Madison gripped her purse slightly, as she alighted from the cab that had just dropped her a few miles away from her house.
Due to the swampy state of the environment where she lived in, taxis never took her straight home, instead they stopped at a safe distance by the road and then she would continue the rest of the journey on foot.
A warm smile on her lips, her hands outstretched as she handed a paper money note to the driver, Madison watched the vehicle drive away slowly and straightening still she whirled around and began to walk home.
Her head currently swamped with so much thoughts already, Madison decided that as soon as she got home, she would have some rest before finalizing the preparations for her journey.
A yawn escaping her lips, and a hand going to her forehead to rub gently, Madison stared straight ahead, continuing to walk briskly straight to her house.
As she walked past, she offered greetings to neighbors and kids alike, waving at them happily, all the while feeling a bit nostalgic that she would be leaving them soon.
It was for the best though, and for her safety too.
There was no way she could still live freely in London after everything that'd just happened, and after Damien's reappearance again.
She might have forgiven him, and even though she could barely forget what happened, Madison knew that she just had to get on with her life, and create a new path for herself.
A new identity, a new country, a new life... What more could she ask for? She wondered as she whistled slowly.
Looking up from the ground, Madison noticed that she was close to her house, and the small compound building she shared with her neighbors, but then she froze when she saw the mini commotion taking place just right in front of her door.
She squinted, her hands covering her head as she tried to see if she could get a clear glimpse of what was happening, but she couldn't see clear.
However one thing was obvious. There was a small crowd just in front of her home, and she was more than curious as to what was happening.
Increasing her pace, her hand gripping her purse still, Madison brushed a hand over her hair, smoothing the disheveled strands out as she walked.
She tried thinking, wanting to have any idea as to what could be the cause of the commotion and the crowd but nothing came to her mind, and she was more than clueless.
The fact that her neighbors were gathered around and chatting happily showed for a fact that nothing dangerous or eerie had occurred, and it gave Madison a little bit of relief.
Coupled with all that had been happening the past few days, she wouldn't be able to bear it if...
"Here she is. She's back already." One of the neighbors, a ginger haired woman who had a small baby by her side, squealed the instant she spotted Madison, and soon all eyes were on her.
"Welcome Maddie." The chattering ladies greeted in unison, as she came nearer.
An uncomfortable smile on her face, Madison opened her lips ready to ask the question that had been bugging her ever since, but she stopped when she saw something shocking, and her purse nearly dropped from her hands.
The smiling neighbors gathered around parted, and standing at her door, a smile on her almost wrinkled face was Mrs Connor.
"Mother?" Madison called out softly, and when her mother nodded, she said again this time with a happy squeal, "Mother!"
Without even wasting any more time, the strange thoughts in her head falling away, and with a yelp Madison ran to embrace her mother, quickly molding herself into the comfortable flappy arms splayed out for her.
"Daughter." Madison could hear her mother mumble, a sniff escaping her lips as the old woman rubbed at her hair, and Madison could only let out a tear.
It'd been months, or years since she'd seen her mother last, and now that she was here it all felt like a dream.
Madison could only understand why her neighbors must have gathered around. They must have been talking to her mother, keeping the poor woman company while she had waited for her daughter's arrival.
Her door was locked as usual, and she never dropped a spare key, and now she was berating herself for not doing so.
Not that she didn't trust any of her neighbors, but then no one visited, so she didn't deem it necessary to drop her house key with any of them, and as she thought about how her mother must have been standing outside waiting, her chest squeezed guiltily.
"Oh mother..." She stuttered, dragging herself out of the long lasting embrace, and staring intently at her mother.
Madison cupped her her cheeks in her palms as she said softly again, "Oh ma, I've missed you so much."
"You too my dear. I have, and that's why I had to come see you."
"Oh mother..." Madison trailed off, so many questions dying on her lips as she realized that her neighbors were still gathered around, and turning around to face them she shooed them away albeit gratefully.
"Thank you so much, Mrs Sterling, Mrs Elizabeth and every single one of you who kept my mother company while she waited. I'm extremely grateful."
Muttering and dismissing her thanks with a smile still, the neighbors then said their goodbyes to Mrs Connor, but not before complimenting her on giving birth to a nice daughter, and Madison's cheeks reddened at the flattering remarks.
