THE INCARCERATED STRANGER

 

Chapter 30

 

MANGALISO

 

He pulls his car into a secluded spot, the engine humming softly before he turns it off. Stepping out, he strides purposefully toward the looming warehouses ahead. Sage had texted him earlier, alerting him that they had captured one of the bosses from the "TRIADS," a notorious group known for their ruthless operations.

As he enters the warehouse, he’s greeted by Sage and a couple of other guys standing near the entrance. Sage nods and motions for him to follow. They make their way down a dimly lit corridor until they reach a door at the end.

He pushes the door open and steps inside. The man is sprawled on the floor, disheveled and helpless. Without hesitation, he grabs a bucket of water from the corner and splashes it right onto the man's face. The sudden shock jolts him awake, and he starts coughing violently.

“Vuka wena Masaka!” he barks, kicking the man hard in the side.

"You bastard!" the man gasps, glaring up at him with fury in his eyes.

He can’t help but chuckle at the defiance. “Nice to see you, even though we don’t know each other!” 

The man manages a wry smile. “Well, I know you too well, Mazibuko!”

“You know me, but I don’t know you—how is that fair? But it doesn’t matter; I’m not interested in getting to know you,” he replies sharply. 

“Tell me this: what’s your obsession with me?”

The man merely stares back at him, silence hanging heavy in the air.

He shakes his head in frustration and glances at Sage, who nods back knowingly. Sage steps forward with a sack and another bucket full of water. He places the sack over the man’s head and tips the bucket over, drenching him again.

The man struggles beneath the sack, murmuring as he fights for breath but can’t seem to catch any. After a moment of suffocation, Sage pulls off the sack, and the man gasps for air.

“Are you going to talk or not?” he demands, irritation boiling beneath his calm facade.

“You refused to do business with us! Don’t you remember? You thought you were better than us, you bastard!” the man spits defiantly.

“We could have made so much money together and ruled the country!” he continues, his voice rising with anger.

“I refused to do business with you? I don’t recall you ever proposing anything to me,” he replies coolly, raising an eyebrow at the man.

“That’s because my partner is the one you know! I sent him to propose to you; we wanted a cut of your diamond necklace business!” the man retorts, a hint of desperation creeping into his tone.

He laughs, a mirthless sound that echoes in the room. “Many bastards like you have tried to propose deals to me but never had the guts to mess with me after I turned them down. You and your partner crossed a line when you messed with my family—you hurt my little brother!”

In a flash of rage, he slaps the man hard across the face. The force of it sends him crashing to the floor, his head hitting the ground with a sickening thud. Blood begins to ooze from his nose, flowing freely like water from a broken faucet.

“Now let’s get to the part where you made me kill an innocent officer—why?” he asks, glaring at the man whose nose is bleeding profusely.

“Well, that officer was an obstacle to our business! We made you kill him and sent you to jail so we could take over all your businesses!” the man admits, a twisted grin on his face.

“Very clever, aren’t you and your partner?” he replies with a mocking laugh and a nod.

“The lawyers—were you the ones who were keeping me locked up in prison?” he presses, his eyes narrowing.

“No, we don’t know anything about the lawyers,” the man insists, shaking his head.

“Well, now that you’re about to die, I’ll find your partners and make sure they follow you straight to hell,” he declares ominously. The man lets out a laugh, defiant even in his situation.

“You won’t succeed! I’m sure they’re already alerted that you have me, and they’ll come for you—I’m telling you!” the man says, his bravado faltering slightly.

He simply looks at him with a chuckle.

 “We’ll see about that,” he replies before turning to leave the room. Sage follows closely behind him. The man is left cursing and spitting nonsense as the door closes. Just then, a group of guys walks in, ready to deal with him.

“So, what about his accomplices?” Sage asks, a mischievous glint in his eye.

“Send them a message: take the man’s body apart and drop the pieces at each of their doors,” he replies coldly. Sage nods with a smirk, clearly enjoying the idea.

“You’re glowing, Mazibuko, or am I just seeing things?” Sage teases, but he shoots him a deadpan stare.

“Mind your business, Sage!” he responds playfully, unable to hide a slight smile. Sage bursts into laughter.

