Chapter one

The heart monitor by the bedside table beeped, increasing the sense of foreboding within Christian, each beep sounded like his grandmother's life was fading away. 

   "Christian," the old woman croaked weakly, her tone airy, her throat dry. Christian leaned closer to her, her frail hands in his tight grip and listened as she whispered, "You promised to let me see her, Christian, you promised I would see your beloved wife before I leave this earth." She said faintly, with a smile that brightened her pale and wrinkled face for a split second. 

  "You will." He replied, his voice a deep baritone that hid his emotions, hid the sadness and dread within him to lose the only family he had, the only human who truly loved him.

   "You made a promise Christian, I raised you to be a man of your words." She reminded him, her feeble eyes staring pointedly at his handsome chiseled face. 

   Christian nodded, "I'll bring her to you now, rest, I'll have the doctors check on you." He said and rose from the bed, grabbed his coat off the armchair beside the bedside table and strode to the door. 

   Christian Mills  knew how unfair life was, he'd been a victim too many times but right then, he wanted to grant his adopted mother's last wish. 

   Christian was at the lobby of the hospital, his stance stiff, his face etched with a frown, his wife had just rejected his first call and missed 10 calls at a stretch. Torn between having his personal guard track her down and doing it himself, he gave her one last ring, appalled at her indignant attitude. 

  "What is it?" She snapped over the phone, her voice cold. Christian knew she was no doubt still pissed over their fight earlier that day. 

 "Grandmother is ill" he responded, his voice was steady and equally cold, barely reigning his anger in. 

   "Oh please, how convenient," Stephanie mocked and then added briskly, "You can't order me around anymore, Christian, I'm in an important business meeting," Stephanie replied. 

  "I need you to come to the hospital, she wants to meet you," Christian sneered. 

   "I don't think so, I can't have this conversation, I'm busy." She said casually and hung up. 

   Christian was about to press the redial button when he heard the ruckus from within the ward, he turned and nurses were hurrying in and out. He walked briskly in and saw her mother being wheeled out, covered with a thin white sheet.

   "Where are you taking her?" He asked, his voice sharp and making them halt instantly. "She's...we...we lost her." The older nurse said and stepped aside as Christian walked over to the stroller and flipped off the white sheet. 

  Her face was completely drained of life, her mouth in what would have been a smile if she was alive. Christian bent and dropped a soft kiss on her forehead, smoothened her hair back and then stood, his face expressionless, his lips in a thin line. "Take her to the morgue." He ordered and the nurses nodded. 

  As Christian stood there, fists clenched and jaw twitching, he realized he had not granted her one wish to wish his wife and that even he could not save his grandmother's life. 

Christian Mills stood tall, just like the whole underworld knew him, he could not bear to be weak, he could not show the world how broken he was at the demise of his grandmother. Above all, he blamed himself for depending so much on her love, for being unable to save her despite all his wealth and power. 

   A Chevrolet was parked a couple of feet away, his driver on the wheel, the engine steaming as he awaited his return. But he was not going back so soon, his grandmother had a lifetime to be there all alone and he wanted to spend the next minute with her. 

   Face stoic and eyes hard, he dropped a single orchid on the marbled stone and whispered, "So long," putting his stetson on and flipping on his dark sunglasses. He didn't need it, the day was far from sunny, the gray clouds had long gathered gloomily and threatened a downpour soon. 

  Eyes still fixated on the gray headstone, Christian said a silent prayer and turned to leave when his pocket vibrated, it was Stephanie calling. 

   "Hello," he said and there was a long pause at the end of the line then she spoke, her voice distracted and cold as it had been for the past days. She had missed grandmother's funeral and her continued nonchalance disgusted him. 

   "We need to talk, Christian," she stated and then said, "Not over the phone, meet me at home soon." 

  "I have a meeting by noon, I'll be heading home after that." Christian replied calmly and hung up. His marriage to Stephanie was a burden he was going to bear, that he knew. Their constant fight and disagreement had created a rift he knew would take time to heal - if at all. 

   The generals from World of Dragons and its conglomerates had all attended to mourn with him, the high and mighty, the elites of the city had come. But sadly, he could not get his own wife to bid his grandmother farewell. 

   Still deep in thought, Christian turned, alert, as he heard footsteps hurry towards him, his hands reflexively went to his waist where a Glock 45 was nicely concealed by his coat. 

   He eased off as he saw the familiar face of his personal bodyguard, he was walking hurriedly towards him, his office phone in his grip. 

  "Sorry to bother you master, but I think you may want to see this, Sir." The man dressed in black said with a slight bow and handed Luke the office phone. Christian took it and immediately dismissed the man with a wave. "Go wait in the car, I have a meeting with the new partners soon."  He said and the man nodded, departing as swiftly as he'd arrived. 

   Christian stared at the phone, his mouth in a sneer and his face contorted in disgust, his wife? 

   Christian opened his own phone and the same pictures stared back at him. The link was from a news site and although Christian was not a fan of gossip and hearsays from bloggers, the image of his wife caught his attention. 

The photograph was of his wife handing a napkin to another man in what was apparently a five star restaurant, judging by the fancy silverware and tables. She had her hands in the grasp of the man and the camera had zoomed to catch her loving smile and the pretty emerald necklace he'd bought her. 

  Face stoic, eyes hard, Christian clicked on the picture and scanned it, the details appeared, his suspicions confirmed. It was the same date his grandmother had passed, the same hour. It all made sense, she had been with another man that day and the business meeting was clearly a way to dismiss him. 

   Christian shoved both phones in his pocket and strode stiffly to his car, he needed to get home and sort out Stephanie once and for all.