"You have such nice neighbors. They even gave me snacks and drinks. They really kept me company." Mrs Connor chimed in moments after they were long gone, and Madison was busy cracking the door open.
The knob twisting open, and quickly switching on the lights of the small room before opening the door wider, she let her mother in.
She sharply locked the door, turning to ask her mother if she would want any more snacks and refreshments again, but the word died on her lips almost immediately when she saw her mother's brows raised questioningly.
A sad smile on her face, she watched as the old woman tactically survey the small place she called her home.
From the bed, the sparse furnitures in the one bedroom flat, and her keen grey gaze finally stopping at the already packed luggage, located at the end of her wardrobe, Madison sighed and waited for the confrontation to begin but nothing came.
"Mother..." Madison called out after some time, and gray teary eyes matching hers, Mrs Connor said slowly, "So you thought you could just leave without seeing me? You thought I would let you go, without setting my eyes on you one last time? After all these years, you thought you could just vanish into thin air and leave me here. How cruel of you Madison? How cruel?"
"Mother..." Madison called out again, taking a step towards her already sobbing mother, and pulling her frail body into her own embrace this time around, "It's not that way. I just didn't want to disturb and..."
"Disturb as how? Seeing me is not and will never be a disturbance. Oh Maddie, you should know me better."
"Mother please... I really did want to see you mother, but you know how father is. He literally warned you guys never to check up on me again, and vice versa. He said he would practically cut my feets if I so much as stepped a foot in his home and I dreaded that. I know you still try to keep in touch but..."
"I'll be damned if I let that old man come in between me and my children! How could I not come see you? Ever since you told me about wanting to leave, and asking for my help in contacting our relatives, I just couldn't stop thinking about coming to see you. I needed to see your face and hold you in my arms once more. My beautiful, beautifully baby girl."
"But you didn't say a thing about coming mother..." Madison trailed off, laughing heartbreakingly as she disentangled from her mother's hold over more, "How did you even know my house? Where I lived? I was happy and worried at the same time when I saw you. I kept thinking if something bad had happened and..."
"Nothing bad happened my dear. I only wanted to see you one last time and here I am. I got your location from your stubborn brother Mason though. After so much pestering he had no other option but to give me the address." Mrs Connor said and Madison laughed painfully.
She could only imagine just how really persuasive her mother must have been, to her brother.
"What about father? Where did you tell him you were going too? What did he say?"
"Oh please, just forget about him for now. I missed you so much Madison. You and Micheal rarely visit, and now you're leaving London for good. It's hurting me so badly, and even though I don't want you to go, I know you're doing this for your own good and I..." The frail woman broke off, sobs clogging her throat as tears fell from her eyes and Madison's heart tightened painfully, as her own eyes watered at the side.
"Mother, it's okay. I'll be fine. I'll call and... I'll do video calls and talk to you every weekend. I'm so sorry that I have to do... do... do... do this but it's what's best." She was already stammering, trying her best to string the words together and be strong but she just couldn't.
She never knew how painful it would be to leave her family and home behind, in search for newer pastures and this she was realizing now. It hurt so badly, now that her mother was standing in front of her, in flesh and blood.
From the time she'd handed her resignation at the bakery, she'd felt nostalgic and hurt as she bade her work and friends goodbye, but now seeing this woman was more agonizing than anything she'd ever felt before.
Madison was more than sorry, but she just had to leave. She had to leave, or else...
"I know you have to do this. You want to be at peace, and if leaving here will guarantee that then I'm with you every step of the way. I'm not here to stop you daughter, no not at all ." Mrs Connor said gently, her palm on Madison's face as she rubbed gently, sniffing back her tears.
"Yes mother, I'll be at ease if I leave. Definitely he won't come to meet me over there, or will he?" Madison joked, even when she knew the answer to this.
Damien might come, hell he would come if he wanted too. She could only hope that when she left, and he got to know about it then he would get the message she was clearly trying to pass along and then leave her alone.
She wanted nothing to do with him anymore. Not in the present and not in the future.
"Let's sit and talk. Have you gotten your tickets already? I can see you're packed already."
Madison smiled ruefully as her mother kept on talking, and leading her to the bed, they continued their discussion.
It was evident that her mother wasn't even leaving her anytime soon and it felt hearty and nice.
