Chapter 115

***Levi.***

***The following day***

I sat in the VIP lounge at Quincy, nursing the glass of wine that the waiter had poured for me, minutes ago. A number of thoughts should have crossed my mind, but I expelled them. Choosing my misery.

It was 6:30, Sunday evening and the entire lounge stirred with life. However, I didn't see them. I only saw the emptiness I felt. The emptiness that had become me, in recent days.

When I woke up the following morning after Kenya's party, It hadn't surprised me to hear from the driver he had dropped her off in Irvington. I hadn't even felt incensed. I allowed her. If it gave her peace, I didn't mind.

I was aware she currently hated my guts. I did too, so I wasn't upset at her.

Blake had a team searching the footages for which of the guests had intercepted Kenya that night. No uninvited guest had attended that night.

My phone rang in my pocket and I pulled it out to see Liam's name on the screen.

"Hey am around your office. Are you in?" Liam asked.

"No. I left a few minutes ago. Meet me at Quincy's." I informed him.

"Alright. See you there."

He hung up and I returned to nursing my drink and my sore emotions. I couldn't even understand what hurt more. The fact that she found out I was a monster, or that I was no different from my father.

I felt bitter thinking of him.

He had been a loving man towards us. Sadly, his weaknesses had overruled his better judgement as a father and husband. Extremely ambitious. Desperate for control. Kenya was right, I was like him.

Over the years, I had climbed so high. Accumulating such power and wealth that rivaled even the top men of the world. I was one King that didn't intimidate others, unless necessary.

Yet, my sins had come back to haunt me.

Feared among the dark lords in the world. Impervious to matters of the heart. I was finally brought to my knees by a woman.

Back then, I thought Belle had done me in. But Kenya, Kenya was a conjurer of spells that wielded her powers without any efforts.

"Levi. Where's your head? I've been calling." Liam called behind me. I turned to him. I didn't even know he had arrived. I looked at my phone, seeing his missed calls.

He sat. "What's up. You don't look too good." Liam noticed. I knew I looked bad, but I didn't know It was obvious. My tie was loosened around my neck.

"Trouble with the Mrs?" Liam teased. When I didn't smile, he grew serious. "Oh. Sorry about that. Anything I can help with?" He asked.

I shook my head. "Unless you can somehow turn back time, undoing what my father did." I breathed, finally sipping my wine. A strong Italian blend.

A waiter came to equally pour a glass for Liam.

"What are you doing here, by the way?" I asked, attempting to ease the tension. He silently regarded me.

"Where is your wife now?" Liam asked. I didn't want to talk about Kenya. I wanted to push that to the back of my mind for now, but I couldn't. She was everywhere.

"In Baltimore. She left today for a movie shoot. My men there say she's arrived." I looked at Liam.

I knew what he felt. I was pathetic. Liam didn't do emotions. One mother fucker that buried his in all the grief he suffered years ago. His well-kept secret.

Exhaling, Liam spoke. "Look the way I see it; you either get hold of the situation or fail. Either way. I never thought I would see the day the King of New York got nailed by a woman."

I tried for expressionless. But even I couldn't deny Liam's observation. I was ruined.

"What brought you here." I changed the topic.

"There's a hit on the King of New York." Liam showed me his phone. I stared at him doubtfully, before I lowered my gaze to the screen.

Surely a message on his screen was to all the dark lords, declaring I be brought down at all cost. I stared at the screen for seconds. My blood boiling in anger. BB had ordered it. Now I wanted to kill this person.

"What does BB mean? And who is he? Any ideas?" I asked, darkly. Liam shook his head.

"No man. We just got this message in our devices. And we don't know who sent it. Some of the guys are trying to find out. But it's like the person uses an encrypted means to reach others." Liam revealed. My eyes bore holes in that message.

"So what did the others say? Why haven't they started bringing me down. Surely someone there must hate my guts." I scoffed.

"Someone does. But that doesn't signify. They all prefer a King they know and not a faceless person." I didn't know whether I should feel relief at that declaration.

"There's more. He has added a condition to the hit." Liam took his phone, highlighting something on the screen again, before he returned it. I froze as I read the words.

*Step Down from Elections, before the candidacy withdrawal deadline of October seventh.*

Those words stared back at me. I scowled. This was ridiculous.

"What does this have to do with the elections?" I asked, impatiently. Liam shrugged.

"The way I see it, we have to dig on this and fast. We would have blamed Crompton, but the man is clean. We all investigated him and the other candidates, remember."

I knew that. But someone was out to ruin me. To make my life a living hell. They had almost killed me and now they toyed with Kenya.

"Just be careful for now. Ensure your wife takes caution. Double the guards for her, because if this person could do a number on you in Columbia, then he is out for blood."