THALIA

2

Reece opened the front door and was welcomed with an ice cold wind, he shuddered clutching his coat tight. He walked with his hands in his pocket and with his head bent low, he had gotten to 32 Avenue and his steps became slower. All he could think about was his parents death. He used to be so happy and carefree but since their death, everything turned cold and the fire and desire in his eyes had vanished. He had so many dreams, so many expectations but now he felt like his life had no meaning. He often wondered why people were even created if everyone was going to die. He thought about Thalia and how lost she was, she used to be so happy but he couldn't remember the last time his sister smiled. She was just 23 and was already in charge of their father's Empire. Reece raised his head up and turned around, he felt like he was being followed. He continued walking through the subway and sat down on an empty bench Clasping his hands together and sighing lowly. He sat there for five minutes before deciding to head home. Reece was at the foot of the stairs when he saw the girl from school, the arrogant girl that everyone hated - Audrey.
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Audrey Oswald held in her hand her mother's hospital bill as she walked silently in the subway. She had never been so sad, she had never been so hopeless, but the truth of the matter was that she was pennyless and couldn't afford to pay her mother's bills. Her rent had expired and her roommates had kicked her out. It was snowing heavily and she was homeless, She hadn't eaten dinner yet and was extremely tired from going up and down the street looking for a place to spend the night. She finally concluded on staying in the subway for the night. She dragged her suitcase to a corner and set it on the floor. She rested her head on the wall, closing her eyes and almost ready to break down when someone approached her "Well isn't its odd meeting you here?" Reece Andrews said to her and she looked up at him. Audrey remained silent "What are you doing here Audrey?" He asked crouching so his eyes could meet her's "what's it to you?" she snapped and Reece rolled his eyes "So you actually live here?" he asked and Audrey shrugged avoiding his gaze. She wanted to hold him down and strangle him but she was too weak from fighting and shouting all day long. She was too weak from shedding all those silent tears in the hospital "I would have invited you to stay in my place...."  Reece began and Audrey's heart kept thumping hard in her chest ".... but I don't invite b****** to my house" He continued and Audrey turned to glare at him as he shattered her hopes. She grabbed his neck and screamed in his face "I'd rather die than accept your stupid offer, you're just a self-centered, overpampered daddy's  boy who only knows how to spend his father's...."  Ryder and Aries watched from a distance carefully observing if the girl was a threat. Reece held her hand and pushed her off him violently "you're a crazy b**** " he said standing up and leaving her. Audrey breathed in slow breaths as tears welled up in her eyes. She used her suitcase as a type of pillow and rested on it. Reece went back to his bench and called his sister "Hello?"  "Reece" Thalia  responded "yeah, could you please send Roberts to pick me up. I'm in the suway near 32nd Avenue"  "He's on his way" Thalia said right before ending the call. Reece stared at Audrey who happened to have fallen asleep on the floor. He wondered what was going on with her and where her family was. He walked slowly to her and removed His coat placing it on her body as a formal blanket. Even if she was incredibly annoying and arrogant and rude and a lot of other things, she was still human. He took one last look at her before leaving the subway and waiting for Roberts by the roadside. Ryder and Aries left.
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New York, Manhattan 5:48AM
Thalia stirred awake on her king size bed as the constant buzzing of her ringtone deprived her of sleep. She stretched out her hand to the bedside table where the phone was located "Hello?"  the person from the other end of the line spoke first "Who is this?" Thalia asked sitting up "I'm Darnell Robinson by name It's a pleasure to finally be speaking to one of the greatest assassins in the whole of America"  "cut the chatter, what do you want?" Thalia sat up " I wanted to book an appointment. I have a business proposal for you darling" He said and she  remained quiet for a while "Hello are you there?"  "5 pm at Diègos dè cafè, not a second later" Thalia said before hanging up.
