The moment their eyes met, Kevin's small body stiffened. He quickly sat up straighter.
John sighed inwardly.
Diana turned to John, concern in her eyes.
“You see? You’re scaring Kevin.”
“I didn’t say anything,” John replied, somewhat exasperated.
Did he really look that intimidating?
Diana patted Kevin’s head reassuringly.
“Kevin, don’t be afraid. This is John, my fiancé. He might look a little scary, but he’s actually really, really nice. Give it some time, and I’m sure you’ll come to like him.”
Kevin fiddled with his fingers and mumbled, “Okay…”
He raised his round, innocent face and looked at John. Gathering his courage, he said, “Your fiancé is really handsome. Super handsome. Even a little more handsome than my brother.”
Kevin added silently: Sorry, bro, but I have to be fair.
Diana smiled warmly.
“See? I think he’s handsome too. Sometimes, just looking at his face makes my day.”
“Is that
Night was falling.Yosef sat in his car, staring ahead with a distant look. A cigarette burned between his fingers. His face was calm, but his eyes were deep with unspoken thoughts.“Cough, cough,” he cleared his throat, breaking the silence.“Mr. Nelson, you really shouldn’t smoke. It’s bad for your health,” Patrick said with concern.“Yes,” Yosef replied absentmindedly, though it was unclear if he really heard the warning.Kirin leaned closer to Godber and whispered, “Mr. Nelson has been sitting here for twenty minutes. What’s going on?”Godber shrugged. “He’s probably trying to collect his thoughts. He’s had a rough time.”“How long does he need to gather his thoughts?” Kirin asked just as Yosef flicked the ash from his cigarette and said quietly, “Let’s go.”Godber gestured toward him. “Looks like he’s ready.”Kirin remained silent, watching as everyone climbed into the car and closed the doors. They were just about
“...Yeah, I’m happy.”“I knew it!”Kevin's smile grew even brighter.Yosef held the little guy gently. From where Kevin couldn’t see, a faint smile tugged at the corner of Yosef’s lips.But just as quickly as it appeared, it faded, as if a shadow of some unresolved thought passed over him.Back at the villa, Diana had spent a few days resting after her return. Just as she was about to head out, her phone rang.It was Frank, informing her that the storefront she had been eyeing was now available, ready for her to inspect and start renovating.With nothing else pressing to do, she decided to go take a look.As she was preparing to leave, she received another call, this time from Leah.Leah’s voice was lazily teasing. “Hey, girl, where are you?”“I’m at the villa, just about to head out. You sound like you just woke up. Were you still asleep?”“Yeah... I was filming a commercial until the wee hours of the morn
Leah cozied up to Diana, displaying their close friendship. "I'm her best friend, and soon, we'll be family."Oh? Cenzo thought, his curiosity piqued. He didn't realize their boss had such connections.Just as Cenzo was about to ask more, a man stepped out of the storefront. He had a cigarette dangling from his mouth and looked displeased."Why are you still here? Didn't I tell you to bring your boss over?"Diana pushed through the small crowd and walked up to the man. "I'm the boss. Speak your mind."The man glanced at Diana, who, despite her simple attire, was strikingly beautiful. He seemed taken aback for a moment, then chuckled."You? You don't look old enough to be a boss. Trying to play businesswoman, huh?"The man turned his head, eyes falling on the Rolls-Royce. Oh, they've got money. Maybe some rich guy is buying this place for his girlfriend to play shop."Got a problem with that?" Diana marched into the store and se
This was no time to back down.Summoning all his courage, Cenzo steadied himself. "Whatever you have against us, take it out on me. I don't think violence is the answer. Let's step outside and talk this over. How does that sound?""No need to go outside. I'll end you right here!"Charles's face contorted with rage. He tightened his grip on Cenzo with one hand and clenched his other into a fist, swinging it toward Cenzo's face."Aah!"Cenzo shut his eyes tight, bracing for the blow. But the expected pain never came. Holding his breath, he opened his eyes and saw that Diana had intercepted Charles's fist with her hand.The massive, brick-like fist contrasted starkly with Diana's delicate, pale fingers. The surprising thing was, Diana had actually stopped Charles's punch!Cenzo was stunned. Before he could process what had happened, Diana grabbed him by the collar and yanked him out of Charles's grip as easily as picking up a chicken. Sh
Leah grabbed Diana's arm, her face full of concern and surprise. "Don't move, we'll take you to the hospital right away!"Diana's heart skipped a beat, but she forced a reassuring smile."It's nothing, just a nosebleed. Don't make a fuss..."Before she could finish, her vision suddenly darkened, and she collapsed forward....Diana was jolted awake by a slight pricking sensation on the back of her hand.She groggily opened her eyes and saw Dr. Myers, carefully administering an IV drip."Dr. Myers?""Ms. Thompson, you’re awake. Don’t worry, it's just a nutrient solution," he hurriedly assured her, evidently trying to allay any fears she might have had.A concerned voice called out from nearby, "Big sis, are you okay?"Diana turned her head to see that several people had gathered in the spacious bedroom, including Cenzo and Gates, who were both still in awe of the opulent surroundings, their mouths agape.Dia
Diana struggled to maneuver her hand, which was hooked up to an IV, so as not to get tangled.With her free hand, she gently patted Leah on the back.“Not that long... a few months, maybe...”Leah's grip was a bit too tight.Diana was about to ask her to ease up when she felt warm tears on her neck.Her chest tightened, and her nose started to sting with an unexpected wave of emotion.Trying to regain her composure, she forced a smile, “What are you doing? I’m not dead yet, you know...”“Shut up! Don’t talk about dying!”Leah’s voice was choked with tears.Diana continued, “You really don’t have to worry. I’m getting treatment, so...”She was cut off by a sudden wail.Diana froze.Leah instinctively loosened her embrace.They both turned to see Dr. Myers standing off to the side, tissues in hand, crying uncontrollably.Leah: ...Diana: ...Seeing their stares, Dr. Myers sn
Mitbahl had called, his voice urgent, to inform them that Diana had collapsed, a nosebleed preceding her fainting spell. John’s demeanor had shifted instantly upon hearing the news, canceling the trip and rushing back as if in a frenzy.The last time Xavier had seen his boss so unhinged was when Ms. Thompson had gone missing.“Boss...” Xavier began, his voice trailing off as John crossed the threshold of the villa, casting a cold glance in his direction. The frigid look made Xavier shrink back involuntarily.“I...I...” he stammered, but gave up. Partly because he realized that any attempt at comfort would be futile, and partly because his own stutter made it impossible to convey any reassurance.John swiftly ascended to the third-floor bedroom. Standing before the door, he took a deep breath, attempting to steady his emotions before gently reaching out to open it.Inside, the room was enveloped in silence. Thick blackout curtains blocked any hint o
The SUV jolted along the winding road, speeding through the rugged terrain.The ground was muddy with yellow clay, and there were no signs of life around.In the car, Patrick glanced worriedly at Yosef in the back seat."Mr. Nelson, are you okay?"The man slightly opened his eyes, his already pale face looking even whiter.He spoke, "How much longer?""About half an hour. Kirin went ahead and took care of everything, losing about ten men, but they cleaned it up. They caught a few survivors, some were Nelson family members, but no sign of Carl.""Good."Yosef replied faintly, then reached for a few pills beside him and swallowed them.As the medication took effect, the discomfort in his body eased a bit.Yosef turned to look out the window.All he could see was a sea of vibrant flowers, their red waves rippling in the breeze.Fields upon fields of poppies.Beautiful, yet poisonous.This