It was nice having someone who loved and cared for her, staying the night with her.
The last night she was spending here actually, before leaving London.
.......
KATHERINE
"Our target, just handed her resignation to her boss this afternoon. I got this from a very reliable source at the bakery."
"Her resignation? You mean Madison resigned from her job? Why would she do that? Is she and... Fuck!" Katherine stopped herself from saying further as different scenarios began to play in her head.
This was the first news she was receiving ever since she'd stepped into the warehouse, to plan Madison's kidnap with her boys, and successfully her mood had just been ruined again.
There could only be one explanation as to why Madison was resigning and leaving her job. Just one fucking reason - Damien must have fully reconciled with the bitch - Yes! This was it!
She was resigning, so she could plan her leave to New York with Damien and they could travel back together, just like the stupid lovebirds they were.
Right from that night when she'd seen them kissing, Katherine couldn't get the image out of her head, and worse still the fire in her raged so badly, that all she wanted to do was get Madison, and slice the bitch into half.
"Arghhhhh!" She yelled, wringing her wrists like a maniac, and raking her fingers through her hair, she scattered the packed strands.
"Ma'am I think you need to calm down."
"I should calm down? Do you have any idea what's going in my head now?" She half yelled to the man talking, and he murmured his apologies.
Heaving slightly, silence descended in the large building, while the men watched until finally, another of them broke the silence by saying, "The reason Madison is actually resigning is because she's making plans to travel. Although I have no idea where she is going too I..."
"Enough!" Katherine spat out, anger coursing through her heavily, "Just enough! I don't want to hear any more thing."
She didn't want to hear anymore about that bitch, at least for now! She wanted to hear absolutely nothing connected to that bitch.
Hearing the name 'Madison' made her head spin and throb painfully.
"How is the kidnapping plan going? When are you guys going to strike? There's no way she can leave for whatever trip before we nab her. What is the plan?" Katherine asked slowly, after she'd regained her composure.
At first no one was saying a thing, and already irritated she opened her mouth to ask the question again but someone finally beat her to the convo.
"From my sources, I can confirm that she's leaving London tomorrow, and it would be best to strike then. We can attack just when she's leaving."
"Hmmmn." Katherine hummed, already liking the idea and a wicked smirk appeared on her lips too.
"That would be okay right?" The man asked again, and agreeing wholeheartedly Katherine replied, "Yes it is a good plan. Just be careful and make sure to strike when she is far from familiar territory like her street."
"Sure of course. We're going to be very careful and carry this out just how you'll want it."
The words she was hearing now was enough to soothe the raging anger in her, and as she closed her eyes slowly she heaved in a slight breath.
Katherine reveled and basked in the knowledge that soon she would get rid of that bitch, and she felt excited once more.
In as much as she just couldn't wait, she knew she had to plan her steps sharply, and strike when needed, and that she was doing now. With the help of her men, the bitch would be brought to book and her punishment would be melted out as usual.
"Lest I forget..." Katherine began instantly remembering a very crucial information, and opening her handbag, she dug in and brought out a bunch of keys.
Handing it over to the leader of the men, she said briskly, "I bought an abandoned renovated warehouse, located at the outskirts of London. I'll text you the address when I leave. When you've kidnapped the good for nothing lady, I want her to be taken there. I already bought some torture equipments but you are also free to take yours."
"Okay ma."
"Yes, you can do well to begin the torture before I come." She finished and all the men gathered around her nodded in unison and adherence.
"You lots are doing so well, and I brought a little compensation for you all."
Digging into her bag again, she brought out a thick brown envelope that was full of cash, and handed it over to the leader, who began to thank her profusely, as the rest of his men went down on their knees in appreciation.
"I have to go now." Katherine mumbled, even as they continued to thank her, and putting on her dark tinted sunglasses, she took a step back and turned around to leave the warehouse.
Before she could step out of the door, she yelled back at the men, "Do a good job, and bring that bitch to me!"
"Yes madam. Yes we will do as you want." They all replied in unison and Katherine could only nod in satisfaction.
By this time tomorrow, Madison would be in the hornet nest. Madison would be in her claws and she would be able to do whatever she wanted to do, with the sneaky bitch.
Oh... it could only get better from now on, this she was more than sure off.
.......
Thanks for reading. 💕