By the time Regina arrived at the Wale's estate, darkness had already blanketed the sky. But thankfully, the high voltage street lights that illuminated the driveway made navigation to Judith's mansion seamless.
"Ma'am, there is traffic up ahead." Regina's driver reported, slowing down the car's speed.
"Traffic? Where?" Regina lifted her head from her phone, to look at the windshield. She was stunned to see some fleet of neatly parked cars in a single file outside the gigantic iron gate that led into the mansions premisses.
"What in God's name is happening here? Are they having some kind of party or something?" Regina asked.
"I can't say for sure, ma'am. But I will go and find out."
"Please do and be fast," Regina said returning to her chat with Tylor.
The driver pulled over behind the last car. He kept the engine running as he stepped out of the car to interact with the driver of the next car. He had barely taken a few steps away from the car when he was approached by one of the senator's security men, who recognized him on the spot.
"Mr Lewis, what are you doing here?" The security man asked, removing his hand from his gun on his waist holster.
"I brought the madam. She wants to see the senator urgently." The driver replied politely.
"The senator is in a meeting and no one is allowed into the premises in the meantime. Can't she call him?"
"She tried severally but his phone is switched off."
"Wait here. Let me get in contact with my boss." The security man left briskly and returned within the next few seconds with Lin.
"Where is she?" Lin asked impatiently, a crease lining her smooth forehead.
"She's inside the car." The driver gestured to the parked car behind the black SUV.
"Give me a moment alone with her," Lin said before walking away.
Regina was in the middle of a private call, laughing softly when the rear seat door was suddenly thrown open.
"Excuse me." She abruptly peeled the phone from her ear, her eyes shooting daggers at the person who had dared to intrude on her privacy without respect.
Lin completely ignored her caustic glares as she climbed into the car and slammed the door shut. "We need to talk."
"I'll call you back," Regina said into her phone mouthpiece and ended her call, her lethal gaze pinned on Lin. "Young woman, have you lost your mind? Don't you have regard for me any longer?"
"What are you doing here?" Lin asked harshly, her voice dripping with anger and frustration.
"That will be none of your bloody business young woman. If you do not understand the first meaning of the word respect, then I want you to get the hell out of my car."
Lin chuckled, as she leaned back on the seat, taking off her black gloves and tossing them to the side. She picked up a glass of wine Regina was initially drinking from the wine glass holder in the centre seat of the car and slowly raised it to her lips while Regina watched in horror.
"You wouldn't dare," Regina growled while Lin smirked wickedly.
"Cheers!" Lin gulped down the entire content in one swallow while ignoring the burning sensation at the back of her throat. She smirked her lips noiselessly, a satisfied grin creeping into her eyes.
"You have good taste, Gina."
"Gina! You dare call me by my first name? Are you mad?" Regina snarled in a repressed voice, suppressing the urge to strike Lin in the face.
"I'm not mad. But I just dared you. What are you going to do about it?"
Regina's hands balled into a fist, her nose flared as she scowled at Lin.
"You mannerless thwart. I can see you have no respect?"
"Respect!" Lin let out a scornful laugh. "Respect is earned, honey. Only fools think it can be given on a platter of gold. Now, let's try this again. What do you want?"
"You must really have some nerves to ask me that stupid question after what you just did." Regina's voice quivered with rage, her head steaming like a pressure cooker about to explode. She completely forgot the reason she had come to Judith's place as she turned on Lin.
"Do you know who I am? Do you know I can destroy you with just a snap of my finger?"
"Remind me, who are you again?"
"What!" Regina's pupils dilated.
"Oh, I remember." Lean leaned closer, her warm alcoholic breath fanning against Regina's flushed face. "You are the slutty mistress of the senator who forced her way into a happy union just to destroy it with her lies."
"Did you just call me a slut, you insolent b*tch!" Regina lifted up her hand to slap Lin but the latter caught her hand in mid-air with her iron grip, her inflamed gaze shooting dagger.
"What were you trying to do? Hit me!" Lin tightened her grip around Regina's wrist making the latter whimper in pain.
"Let go of my wrist. You're hurting me."
"If you ever in your miserable life raise your hands in my face, I will make sure I break at least two of your pretty fingers." Lin hissed, pushing Regina's hand away.
"Get out of my car," Regina yelled, while massaging her hurting wrist, especially the part where the bangle around the wrist had dug into her flesh, bruising her soft skin.
"Sorry honey, not until you tell me the purpose for which you have come or you might as well turn around and get the f*ck out of this place." Lin spat out, picking up the bottle of wine on the second holder and pouring herself a drink.
"Wait until I call my husband?" Regina picked up her phone, pretending to dial her husband's number.
"By all means, call him. I can even help you make a video of me bullying you just to stir him a bit." Lin cackled, taking a sip of her drink this time and savouring the richness.
"So it has finally come to this. We get you to do us a small favor and now you think you can turn around and disrespect me in this manner." Regina's body trembled as she fought hard to hold back her threatening tears. As if dealing with Gwen's hospitalizations, Matt's abusive sexual torture and his threat were not enough headaches for one person, now she had to deal with this.
"Point of correction, madam high and mighty, the only person disrespecting herself right now is you. You are the one who doesn't know when to talk and when to keep her mouth shut. The one currently interfering with my business right now and stressing the hell out of me."