He stood eighty inches away from them.
Aiming his gun at Sonnyâs head, he said in a stern tone, âSonny, you and your soldiers broke into my home, digging through every corner.
Just because Nathan is your leader doesnât mean I wonât harm you! If you open this door and disturb my motherâs peace, I wonât hesitate to shoot you.
â
Being his subordinate, Sonny had no choice but to step back.
However, Lucinda stepped forward, shielding Sonny from the threat.
She then addressed Mekhi, âMekhi, my crystal earrings were stolen at my tea party.
Iâve questioned all the ladies who attended.
Sonny is merely doing his job.
Thereâs no need for firearms, is there?â
Mekhi didnât lower his gun.
He was fuming with anger.
âMrs.
Payne, when I entered, I was informed.
If you suspect Sally of stealing the earrings, you should ask her about it instead of scouring my house.
â
Lucinda maintained her composure.
âBut sheâs not here, and her whereabouts are unknown.
What if she took my earrings, panicked, and hid them here?â
Mekhiâs anger flared.
âIâll uncover the truth and demand an explanation from her.
If she did steal your earrings, I will compensate you for three times the value of your earrings.
Iâll also bring her to you personally, with broken legs if necessary.
Is that fine?â
She frowned and said, âMekhiâ¦â
But he cut her off abruptly, âItâs late, Mrs.
Payne.
I must insist that you and your group leave my house immediately.
â
He told her to leave, leaving no room for further discussion.
Sonny looked at her uneasily, but she remained silent.
The standoff continued.
Mekhi had returned.
As the head of the Shaw family and the deputy director of the National Security Bureau, he held a higher official rank than Sonny.
And what he had said was justified.
Lucinda and Sonny had no authority to enter his home without permission and conduct a search.
âAlright, since you donât seem to want me here, Iâll head out,â
Lucinda said, flashing a polite smile.
Mekhi set aside his gun and calmly explained, âI didnât mean it that way.
Noelle is not feeling well, and my motherâs health isnât great either.
We donât like to keep guests late at night.
â
When he mentioned Noelle, Lucinda pressed on, âLast time, you mentioned she just had a cold.
Why hasnât she gotten well yet? And sheâs been absent from work for quite a while.
Whatâs happening?â
Mekhi elaborated, âYou see, itâs flu season, and her cold worsened and became contagious.
So, I stopped allowing people inside the house, worried they might catch it.
â
He took a few steps back, leaned against the wall, and gestured for her to leave.
Lucinda didnât want to go, but she had no choice.
As she took a couple of steps away, a rhythmic, low clanking sound caught her attention again.