. "She is here David, that bitch is on the grounds of the tower." A breathless hope threaded through her speech.


    With an impatient kick, David freed himself from the blankets. "Who are you talking about?" David fast approached her.


    "Ruth! The tracking worm that I put inside her soul hatched fully and it shows her current location to be here, at the tower." Phoebe told him, eyes widening.


    David leaped out of bed pulled on some casual pants and t-shirt quickly. When it came to Ruth, there could be no delays because she was not in the healthiest mental state. "Ruth!!! the cuckoo Ruth!! Are you certain? Damn it! All this time that we have been looking for her in Silver nation and it turns out she had already returned to the country and arrived at the tower. Somehow this makes sense and no sense at the same time. Let''s get her, we need to know who is helping her because that person is the one behind our death and downfall of our families in the past life." He confessed to her.


    "The hidden enemy?" Phoebe said, fear seeping into her bones. This was an enemy with magic and he or she was ruthless. She still recalled the horrific images of death of the men that had broken Ruth out of Lockhart.


    Halfway to the door, David spun around and looked at her. "Pheebs, let us go." He urged her loudly, but she remained put which confused him further.


    "Don''t we need a plan?" She questioned him.


    Shaking his head, David''s lips curved into a deliberate but calming arc. "We will after we have captured and taken her to Alfa security." He stretched out his hand to her.


    Phoebe who felt that his answer was good enough, run to him, taking his hand. They followed the tracker which led them to the guest houses near the servant quarters.


    Then suddenly she lost the connection with the tracker.


    "Dammit I lost it; she must be using a spell to shadow it." Phoebe reported to him.


    "Shit!" David''s furious kick sliced at empty space.


    The sudden sound of footsteps echoing behind them caught their attention, Maureen and Rekha came in sight.


    "Why are you guys here?" Phoebe questioned suspiciously.


    It was more than clear that she was not in a sunny mood. Then again, it was winter and there was no sun. S~ea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "Well Good morning to you too. Not that I had a great night with all the nightmares of me fighting demons in a supernatural war that we were losing." Rekha grumbled.


    "I am sober now, if anyone is asking." Maureen chipped in. "Why are you two under dressed for this weather?"


    Phoebe let out a frustrated sigh. "It is a weird morning, that worm that I put in Ruth, placed her somewhere around here then I suddenly lost its connection." A growl vibrated in her throat before she even spoke.


    "Here? Like here at the tower?" Maureen''s mouth dropped open for a fleeting second, her eyes studied the surroundings. "If she was here, I am sure that people would recognize her and arrest her immediately. She is Persona Non Grata among the founding families." Her quizzical eyes stared at David.


    Rekha snapped her fingers. "Perhaps she sneaked in, and they have not seen her yet." Even she suddenly felt that her suggestion was ridiculous. After Dickson''s death, security had been tightened even more on the grounds of the tower. "Nobody needs to say it, I can hear how stupid I sound because that is close to impossible with all this security." She retracted her own words.

 Chapter 541 - 541: Ruth is back.

    Maureen rubbed her chin, thoughts running wild in her head. "What if, just what if she disguised herself and got a position as a maid here." Her suggestion raised brows from the listeners. Ruth was not exactly maid material; she was not the kind of person that was comfortable living a hard life.


    Maureen could see the skepticism on their eyes, and she raised her hands. "Do not be so quick to dismiss the thought just yet. I mean, she was obsessed with David. The kind of obsession that leads to murder-suicide, fatal attraction sick kind of obsession. Maybe she came here because she could not just stay away from him." She continued to expand on her theory.


    Phoebe looked at David, her mind thinking back on the past. It was true that Ruth was obsessed with him to the point of killing their children in their past lives.


    Bobbing her head vigorously, Rekha''s eyes lit up. "Now that makes sense, there is nobody that lives on the lane that did not know about Ruth Mayfair''s love for David Saxon. She made every woman David dated miserable and found ways to harm them so that he could not get attached to them.


    That model Ella Krantz, David dated her for a year and a half, there were rumors about a pregnancy and possible marriage. When the Saxon''s were away on their family vacation/reunion around six years ago, Ella was attacked. Her face was cut, and she was raped. The word slut was painted on her body. She is now permanently living in a mental health hospital. Most of us had a feeling that Ruth was behind it."


