I pick up the phone and dropped it on my ear. With one eye open I peak through the window. It's still dark outside and the moon light shone through the it, illuminating a part of the dark room.

  "It's like four in the morning what do you want from me?" I didn't even bother to check who it was cause whomever is about to get an ear full.

  "I need you to babysit Winter again."

  It's Yasmin. Whenever she travels over the weekend she always left her seven year old daughter with me. "Why? Where are you going this time?" I turn around and held the phone. I yawn and rub my face to help keep me awake.

  Yasmin let out an excited wilhelm scream."You know what the best thing that happened to me is? That I saw your talent and signed you. You're like the equivalent of J.K Rowling to me." She kissed her phone and I cringed at the sound from the phone.

  I have no clue what happened or why she's so happy but It's making me curious. "Why so suddenly?"

  Her breath was haggard as if she just sprinted down a staircase. "I'm going to print a hundred thousand more copies of your book. I think even with that many it will still sell out! The demand demand is off the charts! I'm going to discuss with you later on about translating your book. We're going to be millionaires, Cameron. Millionaires!" Her words, laced with fireworks. I am imagine what her face is like right now. Her cat like eyes are probably dilated to the max. She kind of has a joker smile especially when she extremely happy.

  I sat up and yanked the cover of myself and glanced at the clock on the wall in front of me. Apparently you can't see clocks in your dreams and I can clearly see the clock in front of me and I can vaguely hear the ticking sound. I don't really understand why but the last month or so just feels like I've been trapped in a maze where the exit leads to the beginning of another maze. This can't be happening. This can't be real. "M-millionaires? I can't believe this. I'm speechless. Yasmin. If you're pranking me I'll cut you off for real this time."

  She snorts then her uses a serious tone, "You can't do that, Cam. I accepted you after you've been rejected thirty times and I've risked so much but it was all for good in the end I always knew I had a good eye for hidden gems." She scared me in the beginning then laughed like a manic with her last sentence.

  I look up at the plane white ceiling. Money signs appeared in my vision and I shook my head. I mean I'm not too obsessed with money as long as I can eat and live then I'm okay but if I'm a millionaire then I can finally buy my mom the emerald jewel set she kept sneakingly checking out. I've seen her stare longingly at her phone countless times but every time I ask her about it she'd say it's nothing so one time I stealthy wrote down the serial number and looked it up. It's worth thousands of dollars and I didn't have that much so I couldn't buy it. I brought her a necklace which kind of looked similar and she was over the moon. I'd love to see the expression on her face when she sees the set she's been yearning for so long in the palm of her hand.

  My dad was always so busy with work and everything that he would skip on buying himself the things he liked. Whether it be that Rolex watch he secretly wanted to buy or an expensive suit. I brought him a suit before and he really liked it but he scolded me when he saw the price tag thinking that I'll struggle if I spent my money carelessly. Now he can't complain because I'm a millionaire.

  I can finally spoil them properly like the spoiled me when I was young.

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  "I can't believe this." I jumped out of bed and headed towards the washroom. I need to dip my face in cold water to wake me up. If this is a dream then I'll be depressed forever.

  "I thought it was a dream. But trust me Cameron those six zeros are coming in your bank account very soon." My heart beat squeezed and caught in my neck.

  In a daze, unable to think clearly as I just watched the water run down the sink.

  "Just buy Winter a bunch of canvases and let her paint like last time." Yasmin suggested bringing me out of my thoughts.

  After all the best way to keep Winter docile is to let her paint. Otherwise shell bothering you to the point she drives you crazy. She's an amazing abstract painter and I heard Yasmin sold one of her works on an auction market. Maybe watching her paint can give me inspiration for another novel. I remember last time she took all the paint to the backyard and painted four different canvases in brilliant colours but she walked up to me holding the red paint container and told me to get rid of it because she can't use it.

  I laugh in recollection of that weird memory. "I'll have to buy her more paint. She used all the colours except red. She's so scared of it cause it reminds her of blood. I wouldn't think she's you're daughter."

  Yasmin is in love with stories that feature gore or murder. That's the reason why she liked my story and decided to become my publisher.

  "She's like her dad." She clears her throat. "Alright I gotta go. I'll bring Winter over in a few hours." She said.

  "I'll be waiting."

  She hummed an okay before ending the call.

  I sat there doing nothing but staring ahead for almost an hour. I wasn't staring at anything in particular. My phone rang and I pick it up without moving my eyes. I was in a complete utter daze.

  It's Viola

  "I cracked the code. He's an offender. He's being released very soon. I think gladiolus is waiting for his release so he can get rid of him. I sent you his personal details on an email.". She's really fast at cracking codes and not only that but figuring out exactly who he's talking about.

  But then again there is nothing I can do about it. This guy is likely to commit a crime again and honestly if gladiolus wasn't already targeting him I'd gladly take him out myself.

  I never thought I'd agree with murder till this gladiolus guy showed up. It's nice to know that I have in someway contributed to a safer work buy inspiring gladiolus.

  I lay around playing around on my phone till it was ten. Now the art store would probably start opening so I can buy Winter the things she needs. I got ready and headed towards the mall.

  The street leading to the mall was riddled with random stores. From little used bookshops that smelled like old secrets and mysteries to second hand electronics stores.

  A lady in dressed in blue walked towards me. Her back was hunched over and she looked to be about eighty years old or so.

  "Young man your eyes tell me a very tragic story. Would you like me to see if your future is bright?" She asked in a shrill voice. She looked exactly like what you'd expect psychic to be. She'll probably come up with so farfetched theory and convince me it's true.

  I don't believe that stuff but I think it's a fun to joke about it. Even if what she says ends up happening it'll only be a coincidence. So why not?

  "Give me your hand." She commended.

  Is she not going to take me inside? Stare at a weird ball of marble and pretend she sees the future in it?

  She traced the lines on my palm with closed eyes. She would frown and shake her head. Classic.

  "You will be betrayed. Someone very close to you, whom you trust very much will betray you in one of the worst ways possible." She whispered.

  "What are you saying? I'm out of here." I hurriedly band her a bill and marched out. I know it's a bunch of bullshit but I can't help but remember my own doubts.

  Is it betrayal or something else? Why do I feel like he is connected to gladiolus?