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Thalia was walking down Madison square with her hand in her pockets and her head held high. She sat in Diègos dè cafè  with Ryder a few tables away from hers. It was 4:58 p.m and she ordered a cup of tea as she awaited her guest. The waiter had brought the tea and Thalia stared at her watch,  it was exactly 5pm. She was taking a sip of the tea when 2 men in suits came in. One was older and the other was younger, they approached her "Thalia Andrews" the older man smiled bringing out his hand. Thalia took it and shook him "Darnell Robinson" She acknowledged. Darnell sat opposite her while the other guy who she assumed to be a bodyguard stood. She took another sip of tea before speaking "how may I be of service?" Darnell smiled "straight to the point, okay. I have a job for you Ms Andrews, I want the head of Tyson Connor in the next 10 days"  "10 days?" She chuckled  staring at him "Yes. I have 25 million US dollars for the job" He smiled and Thalia stared at him smirking. She crossed her legs under the table and placed her elbows on the table so she could have a clear view of his facial expression. She of course knew this man was very rich because of her previous research. He was one of the biggest drug dealers and owned many cartels in Mexico. Thalia  relaxed in her seat and took another sip of her tea "50 million" she said and he laughed. Thalia's face remained straight "50 million? Are you crazy?" he asked taking a sip of water. Thalia shrugged shoulders "don't waste my time Darnell" she said staring him dead in the eye. Darnell thought for a while before nodding "okay fine. I've heard you're really good at what you do So it's fine I'll  transfer half of the money when I get home" "Good"  she said placing 200 dollars under her teacup "nice doing business with your Mr Robinson" she said before leaving with Ryder behind her.
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Thalia opened the door to her room and sat in front of her desk opening her computer. She closed her father's file and opened a new one "Tyson Connor". Apparently, Tyson's father was Henry Connor, the former billionaire and  manager of all the four seasons hotels all over the country. He died two months after Ethan Andrews death. Thalia kept finding out more about Tyson, he was a 24 year old businessman with a 12 year old younger sister named Trish. He took over his father's business and had been running it pretty well, he wasn't married, had no girlfriend, no mental issues, no illegal background. He was just a normal guy running his family business. His schedule was simple,  He'd drive to work with two buddy guards while 4 guards took his sister to school. He only spent three hours at work then went out for lunch. He would take a small walk alone to a restuarant beside his establishment. Sometimes he had people eat with him but he mostly ate alone. Then he would return to work and pack up and then head home. He followed that same routine every single day. Thalia stared at her phone screen, The money had been sent. She sighed closing the file and shutting her computer down.
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Reece put a towel around his waist and another on his shoulder as he came out of the boys changing room. The gym was empty but he could still hear sounds of a punching bag. He took slow paced steps towards the sound and found Audrey consistently thrashing the punching bag in front of her.  She stopped when she felt someone's presence. She turned around to see Reece "what do you want from me? Why are you following me?" "I'm not" he said staring at her and she shrugged walking to her gym bag. Reece saw that she was bringing out his coat and stopped her "it's yours now" "I don't want your pity" she said shoving the coat in his grasp. Reece didn't take it "I'm not pitying you, I gave you because you needed it" He turned around and she spoke "Why are you being nice to me Reece Andrews? If you're trying to get into my pants, then you're just...." "please, it's nothing of that sort. I'm not even being nice to you. It's just the way I am I guess" she scoffed "rich kids don't associate with people like me Reece, quit wasting your time" She said stuffing the coat back into her bag just "because I'm rich and all doesn't mean I don't have feelings too" Reece said staring out the window behind Audrey "bull! So what? You're gonna tell me you guys get depressed and s***? Even if you do, you do it for dumb ass reasons. So what if your parents aren't around all the time? They're out struggling from money and hustling to make life better" "who told you my parents aren't around?" he asked staring her dead in the eyes "I just heard it" Reece stayed quiet for a while and soon started moving closer to her and Audrey moved back till her back  finally met the wall. Reece held her shoulders "My parents are dead" he said before leaving the locker room. Audrey stared at his bare back as he left. She totally gave him the wrong label in her head.

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