Exhausted, Melissa sat leaning on the glass window as the plane took off disappearing into the clouds. "Melissa are you okay?" Lisa knelt beside her when they let her in the office. Using her handkerchief she wiped Melissa's face. "Aunt come with the lawyer they can't detain you here anymore, get up." Lisa helped her up and out of the office.
For day's Melissa stayed in the house on the bed not responding to anything they said. "How do we get her out of that bed?" Lisa asked walking out with the untouched food plate. "She has not eaten for day's since we got from the airport, I don't know what to do anymore."
"The doctor said we should give her time, be patient with her." Betty sat beside Melissa smoothing her hair. "When her parents died she got depressed like this but it was worse, for a moment I thought she would die but the news about her pregnancy gave her something to live for. We have to make her want to live again." She said looking at Melissa feeling helpless. Day and night Melissa looked outside the window not blinking her eye's, she only saw Sasha take her son a way.
"That why we are here." Nancy and Jenifer said standing at the door.
"You came, come in." Betty welcomed them getting up from the bed. Lisa had informed them earlier of the situation so they planned to take Melissa out of the house.
For day's they took her to everyplace they thought of but no change. From the park to the cinema and even to the city's chapel for a Sunday sermon but nothing changed. She would walk but didn't talk or see any one. Melissa had turned into a zombie.
"What now?" Jenifer asked holding the steering wheel.
"We have done this for day's but I don't know how we can get to her." Lisa said looking back at Melissa.
"We can't give up on her. You have to come back Melissa." Nancy said holding her hand. "It's very hot outside, I need an ice cream and maybe the cold feel will wake you up. Coming?" Nancy asked opening the car door.
"We can't leave Melissa in the car." Lisa said stopping her.
"Of course not, she is coming along. Hold her on one side then I on the other side." Nancy suggested.
"Wait, why don't you get the ice cream, I'll stay in the car with her. The mall is crowded we can carry her along."
"Jenny, she can walk she just needs a little support besides maybe being in a crowded place is what she needs." Nancy insisted helping Melissa out.
After persuading Jenifer they walked to the mall. "Remind me why I said this was a bad idea." Jenifer looked around at the people walking in and out of the ice cream parlor.
"We will seat their then Lisa will make our order." Nancy instructed supporting Melissa to the table with Jenifer's help as Lisa went for their order. Two steps to the table a five year old boy playing with his friends run into them hitting Melissa smearing the ice cream on her. About to fall on his back Melissa pulled her arms from Nancy's and Jenifer's hold and caught him.
"I'm so sorry for my son's recklessness." The little boy's mother apologized wiping the cream from Melissa's dress.
"It's okay." She stopped the lady looking at her son. Nancy and Jenifer looked at Melissa, worrying she might mistake the boy for Tommy. "Your son is very handsome, don't scold him he's just a child." She said touching his soft hand.
"Thank you." The lady said taking her son a way.
"Melissa are you okay? Let sit here and wait for Lisa." Jenifer held her hand directing her to the table but Melissa kept her eye's on the little boy.
"Tommy, they took him from me." She said before falling unconscious.
"What happened?" Lisa asked placing the bag on a near by table.
A few minutes later in the hospital, Melissa woke up regaining her sound mind. After calling Robert, he informed her which country Mark was taken for treatment but her traveling documents were left at the villa and nor matter how hard she tried to get a plane ticket she couldn't leave.
.....
"Mr Johnson was taken out of the country and no one is protecting her now. Shouldn't we get her?" Diana's assistant asked handing her the video and pictures of Melissa making a scene at the airport and some of her looking depressed.
Spreading them on the table, Diana laughed. "No! not yet, let her lose everything she has first then I can carryout my plan on her." She said sipping her drink sitting back on the chair.
"What do you plan to do to her?"
"All in due time, you will find out once I start. Call my father's lawyer in." She instructed crossing her legs.
"Ma'am." The middle aged man acknowledged Diana.
"Mr Wakili, as my father's attorney, how do you plan on defending him?" She asked straight to the point inviting him to sit by the show of a hand.
"Ma'am, your father's embezzlement case is difficult, the evidence presented against him is enough to send him ten to twenty years in prison without fine." He explained. "Also Ms White's attorney demand's your company's ownership, which the judge may rule in their favour."
"I need you to talk to the judge, make sure the company does not end up in her hands no matter how much I have to pay." She instructed.
"Bribe the judge?" He asked sitting up straight.
"I'm sure you understood what I meant."
"What of Mr Stevens? Shouldn't we bail him out?" Mr Wakili asked eyebrows raised.
"They can give him life in prison, I don't really care. He asked for it by going behind my back, just make sure you do as I said and I promise to pay you handsomely." Diana got the surveillance video, When the police interrogated the newspaper vendor, from their she realized her father had sent the evidence to Melissa. Now all she cared for was getting the company from him. Owning everything she had worked for.
At the judgement day Diana sat behind her dad's legal team waiting for the proceeding's to start. "Dad, are you okay?" She hugged him as the police escorted him to his seat.
"I'm be fine my dear." He said looking at Melissa who sat alone watching them. She looked tired and worn out, worse than he was. Seeing her father's concern Diana bit her lower lip cursing Melissa in her heart. "How is your mother and sister?" Mr Stevens asked looking around at the people present for the hearing.
"They are fine, they left the country as planned." She confirmed sitting behind him.
As the judge walked in the court room, Diana smiled placing her hand on her father's shoulder for comfort. The judge sentenced Mr Stevens to ten years in prison or a thirty million fine, and awarded sixty percent shares of the Steels company to Melissa, aggravating Diana putting a frown on her face.
"I asked you to talk to the judge, what the hell did you do?" She asked the lawyer in a hash tone as people left the court room.
"I'm sorry ma'am but the judge won't take any bribe. Ms White's lawyers are very influential, they kept a close watch on the judge's every movement." He explained apologetically. "Are you going to bail your father out?" He inquired hoping she may change her mind.
"No, let him enjoy his stay in prison." She responded watching Melissa closely.
"Thank you, for still representing my case." Melissa thanked Jason and his team as they walked out of the court room. Though Mr Johnson had sent her off, withdrawing all the resources, Jason still represented her in court.
"You don't have to thank me, though Mark is not around, the work he started must go on. Besides I'm only doing my job." He said smiling. "I'll have my secretary send all the regal documents you need to sign. Should I drop you off?" He asked as the driver brought the car.
"No, you don't have to, I can manage." She said walking down the stairs.
Diana got in her car watching Melissa converse with Jason. "Make sure you do a clean job, call me when your out of the city." She instructed on the phone as Melissa left in a taxi.
Feeling exhausted Melissa sat back laying her head on the car seat, closing her eyes she feel asleep only to be woken up by the taxis abrupt stop. "What happened? Why did you stop." She asked the driver leaning forward.
The driver held his hands up as armed men with faces covered got from the car parked before the taxi. Two men stood watch as the third one got Melissa out of the car.
"Where are you taking me? Let me go." She strangled to get out of the man's strong hold. When she saw a car approaching from a distance she stepped hard on the man's foot and hit him on the stomach with her elbow running off when he let her go wincing in pain.
"Stop or he dies." They dragged the taxi driver out of the car to his knee's holding a gun on his head.
Melissa stopped, raising her hands she turned to look at them as the car turned ending to the opposite direction. Don't hurt him please, I'll come with you." She said walking back.
"You b*tch think you can get away from me?" The man slapped her hard on the face she could taste blood as he pushed her into the car. "Let go man, finish him off." He told his partner to get rid of the taxi driver.