Isabella

31| The Mad Man

**Present Day**

Isabella

We were bent on catching this blackmailer but we knew it was definitely going to be difficult.

"We've been here for the past two hours. It's better we just go" Sandra said from the back seat.

"No, it's better we do this now or never" Tayo who was next to me on the drivers seat said.

"Tayo is right, I'll crush his bones when I see him" Daniel said from the back seat he shared with Sandra.

"But this is a stupid plan. He's the one that asked us to put the money in the trash can, he'll know we're going to be waiting for him to come and collect it" I said

"Bella is right" Sandra agreed with me

"Well, I'm not going anywhere. If he really wants the money, he'll come and take it" Daniel was stubborn and determined and I bet none of would leave the car if Dan didn't approve.

We watched the watched the huge trash can near the market for hours. Sandra had fallen asleep on Daniel's lap and I had my head phone on. Tayo was probably texting Trina on his phone with Daniel being the only person who was actually alert. I couldn't blame Dan. The man had threatened him with his son.

"I saw Mr. Jide yesterday" Sandra said with a chuckle. She wasn't sleeping but she was still laying on Daniel's lap.

"Mr. Jide from secondary school?" Tayo asked and Sandra nodded.

"He actually asked of Bella. He said he's being seeing you on TV" Sandra smiled and I smiled too.

"I can still remember the day you used spray paint to write 'Mr. Jide is a goat' everywhere" Daniel said and we all laughed remembering that day.

"I really miss the Evil four" Tayo said.

"Yeah, good days" Sandra added.

"Back then who knew we'd ever turn out so successful in life" I said wondering why God had decided to smile on us after everything we'd did in high school.

"But Bella you actually went through hell. I've never seen someone as tough as you are" Sandra said to me sounding sleepy.

"You too Sandra, I was surprised when I heard you came back to school after giving birth to Trump. I mean, how did you do it?" I turned around to see Sandra smiling.

"I just told myself that I couldn't give up like that and plus Trump stayed with my grandma as a toddler. If I hadn't continued my education then, I would never have been able to go to school again" Sandra explained

"You're right, I've seen a lot of girls that get pregnant in high school and because they don't continue at that time, they never get to go to the university" Tayo added, "You're brave o"

"I was lucky my parents didn't force me to take care of the baby, that's why most girls never continue their education; because of the excuse that they have to take care of their child" Sandra explained further.

"Graduation was not the same without you Bella" Daniel said.

"I could imagine" I smiled, "I had my own graduation in prison" everyone laughed a little before we were suddenly quiet.

"But it was nice finishing high school in the States, I went to prom and all but it was just a year" I narrated, "By the time I graduated, I didn't even know what I wanted to do until there was this audition for a movie and I was like 'why not?'"

"I actually got the role and after that I decided to pursue a career in Hollywood" I smiled remembering all those years of struggling to make it in Hollywood. It wasn't easy.

"I'm really proud of you" Tayo said with a weary smile.

"Yes o, you're a strong woman" Sandra said and we all laughed.

I looked at the vibrating phone in my hand to see an incoming call from Stephanie. I answered the call but I was immediately distracted by Daniel.

"The mad man! The mad man! He took the bag!" Daniel immediately rushed out of the car and we followed too.

"Hello Bella are you there?" Steph said on the phone.

"Yes I'm here" I said while watching Daniel and Tayo chase the mad man while the market people and some passersby had gathered around.

"I heard you wanted to speak with me" said Steph

"Yes, it's about your cousin Tiffany that died in high school. Did they ever find out what happened to her?" I asked.

"Isabella, Tiffany isn't dead" Steph dropped the bomb on me. "After that day she had a convulsion at her pool house, she went back to Canada"

"What?!" I watched as Daniel managed to pin down the mad man while my mouth was left open. "Are you sure of what you're telling me?"

"Yes, I spoke with her last month" I hanged up after Steph had said that.

I immediately ran back into the car when the crowd had suddenly turned into paparazzi. I couldn't risk being seen in a questionable scene. I just hoped that they hadn't taken a picture of me yet.

Daniel, Sandra and Tayo had surrounded the mad man. It took about an hour before they returned to the car with the sack of money.

"So that wasn't really a mad man? Is he the person blackmailing us? Why didn't you call the police?" I asked all at once while everyone just kept quiet like someone had died.

"Someone should talk to me, what did he say?" I asked again.

"He wasn't the one blackmailing us but he told us who the person is" Tayo finally spoke up.

"Who?" I asked with all eagerness. "Who?"

"Bella it's your father" a bomb was dropped on me for the second time that day.

I knew Richard was capable of a lot of things but I never knew he was capable of this. How did he even find out about that night?

"Tayo drive, we're going to my dads house" I said in a low tone.

"Bella—"

"Drive!" I screamed at Tayo and he did as told.

We we're on our way to Richard's estate when my phone began ringing once again. It was my mom.

"Bella where are you?" she sounded like she'd been crying.

"I'm with Sandra and the rest, is there a problem?"

"Bella your father was killed in his house this afternoon. Someone shot him twice" and when I thought I was done with all the surprises, another bomb was dropped on me.

Yes, yes, thank you sooo much for reading!
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