“Mhhh, say hi to Miss Qwane for me—or should I say Mrs. Mazibuko-to-be?” Sage winks at him. He chuckles in response.

“I have to leave; I left my woman sleeping. I don’t want her to wake up and find me missing from bed,” he says, turning to leave as Sage continues to laugh and mock him.

He walks to his car and drives toward home. Glancing at the time, he sees it’s 21:45. He hopes Ayakha hasn’t woken up and noticed he’s not there.

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RILEY

 

The morning she has been waiting for has finally arrived. She gets up and heads to the shower, taking her time to enjoy the warm water. After drying herself off, she applies lotion and slips into her casual clothes—black, which always looks great on her. Today, she’s wearing her chic black girly suit.

As she combs her long hair, she puts on her heels, transforming into the professional lawyer she is. Advocate Ayakha Riley Qwane smiles at her reflection in the mirror, hardly believing that she’s back to doing what she loves after months away from her laptop, the law firm, courtrooms, and meeting clients. It's a moment filled with excitement and anticipation for what lies ahead.

“Look how beautiful you look,” his voice makes her turn to him, surprised. She thought he was still asleep.

“I thought you were sleeping,” she says, smiling.

“Nope, I was watching my woman get ready for work,” he replies as he gets out of bed and walks over to her.

“I’m going to miss you,” he pouts, and she chuckles at his playful demeanor; he’s being such a big baby.

“I will miss you too, but we’ll see each other after work, babe,” she reassures him. He pulls her into his arms and kisses her, and she kisses him back.

“You smell nice,” he says, taking in her scent with a content smile.

“Let’s go make you breakfast,” he suggests, taking her hand. He grabs her laptop bag along with the other bag filled with the legal books they always carry to the firm.

They arrive in the kitchen, where he whips up breakfast for both of them. As they sit down to eat…

She smiles , “The food was lovely, babe. Thank you!”

“You’re welcome, Cupcake,” he replies, making her giggle.

“Here, take my car. I’ll go fetch yours today,” he says, handing her his car keys.

“Are you serious?” she asks, surprised.

He nods confidently. 

“Yes. No woman of mine will Uber. I don’t trust those rides, and we don’t want to take any chances, now do we?”

She shakes her head in agreement. 

“Good! Now take the keys and go, Miss Advocate,” he says, leaning in to kiss her before walking with her to the car.

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 As they step outside, the morning sun bathes everything in a warm glow. She can’t help but feel a rush of excitement as she climbs into his car. It’s a sleek vehicle, and she loves how it makes her feel—powerful and ready for the day ahead.

“Don’t forget to text me when you get to the firm!” he calls out, leaning against the driver’s side window with a playful grin.

“I won’t! I promise,” she replies, her heart fluttering at his caring nature. 

With a final wave, she starts the engine and pulls away from the curb, glancing in the rearview mirror to see him still standing there, watching her go. The drive is smooth, and she enjoys the familiar route to the law firm, feeling a sense of purpose and determination.

As she arrives and parks, she takes a deep breath, soaking in the moment. She steps out of the car and adjusts her suit before heading towards the entrance of the firm. The lobby is bustling with activity, and she feels a rush of adrenaline as she greets her colleagues with smiles and nods.

Once at her desk, she opens her laptop and takes a moment to appreciate being back in her element. The sound of typing fills the air as she dives into her work, reviewing cases and preparing for meetings. Each click of the keys reminds her that this is where she belongs.

Pari is running late, but she promised to bring pizza for lunch, and she can hardly wait to see her. Excitement bubbles inside her as she thinks about all the things she wants to share with her best friend. 

The clock ticks slowly, each minute feeling like an eternity, but the thought of that warm, cheesy pizza and their upcoming catch-up keeps her spirits high. She imagines all the laughter and stories they’ll exchange, and a smile spreads across her face. 

A few hours later, just as she finishes up an important document, her phone buzzes on the desk. 

It’s a text from MANGALISO💌: *“Hope your day is going well! Can’t wait to hear all about it later.”*

She smiles at his message, feeling grateful for this man. With renewed energy, she focuses on her tasks ahead, knowing that after work they’ll be together again to share their day,day just another hour left it will be lunch time Pari will be here..…

 

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