    Phoebe raised her eyebrows at David. Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In turn, David said quickly, "She was never pregnant, there was no proposal, and I am only paying for her treatment because she is an orphan. The two suspects involved in her attack were found but they died of drug overdoses."


    "I know." Phoebe answered.


    "It was Ruth." Rekha nearly hissed as if she had this fact down to pat. "She could watch him date, but she could allow him to marry another. That woman is jealous and dangerous, unhinged if I do say so myself. But if I am wrong and it was not her then you can ignore me and lump me in with all the gossipers on the lane."


    Maureen, Phoebe and David all thought that it was probably more than gossip. They knew how crazy Ruth was.


    "Ruth is not alone." David stated. "In the past life, she and her powerful co-conspirators took down the Mayfair''s, Saxon''s and even the Lee''s. I think other founding families like the Castille''s that encountered bad luck during that time were their victims too. A lot of people were left dead including myself." He continued to inform them.


    The weight of David''s words left Rekha without a voice, her mouth opened but nothing emerged. She really wanted to pry his head open and take a look at the memories of this past life which was also the current life.


    Meanwhile tears blurred Maureen''s vision, her throat tightened as every possible reply dissolved into static. Was this the enemy that Phoebe was always thinking about? Someone so powerful enough to upend three mighty founding families! And she wanted to tackle this on her own! This was a situation that needed all hands-on deck. For all they knew, Azur was this hidden enemy.


    "Well, that is never going to happen in this life, nobody is destroying our families." Maureen voiced suddenly, through gritted teeth. The determination in her voice could cut through stone.


    One of her hands was in her pockets, touching the moonfang blade. Soon, she would feed it with the blood of sinners.


    David gave her shoulders a reassuring squeeze. "Of course, aunt, we will not allow it to happen. That is why we must get Ruth, she knows who this person is. I have ways of prying her mouth open." He pressed his lips tightly together.


    "Pheebs, did you witness the destruction of our family?" Maureen asked her.


    Phoebe shook her head. "All this happened after I was already dead. Ruth killed my twin boys and told me to jump off the sky scrapper. She threatened to kill my mother and brother. At the time, I had no idea that the Gabriel''s were not my family but hers. I don''t think she would have killed her real family.


    From what David said, after my death she set Collin up, Luke and Andre. Collin went to prison, Luke and Andre died. Grandma and mom and dad also died, and she took over ownership of the company.


    Together with Dickson Saxon they killed off or harmed many of the Saxon''s. Dickson swallowed Mayfair Corp and merged it into his company, eventually taking over the Saxon group. David died and that is where the story ends for him as well. Ruth is the devil, leaving her to roam free is a great danger to many people." A bitter laugh escaped Phoebe''s lips. "This time I won''t let her get away." She made a vow.


    Maureen had a question, but David stopped it in the works.


    "I know what you are going to ask Maureen. How did I let such a thing happen?" He shrugged. "I was not as strong as I am now, my obsession was becoming vice president of the Saxon group someday. I was always working and when the enemy struck and Phoebe and my boys died, I lost my way. While I was drowning in alcohol when they toppled the family. By the time I tried to fight back, it was too late. They also used magic; my ordinary means were useless."


    David pulled out his phone. "Polly must have an updated list of all employees that work here, Roxanne will deeply investigate each one of them. We will find Ruth even if she is using a different name." He sent the text to Polly.


    "Since she escaped from Lockhart last time, can we just kill her when we find her?" Rekha made a suggestion which took them by surprise, she was one that always followed the rules and law.


    David nodded. "Good suggestion Rekha." His eyes drifted to Ramon who was approaching them. All conversation seized.


    "A good morning, Madam''s and Sir." Ramon bowed lightly. "Breakfast has been served." He announced. Without further ado, the group began to move towards the house.


    It was odd for all the Saxon''s to report for breakfast but today they were all there. Some had even taken flights to be present for Rufus had posted in the family group chat that he had a special announcement to make that morning.


    Katherine was the most enthusiastic out of everyone. "Mr. Cornwell, his team of lawyers are here, it must be about the presidency of the company." She whispered to a group near her; fireworks of anticipation cracked through her blood stream.


    "Are those not the family lawyers? Why are they here on the day grandpa summoned us all here?" Valarie asked, her eyes moved her to her father.


    Thomas scratched his brows. "Only one thing comes to mind, the old man has finally made up his mind on whom to leave in charge of the Saxon empire." He shared his suspicions.